Chan Brothers Or F&E

Reply to Chan Brothers Or F&E on Thu, 06 Jun 2019 02:53:13 GMT

floppy — Thu, 06 Jun 2019 02:53:13 GMT

slmkhoo\" post_id=\"1913536\" time=\"1559778814\" user_id=\"28674:

If your mum doesn't want to tag along, why not plan something else for her? If she finds it too tiring, or she feels bad that she's making her grandson limit his activities, she may not enjoy herself. My mother (81 yrs) has virtually stopped travelling now because she finds the flights and the upheaval too much to take. Perhaps you can pick somewhere nearby for a relaxing long weekend with your mum, and go further afield without her?

The other way is to do F&E, but be prepared for the group to split up a lot of the time so that at least 1 person can accompany your mum to do things that are less active and tiring. You can still spend parts of each day together. This is not usually possible with a guided tour as they expect everyone to stay with the group most of the time.

.zeit\" post_id=\"1913562\" time=\"1559788406\" user_id=\"171271:
I am very sure your mom will love Sydney. There's Chinatown where she can eat dimsum and Australian braised abalone. My inlaws bought a lot of frozen abalones back to braise. There's also the Sydney fish market where she'll be thrilled to see the gigantic crustaceans and fishes. There're a few farmers' markets (pls check opening hours) that old folks simply love to visit cos they remind them of our pasar malams. Try booking a day trip to Hunter Valley vineyards, wineries, cheese factories, chocolate factories, beer breweries. If you're going there in summer, can also drop by an orchard or two. Old folks LOVE to harvest fruits from trees.

Of course, there's the wildlife park, blue mountain, darling harbour ferry ride, the rocks...which old folk doesn't like to cuddle the koala and pat the kangas and wallas?

Scoot has premium economy seats. Suitable for old folks with mobility issues.

I think both slmkhoo and .zeit make compelling reasons for your mom to tag along

The activities that .zeit suggested are suitable for all-ages. Therefore, your kids are likely to enjoy them as well. In any case, most of the attractions or sights are likely to be wheelchair accessible - the only exception that I can think of is the Harbor Bridge's Pylon Lookout and Bridge Climb - but they aren't a big must-do for most people. Alternatively, you can do as slmkhoo suggested - split up for a short while, e.g. grandma can enjoy her cuppa in The Rocks while her grandsons brave the elements and climb the Harbor Bridge. Finally, if you are looking at using public transport extensively in Sydney (there isn't any reason not to), most of them are wheelchair accessible. More info here: https://transportnsw.info/travel-info/using-public-transport/accessible-travel

Reply to Chan Brothers Or F&E on Thu, 06 Jun 2019 02:33:26 GMT

.010675zeit — Thu, 06 Jun 2019 02:33:26 GMT

I am very sure your mom will love Sydney. There’s Chinatown where she can eat dimsum and Australian braised abalone. My inlaws bought a lot of frozen abalones back to braise. There’s also the Sydney fish market where she’ll be thrilled to see the gigantic crustaceans and fishes. There’re a few farmers’ markets (pls check opening hours) that old folks simply love to visit cos they remind them of our pasar malams. Try booking a day trip to Hunter Valley vineyards, wineries, cheese factories, chocolate factories, beer breweries. If you’re going there in summer, can also drop by an orchard or two. Old folks LOVE to harvest fruits from trees.

Of course, there’s the wildlife park, blue mountain, darling harbour ferry ride, the rocks…which old folk doesn’t like to cuddle the koala and pat the kangas and wallas?

Scoot has premium economy seats. Suitable for old folks with mobility issues.

Reply to Chan Brothers Or F&E on Thu, 06 Jun 2019 02:29:45 GMT

floppy — Thu, 06 Jun 2019 02:29:45 GMT

mickeymickey\" post_id=\"1913469\" time=\"1559708189\" user_id=\"94276:

HI there yeap I have narrowed it to Sydney but seems like the accomodation is very expensive. Is it safe there if I travel around in Grab ? .

