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Post by Eagle on Jul 22, 2012 0:02:54 GMT -5
andres87,
First of all, welcome to the Boards!
Your Itinerary looks reasonably well, organized but it's quite lengthy so I will need to spend some time with suggestions. I'll post a reply in a day or so with some ideas for a few changes.
Cheers!
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Post by Eagle on Jul 15, 2012 1:36:01 GMT -5
ciara, First of all, welcome to the Boards! I have a few comments to start with, and hopefully the others will have a few thoughts as well. Your proposed Itinerary looks reasonably well organized, and it's nice to see that you allowed more time for the larger cities. I have a few suggestions..... > 2 nights in Dublin where we fly into Good plan, as that will give you a couple of days to get over jet lag.> 4 nights in London which we will get to by air Which airline are you planning to use for the flight to London? If it's RyanAir you must be VERY careful with your baggage limits or you'll get nicked with huge extra charges!> 4 nights in Paris by the euro star train Good plan, but it's best to pre-book the EuroStar several months in advance. Check www.seat61.com for all the information you'll need for booking. NOTE that you MUST check-in for the EuroStar at least 30-minutes prior to departure. Also note that you'll pass through airport-style security, so items like knives will be restricted.> 3 nights in Amsterdam by air Travel by air is not a real good idea. Train will be faster when all is considered. Use a direct Thalys train from Gare du Nord to Amsterdam Central (about 3H:15M as I recall). You can get really cheap fares by pre-booking, but keep in mind that the tickets are usually non-refundable and non-changeable. If you want "Flex" tickets, you'll pay more.> We will start our eurail select 5 country pass from Amsterdam to Berlin Be sure to check that the trains you'll be using with your Railpass do not require reservations. If they do have compulsory reservations, you'll need to pay separately for those. I don't know where your "home location" is, but one important point to mention is that if you're buying reservations or whatever at Amsterdam Central, they O N L Y accept cash or "Chip & PIN" credit cards. If you're located in the U.S., it's highly likely that you don't have one of the C&P cards.> 3 nights in Berlin Sounds good. Where are you planning to stay?> 3 nights in Prague which will use our 2 country pass for Sounds good. Where are you planning to stay?> 3 nights in Vienna using country 3 pass for No comments> 3 nights in Venice using country 4 It's VERY likely that most of the trains you'll be using in Italy require compulsory reservations (especially the "fast" Freccia trains). You MUST be sure to have correct reservations for the trains you're riding on, or you could be fined on the spot and it WON'T be cheap (€40-50 PP)! Always double-check the train number listed on your reservation with the train number that you're boarrding. The number will also be listed on the electronic board in the station (ie: Treno 9673).
If you decide to buy a P-P ticket for a Regionale train (rather than using a day of your Railpass), you MUST validate the ticket in the yellow machine prior to boarding the train, or face the same risk of a fine. That also applies to unvalidated tickets on the Buses in Rome (the validation machines are often onboard the Bus).> 3 nights in Rome staying on the country 4 pass Sounds good. Where are you staying? Be sure to wear Money Belts everywhere in Europe, and watch out for scammers and Pickpockets.I would suggest flying from Rome to Barcelona. Your best bet is probably Vueling from FCO to BCN. Be sure to read the "Terms & Conditions" carefully and be especially careful with luggage weights. If you think your checked bag will be over the weight limit, it's better to pay for the excess at the time of booking. It's much more expensive if paid at the gate. Also note that many European airlines allow ONE carry-on item ONLY!> 3 nights in Florence again on country 4 pass Actually, I'd suggest arranging your trip in the order Venice > Florence > Rome, as it's more efficient.
> 4 nights in Barcelona using country 5 pass Be especially careful regarding Pickpockets, as Barcelona has a bit of a reputation.
Then fly back to Dublin for 4 more nights and to fly home again. The only other comment I have is that travel at that time of year may not be ideal if they have a severe winter in Europe. Flights and rail travel may be disrupted, and of course you'll have to pack along a heavier selection of clothing and perhaps boots.
If you plan on travelling with technology such as Cellphones, Laptops, Hair appliances, Cameras, etc., you'll need to do some research on those in order to avoid potentially expensive problems.Good luck with your planning!
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Post by Eagle on Jul 8, 2012 15:49:10 GMT -5
It will take me some time to go through your proposed travel plans. At this point, I don't have any easy answers. Hopefully MTH will spot this post, as I'm sure she will have some good suggestions.
Could you clarify the time frame of this trip? You'll be starting on 7/23, but when does this end?
