European tours

[ms.wanderholic]

^^^It's like that talaga. I remember in London I would go home from school at 2PM and hurry to the bus stop kasi ang dilim na! Hirap nang maiwanan. But pag summer naman, 11PM ang liwanag pa.

Hello mama squeak & sisses!

I'll be going to London on next week. Please suggest must see places. I'll have a 3day free time, don't have any idea where to start.

Also please suggest cheap pasalubongs for under £1 if meron? 

Thanks in advance! 

[lyrahs]

^Central London sis...syempre London Eye, Madam Tussauds. Pwede ka din mag London Bus Tours. Yung mga souvenirs na nabili ko, dun sa may London Tower Bridge, mga 3 for £5

[caterpillar-girl]

Hello girls, my bf and I are planning to go to London this year. He has relatives there so no problem na with accommodations and food. We can take a leave na 2 weeks max so we're thinking aside from London, we plan to hit Paris and another city. What can you recommend?

1. London, UK
2. Paris, France
3. Barcelona, Spain or Rome, Italy?

Ang importante talaga for us is London and Paris. Ano pang ok ivisit? Neither of us has been to Europe ever.

[fabulosity]

Hi caterpillar-girl! I've been to both cities before (Rome twice already) and I think that if you're not familiar with Gaudi's work, you may not appreciate Barcelona that much. I took up art appreciation back in college and Gaudi is one of my favorite so I really enjoyed touring the city. Plus, shopping was great, Zara and Mango were cheap and food was excellent.

But if you're into historical and religious stuff, Rome will surely not dissapoint. Food and souvenirs are expensive though, especially in the Vatican. Btw, Italian designer goods are more expensive than here in the US, so easy on the shopping 

Hope this helps!

[caterpillar-girl]

Hi fabulosity, thanks for your reply. I don't mind going to either Barcelona (I'd love to see Sagrada Familia) or Italy. I guess I'm just concerned about the schedule. While I'd want to maximize my first ever trip to Europe, I'm also wary about cutting the trips too close. I want to enjoy each city din naman as much as possible. Do you recommend just sticking to London and Paris for those two weeks, or should I add another place to make the trip more sulit?

[vhanya]

^ sis for me kasi paris 1 week na yun hahah! to get the feel of the city =)

[fabulosity]

I'd say if you got the chance to see another city even with just 3 days, go for it!  With a couple of weeks at hand, covering 3 cities is very doable. I did Barcelona in 3 days and not only saw a lot of sights but did a lot of shopping also. Same is true with Rome, so it's your call...

[[-c-h-a-]]

which is cheaper, taking the train or plane to travel from one country to another?

I'd rather DIY kesa yun magjoin sa package tours, kasi some countries I wanna stay longer (like in France and Italy), yun sa iba, siguro ok na ako ng 3 nights..

[fabulosity]

^in some cases, flying is cheaper, especially with the low cost airlines like ryanair and BMI. Be mindful of the additional fees though...

[[-c-h-a-]]

^thanks! A friend also suggested Easyjet... pero may mga additional fees nga like for checked in luggage etc. I checked easyjet kanina, sample lang from Rome to Athens, $60 lang sya one way. Pretty cheap!

I'm ok na siguro sa Spain, France, Italy and Greece.. ayoko naman masyado mapagod especially kung every 4th day ay may flight kami!

[mama squeak!]

^For flexibility, I suggest a train pass. You can be at the station 30 minutes before departure not like at airports where the minimum is 2 hours prior to ETD as you have to contend with checking-in and security.  Compare different kinds of rail passes with point-to-point tickets so you can get your money's worth.

This year's trip to Europe, we'll be DYIing it again. Like you we prefer the flexibility a DIY trip offers compared to the usual run of the mill package tours. Yun lang it takes a lot of planning and preparation but truly worth it in the end.

[[-c-h-a-]]

^thanks!

which district in France is ok for hotels/hostels?

also for those who've been to Rome, ano suggestion nyo na ok na accomodation?

TIA!

[mama squeak!]

^Do you mean what district in Paris? The hotels inside the central districts (arrondissements 1-7) are the most expensive. The farther away from the center the cheaper the lodgings. Most hostels are located on the outer districts (12, 20). There is one hostel at the 5eme arrondissement but it's always full.

