|
Saladman posted:ChatGPT is honestly super good for this kind of question, as this is an incredibly populated area with an absolute ton of tourist information and training data. ChatGPT blows for out of the way destinations like Algeria or Cameroon, but it does a great job on London and environs. Just tell it what you like doing and it will almost certainly do a better job than anyone here can, and much faster. Goddamn it has been a long time since I've travelled if I can just ask an AI, isn't it? I know about the flights, but I'm thinking of sticking with England for now. I mean, someone suggested Edinburgh to me in a Discord chat and I would rather save that for an all-Scotland tour. This is just "I need to leave Canada and I want to go somewhere I've been before without thinking too much about it and having to rush". Also, just saw the edit: The two things I mentioned are ones I meant to visit anyway, but I was thinking more holiday-themed, since I've never travelled this time of year. I'm going to ask for food recommendations in the GWS thread, but anything food or drink-related is welcome. Again, if this is too vague or anything, then that's fine. I was just trying to fish for some ideas. I might ask again once I have a better idea of my itinerary. Hedgehog Pie posted:Regarding a second city to visit, Birmingham has a well-regarded German Christmas market at this time of year. It can get very busy, especially on the weekend, but it's an idea for a (half-)day trip. Not a bad idea.
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2023 23:06
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 24, 2024 05:40 |
|
|
mojo1701a posted:Boy, it's been a while since I've checked in on this thread.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2023 23:34
|
|
|
mojo1701a posted:Goddamn it has been a long time since I've travelled if I can just ask an AI, isn't it? I know about the flights, but I'm thinking of sticking with England for now. I mean, someone suggested Edinburgh to me in a Discord chat and I would rather save that for an all-Scotland tour. This is just "I need to leave Canada and I want to go somewhere I've been before without thinking too much about it and having to rush". I don't know if this is your bag, or if it's fun solo, but Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park is certainly a Christmas thing to do in London. The Geffrye Museum does Christmas Through The Ages, and is a worthwhile museum to visit if it's not too far out of your way. Kew Gardens also does Christmassy stuff. You could go to see a play/panto, which is a popular pastime around the festive period. If you wanted to do a week/week and a bit in London and a few days elsewhere, one of the cute historical cities is a good shout. Bath and York are the ones that spring to mind as being easy to get to from London and being quaint, which people from North America tend to like.
|
|
#
?
Nov 8, 2023 19:27
|
|
|
Bollock Monkey posted:If you wanted to do a week/week and a bit in London and a few days elsewhere, one of the cute historical cities is a good shout. Bath and York are the ones that spring to mind as being easy to get to from London and being quaint, which people from North America tend to like. Oxford is also easy to get to and will be quieter once (most of) the students have gone home for the Christmas break
|
|
#
?
Nov 8, 2023 21:22
|
|
|
Saladman posted:Also it's worth keeping in mind that once you're in London, you can be anywhere else in Europe within 2 hours for not even €100 round-trip direct flights. Flights in Europe are hilariously cheap (or not hilarious, if you are somewhere that will go underwater in the next 50 years) -- you can fly for 2 hours for the same price as a half hour train ride in the UK. Two hours gets you to Heathrow Airport and past security, if you're lucky. Anyway, seconding Kew Gardens to wander around for a day. It'll be lit up for Christmas which is nice. Do keep in mind that it will get dark around 4pm.
|
|
#
?
Nov 9, 2023 16:06
|
|
|
SixFigureSandwich posted:Two hours gets you to Heathrow Airport and past security, if you're lucky. Huh, London City is a way, way worse-connected airport than I thought. It has about as many flights as you’d expect from Bumfuck Kansas Airport. I’ve flown in there a couple times - it’s super convenient for the like, 12 cities it’s connected to, which I’ve apparently just happened to live in three of.
|
|
#
?
Nov 9, 2023 16:49
|
|
|
It's really just meant for business types flying to/from a handful of cities so that makes sense.
|
|
#
?
