F&E - Paris & Italy

pinjie8275

New Member
Must go cities are Rome, Florence, Venice, Jungfrau area, Bern, Lucerne and Paris.

Still considering whether or not to add in either Bologna or Seina as day trip from Florence. Am also thinking if it will be too hectic if we include Bruges/Ghent before reaching Paris.

My collegues who have went previously suggest that I include Munich and Cologne then Bruges/Ghent before touching Paris. But I thought the journey will be too much though I wish to cover more...

As this trip is meant to be a final trip before we start our B plan, we of course hope to have a feel of as much places as possible and have the flexibility of staying longer in the places we like. hehehe...

What I dislike about travelling with travel groups is too much time is wasted travelling on coach.
 


pinjie8275

New Member
Oh... Btw, I have not start looking for my accomodation yet. Again, advices given to me is to go and book there... Tourist booth at the airport and train station will have lotsa information on the available accomodation.

But I am not a very adventurous 'tourist' hence would probably pre-book the accomodation soon.

Intend to buy at least Euro4K if I have not prepay my hotels' cost. Otherwise, 3K should be sufficient bah...
 

joey04

New Member
Hi there PJ, when are you going to Europe and how many days you intend to stay there??

We are planning for our honeymoon to Europe F&E as well in Nov.

Have you booked the air tix already? How much did you pay for it?
 

superfamous

New Member
pin&jie, i prefer to stay and explore the cities more.. so dont want to visit that many cities.. the 3k is per person? yeah i'm also v unadventurous, have pre booked all my hotels already. big hole in the pocket already! :\ i guess if you are not v picky, going there to book is a good idea. alot more flexible but got pros and cons (usually pay more? but i think there are last min rates..)
 

pinjie8275

New Member
At first I also prefer to stay and explore the cities more but then ganna 'tease' by others saying I only have 16days hence will never be enough to experience the real culture of a city. Is just like tourist coming to Singapore won't bother to explore places like AMK or Jurong or Thomson or even Suntec City.

But of course I dun wanna have a too hectic holiday too hence am still considering whether or not to adopt a very flexible itinerary. Eg, we plan to visit florence cos' everyone does that. But is case we dun really like the feel of the place, we would have the flexibility to just skip to another town along the train track. Btw, we have already bought our backpacks... hehehe...

For accomodation wise, many told me that booking at the tourist booths are much cheaper than I book online. Many hotels/B&B there are still not so commercialise yet hence they do not have online reservation. But again, we have to be prepared for 'unpleasant' surprise. I would probably do my homework first too.

Hi jia-joey

I booked my air tixs with Emirates. Departing on the 1 April. Coming back on the 17 April. I paid S$2514 for 2 pax. Since u will be travelling in Nov, do start sourcing/comparing the airfares as early as May or June. Early bird fare are always cheaper than any other promos outside. Especiallu if u intend to take SQ. If I was not frickle minded last Dec when I compare airfares, I might have already booked SQ sweet deals airfare which costs S$2300/2 pax. =(
 

superfamous

New Member
well you're the one travelling so you gotta make the decision yourself
happy.gif
still got time, dont really need to decide if you wanna visit those cities or not right?
 

bbs

New Member
superfamous : thanks for your info!

pin&jie : I am toying around with the idea of booking accomodation when we get there as well we were thinking of having a flexible itinery too, as my FH suggested we get to a place, if we like it then we stay longer, if not we just hop on to the next destination. However, I'm a bit paranoid about ending up with no accomodation/train/flight tickets! hence still deciding if i should pre-plan everything or really go free & easy.
Accomodation wise, do you guys know if they have the tourist booths at the airport or you have to get into town to visit one? E.g. the hotel booth in changi airport offers special discounts for last min rooms, but not sure if thats the case in the European cities now.
Currently checking the airfares for the budget airlines within Europe, it seems like theres not much difference in last minute purchases vs buying 2-3 months in advance though
 

starnight

New Member
Hi not superfamous!, sorry just saw your post sometime back, havent visited this thread for a while.
The cost of my tickets are $2262 for 2 pax via Emirates.

