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Post by Eagle on Jul 2, 2011 23:00:23 GMT -5
ghady,
At this late date, it will be difficult to get a good price for a budget flight, and you won't have as many options. I wasn't able to find any direct flights from Athens to Prague, so it may be necessary to fly to a nearby airport and use the train. A couple of possibilities are Vienna and Berlin.
You could check GermanWings as they may have flights. I also found some with Aegean to Berlin Tegel.
Unfortunately, that's the best suggestion I can think of under the circumstances.
Good luck!
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Post by Eagle on Jun 30, 2011 1:23:55 GMT -5
seanymag7,
Welcome to the Boards!
My questions are the same as dumbdiety mentioned. It would help to have some further information on your plans. For example, how long are you planning to travel, what kind of budget are you working with, what sights do you hope to see in each city, etc.
BTW, what part of Ireland are you from?
Cheers!
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Post by Eagle on Jun 20, 2011 15:19:50 GMT -5
bgleason01,Welcome to the Boards! To begin with, I'd suggest deleting your duplicate Thread in the other section. It will be much easier to keep track of replies if they're all in the same place. I can delete it for you if you wish. Unfortunately, your plan IS going to be somewhat complicated, due to the 4-5 month time frame. There are two reasons for that: 1.) You will NOT be able to stay in Europe for a period of 4-5 months, due to the provisions of the Schengen Accord. Under the rules, tourists are allowed to stay no more than 90-days in any 180-day period in the Schengen zone, which includes most of the countries of western Europe. Your Passports will be stamped when you enter and again when you leave, so the authorities will know exactly how long you were there. EXTREME fines and deportation from the E.U. can be imposed on those who violate the rules! There are some countries that aren't included in the Schengen zone, so you could certainly spend some time there also. Check travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_4361.html for further information. 2.) The other problem is your budget. You'll need a minimum of about US$90 per day to pay for accommodations, food, sightseeing and local transport. For a trip of five months (150 days), that will run about US$13,500 (roughly twice the amount you'll have). For example, US$90 is about €62 at current exchange rates. A Hostel will be approximately €35 in most larger cities, which will leave only €27 for everything else. Even if you're frugal with your dining habits, that could be a problem. As you're planning to travel with a Railpass, one other point to note is that these DO NOT include the reservation fees that are compulsory on some trains. You'll need to pay separately "out of pocket" for those, which will reduce your expense money further.If this is your first trip to Europe, I'd highly recommend that both of you read Europe Through The Back Door before you get too far in your planning. That will provide a LOT of good information on things like Itinerary planning, budget & money issues, transportation, sightseeing, accommodations, etc. Use country-specific Guidebooks to plan your sightseeing, etc. You might also want to obtain an inexpensive membership with HI Hostels. Having a membership will provide slightly cheaper rates (over non-members) and preferred booking. They have properties in most locations in Europe, and I've found that they're well run and the facilities are fairly consistent from one property to the next. Travel in December and January may present some other problems, due to weather. You'll have to pack along more cold weather gear, and hopeufully the transportation won't be disrupted as badly next year as it was this year. There will be less crowds at that time of year, but some sights may be closed or operating under reduced hours. It would help to have some idea where you're planning to visit? Good luck with your planning!
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Post by Eagle on Jun 18, 2011 15:07:25 GMT -5
sattua,
Thanks for the additional information.
I'm assuming this is your first trip to Europe, so my first suggestion would be to read Europe Through The Back Door as soon as possible. It will provide a LOT of good information on how to travel "well" in Europe, and includes sections on Rail Skills, Itinerary planning and budget issues. However, given your location I'm not sure how easy it will be to find the book? I believe it's also available in E-book format at lower cost, should you have a compatible Reader.
For planning sightseeing and other activities in each city, see if you can find any country-specific Guidebooks (perhaps at your local Library or larger book stores). They contain a wealth of information!
