Best times to travel to Europe? Or Australia?

[Iheartfall]

I would like to gift my parents and myself with a trip to Paris and Portugal. OR perhaps a trip to Australia where we have a few family members. They've visited us so we do get to see them anyways. That's why I'm leaning towards Europe. The savings plan starts now and I'm trying to figure out how much I should have to cover a weeks worth of hotels and expenses.


When is the best time to travel to any of these three places(weather and cost wise) We are able to travel as soon as late June 2014.

What are the cities like in Portugal? Where are safe places to stay in Paris and Portugal? What can we expect for public transportation? Is it easy to get a rental car parked and take trains or trams?



I figured I would ask to see if any members have traveled to these parts recently and can give some info even on a disney loving site.

 

[eliza61]

So I've never been to Australia but seriously want to go. can't get over 24 hours flight time.

That being said my family and I have been discovering the joys of vacationing in Europe over the last few years and gotta say, we love it. My in laws are from Lisbon so my kids use to spend many summers there when they were younger. Folks here have a very misconception that Europe is not for kids. this is absolutely not true. after all Europeans do have children and they have the same vacation issues as us Americans.

I'll start with Paris. I seriously love that city.

1) the big ticket item to Paris and Portugal is the air fare. Once you get a budget for that, Europe like Disney can be done as cheaply or as luxurious as you want.

2) Summer of course is for the most part the high season. just like here many people travel during the school break. Summer in Paris can be a misnomer, it maybe comparable to the upper Northeastern states. It rarely gets in the mid 80's and Parisians are jumping into the Seine if it stays high 80's for too long. We generally go in Early May, the weather is cool but the crowds are low and it's usually very sunny. My entire family went last May (20th to the 31st for our family vacation. 9 people. we did Paris and london. weather was very cool. upper 50's low 60's but sunny.

this was us in front of Notre Dame. as you can see we had hats and coats.



3) winter time is much much cheaper but it's usually a bit dreary weather wise. that being said I went to Paris in early December a few years back and once again love it. I packed accordingly and had no issues.

4) hotels run the gamut. I general try to stay in the 225-300/night range but I've done some very lovely boutique hotels for ~150 a night easily. A few things to remember. If you must have A/C you might want to stick with a "chain" hotel. truthfully we've never needed it. last year my hotel (Concorde opera) was in a gorgeous 200+ year old building with huge picture windows that opened.

5) transportation. super easy. London's tube and Paris's subway are clean, easy to use and well marked. Every station has tons of maps to direct you where you want to go. Every station will list the major attraction associated with it. You purchase a carnet (pack of 10 tickets) and use one ticket per ride. I think the price was some thing like 1.30 each way. we also did a hop on hop off bus since we were traveling with 2 seniors.
this was FDR station in Paris. LOL I thought it was cool. so many things are named after famous Americans. so the rumor that they don't like Americans and are rude is totally false.

 

[hlg22]

I would like to gift my parents and myself with a trip to Paris and Portugal. OR perhaps a trip to Australia where we have a few family members. They've visited us so we do get to see them anyways. That's why I'm leaning towards Europe. The savings plan starts now and I'm trying to figure out how much I should have to cover a weeks worth of hotels and expenses.


When is the best time to travel to any of these three places(weather and cost wise) We are able to travel as soon as late June 2014.

What are the cities like in Portugal? Where are safe places to stay in Paris and Portugal? What can we expect for public transportation? Is it easy to get a rental car parked and take trains or trams?



I figured I would ask to see if any members have traveled to these parts recently and can give some info even on a disney loving site.

These are very broad questions.

I have spent quite a bit of time travelling to and living in Paris, and have been to Portugal once for a few days, so I will try and answer based on that experience.

