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Carbon dioxide posted:I've been to a rather good restaurant in Paris where there was no English menu and no English speaking waiters. And my French is absolutely awful. We figured it out with google translate and telling the waiter what we wanted by finger pointing at the menu to tell them what we wanted. And the food was delicious. Yeah, radishes are totally normal. You may also get salt for dipping them. My husband thought it was super weird the first time we went to my grandad's house and he brought out a bowl of radishes before the food was ready. But yeah, I've had the same experience in tons of places where I don't speak the language. The food ends up being way better since it's not overpriced tourist crap, even if you're basically just pointing randomly and getting a surprise meal.
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Dec 21, 2017 23:36
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How strict is the EU with it's visa requirements? Specifically the preplanned fully detailed and booked itinerary stuff? That's kinda the opposite of what I was hoping for my trip, I want to go backpacking and meet people in the hostels and do that whole thing.
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Dec 22, 2017 11:48
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What passport are you travelling on? If you actually need a Schengen visa then I don't expect there would be any leeway. Remember as well that you can only spend 90 out of every 180 days in the Schengen zone (the EU plus Switzerland, minus the UK).
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Dec 22, 2017 11:55
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webmeister posted:What passport are you travelling on? If you actually need a Schengen visa then I don't expect there would be any leeway. Remember as well that you can only spend 90 out of every 180 days in the Schengen zone (the EU plus Switzerland, minus the UK). Australian. This is just me starting to look at what I need to do to get in, I'm definitely staying less than 3 months too. I was under the impression that the shengen visa is What You Get. I'm planning on staying in the EU (lol brexit) E: heh apparently Australians are cool and just need a passport underage at the vape shop fucked around with this message at 12:12 on Dec 22, 2017 |
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Dec 22, 2017 12:08
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Yep, as an Australian you get visa free entry to the Schengen zone for 90 days in every 180. You can stay in the UK visa-free for I think six months as well, though I'm not actually sure (I have a UK passport as well as my Australian so I've never really looked into it).
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Dec 22, 2017 13:47
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Jeoh posted:You go there before you check in your luggage. The only time I did it it was past security.
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Dec 23, 2017 02:29
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nwiniwn posted:On the plus side-holy poo poo is stuff cheap here! Hey, btw, hope you're enjoying your trip - but I suggest you let these experiences be a lesson. Next time you go abroad, perhaps take some time to research local customs (like in restaurants) and the availability of payment options where you're going. Every country is different in that regard. Personally, I hate those kind of surprises so I always make sure I've done my homework before I go. 
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Dec 23, 2017 11:58
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Carbon dioxide posted:Hey, btw, hope you're enjoying your trip - but I suggest you let these experiences be a lesson. Next time you go abroad, perhaps take some time to research local customs (like in restaurants) and the availability of payment options where you're going. Every country is different in that regard. Personally, I hate those kind of surprises so I always make sure I've done my homework before I go. Oh I hear you-I had done some research and knew about the limited use of credit cards and how cash was king, but was unaware of the pin situation on the credit cards. Local customs I just took at face value, thinking you don’t go in and sit yourself, etc. Prague was about as close to America as you can get as far as things went-they were very willing to take credit cards, they normally had hostesses, and everyone we ran into spoke English, which was a huge plus. Now we’re off to Salzburg, so we’ll see how that goes. Based on the research I have done, I’m expecting about the same as Munich with everything, except slightly friendlier?
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Dec 23, 2017 14:12
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HookShot posted:But yeah, I've had the same experience in tons of places where I don't speak the language. The food ends up being way better since it's not overpriced tourist crap, even if you're basically just pointing randomly and getting a surprise meal. Some of the best meals I had were in Armenia where I communicated with animal noises. me (points at dish with meat): oink oink? waitress (shakes head): beeh beeh
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Dec 23, 2017 20:08
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HookShot posted:But yeah, I've had the same experience in tons of places where I don't speak the language. The food ends up being way better since it's not overpriced tourist crap, even if you're basically just pointing randomly and getting a surprise meal.
