October 2009

CLIQ and DROID launched. CLIQ wasnt pretty impressive , i am using one now and the battery life and weight of the phone are the 2 main factors I still prefer my HTC Magic.

DROID looks pretty cool being the first android 2.0 phone to appear in the market. And i love Verizon’s commercial to market the product . If you have not seen it, check the youtube video below

The full journey on Google maps. You can see the interactive version of this here

The damage and the breakdown =)

The posts are here

Day 01 Zurich

Day 02 Zurich / Lucerne

Day 03 Lucerne / Mt Pilatus

Day 04 Lucerne / Interlaken

Day 05 Interlaken / Jaunfrau

Day 06 Venice

Day 07 Venice

Day 08 Venice / Milan

Day 09 Milan / Foxtown

Day 10/11 Milan Outlets

Photos and Videos

Zurich Photos

Lucerne Photos

Interlaken Photos

Venice Photos

Milan and Others

some tips when boarding italia trains

- check euro railways for timing of trains before u head to the station to avoid long waiting times.

- the site gives very comprehensive information on timing departure and arrival as well as the number of stops.

- if u do not hold the euro rail pass you can either purchase the train tickets from the ticketing office or from the self service kiosk. I personally prefer to use the self service kiosk because is relatively easy to use. check the video. the ticketing office can be long queues at time.

- the trains in italia are not as advanced as those in Swiss so I have a habit to write down the intermediate stations and the eta before boarding, at least I know what to expect next! the intermediate stops are usually avaliable on the station screen if you do not gave Internet access.

- some trains require reservations which means you have seat numbers. the train station usually have info to indicate this or you can find that out on the euro website. it usually has a R beside it. this means they have seat numbers allocated to you. take note which carriage you are on cos the same seat number appears on every carriage!! if ur ticket is not a reserved ticket, you will need to validate it on one of the validating machines. I still have nit figure out why we need to validate them since we already paid for it and ticket issued.

- always take a carriage with many couples or families unless you are the brave type. Italy isn’t the safest place !

Serravalle outlet is in Milan. Serravalle outlet is based on an open concept opposed to foxtown which has all the stores in a 4 storey building. reaching there isn’t the easiest thing for first timers

How to go to Serravalle Outlet

if you are travelling from Milan centrale take the train to arquata scrivia station. do note that there are train durations that are 1 hr 10 mins and some trains will take as long as 3 hours. so make sure you choose the right one.
when you reach the station you have 2 options to take the bus or take a taxi. the bus is the public transport and u need to take it about 100 metre outside the station. costs 1.40 euro. the bus panel will display where it is going however the bus timing is wierd when we reached arquata scrivia in the morning at about 9.45am we were told the first bus is at 1 pm. that leaves us the option to take a taxi. private taxis costs 15 euros or you can look for the taxi driver who drives the mini van. he charge 3 euro per person and usually start his car when he has 5 or more pax.
the total jouney shd be about 15 mins. we are lucky because we some a family of 5 SIngaporeans going there too. So we co-shared the mini van to the destination.

the return journey if you decided to take the bus will require you to go to the bus stop. the bus stop is located at the retail mall side. there is a outlet side and a retail side. to reAch the bus stop go to the asics outlet store and there is a underground pass that goes to the retail mall. once u come out from the underground tunnel do a left turn you should see a temporary bus stop across the rocky car park. it is just beside the expressway. a similiar one is opposite side and the bus will stop on that side first make a u turn and back. do note that arquata scrivia is not the final station and you need to know when to alight. ask the driver to notify you if you are unsure. the signboards along the road will tell you when you enter the town of arquata scrivia , the other way is to check ur watch as the eta time is usually quite accurate. the bus timing will give you about 15mins buffer before the return train to milano centrale arrives.

We missed the stop.  Luckily we realized , get off the bus and runs all the way back to the station just in time to catch the train! If you are still unsure, check with the tourist information at the outlet for more information. the tourist information counter is just opposite the burger king.

if you are into Prada and Bally,  the store at foxtown will have more variety. but you will feel more relaxed at serravalle, since it is more open and the weather is cooling .

Thats all for outlet shoppings around Milan area. Next thing we need to figure out how to do tax refunds.

Day 11

The following morning we took a late bfast  since we have no major itinerary in plan. We will be doing shopping at Galleria Vittorio Emanuele.

