European tours

[childstar]

wow, after 4 hours of reading and jotting down important facts, i'm done reading the whole thread!

Just want to share that I'll be going for a 1 week business trip to Italy (Mar. 24 to Aprl 1, 2010). I do not have our itinerary yet so I'll just ask more specific questions later on.

First Q:, since it's all expense paid (airfare and accom., not sure about full board meals) is 1,000 euros enough as pocket money so I can buy souvenirs/pasalubong as well as eat at an authentic Italian resto/bistro?

Buying a designer bag may be out of the question since that would set me back at least 500eu already.   

[mama squeak!]

^sis, this is a conservative computation for food and incidentals like bottled water, fares, entry fees at museums etc:

Breakfast at EUR9 x 7 = EUR63   (you can go cheaper at Mcdo. They have breakfast value meals for EUR5.00)
Lunch     at EUR15 x 7 = EUR105
Dinner   at EUR20 x 7  = EUR140
Incidentals at EUR20 x 7 = EUR140

Total : EUR448 or round it up to EUR500 na lang. That still leaves you with more than enough money for souvenirs. Wag lang mamahalin bibilhin mo.

Enjoy your trip!

 

             

[childstar]

thanks mama Squeak! I sure hope that at least breakfast man lang is free so that I'll still have enough money left to buy a designer purse or wallet (so much for the Balenciaga bag).

TO ALL who's traveled to EU or Italy in particular, is there a limit on the number of cigarette packs I can bring in? Kase in Singapore I know strict sila. You can only bring in 1 full pack and 1 na bawas. Yes I know cigarette smoking is bad for my health     

Also, strict ba sila sa smoking areas like sa Singapore?


*keeping fingers crossed now that I can bring at least 4 packs, average consumption ko is 7 sticks a day. I don't want to pay 3-5 euros for pack there noh! que horror! *   

[childstar]

Look what I just found...  NNNOOOO!!!!

http://www.italylogue.com/italian-news/italys-launches-new-anti-smoking-campaign.html

[winshe]

what are the requirements to apply for tourist visa to france.. we are planning to avail etihad airline promo of 4d/3N in Disneyland Paris.. But we have to arrange / apply for visa at our own.. Sabi nila mahirap daw makakuha ng visa papuntang France compared to Italy.. Ok lang ba dummy air ticket booking?? may alam ba kayong makukuhanan ng dummy hotel booking?? Kasi kung kukunin na namin ang promo ng etihad airline, kelangan bayaran na namin agad and non-refundable kahit ma-decline ang visa to france.

[mynameisISSA]

I already been to Europe twice. Been there in 2004, then 2009.
Basically, out of the 5 countries I visited, I found UK the BEST place to tour.
My list goes like this:
1. UK - Malamig tapos super linis plus great security! Plus, it's english! Haha. Nice place to buy gadgets.
2. Prague, Czech Republic - Well preserved history. Lots of Churches. Parang disney wonderland. Puro castles and nice buildings talaga. SARAP NG STEAK! Plus mura lahat!
3. Italy - Vatican best place to visit. Catholic heritage. Parang Filipino hospitality. :-bd
4. Spain - It was a little hot in that place. People were very friendly. Pero sa mga museums nila, it smelled like pee. Very very dirty train stations (basura all over and soil too) Otherwise, still nice.
5. France - Rude french people who don't want to speak in English. :|, plus lots of Gypsies = Magnanakaw.

You might ask why I placed France in the last place? We got robbed in France by a family of Romanians. To think there were 9 of us (family, with 1 kid and 2 teens, rest are adults) travelling together ah. What they did was as we entered the train, I felt the girls hand slip into my bag. Good thing I was holding my bag's zipper. I pushed her hand away and I realized that my bag was half-way open. I asked my mom to check her bag, then she began to panic because it was open tapos wala na yung wallet niya. Tapos tinuro ko yung girl, nahalata ata na nahuli sila sa akto, tumakbo, pinagpasa-pasahan yung wallet tapos habul naman yung dad ko and dalawang tito ko. Good thing the wallet was recovered with all contents. We went to the police station and we were told that this ALWAYS happens.

[mynameisISSA]

what are the requirements to apply for tourist visa to france.. we are planning to avail etihad airline promo of 4d/3N in Disneyland Paris.. But we have to arrange / apply for visa at our own.. Sabi nila mahirap daw makakuha ng visa papuntang France compared to Italy.. Ok lang ba dummy air ticket booking?? may alam ba kayong makukuhanan ng dummy hotel booking?? Kasi kung kukunin na namin ang promo ng etihad airline, kelangan bayaran na namin agad and non-refundable kahit ma-decline ang visa to france.

