Tips for upcoming holidays please - Europe/Middle East

[jhm]

Another vote for a side trip to Bologna (somewhat underrated) if you have time!

Great food - some say the best in Italy (think rich pasta made with eggs; the region which is home to parmesan cheese, parma ham and balsamic vinegar; genuine spaghetti bolognese; etc) - nightlife (with a large student population Bologna's university is one of the oldest in the western world so pre-dates Oxbridge) - and architecture (elegant porticos etc). A very well off and compact city.

The lounge at the airport is pleasant - bright, spacious and with its own security channel from the lounge to the departure area.

Unfortunately, the only SPG option is the Sheraton (IIRC) near the airport so not convenient for town.

BA fly direct to BLQ from LGW so phaleesy will have to forget about her beloved cr*ppy AZ and take a proper airline.

[KeithMEL]

Thanks for the Bologna suggestion - I will defs look into it. Might take a look at trains from Milan.

The indirect routing might be a plus point for phaleesy especially with her stated aim - 'more AZ segments.'

I'm going to MCT because it's a longish "European" DONE sector from LHR, and I wanted to do something other than DXB as I've done that last time (though will prolly go back next time). I could've turned around of course but seems a bit of a waste to do that. The other option was DOH where there's a W but it doesn't really seem built up for tourism. Friends were also praising the beaches in MCT.

[Stephan]

Hey Keith,
if you like to drink the best cocktails in Berlin then i would recommend the Victoria Bar near the famous Potsdamer Platz.

Victoria Bar


Best regards Stephan

[KeithMEL]

Hey Keith,
if you like to drink the best cocktails in Berlin then i would recommend the Victoria Bar near the famous Potsdamer Platz.

Victoria Bar


Best regards Stephan

Wow that looks REAL nice. I'll definitely check it out. Thanks for the tip!

Mmm all night happy hour on Sunday...

[fimo]

If you like sunken ships you could go to and see the Vasa:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasa_(ship)

The Vasa Museet is great - I definitely recommend it. I'm not much for history museums so was most pleasantly surprised.

I was in ARN last summer to fabulous weather, so can't recommend much for dead of winter. But many who head to Sweden during that period also voyage further north nearer the arctic circle - say the Ice Hotel or some dog sledding. I was planning to do the latter last winter but ended up spending christmas break in Singapore after far too many days of grey, wet Belgian weather!