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Post by Eagle on Jun 11, 2012 0:29:47 GMT -5
Julie, I still don't have any definite answers for you, but some thoughts..... The first part of your trip from July 22 to August 2 seems VERY BUSY! You're covering a fair distance with what appears to be a lot of one-night stops. For example, on July 25 you list "macedonia - albania - montenegro - Bosnia". I haven't checked a Map, but that seems like a lot to cover in one day. Regarding renting a car, there could be some potential "issues" with that. I don't know what's typical for car rental in eastern Europe, but typically those under 25 may be unable to rent. If you were planning to rent in one country and drop the car in another, that typically comes with huge drop-off charges. You would also have to be extremely careful to obtain a good CDW package, and of course would likely need a credit card to rent. You may find some good information on the www.gemut.com website. Given the fact that you're working with a limited time frame, I'd suggest dropping Ukraine this time. Have you checked to determine whether you would need a Visa? I haven't been to Ukraine, but the Visa process for Russia tends to be a bit expensive and complicated. I assume you're travelling on a U.S. Passport? For the last part of your trip, if you're planning to visit Poland, Germany, Czech republic, Austria, Italy (northern) and Switzerland in a space of 10 days, that's also very ambitious. It's important to allow adequate transportation times between locations, which in each case will usually be a minimum of half a day (and sometimes more). Hopefully MTH will appear soon, as I'm not sure what else to suggest.
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Post by Eagle on Jun 9, 2012 22:20:03 GMT -5
julie,
I'm not sure I'll be able to offer many suggestions on your proposed travel plans. Many of the areas you're planning to visit are in a part of Europe I haven't visited yet (Macedonia, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia), so my information is a bit limited.
I'm also not entirely clear on the time line of your trip. You indicated that you'd have "10 days free". Are you planning to visit all the locations within those 10 days?
Hopefully MadamTrashHeap will spot this post, as I'm sure she will have some good suggestions.
Good luck and happy travels!
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Post by Eagle on May 27, 2012 15:52:10 GMT -5
sarahizzie, Railpasses are not the bargain they once were, so in order to decide whether you use a Pass or P-P tickets, you'll need to do some "number crunching". Keep in mind that Railpasses do NOT include the reservation fees that are compulsory on some trains, such as the TGV in France. You would need to pay separately "out of pocket" for those. Especially in the Benelux countries, Pass Holder fees can be "steep"! You might get some idea by entering each of your trips into www.railsaver.com as that may be able to "point you in the right direction". It would take me some time to have a look in more details at each of the trips you'll be taking. With so few trips, I suspect that it might be easier and more cost effective to buy P-P tickets. In some cases, buying these a few days ahead of travel or booking on line can result in significant savings (that's certainly the case with the "Mini" fares in Italy, but I'm not sure if that sort of thing is available in the countries you'll be visiting). Happy travels!
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Post by Eagle on May 9, 2012 1:06:46 GMT -5
cooldsunshine,
Welcome to GFE! I have a few thoughts to offer.
Your Itinerary looks reasonably well organized, however there are too many short visits for my preference. For example....
> Lyon - my preference would be to skip Lyon and spend the time in Nice, which is a good "home base" for visiting other places in the area such as Eze, Villefranche or Monaco / Monte Carlo.
> Marseille - I'd skip that entirely unless there's a specific reason for stopping there
> Toulouse - is there a reason you chose that?
> Barcelona - you might want to add a day or so, as there's lots to see there. BE CAREFUL though, as Barcelona has a well deserved reputation for pickpockets and scammers. Wear a Money Belt!
> Madrid, Granada and Seville look good, although I'd suggest adding at least one day to each if possible. If you skip Lyon, Marseille and Toulouse, that should allow some extra time.
> Lagos and Lisbon look good - have you booked a flight from Lisbon to Paris yet?
> I'm not sure you have time for Amsterdam?
Yes, Hostels are a good option especially for solo travellers, PROVIDED you don't have a problem with "communal living" and Dorm rooms. You might find it helpful to get a membership in HI Hostels, as they have properties in the places you'll be visiting. A membership will give you preferred booking and better rates over non-members. I've found that the HI Hostels are well run, the facilities are fairly consistent from one location to the next, and they're not "party Hostels". Of course, if you stay at independent Hostels, the membership won't be of any benefit.
For staying in Hostels, I'd suggest packing a good quality Padlock for Hostel Lockers (nothing too large). DO NOT use the cheap TSA Luggage Locks, as they're simply not strong enough. For staying in Hostels you'll also need a Towel, Soap and possibly some Flip-Flops for the shower. The Micro-Fibre Towels are a good choice as they're light and easy to travel with.
