Finale Trip Day 10 London Day 4

Sempat pegi Primark semalam lepas dinner, beli barang sampai kedai dah nak tutup. Haha. Baju beli kat Primark ni, until today we still have new tshirts in cupboard. Memang sengaja beli banyak and saiz besar. Simpan stock baju dapat pakai dua kali raya. Raya tahun ni pun pakai baju tshirt Primark. I bought for the bois mostly. Because im pregnant, i also bought for the baby. Shouldve bought more. Hehe.

Today we had Nasi Lemak, Roti Canai and Mee Goreng for breakfast! The kuah dhal and sambal are not disappointing, but i cannot remember the price we had to pay for those meals. Rasanya tak sampai GBP10 each. Our boarding time is at 9:35 pm so we have enough time to jalan-jalan today.

We start with jalan-jalan at Portobello Road Market, Notting Hill end to end. You can find antiques and souvenir here.

Then we went to Oxford Street, shop at Selfridges, cari kasut for the bois and Faiz, makan strawberry, and it was raining. Lucky thing i bought rain cover for the stroller just RM15 from Lazada.

Our luggage? At the apartment. Then at 5:30 pm sharp we get on Uber to Heathrow Airport. Three hours early because you never know. Macam negara kita jugak, time orang balik kerja jalan jammed. So does London. Nasib baik gerak awal.

We arrived Heathrow, done VAT refund and i used that extra money at Boots and Cath Kidston.

Cant believe our trip is finally ending. We encountered no trouble, the bois are healthy, we met great people, we discovered new places, we learned about different cultures, we shared political views (with Uber drivers), most importantly this trip strengthened our bonds. I would usually read books to my bois before tuck them in, but today, instead of books, i read them my blog posts; about the adventure we’ve done together. Now who says never bring young kids travel overseas because it’s useless they can’t remember? Crap.

Another 14 hours back to Malaysia. God willing, we’ll do the next trip in different season.

Until then.

X

Trip Day 9 London Day 3

We arrived St Pancras International Station at about 4:40 pm. Get on Uber and spend the night again at Grand Plaza Serviced Apartment. Senang.. Sebab dah tau location. If we return to London again next time, I would definitely pick Bayswater because of its locality; near train station, nak cari makan senang, nak beli souvenir kedai dekat, shopping mall pun dekat, Tesco & McD ada, resto macam-macam jenis ada Indian, Thai, Malay, Chinese.

Supposedly we’re going to Portobello Road Market but we are all worn out. Change of plan. No zoo tomorrow,  we’re going to Portobello instead.

It’s Faiz’s birthday! So we had a nice dinner at a Thai restaurant. Bila bayar kena shut down otak jangan calculate convert Malaysian Ringgit. Hehe.

Grand Plaza Serviced Apartment — I emailed them for room recommendation suitable for a family of four. In their reply, they offered me Quad Executive Studio Special Offer with Continental Breakfast which has double or twin beds and a double sofa bed for GBP130 per night. Rate inclusive VAT. They require a security deposit of GBP200 upon arrival and fully refundable upon check-out. Room is equipped with kitchenette, periuk, cutlery and all. Mobile phone pun ada. Cuma bawak badan and beg je. Bathroom ada bathtub and shower foam, lotion wangi bau mangga. Morning breakfast at the restaurant ada nutella. Haha. Ada roti canai, nasi lemak charged as add on. Sedap. Maybank ATM Machine pun ada, dispense duit pound ler. Puas hati sangat with our stay at this apartment! Because room and service can deteriorate over time, be sure to check Trip Advisor, Reviews online for latest compliments and complaints. Grand Plaza is own by Felda, so it is popular among Malaysians. We met a few Malaysians, ada yg friendly, ada yg bual hal sendiri 🙂

Although we’re so near to Malaysian Hall  but we didnt make it there sebab tak sempat. Now dah tau the places we should go, so hopefully our second visit to London is happening soon.

Next: Finale Trip Day 10 London Day 4

Road Trip Day 8 Return to Paris

Check-out early for a 4 hour long haul journey, today’s road trip is another route crosses country border! We are returning to Paris through Ghent. We should reach Gare Du Nord by 1:30 pm to return our Peugeot 208 Auto Diesel at 2:00 pm to Europcar. Cuak kejap bila kena tahan road block but they only check our passports.

Upon returning the rental car, be sure to refill the gas full tank. Travel by car in France tak berapa menyeronokkan. Probably because the roads are somewhat narrow and confusing (around Gare Du Nord). But if you’re a good driver, you would do fine anyway.

