Europe Trip Day 10 : Paris Airport Lounge & Business Class

It was time to return to Singapore via Singapore Airline flight. After checking in at the airport, the next thing to do was to settle the tax refund. Based on experience, it is better to get tax refund in Euro as the exchange rate offered at the airport is typically bad. After that it was rest and relax at the Star Alliance Gold Lounge. 

Europe Trip Day 9 : Orleans

We bid goodbye to Florence and took a Air France flight to travel to Paris. At Charles de Gaulle Airport, we transferred to a private cab that brought us to Orleans in two hours. We have been to Orleans previously and hence we did not do much exploring this round. Orleans is a small city located just south of Paris and it is part of the Loire Valley. Orleans has an interesting history associated with Joan of Arc who saved the city from English siege in 1429. 

Europe Trip Day 8 : Florence Outlet Shopping

Florence is popular for outlet shopping where one can buy luxury goods at a fraction of the retail price. For this trip, we visited Space and the Mall which are located in the outskirts of Florence. Space is a outlet for Prada and it is a place that Prada fans should visit. We took a train to Montevarchi and hailed a cab to take us to Space Outlet. We could view a decent selection for both women and men when we were there. However some of the items were limited in stock and colors. 

Europe Trip Day 7 : Florence - Piazzale Michelangelo, Ponte Vecchio & Uffizi Gallery

This morning, we took a bus to Piazzale Michelangelo which is located on the southern side of Arno River. Piazzale Michelangelo resides on high grounds and from here we were able to have a picturesque view of many of the iconic architectures in Florence. 

Europe Trip Day 6 : Florence Duomo

The next day, we checked out of the hotel and took a train to our next destination Florence. The journey was around an hour and thirty minutes. We walked to our hotel Cerretani Firenze Mgallery which as a short distance from the train station. The hotel is conveniently located in Florence with lots of attraction and food around it.

Europe Trip Day 5 : Milan Duomo & The Last Supper

Today we took a morning flight from Barcelona to Milan via EasyJet. EasyJet provides an affordable and comfortable way to travel between countries in the Europe continent. We had used EasyJet a couple of times and the experiences were pleasant. After clearing immigration, we took the Malpensa Airport Shuttle to transfer from Mapensa Terminal 2 to Terminal 1. After which we boarded the Malpensa Express which brought us to the city in about 50 minutes.

Europe Trip Day 4 : Barcelona - Barceloneta Beach & Gothic Quarters

We decided to explore Barceloneta beach today. We took the metro and alighted at Barceloneta. From the station, we strolled for about 10 minutes before reaching the shore. There was not much sun at this time of the year and hence the beach was quite deserted when we were there.

Europe Trip Day 3 : Barcelona - Sagrada Familia & Montjuic Castle & La Boqueria Market

This morning, we will be exploring the Sagrada Familia. This church is an awesome piece of art and architecture designed by Gaudi. Work started on the Sagrada Familia in 1882 and till now, the building of the church is still on-going. The church towers into the sky and is a prominent building from anywhere in Barcelona.

Europe Trip Day 2: Barcelona - Park Guell & Casa Batllo

We started the day with breakfast at the hotel. The breakfast was good and had a sufficient variety of choices. 

Europe Trip Day 1: Barcelona - La Rambla & Magic Fountain of Montjuic

We took a Singapore Airline flight from Singapore to Barcelona, which was our first destination for this trip. The flight took about 13 hours. We spent the time watching movies, snacking and resting during the long journey. It was difficult to catch any sleep because of the aircraft noise. The Audio Technica Noise Cancelling In-Ear Headphones was quite helpful in reducing the ambient noise but still not enough to fully tame the engine roar.

Europe Autumn Vacation

This was our second trip to Europe for vacation this year. The last visit was during the summer season which was quite hot. This time, we went during the autumn season which was cool and comfortable. For this 10D9N trip, we explored Barcelona, Milan, Florence and Orleans. Our trip itinerary was as below and the highlights for each day in subsequent posts.

Europe Trip Day 14 : London - Natural History & British Museum

London has many museums and galleries that cater to visitors with varied interests. We visited the Natural History Museum which has a diversity of galleries showing the various species of living things on Earth. which includes mammals, amphibians, reptiles and birds. It also has an interesting gallery on Dinosaurs which attracted a huge crowd as compared to the other galleries. The highlight is the animated T Rex display that is brought to life through sound and animation. This is probably the most realistic close up encounter anyone can get with the ferocious creature.

Europe Trip Day 13 : London - Big Ben, London Eye, Trafalgar Square & SOHO

We took the metro and alighted at Westminster. Once we emerged from the station, we could see the Elizabeth Tower with its iconic clock which is situated at the north end of the Palace of Westminster. The bell of the clock is popularly known as Big Ben and is apparently named after the Chief Commissioner of Works, Sir Benjamin Hall.

