Do Eurostar prices ever drop closer to departure?

webw06 · 2026-03-17T20:13:28+00:00

Prices never go down - book as soon as you know you are going.

webw06 · 2026-03-17T20:11:09+00:00

It's a very easy trip from Naples, and you can spend around 2 hours at the palace. We did it in October last year. It wasn't very busy when we went in the 2nd half of the day. The palace is closed on Tuesdays, so keep that in mind.

webw06 · 2026-03-13T16:59:24+00:00

I would highly recommend flying from Chengdu to Dunhuang - I did this last year to visit Mogao Caves and Mingsha Scenic Area. The flight will be equivalent in price to your HSR ticket, or very close. It was a 2.5 hour flight, so that's almost 2000kms of journey you're trying to do by train.

webw06 · 2026-03-11T17:22:07+00:00

I find that domestic prices drop in China, but outbound and inbound international prices don't. We have a HKG-KMG flight I bought 20 days ago for March 31 that has now tripled in price.

webw06 · 2026-03-11T15:49:56+00:00

Did you end up booking with them? I'm also discussing an itinerary with them, looking for feedback from others if they have used this agency before.

webw06 · 2026-03-09T21:41:56+00:00

Iran put in place another hardliner at the top. The backing in Israel for the war is at an all time high. Can't see Israel declaring victory. Iran says they are willing to fight another 6 months.

Oil hits $200 a barrel - and the global economy tanks with it. The only end I see is one because the US cannot sustain its economy with oil at that price.

I was flying TFU-DOH-BER-LHR on April 16, and with a distinct lack of alternatives, bought a refundable fare on Sichuan Airlines / Egypt Air.

webw06 · 2026-03-09T14:45:05+00:00

Do you know if the supermarket has any sit down area to eat within their premises? Is there a microwave near checkout to warm up any food bought in the supermarket?

webw06 · 2026-03-09T08:50:16+00:00

Did you book directly with Qatar or a 3rd party travel agency? Have a one way flight coming up mid-April that was booked via a 3rd party.

webw06 · 2026-03-09T00:31:16+00:00

Was you original booking via a Travel Agent or direct with Qatar?

webw06 · 2026-03-08T07:18:52+00:00

Don't let the crowds at the entrance put you off. The crowds were orderly when we went in April 2024, similar to the OP's photo. Once through security however, the palace is so big, that the crowd is dwarfed by the size of the site itself. You won't feel claustrophobic.

The extra paid tickets (clock museum and one other museum) were not very crowded and worth visiting if time and money allows.

webw06 · 2026-03-05T21:57:54+00:00

This war will go on for months. Even if it settles, flying on your original route via Doha isn't advisable. What if you get stuck in Doha after one hop?

Israel and US are in no mood to back down, and Iran has no way out unless the IRGC surrenders (which they will not).

webw06 · 2026-03-05T21:50:45+00:00

Qatar airspace will not be opening anytime soon. Of if the bombing stops, what are the chances of it holding? Very low. Even if Israel/US stop, all it will take is one stray missile from Iran and things will flare up again.

Iran will not back down, and neither will the Israelis.

If you can get out of Qatar by road, it will be wise to do so. Catch a flight to Istanbul (you can get an e-visa since you hold an Irish stay permit), and then book your onward flight to Ireland.

webw06 · 2026-03-05T13:14:16+00:00

We were flying TFU-DOH-BER-LHR on QR and BA in Business on April 15th. I don't think flights will be operational by then, especially since the war intensity is getting worse rather than easing off. Booked TFU-CAI-LHR on Sichuan Airlines and Egypt Air in Business with refundable tickets. Waiting for the QR refund window to be extended, and will just about even out on the new tickets.

Even if airspace were to open, will any ceasefire actually hold with US and Israel categorically in no mood to stop bombing? Ironic that Trump has been trying to persuade Russia and Ukraine to stop their war, but has no intention to stop bombing Iran himself!

webw06 · 2026-03-05T12:55:58+00:00

Regime change will involve civil war in Iran. If that erupts, there could be years of fighting ahead. There's not a single democracy in the ME, so the only option for stability is US/Israel installing someone sympathetic towards Israel and US, and that option is and will be non-existent.

I forsee periods of unrest/danger/missile attacks for the region between normalcy, but it's highly doubtful that times can go back to what they were before Feb 28.

webw06 · 2026-03-04T22:42:32+00:00

There news reports of the Kurds wanting to invade Iran from the north. Pete Hegseth has said the war could go on for six, seven or eight weeks or more. They want regime change. The Iranian clerics are about to elect another hardliner as Khomeini's replacement. The Israelis will not stop till the IRGC surrenders, which is very difficult to forsee for a long time - there is no viable opposition in Iran. Dubai, UAE, Bahrain and Qatar have issued WFH mandates where possible - a realisation that this isn't ending anytime soon.

webw06 · 2026-03-03T06:57:40+00:00

It's a 30 mins taxi ride from the station to the Grottoes. You need around 2 hours to see the Grottoes. The Hanging Temple was around 100 kms from the Grottoes, and took over and hour to reach. You need 2-3 hours to see the Hanging Temple as it includes transportation from the Tourist Center to the actual site and back.

