Hydra photos coming...
Elizabeth, we will probably use plane because we have EasyYet (or was it Germanwings) cheap ditect fly Zagreb-Berlin. But maybe we'll take train; it's direct and very nice first class travel. But I don't believe we'll go to Hydra as we live, as I said, on a half way:-)
That's why we didn't get to Hydra this year. There's no cheap direct flies between all European cities, and to Athens you can go only from Berlin or Budapest. And the trains aren't fist class (it's Balkans, dear) - imagine me this June, month ago, flying to Athens via Berlin
That's why we didn't get to Hydra this year. There's no cheap direct flies between all European cities, and to Athens you can go only from Berlin or Budapest. And the trains aren't fist class (it's Balkans, dear) - imagine me this June, month ago, flying to Athens via Berlin
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At least we'll meet in Berlin, Tom.It's looking like [perhaps] my best route may be U.S. to St. Petersburg. St. Petersburg to Berlin. Berlin to Krakow. Krakow to Berlin. Berlin to Athens. Athens to Berlin. Berlin to U.S. That may sound like a lot of Berlins, but depending on RTs from and back to Berlin, and then Berlin to U.S., it really could add up to less than doing it another way. I need to do more checking. I really want to end with Hydra, but I think a cheaper flight to the U.S. can be gotten via Berlin than Athens.
Or, maybe U.S. to St. Pete; St. Pete to Berlin; Event; Berlin to Krakow; [whoops ~ forgot that not every city has service to Athens ~ was going to say Krakow to Athen; then Athens to Berlin; and Berlin to U.S. Back to the drawing board.
I guess instead of Cracow --> Berlin --> Athens it
will be cheaper to take the train (or flight) from
Cracow to Warsaw and then use LOT flight to
Athens.
Let your travel agency check whether there are
cheap round trip tickets available for US citizens
in Europe. We Europeans can buy very cheap flight
tickets allowing any number of US flights within
a certain period (some restrictions apply, like you
have to go all the time from East to West or
vice versa)
will be cheaper to take the train (or flight) from
Cracow to Warsaw and then use LOT flight to
Athens.
Let your travel agency check whether there are
cheap round trip tickets available for US citizens
in Europe. We Europeans can buy very cheap flight
tickets allowing any number of US flights within
a certain period (some restrictions apply, like you
have to go all the time from East to West or
vice versa)
I guess instead of Cracow --> Berlin --> Athens it
will be cheaper to take the train (or flight) from
Cracow to Warsaw and then use LOT flight to
Athens.
Let your travel agency check whether there are
cheap round trip tickets available for US citizens
in Europe. We Europeans can buy very cheap flight
tickets allowing any number of US flights within
a certain period (some restrictions apply, like you
have to go all the time from East to West or
vice versa)
will be cheaper to take the train (or flight) from
Cracow to Warsaw and then use LOT flight to
Athens.
Let your travel agency check whether there are
cheap round trip tickets available for US citizens
in Europe. We Europeans can buy very cheap flight
tickets allowing any number of US flights within
a certain period (some restrictions apply, like you
have to go all the time from East to West or
vice versa)
Travel Agent ~ now there's a thought . I've been doing it all myself via Internet. Generally cheaper. It won't hurt to call one, though. That's interesting.....those open-ended deals that you're talking about. A train is a good idea, too! Hadn't considered that, at all. With bordering countries, it seems it ought to be reasonable. But, then, it wasn't at all that, within England ~ and I was blessed to have Brit friends willing to help in that regard!!! I was amazed at just how costly it really was! Would Visas come into play with a train?
. I've been doing it all myself via Internet. Generally cheaper. It won't hurt to call one, though. That's interesting.....those open-ended deals that you're talking about. A train is a good idea, too! Hadn't considered that, at all. With bordering countries, it seems it ought to be reasonable. But, then, it wasn't at all that, within England ~ and I was blessed to have Brit friends willing to help in that regard!!! I was amazed at just how costly it really was! Would Visas come into play with a train?You're perfectly right, Jarkko. There's no direct connection between those two cities. The only way is to take a plane from Krakow to Warsaw and then another plane to St Petersburg.jarkko wrote:I'm sure our Polish members can answer this is detail,
but it's possible there is no direct route between these
cities - if so, you have to go to Warsaw first.
