A summer holiday....
Feb 17th 2008, 6:11 am
#17
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Re: A summer holiday....
Yes, these areas are big on our list, although it's just as close from Aus..... So was hoping to go places that are normally more than 12hrs from Melbourne as we're fairly central at the moment..
Feb 17th 2008, 6:17 am
#18
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Re: A summer holiday....
weather in se asia generally isn't great at that time, it's very humid and monsoon season, it would be better to go there oct-feb if you have a choice...
MM, xx
Feb 17th 2008, 6:23 am
#19
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Re: A summer holiday....
Currently investigating south of france - accomm in Montcuq (Cahors?) 1hr south of Toulouse V.good price. But not sure of location/things to do, although just being there would be pretty cool, seings it's my first trip to Europe.
Does anyone know about specific rail travel in France/other transportation? Obviously it would be very expensive to hire a car (unless we could smuggle some petrol across with us
). I've had a look on the usual sites - france tourism, seat61 etc, for train travel help, but all I could really find is that it would be about 30euro for two of us to go between Cahors and Toulouse - if we were to be doing that every couple days it would be expensive!!
Is there not some sort of local train system? - i.e you could get a WEEKLY pass in Melbourne to country Victoria - similar sort of distance for about $60AUD/20BD/200AED per adult....
Does anyone know about specific rail travel in France/other transportation? Obviously it would be very expensive to hire a car (unless we could smuggle some petrol across with us
). I've had a look on the usual sites - france tourism, seat61 etc, for train travel help, but all I could really find is that it would be about 30euro for two of us to go between Cahors and Toulouse - if we were to be doing that every couple days it would be expensive!! Is there not some sort of local train system? - i.e you could get a WEEKLY pass in Melbourne to country Victoria - similar sort of distance for about $60AUD/20BD/200AED per adult....
Feb 17th 2008, 6:28 am
#20
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Re: A summer holiday....
Currently investigating south of france - accomm in Montcuq (Cahors?) 1hr south of Toulouse V.good price. But not sure of location/things to do, although just being there would be pretty cool, seings it's my first trip to Europe.
Does anyone know about specific rail travel in France/other transportation? Obviously it would be very expensive to hire a car (unless we could smuggle some petrol across with us ). I've had a look on the usual sites - france tourism, seat61 etc, for train travel help, but all I could really find is that it would be about 30euro for two of us to go between Cahors and Toulouse - if we were to be doing that every couple days it would be expensive!!
Is there not some sort of local train system? - i.e you could get a WEEKLY pass in Melbourne to country Victoria - similar sort of distance for about $60AUD/20BD/200AED per adult....
Does anyone know about specific rail travel in France/other transportation? Obviously it would be very expensive to hire a car (unless we could smuggle some petrol across with us
). I've had a look on the usual sites - france tourism, seat61 etc, for train travel help, but all I could really find is that it would be about 30euro for two of us to go between Cahors and Toulouse - if we were to be doing that every couple days it would be expensive!! Is there not some sort of local train system? - i.e you could get a WEEKLY pass in Melbourne to country Victoria - similar sort of distance for about $60AUD/20BD/200AED per adult....
That way you could do Italy as well as France and have a bit of a tour in Europe at the same time...
Feb 17th 2008, 6:33 am
#21
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Re: A summer holiday....
I've been researching most of italy and my old boss that lives there reckons to allow 20-30euro EACH per day for food + some sight seeing, which would make the daily budget at about 160euro/day for two of us, including accommodation (private rooms in hostels/Pensione places).
If we were to go for what I was originally thinking of - around 20days(Rome/Amalfi coast/Florence + surrounds/Tuscany/Milan/ lake como/Venice), probably a little less, that would mean a budget of 3200euro for food + accom + sight seeing alone = $5000AUD/ bit over 17000AED. Then PLUS flights - just under 1500AUD - 500BD - 5000AED. And then there's spending money...... and if we wanted to splash out on a night or two's accomm - doesn't seem possible on a budget of 5-6kAUD for 2-3wks.....
Feb 17th 2008, 6:39 am
#22
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Re: A summer holiday....
It is entirely possible to travel in Europe by train - no need to hire a car if budget restricts it - I'm assuming you're looking at a low cost touring holiday rather than the rent-a-gite type affair. Have a look at inter-rail: http://www.interrail.net/.
That way you could do Italy as well as France and have a bit of a tour in Europe at the same time...
That way you could do Italy as well as France and have a bit of a tour in Europe at the same time...
