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European trip ?'s



 
 
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  #21  
Old January 3rd, 2006, 09:26 AM posted to rec.travel.europe
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Default European trip ?'s

On Mon, 2 Jan 2006 17:33:40 -0800, "PTRAVEL"
wrote:

snip

If your bag is small enough, it may fit on the rack above the seat (they
accomodate bigger bags than airline carryons). Otherwise, you'll have to
leave your bag at the end of the car in the common baggage area. If you do
so, keep an eye on your bags -- luggage theft, though not common, is not
unheard of. I carry a small, light, flexible bike chain that lets me chain
my bags together.



Also handy for beating the crap out of anybody who tries to perloin
your suitcase, don't 'cha know.
--

WooF w00f WooF
  #22  
Old January 3rd, 2006, 11:13 AM posted to rec.travel.europe
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Default European trip ?'s


"jst" wrote in message news:2Oiuf.1482$Dh.1371@dukeread04...
Our family of three( 2 adults & 17 y/o )are considering a trip to Europe
this summer. We would want to spend at least 2-3 days in London then 5-7
days going from France ( Paris a must ) to Switzerland ( the alps ). We
have traveled the states extensively and have never been overseas.Is this
the type of trip that we should do exclusively with a travel agency and do
the group tour bit. We have never been the types to do a group tour but
would do one if we could find the right locations included.


I'd suggest you skip the tour option this trip can easily be
arranged yourself


We are just starting to look into this and any recommendations would be
appreciated. We are budgeting 10 - 15 thousand , is this reasonable ???



More than reasonable you should do very well on that budget

I'd suggest flying in to London then travelling to Paris by Eurostar
and then travelling by train to Switzerland. You should be able to
get an open jaw ticket that will allow you to fly back from a
Swiss Airport.

In Switzerland I am rather fond of the Bernese Oberland.
If you stay in the Interlaken area you can take day trips
to many locations including the Jungfrau Railway which takes
you inside the Eiger to the station at around the 12,000 ft level.

Keith



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  #23  
Old January 3rd, 2006, 02:31 PM posted to rec.travel.europe
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Default European trip ?'s

PTRAVEL wrote:

"Martin Rich" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 02 Jan 2006 19:25:56 -0600, jst wrote:

$350 US per person
How long of a trip is this ? I guess I will have to ready myself for a
different culture and standards.


London-Paris is a bit under three hours on the train. As the previous
poster says, $350 is very much the first class fa when I went
London-Paris in the spring last year it cost me £60 (around US$ 100)
return (round trip).


Incidently, I'd add that First Class really isn't necessary, though in high
season it may ensure an added degree of comfort given the crowds that make
the trip.


It is assigned seating though, so no matter how busy, if you have a
ticket you have a seat...

--
David Horne- http://www.davidhorne.net
usenet (at) davidhorne (dot) co (dot) uk
http://homepage.mac.com/davidhornecomposer http://soundjunction.org
  #24  
Old January 3rd, 2006, 06:42 PM posted to rec.travel.europe
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Default European trip ?'s

On 2 Jan 2006 18:37:12 -0800, "keybdwizrd" wrote:

- Many flights to Europe from the US are overnight flights. Sleeping
difficulties (especially in coach) combined with jet lag can make the
first day or two really rough. If arriving in the morning, book a
hotel room for the night before so that you can check in immediately
upon arrival and try to catch a quick nap.


I disagree with this advice. Taking a nap in the morning is just
setting yourself up for several more days of being on the wrong
schedule. The best thing you can do on your arrival in Europe is stay
outdoors in the sunshine as much as possible and try to go to bed at a
reasonable hour for your new time zone.

To achieve this, you should try to sleep as much as possible during
the flight. Skip the movie and try to fall asleep immediately after
the meal service. Do whatever you have to do to fall asleep:
eyeshades, ear plugs, funny inflatable pillows, a glass of wine,
whatever it takes to get a decent night's sleep. It's bound to be too
short on a flight to England, but even five or six hours should be
enough to allow you to get through the first day.