So, we returned the car and get on Eurostar back to London. We spent all Euro coins at the station because we are not gonna need them anymore 🙂

Road Trip

Road signs are easy to understand although they are not in English. You would definitely understand the visuals i.e. distance between front car and yours, trajectory speeding camera, speed limit, and R&R.

Most Rest Area (R&R) we went to are very clean, wifi, and quiet. You dont see people busy go in and out of washrooms. If you’re idle in the car, make sure you turn off your engine. They are serious about conserving the air from pollution.

What is it like crossing a country border?

— Just like you’re crossing Johor – Melaka – Seremban via Plus Highway. Only there’s no toll booth waiting at each end. You would see a signboard informing you you’re reaching a country’s border and you pass by as you’re driving. And no, there’s no army with gun to check your passport at each crossing 🙂

Pay toll?

— Once in France, to and fro. You can pay by credit card or cash. No staff. Just machine.

Do they have road blocks?

— We only experienced once. And no, there’s no major traffic pile up. Your red passport dont alarm them.

How to know the routes?

— When planning, i refer to Google Map. See here. And when we are driving, we used Waze. It could be a better journey if we had a pocket wifi with us.

How to start planning a road trip?

— I limit driving journey to maximum 3 hours. Because it would be tiring for all of us if we drive more than that. So get the Google Map on, start dotting your Point A to Point B and so on. It would be great if each point is a tourist attraction so you would not end up in gangster alley/black area.

Next: Road Trip Day 9 London Day 3

Road Trip Day 7 Let’s Go Antwerp, Belgium!

Antwerp, Antwerpen refer to the same port city in Belgium. It goes back in centuries, Antwerp is a diamond trading place. Took us one hour journey from Rotterdam. We check-in Novotel Hotel. If you didnt know the history of the city, you would think that this is an industrial place and that you would not appreciate its history. So before you wish to travel in a city, be sure to at least grasp a little knowledge. The more you know, the more meaningful your trip will be.

We drove to Grote Markt (Great Market Square). You could see renaissance architecture here. The road took us to lorong-lorong kecil just like the one you see in James Bond movies. Jalan batu kuda, not sure what they call it but i remember Bapak once told me it’s the surface meant for horse riding back then. We parked our car at underground basement in one of the shops, a tricky part to find one.

Belgium is also known for its chocolate i.e. Godiva, Cote d’Or so dont miss a chance to enjoy the chocolate there. Sayang Hard Rock Antwerp is under renovation when we were there, so we cant add another shot glass into our collection.

Next: Road Trip Day 8 Return to Paris

Road Trip Day 6 The Netherlands!

We were supposed to arrive Aachen before going to Netherlands but i cant remember why we skipped it and drove straight to Alkmaar, our next stay in the Netherlands. Alkmaar ni paling hujung sekali, up north. It is known for its cheese market. I wanted the bois to try all different kinds of cheese but snow pour was quite heavy and we stayed inside, just to be safe. I guess i was paranoid of car skidding in snow. Hehe. Faiz asked why did i choose Golden Tulip Alkmaar out of all the places we could have been in Netherlands, i guess it’s the free parking! HAHAHA. Or it is the only available hotel in booking.com with reasonable price and comfy beds. Heeheehee. But i like the hotel, very nice 😀

The next day, we drove off from Alkmaar to Rotterdam which only an hour journey. We arrived Rotterdam, check-in The Art Hotel and jalan-jalan Stadsdriehoek, Cube House and then we went to Market Hall and grab our lunch there. We took train to go to Amsterdam Centraal for sightseeing. It was cold to the bone and windy. We hurried back to hotel. From Amsterdam Centraal to Maashaven is about one hour long.

Winter: The Road Trip Journey

Art Hotel & Stadsdriehoek, Rotterdam

Market Hall, Rotterdam

Amsterdam

Tips in Amsterdam: If facing with difficulties getting on the train particularly to pay the ticket via machine, use the help post. They’re very helpful.

Next: Road Trip Day 7 Let’s Go Antwerpen, Belgium!

Road trip Day 5 France to Cologne, Germany

Ta France! And road trip begins: Reims – Luxembourg – Cologne, Germany. Although we can go direct to Cologne from Reims of 4 hours journey, we might as well hit Luxembourg, see the place, buildings, it’s just a small country.

Reims to me is a very lovely city with romantic landscape. We stopped for a break and bought breads at a patisserie. Rugi la pergi France kalau tak rasa bread and pastries sana. They’re the master. My first French eclairs memang tak cukup makan satu. Had i known that we would have surplus cash, i would have indulge the delicacies there. Rambang mata tengok pastries on shelves! Takpe lah, next time, God willing. Reims to Lux: 2 hours 45 minutes.

