Friday, May 25, 2012

Europe April/May 2012

" LIFE is only traveled ONCE. Today's moment becomes TOMORROW's MEMORY. Enjoy every moment, good or bad, because the GIFT of LIFE is LIFE itself ......"

"Sometimes the road of  LIFE may seem a bit bumpy. But it is just a small part of the great journey you're on. "

"5 Rules of Happiness -  Don't Hate, Don't Worry, Give More, Expect Less, Live Simply"

" My 31 days in Central & Southern Europe (France, England, Scotland, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Spain, Portugal, Gibraltar & Morocco) from 11/4-12/5/2012 - My wife's first visit to Europe "

Travel itinerary: 

KL>Paris>London>Edinburgh>London
London>Geneva>Laussane>Bern>Lucerne>Interlaken>Zurich>
Lichtenstein>Zurich Zurich>Paris>Madrid>Lisbon/Sintra>Seville>Algeciras>Gilbratar
>Algeciras>Tarifa>Fez, Morocco
Morocco>Granada>Cordoba>Madrid>Toledo>Madrid>Paris>KL

There was no Arab Spring in nine of the countries I visited in Europe in April/May 2012 - my 4th trip. I enjoyed coming to Europe especially during the first season of the year ie Spring time. Winter is a real no go for me as I can't stand the bitter cold weather and Summer, we have it all year round in Malaysia so no fun at all wandering around in Europe under a heat wave ! Maybe I should come in Autumn for a change when the leaves turn brown ! 

On 8/7/2011, I made an online purchase for an Air Asia promotional ticket (Rm2,041=E$510 KL-Paris return). So once again, I have to hone my skills to prepare a travel plan for my 4 week journey to Europe. But in early 2012, Air Asia dropped a bombshell announcing the suspension of all their long haul flights to Europe. 

So what's next ? Ask for a refund or accept an alternative proposal from Air Asia to fly with another airline ? 

As an avid traveler, traveling spices up my retirement life. Now that I have done the travel and I am pleased to post some pictures in my travel blog so as to jog my memory whenever I think of the good old traveling days in Europe ! 

In free & easy traveling, there are bound to be challenges you have to face throughout the journey. There is no spoon feeding and you are very much on your own. You reap what you sow ! 

For this trip, a few things happened (the good, the bad & the ugly) :

- Air Asia suspended their flights from Kuala Lumpur to Paris from March 2012. I opted for a transfer to MAS flight and was granted but there was a lot of anxiety in between.
- My wife and in-laws accompanied me for 14 days in Europe. I traveled solo for another 14 days after their return. Traveling in pairs is the most wonderful thing in life. 

- My wife's wallet went missing from her handbag a day before her departure from Paris. 

- Due to Easter festive season, this caused an upset to our travel plan to London. But a gain to us when we modified our plan to include a visit to Edinburgh, Scotland. 

- Nearly missed our bus trip to Geneva after a wrong queue at the Eurolines Bus station to obtain our boarding passes in Paris. We were lucky as the bus we supposed to board arrived late. Otherwise, our whole Switzerland trip can be thrown into disarray.

- Unable to print a copy of my brother-in-law's on line purchase of a Eurolines Bus Pass (E$230) but got it fixed after several phone calls to their authorized agent in Belgium

- Inadvertently, I booked on-line into a hostel with an age restriction of 18-35 years in Paris. But I was allowed to stay after producing an email exchange of the hostel's acceptance when I clarified and brought the issue up prior to my arrival in Europe. 

- In Sept 2011, I fell flat on a slippery floor at a food stall in Xining, China and sprained my kneecap. I suffered acute pain each time I bend my knee. Surprisingly after one month of travelling (daily walkabout for 2-3 kms) in Europe, the pain is now totally gone - what a miracle ! 

Thanks god - my body and soul are still together after all these years of traveling ! No lost soul ! 

