Travel Month in Review

I’d say that out of all the months I’ve been doing my Happiness Project, I’ve learned the most in July, in which I focused on travel.  Not only did I learn about the countries, cultures, and people that we were exposed to, but I also learned how to travel.  Here are a few of the do’s and don’t's that I found on our journey.  As this is my blog, they’re my lessons learned – they might not apply to everyone!  We were on a Mediterranean cruise, so if you backpacked in Chile or stayed in Tokyo for two weeks, you may have a totally different take on things.  If you have a tip to add or disagree with one of mine, by all means add a comment to the list.

Traveling Tips

• Research, research, research the places you’ll be going.  Bring along maps, a list of sights to see and the stories behind those sights, currency conversions, the names of popular local foods, and general info you’ve learned about the place you’ll be traveling to.  Even if you don’t pull these items out of your bag on a regular basis, there’ll be times when you’re glad you have them.
• Take plenty of pictures, but make sure to come out from behind the camera lens to enjoy the moment.
• Make sure there are people in your pictures from time to time – they’re more fun to look at than landscapes (most of the time).
• Pack lightly. Look at each item and decide if it’s something you want to bring or need to bring.  You’ll be lugging it every place you go, and even light items add up to a heavy suitcase.  As we found out, wheels on suitcases can and do break, so a rolling suitcase is no exception to the pack light rule!  You can always hand wash items to wear again – just give them plenty of time to dry!
• On a day trip, bring as little as possible and instead buy what you need (food, drinks, etc).  It might be cheaper to bring four water bottles along with you, but they’re heavy to carry across town.  Pare down to the absolute essentials.
• Find the ATM as soon as possible.  Many places overseas, especially restaurants, don’t take credit cards.  Both of our credit cards and debit cards charged for currency conversion, so you don’t really save any money by using credit cards.  Don’t take out so much that you’ll have to find a place to exchange the local currency back to dollars, though.
• Practice your multiplication before going to another country.  It sounds simple, but trying to multiply 47 by 1.3 is easier if you know what you’re doing before you go.  Practice converting back and forth between dollars and the local currency before you leave.
• Set an alarm clock. Then, set a backup alarm clock.  Then, arrange for a wake-up call.
• Start preparing for a large time change a week or two before your trip.  You don’t want to miss out on something because you’re too tired from jet lag.
• Don’t wear a security pouch around your waist. It makes you look like you have a huge gut in every picture.  Find a secure purse or another way to wear your passport.  (Does anyone have any ideas about this?)
• Eat something every place you travel.  If possible, find out the local specialties before you arrive.
• Get a really good house and pet sitter so you don’t need to worry while you’re away.  Ask them to e-mail an update or two during the trip in case it’s possible to check your e-mail.
• Unless you are sure that your hotel room has an iron, invest in wrinkle releaser.
• Call your credit card company to let them know you’ll be going overseas.  If you don’t, they might put a freeze on your card for suspicious activity.
• Make a list of everything you’d like to do in a city, on the cruise ship, at your resort, or wherever you are.  That way, you won’t end the trip with regrets of things left undone.
• Always ask if you’re on the right track – at the airport terminal, walking to the beach, trying to find a museum.  It might be embarrassing, but it’s better than missing a flight or wasting time being lost.
• Travel with a partner (preferably the love of your life) – it’s just more fun.  Before the trip and at the beginning of each day of vacation, talk about your goals for the day.  It’ll go more smoothly if you make time for activities that you each enjoy.
• Bring multiple cameras to each location you go.  If one dies or the memory card is erased, you’ll have photos of everything on both cameras.
• Function trumps fashion. You’ll be able to enjoy your trip if you’re comfortable.  Don’t let a cute pair of shoes prevent you from walking to the beach.

