Author Topic: European Tours Thread 3 (Read 15697 times)

^Vain_Chiq^ · « **Reply #40 on:** July 12, 2012, 05:37:15 pm »

Quote from: kreez on July 11, 2012, 07:58:14 pm

I'm planning to bring my sister here in Europe from Manila, gift ko sa kanya (claiming na she will pass the Medical boards in August). Kasabay na namin sya babalik dito.... haay nako ang dami namang requirements pag tourist...

mga sis, san ba kayo kumuha ng medical insurance (yung for schengen visa application)? ok ba yung sa blue cross? any other suggestions? kung bakit naman kasi yung health insurance nya dyan sa pinas hindi pa pwede for this purpose eh, haaayyy...

at saka pala pahingi naman ng contact for travel agency para, kasi di ba you have to show your ticket reservation. I was planning to buy her ticket online kasi parang mas mura but then di ba hindi naman advisable to buy the ticket before the visa is granted.

TIA!

Sis, when I came here as a tourist before, I got my travel insurance sa Blue Cross along Makati Avenue. Regarding the ticket, I got mine before sa Reli tours sa 5th floor ng SM Megamall. You just need to pay them mga 500php ata if I remember it correctly for the booking then you can show it to the Dutch Embassy satin.

mooncake and leaves · « **Reply #41 on:** July 13, 2012, 07:24:43 am »

mama_squeak: thanks! i was looking at the map, drew it and ang cute pala ng arrangement ng arrondissements nila. Paikot, parang spiral. Anyhoo, I thought about doing the catacombs in the morning then Versailles right after. Is that feasible or do we have to devote an entire day to Versailles? This is the itinerary I'm thinking of:

Day 1- Louvre, Arc de Triomphe (?), Eiffel Tower. If possible, include Sacre Coeur.
Day 2: Notre Dame, Sainte Chapelle (?), Shakespeare & Co. (feeling Before Sunset)
Day 3: Catacombs and Versailles
Day 4: Wander aimlessly

What else am I missing? I'm not a big fan of art.

Thanks again.

mama squeak! · « **Reply #42 on:** July 13, 2012, 09:46:03 am »

@d_zialcita, sis mahal talaga if you fly all the way to Pisa or any secondary airport in Europe on an open jaw routing. Ideally if you do an open jaw routing it should be with the primary gateway of the airline if not mahal talaga since they will have to add pa the domestic sector fare ng connecting airline which they do not have control with the pricing. Plus hindi pa adjusted yung fares for 2013 since matagal pa yan. Airlines usually come out with the most updated fares 3-4 months prior unless stated in the fare rules nila until when validity ng fares.

Another option for you is to either fly to Milan or Rome (if taking CX or any Asian airline with direct gateways to Italy) then train to Pistoia. There are several direct trains from these gateways to Florence where you can transfer to Nieve Pievole where you'll be staying. If taking KLM, medyo late na rin ang dating since you'll be transferring in AMS, hence the long travel time. Try to compare na lang the pros and cons of either mode of transportation.

@mooncakes and leaves, your IT looks good except for Day 3. Here are some comments:

Day 1 - Unless you made online reservations do the Eiffel Tower either first thing in the morning or last thing at night since the queues here are humongous. Walk to the Trocadero across the bridge in front of the tower where you can get the iconic view of the Eiffel. Either take the metro to the Arc de Triomphe or just walk it. Walk along the Champs Elysees towards the Louvre (medyo malayo ito), a better option would be to take the metro and get off at the Louvre. If you get the Paris Museum Pass you don't have to join the long queue at the Pyramide entrance. Go straight to the Richelieu entrance where pass holders have their own access to the Louvre.

If you're not too tired with all the walking, then head off to Sacre Coeur.

Day 2 - Yup, do the Notre Dame first thing in the morning since this is another popular tourist attraction. If you want to climb the towers, try to be in line by 8AM (facing the church the line would be outside to the left). As soon as you're done go inside the church to check out the pretty Rose windows (line is in front of the church).

