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PT6A posted:I don't understand what Spanish people seem to think tourists want. Bullfights. Flamenco. Tapas. Naps. Paella. Baroque poo poo. These are the things. They can all be wonderful if found in the right place, like you said. But they were a country under very stern and strict dictatorship for a long time, and Franco eventually decided to open the country to tourism in a big but controlled way. Part of the whole campaign of the Franco propaganda machine was this kitschy bullshit touristy style that I feel like still lingers there. "Spain is different!" was their crappy slogan (and it still lives in the mind/jokes of a lot of people there as an irony/joke). A lot of people made their livings off of this campy style of touristy hokum poo poo (and so did the government) way back when, and some of them still do (government), and thus it continues to exist. Overdoing the tourism angle is something that needs to continue to die in Spain, totally agreed. Ally McBeal Wiki fucked around with this message at 17:34 on May 22, 2015 |
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May 21, 2015 01:39
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Good news: The strike in Germany ends earlier than expected and the union promised not to strike again until June 17, so there is some breathing time for travellers.
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May 21, 2015 07:39
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DracoArgentum posted:One of the days in Zagreb was for a day trip to some castles North of it, I could add the floating day to Split if you think it warrants it. I think it does. Split will be your only contact with the seaside in the peak of the summer. Even if you are not that type, I imagine you will want to experience at least a bit of beaches / swimming / sailing, maybe a trip to one of the islands, Mediterranean food, etc. Not to mention Diocletian's palace and all the archaeological stuff.
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May 21, 2015 10:53
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nrr posted:Can anyone give me a recommendation on what the best way to get from Zurich to Milan by train is? I'm heading out tomorrow morning and have heard there's a couple of beautiful routes but I'm not sure which option to take. I guess you are talking about the Bernina express, it is a slow scenic train with some pretty spectacular views. http://www.seat61.com/BerninaExpress.htm#.VV2quE_DCWM If you can afford the price and you have the time then it is definitely an experience, however the normal train is also a pretty spectacular route and is still one of the best train journeys you will ever take.
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May 21, 2015 10:58
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DracoArgentum posted:Finalizing my August croatia-hungary-romania schedule so I can start making reservations. I've got on extra day I can throw in somewhere it looks like but not sure where would be best. I've heard more than 3 days in Budapest is nice for some people, but maybe I could use it to be less rushed somewhere else? Are you are taking a train from Split to Budapest? don't know what you like but theres lake Balaton on the way, might be a good way to spend your extra day. It's high season in august so its packed with Hungarians.
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May 21, 2015 13:50
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PlantHead posted:I guess you are talking about the Bernina express, it is a slow scenic train with some pretty spectacular views. Ahh well, thanks anyway but I didn't get this until I was already in Milan. I was in a hurry this morning and I'm pretty sure I did things the worst way possible because I paid 80 something francs for my second class seat which is about twice as much as the Bernina express. Good times. The ride was beautiful though, and it only took about 4 hours instead of the 7 or 8 the Bernina 'Express' takes because it was a fancy pants tilting train which was kind of cool as well. Hilariously though, my second class seat had me sat next to 2 couples who were very well off. Next to me was a Swiss guy with a Mexican wife with a rock the size of a macadamia nut on her finger, and across from us was a Canadian couple who own a major winery/vineyard. Awesome company, and we all got on great, so I guess that's some consolation for my stupidly expensive ticket.
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May 21, 2015 17:01
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If I were to rent a car in France or Italy from a big chain rental place, drive to Germany near the end of the trip, and fly home from Munich, could I drop off the car there, or would I need to drive back to whichever country I rented it from and fly home from there?
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May 21, 2015 17:49
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22 Eargesplitten posted:If I were to rent a car in France or Italy from a big chain rental place, drive to Germany near the end of the trip, and fly home from Munich, could I drop off the car there, or would I need to drive back to whichever country I rented it from and fly home from there? You could, but the price will go up considerably for both returning it to a different country and making a one-way trip.
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May 21, 2015 17:53
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Okay. I hadn't thought about the trip cost. This is still over a year off and pretty nebulous, so I have time to figure it out.
