Trip to EU

[K1052]

Athens is pure chaos.

Athens always had this rep and also one for being a dump. Chunks of it have actually improved quite a bit in the last decade or so.

All of Grece is off-limits during the winter months. Also they don't speak a fucking word of english.

I'm not sure I ran into anybody last time I was there who didn't speak some amount of English. If you go out into the sticks I'm sure it's still a problem though.

 

[DigDog]

*snip*

Yeah i wouldn't disagree or even add anything to any of that. I was still taking that into consideration, though (although i wasn't expecting Verona outside of the musical season to be THAT busy).

Athens always had this rep and also one for being a dump. Chunks of it have actually improved quite a bit in the last decade or so.

I'm not sure I ran into anybody last time I was there who didn't speak some amount of English. If you go out into the sticks I'm sure it's still a problem though.

maybe not necessarity "a dump", but a very large and very chaotic city. noise, smog, people, kinda puts it in the same group as London, maybe slightly worse. My mother told me it was like that, i only had a 1-day peek at Athens 4? years ago, got out of the airport, looked around, thought to myself "yep, it's like she said it was" and went on to my next flight.
I was also in Kefalonia for a couple weeks recently and very few people spoke english in any functional manner. Anything short of pointing to "i want to buy that bottle" was difficult and very often i would smile and say "sono italiano non parlo greco".

 

[K1052]

maybe not necessarity "a dump", but a very large and very chaotic city. noise, smog, people, kinda puts it in the same group as London, maybe slightly worse. My mother told me it was like that, i only had a 1-day peek at Athens 4? years ago, got out of the airport, looked around, thought to myself "yep, it's like she said it was" and went on to my next flight.

We spent a week in Athens last year staying in Monastiraki. Honestly was kind of floored that Athens (any part of it) has somehow become cool. Was not the case 15-20 years ago for sure.

I was also in Kefalonia for a couple weeks recently and very few people spoke english in any functional manner. Anything short of pointing to "i want to buy that bottle" was difficult and very often i would smile and say "sono italiano non parlo greco".

Sure further out you go and away from the beaten tourist path this is going to be an issue. Athens itself is definitely easy for an English only speaker these days though. Notably so compared to past visits.

 

[nisryus]

well, i book travel itineraries for a living,

can you tell me these things please

1. when do you want to travel; when is your travel date, how many days for, how much leeway, what departure airport. i take it you are a US citizen so you have the standard 90 days stamp-on-arrival for all the countries in the greater european area.

2. are you on a strict budget? for both flights and holiday. And how long do you have to stay here?
The time on the ground is important because if you have your 8/9hour flight from JFK or Logan BOS and maybe connecting flight there plus car ride, security, etc and then the same again backwards in a few days, and you try to pack all that plus all the activities in a week or so, you will be tired, man, the "holiday" will exhaust you. The goal of a holiday is that you come back better, not worse.

3. and this is the most difficult to answer ..
What kind of EXPERIENCE do you want and/or expect to have. Do you come to europe to feel like you've stepped into an antique world? See statues and buildings that make you feel like you live in the middle ages? Or are you just looking to have an informed viewing of arts? such as museums, and well again, statues and buildings, but more in a "technical" way that just "let the beauty sweep me off my feet".
Are you looking to stay on a chair and get cocktails handed to you? Do you want to go explore old taverns and order weird foods in a strange language? Do you want to feel the hustle&bustle of a crowded market, do you want shining hotel lobbies, do you want to buy fancy new clothes or old cloth? Ethnic or modern?

Are you looking for a life-changing experience, or for a conversation piece?


Remember that, for how modern and reasonably well organized we are in Europe, you are still travelling to a foreign country. While things will probably go smooth, they can still go wrong. A solid travel insurance policy (should be failry cheap, $100 or less, although it may be higher if you have preexiting conditions) is gonna be needed as well.

