quote:

Originally posted by Genevivo:
You must be getting excited Laj.

I leave in ten weeks, I am sure the time will fly, I work in a school, so when you work term by term it breaks the year up. I can't believe the year is half gone already!

Are you having any time in London before you leave on your tour? My tour leaves on September 9, I leave Brisbane on August 31, I have 9 days in UK before my tour begins, I am really looking forward to the trip, but not so much to the flight. I guess because I know it is a long haul.

I'm a teacher too. The year has flown for sure!
We are staying at the Thistle Marble Arch only for 2 extra nights. We leave the tour in Paris, moving to a hotel across town for a few nights.. then a night in Singapore before coming home. I'll have an extra week before I have to go back to school.
It was nice to finish my last full term for the year, since my long service leaves stretches across the last two.

The flight worries me some too. I have terrible ear problems when flying and have only gone to Fiji before. The four hour flight nearly killed me.

Hi again Laj
Not much you can do about ear problems when flying, it can be really painful on descent, almost like someone is shoving a knitting needle into your head, so I understand how you must feel. I have experienced it a few times, but it has not happened everytime I have flown. I think if you have recently had a cold or an ear infection it seems to be worse. I always take gum to chew on, when coming it to land but found that if I pinch my nose and try to blow through it, it does help your ears to pop.

Are you at the Thistle Marble Arch the same time as me?

Lucky you, taking long service leave for the rest of the year. I could take long service but since I still have a lot of owed holidays to take I may as well keep it for another time. Maybe I will be lucky enough to have my husband decide that he will travel with me, not one for travelling, the classic 'grumpy old man'. I work in school administration, so generally I work in the school holidays, preparing reports, timetables, school fees, mail outs, all the fun stuff!! Lucky me for the next three weeks.

The ear problems are worth it. I buy "earplanes" and thye help a lot. Annoying as they are though.
No.. we won't be at the Thistle until the 20th.

Is anyone flying Singapore Airlines and doing the stopover deal in Singapore?
If so, which Hotel are you staying at, or can anyone recommend one.

quote:

s anyone flying Singapore Airlines and doing the stopover deal in Singapore?
If so, which Hotel are you staying at, or can anyone recommend one.

It is several years ago since we did the Singapore deal. When we did it in '04 we were given a list to choose from with a varied price range. So it will depend on your price level. We picked 2, one on the way there and a different one for on the way back. The Singapore deal certainly is a 'good' deal. Take advantage of it

Can you remember which hotels that you picked. We are staying two nights going over, and one night before our Star Virgo Cruise and then another night after on the way back.

We're staying at the Stamford Swissotel.

Have just returned from a Supersaver European Highlights Tour. Overall the tour gave me the opportunity to see everything I always wanted to in Europe but I would never do it again! The tour director repeatedly pointed out that we were on a budget tour and shouldn't expect too much. The evening meals were poor and because the hotels were generally outside the cities we were not able to choose an afternoon off if we wanted to. If you don't want to do the optional tours there was no assistance from the tour director as to other ways to spend time. We waited several hours on one afternoon for the optional tour to return so that we could go to the hotel ..we were shopped out and had had enough walking around. The standard of hotels was not great either although some were better than others. I wish I had paid the extra and opted for a premium tour. Also a note of caution ....if you purchase anything overseas and have it posted back (Murano glass for instance) and it is worth more than $1000.00 Aus you will have to pay an import tax. Information I think the tour director could have given us. Good group of people though on a reasonably comfortable bus only half full.

Yes, ChrisHe. We certainly think it is much better to spend a few hundred dollars more and take the Premium tours offered. Consider that the cost of airfare to Europe is the same. Also consider the total amount of money you are spending for the land portion of the tour.