Honeymoon to europe
- Thread starter moonylove
- Start date
went on SA tours , 10 days Switzerland and Paris
took SQ so a bit more exp, tink spent $2900+ including all the taxes......
went see rhinefalls ,lucient city, interlaken, bern,zurich , and generve..
Went to mount titlis...a lot of places hehehe
http://sg.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/aspialle/album?.dir=1d37&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//sg.photos.yahoo.com/ph//my_photos
can see photos...
took SQ so a bit more exp, tink spent $2900+ including all the taxes......
went see rhinefalls ,lucient city, interlaken, bern,zurich , and generve..
Went to mount titlis...a lot of places hehehe
http://sg.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/aspialle/album?.dir=1d37&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//sg.photos.yahoo.com/ph//my_photos
can see photos...
marilyn_chh
New Member
hey aspialle,
i'm going to switzerland and italy with SA tour too, flying off tomorrow! the pictures are so nice!
may i know how's the tour? did you get to stay in the "swiss cottage" as stated in the itinerary? how's the food? generally, what do you think of the accomadation they provided? well, just want to find out more so that i don go with a big expectation and get disappointed
by the way, when did you go? you were wearing so thick clothes! is it really very cold? i'm trying to convince my hubby to bring thicker clothing..haha..
i'm going to switzerland and italy with SA tour too, flying off tomorrow! the pictures are so nice!
may i know how's the tour? did you get to stay in the "swiss cottage" as stated in the itinerary? how's the food? generally, what do you think of the accomadation they provided? well, just want to find out more so that i don go with a big expectation and get disappointed
by the way, when did you go? you were wearing so thick clothes! is it really very cold? i'm trying to convince my hubby to bring thicker clothing..haha..
hi mrc
it depends on which mth u go, i went in oct, its ard autumn but going to winter soon. the weather is ard 0-10 degrees. haha so wrapped up like dumpling, now i tink weather not as cold, don't worry, unless u go to the mountains
Envy u, flying tomorow....im pregnant nw...too bad can't travel. We did not have farmstay or cottage stay for this package, mostly in hotels. Not too bad for accomodation
Me and my hubby does not really like western food...cos u can hardly eat chinese food there. I thought the itinerary was pretty well arranged, so quite happy with everything
when u return, share ur photos k? enjoy ur trip !!!
it depends on which mth u go, i went in oct, its ard autumn but going to winter soon. the weather is ard 0-10 degrees. haha so wrapped up like dumpling, now i tink weather not as cold, don't worry, unless u go to the mountains
Envy u, flying tomorow....im pregnant nw...too bad can't travel. We did not have farmstay or cottage stay for this package, mostly in hotels. Not too bad for accomodation
Me and my hubby does not really like western food...cos u can hardly eat chinese food there. I thought the itinerary was pretty well arranged, so quite happy with everything
when u return, share ur photos k? enjoy ur trip !!!
marilyn_chh
New Member
hi aspialle,
wow, congrats! so, is your baby made in Switzerland or italy? hehe...
i checked the internet for the weather. i think it's not that accurate cos some sites are citing 5-10 degree.. that's pretty cold. but when i check with my tour guide he said dun trust the website. it's around 18 degree..seems nice.. i just hope and pray that weather is good and it won't rain!
sure, will definately share my photos with you
wow, congrats! so, is your baby made in Switzerland or italy? hehe...
i checked the internet for the weather. i think it's not that accurate cos some sites are citing 5-10 degree.. that's pretty cold. but when i check with my tour guide he said dun trust the website. it's around 18 degree..seems nice.. i just hope and pray that weather is good and it won't rain!
sure, will definately share my photos with you
Anyway weather forecasts are pretty much useless; the weather can change in an instant. This week it may be 5-10 degrees; next week it could be 10-20 degrees. Of course it could also work the other way around. The weather could change overnight, depending on the prevailing wind direction. Generally speaking, a southerly or westerly wind gets you warmer, wetter weather, while a northerly or easterly wind gets you colder, drier weather.
Think about how in Singapore it could be sunny in the morning and rain cats and dogs in the afternoon; except that it's the temperature that fluctuates. And wind chill factor is always present; all you need is a good waterproof wind breaker and another thin woollen layer for spring / autumn. Those think-looking winter clothing are useless if it lets the wind in (and keeps the cold in!). Cold weather clothing is always much cheaper in Europe than here.
My friend was in Zurich in October and there was a freak snow storm. It stayed on the ground for a few hours and transformed the place to a magical wonderland.
Think about how in Singapore it could be sunny in the morning and rain cats and dogs in the afternoon; except that it's the temperature that fluctuates. And wind chill factor is always present; all you need is a good waterproof wind breaker and another thin woollen layer for spring / autumn. Those think-looking winter clothing are useless if it lets the wind in (and keeps the cold in!). Cold weather clothing is always much cheaper in Europe than here.
My friend was in Zurich in October and there was a freak snow storm. It stayed on the ground for a few hours and transformed the place to a magical wonderland.
butterkiss
New Member
I went to Italy and Switzerland for my honeymoon last year October. We travelled with CTC. I must say that we enjoyed Switzerland more (and planning to go back again). The scenery is beautiful! Beside Mount Titlis, we also went up to the highest mountain known as Jungfrau. It is so so so beautiful!