If this is your first trip to Europe, I'd highly recommend reading the Guidebook Europe Through The Back Door prior to your trip. It provides a lot of good information on "how" to travel in Europe. It would also be a good idea to check a few country-specific Guidebooks to plan your sightseeing and transportation in each location.
Are you planning to buy your rail tickets when you arrive in Europe? Note that some trains (ie: TGV in France) have compulsory reservations, which will be included in the cost of tickets. If you're travelling with a Railpass, you'll have to pay separately for the reservations.
July and August are PEAK travel season in Europe, so it's likely going to be hot and crowded. You might want to pre-book at least your first and last nights accommodations (and perhaps others too).
Happy travels!
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Post by Eagle on May 6, 2012 0:08:14 GMT -5
W.T.,
I wondered where you were lately? That was an interesting article. Thanks for posting.
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Post by Eagle on Apr 29, 2012 1:02:32 GMT -5
nhshani,Welcome to GFE! I have a few comments on your questions. 1.) I'm not too familiar with destinations in the Ukraine so can't offer any comments. Hopefully one of the others here will have some suggestions for you. 2.) I haven't been to Romania yet, so can't offer any comments there either. 3.) Again, I haven't been there. 4.) For budget flights within Europe, you might check www.whichbudget.com to see if they have flights to the countries you'll be visiting. For information on Hostels, you might check www.hihostels.com or www.hostelworld.com for properties in each of the cities you'll be visiting. 5.) No information on that. 6.) No information on that. One suggestion - you might try posting these questions on the Lonely Planet www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/index.jspa as they have a larger user base. I suspect someone there will have the answers. Good luck with your planning!
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Post by Eagle on Apr 19, 2012 2:15:32 GMT -5
hotblooded, The only thing you'll find in that price range is a Hostel, which of course involves "communal living" in Dorm rooms. If you'd prefer a more "lively" atmosphere, have a look at www.flyingpig.nl/ and if you want a quieter atmosphere then you could consider www.hihostels.com/web/index.en.htmI'm somewhat "older" so prefer the quieter properties. I've found the facilities are usually fairly consistent with HI Hostels. Having an HI membership provides better rates and preferred booking.
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Post by Eagle on Apr 9, 2012 2:08:22 GMT -5
hotblooded, Welcome to the Boards! You didn't specify what you consider to be "not very expensive", but you might have a look at www.poethotelamsterdam.com/. It's in a great area close to both the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum, and close to a Tram stop.
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Post by Eagle on Apr 7, 2012 17:36:34 GMT -5
tajhaslani,
First of all, welcome to GFE!
As this is your first trip, my first suggestion is to read Europe Through The Back Door before you get too far in your planning. It provides a lot of good information on "how" to travel in Europe.
The number of destinations you've listed are somewhat "ambitious", even for a time frame of 25-days. Each time you change locations, you'll need to allow at least half a day, and in some cases this may require the better part of a day.
If you haven't booked flights yet, I would highly recommend using open-jaw flights so that you don't have to spend the time and money to return to your starting point. This is sometimes called "Multi-Destination" on websites.
You didn't say what kind of a budget you were working with, but one point to keep in mind regarding London is that the Olympics will be taking place there in only a few short months. I've seen some reports that room prices have escalated sharply over the last few months, so you'll have to budget accordingly.
In most cases, travel by train will be the best method, but in looking at your list there are a few places where budget airlines would be better. I wouldn't recommend car rental, as you could encounter some "difficulties", especially on a first trip. Some examples of the issues you could face: high fuel costs, high CDW cost, need for an IDP in some countries, tolls, fines, parking, vandalism, tax vignettes required in some countries, high drop fees if you rent in one country and drop in another and finally the dreaded ZTL areas in Italy.
There are some "issues" with trains also, especially in Italy. Those who fail to validate tickets on Regional trains may face severe fines, which are collected on the spot! Reservations are compulsory on some trains, and those without appropriate reservations for a particular train may be fined on the spot (and the fines aren't cheap!).
One important point regarding budget airlines is that they often operate on a "sliding scale", with prices increasing as the flight fills. Therefore, early bookers get the best price.
In addition to the Guidebook mentioned above, you may want to visit your local Library or larger bookstores and have a look at city or country-specific Guidebooks. They have lots of information on sightseeing, transportation, hotels, restaurants, etc. in each place you'll be visiting.
You'll probably find that it will be necessary to drop at least one of the locations on your list. I'll have a closer look at it later and will try to suggest an efficient route. Hopefully MTH will spot this post as I'm sure she will have some good suggestions.
As you plan on travelling in June, you'll need to get some plans in place QUICKLY, and start booking Hotels.
