Europe Trip in Oct 07

Hi Cheryln,

I will be in London only for 5 days including a trip to Manchester and Peak District. is peak diatrict and Lake district the same??
 


Hi Disney

Peak District and Lake District are two different places. The Peak District is right on the doorstep of Manchester while the Lake District is further North in Cumbria.

If you are going to the Peak District it might be worth making a visit to Chatsworth House. There are other places worth visiting (like Castleton and Bakewell) if you have time.
 
Disney you certainly can't explore the whole peak district in just a day! It is possible to do either Chatsworth or Castleton in a day but both would be a bit too much.

Just one thing to note, it gets dark about 6.30 pm now. Daylight gets shorter day by day until the winter solstice (shortest day) on 22 December before it gets longer again. So it might be a good idea to start your day early.
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Yes. The first one (in late June). Our village was flooded and the school had to be closed. The building is still closed and for the time being the classrooms are now portacabins in the village field. Our house wasn't affected though as we live on higher ground.
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I'm a bit more wary now when I drive into town when its raining. Never realised that the roads on the way home can be flood prone and the possibility of not making it back is such a reality.

What brings you to London?
 
Hi All,

Can share with me ur iter in Europe.
(France, England, Italy and Switzerland)

me and my hubby is planning for our HM in june or sept 08. we are still thinking to take tour package or F&E.

Thanks.
 
seems like this thread has been dead since last Nov.. Mmm..am also contemplating going here for Honeymoon...

Was just wondering for a 12days trip how much should we set aside?? A reasonable, can happily eat and shop..not those throw money kind... but at least to enjoy a good honeymoon..

How much will we need???
Not really sure of the places mentioned also...
Whats the diff between F&E n Packages???

Can anyone still ard advise??

Thanks!
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Hi raragal,

Where exactly do you plan to go? What's your budget?

F&E requires a lot more planning but gives you complete flexibility. Package tours... well guess you would have gone on one before so you know what it's like right?
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Hi Chamber galz, how many days do u intend to go Europe? If only 2 weeks, I think u have selected too many countries. Preferably choose one country to really enjoy the place and their culture.

Hi Raragal,which part of Europe do u have in mind? should not be too exp if u use a cheaper airline and stay in 2 or 3 star hotel. Also depends on the season. If u go during peak, hotel rates will shoot up. I went Paris in 2006 stayed in Tim hotel, cost S$140 per night and when I went back in 2007 I could not get it at this rate. It went up to S$280 per night because of their fashion week and 2007 ruby.
I have stayed in really nice hotels in switzerland for as low as S$130 per night. Let me know if u need more details
 
Hi Raymond...
Errr... for now.. no budget yet... see by then how much we have left... of coz hoping to have more.. then can have more places and longer time to have fun... but what would be a reasonable amount that we should we targetting at?? Never been to Europe before...and have no idea at all... Package would be like more... spoon fed loh.. wat time to wake up.. eat breakfast..then bring u ard.. but at least get to go ard without much hassle.... No idea how F&E would be like... Hence would need all the advice we can get here.. heheh...

Peng> AD in Sept.. so would be going in 1st week Sept period ba... Want would to go Paris...France.. and anyway along that line that is fun and nice??
Ehhh... i really have zero idea on where to go, what to do and how much it cost..
Maybe for a start, you can advise how much we need to set aside?? If we can't go for too long, at least 2 weeks? What are the viable places? Nice, can shop and eat?? And have a nice honeymoon?
Hee.. sorry for being so problematic...
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Hi Raragal,

For Europe, I've only been to certain part of France & Switzerland. Both are really amazing. F&E is better than going on Package tour. U are on honeymoon so u don't want to wakeup super early every morning and rush onto a coach. Also no privacy when having your meals.

The last time I went to Switzerland & Paris total 2 weeks in Apr, spend around S$7k plus for SQ flight, trains, hotels, meals & souvenior. The only thing not included in this S$7K is buying branded stuff.

I also enjoyed my trip to St Tropez, Nice and Chamonix in my recent trip. Spend around S$5k plus but I have one free Air ticket for this trip.. I think perhaps u should set aside S$7 to S$8k since u are on honeymoon and sure need to buy lots of gifts.

I really like Nice and it is far better than what i expected so u may want to consider that.
 
Hi Raragal,

For Europe, I've only been to certain part of France & Switzerland. Both are really amazing. F&E is better than going on Package tour. U are on honeymoon so u don't want to wakeup super early every morning and rush onto a coach. Also no privacy when having your meals.

The last time I went to Switzerland & Paris total 2 weeks in Apr, spend around S$7k plus for SQ flight, trains, hotels, meals & souvenior. The only thing not included in this S$7K is buying branded stuff.