Price is relative. That said, I have found reasonably priced accommodation in Sydney. What is your budget per night? There's a place in The Rocks that offers a room that sleeps 3 (1 double and twin bed) for ~ AUD 200 a night (p/s: view of the Harbor Bridge and Opera House from it's rooftop is amazing).

I think Grab isn't available in Australia. However, you can use Uber or Bolt or GoCatch.

Reply to Chan Brothers Or F&E on Wed, 05 Jun 2019 23:53:34 GMT

sharonkhoo — Wed, 05 Jun 2019 23:53:34 GMT

mickeymickey\" post_id=\"1913521\" time=\"1559744057\" user_id=\"94276:

Hahahha so sweet of you. my boys are 14 ,n 16. I like shopping and relax, souvenirs chocolates. My older hates too much walking . Younger one he is game for anything . my mum doesnt want to tag along .

If your mum doesn't want to tag along, why not plan something else for her? If she finds it too tiring, or she feels bad that she's making her grandson limit his activities, she may not enjoy herself. My mother (81 yrs) has virtually stopped travelling now because she finds the flights and the upheaval too much to take. Perhaps you can pick somewhere nearby for a relaxing long weekend with your mum, and go further afield without her?

The other way is to do F&E, but be prepared for the group to split up a lot of the time so that at least 1 person can accompany your mum to do things that are less active and tiring. You can still spend parts of each day together. This is not usually possible with a guided tour as they expect everyone to stay with the group most of the time.

Reply to Chan Brothers Or F&E on Wed, 05 Jun 2019 14:14:17 GMT

mickeymickey — Wed, 05 Jun 2019 14:14:17 GMT

floppy\" post_id=\"1913479\" time=\"1559714825\" user_id=\"97579:

mickeymickey\" post_id=\"1913470\" time=\"1559708252\" user_id=\"94276:
By the way considering Free and Easy & Folowing Chan Brothers, for paclage , seems like the Package is cheaper with every thing in ....
If you know where to look and how to plan, F&E will be cheaper. There are usually many items in the package that you probably would not need. F&E allows you to see more and in depth, whereas package is usually ticking off a checklist.

How many in your traveling party and how old are they? What are you looking out? How many days? Maybe we can help you with an itinerary

Hahahha so sweet of you. my boys are 14 ,n 16. I like shopping and relax, souvenirs chocolates. My older hates too much walking . Younger one he is game for anything . my mum doesnt want to tag along .

Reply to Chan Brothers Or F&E on Wed, 05 Jun 2019 07:05:34 GMT

floppy — Wed, 05 Jun 2019 07:05:34 GMT

slmkhoo\" post_id=\"1913480\" time=\"1559715149\" user_id=\"28674:

mickeymickey\" post_id=\"1913475\" time=\"1559712086\" user_id=\"94276:
[quote=janet88 post_id=1913474 time=1559711727 user_id=12950]package tour is cheaper than free & easy holidays because meals and accommodation is included.
however, it is a chop chop thing as there is an itinerary to follow and the need to shift hotels every other day.
free and easy holidays allow the luxury of taking it easy...the downside is there is no chance to cover many places.
Hi you mean we have to bring our luggage everywhere ??

You need to look at the tour itinerary carefully. If you are changing hotels every day, then you will have to pack up every day. Also, if you are moving around a lot, there is less flexibility to opt out of certain parts as you need to follow the group around.

On the other hand, the tour will take care of transportation, hotel bookings, getting you to and from the sights etc. You should pay attention to what is provided - some tours only provide a few meals, and some sights listed may be optional - all this can mean higher costs.

There is another alternative if you want to stay in just 1 city - some tour companies will provide transportation and hotel, with just a bit of sightseeing. The rest is up to you - you can book day tours, or just wander around by yourselves. This can cater for different interests and energy levels.[/quote]Other things to take note of:
- Full board means provision of ALL meals and lodgings.
- Breakfast at hotel means hotel breakfast, if lunch and dinner not indicated, it means on your own.
- Package tours rarely list their hotels, you may want to ask for more details. To offer a competitive package price, some hotels are not exactly in the city.
- Some sights offered maybe FOC. Other paid component, eg inside / backstage tour of the Sydney Opera House, are rarely included.

