Yay! I'm off to Europe in July 2005 once again

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Okay, far in advance and completely egomaniacal of me BUT -- I have purchased my tickets for a return trip to the UK as well as going to the Netherlands and Italy for the first time (well, I actually still need to buy those tickets, I was mostly concerned with getting over to the UK in the first place). Rah!

Will be arriving in London on Friday July 8th, staying through the following Thursday I think, then Amsterdam through Sunday the 17th, then Italy through probably about the 28th, then back to London and home on the 30th.

I would hopefully like to sneak up to Glasgow from maybe Monday the 11th to Wednesday the 13th, but we'll see.

Travel suggestions from UK to Italy (Padua or somewhere close to it if possible) via the Netherlands always welcomed. Anyway, revive this thread as needed but just wanted to get the ball rolling...

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 18 February 2005 21:14 (twenty years ago)

Europe is your playground.

― Leon the Fatboy (Ex Leon), Friday, 18 February 2005 21:25 (twenty years ago)

Europe is your radar.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 18 February 2005 21:26 (twenty years ago)

Not more Damon/Brett wars!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 18 February 2005 21:27 (twenty years ago)

Ned Raggett vs Gorillaz - Hirsute Havoc

― Hairsuit B4rim4, Plus-Tech Whizz Kid (Barima), Friday, 18 February 2005 21:57 (twenty years ago)

I fear this will involve nipple flashing somehow.

― Leon the Fatboy (Ex Leon), Friday, 18 February 2005 22:00 (twenty years ago)

It always does. But this time with added hair.

― Deerninja B4rim4, Plus-Tech Whizz Kid (Barima), Friday, 18 February 2005 22:01 (twenty years ago)

Barima, you are a creative soul. (Also be around in July, dammit, it would be a pity not to see you at a FAP or something.)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 18 February 2005 22:08 (twenty years ago)

You my boy, Blue! (Yeah, I will be, I'll probably still be broke, unemployed and unable to travel anywhere in July too)

― Deerninja B4rim4, Plus-Tech Whizz Kid (Barima), Saturday, 19 February 2005 11:36 (twenty years ago)

Okay, I demand you pass through Belgium when you go from London to Amsterdam. Just kidding. Chances would be slim for me to be able to meet up (-> sentence structure seems a bit off here) as I have to work 7 days a week. :-(((((((

― stevie nixed (stevie nixed), Saturday, 19 February 2005 13:40 (twenty years ago)

Actually, I might be able to pass through, I was thinking about this the other day! Will let you know. :-)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 19 February 2005 13:53 (twenty years ago)

Your best bet, if not the cheapest, is to go by train. From amsterdam to Milano (easy hop on to Padua from there) your best bet is the sleeper to Basel and then the InterCity from there to Milano, You'll go through the Lötschberg and Simplon tunnels, right through the Alps, marvelous. The other way is to go Amsterdam-Munich-Verona-Padova (going through the austrian alps this time).

Best London amsterdam routes are London-Brussels-Amsterdam or the slightly cheaper London-Harwich-Hook of Holland-Amsterdam.

Look into Eurodomino, interail, eurail passes, some are only available before you get to Europe and check which trains allow travel on the pass.

― Ed (dali), Saturday, 19 February 2005 20:57 (twenty years ago)

Ned - re: the dutch leg of your trip.

Easy Jet does cheap flights London Gatwick - Amsterdam, espec. if you book well in advance (http://www.easyjet.com/). If you fancy a beer in A'dam, or a bed for the night in Leiden, let me know. You'd be more than welcome. (steve.reid@gmail.com)

― stevo (stevo), Saturday, 19 February 2005 21:43 (twenty years ago)

Excellent, thanks to you both. Ed, I was strongly considering the train route from Amsterdam to Italy and that'll give me much to digest. The sleeper idea sounds a treat.

Steve, thanks! I am still half tempted by the idea of train from London to the Netherlands via Belgium, as Ed notes, but an Easyjet hop was going to be my basic approach for that leg. Right now I'm supposed to be staying with my friend Ben, who is doing grad work in Amsterdam; however, if that turns out to be a problem (he'll be finishing up his thesis at that point!), I may yet take up your offer! There will definitely be plans for some sort of ILX FAP there -- there's also Job and Omar, for a start...

