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Yelp does get used by locals to some extent, but yea, like Saladman said you're going to see a lot of restaurants with >10 reviews so it's nowhere near the level of thoroughness as it seems to be in the US.
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Jun 18, 2017 19:26
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Yelp is basically just American tourists here. You're better off looking for the local alternative or TripAdvisor.
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Jun 18, 2017 19:36
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From what I've seen in Europe Tripadvisor and Zomato are the biggest ones
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Jun 18, 2017 19:56
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In France and places with french tourists, guide du routard is also very common. Not sure if they have an english section though.
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Jun 18, 2017 21:37
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A bit food hipsterish but give eater a shot
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Jun 18, 2017 21:40
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I find foursquare still works quite well, at least in cities and larger towns.
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Jun 18, 2017 21:40
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What do you folks think of the reviews on google maps? Are those trustworthy at all?
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Jun 18, 2017 21:44
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I always use them because I'm too lazy to use some other app. Of course, this is only a secondary source of information, the most important is recommendations from people I know, but the star rating and number of ratings tends to be pretty telling. If I'm out somewhere and find something nearby with a rating over 4.2 or so, and a decent number of ratings, it is quite likely to be good.
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Jun 18, 2017 21:47
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Yeah I agree with that - if the number is good with a decent number of ratings/reviews I'll give it a shot, though it's not my first stop for recommendations. And as another plus - I don't think they're as heavily manipulated as TripAdvisor and Yelp sometimes seems to be. Since my work involves posting video reviews of tourist attractions, one of my guilty pleasures is going to a really famous spot's Facebook/whatever page and looking at the 1-star reviews because they're always incredible. edit; I'm talking Statue of Liberty/Tower of London/Brandenburg Gate level of famous, not "our ribs are the most famous in all of Bumfuck County" level.
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Jun 18, 2017 22:17
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webmeister posted:Yeah I agree with that - if the number is good with a decent number of ratings/reviews I'll give it a shot, though it's not my first stop for recommendations. Google reviews for random non-public buildings are always the best.
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Jun 18, 2017 22:36
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webmeister posted:Since my work involves posting video reviews of tourist attractions, one of my guilty pleasures is going to a really famous spot's Facebook/whatever page and looking at the 1-star reviews because they're always incredible. Oh God yes, I do this all the time. quote:I returned to the Louvre in March 2017 to make a startling discovery. The pyramid is pentagonall! The Occult Magic surrounding this site makes you believe that the pyramid is 4 sided. However, by concentrating on the Magdalene (who is buried under the inverse pyramid), I was able to shield myself and take a photo proving that the pyramid is actually a Pentacle! (see photo) And remember (as per my previous review): there are 666 windows on the pyramid. Beware! One star, devil's museum. For really big cities, I like to Google "best [food type] in [city]" because you usually get enough expats/people writing English blogs to give out some really awesome recommendations.
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Jun 18, 2017 23:09
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radlum posted:Staying a week in mid July in Milan and Venice; I know Summer can be very hot in Italy, but how hot it is? for reference, I live in the coast of Peru and I've been in Summer in Miami and New York (also I'll be in Stockholm two weeks before going to Italy) Just make reservations for every night in Venice at La Bitta. Seriously, it was the best food we had in our entire two weeks in Italy. Gnocchi that melts in your mouth, I would go back just for that dish! Although the menu changes daily so you never know what delicious feature they will have! They are cash only though, and only have two seatings (7 & 9pm).
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Jun 19, 2017 04:18
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Carbon dioxide posted:Google reviews for random non-public buildings are always the best. Or public buildings anywhere in Syria and Iraq. iirc Raqqa and Mosul have some pretty great reviews on totally random places. Never screen shorted any though.
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Jun 19, 2017 06:57
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La Bitta is great, and if anyone in your party doesn't eat seafood, you probably won't do better.
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Jun 19, 2017 19:58
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Carbon dioxide posted:Google reviews for random non-public buildings are always the best. Reviews of random poo poo in Pyongyang are always my favorite.
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Jun 22, 2017 02:42
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My wife and I are finally going to take our honeymoon in the fall. We're looking at a week in Europe and are looking at Madrid and Barcelona, doing 3 days in each city but we're pretty open right now. Things we like: walking around, going to markets, architecture and food. We're in our 30s so partying all night's out. Can you guys make recommendations for any off-the-beaten-path kind of stuff? Or should we forego Madrid entirely in favor of something else?