The main shopping area is the so-called Fashion Quadrangle (quadrilatero della moda), a set of blocks roughly between Duomo Square (Piazza Duomo), Cavour Square (Piazza Cavour) and San Babila Square (Piazza San Babila). Here in Montenapoleone Street, Della Spiga Street, Vittorio Emanuele Street and Manzoni Street, it contains the most prestigious boutiques and showrooms in the world. Everything reeks of ostentation and the splendor of a chic, fashionable lifestyle Located near MM1 San Babila or MM3Montenapoleone subway stations.

Remember to check out the Armani Flagship store at the junction of Montenapoleone Street and Manzoni Street. You will be impressed! I think they are building a hotel call Armani hotel too.

There is a global refund centre at duomo area but you can only get your refund done if you have the custom chop.

How to do Tax Refund

- Milan VAT is about 12% and Switzerland is 7.5%. You can only get your refund back when you are leaving Europe i believe. But prior to you leaving a country, you should get the custom chop first

- The other way is to get all your chops at the airport. If you are at Malpensa airport ( Milan international Airport ), take note that the Global Tax Refund counter AND the Custom Chop is 2 different place. We have a hard time trying to ask for direction. Everyone just point us to the Tax Refund queue which WONT WORK unless you get the Custom Chop. The Custom Chop office is just opposite the Tax Refund Queue.

- You can only get refund if you spend more than 155 euros in a single receipt.

Designer brands like LV, Prada , Gucci are generally cheaper here than in singapore. LV bags is like 20-30% cheaper so is a good deal if you are into designer bags and is planning a trip to Europe.

To travel to the airport in Milan is relatively easy as well. If you booked a hotel at Milan Centrale ( like the one we are staying ) , the cheapest and most convienient way is to take the airport shuttle from Milan Centrale to the Airport. It costs 7.50 euro one way and the bus leaves every 20 minutes. Total journey will take approximately 50 minutes to an hour depending on the traffic. But take note the bus will stop at Terminal 2 ( domestic ) first before it goes to Terminal 1 ( international ) which should be where most of us are taking our flights from.

So that concludes my 12 days europe trip. We get to climb mountains, Hike on Snow, See lakes, and do shopping… what more can i ask for ? =)

last weekend in Europe. today itinerary como and foxtown! yeah we are going back to switz for shopping

breakfast at UNO is by far the best! the spread is good with more choices like fruits hard boiled eggs and flavoured croissants . If you are staying there as well, you may need to go either very early for breakfast or go very late ( around 9am ) . There are a lot of Japanese guests and they actually queue up at 7am for breakfast.

bought tickets to como thru the ticketing counter. the express train takes 30 minutes costs 7.5 euro compare with the normal 50 min train which costs 3.50 euro but you need to take that from another station. We decided to take the fast one for the time and the convienience.

while waiting for the train to arrive ( we are 1 hour early cos we dunno how to figure out the way initially) I realize the self service ticketing kiosk is very easy to use too !

we figure our way out to foxtown. 30 mins train to como, 5 mins train to chiasso then 25 mins bus.

the bus leaves on the 5 th minute mark outside the chiasso train station and is yellow in color. the ticket costs 7 euro for return and you can hop on it at the bus stop just outside the station.

if you like lakeside view stop by como on the way to the outlet , is about 15 mins walk from como station to the city central and you can get a nice scenic view of como town by the lake. if you hv time take the boat cruise but those are not for me…

foxtown outlet is a 4 storey outlet with gucci and bally outlets! we didn’t find these 2 in the other outlets we research so if Gucci and Bally us what you want, foxtown is where you need to go ! you may want to bring some snacks and drinks there cos the food at the fox cafe is damn expensive! a glass of coke costs 5 francs. they have a fox cafe on every level. the place is really huge . I strongly suggest checking out the gucci prada n bally stores cos you could find some really good bargains there. of course don’t expect under 50 euro items. expect 50% off the retail price and you will feel more shop-cited.

wake up relatively early today ard 5 am and packed stuff getting ready to board the eurocity train at 850 am to MILAN!! Milan will be our last stop before we head back home and this is going to be a shopping leg. the journey is 2.5 hours and costs 60 sgd one way. we plan 2-3 outlet trips hopefully I can do some retail therapy over this weekend.

we stay in a hotel ( uno century )about 5 mins from the Milan main station. the station looks familiar and I suddenly recall I saw it in the movie " international "  the hotel room is big. in fact it is call a junior suite. with a mini pantry , L-shape study table, sofa in the living room and of course the bed.

Would be the best and most comfortable room we stayed in throughout this trip so far.

went to duomo for a visit. the church was huge . paid 5 euros to went up to the top of the church by stairs. 250 steps in total according to the signboard. you can pay 3 euro extra to take the lift though.

