European Tours Thread 3

[mama squeak!]

^Try Le Capitaine Train. Though this is only for travel within France. For the SNCF website it will automatically direct you to the "Asean" site.

[^Vain_Chiq^]

I just came from Westendorf,Tirol in Austria and it's such a lovely place. If you love nature then you will definitely appreciate this place. What we don't like lang with Austria is it's more expensive than other European countries so shopping there is not really a good deal. But other than I really enjoyed the place because it's calm and quiet and nice to go hiking during the summer.

[little_princess]

how is shopping in amsterdam compared to london? hubby and i are spending a few days there for a short vacation and thinking if it is better to buy stuff from there.

[^Vain_Chiq^]

Hi sis little princess, I just replied sa other thread .

[cinnam]

PAL flights to London go live on Nov 4, RT as low as $1052 incl. of taxes. Pero mas mura pa din $888 promo ng KLM last time.

[elle_888]

Wow thats super cheap sis! Sana they can have that pal promo again next year. Me and hubby plan to visit london again next year. Last time our ticket was 1,800 usd round trip via cathay pacific.

[little_princess]

hoping that PAL rates would be better when they start flying to London, until January 2014 ata booking. I usually pay $1300-1600 for an Emirates or Etihad flight.

Currently in London now and the weather is lovely

[shegie_285]

Avoid July - August (maybe September too!) and of course December para mura pamasahe. I definitely wont go home na between July - September, flights are expensive I think because its summer/school holidays here then tag-ulan sa pinas. sayang ang mahal na pamasahe. Although from Pinas, July - August siguro ang popular time to go here..

[zhanne8]

Hi Mama Squeak! Nabasa ko thread 1-2 but hinde ko na matapos ang 3, sakit na ng mata ko. Could you help if anong mga places: countries and cities pwede mapuntahan if from April 16-May 28 next year travel? And for you, kaya ba if DIY travel with a 75 years old and 68 years old? Or Tours nalang talaga?

[delphinos2005]

Sisses,

Urgent help please. We finally decided to push through with our Euro trip. I have not researched on Paris, because it was a last minute addition in the itinerary. Request ng MIL ko.

What area (Arrondisement?) or What hotel do you suggest we stay? We are a family of 5 (4 adults, 1 baby).

Thank you so much!

[^Vain_Chiq^]

We will be going to Tuscany in 3 weeks and I'm so excited. We will be staying within a wine vineyard so I'm sure the view will be superb. Anybody who's been there and where are the nice places to go to except the tower of Pisa? Hehe. We're also planning to go to the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi in Arezzo. 

[bagaholic_chewy]

^ Siena is also nice.

[letters_to_cleo]

Went to Italy for four days last weekend.  Bologna, Verona, Milan. Here are my thoughts:

Bologna - masarap ang food, given na ito daw ang culinary center ng Italy. Also, yung reputed na best gelato in Italy (Cremeria Funivia)
we tried din, and grabe, parang transcendental sa sarap yung Crema gelato nila. This was at the start of our trip, and my first gelato
in Italy so I had no basis pa nung simula. But yung friend ko kasi tried na the "best" gelatos in Rome and Florence and kahit sya eh nagsabi na
best gelato daw ito.  Aside from food though, walang masyadong makita sa Bologna. There is the University of Bologna, and nice yung
bars nila sa gabi lalo during happy hours. For the price of a drink, about 7€, may complementary pica-pica buffet na very filling.  Pero wala
masyadong sights talaga. For food tripping talaga ang Bologna.

Verona - I liked this the most of the three cities. Picturesque and very easy to go around. Our hotel is tapat mismo ng Verona Arena kaya
ang convenient. Ang vibe nya is parang well-off, vacation town. Pinuntahan din namin yung famous Juliet statue and her house. Ayos lang, daming
tao na gustong maghold ng breast ni Juliet for good luck haha!

Milan - The city center itself is full of the well-known edifices. The station is maganda naman talaga. And relatively safe. Kaya lang marami syang similarities for me sa Madrid
kaya parang okay lang. Ang dami ring Pinoy dito, tinulungan pa nga kami nung Pinoy na nagwowork sa metro nila paano ifigure out bumili ng daypass hehe! Maganda yung buildings surrounding Duomo and yung Vittorio Emmanuel, and
surprisingly, hindi ganun kamahal ang food (mas mura pa rin kesa Paris).

[chichi143]

so envy!!!

pangarap ko makapagtour sa europe. I want to see France, Rome and Venice.

[lemonade]

question sa mga nabigyan ng UK visa from the british embassy manila: for how long is the visa valid?

[charm0220]

hi.. ask ko lang sana kung hindi ba talaga magandang pumunta sa Paris & Rome ng Nov & Dec? Our wedding will be on Nov next year and plan namen direcho na honeymoon so mga end of Nov to mid of Dec.

[shegie_285]

hi charm0220 I haven't been to Paris and Rome during those months but I guess they say hindi maganda dahil malamig and maulan (I googled November daw ang rainiest month ng Paris and Rome). Plus very short days. Paris 8am sunrise then 5pm sunset in November. I live in Dublin, short days ang pinaka-ayaw ko sa winter, very depressing tapos samahan mo pa ng ulan. Parang ang dilim ng mundo. Pero on a good side naman, Christmas na, its very festive so masaya ang mga tao at maganda decorations ng city. Once you're in a new country naman you will enjoy it.

Also kung off peak naman sa lugar , at least walang pila.  Holy week ako napunta ng Paris puro pila! Hindi nga ako nakapasok sa Notre Dame and Louvre.  I guess sa Rome December is busy dahil sa Vatican - mag-attend ng mass.

Another option, mini-moon after ng wedding and then go to Europe during Spring/Summer/Autumn.

[little_princess]

lemonade, usually 6 months. it can be more if you request.

[lemonade]

thank you for the reply, little_princess! good na yung 6-month validity.

[shegie_285]

booked flights for a weekend trip in Brussels in November. Yippee! (athough me meeting pala client ko 15th November  - dinecline ko kanina so sana okay lang sa director ko! i'll find out on Monday).

Anyway, will be in Brussels Friday am (9.40am) then day trip sa Bruges on Saturday then leave Brussels Sunday pm.

I'm not a fan of chocolates but I like Belgian chocolates. I read hindi matagal expiry sana mga 3 months naman para maiuwi sa pinas sa December..   I like Hoegaarden (Belgian wheat beer) so i'll try it there in draft. Sayang wala pang Christmas market.

Any recommendations ladies? Mukhang not popular dito sa GT ang Brussels. Have to go to the city centre from the airport by myself (meeting hubby there) sana marunong sila mag-English! im a bit scared kapag hindi English speaking country!