Let the itinerary speculation begin!

[BaseballMomof4]

Yes, it definitely a bit pricey but I really place itinerary above eveything else and I only have to buy for 1 person. My cruise buddy in Texas feels the same way so we're probably going to book the Equinox (10 night Barcelona to Rome) since we just sailed a 9 night Italy, Greece and Turkey this year :)

 

Thankfully, I have enough FF miles on Delta that I won't have to buy airfare either :D

 

We fell in love with Barcelona. Definitely want to go back. Spent 3 days there and there was so much still to see.....

 

I am working on my FF miles, not quite enough for a ticket yet. We flew TAP Portugal last time. They did a really good job. On time flights, luggage found us just fine and the food was actually really good!

[trvlgirlmq]

Yes, it definitely a bit pricey but I really place itinerary above eveything else and I only have to buy for 1 person. My cruise buddy in Texas feels the same way so we're probably going to book the Equinox (10 night Barcelona to Rome) since we just sailed a 9 night Italy, Greece and Turkey this year :)

 

 

 

Thankfully, I have enough FF miles on Delta that I won't have to buy airfare either :D

 

 

Unfortunately price has to be a big consideration for us. We are 2 paying for 4 including airfare. We will just have to get over seeing Dubrovnik because in 7th and 8th grade I think missing more than a week will be harmful. Plus we don't want to spend our relaxing sea days doing algebra!

 

We really also prefer a round trip so we don't have the extra hotel costs.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[belkin]

We fell in love with Barcelona. Definitely want to go back. Spent 3 days there and there was so much still to see.....

 

I am working on my FF miles, not quite enough for a ticket yet. We flew TAP Portugal last time. They did a really good job. On time flights, luggage found us just fine and the food was actually really good!

 

I would love to see Barcelona. Can you recommend any place to stay?

 

Would also like to go to Venice. I see lots of planning in my future.

[BaseballMomof4]

I would love to see Barcelona. Can you recommend any place to stay?

 

Would also like to go to Venice. I see lots of planning in my future.

 

Since I went with my 3 teenage sons, we used Tendency Apartments - they have a facebook page. It was fantastic! We were very centrally located and could walk to most places. They were super helpful in the planning and (for a fee) picked us up at the airport. They were competitive with the cab companies.

 

I got a really cool map from Map Easy also - it shows everything you want to see in a very easy to read format and is plastic coated. I still have it.

 

We stayed near Passeig de Gracia, which is a major shopping street and also has Casa Battlo and La Pedrera (the Gaudi houses). They have apartments all over though, so you can choose the area you prefer.

 

If you want to go to Sagrada Familia, be sure to buy your tickets online. Lines are around the block to get into that place daily, but if you have your tickets, you walk right up.

 

Let me know if you have any other questions, Barcelona is my favorite topic of conversation! :) Be sure to go to Montserrat - it is awe inspiring.

 

http://en.tendencygroup.com/

Edited January 6, 2015 by BaseballMomof4

[trvlgirlmq]

So Joh Heald posted a picture of Dubrovnik on his fb page yesterday. Today is Monte Carlo. Another tease perhaps? I checked their port schedule by 2016 isn't posted yet.

 

Baseballmom- I could talk all day about France! It is my favorite place to travel and explore!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[BaseballMomof4]

So Joh Heald posted a picture of Dubrovnik on his fb page yesterday. Today is Monte Carlo. Another tease perhaps? I checked their port schedule by 2016 isn't posted yet.

 

Baseballmom- I could talk all day about France! It is my favorite place to travel and explore!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

Our only stop in France was Marseille and surprisingly we loved it! We had heard some negative things about it but we had a wonderful time and would love to go back!

 

We got to spend 3 days in Barcelona so we did get to see La Pedrera, the Columbus Monument, the Aquarium, Montserrat, Sagrada Familia and Parc de la Ciutadella. There is a lot more we would like to see there though...

[BaseballMomof4]

Unfortunately price has to be a big consideration for us. We are 2 paying for 4 including airfare. We will just have to get over seeing Dubrovnik because in 7th and 8th grade I think missing more than a week will be harmful. Plus we don't want to spend our relaxing sea days doing algebra!

 

We really also prefer a round trip so we don't have the extra hotel costs.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

Check out TAP Portugal for the flights. They did a good job with our trip and were quite a bit less expensive. Or set up an account on airfarewatchdog. You will get weekly alerts about low fares ;)

[trvlgirlmq]

Check out TAP Portugal for the flights. They did a good job with our trip and were quite a bit less expensive. Or set up an account on airfarewatchdog. You will get weekly alerts about low fares ;)

 

I have lots of tricks for flights and hotels :) I've been to England and France several times each so not a novice in that aspect.

 

I am really hoping to spend more time in Rome. We are of Northern Italian heritage so want to explore as much of the country as we can in the short time we have in ports. My youngest DS really wants to see parts of Greece! I really hate that we will probably miss the port my mom wants to visit most. I don't think another Med cruise will be in our financial future anytime soon so it's a huge disappointment. I checked the other big cruise lines and no one is really stopping their on the classic 12-14 night voyage. A few that stay mostly in Greece/Turkey do but then you lose Italy.

