Hi Debra & Wren



We are booked on the Classic leaving 27th May 2009. We have been so excited about the trip as it is our first overseas trip. We hope the tour goes ahead as scheduled. We are having a couple of nights in Athens before the tour and 4 nights in London afterwards. We have a night stopover on the way home in Dubai. We have read all we can on the places we will be visiting but we love reading the tour tales. From what I have read it seems like most of the optionals are a must do. We would love to hear any helpful tips from any more experienced travellers. We have also been hoping Jan will post a tour tale. Not having travelled we wanted to go and see everywhere so it was hard to choose a tour but decided on the Classic as it had 2 nights stops and the Greek Island Cruise and I really wanted to visit Pompeii. I hope the Greek Island Cruise will good. We have already made a list of what we need to pack - It seemed so long away and now it is only 4 months away - we can't wait. Just will need a bit more spending money than when we originally booked with the euro slump. Would love any suggestions about any must see optionals.
Deb & Gary

Hi Deb & Gary

Great names sound alike! You sound just like us, and your reasoning for doing the Classic. It ticks so many places we wanted to see, and the 2 night stays were a plus. We have travelled to NZ a couple of times on fly drives and other short destinations, but this is the big one for us. We leave on 11th May to Dubai with 5 hr stopover and 4 1/2 hrs to Athens. We will have a day before tour starts. Then we will leave tour in Paris (not going to London) and 3 extra nights in Paris. We will save London and Scotland for another couple of years away, Don was born in Glasgow, and hasnt been back.

Since reading Pompeii as a teen I have been facsinated and cant wait, believe its not much time there but I will stand there!! Have watched many shows on Fox on travelling Italy and other places and CANT WAIT. Friends from work say to do the options but not the night scenic tours as they are a waste and the eating attached expensive. I will pick their brains when school returns (teacher !!) and let you know my findings.

My countdown is 106 days - and my challenge (apart from clothes to take) is to stay focused at work!! Know what I mean?

Regards - Debra J

Hi Debra

The countdown continues! We leave in ten weeks and two days or 72 days (whichever seems sooner!!!)

I completely understand what you mean about economy in packing. I have been putting things in a suitcase for the last six months (just bits and pieces, and a few new things that I don't want to wear until the trip), and it is nearly full already! We will experience quite cold weather in Turkey ( we stay/sit overnight at Anzac Cove at Gallipoli in readiness for the Dawn Service, and last year it was -3 C) but we will also be travelling in the UK at the start of summer, so it makes it quite difficult!

I mean, how many pairs of shoes does one take? I thought... 1) a good, strong pair of walking boots/shoes 2) another pair of daytime shoes for when the boots are not suitable 3) a pair of good black 'evening' shoes (after all we do eat out a lot) and 4) a pair of sandals which could be used either day or night... And this is just the shoes!!!! Don't get me started on clothes including coats/jackets etc. It is very difficult... but so much FUN!!!

Added to our excitement is the fact that we will be able to see our son in Italy while we are in Florence! David is 22 and a final year Commerce/Law student who was offered the opportunity to study at the Monash University Law School in Prato for first semester this year. This was after we had booked and paid for our trip... so to find that we will be in the area (Prato is about 45 minutes from Florence), on a Friday and Saturday night and be able to see where he is living and meet his fellow students/friends was just wonderful! If we win Tattslotto we will fly our daughter over to Italy for the weekend so we can all be together! Jenn is also a full-time uni student (to be another teacher in the family!) and will be at home taking care of the house/dog/bills etc... so an extra special gift will be coming her way when we get home!

I too am looking forward to seeing Austria - Vienna and Salzburg and the settings for "The Sound of Music". It has always been a favourite film... and I fully expect to burst into song at some point! I will have to remember that I am no longer a young Liesel... or even a young Maria... I am a much older Maria who has been married to 'the Captain' for 25 years!

Like you, I cannot believe that this dream is so close to coming true. I won't believe it really is happening until I get on that plane. I keep half-expecting something to go wrong or someone to become ill... but I should not think like that - I must not 'jinx it'!

Stay in touch, I should be able to string a sentence together for the next few weeks! As the time gets closer I expect to become incoherent with excitement... I may even forget how to type!

