Europe - Backpack or Package Tour??

I personally enjoy backpacking rather than travelling on a package tour. I have been on several package tours with the family (places like Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand) before - sure it gives one the security of not having to worry about accommodation/ transportation and maybe meals but I prefer travelling at my own pace.

Europe is definitely a good place to backpack. Aside from the touristy hotspots of France, Italy or Switzerland (among many), why not head to Eastern Europe like Slovenia or Croatia? Or perhaps further north like Scandinavia or Russia? I would have loved to visit Talinn in Estonia when I was there but unfortunately I didn't have the time.
 


I totally agree; I would never travel on package (sardine) tours to developed and safe (or relatively safer) countries; e.g. Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada. It's quite cheap to rent a car and drive around. Those "10 countries in 15 days" thing are really not my cup of tea at all. I shall not rant here though.
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I think there's a difference between backpacking and F&E. Backpacking is more budget style and not quite suited for most honeymooners; unless they both agree. F&E is the choice most honeymooners would go for, budget allowing.

I wouldn't lump Scandinavia with Russia/Slovenia/Croatia. The old Eastern Europe bloc, while much safer than before, is still not as safe as Western Europe. Scandinavia (Denmark, Norway, Sweden) has always been safe.

Even in the popular countries like France, Italy, Switzerland, etc. there are so many non-touristy spots to go to. I've stayed in Europe (The Netherlands, popularly called Holland, at s'Gravenhage, Den Haag, or more popularly called The Hague) for four years. We travelled around much in Western Europe; but there is still loads that I have not seen there; and there are so many hidden gems waiting to be discovered.
 
Hahah - of course not. They each have their own uniqueness.

It's just that sometimes I feel like telling people, have a sense of adventure. Do not just stick to the usual touristy places - there is so much out there to be explored and experienced.

I'm not saying that sticking to the touristy places is wrong - it may work for some people - but i just feel that there's more to it.
 
Certainly I agree with you. But if one has not been there before, the touristy places are often the places to start; it would be unimaginable if one would go to Paris without visiting, say, the Louvre. At least see what the fuss is all about.

I myself hate crowds and touristy places, and would always like to explore new places after at least visiting the famous places at least once. But yeah; do not just keep going back to the same famous places; do explore around!
 
Hi Raymond
U seem to know Paris quite well. I will be going on my belated Europe honeymoon in sept for 20 days (1st time take so many days leave...haha). I will be staying in the Opera area, 10 arrondisement. Have u been there, is it safe?

With the coming Da Vinci Code movie, I'm now very facinated by Louvre though I have not read the book before. I think is good that the movie will be screening before my trip, so that when I'm in Paris and the vatican city, I can sought of appreciate those paintings and history of the place better.

And I defintely agree with you on going F&E. I have been on a tour group to Japan once. Felt very cheated. in the itinery, it lists out many attractions including the Tokyo Tower but as it turns out, my Tokyo tower tour was done in the bus while the bus zoomed pass the tower. After that, I tell myself never ever join tour group again unless I am going with my parents.
 
First a disclaimer; I hardly know Paris. I have been there three days last year, and a couple of days when I was a kid. One needs at least a month before saying that one knows Paris. It is that amazing.
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Generally speaking, the north and east of Paris are where the poorer suburbs are located. South too; but the south is where the chinese are concentrated. West Paris is the chic, rich, and trendy place.

When we went last year, we stayed in the Eastern part of Paris in zone 20. At night, you can hear lots of motorcycles zooming around; and there is this huge big negro guy who is our hotel security guard; you would certainly feel safe if he is on your side! Personally, we did not feel unsafe in any way as we never came back late.

For a honeymoon, I would recommend this particular IBIS hotel:

http://www.accorhotels.com/accorhotels/fichehotel/gb/ibi/0771/fiche_hotel.shtml

If you can catch the right time, it is only 59 Euros per room per night; else it is 115 Euros. I have not stayed there before; but we did stay in an IBIS hotel in the town of Gap, and it was very nice. This one is located in the west side of Paris near a metro.

But do stick with your existing hotel if you are comfortable; Paris is safe as long as you are a wise tourist (i.e. try your best not to look like a tourist).
 
Hi all brides that are going to europe
I have relatively new europe guide book wish to sell away, i had never got chance to use it as I had cancel my trip.
pls feel free to email me if you are interested, I also have London, Paris, amsterdam .
[email protected]
 
Hi,

Sori to intrude. I am desparately trying to seek help / advise on VAT refund.