Hi qwerty, I should have read your post earlier..Already purchased the train ticket from Trenitalia website.
 

superfamous

New Member
Elisa, if you arrive by train there are definitely tourist information centres in the train station. i think airport should have.. anyway, there's so many hotels, i dont think there's a worry there will be no accomodation
happy.gif
if you have internet access, you can book on lastminute.com?

Starnight, which credit card did you use to buy the ticket? it was successful? i will try too
happy.gif
 

starnight

New Member
not superfamous!, I used uob ladies card to purchase. My friend dropped Trenitalia an email & they replied they accept Visa & Master but not Amex in their website.
happy.gif
 

starnight

New Member
In the process of estimating my expenses for the trip. How much do u guys think we should budget for 3 meals per day per pax??
 

joey04

New Member
Hi pin&jie, thanks for the advise! Ok I'll try to book in May/June. Really SQ 2300/2pax,is really cheap. Thanks for the heads up. Yah, we have or rather I've been quite kia su cos i heard that it really saves a lot to book early. hehe

But jus afraid of last min contingencies happen, then bo bian lor. Cos i believe once payment made cannot refund for sure...

Actually we are also having dilemma on whether to only tour a few cities/country to really get the taste of the lifestyle rather than squeeze max of our time there.
 

sahdeau

Member
hi gals...for london ..
do u gals know which area to stay?
we are still looking for location to stay...seems like a never ending process
 

pinjie8275

New Member
Hi Elisa, I read from a guide book that it is better to book your accomodation at the airport when arrive as the tourist booths at train stations are often seen having long quene. My colleagues said they are able to get B&B or pension accomodation at less than 50euro. But of course cannot expect fanciful nice luxury stay lar... They said sometimes those last minutes cancelled rooms are released to the booths at even lower price hence is worth.

Too bad, I am also one of those paranoid travellers. I have shortlist my accomodation in Rome and Venice. Still looking for Florence's one. So far, I am looking at B&B and hostels. Thought of try staying at least a night in a dormitory. hehehe....
 

cuclainne

New Member
sahdeau, i stayed near earl's court the last time i was in london .. the b&b was decent but small .. we got the room at the back so we faced a nice garden but can hear the trains when they pull in and out of the station (about 2 mins walk). nearby there's several pubs, some chinese restaurants, a pharmacy and a supermarket ..
 

pinjie8275

New Member
Hi starnight, are you able to find the fare for regional trains in the Trenitalia website?

I am calculating whether or not to get a Eurail pass but I couldn't find the fare for some routes.

1) Florence - Pisa (2-way)
2) Florence - Siena (2-way)
 

sahdeau

Member
i'm looking at the hotels...it seems like so difficult to pick the hotel...dunno which to stay...
so we should buy our train tix and flight tix in singapore?
 

pinjie8275

New Member
For Venice, I will be staying off the island near Venezie Mestre. Must cheaper accommodation and less crowded since the period I am going is Easter. I paid 88 euro for a triple room with breakfast. =)
 

pinkglove

New Member
pin&jie, r u gg paris? and have u booked hotels in paris already if u r gg?
Ur venice hotel sounds like a great deal! 88euros is quite cheap =)
 

bbs

New Member
Am looking at hotels now too, booked my rome, florence, london accomodation

now deciding on florence and paris ones. Would anyone have any ideas on which area is better to stay at in Paris, 7e or 11e? As I've narrowed it down to 2 hotels, both close to metro stations and within my budget but still undecided as both of them has its pros and cons.
 

yomeishu

Member
wah,,long time never come to this site..lol

Sahdeau: just checking...for those eurail pass...wat does it mean by 4 day in 2 month..?

meaning u can travel any 4 days within 2 months once u validate the pass
happy.gif


regarding the trenitalia I heard they do not accept Asia cc. I didn't dare to book it. But I have a friend who asked another friend from london to book for him.
 

yomeishu

Member
superfamous,

why not you just but italy pass, it will be more expensive if you reach italy then buy as when we were there, I tried to their kiosk to get an ticket from rome to venice, it's more ex than i buy online.

