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Small White Dragon posted:Also, sounds like credit card is pretty much the way to pay for pretty much everything in Scandinavia. Is EMV necessary? Only for a very few specific machines (e.g. buying gasoline in off-hours when the station store is closed). They're not necessary for restaurants, hotels, groceries, whatever.
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Aug 2, 2014 07:20
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Public transport occasionally only allows electronic payment, that's probably the most annoying thing.
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Aug 2, 2014 20:19
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Sorry, just now getting around to replying.Blinkman987 posted:I'm also planning to either start or end in SE Asia, taking that savings and putting it into EU. Take note that RTW tickets have rules about constant travel in one direction, moving within a "zone," and overland travel counting against your total mileage. Yes, we have good credit but a not so great income right now. There's no way we could spend $25,000 per year on it. That would be almost what we make combined after my husband is out of the military. Neither of us have jobs with expense cards or anything where we could milk for miles either. So, that sucks. Hopefully Norwegian Air Shuttle doesn't get shut down by the U.S. government in the next 6-9 months! They have the cheapest fares right now. Blinkman987 posted:Anyways, what do you two want to do? Personally, I love Prague because I like to relive my youth of backpacking with cheap beer and partying. As a couple working during the week and going around Europe, you probably won't dig it but might love the atmosphere of the city and the sights to see around it. I can say overall the things I loved doing in Europe were: taking in football matches, going to conventions/events exclusive to that country, seeing concerts of bands I loved that were touring abroad, trying food or drink that the area was famous for producing, jogging around each city and its parks to take it in, hiking, diving, boozing. I'll be the only one working, and only for 4-5 hours a day. I'll also have to align my schedule with US business hours, so I'll actually work later in the day (like maybe 3 PM to 8 PM). This means if we party I can sleep in without issue and also that we could take morning trains to move between cities without issue. In SE Asia, this will mean coming online at night to work (ugh) but I'll deal. Now it looks like we may go to Europe first--possibly mid September through November? We still can't book anything though. No firm exit date yet for my husband, though we should know for sure in the next 2-3 weeks. Our first leg, whether we do Europe or SE Asia, is going to be a (relatively) last minute booking--possibly as soon as a week before leaving.
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Aug 3, 2014 01:06
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Small White Dragon posted:So apparently I have a 11 hour layover in Helsinki (during the day). Anything fun to do/see? When exactly? It's summer (although schools start next week again in most of the country) so there's a good chance of a random festival or a theme day occurring. Helsinki-Vantaa airport is a bit far from the actual city but 11 hours should be enough time if you're comfortable with using public transportation.
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Aug 3, 2014 08:06
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Valiantman posted:Helsinki-Vantaa airport is a bit far from the actual city A 25 minute bus ride isn't that far. 11 hours is a plenty of time to see stuff in Helsinki.
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Aug 3, 2014 09:06
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Haha, I just got through customs in Stockholm. The guy before me looked a bit swarthy and got a total pat down, close to getting it up the rear end. I just sighed and prepared myself. Of course, I'm Honkey Mc'Whitebread, so I got waved right through. gently caress this country.
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Aug 3, 2014 12:28
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You do realise random spot searches sometimes may actually be random, right?
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Aug 3, 2014 20:54
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'random spot searches' are just an excuse to search whoever you find slightly suspicious. There is not really a reason to make them truly random.
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Aug 3, 2014 21:09
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Australian heading over in November, going with my Father and Grandfather to visit my great uncle before he passes. Will be in the Could have anywhere between three to six weeks depending on how the stars align. I really want to see snow and Austria is at the top of my list – minimum I want to spend two weeks there – I’m just wondering how feasible it is to train it to Vienna from the UK? Not so much “it is doable” as much as “is it worth it”, if flying is less hassle I’ll jet but I really love the idea of meandering over the continent by train. If I only have three weeks, I’ll likely just do UK -> Austria, if I have four I might extend my time in both countries, five I’ll add another country to the list. EDIT: Also any other general advice beyond "rug up you sun kissed bastard", i.e phone carries and so on. Rougey fucked around with this message at 04:28 on Aug 4, 2014 |
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Aug 4, 2014 04:24
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If it were me, personally, fly from London to Austria via Ryan Air for $120 usd, and then mull over if you really want to waste three days of your life missing out on spending time in the Alps, instead rotting on a train going through Europe in early Winter. Don't get me wrong, 3 hour jaunts from city to city are fun by train, spread out between 2-3 day stopovers in various cities. One big long train ride home is going to get old fast.