Wonder if anyone here has did any research on the procedure to claim VAT refund in Paris?

I am flying over to Paris soon and estimated large sum of purchases (cos my frens entrusted me to buy some expensive items back for them). Wanna know if there is any diff in terms of procedure if I made the puchases in cash vs card and also, what is the pocedure for claiming.

Appreciate if someone cld help if you know the ans. Thanks.
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Hi, anyone can tell me london uses wat currency??

I m looking for the cheapest hotel accommodation in london... Anyone can advise me?
 
Petrina, UK (where London is) is the only EU country that is still using its own currency of Pound Sterling. The rest of EU is using Euro.

Accomodation wise, I suggest you trawl the internet and google google google to find an accomodation that fits your budget and criteria.
 
Hi orosalind,

The branded shops thenselves has a tax free section whereby you have to fill up a form to claim back the tax. Think purchases has to be more than EUR200 to be able to claim back tax.

The form will then be shown to Tax free customs at Paris airport or any other EU region airport (upon leaving back to sg) for verification that you actually bought the items. After custom stamp, you have to drop the letter in the letter box, near the tax free custom.

The last time i applied to be credited back to my credit card. (Actual took about one and half month to credit back)

You may check with the shop for details if you have any questions...hope this helps
 
Hi Snowies, thank you. So am I rite to say, I can get back my cash refund (if I am paying by cash) over the btq itself and not at the airport? I am toking abt purchases of branded stuff like LV. Whereas at the airport is more for documentation on custom formality. If I understand u correctly. Thanks for sharing the info.
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ldyll,
Switzerland also still uses their own currency besides UK :p

orosalind,
it doesn't matter hw u pay for ur purchases(cash or card) u can still choose to take back the refund in cash or credit to credit card account. some places like germany(berlin) will ask if u like the cash to be in euros or USD.
 
Hi orosalind,

sorry that i am unable to answer your qn as i opt for the VAT to be returned via credit card. You may wanna check with the boutique themselves while you are claiming back the tax.

But i believe you surely have to get custom stamp before you can get back the VAT coz VAT means that is not entitled for local use and they need clarification for that. Just like sg custom, they will verify when you are departing sg.

If i remember corectly, if you claim back via cash, the admin fee is 10% of the whole amount...
 
Midas, oh really?!?!? Oh gosh, it's good you corrected me there. The last time I went there was way before they changed the currency in EU. So I say Swiss Franc and GBP is pretty much on par with the strength then, you reckon?
 
ldyll,
Swiss francs is weaker than GBP & EUR...i remembered exchange rate is 1.25 or so for SGD. when i was in swiss last yr(lucerne)...everything was priced in Swiss franc..they hv a fixed conversion rate though n accepts payments in EUR based on tat rate..
 
Hi Midas,

Thanks.
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I am very clear now after gathering so many advises from you ladies. Aft all these, I hv decided how much to bring (previously, I am pending my final decision in terms of this to decide how much EUR to change, with that, I hv just changed some EUR yest). Likely, I will pay for some purchases in cash while bal in card.

Oh ya, Midas, saw u mentioning abt CHF (Swiss Franc), any idea how's the items there priced like? For eg, price range for chocs and food? I am not settled with CHF yet (I need to bring EUR and CHF for my trip as I am gg to Switzerland, Holland, France, Germany, Belgium, Italy, etc).


Hi Snowies,

Thanks for your advice.
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U really hit the nail as to the queries tt still lies unresolved in my mind - admin fee for cash refund. I did not post tt qns cos I think most pple will go for card pymt. Anyw, I thot nett off, both option may turn out to be the same (i.e. admin fee for cash refund may turn out to be almost equal to the higher exchange rate and admin fee charged by VISA and Master for card pymt). Bcos I am working with bank, I am able to get much beta EUR rate (2.0785) as compared to cr crd indicative rate of 2.111. Therefore, I decided to make some payment in cash and some in card.
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Hi, I am considering a F&E trip in May/Jun 09 to Italy and Switzerland. Seems like very early to start planning, but now still have no clueless about lots of things. Need some advice. Check that a pair of SQ tickets from Sin-Rome and Zurich-Sin cost $3700 including taxes. Is this considered cheap? Should I wait for some promotions to come along?
 
Dear Rainette,

Yes that's reasonable, considering that it is open-jaw. I paid SGD 1781 per person inclusive of taxes (two to go) for return tickets to Paris in May / June on SQ this year.
 
