I Love Paris in the Springtime!

December 11, 2010

A One Day Whirlwind Walking Tour of Paris

A first time visitor to Paris will certainly need several days or more to do justice to this fabulous city, but as a returning visitor my plan was only to hit some of the highlights before heading deeper into France. After all, I was on my way to the Atlantic coast area which I had never seen before.

The Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. — The Eiffel Tower in Paris, France

Getting There

I left Mannheim in Southern Germany in the late morning of May 28 for the three hour train ride through the beautiful Alsace-Lorraine region of France. On arrival in the early afternoon I found an office at the Paris train station where I could make a hotel reservation and since time was limited I secured a room on the Left Bank and was soon on the subway heading for Montparnasse. I was quickly reminded that Paris is one city where you will not find many bargains when it comes to lodging. With little trouble I found my hotel near the train station from which I would be leaving the next morning and checked in to a very nice room that had a window opening out to the wide, tree lined Boulevard du Montparnasse. Taking advantage of the conveniences of my backpack, I unzipped the day pack from the main pack, which I could then leave at the hotel. Armed with a map, my camera, plenty of water and the Let’s Go Europe travel book I headed out to conquer Paris on foot once again.

The Left Bank

My walking tour lasted from about 2 PM until I returned to the hotel around 9 PM and took me essentially in a large circle around the city, encompassing some of the most famous sights and certainly many of my favorites. Walking past the Invalides it was not long before the Eiffel Tower came into view. It reminded me of my first visit to Paris some time ago, when rounding a corner after emerging from a subway I spotted this famous landmark off in the distance for the first time. It is a stunning sight and truly an exciting moment for anyone who enjoys seeing the wonders of the world. This time I had to pace myself so that I didn’t spend too much time milling around the beautiful park-like area surrounding the tower and pressed on across the Seine River to the Right Bank to see the Arc de Triomphe, the Champs-Elysees and the entrance to the Elysee Palace, home of the French president.

The Right Bank

The next leg of my walking tour was the most difficult, as I struggled with the map to find my way to Montmartre where artists put their famous Parisian scenes on canvas. Passing the Moulin Rouge on the way, I slowly climbed the hilly streets of Montmartre and continued on to the beautiful Sacre-Coeur Basilica at the top, with its breathtaking view of the city. It wasn’t until I spotted the Maine-Montparnasse Tower standing out alone near my hotel way off in the distance below that I realized how far I had come. Thankful for my good pair of walking shoes, I slowly made my way back down into the city center area. Crossing back over the Seine this time at the Ile de la Cite, an island in the river where the Notre Dame Cathedral is located, I was able to get in just before closing to see once again the fabulous rose windows. Back on the Left Bank again I rounded out my whirlwind tour by visiting the Luxembourg Gardens, the famous university, La Sorbonne, and the Pantheon before dragging myself back to the hotel.

An Excuse to Return to Paris

Veteran Francophiles will notice right away that I missed some of the most notable sights located in the center of my walking circle around Paris and elsewhere. To name just a few, the Place de la Concorde of ‘Reign of Terror’ fame during the French Revolution, the Bastille, the Louvre Museum, Versailles with its Petit Trianon, and of course the sidewalk cafes of Paris. These will have to be at the top of my list on my next visit to the City of Light and make for a convenient excuse to return.

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The Eurail Pass

1 Comment / December 5, 2010

Eurail Passes

A Eurail Pass can be your ’ticket to Europe’ if you know how and when to use them. They can only be purchased ahead of time in your home country and they are fairly expensive. I have found the 15 day pass to be the most useful and have covered most of Europe over the years by using this particular pass on five different trips. Once your pass is activated on the first day you plan to use it…the clock starts ticking. If you are prepared to get up early every day to be on the first train in the morning heading for the next city on your itinerary, you will get more than your money’s worth out of the pass.

What’s the Cost?

Your pass entitles you to first class accommodations on the train (adult pass) and if two or more are traveling together, there is a discount. A check of the latest fees (December 2010) indicates that a Youth Pass for those 25 years of age and under is $469.00 for 2^nd Class Travel. Adults 26 years of age and over can only purchase a First Class ticket, which is $719.00 for one person or $609.00 for two or more traveling together.