1. Currently the plan is mid September for two weeks. We live in Austin so most likely plane will fly to JFK first.
2. I might be booking through my company because employee get discount. Last i check when i compared the same flights with booking straight from the airlines, the discount i got for a premium economy was almost 40% off.
3. This is hard. I enjoy historical stuffs, like to see buildings, statues, arts.. etc. The wife is totally opposite. Also she hates places that are too crowded. So will have to kind of balance going to museums and historical sites, and just sign seeing the cities and natural. She likes nature so if time permits, might trek over to Switzerland. We do not particular care about tasting distinctive food each country has to offer, just something homey and won't cost an arm or an leg will do. Any hotels will do, just not $200 to $1k a night! And no, will try to discourage the wife to go crazy with my credit cards on dress

 

[Brainonska511]

1. Currently the plan is mid September for two weeks. We live in Austin so most likely plane will fly to JFK first.

If you are planning on flying to London first, you could potentially do a direct flight. It looks like BA has a direct overnight flight (bookable through their codeshare partners too). Just book it as a multi-city itinerary if you're planning on going home through a separate EU airport though: the one-way tickets from Europe are absurdly expensive compared to having it all on a single itinerary (one exception: booking award travel: book those as one-ways for added flexibility because they don't carry the one-way "tax").

Any hotels will do, just not $200 to $1k a night!

I stayed in an Ibis hotel in Paris in March '23 and it wasn't bad. Fairly no-frills and a very basic room, but it was clean and sufficed for my wife and I for sleeping/getting ready to go out. They're under the Accor umbrella, and the chain is kind of all over London and the EU. I also stayed in a fairly cheap Best Western-affiliated hotel in Milan in summer 2019 that was quite nice for the price and adjacent to the subway to boot (so you can often find good and cheap places to stay that are conveniently located).

3. This is hard. I enjoy historical stuffs, like to see buildings, statues, arts.. etc. The wife is totally opposite. Also she hates places that are too crowded. So will have to kind of balance going to museums and historical sites, and just sign seeing the cities and natural.

What does she define as "too crowded"? When I was in London over Labor Day, I wouldn't say I encountered too many areas that I would consider "crowded". But then again, my tolerance might be much higher, having lived in and worked in NYC for 7 years, and living in/around Boston for the last 6.

 

[IronWing]

For nature near London, the Hawk Conservancy is great. I’m not sure how public transportation works for getting there anymore.

Wildlife day out in Hampshire, birds of prey conservation at the Hawk Conservancy Trust

Award-winning wildlife day out in Hampshire with stunning flying displays, bird of prey conservation and family fun. TripAdvisor's No.1 attraction in Hampshire.

www.hawk-conservancy.org

 

[purbeast0]

When I was in Paris we stayed at this hotel.

Pullman Paris Tour Eiffel - Hôtel 4 étoiles - 15e arr

In the heart of Paris, a bright, designer 4-star hotel with a view of the Eiffel Tower. Your next playground in the 15th arrondissement.

www.pullmanparistoureiffel.fr

We had a view of the Eiffel Tower from our balcony and it was pretty awesome.

I just found our itinerary from 2016 when we went and it was $354/night including taxes.

I just looked on their site and that same exact room (Deluxe room with balcony tower view) is $725 a night holy shit!

 

[DigDog]

i have no PC until monday

 

[nisryus]

Thx everyone, been gathering all of the suggestions, except the $700 a night hotel

 

[Gizmo j]

@nisryus

Below are reviews of Watch Dogs Legion(based in London) and Assassin's Creed Unity(based in Paris)

 

[DigDog]

