TALES FROM THE TOP

This Saturday night I will undertake something I haven’t done in 10 years.

I and some friends will embark on a journey that will take us to about 7 or 8 European cities in 15 days, in cattle class and budget airlines.

I was in charge of booking everything and apart from the Singapore-Barcelona and Paris-Singapore sectors, no airfare was above 60 Euros.

Our accommodation will also be on the cheap.

My most expensive hotel:  130 Euro per night, is the cheapest in the expensive and touristy San Marco neighbourhood of Venice.  The rest will cost me less than 70 Euro per night.

The last time I did a cross-continent European Marathon, I ended up exploring 6 cities in 9 days.

Back in those days, trains and a ferries were the cheapest ways to travel from one place to the next. Now, airfares on budget carriers like Spain’s Vueling and the UK’s Easyjet are a lot cheaper than tickets on the TVE or the ICE high speed trains.

Back in those days, we travelled with Francs, Liras, Drachma, guilders and the peseta. Now things are easier albeit more costly with the Euro.

Back in those days, we consulted travel books and called up hotels for reservations. Now it’s as easy as logging into your favourite travel booking site to narrow down your search. All the way down to the price you are willing to pay for a hotel. And going through countless customer reviews before you decide on the hotel that suits your needs.

My friends from Vancouver asked why I’m putting myself through this marathon…well I thought I’d give it a go and see if I still have what it takes to “rough” it out in Europe.

Most of my frequent trips to Europe have been leisurely ones lately so I think it’s time to prove to myself that I am still a sturdy world traveler.

Wish me Bon Chance!