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 19 February 2005 21:50 (twenty years ago)

Okay, some further hash settled -- looks like I'm definitely in Glasgow from the 11th to the 13th, but what I might do is go directly to Brussels from there. It's a lot cheaper than doing that from London, I've found! (Thank you Ryanair, who I've used before and had no problem with at all.) I'm looking into the train from Brussels to Amsterdam on the 15th with help from Nath, and I've bought my EasyJet return trip from Venice to London on the 28th. That leaves Amsterdam to Venice on the 17th to sort out -- I'm thinking air might have to my choice in the end, much as I would love to train it, simply due to the dollar's weakening woes. Pondering a combination of EasyJet/RyanAir hops via either Luton or Stansted (romantic, I know) to work that one out, but any other advice welcome, especially since I don't know the full range of airports around Amsterdam and I'd like to avoid sitting around Luton airport for ten hours waiting for the connection...Steve, any thoughts?

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 24 February 2005 17:11 (twenty years ago)

I'm from Europe.

― adam.r.l. (nordicskilla), Thursday, 24 February 2005 17:56 (twenty years ago)

When I first got my license, I used to drive to Luton airport for fun!

― adam.r.l. (nordicskilla), Thursday, 24 February 2005 17:57 (twenty years ago)

What's this about settling "hash" and Amsterdam?

― adam.r.l. (nordicskilla), Thursday, 24 February 2005 17:57 (twenty years ago)

And was it fun? You drug fiend.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 24 February 2005 17:58 (twenty years ago)

AMsterdam has one Airport, Schipol, but nowhere is that far in Holland (or belgium). Rotterdam, Charleroi and Brussels are all easy options.

― Ed (dali), Thursday, 24 February 2005 18:30 (twenty years ago)

About what I figured, Ed -- thanks!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 24 February 2005 18:34 (twenty years ago)

Check the regular airlines as well. I've found some deals better than the budget airlines the last few times i've flown. check the airlines directly as well as the ticket sites (KLM, BMI, BA, SN Airways).

― Ed (dali), Thursday, 24 February 2005 18:45 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, Nath had suggested SN and I'd already viewed some flights. Completely blanked on KLM though, you're right. BMI and BA, both unfamiliar to me...

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 24 February 2005 18:58 (twenty years ago)

Probably a bit far ahead for really good deals on the scheduled airlines right now, especially right now.

― Ed (dali), Thursday, 24 February 2005 19:01 (twenty years ago)

Okay, I have a pretty solid itinerary now, all connecting tickets bought except for the train between Brussels and Amsterdam:

July 8th - 11th -- London
July 11th - 13th -- Glasgow
July 13th - 15th -- Brussels
July 15th - 17th -- Amsterdam
July 17th - 28th -- Venice, Padua, Urbino, etc.
July 28th - 30th -- London

...and then home with an hour long stopover in Chicago. Rah!

My thanks to everyone who's offered to host or act as back-up. :-) Turns out I need a place to crash in London still, though, so if I could bum some couchspace off somebody, please? Thea and her husband were going to do the honors but they've had to take another job assignment in Miami instead.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 4 March 2005 22:43 (twenty years ago)

im pretty sure my work is taking me to cannes in june! if that happens, i'm totally doing spain the week before (hello sonar) and london the week after.

― mark p (Mark P), Friday, 4 March 2005 22:52 (twenty years ago)

*jealous* But I can't complain, it's just that I was talking about SONAR with a friend the other day. One day!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 4 March 2005 22:54 (twenty years ago)

hopefully see you in glasgow, ned.

