Travel Plan 2023

[Zona]

Yes, you see more being on foot. Can't see much riding the underground metro.

NW-Bound, if you are planning to visit Stockholm on your trip, I recommend using the metro/T-bana at least a little because quite a few of the metro stations are truly works of art and very memorable. Very different from other more utilitarian metro systems we’ve used in other parts of the world.

https://visitsweden.com/where-to-go/middle-sweden/stockholm/stockholm-metro-art/#

 

[NW-Bound]

^^^ It's not possible to not taking the metro at all in large metro European cities.

Walking as much as we do, we still need to reserve our strength and take the metro to the area where we want to walk about.

Still checking and comparing single-ride tickets vs. multi-day passes in Copenhagen, Stockholm, and Oslo... They are all expensive.

And about Uber rides in France, when we were in Lyon last year, the train ride from the airport into the city central station cost US$20/person or so. Then, we would need to buy metro tickets to get close to where we stayed, then walk almost 1 km.

Considering the above, the 50-euro Uber ride was not bad at all.

 

[NW-Bound]

In researching travel info, I have found so many Web sites that had horribly outdated info. This could lead you astray miserably.

For example, one site says the minimal taxi fare in Copenhagen is 60 DKK (less than $9). Sounds like a deal for 2 people, because a metro/bus ride is more than $5 already for 1 person. Hah!

A Danish Youtuber warns in his video about taxi fares, and says that the minimum taxi fare is 230 DKK ($33) for a trip shorter than 12 min and a few kilometers. And his video is posted in April 2023.

 

[explanade]

Buses are a good way to get around and see more of the city than metros.

But metros are much easier to figure out and a lot of places list the closest metro station, so they're point of reference for people navigating unfamiliar cities.

Now with smart phones, there are apps which will find you bus routes as well as real time schedules.

In the old days, you had to get printed bus schedules or even look at what was posted at the bus stops. You still do but it's so much easier with real time apps.

In large cities, you often see advice to take bus line such and such because even though they're not specifically for tourist routes, they go by several places which would draw tourists.


$20 hamburgers are not that uncommon in big cities. Even though they will also have fast-food chains which sell burgers or whole meals for a lot less. Burgers really have exploded in popularity. I recall a time when you rarely saw them in menus outside of fast food chains or if you did see them, they weren't made well.

Now, often in Tripadvisor, some of the top-rated restaurants in a city will be burger joints, because people tend to rate places which have more affordable prices more favorably.

So a little place that mostly serves burgers for say 10 Euros gets higher average reviews than say a hotel restaurant which has €25 or €30 burgers.

Last summer I was at a seaside town of Sanremo, Italy. They certainly have a lot of seafood places but some of the top places in terms of reviews were burger joints, where you could grab a bite for a lot less than those sit-down places which specialize in seafood.

I haven't been to Denmark but my recollection of Sweden and Norway are very high prices.

One of the ways we saved some money in Norway was to stay at hotels which included a buffet dinner. It wasn't the greatest food but it was okay and saved you $$$.

 

[audreyh1]

I thought in England it was pretty much pub grub, Indian food or fish and chips, ha ha. Of course if you do a full afternoon cream tea you won’t have room for much else.

Just joking, we ate at some lovely countryside restaurants. One in Fotheringhay stands out in my memories.

 

[USGrant1962]

I thought in England it was pretty much pub grub, Indian food or fish and chips, ha ha. Of course if you do a full afternoon cream tea you won’t have room for much else.

Just joking, we ate at some lovely country side restaurants. One in Fotheringhay stands out in my memories.

While I like pub grub, England has many great gastro-pubs with great upscale choices for not a lot of money. Oh, and the curries are great.

 

[Phroig]

I thought in England it was pretty much pub grub, Indian food or fish and chips, ha ha. Of course if you do a full afternoon cream tea you won’t have room for much else.

How about a full English breakfast first thing in the morning?
I can't do that anymore, but many pubs will do one for lunch.

 

[audreyh1]

How about a full English breakfast first thing in the morning?
I can't do that anymore, but many pubs will do one for lunch.

Eggs with sausages and tomatoes and mushrooms works for me. Kippers too. I’ll pass on the canned baked beans or canned spaghetti on toast thanks.