Reply to Chan Brothers Or F&E on Wed, 05 Jun 2019 06:12:29 GMT

sharonkhoo — Wed, 05 Jun 2019 06:12:29 GMT

mickeymickey\" post_id=\"1913475\" time=\"1559712086\" user_id=\"94276:

janet88\" post_id=\"1913474\" time=\"1559711727\" user_id=\"12950:
package tour is cheaper than free & easy holidays because meals and accommodation is included.
however, it is a chop chop thing as there is an itinerary to follow and the need to shift hotels every other day.
free and easy holidays allow the luxury of taking it easy...the downside is there is no chance to cover many places.
Hi you mean we have to bring our luggage everywhere ??

Reply to Chan Brothers Or F&E on Wed, 05 Jun 2019 06:07:05 GMT

floppy — Wed, 05 Jun 2019 06:07:05 GMT

mickeymickey\" post_id=\"1913470\" time=\"1559708252\" user_id=\"94276:

By the way considering Free and Easy & Folowing Chan Brothers, for paclage , seems like the Package is cheaper with every thing in ....

If you know where to look and how to plan, F&E will be cheaper. There are usually many items in the package that you probably would not need. F&E allows you to see more and in depth, whereas package is usually ticking off a checklist.

How many in your traveling party and how old are they? What are you looking out? How many days? Maybe we can help you with an itinerary

Reply to Chan Brothers Or F&E on Wed, 05 Jun 2019 05:21:26 GMT

mickeymickey — Wed, 05 Jun 2019 05:21:26 GMT

janet88\" post_id=\"1913474\" time=\"1559711727\" user_id=\"12950:

mickeymickey\" post_id=\"1913470\" time=\"1559708252\" user_id=\"94276:
By the way considering Free and Easy & Folowing Chan Brothers, for paclage , seems like the Package is cheaper with every thing in ....
package tour is cheaper than free & easy holidays because meals and accommodation is included.
however, it is a chop chop thing as there is an itinerary to follow and the need to shift hotels every other day.
free and easy holidays allow the luxury of taking it easy...the downside is there is no chance to cover many places.

Hi you mean we have to bring our luggage everywhere ??

Reply to Chan Brothers Or F&E on Wed, 05 Jun 2019 05:15:27 GMT

janet88 — Wed, 05 Jun 2019 05:15:27 GMT

mickeymickey\" post_id=\"1913470\" time=\"1559708252\" user_id=\"94276:

By the way considering Free and Easy & Folowing Chan Brothers, for paclage , seems like the Package is cheaper with every thing in ....

package tour is cheaper than free & easy holidays because meals and accommodation is included.
however, it is a chop chop thing as there is an itinerary to follow and the need to shift hotels every other day.
free and easy holidays allow the luxury of taking it easy...the downside is there is no chance to cover many places.

Reply to Chan Brothers Or F&E on Wed, 05 Jun 2019 04:17:32 GMT

mickeymickey — Wed, 05 Jun 2019 04:17:32 GMT

By the way considering Free and Easy & Folowing Chan Brothers, for paclage , seems like the Package is cheaper with every thing in …

Reply to Chan Brothers Or F&E on Wed, 05 Jun 2019 04:16:29 GMT

mickeymickey — Wed, 05 Jun 2019 04:16:29 GMT

HI there yeap I have narrowed it to Sydney but seems like the accomodation is very expensive. Is it safe there if I travel around in Grab ? .

Reply to Chan Brothers Or F&E on Tue, 04 Jun 2019 03:33:15 GMT

.010675zeit — Tue, 04 Jun 2019 03:33:15 GMT

mickeymickey\" post_id=\"1913084\" time=\"1559485286\" user_id=\"94276:

Hii all, I am planing to take my teenage boys for a vacation in late Nov or early December. Some of my friends are telling me that I should take a package tour group if I intend to go Europer for the first time . However , I am quite at a lost. as in EU there will be lots of walking to do and I may have my elderly mum coming with me, She is mobile but prefer to be on wheel chair

I am also thinking of doing a Free and Easy to either London /Canada or just Melbourne . I am more into shopping and sight seeing . My younger one wants me to take him to Spain to see his favourite stadium (with tour grp ) . I am not sure where to head to but I really wanted to see snow. As its going to be my first destination with a flight of more than 5 hours, I am still considering what to do .

