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Normally, I'm the one that says "go for it" with packed itineraries. While you say the trip is a done deal, I say "why?"
At the very least you are going to do 5 airport trips, 4 hotel check in/outs. I mean maybe you like going to airports and seeing front desk people. Remember, you are assuming everything goes by your very tight timetable. Why not just pick 2 cities? Balance the cost variations of changing plans against the convenience. After all, it is still 3 months away. I often change my plans the day I arrive. dave |
For future reference...
I have found that transportation expenses (plus associated costs like that cup of coffee in the airport, taxis to the train station, tips for porters, car rental in Italy!)really add up. If you visited one city and stayed in an apartment, your money might go further. This would allow more trips to Europe over the years and you would not feel so compelled to squeeze it all in on one short visit. I understand the temptation, because there is probably so much you want to see and do. But maybe try a different approach next time and you will be rewarded. |
ira already used the word that came to mind when I read your post....nuts!
Honestly, why did you post here? You clearly already had your mind made up...and everything booked....and then got miffed when people gave you their honest (and experienced) opinions. I guess your main question was about taking more time on this trip to "stroll through parks" and find some "inside sights." Well, the point is, you've created an itinerary monster that barely leaves you time to scurry from one venue to the next, let alone stroll through parks or find your way to a local football club. You admitted you have barely had a chance to plan....well, this "itinerary" of yours certainly shows that. You can put anything down on paper as an itinerary, but the on-the-ground experience rarely, if ever, turns out the same, even for the most meticulous of planners. This itinerary, on the ground, is a disaster in the making. So it really doesn't matter what we suggest, as I highly doubt you'll manage to get around to including anyone's suggestions here when you actually arrive. Have fun "doing" Europe and let us know how it turns out. |
British Museum alone took me a whole day...
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Hey Queen1730 - I looked at your plans more closely and wonder if you can just not go to Dublin? Have you paid for the AMS - Dublin/Dublin - Paris flight yet? Even if you have, I think you'd save money and have a better time if you just skipped that portion. I think in 7 days Amsterdam, Paris, London can be enjoyable, I think what makes it stressful/costly/less fun is that dash back to Dublin.
If you're just getting out of school, and if travel is (clearly) a priority you'll be back soon. I was once where you are, feeling like it might be a decade or more before I could afford to return but since then our incomes have gone up AND, perhaps more importantly, we've learned that if we stay in just one place it costs a lot less & I enjoy it more. I can go to Europe for a week for the price of the average vacation to Las Vegas and for far less than the common (where I live) trip to Hawaii. Dublin/Ireland can be your next trip (I love Ireland!) This one, if you head for Amsterdam immediately, spend Sunday there, then take the train to Paris, several fantastic days there, then take the train to London for a last day or 2 it would be a special trip. Anyway, think about that - skipping Dublin - and I think you'll enjoy your trip a great deal more. Paris - I second the trip to the cemetary. Those are amazing in Paris. |
With such limited time I would do the same thing in both Amsterdam and Paris. Visit one park (Vondelpark and Luxembourg Gardens) and take a boat tour (canals and Seine).
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Hi queen1730
I always try to get to the Canary Islands when I go to Europe. It's off the coast of South Africa...but part of Spain...from UK a 4 hour flight. Weather is fantastic...beaches are incredible, also a volcanic island with great things to see. I go to Lanzarote and stay at a little place called Casa Teiga (you can find it on the web)just outside of Arrecife. Flights are cheap from Europe and it's really fantastic an April. |
Don't worry, fodors is known for the few snobby people that would rather criticize then move on the next thread if they can't be helpful.
