Steve's Travel Info

The following information may help you plan a holiday in Europe, travelling by car and using apartments.
It looks at value for your $$$ ( see the bottom of the page ), off season travel, apartments availability, car lease, food, liquor, incidentals and links we have used are listed. You will find many more. The USA is also below.
European travels were mainly in France, Germany, Austria, Italy and some travel in UK, Czech Republic and Spain.
All the Countries are worth spending time in and a week in each geographic area works really well as well as
satisfying some booking conditions and giving plenty of time to explore and enjoy the local areas and cultures.
New info on GPS, Google Earth and Internet, see headings below.
Try to limit the distances in your holiday, avoid waiting in airports and carefully consider the following :

HOLIDAY OPTIONS

Self drive, apartments and self catering : Holidaying at your pace discovering local attractions, privacy & low food/wine costs.
Self drive & Hotels : Hotels can be expensive, no real privacy, no room to relax, no self cater, restricted or pay parking.
Self drive & Motels : Highway Chain Motels are cheap, clean & modern but no room to relax and no self cater, parking OK.
Self drive & B&B / Pension : B&B mainly UK. Often not cheap or modern, usually share facilities with owners and no self cater.
Train travel : Accommodation generally restricted to expensive hotels near train stations. Costing is OK for single travellers.
. . . . . 4 day France / Italy Eurail is from Aus$376 pp, self drive is much cheaper for 2 or more.
Back-packers : Usually group accommodations with a good support network aimed at younger travellers.
Coach packages : Safe, tight touring schedule of cities and main tourist attractions, tourist traps, tips usually expected
. . . . . Side trips and other add-on extras such as banquets, etc. are expensive.
. . . . . Some Hotels are well positioned for post tour walks, etc.... "Ah, it's Friday, this must be Salzburg ?"
Hitch-hike and stay with friends : Not recommended. Can be dangerous travelling & friends may become former friends.

OFF SEASON TRAVEL
From June to August most of Europe is on holiday and it is very hot, roads, accommodation, restaurants and attractions
are crowded and I advise going "off season" in March to May (Spring) or September to December (Autumn, but getting colder).
Shoulder air fares are cheaper and "Early Birds" better still if you are organised early enough. Consider joining Frequent Flyer.
B.A. have a World Traveller Plus class between Business & Economy which can be very attractive.
Qantas is introducing their Premium Economy in 2008 to various International routes.
2008 may see fuel surcharges so book and pay early.
As your air-fares are a major outlay I recommend booking through a good travel agent, not the internet , this also provides some flexability if things go wrong. Ever tried ringing some help line, especially from overseas ?
Clothes needed include layers, warm coat, gloves, scarf, hat, walking shoes, umbrella and camera. There are also warm days.
April 2007 was the hottest UK April since weather has been recorded (350 years).
Do not worry about language as your body language, and politely pointing to what you want works really well.
In France, especially, basic words like "bonjour" & "merci" really help heaps. The Euro has made most of Europe easy in transactions.

FRANCE : CAR LEASE
The item below is Apartments and the best way to use them is by self-drive as using train / bus / taxi can be very difficult.
Driving on the "wrong side" in Europe is not difficult and Europeans generally are very fast but have very good road manners.
Staying in the right lane, giving way to the right, driving fast but with due caution (so radar is rare), always giving way to pedestrians (who unfortunately flaunt this) are a constant source of amazement as Australian road manners are poor, lanes are not properly observed and not giving way, running red lights, erratic driving and road rage are prolific, there is preoccupation with radar being a speed deterent ? and pedestrians, cyclists & motor cyclists have to live dangerously. Experience it yourself !
For 2 or more driving is an adventure and quite affordable and yes, you will often get temporarily lost. Carefully consider buying a GPS but you will need European or USA, etc. maps available on SD card for some makes & models. Australian units only have Australian mapping installed and dirt roads may not be included.
Some GPS can help you when walking or enable you to find where you left the car and there are Google Earth possibilities !