Check the websites of Polish airline LOT and the
Russian Aeroflot.
There are several possibilities of getting from Krakow to Warsaw - as of July this year - 8 flights a day (LOT Airlines only). There are three connections between Warsaw and St Petersburg (LOT and a Russian airline - Pulkovo - that is NOT a part of Aeroflot).
I wouldn't reccomend that Russian airline - they're still using those old Russian IL and Tupolev planes...
Of course the timetable next year will be different but I don't expect that there will be a direct flight from Krakow to St Petersburg in 2006.
Mirek
Lizzy,
I tried to check out Aeroflot, and although they go to St Petersburg from Warsaw it actually involves a flight to another Russian airport such as Moscow, and a delay before the onward flight to St. P. So from Krakow you would need to get first to Warsaw and then have 2 more flights and possible long delays between them all.
You would be spending an awful lot of time travelling and hanging round airports with very limited quality time.
It might be better to make 2 separate trips at a more leisurely pace to enjoy all the places you want to visit. How about visiting London and St Petersburg in the winter when flights are cheaper and settling for Europe in August? (Ideally you would need 3 to 6 months to see Europe properly, something to consider for a future retirement treat when your vacation time is not so limited.)
I admire your determination and have the same travel bug myself, but from past experience it's not the best idea to cram such a lot into one trip
Margaret
I tried to check out Aeroflot, and although they go to St Petersburg from Warsaw it actually involves a flight to another Russian airport such as Moscow, and a delay before the onward flight to St. P. So from Krakow you would need to get first to Warsaw and then have 2 more flights and possible long delays between them all.
You would be spending an awful lot of time travelling and hanging round airports with very limited quality time.It might be better to make 2 separate trips at a more leisurely pace to enjoy all the places you want to visit. How about visiting London and St Petersburg in the winter when flights are cheaper and settling for Europe in August? (Ideally you would need 3 to 6 months to see Europe properly, something to consider for a future retirement treat when your vacation time is not so limited.)
I admire your determination and have the same travel bug myself, but from past experience it's not the best idea to cram such a lot into one trip
Margaret
Oh, you mean winter when ice forms on the wings 
? Actually, your suggestion isn't such a bad one. London near Christmastime should be awesome. Russia in the winter might be more than I'd anticipated in the temperature department. I don't know. I'll give that some thought. Thanks for checking Aeroflot for me. If I can see the all amber room in St. P, I'll be happy with my visit there.
Gotta go ~ late for my other job. More on these ideas later.
~ Elizabeth
? Actually, your suggestion isn't such a bad one. London near Christmastime should be awesome. Russia in the winter might be more than I'd anticipated in the temperature department. I don't know. I'll give that some thought. Thanks for checking Aeroflot for me. If I can see the all amber room in St. P, I'll be happy with my visit there.Gotta go ~ late for my other job. More on these ideas later.
~ Elizabeth
Lizzy, did you note what Mirek said about flights
between Cracow and St Petersburg - not Aeroflot
but Pulkovo Airlines. The English homepage is at
http://eng.pulkovo.ru/docs/sitemap ... but if you hit
the link for international flights the site takes you
to the domestic flights...
between Cracow and St Petersburg - not Aeroflot
but Pulkovo Airlines. The English homepage is at
http://eng.pulkovo.ru/docs/sitemap ... but if you hit
the link for international flights the site takes you
to the domestic flights...
Hi Jarkko ~
Yes I did; however, the way I read Mirek's posting was that LOT Airlines and Pulkova [the one he suggests NOT to take] and Aeroflot [that would be the third? ~ he said there were 3 connections] go there. Now, I'm not sure exactly what he meant.
However, I checked my EasyJet booklet [I'd forgotten what I already knew via it] and it flies to Krakow from Berlin and to Athens from Berlin. I'm still trying to figure out how to best line things up. Maybe a flight to Krakow and then train to Warsaw, and then fly to St. P?
