Hi Everyone

Im thinking of going on this tour....anyone else planning on going this time?

cheers

Hey there, Im leaving Madrid on 9th of June... seems like everyones doing it reverse haha! thats alright cant wait!

I just booked this trip tonight. Have you decided on it yet. I am very excited! If you have not booked yet, look into doing your airfare on your own. We saved over 500 a person by finding our own airfare.

Hi,
Just wanted to say hello...I'm doing this tour.
Can't wait to meet you all. I am also staying on in Spain for an extra week at the end if anyone is interested in travelling around. I was thinking of heading into Seville and I've been told that I will want to go back to Barcelona.

Well sounds like there's a few of us going and only 9 and a half weeks to go

hi guys just wanted to say hi
I am also going on this tour with a friend of mine
I am really excited and can't wait

Got it all booked about a week ago -- Coming from San Francisco via Frankfurt to Rome. Contiki Trip #3 for me, and Rome a 2nd time.

Oh yeah, by the way, I'm totally stoked about another European vacation at last! I hope I don't have a wine bottle in my hand the whole time. http://www.myspace.com/notsoskinny

Anyone going on the trip still around these message boards? 3 weeks and counting. Our first hotel looks OK: http://en.venere.com/hotels_rome/hotel_cascina_palace.html?action=location

I found a couple cheap ways to get from Fiumicino (airport) to the hotel. I think the pamphlet Contiki sent may have the metro stop "Pyramide" fall a bit short in terms of getting there. Rebibbia and Ponte Mammolo stops are on the hotel website on their Location page.

Leaving San Francisco for Frankfurt at 1:53 P.M. on June 10. Who's on the plane with me, eh?

Found this on MSN.Com today -- yet another "ugly American" article. It talks about a survey of UK residents and how they perceive Americans.

http://travel.msn.com/Guides/article.aspx?cp-documentid=388354

I got kind of interested (again) in this after the crowd in Mexico booed the USA contestant in the Miss Universe pageant this last weekend.

Just a few more days! I should totally be working right now.

For anyone curious about the hotels, why don't I list the ones we're set to stay at here. Subject to change, and it looks like they're all pretty good (some are good, some are great is the norm):

ROME - this is probably the average
http://en.venere.com/hotels_rome/hotel_cascina_palace.html
FLORENCE - quite nice looking
http://www.hotelfranchi.it/index.php?lang=eng
LA SPEZIA - very nice (plush chairs in the room? wow, haha)
http://www.hotelfirenzecontinentale.it/english/
NICE - back to average
http://en.venere.com/hotels_nice/port_riquier/hotel_kyr...ice_centre_port.html
AVIGNON - rooms average, but nice pool area. McDonald's very close (true, but I don't think I'll go)
http://www.accorhotels.com/accorhotels/fichehotel/gb/ib...6/fiche_hotel.shtml#
BARCELONA - very nice rooms, above average overall
http://www.hotelsmadbar.com/en/hotel-in-barcelona-cityp...ant-just-601279.html
MADRID - average, maybe a little above avg
http://www.hotelfloridanorte.com/#

The comments are just my personal opinion, compared to 2 previous Contiki tours and stuff. The Madrid hotel looks like it's a half block from a metro station, so that's cool for getting right to the airport (switching lines a couple times).

I've been told that Avignon isn't near anything in the way of night life, so it's the rest place after partying all the way from Rome.

Later,
Greg