And then we headed to Cologne, Germany. By the time we reach our B&B there, it is already dark. Greeted with warmth, hadnt said Halo and Bitte to a dutch in the longest time, i register for check-in. Simple je B&B ni, just what we need. A place to rest for the night after a long journey and a breakfast the next day (and free parking!) hence Bed & Breakfast. As we were resting, the bois watching telly, Faiz shouted a little. His eyes were beaming in excitement. We both look out and sat by the window in awe. It is our first rain snow together. Called the bois so they could see the snow theyve been told about, we cuddled. One of many precious moments i would always remember.

We woke up to a white morning. THE BEST. Walaupun sejuk sampai ke tulang, bila je nak merasa snow selain dlm freezer kat rumah. Theres a shopping mall nearby, Koln Arcaden. Round-round singgah C&A kejap, then we chopchop to local attraction.

We stopped at the Cologne Cathedral, known for its gothic architecture. Cologne brings back old memory; doner kebab. Such a feeling when it goes into throat. Haha. The thick bread is one of a kind. The thin meat slices cooked with herbs is superb. I wish i could bring home one for Mak. Which i did. But i had to throw it away in Rotterdam because no one would it eat anyway, we have many more days to go! Lol. We sightseeing around Köln Altstadt Nord (Cologne Old Town North), saw rows of tulips, truly beauty almost look like artificial. Tulip is the best.

Dont forget to buy souvenirs at every stop. There’s Hard Rock in Cologne, FYI. And pay attention to parking meters. When renting a car, try best to adhere to local rules and regulations, just to avoid unnecessary headache.

Next: Road Trip Day 6 The Netherlands!

Trip Day 4 Paris Day 2

Tour day & Disneyland today! Big Bus Tour once again. Pun beli tiket awal jugak. Free tickets for children under 4 so it cost us GBP70.40 for two adults. Bought them in pound because it was slightly cheaper (by conversion). Tapi tak banyak beza pun kalau beli in Euro..

We took RER A train from Val d’Europe to city centre. It is about 1 hour to reach Palais Royal Musée du Louvre (train change M (Metro) at La Defense), to hop on one of the Big Bus Tour stops at Opera Garnier. Nearby shopping haven is Galeries Lafayette and because i didnt plan to play “Shopaholic in Paris” so we continue touring.

A must stop: Louvre-Pyramide. Because i was intrigued by The Da Vinci Code movie. Hehe. Another must stop: Tour Eiffel, of course. Maybe because there were many many Malaysia Indonesia Singapore Brunei tourists, key chain sellers there can speak some Malay — Beli kakak, murah-murah, selendang, terima kasih. Hehe.

Disneyland Paris is closing at 8 pm, i estimate we would spend 4 hours maximum there. So we return to Val D’Europe and enter Disneyland.

I bought the entrance ticket online on 11.01.2017. Months before i was contemplating buying the tickets because they were expensive. And there were few times the website was down for maintenance so i wasnt rushing into buying ticket at that moment. But lucky me, as i decided i should complete all transactions that day, i managed to grab the ticket promo; Special Magic 1 Day/2 Parks Ticket free Universal Studios entrance. Yay. Wallet damage: GBP168. Breakdown: Adult GBP45, Child 3-11 GBP39.

When buying online, never forget to print out tickets and keep them safe in 1 folder. Only 1 person in charge handling tickets. Less risky.

Classic Disneyland attraction: It’s a Small World. Reminds me of the time Mak & Bapak brought me there long long time ago when i was 10 or so. Thanks Mak & Bapak ❤

You can download Disneyland apps, so you know which attraction has long queue and go for the shortest one. We’ll definitely coming back again when the bois are a lil more older so they can enjoy the thunder ride and all.

Disneyland is Magical!

Next: Road trip Day 5 From France to Cologne, Germany.

Trip Day 3 Paris Day 1

A more than a year since i last posted, i know i had some tips shared and clueless for good one hour. They’re in my instagram posts! Gotta paste them here too. Slowly but surely 😀

So Eurostar, London to Paris. I booked the tickets online on 30.12.2016, about 2 months ahead from our travel date.  Best time to start journey is early in the morning, not too late in the afternoon because then you wouldnt have much time to catch in Paris plus, its winter and it gets dark early. It is a 2 hour and 30 minute journey from St Pancras station to Paris Gare Du Nord. Considering our apartment check-out time in London, finding Uber to pick us up and managing our bois early in the morning is a daunting task — So off we go at 10:24 am and reached Paris at 13:56 pm. Just a note, our returning time form Paris to London at 15:13 pm to 16:39 pm. Fare for a child and adult is GBP39 and GBP37.50, to and fro. Total wallet damage: GBP231

Respect time and DO NOT BE LATE. We arrived St Pancras early, as i can recollect it was a chilly morning and traffic was a bit tense with people who are driving for work. So yes, you gotta factor in that too in your time planning.