Europe Trip Day 12 : London - Harrods, Tower Bridge & London Bridge

We arrived in London after one hour and twenty minutes flight from Amsterdam. We took the metro from Heathrow Airport to Earl's Court station and walked about ten minutes before reaching our accommodation, the Millennium Bailey's Hotel. The Millennium Bailey's Hotel is a historic hotel dated all the way to the late nineteen century. The facade of the building retains the Victorian style and its interior decorated with Victorian furnishing.

Europe Trip Day 11 : Amsterdam - Zaanse Schans

After a nice continental breakfast, we embarked on a day trip to Zaanse Schans. We purchased tickets to travel from Amsterdam Central to Koog Zaandijk. After which we walked about ten minutes before reaching Zaanse Schans.

Europe Trip Day 10 : Amsterdam - Canals, Flower Market & Red Light District

We took the metro to Paris Nord and boarded a train from Paris Nord to Amsterdam Central. The train journey was around three hours and twenty minutes. Travelling via train is very convenient in Europe as there is no need to check-in and typically the train stops near to the city center. We booked the business class coach which had really comfortable and spacious seats. The best thing was that we were served breakfast as well.

Europe Trip Day 9 : Paris - Tuileries Garden, Louvre & Notre Dame

We did a leisure walk along the Seine river which was a good way to view many of the historical monuments and buildings located in the heart of Paris. We started at Place de la Concorde and after that strolled through the Tuileries Garden. We stopped for lunch at Cafe Des Marronniers located in the middle of the huge garden. This was where we had a delicious meal of onion soup and chicken tapas. 

Europe Trip Day 8 : Paris - Haussmann, Champs Elysee & Eiffel Tower

We hired a private taxi to bring us from Orleans to Paris. After about two hours, we reached our accommodation at Best Western Hotel Folkestone Opera. The hotel is conveniently located close to Champs Elysee which is the main shopping district in Paris. Printemps and Galeries Lafayette which are two popular malls for duty free shopping are also located within walking distance.

Europe Trip Day 7 : Orleans - Restaurants & Cafes

When it comes to fine dining, there are lots of choice in Orleans. One of the best that we been to is Chez Eugene where we had a gastronomic five course meal.

Europe Trip Day 6 : Loire Valley - Chateau de Chaumont

Chateau de Chaumont is perched on a hilltop and overlooks the Loire river. The nearest train station is Onzain and it takes about half an hour of trekking to get from the train station to the Chateau. 

Europe Trip Day 5 : Orleans - Museums & Cathedral

Joan of Arc is an important figure for Orleans and we could see traces of her throughout the city. The city has done well in ensuring her legacy lives on and her stories known by future generations.

Europe Trip Day 4 : Loire Valley - Chambord & Cheverny

Chateau de Chambord is the largest Chateau in the Loire valley. The Chateau was built as a hunting lodge for King François I in the 16th Century and the sprawling wooded park surrounding the Chateau provided the game reserves.

Europe Trip Day 3 : Orleans - Loire River & Parc Pasteur

Orleans is located to the south of Paris and can be reached via a two hour drive from Paris. Orleans is associated with Joan of Arc, the heroine who lead the liberation of Orleans in the 15th century. There are many monuments in Orleans to commemorate the achievements of the heroine. In addition, the city holds various medieval festivals and exhibitions to celebrate the important historical event. 

Europe Trip Day 2 : Loire Valley - Chateau de Chenonceau

The Loire Valley is well known for the Chateaus or Castles dominating the region and many of them with a rich history closely linked to the kings and nobles. The entire region which stretches from Orleans to Angers is designated as a UNESCO heritage site.

Europe Trip Day 1 : Changi Airport SilverKris Lounge

Our holiday experience started the moment we stepped into the airport. We were invited to the SilverKris Lounge after clearing the immigration. The SilverKris lounge is spacious and provides ample spaces for travelers to rest and relax. For travelers who need a bite, it has a buffet spread with a good selection of food and beverages. 

After a delightful meal, the next thing was to park ourselves comfortably in one of the sofa chairs while waiting to board the flight.


From the lounge, it was only a short walk to the boarding gates. Soon we were on our way on the long haul flight from Singapore to Paris. From Paris, it was another two to three hours of journey to Orleans via public transport. Due to the time zone difference, we gained a day which was useful for us to rest and to recharge our energy.

Europe Summer Holiday

Europe is a continent with a rich history and culture. It has an immense amount of architecture, art and tradition waiting for the traveler to discover and to experience. In the 14 days trip, we traveled across the boundaries of the great continent to explore Orleans, Loire Valley, Paris, Amsterdam and London.