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May 21, 2015 18:06
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I don't want to get down on Donostia right now, since I know other people have plans to come here... but I've retyped this post three times and I still have no idea where to go after that opening sentence. So, I'm going to stay positive: If you have the jack, get reservations at the Michelin-star restaurants (Akelarre was loving phenomenal, and Mugaritz should be even better from what I've heard), and prioritize the aquarium above other attractions (it's actually very good). Do get out and explore the countryside (I'm guessing), and try to find actual Basque culture wherever you can. (Drive to Logroño. Do it)
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May 21, 2015 23:38
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eppu posted:Are you are taking a train from Split to Budapest? don't know what you like but theres lake Balaton on the way, might be a good way to spend your extra day. I hadn't really decided yet but at the very least from Zagreb to Budapest I was planning on train so that would be possible. The train from Split to Zagreb appears to take almost twice as long as the bus so may take the bus that way instead.
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May 22, 2015 00:25
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Edit: doublepost
maskenfreiheit fucked around with this message at 02:06 on Mar 13, 2017 |
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May 23, 2015 08:45
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So, despite exceeding their punctuality guarantee of 90 minutes by a full extra 100 minutes, RENFE is not giving me any refund, because it was a problem with the infrastructure and not actually their fault. Like, why the gently caress else would a train be delayed for longer than 90 minutes? Anyway... A warning to others based on something indescribably hilarious that happened in Zaragoza: all the "big" train stations here have long moving ramps to get from the departure area to the platforms. I guess someone either lost a grip of their roller-suitcase, or had a brain fart and didn't realize it would escape them, but suddenly a rolling suitcase comes flying down the ramp, onto the empty platform, nearly running out of steam... and then falling onto the tracks. The train stopped, but apparently the driver himself had to be the one to get the suitcase off the tracks. The driver then returned the suitcase to the incorrect platform, which had to be taken care of by yet another employee of the train station. Oh to have caught that on video. I felt bad for the person, but I couldn't stop laughing for the life of me.
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May 23, 2015 13:14
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edit: accidental double post.
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May 23, 2015 15:47
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PT6A posted:So, despite exceeding their punctuality guarantee of 90 minutes by a full extra 100 minutes, RENFE is not giving me any refund, because it was a problem with the infrastructure and not actually their fault. Suicides, acts of nature (trees falling on the power lines or rails) or other trains in the way are all options. Not that it makes it any better, but I presume the "infrastructure"-thing refers to the fact that RENFE does not actually own the underlying rail infrastructure and can therefore presumably claim that a genuine infrastructure failure (usual signal failures etc.) is out of their hands. This is how rails legally work in Europe at the very latest since 2005, where EU legislation split infrastructure and rail transport companies. The idea is that infrastructure is managed independently to allow various companies equal access instead of having a system where a (often state-owned) company owned both the infrastructure and operated the trains at the same time. This essentially split former (state) monopolies and led to either privatisation or at the very least the addition of competition on the level of train operations. Similarly, for example, in Germany DB Netze is a subsidiary of the Deutsche Bahn (German Railways), separating infrastructure and operations.
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May 23, 2015 19:12
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I thought rail companies within the EU had to give (partial) refunds now no matter what, wasn't there some sort of court decision? I know DB pays out when you're at least an hour late, whether it's their own fault or something out of their hands.
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May 23, 2015 19:22
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Hollow Talk posted:Not that it makes it any better, but I presume the "infrastructure"-thing refers to the fact that RENFE does not actually own the underlying rail infrastructure and can therefore presumably claim that a genuine infrastructure failure (usual signal failures etc.) is out of their hands. This is how rails legally work in Europe at the very latest since 2005, where EU legislation split infrastructure and rail transport companies. The idea is that infrastructure is managed independently to allow various companies equal access instead of having a system where a (often state-owned) company owned both the infrastructure and operated the trains at the same time. This essentially split former (state) monopolies and led to either privatisation or at the very least the addition of competition on the level of train operations. Unfortunately what actually ended up happening is that instead of one massive, incompetent semi-state-run company, now all the countries in Europe (sans the UK*, and maybe there are other exceptions?) have -two- incompetent semi-state-run companies. Then the taxpayers have to pony up the cash when poo poo like this happens: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/french-rail-operator-orders-hundreds-of-new-trains-too-big-for-platforms-9412274.html Hurray for turning one monopoly into two independent monopolies. *not that British railways are a model of excellence.
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May 23, 2015 21:49
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Hollow Talk posted:Suicides, acts of nature (trees falling on the power lines or rails) or other trains in the way are all options. I think (based on the fact that I don't speak a whole lot of Spanish, especially when specialized vocab starts coming out) that it was indeed a tree or something that caused the line to be cut along our original planned route. So, act of nature, no payout. Oh well, for the €20, I'm not that pissed off. I didn't miss anything important, and I got where I was going (and, frankly, it wasn't that great, so it's not hours that I really wish I had back). Suitcase-on-tracks caused us to leave Zaragoza 18 minutes late, but we cut that delay to 10 by the time we got to Madrid. I was hoping for the promised 50% refund for trains over 15 minutes late, just out of spite at that point.
