Check out my trip plan!

So, I've been working about 50-60 hour weeks this summer with expenses kept relatively reasonable. I also have 2 weeks off between my internship ending and my next semester beginning. I figure that this would be a good time to try to take a trip I've been meaning to go on for a long time now, which would take me (literally) around the world. Current rough plan:

Seville, Spain: 2 nights
Palma de Mallorca, Spain: 2 nights
Zurich, Switzerland: one day (long layover) -- Never mind, flight is looking pretty full
Helsinki, Finland: Layover, possibly full day -- Never mind again, PMI-HEL flight is embargoed
Undecided city between PMI and HKG, likely FRA
Hong Kong: 3 nights
Singapore: 2 nights
Eugene, OR: 3 nights

While it's not totally official, I'm getting pretty excited about this! I haven't been to Seville in a couple years (though I lived there for a semester), I have a friend in Palma to visit/stay with, Switzerland seems like a good country to stop by, Hong Kong has been on my to-do list since December, Singapore is another part of the world that I've never been to, and I'll be able to visit another friend in Oregon.

Any suggestions for this? Things to see, etc?

Thanks!
-Brian

Hey Brian, when are you planning the trip? Would you mind some company? If your trip falls under any of my days off I might be interested in meeting up-maybe Hong Kong. I work Thursday through Thursday with every other Friday through Wednesday off.

Tony

Well, this is all tentative and seems to change about every week, though this is by far the best value package I could find. I also need to get a couple weekends off, which isn't a sure thing. That said, my internship ends 8/19, then I work that weekend, and I'm planning on leaving 8/22. If you do the math, that puts me in HKG 8/28-8/31 and I'd love to have some company on the way! Let me know if that works for you, and I'll keep in touch.

Zurich is lovely!! It's so clean.
Take a boat ride. Keep in mind it's horrendously expensive to eat there. (find a market and picnic)

HKG--ding ding trams, Star ferry tour, escalators (great food off the alleys), Li Chin Nunnery (free) 10,000 Buddhas (free) Victoria Peak on a clear day--late afternoon.

Check out Jerlong Park in Singapore also HAR PAR VILLA. Been over 20 years ago when there but I'm sure its still around. Ooops.....TIGER BEER!

Jurong Bird Park! Still haven't been there

I gotta write back to you on FB

btw was is in eugene??

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Originally Posted by Nick

Jurong Bird Park! Still haven't been there

I gotta write back to you on FB

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Write to who on FB? I'm not on FB. You got the right guy?

Your trip sounds awsome- Im Jealous, are you non-reving all of it? Hong Kong and Singapore are high up on my list of places to visit, I'm sure those will be the funest!
You should squeeze Bangkok in there, I've heard it's an awsome dynamic city.
Good luck and have a great trip!

Regards,

Chepos

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Originally Posted by Nick

btw was is in eugene??

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I have a couple friends moving out there next week. She's going to grad school out there, and he's going with her, so I thought I'd come out to visit.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 29palms

Write to who on FB? I'm not on FB. You got the right guy?

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That would be me. I had him find me on there a while back to find some SVQ pictures when he was thinking of going that way, and we've been talking to each other to meet up in SIN.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by chepos

Your trip sounds awsome- Im Jealous, are you non-reving all of it? Hong Kong and Singapore are high up on my list of places to visit, I'm sure those will be the funest!
You should squeeze Bangkok in there, I've heard it's an awsome dynamic city.
Good luck and have a great trip!

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Yeah, I've wanted to fly around the world for a few years now. Used to be a novelty idea when I worked for NW in 2008, but I didn't have the ability to get ZED fares (need 6 months seniority, and it was a 3 month seasonal position) among other things. Bangkok would be cool, but I'm going to so many places as it is that I don't really have the time. I'll be gone 2 weeks, and the day after I come home from EUG I start school. One of my coworkers goes to BKK quite a bit, so if I have some time off I may try to go with him :P

Personally I'd go to BKK over SIN...

But I'm still happy to meet you here haha

Hi Brian, sorry it took so long to reply back but I do not keep up with some websites on my weekends. Keep me (and/or the forum) informed on your dates, I would have the 26-31st off so I could meet somewhere-have no idea how to keep in contact to try and meet up (once on the road) except email. You can send me a SWOL mail search by name for Tony Bartlett. I will keep the dates open, only issues is I am thinking about Kruger N.P. in South Africa in September/October. If I can do it without taking any vacation time I could do both.

Tony

I just returned from Zurich this week, I was over there for work and I must say it is a beautiful city. Small and compact and you can walk the river area and see the lake, see the old town. Extremely clean and the weather was just magnificent. Enjoy!

