Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
My least favorite from a photographic standpoint was Amsterdam, though I did love the Rijksmuseum and its reflecting pool, and the International Flower Market where most shipments of European flowers bound for the rest of the world are shipped from. Acres and acres of flowers in automated carts, a stock market style sales room. Very photographic.
I actually loved Venice and it's wonderfully picturesque. Take a trip out to Murano Island and the panoramic view of Venice is amazing.
However, in two weeks, I'd do London, Paris, Barcelona and Rome. Just my 2 cents worth.
Sounds like the schedule of someone who gets sh@t done!
How's this for an aggressive schedule
Day 1 JFK-YVR
Day 2 YVR-SYD
Day 3 YVR-SYD (lose 2 days)
Day 4 SYD-MEL
Day 5 MEL
Day 6 MEL-BNE
Day 7 BNE-CNS
Day 8 CNS
Day 9 CNS-SYD
Day 10 SYD
Day 11 SYD
Day 12 SYD-JFK
Multi city option is cheaper than buy one way separately internationally most of the time.
Regarding transit in London overnight, I would just find a very cheap hotel nearby LHR, no reason to go into the city. Certainly, you need to factor that cost when comparing to other options ( Norwegian extra fees, cost of getting to EWR vs IAD, cost of parking,etc....)
Rarely, it is better to buy 2 separate one way tickets. I saw it with some low cost airlines.
So where is what I'm thinking. I have pretty much the entire month of July to work with.
13 nights
3 nights in each London-Paris-Amsterdam-Rome plus a possible additional stay in London to transit back to DC. (as of right now, I'm sticking with Amsterdam and shortening the trip from 17 days to 13-14 days).
No matter how I do it, it's looking like it will be approx 2k (economy) for two people to fly round trip from IAD/BWI to London (flying back from Rome). If I do a multi city it's about $900 per person minimum before choosing seats, checking bags etc.
If I book directly myself online I can fly direct round trip from BWI on British Airways (15 minutes from my house) to London. Book a separate flight from Rome to London at the end of the trip to complete my BWI-LHR round trip. Doing this is about $1700 including two checked bags and choosing a seat, plus about $350 for a flight from Rome to London on Easyjet (with bags and seat selection included). Again, those numbers are from two people.
So it seems like the cheapest and possibly best for scheduling is still to book a round trip flight from BWI to LHR and then book a totally separate flight to get back to London from Rome. I'm open to using Dulles, Philly, Newark etc, but BWI would be so much more convenient.
I could do these cities in any order, but from all my searching, it seems like fly direct to London, train to Paris, train to Amsterdam, fly to Rome, fly back to London for nonstop back home is the best way to go logistically and cost.
You have been very helpful so far though so please, if you think there is a better way, please let me know!
If you are flexible with your dates a little bit, you can go down to $ 685 each( July3-18 or July 8-19)
You have to be careful choosing the London airport for Rome-London. Three other airports( Gatwick,Stansted and Luton) are farther and very inconvenient to get to the city.
If I book directly myself online I can fly direct round trip from BWI on British Airways (15 minutes from my house) to London. Book a separate flight from Rome to London at the end of the trip to complete my BWI-LHR round trip. Doing this is about $1700 including two checked bags and choosing a seat, plus about $350 for a flight from Rome to London on Easyjet (with bags and seat selection included). Again, those numbers are from two people.
This sounds like a plan. Direct route leaving near you is worth it, especially when you factor in the pleasure of BA.
Quote:
I could do these cities in any order, but from all my searching, it seems like fly direct to London, train to Paris, train to Amsterdam, fly to Rome, fly back to London for nonstop back home is the best way to go logistically and cost.
You have been very helpful so far though so please, if you think there is a better way, please let me know!
That's what I would do. Train from London to Paris avoids the longish trip to LHR.
My gf, sis and I did a 17-day Europe trip. 12 countries, no flights. Rented car in Germany for a circle tour. The only cities we visited were Vienna and Venice, every other day was a relaxing drive in the country, overnighting at zimmers, country inns, or small town hotels. Never reserved ahead, just took what we could find at quitting time, never disappointed. It was very workable, never felt rushed, nor that we were missing anything.
Seems to me that if you are just doing cities, nearly all your time will be spent on logistics, with only a few rushed tours to enjoy for yourself.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ponytrekker
.
Every other flight is an hour.
No flight is an hour. Hotel to hotel is a minimum of six hours. If every flight was 4-5 hours in the air, it would only double your transport time. Might as well add in Nairobi and Delhi.
Almost all of it. Typically sightsee from 9-8 or something like that. Sightseeing is usually walking, train, bus, ferry, uber. Add a tour or two.
At our age we would be exhausted. Hence the slower pace for us. Sounds like you have a good routine.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