For Italy, we visited lots of cathedrals... see until we blur... Oh... we also went to Venice! Simply romantic to sit on the gondola...
For Italy, we visited lots of cathedrals... see until we blur... Oh... we also went to Venice! Simply romantic to sit on the gondola...
hi starris,
now is summer in europe so prob oct will be fall season...might be cooler then but never know coz i recently came back from europe and even tho it is summer, it can be quite cold at times..haha say about 10-15 degrees..my hubby likes it tho..says its cool..we took a pkg with Chan Bros, our first time with them and it was a good experience..well how ur tour ends is really depend on your tour manager and the people u going to the tour with..so hopefully u get co-operative tour people and a responsible tour mgr..
now is summer in europe so prob oct will be fall season...might be cooler then but never know coz i recently came back from europe and even tho it is summer, it can be quite cold at times..haha say about 10-15 degrees..my hubby likes it tho..says its cool..we took a pkg with Chan Bros, our first time with them and it was a good experience..well how ur tour ends is really depend on your tour manager and the people u going to the tour with..so hopefully u get co-operative tour people and a responsible tour mgr..
marilyn_chh
New Member
hi ribbons,
yep, i'm back!
it's a wonderful trip.. i joined SA and i must say we made a good choice! the hotel are mainly 4 stars. some of the rooms we stayed are a little small but they're comfortable, clean and basically nothing to complain about. some of the rooms we stayed has victoria furnishing, very romantic..The food arranged by them is not bad too..I sort of expected "roti and kopi" for our breakfast but suprisingly we had american breakfast almost everyday! i put on a few kilos when i came back cos i had too much ham, bacon and cheese..hahah..
i was told that the SA local guides for europe are mostly the more senior ones. true enough, the one attached to us is super efficient and good in time management and planning.. everything went on smoothly..and we even managed to get into sistine chapel! sistine chapel is simply beautiful.. if you can, make a trip to visit the place... the paintings on the celiing, the wall, the scruptures are simply wonderful...oh yeah, we had to wake up like 5 plus and had our breakfast at 6.30, just so that we can set off by 7am! it's crazy..by the time, we reach there like 7.45, the queue was already very very long. luckily we still manage to get in the 8pm slot
yes, we stayed at the swiss cottage at the alpen resort in zermatt. our room faces the famous matterhorn. we were lucky cos the weather was good and we managed to see the matterhorn. our tour guide told us to bring our swim wear and told us the water in zermatt is good for our skin. some of us use the resort hot pool, jacuzzi, steam room and sauna.. it was really fun! when we were in switzerland, the weather was really cold!! in the morning it could be 0 degree and afternoon around 5-6 degree!
and yes, we went up to mt titlis and the top of europe (jungfrau - pronounce as "Yung Frow").. it's my first time seeing so much snow.. the view between Mt titlis and yungfrau is totally different. at first i tot of giving yungfrau a miss since the tour is not cheap - SF169 per person! luckily we did not opt that out..hehe...the view you see from the windows of your train towards top of europe is like postcard! the alps are magnificient and look so close up! did you watch Narnia? it's like the world of Narnia..haha...when we were on top, i felt a little dizzy cos the air is thin and i was playfully running about..if you go up there, pls dun do that.. stroll slowly...i was panting all the time..and i could feel my heart beating so fast after climbing just a few flights of stairs....i tot i was strong..how wrong was i..haha...
venice is really romantic if you like mediaval towns and quaint looking houses...we love it! we were there for about 4 hours but we were only given abt an hour of free time for our roaming and since it was so big, we just chose an open-air cafe outside Saint Mark Square drinking desert wine and eating tiramisu and people watch! it was really really ex but we enjoyed the experience tremoundously! 1 glass of desert wine with some pastries, a cup of cappucino and a slice of tiramisu and a jug of ice water for SGD80! but then it's not everyday we get to sit at St mark square right? oh, yeah, you got to try the tuna and egg sandwiches there..yummy!
one disappointed encounter though.. one of our tour member got pickpocketed while we're walking towards rome hard rock cafe! it's so shocking cos it was happening right in front of us without us realising it! we were already very cautious and yet it caught us off guard. a group of 5-6 females rush into us and one of the girl grabbed onto one of our members arm begging for money..i too thought they were begging for money. so, he was pulling his hand away and the other hand holding on to his slight bag..little did he know that they wre aiming at his wallet in his front pocket! my hubby and i quickly ran away to avoid the "beggars" and so i thought. by the time i called my tour guide, the girl already fled with the wallet! it was that fast! i asked my tour member whether he felt his wallet beign pull out, he said no...they're so professional! so scary!
yep, i'm back!