Back outside in the square if you're wondering why a lot of people are looking at their feet taking pictures, that would be the Paris Point Zero marker from which all distances from Paris are measured.

Walking towards Ste-Chapelle you can drop by the flower market at Place Louis-Lépine. It becomes the bird market every Sunday.

At Sainte Chapelle, there is no special entrance for pass holders. You will have to queue with everyone to get through security since the chapel is located inside the Justice compound. Once inside ignore the long line and go straight to the entrance to show your pass. The long line would be for ticket buyers.

At the Shakespeare & Co. you can buy a book and have the cashier book stamp it with their logo.

Day 3 - I'm afraid this is too much to do in a day. The catacombs you can squeeze this on Day 2 just after Sainte Chapelle. So you can still have your sunset at the Shakespeare and Co. sabay mag-river Seine cruise ka if you want. It's another way of having an overview of Paris.

To get to Versailles take the RER C (suburban train). It's usually a 45 minute train ride. Do the Chateau first then the grounds. If you get there at 9AM, you can be done by 2-3PM and back in Paris by 4PM. If you weren't able to do the catacombs day before baka masingit mo pa dito if you're not too tired.

Day 4 - Good idea! Hubby and I just love wandering aimlessly here. Sabay shopping!!!

Lastly, get a bottle of local wine and a baguette sandwich and picnic at one of their lovely parks and just relax and enjoy the Parisian way of life!

melodymedley · « **Reply #43 on:** July 16, 2012, 01:18:08 pm »

@mama squeak. Thanks for the info and the offer. I'll PM you once I get my dates fixed/near to final.

@mooncakes and leaves: Versailles . The palace only, you can do in 2-3 hours. The gardens, another 2-3 hours and even more (for me who likes gardens/parks). You can do what mama squeak suggested as IT for your day 3. Ako naman, I did the Eiffel Tower again after my trip to Versailles.

mooncake and leaves · « **Reply #44 on:** July 18, 2012, 06:41:46 am »

mama_squeak: natuwa naman ako sa shakespeare & co.

i read a little bit and apparently, it's hard to get inside the catacombs as they only allow a certain number of visitors per day. the wait also takes an hour. is this true? see or skip?

melodymedley: thanks! i like gardens but i like to explore the palace and the chapels too. how much time do i need to cover the important parts?

thanks, guys again. yay. i'll print this later.

we're skipping greece, we decided. too cluttered kasi if we pursue it so now, paris-rome-pamukkale and hopefully, antalya. bale new plan- 5 days in paris excluding getting in/out, 3 days in rome, 4-5 days in turkey. thoughts? thanks.

foxymom · « **Reply #45 on:** July 18, 2012, 09:34:59 am »

@mama squeak and other travel lovers: serious planning time! this is the itenerary im preparing for. let me know your comments

Dec.26 Manila - London
Jan. 2 London - Barcelona
Jan.5 Barcelona - Prague
Jan.9 Prague - Amsterdam (okay ba dito? or vienna?)
Jan.12 Amsterdam - Manila

do you think amsterdam is worth the visit? and do you think the # of days per city is enough to go to the major sights?

thank you again!

m_lim · « **Reply #46 on:** July 18, 2012, 11:47:50 am »

Experience rin makita yung catacombs. Kahit nakakatakot lalo na nung pinatay ng guide yung flashlight! Wala talagang makita. Napasigaw tuloy kami eh bawal daw maingay

mama squeak! · « **Reply #47 on:** July 21, 2012, 10:51:36 pm »

@mooncake and leaves, sis sorry I can't give you any feedback about the catacombs. I haven't been there kasi di ko type puntahan yung macabre.

@foxymom, your 6 days in London should be okay to see the major tourist sites in the city. Your Barcelona, Prague and Amsterdam, di ka kaya mabitin? Parang 2 whole days ka lang sa Barcelona then 3 whole days in Prague and 2 days naman sa Amsterdam. If you were to ask me I would drop one city so I can concentrate more on the two. That's me lang ha.

