Amsterdam trip? Tripadvisor

Following the same method as my London post, I did some research on Amsterdam.

Step 1. I started with Tripadvisor: http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Attractions-g188590-Activities-Amsterdam_North_Holland_Province.html

Step 2. After I had logged in, there is an option to add attractions to “my trip”.

So I added

- Central library

- Prinsengracht

- Anne Frank's house

- Van Gogh museum

- National museum

- Bridge of 15 bridges

- Riekermelon

- Tulip museum

Step 3. Cull the list

- What is a must see?  

Step 4. So you have your list, google (search also in trip advisor) each attraction/ read reviews to see if you need to cull some more, and tips on how to save money/time. 

- The tulip festival http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g188553-c132284/The-Netherlands:The.Keukenhof.A.Visitors.Guide.html

Step 5. Piece it together allowing plenty of time at each spot. 

- Too lazy? Check out their 3 day guide. http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Guide-g188590-l302-Amsterdam_North_Holland_Province.html

Step 6. Plan for rest and wet weather.  

Step 7. Have a look at the trip advisor forums, see if anyone else has had a similar list to you. See what they did. Ask for advice on your trip. 

Step 8. Use Tripadvisor to look at a list of accommodation places that fit your list of activities. 

Step 9. Don’t forget to check out other resources: airbnb, travel guides.

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London Calling- Planning with Tripadvisor

My mum has decided that we should spend a couple of days in London. So I thought I would do some preliminary planning.

I thought by starting with the things I must see, then I can work out how many days I would need.


Step 1. I started with Tripadvisor: http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Attractions-g186338-Activities-London_England.html

Step 2. After I had logged in, there is an option to add attractions to "my trip".
So I added
- Les Miserables/Lion King - Musical
- Houses of parliament
- National gallery
- British museum
- churchill war rooms
- Big ben
- Tower of london
- Westminister abbey
- Globe Theatre
- British Library
- Trooping the colour
- St Pauls
- Kensington Gardens
- Tower bridge
- London Eye
- Buckingham palace
- Hyde park
- River thames
- Shard
- Tube
- Trafalgar square
- Notting hill
- Albert bridge
- Millenium bridge
- Bond street
- Abbey Road
- Westminister bridge
- Harrods
- Twinings tea shop and museum
- Charles dickens museum
- Sherlock holmes museum
- Benjamin franklin's house
- Chinatown
- Freud museum
- Changing of the guard
-


Step 3. Cull the list
- What is a must see?

Step 4. So you have your list, google (search also in trip advisor) each attraction/ read reviews to see if you need to cull some more, and tips on how to save money/time.
- 2-4-1 Travel cards http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g186338-c195600/London:United-Kingdom:2.4.1.Travelcards.Step.By.Step.html

Step 5. Piece it together allowing plenty of time at each spot.
- Too lazy? Check out their 3 day guide. http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Guide-g186338-l570-London_England.html
- Something unique? http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Guide-g186338-l573-London_England.html
- Poor? http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/ShowTopic-g186338-i17-k1350500-A_thread_for_the_financially_challenged-London_England.html

Step 6. Plan for rest and wet weather.

Step 7. Have a look at the trip advisor forums, see if anyone else has had a similar list to you. See what they did. Ask for advice on your trip.

Step 8. Use Tripadvisor to look at a list of accommodation places that fit your list of activities. Anywhere near the tube will do!
- I usually sort by price, then look at the negative reviews. (click on terrible reviews and read about it)
- A$100+ for AWFUL hotels, pay a few dollars more for better location/reviews
- Also try selecting your price range, then sorting by ratings

Step 9. Don't forget to check out other resources: http://www.visitlondon.com/traveller-information/getting-around-london/london-maps-and-guides/welcome-to-london , travel guides, and ENJOY!

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Expat Explore: Europe Tour comparisons

If my best friend backs out of our planned Europe trip, I think I still may go. It's one of my "30 things before 30".

Expat Explore offers some amazing prices for tours to Europe. Of course prices vary by departure date, and you get what you pay for (lower class accommodation), but for a young person, wanting a taster of Europe, this seems the way to go.

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Italy 3 weeks: Independent trip planning

Budgeting for independent travel can be tricky.
Here are the estimated costs for 14 days in Italy for non-backpacker type travel (no dorms).
Flights: $1800- $2800
Rail: $300- $520
Accommodation: $700- $1900
Food/ Activities: $1000- $2000

Minimum budgets: $3800- $7220 ($2000- $4420 excluding flights) for non-backpacker type travel. This excludes any gifts and clothes you buy along the way.

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Fanfares cx 8 October 2013- Taipei

Won't you join me on my Taipei trip? It's a wonderful time of year to visit with the typhoons gone and weather cooling down.

