Barb

I'm sure you've probably been here too, but what about Lyon? I think it's a short hop from London. A great place to spend the weekend IMO. Wonderful food!! and the Hotel La Residence is inexpensive and a great location to walk to everything.

melissa19

do you mind my asking . . . were all these trips for business, or strictly pleasure? both?

i vote for dublin. except for the weather.

grandmere

How about Annecy?

Eloise

Can you stretch it a day for Rome?

If you can find a flight out Friday night and back Tuesday morning, it would give you Saturday, Sunday and Monday in Rome. It wouldn't involve as much rushing around as most of your trips do, but I assure you that you would not find three days in Rome boring. And the weather would most likely be splendid.

Airfares to Italy are, in my experience, always higher than to most other European countries. Or you can try to connect in London to one of the discount airlines.

gertie3751

Fancy any of these? Just got this on the bmi mailing list
[email protected]

Scarlett

I will top this because I am enjoying the conversation
Good for you 111op, another fun trip! good for us, another fun report

OReilly

Hi 111op:

Dublin is fun (MY home town), but unfortunately can be expensive for accomodation and good food. Weather, of course, is never predictable.

Have you considered Spain? You can get direct flights from LHR to Barcelona, Madrid and Seville (on season) from LHR and more from LGW. As an art lover, you will be delighted with both Barcelona and Madrid. If you are not interested in Rome, which is always a good suggestion, BMI flies to Naples and Venice. Naples has a great museum and easy access to Pompeii.

BTW, I would not be bothered with the low cost airlines if you only have a weekend. ITs a long journey from LHR to Standted or Luton. LGW is not so bad, but I tend to stay with LHR for weekend jaunts.

Regards Ger

yk

I think 111op has been to Barcelona, Madrid and Seville.

How about Hamburg?

111op

Hi, in case people are wondering, I don't have net access at home, so I don't really check the forum much over the weekend (I happen to be SoHo now, and there's free access at the SoHo store).

I'll look at everyone's suggestions tomorrow.

Thanks!

GreenEyedCatWoman

You mentioned Bath and Oxford, but not York. Have you already been to York, 111op?

If not it would be perfect for a short break/long weekend, and only 2 hours by train from London. IMO, York has just enough to see and do to fill a couple of leisurely days.

gertie3751

Yes, York is spectacular. Being a Brit I never think of UK as 'abroad' but......

111op

Hi all. I don't know if the airfare has gone up in the meantime, but as I said, it'd be useful for me to have the discussion anyway for future trips even if I stay home for Labor Day. So here goes.... (Yes, it's all been for pleasure -- not business related at all.)

1. Regarding the UK, yes, I've been to York and Edinburgh. I can't remember if I've been to Canterbury. But I'm pretty sure I was in Warwick. Also Oxford, Lake District, Stonehenge (and maybe even Liverpool and/or Manchester). As I said, my very first trip was a tour of the UK, so we covered a lot of ground, not that I remember it very well. I was also in Bath. Maybe even Salisbury.

I'm not opposed to seeing any of these places again, as that trip was many years ago.

One question: How's Brighton? I'm not really a beach person, but it seems like this has more to offer than the beach, and it's an hour from London. I see it recommended in a lot of guide books as a day-trip possibility from London. But early September might be a little too late for a trip like that.

I've not been to Cambridge either.

Another attraction for me for London -- eating at a place like Fat Duck, for example, if I can get a table.

But hotel costs really are a turnoff.

2. I don't know France well. All my trips have been to Paris -- I've been trying to take a few day trips in the area. I've not been to the S. of France or Annecy or Lyon. Of course any of these would be fine, but I'm just not sure if I can get to these places cheaply and quickly for a long weekend (and flying into London and out). By the way, when I checked airfares from NYC last week, Geneva was a location I checked -- presumably a little closer to Lyon, for example, and the Alps. But airfare wasn't that cheap.

