<3

i <3 

Let us reflect...

things written in my sketch book during in the trip:

Day 1- arrive in Frankfurt 11 am, mad dash to 11:43 train to Amsterdam :) Yet to sleep...

320 euro

Things that are true about Amsterdam:

1. There are many bicycles and you can get run over

2. You can buy a beer for a Euro and sit in the park. Beer is cheaper than water.

3. They do in fact smoke weed. Big Fat Js.

4. Everyone is super stylish

5. is over run with Dutch boys on friday nights

6. Boys hollar at us in languages we don't understand

7. All the words are unreasonably long and hard to say

8. tiny, steep stairs, no soap in bathrooms

9. The graffiti is more thought out than ours

10. And then he found color

11. There are many languages

Things that are true about Paris

1. it rains. c'est ne pas une problem

2. french is beautiful and paris is romantic

3. Frog legs and tar tar don't agree with Claire's belly

4. The louvre hits you like a ton of bricks

Madrid:

PRADO... stunning

Tiny little sandwiches

beautiful weather

Oh yeah, contemporary art...

Juan Munoz and Gonzalez retrospective at the Reigna Sofia

"Es la mujer que cona be d futuro" It is the women making/changing the future

Barcelona is a different place

it changes...

Description of parade:

fruits and vegetables pinned to suits, men in shiny shirts, fros, big glasses, wheelding giant wooden axes + ships, little kids dancing, collecting candy, bands battling, rubber chickens and sparklers, trumpet players smoking cigarettes, fun and joy, triumph, humor, bounty.

We are trapped in a Barcelona beach town! No Trains, No Bus, Only Death!

FUCK YOU VATICAN

"tomorrow we go to pompei... then we go to milan, then Frankfurt and home... I could go home"

Urban/Pastoral relationship in Italy. a beautiful thing.

And then we get home. The end.

...we did it...

::happy dance::

Train Information

May 20th

Arrive at airport by 7:00 pm

Depart NYC at 9:10 pm

May 21st

Arrive in Frankfurt at 11:15 am

Train from Frankfurt (Flug FE) to Amsterdam (CS) depart 1:43pm arrive 5:25

we want to catch this one because it is direct!

Reserve amsterdam/paris train

May 22nd

Amsterdam

May 23rd

Amsterdam

May 24th

Train from Amsterdam (CS) to Paris (Nord) depart 9:26 am arrive 1:35 pm or depart 1:26 pm arrive 5:35 pm (direct trains)

May 25th

Paris

May 26th

Paris

May 27th

Overnight Train from Paris (Austerlitz) to Madrid (Chamartin)

Departs at 7:46 pm

May 28th

Arrive in Madrid at 9:10am

Reserve Madrid / Barcelona train

May 29th

Madrid

May 30th 

Madrid

May 31st

Train from Madrid (Atocha) to Barcelona (Sants) (departs every hour) depart 10:30 am arrive 1:27 pm

June 1st

Barcelona

June 2nd

Barcelona

June 3rd

Ferry from Barcelona to Rome

Depart 10:15 pm

June 4th

Arrive in Civitavecchia  at 6:45 pm

Train from Civitavecchia to Rome (depart every 20 mins) 7:22 pm  arrive in Rome Termini 8:14 pm

Reserve Rome / Milan Train

June 5th

Rome

June 6th

Rome

June 7th

Rome

June 8th

Train from Rome (Termini) to Milan (Centrale) (depart every 15 - 35 mins) Depart 11:30 am arrive 3:29 pm

Explore Milan a bit

Over night train from Milan (Centrale) to Frankfurt (Main)

Departs at 9:10 pm

June 9th 

Arrive in Frankfurt at 5:45 am

Sleep

What is there to do in Frankfurt?

June 10th

Arrive at airport by 6 am

Depart 8:30 am

Arrive in NYC at 10:45 am

Getting to Pompeii

I'm looking into how we're getting our asses to Pompeii and heres what i've found

Theres a bus we can take:

http://www.enjoyrome.com/shuttle_tour/pompeii.html

that will cost us 50euros each.  Does not include entrance to Pompeii

The bus ride will take 3hrs each way.

Theres a line of trains we can take:

We take the Rail Europe from Rome to Naples and then the Circumvesuviana train to Pompeii station SCAVI VILLA MISTERI.  The Circimvesuviana runs about every half hour all day.

I did all the searching for us to go to Pompeii on Saturday, but the same train times run all week.