Thanks. Need some advice. Right now dunno how to start planning. At the same time, issit too early to plan? This is my first trip to Europe. Not keened to touch and go. But at the same time, nervous about the thought of F&E.
 
Hi All,

I am planning for my HM but still not sure which month to go. Thinking of going during Sept or Nov this year as there will have a long week end.

My hubby to be will to go to England Swizzland, France and (Rome n venice n Mlian) for about 14 days. England for football match of cos.

I am still thinking to go for backpack or package. Can anyone advice me how can i plan?
 
Hi,

Sep will be a better period as it would not be so cold and the days would not be so short.

Wait, let me get this: you want to visit England, SwitZERland, France, Rome, Venice, and Milan, all in 14 days?

Please reconsider.
 
i agree with raymond .. whilst i understand that usually travellers like to fit in as much as possible on their itineraries as they want to make the best of the opportunity (not sure when they will get the chance again) but this is guerilla tourism at its best .. you won't get the opportunity to really enjoy the vacation.
 
Hi,
I have 2 ASA travel vouchers ($2k and $2,896) willing to sell at 5% discount.
The vouchers can be used to buy air tickets or any travel package.
Book by end Aug'09 and travel by end Dec'09.
SMS me at 9479 9419 if interested. Thanks!
 
hi all
am planning (or rather, hope is a better word) to head to europe for HM next yr. initially hoped to go in Jan but after reading through the posts and looking at the weather charts, doesnt seem so wise with the days being so short and the freezing coldness!
actually i rather enjoy cold weather but HTB aint a fan haha! some weather charts seem to suggest that june is one of the best mths to visit but im hoping to go in mar/apr instead(cant wait so long!), so can any kind soul advise on this?

and if i have only 12 days to spare, where would you recommend? i love nature, history, architecture and shopping of coz! i know htb would love to visit old trafford though.

thx in advance!
 
Hi,

Mar/Apr is a good time to go, though May is probably better; not so cold, not too warm, and not crowded.

Since your HTB likes Old Trafford, you could do a London / English Countryside / Manchester / Edinburgh / Glasgow tour. I think that gives you enough time and you have all of nature, history, architecture, and shopping. Only thing to look out for is the cost; I expect the British Pound to remain strong.

Do the usual homework and check out the travelling distances, mode of transport, etc.
 
Hi Raymond!
thx for the reply.
honestly i would love to visit france or germany and probably make htb happy by visiting london/manchester either at the start or end of our trip! haha
i know its probably much better to visit just 1 country and fully explore but im guilty of being greedy! am thinking of ard 2 countries within 12 days.
yes im also concerned abt the high cost in england so would act prefer to stay min. no of days there with visiting london and old trafford being the main aims.
any thoughts abt france and germany though? u seem to be quite familiar with france.
thanks again!
 
Hi,

I'd suggest stick to France then; not only is it generally cheaper than Germany, but it is nearer too which will save you transport costs.

How do you plan to get around? Rental car is the most convenient way to get around. For France, I'd suggest areas nearer to England; Paris, Beaches of Normandy (for history), and the cliffs of Etretat for spectacular scenery and wild beauty.

Happy researching.
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Hi Raymond
htb n i are in the midst of getting our licences so lets see if we succeed before our HM! haha

i tink london>france sounds good, how would you break up the 12days if you were doing the planning? do you tink 4days in london/manchester area is good enough as the remaining 8 seems to be quite stretched even as i think about it now. let me check out more abt normandy and cliffs of etretat.
i was looking at lonely planet which recommended Paris/ Provence/ Cote D'Azur/ The Loire Valley/ Brittany - any opinions?
 
hi redrubberslippers,

I am planning my honeymoon to europe next year as well ard June!

hi raymond,
could you give some comments/recommendations on which countries to visit ? I was initially planning to fit in paris and london + maybe 1 or 2 more countries for a 14 day trip, do u think the time allocated would be sufficient or am i better off just sticking to two countries? thanks
 
Hi redrubberslippers,

Not sure if you would get your driving license in time; most rental companies require at least one year driving experience.

Not sure if you've seen a map of France, but Provence and Cote D'Azur is not exactly next to Paris. Loire Valley and Brittany are fine, again, do you want to make it like a mad rushing around tour, or do you prefer to take it slow and easy? It isn't a competition, you know.
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Even four days in London / Manchester is rushed; did you see the distance between London and Manchester? You'd need to think about it carefully; e.g. you'd land in London, travel to Manchester, then back to London, then on to Paris, etc. That's quite a lot of traveling and you may need to transit in London one more night.

