Europe trip: First timer need advice

amelia_68

New Member
Hi all!

My parents and I will be travelling to Switzerland and Italy this month. As this will be the first time we are going to Europe, there are simply too many questions in our minds regarding this trip. Hope someone can help me.

1) How's the weather condition there now? Need to bring thick clothings? Which places really require thick clothings?

2) I read from some of the posts here that water is really not easily available in hotels. Then, what do you guys do when you want to cook instant noodles? Do you really bring a mini boiler? Any problem with customs?

3) Do anyone of you bring travel size iron?

4) I heard a lot about pickpockets in Europe. Is it really that prevalent? Are we supposed to leave all our branded bags and watches in Spore and try to dress down in Europe? Safer this way?

5) Do you really strap a money belt around your waist? What do you put in the money belt? How do you keep your valuables, like passports, air tickets and cash?

6) What are the must-buys in Switzerland and Italy?

7) How do you pack your luggage? 1 shirt or blouse per day? If you buy a Gucci in Italy, how do you pack it? Any worries that luggage will be lost?

8) Do you explore the city on your own when the group returns to the hotel? Is it safe?

Sorry for being so chiong hay. Wanna be well prepared cos this trip is for my parents.

Appreciate any inputs or extra info to make my trip a joyous one.

Thanks!!!!
 


midas

New Member
hi,

i juz came bk from europe honeymoon in may. i'll try to answer ur qns...

1. july shld be summer time , so it will be veri hot, bring sun block along. But their nite will be cooler and temperature will dip if it rains, so bring a jacket along juz in case.

2. water is safe for consumption in switz but italy one must boil first. if wan to cook then bring mini kettle, nobody will bother u at customs.

3. bring clothes tat dun need ironing lor, why carry iron around europe?

4. many pick pockets in italy...beware of a bunch of small kids trying to crowd around u for no reason. dun bring branded stuff, shop for branded stuff instead...LV & Gucci is cheaper in europe.

5. i dun use money belt sorry can't help.

6. must by swiss knife and branded watches in switz and branded leather goods in italy.

7. i hand carry my LV all the way. dun buy bulky stuff lor.

8. if u join tour group, u'll be too tired when u return to hotel...trust me, u'll wan to sleep instead.

oh ya, wear extremely comfy shoes...u wun regrate it
happy.gif


enjoy..
 

rtan

New Member
We just did a 2.5 week F&E to Switzerland, Italy, and France. Here are my 2 Euro cents worth from a Europe lover.

1. You require thick clothings only if you are going up to the mountains.

2. Don't worry about the water. Switzerland and Italy are both first world countries. Even the fountains in Switzerland spout out potable water, unless signs say otherwise. In Italy, most people drink bottled mineral water (ask for Acqua Naturale to get the non-gassy version), though the tap water is actually reliable in most places. We drank tap water and we are fine.

4. Pickpockets are only prevalent in large cities with large amounts of tourist. That means Rome, Paris, Milan. Venice was fine for us; we avoided the touristy places (San Marco's square is a nightmare of tourists!). Generally be careful at train stations, queueing up in Macs, touristy places, crowded places. I wore a pouch that slings over the neck and put it inside my shirt. Don't ever put anything in the back jeans/pants pocket; even front pockets are not safe unless your pants/jeans are tight.

But really, it is not so bad as it seems. In our honeymoon, we did not encounter or see a single pickpocket. But then it is probably because we drove our own rented car and generally avoided touristy places. We hate crowds.

5. I think I answered this in 4.

6. Swiss chocolate?

8. I absolutely hate group tours, but if you can, do try to explore on your own. Try to be a local for a day; it makes a whole world of difference and you see the place with different eyes. Speak a few local phrases and you will be warmly welcomed.

Enjoy Europe.
happy.gif
 

barbapapa

New Member
Hey Amelia,

I hope i can answer most of your questions!