1. Currently the plan is mid September for two weeks. We live in Austin so most likely plane will fly to JFK first.
2. I might be booking through my company because employee get discount. Last i check when i compared the same flights with booking straight from the airlines, the discount i got for a premium economy was almost 40% off.
3. This is hard. I enjoy historical stuffs, like to see buildings, statues, arts.. etc. The wife is totally opposite. Also she hates places that are too crowded. So will have to kind of balance going to museums and historical sites, and just sign seeing the cities and natural. She likes nature so if time permits, might trek over to Switzerland. We do not particular care about tasting distinctive food each country has to offer, just something homey and won't cost an arm or an leg will do. Any hotels will do, just not $200 to $1k a night! And no, will try to discourage the wife to go crazy with my credit cards on dress

 

[DigDog]

though you may consider flying back from another destination?
British has BA 190 which is direct from Austin to London, £462/pp for ECO.
London to Venice is a whoppin' £26/pp. £40 on easyJet U2 6557, Sept 18th, which departs from Gatwick which is a MUCH better airport than Heathrow.
Frecciarossa train to Rome, around fifty bucks per person, 4h journey (decently comfy).
Or there's direct flights to Palermo, around thirty bucks per person.

return to Austin from rome is about £800/pp with a single stop in Dallas. 14h total journey.
I would instead go from either rome, or palermo, or wherever you are, to Nice. Which then has 1-stop into Austin for £550 circa. Or Lisbon .. ironically via LHR .. back to Austin in 1 stop for £530.

 

[nisryus]

though you may consider flying back from another destination?
British has BA 190 which is direct from Austin to London, £462/pp for ECO.
London to Venice is a whoppin' £26/pp. £40 on easyJet U2 6557, Sept 18th, which departs from Gatwick which is a MUCH better airport than Heathrow.
Frecciarossa train to Rome, around fifty bucks per person, 4h journey (decently comfy).
Or there's direct flights to Palermo, around thirty bucks per person.

return to Austin from rome is about £800/pp with a single stop in Dallas. 14h total journey.
I would instead go from either rome, or palermo, or wherever you are, to Nice. Which then has 1-stop into Austin for £550 circa. Or Lisbon .. ironically via LHR .. back to Austin in 1 stop for £530.

Thx DigDog,

Going to check with the wife first. Trip is secondary now since until her surgery is done and they are 100% sure the tumor is noncancerous. (so the previous test they did was not 100% guarantee, as they couldn't actually took a sample out of the tumor, but just the surrounding area... will have to wait until her operation this week)

 

[nisryus]

Since we cancelled the EU trip and went to Japan instead, current plan is to take EU trip in early April. The weather should be great around that time.

After having the time to look over things, the wife has second thought on trying to jam so many places into one trip. Not just the cost, but it will be very tight.

First is to fly to Rome and spend three days there (including one day to see the Vatican City). Next is to take the train to Venice and stay there for two days. Total around six days if including train and flight times.

Afterward, fly to Paris and skip Switzerland. Spend three days in Pairs, then take the train to Pontorson and by bus to Mont-Saint Michel. Stay two days there before taking the train back to Paris and fly back home. Around six days including travel and stuffs.

Maybe I should wait for bbhaag to give us his experience on his Italy trip first... 🤔

 

[Hoober]

I definitely would not try to cram too much stuff in on a 6-day trip. Pick a city or 2 for that duration.

 

[nisryus]

So most likely we will stick to Rome for the first three days, then take the train to Venice and stay there for two days. Back to Rome and fly to Paris, that's a day gone.

Three days in Paris doing tourist things. Take a train to Mont-Saint Michel (3 hours) and stay there for two days. Back to Paris and then fly home.

Total 12 to 13 days for France and Italy.

Since the kid has been to Venice with his school for his senior trip and took tons of pictures, the wife even thought about not going there. If that's the case, we will instead use the time to spend around Rome and Paris.

*wife still keep changing her mind on where to go.. so.... yeah...

 

[biostud]

Personally when doing vacations in cities, I prefer 5-7 days so you have a chance to just get a feeling of the city, and then maybe a few of the must see things. I hate places which are filled with tourist (I know) and feel too touristy...

 

[bbhaag]

Since we cancelled the EU trip and went to Japan instead, current plan is to take EU trip in early April. The weather should be great around that time.

