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Doctor Malaver posted:It's OK then Speaking of which, anyone have some recommendations on these? I hear good things about Piran in Slovenia as well. Also, reading a few posts in this thread makes me think I should maybe diversify the places I'll be visiting and add more (I have a month after all). Right now I'm planning on Trieste, Ljubliana, and Rijeka, with some overnights in other places. I'm planning on being in Trieste for 1.5-2 weeks for a conference/general research stuff I want to do there.
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Jun 17, 2012 18:00
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Business posted:Speaking of which, anyone have some recommendations on these? I hear good things about Piran in Slovenia as well. Piran's lovely, the other 3 coastal towns in Slovenia aren't much. No trains, but should be pretty easy to get a direct bus. If your conference is in July/Aug, I would expect Piran to be crowded as all-hell though. Skocjan caves right outside Divaca is awesome and only like 20 minutes outside Trieste--it's like the mines from Fellowship of the Ring. If you like caves at -all-, try and get on one of their special tours they do. I felt pretty rushed for the 90 minute one and wished I had more time. Also I wished I'd brought a better camera for surreptitious photography (not sure why they don't allow photos, jerks). Pula is supposedly really nice, but it might be a bit far for a day trip. The other towns on that coast of Istria are kind of boring, e.g. Umag and Novigrad, as far as walking around the towns, but the setting is lovely. I guess I'd only recommend that area if you have a car and have the freedom of movement buses won't give you. On the other coast of Istria, Opatja is nice.
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Jun 17, 2012 18:36
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Doctor Malaver posted:It's OK then Sounds like a good idea, where's not going to be too crowded in mid July. (And accessible by train.  P.S. Thanks for all the advice, this is really helpful.
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Jun 17, 2012 18:45
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Entire Croatian coast will be crowded in July.  Maybe Rijeka a little less than other railroad-accessible towns because it's not a typical tourist place. Big XIX century buildings, old factories, very steep coast. No beaches but plenty of interesting sights.Business, if you can rent a car or a bike, consider inland Istria. Very nice historic villages, great food, picturesque churches... and not crowded.
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Jun 17, 2012 19:54
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Yeah Zagreb kind of sucks. Very industrial-ey and not a hell of a lot to do for a decent sized city.
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Jun 18, 2012 00:22
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Is there a direct train between Ljubljana and Budapest? I'm seeing on some sites that IC 147 or something is direct, but wikitravel says that there are no direct connections anymore.
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Jun 18, 2012 01:13
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Laminator posted:Is there a direct train between Ljubljana and Budapest? I'm seeing on some sites that IC 147 or something is direct, but wikitravel says that there are no direct connections anymore. https://www.seat61.com/ I don't think so but the above site will tell you for sure.
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Jun 18, 2012 14:42
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Laminator posted:Is there a direct train between Ljubljana and Budapest? I'm seeing on some sites that IC 147 or something is direct, but wikitravel says that there are no direct connections anymore. I can't get a proper link, but if you change products to direct only, then there seems to be a direct train every other day. (And maybe a night train in July) http://fahrplan.oebb.at/bin/query.exe/en?ld=1&L=vs_inputgen&seqnr=3&ident=fu.05501170.1340030280&OK#focus
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Jun 18, 2012 15:41
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Hope you guys don't mind me cross-posting this here, I'm looking for advice with flight problems (to Norway) and thought maybe someone could help me out. I'm going to Norway at the end of July for a week, flying out with Norwegian (norwegian.no) Booked the tickets in April. I just checked the email reservation and it says I'm flying on the 3rd of July instead of the 24th of July. My account on the website says the same thing. This is pretty weird as I would have had to be completely insane to make the mistake of booking these flights on the 3rd as opposed to the 24th. I'm not flying back on the 3rd of August (coming back on 31st of July in fact) so I couldn't have got the depart and return dates confused. I'm fairly sure that their website has screwed up in some way. I just phoned them up to talk about it but all I got was a recorded message with their opening hours, then 10 minutes of music (no 'please stay on the line and we'll be with you shortly'), and eventually a message telling me all their operators are busy. Any advice as to what I should do very much appreciated. Is there any way I can get them to change the flights without just having to rebook and spend another few hundred quid??