Peugeot and Renault have "lease" deals booked in Australia which are very good and can be much cheaper than renting.
Your car is new and can be collected or dropped off outside France. There may be early bird reductions on this price.
In 2003 we collected a Peugeot 206 diesel in Rome for AUS$200 which was cheaper than our fuel cost back to Paris.
We rented a car in UK as it was much cheaper than using trains but note that the M1 and others can get grid locked for hours.
The DriveAway Holidays brochure is a good reference but your Travel Agent should be able to get a very good rental price or the internet is now becoming good for booking car hire.
Fuel is expensive but choice of a suitable size diesel works well. The boot should take all your cases to not attract thieves.
Apartments booked at up to 300km intervals works well but use motorways to each, then enjoy local drives.
Motorway tolls apply in France and Italy, a 10 day display Vignette purchased at garages as you cross the border or on the motorway is compulsory in Austria and autobahns are free in Germany but the slow lane is usually about 100km/hr !
A Vignette must also be purchased for Switzerland, it applies for a few months. You can get it at the Borders.

APARTMENTS
Good standard are generally about AUS$80 / night in villages or on farms and bookings are usually Saturday to Saturday.
Most are an excellent standard and most supply linen in the price, heating can be extra and expensive in Italy.
"Search Engine" words are France / "Gite", Germany and Austria / "Ferienwohnungen", Italy / "Agriturismo".
Internet searches detail size, features, photos, prices and how to book. Search for your general interest geographic area.
The owners are usually lovely people and you have the luxury of your own privacy and space to do your own thing.
A good alternative is Logis de France, categorised and generally comfortable privately run hotels often with meals available.
If travelling between apartments and you just need basic accommodation then look near major highways at major towns
for Formula 1, Villages, Premiere Class, etc. Motels. These are self contained, basic, bed/s for 2-3, TV & shower/toilet.
Prices are very good and it is wise to find one before 5pm. Eateries are usually quite close. Breakfast sometimes optional.

PARIS MONTHLY RENTAL FOR 1600 EUROS ? ( about AUS$90 / day !!! )
We stayed at a great 2nd floor apartment in the Marais in Paris 4e and it overlooked the St Paul Metro station and Carousel.
We really enjoyed this location as there was always activity, all sorts of bars and shops including supermarkets, near the bus,
near the River Seine and Notre Dame and generally surrounded by history, every day was an adventure.
Furnished, sleeps 6, washing machine, dish washer, electricity and charges inclusive, comfortable and great views !
Rental is by the month and if for a calendar month get the monthly pass for Metro and buses. You need a passport photo.

FOOD, LIQUOR & INCIDENTALS
If you are a Senior join COTA for excellent Travel Insurance savings and Membership backup which can be quite important.
Restaurants are expensive and sometimes disappointing so apartments enable self catering and generally food prices are the same or better than Australia except meat and fish. Liquor prices are excellent and a huge range. Some clothing bargains.
Make sandwiches for lunch to maximise quality sight-seeing time and cut costs.
Toilets require tipping or charge except McDonalds who also have the cheapest (and OK) coffee, always carry some 50c coins.
Most attractions charge 7 to 10 Euros but some things you just 'gotta see' and off-season at least you can get in !
Car parking has become a necessary evil, drive to the attraction, then look for the closest park, off season and Sundays sometimes are free but be careful, read the signs carefully. On season, forget it.
Paris street parking is 2 Euro/hr and almost non-existant whereas parking stations are 3 Euro. We parked opposite the Louvre !
Supermarkets are found at the outskirts of larger towns and generally open Mon -Fri about 12 hours, Sat mornings, closed Sundays and smaller ones may close 12-2pm. Many only accept local currency and Visa, etc. cards are now more prevalent. It pays to ask before purchasing and the same applies to fuel. You must remember these limitations when moving from one apartment to another so buy your necessary food and wine on Friday before your Saturday move.