I would take 1 day in paris anytime. I love jetsetting about and while i certainly prefer and appreciate a longer stay in a city, sometimes i want to see everything for a day so i know where to go back. etc. Anyway, i've only done paris (2 days <gasp>) and london so can't comment on the others...(though if there is a red light district in amsterdam i really think i'd want to go see it!)... There is a wonderful double decker bus in Paris - you pay once and you can sit on top outside...and take it around the city...listen along with the cassette they provide and you will get your bearings and see all the important cites. Then you can continue to stay on the bus for another round, but this time you should get off at the stops you wanted to see and you can get back on to go to the next. I think they come to the stops like every 20 minutes or so. It's a wonderful way to go and a sure way to see a lot of sights. Personally, i would skip the louvre simply because you don't have time for it...if you must see a museum, do the musee d'orsay which is smaller but still has many notable artists and lovely sculptures and things. It's also near the seine if i remember correctly. There's also a great row of restaurants that are open late in the evening, they are either greek or latin type of "alley" and the guys stand out front trying to get you to try their place and it's lively and fun! I would go there for dinner. London - The London eye is great fun if you don't mind the heights...certainly unique...you know, you could stay in london and take the underwater train to paris just for the day couldn't you? I don't recall how long the train takes, but...I would say in London to be sure to take a black cab..the cabbies are super trained and it's just different than ours...have lunch at one of the restaurants along the thames, definately stop in a pub and have some beer or hard apple cider (if it's sunday have sunday roast for supper!). The war rooms are a great idea...and I would also go to harrods because it's crazy amazing to shop there. Also, covent gardens is just shopping, but they had a lovely lunch/dinner outside and an opera singer, plus some fun stores like Too busy to be beautiful etc..so it's a great stop too. You know, one day in a city, is still an experience. Not everyone feels compelled to be the same "traveller"...a whirlwind trip sounds like a dream so have lots of fun. I would suggest to try to pick an area of the city if possible to reduce travel time or else do the decker bus or another program where you can get a city overview of attractions and notable sites in the morning and that can be your guide (along with the day and the weather) for what you want to do that do. viva la differance! |
I think we should give queen1730 a break.
Her intinerary is nothing I would enjoy, but: it remains a valid question what to do with 12 or 48 hrs in one city. Actually, when I travel on business (I know, totally different scenario), I rarely have more than half a day to explore. If I wanted to impose my travel preferences on others, 70 to 80 percent of all inquiries here would be "nuts". |
<<I always try to get to the Canary Islands when I go to Europe. It's off the coast of South Africa.>>
LOL!!!!!!!!! <<There's also a great row of restaurants that are open late in the evening, they are either greek or latin type of "alley" and the guys stand out front trying to get you to try their place and it's lively and fun! I would go there for dinner.>> Make sure you have all your shots and plenty of Immodium. |
Well, if I were you,I would pray that your flights arrive on time, that security checks are reasonable, that passport control isn't too bad, that the taxi queue isn't overly long and that traffic won't be much of a problem. I'm assuming that you'll only have carry on bags and no luggage to check. If not then there is another possible delay.
The travel gods can easily get irritated with those that assume too much.:) Have a good trip and please report back. |
What a coincidence! My hubby and I are also in Europe for 7-9 days during the first week of April (my spring break from teaching school). After posting here for suggestions, we finally booked for just France and Belgium. It was hard to knock out other destinations; but really, even with just two bases, we are also being told that we're crazy for packing in so much. With the Benelux rail pass, we will base out of Paris and Brugges the whole time, and include daytrips in northern France (Mt. St. Michel, Bayeaux, etc.).
If you have already cashed in your miles to go in and out of Gatwick, maybe you could stick to London and Paris and day trip from those two places? |
Canary Islands? South Africa? Underwater trains?