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May 23, 2015 21:51
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Saladman posted:Unfortunately what actually ended up happening is that instead of one massive, incompetent semi-state-run company, now all the countries in Europe (sans the UK*, and maybe there are other exceptions?) have -two- incompetent semi-state-run companies. Then the taxpayers have to pony up the cash when poo poo like this happens: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/french-rail-operator-orders-hundreds-of-new-trains-too-big-for-platforms-9412274.html You are not wrong. 
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May 23, 2015 21:52
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GregNorc posted:Is there a reason bahn.com claims there are no sleepers from Berlin to Vienna in mid-october? Also bahn, since the fastest way is through Germany. It will be an ICE with one transfer or even a direct one, and they might have sleepers too. Saladman posted:Unfortunately what actually ended up happening is that instead of one massive, incompetent semi-state-run company, now all the countries in Europe (sans the UK*, and maybe there are other exceptions?) have -two- incompetent semi-state-run companies. Then the taxpayers have to pony up the cash when poo poo like this happens: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/french-rail-operator-orders-hundreds-of-new-trains-too-big-for-platforms-9412274.html The Netherlands also has other companies but they are basically being kept off the main rail network in underhanded ways, only running on small branch lines.
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May 23, 2015 23:29
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Does the bahn sleeper run all the days of the week? I was looking at sncf sleepers and I couldn't get one to show up on the trip planner. On a hunch I had my French speaking wife look at the timetable, and that particular train only runs Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Also try looking a few months earlier, sncf sleepers only book 3 months in advance it seems.
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May 24, 2015 00:16
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Edit: doublepost
maskenfreiheit fucked around with this message at 02:06 on Mar 13, 2017 |
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May 24, 2015 01:40
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This is my third trip through Europe and second this year so I'm used to traveling. I'm flying in to Amsterdam Friday morning and then training down to Paris Saturday morning with lunch in Brussels. I'm thinking about tooling around Amsterdam all day on a rented bike, then find something to do Friday night. Early train Saturday, early lunch in Brussels (11am) and do the Paris thing until late. Breakfast in Paris and then I fly out of Charles de Gual to Morocco Sunday @4pm What should I do in Amsterdam and Brussels? I was in Paris 15 years ago on a school trip and already saw the Louvre, Eiffel tower, Notre Dame cathedral, Paris opera House so I'm looking for something different -are the catacombs worth blowing my only spring afternoon in Paris? Where's a good breakfast spot for Sunday morning in central Paris?
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May 27, 2015 01:35
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You are visiting three cities in two days.
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May 27, 2015 07:40
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Jeoh posted:You are visiting three cities in two days. I'm pretty sure he knows that. Hadlock - The catacombs are pretty cool and worth a visit but maybe not the best use of the time if you can only choose 1 thing to do during your visit.
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May 27, 2015 08:04
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Does anyone know how difficult it is to rent a car in Spain? I'm Australian resident in the UK, visiting Scotland in July and Spain in August, and want to rent a car in both. Was dismayed to find that in Scotland, at least, you require a credit card (which I don't have, so I'll have to get one) and two (!) forms of ID proving your address that are less than 8 weeks old. I hate it when companies are all like, "a utilities bill will serve." Lots of people rent their houses you bastards!
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May 27, 2015 09:19
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freebooter posted:Does anyone know how difficult it is to rent a car in Spain? I'm Australian resident in the UK, visiting Scotland in July and Spain in August, and want to rent a car in both. Was dismayed to find that in Scotland, at least, you require a credit card (which I don't have, so I'll have to get one) and two (!) forms of ID proving your address that are less than 8 weeks old. I hate it when companies are all like, "a utilities bill will serve." Lots of people rent their houses you bastards! I've never had to show my address renting a car anywhere, ever, so Scotland is I guess a unique snowflake, but I'd be surprised if they actually wanted proof of residence*. I've also never been able to rent a car anywhere without having a credit card number at least on file. In Morocco and Jordan (at major international rental companies) I was able to pay cash since they were unable to take AmEx, but they wrote my card down on file anyway. I really doubt any major company in Spain would let you do the same though (but they do take AmEx!). Just get a credit card? They're very useful little things. *Reading about it online, "your passport may be sufficient proof of evidence." I've never been asked for anything else and I've rented cars in probably 20 countries including the UK (though not Scotland). Unless something dramatic has changed in the UK in the past 7 years. I rented a car in Spain like two months ago though and a passport was fine, FWIW. *Edit 2: Sorry it looks like the UK rental agencies actually have stricter rules for UK residents, as they have to provide a utility bill or something in addition to the passport/license. I guess that's why I didn't have to show anything. Saladman fucked around with this message at 09:35 on May 27, 2015 |
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May 27, 2015 09:29
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I haven't rented a car specifically, but in Spain (as a foreigner) it seems that a passport is both necessary and sufficient for everything.
