Travel Thread

Which part of Japan? That might change the routes available possibly, if it’s to Tokyo or Kansai. I go back and forth between Melb and Kansai often, and like stopping in Hong Kong or Kuala Lumpur for a few days. Usually HK cos Cathay prices are generally good.

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It’s possible to get quite cheap flights Melbourne to Singapore/KL to Seoul to Osaka.

Was planning on
Mel —> Tokyo stay a week
Tokyo —> Osaka stay a week +
Osaka —-> Tokyo stay a couple days
Tokyo —> Melbourne

Family if 4, is the direct qantas flight is most appealing, although a stopover would be good for a couple of days.

That’s be a long commute!

Is the point of the stopover to break up the trip or to see somewhere else as a bonus? Those direct JAL flights to Tokyo aren’t too taxing, and there’s no real time difference to worry about for kids.

Stopover was just more of a bonus if the flight was cheaper.

So if direct is $1300

But via Cairns/HK/Singapore is $800, I could do a couple days on stopover as a ‘bonus’ side trip

Ah, ok. I’ve not yet tried Singapore but would like to. HK provides plenty of sights for a couple of days and is easy to manage. I haven’t tried it with kids though, so I can’t recommend suitable hotels or tips for a family stopover. Someone else here should be able to help if you choose there.

Edit: nice to see you’ve given yourself ample time in both the Tokyo and Osaka areas!

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Anyone done the glacier express in Switzerland?

Mate of mine is doing next month.

Will be doing it on August 11th, just reserved seats a few days ago. We are going in the Zermatt to St Moritz direction.
Have done the Bernina Express and William Tell before but not the full Glacier Express

Cathay usually are fairly competitive and Hong Kong is awesome for a stopover especially with kids.
Philippine Airlines and China Southern are usually two of the cheaper full service flights and both are a pretty good product. Philippines Airlines would stop over at Manila which is ok for a day or 2 and China Southern has stop overs at Guangzhou which is a pretty decent city but a bit harder work.
If you choose direct I’d recommend Japan Airlines over Qantas, their Dreamliner is fantastic

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When are you looking at going?

HK is excellent for kids and is a very family friendly city. Easy to get around and plenty to do for kids

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Planning for mid September into October. Thought it’d be best chance at ok weather but avoid some of the peak crowds.

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Oh great, could you let me know what it is like? What is the benefit of doing Zermatt to St Moritz? And not, the other way?

Don’t think there are any real pros and cons going in either direction. For us it was just the direction we were arriving in Switzerland and the connections to get there. I also found it a little easier to get tickets that way as a lot of tour groups seem to go the other way and book up large quantities of room

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That makes sense. The thought was to head into Milan then catch the Bernina Express to St Moritz, then do the Glacier Express to Zermatt. But if that’s too full, then maybe fly into Geneva, local trains to Zermatt then go the other way. Thanks.

I wouldn’t waste your time, personally. It’s a direct flight. Save a heap of flying/transit time and have a few extra days in Japan. The Melbourne/Tokyo direct flight is great

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Direct with Japan Airlines will set you back around $900 that time of year.
Cathay around the $900 mark via Hong Kong
Philippine Airlines somewhere around $550-700 if they are on sale.
A lot depends on how flexible you are with days of the week you depart/arrive and also times play a huge part. Some people can’t sleep onboard so choose day flights. The cheapest flights may not suit you timeswise.
Personally if you are after a good stop over for the kids I’d go with Cathay or for a family of 4 going with Philippine Airlines gives you quite a bit extra in the pocket for your travels and Manila is ok for a short stay

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The dates we are there It was pretty full in the other direction. We will be coming in from Zurich to Zermatt on the local trains and then go to St Moritz on the Glacier Express and then back to Zurich via some areas we haven’t been. Definitely look into a Swiss pass or similar if you are travelling a bit via rail in Switzerland as the costs mount quickly. You do still have to pay a small fee to reserve seats on the Glacier and Bernina Expresses though. I found withthe Bernina it was better to not go on the actual Bernina Express train which costs extra and is very touristy and in sealed cabins but to get on the regular trains which go the same route at the same speed and in summer some have open top trains which is an amazing experience. The windows also open and allow better photo opportunities

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