European Tours II

[wowry]

Yehey! Thanks Mama Squeak!

[juana_antonia]

^And if I may add, Linate is very accessible sa center.  Just ride the number 73 bus- that bus will take you to San Babila and from San Babila, you could walk going to Duomo.  There's also the X73 bus, express bus siya, mas mabilis.

[mama squeak!]

^sis, are you based in Milan or Rome? I might need your help when I finalise my itinerary for Italy. 

 

[juana_antonia]

^Hi!  From Milan.  Sure sis, no problem. 

[wowry]

^And if I may add, Linate is very accessible sa center.  Just ride the number 73 bus- that bus will take you to San Babila and from San Babila, you could walk going to Duomo.  There's also the X73 bus, express bus siya, mas mabilis.

wow thanks sa details!  question ulit sis pls.From Milan Linate how to go around Italy?Turin muna then Florence,Pisa,Venice then Rome? Kung medyo sinisipag ka pa-include na rin ng transportation if bus or train ba please please. Thanks!

[ninayging]

Hey girls! Sorry to butt in but I'm really new to this chatting thing so I really don't know how to do quotes. Anyways, I was wondering if somebody can give me that contact name/number for the balikbayan shipper in Paris. A friend & I will be going on a 7-night western Mediterranean cruise beginning & ending in Barcelona. From Barcelona we go to Madrid for 5 nights then 4 nights in Paris. I won't have a prob bringing my stuff back home to Florida bec Continental has relatively generous baggage allowances (sino pa ba allows 40 lbs handcarry & 50 lbs checked-in? last I checked ---WALA!) pero my friend will be traveling via Singapore Airlines. Wawa naman siya because their luggage limits are so restrictive. So if she can send a balikbayan box home, she can shop till she drops!
I was also in Paris last year, part of a 3-week trip through Portugal, Spain and France. I left Paris in early November and it wasn't that cold. Siguro un-seasonably warm lang so my suggestion to those wondering about what clothes to bring --- dress in layers! Unless super lamigin kayo or type niyo lang mag-steam under an overcoat for photo opps or to look chic in Paris, then you can bring/wear your peacoat or something. Pero mahirap mag-tour sa Paris if you're all bundled up in Sept or even Oct kumpleto pa boots and all. Sa totoo lang, there were many people who dressed rather chic there pero they weren't tourists. They wear their boots and nice jackets/coats pero they're going to work. Pag mag-iikot ka na doon, you'd wish you left most of your gear back in the hotel. I also found the Hop-on/Hop-off bus tour as VERY convenient going around Paris. Konti lang ang difference b/w the one day and 2-day ticket so I got the 2-day ticket and used that instead of the Metro to get around. We did take the Metro to & from the Eiffel Tower for nighttime pics and medyo nakakalito siya lalo na if you're not familiar with an extensive Metro line and don't speak French.

[mama squeak!]

^Check mo ito if this works out for you. 

 http://www.bayan-ko.com/balikbayan-box.php

 

^Try this or you can send a private message to GT naughtybrat who sent her old stuff via BBbox.

[naughtybrat]

Hi girls! Here's the number of the BBox shipper in Paris
+33 6 62 07 06 25
Mark Tan

Hope this helps!

*so excited to go back for the sale in Paris!! woot woot!

[mama squeak!]

^Would you mind sharing how much you payed? How heavy was your box? And how long did it take to be delivered to you?

Thanks!   

[ninayging]

^Thanks NB and Mama! I wish they had a website or email. I guess I can call them, umiiwas lang ako sa overseas charges. NB, did you get your stuff back home in good condition? How long did it take to get to Manila and are there shipping issues I may need to know about? Salamat uli!

[juana_antonia]

wow thanks sa details!  question ulit sis pls.From Milan Linate how to go around Italy?Turin muna then Florence,Pisa,Venice then Rome? Kung medyo sinisipag ka pa-include na rin ng transportation if bus or train ba please please. Thanks!

From Linate sis, take Bus 73 or X73 bus.  Yung pinaka-capo linea niya or pinakadulo ng biyahe nun is San Babila.  From San Babila, take the red metro train, malapit lang yan sa fermata ng mga bus 73/X73.  Sa red train, baba ka sa Centrale station-- diyan ka makakakuha ng trains na inter-Italy.  You could buy your tickets there.  You could choose dun sa normal train and the freccia rosa- mas mahal ito pero mas mabilis.