As for "best" time to travel...it depends on what you like. I have been to Paris in every season. I prefer spring or fall (to avoid summer crowds and the coldest weather), but any time really is fine. I would avoid August if possible (when the French typically take their vacations, so lots of restaurants, etc. in Paris are closed). Portugal will be warmer than Paris. I traveled there in the spring and thought it was ideal. Honestly, if you are only going for a week that is not much time - I would stick with just Paris. Doing Paris + Portugal (presumably just Lisbon?) in a week wouldn't let you see too much of anything.

Transport - there is no need for a rental car in Paris. You can take the RER or airport bus from the airport to central Paris, and the Metro is fabulous - you're never more than a few blocks from a station, trains come very frequently. I have never had a safety issue - just keep your eye out for pickpockets (often gypsies) and sometimes late at night on the weekends there will be groups of kids who have come in from the suburbs who get a little...boisterous - I avoid the Chatelet-Les Halles station late at night as that's the one where I've seen issues, but otherwise just stay alert and you'll be fine.

For cost and where to stay, again that really depends on your budget and comfort levels. The first time I went to Paris, I stayed in a hostel that cost $20/night. It was perfectly safe. Now, my favorite hotel in Paris costs about $500/night. it is also in a perfectly safe neighborhood. With travel boards, TripAdvisor, etc. you can do lots of research once you ID a hotel that's in your budget to confirm that it's in a good area. Most places in the central arrondisements will be. You could also consider renting an apartment for the week.

ETA: One thing I forgot - be aware that hotel rooms in Paris are on the whole MUCH smaller than hotel rooms in the US. I find this charming, in the old buildings and small boutique hotels, but if you must have a big 400sq ft room, you will probably want to look at the big international chains.

 

[eliza61]

I would avoid driving in Paris and Lisbon like the Plague. Lisbon is also very easy to move about in. since we're usually with family there we took cabs every where. Once again they were very easy to get and every driver spoke English and took my extremely bad Portugese in good humor.

As pp above mentioned Porugal is a warmer climate. I've only been in the summer and it was in the mid 80's the entire trip.

Again, popular vacation time means higher air fare. Sign up for a fare watcher alert and start getting an idea of how much it would cost ya.
I'm on the East coast. It was amazing the difference in prices. We were able to get a non stop r/t out of JFK for about 800 bucks per person but move it to Philly international and the fare went up almost 300 bucks per ticket.

Last couple of trips in Paris I stayed in the 8th arrondisment (which is near the concorde Opera house) but I've also stayed on the left bank.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I agree, you need to narrow your choices. Stick with one location if you only have a week, especially considering that a seven day trip involves two full days of travel. June in Australia is winter there, if weather is a factor.

I suggest that you get a good guidebook for Lisbon and one for Paris and start reading. There are a lot of good online travel sites as well, such as tripadvisor.com. Don't even think about driving in either city.

I have never been to Lisbon, but have been to Paris many times. RT Airfare from the east coast to Europe has been running around $1,000-1,200 for the past two summers. You can sometimes find good deals on Icelandair.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

....

2) Summer of course is for the most part the high season. just like here many people travel during the school break. Summer in Paris can be a misnomer, it maybe comparable to the upper Northeastern states. It rarely gets in the mid 80's and Parisians are jumping into the Seine if it stays high 80's for too long.....

I have never seen anyone swimming in the Seine! Not only is it illegal in Paris, the river is very dirty.

 

[eliza61]

I have never seen anyone swimming in the Seine! Not only is it illegal in Paris, the river is very dirty.

Lol it was a joke. Basically I was just saying that if it got up in the high90's like it does in Philly, Parisians would lose it.

 

[jedijill]

Agree with all the PPs. I would check out Rick Steve's guidebooks and website. I've found some great budget hotel options through his and Trip Advisor's recommendations. I stayed at a wonderful little hotel on the Left Bank that was close to a subway stop and in the heart of the action for around 100 Euros a night.

