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This year we have again looked to Europe. Ira wanted to practice the German language, it is a couple of years studying it at the Goethe-center , and I spent the entire year on the French course and wanted to see Paris. Experience in planning trips have been so much difficulty in the preparation does not arise. The knowledge gained allowed all thoroughly review and verify. Our trip to Europe was planned for 11 days, of which we will spend 3 days in Paris, and the rest (8 days) in Germany, in Cologne (North Rhine-Westphalia). In addition planned a day trip to the capital of the Netherlands - Amsterdam, as well as forays into the neighboring city of Cologne, and possibly Luxembourg.
Previously been booked hotels in Paris for 3 nights in Cologne 8. Paris Hotel Paris Villette cost us € 58 per night for two people without breakfast, which was very attractive to our budget. Subsequently, however, we felt the that means the distance from the city center - is 19 District. Hotel Pension in Cologne ( City Pension Storch II ) was even cheaper - € 51 per night for two people in the same without breakfast, in addition, he drew us availability kitchenette, you can always make your own breakfast, and if you want and eat at home, purchasing the necessary products in the supermarket. All the same, compared with Berlin ( last year we booked the hotel for € 38 for two people with breakfast) in western Germany the rate is much higher. Booked on the website booking.com , we picked up the cost of room on the green price tag and it was 10-15% higher than the Red List, but it was possible to cancel the order in case of problems with the Schengen visa. Let me explain: if you book a room at a discount, it is not possible to cancel the booking, whatever unforeseen circumstances interfered with your plans!
Next item in the plan - buying plane tickets and train, rather the item to be put first. We bought tickets February 13, 2012, despite the fact that the trip to take place July 22, 2012, 5 months before the trip. However, prices in budget carrier Lufthansa us again pleased - 6800 rubles per person for the trip from Moscow to Dusseldorf and Moscow.
From Düsseldorf we had to get to Paris. Options was again a little - plane, bus or train. Again rise into the air and pass inspection before the shuttle wishes we did not have, to go to the 7:00 bus and hope the traffic jams on the route will not be, we also do not want to. Finally settled on a lovely version - speed train Thalys . These European train operator running TGV travel between countries: France, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. Ticket Cologne-Paris-Cologne cost us € 80 per person. Express covers the distance of about 600 kilometers between Cologne and Paris in 3 hours 20 minutes, while making five intermediate stops, and developing in some parts speed up to 300 km / h! Dull monopolists - Russian railways - rest in a corner!
Well in advance, we bought train tickets Cologne-Amsterdam-Cologne, they cost € 38 per person. German ICE high-speed train operator D-Bahn takes about 2.5 hours to deliver passengers to the capital of the Netherlands. Trip we had planned for July 26, to Thursday, the weekend this train on the route does not go.
Payment of all services - hotel reservations and buy tickets for the train and plane - we made with bank cards. Paris hotel staff removed the payment for one night's fee on the grounds that the refusal of a visa will be difficult for them to return the money, the rest we had to pay on the spot. The Germans withdrew from the card once the entire amount for the room before you receive a confirmation by fax. They argued that in Russia a lot of unscrupulous tourists who, having received the documents from the hotel canceled the reservation. They are strictly warned us that money back, but if we give them a copy of the official denial of the embassy.
Visa issue I considered good enough in my previous report , therefore confine myself to a few remarks. Correspondence with the Embassy, I found out that this year is not necessary to provide proof of payment of the hotel - just a guarantee. To call the service record has been extremely difficult - I was hanging on the line for 20 minutes and listen to the answering machine message, before the operator began to dialogue with me. Residents of neighboring areas in Moscow during the summer full house even allowed to submit documents to the Consular Section of St. Petersburg.
In Moscow, we went for a visa for three weeks prior to the intended date of departure by bus. For 1500 rubles comfortable Mercedes carrier "Diana Tour" takes you to the capital, the travel time will be 14-15 hours. In general, bus transportation route Volgograd (Volga) - Moscow is very common because the railroad is unable to cope with the summer flow of travelers, another plus bus - flights every two hours, starting at noon.
On Monday at 10 am, we were standing in line at the embassy - people were more than ever. Lodged instruments and released only in the 12 hours, this time again we got to the employee in box 13, as in the previous year. Discarding all superstition, quickly passed all the papers and went to the suburbs, and in the evening went home. A few days later, when we were at home, Tatiana took our passports, my friend Ira, she was very happy to help us. Of its call, we learned of a positive decision, the German visa center and I went to buy a suitcase.
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