If it's your first time, it's better to be less ambitious; it won't be your last trip to Europe.

Hi Elisa,

Two, at the very most, three countries. It really depends what you want to see. Both France and England are fairly large-sized countries, and even for England alone, it's easy to do a 2 week trip and not really see much.
 
Hi all,

Since we're on this topic, let me perhaps give some pointers that I take for granted, but perhaps may be useful especially to first timers.

When it comes to Europe, firstly remember that it is a continent. It is not a state, it is not a country, or even a group of countries. It is an entire continent. That means that not only is it very large, but it is also very diverse in terms of culture, architecture, food, activities, weather, etc. So it actually does not make sense to say "I am going to tour Europe in 14 days", because, honestly, you can't.

Next, pick any country. Say, France. Now, lots of people reduce France to Paris and a few popular destinations; Loire Valley, Provence, Nice, and maybe Brittany and Normandy. Again, this is merely scratching the surface. Seen a map of France? See the vast distances between the various places? Those distances are not some empty desert or grassland with nothing interesting. They are filled with all sorts of interesting towns, quaint villages, beautiful scenery, quiet streams and lakes, tranquil hills, etc. It is there that you find the REAL France.

Now, of course, when you visit a country, you do want to visit some of the key attractions. It would be silly to miss say, the Eiffel Tower, when in Paris; even if you don't go up, at least go to the base. However, I think it would actually be quite silly if you'd treat the major tourist attractions as checkboxes to tick off; not all major tourist attractions are interesting to everyone, and there are lots more very interesting but lesser known attractions in Paris. Even wandering around randomly is interesting, and there are many other interesting activities to do besides just the standard ones; we don't want to be just boring connect-the-dots sort of tourist, do we? If you're that sort of tourist, then you're better of sticking to the standard tour package.

So while you should visit some key attractions, make time for lesser known attractions and non-touristy activities. Look at the map as well and take note of all the interesting sights in the countryside; caves, waterfalls, cliffs, lesser-known-castles, very pretty and quaint villages, street markets, lakes, forests, etc. And please, whatever you do, do not reduce France to Paris, UK to London, Holland to Amsterdam (and gosh: windmills), and Italy to Pisa (pun intended; hah!). Let's just say that they are all slightly larger countries than Singapore, and there's much more than meets the eye.

Bon Voyage et Bon Courage.
 
hi raymond> actually we are following the tour, but we've got 1 day free. so i'm planning where to go on our own. our hotel is in paris, not sure where yet. But anywhere you recommend? and avg. 1 meal in paris is around 30 euro is that right? or any restaurant you recommend? since we are going paris, we really wanna try their food there. but not too expensive pls.. hehe.

i am planning conciergerie,sainte chapelle, lace des vosges, galeries Lafyette, Le Bon Marche last Ferris Wheel.. and we are going in this coming dec.. cold!!!!!! can we go all these places in 1 day? or any recommend pls.
i saw those post you posted years ago. but i couldnt go into the link that you put up.
 
Hi raymond,
thanks for your information, I suppose we tend to get pretty ambitious at times trying to pack everything and rush everything into whatever days we have there, kinda defeats the purpose of doing a free and easy trip over a overpacked package tour.
I was planning on doing maybe 3-4 days in one country (one day for some sightseeing and the must see places (such as eiffel tower in paris etc) and the other 2 for just walking around and see whats interesting). We havent really decided on what places to visit yet as my fiance and I are not really sightseeing people, just more into maybe food. if I were to be ambitious and attempt to travel to a third country besides france and england, which other country would you recommend? thanks
 
Hi Akino,

You can get a three-course meal for as little as 10 - 20 Euros.

For other information, I've posted them somewhere before and I guess I'm a little tired of repeating myself everytime. Get a good guide book if you need.

I'm quite happy to answer specific queries, but for the general queries, there are many resources to get your information from.

Hi Elisa,

You'll find lots of interesting restaurants; if you want authentic French, avoid those with English menus (though a few restaurants with English menus are still ok), go for those that are fairly crowded, full of French people (not American or Japanese tourists!), and chalkboards are a good sign.

Do visit a street market too; you'll find lots of interesting food produce and other stuff there too.