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Jun 18, 2012 16:33
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Do you have a confirmation email, receipt, or any other documentation with the date you think you bought the tickets for?
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Jun 18, 2012 23:33
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I'm probably going to the UK soon. I heard they are pretty laid back with pay as you go SIM cards like in Italy and Germany. Any UK goons have a suggestion for providers who have a good deal for someone who just wants to receive/make the occasional call and SMS? edit: I'm a 26 year old male that can take care of himself, but... is Paddington station, london safe at like 2-3 AM?  hahaha
moflika fucked around with this message at 15:17 on Jun 19, 2012 |
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Jun 19, 2012 12:31
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So I'm planning to do a road-trip with a few friends in ex-Yugoslavia this summer (first two weeks of august), and I wanted to have some advice on our itinerary; so far, it would be: Zagreb - Belgrade - Guca trumpet festival - Durmitor national park - Sarajevo - Mostar - Split or Zadar, some nice laid-back island(s) - Plitvice lakes national park. We would spend more or less 1-2 days in every city, but I'm unsure about the time to spend in Zagreb (doesn't seem to be that crazy fun compared to Belgrade), in Sarajevo (seems to be quite interesting but also very small) and about the Croatian coast (loads of places to visit, but also quite crowded and we don't like that). Is there any place worth checking out over the others, or to avoid? We're looking for more "authentic" experiences, so we'd rather go with Bosnia or a remote Croatian island than with Dubrovnik or Hvar. Thanks!
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Jun 19, 2012 13:54
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THE MACHO MAN posted:A couple questions for you fine people: With regards to hostels, I totally rate Sant Jordi, they're a chain, with about 4 or 5 in the city and they're amazing. Reasonably priced too. For stuff to do in barcelona, it depends what you're into. Let me know what you like and I can give you a better idea of some stuff to see. There's tons of 'sights' to see, (Sagarda Familia, Park Guell, etc) Go up Montjuic in the evening, for an amazing view of the city. I don't rate barcelona beach at all, it's pretty dirty and there's too many people for my liking. If I were you, I'd look into going to Sitges for a beach day. It's about an hour on the train, and the beaches are much better.
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Jun 19, 2012 14:16
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e: nevermind, solved.
a podcast for cats fucked around with this message at 17:34 on Jun 20, 2012 |
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Jun 20, 2012 16:33
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Chikimiki posted:So I'm planning to do a road-trip with a few friends in ex-Yugoslavia this summer (first two weeks of august), and I wanted to have some advice on our itinerary; so far, it would be: I'm gonna give you advice that is so common it should be in the thread title - you are trying to cover too much in too little time. That's 4 countries and 8 destinations plus the islands in 14 days. You will remember the trip for lugging bags over countless bus stations in scorching heat. Drop Zagreb, Sarajevo and Mostar. Spend a week on Belgrade/Guca/Durmitor and a week on the islands. What's the point of getting to a laid-back island if you have 36 hours before rushing back?
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Jun 21, 2012 01:04
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Doctor Malaver posted:I'm gonna give you advice that is so common it should be in the thread title - you are trying to cover too much in too little time. This really should be in big flashing letters on every page. Plans like that are like me saying "I have two weeks to spend in the US and I want to see New York, Chicago, Boston, Miami, Atlanta, Dallas, Las Vegas, San Diego, Los Angeles, Portland and Seattle. What should I do/see in these places?"
