|
cheese eats mouse posted:Currency question for dollars to pounds since I'll be in London from March 9 -14. Am I better off waiting to get over there and pulling from an ATM? I have a Schwab international checking account with no fee for conversion and ATM fee reimbursement. Best I can find from an American bank is .10 over the current rate. It's going to be about $2,000 so I'd rather save myself a few hundred by waiting. I think I am I just want to make sure. No reason to get pounds in advance unless you're anticipating a major shift that would beat the extra costs you'll incur. Someone trading from USD like you (and me when I went in October) should just pull from a no fee ATM, which I never had a problem finding and one was available at Heathrow. As my Brazilian roommate at he hostel pointed out though, not everyone is lucky enough to count on the exchange rate being so stable. So yeah bottom line just get the money there. Don't bring a bunch of dollars to exchange either, only pull from ATMs.
|
#
?
Feb 4, 2017 00:45
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 14, 2024 05:13 |
|
|
ATMs are great but do make sure you have a handful of change just in case your ATM eats your card or doesn't work. I guess you can use your home currency if you are in a terrible bind
|
|
#
?
Feb 4, 2017 03:07
|
|
|
ulvir posted:Honestly, it's at most a 1-1,5hr drive from end-to-end there, and the golf course is, I believe, somewhere in the middle, so just stay wherever really, But if your vacation is mainly Lofoten, then don't stay in Bodø or the mainland since taking the ferry every day would be hella expensive. Don't forget to drink beer and eat tørrfisk in Henningsvær or to visit the viking museum at Hov. Thanks - yeah I just meant we would fly in to Bodo but actually stay on the island somewhere. We are going in mid July most likely. I guess unsurprisingly given it's rising popularity as a tourist destination, it's been quite difficult to find a reasonably priced non-hostel hotel even 5 months ahead of time. I guess I should have started planning this a year ago but we'll find a way to make it work. Right now it's looking like the most likely place we'll be able to find a vacancy is near Leknes. I'm hoping driving there will be a bit less stressful than my previous driving experiences in Europe (mostly downtown Zurich/Heidelberg so I'd imagine things are a bit more open). It's good to know it's not a long drive from end to end though, I was imagining it being hours.
|
|
#
?
Feb 4, 2017 09:50
|
|
|
Downtown Zurich is stressful? Did you grow up in a farm or something
|
|
#
?
Feb 4, 2017 13:52
|
|
|
I live in Zurich and own a car, and I don't think I'd ever consider driving here stressful. There's not even that much traffic in the center of town during rush hour, since they have traffic regulators at the main arteries leading into the city. Driving in Norway is fine. I haven't been up to Lofoten, but I drove around the center and there's not that much traffic, everyone is laid-back, speed limits are crazy low, and IIRC even parking wasn't that hard to find (although we had a hotel spot in Oslo). VVV Oh yeah, parking in downtown Zurich is lol. There are like 50 street places for the entire center of town, and the underground garages are kind of hard to find and also cost like $4/hour. (This is by design though, and it's why there's no traffic in the center of the city.) Saladman fucked around with this message at 15:06 on Feb 4, 2017 |
|
#
?
Feb 4, 2017 14:35
|
|
|
caberham posted:Downtown Zurich is stressful? Did you grow up in a farm or something In comparison, I guess. Sharing the streets with trams was what bothered me the most, plus having no idea where I was going or where to park etc. I grew up in the middle of Florida which is pretty wide open and the worst that could happen traffic wise is getting stuck behind a tractor, so it was kind of a big change not even factoring in the language differences on signs and such.
|
|
#
?
Feb 4, 2017 14:46
|
|
|
If you pretend that trams are also cars, all the stress goes away!
|
|
#
?
Feb 4, 2017 16:03
|
|
|
HookShot posted:If you pretend that trams are also cars, all the stress goes away! Oh god no please don't do that. I see a fair number of tourists doing that (rental cars in Switzerland almost all have particular license plates so you can be almost certain they're rentals, even if they're driving normally). A lot of tram routes switch from mixed-with-cars lane to tram-and-bus-only lane and go from regular road to tram-only road. I mean it's clearly signed but if you're just following the tram in your lane like its a car, you'll get a nice quick visit from the police to yell at you. I've seen this happen many times, though I t's not dangerous or anything. Ok yeah I guess now I get why that would be stressful, if you're doing that while also trying to navigate and find a parking spot. It's just not danger-stress like driving in Naples. Saladman fucked around with this message at 18:17 on Feb 4, 2017 |
|
#
?
Feb 4, 2017 18:03
|
|
|
Yeah it's more like "oh god I hope I don't do something that puts a big "this is a tourist" signal on me that gets me pulled over" stress than a being in danger thing.
|
|
#
?
