Round the world trip for single gay male traveller
Jul 25, 2006, 3:32 am
#2
Join Date: Jul 2006
Programs: SQ-PPS+8, BA-Mucci Diamente, Mucci Siegneur des Bains Chauds
Posts: 2,286
Well I can give you plenty of advice on London and where to go if you need it.
Train through Europe to Barca is fun but make sure you stop off in Paris. WWW.eurostar.com is good for booking tickets and you won't find cheaper prices elsewhere. They have add on journeys to anywhere in France for next to nothing on the TGV network at the moment. This will take you right up to the border at Port Bou. If you qualify for a rail pass it may work out cheaper though. Day returns form London to Paris can work out cheaper than a single mid week. If you want a treat go leisure select. Essentially there are first class and second class carriages. First is only three abreast and champagne onboard and a good meal just makes the whole thing seem civilised. Leisure select is the bargain fare as you sit in first class with meal and champagne. Full first class is four times the price and you get nothing extra except full ticket flexibility.
I would query Auckland rather than Sydney on a RTW. Auckland is really nice but compared to Sydney, well there is far far more bars/clubs and fun time to be had.
Train through Europe to Barca is fun but make sure you stop off in Paris. WWW.eurostar.com is good for booking tickets and you won't find cheaper prices elsewhere. They have add on journeys to anywhere in France for next to nothing on the TGV network at the moment. This will take you right up to the border at Port Bou. If you qualify for a rail pass it may work out cheaper though. Day returns form London to Paris can work out cheaper than a single mid week. If you want a treat go leisure select. Essentially there are first class and second class carriages. First is only three abreast and champagne onboard and a good meal just makes the whole thing seem civilised. Leisure select is the bargain fare as you sit in first class with meal and champagne. Full first class is four times the price and you get nothing extra except full ticket flexibility.
I would query Auckland rather than Sydney on a RTW. Auckland is really nice but compared to Sydney, well there is far far more bars/clubs and fun time to be had.
Jul 25, 2006, 6:56 am
#4
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 5,735
I did an RTW as a single GWM, late 20s. Took about four months if you exclude the extended stay in Sydney - a place most definately worth extending in.
My itinerary was London-Miami-Key West-Washington DC-NYC-LAX-San Diego-SFO-Hawaii-Adelaide-Melbourne-Sudney-Perth-Cairns-Bali (wow!)-Singapore-Bangkok-Mumbai/Bombay-Dubai-London.
You may have reasons for visiting places like Saint Maarten, but frankly if you are looking to chill out on a beach Bali is amazing. And you can pop down to St Maarten anytime from the States - why not be adventurous and do your beach bit in Thailand, where it will be much cheaper and more luxurious.
Totally agree with Sydney over Auckland suggestion.
I have been to Buenos Aires, thought it was OK; have never been to Rio, but most people I have spoken to who have say Rio is better.
From your itinerary it seems you are on a OneWorld Explorer?
Why not fly PDX-Miami-Key West-Miami-Buenos Aires/Rio-London-no stopover fly to Amsterdam-London-eurostar train to Paris-train to Berlin-fly to Barcelona/Sitges-London-Cape Town (very jealous, never been!)-Perth-Sydney-Hawaii-Seattle-PDX
I can see that fitting in Cape Town and also taking in Asia is going to be tricky, so understand why you have not put Asia on the list. Though if economy is key it is a great place to eek a few weeks in relative luxury on a budget. Cape Town sounds great - it's on my list but waiting for a "special" trip for that one.
In Europe you must see London, Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin and Barcelona. All a great cities with lots to see, and all have a superb scene. About four nights in London, three nights Amsterdam, three nights Berlin and two nights Barca, two nights Sitges as a minimum.
Berlin is an amazing place where you can visit the Holocaust Museum, lots of history surrounding the former East Germany, a concentration camp in Sachsenhausen (SP?) which is a half hour train ride away, and other great stuff.
Several great hotel deals on www.priceline.com in concert with the newly-liberated-from-Sheryl-who-is-away www.biddingfortravel.com throughout Europe.
In Amsterdam, check out www.supperclub.nl in the evening, lots of other good tips on here is you use the search button.
In Hawaii, I would personally recommend www.cabana-waikiki.com which is in the commercial Honolulu but very friendly. Pearl Harbor is not to be missed.
Do try and check out gay hotels on this trip; I had never stayed at one prior to my journey, but found them mostly great value for money and a superb way to meet some fascinating like minded people who kept me entertained. Started out with islandhousekeywest.com and have not looked back.
Cannot search for a link at work, but try The Leading Gay Hotels of the World, which have some great properties on their books.
A Spartacus Guide (better than Damron for Europe IMHO) Guide is essential for such a trip. Try Amazon.com
Another thing to remember is the seasons - they can hugely influence whether you will enjoy somewhere, and should dictate your choice of direction and arrival dates. How long are you planning on travelling and what is your budget? What are your key interests?