We’re back from the honeymoon… and yes, it was amazing

Remarkable, exceptional, fabulous, eye-opening, romantic, and on and on and on – our honeymoon was PERFECT.  We took a Mediterranean cruise, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat.  Here are the cities we visited, with (very) short description of our stay there:

• Venice, Italy.  Stayed overnight in Hotel Arcadia; wandered around before the rest of the city woke up; ate an Italian breakfast at our hotel.
• Dubrovnik, Croatia.  Walked the city walls; ate gelato; went shopping for souvenirs.
• Kusadasi, Turkey and Ephesus.  Took a full day tour of the ruins of Ephesus; visited the House of the Virgin Mary and the ruins of St. John’s Basilica; ate traditional Turkish foods in a buffet; watched a rug-weaving demonstration; tried to avoid street vendors and pushy salesmen.
• Santorini, Greece.  Rode donkeys up the cliff; wandered around Fira; took a bus to explore the city of Oia; lounged and swam at the black-sanded Ammoudi Beach.
• Corfu, Greece.  Walked to Corfu Town; shopped for souvenirs; ate ice cream and a gyro; swam at the beach.
• Padua, Italy.  Toured the Basilica of St. Anthony; went on a guided tour of the city.
• Manchester, England.  Took the train into the city; sat in a cafe and people-watched Sky Ride (bicycle event); went to the art museum; walked around the city.

We had all of the fun we planned and then some – visiting Manchester wasn’t originally in our plans.  We were originally scheduled to have a long layover there, but there wasn’t quite enough time to actually do anything (aside from sleep in our hotel room).  As we prepared to check in for the long flight to Chicago, we were approached by an American Airlines employee – the airline needed someone to volunteer to wait to fly another day, as the flight was overbooked.  Both being educators with a lengthy summer holiday, we weren’t racing home to get back to work, so we agreed.  American Airlines paid for our hotel room, meals, bumped us up to first class the following day (absolutely incredible experience, by the way), and gave us each a $500 voucher for a future flight.  Our honeymoon was extended by a day, so we got to go into the city of Manchester.  What a great surprise ending to a fantastic trip!

If you want the details of the rest of the vacation, check out any of my planning posts in July – I’ve opened them all up to the public.

It was a marvelous honeymoon, but it’s good to be home!

Day-trip Packing List

Perhaps I’m over planning, but I’ve been trying to make a list of what to bring on our excursions.  We’ll most likely bring a backpack to trade off between the two of us.  If we find that’s too big, I have a purse that I can bring, but that means I have to lug it around the whole time (and it’s not as comfortable as a backpack, either).  Here’s my initial list of what to bring, based on carrying a backpack and two security pouches:

Paul’s pouch: His passport, credit and debit cards, the health insurance cards, drivers’ license, cash, SetSail pass

My pouch: My passport, credit and debit cards, drivers’ license, SetSail pass, emergency phone number/address list

Backpack

• Two waterbottles
• Snacks
• Towels (if going to beach)
• Books (if going to a place to sit for an extended time)
• Camera
• Basic first aid materials
• Kleenex
• Umbrellas (if rain is in the forecast)
• Headscarf/shawl (if going into a church or mosque)
• Sunscreen
• Sunglasses/regular glasses
• Hat (if not wearing)
• Map
• List of sights to see
• Notepad
• Pen
• Extra clothes (if expecting to get wet or very sweaty)
• Plastic bags/baggies

The list would be shortened to the essentials if we were bringing my purse instead of the backpack: water bottles, camera, first aid, Kleenex, sunscreen, map, list of sights to see, pen.  If worse comes to worse, we can go back to the ship and pick up what we need, eat lunch, rest, or do whatever else we need… however, I’d rather not spend the little on-land time we have walking to and from the boat!

