European Tours Thread 3

[shegie_285]

Cinnam, I guess anywhere you go in Europe you can never go wrong if architecture, scenery and local food ang gusto mo.  Europe has so much character and each country can offer you those! nakakalito talaga pumili. My husband, who is Irish and has been to most countries in Europe, said that Paris is one of the grandest. That was the first city I visited since I lived here in Europe. He told me nga you've seen the grandest, nothing probably would compare. His favourite city though is Prague (I haven't been).

For me,  I picked the famous cities first -  Paris, Rome, Barcelona and London.

Regarding bikes, I think its more of being safe than the fines. Like here in Ireland, we do have bike lanes kaso nasa tabi naman ito ng mga vehicles so pag mali ka ng turn baka maaksidente ka. Agree with mamasqueak, get the metro instead mura din, I think Paris or Rome was €1 lang per trip.

[riksy07]

@cinnam

I agree with shegie. Europe is like a living, breathing museum. I personally liked Rome because of the multitude of churches and fountains and statues. The churches there are really something to marvel at. But I also have to say that Paris is grand and it has it's own elegance in its architecture - just look at the Louvre and at the Grand Palais, plus I like their bridges. Parisian architecture sort of aims to impress. London's architecture for me naman is the firm, sturdy type. It's structure, in every sense of the word. It's grand but functional.

As for food, it's a matter of finding places where the locals eat. It's usually the restaurants, pubs, or diners that are tucked away in alleys and small streets. These, I think, have the "real" taste of the country while at the same time not charging atrocious "tourist" prices. The more languages the menu is translated in, the more expensive it is and it does not necessarily equate to delicious food.

[summer_princess]

Ditto, I'm such a fan of Europe's architecture especially that of Paris. As in every corner, I'd really stop
and snap. Kakapagod na nga magtake ng pic bec almost everywhere you go in Paris is nice, super nice!

I prefer having lunch at those quaint, humble, tiny restos lined up near the Canal or river ba yun.
My tita said, Parisians usually have lunches there. I prefer this compared to touristy restos, def a lot
cheaper compared to those lined up into major streets

[melvel]

I'm back from my Europe trip. As far as I'm concerned, London >>> Paris. Although Paris is better for designer goods shopping.

Will do detailed accounts on my blog soon.

[little_princess]

cinnam, may bikes for rent sa london and paris it's very convenient pero people take cycling there seriously! as for the countires, i'd do westerm europe first and maybe prague and spain and if you have time, london kasi it's a different visa application

^ i agree! i love paris, it's beautiful but i love london more

food wise, i always check trip advisor and it hasn't failed us so far but anywhere hidden or where tourists flock, it's a sure winner.

[charmed30]

do you think it's ok to do a solo travel in europe? is it generally safe?
my planned itinerary is to go to paris, amsterdam, brussels, munich, prague, vienna, italy(rome, florence, venice)

[mama squeak!]

^sis, backread ka madami ng GT sis na nakapag-solo.

 

[jeune]

Just got back from Innsbruck, Austria and it was an amazing trip! (at least for me ) The weather was perfect.

1st destination -  Swarovski Crystal Worlds located in Wattens, 20 mins from Innsbruck. If you like Swarovski, this place is for you. They have 14 rooms showcasing different crystallines at it's finest. The very last room is the store where you can buy Swarovski jewelries at a factory price. You can also sign up for membership, €34/year and get a free gift worth more than the membership ( I signed up just 'cause ) and of course it came with perks and privileges.

2nd destination - downtown Innsbruck. Just like any other city, it has old town, 38 incredible churches, museums and other tourist attractions. I have heard of the famous Sacher torte but didn't had the chance to try one as we were eager to see the Alps.

3rd destination - The Alps. We took the Nordkettenbahn to the Alps and paid about €57/rt for 2 person from Innsbruck-Hafelekar-Innsbruck. We got to Seegrub and was just amazed by the view from the top of the mountain. Also you can choose whether you want to walk down from the top, ride your bicycle or ride the cable railway back. It was truly a remarkable trip!

[triggerhappy]

We are planning to have our eurotrip next year in may-june for 32 days. We'll try to fit in paris, amsterdam,prague,venice,rome,florence,positano,santorini,switzerland,barcelona. Is this doable? Our budget is 500k for 2 excluding airfare. I dont want it to be super hectic but these are the places I'd really love to visit. 

[melvel]

For next year, we're planning to do Spain-France-Italy naman.

I have a few questions:
1 - What would be the better way to do it, Italy muna or Spain muna?  In Italy, we plan to go to Rome, Florence and possibly Milan.  In Spain, ang sure pa lang ay Barcelona.
2 - I'm going with my senior citizen parents.  Ok ba seniors sa mga arranged tour groups?  I've never joined arranged tours kasi, not sure if there's a lot of walking involved and baka mapagod sila.