i was told that the SA local guides for europe are mostly the more senior ones. true enough, the one attached to us is super efficient and good in time management and planning.. everything went on smoothly..and we even managed to get into sistine chapel! sistine chapel is simply beautiful.. if you can, make a trip to visit the place... the paintings on the celiing, the wall, the scruptures are simply wonderful...oh yeah, we had to wake up like 5 plus and had our breakfast at 6.30, just so that we can set off by 7am! it's crazy..by the time, we reach there like 7.45, the queue was already very very long. luckily we still manage to get in the 8pm slot
yes, we stayed at the swiss cottage at the alpen resort in zermatt. our room faces the famous matterhorn. we were lucky cos the weather was good and we managed to see the matterhorn. our tour guide told us to bring our swim wear and told us the water in zermatt is good for our skin. some of us use the resort hot pool, jacuzzi, steam room and sauna.. it was really fun! when we were in switzerland, the weather was really cold!! in the morning it could be 0 degree and afternoon around 5-6 degree!
and yes, we went up to mt titlis and the top of europe (jungfrau - pronounce as "Yung Frow").. it's my first time seeing so much snow.. the view between Mt titlis and yungfrau is totally different. at first i tot of giving yungfrau a miss since the tour is not cheap - SF169 per person! luckily we did not opt that out..hehe...the view you see from the windows of your train towards top of europe is like postcard! the alps are magnificient and look so close up! did you watch Narnia? it's like the world of Narnia..haha...when we were on top, i felt a little dizzy cos the air is thin and i was playfully running about..if you go up there, pls dun do that.. stroll slowly...i was panting all the time..and i could feel my heart beating so fast after climbing just a few flights of stairs....i tot i was strong..how wrong was i..haha...
venice is really romantic if you like mediaval towns and quaint looking houses...we love it! we were there for about 4 hours but we were only given abt an hour of free time for our roaming and since it was so big, we just chose an open-air cafe outside Saint Mark Square drinking desert wine and eating tiramisu and people watch! it was really really ex but we enjoyed the experience tremoundously! 1 glass of desert wine with some pastries, a cup of cappucino and a slice of tiramisu and a jug of ice water for SGD80! but then it's not everyday we get to sit at St mark square right? oh, yeah, you got to try the tuna and egg sandwiches there..yummy!
one disappointed encounter though.. one of our tour member got pickpocketed while we're walking towards rome hard rock cafe! it's so shocking cos it was happening right in front of us without us realising it! we were already very cautious and yet it caught us off guard. a group of 5-6 females rush into us and one of the girl grabbed onto one of our members arm begging for money..i too thought they were begging for money. so, he was pulling his hand away and the other hand holding on to his slight bag..little did he know that they wre aiming at his wallet in his front pocket! my hubby and i quickly ran away to avoid the "beggars" and so i thought. by the time i called my tour guide, the girl already fled with the wallet! it was that fast! i asked my tour member whether he felt his wallet beign pull out, he said no...they're so professional! so scary!
marilyn_chh
New Member
ribbons,
oh yeah, we dumped tradewinds for SA cos we had a bad encounter with tradewinds during the booking..
oh yeah, we dumped tradewinds for SA cos we had a bad encounter with tradewinds during the booking..
hi mrc...welcum back, tink u really have enjoyed the trip
which is ur tour guide? mine was Eva last time.
i give jungfrau - pronounce as "Yung Frow" a miss cos i was fainting when i go mt titlis. Zermatt was nice, last time we did not have the luxury to stay in swiss cottage but just one of the hotel not located in zermatt...tink we took train there
i give jungfrau - pronounce as "Yung Frow" a miss cos i was fainting when i go mt titlis. Zermatt was nice, last time we did not have the luxury to stay in swiss cottage but just one of the hotel not located in zermatt...tink we took train there
Hi MRC,
Thanks for the detailed info!
You must have really enjoyed yourselves...
Ya, heard of the pickpkt issues. will take extra care.
Sorry more questions - Can share how much you paid for optional tours and other expenses like meals? - so that we can have a rough idea how much additional $ to bring. Meals wise (other than breakfast which u mentioned), are they ok?
Thanks for the detailed info!
Ya, heard of the pickpkt issues. will take extra care.
Sorry more questions - Can share how much you paid for optional tours and other expenses like meals? - so that we can have a rough idea how much additional $ to bring.
Meals wise (other than breakfast which u mentioned), are they ok?marilyn_chh
New Member
hi ribbons,
we paid Euro 20 for additional trip to blackforest, Euro 10 for a trip to one of the factory outlet in italy, Swiss Franc 169 for the Jungfrau trip , Euro30 for sistine chapel tour. All prices are per person. I did not shop much, basically just buy souvenirs and chocolates. We changed SGD3500 (around Euro700 and Swiss Franc 1.5K) and ended up still have about SGD1K left, mostly Swiss Franc. Things in Swiss are really expensive, so i did not buy anything. But in Rome, i got myself a top and a cotton jacket for only Euro 31. It's a good bargain! Other than that, we just spend on food, water and souvenirs which are mostly fridge magnet, key chain and chocolates. If you like branded bags, i think you can get it in Milan. it's cheaper compared to singapore. I bought an LV sling bag on behalf of a friend and it's cheaper by SGD200 after tax refund.