Any recommendations of a place to go for lots of sight seeing ? great shopping ? I cant drive too . TIA for all advise. :thankyou:

Contrary to popular belief, there are not many cobblestone pavements that u'll need to step on. Somehow I only recall wheeling my luggage and stroller on flat and large concrete slabs. I had a quick browse of my photos. Mostly flat pedestrian pavements. In certain old markets where there're cobblestone pavements, I notice there're some flat pavements running parallel to them for the wheelchair bound as well as tactile paths for the visually impaired.

In London, it's the Tube stairs that you should worry about.

In Melbourne, just take the street-level trams. You can ride for free. No need to take the Subway.

Really the biggest bugbear for the elderly with a host of physical conditions is the long haul flight. Often had to take biz class or even 1st class if it was > 6 hrs flight, otherwise they won't tag along, which I really don't mind. lol.

Some parts of Canada will start to snow in early to mid-Nov. E.g. Quebec, Ottawa and Montreal.

Reply to Chan Brothers Or F&E on Mon, 03 Jun 2019 10:56:47 GMT

sharonkhoo — Mon, 03 Jun 2019 10:56:47 GMT

starlight1968sg\" post_id=\"1913176\" time=\"1559554982\" user_id=\"14025:

OT: I like Airbnb bec it is like a home.

Same here, but with mobility issues, the homes available might be more limited. In my upcoming trip, several of the airbnb units I booked are walk-up apartments - they were cheaper than similar ones in the area, presumably because of that? Since my family are all OK with stairs, I've taken advantage of that!

Also the poster's family is travelling in a larger group - a lot of places take 2-4 people, with fewer choices for larger groups.

Reply to Chan Brothers Or F&E on Mon, 03 Jun 2019 10:35:07 GMT

floppy — Mon, 03 Jun 2019 10:35:07 GMT

slmkhoo\" post_id=\"1913175\" time=\"1559554575\" user_id=\"28674:

Lots of good advice from floppy. Just want to add that with a wheelchair-bound elder, I would probably either go with self-drive or a tour. Public transport, even in western countries, is not always so straightforward with a wheelchair. I don't know Melbourne, but London public transport is not an easy place to get around with a wheelchair, and driving is difficult, and taxis very expensive. Also, as in most European cities, because of the old city centres and narrow streets, a lot of walking is required, and some places will not be easily accessed with a wheelchair. If you are not familiar, it's best to go on a tour and let the guide worry about the access.
...

Have to agree. London / Paris and some of the historical cities in Europe have a bit of walking and are not always wheelchair friendly. Stairs, cobblestone walkways (nice but try wheeling over it), and narrow five foot ways (or whatever they call it) can be challenging for wheelchairs.

Sydney / Melbourne, on the other hand, is a lot easier to manage with wheelchair. I think the reason could be partly due to them being younger cities with more modern public transport system. In those two cities, the only transport that I think would pose a challenge to the wheelchair would be the trams in Melbourne - not everyone of them has a low floor. More info provided at the https://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/more/travelling-on-the-network/accessibility/wheelchair-access-and-mobility-requirements/.

Reply to Chan Brothers Or F&E on Mon, 03 Jun 2019 09:43:02 GMT

starlight1968sg — Mon, 03 Jun 2019 09:43:02 GMT

OT: I like Airbnb bec it is like a home.

Reply to Chan Brothers Or F&E on Mon, 03 Jun 2019 09:36:15 GMT

sharonkhoo — Mon, 03 Jun 2019 09:36:15 GMT

Lots of good advice from floppy. Just want to add that with a wheelchair-bound elder, I would probably either go with self-drive or a tour. Public transport, even in western countries, is not always so straightforward with a wheelchair. I don’t know Melbourne, but London public transport is not an easy place to get around with a wheelchair, and driving is difficult, and taxis very expensive. Also, as in most European cities, because of the old city centres and narrow streets, a lot of walking is required, and some places will not be easily accessed with a wheelchair. If you are not familiar, it’s best to go on a tour and let the guide worry about the access.