Nov 9, 2023 17:32
|
|
|
Pablo Bluth posted:If you're doing enough days to actually fit in a second city sensibly: For historical cities, Cambridge or York are both doable by train and should be good for a few days (if you're an aviation geek, Imperial War Museum Duxford can be done from Cambridge). If you have an affinity for Shakespeare, there's Stratford-upon-Avon but I found that was a one-day place. Cardiff is only a few hours by train if you want to try somewhere not English, Edinburgh is a bit more of a trek. If you really wanted, there's Liverpool or Manchester but I think you'd have to have personal reasons for wanting to go there. Bollock Monkey posted:I don't know if this is your bag, or if it's fun solo, but Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park is certainly a Christmas thing to do in London. SixFigureSandwich posted:Anyway, seconding Kew Gardens to wander around for a day. It'll be lit up for Christmas which is nice. Do keep in mind that it will get dark around 4pm. All of these sound great, thanks! I don't have a specific affinity for Shakespeare, but I know more about his work than Sherlock Holmes so Stratford-upon-Avon might be a good idea! I was also thinking about a play, and some of those seem pretty interesting! Saladman posted:Huh, London City is a way, way worse-connected airport than I thought. It has about as many flights as you’d expect from Bumfuck Kansas Airport. I’ve flown in there a couple times - it’s super convenient for the like, 12 cities it’s connected to, which I’ve apparently just happened to live in three of. I remember having a much easier time flying through either Stansted or Luton when I flew to Poland years ago. Cheap and easy flights are also why I won't say no if a job opportunity finds itself (I'm willing to learn your tax system).
|
|
#
?
Nov 9, 2023 19:58
|
|
|
I'm not all that high on Stratford, though that's probably because I live in the area (trains can also be a bit spotty to and from there). I feel like if you just want to see a play, Shakespeare or otherwise, you'll be better off in London. Stratford really only has the RSC, which is great, but that's more or less it. The history side is probably only a bonus if you're not massively into Shakey. Eurostar is also quite good for short international trips. Obviously it's a bit more limited and expensive but it's comfier and more convenient!
|
|
#
?
Nov 9, 2023 22:34
|
|
|
Wait, a bit more limited? As far as I know the only Eurostar stops are London, Paris, Lille, Brussels, and Amsterdam. Are there others? But I certainly enjoyed my trip. And as an American, London to Amsterdam in 4 hours (and maybe 8 minutes through security) for 60-odd USD seems like a steal.
|
|
#
?
Nov 9, 2023 23:55
|
|
|
WithoutTheFezOn posted:Wait, a bit more limited? As far as I know the only Eurostar stops are London, Paris, Lille, Brussels, and Amsterdam. Are there others? Yeah, those are pretty much the only direct ones (also Rotterdam), but you can change in Brussels for anywhere else in Belgium for no added fee (I believe) and there's also a connection to Koln.
|
|
#
?
Nov 10, 2023 01:38
|
|
|
WithoutTheFezOn posted:But I certainly enjoyed my trip. And as an American, London to Amsterdam in 4 hours (and maybe 8 minutes through security) for 60-odd USD seems like a steal. That is such a steal that you might be arrested. I’m going from Brussels to Rotterdam next week, the ticket was like €77 for the Eurostar, just for that like 1/4 of the overall distance from London to Amsterdam, for one person. I took a regular train ticket for like €25. I didn’t know Eurostar ever sold reasonably priced tickets. Every time I have looked they have been lol, lmao expensive and about 2 minutes faster than taking the regular line. This is always for Brussels-Amsterdam though, never taken the Chunnel.
|
|
#
?
Nov 10, 2023 10:12
|
|
|
You have to book months in advance. The best you can generally do is 35 euro between London and Amsterdam. Fun fact: British border control is too poo poo to handle a full train, so every Eurostar train is at least half empty!
|
|
#
?
Nov 10, 2023 13:31
|
|
|
Saladman posted:I didn’t know Eurostar ever sold reasonably priced tickets.
|
|
#
?
Nov 10, 2023 17:01
|
|
|
My partner and I are exploring options for a 5-6 day trip in January. Somewhere warm (relatively speaking) and not too expensive. We're thinking Athens, Istanbul or Lisbon. Ideally in a hotel with a swimming pool -- we both swim for exercise. Other than that we don't need expensive or exotic amenities. She's into food, culture and shopping (not high street but markets, second hand stuff) and I'm into culture, history and music. Any recommendations, other than checking where we can fly cheaply? We'll fly from Belgrade.
|
|
#
?
Nov 11, 2023 01:30
|
|
|
Doctor Malaver posted:My partner and I are exploring options for a 5-6 day trip in January. Somewhere warm (relatively speaking) and not too expensive. We're thinking Athens, Istanbul or Lisbon. Ideally in a hotel with a swimming pool -- we both swim for exercise. Other than that we don't need expensive or exotic amenities. She's into food, culture and shopping (not high street but markets, second hand stuff) and I'm into culture, history and music. Any recommendations, other than checking where we can fly cheaply? We'll fly from Belgrade. Just one thing - if you're a serious exercise swimmer perhaps I wouldn't depend on the tiny pools hotels might have (there are hotels with bigger pools, I guess. Something to check on their website). I don't know about the rest of Europe but at least here in the northwest, public swimming pools tend to come in two types (sometimes combined) - "fun" play pools for families, and serious exercise pools with, you know, olympic type lanes. Since the number of lanes are limited and people with a monthly subscription to the pool get preference, you may need to call ahead of time to reserve a lane for an hour or so.
|
|
#
?