2) I bought a mini boiler along. I brought along my tin cup to boil my noodles. I used their bottled water when in italy. You can bring noodles in and they never question about it.
3) Did not bring iron cos it is too heavy.
4) If you want to bring branded stuff, you can. Make sure it is real. Not sure if you heard about it in the news. Europe is trying to clam dowm pirated gds. You might be checked in the airport on their authencity. dun bring to avoid the hassle.
5) i used money belt when i was in rome. Really helps. I just put my passport and my money.The pickpoketers are really SOLIDz.....they attack when least expected.
Not a fan of branded goods but here's my shopping list......

Shopping in Italy:
I bought:
1)wooded craft and toys called "sevi"
2)coffee "lavazza"
3)coffee maker machine called "Bialetti". It comes in different shapes and colors and brews terrific coffee.
I bought so many of those for my friends! They all love it!
4)I also recommend their pasta to bring back. But only if you have space in your luggage.

Shopping in Swiss:
1) Recycled funky bags called "Freitag"

If you want to travel alone after the tour, travel in groups. Should be fine.

Enjoy!!!!
 

makino

New Member
Here's my 1 cent (S$)..

1. I think it should be hotter now. But do bring your full winter gear if you're going up the mountains (you'll regret if you don't). Bring hat along to avoid bird-shit landing on your head esp in Venice. Pigeon shit is lethal for hair.

2. Just bring a mini kettle or a heating rod+mass tin. No problem with customs but pls pack inside your lugguage (bubble wrapped if you want).

3. Why do you want to bring iron along? hehe.. just get from the hotel reception

4. Pickpockets in SG is nothing like the ones in Italy, so bring your branded stuff at your own risk. Switzerland is a relatively safe country.

5. Like raymond, I used a sling where I kept my cash, passports and tickets. It'll be slightly bulky but I just tucked it inside my jeans. Only put whatever money I intended to spend in my wallet. However, if your jeans are tight, you can consider putting spare cash inside without the wallet. It'll be hard to pickpocket.

6. Not must buy, but just some suggestions
Switzerland
a. Chocs - Lindt can buy in SG already so it's your discretion. There are choc chains like Merkur where you can find some speciality chocs. But we went to raid COOP supermarts, where u can find not-found-in-SG chocs and biscuits at supermarket price.
b. Swiss watches/clocks (Tag Heur is not much cheaper there if you want to buy the 'ordinary' series)
c. Swiss army knives

Italy
a. Branded Italian goods like Prada, Gucci.
b. Cappucino (try them)
c. Olive oil

7. Roughly 1 shirt per day. Don't pack your branded stuff into your lugguage.

8. Generally in Italy, must be on high alert even when you're with your group cos it's so crowded. In Switzerland, you probably can relax a bit more because it's generally safer. We did explore on our own in Switzerland, no problem on that.
 

moonfairysgp

New Member
hi all,

wondering if anyone can help me on this? i don't want to bring too much cash on my trip to europe, scared kena robbed.

i remember someone posted something on how to save the bank atm fees when withdrawing money via atm there, but i can't seem to find that thread anymore.

if i'm not wrong, she said she opened a ready credit account here, then deposited money into that account. so when she withdraw cash using her citibank creditcard or was it a readycredit card?, there were no charges and no interest (since she already pre-deposited money so not considered loan).

anyone can help? or anybody working in banks can help clear up?

also, i was told that using credit card overseas got charges? i tot it was based on the bank exchange rate, got other charges meh?

thanks!
 

cuclainne

New Member
Amelia, it's not as bad as you think.

July is usually warm in Europe (it's summer) - they're experiencing a heat wave there at the moment. But be prepared - the temperature difference between day and night can be quite drastic so always bring along a sweater, just in case. I remembered walking out of the airport in just a thin pullover and jeans, thinking that walking ten minutes in 9 degrees Celsius is not that cold. My teeth was chattering by the time we reached my husband's apartment from the subway station. But granted this was in late March when the winter chill is still in the air and it was in Sweden which is further north than where you planned to be.

If you're staying at hotels, I think getting drinking water won't be a problem. Otherwise you can always grab a bottle at a convenient store or if you're bringing a mini-boiler, boil your own.

