European Tours II

[letters_to_cleo]

May question ako na medyo OT but I hope it's okay am planning to go on an EU trip kasi late January 2012. May question is magkaka-airline sale pa kaya ang KLM/Air France ng Christmas season? :-) Kasi now ang return ng Seoul-Paris-Seoul is 1.1kUSD  with taxes. Parang okay na but may imumura pa kaya? So sorry baka mali ang lagay ko ng forum ha? But I assumed those who travel to EU would be here and would have idea if may airline sale pa by holiday season. Thanks sa sasagot! And sorry if this is indeed OT!  I want an eating tour sana kasi sa Paris tapos magtrain na lang ako pa Amsterdam then Brussels then back to Paris. okay ba ito or mas okay ang Seoul-Paris then Amsterdam-Seoul? Medyo mas mahal kasi ticket pag eto ang route.  Thanks again!

[mama squeak!]

^No, you're Qs are not OT.   

I don't know how it is in Korea but from here (MNL) you should be able to get cheap fares as late January is considered off-peak because of the winter season. Wala masyadong babyahe nyan because super lamig and the daylight hours are so short. Expect a lot of hotels to be cheap too.

Have you tried other airlines and compare their fares? When you do mock bookings choose the multi-city/stop over option. In KLM's website click on the Return to/from a different destination. Time-wise better to do an open jaw routing than a round trip one. Mag-TGV ka nalang from AMS or CDG or wherever you decide to go. TGV tickets are sold at least 03 months before departure and are cheaper if you purchase in advance.

[letters_to_cleo]

Yay Thanks Mama squeak! So far eto ang pinakamura na tix I saw from here(Seoul).  Anyway I'll try mockbooking ulit!Thank you! Thank you!

[m_lim]

oh no!!

http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/insideOpinion.htm?f=2011/october/19/jojorobles.isx&d=2011/october/19

[mama squeak!]

^Yup! That's true      By Dec their daily flights will be reduced to 6 and by April they will stop operations from Manila. So for those wishing to take KLM from May 2012 onwards you will have to go via HKG. Our airline choices are now getting smaller.

[mama squeak!]

Anyone planning to spend Christmas or the New Year in Europe? You might want to check out Cathay Pacific's Europe getaway surprise running until 04 Nov and travel period until March 2012.

Cheapest round trip ticket is USD645 plus taxes or total of USD982.00 only. Not bad na! Check their website for details na lang.

 

[[-c-h-a-]]

^OMG that's so cheap!!! I wish we're in Manila...

[mama squeak!]

^I know! I really wanted to buy na nga as our original Europe trip schedule was late March to April para early spring kaso wala pang news about my hubby's vacation leave. So we will be moving our trip to September-October again. I am hoping there will be good promos during that time.

[italiandoll]

Hi ladies! Had a blast in Europe for my birthday! We arrived last week. Roma's still the #1 for me, always will be.  Spellbinding Roma.  I was totally blown away!

It was cold in Germany, Switzerland and Paris and a bit warmer in Italy. I already miss Europe so much and would love to go back (I'll try my luck at the lottery first hehe).

We took a package and for me, it was really great and worth the price because I was with my whole family and it was very convenient for us,  we did not have to checkin/out ourselves, very safe because we had a coach bus where we can leave our stuff  (and the shopping bags!) and just bring our valuables for quick coffee/WC stops, after hours of walking, we could just sit back, relax and take a nap and off we went to the next destination instead of dissecting the map for the metro/bus with heavy shopping bags in tow, our suitcases were already taken care of, we just had to fix them and leave them outside our doors in the morning.  Our tour director was so much fun and we learned a lot from her (got insider tips that I haven't been able to get from my research) and we also met lots of new friends from different places and formed a bond within the tour. The best part is we also got to explore and enjoy by ourselves (try the local transpo, go wherever we want) during our free time and we got to see a whole lot!  We went DIY on some of the optionals, like the vatican, Louvre, Seine River cruise, etc etc to save up (optionals when purchased through our tour director were pricey).  Next time if I'd go back with just my sibling or my partner, or with my pals, we'll go DIY since we've already been there and for me it is easier to go DIY if you don't have a whole family to think about, or you don't have young nieces and nephews with you (my parents are no longer that young, so convenience is a priority).   I don't think I'd want for them to haul their luggage in and out of the public trains (cabs are more expensive), that would be too tedious.

As for me, I wouldn't mind taking trains and buses all the time and go backpacking budget style, its soo much fun and getting lost is part of the adventure.  

I left my heart in Europe!

[Crissy]

^sis italiandoll, what's the name of your tour operator?   

[italiandoll]

@Crissy: We booked through Cosmos. 

[Crissy]

^thanks sis. i'll try to check it out.  Meron din ba kayong kasama na solo traveler.  I plan to go kasi solo, next yr, 1st time ko pa :-)

[italiandoll]

^you're welcome. yup, we had 3 female solo travelers on board, all American, I was actually thinking (though I enjoyed it with my family), it must have been such an adventure to do it solo.