On the way back, on the other hand, since you will probably leave in
the morning and arrive in the early afternoon, you should try to stay
awake for most of the flight and just take a short nap to help you
stay awake until bedtime.

I never suffer from jet lag, but my husband used to. Now that he
follows this advice, he suffers much less. On our latest trip to the
US, neither of us had any difficulty in either direction.

- As I think someone else suggested, get the Dorling Kindersly
Eyewitness travel books for the places you want to visit. They are
awesome and full of lots of helpful material.


I agree that these guides are wonderful for planning your trip.
However, I find them less than useful once on the ground, as they have
rather scanty information on transportation, museum opening hours, and
restaurants. I like to combine a good sight seeing guide, such as the
Michelin Green Guide, with another guide that's good for the
logistics. In my case, this is usually Let's Go, but Lonely Planet or
Fodor's are more upscale and may suit your style better.

- Lastly - my two cents - as opposed to three days in London and a week
in Paris, I'd suggest five in each. They're both great cities, and
five days is plenty to get a flavor for each. This would probably
eliminate the apartment option as a week's stay is usually required.
Paris is awesome, but don't underestimate London... We love it there!


Agreed, but if they want to go to Switzerland as well, they will have
to either extend the time or chop a few days from each. If anything, I
would spend a day longer in London than in Paris. For one thing, it is
the first stop and a day or two of acclimitization may be needed. For
another thing, I find London endlessly fascinating, one of my favorite
cities in the world. Paris is beautiful, but in my personal opinion it
doesn't offer the variety of London.

I definitely recommend a day trip to some smaller cities while in
London and Paris. From London, a day trip to Salisbury, Bath or York
would be interesting. From Paris, perhaps Chartres or Bayeux. Both
London and Paris are large international cities, and it is interesting
also to see a smaller city in each country.
--
Barbara Vaughan
My email address is my first initial followed by my surname at libero dot it
I answer travel questions only in the newsgroup
  #25  
Old January 3rd, 2006, 08:54 PM posted to rec.travel.europe
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Default European trip ?'s

Hi,
Why not consider a home exchange, you swap your home with families in
Europe. Many Europeans are on holiday in the summer months so many of
their homes are empty anyway. You can learn all about swapping by
reading the members' stories, the 'tips to find the perfect exchange
etc.' at http://www.digsville.com -

following the blog a bit may help has well. My family and I have been
swapping since my older daughter was young, (now an adult) and we
continue with my second child (lily age 10) there's no better way to
travel than to see the world through the eyes of a local and you can
save thousands of dollars that will be better spent on fine dining and
fantastic side trips (just what a 17 year old will want!) Feel free to
email me directly at any time .

Good luck,
Helen
Editor's Plea - I'm looking for interesting home exchange stories, can
provide up to 3 year free membership in one of the top home exchange
community. Here's the link to some of the ideas I'm looking for.
http://www.digsville.com/page.asp?content=editor's%20request

Thanks all -
Helen

Join the banter on all things home exchange.

http://vacationhomeexchange.blogspot.com/


jst wrote:
Our family of three( 2 adults & 17 y/o )are considering a trip to Europe
this summer. We would want to spend at least 2-3 days in London then 5-7
days going from France ( Paris a must ) to Switzerland ( the alps ). We
have traveled the states extensively and have never been overseas.Is
this the type of trip that we should do exclusively with a travel agency
and do the group tour bit. We have never been the types to do a group
tour but would do one if we could find the right locations included.
We are just starting to look into this and any recommendations would be
appreciated. We are budgeting 10 - 15 thousand , is this reasonable ???


  #26  
Old January 4th, 2006, 12:04 AM posted to rec.travel.europe
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Default European trip ?'s

Jens Arne Maennig wrote:
I stayed in Europe for most of the last 45 years including trevelling
there quite a bit and I never did a group tour or even made use of a
travel agencs (except maybe for booking some business trips in the
pre-internet era). It's certainly not a must or even schould.