Anyway, hubby finally got his VL approved! Yay! Kaya lang 10 days pa lang. He is still waiting for the remaining 10 days na exchange. Sana mabigay so he gets 20 days VL. But in any case I made two ITs one for 10 days and the other for 20 days. Here's how our IT will be:

For the 10 days, we'll be going to Amsterdam and Prague only. For the 20 days, we'll be doing Amsterdam, Prague, Cesky Krumlov (3 hours away from Prague), the Loire Valley and my favorite city, Paris!

kikay iska · « **Reply #48 on:** July 22, 2012, 03:22:08 am »

Quote from: ^Vain_Chiq^ on July 12, 2012, 05:37:15 pm

Regarding the ticket, I got mine before sa Reli tours sa 5th floor ng SM Megamall. You just need to pay them mga 500php ata if I remember it correctly for the booking then you can show it to the Dutch Embassy satin.

Hi sis. I need to get a reservation tomorrow for my schengen visa application at the Norwegian Embassy (Destination is Denmark)... Just wanted to know: Is the fee (500php) for the ticket reservation good for roundtrip or 1-way only? I assume RT flight reservation na ito? My friend said her reservation was at 3k pesos. Ang layo kasi ng 500 sa 3k...
TIA!

^Vain_Chiq^ · « **Reply #49 on:** July 22, 2012, 03:36:18 am »

^sis it's already roundtrip. By the way i'm not in any way connected with the travel agency ah, just trying to help sisses here

.

melodymedley · « **Reply #50 on:** July 22, 2012, 11:46:31 am »

@foxy mom: I've only been to one city in your IT Amsterdam and I liked the city - can't compare it to the others though. That is four EU countries & cities in 17 (?) days and they are quite far from each other. I also suggest drop one city.

@mooncakes and leaves: I think Versailles warrants a one whole day of exploring. You many not be able to explore every corner because the ground are so big but I think you'll cover the important parts. You can put optional tours in the evening kung kaya pa.

In Versailles: Buy your tix online (this is also covered if you plan to buy the Paris Museum Pass. It will let you skip the ticket line but there is still a long line for the entrance/inspection before you get in the palace itself.

@mama squeak: That's great great news! I'll be lurking in the Prague thread. teeeheee.

kikay iska · « **Reply #51 on:** July 22, 2012, 03:57:46 pm »

^^ Thanks sis for the info.

Okay lang, didn't assume naman that you're connected with them hehe. Am just looking for the most cost-effective option.

foxymom · « **Reply #52 on:** July 23, 2012, 08:10:26 am »

@melodymedley: thanks sis! i agree

its a stretch for us to visit 4 countries so i'm dropping amsterdam. we are travelling during winter and have to lug around a lot of stuff. iniisip ko pa lang pagod na ako.

i'm thinking of making barcelona our last stop so that the weather is nicer and more forgiving

annecel · « **Reply #53 on:** July 24, 2012, 12:41:00 pm »

Quote from: mama squeak! on July 21, 2012, 10:51:36 pm

@mooncake and leaves, sis sorry I can't give you any feedback about the catacombs. I haven't been there kasi di ko type puntahan yung macabre.

@foxymom, your 6 days in London should be okay to see the major tourist sites in the city. Your Barcelona, Prague and Amsterdam, di ka kaya mabitin? Parang 2 whole days ka lang sa Barcelona then 3 whole days in Prague and 2 days naman sa Amsterdam. If you were to ask me I would drop one city so I can concentrate more on the two. That's me lang ha.

Anyway, hubby finally got his VL approved! Yay! Kaya lang 10 days pa lang. He is still waiting for the remaining 10 days na exchange. Sana mabigay so he gets 20 days VL. But in any case I made two ITs one for 10 days and the other for 20 days. Here's how our IT will be:

For the 10 days, we'll be going to Amsterdam and Prague only. For the 20 days, we'll be doing Amsterdam, Prague, Cesky Krumlov (3 hours away from Prague), the Loire Valley and my favorite city, Paris!