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Aug 4, 2014 04:37
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Rougey posted:Australian heading over in November Check Easy Jet and Ryan Air, flights are so cheap it's ridiculous. I flew in November last year for £20 (AU$36) with easy jet. I also took a train from Prague to Vienna(€20) and after 2hrs it got really boring...and I like trains. Don't waste your limited time catching a train from the uk, it will be more expensive and a massive time suck. Do catch trains between countries like Austria/Germany/Czech etc. Also if you manage to be in Austria around the 5th of December you'll get to experience Krampusnacht. It's awesome. Get yourself some good thermals, a few pairs. Proper ones, not target/primark 'thermals' - real ones from a snow n ski shop. And thermal socks. Otherwise just layer up. If you are with 3 you can use it in Australia, UK, and Austria without paying anything extra unless you call a euro number. You can call home for the same price as a domestic call, and Internet is no extra charges as to what you normally pay in your home country. You have to have been with 3 for 30 days to activate the 'Feel at Home' benefits though. So buy one a month before you leave!
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Aug 4, 2014 07:49
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Waci posted:You do realise random spot searches sometimes may actually be random, right? You do realize that random spot searches are often not actually random, and even when they are, the middle aged white dude in a suit will get a two second pat on the legs, while the young Arab dude with a full Mohammad beard will get an anal probe? Edit: Not that I'm making a political statement against profiling. I'm a white male without a neckbeard so I'll take it.
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Aug 4, 2014 09:23
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I need to book some domestic flights in Sweden. Any recommendations for airlines to take/avoid? Edit: Also, any I can earn miles on a US airline for? Sweet Tsunami fucked around with this message at 09:58 on Aug 4, 2014 |
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Aug 4, 2014 09:56
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Sweet Tsunami posted:I need to book some domestic flights in Sweden. Any recommendations for airlines to take/avoid? Realistically speaking, whichever one flies from where you need to leave from to where you need to go on the day you need to travel. Minor differences in service quality and whether you get a cookie with your coffee don't really make a big difference when the flight takes an hour. As for miles, some airline alliances let you earn frequent flier bonuses for another member airline (eg. if you're a member of the United Airlines frequent flier program, flying on Scandinavian Airlines would earn you miles for your United account and vice versa, since they're both members of Star Alliance).
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Aug 4, 2014 10:19
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Waci posted:Realistically speaking, whichever one flies from where you need to leave from to where you need to go on the day you need to travel. Minor differences in service quality and whether you get a cookie with your coffee don't really make a big difference when the flight takes an hour. As for miles, some airline alliances let you earn frequent flier bonuses for another member airline (eg. if you're a member of the United Airlines frequent flier program, flying on Scandinavian Airlines would earn you miles for your United account and vice versa, since they're both members of Star Alliance). Edit: Also I may have checked bags, and I'd prefer not to pay out the rear end for them if I can. Sweet Tsunami fucked around with this message at 10:50 on Aug 4, 2014 |
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Aug 4, 2014 10:43
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Depends on what kind of luggage you're travelling with and what kind of services you need beyond bare bones getting from point A to point B. Budget airlines (in this case, probably Norwegian Air Shuttle) will usually charge extra (around 10€ per checked bag is common) on top of the ticket price for checked baggage and don't have free food, but unless you're travelling with half a dozen bags per passenger they'll still usually end up cheaper, and you do have fewer options available than you might be used to. Check baggage policies when comparing prices if there's a small difference and your choice of airline is up to the total ticket price, but it's rare for the extra fees on budget airlines to make the difference in which is cheapest.
