Tagged With "Paris to Barcelona"
Comment
Re: Gustave Eiffel: Iron Man of Paris
This is the English version of the Eiffel Tower. Its in Blackpool 30 miles north of my home in Liverpool. I can see it on a clear day. Built around the same time as Eiffel and an amazing structure. I do love the observation platform where you can walk on a glass floor !
Reply
Re: I get to Boomerang to Spain ! Cheap !
I envy your trip! We'll overlap in time, but not in place. If you do add France to the itinerary, you might want to look into the new TGV service from Barcelona to Paris that starts this month. I'm not sure of its route as it leaves Spain, but it might go where you want to!
Reply
Re: I get to Boomerang to Spain ! Cheap !
Originally Posted by PHeymont: I envy your trip! We'll overlap in time, but not in place. If you do add France to the itinerary, you might want to look into the new TGV service from Barcelona to Paris that starts this month. I'm not sure of its route as it leaves Spain, but it might go where you want to! For some time the AVE has run from Madrid to Figueres which is north of Barcelona and Girona. The TGV has been running from Figueres to Paris for some time as well. I'm told that it takes...
Reply
Re: I get to Boomerang to Spain ! Cheap !
Well, but if Spain is the destination, passing up UK makes sense. On the other hand, APD leads to calculations such as Flying NYC-LON-Continental Europe: No problem; as long as your time in UK is less than 24 hours, you are a transit passenger and don't pay APD. Flying Continential Europe-LON-NYC: Not so good; you pay the APD on the trans-Atlantic leg, and that's high. The other issue with this is not APD at all; flying to the Continent through Madrid or Barcelona tends to be cheaper because...
Reply
Re: I get to Boomerang to Spain ! Cheap !
Garry RF and PHeymont - Thank you very much for the information. In this case, APD is not incurred - Flying NYC-LON-Continental Europe: No problem; as long as your time in UK is less than 24 hours, you are a transit passenger and don't pay APD. In this case, there is an APD, even if the transit is less than 24 hours ? - Flying Continential Europe-LON-NYC: Not so good; you pay the APD on the trans-Atlantic leg, and that's high. Concerning the third item, this explains why Worker Bee had a...
Reply
Re: Paris Authentic
The 2CV is already on my reservation list for next summer's trip (might be my birthday present!). I love the routing logic. JFK is my home so I can't avoid it, but I'm always searching for ways to avoid Heathrow. Last summer that led to 5 days in Barcelona on the way home from Portugal, and next summer we're having Basel as an add-on so we can fly from Zurich instead of through London. PS...here's a 2CV parked outside a restaurant along the Adige, in Verona last summer.
Reply
Re: Spain or Portugal?
Your budget will take you WAY farther in Portugal than in Spain, although with care you can do well in Spain as well. Portugal, and especially Lisbon, is the home of filling delicious meals in every neighborhood for 5-7€ which lets you spend a bit more on frills and excitement. You might think of something like a week or so based in Lisbon, a few days in Porto and then...if the budget stretches...a budget flight to a last few days in Barcelona (or other city of your choice with US-bound flights.
Reply
Re: Spain or Portugal?
Thank you, PHeymont, that's helpful. I've always wanted to see Lisbon and Barcelona, and your plan makes sense. Is there a specific guidebook you'd recommend?
Comment
Re: Pere Lachaise: Home to Permanent Parisians
A fascinating tour, Paul. But I'm a little disappointed there's no pic of Jim Morrison's grave (he of the rock group "The Doors" fame).
Comment
Re: Pere Lachaise: Home to Permanent Parisians
On the day I visited Pere Lachaise there was an elderly man flamboyantly "tending" Piaf's grave. Dressed theatrically, with long silver hair, he'd drawn a crowd, as I'm sure was his intent, while pretending to all appearances, that we weren't there. He circled the stone with over-the-top caring gestures and I wondered if he considered it his "job" to perpetuate the drama of The Little Sparrow. He was certainly succeeding that day.
Comment
Re: Pere Lachaise: Home to Permanent Parisians
Sorry, Dr. F...we would have stopped by there, but the weather was looking worse...and I knew he'd have told me "Please don't stop the rain..."
Comment
Re: Pere Lachaise: Home to Permanent Parisians
PM, we didn't see the Piaf admirer, but the cemetery has quite a few characters in attendance; it can be quite a show. And there are some who will gladly lead you all over...and only tell you at the end that they are expecting to be paid. We'll probably visit Montmartre cemetery next summer...it's a grave commitment...
