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Post by Eagle on Mar 22, 2012 0:58:08 GMT -5
patches0425,
Welcome to GFE!
Regarding your questions:
1.) I'm not sure if it's the "cheapest" method, but I'd suggest using a flight from Tel Aviv to Athens. I believe Aegean and Olympic both offer direct flights, with a travel time of about two hours.
2.) The best way from Athens to Sorrento would probably be a flight to Naples, but I'd have to check to see what's available. From Naples Airport, take the Curreri Viaggi Bus direct to Sorrento.
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, including "travelling the rails" and other tips. Use country-specific Guidebooks to plan sightseeing in each location.
If you could provide further details on where you plan on visiting, it would be easier to provide more specific suggestions.
Good luck with your planning!
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Post by Eagle on Mar 10, 2012 2:43:07 GMT -5
skornick, While it is feasible, taking a day trip to Normandy is not the best idea. Given the travel times there and back, there wouldn't be much time to see any of the historic sites. It's important to remember that the D-Day locations covered a front of about 50-miles and extended some distance inland, so that's an enormous area to cover. In order to reach the sites, a rental car would be necessary. The best idea to visit Normandy is to stay at least one night, preferably in Bayeux, and take one of the excellent day tours offered in that area. I can provide further information on tours if you decide to do that. If you have a "large" travel budget, you could take a day tour from Paris Vision tours - check en.parisvision.com/27-normandy-and-landing-beaches.htm for details. Hope this helps.
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Post by Eagle on Mar 5, 2012 1:41:12 GMT -5
skornick,
As this is your first trip to Europe, I'd highly recommend reading Europe Through The Back Door before the trip. It provides a lot of good information on "how" to travel in Europe. Once you've decided where you'll be visiting, use country-specific Guidebooks for details on Hotels, Restaurants, transportation and sight seeing.
As always, MTH has provided excellent information. With only 10-days to work with, you'll need to be VERY selective and pick two or three places that are reasonably close geographically. Are there any cities that either of you is "leaning towards"? Using open-jaw flights would be a good idea, as that will save the time and cost of returning to your starting point.
In planning your time, be sure to account for the fact that you'll need two days for travel to and from Europe. You didn't indicate where you're flying from, but you'll generally arrive in Europe the day after you depart. The last day will be spent on the flight home.
Although September / October are the fall "shoulder season", it can still be busy in Europe so pre-booking accommodations would be a good idea.
Good luck with your planning!
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Post by Eagle on Mar 3, 2012 16:27:02 GMT -5
dumbbel,
Especially with the ages of your children, a backpacking trip to Europe would be an incredible "life experience" for them. I definitely agree with MTH, that it would a good idea to involve your children in the planning as they will then have more interest in the trip.
You didn't indicate whether both parents will be taking this trip with the children? If you'll be alone, that could raise some "issues" that you'll have to deal with.
It would help to know which places in Europe you're planning to visit? With a very short two weeks, you'll need to prioritize. It's great to hear that you're planning to read Europe Through The Back Door, as that provides a lot of good information. You may also want to have a look at the country-specific Guidebooks once you narrow down the locations you'll be visiting. They provide more specific details on Hotels, restaurants, sightseeing, transportation, etc.
You didn't indicate where you're located, but if in North America you might check your local PBS channel to see if any of Rick's programs will be airing in the near future. You may all enjoy having a look at those. There are "video clips" available on You Tube as well.
As you don't have specific dates in mind, you might consider travelling in the "shoulder seasons" - May / June or Sept. / Oct. (if possible with the children's school obligations). Travel is more pleasant in those months, as opposed to "peak season" in July & August.
Good luck with your planning!
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Post by Eagle on Mar 1, 2012 0:41:46 GMT -5
tgiaa,
According to an article I read in the paper this morning, airline ticket costs are likely to increase substantially this summer anyway due to the volatile fuel costs. The article stated this is likely to start in March or April, so you may want to get your flights booked soon.
Of the two Itineraries you posted, I'd suggest using the first one (with a slight change). As this is your first trip to Europe, starting in London will provide a much more "gentle" introduction to European culture.
However, it would be more efficient to travel London > Paris > Brussels > Munich. If you decide to use return flights to London, it will be faster and more efficient to travel via budget airline from Madrid to London. When you're deciding between return or open jaw flights, be sure to include the cost of returning to your starting point in the calculations.
When travelling with budget airlines, they often use a sliding scale with prices increasing as the flight fills. Therefore, those that book early get the cheapest seats. There are usually no reserved seats, baggage limits are often somewhat "restrictive" and tickets are usually non-refundable and non-changeable once booked. Be sure to read the "Terms & Conditions" carefully!
It appears that you haven't finalized your dates yet? As you'll be travelling to London, it would be a really good idea to avoid travel there during the Olympics, as lodgings will be EXPENSIVE and probably hard to find.