I think there is no need to bring an iron - try to pack wrinkle-free clothes but if you really need one, ask the hotel. I rolled up my clothes in my backpack and when it's time to do laundry, just stick them in the dryer - not only will your clothes be dry and smell nice (from the softener), it didn't require any ironing ..

Pickpocketing is no more prevalent in Europe than anywhere else in the world - all it takes is some awareness of your surroundings. Try to get more info about the places you intend on visiting and avoid places where even the locals don't go. I carried my wallet, passport, etc in a tiny backpack and although I was a single tourist walking around the city, no one hassled me but I supposed Italy might be different. Don't wear much expensive items on your person - not worth it if you're going to spend your entire holiday worrying if someone is going to stick you for the items than enjoying your time there.

I didn't bring a money bag or pouch. Everything of value I put in a backpack which I carried on my back (obviously). Even though I know I fit the part of the tourist (roaming the city with a map in my hand), i wasn't bothered by anyone .. unlike the time when I was in HK - was followed by a man for several blocks and some kids came up to me to say something which I couldn't understand and refused to explain when I asked them to.

If you are going to be with your parents or maybe even hooking up with some other people from your tour group to hit the town for some free-and-easy, it should be pretty safe. Safety in numbers ..
 

scrumpee01

New Member
Raymond

U just came back from Italy and France? did you visit the Louve muesuem and Vatican musuem? am wondering if I should get advance tickets online.
 

junebridetobe

New Member
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]
 

rtan

New Member
Hi Srumpee,

I just came back from Switzerland, Italy, and a little bit of France. We went to France in May 2005. That time, we visited the Louvre. There is no need to get advance tickets online unless it is cheaper than the EUR 8.50 you can easily get from their automatic ticket dispensing machines. You just require a credit card, and there are no queues because there are many of those machines.

We did not have time to visit any other museums. For our next trip to Paris, we will definitely spend at least one week there.
happy.gif
 

deannen

New Member
Hi

i will be visting Barcelona & Paris for my honeymoon (in Nov)..any advice wad to buy there & the tixs to Louvre - dun nd to buy online?
is LV/ branded goods cheaper in Paris?/ what to wear/ things to do etc

pls advise..thks! appreciate dat
 

midas

New Member
hi deannen,

yes, LV is the cheapest in France.

Louvre museum tix can be bought at the museum itself..think is 8.50euros per pax. certain days hv free entry also, so dun hv to buy advance.

the must do thing there is to take a slow walk along the romantic seine river and absorb the sights and sound of Paris
happy.gif
most famous monuments (eg. notre dame, louvre, place de la concord etc.) r located along this river...definitely worth spending a full day walking. remember to wear the most comfy shoes u hv ;)
 

makino

New Member
For Louvre museum, the tix is at a discounted price of 6euros I think, AFTER 6PM. If you're dining there, we recommend the French cuisine at their 'food court'.

If you can, wear your prettier clothes when you want to shop at LV
happy.gif


If you want to look for 'night' activities, can try to catch a Moulin Rouge show. But it costs over 100 euros which is a tad expensive, I feel. However, they will give you a bottle of champagne for every couple.
 

rtan

New Member
I wouldn't recommend going in after 6pm, unless you absolutely hate art (then why are you going in the first place?). It's so huge. Even after spending half a day there, we covered less than 1/6 of the museum. And we were walking by the paintings quite quickly.

Also forget about the free days; the crowds are huge and queues are long.

The Louvre at EUR 8.50 is a steal, considering some local museaum is at SGD 8.00 and you hardly see much.
 

makino

New Member
We don't hate art, but simply don't know how to appreciate every piece inside.
happy.gif
If you just want a glimpse of the famous Mona Lisa, and some other famous works like Winged Victory/Milo, etc, going after 6pm is more than sufficient. We actually finished seeing all the most famous works within 1 hr. However, if you love art, then I agree with Raymond that going after 6pm is a bit late as you will not have time to appreciate many things.

