Steve and I had a vacation trip to Italy and Greece, Sept 1-17, 2009. Let me share our trip planning and some tips. I hope this little bit of info will help those who would like to plan their own trips.
Check hotel room rates through agents and compare the rates with the hotel’s own website. Some agents charge less than the hotel, but some do not.
Search Google Maps to see the hotel location and print it out, so it is easy to find the direction to the hotel from the closest subway station.
Take a free city map from the airport or hotel.
In Italy, most people don’t speak English, but some can speak a little English if they deal with tourists.
The exchange rate between the US Dollar and Euro was about US$ 1.40 = EUR 1.00 at that time.
ATMs are plentiful, some hotels accept US dollars but most places accept Euros only.
We saw mostly Visa logos in places that accepted credit cards; MasterCard did not seem to be widely accepted.
When you see a supermarket, buy some bottled water.The price is always cheaper than in tourist places.
From the research, there were many reports of pick-pockets. Be careful in crowded areas.
November – March is the rainy season, May – first half of October is peak tourist season.
In addition to Italy, we also planned to visit Greece, so our air itinerary from home to Rome was: STL – ORD – FCO.From Venice to Greece was: VCE – NAP – ATH; from Santorini to Milan was: JTR – ATH – LIN, from Milan to home is: MXP – JFK – RDU – STL. One of the webs to check cheapest airline tickets to Europe is: bravofly.com
Several cities have more than one airport.Be aware of which airports your flights arrive and depart from, especially if you have to make a connecting flight.For example, Chicago, New York, and Milan all have multiple airports, and it can take a long time to get between airports.
No airport tax, Customs, or Immigration stamp traveling between Italy and Greece.
To make it easier to get around, learn the native-language names for cities. For example, Florence is Firenze in Italian.
Our planned trip involved payments:
Day 1: Traveling.
Day 2: Arrive at the Rome airport; buy a Roma Pass (EUR23) at the counter in the airport. Buy a train ticket (EUR11), from the airport to Termini Station, which is the main terminal of the Metro subway system. We took the subway, using the Roma Pass (valid for 3 days from the first entrance, and gives free admission to ATAC urban buses and trains, Underground lines A and B, Met.Ro trains: Roma - Lido, Roma - Viterbo (in the Roma - Sacrofano section), and Roma - Pantano railways lines. Direct access for the first 2 sites; from the 3rd site onwards please apply to the ticket office for discount) to the closest station to hotel. Staying in a room with a double bed in Hotel Cicerone was EUR95 x 3 nights, and included free breakfast. We visited the Colosseum & Roman Forum. It was worth the time and money to use the RomaPass for the first site, as we saw a very long queue to buy tickets (EUR12) on the spot. We walked around Palatine Hill.
Day 3: We visited the VaticanMuseum. We booked our tickets (EUR14 per person) online in advance. The online booking fee was EUR4 per ticket, but booking in advance avoids the long line up for tickets, especially during peak season. We walked around Castel Sant’ Angelo (ticket EUR7, we didn’t go inside), Piazza Cavour, Piazza Navona, Palazzo Madama, the Pantheon, Templo Adriano, Palazzo Monteclitorio, Fontana di Trevi, Quirinale, Palazzo delle Esposizioni and Piazza delle Repubblica.
Day 4: We visited the NationalMuseum (ticket EUR7, not many visitors, I do not strongly recommend it) using the RomaPass for the second site. We went to Trinita dei Monti, Villa Medici, Museum Borghese and Piazza del Popolo. Then we went to the Circo Massimo, S. Maria in Cosmedin, Campidoglio, Monumento a Vittorio Emanuele II, Colonna Traiana, Mercati Traianei, Domus Aurea, S. Pietro in Vincoli, Santa Maria Maggiore and Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II.
Day 5: Take subway (ticket was EUR1 since our Roma Passes had expired) to Termini train station and take a second class train (EUR42) to Florence. (Buy it a day in advance safely.) We departed at 10.30am and arrived at 12.02pm at the Stazione di Santa Maria Novella, Florence and walked to hotel. Staying in a room with a double bed in Hotel Roma at Piazza Santa Maria Novella was US$125.66 x 2 nights. We walked to the Duomo (ticket EUR8 to climb 463 steps to the top.) Going to the top of the BellTower is 414 steps (ticket EUR6), but we didn’t go up. Then we went to Gallery Uffizi (ticket EUR10.) We walked around Plazza D. Signoria, Piazza della S.S. Annunziata and Cappelle Medicee.