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Dec 24, 2017 03:04
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The wife and I are considering spending 2-3 weeks in Europe around April of 2018. We're mostly looking to hit Italy and Germany, though we might end up doing 2 weeks in Italy in April and 2 weeks in Germany in July instead. What's my best bet? Planning everything out, or just hitting the ground and wandering where our feet take us? Is a travel agent recommended? We're both US citizens, but will be traveling from Saudi Arabia. I lived in the Friuli region (Maniago, to be exact) for two years, and am relatively familiar with that portion of Italy...but for Germany I've only been to Munich once or twice, so I'm not familiar at all. So far ticket prices seem to vary wildly, with a gap between $700 for Turkish Airlines and $2.4K for Saudi Air.
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Dec 25, 2017 19:01
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Cheesemaster200 posted:I don't think this has anything to do with the fact that they have an English language menu. The rules of crappy tourist restaurants apply abroad as they do in the US. Eating at a restaurant in the main tourist square of a city, adjacent to 15 other restaurants with the same menu is equivalent to eating at the Red Lobster in Times Square. Never go to a restaurant within sight of something in a guidebook IMO. You're much more likely to get a bad meal than a good one, and even if it is good you'll be paying double the price of anywhere more remote.
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Dec 25, 2017 19:09
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Devorum posted:The wife and I are considering spending 2-3 weeks in Europe around April of 2018. We're mostly looking to hit Italy and Germany, though we might end up doing 2 weeks in Italy in April and 2 weeks in Germany in July instead. Depends how budget sensitive you are, and if you care about staying in nice places or don’t care so much and any hotel is fine. Italy gets loving hot in summer and a lot of cheaper places have no AC. April will be chill and you can plan it on the ground, unless you’re someone who likes planning stuff in advance. I’d definitely book the first 2-3 nights in advance but beyond that really depends on your style of travel.
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Dec 26, 2017 00:28
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Err how bad do the crowds get late June?. I just found out my uni is taking an extra long mid sem break because of the commonwealth games, 22 is the last date of exam block. Of course if I can leave before that I will but my exams are anywhere between 7-22 June next year and they won't make an exam timetable till maybe late april/may, flights will have skyrocketed by then right? My uni doesn't consider holiday bookings good enough grounds to reschedule exams 
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Dec 27, 2017 06:21
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The Iceland thread is locked so I'm hoping some folks here have some Iceland knowledge to lay on me. My husband and I are planning on going in August or September of 2018. We know we've got to make plans and book tickets/lodgings early so I banged out a trip plan. Please let me know if this is feasible or if I should cut some days out and take it slower. Itinerary (see detailed map linked above for more info on planned stops along these routes) Day 1- Land at Airport at the rear end crack of dawn, bus to Reykjavik, spend day and night in city Day 2- Pick up rental car, drive from Reykjavik to Snæfellsjökull and spend the day there, drive to Borgarbyggð and spend the night Day 3: From Borgarbyggð around the golden circle to Selfoss Day 4: Selfoss to Kirkjubæjarklaustur with stops along the way Day 5: Kirkjubæjarklaustur to Skaftafell and Jökulsárlón (possibly snowmobiling on glacier) and back to Kirkjubæjarklaustur for the night Day 6: Kirkjubæjarklaustur to Reykjavik, stop along way and spend night in the city Day 7: Reykjavik to Reykjanesbær around the penninsula Day 8: Fly Home JibbaJabberwocky fucked around with this message at 03:01 on Dec 30, 2017 |
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Dec 29, 2017 01:02
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Looks reasonable to me although I’m not sure you’ll make it for the snow mobile-ing. Iirc that’s up the F981 (?) north of Hofn and it’s around a full hour drive each way from the ring road to the glacier. We drove up it for the hell of it but did not take the glacier tour. If you take the tour it starts from the ring road so you would not need a 4x4. I would not get a 4x4 for your itinerary, as all those roads are nicely paved.