The Duomo, in Duomo Square. Milan’s main cathedral, a massive late Gothic church (started in 1386) in white marble, with hundreds of spires and thousands of statues on its exterior and a famous façade. Don’t miss the chance to climb up onto the roof and enjoy the spectacular views of the city between the Gothic spires. Reachable by subway, lines MM1 or MM3, Duomo Station, or with many buses and streetcars. Roof open daily 9 AM – 5:30 PM.

there are lots of tourists in front of the duomo which is kinda expected since the main attraction n main shopping arcade ( Galleria Vittorio Emanuele ) is all there. With tourists you will see tourists traps, beware of people usually dark Africans with a bunch of friendship bands trying to tie one onto your finger and asking you for a unreasonable price for it. there are LOTS of them in front of the duomo, the other group of con-sters are the ones who offer you corn to feed the pigeons. i was cheated by the former back in 2004 when I was in Rome. that fship band costs be 20 euros! zzz…

we didn’t spend a lot of time at the shopping arcade cos were quite tired. will probably visit the place again on Monday . i saw a pair of gstar jeans which costs 130 euros … I think the same one in sg will prob costs about 300-400.
at nite we walk our way to vestistock suppose to be a factory outlet. turns out to be a factory store. nothing much and is confusing. luckily along the way we saw benetton and loccitane and h&m. mrs chan bought a necklace and her shampoo refill so is still a worthy walk. and we found a supermarket!

hazy day. we need to queue to enter the basilica!! we bought the 12 hour ticket that allow us unlimited ride on the vaporetti. the boat ride is crowded but many alight at the Rialto giving us more space to view the canal and the buildings that lines it’s river banks.

The Rialto Bridge (Italian: Ponte di Rialto) is one of the four bridges spanning the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy. It is the oldest bridge across the canal, and the most famous in the city.

 
St mark square is huge, with lots of pigeons and lots of people. We took a tour inside the basilica and the doge palace. not really able to appreciate the history but it is still worth a visit since we have make it this far. but I believe the tourists who read and understand the history will definately able to relate better to the history and the amazing stories behind all the sights.

After a quick lunch at Mac, we went to visit the island of burano. it is a small island off Venice. There are 2 other islands but we didnt go. One is call Murano ( Island of Glass, famous for glass making ) and Torcello. It takes us about 50 minutes to reAch by boat which is covered by the Day pass. Burano contains many colorful houses and is mostly a place for fisherman. they painted the the houses different colors so that the fisherman can easily recognize them on the way back from the sea. when we reach there, it is very scenic and peaceful.  we skip murano, the island of glass, cos we figure out we will probably not be buying anything.

it is really not that difficult to walk within Venice with a map. hah but the whole experience of twisting and turning in valleys and crossing canals after canals make the stay in Venice a very romantic and lovely one. of course I have to take away the hotel stay in hotel Florida! good location but the room and amenties is a bit cannot make it. Creaking beds and definately not the place “to rest your mind”

The vaporetti is the Venice equivalent of the subway. as with other major cities you can purchase single trips or multiple day pass which allows u unlimited rides on the water trains. detailed maps at the station as well as electronic boards in most stations will let you know when the next boat will arrive. the only difference probably will be instead of having multiple platforms like most major subways , vaporettis has multiple stations along the river banks for the same station to cater for different water routes. just make sure u see the signboard carefully if you are on the right one. I will feel that the boat rides is more of an experience than means of transport within the Venice city itself cos the boat route circled around the banks. it may be much faster if you walk to your destination, as long as you don’t get lost among the canals and the alleys. One tip or suggestion that i used is to use the map canals and bridges as reference point. I usually will count the number of bridges and walk alongside the banks , it makes the orientation easier than looking for the street names since all of them are on Italian…

Enjoy Venice!

Venice. I been to the fake one in Hong Kong Macau. But the real one is one of the most interesting places and is very lovely. ( minus the crowd )

We had a quick bfast and board the 729 am train to Spiez then change another train to brig. the train service head straight to Milan and is the first time we took a train but does not have a place to sit. luckily the next leg of our journey is reserved and is going to take us 5 hours to reach the floating city!!

the train was jam packed when we boarded at Spiez, while waiting for the train we saw a few more couples who are Americans waiting for the same train and going to Venice too. One of the couples are actually going to Venice to take a cruise all the way back to Florida. The cruise is call Princess Ruby or something.