Meal wise, we had several chinese meals and western meals. All not bad. i've tasted the worse in Turkey! So, i have nothing to complain abt for this trip. Thumbs up. I put on a few kilos because of this trip.haha..By the way, most of our meals are provided in switzerland. i think there was one lunch not provided when we're on our way to zermatt. our coach stop by Marche and we had our lunch there. i think we paid abt swiss franc 20+ in total. In venice, we had lunch on our own and we ate their lovely sandwiches for Euro12 for 2 big sandwiches and an orange juices. In sienna, we ate a lunch for Euro$60 for 2 which includes florentina steak (500g shared between us), a glass of red wine and a bowl of minestrone soup served with bread. one of the night in rome we ate mcdonalds for dinner and another dinner at our hotel (holiday inn rome). I think we paid Euro$60 for 2 plates of spaggheti, a bottle of mineral water and a minestrone soup. oh i forgot to mention that in Milan, we ate at a fast food restaurant serving pizza for lunch. Think we paid about Euro 12 plus for the set meal..the pizza is very big and is enough for 2! haha, you can see that we had more chances to pay for own meals in Italy. May be you should change more Euro than Swiss Franc instead. ;p
aspialle,
mine is chris. i think i know Eva. we booked our trip through her. Is she good? She sure sounds "jai" when we talked to her during our tour booking. I heard from my tour guide that they usually took the cottage stay off the itinerary during winter cos the road is simply too dangerous to travel during winter. another reason is that the hotel stay is too expensive for them to book. only in summer, the hotel is less popular. so, we're very very lucky to be able to stay there..it's a cute experience to stay there cos in the morning, we could hear the cow bells ringing in the mountain. at night the lamb will just stay up in the mountain and in the morning when the bell rings, the lambs will move towards the direction of the bell, so cute! hehe...i like zermatt too, the houses are all so quaint looking.. smoke coming out from the chimneys. i bet they look very beautiful in the winter with snow covering the roofs and roads.. just like the children story book..hehe...
we paid Euro 20 for additional trip to blackforest, Euro 10 for a trip to one of the factory outlet in italy, Swiss Franc 169 for the Jungfrau trip , Euro30 for sistine chapel tour. All prices are per person. I did not shop much, basically just buy souvenirs and chocolates. We changed SGD3500 (around Euro700 and Swiss Franc 1.5K) and ended up still have about SGD1K left, mostly Swiss Franc. Things in Swiss are really expensive, so i did not buy anything. But in Rome, i got myself a top and a cotton jacket for only Euro 31. It's a good bargain! Other than that, we just spend on food, water and souvenirs which are mostly fridge magnet, key chain and chocolates. If you like branded bags, i think you can get it in Milan. it's cheaper compared to singapore. I bought an LV sling bag on behalf of a friend and it's cheaper by SGD200 after tax refund.
Meal wise, we had several chinese meals and western meals. All not bad. i've tasted the worse in Turkey! So, i have nothing to complain abt for this trip. Thumbs up. I put on a few kilos because of this trip.haha..By the way, most of our meals are provided in switzerland. i think there was one lunch not provided when we're on our way to zermatt. our coach stop by Marche and we had our lunch there. i think we paid abt swiss franc 20+ in total. In venice, we had lunch on our own and we ate their lovely sandwiches for Euro12 for 2 big sandwiches and an orange juices. In sienna, we ate a lunch for Euro$60 for 2 which includes florentina steak (500g shared between us), a glass of red wine and a bowl of minestrone soup served with bread. one of the night in rome we ate mcdonalds for dinner and another dinner at our hotel (holiday inn rome). I think we paid Euro$60 for 2 plates of spaggheti, a bottle of mineral water and a minestrone soup. oh i forgot to mention that in Milan, we ate at a fast food restaurant serving pizza for lunch. Think we paid about Euro 12 plus for the set meal..the pizza is very big and is enough for 2! haha, you can see that we had more chances to pay for own meals in Italy. May be you should change more Euro than Swiss Franc instead. ;p
aspialle,
mine is chris. i think i know Eva. we booked our trip through her. Is she good? She sure sounds "jai" when we talked to her during our tour booking. I heard from my tour guide that they usually took the cottage stay off the itinerary during winter cos the road is simply too dangerous to travel during winter. another reason is that the hotel stay is too expensive for them to book. only in summer, the hotel is less popular. so, we're very very lucky to be able to stay there..it's a cute experience to stay there cos in the morning, we could hear the cow bells ringing in the mountain. at night the lamb will just stay up in the mountain and in the morning when the bell rings, the lambs will move towards the direction of the bell, so cute! hehe...i like zermatt too, the houses are all so quaint looking.. smoke coming out from the chimneys. i bet they look very beautiful in the winter with snow covering the roofs and roads.. just like the children story book..hehe...
hazybreeze27
New Member
Hi MRC
May I know the total u spent for 2 person? (Flight,hotel,taxes & expenses excluding buying things back)
Thanks in advance
May I know the total u spent for 2 person? (Flight,hotel,taxes & expenses excluding buying things back)
Thanks in advance
marilyn_chh
New Member
hi hazy,
i joined SA tour cos i want a hassle free trip. Just eat, sleep, take coach and play! haha...I also dun want to drag my heavy luggage bags around and i want to be able to put on nice clothes and shoes! hahah...so vain!
so, mine could be more expensive than those who go F&E. Paid SA SGD7K for 12 days trip on SQ (actually 9 days of tour only) for 2. Used only SGD2.5K for other expenses mentioned in my earlier. So, total 9.5K for a hassle free trip!