If possible, try and get a friend to meet you for a week in one of the cities as it can be good to have someone you know to share your experiences with and helps cut costs - would be especially good in the germany/paris/barcelona section if you don't speak the langauge and prices are high.
I recommend you fly more or less straight to Amsterdam from London after your South america trip as you will need a few days to recover from jet lag, and it is much cheaper in Amsterdam than London. Plus it is easy to fly between London and AMS, train is not quite so marvellous. However you still want to experience Eurostar (splash out for Leisure First - not overly expensive and worth every penny) London to Paris.
Do be sure to time your flights well so you are in the cities for Friday/Saturday and possibly Sunday nights, and then travelling on Mondays/Tuesdays when there is less going on.
You have chosen to travel the "wrong" way round, as jet lag is vastly reduced flying East-West; do take this in consideration if seasonal considerations to not preclude it.
If you need other internal Europe flights, in addition to your RTW, check out www.skyscanner.net for low cost carriers.
My itinerary was London-Miami-Key West-Washington DC-NYC-LAX-San Diego-SFO-Hawaii-Adelaide-Melbourne-Sudney-Perth-Cairns-Bali (wow!)-Singapore-Bangkok-Mumbai/Bombay-Dubai-London.
You may have reasons for visiting places like Saint Maarten, but frankly if you are looking to chill out on a beach Bali is amazing. And you can pop down to St Maarten anytime from the States - why not be adventurous and do your beach bit in Thailand, where it will be much cheaper and more luxurious.
Totally agree with Sydney over Auckland suggestion.
I have been to Buenos Aires, thought it was OK; have never been to Rio, but most people I have spoken to who have say Rio is better.
From your itinerary it seems you are on a OneWorld Explorer?
Why not fly PDX-Miami-Key West-Miami-Buenos Aires/Rio-London-no stopover fly to Amsterdam-London-eurostar train to Paris-train to Berlin-fly to Barcelona/Sitges-London-Cape Town (very jealous, never been!)-Perth-Sydney-Hawaii-Seattle-PDX
I can see that fitting in Cape Town and also taking in Asia is going to be tricky, so understand why you have not put Asia on the list. Though if economy is key it is a great place to eek a few weeks in relative luxury on a budget. Cape Town sounds great - it's on my list but waiting for a "special" trip for that one.
In Europe you must see London, Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin and Barcelona. All a great cities with lots to see, and all have a superb scene. About four nights in London, three nights Amsterdam, three nights Berlin and two nights Barca, two nights Sitges as a minimum.
Berlin is an amazing place where you can visit the Holocaust Museum, lots of history surrounding the former East Germany, a concentration camp in Sachsenhausen (SP?) which is a half hour train ride away, and other great stuff.
Several great hotel deals on www.priceline.com in concert with the newly-liberated-from-Sheryl-who-is-away www.biddingfortravel.com throughout Europe.
In Amsterdam, check out www.supperclub.nl in the evening, lots of other good tips on here is you use the search button.
In Hawaii, I would personally recommend www.cabana-waikiki.com which is in the commercial Honolulu but very friendly. Pearl Harbor is not to be missed.
Do try and check out gay hotels on this trip; I had never stayed at one prior to my journey, but found them mostly great value for money and a superb way to meet some fascinating like minded people who kept me entertained. Started out with islandhousekeywest.com and have not looked back.
Cannot search for a link at work, but try The Leading Gay Hotels of the World, which have some great properties on their books.
A Spartacus Guide (better than Damron for Europe IMHO) Guide is essential for such a trip. Try Amazon.com
Another thing to remember is the seasons - they can hugely influence whether you will enjoy somewhere, and should dictate your choice of direction and arrival dates. How long are you planning on travelling and what is your budget? What are your key interests?
If possible, try and get a friend to meet you for a week in one of the cities as it can be good to have someone you know to share your experiences with and helps cut costs - would be especially good in the germany/paris/barcelona section if you don't speak the langauge and prices are high.
I recommend you fly more or less straight to Amsterdam from London after your South america trip as you will need a few days to recover from jet lag, and it is much cheaper in Amsterdam than London. Plus it is easy to fly between London and AMS, train is not quite so marvellous. However you still want to experience Eurostar (splash out for Leisure First - not overly expensive and worth every penny) London to Paris.
Do be sure to time your flights well so you are in the cities for Friday/Saturday and possibly Sunday nights, and then travelling on Mondays/Tuesdays when there is less going on.
You have chosen to travel the "wrong" way round, as jet lag is vastly reduced flying East-West; do take this in consideration if seasonal considerations to not preclude it.
If you need other internal Europe flights, in addition to your RTW, check out www.skyscanner.net for low cost carriers.