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Jun 22, 2017 18:00
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My original summer vacation plans fell through (originally taking a friend to Poland, but he doesn't have money), and it looks like I might be going solo to France instead. It's the first actual vacation I've done in a country where I've had no actual contact there (family or otherwise), but I somewhat speak the language (don't get me started on how terrible French instruction is in Canada that I had to retake it in college to get good-ish). Anyway, before I ramble, my plan so far is that I can get two weeks off at the end of August/beginning of September and go to France for two weeks. I was thinking I'd need at least a week in Paris, but I was wondering if it's worth staying in France and taking the train to see a few other regions (and if so, which ones?), or if I should take the train to another capital instead. My plans are still fuzzy, so I've no idea on hotels, SIM cards (figured I'll need a new one other than my Canadian, British, or Polish ones), or even things off the beaten path that I really should try. I love just walking around, but I'd love to have some semblance of a structured trip. For reference, I'm 30 year old SWM.
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Jun 22, 2017 20:35
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mojo1701a posted:My original summer vacation plans fell through (originally taking a friend to Poland, but he doesn't have money), and it looks like I might be going solo to France instead. It's the first actual vacation I've done in a country where I've had no actual contact there (family or otherwise), but I somewhat speak the language (don't get me started on how terrible French instruction is in Canada that I had to retake it in college to get good-ish). I've heard good things about Alsace, and I don't think it would be too crowded around that time since it's not a huge tourist destination like the south of France is. Alternatively, if you don't mind crowds and ungodly heat, go to the southwest and enjoy Basque Country and it's wonderful food, excellent cider, and weird-rear end language, maybe ending up in Spain or just sticking to the French side if you prefer.
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Jun 23, 2017 00:12
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PT6A posted:I've heard good things about Alsace, and I don't think it would be too crowded around that time since it's not a huge tourist destination like the south of France is. drat, I do hate heat, but the rest of that doesn't sound too bad. Someone suggested I check out some wineries, and that's not a bad idea, either. Champagne is closer to Alsace, but Cognac is more to the south west, so Wikipedia tells me. I'm a big fan of alcoholic tourism (or whatever you call visiting wineries and distilleries). Is there any info on that kind of vacationing?
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Jun 23, 2017 01:56
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mojo1701a posted:drat, I do hate heat, but the rest of that doesn't sound too bad. Someone suggested I check out some wineries, and that's not a bad idea, either. Champagne is closer to Alsace, but Cognac is more to the south west, so Wikipedia tells me. Alsace makes some really poo poo-hot wines of its own, and usually criminally undervalued, that's one of the reasons it's always been on my radar, so if you're into that... Grand Cru wines from Alsace are something a normal person can actually afford to drink, as opposed to GC Burgundy wines. The top productions tend toward white wines (riesling, gewurztraminer, pinot gris) but there are plantings of pinot noir, too, that do quite well. Great food from what I hear, as well, although I'm guessing that's largely the same throughout France.
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Jun 23, 2017 02:40
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CaptainScraps posted:My wife and I are finally going to take our honeymoon in the fall. Madrid has some really good architecture, but if you're in the mood for off the beaten path, search fhis thread for Logroño / Logrono. Food, wine, lower cost and not yet overtouristed. Or Granada for the Alhambra. Mind blowing architecture in that.
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Jun 23, 2017 04:18
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PT6A posted:Alsace makes some really poo poo-hot wines of its own, and usually criminally undervalued, that's one of the reasons it's always been on my radar, so if you're into that... Grand Cru wines from Alsace are something a normal person can actually afford to drink, as opposed to GC Burgundy wines. The top productions tend toward white wines (riesling, gewurztraminer, pinot gris) but there are plantings of pinot noir, too, that do quite well. I'm not really well-versed (or versed at all) in wines, so my tastes run either softer (ie beer) or harder (eg whisky, brandy, etc.), but a less-known region probably wouldn't be a half-bad idea nonetheless.
