Travel - Preparation For D Europe Trip

Going Europe is one of my goal for 2012 and it is my dream to go as well. I started planning since last year and it was really a headache because I don't know where to go besides Munich (for the concentration camp) & Rome (Vatican City of course!) >.<

I thought of many places but they were all over Europe, I literally had to look at Europe map and think of which route should I take! So places like UK, Nethelands (Amsterdam), Begium, Switzerland all came across my mind and itinerary.

 I have never studied a map so hard, think my Geography becomes better after this whole lot of planning.

Almost wanted to give up this free & easy trip and just take a Europe tour because I was so tired of planning and reading! lol. Then an idea struck as I look through the route again.

Munich (3 days) - Switzerland (4 days) - Italy (7 days) were originally on my "confirmed" itinerary BUT it was pretty expensive because of Switzerland. The budget came up to almost S$8,000. If I really do it this way, I really need to come back and eat grass...

After some advises from some friends, I decided to take Switzerland out from the itinerary and the revised budget is halved.. Reasonable for a 14 days trip. =))

So bye bye Switzerland, I will definitely visit you. Wait for Mama!

I decided to stay in Munich for 7 days 6 nights, focusing on the Bavaria region, but included a 1 day trip to Salzburg (Austria)! Why Salzburg? Because it is only 2 hours away from Munich, it is where the Sound of Music was filmed and it is the birthplace of Mozart!

I hope it will be this beautiful! =)

So yeah! I am still going to THREE countries afterall! hahahaha. Then I will be heading to Italy (Venice, Florence then Rome)

Once the places were decided, I was ready to go in depth into planning and booking. 

Air Ticket

Fly Qatar Airways! 

A recommendation from a friend. It is also a 5 star airways okay - I did research hor. I got my ticket to Munich and back from Rome for $1178! =D I thought it was quite a reasonable price! hehe.

Accommodation

Stay Hostel! 

This is a photo of the hostel I will be staying in Munich. (Come back then tell you whether it is really what the photo show, lol) So the whole trip's accommodation will cost me about Euro 400 (with whatever tourist taxes added) which is about S$660 for 12 nights (1 night will be travelling on train - another way to save money) This meant on average it is $55/night Reasonable as well. hee.

Train Tickets

For long distance regional travel which in my case is Munich to Venice (9hrs~), book the ticket early. Don't be like me, procrastinate like don't know what. Ticket price from S$93 rose to S$162 then want to buy. >.<

As for short distance travel within a country, my friend told me to buy there. So I shall heed his advice, if advise no good I will hit him when I come back. LOL.

Hence the train tickets will be about S$350~

Tours

In Munich, I will be booking with this tour agency - Radius Tours. Hope it will be good. (Did hell lot of read up in tripadvisor)

In Venice, free and easy.

In Florence, I will be doing 1 day F&E and another day tour to Pisa, Siena & Chianti as recommended by my dear friend.

In Rome, I will be doing Vatican City tours with Maximus, recommended by my friend as well, another tour with When In Rome and one Eating Tour in Italy! Muahahaha! GELATO!!

And so.. I really work out how each single EURO will be spent.

Did a excel spreadsheet to tabulate the costs!

I don't have 1 million dollars in my bank so I have to be very prudent! And so.... the whole trip will cost me about $4000.

Also, I thought it is very important to read up, so on and off when I am free, I will read this website in particular for more information http://europeforvisitors.com/ 

Personally I thought they provide quite handy information.=)

Planning this trip is really a good learning, it made me read up more, think hard and plan carefully as well.

Purposeful Traveller - Making my dream come true