City
Fri 11/21/08 (day 1)
Predeparture entries
After reading other journals for trips, we decided to make a trip journal for our trip to Europe. Hopefully, this will help pass the time until we can actually leave. We are scheduled to leave on November 21st and will be going to London, Paris, and Rome with three days in each city. I know that this will probably not be enough time to see and do everything, but at least it will give us a taste of each city. Never in a million years did I think I would ever go to Europe, especially three cities on my first trip. I am going to put together a rough draft of our trip and will edit it when we get back. A lot of folks want to know the details of our trip so here goes.......
TRIP DETAILS: (rough draft) (*)+ optional excursions
NOV 21 - Departure ~ Overnight flight to London
NOV 22 - Arrive in London - begin exploring - Dinner with group that night
NOV 23 - Guided London sightseeing tour
NOV 24 - Free day to explore London!!
NOV 25 - Eurostar train to Paris - begin exploring - Dinner with group that night
NOV 26 - Guided Paris sightseeing tour
NOV 27 - Free day to explore Paris
NOV 28 - Depart by air to Rome - begin exploring Rome - Dinner with group that night
NOV 29 - Explore Vatican City in AM (*) and enjoy the rest of the day exploring on our own
NOV 30 - Guided sightseeing of Rome - end the day with Dinner with the Tenors (*)
DEC 1 - Return flight home :(
TOUR GROUP - Go ahead tours
TRIP PRICE - $2,700.00 INCLUDES: Roundtrip airfare, all taxes and surcharges, airport transfers, transfers between cities by air and train, breakfast daily, three dinners with free beer and wine, accomodations, guided sightseeing in each city, the best trip insurance, and excursion to Vatican City and an excursion of Dinner with the Tenors (opera dinner).
CONS: We can only take 1 suitcase and 1 carryon. At first this was a requirement of the tour companies, but now with allt he changes in the airplane companies it looks like I would have had to deal with this regardless! I have no idea how I am going to cram 11 days worth of stuff into one suitcase, but I will manage.....afterall I am going to Europe! I would go in my birthday suit if I had to!
We have been shopping online for items to get us ready for our trip. I have looked at passport holders, safety wallets, luggage tags, and carry on bags. I have been TiVoing travel shows on London, Paris, and Rome and have gotten a few ideas from that. I really like Samantha Brown and Rick Steves, but have also found that I like Anthony Bourdain shows a darker more mysterious part of the cities, stuff the others don't really show you. I have bought some books on the cities, too. Again Rick Steves' books are the best. They give you the hours and cost of all the sights, when to go and when not to go and helpful tips about each city/place.
Planned Activities
Sun 11/23/08 (day 3) - London
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Mon 11/24/08 (day 4) - London
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Wed 11/26/08 (day 6) - Paris
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Thu 11/27/08 (day 7) - Paris
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I lived for three months in London and it was amazing. See everything you can, don't waste a second. See Buckingham Palace, if you are there during the summer it is open to the public. Also see the Royal Mews which are attached, royal horses and carriages! Skip the London dungeon, it is overpriced and crowded, as is Madame Tussaud's. Do go on the London Eye and see a play at and take a tour of the Globe Theatre. Stand in the yard, just like the poor of the past, you'll get the best view! Be sure to check out Covent Garden and it's market. The locals may seem standoff-ish and unwilling to help if you are lost but don't let them fool you. The minute you ask for help they are ready to give you directions and point you in the direction of a good restaurant or the good local pub.