Taking an overnight train to Venice is certainly one possibility, however I prefer to travel that route during the daytime. When considering overnight trains, be sure to check to ensure there are no changes in the middle of the night. If that's the case, you won't be getting much sleep!
How are you planning to carry your travel funds? Using an ATM card is the best method, but note that your travel funds must be usually be in a chequing account with a four-number PIN. It's a really good idea to carry a "backup" ATM card if possible, in case there are any problems with the primary card.
Good luck with your planning!
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Post by Eagle on Feb 27, 2012 1:06:06 GMT -5
tgiaa,
As this is a first trip to Europe for all of you, my first suggestion would be for all to read the Guidebook EuropeThrough The Back Door. That will provide a lot of good information on "how" to travel in Europe, and covers things like Itinerary planning, Rail Skills, avoiding scams, etc.
Regarding your budget, could you clarify if thats €2400 each or for the entire group??? Does that include your flights?
I would highly recommend using "open jaw" flights, rather than return flights from London. That's not only more cost effective but will also provide more touring time, as you won't have to spend time returning to your starting point.
Be sure to allow for your flight days. You didn't say where you'd be departing from, but you may arrive in Europe the day after you leave your home airport.
When planning your cities and routes, it's very important to allow adequate travel times. In each case every location change will normally require at least half a day, and sometimes longer.
Regarding each of your intended destinations and order of visits.....
> London - 4 days is good
> Amsterdam or Belgium - these are a bit "distant" from your other locations, so I'd probably skip them this time, unless they're really important
> Paris - 3 or 4 days would be good (you might include a day trip to Versailles)
> Munich - 4 days is good (what are you planning to see & do there?)
> Venice - 3 days is good (I find that Venice tends to be a bit more expensive than other locations in Italy, so that may be a concern if you're working with a tight budget)
> I notice that Florence isn't on the list? That's a logical stop on the way from Venice to Rome. Have you considered Siena or the Cinque Terre?
> Rome - I'd suggest allowing at least 4 days for Rome, as there's a LOT to see
> France (Nice or Marseilles) - they're difficult to fit with the other locations that you're visiting. If you're really intent on visiting that area, my suggestion would be Nice (I'm not a big fan of Marseilles)
> Spain (Barcelona and/or Madrid) - this should be possible, as it's relatively easy to use budget flights from Rome to Barcelona. However, using open jaw flights to and from Europe would definitely work better in this case. You could (for example), end your trip in Madrid and return home from there.
In order to plan specific sightseeing in each place you visit, have a look at country or city specific Guidebooks. You could check Rick Steves, Lonely Planet, Frommer's, Let's Go or others.
I'm assuming that you're planning to travel in June 2012, so it would be a good idea to get some arrangements in place SOON! Were you planning to pre-book accommodations?
Good luck with your planning!
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Post by Eagle on Feb 26, 2012 19:37:41 GMT -5
tgiaa,
First of all, welcome to the Boards!
I'll have a closer look at your questions later tonight.
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Post by Eagle on Feb 16, 2012 1:27:13 GMT -5
notthefall,
First of all, welcome to the Boards! You might want to delete your duplicate Thread on this topic, in order to keep the replies together. This topic is more suited in the "Pre-Travel Planning" section.
Your Itinerary is extremely ambitious, even for an eight week time frame. I really believe this is not realistically possible. You're planning to visit a total of 29 different places in 56 days, but you haven't provided any allowance for travel times. Your list includes 11 cities and 18 countries or regions. That's an average of 1.93 days per location, with no allowances for travel times which in some cases will be considerable. As you can see, it will be necessary to do some serious "pruning" on your wish list!
To being with, I'd suggest dropping St. Petersburg, Kiev and Minsk, as there's not only the cost and complexity of the Visas, but also the time and cost to get there and back.
It would help to know what type of budget you're working with? The Scandinavian countries are especially expensive, so that's something to consider.
What are you mostly interested in seeing and doing in Europe - Museums, Galleries, historic sites, clubs???
Hopefully MadamTrashHeap will spot this post, as I know she'll have some great advice.
Good luck with your planning!
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Post by Eagle on Feb 13, 2012 1:13:28 GMT -5
MTH,
Thanks very much for posting! This is the first I've heard about the demise of the Palermo - Rome rail service. Given the abundance of budget flights to Palermo, I suppose it's not surprising.
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Post by Eagle on Feb 3, 2012 0:29:08 GMT -5
sammihsu,
I have a few comments on your revised Itinerary (in the same order as listed in your Post)....