LINKS
Germany / Bad Windsheim, vicinity Rothenburg on Tauber. Kur & Golf Apartment.
        Ute Wattenbach
        Impeccable apartments in easy walking distance to the interesting old town through spa clinic (Kur) gardens, wow !

Germany / Chieming, Lake Chiemsee, vicinity Salzburg. Ferienwohnungen.
        Anneliese Wennesz
        Spacious, comfortable apartments about 5 minutes easy walk to Lake Chiemsee and village. Close to Austrian alps.

Germany / Feriendorf Eichwald, by Gossersweiler-Stein in the Rhineland-Palatinate. Holiday apartment.
        Kurt Schneider
        Great apartment in a forest setting, central location for sight-seeing, accommodates up to 7, 3 bedrooms

Austria / Oberloiben, Wachau, vicinity Vienna. Ferienwohnungen.
        Karl Brustbauer
        Charming apartments next to the River Danube in the Wachau world heritage premium wine area with a great winemaker host.

Italy / Castelli Romani area about 50 minutes south of Rome and just 8 km from Velletri, Agriturismo Croce del Tufo.
        Valerio Dellorco
        100sq m 3 bedroom house for 6 people handy to Cori, Sermoneta, Frascati, Nemi, Castel Gandolfo, Tivoli, beaches, etc.

Italy / Volta Mantovana, vicinity Lake Garda. Agriturismo Gardenali.
        Maria Carasi
        Spacious apartments in a vineyard with Venice or Lake Garda for day trips. Venice day parking is 20 Euros.

Italy / vicinity Ferrara, Rovigo, Padova. Nel cuore del Delta del Po. Agriturismo Forzello Maura Rocchi.
        Spacious apartments with Venice or Lake Garda for day trips.

Italy / Greve-in-Chianti, Tuscany, vicinity Florence. Agriturismo Falciani.         Patrizia Falciani
        Individual apartments in a vineyard with views in Tuscany, between Florence and Sienna, who could ask for more ?

Italy / Pietrasanta, Tuscany, vicinity beaches & Pisa, Viareggio, Alpi Apuane.         Fabrizio Cattani
        Apartment for 6 at € 500 per week

France / Paris : The Marais Apartment :
        Mary Anne Runciman, South Australia, phone 08.83898050, fax 08.83898209
        As detailed above this terrific apartment and the location justifies just a month in Paris holiday, we did !

France / Paris inner city near Bastille charming 2 bedroom apt, suits 1 - 4 persons, airport pickup. Ph 08. 8431 9584 after 7pm

France / Draguignan, Provence, vicinity St Tropez. Gite #1360.
        Daniel Del-Pia. Phone 0494684770. Gites de france, select Var area
        Character and comfortable Gite in a vineyard, lots of day-trips, Monaco, etc. Patio lunches ? You bet !

France / Villefranche-sur-Mer, Nice Area, Cote d'Azur - Riviera.
        42sqm studio, excellent views, terrace, 2 persons. Details, vacancies, costs

France / Montferrier (Barthale), near Carcassone, Mirepoix, Foix. Gite #SR0088.
        Delightful comfortable 2 storey Gite in the fascinating Cathar region near Chateau Montsegur and ski area.
        Lourdes, Andorra, Toulouse day trips. Gites de France

France / Talloires ( Balmette ), Lake Annecy, vicinity Geneva. Gite Rural #275003.
        Richard Mazille, in Haute Savoie.
        Not only a lovely apartment but what a view of Lake Annecy, 100m away, and close by alps drives, unbelievable !