This week:

Location	Price	Taxes	Total HK$	AUD$	Dates	Seats
Hangzhou	$690	$693	$1,383	$198	1/12/2013- 14/12/2013	200
Ningbo	$690	$693	$1,383	$198	12/10/2013- 21/10/2013	150
Taipei	$790	$658	$1,448	$207	15/10/2013- 21/10/2013	150
Phnom Penh	$790	$773	$1,563	$223	1/12/2013-14/12/2013	250
Bangkok	$990	$755	$1,745	$249	1/12/2013-14/12/2013	200
Singapore	$1,090	$789	$1,879	$268	16/10/2013- 21/10/2013	90
Kota Kinabalu	$1,490	$734	$2,224	$318	1/12/2013-14/12/2013	200
Nagoya	$1,490	$779	$2,269	$324	17/10/2013- 21/10/2013	150
Osaka	$1,890	$815	$2,705	$386	1/12/2013-14/12/2013	150
San Francisco	$2,990	$2,450	$5,440	$777	10/10/2013-20/10/2013	150
Amsterdam	$3,290	$2,307	$5,597	$800	1/12/2013-14/12/2013	200

Flights also earn 25% of actual miles flown on asian miles. Note, prices on website don't include taxes. 

My top picks are Taipei, Singapore.

Taipei is home of street food, beautiful mountains and thousands of hot springs.

AUD based on 7 exchange rate.

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Italy 3 week Trafalgar vs Cosmos: Trip planning

This is the third in the series of comparing tours for my Italy trip, 3 weeks next year with a A$5000 budget. This time I'm comparing Trafalgar and Cosmos.

Cosmos and Trafalgar are budget style tours aimed at a wider age range than Contiki and Topdeck. And cheaper than Intrepid and G Adventures.

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Fanfares cx 24 Sept 2013- Vancouver

What are you waiting for? Vancouver is on sale!!

This week:

 

Location	Price	Taxes	Total HK$	AUD$	Dates	Seats
Manila	$590	$578	$1,168	$167	3/10/2013-8/10/2013	150
Xiamen	$590	$693	$1,283	$183	3/10/2013-14/10/2013	150
Kunming	$690	$690	$1,380	$197	24/11/2013-7/12/2013	200
Taichung	$790	$658	$1,448	$207	24/11/2013-7/12/2013	200
Kuala Lumpur	$990	$738	$1,728	$247	24/11/2013-7/12/2013	250
Siem Reap	$1,390	$772	$2,162	$309	24/11/2013-7/12/2013	200
Da Nang	$1,490	$703	$2,193	$313	24/11/2013-7/12/2013	200
Tokyo	$1,690	$745	$2,435	$348	3/10/2013-6/10/2013	120
Johannesburg	$1,990	$2,435	$4,425	$632	7/10/2013-14/10/2013	80
Vancouver	$2,990	$2,345	$5,335	$762	3/10/2013-14/10/2013	150
Paris	$3,690	$2,538	$6,228	$890	24/11/2013-7/12/2013	150

 

Flights also earn 25% of actual miles flown on asian miles. Note, prices on website don't include taxes. 

My top picks are Vancouver, Johannesburg.

This week needs no explanation. Vancouver is on sale, so get in there before the flights sell out!

I can already taste fresh seafood on my lips...

AUD based on 7 exchange rate.

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Italy 3 week Intrepid vs G Adventure- Trip planning

This is the second in the series of compare tours for Italy. This time we are comparing Intrepid and GAdventures.

I am budgeting A$5000 including flights, insurance, all expenses (my companion has a bit more to spend, but I assume they will simply spend more on food, gifts, etc). I don't want to skimp on the experience, but I'm happy to eat less, but have more meals.

Both Intrepid and G Adventures didn't have a single tour that covered all must visit places in Italy, so I thought I would combine two tours.

See the comparison between 3 weeks with Contiki and Topdeck, and Cosmos and Trafalgar.

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Travel piggy- saving money for travel

Funny strategy. So I'm a psychologist, and I know for a fact that I'm externally motivated, that simply means that I feel greater rewards on the outside. And TRAVEL and MONEY are two ways that I find rewarding. Think token economy. Do a chore- get a dollar.



In an effort to push my way through some writing/"homework" that I must do, I have started to clock my time and "pay myself" for constructive time towards my writing. And I've done it, I've finally "earned" $600 worth of constructive time. AND this is just enough for my tickets and accommodation in my upcoming Taiwan trip.

If you love travel as much as me, and externally motivated, why not try this strategy to reach your goals.

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Fanfares cx 24 Sept 2013- Chiang Mai

Limited time, Limited seats! Chiang Mai here we come.

Last week's long haul sold out within a couple of hours. Bahrain didn't sell out though.

This week:

Location	Price	Taxes	Total HK$	AUD$	Dates	Seats
Zhengzhou	$790	$669	$1,459	$208	26/9/2013-7/10/2013	180
Hanoi	$790	$679	$1,469	$210	26/9/2013-5/10/2013	150
Shanghai	$890	$669	$1,559	$223	17/11/2013-30/11/2013	200
Xian	$890	$669	$1,559	$223	17/11/2013-30/11/2013	250
Chiang Mai	$1,190	$729	$1,919	$274	17/11/2013-30/11/2013	150
Yangon	$190	$632	$822	$117	27/09/2013-7/10/2013	180
Seoul	$1,390	$762	$2,152	$307	2/10/2013-7/10/2013	120
Nagoya	$1,790	$753	$2,543	$363	17/11/2013-30/11/2013	250
Chicago	$1,990	$2,374	$4,364	$623	29/9/2013-6/10/2013	100
Johannesburg	$2,990	$2,355	$5,345	$764	17/11/2013-30/11/2013	250
London	$3,990	$3,445	$7,435	$1,062	17/11/2013-30/11/2013	100

Flights also earn 25% of actual miles flown on asian miles. Note, prices on website don't include taxes. 