[lavieenrose]

Mga Sis, I need your suggestion please.  This are my initial plan itirenary for a european tour sana , France-Amterdam-Parague-Vienna-Budapest. Ok ba ang order of pkace and How would I go to this places if DYI lang? Masyadong mahal if I join the tour, pang shopping ko na lang :-P

Prague, Vienna and Budapest are close to each other so you can take the train France (Paris) to Amsterdam I believe is about 4+ hours via Thalys train. But from AMS to Central Europe it might take an overnight train. Central Europe is also a bit cheaper than the cities in the West. Enjoy Europe, I wish more Filipinos would dare visit this beautiful continent. Happy travels.

[Crissy]

^Thanks a lot sis Lavieenrose for the info.  I find Central Europe more interesting base sa mga pics & experience shared ng mga sis natin dito.  Do you have any idea if there's a flight going straight Central Europe from Phil? From Central Europe going to Paris, how long will it takes by train? or it's better to take a plane going there? 

[lavieenrose]

^Hi Crissy, I don't think there are direct flights from Manila to Central Europe, I suppose you can try flights via HK, Dubai / Abu Dhabi, or Amsterdam. I've had good experience with the Dubai - Vienna (Emirates) route.

Prague to Paris via train takes 11 to 14 hours. It probably is around 1.5 - 2 hours via plane.
Train travel between Vienna - Prague - Budapest will be between 2-4 hours each way.

[mama squeak!]

@Crissy, if you are leaving before April 2012, there is one airline with a direct flight to Europe. That would be KLM arriving in Amsterdam around 6PM. They have connecting flights to major cities in Europe so expect to be arriving around 10PM onwards if Amsterdam is not your first stop. After April 2012, KLM will stop their direct service from MNL and will fly from HKG or BKK instead.

Amsterdam to Paris is 3 hours and 20 minutes by Thalys train. There are 5 to 6 departures a day depending on the day of the week. While Amsterdam to Prague is 10-14 hours via train. Check this map to give you an idea where the cities you want to go to are located:

http://www.eurail.com/sites/all/files/eurail.com/downloads/eurail-map-2011.pdf

If you do a clockwise tour, suggest this itinerary:

Day 1    Arrive AMS at 6PM. Overnight Amsterdam
Day 2    City tour in Amsterdam. Take City Night Line train to Prague at 7PM.
Day 3    Arrive Prague in the morning.
Day 4    Prague
Day 5    Prague or take afternoon train to Vienna
Day 6    Prague or Vienna
Day 7    Vienna
Day 8    Vienna
Day 9    Train from Vienna to Budapest
Day 10   Budapest
Day 11   Budapest
Day 12   Suggest take a flight to Paris as the train ride is 15 hours long with multiple stops and change trains. While a flight will take you approximately 2 hours only. Check Air France or Malev.
Day 13 onwards Paris

Now if you decide to do a counter clockwise tour. Just reverse the suggested itinerary.

Lastly, suggest to get an open jaw ticket. Meaning arriving in one city and departing from another city to save you time. Unless you can find a promo fare for a round trip ticket.

 

[melodymedley]

@mama squeak: Promo also applies to open jaw tickets right? I think nag-mock booking ako dati sa CX - yung pang multi-stopover/destination na option. Mas mahal.

I am still not over Europe. I am already dreaming about my Europe part two trip which will focus on Spain (10 days) and Greece (7 days). 24 days ulit ang balak ko  for the entire trip. My draft IT: Spain (Barcelona, Madrid) - Nice, Milan, then from Milan fly to Greece. Greece for a week (Santorini and some island) and then fly back to Milan or out of Greece.

I am having a difficult time with this kasi West-East yung route. So I am thinking of getting an open jaw ticket for this trip. Spring 2013 ang target date ko.

I have go to Spain and Greece kasi target countries ko yan before I turn 30. I was already able to check France, Germany and Italy from my Travel Bucket List before 30.

[melodymedley]

^you're welcome. yup, we had 3 female solo travelers on board, all American, I was actually thinking (though I enjoyed it with my family), it must have been such an adventure to do it solo.

It was a AWESOME ADVENTURE for me! Hay, I am so glad I did it on my own. Iba yung feeling ng accomplishment when you execute your own plans. Thanks to the support I got from this thread.  Met lots of Taiwanese and Australians girls traveling on their own too.

Although if I go to Europe with my whole family, I'd probably get a tour group too. Ayoko maging punong-abala for lots of people. Nakaka-stress din yun. I agree, kapag for parents, may certain level of comfort dapat. Kung medyo young pa naman, dapat yung game sa DIY. Saw lots of people and couples fighting in cities.

General scene of the fight:

Girl (angry): I'm tired, I want to take the bus/train/tram
Boy (trying to be patient): But the _(tourist spot)_ is just a couple of blocks away.
Girl (higher voice): You said that 10/15/20 minutes ago! We are lost! I want to take the bus/train/tram.
Boy: We are not lost, it is just a couple of blocks away going this way. See? People are going that way.

I walked away at that point, laughing to myself. Baka kapag may sinama ako friend hindi na kami friends! Since I got lost too from time to time.

[Crissy]

^^^Sis Lavieenrose & mama squeak, Thank you so much for the suggestions & info.  It's really a big help to start my planning for next yr trip.

@mama squeak: I think I'll follow your suggested itinerary. At least  my idea na ako sa sequence nang place, this will also my guide where to start.  I will start research for the hotels & sites of each places.  Ty! :-D