Train 9371 645am @ Roma Termini, June 6th

838am @ Napoli Piazza Gar

Train 9378 922pm @ Napoli Piazza Gar, June 6th

1115pm @ Roma Termini

Based on the readings I did everyone says that you can't even begin to scratch the surface of Pompeii in a day, it really is that big.  Everyone recommends at least two days, but screw them, i say we do our damnist to absorb what we can of Pompeii in one day and then go from there.

Schedule draft

Hey folks,

This is what I have for our schedule:

May 20th: Flight from NYC (9:10 PM)

21st: Arrive in Frankfurt (11:15 AM)
Train: Frankfurt to Amsterdam
Hostel: Stayokay Amsterdam Stadsdoelen:
Kloveniersburgwal 97
1011 KB Amsterdam
tel +31 (0)20 624 68 32

24th: Train: Amsterdam to Paris
Hostel: Absolute Hostel
1 rue de la Fontaine au Roi
75011 PARIS
tel +33(0)1 47 00 47 00

27th: Overnight Train: Paris to Madrid
28th: Arrive in Madrid
Hostel: Barbieri International Hostel
C/ Barbieri 15
28004 Madrid, Spain
tel +34 915 310 258

31st: Train: Madrid to Barcelona
Hostel: Itaca Hostel
C/ Ripoll 21
08002 - Barcelona (Spain)
tel +34 933 019 751

3rd: Overnight Ferry: Barcelona to Civitavecchia Italy (10:15 PM)
4th: Arrive in Civitavecchia (6:45 PM) Train to Rome
Hostel: The Beehive
Via Turati Filippo, 128
00185 Roma (RM), Italy
tel +39 06 45426569

8th: Train: Rome to Milan, Overnight train: Milan to Frankfurt (9:10 PM)

9th: Arrive in Frankfurt (5:45 AM)
Hostel: Frankfurt Hostel
Kaiser Str 74
60329 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
tel: + 49 69 24 75 13 0

10th: Flight from Frankfurt (8:30am), Arrive in NYC (10:45am)

I still need: our reserved train times (lisa), t's emergency euro #, and anything else that should be included that I may have forgotten.

some weather predictions... prepare to layer

Amsterdam

Sunny and 65-70

Cooler at night

Paris

Sometimes rainy

70

Cooler at night

Madrid

Warm! high 80s

sun screen + sunglasses 

Barcelona

75 - 80

possible showers

Rome

75 - 80

remember to pack good layering clothes!

I have received our train reservations.

Paris to Madrid

Geneve to Rome

Milan to Frankfurt

However I have found an alternative route from Barcelona to Rome that could possible save us time and money that I think we should discuss. As it stands we would depart Barcelona and be on a 12 hour train to Geneve only to spend an afternoon and get on another 12 hour train to Rome... to maximize time in Barcelona we could instead take a ferry from Barcelona to Civitavecchia (town outside rome). I'm still researching it, but it looks like a pretty viable option.

little things

I got metal waterproof pea-less safety whistles for each of us for the trip...http://www.amazon.com/Metal-Pealess-Waterproof-Whistle/dp/B001CSAH0C/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1239986730&sr=8-1

update on trains

According to Frommer's you can reserve a train just a few hours before it departs. Audrey suggests that as we arrive in each city we should reserve our next departing train. This will save us a lot of money.

Overnight trains tend to sell out faster. To make sure we get beds on the overnight trains, I'll reserve them ASAP.

I need $145.00 from each of you. This will get us beds on the overnights.

reserving trains

Our rail pass does not include the reservation fees.

I tallied up the costs for reserving online

$198 per person

This cost reserves seats/ beds on all of our trains and will give us meals on the longer rides.

This is an expense I wasn't prepared to pay. If there is a cheaper way to do this I'll find it, but its not looking good.

Booking online is super easy, and maybe worth the cost since the alternative would be to try calling each train station to ask about reservations...

Let me know if you want to cough up the cash and I'll book all the trains. It will take like 5 mins once I have the money.

Hostel Ittenerary

May 20th: Flight from NYC (910pm)

21st: Arrive in Frankfurt (11:15am) Train: Frankfurt to Amsterdam
Stay in Amsterdam Stadsdoelen- we can check in as early as 2, but I said we'd be there around 5. If we get there early we can store out bags at the hostel. We are booked for 3 nights checking out on Sunday the 24th.

24th: Train: Amsterdam to Paris- Absolute Hostel ,Check in 2 pm, I said we'd be there around 4 pm. 3 nights in Paris check out on the 27th.

27th: Overnight Train: Paris to Madrid

28th: Arrive in Madrid- 3 nights at Barbieri International Hostel- check in 24 hrs a day.