[jenger109]

we will be in zurich this december with my tita and cousins..

then planning to paris on valentine's day.. madami kayang tao pag valentine's day doon? just thinking.. and saan maganda mag stay, yung ok naman and affordable.. may accommodation na ako, sa house ng isa kong tita, but my friends want to come also kaya baka hanap na lang kami place..

then what month maganda pumunta sa rome mga sis? dami ko questions sorry..

eto pa lang naiisip ko puntahan.. basa basa pa ako sa thread na to para may idea pa..

[divamom]

We're planning a Euro trip next year around April or May as graduation gift for my daughter, this will be a first time for us. I have checked the package tours offered by different local travel agencies and their prices range from $3.5-$4k with airfare included. Would I be able to save as much for 3 pax if we DIY? Or are we better off with the package tour? This includes pala London, Amsterdam, Paris, Lucerne, Venice, Florence, and Rome.

Thanks in advance mga sis!

[mama squeak!]

^At the top of my head, I will say yes to DIY. Although you did not mention how long the trip will be and how long your stay per city.

[divamom]

^Thanks for your reply, mama squeak!

The tour package offered is for 16 days with 2-3 days per stop.

If ever we DIY, I'd really love to see these places: London, Paris, Barcelona, Venice, Rome, Pisa, Milan, Verona (to see Juliet's house for my teen ), and Pisa...so 4 countries lang and maybe 3 weeks to spare.  Would 500k pesos for us 3 is enough including airfare? Thanks again sis!

[mama squeak!]

^sis, the problem with packaged tours is very hectic yung schedule (unless you get the high end tours like Insight which gives you more time to see a place but with matching gold price tag, of course!). They will try to cram everything in the shortest possible time. Now there are people who are okay with this and it probably works for them that's why packaged tours are still popular.

But if you are the type who prefers to take their time to see and feel the place then DIY is the way to go. Yun lang kailangan matyaga ka sa planning and research. If you've been backreading on this thread and the other Euro and country-specific threads in Europe, you'll notice na marami dito opted for a DIY trip. Kasi it's very rewarding talaga. Hawak mo oras and budget mo.

Just to give you an example our recent trip, hubby and I spent roughly USD5.5K between the two of us not including airfare and shopping money. Here's my post a couple pages back. Hindi pa kami nagtipid sa B&B and train travel nyang lagay na yan ha.

With your intended places to visit, are you okay with just spending 2-3 days per city? Parang amazing race kasi tapos 16 days out lang kayo? Ideally you would want to spend at least 4-5 days in London (ang mahal ng visa if youll only be spending 2-3 days here). Then another 4 days in Paris, 3 days Barcelona, overnight in Milan, overnight Venice (much better 2 nights) or a cheaper alternative is base yourself in Verona for 2 nights and day trip to Venice (1hr train ride). Pisa can be a day trip from Florence (30 minutes train ride), minimum 3 nights and end your trip in Rome (3 days).

If you only have 16 days to spare, maybe you can save London for another trip and concentrate on continental Europe instead? You'll also save on visa fees since you'll only be applying for a schengen visa. Or if you really want to do London, concentrate on the UK. Two weeks will be more than enough to see the must-sees in London plus its outskirts.

If you do decide to DIY, you'll get a lot of help here from the ladies who've done DIY. Just ask 

[melvel]

Our last trip was DIY, and all I can say is....DIY all the way from now on!  I would only agree to packaged tours if: 1) someone else is paying (LOL) or 2) I have no time to plan.

Planning is half the fun, trust me.

[divamom]

^^DIY it is! We actually go DIY whenever we travel, I'm really matyaga when it comes to researching and planning. Also, with all the savings we can have plus the leisurely pace when we travel, mas ok talaga!

Just in case we skip London, what place else can we visit? Maybe Madrid na rin since nasa Spain na. Pwede din kaya Athens, Greece via ferry from Italy? Or OA na ito?

Thanks again mga sis!

[mama squeak!]

^good decision! Question, how many days are you planning to go on your trip? If you're sticking to 16 days, I suggest the following cities: Paris, Barcelona, Florence with Pisa, Venice with Verona, Rome. It's still a bit hectic  for me to do in 16 days but it's doable. But I would rather do this in 3 weeks para di bitin.

 

[divamom]

^Yes sis, 3 weeks ok kami. 

[elle_888]

Hi sisses! Just came from a european tour. Me and my hubby went to rome, paris, florence and london. We did a diy trip and yes we took our time everyday on our trip. It is more fun that way. We decided not to join packaged tours because i think it is super serious everyday. We like a relaxed and enjoyable trip. True enough we super enjoyed our trip. We got to see all the sites that we want to see in paris, rome and especially my fave london

We usually started our day at 11am na then we will go back to our hotel at 10 or 11 pm na. So sulit tlg every day of the trip. The best place for me was london