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Dec 29, 2017 11:00
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How early should I get to Munich airport on a Sunday if I’m flying to the US as a US citizen? Not looking to get a refund on vat or anything like that-we bought a few things at the Christmas markets but that’s it. Just not sure if 2 hours will be enough or not.
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Dec 29, 2017 13:29
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Two hours should be enough.
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Dec 29, 2017 15:47
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Just a reminder that at MUC, American (and Israeli) flights leave from the rear end end of the terminal with an additional security check (it's a breeze). Two hours should be fine.
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Dec 29, 2017 19:32
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Am I the only one who doesn't mind sitting in an airport for a few hours? I'd much rather get there early with plenty of time spare than deal with the stress of having to make it last-minute. Plus, after you've checked out you don't want to be sightseeing with your luggage in tow so it's not like you're missing out on much.
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Dec 29, 2017 19:41
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Julio Cruz posted:Am I the only one who doesn't mind sitting in an airport for a few hours? I'd much rather get there early with plenty of time spare than deal with the stress of having to make it last-minute. Plus, after you've checked out you don't want to be sightseeing with your luggage in tow so it's not like you're missing out on much. I'm staying at the moxy hotel for this one, which is apparently a quick shuttle ride to the airport. I hate being last minute, but I'd rather hang out in my hotel room than sit in an airport terminal for too long. Mind you, I say that, but I always end up being early to everything and sitting around for a bit anyways.
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Dec 29, 2017 20:25
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Julio Cruz posted:Am I the only one who doesn't mind sitting in an airport for a few hours? I'd much rather get there early with plenty of time spare than deal with the stress of having to make it last-minute. Plus, after you've checked out you don't want to be sightseeing with your luggage in tow so it's not like you're missing out on much. I have a habit of getting through security with at least 60-90 minutes before boarding begins. I don't mind hanging out at the airport when I travel... I usually just find a bar and nurse a drink while reading a book until it's time to get to my gate. Depends on the airport though, some airports are shittier than others for just chilling out in. Frankfurt Terminal 2 is stupidly boring.
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Dec 29, 2017 21:04
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Drone posted:I have a habit of getting through security with at least 60-90 minutes before boarding begins. I don't mind hanging out at the airport when I travel... I usually just find a bar and nurse a drink while reading a book until it's time to get to my gate. Yeah, the tiny far-away-from-civilisation airports where only budget liners stop tend to be terrible. Dusseldorf-Weeze or Eindhoven are examples. Before security, there's maybe one place to get a coffee. Past security, there's literally nothing but a waiting room. Hope you brought something to do in your carry-on!
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Dec 29, 2017 21:16
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Saladman posted:Looks reasonable to me although I’m not sure you’ll make it for the snow mobile-ing. Iirc that’s up the F981 (?) north of Hofn and it’s around a full hour drive each way from the ring road to the glacier. We drove up it for the hell of it but did not take the glacier tour. If you take the tour it starts from the ring road so you would not need a 4x4. I would not get a 4x4 for your itinerary, as all those roads are nicely paved. The snowmobile tour company I'm looking into meets about 2/3 of the way between Kirkjubæjarklaustur and Hofn at a dairy farm so I feel like it might be doable (the tour is ~3hrs) but would probably make for a busy day and wouldn't leave much time at Skaftafell and Jökulsárlón. It's also $420 USD so its painfully pricey. Any other ideas for adventure tours we could take along the route?
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Dec 29, 2017 21:22
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Julio Cruz posted:Am I the only one who doesn't mind sitting in an airport for a few hours? I'd much rather get there early with plenty of time spare than deal with the stress of having to make it last-minute. Plus, after you've checked out you don't want to be sightseeing with your luggage in tow so it's not like you're missing out on much. Depends when your flight is leaving. If it's midday, sure. If it's leaving at 7AM, and you're not near the airport, etc., etc. it's a different matter because waking up at 3AM blows rear end no matter what.