Day 6: We went on a day trip to Pisa Central by train, (round trip ticket EUR11.40.) Buy the ticket a day in advance safely. After about 1 hour, we arrived at Pisa Central train station. Buy a bus ticket (EUR1) at a stall to the LeaningTower. (Check in advance about the bus and train schedule to get back to Florence S.M.N.) We didn’t go inside the LeaningTower (we regretted a little that we did not), but go in the Museum (ticket EUR5.) After getting back to Florence S.M.N., we walked around Pronte Vecchio, Piazza Santa Croce, Porta alla Croce and Piazza della Signoria.
Day 7: We walked to the train station and took a second class train (ticket EUR37) to Venice. Buy it a day in advance for safe. We departed at 10.37am and arrived at Stazione FF.SS. S.Lucia, Venice at 1.13pm, and walked to the hotel. Staying in a room with a double bed in Hotel Henry was EUR100 x 2 nights. We walked to Ponte di Rialto, Piazza San Marco and went to the top of the BellTower (ticket EUR8) by lift.
Day 8: We walked to Gallerie Accademia, Salute Scuola Grande di S. Marco and other places around there.
Day 9: We took a bus to Marco Polo airport (ticket EUR2.50). Buy it and check the bus schedule a day in advance for safety, especially if you have to catch an early flight. The bus journey is about 15 minutes in early morning. We took a flight to Greece - ticket & tax was US$224.16 (booked online earlier possible). We departed Venice at 6.50am and arrived at the airport in Athens, Greece at 1pm (note: Greece is 1 hour ahead of Italy). We bought a Metro ticket (EUR15 for 3 days.) We felt it was not really worth it, as a one way ticket from the airport to Athens city is EUR6, and city Metro subway tickets are EUR3 for a day or EUR1 for 90 minuets.) We took the subway to the city and to the closest station to our hotel. Staying in a room with a double bed in the Best Western Pythagorion Hotel was US$301.41 (total charge for 3 nights, free breakfast). We went to the Acropolis (ticket EUR12) and AcropolisMuseum (ticket EUR1 through the end of December 2009). The price for the museum is very cheap and really worth visiting. It just opened to the public on Jun 21, 2009). We walked around Plaka.
Day 10: We went to the NationalArchaeologicalMuseum (ticket EUR7.) We went to see changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Parliament, Syntagma, Piraeus and Metropolis.
Day 11: We went to Hadrian’s Arch, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, Roman Forum, Agora, Central market (wet market) and to see the night view of the Acropolis.
Day 12: We took the Metro subway to Piraeus port, where we would catch the ferry to Santorini. (We checked the journey time to the port a day in advance, but it happened that day the subway had maintenance and did not run all the way to Piraeus, so we had to take the bus the rest of the way.) We are arrived at Piraeus, but missed our ferry (ticket EUR50) which we bought in advance. We bought another ferry ticket (EUR33.50.) Took a taxi (EUR5) from gate E8 to E1 (Piraeus is a large port). We departed Piraeus at 9am and arrived at Thira, Santorini at 2pm. We took a bus (EUR2) to the main bus station in Fira. We took a bus heading to Oia (ticket EUR1.40), but got off at Firostefani (tell the conductor in advance) where our hotel was located. Staying in a room with a double bed in Efterpi Villas was EUR115 x 3 nights (free breakfast).
Day 13: We walked to Fira, and took a bus (ticket EUR1.40 x 2) to/from Kamari (black beach). Took another bus (ticket EUR2) to Perissa (black beach). Then took another bus (to Fira - ticket EUR1.40) and told the conductor in advance we wanted to stop at the station where we could catch a connecting bus to the red beach at Akrotiri. We took the bus (EUR1.40) to the red beach, then took a bus (ticket EUR1.70) back to Fira. We took a bus (ticket EUR1.40 x 2 to/from Oia) to view the sunset.
