European Tours Thread 4

[kachich]

 @mama squeak!
Thank you for your inputs! Sorry about the confusion, but I will be arriving Day 1 at around 4pm on CDG.

Nagdalawang isip tuloy ako about Paris for Bruges based on your comments icegayle and Chili

[toria]

Hi girls, thanks for the input. It will be my first time in Europe kaya I wanted to see what Paris has to offer.

Actually hindi din gusto ni h2b sa Paris (muntik pa nga manakawan mom nya when they went there).
Pero dahil daw first time ko eh go na kami .

Prague lang talaga ang no 1 in my list. I just added Italy since hindi pa nakapunta si h2b dito.
Ayoko naman puntahan namin ulit yung mga napuntahan na nya.

Siguro some other time na lang pag makabalik kami ng Europe.

Might drop Venice na lang and spend more time in Prague and Florence.

[Frozen Toes]

I'll be spending a week in Morocco with friends later this year. After that, I will fly solo to Barcelona and go around nearby cities for the next 10 days or so. I'm currently looking at Spain (Barcelona), France (Paris), and Belgium (Brussels, Ghent, Bruges, and maybe Antwerp).

I have very specific things I want to see on this trip and I think I have enough time. I'll save the rest for my next visit. Still considering squeezing in Amsterdam and Luxembourg but I guess I will need to extend my trip if I do that.

Since I'm going alone, I'd rather join day tours so there'd be people to take my photos. Heehee. Please recommend a good one. I've been back-reading, but I'm seeing mostly DIY itineraries.

[yena^_^]

I must say that I love Italy and if given a chance babalik kami doon.
Hindi pa ako napunta ng Paris but included sya sa list ng cities to visit this year.  May tinatawag nga na Paris syndrome (Pari shōkōgun) yung mga Japs and one of the reason is subrang taas ng expectation nila doon but disappointed pagdating sa Paris.
But I have a friend na nakapunta na in many places in Europe and she keeps on coming back to Paris kasi gustong-gusto nya. One of her favorite is just sitting in a shop and eating dessert like Parisians. So dependi din siguro yun. So excited pa rin ako. 

[rowan]

For us naman, we super underestimated Paris. Before our trip, people were telling us that its magulo, the subway is mabaho and worst than Rome's, and that Parisians are a bit cold so we really kept our expectations low. But omg, we just fell in love with Paris the minute we stepped on its streets! We didnt experience anything we were warned about. The city was charming with its buildings, cafes, gardens, and little streets.  The subway was a bit confusing but we didnt find it smelly. We found Rome's trains to be dirtier actually. And the people, one of the friendliest we encountered! We were there 2 weeks before the Nov 2015 attacks so it really broke my heart to hear how these nice Parisians were being shaken by senseless violence. Even before we left, we already talked about going back to Paris haha.

We stayed in 3rd arr, very near Le Marais area. Maybe thats a factor?

[Chili1113]

@mama squeak!
Thank you for your inputs! Sorry about the confusion, but I will be arriving Day 1 at around 4pm on CDG.

Nagdalawang isip tuloy ako about Paris for Bruges based on your comments icegayle and Chili

If youve never been to Paris then you really must see it. =) Bruges and non-top cities can wait till another trip. But Paris is really a must-see. While it isn't a personal favorite of mine, Paris is still no doubt one of the most iconic cities.

[shegie_285]

Paris was the first city I've visited in Europe after I moved here I  Dublin. One of the grandest cities in Europe that I have been. I guess it's a must-see talaga. Tapos ang laki nya pa, ang daming pwedeng gawin. Some european cities, maliit lang and main attraction lang is their square. My husband, he's European,  said isa nga sa pinakamagandang European city ang Paris. But when it comes to vibes, may mga European cities na mas na-enjoy namin ni hubby. Plus ang mahal sa Paris we like eating out pa naman. Though we eat mga street food, mas gusto ni hubby na sa restaurant kumakain kapag travel, ayaw nya food from grocery, unless walang time.

My sister is planning to visit me, since first time nya sa Europe I told her I'd bring her to Paris.