After having the time to look over things, the wife has second thought on trying to jam so many places into one trip. Not just the cost, but it will be very tight.

First is to fly to Rome and spend three days there (including one day to see the Vatican City). Next is to take the train to Venice and stay there for two days. Total around six days if including train and flight times.

Afterward, fly to Paris and skip Switzerland. Spend three days in Pairs, then take the train to Pontorson and by bus to Mont-Saint Michel. Stay two days there before taking the train back to Paris and fly back home. Around six days including travel and stuffs.

Maybe I should wait for bbhaag to give us his experience on his Italy trip first... 🤔

Anything in particular you would like to ask or know about? Most of the general stuff has already been covered in this thread, so if you would like to know something more specific just let me know.

We spent the last 20 days there and it was one heck of a trip. We went as far north as the lakes region and as far south as Rome and everywhere in between.

 

[nisryus]

Anything in particular you would like to ask or know about? Most of the general stuff has already been covered in this thread, so if you would like to know something more specific just let me know.

We spent the last 20 days there and it was one heck of a trip. We went as far north as the lakes region and as far south as Rome and everywhere in between.

Pics! All of the Pics!!!!!!

 

[bbhaag]

Pics! All of the Pics!!!!!!

I don't know if I can post all of our photos because well.....we took a crap load of them but I'll sort through them today at some point and post a few. I'll also repost our itinerary and a list of likes and dislikes while visiting Italy because it might be helpful to you and spur some conversation.

Here is one for example. Why the hell are ice cubes this super secret recipe that only restaurants seem to possess the knowledge of? Every city we visited I went on the hunt for a bag of ice and I'm convinced that such a thing does not exist in the entire country.

I even asked a few waiters in different cities were I can buy ice and every time they just smiled at me sheepishly and said "No, restaurant only.". Like wtf bro?

 

[biostud]

I don't know if I can post all of our photos because well.....we took a crap load of them but I'll sort through them today at some point and post a few. I'll also repost our itinerary and a list of likes and dislikes while visiting Italy because it might be helpful to you and spur some conversation.

Here is one for example. Why the hell are ice cubes this super secret recipe that only restaurants seem to possess the knowledge of? Every city we visited I went on the hunt for a bag of ice and I'm convinced that such a thing does not exist in the entire country.

I even asked a few waiters in different cities were I can buy ice and every time they just smiled at me sheepishly and said "No, restaurant only.". Like wtf bro?

I can buy a bag of ice cubes at my local supermarket in a bag here in Denmark. Not that I've ever needed to. The obsession with ice cubes I believe is pretty American.

 

[WelshBloke]

Yeah my corner shop sells them as well.

Ice in drinks is pretty much just for soft drinks and people in Europe (and I'm making a huge sweeping statement about a lot of people) tend not to drink soft drinks with meals in restaurants. Soft drinks are for kids mostly.

 

[WelshBloke]

DP

 

[bbhaag]

Counter point time.

So if I'm in Italy for 20 days what if I feel like making an Aperol Spritz or another cocktail but don't feel like paying 8-12 Euro each at one of the closest restaurant or cafe? If the place I'm staying at for a few days has a nice outdoor space and access to a full fridge and freezer why not buy a bottle of Aperol and some Prosecco with a bag of ice to make my own and relax in the evening at my stay.

 

[WelshBloke]

Counter point time.

So if I'm in Italy for 20 days what if I feel like making an Aperol Spritz or another cocktail but don't feel like paying 8-12 Euro each at one of the closest restaurant or cafe? If the place I'm staying at for a few days has a nice outdoor space and access to a full fridge and freezer why not buy a bottle of Aperol and some Prosecco with a bag of ice to make my own and relax in the evening at my stay.

I mean I freeze my own ice cubes for the occasional drink, is there not an ice cube tray in the freezer?
It's pretty normal to just nip to your corner bar for a pre dinner drink!