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.