cdwinell

My husband and I are planning about a 12-14 day trip to London, Oxford, Paris and either Ireland or Stuttgart. I have always booked airline travel and hotels within the U.S. online, but am hesitating to do so with an international trip when I have never been overseas. I guess I am afraid of the things I don't know to be aware of...any thoughts on whether it is a good idea to book flights and hotels online for this kind of trip, and if so, what are your thoughts on Expedia?
Thanks

Andrew

I've always booked things myself, including my first trip overseas. Why not? It's easy to book places online. For hotel bookings, I prefer www.booking.com (owned by Priceline) for a site with the best cancellation policies and best prices. For booking airline tickets, I almost always book directly with the airline - but use www.kayak.com to check prices (Kayak will sometimes offer to sell you a ticket through them, but mostly they simply redirect you to the airline's own website).

One tip for overseas flights: try to book an "open jaw" - fly into one city and out of another, usually the same price as a round trip or even less sometimes.

Use TripAdvisor for hotel reviews. Don't take any one review that seriously; look for a trend.

But for 14 days, you really seem to have a lot packed in. London, Oxford, Paris is probably plenty for 14 days, with some day trips around. I'd probably leave Ireland etc. for another trip.

cdwinell

Thanks, Andrew! I appreciate the encouragement. I guess I keep thinking that it would be nice to have someone to call if something went wrong! Maybe I am being naive.

KTtravel

I agree with Andrew. I would stick with London, Oxford and Paris for a 12-14 day trip. You lose a good half day traveling from place to place.

Since this is your first trip, I suggest getting guide books such as Rick Steves' books and start reading. I know others don't like him but he is very good for first time Europe adventurers.

Open jaw would work well for flying into London and out of Paris. I would suggest flying into London first for the ease of language. It will take a day or two to get over jet lag and it is easier trying not to struggle with a new language during those days.

I check kayak.com too but book through the airline's websites. The airline has more responsibility to take care of you if you book through them rather than through an alternate site.

I also look at guidebook's suggested hotels, Fodorites preferences and tripadvisor.com but usually book via each hotel's website. Sometimes the prices are actually better on the hotel's site and you can often book refundable rates which come in handy if plans change.

Happy planning!

Andrew

If you like a travel agent you like and trust: use them, if you think it's worth it. (Can travel agents really make money planning trips like these in 2014 without an extra fee?) Some people hate to plan trips or don't want to bother with it. I happen to enjoy it.

A simple trip to London and Paris (my first solo trip, done in 2000 actually) is quite easy to plan, though. Fly into London, out of Paris (or vice-versa). Either day trip up to Oxford or take the bus or train up there for a few nights. Take the Eurostar train through the "chunnel" between Paris and London. Find hotels in London and Paris: a little research, perhaps, but people here will be happy to recommend favorites (or search through older posts).

People here will help you plan too - maybe post a new thread (tag England and France as countries) and propose an itinerary and some questions and people will help you with the details.

Andrew

I recommend Rick Steves's books too. He offers no-nonsense, practical advice, plus he has hotel recommendations, if you care for them.

cdwinell

Great advice! I happening to love the planning so I may do it myself. Lord knows I have already put in a ton of research. KTtravel, that is exactly the itinerary we planned as we are visiting our son studying at Oxford. Do you (either of you) recommend the Chunnel or flying to Paris?

Andrew

I love trains, so I would take the train any day. Remember, if you fly, you have to get from city center to airport and then airport to city center again. The train gets you directly from city center to city center. Of course, there's not much of a view from the train under the channel...

And the Eurostar train - at least when I took it 14 years ago - was a really nice train. Public transportation in Europe in generally is a step above that in the US, at least long-distance trains.

It's possible you may find cheaper flights (e.g. easyJet) than the Eurostar, but again, you do have to factor in the to/from transportation to/from airports as well.

kja

I agree that booking on line can serve you well and that you should consider open jaw options.

For flights, you might look at kayak and orbitz in addition to expedia, and definitely check airline websites before finalizing your decision.

For lodging, I prefer booking.com to Expedia, but that might depend on the type of lodging I seek. Here's a recent thread on some of the online sources for booking lodging.
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ravelocity.cfm

"I guess I am afraid of the things I don't know to be aware of" -- a good guidebook or two should prove immensely helpful. Look at a few in your local bookstore or library to see which best meet your needs, and remember -- the cost of a guidebook will be nominal in comparison to the cost of your trip. FWIW, I find the Rough Guides and Lonely Planet most useful for comprehensive information about things to see and do and transportation options; the Michelin Green Guides, Fodor's, and Frommer's most useful for prioritizing my time; and the National Geographic Traveler, Eyewitness, and Insight Guides most useful for inspiration.

Enjoy!

IMDonehere

I agree with almost all the advice from above. You are going to well trodden places where there is much information available.

Michelin Green is the best book for sights. Fodor's and Frommer's are good at basic stuff. I like Time Out London and Paris for what is going on presently and restaurant recommendations. They can be found on-line. Personally I think half the people on Trip Advisor have no idea of what they are talking about.

We also like Booking.com for hotels and Kayak is good for hotels. There are also cheapo but reliable airlines in Europe such as Ryan Air and Easy Jet.

What might come as a surprise is the small rooms you will get in London and Paris for less than $250 a night.