aspialle,
i guess all SA europe guides are very experience and good. mine also very meticulous and can plan ahead. oh, forgot to congrats you on your BB!!
i joined SA tour cos i want a hassle free trip. Just eat, sleep, take coach and play! haha...I also dun want to drag my heavy luggage bags around and i want to be able to put on nice clothes and shoes! hahah...so vain!
so, mine could be more expensive than those who go F&E. Paid SA SGD7K for 12 days trip on SQ (actually 9 days of tour only) for 2. Used only SGD2.5K for other expenses mentioned in my earlier. So, total 9.5K for a hassle free trip!
aspialle,
i guess all SA europe guides are very experience and good. mine also very meticulous and can plan ahead. oh, forgot to congrats you on your BB!!
marilyn_chh
New Member
raymond,
do share with us after you come back from your trip yah.
do share with us after you come back from your trip yah.
Yeah I agree that things in Switz are so expensive. We changed slightly over S$1k into Swiss francs and ended up using some Euro to top up for our purchases. In some Swiss shops, they accept Euro, but of cos you will lose out to their exchange rates. But still better than using credit card, cos they normally give you 5% discount if you use cash. If you feel safe with a lot of cash on you, bring more to buy your watches, cos if you pay in cash, they give you more discounts.
For optional tour in Switz, I think it will be the Jungfrau trip only. I took the Paris/London package and Black Forest was included, so there wasn't anything to pay for. Actually, I didn't enjoy the meals in Switzerland cos everything was too saltish (I wasn't the only person complaining). And a meal in MacDonald costs over S$15. We felt so happy to eat Maggie Mee when some meals were not covered by the package.
I got a tip before while travelling in Italy: watch out for beggars. Try to avoid going near them, and if they ask you for money, just ignore them or chase them away. This is because they want to know where your wallet is, so that someone watching in the background can sneak up on you later on.
Raymond, congrats btw! (I was an ex-soc)
For optional tour in Switz, I think it will be the Jungfrau trip only. I took the Paris/London package and Black Forest was included, so there wasn't anything to pay for. Actually, I didn't enjoy the meals in Switzerland cos everything was too saltish (I wasn't the only person complaining). And a meal in MacDonald costs over S$15. We felt so happy to eat Maggie Mee when some meals were not covered by the package.
I got a tip before while travelling in Italy: watch out for beggars. Try to avoid going near them, and if they ask you for money, just ignore them or chase them away. This is because they want to know where your wallet is, so that someone watching in the background can sneak up on you later on.
Raymond, congrats btw! (I was an ex-soc)
Thanks tsukushi.
The itinerary that I planned for the France Trip in May 2005 is at:
http://www.comp.nus.edu.sg/~rtan/Europe/
Our actual itinerary varied only very slightly from the one on the website. 4 of us spent a total of slightly under SGD 3k per person, inclusive of airfare. That's right, everything for S$3,000. Of course we did not buy branded goods or anything expensive, but we stayed in decent motel chains (ETAP / IBIS), and we ate decent meals (EUR 8 - 15 per person). Breakfasts and lunch were easily settled by buying good bread, spreads, tea, coffee, etc. from supermarkets, patiseries (pastry shops), etc.
For the price we paid and the flexibility, I'd never go for a guided tour. But that's also because I did spend four years growing up in the real Holland, so I am very comfortable with Europe and I love that place.
The itinerary that I planned for the France Trip in May 2005 is at:
http://www.comp.nus.edu.sg/~rtan/Europe/
Our actual itinerary varied only very slightly from the one on the website. 4 of us spent a total of slightly under SGD 3k per person, inclusive of airfare. That's right, everything for S$3,000. Of course we did not buy branded goods or anything expensive, but we stayed in decent motel chains (ETAP / IBIS), and we ate decent meals (EUR 8 - 15 per person). Breakfasts and lunch were easily settled by buying good bread, spreads, tea, coffee, etc. from supermarkets, patiseries (pastry shops), etc.
For the price we paid and the flexibility, I'd never go for a guided tour. But that's also because I did spend four years growing up in the real Holland, so I am very comfortable with Europe and I love that place.
marilyn_chh
New Member
raymond,
SGD3K for 4 inclusive airfare is so reasonable!! is it because you have student discount then? oh my, i'm so tempted to go holiday again! haha...
can i ask how long you can keep your SOC website? am afraid when i check out your links again, all gone..
SGD3K for 4 inclusive airfare is so reasonable!! is it because you have student discount then? oh my, i'm so tempted to go holiday again! haha...
can i ask how long you can keep your SOC website? am afraid when i check out your links again, all gone..
mrc, I think he meant 3k per pax. Don't think it can be possible to get air tics that costs under $3k for 4..hehe
I have friends who travelled F&E in Europe (means from Italy to UK, east to west) and spent only $5k for 1 mth. But if you want to buy branded stuff and eat in a nice restaurant, this is not possible. Actually, I don't find 'student discounts' much cheaper than normal fares. I think it's more for things like discounted museum entrance fees.
Ribbons, actually it's quite common to cross borders when you travel in Europe, cos some routes are shorter if you cross the borders. But anyway, Black Forest is in Germany, quite near to Zurich.