Day 14: We joined a boat trip (ticket EUR18) to see the volcano and hot springs (need to be a good swimmer to go to the hot springs area because the boat cannot reach the area.) We bought the ticket it in advance through our hotel. We walked to the cable car station to go down to the port (ticket EUR4 x 2, to/from the old port.)There are other options: pay to ride a donkey or walk for free on the steep trail). The ship departed at 11am for the volcano. On the island, we had to buy another ticket (EUR2) that wasn’t mentioned when we booked the trip). At 2pm we arrived back at the old port. We walked to Fira and did some shopping.
Day 15: A minibus came to the hotel to take us to the airport (fee EUR15/2 persons, booked a day in advance through the hotel.) We took our flight (ticket & tax EUR219.18.) We departed at 7.15am arrived at the airport in Milan, Italy at 12:01pm. We took a bus (ticket EUR? - we rushed into the bus without a ticket when we saw the bus come, thinking there would be a conductor onboard, but no) to the closest Metro station (we asked someone on the bus, but the easiest way should be to tell the driver, and he might remind you when to get off). Take the subway (ticket EUR1) to the station closest to the hotel. Staying in a room with a double bed in Hotel Alba was EUR182 for 2 nights. The shower is in the bed room but no toilet; the public toilet is outside the room. Buy a Metro ticket (EUR5.50) for 2 days (we should have bought it when we first took the subway.) We went to the Duomo and Treasury (ticket EUR1 for entry to the Treasury.)
Day 16: We went to the Central FS station to check the bus location & schedule to go to the airport the next morning. We then went to see the Castello Sforzesco & arch, Santa Maria della Grazie and Museo Nazionale della Seienza & della Tecnica (ticket EUR8 for the museum.)
Day 17: We took the subway to the Central FS station and caught a bus to the MXP airport. Bus tickets are EUR15 for 2 persons. The bus journey is about 1 hour (we didn’t check whether our flight was in Terminal 1 or 2, so we stopped at Terminal 2. They have a free airport shuttle between the terminals. Back home.
It was a 6 day/5 night New York trip on Aug 2008. We went to several attractions and our legs were so tired from all that walking! Let me give you a little info: we flew from St. Louis to LaGuardia airport, where my friend, Y, met us. She booked a room with a double bed in the Farrington Hotel in Flushing (in Queens) for US$90 per night in cash. The public bus fare is US$2 per adult (they only accept coins if you don’t have a Metro card); the taxi fare is around US$12 (plus a tip) from Main Street in Flushing to the airport.
The part of Flushing where we stayed was a small Chinatown.Flushing’s Chinatown is not big compared with the Chinatown in Manhattan, but we felt it was a bit like a little Hong Kong. There are many Asians, with a lot of Chinese shops and foods. Be prepared to pay cash, because most places didn’t accept credit cards and most charged no tax. Everyday, crowds of people were moving quickly, especially at peak hours; the subway’s trains were packed. Like the bus fare, the subway is also US$2 per entrance. You can buy a one day Metro card for US$7.50, but we bought the 7 day card for US$25. The Metro card can also be used for the buses. Take one of the free maps from the subway station to find your way around.
We joined a one day tour from a Chinese company for US$35 per adult. At 7:30a.m., they picked us up by van to go around the city. We stopped for a few minutes at the World Trade Center site, where the TwinTowers were destroyed on 9/11. Near the New York Stock Exchange is the famous statue of a Charging Bull. We also stopped at the United Nations Headquarters.(Tours are available, but by the time our group arrived, all tours were full.) In addition to the US$35, we also had to pay US$69 per person for a package of three tickets for: a 90 minute sightseeing cruise on the Hudson River, tickets to Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, and admission to “The Top of Rock” at RockefellerCenter.Lunch was not included in the tour package. The driver, who is also a ‘tour guide’, mentioned everyone needed to tip him US$6 before he sent us back to our hotel around 5p.m. I do not recommend you join this tour because you can go those places yourself, and purchased individually the tickets cost a little less than was charged by the tour company.
