UPDATED ---------> Going to EUROPE! NEED HELP! :-)

[j33pguy]

hi,
we're going to 5 countries in May.
Could you please help us find a place to stay (hotel...not hostel) in the mentioned cities?

Paris (5 nights)
Rome (3 nights)
Venice (2 nights)
Prague (1 night)
Poland (staying with relatives)


Do you know of any websites that have cheap/clean/close to everything hotels? Also, we need to find the best way of getting from each country/city to the next.

Any help is greatly appreciated. :-)

[stylescriber]

if you are going to several countries, its a must that you check some auction hotels online. luxurylink.com says that theyr luxury travel auctions starting at $1, there are also some online bookers around like hotelscombined, expedia and orbitz.

[j33pguy]

David,
thanks for the posting. i'm sorry. it's 4 countries.

Stylescriber, thanks for the links.

[madamtrashheap]

j33pguy, welcome to GFE.

David's comment about the amount of time you've allowed in each city (and country) was well intentioned and quite valid without knowing your exact circumstances (time-limit, first time vist or return visit, etc). Now that we know that you have limited time we can make suggestions with this in mind.

For accommodation suggestions, have a look in the Accommodation section of this Board as there have been numerous suggestions for the cities you've listed, even recently. Plus on the Home page there is a link on the top called Europe Hotstel Directory that gives you recommendations and reviews on Hostels.

For travel methods, look in the Transport thread for ideas, however as a quick guide, you'll find that a combination of flying and trains will sort you out. For example, fly Paris-Rome, train Rome-Venice, fly or overnight train (it's about 15hrs) Venice-Prague, train Prague-Poland.

That should give you something to work with and some things to search through - you'll find the answers right there, and considering May is just around the corner you'll be able to make some quick decisions.

[j33pguy]

thank you very much for your advice. i will be sure to check those sections.

[Eagle]

j33pguy, a few comments on your travel plans.....

The length of time in each city looks good, however one possibility would be to drop one day in Paris and add one day in Rome (might provide a better "balance"?).

As you may know, if you're flying from North America, you'll lose the first day in flight times and time zone changes. Is that provided for in the Itinerary you posted? I assume you're using "open-jaw" flights (inbound to Paris and outbound from Poland???).

Regarding transportation from city-to-city, MTH has that well sorted as usual. However a few points that occurred to me:

1.) May isn't far away, and it's possible that the cheapest seats will already be sold-out on the budget airlines? Given the very short time frame of your trip, flying the longer routes as suggested by MTH is spot on. There's a link to the Euro budget airlines on the home page of this site (click the GFE link at the top), if you wish to check on flight availability and costs.

2.) Even though you'll be using budget air for at least two of the routes, they will still be somewhat "long" days. The time to get to the airport (sometimes rather distant out-of-the-way airports), go through security, wait for departure time and actual flight times will probably require at least six hours for each journey.

For the train journeys, use fast trains if possible. Note that reservations will be required, so getting the tickets for your outgoing journey when you arrive in a particular city is a good idea.

Again, as May is not far off, you may find that a lot of the Hotels in the cities you listed are already "booked" ( note that you don't want "Hostels"). However you might find a vacancy? I'd suggest checking a few Guidebooks for budget Hotel listings (I like the Rick Steves books, but everyone here has their favourites). A few possibilities the for you to consider (you didn't mention a price range, so these are just a few suggestions to get you started):

> Paris - Grand Hotel Leveque, Hotel du Champs de Mars (both in the Rue Cler area).

> Rome - Hotel Oceania, Hotel Aberdeen, Hotel Pensione Italia (you might also check listings for the "chains" such as Best Western, Travelodge or whatever?)

> Venice - Albergo Doni, Hotel al Piave.

> Prague - Hotel Julian

Also check TripAdvisor, Frommers or similar sites for recommendations.

Good luck with your planning!!!

[j33pguy]

Eagle/everyone,
thanks again for all your help.

here's the situation so far.....