I suggest you submit REAL documents and not dummy documents. Schengen is pretty strict with those.

[forsix10]

^sis winshe, i agree with sis mynameisISSA. accdg to my husband, hindi raw pwede ang dummy ticket although pwede kang makipag usap sa agency (kung kakilala mo or kung kaya mo pakiusapan) na igawa ka ng totoong ticket pero booking lang yun na kapag hindi ka natuloy eh cancel yung booking. need din ang confirmed hotel booking. 4d/3n din kami sa disneyland paris. we've been in Paris last March 21-26, 2010. enjoy 2 kids ko sa disneyland.

^sismynameisISSA, dami ko nga nabasa sa mga forum about paris train, about the girl na sinasabi mo. kaya nga nong sumakay kami ng train eh me konting kaba, bihira din understand ng english don. hay! hirap makipag usap. "bonjour at merci" lang madalas namin sabihin. I agree with you too, mas ok for me ang London kesa paris sa pamamasyal.napakaraming tao kahit saan.at saka don sa me eiffel,at versailles,me nakasabay kami na mga black-ewan anong lahi to basta ngtatakbuhan kasi me pulis daw.mga nagbebenta ng eiffel tower souvenirs.me naabutan din kami sa me eiffel na mga tourists din at kausap ang pulis.ewan kung bakit

[mynameisISSA]

^sismynameisISSA, dami ko nga nabasa sa mga forum about paris train, about the girl na sinasabi mo. kaya nga nong sumakay kami ng train eh me konting kaba, bihira din understand ng english don. hay! hirap makipag usap. "bonjour at merci" lang madalas namin sabihin. I agree with you too, mas ok for me ang London kesa paris sa pamamasyal.napakaraming tao kahit saan.at saka don sa me eiffel,at versailles,me nakasabay kami na mga black-ewan anong lahi to basta ngtatakbuhan kasi me pulis daw.mga nagbebenta ng eiffel tower souvenirs.me naabutan din kami sa me eiffel na mga tourists din at kausap ang pulis.ewan kung bakit

I know about the black people running sa Eiffel Tower. They sell kasi the mini Eiffel Tower souvenirs illegally. My dad thinks the police thing is just for show. In the times I've been in Paris, 2004 and 2009, nothing really changed. Same old thing. If they're really serious about capturing the black people selling the illegal stuff, matagal na sanang nagawan ng paraan. There really are a lot of magnanakaw there. Police there said that it's usually the Yugoslavians or the Romanians na nagnanakaw. Meron din isang guy na binantayan yung backpack ng dad ko, siyempre gumawa kami ng strategy. Tumapat ako sa likod ng dad ko para walang makuha. Eventually umalis din. Haha.

[mama squeak!]

what are the requirements to apply for tourist visa to france.. we are planning to avail etihad airline promo of 4d/3N in Disneyland Paris.. But we have to arrange / apply for visa at our own.. Sabi nila mahirap daw makakuha ng visa papuntang France compared to Italy.. Ok lang ba dummy air ticket booking?? may alam ba kayong makukuhanan ng dummy hotel booking?? Kasi kung kukunin na namin ang promo ng etihad airline, kelangan bayaran na namin agad and non-refundable kahit ma-decline ang visa to france.

First of all you have to be truthful when applying for a schengen visa. Since the purpose of your trip is to avail of the Disneyland Paris promo then put it in your application form. If you'll be staying with friends or relatives there put that in your application otherwise you will have to present a hotel booking confirmation letter. Madali lang gawin to, you can book online but be aware that hotel bookings in Paris will ask you to pre-pay for one night. Some would even have non-refundable booking fees. So if you're going this route make sure you book at the hotel where you really intend to stay kasi sayang naman yung booking fee.

As to airline tickets, you don't have to buy the tickets yet. A flight booking confirmation letter from the airline or your travel agent will do. Don't worry alam na ng airline or your travel agent ito pag humingi ka for visa application purposes.

For your other schengen visa concerns, there is an existing thread on this here. Search for it na lang.

 

[mama squeak!]

@forsix and mynameisISSA - Marami talagang nagkalat na mga gypsies not only in Paris but all over Europe. They are particularly notorious in Rome or any other popular tourist sites or crowded places like train stations or metros there. The trick to not being robbed or hassled by these individuals is to not look like a typical tourist. Of course it's kinda hard to not look like one specially if it's your first time to see the place! But being aware and alert of your surroundings and the people around you will help. What forsix did with her dad's backpack was a good move. Don't act helpless or lost even if you are kasi it will show and that's their opportunity to make you loko. Come to think of it hindi lang naman sa Europe meron manloloko or magnanakaw, kahit saan naman. Konting ingat lang. Don't let matters like these affect your enjoyment of seeing new places and meeting new people.