Or, maybe U.S. to St. P; St. P. to Warsaw; train to Krakow; Krakow to Berlin; Berlin to Athens; Athens to U.S. [or all the same, ending with Berlin round-trip to Athens; and Berlin to U.S. I need to start checking some flight costs for August of this year. I also need to find out the name of the train company in Poland, so I can get some costs on that.
Ey-yi-yi. Thanks~!
~ Lizzy
Yes I did; however, the way I read Mirek's posting was that LOT Airlines and Pulkova [the one he suggests NOT to take] and Aeroflot [that would be the third? ~ he said there were 3 connections] go there. Now, I'm not sure exactly what he meant.
However, I checked my EasyJet booklet [I'd forgotten what I already knew via it] and it flies to Krakow from Berlin and to Athens from Berlin. I'm still trying to figure out how to best line things up. Maybe a flight to Krakow and then train to Warsaw, and then fly to St. P?
Or, maybe U.S. to St. P; St. P. to Warsaw; train to Krakow; Krakow to Berlin; Berlin to Athens; Athens to U.S. [or all the same, ending with Berlin round-trip to Athens; and Berlin to U.S. I need to start checking some flight costs for August of this year. I also need to find out the name of the train company in Poland, so I can get some costs on that.
Ey-yi-yi. Thanks~!
~ Lizzy
Hi!
I've dropped in this thread just now.
Yes, as Mirek wrote, Aeroflot and Pulkovo Airlines are 2 different companies now, and Aeroflot provides direct flights to/from Moscow, but not to/from St-Petersburg. The later are under the jurisdiction of Pulkovo and some foreign airlines.
If you'd prefer Pulkovo, I suspect a flight would be as uncomfortable as you can imagine - and maybe even more - but several times cheaper. Though, I won't recommend these cheap flights. I'm just not sure if these old planes are reliable enough. [A kind of unobstrusive patriotic anti-advertisement - Pulkovo officials would kill me ].
Jarkko, I believe international flights are our Great State Secret . Once I tried to find some information on the Pulkovo site... well, I ended with phoning in their office .
Then I asked only about round trip from Warsaw and Berlin. I can try to reach them by phone again to find out something about S.-Pb. - Warsaw flights.
As for the U.S. - S.-Pb.... so far as I know there're direct flights - or, at least, they were . But it's another state secret. By now, I've found this list of costs on the site of one of the booking offices:
http://saint-petersburg-hotels.com/air- ... russia.htm
I could try to find out some more information by phone, too.
Elizabeth, and what about winter, indeed? Actually, winters aren't too severe here... anyway, we'll warm you up
. With our hearts .
Love,
Tanya.
I've dropped in this thread just now.
Yes, as Mirek wrote, Aeroflot and Pulkovo Airlines are 2 different companies now, and Aeroflot provides direct flights to/from Moscow, but not to/from St-Petersburg. The later are under the jurisdiction of Pulkovo and some foreign airlines.
If you'd prefer Pulkovo, I suspect a flight would be as uncomfortable as you can imagine - and maybe even more - but several times cheaper. Though, I won't recommend these cheap flights. I'm just not sure if these old planes are reliable enough. [A kind of unobstrusive patriotic anti-advertisement - Pulkovo officials would kill me
].Jarkko, I believe international flights are our Great State Secret
. Once I tried to find some information on the Pulkovo site... well, I ended with phoning in their office .Then I asked only about round trip from Warsaw and Berlin. I can try to reach them by phone again to find out something about S.-Pb. - Warsaw flights.
As for the U.S. - S.-Pb.... so far as I know there're direct flights - or, at least, they were . But it's another state secret. By now, I've found this list of costs on the site of one of the booking offices:
http://saint-petersburg-hotels.com/air- ... russia.htm
I could try to find out some more information by phone, too.
Elizabeth, and what about winter, indeed? Actually, winters aren't too severe here... anyway, we'll warm you up
. With our hearts .Love,
Tanya.