Comment
Re: Pere Lachaise: Home to Permanent Parisians
Pheymont, I'm sure you're familiar with Montmartre and know when you're at the cemetery you'll be very close to Rue Lepic and environs, my "home" neighborhood. If you haven't already, from the cemetery walk east on Blvd Clichy to Rue Lepic, turn left and go uphill, jog right/left at the top onto Rue Tholoze where you'll pass my first Paris home, and on a few steps more to the old moulin of Impressionist fame. After years and many visits it's still my favorite village and, after trying...
Comment
Re: Spotted on the Road: Paris
Old French "Citroen" cars are becoming a collectors item. Not sure if they are ugly pretty or pretty ugly !! This in the UK:
Comment
Re: A Farm Visit in Normandy
Definitely no! Our kids are all grown, and we have no animal dependents to keep us off the road!
Comment
Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Oct. 1, 2014: Canal Illusion
Fascinating how our mind plays tricks with our perceptions. You know the canal is flat, but your brain, based on the visual input it gets, tells you it's "falling".
Comment
Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Oct. 1, 2014: Canal Illusion
The amazing thing is that it's not just in the picture that the illusion happens...it really looks that way in "life!" I knew it could not be, but I couldn't shake the illusion until I had taken the second picture and realized I had to visualize the wall and not the water.
Comment
Re: Ryanair Creates Online Travel Guides
It is a very useful tool, but it doesn't appear too in depth. Here is an example of RyanAir listed sights in Barcelona. Look at the prices though of the flights! http://www.ryanair.com/en/flights-to-barcelona/
Comment
Re: Where in the World is TravelGumbo (#51)
Congratulations to PortMoresby for recognizing Parc Guell in Barcelona. The full reveal will come tomorrow (Saturday) and a new Where In the World will be unveiled on Sunday.
Comment
Re: If you're happy and you know it...press here, please!
It certainly has seemed to me that Heathrow doesn't care (it's probably true for JFK, too, but I'm not a stranger there). In fact, I go out of my way to avoid Heathrow. Between the airport experience itself (especially with a T3-T5 transfer) and BA's high surcharges, I've taken to trying to make all my transfers through Madrid or Barcelona. In fact, on my trip this month, I save a good bit by taking American on award tickets to Barcelona and paying my way on Vueling to Marseille. I could...
Comment
Re: Eurostar: New Amenities, New Routes
Thanks for this. You gave me the idea to book the Eurostar for our train travel from Cologne, Germany via Brussels, to London.
Comment
Re: Paris Looking Down: A View from the Eiffel
Great pics. We were there this past August and were very impressed with the Eiffel Tower. It was truly fantastic accomplishment and the views are spectacular. The day we were there we had pre-purchased our tickets online, but did not use them. The morning of our scheduled day it was pouring down rain and we were tired, so we stayed in bed. Later in the morning the skies cleared and we went over to the tower. Since we missed our time we had to purchase another two tickets. it was still worth...
Comment
Re: Paris Looking Down: A View from the Eiffel
Thanks, Pheymont. Even we who imagine we know the city have gotten a whole new perspective. Point of view is everything! And, having been up the tower once long ago, I'm again struck by how much higher it seems looking down than it appears from the below or from a distance.
Comment
Re: Paris Looking Down: A View from the Eiffel
Thanks! Certainly true also about how different it can appear at different angles from below, as in Dr. Fumblefinger's blog here the other day!
Reply
Re: Chattanooga & Paris?
Not that I read Conde Nast's newsletter often...but I'm ready for the Chattanooga choo-choo sometime. It's on my "southern road-trip bucket list" for someday...along with Charleston, Memphis and revisits to Nashville and Savannah. Maybe we could all get together and get Food Network to fund us... And here's a softball: What do Nashville and Athens have in common?
Reply
Re: Tips on Getting FF Seats.
That's good advice in her column! I've often had success calling back when I didn't get the "right" answer the first time helps...and the night shift often has the most experienced agents. Other useful tips, aside from being the most pleasant if sadly disappointed customer they've had all day: Plan early, book early. If you really want to fly to Paris in late July on the cheapest FF tickets, your best bet is late August: the airlines generally open seats 330 days ahead, and if you can be...
Blog Post
August 2, 2019: Paris, Beaune & Me
Just walking, admiring store windows & getting in on the act.
Blog Post
And life was never the same again: How Barcelona stole my heart
Can you recall a moment from your travels that has really shaken your soul? A moment that has changed you forever? Well, here's mine. As I sat watching that sun set over Barcelona from the incredibly beautiful Parc Güell earlier...
Blog Post
Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Nov. 3, 2013: Brandenburg Gate
Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate is surely one of the world’s most-recognized landmarks, and symbolizes Berlin in the way the Eiffel Tower means Paris and the Parthenon means Athens. It’s been the ceremonial center for marches and...