That is so interesting! I am also  surprised at how strangers travelling abroad can become friends so easily. There is this couple on the train who is sitting directly across the aisle from us who took the window seat away from a Thai. a short scene happened and was so funny cos the Thai was trying to find some English speaking passengers to complain. that couple probably italians brought their poodle along and you can see from the Thai face that he is very pissed with them. that guy is going Milan an then going to Paris the next day. he look rich judging from his appearance. LV bag, Etro Jeans.

My first impression of Venice? Crowded. There are lots of people And I read from the net that there are very few residents in Venice. Most of the people are either tourists or the people who worked in the shops there. I cannot imagine how much more people it will be during the peak season. ( Jun – Sep )

What is the #1 thing to do in Venice? To get yourself lost among the canals and alleys.

Interlaken is a quiet village, not as busy as Zurich or lucerne. packed with souvenir shops along the mainstreet, the only thing I find familiar is macdonalds n hooters. And there is really nothing on the main street to see except souvenirs.

It takes you about 20 – 25 minutes to walk from one end to another. You may want to check out the small little swiss army knife house which sells very comprehensive swiss knives.

After breakfast , we proceed to take the train to Jaunfrau. The whole journey takes about 2 hours , there are 2 routes you can take, you can take one way up and the other way down but there is nothing much to see along the way so is fine.

bought the round trip return ticket. if u have the Swiss flexi and no free day per person is 118 francs.  They let you stop for 5 mins at Eismeer station, which is almost 10000 feet above sea level. First contact with the ice glaciers. the railway is impressive ! they took 16 years to build this rail and it goes round mountain tracks and cut through mountains.

Whats the difference between Jaunfrau and Pilatus? Jaunfrau is higher and is snow capped. So you need to bring winter clothes since the temperature is sub zero. There are attractions on the Jaunfrau summit , there is a ice palace which is obviously make of ice, and you get to walk out to the snow summit and experience “Snow hiking”. But be prepared as it is not a easy walk cos is freezing cold11!

Probably spend about 3-4 hours on the summit, more if you decided to complete the hiking journey. We didnt complete it cos i was on track shoes and my feet is already numbed by the cold. And it is STRONGLY advised to bring your own food up . because the things up there is freaking expensive.

Check out the menu below and you know what i mean. Hot water costs 4 CHF!

Tat. that almost complete our Switzerland part if the journey. enough of mountains and lakes. next stop Venice and Milan !!

last stop @ Switerland = Interlaken!

Early in the morning before checkout , Mrs Chan went to h&m to get a new pair of boots ( and it costs only 25 chf!! ) else she is going to have a hard time going up the Jungfrau snow capped mountain.

The Jungfrau (German: "maiden/virgin") is one of the main summits in the Bernese Alps, situated between the cantons of Valais and Bern in Switzerland. Together with the Eiger and Mönch, the Jungfrau forms a massive wall overlooking the Bernese Oberland and considered one of the most emblematic sights of the Swiss Alps.

I didn’t get anything cos I am waiting for the stop at Milan.  consolidate the purchases for vAT refund and also to keep the luggage light until the last stop. * that is exactly why Milan is the last stop and not the other way round! *

the journey from lucern to interlaken OST takes about 2 hours. There is 2 train stations at Interlaken. One is Call Interlaken OST while the other one is call Interlaken West. The train is a bit squeezy no place to put luggage. got to squeeze in between the legs. there are 6 Americans who was also going to interlaken and just sit beside us. I found out they are americans through their conversations and their accents.

Once we reach Interlaken OST, we went to this korean restaurant for lunch. Very expensive for a fried pork set served with rice and Kim Chi ( $46 CHF )

Since the climb to Jungfrau will not take place until tomorrow and we have half a day of daylight, we decided to go to the nearby waterfalls. About 25 mins from interlaken is a place call trummelbach falle.

The Trummelbach Falls (In German: Trümmelbachfälle) in Switzerland are a series of ten glacier-waterfalls inside the mountain made accessible by tunnel-lift and illuminated.

Remember to take the elevator up to watch fall #6-#10 and then walk your way down. is easier that way. Entrance is $11 swiss , and a bus from the train station LauterBrunnen takes u there directly. the bus runs every 30minutes or every one hour ( i forget already ) , so remember to keep to your timing )

The hotel we stayed in Interlaken is call Hotel Carlton Europe. 5 mins away from Interlaken OST station , nothing impressive, just an average hotel. Only thing is the room key is the tradtional type of key ( not the magnetic swap type ) with a super heavy keychain. room is big , but the floors creaked. I think they are made of wood. Oh yah, there is no airconditioning and room heater is not turned on until Winter. So if the weather is chilling outside, good luck.