2022 travel plans

[Pele]

Yeah, that’s why we have pretty much decided to use Muscat/Abu Dhabi or Dubai as a base and just FIFO to Qatar on game days.
Accomodation is incredibly cheap for what you get in that part of the world

@jase05 and @Must...Fly! I too plan to head to the World Cup. I booked the airfares using points as soon as they were available however i had a bad feeling about the accommodation being managed centrally by a government agency. Sure enough now it is for sale it looks terrible. Looking at over $USD600 a night for rubbish one bedroom air bnb apartments in the middle of no where in a residential block. No hotels for sale at all.

I was also open to FIFO from a country close by however the flight costs are rude. I am seeing $1k per person each way economy from Dubai to Doha.

I missed tickets in the first round draw. Could buy random ones now. Not sure what to do.

Currently reassessing what to do without getting extorted by the Qatari dictatorship.

And dont even get me started on the Socceroos. Arnold Out!

 

[Melburnian1]

And my preferred UK longhaul departure airports of CDG, AMS, CPH and FRA

Avoiding the APD pays for the extra country.

MAD and MUC are another two worth considering, as is VIE. ZRH is not as favoured as I find Switzerland hotels extremely expensive despite the undoubted wonders of that nation.

Any plans are dependent on Putin, but flying into LHR, travelling by rail and then out from a European city delivers a pleasing, less taxing experience.

 

[Pushka]

Hearing of so many people planning for overseas in next couple of months and everyone so relieved the testing regime has changed. Bali sounds very worthwhile now too. The painter doing some work here today - Sunday - is off next month. Gotta love country people.

 

[CaptainCurtis]

Nice to finally have the bookings list filling up...

Melbourne in April for the Formula 1 and then a few nights down the Mornington Peninsula. Managed to score an excellent rate for a suite at Pullman on the Park (I believe a pricing error, will share a review after the trip).

I then have a work trip to Singapore in May for a couple of weeks. It'll be my first time visiting Singapore and my first time visiting the team there, so I'm very excited.

Planning a long weekend in Queenstown towards the end of May. There are some excellent rates on offer at the St Moritz MGallery in May and June that I couldn't resist - less than $200 per night, including breakfast, in their balcony suite with lake views.

I've been looking at the possibility of Doha for the World Cup, but looks like I may have missed the award flights.

 

[oznflfan]

@jase05 and @Must...Fly! I too plan to head to the World Cup. I booked the airfares using points as soon as they were available however i had a bad feeling about the accommodation being managed centrally by a government agency. Sure enough now it is for sale it looks terrible. Looking at over $USD600 a night for rubbish one bedroom air bnb apartments in the middle of no where in a residential block. No hotels for sale at all.

I was also open to FIFO from a country close by however the flight costs are rude. I am seeing $1k per person each way economy from Dubai to Doha.

I missed tickets in the first round draw. Could buy random ones now. Not sure what to do.

Currently reassessing what to do without getting extorted by the Qatari dictatorship.

And dont even get me started on the Socceroos. Arnold Out!

Whilst I would love to go to Football World Cup, could never justify cost. AM DEFINATELY going to Speedway World Cup July 2023 in Torun, Poland though.

 

[Tiki]

Just back from Turkey (Istanbul and Antalya) a few weeks ago.

Now looking forward to Fiji in June
Back to Turkey in September for more dental work and a road trip to the Black Sea area
And if other parts of Indonesia are easy to access, returning via Manado for birdwatching in northern Sulawesi.

And a Princess cruise to PNG booked in Nov, hoping those small PNG islands at least are ok for tourists.

 

[jase05]

Whilst I would love to go to Football World Cup, could never justify cost. AM DEFINATELY going to Speedway World Cup July 2023 in Torun, Poland though.

Sports spending is one thing I don’t really mind paying for
I‘m not too bothered about what it costs, I’ll just pay it

 

[kpc]

No plans until I know when borders open. Also not doing speculative award bookings either. At the rate we are going I won't be going OS in 2022

Malaysia over Easter 22
Iceland / Denmark September 22
A few domestic trips incl Mel, Adl...

Very tempted to start using some of my LSL now totalling 1 year.

 

[Guvner]

Perth / Margaret River May 2022
South Africa/UK/France/Japan Sept 2022

Might try to snag a reward seat on the new QF direct MEL-DFW route in Dec/Jan

 

[drron]

Our plans have now been finalised.

Early May 2 weeks in SIN and Bangkok.

August.Drive across northern Spain.
Then 18 day cruise Barcelona to Venice.
Followed by 3 weeks driving in the UK.

October. Road trip -Newcastle, Sydney and Orange.

December. 3 weeks in Bangkok for Christmas and New year.