I also enjoyed my trip to St Tropez, Nice and Chamonix in my recent trip. Spend around S$5k plus but I have one free Air ticket for this trip.. I think perhaps u should set aside S$7 to S$8k since u are on honeymoon and sure need to buy lots of gifts.

I really like Nice and it is far better than what i expected so u may want to consider that.
 
We stayed at 2 to 3 star hotels (very nice hotel with private bathroom). As for meals, most hotel I booked do not provide breakfast so we went out to eat. I don't take breakfast even in s'pore,so kind of save on this...haha. However, I do spend alot of coffee...I cannot live without my caffine.
 
OOh... $7K for two is reasonable leh.. Heeee... got chance got chance.. so if we have $10,000 is okie la? Mmmmm.. okok...

Should I make a trip down to Expo for the upcoming Natas fair?? what to look out for???
 
yes S$7k plus minus is very reasonable and u get to travel at your own pace. I think Natas fair mainly for travel packages. I usually book from the website rather than travel agency.

Maybe u can head down to take a look and see which country u really prefer. I think sept is a good time to visit Europe.
 
Peng> Cool!! Thanks.. so what shall i be looking out for at NATAS??
So you would book ur air ticket online.. and all the necessary accomodation?
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Maybe u can check if they are having promotion for airfare. Airticket I use my company corporate travel agent to book so as to enjoy the rates. As for Hotels, I search from the website and book online. My favorite is Asiarooms.com as I find their rates cheaper. ofcourse I will also do a yahoo search to see if this hotel have direct website.If have I will sometimes book directly from the hotel.
One tip when booking accommodation, tell them u are on honeymoon and they usually give u a better room.
 
Peng> Ohh.. okie.. hehehe.. so do u always go for honeymoon then?? Hahhaha.. :P
THanks so much for ur help.. as the time gets nearer.. will need more advice..
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Now is still preparation for the Big Day!
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Hi raragal,

Here are some articles I wrote that you may find useful:

http://www.comp.nus.edu.sg/~rtan/France/
http://www.comp.nus.edu.sg/~rtan/Paris/
http://www.comp.nus.edu.sg/~rtan/France/nopackage.html
http://www.comp.nus.edu.sg/~rtan/France/fne.html

10k is more than enough for any 3-week F&E trip... assuming you're not going to stay in the Ritz every night.
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Don't be worried about your first time... there is always a first time right?
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I say the best time to go is May or September like Peng says. Not too hot, not too cold, not too crowded, but days are still reasonably long.
 
Hi Raymond/Peng/rach.

sorry was rather busy this week..
My plan is to go for 21 days... budget < 12k for two..

Do you all think it is possible to cover the 4 countries (famous places) within the time frame and budget?

I have totally zero knowledge abt europe.. except for Paris and london is a must go place for me.. hahah
Could you all pls guide me how to start the planning... as i wanted to compare F&amp;E and tour package before the NATAS fair in Feb 08..

Thanks alot.
 
Hi chamber> ^5! I have got 0 knowledge as well. when are u going?? Mine would be after 1 Sept loh.. My AD is on 1 Sept..
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I also gg to see see NATAS Fair..
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Maybe if we see a good bargain can try to get them to give it to us... buy together cheaper rite?? Heee..
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Dear Chambergalz,

yes it is possible to cover 4 countries in 21 days but I will not want to do it. prefer to take my time and visit 1 country or the most 2 country but not more than that. Do consider that we are talking about country and not just city.

Maybe you can start by deciding which part of europe you want to visit and what are must see or do things. For example Paris, you can venture out of Paris going to nearby like normandy, loire valley, versailles etc. If your interest is only to visit the big city example: Paris / London / Rome / Barcelona...yes I think u can complete in 21 days.

After deciding on the country, u can than select your mode of transport Ex: budget airline or train and different kind of passes etc.

I encourage you to do F&amp;E cos you will have more freedom, more privacy, more fun and more control on what u want to do. Joining tour have restrictions. You have to follow big groups of ppl everyday, rushing from place to place, up and down the coach, being assign seats which you dislike, chinese meals daily, queueing for toilets...
 
Hi Rach,
Congrats!!!.. how's ur prep??
btw, which BS did u engage??
me still tinking whether to go in June/Sept..
that's a great idea!!!.. heeheh

Hi Peng,
I have not decide where to visit in the 4 countries... but just got those typical thinking to cover as much as i can...
The 4 countries which i have selected is based on the tour package coverage.. hahah

u got any idea which is the cheaper and safe way to travel within europe countries?

Actually, i would like to have F&amp;E too.. but i am afraid of the language barrier and the safety.