Jill in CO

 

[Iheartfall]

eliza61 - Thank You for the information even though my questions were very broad. Loved those photos of your family, looks like you had fun. We won't be able to make it for a spring 2014 trip. Yet, maybe our family could go for a fall trip? We'll have to see everyone's schedules.

My plan was to have a travel day at both the start, middle, and end. Plus 7 actual vacation days to enjoy. I do feel like it would run a bit tight in what we'll be able to do. I may also look into a home rental site since I think a two bedroom home/apartment is best over two hotel rooms. I'm just so confused on the areas and what's considered a good area.

Is train travel possible (I should ask, Is it easy to do and a pleasant experience?) to get from Paris,France to Lisbon, Portugal. Does anyone know anything about Algarve or Porto, Portugal? I would consider just a Portugal trip.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

To the OP: No personal experience here, but I would suggest that you head to your local library and check out guide books for all 3 locations. After you have read each from cover to cover, you will have a much better idea which destination(s) is likely to best fit your current dreams. Enjoy the planning. Its almost as fun as the trip! -- Suzanne

 

[eliza61]

eliza61 - Thank You for the information even though my questions were very broad. Loved those photos of your family, looks like you had fun. We won't be able to make it for a spring 2014 trip. Yet, maybe our family could go for a fall trip? We'll have to see everyone's schedules.

My plan was to have a travel day at both the start, middle, and end. Plus 7 actual vacation days to enjoy. I do feel like it would run a bit tight in what we'll be able to do. I may also look into a home rental site since I think a two bedroom home/apartment is best over two hotel rooms. I'm just so confused on the areas and what's considered a good area.

Is train travel possible (I should ask, Is it easy to do and a pleasant experience?) to get from Paris,France to Lisbon, Portugal. Does anyone know anything about Algarve or Porto, Portugal? I would consider just a Portugal trip.

It's doable but it's a long trip. It's over 1000 miles. It's been a while since I've been in Lisbon (almost 14 years) but I remember there was one train a day (overnight travel) to Paris. If everyone in your party is pretty mobile look into a easy plan ride from one to another.

Apartment rentals in Paris are very easy and lovely.

So as to a good area.

Paris is broken up into 20 arrondisments or sections and two banks, the left and the right. In the center of the Seine river is an island called Ile de Cite think of it as ground zero LOL. It has the Notre dame cathedral and then the sections go around that.

Each section or arrondissments has it's on flavor but I will say Paris is an extremely safe city and very very walkable and easy to get around. I tend to stay within the first 8 arrondissments but have stayed in the 15th with no problems.

 

[izzybjenn]

Hi there...I'm an Aussie and just thought I would clear up the weather issue. Yes, we are the opposite to you. Your winter is our summer etc. However, the weather in Australia is different depending on where you go. For example, if you are up North, Darwin way it is about 95 Fahrenheit all year round. It is either wet or dry. This is the same for the upper parts of Qld. Think tropical weather.

As you move down the coast the temperatures do get cooler. Sydney Min 46, max 61.2.

Canberra, the Capital and my home town is cold during the winter months. Mostly, because we are surrounded by the snowy mountains.
Min 17.6, max 59, wind chill is a killer.

Melbourne, min 42, max 82.

Tasmania, too cold to mention.

Perth, over in the West - min 50, max77.

I think that covers it all. It really depends on where you go as to what the weather will be like. Have a great day.

 

[maplevale]

We have done Europe twice and we liked traveling in the 'shoulder' seasons of spring and fall. (Italy in early April and UK/Paris in October). We found flights and hotels were cheaper, the weather was decent for touring (not too hot, light jacket in the am and warming up - but like anywhere that could change dramatically year to year). Crowds are lower - we could walk into any 'attraction' with little to no wait (London Eye, Eiffel Tower).

We used public transportation everywhere and had no issues (a little in Paris because of our poor French but we made it!).