I think i've heard of this one/seen it mentioned somewhere - just couldn't find it on the sites i've been searching grrrr!BTW - looking at a semi-budget holiday: clean showers that we don't have to share, travel by train mostly, splashing out occasionally on must-do stuff...
We had an awesome time last year in Hawaii for 17days for about 5kAUD including flights (they were awesome sale ones!), although we did have 11days free accomm, which allowed us to splash out in other areas (helicopter tour, mustang car hire - although that was cheap) and it's proving hard to find a holiday to create that will be just as great - probably an extra 500-1k being realistic.
Feb 17th 2008, 6:41 am
#23
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Re: A summer holiday....
It is entirely possible to travel in Europe by train - no need to hire a car if budget restricts it - I'm assuming you're looking at a low cost touring holiday rather than the rent-a-gite type affair. Have a look at inter-rail: http://www.interrail.net/.
That way you could do Italy as well as France and have a bit of a tour in Europe at the same time...
That way you could do Italy as well as France and have a bit of a tour in Europe at the same time...
you have to be a resident in countries of Europe to use the InterRail - we're from the land down under is there anyway of getting around this?
Feb 17th 2008, 6:47 am
#24
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Re: A summer holiday....
Currently investigating south of france - accomm in Montcuq (Cahors?) 1hr south of Toulouse V.good price. But not sure of location/things to do, although just being there would be pretty cool, seings it's my first trip to Europe.
Does anyone know about specific rail travel in France/other transportation? Obviously it would be very expensive to hire a car (unless we could smuggle some petrol across with us ). I've had a look on the usual sites - france tourism, seat61 etc, for train travel help, but all I could really find is that it would be about 30euro for two of us to go between Cahors and Toulouse - if we were to be doing that every couple days it would be expensive!!
Is there not some sort of local train system? - i.e you could get a WEEKLY pass in Melbourne to country Victoria - similar sort of distance for about $60AUD/20BD/200AED per adult....
Does anyone know about specific rail travel in France/other transportation? Obviously it would be very expensive to hire a car (unless we could smuggle some petrol across with us
). I've had a look on the usual sites - france tourism, seat61 etc, for train travel help, but all I could really find is that it would be about 30euro for two of us to go between Cahors and Toulouse - if we were to be doing that every couple days it would be expensive!! Is there not some sort of local train system? - i.e you could get a WEEKLY pass in Melbourne to country Victoria - similar sort of distance for about $60AUD/20BD/200AED per adult....
You can holiday very cheaply in the south of France. Try checking Etap hotels. They are prefab buildings but clean and you get your own bathroom.
Don't know the Cahors area but lived a little east of there for 5 years and its a lovely part of the world. Would recommend nipping over to Barcelona for a day whilst you are there.
The French rail system is very good and reasonably priced although I never used it much as I had a car there.
Feb 17th 2008, 6:58 am
#25
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Re: A summer holiday....
You can holiday very cheaply in the south of France. Try checking Etap hotels. They are prefab buildings but clean and you get your own bathroom.
Don't know the Cahors area but lived a little east of there for 5 years and its a lovely part of the world. Would recommend nipping over to Barcelona for a day whilst you are there.
The French rail system is very good and reasonably priced although I never used it much as I had a car there.
Don't know the Cahors area but lived a little east of there for 5 years and its a lovely part of the world. Would recommend nipping over to Barcelona for a day whilst you are there.
The French rail system is very good and reasonably priced although I never used it much as I had a car there.
As it seems so cheap to stay in this apartment that is owned by a former client of mine and a few of her friends (650AUD/week or about 220BD- 2200AED) that is located in Montcuq, Cahors area, I was thinking that we'd just book it for 2 1/2 wks if possible and pay extra for whatever overnight accomm we need in a couple places - Barcelona, maybe Bordeaux if it's too much to do just day trips, Marseille if it's not too far by train. Any other area suggestions?
I still can't seem to find a rail pass for less than $650AUDeach which still wouldn't cover our entire holiday as it's only a 10day pass although there's the Global pass saver - but that requires you to be doing consecutive days travel - what if we didn't want to get the train for one day? I guess we could go one stop and come back - it is a couple hundred cheaper......
Feb 17th 2008, 7:03 am
#26
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Re: A summer holiday....
Do you think a day in Barcelona would suffice? I was thinking, as it's a few hours from Montcuq according to google maps, that it would be better to stay a night?