How to Prevent Jet Lag

We should have started planning this quite a while ago.  I’ve never had jet lag before… but then again, I’ve never traveled father than Hawaii.  Our Mediterranean destinations are 7-8 hours ahead of us, which means:

• 7 am in Italy, when we’d like to start exploring, is midnight on our biological clocks.
• If we eat lunch at noon in Greece, it would be like eating a 4 am breakfast back at home.
• Watching the sunset in Dubrovnik (about 8:15 pm) will feel like 1:15 pm to our Wisconsin brains.
• Going to bed on the cruise ship at our usual time, 10 or 11 pm, would be like falling asleep at 3 in the afternoon.

According to many websites (and simple logic), it would have been a good idea to start adjusting our bodies to the upcoming time change about a week ago.  Whoops.  That did not happen.  We’ll have to make to with some other tips and tricks from the web.  Here are a few I’ve gathered.

• Sleep on the plane when it is nighttime at your destination. Earplugs, headphones and eye masks can help diminish noise and light.  Stay awake on the plane when it is daytime at your destination. Read a thriller with the light on and the window shade open, or cruise the aisles.  (eHow)
• Before departing, make sure you have all your affairs, business and personal, in order. Ensure you are not stressed-out with excitement or worry, and not tired or hungover from a function the night before.  (nojetlag.com)
• Some travelers like to exercise before they go to the airport. (This can actually help you sleep better on the plane.)  Once you’re at the airport, avoid the escalators and moving sidewalks.  Instead, walk and take the stairs on the way to your check-in area and gate connections.  (Independent Traveler)
• When I traveled from the U.S. to Israel a couple years ago, a trip that involved an eight-hour time difference, I resisted the temptation to take a nap when I arrived (11 AM local time, 3 AM body time). Instead I stayed up till 9 PM local time and got a good night’s sleep. Instant reset of my body clock.  (The Straight Dope)
• If you have a stopover in between your flights on a long journey, you might want to take a shower to wake up your body, get the circulation flowing and freshen up. Usually, I just wash my face, hair and brush my teeth rather than taking a full body shower.  (Brave New Traveler)
• The dry air in aircraft causes dehydration. Drinking plenty of non-alcoholic fluids counters this. Water is better than coffee, tea and fruit juices. Alcohol not only is useless in combating dehydration, but has a markedly greater intoxicating effect when drunk in the rarefied atmosphere of an airliner than it does at ground level.  (nojetlag.com)
• Wearing two watches, one set to the current time, and one to the time at your destination, can help you prepare yourself mentally for the coming time change.  (Independent Traveler)
• Most important when you’re in the air is to keep exercised. Sitting for the whole period is not good for your circulation so get up as often as possible (but not excessively). Here are some simple exercises you can do.
  1. Shoulder shrugs – lift your arms and roll them in a wide circular movement both forward and backwards.
  2. Knee raises – bend your knees to hip height, hold for a few seconds, release and do the same for the other knee.
  3. Upper back stretch – lock your fingers, stretch them out front bowing your back with palms facing inwards.
  4. Ankle swirl – move your ankles around in small circles from time to time.  (Brave New Traveler)

Any more tips to add?

Day Eleven – Flying Home

August 1, 2010

7:00 am – wake up, go on a walk and find something to eat

8:15 am – check into airport

9:55 am – 12:30 pm – Flight BA5107, Manchester (Terminal 3) to Chicago (Terminal 5), in flight for 8 hours 35 minutes

5 hour 15 minute layover

5:45 pm-6:40 pm – flight BA5305 – Chicago (Terminal 3) to Green Bay, 55 minutes in the air

7:00 – get picked up by Mom and Dad, drive home

Day Ten – Padua, Italy and flying to England

July 31, 2010

6:45 am – Ship docks in Venice

8:30 am-12:30 pm – Padua Excursion and airport transfer

• walking tour of Prato Della Valle, an oval park on the site of a Roman Theater
• Basilica of Sant Antonio
• Bo Palace, the ancient University main seat and Caffe Pedrocchi
• Piazza delle Erbe and Piazza della Frutta (two picturesque squares)
• pass by the gardens of the Roman arena

When tour is over – arrive at airport, check in

4:50 – Flight BA2585, Venice to Gatwick (2 hours, 5 minutes flying time)

5:55 pm – arrive at Gatwick Terminal N for a 4 hour, 5 minute layover

10:00 – Flight BA2914 departs for Manchester out of Gatwick Terminal N (55 minutes in air)

10:55 pm – arrive in Manchester Terminal 3

11:00 pm – check into Crowne Plaza, which is attached to the airport.  Hotel phone number +44-871-9429055.  Confirmation number 63981060.