 

Getting more excited for the media event so we can finally know what is what!

[BaseballMomof4]

I have lots of tricks for flights and hotels :) I've been to England and France several times each so not a novice in that aspect.

 

I am really hoping to spend more time in Rome. We are of Northern Italian heritage so want to explore as much of the country as we can in the short time we have in ports. My youngest DS really wants to see parts of Greece! I really hate that we will probably miss the port my mom wants to visit most. I don't think another Med cruise will be in our financial future anytime soon so it's a huge disappointment. I checked the other big cruise lines and no one is really stopping their on the classic 12-14 night voyage. A few that stay mostly in Greece/Turkey do but then you lose Italy.

 

Getting more excited for the media event so we can finally know what is what!

 

I am too, and we too are of Italian descent and want to spend time in Italy. Thinking about just doing a land vacation this summer to Rome. You can get around pretty easily by train and can ferry to Capri. And I am with your youngest, I really want to go to Greece and Turkey!

 

Yeah, we sailed NCL from Barcelona and our stops were Naples, Rome, Florence, Marseille and Palma de Mallorca on a 7 day itinerary. It's pretty much either or - Italy or Greece. I haven't read too much positive about Venice so I am not going to make or break a trip for it. If the rest of the trip I want to do starts or ends in Venice, I will be happy to see it - but I won't pass up a good itinerary for it.

 

We had round trips for $801 on TAP from Miami to Barcelona and back. If you have a better trick - please share!! :) I don't have quite enough points on my AA card yet for a flight.

Edited January 6, 2015 by BaseballMomof4

[trvlgirlmq]

Wow that is a great price. Unfortunately, we fly out of Nashville and that requires a change of planes at least once and usually a codeshare so we don't get those great fares. Of course we also travel in either June or July when school is out. We do well when we can keep our airfare to about $1200 pp.

[BaseballMomof4]

Wow that is a great price. Unfortunately, we fly out of Nashville and that requires a change of planes at least once and usually a codeshare so we don't get those great fares. Of course we also travel in either June or July when school is out. We do well when we can keep our airfare to about $1200 pp.

 

We flew in late May - we are lucky in that school ends in Florida in mid-May. It is also a great time to be over in Europe as it is the very beginning of their tourist season so it is a little less crowded. I can't wait till they are all out of school and we can do something in October or November when it is really cheap! $1200 is about the cost for the US Airlines out of Miami so yes, that is pretty much the norm. We did have to fly to NY on the way over first, so USAir out of Miami to NYC and the TAP to Lisbon with a quick change to the final flight into Barcelona. The way back was easier. Barcelona to Lisbon and then since there was a long layover we stayed the night in Lisbon and flew to Miami at 10 the next morning. No extra cost and we got to see a little bit of Lisbon in the process!

[trvlgirlmq]

School always ends the Thursday before Memorial Day weekend so we usually need a week or two to get ourselves together before vacation. Our upcoming Breeze cruise will be a whole new experience since we are leaving as soon as DS gets off the school bus on the last day to start the 2 day drive to Miami.

[heatherbelle]

Gosh you guys get cheap airfare. It cost us to go to the states £1200 from Manchester (Northern England) to MCO direct, that's each. If we go indirect we have just had a release of fares from Delta for £520. That's for our school holidays dates which are late July around 20th to 02/09 and those prices are ridiculously low for peak period.

 

I save up my Avios points to try and help and do a bit of credit card churning to help push my balance up. Lots of info on flyer talk. That might work for peeps in the US.

 

When we were on the Sunshine we had booked the 28/07 sailing that included Monaco, as that was one of our favourite ports. Two weeks after booking and air fare paid for, Carnival cancelled Minaco and Majorca and substituted Athens, which I hate and Izmir which I liked. My DS was so upset, anyway we still enjoyed the cruise, fingers crossed John's little snipers come to fruition. I know that season the ship was actually due to dock at Monaco too, because we had a big discussion as to what side of the ship to have our cabin on.

[trvlgirlmq]

I have absolutely no desire to visit Monaco. Just a giant casino filled with beautiful, rich people. We definitely won't fit in! I would just have to use it as a train station to get to la belle France!

 

Another teaser posted of Athens!

[belkin]

Since I went with my 3 teenage sons, we used Tendency Apartments - they have a facebook page. It was fantastic! We were very centrally located and could walk to most places. They were super helpful in the planning and (for a fee) picked us up at the airport. They were competitive with the cab companies.

 

I got a really cool map from Map Easy also - it shows everything you want to see in a very easy to read format and is plastic coated. I still have it.

 

We stayed near Passeig de Gracia, which is a major shopping street and also has Casa Battlo and La Pedrera (the Gaudi houses). They have apartments all over though, so you can choose the area you prefer.

 

If you want to go to Sagrada Familia, be sure to buy your tickets online. Lines are around the block to get into that place daily, but if you have your tickets, you walk right up.

 

Let me know if you have any other questions, Barcelona is my favorite topic of conversation! :) Be sure to go to Montserrat - it is awe inspiring.