IMHO, it will not be possible to visit all the locations you listed in a three week time frame. Keep in mind that you'll lose the first and last days of the trip due in flight times, so you'll only have 19-days for touring (and will be jet lagged for the first few days after arrival, so won't be up to full "touring speed"). Visiting six locations in 19-days is an average of about 3 days per location, with no allowances for travel times between them (which in some cases will be significant!). In this case, I'd drop Athens as you'll only want to spend two or three days there, and it's hardly worth the effort as it's so distant from the other locations.
I would highly recommend using "open jaw" flights for best efficiency (but of course that may depend on cost). Which cities to choose for starting and ending will depend on the availability of flights from your area. If you use "return" flights, you'll have to budget time and money to return to your starting point, so the cost may not be that much different.
As you'll be travelling in March, I'd suggest starting in Barcelona and southern regions, since it will be warmer. One route you might consider is Barcelona - Rome - Berlin (or substitute Munich) - Paris - London.
Your transportation between cities will be via rail and in some cases budget airlines. I can offer more specific suggestions once your Itinerary is somewhat "sorted". Regarding budget airlines, I'd suggest using EasyJet whenever possible, as I've found the experience with them to be very pleasant, and more importantly they usually operate from airports that are close to the cities (as opposed to RyanAir, which I try to avoid whenever possible as they often use airports such as Beauvais which is a considerable distance outside Paris).
You'll need to give some thought to matters such as how you'll be accessing your travel funds (ATM?), travelling with technology (the voltage difference in Europe may be a problem when charging Camera batteries, etc.), whether or not to use a Railpass (this will be easier to determine once your Itinerary is worked out) and what type of luggage you'll be using (if you don't presently have a Backpack).
A few more comments on your budget. If you start with US$3000 and pay $1300 for air tickets, that will leave $1700 for EVERYTHING on the trip. That's an average of about US$90 or €62 per day at current exchange rates, and assuming 19-days since you won't spend much on your flight days. That is a minimal amount to travel with and could present some challenges. If you spend €35 per night for a Hostel, you'll only have €27 for food, sightseeing, Museum admissions and local transportation. Keep in mind that we haven't yet addressed the cost of a Railpass or budget flights. Therefore, you may have to make some compromises or increase your budget. Perhaps generous friends and relatives will donate money for birthdays and Christmas!
Good luck with your planning!
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Post by Eagle on Jun 17, 2011 13:44:53 GMT -5
sattua,
I have a few more questions...
Regarding your currency, are you working with the Costa Rican Colon or U.S. Dollars (as you know, there's a big difference!)?
Have you done any research on what the flights will cost from your area? I wasn't able to find many flight options departing from San José, so not sure what route you'll be using?
It's great that you're getting an early start on planning your trip, as it will allow lots of time to work out the details (and hopefully increase your travel funds a bit).
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Post by Eagle on Jun 15, 2011 15:10:52 GMT -5
sattua,
Welcome to the Boards!
Regarding your questions, it would help to have further information. For example:
> Where are you travelling from?
> Does your $2000 include air fare and rail travel in Europe?
> What currency are you working with?
> How long will this trip be?
While the prices for accommodations and other things may be a bit "soft" in March, there are some things that won't vary such as transportation, food and entrance fees at Musuems, etc.
If you could provide more specific information, I'm sure the group will be able to offer some suggestions.
Cheers!
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Post by Eagle on Jun 7, 2011 15:25:17 GMT -5
mcfish123, The only suggestion I can make "on short notice", would be to visit your local Library or larger Book stores, and have a look in some Guidebooks. They usually have numerous listings for reliable Hotels. You could also check www.tripadvisor.com as there's LOTS of information there! As you'll be travelling in July (PEAK tourist season) and time is short, it will important to get this sorted quickly! You may have to pay more than planned, just to find something on such short notice.If I find any new information, I'll post another note. Hopefully MTH, WT or one of the others will have some good suggestions for you. Good luck!