The KL Team - William Boey, Leong Soon Hoh, Leong Soon Mae & K M Cheng
(Standing tall in front of a snowy mountain in Vaduz, Liechtenstein) 
21/4/2012




Surprise ! Surprise ! Warmly greeted in Cordoba, Spain.
Sun, superb food & hospitality awaits you when in Spain 
7/5/2012




Happy Birthday - K M Cheng ! Treating myself with an exotic meal (E$4.30) in Fez, Morocco 
2/5/2012



Total expenses incurred (31 days): Rm8,999 (Euro$2,249)

Cost breakdown:
Air Asia Promo Ticket (KL>Paris return) : Rm2,014 (but fly MAS due to flight suspension)
Travel insurance: Rm220
Airport bus: Rm16
Eurolines Bus (30day Pass) : E$335 = Rm1,340
Hostels (22 nights) : 46pound + CHF175 + E$354 = Rm$2,242
Inter-regional train & coach : CHF250 + E$165 = Rm1,510
Metro / taxi / tram / bus : 11.6pound + E$63 = Rm310
Ferry (Algericas>Tanger,Morocco return) : E$35 + E$20 = Rm 220
Cable car (Gibraltar) : 9.75pound = Rm49
Entrance fee: E$48 = Rm192 (Versailles E$18+Alcazar E$8.50+ La Alhambra E$13.00+ Cordoba E$8.50)
Eurolines service fee: 8pound + CHF5 = Rm57
Souvenirs: CHF23 + E$20 = Rm158
Tour guide fee (Morocco) : E$5 = Rm20
Food & groceries ( own prepared meals) : 27pound + CHF25 + E$90 = Rm580 (most hostels provide free breakfast)
Currency exchange : Euro$1=Rm4.00; CHF(Swiss Franc)$1=Rm3.34; 1 Pound =Rm5.00

Travel Highlights: 



1) Paris - France



2) London - England



3) Edinburgh - Scotland



4) Switzerland
  • Geneva
  • Laussane
  • Bern
  • Lucerne
  • Interlaken
  • Zurich

5) Vaduz - Lichtenstein




6) Spain
  • Madrid
  • Toledo
  • Seville 
  • Algeciras & Tarifa
  • Granada
  • Cordoba

7) Portugal
  • Lisbon
  • Sintra 

8) Gibraltar - A British Colony 



9) Fez - Morocco 


Europe (France) Apirl/May 2012


Total expenses incurred (8 days): E$334=Rm1,336
Hostels (7 nights): Hotel Liberty E$145.75 per pax (5 nights-double bed room ) + Paris-Le d'Artagnan E$27.80 (1 night-dorm) + Peace & Love Hostel E$27 (1 night-dorm) + Online booking service charge E7.50 = E$208
Metro: E$31.75
Paris airport RER train: E9.25x2=E$18.50
Food & groceries: E$45
Entrance fee: E$18 (Versailles)
Souvenirs: E$7
Luggage storage: E$5.50

Paris, France 

This is my 4th visit to Europe and my 3rd visit to Paris. So I played the role of a team leader and took my wife & in-laws to a number of touristy places in Paris, London, Edinburgh, Lichtenstein and a few scenic towns/cities in Switzerland.


Our MAS flight MH20 departed Kuala Lumpur at around 23.35 and arrived Paris in the following morning (06.40) . We encountered not much hassle going through the French Immigration counters and picking up of our luggage bags in Terminal 1. From Terminal 1. we took a shuttle train (free service) called CDGVAL to Terminal 3 / Roissypole in order to catch a RER train (E$9.25) to Paris city centre. Our hotel, Hotel Liberty is within walking distance from Gare de Lest Metro station. Due to the Ester festive season, we were not able to book our Eurolines bus tickets from Paris to London as scheduled. A small setback to our travel itinerary to London.

Our group stayed a total of 5 nights in Paris (2 nights on arrival & 3 nights upon departure) and visited Versailles, Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Pyramide du Louvre & Bouleved de Rochechouart, Galleries Lafayette, Opera, Luxembourg Garden, Invalides, Notre Dame & River Seine tourist area. Paris was drizzling most of the time and the temperature was around 4-7 Celsius so our umbrellas were put to good use.

Towards the end of the 2nd week prior to my wife's departure to Kuala Lumpur, she lost her wallet and we presumed this was stolen in one of the Metro train rides in Paris.

As I extended my stay in Europe after my wife's departure on 26 April, I stayed on for two more nights in Paris at the end of my one month trip in Europe (9 & 10/5/2012)



Hotel Liberty, Paris, France 


Paris, France - our group's stay in Paris after our visits to London, Edinburgh & Switzerland