Carry-on Packing List for Our Cruise

Three, three, three more days!  Three days until we’ll be jet setting off to the Mediterranean for a seven night cruise.  It’s about time to finish packing!

We’re going to be using only carry-on luggage for the trip, so space is at a premium.  To see what I need to live (and what I can live without), I’ve been living out of a suitcase for the past week and a half.  ”Practice packing,” I call it.  I wanted to make sure I wasn’t leaving anything behind that I’d regret.  I did end up switching a few long sleeves for short sleeved shirts, and adding some little necessities that I had forgotten.

I fit everything into a carry-on suitcase, small backpack, and security neck pouch:

Not bad!  Here are the contents of the suitcases.  Am I missing anything?

Wear on the planes to Venice:

• Black capri pants
• Tan tank top
• Black button-up sweater
• Black belt
• Olive walking sandals
• Watch
• Bra (racerback)
• Underpants
• Glasses

Clothing

• Bottoms
  • Capris (cream)
  • Jeans
  • Shorts (brown, blue plaid, orange plaid)
  • Skirt (white)
  • Workout shorts
• Tops
  • Long sleeved shirts (brown, black)
  • Short sleeved shirts (green, black, purple, teal)
  • Tank tops (teal, black, brown)
• Other
  • Dresses (blue, brown)
  • Pajamas
  • Swimming suit
  • Underpants (9)
  • Bra (strapless convertible, sports)
  • Socks (6)

Accessories

• Barrettes
• Bracelet
• Earrings (five)
• Headband
• Headscarf
• Necklaces (three)
• Shawl

Shoes

• Sneakers (gray)
• Sandals (brown, flip flops)
• Dress shoes (black)

Personal

• Band-aids*
• Brush
• Bobby pins
• Contact case, with contacts inside^
• Contact solution^
• Contacts (extra)^
• Cotton swabs*
• Deodorant
• Dental floss*
• Face wash
• Feminine products
• Hand sanitizer*^
• Hair ties
• Lip balm
• Lotion
• Make-up
  • Eyeshadow
  • Eyeliner
  • Blush
  • Nail polish^
  • Concealer^
  • Mascara
• Medication (prescription, IB Profin, vitamins, allergy, itch cream, tums)
• Mirror
• Nail clippers*
• Razors
• Shampoo
• Soap
• Sunscreen
• Toothbrush
• Toothpaste*^
• Tweezers
• Wrinkle releaser

Other

• Alarm clock
• Night light
• Paperwork in folder
  • Address list (for postcards)
  • Airline e-tickets
  • Backup credit card
  • Credit/debit cards
  • Cruise documents
  • Currency conversion chart
  • Driver’s license (copy)
  • Emergency phone number list
  • Health insurance card (copy)
  • Hotel paperwork
  • Passport (copy)
  • Phone card (copy)
• Plastic baggies

Backpack

• Books (two)
• Canvas bags
• Camera bag
  • Camera and charger
  • Cell phone and charger
  • Headphones
  • Playaways
• Games
  • Deck of cards
  • Scrabble card game
• Glasses case
• Highlighters
• Journal
• Kleenex
• Pencils (2)
• Pens (2)
• Puzzle books and copies
• Snacks
• Sunglasses
• Umbrella*
• Water bottle (empty)

Security Shoulder Pouch

• Airline e-tickets
• Cash
• Currency conversion chart
• Credit/debit cards
• Cruise documents
• Drivers’ license
• Emergency phone number list
• Health insurance card
• Passport (original)
• Phone card

* Can share with Paul – pack somewhere between the two of us

^ Liquid – must fit in quart baggie

Day Nine – Cruising

July 30, 2010

No itinerary… Cruising!