Best wishes from Liz

Hi Liz

Ditto, Ditto, Ditto.
Everything you are saying, feeling, ME TOO. I think being on this forum has made me more excited than anything. Have contact Jan from Gorokan as she put her email address on and its great to pick her brains as she did the Classic.

You mentioned shoes - well my very best friend became so caught up in my dream to see Europe that she has been twice and went before me, that was so hard to take! Chewing my nails while she was away and she brought back some lovely bits and pieces for me, including a tiny teddy Mozart from Vienna, and an Eiffel tower badge and a lovely porcelin Christmas decoration from Venice I think. Now the shoes. She took 2 pairs of runners and some black nice sandles for night, thats all!! My heart shudders. Her second trip she only wore the runners and took the sandles. Her trips were 5-6 weeks and tours with day trip extras and they ate out each night. It was in May-June, within the last 2 years. When she gives me her list of things she took will send it on for you. I realise going in winter weather like you are is different. You will have to be prepared for everything. My friend at work had a bit of everything, for Scotland, so will ask her for a list for you.

School is back - concentrate - difficult, have this term and only week and half of next term then - oh cant wait. Speak to you soon Liz, love Debra

Hi Debra,

This is a dream come true for us and we are also counting down - we have 13 more days to wait after you. I understand about concentrating on things at work. I am very preoccupied daydreaming about all the sights and experiences I have read about what other travellers have telling us about their experiences. I have also started throwing things in a bag that people on this site have mentioned would be handy to take away. I am really going to be challenged packing my clothes and shoes. I am already thinging about the footwear - I know they have to be worn in & comfortable. I found a laundry kit with blowup coathangers and have already purchased 4 memory cards for my camera. I have a list of to dos on the fridge and it will be exciting when I can start crossing more of them of the list.
Keep us posted.
Deb& Gary

To all of you first time overseas travellers. I know this will sound silly but I became a little emotional while reading your posts. The excitement and anticipation of your trips that comes through your posts is so very lovely.

I remember my own excitement when I first went overseas at 20. My dream was to visit Paris and when the Eiffel Tower appeared on the horizon I burst into tears (I appear to be a very emotional person don't I!!!).

I wish you all the most wonderful holidays - may you experience and enjoy everything you see and do. Naturally I hope you will all write Tour Tales about your adventures on your return.

Happy travelling.

Dear Yon Yon

Thank you so much for your 'post' and your good wishes - much appreciated. I have been dreaming of going overseas for thirty years and the anticipation and excitement just cannot be contained!! Nine weeks and six days to go... I expect to have many emotional, 'pinch myself' moments, and like you, seeing the Eiffel Tower for the first time will be one of them.

Thanks again - Look out for my post in Tour Tales later this year (return home late June)...

Kind regards
Liz

Hi Lizzy M,

It is nice to know people are as excited as we are.

We have been over thirty years waiting to go overseas as well and when our Passports arrived last August that was even exciting for us. We thought we would travel after our kids had grown up. So here goes - We hope this is not the only trip we are able to do.
Deb & Gary

To Deb & Gary

We must sound crazy to others, and with the world economy as it is, maybe we are, but we are doing it!! I realised that if I want any summer clothes for our trip in May had better buy now before winters things appear. Don needs shirts to dry overnight, as think normal tshirts will take too long to dry. There are so many little things as you get closer that travelled friends pass on or are thought about. More to this travelling than imagined. Have looked at the site for all the places we stop in on the Classic, talk about dream --- hard to imagine it will be real, and the Pullman Paris Tour Eiffel Hotel, takes my breathe away.

The clothes and shoe thing, well keep the thoughts coming, need all the help we can get. Going out to buy a jacket today for both of us, as my friend had hooded, zipped wet weather/wind thing that scrunched into a very neat small parcel and was very handy for Lucerne in mountains, and wind resistent and good for rain (wont get any of that will we!!) we have our sloppy joes already. Peel like an onion I have been told. Cami, shirt, sloppy etc Prepared for anything, well good in theory!!
Speak to you soon Deb & Gary
from Debra (Illawong)

Dear Yon Yon

Its lovely to know that you share our excitement, there is plenty going around as you can read. Anything you can add to assist our planning go right ahead.
We will entertain you you can be sure of that as we will prattle on for months!
Countdowns continue .... and where did you go?
from Debra