France / Ferrette, vicinity Basel, Germany & Switzerland. Gite #5800.
        Fabienne Blauel, in Haut-Rhin.
        Well appointed, comfy, just outside town, view of the castle, day trips to Rhein Falls, Lucerne, Basel, Colmar, etc

France / Lauzerte, Quercy Region, 1 hr North of Toulouse. Renovated cottage : Les Chouettes. Up to 4 persons.
        Views, quiet, great area, medieval towns. J & G McDonald, Victoria, Australia 03.98777513

France / SW unspoilt market town.
        Norma Carter refurbished stone house in wine region. Australia 08.82232707.

France / Logis de France.
        Web : http://www.logis-de-france.fr (select required Department/area)
        Comfortable, friendly Hotels all over France, categories reflect in the prices.

France / Gites de France.
        Web : http://www.gites-de-france.fr (select required Department/area)
        Gites (apartments or houses) all over France, the choices on the web-site will wet your appetite.

France / Paris Apartments
        Web : Rental France
        Agent Pascal has a good reputation on several travel forums

France / Paris Travel etc., Information : Paris In Sites.
        Web : Linda Thalman's Paris In Sites
        All sorts of travel goodies

Czech Republic / Hlasna Treban, adjacent Karlstejn Castle, 28km to Prague
        Web : Interhome
        Up to 7 persons, comfortable, good base for touring and handy to Prague. Currency generally Krona but can use some Euro.

Greek Islands / Santorini.
        Web : http://www.thea-apartments.gr/
         60 Euros per night in October which is a great time to visit, great ocean views, ferries no problem.

Russia / St Petersburg.
        Web : Petersburg Lodging
        Good apartment locations, selection, details, prices. Larisa very helpful, also Visa invitations, airport transfers and testimonials

Finland.
        Web : Lomarengas Agency
        Cottage, farm, b&b selection, details, prices, festivals info, car hire.

New York.
        Web : New York Large apartment in newly refurbished house "Smeralda" at Valley Stream, 10km JFK, 20km New York City,
        train and shops close, huge saving in rent compared to New York so rent a car at JFK for general use but use the train
        to Penn Station in New York, 35 minutes and US$17 return (US$8-50 for Seniors), great hosts.

Other World-wide Accommodation :

        Web : Homelidays Organisation for access to private Holiday Rentals.
        34000 rentals in 95 countries, self-catering & B&B

        Web : Vacation Rental By Owner
         Quick loading, easy to use, indicates capacity & prices

        Web : Holiday Rentals
         45,000 self-catering holidays & villa holiday rentals across Europe & USA

        Web : http://www.eurapart.com/budget.html
        European cheap hotels, budget chains & prices, air, car, etc info & links

        Web : http://www.expatriates.com
        A clear listing of apartments available around the World with features and contact details.
        Did you know there are about 750,000 Australians living overseas ?

GENERAL LINKS
GLOBAL :
Visa Link Global visa & passport info
Get Up and Go, Seniors Card practical travel info
Lonely Planet, World Travel
Smart Traveller Travel problems, tips, advice
World Expeditions Travel
Car Rental World Wide
Russian Visas. An "invitation" is needed as part of the Visa process, I will report later on this

AUSTRALIA :
Australia Travel Specials : Flights . Accommodation . Travel Auctions
Banksia Tours 08.83805687
Eureka Coach Tours 08.82655911
Melbourne Apartments from $150. 1300 301 630

ASIA :
Asia Hotel Deals
Asia Travelnotes Asia info
Bali Hotels, resorts, villas
China Travel Service (Aust)
Circle of Friends Asia info
Hong Kong Kayak & Hike
Indochina Travel
Japan Japan National Tourist Org. Sydney
Japan Tokyo tours by volunteers
Japan Kanagawa Prefecture
Japan Saitama Prefecture
Japan Chiba Prefecture
Malaysia Tourism
New Asia Pacific travel China, Vietnam tours
Peregrine Adventures SE Asia Travel
Taiwan Tourism Judly Int. train tour, etc. 1800880062
Travman Tours China, India tours
Global Tours China tours

INDIA :
India Travel
India Passport Travel 1800337031
India Ram World Travel
India Travel by motorbike & coach 02.49751828
Kerala Ayurveda India. Ayurveda, Yoga Holidays & Medical Packages in Kerala.