Day Eight – Corfu, Greece

July 29, 2010

1:00 pm – tender

8:30 pm – depart

Corfu notes:

• You can either take a shuttle into Corfu Town, or walk (takes about 30 minutes).  According to Europe Port Reviews: “Simply leave the terminal to your left and stay right along the ocean all the way.  The traffic must take another route as the road is one-way along the coast.  Follow the coastline until you climb the hill and go underneath the archway.  The Old Fortress of Corfu is to your left and the Old City is to your right.  You can enter the pedestrian streets where the restaurants are.”

Things to do in Corfu:

• Touring Corfu Town seems like a can’t-miss activity.
• Pontikonissi (or Mouse Island as it is popularly known) and Vlaherna are two tiny islands that serve as Corfu’s visual signature. Vlaherna houses a small convent while the heavily wooded Mouse Island is known for a 12th-century Byzantine church. There are boats at Vlaherna, reachable from the mainland by a causeway, that ferry tourists to Mouse Island, which costs two euros. On the hillside overlooking the islands across the road from Hotel Royal are a couple of nice cafes and souvenir shops. It’s a terrific place to admire the view. To get to Vlaherna, a 30-minute walk from Old Town, just follow the coastline south, past Mon Repos beach.
• Mon Repos is a beach that is 15 minutes away from the old town.  Behind the beach are ruins.  Tickets are 3 Euros per person.  It’s not necessarily a favorite beach but it’s within walking distance.  (from Cruise Critic)
• Shopping in the old section
• Explore the old fortress (located right off of Spanish Square)
• The Liston is a stretch of cafes along the Esplanade (a grass square) – it is very expensive to eat there, though.

Corfu resources:

• Europe Port Reviews
• Cruise Critic

Day Seven – Santorini, Greece

July 28, 2010

7 am – ship arrives, tenders, take smaller boats to Santorini (10 hours until departure – HOWEVER, tendering takes longer)

5 pm – ship departs

Santorini Notes:

• Currency is Euro
• Ship is tendered off of land and you take a small boat to land
• Suggested not to get the last tender back, as there are long lines

Things to do in Santorini:

• Take cablecar trip up (4 Euros, runs every 15 minutes) or go up the path to the city by foot (45 minutes) or donkey (4 Euros)  **note: several sites said the donkeys were ill treated; Lindsay said that walking up the hill isn’t a great idea.  Several places suggested taking a donkey up and the cablecar down.
• According to Cruise Critic, “to see the best of Santorini, you should take a shore excursion, via bus or taxi, further afield.”
• Wander the city; shop and go to a cafe
• Also from Cruise Critic: “Worth visiting is Oia (pronounced Eeh-Ah), a pretty village of pastel-tinted and whitewashed houses set into the cliffside. Here you’ll find leafy squares, picturesque restaurants, art galleries and decent craft shops — good for a browse and a pleasant lunch. There are also paths down to two black-sand volcanic beaches.”  Buses run every 30 minutes or hour to Oia, which is 7 miles NW of Fira.  Taxis go there as well, but negotiate a return rate in advance – they’re “reliable if time is at a premium” (Cruise Critic).
• Drink a glass of local white wine
• Kamari beach – you’d need a bus or taxi to see this
• take a bus to black or red sand beaches

Santorini Resources:

• Cruise Critic
• Europe Port Reviews

Day Six – Kusadasi (Ephesus), Turkey

June 27, 2010

8:00 am – dock (10 hours until boat launches)