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Dec 29, 2017 23:34
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Hey dudes, going to be making trip #6 to Europe and this time it will have an Iberian theme. This is what I was planning to do, but wondering how much total trip time I should allot for each segment and what your thoughts were: 1) fly to Madrid (arriving 4/11) 2) Spend (x?) days in Madrid 3) Train or bus to Granada 4) Spend (x?) days there 5) Go to Malaga 6) Spend (x?) days there (one day I will take a day tour to Gibraltar and Tangier, Morocco) 7) fly from Malaga to Lisbon 8) Spend (x?) days there 9) fly home from Lisbon (leaving early morning 4/24) Option 2 is after Madrid take the train to Barcelona, then fly from there to Lisbon Also how is the bus service (ALSA, etc.)? In some cases it takes the same time as the train since they have more direct routes, i.e. Madrid to Granada by bus is about the same time as on high-speed rail because the latter goes through Cordoba. My main interests are historical, especially architecture, museums, interesting urban environments, but also some places that are quieter. actionjackson fucked around with this message at 19:17 on Dec 30, 2017 |
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Dec 30, 2017 18:53
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Also airports suck when you spend a lot of time in them. For one vacation a year, sure. When it's your 10th time in an airport all year gently caress it I just want to get to the airport, jump on the plane and that's it.
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Dec 30, 2017 19:12
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actionjackson posted:Hey dudes, going to be making trip #6 to Europe and this time it will have an Iberian theme. This is what I was planning to do, but wondering how much total trip time I should allot for each segment and what your thoughts were: Personally, I'd consider replacing Malaga with Sevilla and try to add in some time in Jerez de la Frontera (if you want quiet but still city-like). I think this would still allow you to do Gibraltar and Tangier, and they have direct flights from Sevilla to Lisbon. But that's just me; the itinerary you have there works fine too,
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Dec 30, 2017 22:49
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Though I’m sure no one is curious, if you’re flying Aer Lingus at Munich airport, there’s no reason to get there more than 2 hours prior to the flight, because there is no one working the counter.
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Dec 31, 2017 08:26
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How anal are the customs at the Munich airport? I'll be flying in with some computer parts for personal use of course but I'm wondering if I'd have to pay VAT on them if they try to shake me down. I'll just have a backpack and probably a plastic bag with some snacks and souvenirs.
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Dec 31, 2017 09:38
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mobby_6kl posted:How anal are the customs at the Munich airport? I'll be flying in with some computer parts for personal use of course but I'm wondering if I'd have to pay VAT on them if they try to shake me down. I'll just have a backpack and probably a plastic bag with some snacks and souvenirs. Not at all. Just walk through the « nothing to declare » exit after baggage claim and you’re good to go. Applies to any airport in Europe. I have never even heard an anecdote of anyone getting a spot check at customs in Europe.
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Dec 31, 2017 15:21
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JibbaJabberwocky posted:The snowmobile tour company I'm looking into meets about 2/3 of the way between Kirkjubæjarklaustur and Hofn at a dairy farm so I feel like it might be doable (the tour is ~3hrs) but would probably make for a busy day and wouldn't leave much time at Skaftafell and Jökulsárlón. It's also $420 USD so its painfully pricey. We did everything DIY and I generally hate group tours so I didn’t really look into them. Only thing you could maybe look into is Landmannalaugar? Thorsmork will take more time than you have available. Landmannalaugar is a long rear end drive but doable but requires a 4x4 after the hydroelectric plant (maybe 1 hour drive from there to the field of flowers campsite). Unless you’re really into photography you probably don’t need that much time at Jokulsarlon. It’s super cool and bizarre and YMMV but i can only watch icebergs float around for so long until ADD kicks in. E: also if possible keep some flexibility in your trip, eg if snaesfellsnes is pouring rain the day you want to go there it’s probably better to head straight east. Southwest and west Iceland get a LOT more rain than the rest of the island, and big parts of Iceland are barren desert, like Landmannalaugar. Our only day of rain was snaefellsnes and there was gently caress all to do there if it’s pouring rain besides go to the mediocre hot pot they have on the peninsula Saladman fucked around with this message at 15:29 on Dec 31, 2017 |
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Dec 31, 2017 15:26
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Just booked my trip to Porto and Lisbon for two weeks from now. Are there any museums in Lison, Porto or Sintra that need advanced reservations? Do I need to book trains in advance between the two cities, or will it be available during the week at this time? Any recommendations on things to do?