 

[kpc]

Our plans have now been finalised.

Early May 2 weeks in SIN and Bangkok.

August.Drive across northern Spain.
Then 18 day cruise Barcelona to Venice.
Followed by 3 weeks driving in the UK.

October. Road trip -Newcastle, Sydney and Orange.

December. 3 weeks in Bangkok for Christmas and New year.

The joys of retirement....no leave issues!

 

[OZDUCK]

Our plans have now been finalised.

Early May 2 weeks in SIN and Bangkok.

August.Drive across northern Spain.
Then 18 day cruise Barcelona to Venice.
Followed by 3 weeks driving in the UK.

October. Road trip -Newcastle, Sydney and Orange.

December. 3 weeks in Bangkok for Christmas and New year.

Crossing northern Spain by train we certainly saw/glimpsed lots of places that looked like they would be very nice to visit by car. I can't remember if you have said that you have previously visited Zaragoza but based on our stay it is certainly worth a day or two.

 

[JohnM]

Early May 2 weeks in SIN and Bangkok.

How early in May do you depart?

I ask because I'll be in Qld and staying with a certain buddy () up the Sunny Coast way 10-12 May and I was hoping to arrange a meet-up.

 

[Pushka]

Our plans have now been finalised.

Early May 2 weeks in SIN and Bangkok.

August.Drive across northern Spain.
Then 18 day cruise Barcelona to Venice.
Followed by 3 weeks driving in the UK.

October. Road trip -Newcastle, Sydney and Orange.

December. 3 weeks in Bangkok for Christmas and New year.

Catching up lost trips hey? Nice year of travel.

 

[ellen10]

Nice to finally have the bookings list filling up...

Melbourne in April for the Formula 1 and then a few nights down the Mornington Peninsula. Managed to score an excellent rate for a suite at Pullman on the Park (I believe a pricing error, will share a review after the trip).

@CaptainCurtis , We are off to Melbourne in May for 5 nights and I booked The Pullman on the Park, through Qantas hotels which had a very good special deal and I got to use my Qantas hotel voucher I will look forward to your review. My first flight in over two years.

Also Easter week booking down the NSW south coast. Followed by a road trip to Cowra and surrounds for a week. And also a couple of nights in Sydney beginning of June, when Vivid is on using my extra free night that Accor just gave me.

I have a friend going to Fiji at the end of April, I will be interested to hear how that goes. Maybe for us in the second half of the year.

Would love to return to the UK and Europe, hopefully that might be next year, using some of my points.

 

[CaptainCurtis]

@CaptainCurtis , We are off to Melbourne in May for 5 nights and I booked The Pullman on the Park, through Qantas hotels which had a very good special deal and I got to use my Qantas hotel voucher I will look forward to your review. My first flight in over two years.

My booking was also through Qantas Hotels. There was definitely some sort of issue with their system - it was significantly cheaper to book a suite with 3 adults compared to 2 adults. My PC+ $100 voucher only sweetened the deal.

 

[drron]

Crossing northern Spain by train we certainly saw/glimpsed lots of places that looked like they would be very nice to visit by car. I can't remember if you have said that you have previously visited Zaragoza but based on our stay it is certainly worth a day or two.

Yes 2 nights in each of Zaragoza, Elciego and Bilbao aiming for visiting Canfranc between Zaragoza and Elciego.

Why Elciego? Well to stop here.

Hotel Marqués de Riscal​

 

[Guvner]

I hope they fix the damaged roof before your visit.

 

[OZDUCK]

Yes 2 nights in each of Zaragoza, Elciego and Bilbao aiming for visiting Canfranc between Zaragoza and Elciego.

Why Elciego? Well to stop here.
View attachment 273793

Hotel Marqués de Riscal​

Wow - wasn't much of a guess that it was a Frank Gehry building. Looks like a fantastic destination with not only the architecture but also all that lovely wine to enjoy.

 

[OATEK]

Ok, well Putin has put paid to the Baltic cruise, cancelled by us, after advice from NCL that St Petersburg is a no go and they were looking around for other places to go. Not cancelling just because StP a no go, more because of the uncertainty around cruising anywhere in the baltic/Gulf of Finland area.

So now started booking SYD-MAN, returning from LHR. No flights booked but some accomodation in Manchester and Norfolk has been sorted.

So trip 2 for 2022 has formed with the main booking SYD-MAN, and return LHR-SIN-BNE-SYD (the cheapest option) booked. 10 days travelling in UK at the start, with a visit to family we missed on trip 1 owing to catching covid. Then 2 weeks looking after granddaughter (London) during school holidays. Propose a week in Germany when school goes back (yet to be booked), and then back to London before flying home. Phew, should test our stamina a bit.