31st: Train: Madrid to Barcelona- 2 nights at the Itaca Hostel, 24 hr reception

2nd: Train Barcelona to Geneve Switzerland- staying 1 night just outside city limits, I'll confirm address.

3rd: Overnight Train: Geneve to Rome (evening)

4th: Arrive in Rome- 4 nights at The Beehive- 24hr reception

8th: Train: Rome to Milan, Overnight train: Milan to Frankfurt

9th: Arrive in Frankfurt, staying at Frankfurt Hostel 1 night

10th: Leave Frankfurt (8:30am)/ Arrive in NYC (10:45am)

Check out time is usually flexible although we should expect to be out at or before 11 am.

Can we call and make the reservations? Can we make the reservations in europe? I can front some $ if needed to make the reservations/shouldn't they be part of the ticket we ordered?

So here's the deal on reserving trains

Most of the trains we are taking require a reservation. A few do not. The reservation fees vary greatly in price. The more expensive fees include a meal and or reclining seating for longer trips.

Frankfurt to Amsterdam

No reservation required

Amsterdam to Paris

$53 per person

Paris to Madrid

$ 73 per person

Madrid to Barcelona

$16 per person

The website recommends reserving trains online before you arrive in europe.  However the high prices are because the websites charge to make the reservations. Reservations can also be made at the train stations and would cost considerably less. HELP I don't know what to do. I cannot front the reservation costs. I will need to tally up the total and get money from each of you.

And where are we staying between Barcelona and Rome? Geneva?

Audrey I need a concrete itinerary from you so i can be sure I have the travel days correct.

If anyone can glean more information on how to go about reserving the trains online your help will be greatly appreciated.

::happy dance::

Europe..eep! :)

How's this>?

Okay, so if everything goes well the reservations are all in the bag. I totaled it up and it comes to 525$. I know that goes a bit above my first estimate but all of the hostels had raised rates for this year. I think I did pretty well all in all. If that number really will not work...I don't know what to say. We could spend less time in rome and cut a few euros, but not much. This total is taking into consideration that we'll night train it to Frankfurt. Here are all of the links to the places we're staying.

Amsterdam

Paris

Madrid

Barcelona

Rome

Frankfurt

Let me know if you have any questions. Lisa, trains are all you now!

???

Hey guys,

I'm trying to figure out our trip from Rome to Frankfurt. It seems like there are two options:

1. We get on a train in Rome at 9am and ride for 12 hours till we arrive in Munich, where we spent the night before continuing to Frankfurt (only 4 hours) the next day.

2. We could maybe have a day in Milan and take the night express train to Frankfurt.

Either way you cut it, there's a long train ride involved. I think we could get away with doing night travel so we don't miss as much (plus, one less hostel). So, I'm voting for the night train on the 8th. Let me know if you guys have any ideas on the matter.

Which one?

HELP! I can't decide between these hostels in Paris. One is more expensive and better oriented. The other is still nice but farther removed. Let me know what you think.

Roman Holiday

Hey everybody! I'm posting a link to the place where we're staying in Rome. I've reserved us a private quad room in an apartment (Millefiori). Check it out! The pictures are really cool. 

Amsterdam Hostel

From Thursday the 21st till Saturday the 23rd we'll be staying in the StayOkay Amsterdam Stadsdoelen.

HI Card

Hey Everybody,

It's time! I need to start making Hostel reservations for Europe. Is everyone okay with me going for it? Because I do think it'd be the easiest way. Lisa also would like to start making train reservations. So, unless T and Claire object I vote to just move forward with the plan. 

Also, I ordered my Hosteling International card. You ALL need to get these cards they will get us discounts and may be the tipping factor to whether we get a place in a Hostel or not. It's only 28$ for a year. Here's the link you'll need. 

Reserving Trains

Hi guys!!! We're all set for going to Europe!! Plane and train tickets purchased!! No matter what happens between now and May 2oth, we'll be in Germany on the 21st!!

The eurorail sight  mentioned reserving the trains right when you buys the tickets, or at least well before hand. I think at our next meeting we should reserve our trains, further finalizing our itinerary.

Trains needed:

May 21st Frankfurt to Amsterdam (early afternoon train)

May 24th Amsterdam to Paris (late afternoon?)

May 27th Paris to Madrid (over night)

May 30th Madrid to Beach to Barcelona (maybe we should reserve regardless of whether we go or not)

May 31st Madrid (or beach) to Barcelona

June 2nd Barcelona to Geneva (late afternoon/evening)

June 3rd Geneva to Rome (evening?)