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May 27, 2015 09:51
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Saladman posted:*Edit 2: Sorry it looks like the UK rental agencies actually have stricter rules for UK residents, as they have to provide a utility bill or something in addition to the passport/license. I guess that's why I didn't have to show anything. Huh. I could theoretically get away with claiming to be an Australian resident - which would not strictly speaking be untrue, since I'm leaving England and the Scotland leg is the first part of my trip back home to Australia - but I got the impression everybody had to provide proof of address, not just UK residents. Anyway I'm going to ring a few up and check. gently caress renting cars, I miss my own vehicle.
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May 27, 2015 09:54
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freebooter posted:gently caress renting cars, I miss my own vehicle. I miss my car, but I am so glad I'm not rolling around Spain in a Mustang when gas is €1,37/L and the streets are all narrow as gently caress. It would be possible, but I don't think it would be a good idea.
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May 27, 2015 10:11
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PT6A posted:I miss my car, but I am so glad I'm not rolling around Spain in a Mustang when gas is €1,37/L and the streets are all narrow as gently caress. It would be possible, but I don't think it would be a good idea. It's not so bad if you have a GPS. Without a GPS it's a goddamn nightmare driving in cities you aren't familiar with, since you're likely to end up in a pedestrian mall, or you'll be 200 meters up a narrow-rear end one-way street when a semi shows up in front of you and you have to back up the whole way, or, etc. I ended up in a small town on the tiny Slovenian coast a few years ago without a GPS (my car's maps only go Western Europe) and ended up in a road that got progressively narrower and narrower until it got so narrow my car wouldn't fit anymore and I had to back up the whole way. I don't know who the gently caress designed that street. I guess maybe that was fine when their only cars were lovely Soviet Ladas.
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May 27, 2015 10:24
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Saladman posted:It's not so bad if you have a GPS. Without a GPS it's a goddamn nightmare driving in cities you aren't familiar with, since you're likely to end up in a pedestrian mall, or you'll be 200 meters up a narrow-rear end one-way street when a semi shows up in front of you and you have to back up the whole way, or, etc. I'm pretty sure I could drive here, after observing things for a little while (I'm still not quite clear on what circumstances result in a protected left turn at a lights, and which do not), but I'd definitely prefer to do it in a smaller car. Fiat 500? No problem! Driving a semi here must take nerves of loving steel.
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May 27, 2015 10:37
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Hadlock posted:This is my third trip through Europe and second this year so I'm used to traveling. Are you in Brussels only for lunch? If so, depending on time you might be best off taking the metro from Gare du Midi (I'm assuming you're travelling by Thalys?), having a wander around Grand Place / Place St. Catherine and having a good lunch. Depending on what you're interested in and what budget, I can give you some recommendations for food.
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May 27, 2015 15:00
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Junior G-man posted:Are you in Brussels only for lunch? If so, depending on time you might be best off taking the metro from Gare du Midi (I'm assuming you're travelling by Thalys?), having a wander around Grand Place / Place St. Catherine and having a good lunch. Depending on what you're interested in and what budget, I can give you some recommendations for food. Thanks! I'm willing to pay $35-$40 for an amazing lunch in Brussels, so fire away. I usually eat like a pauper when traveling and then come home having spent 10% of my food budget so it would be nice to mix it up a little.
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May 27, 2015 22:17
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PT6A posted:I don't want to get down on Donostia right now, since I know other people have plans to come here... but I've retyped this post three times and I still have no idea where to go after that opening sentence. So, I'm going to stay positive: I think a lot of the reason people find it grating (or disappointing) there is just expectation. It's a holiday spot on the ocean first and foremost. If you are searching for authenticity that's not the type of place to go. Anyway... Just got a res at Asador Etxebarri. I think that might be my one michelin splurge. Unless you can convince me otherwise... I'll have a car for 3 days, so perhaps I will take your suggestion on Logrono. Anyone have any recommendations for wineries in the general area? or other similar things. Maybe within ~2 hours max of Donostia. Searching seems to yield a lot of premade tours, but since I'll have a car wouldn't mind just diy-ing it.