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Post by Eagle on Jun 7, 2011 0:49:37 GMT -5
clever1963,
With your sister arriving at 06:45, it will take at least an hour to disembark, collect luggage and go through Passport control. it will depend to some extent on how many flights are arriving at that time, and how much staff they have "on duty" at the time. Have a close look at the Paris By Train website, as it includes photos which are a big help in navigating around the airport.
Regarding flights from Paris to Milan, I just checked the EasyJet website and found a flight from CDG to MXP, departing 13:40 and arriving 15:10. The current price is €69.99 PP (but that could change).
Under ideal conditions, the rail trip from CDG to Gare de Lyon should take about 25 minutes. Take RER B to Chatelet (as I recall, that involves a short walk from Chatelet-Les Halles), and then Metro Line 14 (direction Olympiades) to Gare de Lyon.
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Post by Eagle on Jun 6, 2011 1:41:31 GMT -5
clever1963, As you'll both be travelling with Railpasses, you might consider trying to find an SNCF Boutique towards the end of your tour and purchase Reservations for bothy you and your sister. That way when you meet her at CDG, you'll have everything sorted for the trip to La Spezia. From the airport, you'll need to get to Gare de Lyon for the rail trip. Use the RER B and Metro. You can get information on the route by having a look at parisbytrain.com (it provides an excellent description of the transportation options). The duration of your trip will vary depending on which train you use. As the trip will be a minimum of 12 hours with at least two changes, leave as early as possible! What time does your sister's flight arrive? There's a train departing at 09:09, arriving La Spezia at 21:19, so that's one possibility. If booked early enough, the budget flights are not really too expensive. You'll need to balance that against the cost of paying for reservations on the train. Using a flight to Milan would save you a LOT of time, and you'd reach Italy at a reasonable hour of the day.
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Post by Eagle on Jun 5, 2011 1:05:27 GMT -5
clever1963,
One important point to note is that when travelling with a Railpass, you'll need to pay the compulsory reservations fees separately! These usually apply on the fast trains such as the TGV, but not usually on slower local trains.
While in Paris, you can stop by any SNCF Boutique. Tell them which trains you'll be using, and they'll take care of any reservations (if applicable). There are numerous SNCF Boutique locations in various parts of Paris (SNCF is the French national rail system).
Depending on which places you want to visit in the vicinity of Nice, it may be easier to use Bus rather than rail. For example, if you want to visit Monaco and Monte Carlo, while you can go by train the Bus is a bit easier. Also, the fare is only €1 each way!
There's LOTS to see in Nice including the Chagall and Matisse Museums (if that interests you). Also, it's wonderful to walk through the old town and see the small street markets, restaurants, street entertainers, etc.
You could also visit Eze or Villefranche sur Mer.
Hopefully, MTH will spot this post as I'm sure she will have some excellent suggestions.
Cheers!
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Post by Eagle on Jun 5, 2011 0:56:09 GMT -5
clever1963,
Which tour group will you be with? It would help to know which sights you'll be visiting as part of the tour?
One possibility is a trip to the Palace at Versailles. What are your interests?
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Post by Eagle on Jun 5, 2011 0:53:45 GMT -5
joetacoma805,
A few comments on your travel plans.....
Your budget is somewhat "minimal" so my first suggestion would be to increase it somewhat if possible. I really doubt that you'll be able to dine for $20 a day (that's only about €13.65). Breakfast will likely be provided at the Hostel, however there may be a small charge for that. It would be a good idea to minimize drinking and clubbing, as that will use money VERY quickly.
As this is your first trip to Europe, I'd highly recommend reading the Guidebook Europe Through The Back Door prior to your trip. There's a good section there on budget planning.
As you'll be travelling in PEAK season, I'd highly recommend pre-booking all your accommodations. I'd suggest taking out a Membership in HI Hostels, as their properties are all somewhat predictable. Having a membership will provide preferred booking and slightly cheaper rates.