Thanks to our crybaby Mukhriz who got us the business lane privilege :p I must compliment the staff there for being courteous, I observed that they have been very friendly and helpful with us; family with little kids. Yay civilization!

We had two big luggage, and one backpack and a stroller.

We’re seated according to the number given (refer email received after complete ticket purchase transaction). The train journey was pleasant. There’s refreshments at a bar at the end of the coach. The bois behaved so well until we arrived Gare Du Nord.

PARIS GARE DU NORD (Paris North Station)

French people dont speak English. Minimal, yes. So ive got all rental car email printed, we heading to Europcar counter. Because there was a renovation going on, it was relocated. We went up and down, left and right, the help counter staff wasnt being helpful, got into the wrong complicated tiny elevator, and there, Europcar — at the corner of station.

Not sure if ive got us the cheapest rental car, i hope i did, but i decided to get it here.  It is cheaper when you pick up and return at the same place. Our pick up time is 14:00 pm. By now you should get the idea that i matched our arrival time in Paris and car rental pick up time.

The rental process at the counter was easy and simple, but note that the driver must present his/her credit card. In order to save Euro, i did not name second driver. Because there isnt going to be a second driver pun, im not driving yo. But eventually they charge me as the second driver because i used my credit card. Hubs didnt own a credit card, and debit card is not accepted. So…

So we went to basement parking with Europcar staff, met our car, checked every inch of the body making sure all dents are already there, took pictures just in case, children car seats installed and we exit Gare Du Nord.

Boy it was hard. For a first timer driving left-hand car. Hehe. But Mr. Husband managed. For a total of 2400 KM journey cross country, he managed. Yaaay! 😀 Funny we were freezing cold in the car not knowing to increase the temperature just by adjusting the AC. Silly.

With Waze App, we reached Hipark residence serris val d’europe our stay for two nights. Objective one: Near Disneyland. Objective two: Free parking. Was a bit regret that we didnt shop at La vallée village when it is so near.

Next: Trip Day 4, Paris Day 2!

Trip Day 2 London Day 2

07.02.2017 – City Tour!

Breakfast served at Grand Plaza Service Apartment starting from 7:30 am. We had Nasi Lemak, the bois had bread and Nutella and cereal. The morning was chilly.

I bought Big Bus Tours London tickets online 1-2 months before leaving. The process was easy. All you need to do is choose from the options, make sure your credit card is ready to purchase and print the ticket. Keep the ticket. Buy a plastic folder. A4 size, a cheap one will do. I bought from Daiso at RM5.30. Keep all tickets in one folder.

Free ticket for kids under 5. Yay to more savings! Wallet damage: GBP63 for 24 hours tours and cruise. Print the map and do a lil study on the route and determine your start point the nearest from your hotel/apartment.

When in London, strictly follow your itinerary. It’s very easy to divert from your initial plan. Just stick to it. We waste time walking from Queensway Station to nowhere when we were supposed to jump on a train from Queensway Stn to Marble Arch Stn.

At Queensway Station you can buy Oyster ticket from the machine. We try to avoid using credit card. There’s one cash machine there. I think we bought whole day ticket instead of per ride. For assistance just ask the friendly officers.

There’s a lift/elevator to go underground at Queensway Stn and unfortunately not at all stations. So it was difficult for us to climb the staircases/escalator with a stroller (ours is only 5kg. To fold and unfold it quickly was quite demanding. Huhu) Didn’t know why but we’ve never tried the bus. Hmm…

We ran late to see the changing guards at the Buckingham Palace. A tad sad that my bois can’t experience it as they were so excited to witness one (they watched from Youtube. A lil prep for London. Huhu) When i visited there as a little child, i watched the whole thing that’s why i was excited to share with my bois. Oh well.. Things in the past. But we managed to snap a few photos. I still cant recover from the loss.  Hahaha.

And then we strolled the Hyde Park. The weather was clear and pleasant. The bois were in great mood. It felt perfect. Almost near to heaven.