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May 27, 2015 22:52
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Ok so re: car rental, I was on the phone to Budget Scotland and was informed that if I've been resident in the UK for more than 12 months (which I will have been, by then) I can no longer legally drive on my Australian license. I have to change it to a British license. Which only costs 40 quid and I don't have to resit a test or anything, but they actually revoke your Australian license to do it; I think I can then just change it back to an Australian one back in Australia but I'd rather not go through that whole loving rigmarole. Is there actually any way they'd be able to tell I've been here for more than 12 months? (I'm not worried about police, I'm worried about a car hire place refusing to rent to me.) I have an Irish passport so I have no visa or entry stamps or anything. I'd be using my HSBC debit card (or credit card, if I can loving get one, which is a whole other kettle of fish) but I could just claim I've only been living here six months or so. When I was on the phone to the DVLA, the calls are recorded so obviously they can't speak freely to you, but the girl on the other end seemed to be implying that it's sort of a grey area; she said "it's not for the DVLA to determine residency." Like, what if I'd been hopping around Europe and flying back and forth to Australia on business? It's really irritating. It's the 21st century, there's plenty of people who maintain a residence in more than one country.
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May 28, 2015 00:27
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I would be seriously shocked if they have any way of checking that. I'd just say I was on holidays if I were you. But that said if you got into a car crash and because you lied they didn't get their insurance money payout they'd probably come after you. But, if you plan on leaving the UK anwyay...
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May 28, 2015 00:41
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Well my Dad's in Inverness on the second day and he will be driving the rest of the trip, I just have to handle Edinburgh-Inverness. I'm sort of concerned about Spain as well now though. Budget I can get away with a debit card, apparently, but we might have to use my girlfriend's credit card in Spain (and rental car agencies always only accept the driver's credit card, meaning she'd have to drive) and she's on a working holiday visa in the UK, which means if she uses her passport as proof of ID they can also see that she's been in the UK 12+ months... but Spain probably wouldn't give a poo poo, right? But yeah I definitely have to say I've been resident for at least a little while, because otherwise I can't explain why I have a UK bank card. They won't accept a foreign debit card and the Aussie dollar is hosed in any case, I want to use my pounds. I miss my SE Asia days where I could just buy a Soviet motorbike off a backpacker for $400 US and bribe a cop if I got pulled over.
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May 28, 2015 01:09
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freebooter posted:Ok so re: car rental, I was on the phone to Budget Scotland and was informed that if I've been resident in the UK for more than 12 months (which I will have been, by then) I can no longer legally drive on my Australian license. I have to change it to a British license. Which only costs 40 quid and I don't have to resit a test or anything, but they actually revoke your Australian license to do it; I think I can then just change it back to an Australian one back in Australia but I'd rather not go through that whole loving rigmarole. When you get the UK license, I think it just disables your Australian license -in the EU- and not when you go back home. Or at least that's how it works when I got a Swiss driving license -- I can still use my US one just fine back home (and anywhere else in the world outside the EU/EEA/Schengen/actuallyI'mnotsurethelimits). Otherwise also what Hookshot said. I didn't realize earlier that by "credit card" you meant you do have a debit card that has numbers and can be used just like a credit card. Sometimes this is OK for rental, they will just take a huge deposit (like up to 1k) which you get back when you return the car. You can also usually add 2+ drivers to a car rental—you just have to pay a little extra per day for each additional driver.
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May 28, 2015 08:11
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Saladman posted:I didn't realize earlier that by "credit card" you meant you do have a debit card that has numbers and can be used just like a credit card. Sometimes this is OK for rental, they will just take a huge deposit (like up to 1k) which you get back when you return the car. Yeah Budget said debit card was OK as long as it was issued in the UK. Europcar didn't, though. Re: the driving license, the DVLA very specifically calls it an exchange: they take your Australian license away and actually send it back to Australia. I talked to another Australian who did this and they say Australia never got it, although it wasn't a big deal, because you can again exchange a British license in Australia without sitting any more tests, you just pay a fee. But those fees stack up. Also it's all done by post and with seven weeks to go until I leave I don't really trust them - I had a tremendous headache over the Christmas period trying to get my renewed Australian license up here, it ended up taking months.
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May 28, 2015 09:10
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