8:45 am-4:30 pm – Best of Ephesus Tour

• $110 per person
• Drive in Turkish countryside
• Visit house of Mary and Fountain of Our Lady
• Short drive to Ehpesus
• Open Air Archeological Museum of Ephesus
• Pass by the Magnesia gate to  will enter the administrative section of ancient Ephesus
• Guided walking tour – see the Odeon, the Fountain of Trajan, the steam baths of Scholastika, temple of Hadrian, library of Celsius, Grand Theater
• Return to buses through the Arcadian way
• Ephesus Archeological Museum (escorted through the 9 exhibits)
• St. John’s Basilica
• traditional Turkish lunch
• Return to Kusadasi downtown area
• refreshment stop
• brief carpet presentation
• walk to ship when finished

6:00 pm – ship departs

Things to do in Kusadasi

• Grand Bazaar – shopping
• Pigeon Island – small island with a castle

Notes about Kusadasi, Turkey

• Lira (TRL) is the currency, but may be able to use dollars or Euros
• A note about haggling from Cruise Critic: “When in doubt, offer a third of the trader’s price and haggle — hard — from there.”
• If we go to mosques, legs must be covered (no shorts/short skirts) and females must wear head scarf.

Kusadasi/Ephesus Links:

• Royal Caribbean (click on “Port Explorer” link)
• Cruise Critic

Day Five – Cruising

July 26, 2010

Cruising!  No schedule today.

Day Four – Dubrovnik, Croatia

June 25

Notes on Dubrovnik:

• Currency is Kuna
• There is an ATM near the ferry terminal.
• Bigger ships pull into Gruz Harbor (also called Port Gruz), which is 1 mile from the old city.  Many ships provide shuttles to the old city; a 15-minute ride.  A local bus is just outside the pier gates; look for numbers 1a, 1b and 8. Fare is 10 kuna, and exact change is required (make sure you convert some money at the exchange bureau just inside the port’s gates).  Taxis: Available at a cost of about 50 kuna.

10:30 am – Ship docks in Dubrovnik (8 hours until ship departure)

Things to do in Dubrovnik:

• There is a tourism information center 100 yards up the road from the Pile gate.  They can give you a free map and a monthly information booklet – Dubrovnik Riviera.
• Walk the walls around the city – do this first.  It is 50 Kona (about $9) per person to do this.  You cannot wear a backpack on the walls, according the The Rough Guide to Croatia, but I didn’t find anything to verify this.
• Hang out in the Old Town (called Stari Grad by locals).  Some shops close during lunchtime (1-4 pm)
• Ride the cable car for 70 Kuna (about $12.50) each.  It provides a very short (3 minutes?) panoramic view of the city.
• Dominican Monestary and Museum.  There is a church, cloister, and art collection.  15 Kona each (about $3).  (on the 30 not-to-missed sights in Croatia from The Rough Guide to Croatia)
• Explore inside the city walls, starting at the Pile Gate. “Among the highlights are the circa-14th-century Franciscan Monastery (Placa 2). Make sure you check out the adjoining pharmacy (third oldest in europe, opened in 1391).  The Rector’s Palace (Pred Dvorom 3) was the government seat in the 15th century; now you’ll find a museum with Baroque paintings and historic artifacts. The Synagogue (Zudioska 5) is Europe’s second-oldest Sephardic synagogue. Other highlights include the city’s cathedral (Poljana M. Orzica) and the Fort of St. John Maritime Museum and Aquarium (Ul Od Margarite & the waterfront).
• For people-watching, sip a coffee or cocktail at any of the city’s numerous sidewalk cafes. For a waterfront view check out Gradska Kavana (Pred Dvorum); it also has plaza-side tables. The Hemingway Bar (Pred Dvoram) has comfy wicker chairs and a 30-page cocktail menu — try the Mojito or the Croatian beer Karlovacko. Hungry? Proto (Siroka 1) has no view but makes up for it with outstanding dishes; try any of their grilled or fried fish entries or the seafood risotto. Want a view? Just outside the Pile Gate is Atlas Club Nautika (Brsalje 3).” (everything in quotes from Trip Advisor)
• Excursion Option 1:  Dubrovnik by Cable Car for Families.  $42/person, 4.5 hours, leaves at 11:15 and 11:30 (2 tours).  Cablecar ride to Old Town, walking tour and free time, transfer back to the ship at 3:15 or 3:30.  Thoughts: Initially Kate’s 1st choice, Paul’s second (but then he crossed it out altogether), but after researching, it seems like something we could do on our own for only the cost of the cable car (about 70 Kuna/$12.50 per person) and a ride back to the ship ($8 round trip per person, possibly).  Not a good deal, and it limits the time you can spend in the city walls.  Also, I don’t think a walk around the walls is included.  Unless the walking tour is unbelievable, I would not book this excursion.
• Excursion Option 2:  Panoramic Dubrovnik and City Tour by Coach.  $49/person, 3.75 hours, leaves at 11:15 am.  A bus gives a ride to the Old City, where you go on a walking tour, as well as go inside the Rector’s Palace and Maritime Museum.  You can take the bus back with everyone at 3:00, or stay longer (but then getting back is at your own expense).