Feb 4, 2017 19:26
|
|
|
I hope all the tourists that drive on tram tracks also drive on train tracks. They are better off getting crushed into hamburger and stop traveling. I can't believe I'm saying this but some people are better off signing up for a packaged tour bus. poo poo, no wonder tesla's autopilot is so effective, humans are generally unreliable on the road.
|
|
#
?
Feb 4, 2017 21:17
|
|
|
Saladman posted:Oh god no please don't do that. I see a fair number of tourists doing that (rental cars in Switzerland almost all have particular license plates so you can be almost certain they're rentals, even if they're driving normally). A lot of tram routes switch from mixed-with-cars lane to tram-and-bus-only lane and go from regular road to tram-only road. I mean it's clearly signed but if you're just following the tram in your lane like its a car, you'll get a nice quick visit from the police to yell at you. I've seen this happen many times, though I t's not dangerous or anything. I mean more the tram isn't just going to randomly swerve around everyone, etc. If you just don't panic and expect the tram to act like a car in traffic it'll be fine. Obviously yeah randomly following a tram is not a good thing, but then you also shouldn't randomly be following cars either.
|
|
#
?
Feb 4, 2017 21:20
|
|
|
HookShot posted:If you pretend that trams are also cars, all the stress goes away! In addition to what's already been mentioned, this is also bad advice because trams have priority over cars in certain yielding situations.
|
|
#
?
Feb 4, 2017 23:55
|
|
|
Entropist posted:In addition to what's already been mentioned, this is also bad advice because trams have priority over cars in ftfy At least here in Bern.
|
|
#
?
Feb 6, 2017 10:09
|
|
|
Europe* Megathread: Maybe driving with trams is complicated after all. *maybe just Switzerland, Germany, and NL.
|
|
#
?
Feb 6, 2017 10:32
|
|
|
Is there any country in the eu that doesn't have any trams? I think ripping up tramways and paving highways is a very North American phenomenon. Not counting tax haven countries like Lichtenstein or whatever
|
|
#
?
Feb 6, 2017 11:00
|
|
|
Helios Grime posted:ftfy caberham posted:Is there any country in the eu that doesn't have any trams? e: I guess Malta might not have trams Entropist fucked around with this message at 12:20 on Feb 6, 2017 |
|
#
?
Feb 6, 2017 12:17
|
|
|
caberham posted:Is there any country in the eu that doesn't have any trams? Yeah, come to think of it basically everywhere in Europe has trams, and AFAIK they all operate on more or less the same rules. Germanic-speaking countries seem to like them a lot more than Romance-speaking countries though is I guess what I was thinking of. Even small towns in Germany have tons of tram lines, like Freiburg or wherever. Even Paris has trams apparently?? I've spent a lot of time there and I've never seen one.
|
|
#
?
Feb 6, 2017 14:20
|
|
|
Saladman posted:Even Paris has trams apparently?? I've spent a lot of time there and I've never seen one.
|
|
#
?
Feb 6, 2017 14:57
|
|
|
Yeah the trams in Paris are very suburban. They're super nice though. Also they don't actually go on regular roads, they have their own lines; at least the one I went on did.
|
|
#
?
Feb 6, 2017 16:04
|
|
|
Saladman posted:Yeah, come to think of it basically everywhere in Europe has trams, and AFAIK they all operate on more or less the same rules. Germanic-speaking countries seem to like them a lot more than Romance-speaking countries though is I guess what I was thinking of. Even small towns in Germany have tons of tram lines, like Freiburg or wherever. There used to be even more. 80 years ago even the countryside had trams in villages. One old steam tramline in Zeeland (NL) stopped at hamlets that had a few dozen inhabitants, there were similar lines in other provinces.
|
|
#
?
Feb 6, 2017 19:37
|
|
|
NihilismNow posted:There used to be even more. 80 years ago even the countryside had trams in villages. One old steam tramline in Zeeland (NL) stopped at hamlets that had a few dozen inhabitants, there were similar lines in other provinces. There's still a line like that in Belgium, around Oostende.
|
|
#
?
Feb 6, 2017 20:02
|
|
|
They have trolleybuses in Belgrade, I haven't seen that anywhere else.
|
|
#
?
Feb 6, 2017 20:11
|
|
|
skooma512 posted:No reason to get pounds in advance unless you're anticipating a major shift that would beat the extra costs you'll incur. Someone trading from USD like you (and me when I went in October) should just pull from a no fee ATM, which I never had a problem finding and one was available at Heathrow. As my Brazilian roommate at he hostel pointed out though, not everyone is lucky enough to count on the exchange rate being so stable. Cool thanks! I'm guessing you get the closest rate at an ATM? I've only been to Mexico so I never really sweated losing a few pesos.
|
|
#
?