No accommodations yet.....trying to figure out the city to city travel plans first.....


here's what i've found so far......

Paris to rome on 5/16th morning is on Ryanair for 125 Euros (with taxes and everything for 2 people)
Rome to Venice on 5/19th morning (630 am) is 55 Euros (with taxes and everything for 2 people)

I CAN NOT FIND TRANSPORTATION FROM VENICE TO PRAGUE!!! no airline goes from venice to prague.....ANY IDEAS? the train costs 188 euros a person! without taxes!!!!!

SAME FOR PRAGUE TO WARSAW

HERE ARE MY QUESTIONS:

- What do you recommend as far as (venice -> prague) and (prague-> warsaw)?
- are the prices i found good for what we're getting?

[madamtrashheap]

j33pguy said:

I CAN NOT FIND TRANSPORTATION FROM VENICE TO PRAGUE!!! no airline goes from venice to prague.....ANY IDEAS?

Really? Did you try Alitalia or Czech Airlines to start? They may not be the cheapest flights as you are trying to book less than a month ahead (most airlines offer better deals the further ahead you book). Also try SKy Europe as they are often the best prices on unsual routes.

[j33pguy]

here's my planning as it stands right this moment. Please advise as you see fit.

I’m now starting a brief period of panic as we’re one month a way and till now, I have no reservations, and only months and months of planning and research to bring to the table. Here’s what I’ve found so far:



May 11-16th (paris) No accommodations yet. I’ve found hotels in good neighborhoods (2 km to Louvre) for about 550 USD. The hotels are 1 or 2 stars and do include a tiny breakfast. Havn’t booked cause I thought you might know a good decent place for cheaper. We get to paris at around 1030 am. We plan on leaving for rome at around 930 am on the 16th. Even though people have been telling and recommending that we stay only 4 nights in paris and 4 nights in rome instead of 3, I think I’d rather be in paris and spend an extra day with you. So, as it stands, we’re leaving paris on the 16th at 930 am on a flight with RyanAir for about 125 Euros (for both). If we leave the night before (Thursday night), it’ll be 80 euros instead BUT we’d have to do something with our luggage until 10pm at night…so it’s not really practical. I’d rather just leave on the 16th given that. (I wonder how far the airport is from let’s say the eifel tower).



May16-19 (rome) Again, no accommodations in rome yet. But shouldn’t be too difficult. We’re going to get the hotel near the city center as to eliminate the need for metro and buses (for the most part). we leave rome on the morning of the 19th…again with Ryanair (1 hour flight to venice) at 630 am. (we’ll have to leave the hotel at like 430!!!) but it’ll only cost 50 euros for both of us.



May19th-21st (Venice) No accommodations here either but it won’t be too hard to arrange. We have the entire day on the 19th (from 730 am on the 19th) and all of the 20th here. I’ve been told it’s enough time for Venice’s basics and that it’s entirely over-rated. We’ll see. Leaving Venice on the morning of the 21st, at 12 pm for Prague on skyEurope for a 1:15 flight which costs 55euros for two people.



May21st-22nd (Prague) one night here should do it. One evening for seeing the city at night, and the following day (22nd) to see some historic areas. NO accommodations yet. Leaving Prague at evening on the 22nd on a train (10 hour ride) for about 110 euros for two. Getting to Poland on the morning of the 23rd. and then, me leaving Poland on the 26th.



PHEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW………………

The transportation prices I mentioned come to about 350 euros which puts us way under budget which is great! If we can get the paris hotel for about 350 euros (which we can), rome (3nights) for 250 euros, Venice (2 nights) for 175 euros, Prague (1 night) for 100 euros, that puts us at:



350 (transportation)+875Euros = 1225 Euros --à add 10% for unexpected increases in transportation and accommodation prices….so it would be: 1350 Euros.



Food: 750 Euros for 12 days (62 Euros a day)? Sounds about right……



Museums/Rail/Bus/Gift/stuff/etc: 350 Euros?



Total expected: 1350+750+350 = 2450 Euros which at today’s dollar would be: $3800



thoughts?

