Dream trip becoming a reality (Full Version)

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LafayetteLady -> Dream trip becoming a reality (5/3/2012 1:27:37 PM)

I have been dreaming of taking a trip to Europe and the Mediterranean for some time, and finally, in November, lasting for 7 weeks.  My best friend lives in Germany, and for 15 years, she has visited me every year, so this year, I'm excited to finally be able to go visit her.  She is having a baby (her first) the end of June/beginning of July, so it really will be the best part of the trip, although I'm planning on visiting so many places, the waiting until November is so hard.

Anyway, the trip consists of two parts, I refer to them as the "land portion" and the "sea portion."  From November 1st to November 20th, I will be visiting Poland, Germany, Amsterdam, Paris and Rome.  Then on the 20th, I embark on a 32 cruise through the Mediterranean ending with a transatlantic trip back to the US.  On the cruise I will visit Rome, Florence, Pisa, Naples, Venice, Athens, Olympia, Mykonos, Corfu, Santorini, Croatia, Cannes, Barcellona, Turkey, Lisbon, the Azores Islands, finishing with a stop at Ft. Lauderdale and disembarking in Galveston, Texas.

Here's where I'm having a bit of an issue.  The "lodging" on the cruise is, of course, a non-issue.  Once I arrive in Germany, I will be traveling to Amsterdam and Paris with my friend from her home.  Poland, however, is the first stop and I will be traveling solo for that portion. 

I'm having a real problem trying to decide on a hotel.  I know that hostels are much less expensive, but I really don't care for the whole "dorm" style lodging, and really don't care for that communal bathroom idea.  I will be visiting Krakow, and want to be within easy walking distance to the main square of the town.  After much (probably too much) research, I know I don't want below three star lodging, but I have looked at so many places, it has become overwhelming trying to figure out what place might be the best choice.  I am looking for reasonably priced hotels, hopefully with a comfortable bed.  The main problem is that after reading review after review, after yet more reviews, I'm more confused than ever.  I understand there will always be people who write negative reviews about stupid stuff, and others who will write great reviews over terrible places.  So I eliminate places when I see the same complaint a number of times, figuring it must be a real issue.

So here is my question.  If any of you have visited Krakow, where did you stay and did you like the place?  If you haven't visited but travel often (this will be my first vacation in about 6 years), how did you decide on a hotel?



LaTigresse -> RE: Dream trip becoming a reality (5/3/2012 1:57:14 PM)

I don't know anything regarding the answers for the questions you are asking but YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! for your trip!

And, if you message Stella she MIGHT be able to answer some questions about Poland.....if my brain isn't totally fried at the moment.



LafayetteLady -> RE: Dream trip becoming a reality (5/3/2012 3:47:17 PM)

Thanks for the tip.  Now that you mention it, I do seem to remember her talking about Poland.

And thanks, too for the Yay! for my trip.  I'm excited, and nervous at the same time.  I will be spending 2 1/2 weeks with my friend, but the rest of the trip I'm on my own.



NiteWing2000 -> RE: Dream trip becoming a reality (5/3/2012 3:54:24 PM)

LL,
I have a friend who lived in Poland and is familar with Krakow. Give me a week to get a hold of him and I will get back to you.

I have been to Poland and have stayed in Warsaw. There I would recommend the Intercontinental. For Krakow I will contact my friend any get back to you.

And YAY for your trip. You will love it. The Zlotty (currency) is about 3 to 1. 1 US dollar buys 3 Zlotty dollars.



LafayetteLady -> RE: Dream trip becoming a reality (5/3/2012 4:10:41 PM)

Thanks that would be great!  I will also be spending one night in Warsaw and will look at the Intercontinental you stayed at.

And yes, I know the zloty is currently 3:1 and there are, I think, 3 shopping malls all within walking distance of the square!  A day was added to my stay specifically for shopping, lol.



kalikshama -> RE: Dream trip becoming a reality (5/3/2012 4:14:45 PM)

No tips but best wishes for a wonderful trip!

[sm=cute.gif]



kallisto -> RE: Dream trip becoming a reality (5/3/2012 6:10:13 PM)

Don't have any help to offer but what a fantastic trip that is going to be!!!! Have lots of fun and enjoy yourself.



kitkat105 -> RE: Dream trip becoming a reality (5/4/2012 3:19:56 AM)

I don't have any tips either but enjoy! My parents went to Europe a year ago and still have not stopped talking about it. Everywhere you go will be like a postcard.

I hope I can get to Europe in a few years time.



mummyman321 -> RE: Dream trip becoming a reality (5/4/2012 2:44:11 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: LafayetteLady

Thanks that would be great!  I will also be spending one night in Warsaw and will look at the Intercontinental you stayed at.