Regards,

Chepos

I have done 4 RTWs in the past 15 years but I've always taken the western direction and took off 1-2 months to do this.
Always with carryon only.
I stop in Hong Kong to rest,shop and occasionally a trip to Macau. Also I can get ID90/OneWorld tickets made. I usually stay at the Salvation Army(Booths Lodge) or mostly the guest houses along Nathan Road(Kowloon). Hong Kong airport has the best wifi of any airport Ive been to. I have 2 octopus cards that i activate at the airport. ATMS are everywhere.
My first time going there I stayed a few days. Took a jetfoil to Macau as well.Sanpan ride in Aberdeen,Bun festival,Peak,Jumbo's,Dim Sum,a lot of shopping and electronics.
I even put my name on the crew list at the Royal Yacht Club and sailed one Saturday morning.
Seeing Hong Kong Island at night from the Star ferry is worth the trip alone IMO.

Good to have backup tickets. I don't know about other airlines but at American we can have around 3 different airlines on the same ticket for each leg.

Been to Singapore a few times. My last rtw my trip was Miami,Carracas,Miami,Santiago,Easter Island,Santiago,Auckland,Kuala Lumpur then bus(Nice) to Singapore,Hong Kong,New Delhi,Chicago.....4 weeks.

I always stay in hostels,budget hotels,guest houses,and family's homes when I travel.
Never paid more than $60US/day(except for the Rex in Ho Chu Minh) and as little as $6US in Ecuador.

I recommend Sleepy Sam's B&B in Singapore.
If you are going to use credit cards on your trip let the CC companies know what you will be doing before you leave to prevent a fraud alert.

Jet lag may be a big issue so take it easy. I've had severe jet lag twice while traveling and learned how to prevent it now. But 2 days each stop and traveling west.........
I know you are going to be pumped up and excited(I know I am always) but you have to be aware and take it easy.

As far as Switzerland I go there once every month or two. I loved it so much I bought a home in Lugano.

People at work thought I was crazy traveling like that for a month but you are doing this in 2 weeks!
Crazy fun.
Good luck!

Thanks AAMech! You seem like the kind of guy that would fit in really well around here :P

I only have 2 weeks between my internship ending and the next semester beginning, and I really want to use this time while I can to make the RTW trip... don't think I'll have this much time off for a while. It might not be much time by most standards, but it does help that I have a very short attention span with different cities for the most part. Give me a day or two to see the downtown area (less for smaller cities) and I'm happy :)

I know jet lag can be an issue, but I also think that the flights I have should be ok for that even. When I move from one city to the next, my journeys generally begin in the afternoon, so I'll still have time to get some rest the night before. Seems like getting up at 4:00AM for a 6:00 flight is what usually kills me for the day.

Edit: Forgot to mention, I decided to go with HEL instead of ZRH to go from PMI to HKG. There are 2 flights daily instead of 1, and according to the Finnair res agent I talked to they're all looking good during that time (including the PMI-HEL flight)

Just occured to me Brian, you are travelling east iso west. Any reason for this? From memory always best to travel west... that way you just want to go to sleep earlier and wake up earlier. But going east is a killer...

Since I'm only crossing the international date line once this trip, I figured I'd go in the direction that would cause me to gain a day, rather than lose one, especially since I don't have too much time to begin with. With my crazy work schedule this summer, I've learned to be able to stay up or sleep pretty much whenever/wherever I need to, so I think I'll be ok. Jet lag generally hasn't been too much of a problem in the past for me, it's when I have to take a super early flight and can't get much sleep the night before that throws me off (and I don't have any of that going on). Usually at worst I'm a little tired upon arrival, but ok the next morning, so I think I'll be ok :)

Crap, just found out that AY embargoes a pretty large block of its flights, including the PMI-HEL flight I was planning on (even though the res agent said there are plenty of seats). Guess it's back to the PMI-HKG drawing board, will probably have to go through MUC, FRA, or AMS...

You got CX or EK benefits? PM me who you can fly on

Brian, how are things looking on your end? I would still like to try and meet up in HKG. Do you mind if I post on skywest online to see if anyone else is interested in going? I would like to find someone else just in case you have issues somewhere along your trip and do not make HKG. Let me know.
SWOL me at Tony Bartlett

Tony

Hey Tony, I'll shoot you a PM in a couple minutes!

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Originally Posted by AAMech

As far as Switzerland I go there once every month or two. I loved it so much I bought a home in Lugano.

Good luck!

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I love Switzerland too. The Lugano area is one of my favorites. We are planning on going again next spring if not sooner.

Hey guys!

Just thought I'd give you all a quick update. So far, so good! Other than being a long day, EAU-ORD-IAD-MAD-SVQ went well, and I even got business class IAD-MAD. First time with a ZED also was great, made it to SVQ with no problems. Moved on to PMI today on AB, they were great! Pretty sure they let me in with more carry-ons than they normally allow (basically, I tried the 1+1 rule they usually go with in the states) and they even gave me my seat when I checked in!

Was great to be able to meet up with my host mom again (first time since December 2009 that I had seen her) and eat all the food I used to have all the time (best food in the world, I tell ya!). Now I'm with another friend that I haven't seen in over 3 years, despite a few failed attempts in the past of meeting up. Next up is FRA on Saturday, then the journey to HKG begins!

-Brian