We went to the following places by subway:
Chinatown: the Chinese people who came here built a statue of Confucius, which has become an easy landmark for meeting point of those Chinese to meet someone when they first time arrive in New York.
Little Italy is a busy night market, full of restaurants.
Broadway has many shows. The TKTS booth sells tickets to Broadway shows for up to 50% off the normal price. The booth opens at 10:45 a.m., and for night shows the booth opens at 2:45 p.m. for ticket by cash only. So if you line up early maybe you can get a good seat. We arrived there around 9a.m., and there was already a line forming. We saw a policeman on a horse on the street! Y and her friend lined up for tickets, while Steve and I went to walk around with a friend, AB.
We passed by Times Square, Radio City Music Hall, Rockefeller Center, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Trump Tower, and many other beautiful buildings. Standing on the street under those many storied and high buildings, lets us feel the prosperity of this big city…. We had a half price (US$59) ticket for the Broadway show ‘Hair Spray’ at 3p.m.; it was a wonderful performance. By the time the show ended, it was evening.
Greenwich Village, it is a residential area with some distinct characteristics. Sometimes, there are street performers, but we didn’t see any of them.
Little India, we arrived there in the evening. After we came out from an Indian dinner, most of the shops were closed.
Bowling Green, there is Battery Park. Also there is the harbor for the ferry (US$12 per adult round trips) that goes to the Statue of Liberty. You need to go through the security check with no drink or food, and no backpack if you go into the statue area. If you have those things, you need to rent a locker to store them. Visitors are only allowed up to the observation deck at the base of the statue; since 2000, visitors are no longer allowed to go up to the crown of the statue. After visiting, the ferry goes from this island to Ellis Island, which is a heritage site that used to be the entry station for immigrants entering the USA through New York. After that, the cruise returns to the Bowling Green harbor.
Empire State Building, it is currently the tallest building in New York. They have an observation deck - the ticket is US$19 per adult, but we didn’t go up.
Metropolitan Museum of Art, the ticket is US$20 per adult. It is huge and we spent around six hours in there.
2008年8月 六天五夜的纽约游记，让我们去了不少的纽约景点，每天都走得很累耶！好，让我来提供你一些资料﹕从St. Louis飞抵LaGuardia机场，我的朋友Y来机场接我们，她也帮我们订了在Queens区, Flushing镇的Farrington Hotel双人房每晚US$90，须付现钱。LGA机场– Flushing Main Street，公共巴士每成人US$2（只接受银币若你没交通卡），而的士费约US$12（要加给小费）。
我们参加华人团一日遊每人US$35，7.30am起程坐在van内遊市区，只小停世贸中心9/11被毁的Twin Towers、股市交易中心的铜牛像、联合国总部。我们另须加付三项景点费每人US$69，即90分钟的船遊Hudson河观看有名的建筑文物及桥、Madame Tussauds 蜡像馆及自行午餐、The Top of Rock上高楼观市景。5pm送你回酒店前，司机也是‘导遊’说明要每人给他小费US$6。不建议参加这一日团，因这些景点都可自行去观遊，自行去以上三项景点的票价还便宜过这旅团的。
Hawaii became the 50th state after it was conquered by the US. Hawaii has a few islands with only a few native Polynesians left. Nowadays most people are from other states in the US and also other Asians living there, so there are many people of mixed races. There is very beautiful scenery and it is a very relaxing place for vacation.
Since Steve’s friends recommended we go to Maui (one of the islands in Hawaii), we stayed eight nights Oct 10-17, 2007 at Ka’anapali Beach Hotel in Maui, US$180+ per night for a double bed room. We booked our hotel room package which included car rental, so when we arrived at the Maui airport, we went to the car rental center and paid for car rental tax US$36.50. We got a car and map so we could reach our hotel.
