amandab

Arrive in Vienna midday on Christmas Eve after 28 hours of travel (hope to stay awake long enough to enjoy the Christmas festivities since they celebrate on Xmas Eve)
Stay with Friends in Austria until 6 Jan, they will show us around Austria, Alps, southern Germany, possibly up to Prague.
6 Jan, travel to Venice - 2 nights booked
8 Jan - to Florence, 4 nights booked with plans for 2 day trips while we are here - yet to be finalised. Suggestions?
12 January - to Paris - perhaps flying from Pisa in evening with Easy Jet - this will mean an afternoon in Pisa - can we leave our luggage at the airport or the railway station while we look around Pisa?
Evening of 12 Jan, 4 nights Paris - depart on 16 Jan.
16 Jan - hire car for the day and drive from Paris to Calais, with stop along the way at one of the Somme memorial sites.
Afternoon ferry to Dover - pick up car, overnight in Hastings.
17 and 18 Jan - West England, midlands area, visiting relatives. (DH and I have been to England before, so we really only have a couple of 'must sees' for these 2 days.
19 Jan - drive to Glasgow - stay with friends. (Have previously spent a week in Glasgow, so will spend time shopping, couple of day trips, etc)
25 Jan, leave Europe (already feeling sad about this)
2 nights in Dubai on way home.
Okay guys, what do you think ? (please be gentle on me).

Total time away, 5 weeks.

JoeTro

I think you need at least an extra day in Venice and Florence. Is this your first time to Paris? If so, I think maybe another day or two there ... you really only have 13th through 15th. Also, I'm not sure if you can adequately see Austria, Alps, Southern Germany and Prague during the time interval alloted. I think it all might be a little too fast. Maybe you can cut a day or two from Glasgow, especially since you've already been.

amandab

I know it all sounds a bit of a whirlwind. Yes, it's our first time to Europe Continent and I'm trying to see as much as possible - it very well might be many years before I return. You may not believe it, but I've cut back quite significantly already. We can certainly add on an extra night in Venice without any difficulty, but I really thought 3 full days in Paris would be enough to get a general impression and taste of it. Unfortunately I doubt I can cut back on Glasgow - I'm staying with a very dear friend who is like a sister to me and also Glasgow is where my mother was from and as I don't have her anymore I want to revisit all the haunts she showed me first time round and this time, take notice and soak it all in! I don't know, maybe I need to think again on it all - its very frustrating.

gabrieltraian

Two nights in Dubai means one full day there? How long do you have in Dubai? Do you have a visa? Can you enter the country?
Do you need suggestions of what you could see or do, or do you already know?

I live in Abu Dhabi, so maybe I can help on that.

Gabriel

amandab

Hi Gabriel. Yes, it's only one full day in Dubai. We have to land regardless with the flights, so really wanted to have a look as heard so many great things about Dubai, it looks amazing. I'm not sure what we want to see particularly - definitely want to go inside the 'sail boat hotel'. Sorry can't remember it's name, but you will know exactly what I mean. Thought we might have a drink in one of the bars at that hotel. Wouldn't mind checking out one or two beaches, and of course a look around the city centre. Don't believe we need a visa (New Zealanders) I think we get a stamp on arrival at the airport. Hope this is correct.
If there is somewhere in Dubai or close by which you highly recommend, I'd appreciate hearing about it.
Thanks Gabriel,
Amanda

gabrieltraian

Well, Amanda, we're gonna move to Oz next year as PRs. Looking forward to that, you can imagine!

So, one day in Dubai... The sail boat hotel is called Burj Al Arab. You will have to pay the equivalent of 55 US$ or so at the main gate.

You get a coupon for that and you can use it inside to spend on whatever you want. They only want to make sure you are going to spend something inside. So you can have your drink against that.

Next to Burj Al Arab is Jumeirah Beach Hotel, another fabulous establishment. It is in the shape of a sea wave and it is splendid. You should check that out as well.

This hotel has a splendid beach with views to Burj Al Arab.

Exactly between Burj and Jumeirah hotels is a beautiful water park, Wild Wadi (wadi is the water course that forms in the rainy season in the Arabian deserts).

It has themes from Sindbad the Sailor, decorations like in the desert mountains and it is smashing. I like it so much.

