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#21
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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
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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 ----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Unrestricted-Secure Usenet News==---- http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups ----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =---- |
#23
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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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