Ka’anapali beach is beautiful; we strolled and swam at a small bay with fishes and coral, and watched the sunsets… Have you ever seen a moonset? One night at around 6pm, the crescent moon was in the sky before the sunset. We were watching the crescent moon slowly going down until it was gone in the direction of sunset. Is it moonset? In the sky without moonlight all of the stars are twinkling beautifully…
We joined four tour packages:
Two hours (4-6pm) by small aircraft to see the scenery of Maui and an active volcano on the “BigIsland” (the biggest island in Hawaii) from the air, US$395.68 per person. The tumultuous flight almost made Steve airsick – he had the airsick bag ready in his hand…
Six hours (7am-1pm) cruise to snorkel and see coral and fishes at Molokini, an eroded tuff cone shaped like a crescent, and to Turtle Town, US$98.45 per person. TurtleTown not only has fishes and coral, but also has a few huge sea turtles swimming together with us…
Eleven hours (7.30am-7pm) by van, US$114.57 per person, to the town of Hana to see the coast of Maui, the rainforest, waterfalls, black sand beach, mongooses (which eat snakes and rats), and the Ohe’o pools in Kipahulu. Perhaps the scenery was too beautiful – no one fell asleep or had motion sickness even though the road has 600 curves in 30 miles…
Eight hours (7.30am-4pm) by van,US$93.73 per person, to see the rare native plant Silversword, a plant with silver leaves and flowering at 10,023 feet on the Haleakala volcano summit. We also saw a rare bird, the nene (Hawaiian goose). Then on to the IaoValley to see the Iao Needle…
We drove our rental car to the aquarium (ticket: US$23 per adult), shopping malls and the coastal towns of Lahaina, Kihei, Wailea and Makena. We saw different water activities at the different beaches…
The last morning, we were swimming behind the hotel in the bay again. I could swim at the deep area and I like to see fishes and coral…suddenly, a large guy swam beside me, just a couple of inches away. I was surprised and didn’t know what it was. After it swam a little farther away from me I saw it thru my goggles in the water…it was a sea turtle. I didn’t see any sea turtles when I swam there two days earlier. Its head came to the surface and it looked at me a little while; then it swam back to the deeper area and disappeared. Steve thought it came to say goodbye to us.
AirAsia is providing cheap flights, so everyone can fly! Steve and I had flown to a few places by AirAsia, like Miri in East Malaysia, Bangkok in Thailand, Hanoi in Vietnam and Macau. We traveled by ourselves and booked our own accommodations, sightseeing, etc. I recorded a little information for your reference if you decide to go.
Let’s talk about Macau and Hong Kong.We went on Jan 23-28, 2007 and the info given is based on that time. AirAsia didn’t have a Hong Kong flight at that time, so we flew from Kuala Lumpur to Macau. I booked hotels in Macau and Hong Kong online at http://www.asiatravel.com/. We stayed at the Pousada Marina Infante Hotel in Taipa, Macau for MOP400/night, which included a buffet breakfast. If you book a hotel, please print the Chinese name of the hotel to show to taxi driver, since many of them don't understand English. I don’t remember how much the taxi fare was from Macau airport to our hotel, but the fare was MOP29 from the hotel back to airport. The hotel is in Taipa, but has a free shuttle that makes scheduled trips to and from the ferry terminal and main bus station. You need to remember which bus because many hotel buses are at the station. Don’t get on the wrong bus, and remember the when the last shuttle returns to the hotel. Take a public bus (prepare coins, it was MOP2.50 each time you get on the bus) to go to the attractions. You can get a tourist guide at the airport, ferry terminal, or the hotel counter. If you want buy local cookies & snacks, I recommend you buy at the shops near the Ruins of St. Paul's; you might get free samples of almond cookies that were just baked.
The ferry fee from Macau to TsimShaTsui, Hong Kong was MOP140 per adult, which included embarkation tax. We took a free tourist guide & map and asked someone for directions to walk to the Stanford Hillview Hotel in TsimShaTsui - it was HK565/night. (If you want budget hotels, here is a web site - http://www.hb-247.com/aff/timothytye/hong-kong/)
To take the MTR (rail transport) to attraction, the adult ticket fee for some places: Ocean Park was HK$185, Disneyland was HK$295, The Peak (Victoria Peak) Tram was HK$22, and the Lantau Island sky rail (near the Tung Chung station) round trip ticket to visit the world’s tallest Buddha at Po Lin Monastery was HK$88.(You can buy a one way ticket and then go take a bus from Po Lin Monastery. We wasted the return sky rail ticket!)
