RTWtraveler
Intern
- Joined
- Aug 28, 2014
- Posts
- 56
We are seasoned frequent RTW traveller’s but this is my first travel post. We work with RoundAboutTravel about nine months ahead, to get the best dates and price for business. Good, bad or indifferent we are Miles&More traveller’s with Star Alliance. We enjoy Europe as a base as we have many friends to visit. Our timing is not the best as we like to be with our grandson in SFO for his birthday in August, so it always seems to be high season. This year we made our second Camino Santiago de Compostela cycle trip, non-electric bike, this time from Porto, Portugal. We use a company that packages the bike rental, moves the bags and arranges accommodation at strategic points.
The Swiss Global Fare put us in Porto on time. We started in CBR, yes to avoid CBR Winter, to SYD. There are no Star Alliance domestic carriers in Australia, which is a pity. From SYD we flew Singapore to SIN, connecting with Swiss to Zurich connecting with a short Swiss flight to Porto.
We have visited Porto several times, but this time the crowds were over the top. Seems Porto is now the place to visit. Before, at about the same time, we could sit out on the edge of the Rio Douro with a tinto vino and enjoy a quiet evening drink, or two…not anymore. Even people we know there were discussed with the crowds of people…and the tourist season had not really begun.
Our cycle adventure went off without a hitch, with the exception of the heat, 30+C every day. We travelled with people from many countries, trading stories, exchanging tips, and making new friends. There were a surprising number of Australians.
Once we recuperated/rehydrated, we caught a bus to Lisbon for a short visit, then a TAP flight to Casablanca, Morocco. Will never do a bus trip that long again. For the next adventure.
Through a reliable travel company, we know of, we packaged a driver and stops in a counter clockwise tour of Morocco for 17 days. Highlights include Marrakesh, a dromedary ride into a Sahara Desert oasis for a night of traditional Berber food and entertainment and Tangier, a very multicultural city. The only negative stop was Fes, even our driver did not like the city.
As we wanted to stay with Star Alliance, the only flight out of Casablanca is at 0100 to FRA. The flight was late arriving, thus even later leaving. As we were connecting to MUC, to visit friends, timing was a little short. But we did just make the connection.
Lufthansa from MUC to Sardinia, which is where we are now, was spot on. This brings us to our present position of this adventure. Being retired gives you more time and flexibility. For this segment, we are, for the first time, using public transportation to move about the country. Essentially, we are only using one carry-on bag, plus a backpack, for this trip as it is hot, still 30+ everyday, so only need minimal clothing, and using busses it is very easy to manoeuvre a small case. So far Sardinia has been an inspiring island. We started in the north and are following the west coastline. The busses have all been on-time, with frequent schedules that have meet our needs. The beaches are the go-to places for visitors to Sardinia. They rival our beaches but are more crowded. The water is crystal clear and green blue in colour.
I will leave it at this point. Next will be Malta, Sicily, Zurich and San Francisco, for the grandson’s birthday.
The Swiss Global Fare put us in Porto on time. We started in CBR, yes to avoid CBR Winter, to SYD. There are no Star Alliance domestic carriers in Australia, which is a pity. From SYD we flew Singapore to SIN, connecting with Swiss to Zurich connecting with a short Swiss flight to Porto.
We have visited Porto several times, but this time the crowds were over the top. Seems Porto is now the place to visit. Before, at about the same time, we could sit out on the edge of the Rio Douro with a tinto vino and enjoy a quiet evening drink, or two…not anymore. Even people we know there were discussed with the crowds of people…and the tourist season had not really begun.
Our cycle adventure went off without a hitch, with the exception of the heat, 30+C every day. We travelled with people from many countries, trading stories, exchanging tips, and making new friends. There were a surprising number of Australians.
Once we recuperated/rehydrated, we caught a bus to Lisbon for a short visit, then a TAP flight to Casablanca, Morocco. Will never do a bus trip that long again. For the next adventure.
Through a reliable travel company, we know of, we packaged a driver and stops in a counter clockwise tour of Morocco for 17 days. Highlights include Marrakesh, a dromedary ride into a Sahara Desert oasis for a night of traditional Berber food and entertainment and Tangier, a very multicultural city. The only negative stop was Fes, even our driver did not like the city.
As we wanted to stay with Star Alliance, the only flight out of Casablanca is at 0100 to FRA. The flight was late arriving, thus even later leaving. As we were connecting to MUC, to visit friends, timing was a little short. But we did just make the connection.
Lufthansa from MUC to Sardinia, which is where we are now, was spot on. This brings us to our present position of this adventure. Being retired gives you more time and flexibility. For this segment, we are, for the first time, using public transportation to move about the country. Essentially, we are only using one carry-on bag, plus a backpack, for this trip as it is hot, still 30+ everyday, so only need minimal clothing, and using busses it is very easy to manoeuvre a small case. So far Sardinia has been an inspiring island. We started in the north and are following the west coastline. The busses have all been on-time, with frequent schedules that have meet our needs. The beaches are the go-to places for visitors to Sardinia. They rival our beaches but are more crowded. The water is crystal clear and green blue in colour.
I will leave it at this point. Next will be Malta, Sicily, Zurich and San Francisco, for the grandson’s birthday.
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