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Jun 21, 2012 10:01
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Doctor Malaver posted:I'm gonna give you advice that is so common it should be in the thread title - you are trying to cover too much in too little time. That's 4 countries and 8 destinations plus the islands in 14 days. You will remember the trip for lugging bags over countless bus stations in scorching heat. drat, I figured it was feasible, and looking at travel times it is, but we'd be spending several hours per day on the road Thing is, I'm having trouble deciding what to drop, since everything seems very cool and interesting... I guess you're right about Sarajevo (maybe Mostar can be a day-trip from the coast), it's pretty hard to get there and it's also kinda small, too bad it's so loaded with History (big History geeks here)!So, Croatian coast then. What cities are best to visit? Zadar seems really pretty, and Split historically interesting, but there's also Rijeka and Trogir (Dubrovnik would be too crowded I think). And what about the islands? Korcula and Mljet are full of beautiful forests it seems, how are Vis or the Kornati Islands?
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Jun 22, 2012 10:38
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moflika posted:I'm probably going to the UK soon. I heard they are pretty laid back with pay as you go SIM cards like in Italy and Germany Probably yes, but what are you doing there? Sleeping?
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Jun 22, 2012 22:48
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Perhaps a bit off topic, but I've been reading about dos and don'ts of some European countries and noticed white sneakers coming up in the don't column a lot, also sneakers and white socks. I was curious if anyone knows why. Why white sneakers? Are black sneakers okay then? Or black socks? As an American where sneakers are the accepted standard for travel it just seems...well foreign.
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Jun 23, 2012 01:24
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DracoArgentum posted:Perhaps a bit off topic, but I've been reading about dos and don'ts of some European countries and noticed white sneakers coming up in the don't column a lot, also sneakers and white socks. I was curious if anyone knows why. Why white sneakers? Are black sneakers okay then? Or black socks? As an American where sneakers are the accepted standard for travel it just seems...well foreign. Shitloads of people have like white adidas or onitsukas or something, not just plain old all white no-name tennis shoes. Nobody really gives a poo poo how you look, and if you put any effort into your appearance at all you'll blend in just fine. It's basically all about a slim fit polo/tshirt, slim cut jeans and chucks or vintage runners in europe (most people are slim).
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Jun 23, 2012 01:31
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Chikimiki posted:drat, I figured it was feasible, and looking at travel times it is, but we'd be spending several hours per day on the road If it's history that you want, drop Guča and Belgrade. People don't go there for history (not saying there isn't history in Belgrade, but it's more of a party destination). Yes, Mostar is small but very interesting. For me very emotional but as a Westerner you probably won't feel it. Still you could spend a night there and make these two trips: House of the Dervish, a Muslim religious order. http://www.bhtourism.ba/eng/blagajbuna.wbsp Daniken-style XX century partisan cemetery http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partisan_cemetery_in_Mostar As for the Croatian coast, if you're coming from Durmitor/Montenegro then Dubrovnik (regardless of the crowds) and a boat to Mljet. If you're coming from Mostar/Bosnia then Split and a ferry to Vis. Kornati are beautiful but barren, not much to do there if you're not on a sail boat. Korcula and Hvar are also nice, full of historical buildings.
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Jun 23, 2012 02:12
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I spent two months in Central and Eastern Europe and my week in Sarajevo and Mostar were unquestionably the highlight, so if you have to drop something I'd really think about keeping Bosnia & Herzegovina.