Hello mama squeak! I've been meaning to ask you some tips ever since i've been lurking through this thread for quite some time already. you see, we were supposed to go 2 years ago for our honeymoon but we had to move it due to prior work committments. But hopefully, we'll push thru by april of next year. can't wait!!

Anyway, I'm still in the process of fixing our schengen visa requirement though (btw, how early can we apply for one? at least 3 months prior to departure nga ba?)

My problem really, is where to begin.. (sorry medyo mahaba 'to sis

)
Aside from my husband (who's more clueless than I am when it comes to travelling), my parents ( both in their senior years, but still are very much game when it comes to travel;p) , would really like to come as well. This will be our very first Europe trip and we're all excited! We don't have any close friends or relatives there (except in London), so we'll be staying in apartements or hotels pretty much during our stay. I was thinking since my husband and I and aren't good navigators (we still get lost around manila!), the best way to go is through package tours..I've been looking up globus packages but they seem rather expensive ( $4649 for 20 days, traditional grand europe tour) exclusive of air fare. I'm still looking up cosmos, though. Although our priority is still italy, paris, and london, we'd really like to see as much places/ countries as we can in 3 weeks since this could be our first and last trip there, so dapat sulitin na talaga! But then of course, we'd like to get the best deal out there for our money. Baka maubusan na kami ng pangshopping! (buti na lang my mom is coming, hehe

Sis, only if you have time, I would reaally appreciate your expertise on this one. Thanks so much in advance!

m_lim · « **Reply #54 on:** July 24, 2012, 01:06:26 pm »

i think the biggest mistake pag eurotrip eh people tend to think na dapat sulitin ang trip by going to sooo many places.

oh well it depends kung gusto lang talaga picture picture then alis na. but i tell you sobrang nakakapagod na hindi niyo na ma eenjoy. hindi bakasyon ang mangyayari, amazing race. lol

m_lim · « **Reply #55 on:** July 24, 2012, 01:09:24 pm »

add mo pa pala na mas maraming places gusto puntahan per trip, mas confusing magplan.

just imagine going to the philippines at gusto puntahan ang manila, boracay, palawan, etc etc in one trip. yun transpo palang confusing na!

foxymom · « **Reply #56 on:** July 24, 2012, 04:45:33 pm »

@annecel: i agree with m_lim. it's very hard to squeeze in a lot of countries in 1 trip. it's very tiring, expensive, and confusing!

and remember you will be with 2 senior citizens. they are no longer at the prime of walking. going with a tour group is exhausting. i did this when i was in my teens - did not enjoy. choose 3-4 cities max. do not think this will be your last trip. it is better to enjoy the cities you will visit, it will become more memorable especially to your parents

mama squeak! · « **Reply #57 on:** July 24, 2012, 09:51:41 pm »

@annecel, both foxymom and m_lim are right. Trying to squeeze in so much places to see in such a short time is not the way to enjoy your first European trip. Otherwise, you're better off watching the Travel Channel di ka pa magastusan.

Seriously though, first thing you have to do is discuss with your hubby and parents where you want to go. List them all down per country then number them according to priority. Make sure you set a budget too. Then we'll discuss it here. Sorry I can't elaborate longer, medyo mabagal the internet in the hotel I'm staying at now. I'll help you as soon as I get back home.

@foxymom, we'll do your IT too

foxymom · « **Reply #58 on:** July 25, 2012, 09:30:43 am »

^thanks mama squeak!

@annecel, mama squeak's suggestion to list down your top countries is the way to go. for me, my most fav city is paris. as in. but a lot of people tell me london and prague will steal my heart (naks dramatic). hopefully matuloy kami sa december

annecel · « **Reply #59 on:** July 25, 2012, 10:26:18 am »

^ Thanks for the tips sisses! Actually, it's my dad who really wants to go outside of paris, italy, and london. It's his dream to see the likes of more exotic european countries i guess. I don't mind but my mom and hubby probably won't enjoy it. But yeah, we'll probably narrow it down to 4 countries na lang. I'll keep in touch once we've finalized it na. Thanks again!

News:

Author Topic: European Tours Thread 3 (Read 15697 times)