6:30 pm – Ship departs

Resources:

• Lonely Planet
• Trip Advisor
• Cruise Critic
• Europe Port Reviews
• Cruise Critic (reviews of all of our ports)
• Croatia Travel Blog
• Frommers (reviews of all of our ports)

Day Three – Venice, Boarding the Ship

7:00 am-ish – continental breakfast at Hotel Arcadia

7:30 am-ish – explore Venice until boarding ship (see if we can keep bags there and pick them up before boarding ship)

12:00 noon – earliest time to board ship (Pier Terminal: Venezia Martittima – Terminal Passeggeri; can check bags and then explore Venice more, then come back to check in fully)

Marittima is only a couple of minutes from the Piazzale Roma by taxi. A free shuttle bus normally runs on Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays during the cruise season, or you can ride the #6 bus to the port entrance. (Buy your ticket in the ACTV office in the Piazzale Roma.) You can walk to Marittima from the Piazzale Roma in 10 to 15 minutes. Just follow the road that leads to the causeway and turn left at the port entrance after you cross the railroad tracks.

3:30 pm – last possible time to board ship – don’t be late or they won’t let us board!

4:45 pm-ish – safety drill

5:00 pm – cruise departs, watch from the deck

Day Two – Still Flying Into Venice, Venice

June 23

9:45 am – fly into London Heathrow Airport, Terminal 5, find bus stop

10:30 am – board bus for London Gatwick Airport (service 230, reference number CSLW-02-B1L4, ticket number ETGCD826 )

11:20 am – arrive at London Gatwick Airport, check in, go to Terminal N, board plane (flight BA2584)

12:50 pm – plane flies out of London, 2 hours and 5 minutes in flight

3:55 pm – arrive in Venice, buy bus ticket at ATVO Fly Bus counter in the arrivals hall or a ticket machine in the baggage claim or bus departure area; board Venezia bus at stop located between arrivals and departure, bus time 20 minutes

5:00 pm-ish – get off of bus at Piazzale Roma and walk to Hotel Arcadia (use this map or this map); check into hotel (office open until 6:00 pm)

6:00 pm-ish – explore Venice on our own

Things to Do in Venice:

• See tour book

Day One – Flying to Venice

July 22, 2010

To do list:

• Unplug things that won’t be used (computers)
• Do Louie’s chores – brush, clip nails, fill feeder, wash downstairs litterbox, scoop litter

11:00 – Emy arrives to house sit for our vacation; Mom and Dad take us to the airport

11:35 – arrive at airport, check in and go through security, board plane (Flight BA5464)