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Aug 4, 2014 11:00
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Sweet Tsunami posted:I need to book some domestic flights in Sweden. Any recommendations for airlines to take/avoid? Avoid Stockholm Skavsta like the plague.
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Aug 4, 2014 13:32
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Oh, yes. When flying in/out of Sweden, do avoid Stockholm Skavsta, also known as Nyköping Airport because it's in a completely different city. I don't think any airline does domestic flights to/from there, though? Still, checking the actual location of the airport is good advice in general when flying on Ryanair or Wizz Air.
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Aug 4, 2014 13:46
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Ok fuckers, sit down and listen up. I just went to a church in Reykjavik called Hallgrimskirkja. Not only was it a totally awesome building, but that name is more metal than any of us mortals can ever aspire to. Church of Hallgrimur!!
ubergnu fucked around with this message at 13:58 on Aug 4, 2014 |
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Aug 4, 2014 13:54
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Waci posted:Still, checking the actual location of the airport is good advice in general when flying on Ryanair or Wizz Air. This should go in the OP under airflight travel Putting Ryanair's "Frankfurt" airport 3 hours from the actual city of Frankfurt is downright criminal. Lady at the hostel apologized to me personally and pointed out that it's not even in the same state.
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Aug 4, 2014 19:36
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Brussels South is almost in France. Their Paris airport is almost closer to Luxemburg than it is to Paris. gently caress RyanAir.
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Aug 4, 2014 19:44
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The Ryanair Dusseldorf airport is also an hour away and significantly closer to Arnhem than it is to Dusseldorf. Conversely, for Rome, the lovely cheapo airlines fly into a more convenient airport than the one major carriers go to.
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Aug 4, 2014 20:34
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Hadlock posted:Putting Ryanair's "Frankfurt" airport 3 hours from the actual city of Frankfurt is downright criminal. Lady at the hostel apologized to me personally and pointed out that it's not even in the same state. 
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Aug 4, 2014 21:17
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Ryanair used to have a Vienna airport that was in another country altogether. But Bratislava is not nearly 3 hours from Vienna, so I'm not sure how it compares. They've since dropped listing it as Vienna though.
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Aug 4, 2014 21:40
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At least there's regular train service between Vienna and Bratislava...
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Aug 5, 2014 01:30
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I'll be traveling to Germany, around the Black Forest. I'll be staying in Basel, Freiburg and visiting Feldberg as well as Colmar... I don't know anything about cellular service in Europe, is there a single prepaid SIM option that would let me cover France, Germany and Switzerland? I'm hearing that a German address is required to get a German SIM card...
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Aug 5, 2014 02:27
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Jan posted:I'll be traveling to Germany, around the Black Forest. I'll be staying in Basel, Freiburg and visiting Feldberg as well as Colmar... I don't know anything about cellular service in Europe, is there a single prepaid SIM option that would let me cover France, Germany and Switzerland? I'm hearing that a German address is required to get a German SIM card... You can buy a SIM card in France or Germany and have pretty decent roaming charges in the two countries http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union_roaming_regulations Switzerland is of course notably absent from this so you'll either have to pay buttrape charges, get another SIM card, or use hotel WLAN. A hotel/hostel address will work for registering a mobile phone in Germany, it's technically not allowed but nobody cares.
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Aug 5, 2014 12:19
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Jan posted:I'll be traveling to Germany, around the Black Forest. I'll be staying in Basel, Freiburg and visiting Feldberg as well as Colmar... I don't know anything about cellular service in Europe, is there a single prepaid SIM option that would let me cover France, Germany and Switzerland? I'm hearing that a German address is required to get a German SIM card... How long are you going to stay in the different places? Are you going to have a car? If you want any specific tips, let me know, I can at least give some hints about the Freiburg area.
