International Travel

[CMdeux]

So.


<DEEP, DEEP breath>

http://www.eftours.com/


DD's school is sending a contingent to the UK.

We have checked, and it is possible to decouple the airfare and purchase "ground only" with a tour.  That is probably what we will be doing, since they don't necessarily know flight info until things are just a few weeks out.  Obviously, with some FA's, that isn't good enough since it would leave you scrambling to cover it with a friendlier airline.
 
Some meals are inclusive, and we may/may not be able to know enough ahead of time to discuss safety with restaurants/caterers.  In any event, there is generally sufficient time to grab food in the midday "open" times to make it up. 

Has anyone else got experience with this tour company? 

Thus far, they seem VERY helpful and cooperative, if-- er-- unenlightened-- on the subjet of LTFA.

The teacher coordinating things is ideal.  OMG.  She's one of the authors on DD's 504 plan, and has known us both for YEARS... plus she is super bright and just... well, she's terrific in every possible way.  And she and my DD have this mutual admiration society thing going on, to boot.


I cannot believe that I'm actually considering this.

[yelloww]

 

Ok, I am digging back into my brain over 20 years ago. Bear with me.

I did an EF tour when I was 17. Went to Austria and Germany. Had no problems whatsoever.

When we were in Innsbruck, we stayed in a small hotel that was very basic. We had a continental breakfast (roll, butter, juice, coffee) and that was provided downstairs in the hotel. We skiied every day in Austria so we ate often at the ski lodges for lunch. Dinner was always with our EF group. lunch always on our own.

I remember some Renaissance sort of restaurant for dinner where we ate off of a wooden wheel plate with a spork type thing- typical German/Austrian meats dinner.

I remember some local restaurants for lunch where we were on our own.

I got sick from my dinner in Salzburg- again, on our own... some of us ditched skiing and took a train there for a day with a group to do the Sound of Music tour and wander around the city. (we had a chaperone with us)

I have no recollection of meals in Germany except for the Hofbrahaus for dinner one night. We were at an Omni hotel in Munich. It was my first ever 5 star hotel.

Flew in and out of Frankfurt. took a double decker bus from Frankfurt to Innsbruck. They didn't have food on the bus, just soda.

The whole trip was seamless from a hotel/transportation standpoint. We had all of our dinners mapped out before we arrived and we planned lunch on the fly. Obviously, you can do much more lunch planning now with the internet. We just wandered around until we found places to eat.

Oh and we had a very strict curfew at night. If we weren't in by 11pm, we were flown home the next day at our parent's expense.

[Macabre]

I think it's totally doable.  I'm thrilled for her that you are considering this. 

[nameless]

In 2007 Lufthansa was peanut free

Adrienne

[KSLaru]

Watching intently...school trip to Europe planned in 2 years.

[CMdeux]

Okay, our tentative plan at this point is to do the land package only--

and a parent (that'd be ME) accompanying DD--

we will MEET the tour in Dublin, and then depart from them ten days later in Paris where they'll fly stateside.

In between, we'll do the standard stuff with them, including a ferry trip to Holyhead, and travel through Northern Wales and to Stratford, on to London, see Hampton Court (YAY!!!) and Windsor Castle, central London, and then catch the Eurostar to Paris, go to Versaille, the Louvre, etc. 

WE will fly from the west coast to Chicago, to Dublin overnight, and then on the return trip, we'll catch the Eurostar back to London for another day (time to see the Tower and the Eye/Canary Wharf, don'tcha know...) and then get a return flight from Heathrow to Dulles and home from there.

 

This is just too good to miss.   DD is elated.   



I think this is do-able, too.

We'll have to see what DD's allergist thinks about the flight.

[Macabre]

Um, Cardiff, yes?  You need to see the rift.

[Macabre]

Hmmmmm . . . Chicago is only like 6 hours from here. 

Seriously, might I suggest that while you are doing your traveling about (and since she hasn't been flying), that you stop in DC for 2 days following? 

It might seem anticlimactic after all that, but really--while you're there, you should see some stuff. 

[CMdeux]

No... <sigh>  No rift.  Snowdonia, instead.  DD and I will be following a reverse migration of sorts, though, which is weird to think about.   

We thought about visiting Washington...  not sure that we can do more than overnight and legitimately call that a "layover" with United... but we will see.    I so want DD to see the Mall, and the National Gallery... and the Library of Congress... Arlington... The Lincoln Memorial...  and, and, and... 

Gosh, we'll have had another presidential inauguration by then.  How odd to think about.

I looked for a flight into... Um... a major airport nearer to you, and we also talked about doing a weekend "trial run" out and back there just for a visit, actually.   


DH:  Why in the name of all that is holy would you go to {city}??!!! 

(I laughed, and said... I know PEOPLE there, remember??)   


If we catch a REALLY early flight from PDX, we could have as much as five or six hours in O'Hare.  Just saying. 

[eragon]

am so jealous, have just dropped my DD at school going to paris for her GCSE art trip!

if you have any queries about uk etc, ask me and i do my best to help.

[twinturbo]

Exciting and do-able for sure. DH went on EF Tours in high school he said it was great, I think he might have gone twice. The only smallish bit of advice is possibly recon your grocery store choices as much in advance as possible in smaller stores they may close during lunch hours. But I think he meant in France not UK. Eurostar is super cool you may want to consider bumping up to first class it's not too expensive comapares to first class airfare.

I'll send you my full address and phone number before you guys go. Since you're going transatlantic and I live in a city with a large hospital if you're in a jam and need to land stateside we can be a FA "waypoint". DH added a firm "of course" when I went over that with him. Fair warning it's a very testoserone driven house.

[MandCmama]

How exciting for you both! may the planning be as stress free as possible 

[maeve]

Okay, our tentative plan at this point is to do the land package only--

and a parent (that'd be ME) accompanying DD--

we will MEET the tour in Dublin, and then depart from them ten days later in Paris where they'll fly stateside.

In between, we'll do the standard stuff with them, including a ferry trip to Holyhead, and travel through Northern Wales and to Stratford, on to London, see Hampton Court (YAY!!!) and Windsor Castle, central London, and then catch the Eurostar to Paris, go to Versaille, the Louvre, etc. 

WE will fly from the west coast to Chicago, to Dublin overnight, and then on the return trip, we'll catch the Eurostar back to London for another day (time to see the Tower and the Eye/Canary Wharf, don'tcha know...) and then get a return flight from Heathrow to Dulles and home from there.

 

This is just too good to miss.   DD is elated.   



I think this is do-able, too.

We'll have to see what DD's allergist thinks about the flight.

Oh too bad you can't extend your Dulles layover to spend some time in DC.  I'd be happy to offer accommodations.  I hope you can make this work logistically because it sounds like such an amazing opportunity.

[CMdeux]

Ohhhhh-- you guys are THE BEST.   


Eragon, you are such a huge part of why I even investigated this as a possiblity.  Without a decade of knowing you and reading about your experiences with FA in the UK, and your DS' travel and all... there's no way that I would have even imagined it.  I'm DEFINITELY going to be picking your brain as we get closer and have more details on itinerary.

[eragon]

I look forward to helping you and hearing of your travels as you go!  esp as am not going to be traveling for   while.

will give you my phone contact details etc as well.