Feb 6, 2017 20:45
|
|
|
cheese eats mouse posted:Cool thanks! I'm guessing you get the closest rate at an ATM? I've only been to Mexico so I never really sweated losing a few pesos. I believe the exchange rate at an ATM is set by your card company. For example, my debit card says mastercard on it, and that's who sets the exchange rate. They are surely always using the most up to date exchange rate available when you withdraw from an ATM.
|
|
#
?
Feb 6, 2017 21:48
|
|
|
Doctor Malaver posted:They have trolleybuses in Belgrade, I haven't seen that anywhere else. They have them all over Eastern Europe and Russia.
|
|
#
?
Feb 6, 2017 22:26
|
|
|
Doctor Malaver posted:They have trolleybuses in Belgrade, I haven't seen that anywhere else. I've seen them in several cities: Athens, Genoa, Lyon, Milan, and Naples
|
|
#
?
Feb 6, 2017 23:19
|
|
|
Ras Het posted:They have them all over Eastern Europe and Russia. Well I didn't seen them in Moscow, Kiev, Budapest, Bucharest, Sofia, Ljubljana or Zagreb.
|
|
#
?
Feb 6, 2017 23:20
|
|
|
Doctor Malaver posted:Well I didn't seen them in Moscow, Kiev, Budapest, Bucharest, Sofia, Ljubljana or Zagreb. Budapest definitely had them in 2010 or so, so unless they have since put them out of service, they should still exist. One route ran directly past parliament if I remember correctly.
|
|
#
?
Feb 6, 2017 23:27
|
|
|
Doctor Malaver posted:Well I didn't seen them in Moscow, Kiev, Budapest, Bucharest, Sofia, Ljubljana or Zagreb. Moscow has the largest trolleybus network in the world apparently. Anyway, I'm not an expert on the matter, but I've been to Petersburg, Moscow, Novgorod, Tallinn and Kaunas lately, and they all had trolleybuses.
|
|
#
?
Feb 7, 2017 00:21
|
|
|
So basically if trams freak you out, don't loving drive in Europe.
|
|
#
?
Feb 7, 2017 06:30
|
|
|
Doctor Malaver posted:Well I didn't seen them in Moscow, Kiev, Budapest, Bucharest, Sofia, Ljubljana or Zagreb. They're all over the place, but they're basically indistinguishable from regular buses, especially since they often -are- regular buses that can just use electricity when wired into the network. They're everywhere in Switzerland and they'll often be wired when they're in the central city routes and then they'll switch to gas as they get further out of town where the electric wires aren't set up. Unless you're an urban planner I don't know why anyone would even notice the difference between a trolleybus and a regular bus. Europe Megathread: ITT - lots of talking about public transport systems
|
|
#
?
Feb 7, 2017 11:53
|
|
|
Anyone done a river cruise in Europe and can recommend one? I was planning on surprising my parents with one on the Columbia river (US) only to find out it's so freaking expensive it's still cheaper to fly my parents out to Europe and book a cruise than it is to do one in the US. I've been debating asking them for their preference of locales but I don't think they will care so if anyone with some experience can highly recommend a particular cruise I think it'd still be worth surprising them with it.
|
|
#
?
Feb 8, 2017 05:20
|
|
|
This is vague, but we are in the early exploratory stages. I and a friend are planning a vacation in the Alps, likely about five or six days somewhere around May 31 to June 6. The basic idea is to stay in a town (or possibly a lodge/cabin/etc) and go on day hikes from there. Walking is the main attraction, but we also like to play around on rocks and trees so some nice easy climbing trails/vistas would be a plus - just beginners stuff, neither of us rope climb and my attempts at bouldering have been pretty pathetic. We are both into "nature" in general, and she is really into birds so if there are nice bird locales there it is a huge plus. She is also a bit jealous of/inspired by her friends who were vacationing and saw really beautiful Alp meadows in full bloom. She is also into fine dining, although I may cause trouble there as I am vegan (I am flexible, but she will probably feel bad for "making" me eat non-vegan). As for me, I enjoy a good swim so a nice lake within hiking distance would be nice. Access to MTB/downhill biking would be a plus, as would access to a spa (my prejudice is that those are everywhere in the region). Less people are also a plus (especially out on the trails), but that is less of a priority than the other things and mostly wishful thinking. Language-wise I speak basic German (from where bus go?) and can make do with a hodgepodge of Romance languages (mainly French and Italian) and gestures. She is stuck with English. I suspect that I have just described about a hundred Alp towns, but any input would be nice to get started. Fake edit: I just got an email from her considering Bad Gastein, any thoughts on that?
|
|
#
?