A third country? Asking me to recommend a third country is like asking me to recommend a dish in a restaurant. There are so many to choose from, and well, I don't know your preferences, nor do I know which country you've always dreamed of visiting.
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Take a look at the map and see which country suits your fancy. Some background reading may be essential.
 
hi raymond
indeed you're quite right to say travelling aint a competition! i will def spend more time researching and deciding on the places to go.
in any case, i wasnt planning on going all the places recommended by lonely planet, was curious and seeking some opinion
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but it really is very exciting just reading up some of the travel info online, in fact am sort of learning bits and pieces of french! haha
 
Hi redrubberslippers,

You're picking up quite fast and understanding the whole point about going F&E.
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To be honest, I think few people, even after reading all my posts, really get the whole idea and reasons for going F&E, and understanding the whole process involved. True, it requires lots of work, but it's well worth it. You'll enjoy yourself a lot more and have a much greater appreciation of the countries you are visiting.
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I'm sure you'll have lots of fun planning. The reward is that you'll end up doing really cool stuff that most Singaporeans can only talk about; stuff that can never be experienced and places that can never be visited when joining a tour package. Heh.

Keep those (specific) questions coming. If you need suggestions on off-the-beaten-track places worth visiting, just post here.
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Dear all

I erroneously made a double booking for a hotel in Zermatt via www.booking.com. I made reservation for 2nd hotel and forgot to cancel the 1st reservation before the free cancellation deadline.

Therefore, I would like to let go of the hotel booking at a discounted price of CHF300.

The room is south facing and has a balcony. Price for the same room is CHF380 now at Booking.com

Please let me know if you are interested. Thanks!

===============================================
Details as follows:

Booking summary

Hotel Details

Hotel

Alpenstern

Address

Untere Mattenstrasse 39
Zermatt, 3920
Switzerland


Your reservation details

Check-in

Saturday, 7 July 12, check-in 14:00 � 20:30

Check-out

Monday, 9 July 12, check-out 07:00 � 10:30

Quantity

1 room

Total room price

CHF 360.00

Please note: additional supplements (e.g. extra bed) are not added to this total
3.80 % VAT is included.
CHF 2.10 city tax per person per night is included.

Room 1, Double Room with Balcony

South-facing room with a balcony. max. 2 people.

(strictly non-smoking)

Meal plan:
�Buffet breakfast is included in the room rate.


Prepayment :
�No deposit will be charged.


Cancellation policy:
�If cancelled up to 35 days before date of arrival, no fee will be charged.If cancelled or modified up to 15 days before date of arrival, 50 percent of total price of the reservation will be charged.If cancelled later or in case of no-show, the total price of the reservation will be charged.

Cancellation Cost in local hotel time:
� Until 1 June 2012 23:59 [CEST] : CHF 0
� From 2 June 2012 00:00 [CEST] : CHF 180
� From 22 June 2012 00:00 [CEST] : CHF 360


Room price
CHF 346.82
+
VAT (3.80%)
+
CHF 13.18
Total cost of this room
CHF 360


Hotel policies

These are general hotel policies. As they may vary per room type; please also check the room description.

Cancellation & prepayment policy
�Please check the specific policy of each room above.

Children and extra bed policy
�All children under 2 years stay free of charge for cots.
�All children under 6 years stay free of charge when using existing beds.
�All children from 7 to 12 years are charged CHF 45 per night per person for extra beds.
�All older children or adults are charged CHF 80 per night per person for extra beds.
�Maximum capacity of extra beds/babycots in a room is 1.

Extra beds and baby cots are upon request and need to be confirmed by the hotel. Supplements will not be calculated automatically in the total costs and have to be paid separately in the hotel.

Internet
�Wi-fi is available in the entire hotel and is free of charge.

Guest parking
�No parking available.

Pets
�Pets are not allowed.

Credit Card / Guarantee / Payment information

Payment

You have now confirmed and guaranteed your booking by credit card.

All payments are to be made at the hotel during your stay, unless otherwise stated in the hotel policies or in the room conditions.

Please note that your credit card may be pre-authorised prior to your arrival.

This hotel accepts the following forms of payment:

American Express, Visa, Euro/Mastercard, Maestro

Important information

Zermatt is a car-free resort. You have to park your car in T�sch and proceed by train or taxi. During winter it is recommended to reserve a parking space in T�sch well in advance.

Customer Service Info

Wishing you a pleasant stay
 
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