I have found that airbnb is generally cheaper than booking multiple hotel rooms, but that also depends on what you book, where it is etc. Your choices may be more limited because of the no. of people and the need for wheelchair access. London is expensive; other parts of the UK are less so, but may not be so interesting. Does your mother want to do a lot of sightseeing, or does she just want to spend time with the family? Perhaps you need to plan 2 separate vacations - one with your mother (single easy-access location), and one without (so you can do the stuff your sons want).

Reply to Chan Brothers Or F&E on Mon, 03 Jun 2019 05:55:42 GMT

floppy — Mon, 03 Jun 2019 05:55:42 GMT

mickeymickey\" post_id=\"1913136\" time=\"1559538652\" user_id=\"94276:

Hi there thanks for the reply. Seems like UK is very expensive, I was just looking at their Mcdonald burger prices ahhahaa .. i think i will best settle for Sydney for now, but i am a bit lost about taking the train to Melbourne. Should I get accomodation via AirBnb or get a hotel stay...

Is Sydney // Melbourne your final answer? Confirmed? Double confirmed?

It’s not difficult to book the XPT train: https://transportnsw.info/regional-bookings/. The train from Sydney (Central) to Melbourne (Southern Cross) will take you under 11 hrs. If you are pressed for time, you can consider a flight from Sydney to Melbourne. Not expensive if you booked early.

Hotel / Airbnb / apartment is really personal preference and your budget.

Reply to Chan Brothers Or F&E on Mon, 03 Jun 2019 05:10:52 GMT

mickeymickey — Mon, 03 Jun 2019 05:10:52 GMT

floppy\" post_id=\"1913113\" time=\"1559529260\" user_id=\"97579:

mickeymickey\" post_id=\"1913108\" time=\"1559527339\" user_id=\"94276:
Hi there , thank you for your reply. yeap you are right let me decide in this few days. However my kids are telling me to take F &E and i tell them its not Singapore. what if the taxi driver brings us anywhere else ? ahahhaa... well let me plan out . But i think i will just pick London free and easy for now, or Melbourne.

If I choose London,may I will take the Eurostar. Do share with more more ideas if you have visited this 2 countries
I'm not kidding but getting lost is part of the fun!

Both London and Melbourne are easy peasy for F&E. Public transport is good and friendly in the cities. For UK, you will probably end up city / town hopping using the trains. For Melbourne, if you are thinking of heading out of the city, e.g. Great Ocean Road, Yarra Valley, etc, you will need a car. Once you have decided, you should head over to the respective threads for https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=11143 and https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=9346. Plenty of experts and ideas there

Taking the Eurostar to Paris and incorporating Paris as part of your trip to London is a good idea if you don't intend to cover the rest of the UK. It takes just over 2 hrs for the train ride. Their tickets work like LCC airfares, book early (maximum of 180 days ahead) and avoid Friday or Sunday if you want cheaper tickets.

Hi there thanks for the reply. Seems like UK is very expensive, I was just looking at their Mcdonald burger prices ahhahaa .. i think i will best settle for Sydney for now, but i am a bit lost about taking the train to Melbourne. Should I get accomodation via AirBnb or get a hotel stay...

Reply to Chan Brothers Or F&E on Mon, 03 Jun 2019 02:34:20 GMT

floppy — Mon, 03 Jun 2019 02:34:20 GMT

mickeymickey\" post_id=\"1913108\" time=\"1559527339\" user_id=\"94276:

Hi there , thank you for your reply. yeap you are right let me decide in this few days. However my kids are telling me to take F &E and i tell them its not Singapore. what if the taxi driver brings us anywhere else ? ahahhaa... well let me plan out . But i think i will just pick London free and easy for now, or Melbourne.

If I choose London,may I will take the Eurostar. Do share with more more ideas if you have visited this 2 countries

I'm not kidding but getting lost is part of the fun!