And yes, I know the zloty is currently 3:1 and there are, I think, 3 shopping malls all within walking distance of the square!  A day was added to my stay specifically for shopping, lol.


I can vouch for the Intercontinental in Warsaw. I have stayed there in Warsaw. Nice hotel and breakfast is included and fantastic. Its only a 1/2 block from the Hard Rock Cafe and only 1 block from a vibrant city center. Very lively on the weekends.



LafayetteLady -> RE: Dream trip becoming a reality (5/4/2012 4:18:19 PM)

Well, if I stay there, it will be on a Monday, so probably not as lively, lol.  But thanks for the info!  More important to me is a decent place to stay with a good breakfast.



littlewonder -> RE: Dream trip becoming a reality (5/4/2012 4:29:53 PM)

oh yeah...the hotel decision. UGH.

When my daughter and I recently went to Lisbon, I had at first decided I was going to get the plane tix and hotel separately since at the time I thought it would be cheaper and I could choose wherever I wanted to stay and I wanted to stay somewhere nice, no hostels, nothing rundown. This was a vacation. I was gonna use it to my best opportunity to relax and relish myself for awhile. I spent over two months looking at hotels and the more I read the more confused I got until all the hotels started to sound alike to me lol.

At the last minute however I found a great package deal online and I jumped at it, especially after reading the hotel reviews. It was a lavish 5 star hotel, on sale at 3 star price. It was more like a bed and breakfast though when we arrived. Small, intimate, beautiful old world decor, wonderful breakfast every morning, a help yourself bar, and just extremely polite people. I was really lucky to have found it.

I even have problems deciding on hotels when I travel in the U.S. It takes me forever to decide on one. I usually read pretty much every review online, read the hotel's website, try to figure out where it's located and what that area is like...is it crime laden? What is it close to? If it's further away, is it worth the hassle depending on the luxury of the hotel? How about the public transit and trains? How close are they? Is it a walkable area that it's in? I basically look at it as finding a home. Do your homework, read, study, get as much info as you can not just of the "home" but of the area and amenities. Sometimes I get lucky and sometimes I don't. It's one of those toss of the coin things I think lol.




Masticator -> RE: Dream trip becoming a reality (5/4/2012 4:43:58 PM)

Whenever I'm facing such a decision and having to organize a series of options like that... I tend to want to create some kind of spread sheet. I do this either online or on paper, depending on what the content is. (For me sometimes writing things down and doodling or making little side notes is the best way to organize my thoughts.)

For something like hotels... since I'm a very visual person and can't remember them by name only... I'd probably paste their picture at the top of a column and then under each picture write a price range and pros and cons. I'd repeat for all my Hotel Contenders. I'd then circle the pros which mattered the most and the cons which mattered the most. Then you can take a look at all the hotels when done and start limiting options by removing the "lesser" awesome options. This would be VERY easy to do on the computer without the pictures if you're good with remembering names.

At the end you'll probably start to have a "feeling" of attraction toward one in particular. If not, I always remind myself of this: "If they're so close, I'm going to love either one anyway!"

Hope that's helpful if you're still struggling after getting some of these good tips. :)



LafayetteLady -> RE: Dream trip becoming a reality (5/4/2012 4:46:49 PM)

That's it EXACTLY!  I'm going to be going to Lisbon as well, but that is part of my cruise, so I will only be there for one day.

The problem with booking a package on line through those air and hotel specials is that they are looking for round trip air fare.  My air is already booked and paid for, and also I'm flying from Newark to Warsaw (taking train to Krakow), and then from Krakow to Dusseldorf, Dusseldorf to Rome and then Galveston, Texas back to Newark, so booking a combo on line becomes a bit confusing for the sites.  I'm using a great travel agent, she booked the cruise and the air, and will be booking my hotels in Krakow, Warsaw and Rome.  For Amsterdam and Paris, I'm traveling with my girlfriend from Germany, so she is going to handle the hotels, which we will probably book once we decide what days to go.  November is, after all, the off season, so I'm sure we will be able to find something, and since she has been to both places before, she is more familiar with them.

I have really been leaning towards the Holiday Inn on the Main Square.  It has all good reviews, the location is exactly what I am looking for.  I just have to see what their prices are when you add breakfast into the mix, since they do that lovely thing of listing "prices from..." which tell you basically nothing, especially since it is the same starting price as the room without breakfast!



littlewonder -> RE: Dream trip becoming a reality (5/4/2012 4:49:59 PM)

I have to say, I'm jealous. I wanna do a trip like that but in Asia. I told Master it would be nice to take a few weeks or a month to just travel all over Asia. He's encouraged me but I don't know if I could leave him for that long again since we haven't been apart that long since I moved here last year.

Maybe next year when he gets tired of me hehehe. [X(]



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