December 10 2008: England A 100% Chance
Filed under Travel
That 80% chance is now a 100% certainty. My flight from Sydney (I still have to figure out how to get to Sydney from Melbourne…) leaves the 6th of January, and after stopovers and weird time zones, I’ll be in London on the 7th of January (or thereabouts). I’ll return to Melbourne on the 26th of January (approximately), giving me about two weeks of vacation.
So far, I plan on spending approximately five days in London, so as to properly do all the touristy things. I also plan on dedicating some days to literary fangirlness, visiting the Jane Austen House, and Stratford-upon-Avon. A few days will be in Paris. The remaining days I’d like to spend in visiting friends. And by ‘friend’, I do mean YOU (if you just happen to be a UK resident who’s reading this blog). I already have some meetups scheduled, but if I haven’t emailed you to set something up, then do contact me and we’ll figure something out!
You don’t even have to have a spare couch for me to sleep on. My main aim is simply to meet as many people as possible. If I’m going to be flying halfway across the world, I might as well meet those of you I’ve known for such a long time. If you’re happy to go out for a coffee (or other hot beverage) with me for an hour or so, that would be awesome. If any other of you Europeans would be happy to hop over the Channel sometime in those two weeks, I’d love to meet you somewhere in England as well – or, even in Paris when I’m there!
But in the meantime, my main aim is simply to make as much money as possible before I go. Work, babysitting, eBaying…anything that can put a bit more cash in my account will really help. I’m predicting the whole trip (airfares, accomodation, travel, eating, sight-seeing, some spending included) will cost me in the region of $4000AUD (approximated figures based on some preliminary research, but it may end up costing up to $4400AUD which is pretty much six weeks wages for me)…which isn’t bad considering that originally, return airfares from Melbourne to London in that time are about $3300AUD anyway.
That’s actually why this trip came so suddenly without much advance warning or planning – I just happened to win a return ticket to Europe on eBay costing $2000AUD. With Melbourne to Sydney airfares in mind as well, it’ll cost me $2200AUD to fly to Europe, still well under the normal price. This is why I love Ebay. I really do, where else can I find the chance to go to England at these prices?
There are other things I’ll have to do before now and then, like um, tell my parents that I’m flying halfway across the world.
19 Responses to “England A 100% Chance”
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You’ll be there for closer to three weeks, actually! Nineteen days!
I AM SO JEALOUS. Take many pictures of the Jane Austen house please? PLEASE? Or stow me in your suitcase?
Anyhow. I am not of European situation, so no Amanda-Carmen meet-up!
Reply: Check your inbox! I just sent you an email regarding Sydney. :)
Carmen on December 10 2008 #
Wow, exciting plans! :D Unfortunately I don’t live in England or France, so it’s highly unlikely that I’ll happen to be there in January (though I’ve been thinking that I should probably visit London and Scotland some day).
Are you traveling all alone? I love doing that. I’ve been to San Francisco and Stockholm alone, and it’s been great. Once I have enough money I want to go to Australia and New Zealand (the “once I have enough money” part could take a while though).
Reply: Sort of alone! Half my time will be spent with friends (both online friends, and offline friends living in England), so I’m always touching base with someone. And, you’ll always be welcome at my place when you do manage to make your way down to Australia. :)
adastra on December 10 2008 #
I am jealous, too! I want to go to England! Oh well, go there, and be our reporter when you come back. I dunno about travelling alone, though. I’d want to travel with friends to share the experience, but that’s just me. ^_^
Either way, I’ll cross my fingers for you that you will be in England on January 7th!
Tara on December 10 2008 #
There’s also the Jane Austen centre in Bath which my mother adores…If you happen to visit bath, which i adore ^_^
I expect a postcard! :P
Reply: It’s actually on my list of “side trips”, because of all the references in Austen to it!
Alexandra on December 10 2008 #
Oh man… if I didn’t have to go to school, I’d so fly to London to have coffee with you, espcially since a return ticket from here to London would cost me less than 100€! So, boo to school!
Kaisa on December 10 2008 #
Have a fantastic time in Europe!
Jessica on December 10 2008 #
Oh! I hope you have enjoy Europe! I’m so jealous…I’ve always wanted to go to London..
Enzo on December 10 2008 #
Oh yeah I meant to reply to that email lol. BITCH I get my exam timetable this week/next week and then I will reply. But either way your sorry ass is getting drunk with mine.
Maren on December 10 2008 #
Apparently I should wake up before posting comments. So now you get comment spam yay for you! Timetable is already up. Exam is 15 Jan.
Maren on December 10 2008 #
SO jealous! I have always wanted to go to England..
What a score on ebay!
Bobbi-lee on December 11 2008 #
I am extremely jealous that I don’t live in England >.<
Emsz on December 11 2008 #
How exciting!
Belinda on December 11 2008 #
Heh, you’ll be returning to Melbourne on my birthday. Nice. That sounds like a great trip! I’ll wave to you from Berlin. ;) Or perhaps when I’m there I could look up how much it would cost to get to Paris or London for a weekend. Right now I’m just concentrating on finishing finals and getting there, myself…
Stephanie on December 11 2008 #
Spending lots of time in London will be awesome, I guarantee. I’ve lived in England all my life and been to London dozens of times but still have seen so little.
I’d recommend checking out Covent Garden (market places, busking, great atmosphere), Waterloo and Charing Cross, the obvious Buckingham Palace and Trafalger Square, and Picadilly Circus which is home to Fortnum & Mason. Use the underground as much as possible.
Charlie on December 11 2008 #
I’m green with envy. :P I’ve been to England four times, but only once since I was old enough to be interested in other things than playing and eating ice cream. I second all the suggestions Charlie made, especially about the underground. I love the underground. And you should definitely go to Hyde Park and Speaker’s Corner.
I’d also recommend seeing other places than just the typical tourist attractions, but you’ll probably get plenty of chance to do that, considering all the people you’re visiting. :)
Oh, and since you’ll be spending so much time in London, you should check out Neil Gaiman’s book “Neverwhere”, a different take on the city that I wish I’d read before I went there.
Mari on December 11 2008 #
I am too jealous! Well, except for the part where you have to let your parents know about your plans.
Felisa on December 11 2008 #
I am kind of completely jealous.
Clem on December 11 2008 #
Ooh, fun! I love that you make things happen. I wish I could be more like this. But I wouldn’t know where to begin.
I want to go to England!
Rafia on December 11 2008 #
England is all well and grand, but when are you coming to the USA?!
Erin on December 12 2008 #