Anyhoo... queen1730: I would seriously consider changing your itinerary even if means paying cancellation or change fees. With all that travelling, you are making your trip way more expensive than it needs to be. Like another poster said, if you slowed down you could save a lot of money and get back to Europe sooner than you think. From what I can figure out, you're current plan is: Fly into Gatwick Fly to Amsterdam --2 nights Amsterdam Fly to Dublin --1 night Dublin Fly to Paris --3 nights Paris Train to London --2 nights London Fly out of Gatwick Is that correct? You have 8 nights? When I plan trips, I always think in terms of "nights", not "days". I also assume that the number of days I have available for sighteeing equals the number of nights minus one, so: -3 nights equals 2 days. -2 nights equals 1 day. -1 night equals 0 days (maybe a half day depending on timing) The overnight in Dublin is just plain insanity. If you're loath to make this a one or two city trip, at the very least cut out Dublin. Is it really worth it to spend all that time and money getting all the way to Dublin and back just to "be in the city and not really do anything" for a couple of hours? If Dublin is that important, then make another cut, either Amsterdam or Paris. If you must do three cities, why not Dublin, Paris, London, in that order? Fly to Gatwick Fly to Dublin --3 nights Dublin (2 days) Fly to Paris --3 nights Paris (2 days) Train to London --2 night London (1 day) Fly out of Gatwick If I'm counting wrong and you only have 7 nights, then I'd seriously consider going to Paris and London only: Fly into Gatwick Train to Paris --4 nights Paris (3 days) Train to London --3 nights London (2 days) Fly out of Gatwick |
"<i> Author: UndercoverShyGirl ([email protected])
Date: 01/31/2009, 02:41 pm Don't worry, fodors is known for the few snobby people that would rather criticize then move on the next thread if they can't be helpful.</i>" Interesting first ever post -- and what is your "regular" Fodors name -- I think I know . . . . . . Were you banned again or did you just decide to start a new persona? |
Hmmmm....shygirl....rhymes with you know what.
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and "undercover" shy girl at that :D . . . . . .
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UndercoverShyGirl~~ That's amazing you know so much about the awful posters here at Fodor's... since you have posted all of *2* times!
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Sorry, i don't mean to have caused the thread to get hijacked. Honestly, i don't have another name and have not posted here, that's true. I've been a reader and lurker for years. I wasn't trying to be rude to anyone that posted in the thread actually, I was simply stating what I thought was a well known fact - I've heard (and seen) many times that in fodors some people are "snooty" about travel and pick on others who are here looking for sincere advice. I wasn't trying to be catty, i thought that was what was going on and felt sorry for queen1730 who came here for advice and didn't get much but slamming. I'm not trying to pretend i know all..i am definately new to posting here and decided to do so to start planning my own trip, not get slammed.
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Dear Queen: I can relate to your fast- track trip. We had one in 2006 that was planned by someone else (a gift). It was not the way I would have planned it, but...you know, it was a wonderful time. We had 3 nights and 2 full days in Paris, complicated by my 2 badly sprained feet acquired in Salzburg. We decided to enjoy Paris as much as we could, pretending we were 20-somethings. The hop-on, hop-off double decker bus tour was great for giving us an overview of the various districts and basic sites. We misread the closing schedule and were stranded 2 miles from our hotel - not good for someone with foot injuries - but that slow walk back was memorable; we saw sites we wouldn't have otherwise. We loved, loved, loved Jardin du Luxembourg and walked through it several times a day to capture various snapshots of the French involved in their daily lives. In addition to the Hop-on, Hop-Off bus and Luxembourg Gardens I recommend:
* breakfast in a local Patisserie * drinks on the sidewalk of a local cafe * the Louvre - especially the dungeon in the basement; also have lunch on the terrace of the cafe at the Louvre * Place de Voges and a walk through the Marais * Fat Tire Bike Tour * walk along the Seine * Eiffel Tower, of course! * A nighttime boat tour of the Seine - sign up early; ticket sales ended earlier than we expected. * Enjoy opportunities to meet locals - much friendlier than we expected! Obviously we missed a lot, but hopefully others on Fodors will give you some fresh ideas. I can't wait until I can go again. |
In Paris, we did an Illuminations Bus Tour of the city lights at night. Don't know if it runs in April though. We were there in August. Try Gray Line bus tour company. I think the other big one was called something like Citysights, but can't remember for sure.
St Chapelle church was lovely. However, we had a museum pass which allowed us to beat the queue. You haven't stated what things you've already seen in these cities. ie have you been to the Eiffel Tower? |
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