3. I agree with you, Ger, that I'd also prefer to fly out of Heathrow. So I did check BMI, but airfares to popular destinations are by no means cheap (even booking two months in advance) for the most convenient flights. For example, Venice is expensive to fly to.

4. Yes, Eloise, I definitely do want to go to Italy again. I don't know if I can take an extra day. Given the amount of time I spend on the net, I try not to take too much vacation, and I hate asking. (And I want to a take week off later this year -- not sure where yet.) I think that a trip to Italy is constrained by the same issues in 2. and 3. -- no convenient, cheap flights. Maybe in the winter season it's more feasible, as I nearly did go this February (but did my art trip instead because flying to Brussels and out of Paris was only $400).

5. Yes, I've been to Madrid and Barcelona -- I'd like to go again, but again, same constraints above. I was in Seville last October. Don't know anything about Hamburg.

6. I met my Irish friend yesterday, and she seems to think that driving around the Irish countryside might be more interesting. I'm not getting an overwhelming endorsement re Dublin from her, I must admit. But I know nothing about Ireland. She also mentioned that it won't be cheaper than London, as Ger pointed out.

So anyway, I'm still thinking about it.

OReilly

Hi 111op:

I kinda agree with your friend. Dublin is great for me, because I have family there, but I would not put it int the same category as Paris, Rome, Barcelona The countryside is stunning, but then you are pushing your costs up by renting a car. You could probably get a cheap flight from LHR to Shannon or Cork and either explore Connemara (one of my favorite spots in the world) or West Cork/Kerry. Costs of B&Bs would be a lot cheaper than a Dublin hotel.

have you checked the BMI Naples flight for that weekend? Venice is always expensive from LHR. BA does a flight from LGW, but then you are losing valuable time traveling between airports.

BTW, what dates are Labour Day? If I come up with any more thoughts, I'll check the costs of fligths before posting.

Regards Ger

111op

Hi Ger, I'm pretty sure I checked Naples (probably checked all the places I can think of going on BMI -- including Warsaw, etc.).

Labor Day is on 9/5, so I'll leave on 9/2 and come back on 9/5 if I take this trip.

Thanks again!

111op

Hi all, I booked JFK/Bologna for 9/1-9/5. I'm taking the Friday before Labor Day off.

I saw the deal on Travelzoo.

I'm flying Eurofly.

http://airfare.travelzoo.com/european-airfare/195210

Fare is $399 + taxes.

I'm really excited, as I've been wanting to visit Italy again.

I've not thought about the trip much yet, but I checked trenitalia this morning. It looks I can get to Padua, Venice, Florence and Ravenna fairly easily.

I assume that if I really want to go to Rome, I can.

I'll save the other suggestions for a future trip.

At one point I'll probably post for advice again on Italy.

My first trip to Italy was in 1999. I did the standard tourist thing -- Rome, Florence, Venice, Milan.

I was in Italy again in 2003 (Naples, Amalfi Coast -- but this bit was a joke because I had budgeted very little time -- though I did see Pompei and Amalfi (on the same day)). That was when I started posting on Fodors. On that same trip I went to Greece, by the way.

On my return I was in Rome for one night.

Thanks again!

111op

By the way, taxes = $145.

So a total of $544.

OReilly

Great deal 111op, and you save so much time flying directly!

I stayed in Bologne for a few days some years back and really enjoyed it. I used the trains to do day-trips to Venice and Verona, both recommended. I would have done more, and actually HAD a ticket to Revenna, but ran into the usual strike problems.

Its a good town to wander in, GREAT shopping and a fine museum. I stayed in the hotel just opposite the train station (Sofitel) and got a great price on an enormous old room looking out on the interior garden.

Have fun with your planning.

Regards Ger

111op

Thanks Ger -- I was lucky (and glad that I didn't buy the ticket for London).

Eurofly seems new, so I hope that everything will go without a hitch. And the flight times are even decent (10pm and 3pm departures).

I'll think about what I want to see and post again for suggestions. I'll probably formulate a checklist of Renaissance art that I'll want to see.