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Jun 23, 2017 14:33
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mojo1701a posted:I'm not really well-versed (or versed at all) in wines, so my tastes run either softer (ie beer) or harder (eg whisky, brandy, etc.), but a less-known region probably wouldn't be a half-bad idea nonetheless. Plus the wine growing parts has some really charming villages, and there's also the Haut-Koenigsbourg castle nearby. 
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Jun 23, 2017 15:49
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Ally McBeal Wiki posted:Madrid has some really good architecture, but if you're in the mood for off the beaten path, search fhis thread for Logroño / Logrono. Food, wine, lower cost and not yet overtouristed. Or Granada for the Alhambra. Mind blowing architecture in that. Damnit, you beat me to the Logrono recommendation this time! I need to be faster...
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Jun 23, 2017 16:11
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Bourricot posted:You're in luck cause Alsace has both beer (thanks to the German influence) and whisky! I'd no idea there was any whisky influence in France. I mean, I was perfectly content with learning how they distill brandy. Also, that architecture looks awesome. Not huge into architecture, but those look awesome. How well would I do with only my core knowledge of French? (Eight night school semesters to qualify for a "certificate of competency").
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Jun 23, 2017 16:38
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CaptainScraps posted:My wife and I are finally going to take our honeymoon in the fall. If you like architecture, Barcelona is probably the better bet to be honest. Check out the Gaudi buildings (Sagrada Familia, Casa Battlo, Casa Milla, Casa Vicens, Park Guell), but also those of his contemporary Lluis Domenech i Montaner: Palau de Catalan Musica and Hospital de Sant Pau. The former in particular is absolutely breathtaking and was a highlight for me. Don't bother going over to Las Ramblas, it's just a lovely tourist street and you spend most of your time dodging groups of people mindlessly following flags and ignoring people selling drugs/selfie sticks/FC Barcelona jerseys. Though Boqueria food market is nearby and pretty great, just don't go around lunchtime! Stay around Eixample or La Gracia, but book ahead as good Airbnbs are hard to find. Airbnb is basically illegal now and people are encouraged to dob in their neighbours. You won't get in trouble, but it's easy to end up in crappy overpriced places. I can't second/third the Logrono recommendation as we didn't go there, but San Sebastian is nearby and fantastic for food, culture and walking around. It'll be super crowded in summer if that's when you're going. Bilbao is nearby and also pretty great - hard to go past a Frank Gehry building like the Guggenheim! One other option to consider maybe is Burgos? The cathedral there is absolutely spectacular, probably one of the best I think. Around Madrid there's a few options for day-trips of architecture which I think you'd dig: Toledo, Segovia, and Avila. If you go to Madrid I'd spend a night at one of these cities (particularly Toledo) - since they're in daytrip range from Madrid you get a lot of coach tours and stuff. The cities are so different once everyone goes home at 4pm. I wouldn't do multiples though, just pick one. If you're interested, my wife and I did three months around Spain checking out UNESCO World Heritage sites, which in Spain are usually focused on architecture or cultural history (significant monasteries and the like). This is a playlist of all the sites in Spain we visited, have a flick through and check them out as there's probably something I've forgotten! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLT9964WmoqNjy-4gJmDOF0nYp6t_6ZF0Q
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Jun 23, 2017 18:55
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mojo1701a posted:I'm not really well-versed (or versed at all) in wines, so my tastes run either softer (ie beer) or harder (eg whisky, brandy, etc.), but a less-known region probably wouldn't be a half-bad idea nonetheless. Note that with spirits, a lot of them are region-protected trademarks under EU law, so eg champagne must come from the Champagne region of France, sherry has to come from a certain area of Spain, etc. Maybe pick your favourite spirit and head for that region? Everywhere has a craft brew scene these days so I can't really make recommendations on that. As for your overall idea, I'd say probably 5 days in Paris is enough the first time. A day at the Louvre, a day at Versailles (note that it's an hour west of Paris), a day to visit the Eiffel Tower and Montmarte, a couple of days for just wandering and taking it in. Your free week I guess comes down to what you'd prefer - do you prefer cities or countryside? Eating or shopping? Architecture, culture or bars? Beaches? Expensive or budget friendly? Crowded with tourists or off the beaten path? You'll be fine with English and some basic French in Paris - I don't know anything beyond pleasantries and counting to 10 and was fine. Also worth noting for you and for anyone else reading: roaming charges no longer exist between EU member countries. So if your UK or Polish SIM card still has credit, you will be able to use it roaming anywhere in the UK for no extra charge. This only changed last week, so I'd double-check with your provider when you top up with data or whatever.