UK :
Scotland 2007 Year of the Highlands events
Britian Info
Cornwall World's largest geodesic biomes
UK Personal touring

EUROPE :
Cheap Airfares : Europe Ryan Air
Cheap Airfares : Pisa Airport Usually no more than € 70 for a return ticket to Amsterdam, Glasgow, Paris, etc.
Germany, Official Tourism site
Germany, Castles
Germany, Oktoberfest
Germany, Berlin
Holland, Amsterdam
Finland
MyPlanet Travel Agent : Baltic, etc.
Paris Apartments from$140

USA & CANADA :
Las Vegas Visitor info
Spectrum Holidays Alaska Marine Ferryliners trips
Seattle Boeing Tours
Seattle
New York Village Guest House. Colleen Goujjane. No Smoking
Trip Advisor Web site for user's reviews of accommodations World Wide, this one for Village Guest House above

NEW ZEALAND :
New Zealand Ski Deals
New Zealand Seniors Card

CHILE :
LAN Chile Flies Sydney to Santiago, then domestic flight to :
Ice fields of Chilean Patagonia. Travel Oct - Mar.

GLOBAL FESTIVALS :
Semana Santa. Guatemala - March
Chariot Festival. Puri, Orissa, India - July
Day of the Dead. Oaxaca, Mexico - October
Shandur Polo Tournament. Pakistan - July
Naadam Festival. Ulaan Baatar, Mongolia - June
Losar Tibetan New Year. Tibet - February
Kyoto Geisha Festival. Kamogawa River banks - May
Pushkar Camel Fair. India - November
Inti Raymi. Festival of the Sun, Peru - June

USA TRAVEL
I have no knowledge yet of apartments in the USA but we extensively used ExitInfo free voucher books available from
Denny's Restaurants which list Motels in that part of the States with special prices which are not disputed.
These vouchers also have directions to find the Motels which make it real easy. Off season is easier.
An internet listing is vai Hotel Coupons or try Super 8 Motels which are a good standard.
Outback USA away from the cities is great such as Grand Canyon and the National Parks, Yellowstone is a bit remote.
Las Vegas is great and you do not have to gamble but do not go Friday or Saturday as accommodation prices are high.
Sam's Town, Las Vegas, is good but off the Strip, room rates are good, quiet & spacious, check internet specials but best to hire a car at the airport prior via the internet even though there are shuttles available. Dollar is OK and also fine for New York as can be returned to Manhattan.

CRUISES

Frequent internet specials for many cruises.
The Inside Passage 7 day Cruise with Holland America Line ex Vancouver to Skagway, etc. can be excellent value,
scenery, food and shows are great and they even have a no-tipping policy which Aussies love. Ferries are an alternative.
Round off this Cruise by using a rent car to drive the Icefield Parkway from Banff to Jasper, and back again !
This allows plenty of time to stop and view the sights rather than zip through in the train.
Some cruises have severely lacking procedures for initial boarding, port by port and final disembarkations which can really mar the cruise experience plus virtually compulsory tipping. Advise upgrading to an outside cabin and the lowest levels of the ships are fine, mid-ship is smoother if possible to request.
As with coach tours, side excursions are generally over priced.
You cannot take alcohol on board many cruises as they want to sell it. On-board internet is over-priced.

