Europe, with an Arctic cruise, a Balkan tour and bits of France and Malta

[TheRealTMA]

Yowsers. Entry into Notre Dame Cathedral is free, and you don't need a ticket, but getting one ensures entry at a nominated time.

They go on sale via their app on the current day, and for the two following ones. 10-15,000/day. Snapped up quicker than a Qantas Award J seat to London!

Travel agent called me yesterday to go through the flight, cruise and tour itineraries to make sure I was aware of any changes and docs from the companies. I share my TripIt with them, so they can see my hotels and rail that I've booked myself, too. Ponant cruise clothing tips for the Arctic voyage. Another cruise line that wants me to haul several outfits around the world to wear on one occasion.

View attachment 444731

Did they ask you to bring a special outfit to meet the Pope as well?

 

[Drakecula]

Looks like an awesome trip has been planned. Look forward to following along.

 

[k_sheep]

I've done the Ponant antarctica thing - did not attend the gala dinner (went to the buffet and had a blast there instead). Did end up at the white night thing but just wore my white sunshirt and it was fine. Heaps of people didn't even do that level of effort.

 

[Quickstatus]

Woolen thermals (baselayer tops and leggings, underwear) = NZ icebreakers
Glove liners = NZ icebreakers
Fleece = suggest down filled puffer jackets

The above actually take up minimal volume and weight

Just visit your favourite ski shop.

 

[RooFlyer]

Did end up at the white night thing but just wore my white sunshirt and it was fine. Heaps of people didn't even do that level of effort.

I did their White Night on a Kimberley cruise - at least it wasn't international to take the gear! If they want white this time, its going to be a white torso

Just visit your favourite ski shop.

Am already kitted up after my Antarctica cruise in 2023 (and time working in northern Canada before!). Will also all be set for Greenland later in the year (waves to k_sheep ).

One thing Ponant don't mention, that I took to Antarctica are these:

 

[zig]

I did their White Night on a Kimberley cruise - at least it wasn't international to take the gear! If they want white this time, its going to be a white torso

White bathrobe??
I dislike the whole White Night thing. I also did it on Ponant and there was nothing special about the night - total waste of time.

 

[k_sheep]

I do love my injiji socks ...

 

[VPS]

Nothing planned yet. Suggestions?

I started to write a list and for some reason it didn't save as a draft. Had visitors and in between that and working not up to date. Will try harder

When do you leave?

 

[RooFlyer]

When do you leave?

Leave on the weekend, but I don't get to the Loire until June 10. San Souci has already sent me their menu. Did you have dinner there, or out?

 

[RooFlyer]

I think I mentioned that I shared my TripIt 'trip' with my Travel Agent, for info, so she knows where I'll be at any one time. Haven't done that before.

Usually she will send me an itinerary of the flights, tours & cruises she's booked for me a day or so before departure, so its the latest version.

So today she sends me an itinerary with ALL my own bookings (hotels, rail, rental cars, domestic and Award flights) and the ones she has made for me. Nine pages, properly formatted with addresses, phone numbers, confirmations etc . Such a gem.

 

[Quickstatus]

included flights from/to Paris:

Which airline?

 

[RooFlyer]

Which airline?

Enter Air

Enter Air is the largest private airline operating in Poland

www.enterair.pl

 

[VPS]

Leave on the weekend, but I don't get to the Loire until June 10. San Souci has already sent me their menu. Did you have dinner there, or out?

Yes I ate there because the food was excellent. When I was there they didn't do meals every night so I ate out a couple of times. The advantage of eating in is you don't have to worry about drinking and driving and they do some great coughtails. Please give them my regards. I think they have a child now from what I've seen on Facebook

 

[jase05]

Excellent, thank-you.

We generally stay at the Pullman at CDG which is only a a couple of minutes walk through the T3 train station and the Pullman has a restaurant which is ok but there is a group of Accor properties all immediately next to each other in the Pullman, Ibis Styles and Ibis and inside the Ibis there is several restaurants and we have had good food in Pia’s which whilst isn’t an upmarket restaurant does decent pizzas and pasta

 

[RooFlyer]

We generally stay at the Pullman at CDG which is only a a couple of minutes walk through the T3 train station and the Pullman has a restaurant which is ok but there is a group of Accor properties all immediately next to each other in the Pullman, Ibis Styles and Ibis and inside the Ibis there is several restaurants and we have had good food in Pia’s which whilst isn’t an upmarket restaurant does decent pizzas and pasta

Thanks. I stayed at the Pullman once before and recall the restaurant as being pretty good (but I'm pretty easily satisfied when it comes to food ). I have about 7 nights at the airport over the month (4 pairs of flights in and out) and the Pullman was bit pricey for all of those!