June 8th Rome to Zurich or Munich

June 9th Train to Frankfurt

So, my day planner says our next meeting is Sat. Feb. 21st. Yippee!!

The Schedule!

Finalized and ready to go!

May 20th: Flight from NYC (910pm)
21st: Arrive in Frankfurt (1115am) Train to Amsterdam
22nd: Amsterdam
23rd: Amsterdam
24th: Train to Paris
25th: The Louvre
26th: Versailles
27th: Train to Madrid (evening)
28th: Arrive in Madrid
29th: Madrid
30th: Flex Beach Day
31st: Train to Barcelona
June 1st: Barcelona
2nd: Train to Switzerland
3rd: Train to Rome (evening)
4th: Arrive in Rome
5th: Rome
6th: Rome (Pompeii?)
7th: Rome
8th: Train to Zurich/ Munich
9th: Evening train to Frankfurt
10th: Leave Frankfurt (830am)/ Arrive in NYC (1045am)

xoxo

more info on the cellie

if calling from a US phone use:
011-44--7525-300313

Our Phone #

44-7525-300313

Please distribute it to your families, just in case :)

Dream or Premonition?

I hope that my dream last night wasn't a premonition. We were on the flight to Europe and when we got there we had no plans. None of us were prepared and we had no idea where to go or how to get there. We were attempting to look it up on the spot but we didn't have all of our resources and we couldn't communicate with the people around us. :( Let's not allow that to be the case. 

travel phone and book

i just ordered a travel cell phone to bring on the trip. no contract, no activation fees, no monthly charges, only pay for the minutes you use. plus you get a phone number (UK #) that is permanently yours.

http://www.mobal.com/

i just got Europe by Eurail 2009 which has detailed info about the trains, destinations reachable by train, tips, maps, reference info, language snippets, etc

Yes

Now that we have concrete dates for each city we should pick out our hostels. I would like to suggest Hostels close to the train station or close our main interests. We can also look into train times to see what's available. However, I don't think you can look up the times for the actual dates (I think they only do 3 months in advance). But I have a feeling the general availability wont change much.

Bravo to Claire for getting her passport papers mailed. Is everyone else good with the paperwork?

I have also managed to save enough christmas dough for the train ticket purchase and would like to buy it before... i squander my cash on stupid stuff... like school...

Love, 

Lisa

Information I need...

Does anyone have any ideas on which hostels we're staying in? because I would really like to have the addresses for those hostels so I can start looking at transportation routes to and from the hostel and whatever attractions I look at.

(Audrey, i'm looking at you...) ;)

<3

My stab at a time table

21st: Arrive in Frankfurt (11:15am)
22nd: Early train to Amsterdam
23rd: Amsterdam
24th: Amsterdam
25th: Early train to Paris
26th: Paris
27th: Paris
28th: Paris
29th: Overnight train to Madrid (arrive am)
30th: Madrid
31st: Madrid
1st: Train to Barcelona
2nd: Barcelona
3rd: Train to Switzerland
4th: Swiss chill day
5th: Train to Rome
6th: Rome
7th: Rome
8th: Rome
9th: Evening train to Frankfurt
10th: Depart Frankfurt at 830am

Since we lost Venice, I wasn't of a mind to add another city... I figured we'd do better with more time in less places. No need to spread ourselves too thinly...

Time Table Format

Proposed Time Table for Europe (+new time blanks?):



-21 days-

1:Frankfurt
1
3: Early train to Amsterdam, explore Amsterdam
4
4: Early train to Paris, explore Paris and visit Versailles
8
2: Overnight train, Enjoy Madrid
10
1: Barcelona (It would be a Sunday. Do we want to stay longer?)
11
1: Down day in Switzerland
12
4: Overnight train to Rome, explore and visit Pompeii


Total: 16 days

New slack: 4 days (-1 day for return trip)

Please comment!

NO WAY!

Big news guys! Apparently the dates we had were wrong for the Venice Biennale. It opens to the press when we would have been there. The day we leave is the day it opens to the public!! This changes a lot in the schedule. So guys we gotta figure out where we want to spend that extra time.

Options:
More time in-

Paris
Madrid
Eastern Spanish Coast
Rome


Or visit-

Southern Germany
Southern France
Northern Spain (Guggenheim museum)

Or we could split up our time in different places (a day here a day there).

What do you think? Options, ideas?

<3 Audrey

I got a travel guide for Amsterdam. Karla gave it to me for christmas. What other cities do we have books for as a group? I also have a map of Germany.