[kachich]

Thank you sis Chili1113 and sis shegie_285 for your inputs.
Medyo chocolate lover ako -- so still thinking about Brussels -- is this worth it pa ba-- or meron naman available sa Paris? Mag isa lang ako and medyo sanay (sana hindi pa nag we-wear off) ako mag amazing race trip.

Update: Skipping Belgium na. Safe ba sa Paris Nord ng 21:15 (arrival from Amsterdam) or should I get the next day train na lang? Nanghihinayang kasi ako sa oras, 8-11am from Ams to Paris. Sayang naman yung morning if ever.

[mama squeak!]

^sis, try to merge your posts as considered as thread flooding your consecutive posts.

If you haven't been to Paris yet then go and see it for yourself. What may be a not-so good experience for others may be a great one for you. Depende naman kasi sa traveler yan and what they are after. In my case Paris is one of my favorite cities. Every time I visit Europe I make a point to always drop by. For me and hubby kasi we try to discover different things, we don't confine ourselves sa mga tourist attractions lang. Every time we visit there is always something new that surprises us. Try to visit the France thread for tips on Paris.

Re your second post, Gare du Nord is a busy train station. So yeah it's pretty safe at that time. I would take a cab though to your hotel/apartment instead of the metro around that time.

[kachich]

^Thank you! Is it not safe to take the metro or walk around that time?
I'm planning on staying near Montmartre.

[Chili1113]

^Sis Montmarte is an interesting area, however be careful of pickpockets. There are a LOT of the around Sacre Coeur, I think more than other parts of Paris. But there are very interesting areas in the area,especially the little shops. This area is where the the bohemian artists based themselves back then. Monet, Picasso, and Mondrian are just some of the few great artists who based their studios there, and frequented the cafes in the area. It has its charms and has a different vibe from other areas.

[mama squeak!]

^^One of my favorite neighborhoods in Paris is Montmartre. We always rent an apartment there. Having said that it is more of a working man's area so you don't get a lot of people/tourists there late at night. Depends on the location of your hotel, it can be a bit leery walking around there late at night (solo woman traveler with baggage in tow = magnet for unwanted attention). If you need more tips on Paris, check out the France thread para di OT ang discussion.

[joyceyu]

We're planning to visit Europe some time next year. But haven't decided whether to do a short Euro Tour and travel by train, puntahan yung mga magkakatabing countries or explore Italy or France.

[Missus O]

@kachich - is this your first time in Paris? If that is the case, then it may be better to take a cab, like what mama squeak  had suggested. Are you coming from Gare du Nord? We stayed in Montmarte the first time I visited Paris.  I believe malapit lang sya sa Gare du Nord station, but because of the location of our hotel, we had to change trains ( 15-30 minutes yata from Gare du Nord). Depending on where your hotel is located, Abesses and Pigalle (if I remember it correctly) ang mga stations sa Montmarte.  I remember coming in late at night and walking down the cobblestone streets, pero hindi naman kami natakot, but I had a friend with me then. I'd suggest check where your hotel is located.  May mga areas din kasi sa Montmarte na pataas and papasok sa mga alleys. Not all areas are well lit din.

Have a great holiday

[kachich]

^Missus O, yes this will be my first time in Paris. I checked the map and 800 meters away lang siya from Gare du Nord. Thank you! Bibilisan ko na lang ang walk from there

Thank you ladies for all your feedbacks! Now Amsterdam thread naman

[mama squeak!]

^Oh lapit lang pala! Try to keep to the well-lighted main boulevards/streets as long as you can. As what Missus O mentioned some of the alleyways there are not as well lit.

[valhiei_11]

Malapit na Eu trip namin hindi ko alam kung maeexcite ako o kakabahan 

[miranee]

booked din for august trip. with the current events there, still thinking if it is still a go...

[shygirlme]

^we haven't book pa naman pero nagdadalawang isip na din kami.

[mama squeak!]

I advised my SIL not to push through muna with her Euro trip this summer. It's her graduation gift pa naman for my niece but I said safety first. Though if you ladies have fixed plans already do go ahead but take extra precaution especially in tourist-magnet places aka the popular tourist attractions.