EUROPE COSTS GUIDE

OFF-SEASON AUST-EUROPE CHECK GUIDE : APARTMENTS, SELF DRIVE & SELF CATER
Item	Comments. Using AUS$ conversions.
Passport, Visas, Airline Tickets, Car lease, Credit Cards must have 4 digit pin	Carry securely always, copy passport.
Travel Insurance, check COTA rates, can now become a member if under 50	International Cover
Air-Fares p.p. BA World Traveller Plus inc. Taxes	$3900. Good alternative to economy.
Air-Fares p.p. Economy inc. Taxes. Remember Early-Bird Specials.	$2200. 24 hours travelling is a long time.
Extra Air-Fares p.p. Rationalise your need for these.	Don't spend your holiday in air-ports.
French Car Lease. New car as specified & can be much cheaper than renting.	3 weeks min. 6 months max.
Apartment usually Saturday-Saturday. France : Gite	$40 - $110 / day. Linen, heating extra ?
Apartment usually Saturday-Saturday. Germany & Austria : Ferienwohnungen	$40 - $110 / day. Linen, heating extra ?
Apartment usually Saturday-Saturday. Italy : Agriturismo	$40 - $110 / day. Linen, heating extra ?
Diesel. Try to plan minimum distances between accommodations.	15km / litre @ $2 / litre
Motorway Tolls &/or Vignettes. Travel 100km each hour at about $10.	Minor roads are scenic & good but slow.
Parking. A necessary evil in Europe.	Expect from $2 minimum. Venice $36.
Public Transport in Cities is generally efficient & easy to use.	Weekly or Daily. A must in Paris, etc.
Dining out. Some Pub meals are OK in UK.	Expensive, tips, quality often poor.
Supermarket & Wine. They often close by 5.30pm Saturdays.	Very reasonable, similar to Australia
Admissions, usually minimum $10	Louvre, etc. a must.
Camera/s, gifts, duty free, etc.	Don't forget these.
Case/s. Do try to travel light, pack & then leave half of it home applies.	Warm coat & scarf.
Before leaving home prepay Bills due, redirect mail, arrange house security, CentreLink.	Turn garden watering system on.
Approx. cost for 4 weeks, 2 persons using BA. WTP air-fares.	.
Insure $600, Air $7800,Car $1400, Diesel $600, Tolls $200, Park $80,	.
Apartments $2400, Public Transport $150, Food $800, Admissions $200.	Total = $14230. (or fly Economy = $9600)

DISTANCE GUIDE
Paris - Rome 1428kms, Paris - Frankfurt 600kms, Paris - Marseille 787kms, Calais - Paris 291kms, Madrid - Lisbon 623kms, Lisbon - Porto 305kms, Barcelona - Paris 1097kms, Milan - Paris 850kms, Munich - Paris 855kms, Munich - Rome 1319kms, Venice - Rome 531kms, Berlin - Paris 1057kms, Berlin - Munich 290kms, Zurich - Paris 668kms.

GOOGLE EARTH
Download Google Earth free to your PC as it can make planning your trip so much easier plus it is very interesting to view anywhere in the World. There is a new feature where you may be able to view buildings such as your house from photos taken at street level.
Search areas have lots of tourist info & photos plus you can measure the distances.
Mappy or ViaMichelin can produce strip maps including tolls and other useful info but just using a GPS is fine.

GPS
Buy a GPS before you go with good maps, Garmin is brilliant with 1 map for most of Europe. You will still need basic printed maps for orientation as new roadworks create some chaos and the Czech Republic at 2008 has minor errors such as trying to cross rivers on foot-bridges. In Czech, drive with headlights on, A to B can be slow, locals tend to observe speed limits plus many roads are sub-standard.
Use the Quickest Route plus No Toll Roads GPS settings unless in a hurry as tolls mount up quickly.

INTERNET
At 2008 Europe has little ADSL "Free" access, it is painfully slow and you register on line so use Internet Cafes in large cities. McDonalds may provide free WiFi, again just register on-line. Starbucks provide access in USA and Libraries may also. Luxembourg is a "hot" city with access anywhere after you register. Some access may only be in the current language so difficult to interpret.
SMS using a mobile is still a good and cheap way to communicate but does not work in USA.

FEEDBACK
Feedback and updates on this information are most welcome. Email Steve

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