Hello and welcome to the 7 Wonders In 7 Days website, especially if you’ve heard about us on Twitter via the #smc_mcr #futr09 hashtags.
I hope you’ve come to help!
As you may know already, I am planning to visit all 7 (new) wonders of the world in 7 days in September 2009, with the goal of raising £777,000 for 7 amazing charities.
Before I can even start, I need your help.
The lovely World Travel team at Thomas Cook travel agents, Manchester have put together a travel itinerary for the trip, covering just flights for now.
Unfortunately they say they can only manage it in 10 days and not the 7 I’ve set out to do.
I’m hoping to whittle down this 10 day itinerary to 7 by asking the enormously helpful, generous and smart people on Twitter.
Do you know anyone extremely knowledgeable about travel, airlines, the countries that the new 7 wonders of the world are in, has a private jet or all of the above?
Then please ask them to peruse this travel itinerary and see if there’s any way this trip could be done in 7 days. If anyone reckons it can, please leave me a comment.
I’m forever grateful for your help! If you’re on Twitter, please consider tweeting this list. Thanks so much.
Here’s the list.
9/9/09 Manchester, UK to Rome, Italy via Brussels 1035 – 1555
10/9/09 Rome, Italy to Amman, Jordan via Beirut 1220 – 1800
11/9/09 Amman, Jordan to Delhi, India non stop 2015 – 0415 12/09
13/9/09 Delhi, India to Beijing, China non stop 0315 – 1225
13/9/09 Beijing, China to Lima, Peru via Toronto 1800 – 2055
15/9/09 Lima, Peru to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil via Sao Paulo 0050 – 1030
15/9/09 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to Cancun, Mexico via Newark, US 1850 – 1115 16/09
17/9/09 Cancun, Mexico to Manchester, UK via Chicago, US 1550 – 1440 18/09
Any comments, queries or questions, just ask in the comments.
Image credit: rodbaston.ac.uk
UPDATE: The following 7 Wonders in 7 Days travel itinerary, kindly provided by the Manchester branch of independent travel specialists Trailfinders incorporates Sharon’s suggestion in the comments below.
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10 months ago
[...] the Trip Itinerary from Thomas Cook’s current suggestion of 10 days to 7 by linking up with a Geography department [...]
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10 months ago
[...] main thing I need help with now is reducing the travel itinerary from the 10 days suggested by Thomas Cook Manchester to the 7 I [...]
Dave Goodchild
9 months ago
Wonderful idea – do you use Audioboo? If so, I would be happy to feature your trip as a stream on the front page when you do it! Boobase.com!
Chi-chi Ekweozor
9 months ago
@Dave Goodchild:
That’s a really kind offer, thank you!
I’m holding out on getting an iPhone 3G until after the next version is out in the summer. Will install AudioBoo when I do.
Emily
9 months ago
Hello
This is an amazing idea! I am not sure it is physically possible because of the time difference, but I have got an idea of how I might be able to reduce it. I am a writer but I also run an ATOL and ABTA bonded travel franchise from home. I really hope I can help and I will keep you posted.
Emily.
Chi-chi Ekweozor
9 months ago
@Emily:
Thanks for your encouraging comment! I’m going to be blogging about progress with the travel itinerary later today so stay tuned!
Now following you on Twitter.
Travel Update – 7 Wonders Trip Probable in 7 Days #90909 | 7WondersIn7Days
9 months ago
[...] the existing itinerary as a guide, it means that rather than flying to Italy’s Roman Colosseum on 9/09/09, I fly out [...]
Sharon
9 months ago
Hi,
Found out about your trip from the Twitchhiker. I think what you’re doing is fabulous!
Have you ever thought about “flying backwards”? That is, starting in the latest possible time zone (China?) and moving west? If the flight times work out, you can save lots of valuable time due to the time differences.
If you can think of anything you might need from us (web design/SEO/media co. in Newcastle) please drop us a line. We’d be happy to help.
Good luck!
Chi-chi Ekweozor
9 months ago
@Sharon:
Thanks so much for your lovely message.
I’ll run that by Thomas Cook, that’s a really good idea.
We decided to start the trip by going to countries near the UK to gain as much time as possible early on. Consequently I’m flying to Rome first. Going a different way might mean flying quite far away to begin with. Beijing to Peru takes over 24 hours, for example.
It’s definitely worth considering as an alternative route but it could change the trip pricing and budget significantly.
Sharon
9 months ago
I suppose the question is: When do your “7 Days” start? Do they start when you see your first Wonder, or when you leave the UK? If it starts when you leave the UK then “flying backwards” might not work, as you lose about 24hrs just getting to China.
Timezone order is:
China – India – Jordan – Rome – Mexico – Brazil – Peru
Just some thoughts.
Chi-chi Ekweozor
9 months ago
@Sharon:
Sorry for the belated reply. That’s a good question and one asked by @documentally earlier in the process. I blogged about it here:
http://www.7wondersin7days.com/travel-update-%e2%80%93-7-wonders-trip-probable-in-7-days-90909/
The answer is that the 7 Days start at the first location, which at the moment is Italy’s Colosseum.
Thanks for listing the timezones. Will definitely consider your suggestions.
Not impressed
8 months ago
Look – why not abandon this tedious and time-wasting exercise? Most of the “helpers” who are feeding in on here are simply promoting themselves on the back of your pointless project. Do you really think anyone is going to cough up, in cash or in kind, just so that you can have what is, effectively, a seven day jolly? Why not simply take one per cent of your company’s profits and share THAT between the charities you are championing? That’s what is called real giving – something worth shouting about. It’s even tax deductable. Wasting everyone’s time by waving a begging bowl in their face for this needless indulgence is the pits. It’s bad luck if you don’t like what I say, but believe me, what I’ve written here is what most people will be thinking.
Chi-chi Ekweozor
8 months ago
@Not impressed:
Thanks for your insightful comment!
I’ve just gotten off the phone from speaking to the agent of a highly respected writer who is supporting the 7 Wonders in 7 Days campaign so your comment is actually quite amusing.
Insightful in parts but amusing nonetheless.
As for giving 1% of my company profits to the charities, a laudable idea but one that would not translate to very much in real terms and that’s the simple truth.
This project is taking so much of my time that it is potentially draining some of my company profits!
I’m not going to give up until it’s done though because I know there are real people out there struggling with Alzheimer’s Disease, diabetes and more and others still going through tough emotional problems and the whole point is to help those who can help in whatever way I can.
In addition, as a journalist I’ve just spoken to pointed out, most people are aware of the very physical demands of the trip. I will be crossing multiple time zones and in some cases, sleeping on flights between destinations. This is no 7 day jolly. It’s more of a marathon.
In case you respond back, and I suspect you will, I have to say that I’m extremely busy getting ready for the Charity Auction next week (which I’m fitting around an already heavy workload) so I may not be able to respond to a future ‘diatribe’.
I wish you all the best as you watch this web adventure unfold.
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