[herrbert]

Paris to rome on 5/16th morning is on Ryanair for 125 Euros (with taxes and everything for 2 people)

Be aware that Ryanair leaves from Beauvais Airport, which means you need to take either a shuttle bus, or a train to get there. Calculate an extra 1,5 to 2 hours for this trip.

From Venice to Prague, it used to be AlpiEagles to carry out that route, but all I see now is an announcement in Italian on their website. (I think it means they gone bankrupt, but my Italian is not that good.) Sky Europe and Smartwings fly from Milan - Bergamo, which might be an option, but that also means a long transfer to the airport.

As far as I know there is no cheap airline for Prague - Krakow.

[WillTravel]

I can't swear as to how it will be to arrange Venice accommodation at the last minute, but it is getting to be a really crowded city, and good bargains go fast. If you do want to do this last-minute and are stuck, you can consider Padua (Padova) which is a beautiful town about 30 minutes by train from Venice, or Mestre, which is an industrial city right next to Venice.

[pointofnoreturn]

You're still going to take the metro in Rome.... it doesn't matter where you are. Rome is VAST and spread out. The sights are spread across Rome. Some suggestions:

Paris: Appihotel (check on hostelworld - it's a budget hotel that I stayed at, very good price and location)
Rome: Beehive (a favourite of the board - they have dorm rooms, private rooms and apartment rooms)

[Eagle]

j33pguy, your plans seem to be coming together, but still a few "loose ends". Some comments on your recent post....

> Accomodations (Paris, Rome, Venice, Prague) - IMHO, it would be a really good idea to "lock these down" fairly soon! In May you'll be somewhat in the "peak" of the spring shoulder season. Europe is going to be busy!!! The disadvantages of "winging it" in a busy season is that one will either pay more for accomodation, have to accept something of a "lesser standard" than preferred, or in an area that's not too desirable.

Regarding your departure from Paris, I'd suggest that you arrange your airport shuttle the day before you leave. Your Hotel should be able to arrange that for you. There are two airport shuttle services operating in Paris, but not sure if these service only CDG, or whether they go to Beauvais also? You can Google "Paris Airport Shuttles" for the web sites. If you can't find these, I can post info for the shuttles that I know of.

What Hotel were you considering in Rome that's "near the city centre"? If it's close to Termini, you'll probably still need to use the Metro (or whatever) to get to various tourist sites. Again, a good idea to arrange your airport shuttle the day before (especially as your flight leaves at 06:30!). I believe RyanAir uses Ciampino Airport? If that's the case, ask your Hotel about transportation options - you might be able to use the Terravision Express Buses from Termini, which leave about every 20 minutes (Eu$7.00). However, I'm not sure if they'll be operating that early in the morning?

In Rome, be very careful if you use the Metro and especially the #64 Bus. It has quite a reputation as a "high risk" for pickpockets (the passengers are often packed in like sardines, which makes it easier for thieves). Wear a Money Belt!

I'll be in Rome in about a week and a half, so might be able to pass along some "real time" information then?

Good luck with your planning. Hope everything gets sorted soon, so you can relax!

Cheers!

[j33pguy]

Paris - rome booked. (200 Euros for 2 people on easyjet out of Orly)
Venice-Prague booked. (78 Euros for 2 people from skyeurope)

remaining (help would be appreciated):

Transportation:

rome-venice (most likely train)
prague-Krakow (any ideas? found a train for 173 USD a person. good deal?)

Hotels:
Paris (having found a good one. cheapest decent one is 600 USD for 5 nights. found a 4 star across from eiffel tower for 850 USD. thoughts?)
Rome/Venice/Prague (No luck yet. thoughts)


ps.

1) how much should we expect to spend on food in the 11 days before krakow? (food is free in poland :-) family lives there)

2) how much should we expect to spend on museums/taxi/shuttle/bus/train/etc. in the 11 days before krakow?

