European Tours II

[mama squeak!]

^Do you mean this http://www.parislopentour.com/acheter-en-ligne.php ?

It's fine if you'll be visiting during the not so cold or not so warm months. Though it is a pretty expensive option to be touring Paris. I still prefer the Paris Visite pass ( http://www.ratp.fr/en/ratp/c_21894/paris-visite/ ). With the Paris Visite pass you get additional discounts on some of the museums/sights not covered by the Paris Museum pass. Plus there are buses covered by the Paris Visite pass that go the route of the hop on hop off bus, cheaper pa!

Here's my earlier post: http://www.femalenetwork.com/girltalk/index.php/topic,216556.240.html

[m_lim]

bitt3rswit, apartment din kami sa Rome! from Airbnb rin. 10 kasi kami eh.

[krock]

@mama squeak!

i think she wants the view ata. pero she's open to suggestions naman. where do you suggest we book a hotel? what area?

[melodymedley]

@m_lim: My vote goes to Paris and Venice. +1 night in Paris and +1 in Venice. Those two are my most favorite cities during my trip. Kahit ba pareho silang mahal. hehe.

Nakakapagod yung 2 nights Venice and 2 nights Florence because of the packing-unpacking and travel. But it is possible naman.

Actually, kahit sa Paris na yung 2 days na yun. I'll allocate one whole day for shopping alone. Ingat nga lang, since you will be flying to Italy after, bibigat baggage nyo. BUT then again, if you love art, don't miss Florence. 

[m_lim]

^parang gusto ko nalang gawing 4days yung Venice. what do you think, sis?

kaso wala akong makitang apartment. ang mamahal ng hotels!

[Thelay]

may question po ako.. kasi from paris pupunta kami ng Lourdes via train kaso after lourdes rome na po kami. Airline or train to Rome? If airline ano po ang airline nag cater from lourdes to rome?

[mama squeak!]

@mama squeak!

i think she wants the view ata. pero she's open to suggestions naman. where do you suggest we book a hotel? what area?

Sis, if you backread a few pages you'll see my post on some recommended hotels. Check mo reply #400
Now, depende na lang sa season and sa budget nyo if you want a view of the Eiffel tower the room rates will be more expensive compared to a non-view room.

If you really want the view and are willing to splurge I recommend staying at my favorite hotel chain, The Paris Shangri-La.

http://www.shangri-la.com/en/property/paris/shangrila

 

[jadedrock]

I'm going to Europe with my boyfriend in April
Paris - Brussels - Bruges - Amsterdam - Rome - Vatican - Venice - Paris

We're just waiting for our Visa.. hope ma-approve.  Any of you here going in April too? Apr 15 ang dating namin sa Paris, May 1 ang alis

We booked our hotels through easytobook, planes via easyjet and airasia (we got rebooked to malaysia airlines).  Excited na ako!

[bitt3rswit]

Naiinis ako. I called Italian Embassy to set a schedule for the pick up of the documents, and April 18 pa available! 15 working days pa ang process so hindi ako aabot sa departure ko date namin which is May 2. Grabe I have to re-book everything. Lahat pa naman ng hotels na nabook ko non-refundable and no cancellations...

[m_lim]

^^Hi jadedrock, saan hotel/b&b kayo sa Venice? tapos na kayo sa interview? which embassy?

bitt3rswit, hassle naman yan sis!

[mama squeak!]

@bitt3rswit, have you tried getting in touch with the French embassy and ask if you can get the Schengen visa from them instead? Tutal halos pareho naman yata length of stay ninyo sa France and Italy. You can tell them your situation baka i-consider na rin nila application mo. Try calling and sending them an email. Personal experience ko with them mabilis silang sumagot sa email.

 

[jadedrock]

Naiinis ako. I called Italian Embassy to set a schedule for the pick up of the documents, and April 18 pa available! 15 working days pa ang process so hindi ako aabot sa departure ko date namin which is May 2. Grabe I have to re-book everything. Lahat pa naman ng hotels na nabook ko non-refundable and no cancellations...

send an email to their VISA SECTION and request for personal appearance (though i read recently that they are quite strict now because there are a lot of people requesting for this).  Of course you have to justify why you're requesting for personal appearance. In our case, we told them that my BF needs to travel in two weeks and thus would require his passport to be with him by that time, so we requested for rush processing.  They gave us an early sched (March 5) and asked us to come back for our passports today (March 13). 

[jadedrock]

^^Hi jadedrock, saan hotel/b&b kayo sa Venice? tapos na kayo sa interview? which embassy?

Hotel Locandia Ovidius?  It's the cheapest hotel na nearest St. Mark's kasi kaya even if there are some bad reviews, kinuha na namin. we'll stay there for 2 nights lang naman eh. grabe talaga ang prices ng hotels in Venice! sabi nila mag-day tour na lang daw, pero gusto ko lang talaga ma-experience kaya pikit mata na lang ang pagbook! we found the hotel through easytobook.  Sa Italian Embassy kami nakakuha ng visa today game na game na!

[bitt3rswit]

mama squeak, nag panic ako at nag email na ako sa lahat ng hotels na book namin. so far 2 out of 3 hotels nag respond na and they grant our request without penalty. Grabe, THANK GOD talaga kundi ang laki ng loss namin. Hinihintay ko na lang mag respond yung isang hotel.

[t_r_i_c_i_a]

^ apr 11 daw yung sched namin for schengen sa italian embassy pero yung agency ang nagaayos. 1 week lang daw processing. Leaving on apr 21 sana walang aberya.

[m_lim]

madami nagtatanong sa akin kung "bullet train" daw ba yung sasakyan namin from Venice to Florence and Florence to Rome, may mabagal at mabilis na train ba sa route na yan? we're planning to use Trenitalia. ano ba yun? yung mas mabilis?

[mom_G]

^ sis, when you check the schedules on trenitalia, makikita mo naman yung trip duration.  piliin mo na lang yung fastest na compatible sa schedule nyo.  yung mga regional or intercity trains ang mas mabagal kasi mas marami yata yung stops.

[mama squeak!]

@m_lim, Trenitalia has different kinds of trains, fast, very fast, slow and very slow (lots of stops)     Now depends na lang on your schedule and route kung anong train yung makukuha mo. You can check Trenitalia's website to give you an idea of what type of train to get:

 http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=f4e43bf7c819a110VgnVCM1000003f16f90aRCRD

[m_lim]

^thanks again mama squeak! super helpful ka talaga.

[jenny_syngkit]

hi. comments pls if ok tong 5-day IT for Rome. thanks.

Day 1
8:59am Arrive in Rome
The Collosseum / Palatine Hill / The Forum
Santa Maria Maggiore church, St. Peter in chains church
Circus Maximus, Mouth of Truth, Capitolini Hill
         
Day 2
Trevi Fountain, Crypt of the Capucchin Monks
Spanish steps
Piazza del Popolo and churches within
Ara Pacis, Agustus Mausoleum

Day 3         
Aventine Hill, Santa Sabina, Knights of Malta Keyhole
Temple of Vesta, Temple of Fortuna
Teatro di Marcello, churches in the area         
      
Day 4
Vatican City
St. Peter’s Basilica
Castel Sant’Angelo
Piazza Navona, St. Agnes in Agone
The Pantheon
Santa Maria Sopra Minerva

Day 5         
Day trip to Tivoli (Villa d’Este)   

Day 6
13:50 Depart Rome