European Tours Thread 4

[vhanya]

^Thats too many cities for 2 weeks. You might wanna skip Berlin

[112214bride]

Hi sis kho_leen,
I just returned from a 2weeks vacay. 1week in Italy and 1week in Paris kami pero marami parin hindi napuntahan. I think mahirap at nakaka pagod yung Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam and Italy in 2weeks. Kaya siguro kung pipilitin pero baka hindi mo maenjoy ng husto yung lugar kung parang dadaan ka lang.

[caterpillar-girl]

kho leen, if two weeks lang:

3N/4D paris
2N/3D berlin
1N/2D Amsterdam
1N/2D Venice
2N/3D Florence (you can do Pisa as a day trip)

I've been to all those places, except Berlin so I can't say how many days you ought to stay there. But for two weeks, pwede na yang itinerary above I think. Amazing Race yung trip nyo, pero you can probably do that. And check which routes will save you time. I would say stretch it so you can add 1 day to Amsterdam, and maybe in Paris, as it's a magical city. Hehe I'm biased.

Whoops forgot Rome! If may Rome, no way you can squeeze all those cities lol. Unless you do

3D Paris
2D Berlin
2D Amsterdam
2D Venice
3D Florence
2D Rome

But then that leaves you 1N for Rome and there's no way you can see Rome in 2 days only.

[charm0220]

Hi sis kho_leen,
I just returned from a 2weeks vacay. 1week in Italy and 1week in Paris kami pero marami parin hindi napuntahan. I think mahirap at nakaka pagod yung Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam and Italy in 2weeks. Kaya siguro kung pipilitin pero baka hindi mo maenjoy ng husto yung lugar kung parang dadaan ka lang.

Hi 112214bride, did you go there for your honeymoon? We'll be having our honeymoon on May pa lang. Can you share with me your itinerary? 2 weeks din kami and our plan is Paris and Italy lang din muna. Same wedding date din pala tayo. Thanks!

[rowan]

hi mama squeak! sorry ikaw ulit kukulitin ko. its about CX flights to europe kasi:)

i just bought CX tickets from the recent travel expo. took the risk on buying tickets even without the visas. anyway, hindi ko na napansin but i only have 1 hour and 10 minute layover in HKG before my connecting flight to AMS. Is that enough time? i was told naman na ill get my onward boarding pass to AMS when i check in here in MNL. its going to be my first time with CX and i read so much about CX' efficiency but i just need to hear a first hand experience:)

thanks!!!

[mama squeak!]

^No worries you have lots of time wag lang ma-delay yung incoming flight. The minimum connecting time (MCT) in HKG is 45 minutes. Just in case lang meron delay that will result to a tight connection or misconnection  a CX ground staff will meet the affected passengers at the gate upon arrival in HKG.

[rowan]

^thanks again mama squeak!

[shegie_285]

^ ang added expense mo na lang naman is flights/trains to/from Italy so i think kung kasya ang php300k sa France kasya din Italy and France. Madami naman cheap flights. And between Paris and Rome i find Paris more expensive. Breakfast pa lang sa Paris mahal na, sa restaurant/cafe kami kumakain dahil hotel kami lagi.

[Chili1113]

hi mama squeak! sorry ikaw ulit kukulitin ko. its about CX flights to europe kasi:)

i just bought CX tickets from the recent travel expo. took the risk on buying tickets even without the visas. anyway, hindi ko na napansin but i only have 1 hour and 10 minute layover in HKG before my connecting flight to AMS. Is that enough time? i was told naman na ill get my onward boarding pass to AMS when i check in here in MNL. its going to be my first time with CX and i read so much about CX' efficiency but i just need to hear a first hand experience:)

thanks!!!

Sis I assume your connecting flight to AMS is via CX too since you will be receiving your onward boarding pass in Manila,  and even your luggage will be automatically transferred to the other flight.

Anyway, no need to worry since you are flying within the same airline network. Should there be any flight delays that will make you miss your HKG-AMS flight, then CX will be responsible for putting you on their next available flight to AMS. If the delay is short, then sometimes CX will hold the plane to accommodate connecting passengers. This is the beauty of travelling within the same airline.  =) Hope this helps.

[aishen1208]

hello mga sisses... I will be in Germany this April for 6 weeks (work related)... and I only have the weekends to explore Germany and its neighboring countries... this is my first time to travel in Europe and I'm really excited... nag back read na ko ng mga threads here and blog ni mama squeak  

i still have a lot of research to do para mabuo ang itinerary ko...

i'm planning to visit Dusseldorf and Cologne in Germany (I'll be staying in Hemer, Germany)... gusto ko rin makita ang Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris... with only the weekends available for me, possible kaya ito mga sisses?... i can leave Friday after work and have to be back at my hotel Sunday afternoon/ evening.... i have yet to check on the travel time (by train) and its cost since I have to shoulder na the cost of travelling to those neighboring countries (transpo and accommodation)... no problem with the food since I can reimburse those...

suggestions are very much welcome

[mama squeak!]

^I'm inggit! Thanks for visiting my blog. I hope you got some tips there.   

I love Germany! I would visit more of Germany if I only have weekends available. There are a lot of small, charming towns and villages there. Plus you can get a German rail pass to go anywhere in the country. Well that's just me ha.

Of the three places you mentioned that you want to visit pwede pa siguro Brussels over the weekend since very compact yung mga attractions nya. I would choose Bruges over Brussels though.

Amsterdam and Paris on separate weekends are doable but very bitin. Train travel time pa lang will take minimum 5 hours one way (Hemer to Amsterdam), more for Paris. Unless you go by plane? Maybe you can visit both cities at the end of your stay? Can you request for vacation and re-route your ticket?