I disagree with this. While it's certainly possible to do a lot of one's
own research on the net, one should head stright to a good travel agent
when it comes time to buy international airline tickets. A good travel
agent can get a better price on international flights than any online
source. Buying an international ticket on the internet is a ripoff,
even from the airlines' own websites.

K.
  #27  
Old January 4th, 2006, 03:19 AM posted to rec.travel.europe
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Default European trip ?'s


""Király"" wrote in message
news:ApDuf.45404$6K2.15072@edtnps90...
Jens Arne Maennig wrote:
I stayed in Europe for most of the last 45 years including trevelling
there quite a bit and I never did a group tour or even made use of a
travel agencs (except maybe for booking some business trips in the
pre-internet era). It's certainly not a must or even schould.


I disagree with this. While it's certainly possible to do a lot of one's
own research on the net, one should head stright to a good travel agent
when it comes time to buy international airline tickets. A good travel
agent can get a better price on international flights than any online
source. Buying an international ticket on the internet is a ripoff,
even from the airlines' own websites.


Sorry, but that's not true. Virtually all U.S. airlines have "internet
special" prices that are unpublished and unavailable from travel agents.
Travel agents in the U.S. also charge a ticketing fee, as they no longer
earn commissions. I use travel agents all the time, but primarily for my
business travel as they are great when you need to rearrange plans at the
last minute, or when you don't want to be bothered setting up the details of
a trip. I'm also NOT an advocate of picking an airline based on pricing
only -- there are airlines out there I wouldn't fly if they gave me a ticket
for free. However, for leisure travel, I will always book on-line, usually
directly with the airline's website, to avoid the ticketing fee, get the
best price, and have access to the maximum number of alternatives.



K.



  #28  
Old January 4th, 2006, 06:16 AM posted to rec.travel.europe
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Default European trip ?'s

On Mon, 2 Jan 2006 17:33:40 -0800, "PTRAVEL"
wrote:


Finally, bear in mind that Europeans travel a lot lighter than Americans, so
trains aren't designed for dragging around lots of big suitcases. You'll
have to manage them up and down the train steps yourself. Also, many
European train stations require that you ascend or descend stairs to reach
the platforms.


I'm an American, but an atypical one. I travel light.

I've traveled solo a few times, as well as with a friend, in Europe,
And on each trip, I had everything I needed in a carry-on sized
suitcase and the accompanying carry bag. I check the small suitcase,
even though it might squeeze onboard, because 10-12 hours of flying is
easier without worrying about that stupid overhead/underseat crap. The
carry bag should hold all your flying necessities.

Americans are under the mistaken impression that they need to pack
fresh clothes for each day of the trip plus extra room for souvenirs.
WRONG. In summer, you need a few pairs of pants, shorts (maybe), a few
shirts and a light jacket. They all go in the small suitcase. In the
carry bag I bring my toiletries (long flight), any gizmos or
paper/pens, as well as the usual flying stuff: paperback books and
food.

Yes, your clothes will get dirty. That's when you ask for a
laundrette. There's nothing wrong with spending brunch washing clothes
and chatting with the housewives who come by the laundrette. You may
even get lucky! ;0)
I've met nice folks at laundrettes from Bath, UK to Cesky Krumlov,
Czechia. (note: at Cesky Krumlov, I met a nice American couple whom I
will see again in a few weeks at a beer festival in Washington state.
Dirty laundry = good friends!)

As you travel, you can ditch your paperback novels and maybe even a
shirt or two. Replace them with local purchases - souvenirs! Since you
didn't stuff your small suitcase with 4 trousers and 6 shirts, you'll
have room for those extra souvenirs from all those tacky tourist
shops.

Finally, as PTravel mentioned, lugging around smaller luggage makes
your train travel and walkabouts to/from hotels much easier and less
stressful. I refer any American traveling to Europe to the hallowed
halls of pragmatic travel guru Rick Steves:
http://www.ricksteves.com/.