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Jun 23, 2012 02:27
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Is one week too much time to spend in just Berlin? I'm currently planning a trip there, and I'm wondering if I'll be bored after I get all museum-ed out after the first few days. I'd love to rent a car and take day trips to the German countryside - are there any small towns outside of Berlin that are worth visiting? How about cool forests or hikes? Is it worth it to take the drive up to the Baltic coast? If so, any specific areas? How about Dresden? Sorry for the stream-of-consciousness barrage of questions, I'm just trying to ensure that I don't make the opposite mistake that most people make, to spend too much time in one place. EDIT: Forgot about the second part of my question! Don't worry, it's more focused. One of my possible itineraries gives me an 11 hour layover in Geneva. I'd love to take this time to explore the city of Geneva, but is that enough time to take care of all the airport nonsense, see the city, and be back to the airport? Once I land in Geneva, coming from the US, will I go through customs and immigration there? And then, once that's done, the only thing I will have to do upon returning is go through security? Is security as stringent and slow as it typically is in US airports? Will I have to go through immigration/customs again when I land in Germany? ...ok so maybe the question wasn't more focused. Travel to Europe is new and exciting to me, and I want to make sure I make the best of it! OldSenileGuy fucked around with this message at 04:16 on Jun 23, 2012 |
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Jun 23, 2012 04:11
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I spent a week in Berlin on my most recent trip. I wouldn't say it's too long, depending on your interests, but I wouldn't spend longer than a week in Berlin. Look into a day trip to Sczcecin in Poland as well, we really enjoyed that when we went. We did the Neues and Pergamon museums, Berlin wall stuff, Topography of Terror, Reichstag, Brandenburg Gate, Schloss Charlottenburg and we didn't get the chance to go to Potsdam. So no, you can definitely spend a week in Berlin, I can't help you about going elsewhere though sorry.
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Jun 23, 2012 04:29
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OldSenileGuy posted:Is one week too much time to spend in just Berlin? I'm currently planning a trip there, and I'm wondering if I'll be bored after I get all museum-ed out after the first few days. I'd love to rent a car and take day trips to the German countryside - are there any small towns outside of Berlin that are worth visiting? How about cool forests or hikes? Is it worth it to take the drive up to the Baltic coast? If so, any specific areas? How about Dresden? Geneva Airport is only about 10 minutes by train from Gemeva, so it's very feasible. Yes you will go through customs and immigration there, which will be quick and efficient. I've never waited more than like 30 minutes there and have flown in probably 20 times. You will not have to clear customs again in Germany. Geneva kind of blows as a tourist. Or resident. if the weathers nice, it's ok, but there's fuckall there. You can see John Calvin's chair, I guess, and a really big water spout if it's not too windy. Better than spending 11 hours in GVA but only just.
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Jun 26, 2012 11:29
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Geneva airport is the most boring airport I've ever been to. I mean, how many shops selling Toblerones or gaudy $20,000 watches do you need?
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Jun 26, 2012 12:54
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Geneva isn't that bad. The UN building is worth looking at and just strolling around the lake front is great on a sunny clear day when you can see the mountains.
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Jun 26, 2012 16:29
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What's the best site to use for getting rail routes in Europe, specifically in France, Switzerland, and Italy? I've been using http://www.raileurope.com for planning, but it seems to have some issues. For example looking for a train from CDG airport to Rennes doesn't come up with any trains until over 2 hours after my 10 AM start time, while I can easily find trains leaving from Paris before then (and I'm sure it doesn't take 2 hours to get from CDG to Paris).
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Jun 26, 2012 19:56
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teddust posted:What's the best site to use for getting rail routes in Europe, specifically in France, Switzerland, and Italy? I've been using http://www.raileurope.com for planning, but it seems to have some issues. For example looking for a train from CDG airport to Rennes doesn't come up with any trains until over 2 hours after my 10 AM start time, while I can easily find trains leaving from Paris before then (and I'm sure it doesn't take 2 hours to get from CDG to Paris). Find the site of the national company and do everything through there for each country.
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Jun 26, 2012 20:19
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Landsknecht posted:Find the site of the national company and do everything through there for each country. The problem is that SNCF is literally the worst and least helpful website ever designed ever. You can try it anyway, teddust: http://www.sncf.com/en_EN/flash/ I'm warning you though, it's shockingly bad. http://www.seat61.com/ is a least a website with some helpful information, but they just seem to redirect you to raileurope. You might be having trouble because I don't know if the same company serves the main stations in Paris as well as the airport. You'll need to take the RER from the airport, I haven't checked the other info on this site but they've got the basics of the RER for you. For booking Swiss and Italian trains, you can try raileurope again or just buy the tickets in the station in Paris or Rennes. If you're traveling on a weekday you shouldn't have trouble getting a seat.