Things to Consider

Once in hand, the ticket is a valuable commodity and can be lost or stolen. For a small fee of around $12.00 you can purchase replacement insurance for your ticket, which I recommend. Since I first began using Eurail passes, I have noticed an increasing requirement to make a reservation the day before each leg of the trip and also to pay either a reservation fee or a supplement, all of which tend to defeat the purpose of the pass. Some countries are more apt to require these than others. During my first trips with the Eurail Pass I needed only to get on the train and show my pass, enabling me to skip the long lines at the train stations and the language barrier at the ticket window. It was also easier then to get on and off the train several times during the day in order to visit more sights. The requirement for reservations and supplements negates these conveniences.

Watching the German Countryside Go by from the Train

Should I Get a Eurail Pass?

The Eurail pass is now valid in 21 countries, but, unfortunately, some of the most interesting countries in Eastern Europe, like one of my favorites…Poland, are not included. Hungary and Romania are now included and hopefully more will be added in the future. It would not be cost effective to visit a country that is not included in the pass in the middle of your 15 day pass period, as the Eurail Pass would be running concurrently and you would be wasting days. Therefore, careful planning ahead of time is necessary. Once you have a rough itinerary planned, check the internet for the point to point ticket costs and see how they compare to the cost of the Eurail pass. You may find that it would be cheaper to purchase point to point tickets. In summary, the Eurail pass is ideal for first time travelers to Europe who want to see a lot in a short time, but may not be the best idea for leisurely travelers with only a few planned stops on their itinerary.

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Eurail Odyssey

November 29, 2010

Eurail Odyssey

If you want to cover a lot of territory and see a big part of Europe in a short time, a Eurail Pass is definitely something you should consider. They are not cheap, so you must be prepared to get up early and be on the train every day in order to get your money’s worth out of the ticket. On the other hand, a Eurail pass is convenient, gives you access to the first class areas on the trains and is a safe way to travel. In May and June of 2009 I took my fifth Eurail tour of Europe, during which I covered a huge swath of the continent including some of the most interesting and beautiful sights in the world, from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean and lots in between. On this trip I flew in and out of Frankfurt, Germany as I have many times before. It is one of my favorite gateway cities because of its central location in Europe, its interesting sights and shopping opportunities at the end of the trip and its easy access to the rail system right under the airport. On this trip I visited Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Austria and the Czech Republic, essentially making a big circle around the middle and southern part of Europe.

Eurail Pass

Keeping with my standard 19 day trip pattern, the 15 day Eurail pass was ideal and was once again the one I selected. The pass for 15 days of unlimited travel cost $717.00 and it must be purchased before you leave home. On arrival at the Frankfurt airport on the morning of May 27, I freshened up and then visited an ATM machine at the terminal using a bank card to purchase some Euros. My first bank card did not work for some reason, confirming the oft given advice to take at least two cards when traveling. Rather than use up a day of my 15 day Eurail pass for the short ride to Mannheim, I bought a separate ticket and was on my way, arriving in this beautiful little city by 12 Noon.

Mannheim, Germany

Located at the confluence of the Rhine and Neckar Rivers in southwestern Germany, Mannheim is a university town. I had no trouble finding a nice hotel, the Hotel Basler Hof, and got a nice room and bath with breakfast for the equivalent of $80.00. That afternoon and evening I walked the city, visiting the University of Mannheim located in the old baroque palace and then walking along the rivers. It was early to bed after my long flight and besides I needed to rest up for the train ride to Paris the next morning. One of my favorite things about traveling in Europe is the wonderful breakfasts usually provided with your hotel or pension. In Germany it is served in a Fruhstuck Zimmer or breakfast room. At the Hotel Basler Hof the breakfast was gourmet and each table had its own silver hottle of coffee.

Fruhstuckzimmer, Hotel Basler Hof, Mannheim — The Fruhstuckzimmer at the Hotel Basler Hof in Mannheim, Germany.

My Own Silver Hottle of Coffee at the Hotel Basler Hof, Mannheim

Useful German Phrases:

Fruhstuck: breakfast, from fruh meaning early and stuck meaning piece, literally an early piece of bread for example

Zimmer: room; note all German nouns are capitalized

Fruhstuck Zimmer: breakfast room

Zimmer frei: frei means free, so this means room free or available, vacancy

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Test Your Travel Savvy #2

November 24, 2010

Can you identify where this photo was taken?