 

[mynameisISSA]

@mama squeak! - It was actually our second time in Europe nung nanakawan kami. We tried not to look like the typical tourist, pero di parin talaga eh. HAHA. btw, I was the one who did that sa backpack My dad told me to make bantay. Totoo naman yun, anywhere naman. Kahit naman dito sa Manila eh. Kaso sa totoo lang, na-trauma ako nun nung nangyari yun. Grabe. Anyway, now it's a story to tell people.

[lesters_gal]

^sis childstar,nothing to worry about cigarette dahil most of the italians are smokers.both male and females.kahit saan pwede ka mag smoke wag lang sa loob ng disco.

Your 1000 euro is enough for pocket money.madami ka na mabibili.sa food naman my mga resto naman na masarap and affordable pa. pizza,pasta,steak,gelato etc.enjoy your trip here sis.

Btw.ingat sa metro madaming magnanakaw.lalo na kapag siksikan.

[childstar]

^ thanks sis! I'm leaving this week! At least di strict sa cigarettes at makakapag dala ako ng madaming packs 

We'll be staying in Rome then we plan to take a train daw to France. Tama ba na 10 hours ang train? sayang naman oras. I guess mas mahal ng bongga pag plane from Italy to France.

[mama squeak!]

^That's about right. Marami kasing stops yung train. Suggest get the night train para tulog lang kayo. When you wake up you're at your destination na.

Check mo rin mga airfares. There are a lot of low cost carriers offering affordable fares. Check mo this link for the list of low cost airlines in Europe.

http://www.low-cost-airline-guide.com/en/low_cost_airlines.htm

Enjoy your trip!

 

[cheaca]

^^Adding to what mamasqueak! has said, kung pwede kayo mag plane, take Easy Jet. My family and I took left Venice for Paris via Easy Jet and we had a good experience. Tama lang yung sinabi sa review sites na delayed yung flight kasi yung amin na delay pero bagong bago pa yung plane. Word of caution, don't avail of the Speedy Boarding, kasi useless, sabay sabay din kayo na aakyat sa plane and maghahanap ng seat. Baka pwede ka magsuggest, to stop over some parts in Italy na on the way to France. Sa Paris ba kayo pupunta? Maybe you can stop by, Venice or Milan. Enjoy your trip sis! I'm on my last week in Europe and I'm begining to feel anxious about going home.

Ay, diba ang dami na cancelled flights because of the volcanic eruption in Iceland?

[sonncza]

how much rates ngayon ng european tours, im familiar with cosmos na, ive joined one of their tours way back,

[mama squeak!]

^^Yikes! Good luck on your trip home. Hopefully by the time you come home medyo normalised na the flight schedules. As of today, all our Europe flights are cancelled and we're not accepting any bookings to Europe until May. 

[childstar]

hi all! greeting from Roma!      I will be giving you guys my detailed kwento when I get home on Wednesday. I can't believe I'm gone for a week already! I can't wait to feel the heat and eat real pinoy food! i take back what I said that I can eat Italian food everyday.

We did not get the chance to go to France coz of the ash cloud. super jampacked mga trains. haggard!

[cheaca]

^Ganyan din ako when I first visited Italy, sa Rome din kami una, sabi ko I can eat pasta and pizza everyday pero sa 3rd day pa lang ata namin, gusto ko na ng Pinoy food. Pero, yung punta ko sa Venice, last week, hindi ko hinanap Pinoy food. Kasi bago kami umalis, sinawa ko sarili ko sa Pinoy food. hehe Sana sis makauwi tayo parehas. Sa Friday pa lang kami aalis ng Barcelona going to Manila via Amsterdam.

mamasqueak!, I enjoy Europe very much naman pero gusto ko naman makauwi kasi baka pag nagtagal pa ko e wala na ko trabaho. I'm in Barcelona right now and sometimes I wish I could stay longer. But then again...

Word of caution sa mga mag pupunta ng Lourdes, everything their is mahal. Avoid buying sa mga sari sari store. When you get to your hotel, ask where Carrefour is. Medyo malayo na kasi siya don sa Grotto. Tapos, if you'll be buying souvenirs, canvass first! Unahin niyo puntahan yung Palais du Rosaire, it's the biggest souvenir shop and most of the time, have the cheapest items. It's before the bridge going to the main entrance of The Sanctuaries. If that store is closed, go to Jerusalem a Lourdes. Siya lang yung store na may Philippine Flag. Tapos yung may ari, marunong din siya mag Filipino and his name is Joseph.