Getting Excited About Our Trip To Italy

Our mascot attached to our day-pack

With just over five weeks til we depart we are starting to get very excited. Of course the rest of the family blithely carries on while I am in a constant state of mental check-listing: what is there still to do? What have I forgotten to do? What will happen if the Chinese don't let us in? Sorry, back-up there. What was that last one?

Well, it's like this. While browsing and searching, comparing and re-comparing flights and fares from Sydney to Rome I discovered that we would save a considerable amount by taking a stopover in China. For the sake of a 15 hour break in our flights we would save close to $5000. We can do an awful lot with $5000! I investigated further and after a few false starts, mainly where the stopover was over-night (pointless) I booked a flight which has us spending the day in Guangzhou (previously known as Canton). Our return flight also has a lengthy stopover in the same city but will be overnight and by then I am sure we will be grateful for the break and opportunity to sleep. So, the reason I am fretting about our entry into China is that we needed to get visas which are issued on either a single (30 day) or multiple (90 day) entry basis. We were issued 30 day visas and I have been worrying about whether we will be permitted to re-enter the second time. My husband has since re-assured me that the visa states two entries so we will be fine.

Our flight home also gives us an eight hour stopover in Paris - just enough time for a whirlwind trip in to see the Eiffel Tower!

Go to next article: Today I Booked a Car

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