Jul 25, 2006, 8:00 am
#5
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: LHR / BHX / MAN / ATL
Programs: DL DM 2MM - IHG Diamond
Posts: 4,054
I did a RTW SkyTeam award in Dec/Jan and did some of the same destinations. Mine was:
Atlanta
Buenos Aires
Amsterdam
Capetown
Johannesburg
Victoria Falls Zimbabwe/Chobe Reserve Botswana
Johannesburg
Paris
Hong Kong
Sydney
Melbourne
Christchurch
Wellington
Auckland
There were a few SA and QF puchased tickets there to close off a few open jaws.
I traveled solo and met some amazing people along the way. I must say that I was pleased at the level of hospitality extended to me as an openly gay male traveling alone.
If I had to add a suggestion to your trip, it is that you will be in Capetown. You are a short plane ride from Victoria Falls, one of the great wonders of the world. When will you ever be that close again?
I, too, went "the wrong way" around the world. I don't know if there is a "right way". Traveling west to east allowed most of my long haul flights to be overnight flights. If you can sleep on a plane, this works great because I saved about 6 or 7 hotel nights. However, a bigger factor in which direction I traveled was that it is an award ticket. I went where I could get seats. I made some minor compromises on my destinations (I had to add Amsterdam because of flight connections and availability).
If you are purchasing the RTW, certainly you can get what you want. But if it is an award, don't fret. Take what is available and enjoy it. It is one of the great experiences that you will ever have.
Finally, listen to advice here and elsewhere, but ultimately, it is your trip. Don't worry that you must do this or must go there. Make it your trip.
Atlanta
Buenos Aires
Amsterdam
Capetown
Johannesburg
Victoria Falls Zimbabwe/Chobe Reserve Botswana
Johannesburg
Paris
Hong Kong
Sydney
Melbourne
Christchurch
Wellington
Auckland
There were a few SA and QF puchased tickets there to close off a few open jaws.
I traveled solo and met some amazing people along the way. I must say that I was pleased at the level of hospitality extended to me as an openly gay male traveling alone.
If I had to add a suggestion to your trip, it is that you will be in Capetown. You are a short plane ride from Victoria Falls, one of the great wonders of the world. When will you ever be that close again?
I, too, went "the wrong way" around the world. I don't know if there is a "right way". Traveling west to east allowed most of my long haul flights to be overnight flights. If you can sleep on a plane, this works great because I saved about 6 or 7 hotel nights. However, a bigger factor in which direction I traveled was that it is an award ticket. I went where I could get seats. I made some minor compromises on my destinations (I had to add Amsterdam because of flight connections and availability).
If you are purchasing the RTW, certainly you can get what you want. But if it is an award, don't fret. Take what is available and enjoy it. It is one of the great experiences that you will ever have.
Finally, listen to advice here and elsewhere, but ultimately, it is your trip. Don't worry that you must do this or must go there. Make it your trip.
Jul 25, 2006, 1:39 pm
#7
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 5,735
Originally Posted by krug
Cannot search for a link at work, but try The Leading Gay Hotels of the World, which have some great properties on their books.
Found it:
www.foremostgayhotels.com/specials.php.
Found it:
www.foremostgayhotels.com/specials.php.
Jul 25, 2006, 4:18 pm
#9
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Boston
Programs: United-Premier, National-Emerald
Posts: 33
I just got back from a 17 day trip in South Africa with my boyfriend, and Cape Town is great. Even in the winter, read cloudy with some rain, it was paradise. If you have some bucks to spend, check out the Bay Hotel in Camps Bay. Fantastic place, with a perfect location.
If you are up for some tourist sites, be sure to checkout Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned. Get a reservation days before you want to go as they almost always sell out.
Also, go up Table Mountain. We hiked up and took the cable car down to save some time, but either way - the views are worth it.
Cafe Manhattan is a surprisingly good gay owned restaurant. It was packed on an off season, wednesday night with a friendly crowd.
If you are up for some tourist sites, be sure to checkout Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned. Get a reservation days before you want to go as they almost always sell out.
Also, go up Table Mountain. We hiked up and took the cable car down to save some time, but either way - the views are worth it.
Cafe Manhattan is a surprisingly good gay owned restaurant. It was packed on an off season, wednesday night with a friendly crowd.
NZ is fine but why go all the way to the bottom of the earth for AKL!
Jul 27, 2006, 8:05 am
#14
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: LHR / BHX / MAN / ATL
Programs: DL DM 2MM - IHG Diamond
Posts: 4,054
I don't think the OP "must" do anything except have a great trip. The things that I find fascinating may totally bore him/her and v.v. We shouldn't be shy about suggesting places that we each have found worthwhile, but the OP should make the RTW what he/she wants, not worrying about "must do" items on a checklist.
Jul 27, 2006, 9:43 am
#15
In Memoriam
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Katoomba (Blue Mountains)
Programs: Mucci
Posts: 8,083
Originally Posted by ecaarch
I don't think the OP "must" do anything except have a great trip. The things that I find fascinating may totally bore him/her and v.v. We shouldn't be shy about suggesting places that we each have found worthwhile, but the OP should make the RTW what he/she wants, not worrying about "must do" items on a checklist.
Dave