I did a brief check on one of the HI Hostels in Madrid, and the rate is €14.40 per night, with breakfast included. That's about US$21 (the price for other HI properties may differ).
Happy travels!
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Post by Eagle on Jun 5, 2011 0:40:04 GMT -5
clever1963, The Cinque Terre is somewhat of a "rural" area, so there are few "attractions" in the conventional sense. The five villages are all somewhat "informal", and most people just enjoy the ambience and of course some Pesto in the area where it was invented. One of the favourite activities of most travellers is to hike the trails between the villages. Some sections are more "challenging" than others, however IMO none of them are too difficult. They are narrow in some parts, so hiking in wet weather or at night would not be advisable. Note that since the C.T. is a National Park, a Pass is required to hike the trails. There WILL be people checking for these! AFAIK, the trail from Corniglia to Manarola is still closed due to storm damage (but that could change). Of the five villages, Monterosso (the most northerly) is the largest and therefore has the most Hotels and restaurants. It also has the best beach. Riomaggiore (the most southerly and closest to La Spezia) has a collection of private rooms and B&B's, but not conventional Hotels. The most popular village with many is Vernazza, as it has a small protected harbour. However, it's popularity is exactly the reason I usually stay elsewhere! You might want to have a look at some Guidebooks to get some ideas on restaurants, etc. Also, have a look at www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLkmi-Q3JIA for some views of the area. Happy travels!
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Post by Eagle on Jun 5, 2011 0:24:29 GMT -5
hazelnutlatte,
Your revised Itinerary looks reasonably good, however I have a few concerns....
> I'd wait until the following day to take the Hop On / Hop Off Bus tour. You're going to be tired and jet lagged on arrival day, so likely won't have the energy for much touring.
> Day trip to Bath / Stonehenge / Oxford - it may be possible to get to Bath and Stonehenge in one day (although you won't have time to see much at either location), however I'm not sure that you'll have time for Oxford as well.
> For day tours from Edinburgh, you might have a look at Timberbush Tours or Heart of Scotland Tours. I'll be visiting Edinburgh in a few months, so have researched those tour options for my trip. I wouldn't bother driving as the tour will be much more interesting and relaxing.
Whether to spend one more day in Scotland will depend to some extent on your interests and whether you want to see more in Edinburgh.
Cheers!
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Post by Eagle on Jun 5, 2011 0:13:11 GMT -5
clever1963, Welcome to the Boards! To begin with, could you clarify one point. If you're going to be in Paris for several weeks prior to your sister's arrival, why are you meeting at CDG??? My suggestion would be to have your sister travel to the station you'll be departing from in Paris. This will likely be either Gare de Lyon or Gare de 'Est. She can travel from the airport to the appropriate station using RER "B" and Metro (I can provide further information later). Travel from Paris to La Spezia by rail is going to be a LONG trip (about 12-14 hours)! With your sister coming off a long international flight, she will be VERY tired at the end of the trip! One option you might consider would be to use an EasyJet flight from Paris / CDG to Milan / MXP. They currently list flights departing at 13:40, arriving 15:10. Once in Milan, it will be much quicker to reach the Cinque Terre. I can provide further information on that leg of the trip if needed. Are you staying in La Spezia or one of the five villages? One point to note regarding the Euro budget airlines, is that they often use a "sliding scale", so the prices will increase as the flight fills. Also, tickets are usually non-changeable and non-refundable once booked, and there's often no seating assignments. Be sure to note their luggage limits carefully! Finally, using the Eurail site to determine rail schedules or whatever is NOT the best idea. For the most comprehensive rail website, use the www.bahn.com/i/view/USA/en/index.shtml (German Rail) website. If this is your first trip to Europe, I'd highly recommend reading the Guidebook Europe Through The Back Door prior to your trip (especially the "Rail Skills" chapter). It provides a lot of good information on "how" to travel in Europe. Happy travels! (* Do you want the Poll question removed??? I'm not sure if I'm able to do it, but can try if you want.)
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