Have just completed the final pre-purchases online - tickets for the Heathrow Express, which saves me 10 pounds - money better spent elsewhere.  Have also bought an Oyster card to get around on the tube - much cheaper than buying individual tickets.  A good website to do this is visitbritain.com.  It's amazing we can do this ourselves on the web now - it really reduces and in many cases removes the need for a travel agent - my airline ticket was online, as was the train tickets, internal flight, accomodation bookings, theatre tickets, tube ticket, tour etc etc.  Not long to go now - and I will be on holidays - I wish it would get here quick!

At least half the long-haul flight will be in relative comfort

Despite joining Qantas Club I was informed that I would have to wait until 7 days before my flight to try and purchase an exit row seat, on the aisle, with unlimited legroom.  To my surprise, when logging in I discovered that all exit row seats had already been purchased for the 1st leg of my journey - damn, that means whilst I get an aisle seat, I will have to put up with the comparatively cramped economy seat.  At least I could spend the extra $160 on an exit row seat for the way home - I s'pose I am at least partially satisfied - the trip on the way home is at night, so the extra leg room will come in very handy.  So - the moral of the story is, despite the advertised 7 day rule, check your flight booking regularly in the lead-up to your departure date - you may just find that the exit row purchase option opens earlier than you think - for the sake of $160, you get a far more comfortable ride and the possibility of sleep - bliss....

The Travel Itinerary

25 May  Dept. Melb for London
26 May  Arr. London
27 May  Chelsea Garden Show - catch up with friends from Manchester for the weekend
28 May  My B.D!!! Theatre tonight - 'We Will Rock You'
29 May  Shopping
30 May  London to Paris on the Eurostar
31 May  Paris
1 June    Paris
2 June    Paris
3 June    Paris - then dept. Paris on overnight train to Barcelona
4 June    Barcelona
5 June    Barcelona
6 June    Tour of Spain, Portugal and Morocco commences
7 June    Barcelona
8 June    Barcelona - Valencia
9 June    Valencia - Granada
10 June  Granada
11 June  Granada - Tangier
12 June  Tangier - Fez
13 June  Fez
14 June  Fez - Marrakesh
15 June  Marrakesh
16 June  Marrakesh - Casablanca - Rabat
17 June  Rabat - Seville
18 June  Seville
19 June  Seville - Lisbon
20 June  Lisbon
21 June  Lisbon - Coimbra
22 June  Coimbra
23 June  Coimbra - Oporto
24 June  Oporto - Salamanca
25 June  Salamanca - Madrid
26 June  Madrid
27 June  Madrid - Toledo - Madrid
28 June  Tour ends - Madrid
29 June  Madrid
30 June  Madrid
1 July     Madrid
2 July     Dept. Madrid to London
3 July     London
4 July     London
5 July     Dept. London to Melb
6 July     In transit
7 July     Arrive Melb.