One thing to note is that you're not allowed to even hold your camera or hang it on your neck once you're in the gallery of paintings. Years ago, they did not make any noise when people were snapping away at Mona Lisa, but now you'll be invited into a 'private room' if you even try anything funny.
 

rtan

New Member
I think we are missing something if we can finish seeing all the famous works within 1 hour. A sculpture or painting that took years to paint warrants more than a few minutes appreciation. (I'm not an art-lover myself but I try to spend a longer time at each painting or sculpture to try to learn or observe something.) It's not our fault that our culture does not celebrate art very much; but somehow it does not feel right. It's a sad by-product of our stressful and hurried lives. It's very typical of Singaporeans to go for those "6 countries in 15 days" trip; I feel it does not do the countries any justice. Better to just visit less countries and spend more time in each one.

Anyway I digress. We went in May 2005 and got quite a few good pictures of the Mona Lisa.
happy.gif
http://www.comp.nus.edu.sg/~rtan/France/
 

midas

New Member
hi raymond,

actually hor, there's a way to cut queue one...juz dun join the crowd at the main (biggest pyrimid) entrance. there is a side entrance at the smaller pyrimid near to the mini Arc de Triomphe. go thru the same bag scanning process with juz a few pple and viola...u're inside liao! hehehe...

i bought my LV stuff at Rome, no problems with service quality in casual wear...not sure about paris though. but the same item cost 5euros less in paris though.
 

rtan

New Member
Hi Midas,

Thanks for the tip. I believe there is another entrance through the metro (it is the one that the locals take); we exited through it, and on the way you see an upside down glass pyramid that is similar to the famous one outside.
happy.gif
 

deannen

New Member
Hi Raymond/ tsukushi/ Midas

thks so much for all the infor!! it's certainly very useful...and the breakdown dat Raymond did with all the beautiful pics is even better than a tour guide book!! thks guys!!

if anyone else ve more infor, pls post it here..i will slowly collect all info & make my trip to Paris a very memorable one =) Looking forward to it!!!!
 

compassrose

New Member
Hi Everyone,

I am planing my honeymoon trip for next year Feb, being a nuts in my sense of direction doesn't help. I gained so much knowledge reading this thread. Thanks for sharing.

Tentatively, since we have bout 3 weeks, we are considering London, Swiss, Italy and maybe France. We know that it might be kinda rush to cover so many countries in such short time hence we are playing by ear. We wanted to pamper ourselves since it's our first Europe trip however due to budget constraint we have to be very careful with our planing.
 

rtan

New Member
My guess is that your most expensive places would be London and Italy. Switzerland is next, and France is actually the cheapest. My personal suggestion is to try to limit it to just three countries since you do not have a lot of time and you will end up travelling quite long distances.

For e.g., in May 2005, four of us went on a 19-day trip to France only. And we have barely scratched the surface of France. For our honeymoon in July this year, we went on a 17-day trip to Switzerland, Italy, and France; but we spent only three days in France so the bulk of the time was spent in Switzerland and Italy. Again we only did surface scratching, though I planned it such that we spent three nights in most places so that it does not feel like touch and go.
happy.gif
 

compassrose

New Member
Thanks for your reply.

How bout setting off from London and take a flight to Italy (milan?) or Swiss (Geneva) hoping to stay at least 6 (approx) days in each country. Take a train back to London as the flight will depart from London to Singapore. We will pass by France on the way back. Am i rite? Now, we are still considering whether to stopover France. I will rather cut off the days in London and spend more time in Italy and Switzerland...
 

rtan

New Member
Hi Compassrose,

Your itinerary sounds fine, but it also sounds like it would cost a lot since London, Geneva, and Milan are among the most expensive cities in Europe. I personally would skip London and just do Paris, Geneva, and Milan; nothing beats French food and wine, plus France is just so romantic. Or you could also just do London, Paris, Milan. I guess it is possible to do all four as well, though costs would certainly escalate. You can easily do some checking on hotel prices in each of the various cities, e.g. http://www.venere.com.