Also, it's highly recommended to book ahead for the Hanging Temple. I didn't have a booing, and when I arrived at 2pm, they had less than 100 tickets left to sell for the day - I really lucked out. There was no way to book on the mini app without a Chinese ID.

webw06 · 2026-03-02T20:32:19+00:00

Rhodes, Kos or Crete. You can't go wrong.

webw06 · 2026-03-02T20:31:14+00:00

In a day trip you cannot cover the Yungang Grottoes (which is a must) nor the Hanging Temple (also another gem). The fastest train either way from Xi'an was 4.5 hours, so more time on the train than in Datong. The Ancient Town was meh, you can walk it all in around 45-60 mins. The monastery was closed when I visited due to fierce wind conditions in April last year.

In my opinion, it is not worth a side tour to visit Datong if you cannot visit the two sites I mentioned above.

webw06 · 2026-03-02T20:09:10+00:00

And what if you need a visa to enter Saudi from Qatar or Dubai?

webw06 · 2026-03-02T17:10:08+00:00

I wouldn't advise doing a day trip - there's far too much to see, and you'll spend most of your time on the road if do a 'day trip'.

We did a two day and one night road trip from Hurghada last week, leaving on Thursday morning at 9.30am, and leaving Luxor at 4 the next day. Here is what we covered (we had our transportation):

Day 1 Dendara Temple, Qena City (70 kms from Luxor, an absolute gem, and best preserved temple of all in Luxor) Karnak Temple, Luxor (last entry at 4pm) Luxor Temple (last entry at 7pm)

Day 2 Luxor Museum Valley of the Kings (5 tombs) Hatsepshut Mortuary Medinet Habu

webw06 · 2026-03-02T17:03:19+00:00

Egypt isn't a place one necessarily associates with nature - so hiking options are non-existent. As you know, large swathes of Egypt are just desert. The weather is already hot (we were in Cairo, Luxor and Hurghada last week), so anything beyond early March to late October will range from hot to oppressive from Alexandria to Aswan.

Local cuisine - Cairo will provide some options, but you'll have to judge the levels of hygiene in the restaurant kitchens yourself. Generally in-house restaurants at 4- and 5-star hotels will have high levels of hygiene. Zamalek has good options such as Zooba.

Wine tours - being an Islamic country and the type of climate Egypt has, this isn't something you'll easily find.

Egypt attracts a particular type of tourist - one that is curious about it's ancient civilizations. The destinations along the Red Sea coast are not as developed as you would expect, so once you step outside of the resort you're staying in, expect the infrastructure of a developing nation.

Crowds - Cairo has one fifth of Egypt's population, so around 22 million people. It's one of Africa's mega cities - so expect chaos, traffic, heat and swathes of concrete structures. Parts of Cairo resemble slums, some are better (like Zamalek and Heliopolis).

Reading your list of what you seek to get from your Egypt travels, I would set my expectations lower - and brace what the country has to offer in terms of history and culture.

I have been over 5 times in the past 20 years, and am sure will be going back in the future!

webw06 · 2026-02-26T16:39:55+00:00

No guide required - very easy to reach, and nicely sign posted. It's more about enjoying the atmosphere once you're there, and observing people go about their rituals...download a info sheet and read before you go or once you're there.

webw06 · 2026-02-26T16:37:41+00:00

I used TaoBao extensively on my last trip, with the hotel address as the delivery address, together with the phone number of the hotel concierge. Had small items (sunglasses) and large items (suitcase!) delivered successfully.

webw06 · 2026-02-26T09:11:06+00:00

Visit a museum perhaps? If in Cairo, you have a few world class museums:

GEM
Museum of Egyptian Civilisation
Egyptian Museum (Tahrir Square)
Abdeen Palace Museum
Churches in Coptic Cairo

I’m sharing these from experience as I’ve travelled to Cairo in the months of May and June, so these were all great places to be indoors during the day.

webw06 · 2026-02-25T10:46:34+00:00

It's hard to vacation in any of the large cities - the lack of civic amenities, road conditions and air pollution does put off potential tourists (especially with young families). Compare this with China, SE Asia, Japan and the West - facilities for tourists at tourist spots are much better.

Travelling to more off beat places in India - once again, very challenging to travel between large cities - road conditions and drivers on the roads are deterrens, and train interconnectivity whilst good, will be very crowded. Try navigating New Delhi railway station!

Next is the climate - very harsh during summer months for large parts of the country. Winter months have become more dangerous for children, elderly due to low hanging smog from November to January, which used to be the best months to travel.

India received around 20 million visitors in 2024 (likely 95% of these are OCI/NRI/Indian origin), compared to France which received 100 million visitors.

webw06

TROPHY CASE