1:25 – plane departs, in flight for 54 minutes

2:19 – arrive in Chicago, terminal 3, nearly 6 hours until next flight

5:00 – get a Cinnibon

8:10 – plane (flight BA0296) departs from terminal 5, in flight for 7 hours 35 minutes

Day Negative One – The Day Before We Leave

July 21, 2010

1:25 pm – Check in online at the British Airways website

To Do List:

• Discuss what seats we’d like (aisle, window, etc.) Slight preference to window, as long as we’re together
• Finish packing and have everything set to go by the door (should be 2 rectangle suitcases and 2 backpacks)
• Write and set out house and pet care instructions
• Clean and make the house presentable for Emy
• Do Louie’s chores – brush, clip nails, fill feeder, wash downstairs litterbox, scoop litter
• Unplug anything that won’t be used (computers)
• Print boarding passes and all itineraries
• Call credit card companies to let them know of overseas travel
• Call Sprint and let them know of overseas travel our phones won’t work on land, but will work on the ship
  
• Return all library books except travel books… and two others that I just checked out.  Whoops.
• Rent a Playaway
• Put money in checking account
• Pay all bills due during July
• Print walking map – bus to hotel in Venice
• Make and print emergency phone number list
• Make and print currency conversion chart
• Make copies of credit cards, passports, cruise and plane tickets, phone numbers, itinerary, etc. and leave with Mom and Dad
• Change sheets on beds

Travel Itinerary – General

Eleven days to go!  I’m trying to wrap my brain around the fact that in less than two weeks, I’ll be floating along the Mediterranean.  Below is the general plan.  I’ll break it down day by day in different posts, but here’s the overview!

July 22 – Plane leaves at 1:25 pm

July 23 – Arrive in Venice at 4:00 pm, stay at hotel for the night and explore on our own

July 24 – Set sail from Venice, ship leaves at 5:00 pm

July 25 – Dubrovnik, Croatia, 10:30-6:30 (8 hours)

July 26 – Cruising

July 27 – Kudasi (Ephasus), Turkey, 8:00-6:00 (10 hours), Best of Ephasus excursion 8:45-3:45

July 28 – Santorini, Greece, 7:00-5:00 (10 hours)

July 29 – Corfu, Greece, 1:00-8:30 (7 hours 30 minutes)

July 30 – Cruising

July 31 – Venice, Italy, disembark at 6:45 am, Padua and airport transfer excursion 8:30-12:30, fly out at 4:00, arrive in London at 10 pm

August 1 – Fly out at 10 am, arrive home at 5:45 pm

The Word of the Month is Travel

For my Happiness Project this month, I’ll be focusing on travel.  In all of my 26 years, I’ve never been out of the country.  Not even to Canada or Mexico.

In 19 days, I’ll never be able to say that again.  We’ll be flying to Italy where we’ll start off on our honeymoon and the vacation of a lifetime – a Mediterranean cruise!

We’ve got it all take care of – flights booked, hotels rooms reserved, cruise booked, even some excursions planned.  My next mission?  Bags packed.  We’re going carry-on only for this trip, and while it’ll be tough, I think we’ll have a better go of it in the long run.  I’m going to do a “trial pack” this week.  Yes, I realize I’m a loser.  But hey, this is a once-in-a lifetime trip, so I’m going to suck the marrow out of it.

We’ll pack two carry-ons and two backpacks, which should give us enough room if we don’t go overboard.  I’ve been searching the internet for tips and tricks, and found a few that’ll help us out.  I’m definitely going to go with the “black” theme – that way there’s no need to pack black and brown shoes, black and brown belt, etc.  I’ll bring along more accessories than I’d typically bring – I can change an outfit’s look while taking up minimal suitcase space.  I’ll be able to do a bit of laundry in the sink if needed, and I’m not opposed to wearing pants multiple times without watching.  I’m still wondering about the formal events.  Any suggestions on a formal outfit that can squeeze into a carry-on without wrinkling?

Now… for the practice pack!