Hi Starnight, that's good you purchased the ticket from trenitalia and it will definitely cheaper as my friend booked from there and they got 15% off because they purchased their tickets 30days before they board the train. I didn't book it from there as I traveled to 6 countries so Global pass is more suitable for me
happy.gif
plus I did test their site to book the ticket and to see if it's true they do not accept international cc. I remember I cannot book and it not even lead me to the payment page..I forgot it's the site got problem or I saw their T&C regarding the international cc are not accepted.

Anyway, it seems a good news that can book thru trenitalia
happy.gif
 

superfamous

New Member
qwerty, long time no talk liao!
happy.gif


i did calculations, cheaper for me to buy point to point rather than italy pass
happy.gif
i will try to use my UOB cc later, too busy lately to do any planning lately. if that fails, might ask my friend in the UK to try for me. if that also fails, i will just buy it when i go there :p the savings from booking early is a bonus.
 

sahdeau

Member
hi gals..i've book some of my accomodation liao
venice - hotel san luca
paris - hotel des 3 colleges
florence - hotel strozzi palace
now gonna book for rome and london...
 

psying

New Member
hey babes,

I just booked my swiss cum italy trip and accomdation.

just to share these 2 sites which help me a lot in the planning.

www.tripadvisor.com <--can find hotels, B&amp;B where people leave comments about their stay.
www.lonelyplanet.com

and also if u guys not sure how to book the train tickets, what i did was went down to STA travel and they help us to book! so much easier as the train website online to me was kind of different to understand.

And so dynasty travel also provide such services. help to book tickets.

have a good planning!
 

oleander

New Member
Hi, I'm planning a trip that covers paris-swiss-italy this cmg sept. Can anybody share their itenary with me &amp; the recc hotel/BB too? thanks a lot
 

sahdeau

Member
hihi..
can i check...if the train ticket from trenitalia.. can only book when its very close to date is it?
cause i cant seem to be able to see the prices for june.
will the ticket price go up due to peak period in june.?
 

superfamous

New Member
i think can only book 3 mths in advance
happy.gif


btw, anyone gg on vespa tour around any city? im tempted to go for a vespa tour around rome, once in a lifetime!
happy.gif
 

bbs

New Member
Hi all,

just to let you guys know that I managed to book my italy train tickets online thru the trenitalia website, using HSBC credit card. My trip is in end of May, so i managed to get the 30% discounted fare for tickets for all my routes, for the eurostar italia train.

oleander,
i've just done up a rough itinery for my london-italy-paris route, and booked the accomodation as well, if u like i can share with you the places I am staying in, but am on a budget, so most of the places are under 100 euro per night
 

pinjie8275

New Member
I just get to know about http://travel.viamichelin.com

Very good website that includes recommended eats and walks! =)

SO excited... Leaving on 1 April to Italy, Switzerland, Belgium and Paris. Once I am back, will share the logistic planning here. =) I would prefer to try the accomodation myself first before recommending to anyone.

If visiting Italy alone, can really forget abt getting any pass cos even if u are able to confirm your train at least 1 day before, u will still be entitled to 15-30% off subject to avail which is usually available. For my case, I am using a pass as I am going to Switzerland.
 

psying

New Member
hey pin and jie! 3 more day to your trip!! rem to share your stuffs when u back kk? =)

i be going swiss n italy in june too...awaiting your nice updates!

enjoy n take care!
 

yomeishu

Member
hi all!! long time not here. superfamous, l believe ur trip is getting nearer or you are on your trip now!

An update to share with you all, today l went to change euro and the rate1 is 1.79! It's much better as compared to last May l changed at 1.99!
 

pinjie8275

New Member
Hihi

Its definitely worth visiting Paris and Italy free &amp; easy! Thanks to the airport closure last month, we got to stay another 6nights in Paris hence a total of 10days in Paris. Its the first time I stayed so long in a city.

Frankly speaking, Paris is not a nice city for holiday unless you are a very museum person.

LV in Paris is only slightly cheaper than in Italy by a few euro. The design we saw is different of EUR20. But we thought Italy has more designs that Singapore don't have. Paris LV stores are always full of chinese, korean and jap tourists hence is difficult to get someone to attend to you if u are not in a group. Whereas, LV in say Rome and Milan are more exclusive. =)

Overall I have a great trip! And am now updating some reviews for my hotels and the rail route we took.