Feb 9, 2017 00:02
|
|
|
nessin posted:Anyone done a river cruise in Europe and can recommend one? I was planning on surprising my parents with one on the Columbia river (US) only to find out it's so freaking expensive it's still cheaper to fly my parents out to Europe and book a cruise than it is to do one in the US. I've been debating asking them for their preference of locales but I don't think they will care so if anyone with some experience can highly recommend a particular cruise I think it'd still be worth surprising them with it. My parents did Basel to Amsterdam: http://www.vikingrivercruises.com/cruise-destinations/europe/rhine-getaway/2017-amsterdam-basel/index.html They loved it but they had never done a cruise before nor really been to Europe. From what I gathered the group was mostly aged 50 and up and they had very organised outings (I think those cost extra) hitting the major sights in a bus tour + 30 minutes of souvenir shopping at their partner store before heading back to the ship for what I would consider really lousy "entertainment". I'm not the target market though and like I said, they loved it. The rooms were nice on the ship... I guess I can recommend these guys if you like this kind of traveling.
|
|
#
?
Feb 9, 2017 00:52
|
|
|
For language problems, English mostly works in the tourist areas. If not you can always bust out your phone and google translate things. If you don't have an internet connection you are subhuman
|
|
#
?
Feb 9, 2017 03:05
|
|
|
greazeball posted:My parents did Basel to Amsterdam: http://www.vikingrivercruises.com/cruise-destinations/europe/rhine-getaway/2017-amsterdam-basel/index.html They loved it but they had never done a cruise before nor really been to Europe. From what I gathered the group was mostly aged 50 and up and they had very organised outings (I think those cost extra) hitting the major sights in a bus tour + 30 minutes of souvenir shopping at their partner store before heading back to the ship for what I would consider really lousy "entertainment". I'm not the target market though and like I said, they loved it. The rooms were nice on the ship... I guess I can recommend these guys if you like this kind of traveling. My folks just did a Viking "ocean cruise" and said it was top notch, in terms of food and service and all that junk, so just pick whatever itinerary you like the most and it'll be fine. Note that you can always leave the ship and just gently caress around on your own for free.
|
|
#
?
Feb 9, 2017 05:37
|
|
|
kissekatt posted:This is vague, but we are in the early exploratory stages. I and a friend are planning a vacation in the Alps, likely about five or six days somewhere around May 31 to June 6. The basic idea is to stay in a town (or possibly a lodge/cabin/etc) and go on day hikes from there. Walking is the main attraction, but we also like to play around on rocks and trees so some nice easy climbing trails/vistas would be a plus - just beginners stuff, neither of us rope climb and my attempts at bouldering have been pretty pathetic. I would recommend staying somewhere not too far from a major city that you can go and be tourists in, just in case the weather is rainy the whole time and you can't hike at all. You'll also still have snow above ±1600-2200 meters at that point in the season (depends on how the snow was this year where you go), although if you don't care about getting to the tops of mountains on your hikes I guess that won't matter too much. Being stuck in a little ski town 2 hours from the closest 'noteworthy' city when it's drizzling for 6 days sounds like a not-great vacation, especially if you're both coming from the US/Canada and it's a Big Trip for y'all. I'd suggest maybe the dolomites, like somewhere not too far from Trento or Bolzano. You're also much more likely to get warm / nice weather on the south side of the Alps at that time of year. I haven't spent much time in the area (just spent a couple days there, several years ago) so maybe someone else has more experience. IIRC someone who occasionally posts in T&T lived near Bolzano for at least a year, so maybe he still lurks and has some ideas.
|
|
#
?
Feb 9, 2017 08:33
|
|
|
nessin posted:Anyone done a river cruise in Europe and can recommend one? I was planning on surprising my parents with one on the Columbia river (US) only to find out it's so freaking expensive it's still cheaper to fly my parents out to Europe and book a cruise than it is to do one in the US. I've been debating asking them for their preference of locales but I don't think they will care so if anyone with some experience can highly recommend a particular cruise I think it'd still be worth surprising them with it.
|
|
#
?
Feb 9, 2017 14:48
|
|
|
.
hackbunny fucked around with this message at 03:50 on Jul 2, 2020 |
|
#
?
Feb 10, 2017 04:43
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 14, 2024 05:13 |
|
|
Hi all, I have a 20-hour layover in Helsinki on April 13. Could I get a hostel recommendation within walking distance of obvious things to see in Helsinki? I'll be landing at like 11 at night, and plane leaves at around 7 p.m. the next day. Enlightenment on "obvious things to see" also appreciated.
|
|
#
?
Feb 25, 2017 19:08
|
|