Comments on: Planning: Mapping It Out http://travel.jennvargas.com/2009/04/03/planning-mapping-it-out/ Sat, 11 Jul 2009 19:40:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jenn http://travel.jennvargas.com/2009/04/03/planning-mapping-it-out/#comment-6 Jenn Sun, 05 Apr 2009 06:25:05 +0000 http://notesfromabroad.net/?p=42#comment-6 Thanks Stacey!! I'll definitely check out skyscanner!!! And good to know about the Sunday thing. I probably wouldn't have even thought of that! Reading this makes me wonder if I should put Edinburgh back in my plan - I do love Harry Potter! it wouldn't be too difficult to add it on right after London... hmm... It's awesome that you've been to so many of these places (and lived in Greece!!!) I'm quite jealous!! Thanks Stacey!! I’ll definitely check out skyscanner!!! And good to know about the Sunday thing. I probably wouldn’t have even thought of that!
Reading this makes me wonder if I should put Edinburgh back in my plan – I do love Harry Potter! it wouldn’t be too difficult to add it on right after London… hmm…

It’s awesome that you’ve been to so many of these places (and lived in Greece!!!) I’m quite jealous!!

]]> By: Stacey http://travel.jennvargas.com/2009/04/03/planning-mapping-it-out/#comment-4 Stacey Sun, 05 Apr 2009 01:50:50 +0000 http://notesfromabroad.net/?p=42#comment-4 Yeah, as much as I love Sweden, I'd probably recommend cutting it out. It's outlying and pretty damn expensive. Also, maybe Greece. Again, this seems like sacrilege as I lived there for 18 months and love it to death, but it can be a nightmare in the height of summer, and would involve a lot of time. I'm assuming you're getting a Eurail pass then? If you can get a cheap flight, sometimes the time saved is worth it. This site has been a godsend to me in the past, as it searches budget airlines like Ryanair and Easyjet (if you have a choice, always go for Easyjet over Ryanair, even if it costs you a bit extra!)... it's also good for inspiration as you can plug in starting point and leave destination blank to see where you can go from there and for how much. http://www.skyscanner.net/ I'm a city girl, so personally I'd prioritize London, Paris, Barcelona, Rome and Berlin, and make sure you set aside enough time to do each one justice. Edinburgh is rather gorgeous and magical in a Harry Potter sort of way. Dublin is very expensive, and could be a bit of a pain to get to. If you want to see a bit more of classic England without sacrificing a lot of time, you can make easy day trips to either Cambridge or Oxford from London. Florence is also pretty amazing. Venice can be magical too, but also stinky in the summer. And oh, be mindful of where you end up on Sundays! Lots of more traditional places completely close down, so you might want to make sure you're either in a city or somewhere you'll be able to also explore on Saturday or Monday, just in case. On my trip to Italy, we were in Venice on a Sunday in the off-season and EVERYTHING was closed except the churches and one bar. Seriously. Yeah, as much as I love Sweden, I’d probably recommend cutting it out. It’s outlying and pretty damn expensive. Also, maybe Greece. Again, this seems like sacrilege as I lived there for 18 months and love it to death, but it can be a nightmare in the height of summer, and would involve a lot of time. I’m assuming you’re getting a Eurail pass then? If you can get a cheap flight, sometimes the time saved is worth it. This site has been a godsend to me in the past, as it searches budget airlines like Ryanair and Easyjet (if you have a choice, always go for Easyjet over Ryanair, even if it costs you a bit extra!)… it’s also good for inspiration as you can plug in starting point and leave destination blank to see where you can go from there and for how much. http://www.skyscanner.net/
I’m a city girl, so personally I’d prioritize London, Paris, Barcelona, Rome and Berlin, and make sure you set aside enough time to do each one justice. Edinburgh is rather gorgeous and magical in a Harry Potter sort of way. Dublin is very expensive, and could be a bit of a pain to get to. If you want to see a bit more of classic England without sacrificing a lot of time, you can make easy day trips to either Cambridge or Oxford from London. Florence is also pretty amazing. Venice can be magical too, but also stinky in the summer.
And oh, be mindful of where you end up on Sundays! Lots of more traditional places completely close down, so you might want to make sure you’re either in a city or somewhere you’ll be able to also explore on Saturday or Monday, just in case. On my trip to Italy, we were in Venice on a Sunday in the off-season and EVERYTHING was closed except the churches and one bar. Seriously.

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