We have been in contact with a few travel agencies regarding flights and travel options. Below are some hints and tips as well as prices we have found so far. Obviously we are not a travel agent so prices may vary. This is just our experience to date and what we have found. If you have other hints, tips or prices, we'd love to hear from you.
The cheapest return flights we have found to date are with Vietnam Airlines. The total cost per person return is $1292.00 including taxes from Melbourne to Paris. We also went to the Europe 2012 travel expo where Vietnam Airlines were offering free return flights to a number of the Vietnam Islands should you wish to make this an extended stop over.
Malaysia Air have also advertised early bird specials for $1829.00 per person return from Melbourne which are due to end on 31 October 2011 but Escape Travel indicated that these deals may be extended. This includes a stopover in Kuala Lumpur. This is our best pick so far due to the cost, reputation of the airline and because of the stop over (we're planning on making this an extended stop over on the way home).
Singapore Airlines are quite expensive. The quote we obtained from Flight Centre was $2149.00 per person return. We flew Singapore Airlines to Thailand. The food and service was really good however we have also heard really good things about Malaysia Air. We couldn't say anything special about Singapore Airlines which would make the additional cost worthwhile.
We are also waiting on a quote from Jetset Travel which I have booked all of my overseas holidays with and have found them really easy to deal with. They ensure that every detail is taken care of including transfers and have great suggestions, hints and tips when planning a holiday; usually based on experience too.
All travel agents have agreed that the taxes are cheaper when flying in and out of Paris and Rome. London is an additional $100-$200 additional in taxes each way. We have planned our honeymoon to start and finish in Paris for this reason. Following the wedding, most of the guests to date have confirmed they are continuing their travels around Europe. There are so many options to meet all budgets.
If you’re comfortable and/or experienced in travel, a cost effective option is to make a base the countries you want to see so that you can do day trips via Euro Rail into nearby countries. This option means you don't have to cart your luggage around, plan your days around check in and checkout times or pack and unpack each day. You may also be able to access cheaper accommodation by renting an apartment for the week rather than staying in a hotel.
(NB: most travel agents will tell you that you need to purchase your Eurorail tickets in Australia and that this is the cheapest option. We have also being told from experience from many people that this is not the case and it is in fact more expensive! We can't say for sure buy just something to keep in mind). More info can found at: http://www.raileurope.com.au/
If you’re not so comfortable or don't want to plan each day, tours are a great option and there are plenty on offer to suit all ages and budgets. From our own experience, don't try to fit too much in. You're more likely to have a more enjoyable holiday seeing less but at your own pace and soaking up the experience as opposed to seeing more and racing from one place to the next.
Something to keep in mind... the 2012 Olympic Games in London! Yep, peak season in Europe suddenly became a whole lot more hectic. The games will run from 27 July to 12 August 2012 and the Paralympic Games will run from 29 August to 09 September 2012.