Hi sahdeau, u have to make reservation at the train station with your pass. Have you bought ur Italy pass? If not, forget the pass if you are visiting just Italy. Cos' there are reservation and supplement fee of abt Eur10/pax for most of the trains hence making the overall costs of using pass higher than point to point tickets. And if u have already bought the pass then try to explore their regional trains (slower and stops more frequently) to avoid paying hefty fees. When u make reservation, pls pls check the tickets properly. We made reservation for Venice to Milan on 6 Apr but was given 5 April. We did not noticed and ended up paying additional Eur18/pax fine for 3 pax. =(

We spent most of the time walking around without looking at the maps hence visited many interesting sites that are not touristy and of course have also missed out several tourist sites.
But we totally have no regrets for it! Its the culture interaction that interests us and the unknown (losing our way) that surprised us during the trip. So anything about tourist site, I cant help much.

But if you are interested in my hotel recommendation and rail route, do feel free to email me at [email protected].

Just a short summary on the places we stayed overnight:
Rome - Florence - Venice - Interlaken - Basel - Brussels - Paris. We did day trips to Pisa, Milan, Bern, Lucerne, Bruges and Ghent.
 

kelanne

New Member
hello al~!

im looking at HM in Paris &amp; Italy in Sep
Free and Easy 11day

Any suggestion whr wld be good to book the f&amp;e tours?

Thanks!!
 

pinjie8275

New Member
Hi Wendy

When u book point to point tickets online, the cost would have include the reservation and supplement fees. Hence no further reservation is required. Do read the term and condition carefully before u book any tickets. Some do not allow changes. =)
 

brideandgroom

New Member
hi all
we are planning our honeymoon for next summer (16 days) - not sure to join package or F&amp;E:

Basic plan:
Rome - 2 nights including Vatican museums/ 4 major basilicas/ Trevi Fountain / Spanish Steps, Piazzas…..etc....
Firenze - 2 nights including Duomo/Uffizi/Accademia/Ponte Vecchio....good pasta.....shopping......
Venezia - 2 nights including San Marco, Gondola ride......... shopping....
Paris - 4 nights - including Notre Dame/Sainte-Chapelle, Louvre, Orsay, Montmatre, Latin Quarter, Versailles, Fontainebleu…. excursion to Loire Chateaux, ....good champagne and burgundy.... shopping....
London - 3-4 nights - including Westminster, Tower, Covent Garden, excursion to Cotswolds / Stonehenge

anyone has ideas to share?
 

sahdeau

Member
hi blessed couple..

we are not a florence..heading rome tomolo...
we got almost the same plan as u ..
venice 2 nites are more than eough.
paris 4 nite should be good if u r not planning for disney and theme parks.
versailles need 1 day..
shopping need 1 day ...gallerie layfalye..
london 3 nite should be pretty enough.

florence 2 nite may nt be enough if u r planing to go pisa.

remember to book. uffizi and accademia in singapore.. or when u r here. coz not tourist season. cannot get ticket if u Q up.. must make reservation..tats y we din manage to go to both.
rome will be abt 3 nites ba. vatican need 1 day.

tatàs abt all

last i guess F&amp;E is easy...we first time to europe..also -F&amp;E....quite easy...
 

brideandgroom

New Member
Hi Sandeau
thanks for info

may or maynot go to Pisa, very touristy and quite disappointing IMHO.... what do you think
just wanna enjoy the gelatos and caffe in Firenze at leisure....
Did you manage to go to Louvre and Orsay in Paris? where did you get tickets?
Shopping (or window shopping) is good at Place Vendome and Faubourg St Honore...
The parks and gardens are also good - Tuileries, Luxembourg, Buttes-Chaumont, Monceau,des Vosges....wiew, could spend more than a week
not planning to go any theme park....maybe a few hrs in Versailles (no time for Fontainebleau I think) and another day trip to Loire Chateaux. Did you go Vaux-le-Vicomte? reputed to be very very beautiful.
Last time I went to eruope also went to Monaco, highly recommended but not this time for HM, alas....
 



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