Hard Rock Cafe is only 11 mins from Buckingham Palace. But as far as i can remember, it took us much longer probably because Waze decided to be dumb that day. We lost. But we found Marks and Spencer on our way and bought fresh grapes, milk, brownies, cereal and chips. To stock up sugar and keep us sane. Lol. The walk was pretty exciting. We got to see the people, the cars, the black taxis, the shops, the road, the greens, the trees, the skies. Can’t believe we made it to London 🙂

It was too cold sitting at the upper level of the bus. The hand warmer packs i bought from Daiso were of no use. But i put 1-2 packs in my bois pocket jeans. Not sure if it worked on them. But not with me. We never get on the cruise. Probably because we had to turn back to the stop and we’re not going to see the same buildings twice. So we forego that one. Maybe next time. We got free 24 hours city tour but to be used on consecutive day. But tomorrow is France day.

We took train to Knightsbridge Stn and shop in Harrods. It’s no surprise you can spend a day just in there. It’s huge. And then we went to Primark. Cheap cheap bargains. My bois were exhausted and Mukhriz fell asleep in stroller. Our feet are killing our souls we could no longer shop and it’s dark outside.

And in the evening we walked the Bayswater Road, going shop to shop, and we had a nice dinner at a Thai Restaurant. You can find other interesting places to eat nearby. We were just lazy to google around. Blame the cold. Hee hee.

Wear comfortable shoes. You need them for walking in London. Strictly no heels.

We hopped on Eurostar to France and the real adventure begins! Till next post.

Toodles~

Next: Trip Day 3 Paris Day 1

 

 

 

 

Trip Day 1 London Day 1

We arrived Heathrow Airport at about 4 pm and queued for immigration check. It was a looong queue. My bois cheer themselves up playing with each other. They were laughing and giggling and poking. Then Mukhriz cried and making so much noise, came an Indian lady officer asking whats going on. Rasa takut la jugak masa ni. Macam dah buat salah besar je. But anyway, thanks to Mukhriz he got us skipped the queue. Hehe.

I forgot to arrange pocket wifi. So Faiz and I bought Lebara sim cards for GBP10 at a shop in the airport. It took us quite a while to install Uber apps and make it work in our iphones.

No cash transaction for Uber in the UK. Only credit card is allowed. So get your hotel/apartment address right. Most importantly set the meet location right. We trembling cold outside the airport because we waited at departure gate when it was supposedly arrival gate.

On mobile internet:

1. Lebara sim card can be purchased as cheap as £10
2. Mobile data (internet) is more important than airtime. We dont need international calling because WhatsApp already provided that convenience.
3. Make sure the countries i.e France, Luxembourg, Germany, you can use the mobile data/internet continuously, if you are traveling from a country to another.
4. You can turn international roaming on (Maxis, Celcom). Be sure of their rates per MB/GB. You can call their toll free numbers. I turned off international roaming. For popular europe countries i.e UK, France Maxis would charge RM38/580MB. In Holland you would only get 58MB for RM38. Not sure why.
5. Don’t expect they have free wifi everywhere in the country. But they do have it free in malls, RnR.

On getting to hotel/apartment:

1. There are two airports in the UK. You can check Heathrow Airport website, key in your flight number and it will show you your flight landing terminal. Ours was Terminal 4, LHR.
2. Make sure the route from airport to your hotel/aparment.
3. Decide whether you are going there by train or taxi or Uber or Gett.
4. We brought 2 medium size luggages, a stroller and 2 bois who are forever restless. To cut drama, we opt for Uber for comfort, time and fare.
5. It would be cheaper by train. Airport taxis are expensive. Uber from airport to Bayswater cost us about £25, 45 minutes.

We arrived Grand Plaza Serviced Aparment, Princes Square, Bayswater. Located near Whiteleys, Tesco, Thai Restaurant, souvenir shops and Queensway Station (Central Line, Underground) in walking distance, the main reason I chose the apartment.

This is our Quad Executive Studio, complete with kitchenette; microwave, cutleries, cooking tools, eating plates & cups and mugs.

Clean comfortable bathroom. Bathtub, shower, perfect with mango smelled shower foam and shampoo. Love it!

Heaters worked well. Hair dryer at the front table. Iron and ironing board provided. Bonus point.

All for £130 per night, £200 deposit upon arrival. Couldnt spot any flaws. It was worth it!

Breakfast is included in our room charges. You may order Nasi Lemak and Roti Canai for less than £5 at the kafeteria.

You could find Maybank ATM machine at the Ground Floor. It dispenses GBP. Im gonna share the charges and currency ecxchange in another post 🙂

Toodles~!

x

Next: Trip Day 2 London Day 2