> I tend to use rental cars "strategically" to visit locations that aren't well served by public transit, or where the timing doesn't fit my Itinerary well. In almost all cases, travel by well planned train or Bus routes is quicker than by car, and there are also no worries about parking, high fuel costs, tolls, vandalism, theft or traffic / parking fines. While a few of your trips will be a bit "challenging", most of the places you'll be visiting are well served by public transit.
> YES, there are good train connections to Lago di Como, Cinque Terre and some parts of the Amalfi Coast (Positano doesn't have a rail line, so travel by Bus from Sorrento is the best option). Tuscany is one area where rental cars can be an advantage for a day or two, but remember the issues I mentioned in my earlier post about driving in Italy. You DO NOT want to drive in Florence or Rome! Having a car in the Cinque Terre is useless, as most of the villages are "car free". You'd have to park the car and take the train anyway. Parking is very limited and you would be charged for it.
Now some questions and comments on each of your destinations:
> Cinque Terre - which of the five villages are you planning to stay in? What type of accommodations are you looking for?
> Are you planning to stay on Lake Como and Lake Maggiore for two nights each OR one night in each location???
> Zermatt and the Matterhorn is a bit "out of the way". As I recall, Zermatt is also a "car free" village, and the train station is some distance outside of town. You'll have to take a Bus or Taxi into town. One other point to note is that it's a VERY expensive area!
> I don't believe three nights will be adequte for Bern, Lucerne and the Berner Oberland. With such a limited time, I'd suggest focusing on Lucerne and the Berner Oberland. Is there any way you could increase your time in this area? Spending two nights in Lucerne and at least three nights in the Berner Oberland would be good.
> The Berner Oberland that I'm referring to is the area outside of Interlaken. To reach the area, you'll need to take the local train from Interlaken Ost (there are two stations in Interlaken) to Lauterbrunnen.
When you get there, you have some choices. You can continue towards Stechelberg, Gimmelwald and Mürren OR towards Wengen and Grindelwald. If you're going to be staying in Hostels, I would highly recommend the famous Mountain Hostel in Gimmelwald.
If you need directions on how to get to Gimmelwald, post another note. If you're planning on staying in Gimmelwald or Mürren, this is another area where a car is useless. You'd need to park the car at the car park in Stechelberg, and I believe there's a charge.
> I wouldn't bother with Zurich. Your time would be better spent elsewhere.
> Are you aware of the route to get to Hallstatt by train? Where are you planning to stay there? It will take the better part of half a day to get there from Salzburg.
> The trip from Hallstatt to Venice (note spelling of "Venice") will probably be a longer travel day. Were you planning to travel by train?
> What other parts of Tuscany are you planning to see besides Florence?
> With only three nights, you are NOT going to have time to see Sorrento, Positano and the entire coast. The Amalfi Coast is a relatively large area. That's an area I would definitely not recommend driving!
A few other concerns:
1) I'm still not sure you've allowed for adequate travel times between destinations. The Itinerary that you've proposed is going to need further planning to make it work well.
2) You didn't indicate your age. Some rental firms have age restrictions, but I'm not sure if these also apply to lease vehicles.
Cheers!
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Post by Eagle on Feb 1, 2012 1:39:15 GMT -5
sammihsu, To begin with, welcome to GFE! I'll start the discussion with a few comments, and hopefully the others will add more. The first impression that I got after reading your proposed Itinerary, is that it's far too busy, even for a two month time frame. IMHO, this doesn't allow for adequate travel time between destinations. Travel on your own will not be the same as on a tour. Especially for a honeymoon, my preference would be a more "relaxed" Itinerary. I especially don't recommend one-night stops. Regarding your trip to Greece, you may find it very helpful to have a look at www.greecetravel.com It provides an enormous amount of information on not only Athens but also the islands. You may want to get some help from one of the Greek travel agencies listed on the website to set-up Ferries, transfers and Hotels in Athens and on the islands. I'd suggest making Santorini your last stop, as it has an airport with easy connections back to Athens (where you can connect with other flights). I'd highly recommend Aegean Airlines.A few comments on some of the places you've listed... > Provence & Nice - two days is not much time to see both areas > Cinque Terre - you may want to add a day, as it's a beautiful area. I'd suggest booking Hotels as soon as possible. > Siena and Tuscany (which also includes Florence) - not much time. > Assisi & Bologna - I'd probably skip those if possible > Lake Como, Lake Garda, Lake Maggiore - I'm not sure four days will be adequate. You might want to drop Lake Garda and split the time between the other two. > Amalfi Coast - where are you planning to stay & visit in that area? > Milan - I'd suggest dropping that. > Venice - It's a bit "out of the way" from your other locations. As you've been there before, is that a really important stop? > Austria - I'd probably drop Innsbruck and split the time between Salzburg and Hallstatt > Switzerland - I'd suggest dropping Zurich and Bern and splitting the time between Lucerne and the Berner Oberland. While Zermatt and the Matterhorn is also worthwhile, the transportation links are not as efficient as to the Berner Oberland (outside Interlaken). Bern is also good, but not worth the time for just one day. Finally, travel by car may be more convenient in some ways, but it's not the quickest or most efficient travel method. Travel by train (especially fast trains) will reduce your travel time between locations. There are also some potential "problems" with rental cars: > High fuel costs > Tolls > Insurance / CDW costs > You'll need the Highway Tax Vignette to drive in Switzerland and Austria (expensive fines if you get caught without it). > Driving in larger cities can be hazardous and stressful. > Driving in Italy presents some "special" problems. Each driver will require the compulsory International Driver's Permit. Failure to produce an IDP if requested may result in fines on the spot! You'll also need to be very careful to avoid the dreaded ZTL (limited traffic) areas, which are becoming prevalent in many Italian towns (especially Florence). EACH PASS through one of the automated Cameras will result in a €100+ violation ticket, which you'll receive in the mail several months after you get home. You may also be charged an "administrative charge" by the car rental firm for providing your contact information to the authorities. > It would also be helpful to have a GPS unit along with good Maps, as it's easy to get lost especially with road signs in an unfamiliar language. You many want to have a look at www.roninrome.com for information on driving in Italy. Congratulations and good luck!