Both London and Melbourne are easy peasy for F&E. Public transport is good and friendly in the cities. For UK, you will probably end up city / town hopping using the trains. For Melbourne, if you are thinking of heading out of the city, e.g. Great Ocean Road, Yarra Valley, etc, you will need a car. Once you have decided, you should head over to the respective threads for https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=11143 and https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=9346. Plenty of experts and ideas there

Taking the Eurostar to Paris and incorporating Paris as part of your trip to London is a good idea if you don't intend to cover the rest of the UK. It takes just over 2 hrs for the train ride. Their tickets work like LCC airfares, book early (maximum of 180 days ahead) and avoid Friday or Sunday if you want cheaper tickets.

Reply to Chan Brothers Or F&E on Mon, 03 Jun 2019 02:02:19 GMT

mickeymickey — Mon, 03 Jun 2019 02:02:19 GMT

Hi there , thank you for your reply. yeap you are right let me decide in this few days. However my kids are telling me to take F &E and i tell them its not Singapore. what if the taxi driver brings us anywhere else ? ahahhaa… well let me plan out . But i think i will just pick London free and easy for now, or Melbourne.

If I choose London,may I will take the Eurostar. Do share with more more ideas if you have visited this 2 countries

Reply to Chan Brothers Or F&E on Mon, 03 Jun 2019 01:42:00 GMT

floppy — Mon, 03 Jun 2019 01:42:00 GMT

mickeymickey\" post_id=\"1913084\" time=\"1559485286\" user_id=\"94276:

Hii all, I am planing to take my teenage boys for a vacation in late Nov or early December. Some of my friends are telling me that I should take a package tour group if I intend to go Europer for the first time . However , I am quite at a lost. as in EU there will be lots of walking to do and I may have my elderly mum coming with me, She is mobile but prefer to be on wheel chair

I am also thinking of doing a Free and Easy to either London /Canada or just Melbourne . I am more into shopping and sight seeing . My younger one wants me to take him to Spain to see his favourite stadium (with tour grp ) . I am not sure where to head to but I really wanted to see snow. As its going to be my first destination with a flight of more than 5 hours, I am still considering what to do .

Any recommendations of a place to go for lots of sight seeing ? great shopping ? I cant drive too . TIA for all advise. :thankyou:

Right now, too much info/ data overload / decision fatigue.

Firstly, I think you need to decide on a destination. Right now, you have:
1. Europe (it's a continent - you will need to decide where in Europe - Which countries? Which cities?)
2. London / Canada (Canada is a country - you will have to decide where in Canada. Departing on your decision, flight from London to Canada will take anywhere between 8 hours to 10 hours)
3. Melbourne
4. Spain (it's a country - you will have to decide where. Which stadium? Camp Nou is in Barcelona, Santiago Bernabéu Stadium is in Madrid - in Madrid, also can visit Estadio Metropolitano, venue of this year's UCL Final)

Once you have settled on a destination, you will have to work on the number of days you can spare. More days in one destination mean more time to cover more sights, to cover a number of destinations in the same amount of days mean less time to cover everything or you will have to pick and choose destinations.

Both destination / days budgeted will be tied to the decision of whether to do F&E or tour packages. The other consideration would be your mum:
1. If you are thinking of multiple destinations in a short period of time, or to cover a large land area over a short period of time, e.g. Europe, London / Canada, you should consider tour packages since all the transport arrangements, food and lodging are taken care of and you just have to focus on your mom.
2. If you are only considering single destination or country, e.g. Melbourne, Spain, you can consider F&E. Multiple destinations in Europe are also possible for F&E, e.g. London / Paris, Madrid / Lisbon, but you can't be too ambitious being a first timer and travelling with elderly.

Assuming you are going for F&E, with the destinations / time budgeted, you can work out an itinerary. Given your mom's or your concern about her mobility, you can pick points of interests (POI) that do not involved a lot of walking or walking to get to, which means there will have to be some give and take. That said, most major POI in the world are wheelchair accessible, so there's no need to be overly concerned.

Given a large group with diverse interests (TBH not sure your mom will be that keen to see a football stadium) and age range, you will have to work out their wants and needs - what are the must dos? The good-to-dos? The can-dos? The dos-if-we-have-the-time? Again, there will be some give and take, not everyone will have their wants satisfied. Have fun!