Travel 2013 - KL - Doha - Paris - Brussels - Bruges - Rotterdam - The Hague - Roermond - Amsterdam - London - Birmingham - Manchester - KL

The trip happened...

I was planning for some trip end of last year...wasn't really confident that i will be able to materialised it...in the end it did...for the trip i had been saving up a lot for the whole year...and combined with the balance of Euros and Pounds from the previous year...i managed...

The trip was 2 and half week long...starting from 14 Dec until 31 Dec...arrived back in KL on the new year...didn't managed to celebrate though...but we were really tired hopping from one city to another...it was by far the longest trip i had done...originally it was supposed to be only one week...but it got extended and i got the leaves...lucky me...hehehe...

The trip started from KL to Paris with a 12 hours transit in Doha...we took the open jaw ticket for this time around...it cost a lil bit more than if i were to take the return ticket to Paris...but thinking about the logistics and all...it was the best option...the ticket was to Paris and return from London...it cost about RM2,800 via Qatar Airways...if it was the return ticket to Paris it will only cost RM2,300...that's a RM500 difference...since i was paying for two person...its RM1,000 difference...i tried to justify it by calculating the cost back to Paris from Birmingham which will cost us almost the same amount...so i felt better...phewww...

During the 12 hours transit...i booked the lounge for RM120 per person for 6 hours...it was a good deal considering that they also provided shower and some snacks...enough to fulfil our tummy...a friend of mine who was in Doha picked us up...luckily for us Malaysians...we only had to pay for the visa on arrival...no need to apply visa beforehand...it cost about RM92 per person...total Doha was RM212 per person...

Arrived in Paris...we stay at my friend's place for 3 nites...that is a saving of roughly EUR150 (my budget for accommodation was EUR50 per nite) which roughly spells out RM675...it was a big saving i have to say...for the first day in Paris...we took the one day pass for 5 zones because it also includes the airport transfer from CDG airport to the heart of the town...cost about EUR27 per person...the for the next three days i only took the 3 days pass for 3 zones...that was about EUR27 per person...total Paris was EUR54 per person...

On the fourth day we took Eurolines to Brussels...it cost about EUR14 per person...3 times cheaper than Thalys train...a friend came to pick us up in the bus station and send us to my friend's place...that's another 2 nites of free accommodation...another EUR100 savings...the next day we went to Bruges...took the 24 hours Brussels metro pass for EUR6 per person and took the train from Brussels Central Station to Bruges for about EUR27 return per person...in Bruges we took the return bus tickets for EUR3.20 per person...then we went back for a good nite sleep in Brussels...total Brussels and Bruges was EUR50 per person...

We were off on the Thalys train to Rotterdam the next day...paid EUR38 per person for it including the train ticket from Rotterdam to The Hague...in The Hague i bought 5 days transport pass for EUR27...we also stay in my friend's place in The Hague for the whole time we were there...the next day we were off to Roermond via intercity train with a transit in Eindhoven and return via transit in Utretch...since my friend has a pass which entitled us to get 40% off the ticket...we paid only EUR28 return per person to Roermond...the following day we went to Amsterdam by just paying about EUR12 return also because of my friend's pass...the rest of the stay in The Hague was comfortable enough since i had bought the 5 days transport pass...total Netherlands EUR105 per person...excluding the one way train from The Hague to Schipol as my friend told us that it was his treat...

Christmas eve came and we went to Schipol to take a flight to London Gatwick via British Airways...paid EUR70 per person for it...which was cheaper than Easyjet which cost about EUR65 but without any baggage allowance...had an eventful nite in Gatwick with all the cancelled flights and train...so we got on Gatwick Express for free...and also the tube for free...went to Paddington as i had booked a hotel in Sussex Garden for GBP50 per nite...stay for 2 nights in London...bought Oyster card and top-up for GBP15...on boxing day my cousin drove from Birmingham and pick us up to his place...total London was EUR70 and GBP65...

We stay for the rest of our journey at my cousin's place in Birmingham...5 nites...that is GBP250 savings on accommodation...we supposed to take the Virgin train from Marylebone to Birmingham Moor Street as i had booked the ticket for GBP6 one way per person...but the ticket was burnt since my cousin decided he wanted to pick us up a day earlier than planned...we didn't buy any transport card because we done a lot of walking and also my cousin drove us to Manchester with his car...and also to Bicester...but since my cousin was working on the day we depart...i had to buy the airport transfer via National Express...it was rather a steep GBP39 per person and no discounts since we bought it the day before departure...total Birmingham was GBP45 per person...

This was roughly the total of my expenditure for the trip per person for the flight tickets...accommodation in London and lounge in Doha...connecting trains...public transports...connecting flights...and airport transfer...Total RM2,800 + (GBP110*5.5) + (EUR279*4.5) + RM212 = RM4,872.50 per person...it was well done of me...hahaha...for the duration of 18 days...but seriously i do save up a lot on accommodations...this is somehow a couchsurfing style but not exact since they are all my friends and family...this total however does not include any activities that we had paid during the trip...any meals or shopping...so the total is a bit more than that...but this was the essential part...as for the activities meals and shopping are up to one's own discretion...this entry is only about the expenditures...each specific places will be in my other entries according to the places that we went...

Some of my friends told me that i will be travelling less since i am married and insya Allah will be a father...but those who are really close to me knows that nothing will stops me from travelling...hahaha...my close friends really knew me enough that i will work it out somehow to ensure that i will not give up my travels...for the year 2014...i already have somewhere in mind...but its still too early to say...but 2013 has left a very good memory for me...i end my bachelor days...bring wifey to those places...it was the perfect closure for travel 2013 - KL - Doha - Paris - Brussels - Bruges - Rotterdam - The Hague - Roermond - Amsterdam - London - Birmingham - Manchester - KL...

T.Y.S