Having just returned from a whirlwind trip to Europe and the UK I feel obligated to pass some tips to readers thinking of doing the same in the foreseeable future.
There is no need to bore you with some of the downside of travel these days, such as the long queues checking-in at the airport, not to mention the hideously expensive airfares.
The truth is that overseas travel is mainly a positive experience, even if that amounts to realising how good life is in Australia as you fly back home.
Europe in summer is just crazy, especially at airports. Every man and his dog seems to be flying somewhere for holidays, and the result is airports jampacked with people, especially in the mornings.
So take note, if you don’t like crowds, the advice would be to travel outside the peak summer season of June to September.
On the positive side, everyone seems to be having a jolly good time, lots of smiles everywhere we went. Maybe it’s the final cure for the pandemic, being happy, who knows.
Our first port of call was the Greek island of Rhodes, which is now in the news because of bush fires, or wild fires as they call them over there. There were no fires when we were there, and the weather was excellent.
From there we jetted off to London for a few days of sightseeing, before flying to Glasgow, Scotland.
We were really glad we decided to hire a car to drive the 270 kilometres to Inverness because it proved to us why Scotland is indeed so bonnie!
Lush green pastures dominated the landscape out of Glasgow before the majestic highlands came into view as we got within reach of Inverness.
After a wonderful time there, we drove back to Edinburgh, dropped the hire car off and joined the airport queue to check-in for our flight to Paris.
The French capital, which is hosting the Olympic Games next year, was, like London, definitely worth a visit, although we would have liked more time to see some of the countryside, including the famous wine region of Bordeaux.
So, here’s the Top 5 tips for our dear readers planning a big trip overseas:
Number 1: Start saving now so you can afford to fly business class – only way to go on such a long trip.
Number 2. Planning as much as possible will result in a better trip overall. That includes allowing enough time at each port of call.
Number 3. Car hire is highly recommended because once you’ve seen the sights of a city like Paris there’s not much else to do.
Number 4. For places to go, Scotland is just brilliant, the history, the landscape – rivers, lakes and rugged mountains – is worth the price of admission.
Number 5. Bon voyage!