 

http://en.tendencygroup.com/

 

Thanks for the info I will check it out. Montserrat and Sagrada Familia are on my list for sure. Without knowing what the itineraries are it is hard to tell what we will be able to do. It has crossed my mind to do some sort of cruise/land tour

 

I see you are from SW Florida and we are in Fort Myers so thanks for the tip on TAP as I have never heard of them. Do you have any other pointers for getting a good deal on airfare...this will be our first trip to Europe? Wondering how far in advance to book?

[tncap]

So Joh Heald posted a picture of Dubrovnik on his fb page yesterday. Today is Monte Carlo. Another tease perhaps? I checked their port schedule by 2016 isn't posted yet.

 

And a teaser pic of Athens.

 

I did some mock bookings from Nashville to Rome for this October and found some one-ways in the $800 range.

[trvlgirlmq]

Thanks for the info I will check it out. Montserrat and Sagrada Familia are on my list for sure. Without knowing what the itineraries are it is hard to tell what we will be able to do. It has crossed my mind to do some sort of cruise/land tour

 

I see you are from SW Florida and we are in Fort Myers so thanks for the tip on TAP as I have never heard of them. Do you have any other pointers for getting a good deal on airfare...this will be our first trip to Europe? Wondering how far in advance to book?

 

Best advice is to start doing mock bookings now to see what flights are in real time. When your dates open (331 days out from your return) set up fare alerts on several sites. I like Kayak but Airfarewatchdog is good as well. I have done it all from booking when flights are first released to waiting until about 7 weeks out. I have always been happy with what I paid and never look back! For this trip due to the cost and the fact that we don't use credit cards to pay for big expenses we will probably not book until January 2016 or later when Spring sales are released.

[belkin]

Best advice is to start doing mock bookings now to see what flights are in real time. When your dates open (331 days out from your return) set up fare alerts on several sites. I like Kayak but Airfarewatchdog is good as well. I have done it all from booking when flights are first released to waiting until about 7 weeks out. I have always been happy with what I paid and never look back! For this trip due to the cost and the fact that we don't use credit cards to pay for big expenses we will probably not book until January 2016 or later when Spring sales are released.

 

I have used Kayak and Airfarewatchdog so I can start there.

 

We have been saving up for this trip ever since they announced the Vista in hopes that it would work out.

[BaseballMomof4]

Thanks for the info I will check it out. Montserrat and Sagrada Familia are on my list for sure. Without knowing what the itineraries are it is hard to tell what we will be able to do. It has crossed my mind to do some sort of cruise/land tour

 

I see you are from SW Florida and we are in Fort Myers so thanks for the tip on TAP as I have never heard of them. Do you have any other pointers for getting a good deal on airfare...this will be our first trip to Europe? Wondering how far in advance to book?

 

I work in Fort Myers! Check out sites like kayak or airfare watchdog. Know that $850 is great deal and grab it when you see it. I booked in November for May and locked in that $800 but the flights did change on me a bit. Customer service at TAP was great about working with us to get us in on the day we originally wanted. Watch out for long delays and multiple stops though. Aeroflot is super cheap but going to Rome via Moscow is probably not worth the discount ;) I will be happy to help if I can if you have any other questions!

[BaseballMomof4]

And a teaser pic of Athens.

 

I did some mock bookings from Nashville to Rome for this October and found some one-ways in the $800 range.

 

They will probably have some port intensive 14 day itineraries.....

[Muumuu]

What is TAP ?

[belkin]

I work in Fort Myers! Check out sites like kayak or airfare watchdog. Know that $850 is great deal and grab it when you see it. I booked in November for May and locked in that $800 but the flights did change on me a bit. Customer service at TAP was great about working with us to get us in on the day we originally wanted. Watch out for long delays and multiple stops though. Aeroflot is super cheap but going to Rome via Moscow is probably not worth the discount ;) I will be happy to help if I can if you have any other questions!

 

I did a couple of mock bookings today from MIA to BCN and got in the $800 range going from Thursday to Thursday. When I did Sat to Sat the rice jumped way up.

 

BTW work is how I ended up living here. I came here for a contract nursing job and really liked it so we ended up moving here.

 

I am hoping to be able to book 14 days and then maybe a week on land.

[BaseballMomof4]

What is TAP ?

 

TAP Portugal is an airline. My family and I flew them when we went to Europe in 2013. They did a great job for quite a bit less than the other airlines.

[Muumuu]

Thank you as I had seen it before and was clueless

[BaseballMomof4]

I did a couple of mock bookings today from MIA to BCN and got in the $800 range going from Thursday to Thursday. When I did Sat to Sat the rice jumped way up.

 

BTW work is how I ended up living here. I came here for a contract nursing job and really liked it so we ended up moving here.

 

I am hoping to be able to book 14 days and then maybe a week on land.

 

We may wind up going together - lol! I definitely want a land component, but probably not 14 days. I only work in Fort Myers, I live in Port Charlotte. I like the smaller town with less traffic! Love it here and would never go back to snow country!