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Jun 23, 2017 19:23
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webmeister posted:Note that with spirits, a lot of them are region-protected trademarks under EU law, so eg champagne must come from the Champagne region of France, sherry has to come from a certain area of Spain, etc. Maybe pick your favourite spirit and head for that region? Well, I'm unfamiliar with any whisky outside of the British Isles, so I'm not too particular about that. But I was thinking more towards Champagne if anything. I mean, I'm not too fussy, so I'm willing to see anything. Having said that, it seems like there's a lot of interesting WWII stuff towards Germany so a day or two in the Champagne region seems like a good bet. I like brandy, but Cognac and Armagnac are in the opposite direction, unless that travel's not as big of a deal as I'm imagining it to be. As for your other question: cities, eating, architecture, culture, bars, not too expensive, not too crowded is usually where I land. When I was in London last year, I enjoyed just walking around, checking out cafes and finding some great places to check out, but still with enough people that I felt like I was sharing an experience. Example: in a restaurant near King's Cross, I had a conversation with an older gentleman who originally asked me if I worked for Google because of my accent. I'd heard about that no more roaming charges thing. My Polish data was pretty cheap ($10 for 6GB of data! The UK one was 100MB/1GBP, so it's not as good, but better than Canada), so I might see if I can somehow top that up while here in Canada.
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Jun 23, 2017 19:47
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mojo1701a posted:I'd no idea there was any whisky influence in France. I mean, I was perfectly content with learning how they distill brandy. Alsatian whisky is a pretty recent phenomenon, but most of the distilleries seem out of the way, so depending on your transportation means finding a shop in Strasbourg might be a easier way to sample it. Strasbourg and the wine making region are both pretty touristy places (not on the level of Paris or the Côte d'Azur though) so your French should be good enough. I'm on my phone right now, but I'll try to provide more details tomorrow.
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Jun 23, 2017 20:29
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Note that because phone rates are so low in Poland, they don't really let you use your super-cheap data across the EU. Maybe 5 to 10% of it because they start charging standard roaming rates. See here. Might be enough to get you through, but check your UK SIM as well.
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Jun 23, 2017 20:37
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Bourricot posted:Alsatian whisky is a pretty recent phenomenon, but most of the distilleries seem out of the way, so depending on your transportation means finding a shop in Strasbourg might be a easier way to sample it. Sounds good! I'm still trying to figure out things like transportation, lodging, things like that. I'm wondering if I should give AirBnB a shot in Paris just because it seems cheaper than a hotel, and I've enough money saved up from having a real job while living with my parents that I don't have to go the hostel route. Like I said, I'm still relatively new to 100% planning my own vacation since this is the first time I'm going somewhere for long enough where I have no family nearby. Edit: spoof posted:Note that because phone rates are so low in Poland, they don't really let you use your super-cheap data across the EU. Maybe 5 to 10% of it because they start charging standard roaming rates. See here. Might be enough to get you through, but check your UK SIM as well. Oh, I see. I must've misunderstood, then. Now they'll be charging roaming rates anywhere else for the same price as if I was roaming in Poland. Do I have it correct now? Looks like I'll still rely on a French SIM card. Thanks for the site, I have a cousin coming in October and I've no idea about getting Canadian plans for European travellers. mojo1701a fucked around with this message at 20:45 on Jun 23, 2017 |
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Jun 23, 2017 20:37
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spoof posted:Note that because phone rates are so low in Poland, they don't really let you use your super-cheap data across the EU. Maybe 5 to 10% of it because they start charging standard roaming rates. See here. Might be enough to get you through, but check your UK SIM as well. Huh. Now I'm completely confused—so how do the roaming rates actually work if it's not actually the same that you'd pay at home? I was thinking about picking up one of these (since in Switzerland we still get nice "gently caress off" rates... although we give them to Europeans coming here so I guess it's fair). I get 200 MB/mo 'free' EU roaming already, so now I'm not sure if it's worth picking up an Italian/French SIM card for the ±30-40 days I spend in the EU per year, which is usually split into like many 3-5 day segments across months.
