Wednesday, 6 August 2014

Summary




Transport
Day
Accommodation
Attractions
Singapore
1)    Qantas/ Emirates SGD 1000 or Etihad SGD 800
2)    Aegan Airlines SGD 100-200

1
-

Santorini
1)    Easyjet SGD 300
(1h)
2)     Airport to Termini, Leonardo Express SGD 23, 30 mins
(or Trevession bus SGD 7, 60 mins)

2-4
5th day: 11am depart

SGD 55 x 3 = 165
·      Kamari beach
·      Amoudi Port, Oia
·      Caldera & Hot Springs tour, Fira SGD 33
·      Skaros Rock, Imerovigli
·      Open air cinema, Kamari SGD 13
·      Akotiri, SGD 13
·      Pyrgos village
·      Perissa beach
Rome
Italiarail trains SGD 65, 4h
(or Termini to Airport, Leonardo Express SGD 23 + AlItalia flight SGD 200)
5th day:
12pm arrive
5-7
8th day:
10.30am depart
SGD 43 x 3 = 129
·      Campo de’Fiori
·      Piazza Navona, Fountain of the 4 Rivers
·      Vatican City
o   St Peter’s Basilica
o   Cupola (top of basilica) SGD 12
o   Vatican Museums SGD 25
·      Colosseum, Roman Forum, Palatine Hills SGD 25
·      Trevi Fountain
·      Spanish Steps
·      Pantheon
·      Piazza Venezia
·      Borghese Galleria SGD 25 + 10 (guide)
Venice
1) Night Thello Train to Vienna - help for "cabin A2 -interna (whole)" found here SGD 100/person
2) Vienna to Budapest SGD 50-68

Total train ride: 24h
Train connections - very useful website

8th day:
4pm arrive
8th day:
12mn depart
-
·      Walk around Venice, take in the sights
·      Pack lunch as it’s expensive in Venice
Budapest
 (Keleti or Nyguati)
Czech Republic Night train, 8h SGD 130/person
or  
HungaryTrain Day(5am-12pm or 3pm-10pm): SGD 32/ person,  Night train: SGD 115/person

*need to take the Metro to airbnb
9th day:
12pm arrive

9-10
11th day:
5am depart
SGD 25 x 2 =
50
·      Buy a Budapest City Card SGD 38/2 days
·      Free metro from rail station to airbnb
·      Free walking tour of Buda, 2pm
·      Free Lukacs Bath
·      Free walking tour of Pest, 10.30am
·      Free tram ride to Gellert Hills
·      Free metro to rail station

Prague
Easyjet Flight + Baggage SGD 105

11th day:
12pm arrive
11-12
13th day:
depart
SGD 22.5 x 2 =
45
·      Prague Free Walking tour, 3h, SGD 8
·      Prague Castle
·      St Nicholas Church
·      Petrin Tower SGD 7
·      Powder Tower SGD 5
·      Municipal House
·      Old Town Square
·      Church of Our Lady Before Tyn
·      Charles Bridge (bring your own love locks)

Amsterdam
Easyjet Flight + Baggage SGD 105

13th day:
arrive
13-14
15th day:
depart
SGD 40 x 2 =
80
All attractions free, transport – via bike or public transport SGD 20
·      Canals
·      Dam Square, Royal Palace
·      Flower Market
·      Albert Cuypmrkt Market (outdoor)
·      Sex district
·      Jordaan
·      Van Gogh Museum

Manchester
Megabus SGD 11, 5h or
(Virgintrains SGD, 73, 2h)
Check for good deals for trains here and here. As low as SGD 20