We stayed in the Silvermine Beach Hotel at Mui Wo, LantauIsland, it was HK$644/night. It is not necessary to stay on LantauIsland since it is more convenient to get to attractions by bus or MTR or ferry. The ferry fee from Mui Wo to Central was HK11.30/per adult, and was much faster than taking the bus between Mui Wo and Tung Chung. When we stayed in Metropark Hotel at Kowloon, it was HK$794.40/night. When we stayed in The Empire Hotel at TsimShaTsui, it was HK$2006 for two nights and laundry. (If you want to save some time, just stay in one hotel. It is very convenient to go anywhere in Hong Kong by MTR or bus.)
The ferry fee from TsimShaTsui, HK back to Macau was HK$137 per adult, which included embarkation tax. 亚洲航空（AirAsia）提供了廉价的机票，所以人人都可以飞！Steve和我就曾坐亚航去了东马来西亚的美里，泰国的曼谷，越南的河内，澳门。我们是以自助方式旅行，即自己找当地的住宿、景点旅游等，我记录了一些资料，如你欲前往，可给你一点参考。 先说澳门及香港23-31/1/2007之遊，请记以下都是当时的资料，那时AirAsia还没香港的航线，所以我们是从吉隆坡抵澳门机场，在http://www.asiatravel.com/纲上订了皇庭海景酒店双人房每晚MOP400（澳门币）包自助早餐。抵达澳门机场，备示皇庭海景酒店的中文名让的士司机送你到酒店，以妨他们不识英文。没记录的士去酒店费用，不过从该酒店至澳门机场的的士费是MOP29。酒店位於Taipa，设免费巴士载送至澳门总车站或码头（同一地点），有时间班次来回，很多酒店都有各自的巴士，停在同一地点，须留意上对巴士回酒店，也注意最后一班的时间。从车站乘各号公共巴士至各景点（免费旅游资讯册可在机场或酒店取得），准备零钱，每趟巴士费每人是MOP2.50。如要买当地饼食品，建议在大山巴的店购买，可尝试吃到刚出炉的杏仁饼。 从澳门到香港尖沙咀码头，渡轮费每大人MOP140包离境税。 抵尖沙咀码头，取地图资料或示酒店街名问人方向走路至上纲已订在尖沙咀的仕德福山景酒店，双人房每晚HK$565。若要廉宜的住宿，上纲http://www.hb-247.com/aff/timothytye/hong-kong/先订酒店。 可乘MTR快铁至各景点，有些景点的每大人收费:海洋公园HK$185，迪士尼园HK$295，香港山顶观夜景览车HK$22，大屿山吊览车从Tung Chung站来回程HK$88（可买单程的，参观天坛大佛寺、宝莲禅寺后可坐公共巴士去其它地方，我们没用回程票，浪费了！）。 住大屿山梅窝的银铲湾酒店双人房每晚HK$644（可不必要住在大屿山，有巴士、MTR或渡轮到各景点），梅窝渡轮至中环码头，渡轮费每大人HK$11.30，速度比梅窝– Tung Chung站的巴士快。住九龙维景酒店双人房每晚HK$794.40及住尖沙咀的皇悦酒店双人房两晚加洗衣费HK$2006。（如要省换酒店的时间，建议只住同一酒店，香港多区都有快铁或巴士，很方便去各区景点。） 尖沙咀渡轮至澳门码头，渡轮费每大人HK$137包离境税。
Chinese-Malaysian, I got married to an American, resigned my job and moved to a strange western country (Missouri, USA). The impact of the marriage, becoming a housewife and moving to a new environment swashes me with new thought and stirs up my old dormant memories. The process of life has its meaning due to the value of expression of words. If you can understand my writing and go through to your inner thoughts for a while, it might be like we have a second meeting in the boundless space of thought.
马来西亚华人，嫁给美国洋人、辞去工作和搬到陌生的西方国（美国密苏里州）。婚姻、家庭主妇和新环境生活的冲击，激起我的新思路也唤起沉淀久违的旧记忆。人生的过程有其意义也是因为有文字表达的价值，若你懂得通过我的写作，进一步往你自己内在思考一回，也可算是我们在这无疆界的思维空间有刹那的交会。
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