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Jun 23, 2017 21:38
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Saladman posted:Huh. Now I'm completely confused—so how do the roaming rates actually work if it's not actually the same that you'd pay at home? I was thinking about picking up one of these (since in Switzerland we still get nice "gently caress off" rates... although we give them to Europeans coming here so I guess it's fair). I get 200 MB/mo 'free' EU roaming already, so now I'm not sure if it's worth picking up an Italian/French SIM card for the ±30-40 days I spend in the EU per year, which is usually split into like many 3-5 day segments across months. I did a bit more reading, and it seems to entirely depend on the provider, the country and the plan. As far as I can tell, it's a get-out clause for telcos to stop all their customers buying super-cheap cards from wherever and deserting the overpriced local offers. The idea is really that you can use your Swiss SIM anywhere in the EU without incurring roaming charges, as opposed to buying a cut-price Polish SIM card and just having that for the next few years. Note as well that Switzerland, Lichtenstein and Norway aren't on board with this yet (since they're not EU members, obviously).
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Jun 23, 2017 22:13
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Saladman posted:Huh. Now I'm completely confused—so how do the roaming rates actually work if it's not actually the same that you'd pay at home? I was thinking about picking up one of these (since in Switzerland we still get nice "gently caress off" rates... although we give them to Europeans coming here so I guess it's fair). I get 200 MB/mo 'free' EU roaming already, so now I'm not sure if it's worth picking up an Italian/French SIM card for the ±30-40 days I spend in the EU per year, which is usually split into like many 3-5 day segments across months. UPC will start offering a plan that has no roaming fees in the EU from Monday: http://www.watson.ch/Digital/Schwei...r-Abo-Vergleich They use the Salt network, which isn't bad. Service seems to be hit or miss but they're all bad bar Swisscom (who has absolutely no signal in my apartment for some reason).
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Jun 23, 2017 22:21
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greazeball posted:UPC will start offering a plan that has no roaming fees in the EU from Monday: http://www.watson.ch/Digital/Schwei...r-Abo-Vergleich They use the Salt network, which isn't bad. Service seems to be hit or miss but they're all bad bar Swisscom (who has absolutely no signal in my apartment for some reason). Thanks, I had heard about that but hadn't seen the deals yet. I'm anyway on Salt locked into another year of my contract, and my SO for another 6 months. No wonder they had such good deals last year, and I see they have it again (+Swiss for 29CHF/mo; like half what I was paying with SwissCom for a slightly worse package). Salt's roaming prices are absolutely nuts, like 1 CHF/2 MB nuts for EU roaming after going over the allotment. I guess I can just switch next year and see what comes along in the meantime. (E: although it'd be great if it offered unlimited data in Switzerland, like Salt's currently-29 CHF Swiss+ plan does) E2: I should probably wait to figure this out when my brain is not melting from the heat, I am absolutely unable to compare plans now Saladman fucked around with this message at 22:29 on Jun 23, 2017 |
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Jun 23, 2017 22:23
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While we're on cell phone chat, what's the preferred carrier for 10 days of data/an occasional phone call in Italy?
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Jun 24, 2017 20:41
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Residency Evil posted:While we're on cell phone chat, what's the preferred carrier for 10 days of data/an occasional phone call in Italy? We used TIM for visitors, which was around 35 euro for 4 GB and 100 min within Italy/to your home country. We didn't even use all the data since we also had wifi..
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Jun 25, 2017 04:50
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Residency Evil posted:While we're on cell phone chat, what's the preferred carrier for 10 days of data/an occasional phone call in Italy? I used TIM. It's generally got signal anywhere anyone else would and while they're not always the best price, anything they have is cheaper than any US plan. Unfortunately I don't know what my plan was called, but it had like 30 minutes of calls and 2GB of data for 15 euro.
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Jun 25, 2017 19:46
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For all of your Italy prepaid plan needs. The TIM international plans look really good.
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Jun 25, 2017 22:54
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I used the Vodaphone tourist SIM (30E, 300 minutes to most of the world, 300 texts same thing, 2GB data). No complaints at all, though it's probably overdoing it for a ten-day trip haha.
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Jun 25, 2017 23:25
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