I have friends who travelled F&E in Europe (means from Italy to UK, east to west) and spent only $5k for 1 mth. But if you want to buy branded stuff and eat in a nice restaurant, this is not possible. Actually, I don't find 'student discounts' much cheaper than normal fares. I think it's more for things like discounted museum entrance fees.
Ribbons, actually it's quite common to cross borders when you travel in Europe, cos some routes are shorter if you cross the borders. But anyway, Black Forest is in Germany, quite near to Zurich.
precious_02
New Member
Hi Raymond,
Would you mind to share with me your F&E Itinerary to Switzerland/Italy?
I also planning to go F&E to these 2 places and maybe Paris at end of Sep....
Hopefully will be a good start for me to plan something..
Thanks a lot..
Would you mind to share with me your F&E Itinerary to Switzerland/Italy?
I also planning to go F&E to these 2 places and maybe Paris at end of Sep....
Hopefully will be a good start for me to plan something..
Thanks a lot..
Hi precious_02,
The first place to start would be to look at any of the online maps of Europe (e.g. mapblast.com). Take note of the relief (mountains take lots of time to drive through) and the distances. Here is our rough itinerary:
Arrive in Zurich, drive to Brunnen (1 hour plus).
Brunen: 1 night
Zermatt: 2 nights
Cernobbio (Italy): 3 nights
Venice: 3 nights
Bergamo: 1 night
Courchevel (France): 3 nights
Interlaken (Switzerland): 3 nights
Back to Zurich and home.
I am a seasoned Europe traveller so you will notice that our itinerary covered touristy as well as less well-known places. We had a fantastic honeymoon; there is no other place we would go. Our next trip would be to glorious France; my wife likes it there the most. French food... ooh la la... and we found France to be actually cheaper overall than Switzerland and Italy.
September is great; it would be autumn, the leaves would be turning colours. Tres joli.
The first place to start would be to look at any of the online maps of Europe (e.g. mapblast.com). Take note of the relief (mountains take lots of time to drive through) and the distances. Here is our rough itinerary:
Arrive in Zurich, drive to Brunnen (1 hour plus).
Brunen: 1 night
Zermatt: 2 nights
Cernobbio (Italy): 3 nights
Venice: 3 nights
Bergamo: 1 night
Courchevel (France): 3 nights
Interlaken (Switzerland): 3 nights
Back to Zurich and home.
I am a seasoned Europe traveller so you will notice that our itinerary covered touristy as well as less well-known places. We had a fantastic honeymoon; there is no other place we would go. Our next trip would be to glorious France; my wife likes it there the most. French food... ooh la la... and we found France to be actually cheaper overall than Switzerland and Italy.
September is great; it would be autumn, the leaves would be turning colours. Tres joli.
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]
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]
Meals: SGD 30+ per person for a decent meal. You *must* try the real pasta dishes in Italy (read a guidebook for recommendations on good restaurants); after that you won't go to most of the Italian restaurants in Singapore again, especially the low-end ones. They just serve crap. Beware though: genuine Italian pasta dishes are more salty than we are used to; but oh so delicious and hearty. And really big portions too!
Swiss breakfasts are really good, but I believe you won't need to pay for them since they will usually be included in your itinerary.
Shopping: up to you how much you want to buy.
Optional itineraries: depends on what you want to see.
Don't know if there are any typical hidden "surprise" charges the tour package would spring up; haven't been on a tour package for about 15 years. Hate them. Will only go on a tour package if I am going to a third-world country.
Swiss breakfasts are really good, but I believe you won't need to pay for them since they will usually be included in your itinerary.
Shopping: up to you how much you want to buy.
Optional itineraries: depends on what you want to see.
Don't know if there are any typical hidden "surprise" charges the tour package would spring up; haven't been on a tour package for about 15 years. Hate them. Will only go on a tour package if I am going to a third-world country.
Hi ffbear,
Infact i juz went to the 12D italy & Swiss tour in end Jul for my honeymoon oso... Hv u booked with SA tours ? i did mine with them.
Very diff to give u the breakdoen and $$ u need to preapre lei, coz depending on yr itinery , i duno how many meals u r provided for and what optional tour u may have.
Std of living in Swizterland is even higher than Italy.
I am sure u will have some optional tour like gondole @ Venice, dun take tt with yr tour, tink they will charge u Euro30/pax, spilt with yr tour mates and take on yr own. One gondola ride is oly Euro60-100 depending on the length or ride u wan, one gondole sits 6 person, u can save alot doing tt on yr own during the free time.
And Raymond is rite, a decent meal in a restaurant cost @ least 30 after tax. But still we manage to get some food in not so gd restaurant and paid like S$40-50 for 2 person.
Soft drink R v ex there. abt Euro $2.5-3 for a can of coke.
Even a Macdonald meal in swiss is abt S$16.
Infact i juz went to the 12D italy & Swiss tour in end Jul for my honeymoon oso... Hv u booked with SA tours ? i did mine with them.
Very diff to give u the breakdoen and $$ u need to preapre lei, coz depending on yr itinery , i duno how many meals u r provided for and what optional tour u may have.
Std of living in Swizterland is even higher than Italy.