Breakfast is usually a major meal at home. Dinner is very light, even just a snack/hors d’oeuvres.

 

[rodi]

Jolly stomper - your Paris trip sounds amazing.

Athena - how were your guides on the OAT trip. We did the same trip last fall and loved our guide in Peru (Henry). Our guide in Ecuador was less than wonderful (Jimmy). Wondering if you had the same guides and what your thoughts are, if so.

 

[Dreamer]

Jollystomper, I loved reading about your Paris trip. I have never been, but if I get the chance I will take notes on your trip. It sounded perfect.

 

[NW-Bound]

We are soon embarking on a 35-day European trip. First, a 12-night transatlantic cruise. A few days in Copenhagen, then another 7-night cruise to see the Norway fjords. Then, the remaining days in Stockholm and Oslo.

The above are only our 4th and 5th cruises, and the first with 12 nights and so many days at sea. But Nemo2 liked these transatlantic cruises so much, I thought I would give it a try. A mini-suite with balcony is still cheaper than 2 business plane seats, with a lot of food and drinks to go with it. Too much food and drinks in fact, which can be hazardous to one's health.

I gave up the idea of driving up the Norwegian coast after doing research, and opted for the fjord cruise instead. A lot of driving, a lot of time not just driving but also for ferry crossing. I would need a lot more time.

Train rides between Oslo-Stockholm, and even Copenhagen-Stockholm take too much time. So I also gave up on it and flew, despite the hassle of airport security.

The flight back to the US will be non-stop Oslo-LAX premium economy. Still too cheap to go for business class. Well, maybe next time.

 

[braumeister]

I gave up the idea of driving up the Norwegian coast after doing research, and opted for the fjord cruise instead.

Are you taking the Hurtigruten coastal ship?

We did that a few years ago from Bergen to Kirkenes, and loved it. Would have liked a bit more time in some of the ports along the way, but got to see which ones were worth returning to. We did it in March, so we also got to see the Northern Lights on many occasions.

 

[explanade]

Did a day trip from Alesund to Geiranger ford. They take you on a bus and I think there were one or 2 ferry crossings. Each way was probably 1-2 hours.

Then they put you on a ferry for about an hour to arrive at Geiranger by ferry but the bus came around for the return t rip.

I think they gave you 2-3 hours. You could see all the views but not really do hikes. There were also tourist trains which would take you up the fjord to some vantage point overlooking the town and the fjord.

But the bus also stopped at an outlook too.

Still, I think some people opt to stay in these small towns in the fjords instead of just day trip to them.

But it has to be tough driving going up and down with those winding turns. You don't get to enjoy the views as much if you're doing the driving.

 

[MRG]

We came back from French Polynesian a couple of weeks ago. Spent 10 days on a 300 ft modern sailboat with 100 others. It was rough sailing, but we still had a great time.

We went a day ahead of the cruise and did a helicopter tour of Moorea that was amazing. We stayed at the Intercontinental, which is a fantastic place. Perhaps the most photographed view you'll find of Tahiti. On the way back, we stayed in an overwater bungalow for a day and a half. Place was upscale with your own coral garden off your private dock. The ship stopped at 4 different islands, and a fifth was abandoned because of rough seas. We visited a pearl farm, vanilla farm, snorkeled, and learned ancient secrets.

We flew business on United, and I'm not a fan of the pod configuration, but I need to adapt. We also spent the night in San Francisco on the way there and back it made for a more relaxing trip, too.

The negative was that it took us another 10 days not to be sick on land. After coming off the rocking ship, we were sicker than onboard. Took mecliazine, valium.... nothing helps.

 

[Teacher Terry]

MRG, that’s weird about being sick once you were on land. I have never heard of that.

 

[audreyh1]

MRG, did you find some of that Tahitian gardenia oil (Monoi Tiare)? Is that still a thing?

 

[NW-Bound]

Are you taking the Hurtigruten coastal ship?

We did that a few years ago from Bergen to Kirkenes, and loved it. Would have liked a bit more time in some of the ports along the way, but got to see which ones were worth returning to. We did it in March, so we also got to see the Northern Lights on many occasions.

No, I am just going on one of the massive MSC ships.

I did consider the smaller Norwegian ships that go all the way to the top of Norway, and some trips are one-way too, meaning you have to fly back.