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Aug 5, 2014 13:40
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peak debt posted:A hotel/hostel address will work for registering a mobile phone in Germany, it's technically not allowed but nobody cares. Of course, this is when I choose go through Airbnb instead of a hostel... I'll just give them an hostel address anyway, I guess. And jeez, 3€ per roaming data MB in Switzerland. I'll have to either preload Google Maps of Basel or just resort to good old paper maps. Hollow Talk posted:How long are you going to stay in the different places? Are you going to have a car? I swapped Feldberg and Freiburg around -- it's an organized bike trip and we're staying at a chalet in Feldberg. So 3 days in Freiburg where I plan to maybe visit Colmar by bike unless I find plenty of things to do in Freiburg. Then 9 days in Feldberg and then 3 days in Basel. We'll have a van taking us to Feldberg and back but that's it. Wouldn't mind some ideas around Freiburg, all I have is 3 pages tucked at the end of a Michelin green guide for the Alsace region. edit: Not that I need touristy stuff to do, I'm perfectly happy reading a book in a good cafe. Jan fucked around with this message at 15:23 on Aug 5, 2014 |
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Aug 5, 2014 14:21
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My girlfriend and I are going to Milan at the end of the month, because she's going to a conference there. So, I would like suggestions on what to do during the day time by myself, and where we should go for the remaining 13 days. We've already been to Venice pretty recently, we were thinking of either training to Geneva or heading to the Lombard Lakes? What's the coolest for travellers without a lot of cash?
chaosbreather fucked around with this message at 15:26 on Aug 5, 2014 |
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Aug 5, 2014 15:17
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Jan posted:Of course, this is when I choose go through Airbnb instead of a hostel... I'll just give them an hostel address anyway, I guess. And jeez, 3€ per roaming data MB in Switzerland. I'll have to either preload Google Maps of Basel or just resort to good old paper maps. Based on your itinerary, you should just get a German SIM card. Colmar and Basel both get German cell phone service, since they're right at the border (though in Colmar it will be pretty lovely; I was there in 2008 with a German phone and remember that the connection was intermittent).
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Aug 5, 2014 15:41
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chaosbreather posted:My girlfriend and I are going to Milan at the end of the month, because she's going to a conference there. So, I would like suggestions on what to do during the day time by myself, and where we should go for the remaining 13 days. We've already been to Venice pretty recently, we were thinking of either training to Geneva or heading to the Lombard Lakes? What's the coolest for travellers without a lot of cash? Geneva is one of the most expensive cities in the world, and the Swiss rail system is neck-and-neck with Japan for crazy prices, so you'll probably want to stay in Italy if you're on a shoestring budget. Check out Lake Como for sure. Personally I don't like the city of Como much, and it has by far the worst view of the lake. Instead I'd suggest Bellagio--even though it's a tourist hellhole that could be transplanted from any other lakeside tourist trap--or Menaggio and Varenna, which are more authentic and cheaper, and it's easy to take a boat between all three. What else do you want, more nature or more culture? The Dolomites and Italian Alps are pretty impressive, but there's not a whole lot to do there besides hiking, e.g. if you go to Bormio or Tirano. If you've never spent time in Italy before then even the small towns will be cool though (they're just all the same, although German-speaking Alpine Italy is quite architecturally different from Italian-speaking Alpine Italy. A little further away ther'es also Cinque Terre which has both hiking and culture, although for Italy is $$$€€€, or the Finale Ligure area, which has nice beaches for ultra cheap but somewhat less in the way of UNESCO cross-off-the-list cultural draws. Genoa is a pit.
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Aug 5, 2014 15:49
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Saladman posted:Geneva is one of the most expensive cities in the world, and the Swiss rail system is neck-and-neck with Japan for crazy prices, so you'll probably want to stay in Italy if you're on a shoestring budget. Culture, really. We like nice views but we aren't really big hikers, and we generally prefer to jump in and explore new places on our own than to go on tours. Last time we were there, we had a month and did Rome, Florence, Perugia, Pisa, Bologna, Verona, Venice, San Marino and Sorrento which were all massively different and full of awesome surprises. Even met some cool people on the way, which I always love. We're from Sydney so we're ok for beaches.