Now Jumeirah Beach Hotel is at the right side of Burj Al Arab.
At the left side of Burj is Madinat Jumeirah, built in the traditional type of Arabian city, taken from the 1001 Nights.

It is in fact a huge shopping mall, but superb to walk inside. There are canals like in Venice and a boat takes you around.

Across from Madinat Jumeirah and Burj Al Arab (you can ask there for details) is the Mall of the Emirates, a huge, immense mall.

There is a road from Madinat Jumeirah taking you straight there. Inside this mall they have a ski slope, complete with snow and stuff. If you have time, check it out.

This should occupy even more than one day, but it is all in about the same area.

The Mall of the Emirates is on the highway to and from Abu Dhabi, that runs parallel with Burj and Jumeirah hotels. As you take that road into Dubai you get fantastic views of the new sky scrapers there. It's awesome.

There are plenty of hotels in Dubai where you can stay. I cannot help you on that, unfortunately, 'cause i'm not using them, but I know they are good.

Any more questions, just ask.

amandab

Wow, thanks Gabriel, I didn't realise you had to pay to get into the Burj Al Arab, is that 55US per person???? Thanks so much for the advice, I'm going to print it out for reference. Really keen to view the new developments. So you are moving to Oz, which part?

SAnParis

Where in Austria ? You have way too much crammed into the time frame & need to count travel time/costs in as well. Not enough time in Venice, not enough time in Florence to do daytrips, not enough time in Paris...Depending on the answer to the first question, I might think about eliminating all or part of the Italy portion. Where are you traveling from ?

gabrieltraian

Yes, Amanda, it is 55US per person, but you get to spend the voucher. However, I think it is expensive to buy something there, but if you want a once in a lifetime experience, it is worth it.

I did it once and it's enough for me.
Check out the powder rooms, kings and queens treatment.

I don't think you've heard however, that there is another 7 star hotel in the Emirates. That is in Abu Dhabi and is called Emirates Palace Hotel. Check it out at www.emiratespalace.com

I actually like this one even more, as it is huge and is in the shape of a palace of the 1001 Nights. It's full of gold leaves on the walls.

Moreover, you can enter there for free to look around. But it is Abu Dhabi, not Dubai, 150 km away.

We haven't decided yet where to move. We'll start looking for a job in January. If luck strikes, if anything comes up, wherever it may be, there we shall move, even if it is Darwin or Hobart. If not... I don't know, Perth, Melbourne or Adelaide, nothing else.

You will have fantastic weather in January.

JeanneB

Amandab,

I saw your post on another thread about making Rome one of your day trips out of Florence. Although your itinerary makes my head spin, I understand that you're putting it together "to see as much as possible". Based on your question about Rome, I do have a suggestion.

You apparently are not planning to do much sightseeing in Florence itself, so consider flying directly from Vienna to Rome. 3 nights in Rome. Then train to Venice, stopping in Florence for several hours. Venice 3 nights.
Flying from Venice to Paris is easy on MyAir.com...arrives at Orly around 6:30pm.

We were there this past January. Florence was colder than anywhere else, cold enough to curtail walking around much. There's nothing to say you will experience the same. But the cold was easier to work with in Rome than in Florence.

ira

Hi Amand,

>it very well might be many years before I return. <

All the more reason for adding at least one more day to Paris.

I'm sure that your friends in Glasgow will understand if you reduce your visit with them.

I also support adding a day to Venice, even if you take it from Florence.

Your 12 days in Austria will be fine if you don't try to see absolutely everything.

Is there areason for taking the ferry across the channel, especially in January?

It's taking time that could be spent in Paris or elsewhere in France.

> can we leave our luggage at the airport or the railway station while we look around Pisa?

I believe that there is a left luggage office in the Pisa Centrale station. It's about 0:30 hr walk to the Tower.

Enjoy your visit.

amandab

Thanks everyone, ira, yes we were planning to cross the channel by ferry - we are driving to calais because have to stop at one of the war memorial sites on the Somme along the way. Is it risky in January (due to weather) to be catching a ferry, should we try and train it instead from Calais? Thanks for advice on pisa train station, don't mind walking 30 minutes if we end up going there, just was worried about luggage and what to do with it. Also, think we will try and get an extra night in Venice.

ira

Hi aman,

See www.eurostar.com for trains from Calais to Ashford and London.