Airline rates are extremely high, so do not surprised at that either.

dreamon

I usually book all our travel myself but have been known to use an agent to book flights if they are really expensive (afraid of making a mistake which can't be undone). For example, when our family flew to Europe flights were nearly A$10,000 and I didn't want to stuff it up. Even then, I do all the research so I have a good idea of exactly what I want - but then I enjoy the planning. One thing to note is that sometimes travel agents will not be able to book the budget airlines nor budget hotels. I would never use an agent for accommodation as I've invariably found them more expensive whenever I've enquired.

justineparis

Frankly I would be nervous to use a travel agent.. they likely have not been to most of the places they book you to.. or taken those flights or trains etc.. they look stuff up just like you do.. but when you do it you will know exactly what is important to you.. and what prices are really available ( travel agents will only book hotels that pay them commission usuaully.. meaning usually more expensive hotels and chain hotels.. ) ( not all chains are bad.. in London a decent chain is Premier Inns.. not fancy but most are well located and not stupid expensive. .. and trust me.. London hotels can be very very pricey)

The Eurostar ( which is the train that runs under the tunnel to Paris ) is easy to book online.. and best prices are definitely booked far in advance( I think at least 120 days in advance.. but not more then six months as they don't release tickets that far in advance)..and city center to city center is far less stressful then flying.. ( and yes.. if you book early , cheaper then flying.. because remember you also have to add in costs of commuting to and from airports into city centers!) .

I haven't used a travel agent in almost 20 years... and have always been pretty happy with my trips..no surprises as I did all the research.

You have lots of time to do your research and tailor a trip exactly to your tastes and budgets.. forums like this one and tripadvisor.com are huge helps. .

Do read carefully when booking your plane and train tickets, double check luggage requirements( generous for Eurostar.. but you know how airlines are nowadays!) .. Do be able to carry all your own stuff.

And.. yes.. with only 2 weeks , don't over plan.. 2-3 plans max. ( unless you are a type A person who really likes to go go go.. there are folks like that.. , but remember every time you change locations you will be spending 1/2 a day minimum in transport and commuting.. not sightseeing and having fun!) Don't book a tour of train stations and airports unless you really like to tick off boxes of "been there" but not really "experienced it".

bilboburgler

I might use a travel agent to take me up the Amazon, but to western Europe? I would not use Booking.com much I'd use Trip Advisor to get an idea of the areas where I want to stay and then use TA and Google Map to focus in on the geographic area you want. Booking is ok in high density cities with a lot of hotels, but the moment you get out of these areas then Booking is less good and you will miss the special places that don't need an agent to keep them full.

Another vote for books; Rough Guide is especially good

nytraveler

The trouble with using a travel agent for a trip like this is that either you have to pay them a significant fee for their time - OR they will put you in the more upscale/expensive hotels which will pay them a commission - meaning your whole trip will be more expensive - unless you are planning on going upscale anyway ($400/$500 and up a night for hotels).

If you are trying to do this on a more moderate budget you will get more for your money organizing it yourself - as long as you are willing to do the work to investigate. IMHO the planning is half the fun of the trip and helps ensure you get what you want out of it In our experience - and reports here - many TAs are not equiped to deal with europe and have do not know the cities they are sending you to - really better for buying cruses or packages where they can provide discounts (if they are good). Many at the local "travel shops" are just useless.

vincenzo32951

I think the problem with TAs is that many of them are just as clueless as the travelers they're supposed to be serving, especially when it comes to international travel.

Quick story: I was at the Venice airport waiting for transportation, and a Brit couple approached me and asked if I spoke English. They asked where Vicenza is. Reason: Their TA had booked them into Vicenza, mistakenly thinking it was Venezia. OK, I realize everyone makes mistakes, but wouldn't you think a TA would be careful and knowledgeable about such things?

The couple were a bit frantic and didn't know what to do. I recommended a hotel near the airport and suggested they stay there for a night while contacting the TA to sort things out.

IMDonehere

If you do decide to engage a travel agent, be sure to ask a few questions:

When was the last time you were to Paris and London?

Have you stayed at the hotels in which you are booking for us?

Do you or your organization have a continuing relationship with specific hotels or chains?

cdwinell

Wow! All great advice! My friend's travel agent just got back to me last night and is putting something together according to her email. She was out of town (Ireland, in fact) when I had made the request, so I was just thinking I would tell her never mind when she returned. I am feeling like I have a pretty good handle on what's available, and find that as far as hotels go, as long as you use more than one site to get reviews, it seems pretty accurate (at least my experience here in the US). I wonder if I should let her submit something to me at all?

cdwinell

Oh! And is the difference in price for Eurorail from London to Paris between Economy and Comfort worth the price? ($66 vs $181). My husband is 6'5 so there is that...It's a lot more but I will pay it if it is really worth it.

IMDonehere

Years ago, before the expansion of the Internet, we had a terrific travel agent. I would do my research then give her my itinerary and see what she could do.

Maybe you could do the same, as it will not cost anything and your friend could get commissions.

justineparis

You are not on Eurorail.. you are on Eurostar.. did you check THEIR official website( I think if you enter United States as your home they will shoot you over to Eurorail.. which is a ticket reseller.. , clear cookies from computer and check Eurostar site.. but enter Antartica or London for your home.., What is the date you are looking at.. I can check for you and see if rates are any better.

I always travel in second class on Eurostar.. but I am not 6'5.. the seats are fine.. and you can get up and walk around and it is only 2 hours 15 minutes.. I did travel in the first class car once when they had to book me in there ( their mistake so I paid no extra) and yes it is a bit roomier.. but I personally would not pay more for it.. its a personal taste thing.. treat yourself or not)