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Aug 5, 2014 16:11
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chaosbreather posted:Culture, really. We like nice views but we aren't really big hikers, and we generally prefer to jump in and explore new places on our own than to go on tours. Last time we were there, we had a month and did Rome, Florence, Perugia, Pisa, Bologna, Verona, Venice, San Marino and Sorrento which were all massively different and full of awesome surprises. Even met some cool people on the way, which I always love. We're from Sydney so we're ok for beaches. Even if you aren't big hikers, Cinque Terre is still a good place to visit because the towns are beautiful and all connected by rail. You can get a pass for a low price that gives you unlimited use on the trains between the five towns. Not to mention that there are some very easy trails that still provide nice views. While I do agree with Saladman that Genoa is sketchy, I found it pretty decent for culture and history. The Doge's Palace was a bit of a letdown, but the Cathedral, Lanterna, and the Palazzi dei Rolli were all great. Also, if you haven't been (from you're list you've been near) I'd recommend Ravenna. The main attraction there is the eight amazingly preserved early Christian Byzantine architecture. The mosaics are some of the best in the world as well. The only problem I had was getting in, because apparently barely any trains run there from the south, but since you're coming from the north you'll have no problems since it seemed that only trains from Bologna or Venice ended up there.
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Aug 5, 2014 20:05
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My wife and I are going to be in Berlin for two months starting about August 25. We're looking for a furnished place to rent, studio or 1br, 820 euros or less per month. We're looking on Craigslist and AirBNB and not finding much availability at the last minute here. I was wondering if some Berlin goons could chime in with other places we could look for listings (or obviously on the off chance that you know someone who is looking to rent out their apt, by all means PM me). Thanks!
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Aug 6, 2014 06:47
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Sub Par posted:My wife and I are going to be in Berlin for two months starting about August 25. We're looking for a furnished place to rent, studio or 1br, 820 euros or less per month. We're looking on Craigslist and AirBNB and not finding much availability at the last minute here. I was wondering if some Berlin goons could chime in with other places we could look for listings (or obviously on the off chance that you know someone who is looking to rent out their apt, by all means PM me). Thanks! Have a look at http://www.wg-gesucht.de/en/, people advertise flat shares but also whole flats on there, some permanent and some fixed time ones, which is what you want. You will usually have a means of contacting people, mostly email, though writing in English might sometimes be a bit hit-and-miss. Nevertheless, it's worth trying, especially since this is indeed rather last minute.
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Aug 6, 2014 13:16
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I'm going to be in Pisa for one night in a couple weeks. Is it worth the €18 to go up the tower?
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Aug 6, 2014 15:46
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I've been toying with the idea of a trip through the Balkans starting mid to late July next year. It would be the usual backpacking trip (hostels, cheaper eating & drinking) and there would be no time constraints. Budget wouldn't be much of an issue but I don't like splurging unless it's worth it. One route I looked at: Salzburg, Slovenia, Croatia (Pula,Zadar,Plitvice,Split,Hvar), Bosnia, Croatia (Dubrovnik), Montenegro, Serbia, Turkey That would put Croatia right in the August high season (though Dubrovnik might be in September), but I'm wondering if it will be OK to spend a bit more on those 2 weeks if the rest of the trip balances out. So, I guess what I'm asking is what kind of budget would I be looking at for hostels, sightseeing, cheap food and a few drinks around that time in Croatia? I looked at a couple of sites mentioning costs but I'd rather ask people who have done it before.
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Aug 6, 2014 16:08
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Joose Caboose posted:I'm going to be in Pisa for one night in a couple weeks. Is it worth the €18 to go up the tower? Not sure if the tower is worth going in. I think the point is to go look at it, say wow it really is leaning, take your stupid holding tower up (or pushing tower down) photo if you are that kind of person, and then run back to the train station to go somewhere that isn't Pisa.
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Aug 6, 2014 16:50
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Thanks for the suggestions Hollow Talk. We ended up getting lucky a few hours ago on an AirBNB that was posted at the last minute. Really looking forward to this - we've never been to Berlin and have heard great things.
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Aug 6, 2014 17:33
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