15
16th day:
9am depart

SGD 23
·      Man Utd vs Arsenal 16th May 3.30pm
·      Old Trafford
London
SGD 1200
16h day:
2pm arrive
16-19
20th  day:
depart
Stay at sulin’s brother’s apartment?
·      Burger & Lobster SGD 40
·      Gordon Ramsay SGD 80
·      St Paul’s Cathedral
·      Tower of London
·      Tower Bridge
·      Piccadilly Circus
·      Sight seeing bus?
o   Parliament Square
o   Big Ben
o   Westminster Abbey
o   Churchill War Rooms
o   Trafalgar Square
o   Nelson’s Column
o   Horse Guards
o   Buckingham Palace
·      Kesington Palace
·      Marble Arch
·      Hyde Park (picnic)
·      Harrods
·      Oxford Street
·      Borough Market

Total
3200
21
500
500

Tuesday, 5 August 2014

Amsterdam - activities


Map of Amsterdam here
  • Dam Square
  • Royal Palace
  • Windmills
  • Canals (Jordaan area maybe)
  • Flower Market
  • Albert Cuypmrkt (busiest outdoor market, especially on Saturdays)
  • Sex district
  • Van Gogh museum
  • Space cakes *_*

Monday, 4 August 2014

Prague - activities



Day 1
12pm arrive- 
2pm - Prague Free Walking tour (3h) here.
  • Prague Castle
    • St George's Basilica
    • St. Vitus Cathedral
    • Golden Lane
  • St Nicholas Church, Lesser Town 
  • Lunch
  • Petrin Tower SGD 7 (to reach the top)
    • Catch the Nostalgic tram Nr.91 at Ujezd tram station (under the Petrin hill) and take a sightseeing trip around the historical city center (direction to Stromovka and back to the town)
Day 2 
  • Powder Tower SGD 5, Municipal House, Old Towne Square, Astronomical Clock
  •  Climb the Old Town city hall tower (paranomic view)
  • Church of Our Lady before the Tyn 
  • Charles Bridge, Lovers' Lock
    • touch the St John Nepomuk statue plate
  • Climb the Old Town Bridge Tower?? 
  • Evening classical music concert, Mirror Hall in the Clementinum SGD ?? 

Budapest - Activities

Downloadable map here



For Budapest, buy a city card that allows free transportation, 2 free walking tours with an English guide, free entries into 8 museums, free Pocketguide. (SGD 22/day or 38/2 days) OR free walking tours here. OR PDF guides here.
  • A walking tour of Buda with an English-speaking guide starts daily from 1014 Budapest, Szentháromság Square at 2 pm, ends at the Budapestinfo Point on Szentháromság Square. It touches on major places of interest in the Buda Castle district.
    • Halászbástya (Fisherman’s Bastion)
    • Matthias Church
    • Royal Palace and other sights. 
  • A walking tour of Pest with an English-speaking guide starts daily from outside 3
    Andrássy Avenue at 10.30 am, end at the Budapestinfo Point in Sütő Street near Deák Square. It touches on major places of interest on the Pest side.
    •  the Opera
    • Heroes’ Square
    • St Stephen’s Basilica
    • Parliament.
  • Free entry to Lucas Bath
  • Free entry to 8 museums
    • Hungarian National Gallery
    • Aquincum Museum and Archaeology Park
    • Budapest History Museum
    • Museum of Fine Arts
    • New Budapest Gallery
    • Vasarely Museum


2 OPTIONS
1) Buy the city card (4275 HUF/24 h or 7200 HUF/48h) 
Day 1: 2pm Buda walking tour, Lukacs Bath 
Day 2: 10.30am Pest walking tour, Central Market Hall, Gellert Hills

2) Go on free walking tours (2000 HUF) + transport tickets (1000 HUF) 
Day 1: 2.30pm Original tour of Budapest, Random bath (3000 HUF)
Day 2: Gellert Hills, Central Market Hall, 3.30pm Communist walk tour 

11th Day: Metro from Rail station to airbnb (350 HUF) 
12th Day: To Gellert Hills, tram 2 (350 HUF)
13th Day: Metro to Rail station (350 HUF)

Summary of Places

Singapore:
British Airways SGD 1,600

Santorini:
Easyjet SGD 250 + Airport to Termini, Leonardo Express SGD 23, 30 mins
(or Trevession bus SGD 7, 60 mins)

