12/01/2020
In 2015, I visited the UK & Europe for the first time. Here, I'll share with you the locations & transportation during our stay & my review of each.
Our trip itinerary was as follows: We flew with Turkish Airlines > to London Heathrow > stayed for 4 days > traveled by Megabus to Paris > stayed 4 days > traveled by Megabus to Amsterdam > stayed 4 days > flew to Rome via British Airways > stayed 6 days > returned home
London, England:
Hotel: Urban Villa
Distance from Heathrow: Approx. 20 mins
- walked to hotel. Yes, with suitcases in hand!
Price: Affordable, mid-range
Room: Modern, apartment-style
Comfort: High
Overall Review: Loved staying at Urban Villa, the staff were friendly, the location was perfect, & the room was spacious. This was a new hotel & we were extremely comfortable with our stay. Definitely would stay here again & recommend!
Transportation: The tube (what else!) Very easy to get around the city. Best thing we did was getting an unlimited 3-day pass, so we can go & come as we pleased. Great way to see the sites.
Paris, France
Hotel: Hotel des Ecrivains
Distance from Porte Maillot Coach Station: Approx. 35 mins
- took a taxi to the hotel
Price: Affordable, mid-range
Room: Dated; old
Comfort: Average
Overall Review: This hotel was pretty old, but the location was awesome! In the heart of Paris! And that made up for the small room & tiny (tiny) bathroom. The elevator could only take one person at a time, so we ended up sending the suitcases & walking up/down the stairs. The owner was conservative & didn't like noise; even our regular speaking voice was "loud" lol, but hey, we were on vacation. Would look for another place when in Paris, but would use this as a last resort.
Transportation: Train! Paris has one of the best train systems in the world! Kinda wish someone from their team could help with my city's train system, but wishful thinking. Anyways, most train stops do not have escalators or elevators - shocking, I know. And if they did, it was hidden around the corner & far. Double check your platform, because it's a hike to walk back & cross-over to the right one, speaking from experience. Haha. All in good fun. And, you know what? Surprisingly, Paris has lots of food places or shops underground, so you'll never starve. Perfect train experience.
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Hotel: Park Inn by Radisson
Distance from Zeeburg P&R Coach Park: Approx. 1 hr
- took hotel shuttle
Price: Affordable, mid-range
Room: Modern, apartment-style
Comfort: High
Overall Review: Loved Park Inn! Got a complimentary beverage (Heinken) on arrival. You know they gots to give away their beer! 😉
The staff was friendly, room spacious & comfortable. It's a yes to staying here again & recommending.
Transportation: Getting to & from the city was a breeze. All we had to do was hop the (free) shuttle to the airport & transfer to any train stop from there. Our usual go-to was Centraal Station, the hub of the city. Easy! Having an unlimited 3-day pass didn't hurt. This pass allowed us to take the tram or train; money well spent.
Rome, Italy
Hotel: Vatican Garden House Bed & Breakfast
Distance from Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport: Approx. 30 mins
- arranged for a driver to pick us up
Price: Affordable
Room: Semi-chic
Comfort: High
Overall Review: Loved staying at the Vatican Garden B&B. Mostly because the Vatican was literally in our backyard, so to speak. We looked out the window, & across the road was the Vatican. The location was beyond perfect. We walked to the Vatican everyday, night & day. So beautiful. The owner of the property was friendly & accommodating, & breakfast was very European. Croissant, coffee, & fruit. Delicious. Of course I'll stay here again when I return to Rome & recommend to everyone.
Transportation: There was only two train lines in Rome, when we visited; A & B. They were working on a third line, C, so I'm sure it's opened by now. Either way, traveling by train was so easy in Rome. And if we weren't taking the train, we walked! Everything we wanted to see was nearby, as far as shops were concerned, all else was reachable by train. This city is magical & can't wait to return.