Good luck with your planning!
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Post by Eagle on Apr 3, 2012 1:15:43 GMT -5
mochahazelnut,
Welcome to GFE!
Given the fact that you've already been to the U.K. last year, I would definitely recommend choosing Rome on this occasion, especially as you may not be able to get back to Europe for several years. Another factor to consider is that prices for accommodations in London have already started to increase substantially due to the Olympics. I really think Rome would be a good choice!
Rome probably will be crowded in late May, as that's the "spring shoulder season". Many places in Italy are crowded at the best of times, so there's no way to avoid that.
If you decide on Rome, I would highly recommend booking a Hotel SOON! At this point, you could have trouble finding a vacancy.
I would also recommend having a look at a Guidebook in order to plan your touring efficiently, so that you don't waste any time. I'd suggest having a look at the Rick Steves Rome Guidebook (also available in E-book format), but choose whichever ones appeal to you. IMO, it's VERY IMPORTANT to do some research on travelling in Rome (and Italy) as there are some "pitfalls" to be aware of (ie: validating tickets prior to riding the Buses or some Trains, as steep fines can result for those caught with an unvalidated ticket. Fines are usually collected on the spot!
Depending on what you want to see, you might consider buying a Roma Pass, which will cover admission to some sights as well as some transportation. Check the website for details.
With a time frame of a week, you should have time for a day trip or two. Some suggestions would be Ostia Antica (used to be the old port area of Rome) and Orvieto (beautiful Umbrian hill town, about one hour by train from Rome - the Signorelli Frescoes in the Duomo are incredible!).
Happy travels!
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Post by Eagle on Mar 31, 2012 3:32:55 GMT -5
jesstrika, First of all, welcome to GFE! A few comments on your travel plans. As you're planning to travel this May, that's not much time to work out the details! You'll need to get some details sorted quickly, and start making arrangements. As this is your first trip to Europe, I'd highly recommend reading Europe Through The Back Door prior to your trip. It provides a lot of good information on "how" to travel in Europe. Use country-specific Guidebooks to plan sightseeing, hotels/hostels, etc. Unless you can get double rooms, Hostels won't provide a lot of privacy and you may be separated in gender-specific rooms. Dorm rooms will the cheapest, but double rooms are almost the price of a budget Hotel. You may want to consider using Hotels at least part of the time. With a VERY short time frame of 13-days, I'd suggest skipping Ireland this time. Although you can fly into Shannon, transportation is not as well structured in Ireland and that will use both time and money. I'm not sure London is a real good idea at the moment either. The Olympics are only a few months away, and some reports I've seen indicate many accommodations have doubled in price. A visit there may be possible if you can find a good rate at one of the Hostels, but overall I'm not sure you have the time for London. You'll reduce your transportation costs by limiting the geographic area that you're covering. With that in mind, you might consider flying inbound to Paris / CDG to start your trip. You could (for example) travel Paris - Berlin - Prague - Munich. From Munich it should be a relatively easy trip to Ramstein. If you decide to start in Paris, I'd suggest booking a Hotel SOON! Travel from Berlin to Prague is very easy by rail (I travelled that route last September). For travel from Prague to Munich, I believe that's possible by Bus now, with a travel time of about four hours. I hope to be back in Munich again this fall (it's a wonderful city). For planning rail journeys, one of the best websites to use is www.bahn.de/i/view/USA/en/index.shtml (the German Rail site). You might want to have a look at the www.hihostels.com website, as they have properties in many places around the world. I've found the facilities to be fairly consistent from one location to the next, and they're well run. They're not "party Hostels", but they host school groups at times and they can be a bit "noisy". Having an HI membership provides slightly cheaper rates and preferred booking. In planning your time, keep in mind that you'll probably arrive in Europe the day after you depart, and you'll be jet-lagged for a day or two after that so won't be up to full "touring speed". The last day will be spent on the flight home. It would be a really good idea to have a look at France, Germany and Prague Guidebooks, so that you'll be familiar with hotels, transportation, sightseeing options, etc. I often pack one or two Guidebooks along, as they're valuable reference sources during trips. If you need further suggestions on Guidebooks, post another note. Finally, I'd suggest planning your touring very carefully so that you don't waste ANY time, but try to keep the pace somewhat relaxed. Be sure to check the expiry date on your Passport. Good luck with your planning and happy travels!
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Post by Eagle on Mar 28, 2012 23:25:32 GMT -5
hemple,
I'd also like to welcome you to GFE.
At the moment, I don't have anything to add to the excellent information that MTH posted.
Cheers!
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