Rome:
Italiarail trains SGD 50, 1.5h
(Termini to Airport, Leonardo Express SGD 23 + AlItalia flight SGD 200)

Florence (Santa Maria Novella):
Train, 2h, SGD 35

Venice (Mestre):
Night Thello Train to Vienna - help for "cabin A2 -interna (whole)" found here SGD 100/person
Vienna to Budapest SGD 50-68
Train connections - very useful website


Budapest (Keleti)
Czech Republic Night train, 8h SGD 130/person
or  HungaryTrain Day(5am-12pm or 3pm-10pm): SGD 32/ person,  Night train: SGD 115/person

Prague:
Easyjet Flight + Baggage SGD 105

Amsterdam:
Easyjet Flight + Baggage SGD 105

Manchester:
Megabus SGD 11, 5h
(Virgintrains SGD, 73, 2h)
Check for good deals for trains here and here. As low as SGD 20

London:
1200


Total Transport Money needed:
1600 + 250 + 25 + 50 + 35 + 100 + 60 + 32 + 105 + 105 + 11 + 1200 = $3573 


Rome - Activities

Day 1
  • Arrival 
  • Campo de'Fiori 
  • Piazza Navona, Fountain of the 4 Rivers (lunch)
  • Vatican City - remember to dress appropriately, no shorts, no singlets 
    • St Peter's Basilica, St Peter's Square 
    • Cupola (top of the basilica- SGD $12)
    • St Peter's dome (SGD $10)
    • Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapels (SGD $25)
    • Pope's address- Wednesday and Sundays (write in to vatican.va)
  • Trastevere (dinner)
Day 2
  • Colosseum, Roman Forum, Palatine Hills, Trajan Market (SGD $25)
  • Lunch
  • Trevi Fountain 
  • Spanish Steps - shopping 
  • Pantheon - if no time then Day 3 
  • Piazza Venezia 
Day 3
Day 4
  • Departure 
Food to try
  • Trapizzini (fried risotto ball) 
  • Gelato
    • Gelateria de Teatro (nearest landmark: Piazza Navona) 
      • cheese almond and fig, rosemary honey and lemon flavours
    • Gelateria della Palma (nearest landmark: Pantheon) 
    • Gelateria Valentino (nearest landmark: Trevi Fountain)
      • ferrero rocher flavour 
    • Gelateria di San Crispino (nearest landmark: Trevi Fountain)
    • Giolitti (nearest landmark: Pantheon)
      • nutella flavour
  • Pasta
Great references

Wednesday, 30 July 2014

Rome - Flight and Accomodation



Flight from Santorini to Rome: EasyJet (SGD $250) 

Accomodation:

1. Porta Pia Holidays Home (Lazio 00187, Italy)
SGD43/person/night 


PROS: Looks pretty and chic, very near to tourist spots, cheap considering the location

Santorini - Itinerary


Day 0
Singapore -> Athens, Greece
Athens -> Santorini

Singapore Airlines flies directly to Athens three times a week (Mon, Wed, Fri) departing Singapore at 1.00am and arriving in Athens at 7.20pm. Flying time is just over 11 hours and the time difference is five hours.
Aegean Airlines offers four flights daily from Athens to Santorini, with a 10.35am flight conveniently connecting with the Singapore Airlines 7.20am arrival. Flying time is about 25 minutes.
Day 1
Day 2
  • Caldera & Hot Springs half day tour at Old Port (Fira)
  • Explore Fira
  • Sunset (Skaros Rock, Imerovigli)
  • Open air cinema (Kamari)
Day 3
  • Akotiri (ancient village; the Pompeii of Aegan)
  • Pyrgos village
  • Perissa beach
  • Sunset (??)
Day 4
  • Free & Easy
  • Depart from Santorini to Rome 
---------------------------------------------------
Try: Donkey Beer (yellow, red, crazy), 
Put in the car: Picnic mat, sweater, umbrella, loud speakers, CDs, extra clothes, slippers, towel, food, water, camera,