Blog Post
Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Oct. 27: Paris's Stravinsky Fountain
The Stravinsky Fountain, its figures inspired by Stravinsky’s music (and especially the Rites of Spring), is one of my favorite places in Paris to sit and watch people, especially children. It’s sandwiched into a plaza between the Pompidou...
Blog Post
Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Oct. 30: Monet's Gardens at Giverny
Almost as if he were painting with plantings and water, the Impressionist painter Claude Monet spent years creating gardens and water features around his house and studio in Giverny, west of Paris and on the edge of Normandy. Monet and his family...
Topic
Watch those search engines: the big ones are not always best!
I was just booking a one-way trip from Barcelona to Marseille for next summer hoping to use some points sitting on a bank-based (but not airline-affiliated) card. Imagine my shock when the ticket (which I knew should cost about $89) showed up as...
Topic
Is a stopover in Iceland worthwhile
A number of you have helped me plan a trip to Portugal and Barcelona. I've decided to go on this trip next May when I'll have a few more days of vacation. Checking out different airline websites, I came across Icelandair, which flies...
Blog Post
Frommer's New EasyGuides: A Future for Print
Over the past past year, there’s been a lot of musing among travelers and in the travel industry about whether the day of the printed travel guide is over, in the face of vast stores of on-line information and smartphone...
Topic
Best Restaurants
I read a lot of food magazines (Saveur, Bon Appetit, etc.) and they are always on top of what's trendy in food and wine...but I'm a little along, and not so interested in the newest thing, because mostly it's a lot of fuss and soon gone. I'd like...
Blog Post
Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Jan 20, 2015: Musee d'Orsay Clock, Paris
Paris is well known for its architectural splendor, and one highlight I experienced was a visit to the Musee d'Orsay , situated on the left bank of the Seine. It is housed in the former Gare d'Orsay, a Beaux-Arts railway...
Blog Post
Ten Top Art Shows for 2015
If you're one of those people (I am) who sometimes picks a travel destination because of a spate of good exhibits, here's some help or temptation from The Guardian (UK). They've published a list of ten good ones for 2015, scattered across Europe,...
Blog Post
A summer trip to Valencia, Spain
Last Summer, in 2014, I went on an internship program in Valencia, Spain. My internship took place in a nice hotel near the center of the town and lasted 3 months. While I was there I could visit and enjoy many touristic points while also...
Blog Post
Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Feb 3, 2015: Chanteuse of Montmarte
A visit to Paris is not complete without spending a few hours wandering around the historic district of Montmarte . Originally a haven for artists and bohemians alike, the area is now more geared for tourists. Located in the north of...
Blog Post
Controversy for New Concert Hall in Paris
Photo from Philharmonie of Paris / W. Beaucardet The €390 million Philharmonie of Paris opened in January of 2015, after delays and cost overruns with controversy. Its star...
Blog Post
The Airport...and how it got that way
You've all probably got an airport you hate, and a favorite (or perhaps least-hated) one. And I'm sure you've often wondered why they put the baggage claim there, and why the food is over there, and why it just so often seems to be two miles to the...
Blog Post
Musée d'Orsay, Paris. Where Gumbo was #108
Gumbo was visiting one of Paris' greatest museums, the Musee d'Orsay. Congratulations to TravelGirlJenn who recognized it, with minimal clues! If any one else figured it out, they did not let us know. (One of the...
Blog Post
No Joke! Airplane Tickets Coming to Vending Machines!
On March 24, Transavia will sell snacks in Paris at vending machines, train stations and corner stores that come with a voucher code for a one-way flight from Paris. Different destinations are inside different snacks. At €35, sesame flavored...
Blog Post
Barcelona: Sometimes TOO many tourists at market
Barcelona, which continues to be one of the hottest European cities for visitors, has locals who sometimes feel a little crowded out...especially at their favorite food market, La Bouqueria. The result: during the Friday and Saturday shopping rush...
Blog Post
Gumbo's Pic of the Day, May 17, 2015: Love Locks, Pont des Arts, Paris
No one really knows where it started, but it's spread all over the world in the past few years—"Love Locks" snapped onto railings, especially on bridges. Some hate them and feel they disfigure spaces with other purposes (in Basel, we...
Blog Post
Chicago set to open new rail-line park
Chicago will open its new Bloomingdale Trail, a park built on 2.7 miles of abandoned railway on June 6. That's 6/06 if you write it a different way, and 606 is both the root of Chicago area codes, and the name of an overall park project (the606) that...