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Dec 31, 2017 18:53
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Seconded on the Lisbon part For trains use this https://www.seat61.com/international-trains/trains-from-Lisbon.htm#Lisbon_to_Porto This is a really good site btw
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Dec 31, 2017 21:23
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For Madrid is Salamanca a good neighborhood to stay in? I want something that's super easy to get too from the airport transit, and if it's a little costly it's not a huge deal as I won't be there too long. Specifically I was looking around the "Recoletos" train stop. It's just north of the Retiro Park and the city center (apparently). I do for sure want to visit Museo Nacional del Prado and Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía which are both in that area. actionjackson fucked around with this message at 05:42 on Jan 1, 2018 |
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Jan 1, 2018 05:37
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Saladman posted:Not at all. Just walk through the « nothing to declare » exit after baggage claim and you’re good to go. Applies to any airport in Europe. I have never even heard an anecdote of anyone getting a spot check at customs in Europe.
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Jan 1, 2018 07:51
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actionjackson posted:For Madrid is Salamanca a good neighborhood to stay in? I want something that's super easy to get too from the airport transit, and if it's a little costly it's not a huge deal as I won't be there too long. I haven't stayed there personally (I basically picked Chamberí at random the first time I visited Madrid, and I liked it so I just keep staying there) but every time I've been there to do something it looks like a nice area to stay in. Maybe a bit busy with tourists and stuff, but not horrible.
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Jan 2, 2018 01:32
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Does anyone have recommendations for places to see and things to eat in Dublin? I am not really into art or fish/seafood, but will look into pretty much anything else.
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Jan 2, 2018 21:26
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I don't think there's anything in Lisbon that needs booking in advance. I have a couple of posts in this thread about Lisbon, you can look that up in case you want any recommendations If you want to know anything else in particular I'll try to help you!
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Jan 2, 2018 22:16
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I also have not felt the need to book anything in advance in Lisbon and Porto, except when I took a night train from Lisbon to Madrid. It's possible to book Lisbon-Porto trains in advance but it is not necessary. Though there is perhaps one thing - I tried to go to the Palacio de la Bolsa in Porto, which I heard is lovely, but you can only visit it with a guide and all the English-speaking tours were booked for the day. But this was in September when it's more crowded, and probably if I had gone in the morning it would have been fine. I have things about Lisbon in my post history too. I went to Porto more recently but don't know that much to say about it. It's a lovely place and it's nice to just hang out by the river there and enjoy the atmosphere. There are a bunch of sights to walk around to, such as the Capela das Almas, the Sé do Porto and the view from the bridge. Visit a port winery (the ones further away from the river/bridge tend to be better, though I didn't make it there). I enjoyed going to the seaside and having fresh grilled sardines at Matosinhos, where you can go by metro. Renting a bike by the river and going along the river and seaside for an afternoon was also lovely, but I'm not sure if that's gonna be so nice at this time of year. The waves at the pier are pretty cool though. A day trip to Braga to go up to the Bom Jesus do Monte is also a good idea. In general, food is a good reason to go to Porto or Portugal. Try to find an authentic looking place in the area northwest of the main station, or even better, somewhere just outside the center where mostly locals go. There'll be menus listing prices for half plates and full plates and they won't look very cheap, but actually at these places a half plate is already a lot for two people so you only need that and it's actually quite cheap. My favourite example of that kind of place was Casa Paraíso, but thats probably because it was close to where I was staying. There are others.
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Jan 3, 2018 03:28
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