Europe Tour 2024 (Series Part 1)

Prologue
We were given the opportunity to travel to Europe in February 2024. While most of our trips were DIY, this trip is different as DK arranged a tour package with a travel agency. The travel agency provided assistance with visa application, and the tour was prepared from transport to lodging, and we were able to focus on and enjoy the tour.

Summarizing the trip, it was a total of ten (10) days, with two of these days allocated for travelling to and returning from Europe via Abu Dhabi. The countries we visited were as follows:

• Germany
• Czech Republic
• Slovakia
• Hungary
• Austria
• Switzerland
• Liechtenstein

I was excited because it was my first time to be more than one time zone away from home. My excitement is a mixture of being very far away, being in cold weather, and being able to experience an entirely different world.

We left our home at around 1:30pm of Wednesday.

Day 1 - Travel from Manila, Philippines to Frankfurt, Germany via Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

The aircraft was configured with center seats, and we got seated right in two of them. Funny thing though is that DK and I were separated by the center console since the seats are placed alternately. Here's DK enjoying a glass of champagne, with the center console separating us.

(DK holding a glass of champagne)

Oh, and yes: we were able to get Business Class seats. It's a thing that we seldom experience. I insisted with DK that we get upgrades. The main reason? It's an eight-hour flight and we're travelling at least four time zones and I wanted to be as comfortable as possible. It was a nice experience. We got to lie down and the food was fantastic.

I had the poached prawns for appetizer and Etihad's version of Tinolang Manok.

After the dinner I spent the rest of the flight catching up on sleep, with a movie as my lullaby. I remember that I played Dune, and fell asleep. I drifted between awake and asleep but I remembered I got enough because by the time we got to Abu Dhabi airport I still have enough energy.

I wasn't able to keep track of time in Manila, but I did remember that we have like an hour and forty-five minutes before our flight to Germany (because of delayed departure from Manila), so we had to go gate-to-gate passing through the duty free shopping area. It was my first time in a major global hub and I was a bit overwhelmed. I did, however, remember that every airport is the same, some are just bigger, just like Abu Dhabi. I was so focused on finding the next gate that I wasn't able to take any photo.

I can't remember the exact Abu Dhabi time we left, but a few hours later, we boarded. It was a six-hour flight with another inflight meal. I remember having a coffee after DK answered me that we'll be arriving 6:30am.

A few hours, a short nap, a movie replay, and some music later, we arrived in Frankfurt, Germany!

Side Story: Germany Immigration
It was an unusual experience for us as we're used to being processed by immigration one at a time, even when we're travelling as a group. DK always goes first, and when the officer asked her who she's with, she pointed at me, and I was called to come forward and submit my passport for checking. Here's how the dialogue went:

Officer: "First time in Germany?"
DK: "Yes."
Officer: "Touring with a group?"
DK: "Yes."
Officer: "You'll be staying in Europe until when?"
DK: gives the date of departure
Officer: "You'll be visiting how many countries?"
DK: counts in her head "Seven, including Germany."
Officer: trying not to laugh to maintain professional demeanor "You better hurry up, then."

DK and I actually laughed afterwards because the officer was not wrong.

Arrival and Transport to the City

It's a good thing that everything was efficient. Although I have to say, it's an entirely different world in Germany and Europe, even when we've just reached the airport. I can't describe exactly what and how, but it just feels like it. (I found out later on the tour what these things are.)

Our tour group of like thirty strangers had to gather up in the arrival hall of Frankfurt airport as we try to find our bus.

Typical of travelling, we had our luggage around.

A few moments later we found our bus. We loaded our luggage, and off we went. It was cold at 5°C and it was raining. (I loved it though. Haha)

I snapped this photo just as our bus went down the airport ramp onto the highway.

Roughly 45 minutes later we arrived the Blasky Hotel.

I checked the time when we arrived at the hotel, it's around 7:00am of Thursday, which is 1:00pm in Manila. Since we left our home at around 1:30pm of Wednesday, we were in transit for roughly 24 hours. I was disoriented for a bit because I somehow lost a full day... But it is what it is.

And that's Day 1 of our European Tour, spent mostly in transit. It's gonna be an exciting week ahead.