Recent content by flyingsal

Try your local eco / health food shop. They often have solid toiletries including shaving soap.

It is a pretty damming report. Processing times blew out with only 54% of passports meeting the 10 day turnaround in 2021-22.

Did the same route in December with a 40 min change. I was concerned so checked gate locations on the airport map before I flew. The flight from Paris was delayed by 10 mins but they made up time. Only 2 guys checking passports. No issues at all. Probably the least stressful airport experience...

I am interested in amaysim too and would love if anyone can share experiences.

Counting the sleeps till mid-January 2 week trip to New Zealand! Just finished last bookings on the weekend.

When my kids were smaller, losing them was a real fear. Not so much now because they are a lot taller and not as hard to lose in a crowd. But that anxiety is still there.

I have a reputation as being a tad obsessive about packing lists. Purely justified!

Thanks RB

Last of all - what we took: We generally only travel with carry-on bags, with 3-5 changes of clothes. We generally book accommodation with a washing machine or within walking distance of a laundromat. This trip, we each took: puffer jacket raincoat x1/2 jumpers (the kids had 2 because like...

Planning for COVID and other travel disruptions: All of us – with the exception of Miss 9 – had flu shots the week before we went. Miss 9 was too young to have one at the chemist (in Tasmania you have to be 10+) and flu shots weren't yet available in GP clinics. Mr flyingsal wasn’t eligible...

Singapore (2 nights): We arrived in Singapore in the morning, and after much stuffing around with train tickets (involving wrong information from 3 airport and train staff, and a trip to an ATM because ‘cash-only’), we checked into our hotel. We stayed in an interconnecting family room at the...

Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport – 1 night: We stayed at the Ibis Styles, in 2 standard rooms. This was mid-trip decision to cut our 5 nights in Montmarte to 4 and book an airport hotel for the last night. When I booked the flights, the Paris to Singapore flight was a night one. Later on...

Paris (4 nights): The train to Paris was direct, and about 2 and a half hours. We stayed in Montmartre at ApartHotel Adagio. It had 1 bedroom and 2 single sofa beds and a full kitchen. Downstairs in the lobby was a great range of kids and adult books, jigsaws and board games. Miss 9, who only...

Luxembourg (4 nights) We left Strasbourg on Easter Monday, a public holiday in France and Luxembourg. We got the train to Metz (50mins), then another to Luxembourg (nearly 2 hours). We stayed in a family room at the Novotel Suites, across the road from parklands and the Modern Museum of Art...

Strasbourg (3 nights) We travelled from Nancy to Strasbourg on Good Friday, only an hour by train. We had 3 nights at Le Kleber Hotel Apartment. This apartment was across the road from the hotel. We had a full kitchen but opted to take breakfast at the hotel. Very cramped breakfast room, but...