I noticed that you are not visiting the countryside as well. I guess that's fine if you are a city buff. If not, I think it's a pity; there is so much nice scenary that isn't concrete in countries with wide open spaces. And oh, travelling past by train doesn't count as visiting the countryside.
happy.gif


Just my 2 Euro cents worth. Happy planning. Maybe browsing through some travel guide books at the library or a bookstore would help in your decision.
happy.gif
 

compassrose

New Member
Hi Raymond,

I am a total city gal.. However will love see the suburbs. I know i know.. but tickets to London is cheaper and becos of the central location, it is easy for us to move around..

Haha... you caught me there.. I was about to say that the train will def pass by the countryside..
 

lissa

New Member
Hi Raymond,

You seem to be super experienced in European travel. Am hoping you could help me with my confusion about rail travel.

I'm reading up on Europe now cos i'm trying to plan a trip for around Sept - Oct next year. My hubby might be going to Prague for a convention and we're hoping to extend from there.

I'm considering covering Prague, Munich, Luxemburg, Brussels & Amsterdam. Have been reading up on rail travel and it seems as though the Eurail pass does not cover Prague as the Czech Republic doesn't recognise the Eurail pass. So i'm wondering if there's any other kind of pass apart from the Eurail that I can use in all the above cities? Can't seem to find any advice online leh.

Thanks in advance for your help!
happy.gif


Lissa
 

ffbear

New Member
hi, all,
for a 12D pkg tour to Switzerland & Italy in end Nov, roughly how much spending $$ to we need to prepare on a per pax basis?
thanks soo much..
 

eveuloveme

New Member
hi ffbear,
i read up on some guide books and the meals will cost ard 10 euro per pax (on the cheaper end) in italy.

gondola i heard is 100 euro per boat, but can share with another couple...
will u be going up to jungfra? if u are, this will cost ard 180 swiss francs per pax.
u will also have to find out from the tour agency the tips to pay..
hope this helps!
 

midas

New Member
hi ffbear,

if u r going on a pkg tour, ur tour leader will advice u on the charges...eg. for chan brothers they charges 25euros per pax for Gondola rides etc. they'll brief u on all the optional tours available n prices during ur pre-departure briefing session.

as for meals, pls prepare at least 15euros per pax per meal if u wan to enjoy urself without worries...
 

rtan

New Member
Hi Compassrose,

Sorry I don't quite understand what you mean by "London" being the central location... it is very out of the way compared to Western Europe. Also, air tickets to London may be cheap, but their hotel accommodation is among the priciest in Europe. Not discouraging you from visiting London, just pointing out some things that I know or heard from friends.
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rtan

New Member
Hi Lissa,

Unfortunately my experience in Europe is limited only to road trips, i.e. driving around. I have almost zero experiences with trains. Sorry can't help you there.

What I heard is that travelling on trains is not necessarily cheaper or any less hassle than renting a car and driving around. You have to check the train schedule; do train transfers; train tickets are not cheap; and if your hotel is not near the train station, expect a long walk, tram / bus ride, or expensive taxi ride. And if it rains, it is inconvenient.

Driving a car around has its own hassles, but it is more convenient.

Another thing; I noticed you are covering very many cities. How many days do you have? If it is too packed, you just end up spending too much time on the road / in the trains. Prague to Amsterdam is quite far!

Just my own 2 Euro cents worth.
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compassrose

New Member
Hi Raymond,

Didn't know about that.. Maybe i should re-consider.. Always have this impression that London is central and easy to get around from there.. I am tempted by the cheaper airfare, but you have a point there too..

I do have some friends living in London so we can crash in for a few nite.. Hope that will help to bring down the cost..

You have been very helpful.. Think your 2 euro cents should increased by now.. ;)

Hi Deannen,

Check out this thread.. Think it's about the same..

http://www.singaporebrides.com/forumboard/messages/4/360928.html?1159324911
 

rtan

New Member
Hi Compassrose,

If I remember correctly, the train ride from London to Paris through the tunnel under the English Channel (Eurostar, return trip) is a whopping EUR 99 per person.

It's true, you can save some money by staying with your friends in London.
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When we stayed in Paris, we only paid SGD 50 per person per night in a decent motel chain. It's on the outskirts of Paris but 5 mins walk from a metro station, so travelling was still very fast and convenient.
 

compassrose

New Member
Hi Raymond,

Did you book the motel before you guys arrive or did you guys pick one when u guys are there?

