Trying to nail down a final plan

[nickvk]

ok so I have posted my plan here before and I am starting to finalize my plan so i can start booking hostels. I have purchased my plane ticket so my dates are set for arriving and leaving. Any advice you guys could give that would make the trip better in terms of days spent somewhere please help. so here it goes

May 16- arrive london 8pm

May 17-21 - London

May 22- eurostar to Paris arrive 8-9am

May 22- 26 - Paris
night train to Zermatt on 26th

27-28 Zermatt
Night train to Florence on 28

29-31 - Florence
Night train to Rome

June 1-5 Rome

June 6-7- arrive Venice 11-12 on 6th
night train to Munich on 7th

June 8-11 Munich
night train to Vienna on 11th

June 12-15- Vienna

June 16-19 Budapest. arrive 9-10am on 16th
night train to Prague on 19th

June 20-24- Prague
night train to Berlin on 24th

June 25-28- Berlin
night train to Brugge on 28th

June 29- july 1- Brugge

July 2-5 Amsterdam arrive 8-9am on the 2nd
night train to Copenhagen

July 6-8 Copenhagen

July 9-11 Stockholm arrive at 11-12 noon on 9th
night train to Oslo on 11th

July 12-14 Oslo late afternoon train to Bergen on the 14th

July 14- 16 Bergen flight to London.
I need advice here about the flight. need to be in London for a 12:45 flight on the 17th and the only tickets i can find are for midafternoon and at night. the best thing i came up with was camp out in the airport over night but I hope one of you has a better idea.

[Jules80]

Hey

the only thing in terms of days is brugge. you have 3 days there which is a lot. brugge is beautiful but 1 -1.5 days is more than enough (unless you are planning day trips). don't miss the chocolate museum! its great! i might suggest moving one day to venice where i think there is much more to see.

Julie

[pointofnoreturn]

the best thing i came up with was camp out in the airport over night but I hope one of you has a better idea.

In some cases, it's usually that situation. Try to keep looking for new flights. Maybe there are some airlines that aren't necessarily budget-style that has the flight you want. But I honestly have no clue. Norway doesn't seem to be cheap in terms of flight tickets (to London, I mean). :S

[WillTravel]

You could take Norwegian.no on July 15 at 18:35 from Bergen to London Stansted. Total price about 47 Euros.

[nickvk]

yea ive found the same flight on the 16th Will. No big deal tho Ill just shack up at the airport. And Venice ....that is my one concern....I wish i booked my flight knowing I had free days in London. It would be much easier but its not. so any help is welcome...

[herrbert]

Maybe you can fly with Condor to Düsseldorf in Germany, and take a flight to London from there. only problem is they don't have their flight published for next year, but if they do, you can take a look if that could be a solution. www7.condor.com/tcf-eu/index.jsp

I would also take a look at www.hlx.com, for some really cheap flight from Venice to Munich.

[WillTravel]

Nickvk, do you mean you will arrive at Stansted via Norwegian.no and then go to the other airport to camp the night? Which other London airport is it that you fly with on the 17th?

[nickvk]

yes that is correct. And I would be flying out of Gatwick.

[WillTravel]

You could take the National Express bus from Stansted to Victoria Coach Station. Then you could stay the night at a nearby hostel. Two that I know of that are convenient to Victoria Station (so you can take the Gatwick Express easily) are Wigram house - single student rooms for about 25 pounds, and Astor Victoria which is maybe about 16 pounds now for a dorm bed.

I'm just not that hardcore to sleep in airports, but if you are up for it, why not?

[nickvk]

haha no I am not and will be taking your advice and staying in a hostel that night. Is there anything to do in that area then for the evening...a good pub. whatever.

[WillTravel]

Tons of things to do, but it's hard to suggest the best - pubs are definitely not my specialty. You could walk over (or take the tube or bus - but it's probably about a mile from the Victoria Station area) to Trafalgar Square and/or Covent Garden and quite possibly see some free entertainment.

Time Out magazine is really good for various suggestions.

Astor Victoria was fine when I was there, but it's been a few years so check the latest reviews if you are at all picky. I haven't stayed at Wigram House, but am actually considering it (although I'll probably use Priceline for my daughter and me).

[herrbert]

Just one word should be enough: Soho.

But if you don't like the crowds: the Southbank (southside if the river), you could do a quick walk, and see all the buildings illiminated, which is a pretty view. I believe you are staying the first nights of your trip in London, so you will find some places, you could return to.

[madamtrashheap]

nickvk said:

Is there anything to do in that area then for the evening...a good pub. whatever.

As WT wrote, there are stacks of things to do - musicals, pubs, strolls...whatever takes your fancy. Geting around London is pretty easy and convenient - either the Tube/Underground or busses. As Herrbert pointed out, you would have already been in London at the start of your trip, so you could use this return visit to either go back to somewhere you enjoyed or go somewhere new - hard to say how you'll feel at the end of your trip. There are lots of good pubs in the Victoria area, they are just tucked down side streets.

Some suggestions: Around Victoria/St James Park there are two cool ones on Petty France (street) called The Albert and Adam & Eve. Others are: The Roundhouse in Covent Garden (small but fun), Salisbury Inn Covent Garden (great real ales on tap and good atmosphere), The Lamb in Holborn (opposite the British Musuem - old, tiny, dodgy carpet, love it!), Waxy O'Connor's in Leicester Square (not a "traditional" pub, but still lots of fun and a labyrinth full of people), Gordon's Wine Bar (technically not a pub, but great setting and atmosphere) at Embankment or if you feel like a trek across town to an excellently located pub down a little alley that feels like a step back in time then try Ye Olde Mitre Tavern in Farringdon (Tube: Chancery Lane, address: Ely Court which is the little alley just off Hatton Gardens or road, the entrance is next to the yellow "Snappy Snaps" shop).

Time Out magazine in London is a excellent reference for all things London (WT's suggestion is spot on), otherwise if you're specifically looking for pubs, try www.beerintheevening.com or www.fancyapint.com and look up pubs by areas (you want Central London (specifically Victoria), Soho, Covent Garden. As a bit of fun you could do a Jack the Ripper Haunts walk one evening with The Original London Walks (same people that do Paris Walks) www.walks.com/ - really well done and it ends in a pub!