I didn't discover Rick until after I'd traveled to Europe, but I was
amazed at how his advice paralleled my strategy. Travel light. See the
touristy crap, then quickly find the "real" parts of a city or region.
Stay at BnB's - not big hotels. Learn enough of the language and
customs to greet people and ask simple questions. (Mea Culpa: my Czech
consisted of 3 words - and I paid the price for my ignorance).

One final word for the OP: 10 days is a short trip. I recommend you
spend 5 days in London (with side trips to Bath or Brighton or
Stonehenge or whatever), then take the Channel train for 5 days in
Paris, with a day trip or two from there. Then fly home from Paris.

You'll enjoy the trip more without the endless travel and
musical-chair hotel stays. And when you get home all excited about the
cool time you had, you can crack open the atlas and start planning
your next 10 day, 2 city trip to Europe.

- TR
"Dám si jedno pivo prosím." --- too late to properly ask "I'll have a
beer, please..."




  #29  
Old January 4th, 2006, 07:39 AM posted to rec.travel.europe
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Default European trip ?'s



On Mon, 02 Jan 2006 21:50:40 -0800, Go Fig wrote:

In article _nkuf.1497$Dh.335@dukeread04, jst wrote:

$350 US per person

How long of a trip is this ? I guess I will have to ready myself for a
different culture and standards.


And you don't have to go first class...2nd class is perfectly
comfortable, much like Amtrak in the states, and cheaper...the trip is
just over 3 hrs between London and Paris (used to be around 3hrs, 10
mins). Leaves London at Waterloo Station, arrives, IIRC, Gare du
Nord.

I agree you need to pack light...one carry on size bag per person (not
the monster size), which you can check if you don't want to hassle
with the overhead bins on the plane, and a small daypack (camera,
journal, any meds, phrase book, things you really need to have with
you if anything you check gets lost). You can always replace clothes
and toiletries.

Moneybelt, moneybelts, moneybelts. The waist or neck kind, whichever
you are more comfortable with. Everybody gets one, holds passport,
plane tickets, credit cards, ATM card, copy of your itinerary. (Type
it out on one page, reduce copy it by 50%, takes a half sheet of
paper. If you have written hotel confirmations, reduce copy them as
well.) About 5 yrs ago my boss, her husband, 2 teens, off to
Italy for a month - bought 2 moneybelts, didn't use them because they
were too bulky (well, of course holding stuff for 4 people), got
ripped off - airline tickets, 2 of 4 credit cards...had to call me to
arange cancellation of the cards, had to replace the tickets at $50
each. When they went last Christmas they each took a money belt.
That'll teach 'em to listen to me from now on.
  #30  
Old January 4th, 2006, 07:44 AM posted to rec.travel.europe
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Default European trip ?'s



On Mon, 02 Jan 2006 19:25:56 -0600, jst wrote:

$350 US per person

How long of a trip is this ? I guess I will have to ready myself for a
different culture and standards.


On Tue, 03 Jan 2006 07:20:53 +0000, Martin Rich
wrote:London-Paris is a bit under three hours on the train. As the
previous
poster says, $350 is very much the first class fa when I went
London-Paris in the spring last year it cost me £60 (around US$ 100)
return (round trip).

The plane isn't necessarily more expensive, but the train is usually
as fast when you've taken into account getting to airports at each
end. For longer trips you may well find that low-cost airlines are
cheaper than trains. Also be aware that buying European train tickets
in the US is usually more expensive than buying them in Europe.

Given only three days in London, I would stay somewhere central. So
long as you can find somewhere suitable to stay, there doesn't seem
any point in taking an organised tour for the London section at least.

Martin


But those busses that run around London making about a 60--90 minute
loop can be fun. I went Paris-London on Eurostar, was in my B&B by
1:30 and out on a bus getting my bearings by 2pm. Gave me a good idea
of what was walkable, what I should use the Tube for (turned out most
of it was walkable). I had already spent time with a map of London
and had marked things I particularly wanted to see, but the bus
provided a nice introduction to the city and helped me make the most
of my 5 days (which I did on my own).
 




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