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Post by Eagle on Jan 20, 2012 22:59:46 GMT -5
caroline2012,
First of all, welcome to the Boards! I have a few comments to begin with.
Of the two choices you listed, I'd probably avoid the first one as London will be hosting the Olympics in July, so room prices and availability may be an issue. Also, transportation will be easier if you stay on the continent.
The second option (Belgium, Berlin, Munich) should be quite feasible. Which cities in Belgium are you considering? You could also perhaps add a few days in Amsterdam. One route you might consider is for you to travel from Florence to Paris, and then both of you travel Paris > Amsterdam > Berlin > Munich. You could also consider Paris > Berlin > Prague > Munich. There are all kinds of possibilities!
It will be easier to recommend places to stay once you've made a definite decision on which cities you're visiting. You could use only Hostels, or in stay part of the time in budget B&B Hotels.
It will also be easier to provide information on "How to get there" once you've decided on a route. If you decide on the last option I listed you can start with an EasyJet flight from Paris to Berlin. If you book early, the prices are usually reasonable (currently listed as low as €34.99, plus some fees of course). Be sure to pack light though or you'll be charged an excess baggage fee. Note that most Euro airlines only allow ONE carry-on item per passenger. Your flight home would be from Munich.
Hopefully the others will have some comments as well....
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Post by Eagle on Dec 25, 2011 18:35:16 GMT -5
I'd like to extend best wishes for Christmas and the New Year to all the members of GFE. Hopefully we will all have many happy travels in 2012!
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Post by Eagle on Dec 23, 2011 15:43:18 GMT -5
newbackpacker,
Wow, it's hard to think of anything to add to the first reply. My suggestions are pretty much what MadamTrashHeap said.
It would help to know where your trip will originate from. I assume your sister will be flying inbound to Europe with you, but travelling home separately. You'll both likely be using "open jaw" flights for the outbound section, but from different cities.
If this is your first trip to Europe, I'd highly recommend that both of you read the Guidebook Europe Through The Back Door as soon as possible. That will provide a lot of great information on "how" to travel in Europe and avoid problems. Pay careful attention to the "Rail Skills" chapter, as you'll need to be up-to-speed on that.
You may also want to have a look at some country or city-specific Guidebooks, in order to determine what sights you want to see in each one. Two types of books that should be readily available in book stores are the Rick Steves books or Lonely Planet.
Try to post a note as soon as you know, on how much time you'll have to work with, as that will help to determine the Itinerary.
Cheers!
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Post by Eagle on Oct 9, 2011 14:31:04 GMT -5
aureliam,
Thanks for the additional information. You'll probably find it helpful to have a look at a few Guidebooks, and get a more definite idea on which places you want to visit on the trip.
Travel from Amsterdam to Hamburg is very easy by train. From there, I'd suggest stopping in Berlin for several days and then continue from there to Prague. Those are all relatively short train journeys (4-5 hours or so).
Depending on the exact route you choose, travel to Sicily may be better via budget airline. However, train might be an option too, especially if you're in Calabria at the time.
Travel methods in Calabria are not as well developed as in other parts of Italy, so you'll need to do more planning for that part of your journey. That region is not well covered by Guidebooks, but the Lonely Planet books would probably be your best source of information for Calabria. Have a look at the Rick Steves books, Let's Go, Frommer, Rough Guides or others for the other locations in Europe.
Once you have a list of cities compiled, you'll be able to plan transportation links more precisely. Hopefully MTH will see this post as I'm sure she'll have some great tips to add.
Cheers!
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