[melodymedley]

Anyone here who flew using budget airlines in Europe?

I plan to book a seat in Ryanair. I am contemplating if I should get an additional check-in bag. 10kg lang kasi limit sa cabin baggage:

"Strictly one item of cabin baggage per passenger (excluding infants) weighing up to 10kg with maximum dimensions of 55cm x 40cm x 20cm is permitted. (handbag, briefcase, laptop, shop purchases, camera etc.) must be carried in your 1 permitted piece of cabin baggage."

I currently travel 8kg of luggage using my backpack with about the same size. Pero may  3L of water dun lagi or may pasalubong. Remove that, I have more room for luggage. I've carried around 10 outfits and more with that weight. Ang worry ko, baka lumampas ako ng 10kg. Plus, I plan to bring a handcarry bag pa.

Any insights on whether I should still get that additional baggage? sayang ang 15euros eh. 

Plus ayoko na mag-check in sana ng gamit -  separation anxiety  with my backpack in a foreign country.

[naughtybrat]

Mama Squeak & Ninayging - i can't remember how much it was, i have to ask my mom and get back to you. They said the box will arrive in 45 days but it took longer i counted 56 days    Our box just arrived today, as in ngayon lang, around an hour ago. But it's in good condition naman i think everything is there. Mostly old clothes naman so okay lang. Make a list of the things you'll put in just to be sure

[naughtybrat]

They provide and bring the box to you. They also pick it up and seal when you're done packing
Ask them to seal the bottom side as they drop it off to you can start filling it up ASAP 

[ninayging]

^ Thanks NB! Sounds like they're a legitimate business then because you did receive your goods. I was just a bit apprehensive because we'll be tourists in Paris and if there's a problem (e.g. shipment never received or tampered/missing box contents) it'd be hard to go after them. I hope they're pretty good about providing the box and picking up in a timely manner. Again, being tourists, we really can't just wait around for them to come pick up the box.

[mama squeak!]

^That's good to know, sis! Next time I'm in Paris and napasubo sa shopping I'll get in touch with them too.

Ang hinahanap ko naman ngayon is BBBox service in Rome. Hubby and I will be going to Italy next year and I'm sure with all the outet shopping there magkakaroon kami ng excess baggage. Anyone knows of this service there?

 

[naughtybrat]

^mama squeak! i'll check if i still have the number. 

[vhanya]

sis mama squeak, how much enough allowance for 1 day? kasama na jan yung train + food + museum fee (kung may pupuntahan kaming museum). is P10k enough for 2? btw, may breakfast na kami sa hotel so 2 meals na lang hehe

[mama squeak!]

^sis, for your meals expect to pay around EUR12-20/person for lunch if you're eating at mid-range restaurants or cafes. A little higher for dinner probably around EUR20-30/person. But if you'll be happy with sandwiches it will definitely be way cheaper. Here's my earlier post of our week in Paris:
 
http://www.femalenetwork.com/girltalk/index.php/topic,216556.20.html

For your transpo going around Paris, get the Paris Visite Pass if you'll be staying for more than 4 days. The pass is good for the Metro, RER and bus. You get discounts too on some sights not covered by the Paris Museum Pass. Here's my post about the Paris Visite Pass:

http://www.femalenetwork.com/girltalk/index.php/topic,216556.0.html

For your museum visits, get the Paris Museum Pass. It will come out cheaper if you'll be visiting more than 3 museums. Plus some sights have special entrance access for pass holders so you don't have to wait in line. Here's my earlier post about the Paris Museum Pass:

http://www.femalenetwork.com/girltalk/index.php/topic,216556.60.html

 

[vhanya]

ah ok so lets say ganito:

food -       EUR    60      60/day (lunch & dinner)
museum - EUR  48/4 = 12/day
transpo  - EUR  30/5  =  6/day
_____________________________
TOTAL                  EUR  78/day /pax

pwede na, kasya yung 10k per day for 2 hehe may sobrang konti. thanks sis! it will be cheaper in other parts of europe right?