For a start, can you recommend me :
1. some of the cheap hotels
2. ways to travel in each country
3. ways to travel frm country to country countries?
4. which is the attractive places to visit?

btw, which part of switzerland have u visited??
u spent 2 wks in switerland and paris??

do u tink 12k for both is sufficient to cover london/france/italy/switzerland, including flights, accomdations, transport, food and tourist spots??
 
Hi Chambergalz,

If u really want to visit 4 countries, you can buy eurail pass which let you travel around Europe by train. I don't find language barrier a problem as most of them understand simple English. Any problem, just head down to Tourism office or hotels for queries.

your previous msg said that u want to go France/Italy/England &amp; Switzerland. I am happy to recommend hotels in France &amp; Switzerland but I must know which city you would like to visit in the 4 countries. I've not been to Italy &amp; England.

In Switzerland, I visited Zurich, Lucern, Interlaken, bern, Vevey, Montreaux &amp; Geneva. Yes I spend 2 weeks in Switzerland &amp; Paris.
Yes 12K is sufficient to cover your Europe trip comfortably.
 
chamber> Yeah!!
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Prep is alrite.. have a detailed excel planner to assist along the way..
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My BS is My Bridal Room..
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Fantastic BS...
Have you found urs? I guess u have..
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Hi chamber_galz,

"I have not decide where to visit in the 4 countries... but just got those typical thinking to cover as much as i can... "

I implore everyone, please don't have the typical singaporean kiasu mentality. Going on a tour is not ticking a set of checkboxes to say "yeah I've been there". Try to experience the local culture, food, and try to speak with the people. It is a much more enriching experience that way. Be an independent traveller with an open mind willing to explore other cultures and food. Then you will really have a memorable honeymoon.
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But of course, to really experience a place takes time. So it's far better to do only one or two countries, like Peng says.

Of course the other advantage of going F&amp;E is that tour packages only bring you to a very limited selection of places. There is so much more beyond that tour bus and the standard touristy sites. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. So try as much local food as you can, walk the street markets, rent a bicycle for the day etc. etc. The possibilities are endless.

Peng has given some very good advice so do take heed!
 
Hi chamber_galz,

I agree totally with Raymond. Hb and I spent 11 full days in Paris last Oct. It was a wonderful experience. We walked on foot mosto f the time.. covering the more interesting districts.. spoke to the locals and fellow tourits. We came across sights not described in tour guidebooks. It was very unrushed. A very memorable honeymoon indeed. travelling from place to place in a rush may tire you and your hb out. I feel honeymoon is a time to relax and take it easy. To learn how to adapt to each other's living habits (assuming it is soon after the wedding and there was no cohabition before wedding). If you want to go to several places, I think the better bet is to go on a packaged tour.. then at leastr you don't need to worry about the logistics. It can be quite challenging sometimes esp if it's your first trip to Europe.
 
Hi Peng,

Thank you so much for ur guidance.

For a start, i am interested in :
1. Paris and Nice - France
2. Zurich - Switzerland
3. London - England
4. Milan and Rome

Can you please guide me:
1. which places must i go visit in those cities
2. where to book for cheap/safe hotel
3. how abt the airport transfer?
4. where do i buy LV and Gucci... hahah (sometime i heard it's paris but sometime it's milan)

Btw, u are saying that eurail can travel within europe?
how much does it cost? per trip/ per day /per wk?

any idea how long it takes to travel from one country to another?



============

Hi Rach,
oh!!.. great, help u save alot of time.
No.. i am still searching for a BS..hahah

========

Hi Raymond and Cactus_79,

Thanks alot for ur advice, will take into consideration..
we are still planning.. and still deciding whether F&amp;E or tour.
if time dun pertain, we will cut down on the visiting places... hahah
we also wanted a relax and enjoyable hm.. hahaha
 
Dear Chambergalz,

1) You can borrow Travel Guide books from Library for all the must visit places. There are too many to choose from.

2)I mostly book through www.asiarooms.com website for hotel stay. Another good place to read on whether hotel is good or bad is Tripadvisor.com
Do some search on yahoo web. You want your hotel to be in convenient location.

3) In Paris, there is CDGVAL shuttle service to take you from terminal 1 to Terminal 2 (If I remember correctly, TGV train is located at T2) You can use it to go into city.
Same for zurich, they have a train that connects directly to main town.

4) LV buy from France and Gucci buy from Italy.