I decided that would be too many days on a ship, and this is the 2nd cruise already in the same trip, so passed on it.

Got ourselves another mini-suite with balcony for this cruise. Unlimited drinks not included in this one, if memory serves. That's OK.

Did a day trip from Alesund to Geiranger ford. They take you on a bus and I think there were one or 2 ferry crossings. Each way was probably 1-2 hours.

Then they put you on a ferry for about an hour to arrive at Geiranger by ferry but the bus came around for the return trip.

I think they gave you 2-3 hours. You could see all the views but not really do hikes. There were also tourist trains which would take you up the fjord to some vantage point overlooking the town and the fjord.

But the bus also stopped at an outlook too.

Still, I think some people opt to stay in these small towns in the fjords instead of just day trip to them.

But it has to be tough driving going up and down with those winding turns. You don't get to enjoy the views as much if you're doing the driving.

It looked to me that I would get a better view of the fjords from a ship, than on a cliff looking down. And you may not be able to get to the edge to see any water.

A road trip would give you different sceneries, I am sure, as well as seeing how people live in these remote parts of Norway. The ship will dock at Flam, Hellesylt, and Alesund. I already booked a ride on the Flam railway. That will have to do for this trip.

Still researching what to do in Oslo...

 

[MRG]

MRG, did you find some of that Tahitian gardenia oil (Monoi Tiare)? Is that still a thing?

Didn't know about it to look. There were a lot of things I didn't pay attention to. DW, on the other hand, paid attention to the pearls.

 

[audreyh1]

Black pearls I assume?

 

[MRG]

Black pearls I assume?

Yes, I just paid off the CC bill. Ouch. She doesn't have inexpensive taste.

 

[audreyh1]

Well they are pricey! I looked at some in Maui and they are beautiful. But I really don’t wear jewelry, so it would be more like buying a piece of art. I’d certainly look if I visited Tahiti. See, you supported the local economy!

 

[Chuckanut]

Here’s an idea, fly the Airbus A380 while it’s back.

“The German carrier returned its first Airbus A380 to service Thursday, a victorious return for a fleet that was once considered gone for good amid a bleak future for international travel.

The airline's return flight for the massive double-decker landed at Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) after a hop across the Atlantic from Munich Airport (MUC), before departing back to Munich later in the evening.

Now, three years after Lufthansa initially "retired" the A380 due to a collapse in international travel linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, the airline industry can barely keep up with surging travel demand, even choosing to operate fewer flights in order to keep operations more reliable.”

 

[Teacher Terry]

Not sure what type of plane but I flew on a double decker both ways to and from Europe in April and it had a ton of empty seats. I had an entire middle row to myself and laid down to sleep. It was huge.

 

[NW-Bound]

I left for my 34-day trip on 6/1, and flew back on 7/4.

Thought about providing an update here, but waited too long and the fire is gone.

There's still something I like to share. That is, we flew back with Norse Atlantic Airways, non-stop from Oslo to LAX. Their premium economy seats were amazing.

When we first sat down, I thought to myself I needed to raise the seat back for take-off. No, the seat in the normal position was already as reclined as a regular coach seat.

And when I reclined, oh my, it was almost like the business seat of yesteryear. It fell short of the current business seats that lay flat, but I could live with this.

Later, I checked the specs. Of course, the seat pitch on the Norse 787 prime economy seats is 46", instead of the lousy 38" of the British Airways prime economy. For a reference, the coach seats are usually 31" pitch.

I highly recommend Norse prime economy seats. Their 787s have no business seats. Only 56 prime economy seats, and the rest are coach.

Food was mediocre compared to BA and Air France, but their seats far more than make up for it. I don't go on an airplane expecting gourmet food anyway.

Too bad Norse has only limited routes.

 

[target2019]

We're making final arrangements for Frankfurt and Berlin in September.

We're booked for a night or two in Sasbachwalden. That will include going to two additional towns to find the origins of my paternal grandmother's German grandparents.

At the end of week one there is a wedding and banquet in Frankfurt.

Week two includes taking a train to Berlin, with a possible stop midway for a night. In Berlin we'll stay near Museum Island for 5-7 nights.

Week three includes the train back to Frankfurt, with a possble 1-2 night stay mid-route.

Hotel prices, as far as I can tell, are not inflated like the air travel.