I'll explore around; might try all the eateries!

 

[jase05]

Thanks. I stayed at the Pullman once before and recall the restaurant as being pretty good (but I'm pretty easily satisfied when it comes to food ). I have about 7 nights at the airport over the month (4 pairs of flights in and out) and the Pullman was bit pricey for all of those!

I'll explore around; might try all the eateries!

Haha, I hate CDG but for some reason more often than not we end up going through there to/from Europe so yes we have stayed our fair share of nights at the airport

 

[SYD]

You mentioned some discount RER ticket / pass which hopefully helps because it’s relatively expensive to just rock up and get a same day return CDG-Central Paris if you want to pop in for lunch/dinner - as I discovered a few years ago. Googling suggests it’s ~€26 return. Mind you, if the airport hotel is €100 pn cheaper than central Paris, then you’re ahead!

 

[jase05]

You mentioned some discount RER ticket / pass which hopefully helps because it’s relatively expensive to just rock up and get a same day return CDG-Central Paris if you want to pop in for lunch/dinner - as I discovered a few years ago. Googling suggests it’s ~€26 return. Mind you, if the airport hotel is €100 pn cheaper than central Paris, then you’re ahead!

Can get a tourist day pass for under €30 from the kiosk right near the Novotel. Unlimited rides on trams, buses, Metros and RER lines. The 2 day one was only about €10-15 more for memory

 

[RooFlyer]

You mentioned some discount RER ticket / pass which hopefully helps because it’s relatively expensive to just rock up and get a same day return CDG-Central Paris if you want to pop in for lunch/dinner - as I discovered a few years ago. Googling suggests it’s ~€26 return. Mind you, if the airport hotel is €100 pn cheaper than central Paris, then you’re ahead!

Because I'm flying back and forth, I just can't be fashed taking luggage back and forth to the city for a hotel each time, then maybe walking with bags etc to my final destination. Much easier for me just to stay at the airport Novotel (or one of the others) and commute into the city by rail for the three days total I have free there. PLUS, I'll be looking to leave a bag of surplus gear at the hotel when I go off on the Bosnia tour and the Arctic cruise, so it needs to be the same place.

I actually did the same thing at Vienna last trip - Novotel at the main station (I arrived by train) and then took the metro into the city.

One thing that makes this more acceptable for me than most is that I don't travel on my stomach. Not after fancy restaurants or 'nights out' in general. I get too tired. So I save on food and spend it on other stuff!

So, for transport, I'm looking at a Visite Paris package purchased through the Bonjour RATP app for €44 for 2 days initially, able to be used throughout Paris and the airport line, all forms of public transport.

https://www.bonjour-ratp.fr/en/titres-tarifs/forfait-paris-visite/

Pretty good value.

 

[RooFlyer]

At HBA for my first flight, VA to Melbourne, therefore no Lounge.

So I decided to sit in the Qantas lounge. Or, at least where it used to be, before it got moved to a temporary location while they renovate this end of the old terminal. The old QP was about half the area you see here



Checked bag was 12 kg. I was really tempted to stuff more into it such as slippers, another pair of pants etc but resisted that.

My carry on, on the other hand is 9.5 kg plus a tablet, it’s soft sleeve and cord. It’s actually a little bit smaller than a standard carry-on.

What’s in the carry-on?



From top left:
* First aid kit. Besides the usual first aid and anti diarrhoea stuff there’s several varieties of antibiotics, stilnox, Panadol Forte ( ie with codeine) and tapentadol strong painkiller. The last two in case my lower back arthritis really gets awkward.

* Canon 35mm camera in its case with charger and AirTag.

* Pocket binoculars

* Verbatim 65W GaN 3 port charger with phone, watch and USB C cords attached, plus my tablet cord.

* Bottom right, an old amenity kit holding other electronics such as a spare iPhone, battery pack, plug adapter cube, spare cords for watch and phone etc.

* Centre, plastic bag with all my liquids and gels ready for Int’l. Some will go into my checked bag.

* Underneath that, PJ‘s, spare shirt and undies and almost empty toiletries bag.

* Left, my overnight bedside kit - sleeping aids, earplugs, Kardia unit, heart arrhythmia medicine.

* Underneath that, a lunchbox of six weeks’ supply of all my regular medicines (sigh).

In the bag’s front pockets: hard copy of all my bookings and itineraries (also duplicated on my phone), a week’s worth of medicines in a case; AirPods, sunnies, small LED torch, luggage scale. AirTag in lining.

I don’t travel unprepared