For traveling to countries as u mention, you can choose Eurail Selectpass and if I am not wrong, it does not cover London. As follows for 1 pax:

5 days within 2 months - Eur298
6 days within 2 months - Eur327
8 days within 2 months - Eur382
10 days within 2 months - Eur436

From Paris to Nice by train takes about 6 hour plus
From Zurich to Paris is far but if from Geneva to Paris is only 4 hours.
The rest of the journey I am not too sure. One good website that I always use for ref though it is German Train but they have everything.
http://www.bahn.de/international/view/en/index.shtml
 
Hi Peng,

Thanks so much...
you have given me a great start for my planning..
now, i am more comfortable to do F&amp;E now..heheh..

sorry to bother u, i still have a few questions need to your clarify:
1. Is Eurail pass use to travel within countries only? let say if i buy the 10 days pass and used it at Day1, does the 10 days period start from day1-day10 or it is counted by 10 time(day) usage within 2 mths.

2. Do you think domestic flight is cheaper or Eurail pass?

3. How abt the Transport within Paris and Zurich. Is there any daily/weekly pass? Or it is best to buy those single trip ticket.

4. Can you tell me which hotel u stayed in Paris and Nice and Switzerland?

5. U have visited so many cities in Switzerland, can you recommend me 2 of the best?
(Actually, i am not very keen and no knowledge of SL, if time permit i may include in my itinerary)

Thanks v much.
 
Hi Guys,

I am planning a trip to Europe for 4, departing on 30 Sep and returning to SG on 20th October. The excellent advices offered by you guys has inspired me to plan a F&amp;E trip. I intend to start off from Rome in Italy, then proceed north (Pisa-Venice-Milan?) to Munich (for Oktoberfest man!!!) through either Austria (Innsbuck?) or Switzerland, then west to Paris before ending off in London. Focus will be on the historic monuments and representive buildings and of course the branded bags for the ladies. Can you guys advise if the above proposal is feasible and, if so, what is the best means of in-land transportation to make this happen?
 
Hi William,

You have about three weeks in Europe, which is good; you plan to do five countries: Italy, Austria/Switzerland, Germany, France, and UK, which is not so good. My suggestion is to keep it to two or three countries, and to explore the countryside as well, not just the cities. But it's up to you.

The best would be to buy separate train tickets for each journey as sometimes you can get cheaper tickets if you book earlier through the Internet; I think it is not so worth it to buy a Eurorail pass for five countries, but I might be wrong. This is where you have to do your own research.

Since the distances you are travelling are a little far to drive, but too much hopping about to make budget airlines worth it, travelling by trains is the best; but the problem is that it limits you only to the cities.
 
Hey Raymond,

Thanks for the advice. Slight change of plans on my part. The tentative plan is as follow:

30 Sept/ 1 Oct - Jet in to Munich via London (Need advise on best way to get from Heathrow to Stansted before 6am on the 1st)
2nd Oct - Oktoberfest
3rd Oct - Transit to Milan (Any advice on the best means of transport? Cannot find anything suitable online)
5th Oct - Transit to Rome via Ryanair ($84.88 euros for 4). Tour with Cosmos (Italy-Switzerland-France)
15th Oct - Extend 2 nites for Louvre and Shopping
17th Oct - Transit to London via Ferry
18th Oct - Catch and EPL Game
19th/ 20th Oct - Jet to SG

Comments?
 
Hi william,

30 Sept/ 1 Oct - Jet in to Munich via London (Need advise on best way to get from Heathrow to Stansted before 6am on the 1st)
- Can u fly straight to Munich instead of London?

2nd Oct - Oktoberfest
-since u are in munich for oktoberfest, there are many places to explore around the area. Is one day enough??

3rd Oct - Transit to Milan (Any advice on the best means of transport? Cannot find anything suitable online)
- no sure on this but u should be able to find train to travel to Milan. I think u can skip Milan if possible and go straight to Rome.

5th Oct - Transit to Rome via Ryanair ($84.88 euros for 4). Tour with Cosmos (Italy-Switzerland-France)
- You should explore on your own. Switzerland,france and Italy can easily be done F&amp;E. I think u have too many countries and it will be those touch and go kind of tour.

15th Oct - Extend 2 nites for Louvre and Shopping
17th Oct - Transit to London via Ferry
18th Oct - Catch and EPL Game
19th/ 20th Oct - Jet to SG

Overall, I feel that there are too many days on transport travelling.
 


Dear Peng,

Haha good advice... we always try and try and try to advice people to stick to less places, and yet Singaporeans always want to visit max places in min time. I wonder when will they learn that sometimes more is less and less is more.
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Dear William,

Peng has some very good advice; we want for you to enjoy the trip as much as possible, hence the advice to cut down on the number of places. It's not the number of checkboxes you tick, but the experiences you have off the beaten path that will make your trip enjoyable. If you need some suggestions on the F&amp;E part, you can always ask us.
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