Personally, I prefer the Latin Quarter (5eme) and the St. Germain de Pres (6eme) areas. Lots to see and do even at night, got a lot of cheap eats too. The Marais district (4eme) comes in second, though it's known as the Gay district. There are some affordable rooms there. The Louvre area (1ere) is a bit too quiet for me though great if you're main priority is to see the Louvre and Tuilleries garden. Last on my list is the Eiffel tower (7eme) area and the Champs Elysees (8eme)

Must warn you though the hotels in these areas don't go lower than EUR100/night (unless you plan to stay during the middle of summer (August) when you can get good deals). So if you want to save some money, get hotels on the outer district and buy a Metro Pass. It will take you a 15-20 minute ride to get to the tourist spots.

[winshe]

Mga sis any idea on Disneyland Paris Package?? Sino na po nakapag-try nito?? Gusto ko po kasi dalhin mga kids ko dito.. Ano po best month to go to Paris...

[maribeth]

^sis, location ko is europe na, so we have disneyland-paris packages all year round. Last year, they have 1 night n 1 day free stay and children below 6 years old were also free.

This year, di ko pa alam. Di ko pa lang kasi napapansin. We went to Disney last May. Di pa masyadong mainit no'n at hindi rin busy kasi di pa holiday season.

If you want to go there, make sure na hindi holiday ang mga french. Kasi ang haba ng pila per attraction pag nataon ka. Sayang din naman.

[eeyore91833]

RE: Schengen visa
would you know what to do if for example
valid date given is march 7 then 19days lang yung stay na pwede.
pero 27th return ticket nila and yun yun applied because may training course pa.

[[-c-h-a-]]

^^how about January visit to Disneyland? Ok lang ba yun or mahaba pa rin pila?

[Vera]

caterpillar-girl: if it's your first time in London, try the hop-on-hop-off tour so you get a glimpse of what London has to offer. The hop-on-hop-off tour takes you around the city and passes by any city highlights / tourist spots. If anything catches your fancy, you can go back to it later.

If you like museums, you may want to drop by the British Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum or Sloan Museum.

Of course the famous London Bridge is there to catch your breath.

If you like shops and cutting-edge art, tour around the eclectic London's East End. Most artists and creative Londoners go there to shop.

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PARIS

Try to explore Montmarte in Paris. Renoir, the famous impressionist artist, lived there. Van Gogh, Monet and Degas all lived nearby (Butte) as well as Picasso. There are also old vineyards there that still produce wine. If you like outdoor cafes and restaurant, check out Place de Tetres. If you also want a view of Paris rooftops (who doesn't?), don't forget to go to Sacre Coeur. While in Montmarte, see the famous Renoir work at Moulin La LaGette. Nearby is the famous cafe (forgot the name) where Amelie was filmed (perhaps you should ask some locals about this once you're there). Nearby that cafe is Moulin Rouge.

If you like to see Paris in its magnificent glory, dine in along Avenue des Champs-Elysees (the world's most beautiful boulevard).

Places best seen at night: Place de la Concorde Square, Place Vendome, Opera, Champs-Elysees, Arc de Triomphe, Trocadero, Invalides, Notre Dame Cathedral and Place du Chatelet.

Of course seeing Eiffel Tower is a given but if you have more time, take the Siene River Cruise. If you have to see Mona Lisa, The Louvre awaits you.

If you're staying in France for more than a day, you may want to set aside a day trip to Versailles, Mont Saint Michel and spend a night at Chateau du Bouceel in Normandy. My cousin's bf owns that beautiful chateau.

While in Normady, check the local tour operator for the Normandy D-Day trip and check out some of the beautiful beaches there.

There are a lot to see in Paris and you'll see more if you plan your day carefully. End your stay by dining at a French restaurant, with French wine and pastries. Paris is haven for foodies!

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Personally, if I were you, I'd stick to London and Paris. Maybe I'll give London 3 days and the rest in France since there are so much to see. Whenever we go on trips, we usually spend 10 days per city to maximize the experience and sometimes, that's not even enough!

I hope you enjoy your London and Paris trips and hope you enjoy my suggestions.

[Vera]

^^Wow! Sis Vera, I love the place! Hubby and I are planning our next Europe trip next year. We'll be watching the Passion Play at Oberammergau, Germany then straight to France. Tamang tama the place is also near Mont St. Michel. Will your family friend give discounts to GTs kaya? Hehe 

If not okay lang, the rates look reasonable. Can you PM me your contact person? I'm starting to plan our trip na kasi. Thanks!

 

Lol. I haven't checked this thread in ages. Do you still want to go to Chateau Bouceel? I can PM you the owner's son's contact details (he's our friend). Let me know!

[mama squeak!]

^Thanks sis, probably next visit to France. Hubby and I have decided to stay right at Mont Saint Michel. We'll be there for two nights so we can really see and feel the place.