I am sure u will have some optional tour like gondole @ Venice, dun take tt with yr tour, tink they will charge u Euro30/pax, spilt with yr tour mates and take on yr own. One gondola ride is oly Euro60-100 depending on the length or ride u wan, one gondole sits 6 person, u can save alot doing tt on yr own during the free time.
And Raymond is rite, a decent meal in a restaurant cost @ least 30 after tax. But still we manage to get some food in not so gd restaurant and paid like S$40-50 for 2 person.
Soft drink R v ex there. abt Euro $2.5-3 for a can of coke.
Even a Macdonald meal in swiss is abt S$16.
And you are expected to clear your own tray after eating at Macs (and other fast food places) in Europe; if you don't, people will stare at you as if you are uncivilised. It's just the culture of that place to clear your own tray, which I think is a good idea (to be considerate to the next person since their workers may be too busy to come around).
I always clear my own tray when eating in Macs in SG, and sometimes get stares.
I always clear my own tray when eating in Macs in SG, and sometimes get stares.
Raymond,
Btw, I don't think that eating Macs in Switzerland is not wise. Swiss food didn't suit my palate and we opted for maggie mee after 2 days of swiss food. But do agree that eating macs in france is quite sinful!!! We only tried the macs strawberry milkshake but it was good and SMOOTH.
Actually in some other countries eg Japan, it is already a culture to clear your own tray. I think you should know that nus is also trying to cultivate this culture in their own canteen
Btw, I don't think that eating Macs in Switzerland is not wise. Swiss food didn't suit my palate and we opted for maggie mee after 2 days of swiss food. But do agree that eating macs in france is quite sinful!!! We only tried the macs strawberry milkshake but it was good and SMOOTH.
Actually in some other countries eg Japan, it is already a culture to clear your own tray. I think you should know that nus is also trying to cultivate this culture in their own canteen
Hi tsukushi,
The problem with food in German-speaking Switzerland is that the lower-end food tends to be salty and nothing much else. To get really good Swiss food, you have to pay a premium. We had a decent authentic Swiss lunch for about SF80 for two persons. I agree that we may have to resort to Macs; but it is about double (or more) the price of Singapore, that's why I said it's not wise.
Eating maggi mee for every lunch / dinner is not very appetizing also. I'd rather get good sandwiches.
I think we should have this culture of clearing our own tray; not because we want to make life easier for their staff, but simply because we want to be considerate to the next person using the table and not leave a huge mess; the Macs staff may not have time to come over to clear things up especially during peak hours. Seems like we are just about the only first-world country that does not have this culture. We can all make a difference by doing our part to make SG a better place to live in. It is just so much more pleasant when everyone clears their own tray.
But then I am skeptical and am probably just talking to myself.
The problem with food in German-speaking Switzerland is that the lower-end food tends to be salty and nothing much else. To get really good Swiss food, you have to pay a premium. We had a decent authentic Swiss lunch for about SF80 for two persons. I agree that we may have to resort to Macs; but it is about double (or more) the price of Singapore, that's why I said it's not wise.
I think we should have this culture of clearing our own tray; not because we want to make life easier for their staff, but simply because we want to be considerate to the next person using the table and not leave a huge mess; the Macs staff may not have time to come over to clear things up especially during peak hours. Seems like we are just about the only first-world country that does not have this culture. We can all make a difference by doing our part to make SG a better place to live in. It is just so much more pleasant when everyone clears their own tray.
But then I am skeptical and am probably just talking to myself.
hi,
i ate Macs too while i was in Swiss..at least they gave me a pack of BBQ saurce to go with my nuggets, and Swiss service is excellent
sandwiches r not too bad...we bought them at the supermarket. overall we r not so concern with the food there accept for the prices..
wld luv to visit Swiss again
i ate Macs too while i was in Swiss..at least they gave me a pack of BBQ saurce to go with my nuggets, and Swiss service is excellent
sandwiches r not too bad...we bought them at the supermarket. overall we r not so concern with the food there accept for the prices..
wld luv to visit Swiss again
Hi Raymond,
We dined at hotel restaurants, restaurants at Mt Jungfrau and Titlis, and even had the Swiss fondue at a local restaurant. Just didn't like the food.
Perhaps I was having sore throat, which made things worst. But I wasn't the only person complaining about the food...hehe Maybe you really know how to find good food.
The supermart cake wasn't too bad though. But anyway we brought different flavours of maggie mee, so it was very appetising after 2 days of swiss meals.
Can't say the same about French food... love every bits of the things I tried there.
We dined at hotel restaurants, restaurants at Mt Jungfrau and Titlis, and even had the Swiss fondue at a local restaurant. Just didn't like the food.
The supermart cake wasn't too bad though. But anyway we brought different flavours of maggie mee, so it was very appetising after 2 days of swiss meals.
Can't say the same about French food... love every bits of the things I tried there.