As it seems so cheap to stay in this apartment that is owned by a former client of mine and a few of her friends (650AUD/week or about 220BD- 2200AED) that is located in Montcuq, Cahors area, I was thinking that we'd just book it for 2 1/2 wks if possible and pay extra for whatever overnight accomm we need in a couple places - Barcelona, maybe Bordeaux if it's too much to do just day trips, Marseille if it's not too far by train. Any other area suggestions?
I still can't seem to find a rail pass for less than $650AUDeach which still wouldn't cover our entire holiday as it's only a 10day pass although there's the Global pass saver - but that requires you to be doing consecutive days travel - what if we didn't want to get the train for one day? I guess we could go one stop and come back - it is a couple hundred cheaper......
As it seems so cheap to stay in this apartment that is owned by a former client of mine and a few of her friends (650AUD/week or about 220BD- 2200AED) that is located in Montcuq, Cahors area, I was thinking that we'd just book it for 2 1/2 wks if possible and pay extra for whatever overnight accomm we need in a couple places - Barcelona, maybe Bordeaux if it's too much to do just day trips, Marseille if it's not too far by train. Any other area suggestions?
I still can't seem to find a rail pass for less than $650AUDeach which still wouldn't cover our entire holiday as it's only a 10day pass although there's the Global pass saver - but that requires you to be doing consecutive days travel - what if we didn't want to get the train for one day? I guess we could go one stop and come back - it is a couple hundred cheaper......
MM, xx
Feb 17th 2008, 7:04 am
#27
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Re: A summer holiday....
Do you think a day in Barcelona would suffice? I was thinking, as it's a few hours from Montcuq according to google maps, that it would be better to stay a night?
As it seems so cheap to stay in this apartment that is owned by a former client of mine and a few of her friends (650AUD/week or about 220BD- 2200AED) that is located in Montcuq, Cahors area, I was thinking that we'd just book it for 2 1/2 wks if possible and pay extra for whatever overnight accomm we need in a couple places - Barcelona, maybe Bordeaux if it's too much to do just day trips, Marseille if it's not too far by train. Any other area suggestions?
I still can't seem to find a rail pass for less than $650AUDeach which still wouldn't cover our entire holiday as it's only a 10day pass although there's the Global pass saver - but that requires you to be doing consecutive days travel - what if we didn't want to get the train for one day? I guess we could go one stop and come back - it is a couple hundred cheaper......
As it seems so cheap to stay in this apartment that is owned by a former client of mine and a few of her friends (650AUD/week or about 220BD- 2200AED) that is located in Montcuq, Cahors area, I was thinking that we'd just book it for 2 1/2 wks if possible and pay extra for whatever overnight accomm we need in a couple places - Barcelona, maybe Bordeaux if it's too much to do just day trips, Marseille if it's not too far by train. Any other area suggestions?
I still can't seem to find a rail pass for less than $650AUDeach which still wouldn't cover our entire holiday as it's only a 10day pass although there's the Global pass saver - but that requires you to be doing consecutive days travel - what if we didn't want to get the train for one day? I guess we could go one stop and come back - it is a couple hundred cheaper......
Personally I would avoid Marseille.
other places to visit are Carcassone (a bit touristy but very impressive), Montpellier (where I used to live), Nimes, Arles and avignon. The Pont du Gard is also nice but you would need a car to get there.
Feb 17th 2008, 7:20 am
#28
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Re: A summer holiday....
Can you get to Sitges by train? It would probably require another overnight stay then, right? Is there good, cheap accomm around there? By cheap I mean this really nice apartment I found would work out to be about $95AUD/night (weekly rental) if you were to break it down. Obvioulsy a weekly rate is cheaper but, would want to be paying under $150AUD/night for any extras...
Feb 17th 2008, 7:22 am
#29
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Re: A summer holiday....
of course its better to stay a night there if you can.
Personally I would avoid Marseille.
other places to visit are Carcassone (a bit touristy but very impressive), Montpellier (where I used to live), Nimes, Arles and avignon. The Pont du Gard is also nice but you would need a car to get there.
Personally I would avoid Marseille.
other places to visit are Carcassone (a bit touristy but very impressive), Montpellier (where I used to live), Nimes, Arles and avignon. The Pont du Gard is also nice but you would need a car to get there.
Feb 17th 2008, 7:31 am
#30
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Re: A summer holiday....
Can you get to Sitges by train? It would probably require another overnight stay then, right? Is there good, cheap accomm around there? By cheap I mean this really nice apartment I found would work out to be about $95AUD/night (weekly rental) if you were to break it down. Obvioulsy a weekly rate is cheaper but, would want to be paying under $150AUD/night for any extras...