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 

Europe (England) April/May 2012

Total Expenses incurred : 55 pounds = Rm275 per pax
Hostel (1night): Smart Russell Square Hostel - 20.00 pounds per pax (4-dorm bed room)
Food & groceries: 15.60 pounds
Eurolines service fee: 8.00 pounds
Metro: 7.00 pounds (Day ticket) + 4.30 (single ticket) pounds
Transport: Eurolines Bus Pass: (Eurolines bus London>Geneva via English Channel crossing from Dover>Calais)

London, England

After an overnight bus trip from Paris to London (23.00>06.30), we arrived at the Victoria Coach station and took a Metro to our hostel in Russell Square. After storing our luggage in our hostel, we took a Metro to Eurolines office and booked our tickets to Edinburgh, Scotland & Geneva, Switzerland (under Eurolines Bus Pass). To stick to our timetable in Switzerland, we could only stay one night in London (original plan was 3 days) and had to leave London the next morning (09.00) for Edinburgh (arriving 17.00)

Birmingham Palace was our first place of visit in London as it was within walking distance from the Eurolines office. After this visit, we took a Metro back to Russell Square and bought some groceries from a nearby supermarket and checked into our hotel at around 15.00. 

My wife was not feeling well hence she did not join us in visiting some touristy places in London ie Convent Garden, China Town (Leicester Square) & Trafalgar Square. In the evening after our dinner at the hostel, we took a Metro and visited the London Eye, Tower Bridge, Big Ben and the riverside along the River Thames.

Upon our return from Edinburgh, we took a Eurolines bus from London via the English Channel crossing from Dover to Calais for our trip to Geneva, Switzerland (12.00>06.00)