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Jun 26, 2012 22:31
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Bahn.de is pretty much the best.
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Jun 26, 2012 22:35
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TGV-europe.com is like raileurope.com but actually functional. You just get all your prices in Euros, and it's infinitely better than the gigantic flaming garbage pile that is the SNCF website.
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Jun 26, 2012 23:16
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Jeoh posted:Bahn.de is pretty much the best. DB Bahn was a great train experience, even the smaller regional trains were good. I've never tried the locals, but unless you're heading to a small town you won't need those anyway.
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Jun 26, 2012 23:41
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I've been working my way through the thread but it's been a slog thus far. My wife is sort of an oddball and has always wanted to go to Krakow, Poland. Okay, so she wants to see John Paul II stuff and Auschwitz. We're both history majors... Poking around Expedia and such, it seems that you can get a pretty cheap Air Berlin flight into Krakow and back to JFK. However, is there a particular day/month that one should book travel to Poland? Unfortunately, we are limited to mainly June-August since we are university and secondary educators. I am also interested in stopping in Berlin or some other part of Germany on the way back. Are there any particularly charming but inexpensive cities in Germany we could fly to on the way back (or on the way to) Krakow? I imagine her other choice of stopping in Italy would be hideously expensive. The only caveat is that she has to travel with a CPAP-type machine. From what I can she's good to go if her machine has universal power supply that does 100V to 240V? I would like to book this trip as early as possible given our limited travel dates.
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Jun 27, 2012 05:50
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SeaTard posted:DB Bahn was a great train experience, even the smaller regional trains were good. I've never tried the locals, but unless you're heading to a small town you won't need those anyway. He means Bahn.de is the best website to use to look for train schedules, even if they're trips that are exclusively in France or Switzerland. But yeah, other than that the national company sites are the best (https://www.cff.ch for Switzerland, bahn.de for Germany, sncf.fr for France, though France's website is so bad I usually use CFF or SBB when looking for French tickets)
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Jun 27, 2012 09:51
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Insane Totoro posted:I've been working my way through the thread but it's been a slog thus far. My wife is sort of an oddball and has always wanted to go to Krakow, Poland. Okay, so she wants to see John Paul II stuff and Auschwitz. We're both history majors... NOthing oddball about that, Krakow is a really great and pretty city and Auschwitz is amazingly interesting if a little macabre. Don't go in June or early July, the Euro's are just finishing and prices will still be super high until mid-July. Typically flying mid-week is cheaper than at weekends. Air Berlin is a decent low budget airline, you will get what you pay for. Italy will be cheaper than Germany, the cheapest areas of Germany are in the old East German parts, Leipzig or Dresden are great cities but don't expect them to be cheap. You could also look at train travel, it might be cheaper than flying in some cases. I have no idea what a CPAP machine is but a lot of trains now have power supplies, although you need to reserve a seat. Airplanes unless you fly business don't have power outlets, at least in my experience.
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Jun 27, 2012 11:16
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PlantHead posted:NOthing oddball about that, Krakow is a really great and pretty city and Auschwitz is amazingly interesting if a little macabre. I meant booking for 2013, but does booking in July/August really make a big difference?
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Jun 27, 2012 14:48
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I'll be headed to Paris in early September and was wondering if anyone knew of any good places to visit for European (especially French) craft beer?
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Jun 27, 2012 15:23
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Mikey Purp posted:I'll be headed to Paris in early September and was wondering if anyone knew of any good places to visit for European (especially French) craft beer? Go to belgium
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Jun 27, 2012 15:35
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Landsknecht posted:Go to belgium Yes, I am going to Belgium on this trip, however that doesn't really answer my original question. I am specifically interested in trying French craft beer. Surely there's at least one craft beer bar in all of Paris.
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Jun 27, 2012 16:36
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