Test your travel savvy and enter your answer as a comment. The answer will be posted on the Quiz Answer page in one week. Hint: infamous

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Travel Insurance

November 16, 2010

Travel Insurance…An Important Consideration

For the first time in all my years of wandering the world, I purchased travel insurance for my trip to China last summer. Unsure of the medical care that would be available in some of the out of the way places that I planned to visit, it seemed prudent to have coverage in case of the unexpected. While there are a number of different types of travel insurance which can be purchased in combinations or separately depending on your needs, there are three basic types that should be considered before a trip. First there is trip cancellation insurance which might be wise depending on the upfront cost of your trip, particularly for older travelers. Since the only upfront investment for my trip was the plane fare, I decided I did not need this. The second type is health care or medical insurance. It is important to check with your health insurance provider in your home country to see if you are covered while traveling overseas. If not, it is wise to purchase supplemental coverage while traveling. Fortunately, my insurer does cover me wherever I travel, so I decided I also did not need this. The third type of travel insurance is coverage for medical evacuation, and this I decided I should have.

A Worthwhile Expenditure

I was surprised to learn how reasonable medical evacuation coverage was considering the staggering costs if one had to pay for it out of pocket…we’re talking thousands and thousands of dollars! The cost of medical evacuation insurance is based on your age and where you are going and I was able to purchase coverage from FrontierMEDEX for a few dollars a day. Thankfully, I didn’t need to use it, but it was reassuring to know that while I was out in the hinterlands of China they would have brought me back dead or alive. Travel insurance is an important consideration for anyone venturing out of the country and, as I found out, it is easy and economical to tailor a policy specifically suited to your individual needs.

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The Bund and Pudong

November 9, 2010

The Bund and Pudong

A spectacular view of the Pudong skyline across the Huangpu River awaits you as you reach the east end of East Nanjing Road and emerge onto the Bund in Shanghai, China. The Bund is actually an elevated promenade that runs north-south along the western side of the river following East Zhongshan No 1 Road for nearly a mile. According to the Lonely Planet travel guide of China, The Bund is ‘an Anglo-Indian term for the embankment of a muddy waterfront’. This boulevard was the financial center of Old Shanghai and is now lined with historic buildings representing various periods of Chinese history. All day and late into the evening crowds of locals and tourists stroll together along this famous walkway, taking in the stately buildings on one side and a view of the modern skyscrapers across the river on the other. I found myself going back many times to bask in this sensory overload and almost enjoyed watching others take in the ethereal atmosphere as much as I enjoyed experiencing it myself. At night colorfully lighted boats ply the waters between the two crowded banks of the river, adding to the spectacle.

The Bund and Pudong Skyline

China Pavilion, Expo 2010

On my second day in Shanghai I found the ferry boat going across the river to Pudong, albeit with some difficulty. Pudong is home to the Shanghai Exposition, the airport and some of the world’s tallest and most famous buildings. The most notable among them are the Oriental Pearl Tower with its stacked globes, the Jinmao Tower with its observation deck on the 88^th floor and the Shanghai World Financial Center, reputed to be the world’s third tallest building. Just standing at the feet of these behemoths is awe inspiring. A short bus ride will take you to the site of the Shanghai Expo 2010, which officially closed on October 31. This huge exposition, which drew thousands of people from all over the world, covers many blocks and the trademark China Pavilion is destined to become a lasting symbol of Shanghai.

Ferry Across the Huangpu River

On the ferry ride back across the river to the Bund I realized that my three weeks in China was rapidly drawing to a close and it was finally time to start thinking about getting to the airport the next day for the long flight home. I was actually looking forward to the flight on Korean Air, which in my opinion is one of the best airlines in the world. Not only is the service superb, but it is difficult to take your eyes off the gorgeous ladies who serve as flight attendants. Looking back on my trip, I covered a tremendous amount of territory in those three weeks, visiting some of the most famous sights in China and meeting a good cross section of its friendly people. And all this without spending a lot of money! China is a big country, though, and I still have lots more to see on my next trip!

TRAVEL TIP:

Going between the Pudong Airport and most parts of Shanghai is easy using the high speed Maglev (magnetic levitation) Train which has a station in Pudong connecting with the metro. A one way ticket on the high speed train should cost about $7.00 and the connecting metro ticket is less than one US dollar. This is quick, convenient and considerably cheaper than a taxi and gives you an opportunity to ride on one of the world’s fastest trains at 250 miles per hour.

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