Hey Deannen,

No probs! So start checking out the stores in Singapore and survey around which designs and the pricing.
 

eggie

New Member
hi raymond,
i want to go europe on f&e next year. wonder if it's necessary to use backpack or we can use the wheel bag instead?

hope to hear from u soon.
happy.gif
 

rtan

New Member
Hi Eggie,

I presume that you are going backpacking. That means you are just taking public transport.

Wheel bags have a disadvantage in that many cities and towns in Europe have old parts with potruding cobblestones. It is bad for high heels and for wheel luggages. So if that's the case, backpack is better.

If you are renting a car, then by all means; wheel bags are the best.
happy.gif


Which countries are you visiting? First timer? How many days? Budget?
 

barbapapa

New Member
hi Eggie,

I had a situation where i bought my wheel luggage along and the wheels literally melt under relentless fiction with the cobblestones. In the end the wheels broke and i got to drag the luggage. It made a lot of noises. ha ha ha.....

lesson learned: Never buy inferior quality wheel bags, must be quality ones like samsonite or delsey.

But i prefer using the wheel bags as it put less stress on ur shoulders. But then again it depends on individual.
 

scrumpee01

New Member
Hi Eggie

I just came back from Europe. I used backpack, easier to move around cos as what Raymond said, Europe's streets are mostly narrow with cobblestones and lots of staircase to climb if you are taking public transport.

But my shoulders ached badly on the first few days cos I'm not used to carry heavy backpacks. But I got used to it in the subsequent days.
 

eggie

New Member
hi raymond & blue,
i'm thinking of going backpacking by train. it'll be my first time to europe with budget of 3-4K inclusive of airfare.

i'm considering to go to london, paris n switzerland for 2 weeks. i'm thinking of going to amsterdam too but don't know how to go about planning it. I think it's too many places to cover?
 

rtan

New Member
Hi Eggie,

I think your budget may bust, and you do not have enough time to cover the places sufficiently. Sure you can touch and go; but it may not be to your satisfaction. You will also end up spending one - two days on travelling by trains.

I suggest cutting out London (Paris and various places in Switzerland) or cutting out Switzerland (London, Paris, and maybe Brittany / Loire Valley?). London and Switzerland are easily the most espensive places in Europe; London due to the strong british pound, and Switzerland because... it is just expensive. Paris will actually be cheaper than London or any of the major Swiss cities.

You need at least five days to cover Paris properly. It's not like Singapore where two days is more than enough.

You can find info on Paris and France at:

http://www.comp.nus.edu.sg/~rtan/Paris/
http://www.comp.nus.edu.sg/~rtan/France/ (has nice pictures)
 

joeyheng

New Member
Hi Everyone,

I'm going Italy & Switzerland on 7th Dec with SA Tour. Anyone of you going???

I have some questions...
1)Is it true that I need to wear winter boots during that time? All my friends ask me to, coz they were saying is going to be very slippery and cold!
2)In Switzerland, which is the best place to buy watches? (cheaper & higher VAT Rebate) Zurich, Intertaken, Zermatt or Lucerne?
3)Any advice? apart from pickpocket in Italy.

Oh yah i heard got to bring our own kettle too, coz no kettle in the hotel room??

Many thanks..
 

eveuloveme

New Member
Hi Joey,
i am going also with SA.. but going on the 14th instead!

SA tour is giving us a free kettle.. bring that kettle along i suppose if want to boil water..
 


makino

New Member
If you're going by SA tour, I think most hotels do not have kettle (but I haven't tried asking for kettles from the reception).

I compared the price of clocks between Bucherer (spelling?) and smaller unknown shops and find that the latter are normally cheaper. But Bucherer carry most of the brands. However, I think for standard brands there is price control across the whole country so there's not much difference where u buy. The only diff is whether they give you discounts, like some shops will give u 5% discount to 10% if you pay by CASH.

The VAT rebate should be std across the country. Before you go, check out the prices in SG first cos sometimes tag heu or omega is not much cheaper there.
 

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