Hi tsukushi ...
i oso tried the swiss fondue.. err, didnt find it fantastic.
one thing abt europe is i cannot tahan their breakfast, maybe coz i am not a bread person.. sandwiches and sandwiches ... juz doesnt seems apeitiising to me after a week there, by 2nd week, i really miss the asian hawker food liao, so did my tour mates
i oso tried the swiss fondue.. err, didnt find it fantastic.
one thing abt europe is i cannot tahan their breakfast, maybe coz i am not a bread person.. sandwiches and sandwiches ... juz doesnt seems apeitiising to me after a week there, by 2nd week, i really miss the asian hawker food liao, so did my tour mates
Hi dia,
We tried their chocolate fondue too, and liked it better than the cheese fondue, which I could only stand a few mouthfuls. There is also another type of fondue for mixed meats. It was also better than the cheese flavour. Anyway, cheese fondue is an acquired taste, which normal pple like me had not been able to adjust to the taste.
For me, breakfast was ok as I can stand breads and breads. But I also started to miss char kway teow and laksa after 2 weeks. I heard that in London, some sia stewards opened a restaurant selling sg food.
We tried their chocolate fondue too, and liked it better than the cheese fondue, which I could only stand a few mouthfuls. There is also another type of fondue for mixed meats. It was also better than the cheese flavour. Anyway, cheese fondue is an acquired taste, which normal pple like me had not been able to adjust to the taste.
For me, breakfast was ok as I can stand breads and breads. But I also started to miss char kway teow and laksa after 2 weeks. I heard that in London, some sia stewards opened a restaurant selling sg food.
Hi all,
Yes, we used the Lonely Planet guide to Switzerland and their recommendations on good local restaurants that are not touristy. That's how we found good swiss food. We did stumble upon an atrocious cheese fondue at Tasch (near Zermatt); after trying it my wife was saying that cheese fondue cannot be so bad as that. It was not recommended in the Lonely Planet Guide.
We wanted to find genuine good cheese fondue so we followed the guide to a restaurant in Interlaken, and we found the real stuff. Fantastic. So finding good cheese fondue and good food in Switzerland does take some effort.
In general it is quite easy to see a good local restaurant; if it is crowded with locals, it is good.
Tsukushi, you're right; it was hard to find bad food in France. The only exceptions was Macs and an American salad bar at Versailles. So expensive and horrible. Yucks!!!
In France, we had the best coffee ever, the best chocolate cake ever, the best creme brulee ever, the best omelette ever, the best scallops ever, the best duck confit ever, the best escargots ever, the best fois gras ever, the best mille feuilles ever, the best soupe de poisson ever (fish soup)... the list goes on and on. Even their lower-end uncrowded restaurants churn out good stuff to our great surprise! And their pattiseries (pastry shops) produce such pretty, tasty, and filling pastries. Not to mention their abundant and cheap (relative to SG) wine. You could get everyday drinking wine for one Euro (75cl bottle!), and a decent wine for five to ten Euros. Yummy.
Bon appetit!
Yes, we used the Lonely Planet guide to Switzerland and their recommendations on good local restaurants that are not touristy. That's how we found good swiss food. We did stumble upon an atrocious cheese fondue at Tasch (near Zermatt); after trying it my wife was saying that cheese fondue cannot be so bad as that. It was not recommended in the Lonely Planet Guide.
We wanted to find genuine good cheese fondue so we followed the guide to a restaurant in Interlaken, and we found the real stuff. Fantastic. So finding good cheese fondue and good food in Switzerland does take some effort.
In general it is quite easy to see a good local restaurant; if it is crowded with locals, it is good.
Tsukushi, you're right; it was hard to find bad food in France. The only exceptions was Macs and an American salad bar at Versailles. So expensive and horrible. Yucks!!!
In France, we had the best coffee ever, the best chocolate cake ever, the best creme brulee ever, the best omelette ever, the best scallops ever, the best duck confit ever, the best escargots ever, the best fois gras ever, the best mille feuilles ever, the best soupe de poisson ever (fish soup)... the list goes on and on. Even their lower-end uncrowded restaurants churn out good stuff to our great surprise! And their pattiseries (pastry shops) produce such pretty, tasty, and filling pastries. Not to mention their abundant and cheap (relative to SG) wine. You could get everyday drinking wine for one Euro (75cl bottle!), and a decent wine for five to ten Euros. Yummy.
Bon appetit!
Hi tsukushi ...
i can accept the whole swiss fondue experience fm cheese to the meat and choco, juz tt i didnt find it tt fanastic or tasty, maybe coz asian are simply spoilt with choices liao.. keke
when i was @ florence in italy, they say the florentine steak was so gd so gd and it cost me Euro 25 for that piece of steak, in the end, i oso find it so so oly....
i can accept the whole swiss fondue experience fm cheese to the meat and choco, juz tt i didnt find it tt fanastic or tasty, maybe coz asian are simply spoilt with choices liao.. keke
when i was @ florence in italy, they say the florentine steak was so gd so gd and it cost me Euro 25 for that piece of steak, in the end, i oso find it so so oly....
Hi dia,
Perhaps it's because you went to the inferior outlets; we had our fair share of bad food in Switzerland and Italy, and it's not easy to find the good restaurants. The proper swiss cheese fondue is actually very tasty; many poor imitations exist even in Switzerland.
The best food is French.
Perhaps it's because you went to the inferior outlets; we had our fair share of bad food in Switzerland and Italy, and it's not easy to find the good restaurants. The proper swiss cheese fondue is actually very tasty; many poor imitations exist even in Switzerland.
The best food is French.