― cozen (Cozen), Friday, 4 March 2005 22:57 (twenty years ago)

Rah! :-) Yes, there will be a FAP darn it. Or two.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 4 March 2005 22:59 (twenty years ago)

My thanks to everyone who's offered to host or act as back-up. :-)-- Ned Raggett

Oh maaaan... I would've signed up for them back vox too! If only your dates were any nearer :)

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Friday, 4 March 2005 22:59 (twenty years ago)

I'll be in Lisboa, Paris, Londonne...August September

― adam.r.l. (nordicskilla), Friday, 4 March 2005 23:01 (twenty years ago)

The return of the native.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 4 March 2005 23:06 (twenty years ago)

i will make sure i am in london for the inevitable FAP.

― Hari A$hur$t (Toaster), Saturday, 5 March 2005 00:08 (twenty years ago)

Oh there'll be more than one if I have my way.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 5 March 2005 00:42 (twenty years ago)

When you coming back to Melbourne, Ned? I still havent met you damn it!

― Trayce (trayce), Saturday, 5 March 2005 03:56 (twenty years ago)

hopefully, see you, in glasgow, cozen.

― RJG (RJG), Saturday, 5 March 2005 04:00 (twenty years ago)

Trayce -- I hope that my next big trip shall be a return to your general clime. :-)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 5 March 2005 04:13 (twenty years ago)

Huzzah!

― Trayce (trayce), Saturday, 5 March 2005 04:18 (twenty years ago)

ill be in italy during july as well but im in sicily for a family wedding. i doubt ill have time to hang...

― maria tessa sciarrino (theoreticalgirl), Saturday, 5 March 2005 06:07 (twenty years ago)

why padua in particular ned?

― s1ocki (slutsky), Saturday, 5 March 2005 18:04 (twenty years ago)

rah, RJG!

― cozen (Cozen), Saturday, 5 March 2005 18:49 (twenty years ago)

why padua in particular ned?

Easy, m'fren -- Marco Damiani, occasional poster to ILM and friend of mine for almost five years now, gave me the impetus to visit Italy in the first place by kindly inviting me over to stay with his girlfriend (and now baby son!) as well as his family. As he lives in Padua, there ya go! Venice is where I'll fly in and out of, Urbino is where his sister lives, etc.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 5 March 2005 18:55 (twenty years ago)

flying in and out of venice, hiss booo.

― Ed (dali), Saturday, 5 March 2005 18:56 (twenty years ago)

What, am I destroying the environment? (I mean, any more than I am.) It's strictly for convenience and price, Ed, I can't afford the train from Amsterdam and that's the nearest airport to where Marco lives, etc.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 5 March 2005 19:01 (twenty years ago)

Well, yes you are. It pains me that air travel is artificially cheap.

― Ed (dali), Saturday, 5 March 2005 19:03 (twenty years ago)

Sorry, I don't want to harsh your buzz. It's the fault of the system, not you.

― Ed (dali), Saturday, 5 March 2005 19:04 (twenty years ago)

I've long since realized it's hard to feel smug about not having a car given the counterbalances with all the travel I end up doing. Thus, however, are we all complicit.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 5 March 2005 19:20 (twenty years ago)

let us all bow our heads in shame.

padua is a very nice city, there's just not particularly much to see there, which is why i asked! venice on the other hand is dreamy! have you read the aspern papers?

― s1ocki (slutsky), Saturday, 5 March 2005 19:56 (twenty years ago)

Why I guess I'll have to!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 5 March 2005 20:33 (twenty years ago)

IS there anything I can do to stop air travel? I can be reached at this address.

― adam.r.l. (nordicskilla), Saturday, 5 March 2005 21:01 (twenty years ago)

bring it with you, ned! that's what i did!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Sunday, 6 March 2005 00:53 (twenty years ago)

adam you could do what Mr Garrison did in that episode of South Park...

― Sven Bastard (blueski), Sunday, 6 March 2005 01:02 (twenty years ago)

two months pass...

Revive because holy heck it's just two months away now! :-) To go over itinerary again:

July 8th - 11th -- London
July 11th - 13th -- Glasgow
July 13th - 15th -- Brussels
July 15th - 17th -- Amsterdam
July 17th - 28th -- Venice, Padua, Urbino, etc.
July 28th - 30th -- London

Any initial thoughts for foregatherings or whatever, post away. Will start more specific threads next month, I guess.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 9 May 2005 13:38 (twenty years ago)

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