Germany, Amsterdam and Paris have separate threads here. If you have individual Qs for each, post your Qs na lang there.

Happy planning! 

[aishen1208]

thanks Mama Squeak!  Your blog is a great help and very inspiring... how I wish I could tag along hubby on this trip... anyway, I know there will be next time

regarding your suggestion of visiting those cities at the end of my stay, I'm afraid I can't do that... it's our client who's arranging the tickets and accommodations and it's just complicated to request extension or re-routing... so I really just have to squeeze my itinerary over those weekends...

maybe I'll explore Germany on the first two or three weekends... I've seen on the map, that Netherlands , Brussels and Paris is nearer compared to Berlin and Munich from where I am staying (Hemer), the reason why I'm thinking of going to those places instead...

Do you think 2 days and 1 night is enough for Amsterdam?  I don't have plans of entering museums, I just want to stroll, try their foods, ride on a ferry and roam around to get familiar with the place...

Is P20k enough to cover the train costs, ferries and overnight accommodations in case I'll visit Amsterdam and Brussels on two separate weekends?

[mama squeak!]

^Sayang but you're right there will always be a next time. 

Re Amsterdam, if you leave on a Friday after work you can be in Amsterdam by midnight. At least that will leave you the whole day of Saturday and half day of Sunday to go around. You might be able to squeeze in a museum or two if the lines are not too long. To maximize your visit, hop on a canal cruise to give you an overview of the city or join a free walking tour.

You can already check the train fares at DB Bahn to help you with your budgeting. For accommodation, if you're not too maselan book a hostel. If you back read on the Amsterdam thread, GT melodymedley stayed in one during her solo trip there.

 

[shegie_285]

Hi aishen1208 have you checked budget airlines? I live in europe and normally weekend trip lang din kami within europe although fri am -sun evening or sun am -mon evening. Wala bang bank holiday kapag nasa germany ka?  You can do weekends but in Paris you will not see all. I was in Paris yesterday for work for 1 1/2 day,  i thought hassle lang but i actually enjoyed my dinner in Paris last Thursday (overlooking the eiffel tower) so i thought not bad din pala pumunta. It was still an experience. Actually i arrived in Paris 4pm na ng Thursday and full day training ng Friday then i took the last flight home.

Kung 5 hours ang train, if you fly you can arrive sa airport an hour or 1 1/2 before your flight as long as checked in ka na and no bags. From Germany 2 hours siguro max ang mga places na gusto mo puntahan. baka mas less time to fly.

Brussels is very small nga sakto na two days. The Grand Place in Brussels is amazing!

Add ko pala - ang cons pala ng weekend lang is nakakapagod!

[rowan]

thanks too, chilli113!

fave17, sorry for the late reply. i got it 960usd for mnl-ams, cdg-mnl, cathay pacific

[mama squeak!]

^That's a good price for an open-jaw ticket. 

[charm0220]

Hello again..

May marecommend ba kayo na daytrip for Siena, San Gimignano and Chianti with Wine tasting and lunch?

 Ang nakita ko online is yung walkabout florence and viator website.

Walkabout Florence includes: (€180)
-A fun and professional guide who is there to lead you through the day
-Transport in a new air-conditioned coach
-Guided walking tour of Siena with local tour guide and entry fees of Siena’s Duomo included
-Free time to explore the town at your own pace
-Hearty farmhouse lunch served at an organic winery and farm
-Wine tasting of four wines including Chianti, Vernaccia and Tuscan dessert wine, Vin Santo
-Maps and information of all the towns visited

Viator includes: (€77)
-Half-day San Gimignano and Castellina in Chianti tour from Siena
-Hear tales of San Gimignano’s medieval history from an expert guide
-Explore the hilltop town at your own pace, seeing sights like Via Francigena and the Collegiata
-Visit the charming village of Castellina in Chianti and take a tour of a Tuscan winery
-Learn about wine production in Chianti and discover the difference between Super Tuscan and Gallo Nero wines
-Sample red and white Tuscan wine during a tasting session, and enjoy a plate of antipasto

[aishen1208]

^thanks mama squeak and shegie_285

I have to check pa the holidays in Germany... sana meron during my stay there para may time pa magikot...

Re Amsterdam, i might consider rin staying in hostel just like what sis melodymedley did para mas tipid... Aside from canal cruise in Amsterdam, I wanted to see the windmills in Zaanse Schans and the tulips in Harleem....they are accessible by train, around 15 to 30 minutes from Amsterdam Centraal...

I'm still researching on what I wanted to see in Belgium... mukhang maganda nga ang Grand Place as suggested by sis shegie_285

[foxymom]

hi @mama squeak and friends

okay i have a problem... we are travelling 2nd half of october and need to go from budapest to florence/milan ... but walang budget airlines and the train is 14hrs!! huhuhu

any recos? fly out manila from milan, so last point really is milan but i heard there is nothing much to see in milan...

wizzair flies budapest-milan, i was thinking of getting that then train to florence then back to milan... or is there a better way?

thank you!

[vhanya]

foxymom

Our point of entry was Milan. We went to see the Last Supper =) Also, it's an hour drive to Lake Como. The small towns there esp. Bellagio are sooooo beautiful and picturesque! =) So you're right, Milan will be your last point before flying back to Manila.

The only airline you can take is Wizzair. Yan din sinakyan namin from Rome-Budapest. Enjoy Budapest! I fell in love with that city but be verryyy careful of their trams and cab drivers. As much as possible, buy the 2 day tourist bus pass na lang coz it basically covers all tourist spots.