My top picks are Chicago, Shanghai and Chiangmai. Most of the Chicago flights sold out faster than I could load the page!

Chiang Mai is on sale, it's a great holiday destination for lovers, families and individuals alike.

• There is a famous Elephant Nature Park that's sure to be a once in a lifetime experience. 
• And there is the opportunity to learn cooking Thai Cuisine at a Thai cooking school. 
• Spas are cheaper here than in Western Countries
• And let's not forget the opportunity to shop and pick up bargains

It's a cultural experience above all else. There is an incredible concentration of religious places, but I think if I were to go, I would be captived by the natural offerings. 

Don't forget to check AirAsia for sale fares too.

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Italy 3 week contiki vs topdeck- trip planning

My friend and I are planning a trip to Europe for 3 weeks next year. We haven't quite decided on where to go or how to go yet. A Europe trip is on my 30 things before 30 list. Having a quick search on the internet, I found out that Italy is a great European destination with a moderate price tag. I am budgeting A$5000 including flights, insurance, all expenses (my companion has a bit more to spend, but I assume they will simply spend more on food, gifts, etc). I don't want to skimp on the experience, but I'm happy to eat less, but have more meals.

Firstly, I wanted to compare Contiki and Topdeck offerings.

Attractions to see:

• St Peter's Square, Rome
• Colosseum, Rome
• Trevi Fountain, Rome
• Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel
• Leaning tower of Pisa
• Gate of Paradise, Florence
• Lake Maggoire
• Romeo and Juliet's Balcony- Verona
• Gondola, Venice
• Pompeii
• Boat trip to Capri
• San Gimignano
• Tuscany

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Once in New York: Broadway tickets

I was reminded of seeing a broadway show in New York by the newsletter in my inbox this morning.




Usually, I would say no to such an experience. An expensive, time consuming activity while in the city for only a short amount of time doesn't usually play to it's favour.
On this occasion, my cousin and I tried to get last minute tickets by cuing early that day. But it was sad, we were too late and only standing tickets were available.
Well, since it was cheap I took the ticket.

Once the musical was fantastic. The small theatre really made it an amazing intimate setting. While the story was somewhat weird and actors over the top compared to their silver screen counterparts, don't take my word for it, you have to experience it to truly appreciate. And I am a big fan of violins, drum boxes and the like, so it was good old fashion fun.

If I am no longer a poor stingey traveller, I would opt for seating for sure. It was really really uncomfortable to stand for so long, especially since this was the last few days of my 3 month long adventure.

If you are in New York for the next couple of months consider these sales tickets: [Affiliate links included].


Billy Crystal: 700 Sundays - On Broadway - Save on Tickets!
Wicked on Broadway - Save on Tickets!
Annie The Musical - Save Over $25!
Fuerza Bruta - Now Live in NYC - Save 20% on Tickets!
Cinderella on Broadway - Mezz Seats - Tickets from $86!
The Lion King: The Musical -Tickets from $120!
Phantom of the Opera on Broadway - Save over $30 on Seats!
Jersey Boys on Broadway - Orchestra Seats - Tickets from $115!
Mamma Mia on Broadway! - Save Over $40 on Seats!
Romeo and Juliet - On Broadway - Save $15 on Tickets!
The Book of Mormon on Broadway - Buy Tickets in Advance & Save!
Chicago: The Musical on Broadway - Save over $25 on Tickets!

I would skip the link up at the red ticket booths. Only do so if you have time, the lines are so long, and you might miss out on what you wanted to see anyway. With a limited amount of time, just buy tickets in advance so you won't get disappointed. 

What are you cheap ways to get tickets in advance?

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Taiwan 7 day Itinerary- Trip planning

I was over the moon when I booked flights and 7 nights accommodation to Taipei in November for A$600!
What I needed to do next was to come up with rough draft of the travel plans.

I wanted to visit Taipei 101, Xiamending, Elephant mountain,yehliu geo park, jiufen, taroko gorge, beitou hot spring,Tam Shui

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Taipei- Scoot $600 flights and accommodation- Trip planning

As you know, I've booked scoot tickets to Taipei, Taiwan in November. I haven't been to Taipei since I was a kid.
I ended up booking budget flights, accommodation for A$600 return from Gold Coast to Taipei with Scoot, staying 7 nights at Chair Man Hotel, near Taipei Main Station

Prior to arriving I needed to: book flights, buy travel insurance, book accommodation, draft itinerary for 7 day trip. 

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