[Eagle]

j33pguy, your trip appears to be coming together. Regarding the questions in your last post:

Rome to Venice transportation - train would definitely be my choice. There are several direct trains (no changes) leaving every day from Termini to Venezia S.L. (note that there is more than one station in Venice, so Santa Lucia is the one you want). The travel time is about 4H25M. When you arrive in Rome, stop by Termini to buy your P-P tickets, which will include the reservation fee. Be sure to note the Car (Carozza) number, Seat (Posti) number and whether the seat is aisle (Corridoio) or window (Finestrino).

Prague to Krakow transportation - given the the travel time on this route (about 7H30M minimum, with 1, 2 or 3 changes), I would probably use train, unless I could find a really inexpenisve flight. However, I would have to compare the travel time, check-in times, etc. against that of the same trip via train. Regarding the price you quoted of US$173 PP, that seems a bit steep - where were you looking? I'm looking at the Rail Europe web site, and they show a train leaving Praha Hlavni Nadr at 14:06, arriving Krakow GI Osobowy at 21:19 (7H13M). The cost listed is US$93 for "Freedom Flexible 2nd Class" and US$133 for "Comfort Flexi Flexible 1st Class.

I'm not familiar with the stations they listed, so hopefully the others can clarify whether those are the "main" stations in each city?

I wasn't clear on your note concerning the Paris Hotel. You stated "having found a good one". Does that mean that you've booked a Hotel, or you're still looking You might also check the Minotel chain, as they may haven something at a slightly better price. Did you try the two I suggested in an earlier post?

Regarding the Hotels in Rome, Venice & Prague, again did you try the ones I listed? As May isn't far off, I suspect the Hotels will be filling fast. One suggestion would be to check Guidebooks at your local book stores or Library (Rick Steves, Lonely Planet, Let's Go, or others). They usually have a number of listings for Hotels in various price ranges. You might also check the "chains". For example, have a look at www.minotel.com/minotelPublic/main/listHotels.asp?city=&country=Italy#c_ROME for Minotel listings in Rome. I've never stayed at their properties, but given the short time until May, it would be a good idea to get something locked-down fairly soon.

For locations in Rome, using a Hotel close to Termini station is a good idea, as it's very convenient for many things. Which airport is your flight from Paris arriving at? If you'll be arriving at Fiumicino, there's a convenient "Leonardo Express" train that goes direct to Termini (about a 30 minute trip, I believe. I'll let you know next week as I'll be using it). Incidentally, if you want to get a good "overview" of the sights in Rome, Paris or the other cities, I find the Red Bus tours (hop on/hop off) are good. There are sometimes several companies providing this type of sightseeing, and the Buses will be different colours.

Some Hostels have double rooms (ie: Rome). Are Hostel stays definitely out of the question?

On the last two questions:

It's difficult to provide an estimate on how much you might spend on food, as we don't know your eating habits? Some Hotels will provide a "Continental Breakfast", so you'll only have to worry about lunch and supper. If you use deli's or local grocery stores to buy small lunches, it will keep your cost down. Suppers could be expensive, but that would depend on where you decide to dine? Note that the meals will be a bit different in Paris, than in Rome & Venice, than in Prague. In Italy the suppers are often configured as Antipasti, Secondi and Primi Piatti. If you order all three "parts" to get a complete meal, the cost will be a bit steep!

As far as your "incidental expenses" in the 11 days prior to Krakow, again it's difficult to provide an estimate. You should be able to calculate a fairly accurate estimate of rail journeys and budget flights. With shuttles, Taxi's, Museums, etc., you haven't indicated which Museums you'll be visiting, and at this point we don't have any idea of how many Taxi's and shuttles you'll be using?

The normal "ballpark figure" for "incidentals" is about US$100 per day for one person. However, I suspect that the cost for two people would be less than US$200 per day. These figures do not include air fares or major rail cost (ie: Rail pass or P-P tickets).

If you have the time or the inclination, it would probably be VERY helpful to read the Guidebook Europe Through The Back Door!

Hope this helps to settle a few more details in your trip planning. Good luck!!!