One thing to take note is of any places you want to visit - check the dates they are open. When we were in London we wanted to do a Palace tour and they are only offered until October 1 during the week (then on weekends only). That was a little disappointing but small in the grand scheme because we did see a lot more in the time we visited because the crowds were lower.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

One thing to take note is of any places you want to visit - check the dates they are open. When we were in London we wanted to do a Palace tour and they are only offered until October 1 during the week (then on weekends only). That was a little disappointing but small in the grand scheme because we did see a lot more in the time we visited because the crowds were lower.

I assume you meant Buckingham Palace? You could have toured Windsor Castle, Kensington Palace or Hampton Court Palace instead. It is a good idea to check the web sites of attractions, as many are seasonal.

 

[maplevale]

I assume you meant Buckingham Palace? You could have toured Windsor Castle, Kensington Palace or Hampton Court Palace instead. It is a good idea to check the web sites of attractions, as many are seasonal.

Yes - like I said it wasn't a BIG deal but we only had a few days (during the week) in London. We totally kept ourselves busy enough and would have missed some other cool things if we had done the Palace tour.

 

[Belle & Ariel]

We had looked into a trip to Australia and did not go because we had not realized how huge it is. We wanted to do a liveaboard on the Great Barrier Reef which ended up being about a 20 hour drive from Sydney. We wanted to do the beaches of the Gold Coast which was in the middle. The penguins over on the West Coast were another very long drive. Every thing was so far we decided to look for a cruise which would hit each area for a day.
We did a Mediterranean cruise which covered a lot of Europe--Rome, Naples, Florence, Sicily, Corsica, Sardinia, Monaco, Marseilles, and Barcelona. We saw a lot but loved Rome the most and want to go back to spend time there and go to Venice.
I highly recommend a cruise because
1) You can see so many places easily.
2 )Hotels are very expensive.

Enjoy whatever you choose!

 

[Alexle2007]

I went to Australia in a few years ago for our honeymoon in July. I can't imagine making that long flight and only spending a week there. We went for 3 weeks and still there was so much left to do. We flew into Sydney, drove the Wine Country (which was "freezing" and left early) continue our drive up to the Gold Coast for a couple days then to the Sunshine Coast, a couple hours north of Brisbane, flew from Brsibane to Cairns, spent a couple of days ( this is where we did the Great Barrier Reef) there then took a shuttle service to the Rainforest further north. there are apparently summer times during the rainy season where it is near impossible to get to the Rainforest. Flew back to Sydney where we had the most beautiful, un obstructed view of the Opera House. It was absolutely amazing! Definitely want to go back and my DS6 gets a little older. Worth every hour on the plane. When we go again, we'll look at going in either Oct or April. Definitely not July. It was too cool to enjoy everything, especially the beaches. Be prepared, the beaches are all different some fine as baby powder, other very rocky.

We also went Paris in the June one year. It was amazing weather! The subway system is so easy to use! Loved Paris! We even hit EuroDisney from the subway We also went to Slovenia on that trip and Slovenia is awesome! It did not see the same destruction as Croatia when Yugosolvia broke apart. The people were friendly and there was so much to see and do.

Can't wait to take my son sometime!

 

[beansmom]

i, too, would only do one location if i was just going for a week.

we are going to Paris for my first trip (dh has been there before) and instead of hotel, we are renting an apartment. It is quite a bit cheaper, in the First Arrondissement (sp?) so it's convenient to everything and gives us the ability to cook and do laundry while there.

Also agree with off=season. We did Italy in the winter and the weather in Rome and Florence was lovely--Venice was a bit colder but how could Venice be less than perfect in any circumstance??--Milan was pretty darn cold, tho. I would go in winter again.

We are headed to Ireland/Scotland/Paris in two weeks. Yay!

 

[beansmom]

sorry, meant to add:

Tripadvisor.com is your BEST friend when planning a trip. The forums have great advice, info and really nice people to answer any question you have. I wouldn't travel without checking TA first. (and obsessively! I got such great info for every trip we've taken from there!)