Nov 11, 2023 08:07
|
|
|
Carbon dioxide posted:Just one thing - if you're a serious exercise swimmer perhaps I wouldn't depend on the tiny pools hotels might have (there are hotels with bigger pools, I guess. Something to check on their website). It's similar here, just without the possibility to make reservations. Fortunately we both can go swimming during work hours so it's rarely crowded.
|
|
#
?
Nov 11, 2023 09:30
|
|
|
Doctor Malaver posted:My partner and I are exploring options for a 5-6 day trip in January. Somewhere warm (relatively speaking) and not too expensive. We're thinking Athens, Istanbul or Lisbon. Ideally in a hotel with a swimming pool -- we both swim for exercise. Other than that we don't need expensive or exotic amenities. She's into food, culture and shopping (not high street but markets, second hand stuff) and I'm into culture, history and music. Any recommendations, other than checking where we can fly cheaply? We'll fly from Belgrade. All three places you've identified are good for food, culture, history, shopping and music. I can't comment on the pool thing because I'd have to do the same searching to find which hotels have heated pools/pools you can use in winter. Lisbon will be warmest, Istanbul the coldest. I went to Istanbul in December and there were some pleasantly warm days, but also some really bitingly cold ones, so if the warmth is a big draw I'd favour Lisbon or Athens. We found Lisbon really easy to get around using the metro, which might open up some more hotel options for you if you're happy not to be right in the city centre. I found 5 nights in Lisbon to be about right, with a day in Sintra and another half day exploring Sintra again at the end of the trip because it was really cool. The aquarium is also well worth visiting, and Bairro Alto with its hundreds of bars (lots with live music) is a really good night out. Athens feels a bit more scrappy and trendy than Lisbon, and it is awesome for ancient history. I loved stumbling upon archaeological sites in amongst normal shopping streets, and every metro station has a mini museum (I did get bored of looking at Greek pottery, though...) Athens might be a bit better for flea markets/etc, but you'll want to find out where to go that's not tourist tat.
|
|
#
?
Nov 11, 2023 12:00
|
|
|
Lisbon also offers the Lisboa Card, which - unlike many other such cards - is an incredible deal (or at least was in 2019). Free use of public transport, free train trips to Cascais and Sintra, many free or reduced entries.
|
|
#
?
Nov 11, 2023 13:54
|
|
|
Doctor Malaver posted:My partner and I are exploring options for a 5-6 day trip in January. Somewhere warm (relatively speaking) and not too expensive. We're thinking Athens, Istanbul or Lisbon. Ideally in a hotel with a swimming pool -- we both swim for exercise. Other than that we don't need expensive or exotic amenities. She's into food, culture and shopping (not high street but markets, second hand stuff) and I'm into culture, history and music. Any recommendations, other than checking where we can fly cheaply? We'll fly from Belgrade. Looks like you have direct flights to Malta and Monastir as well. Would definitely be nice in January, although Malta might be a bit low on hotels with swimming pools that aren’t absurdly expensive. Wikipedia says the Monastir flights are seasonal - so also maybe no flights there in January. Sousse definitely has everything you’re looking for - no need to go all the way from Monastir airport to Tunis for your criteria. I see you have a bunch of Egypt flights, but only to the Red Sea, which doesn’t really do so much for culture, history, music, or shopping.
|
|
#
?
Nov 11, 2023 16:48
|
|
|
mojo1701a posted:Boy, it's been a while since I've checked in on this thread. Hey, I just got back from England. Couldn't say as to special seasonal things for December, but as general advice I'll offer this: it's a terrific time to see smaller, less famous things as long as they're still open (some tourist things close or switch to limited hours Oct 31). I ranged a bit further than London but I had a surprising amount of attractions to myself. I got a private tour of Bath Abbey, because no one else showed up that hour. Even Stonehenge was pretty chill, just myself and a couple other folks on a slightly drizzly day. Salisbury (the city closest to Stonehenge) is a nice day trip from London, by the way. If you end up with a spare day. Got up, took a 9am train out, got a bus to the henge, dropped by a castle site called Old Sarum, looked at some old medieval stuff in Salisbury itself and saw an original copy of the Magna Carta, had dinner in a pub and caught the 6:30pm train back. (NB: low crowds advice will emphatically not apply to Stonehenge on the solstice, so look up what day that is if you want to go out there.) Also, most small cities seemed to have Christmas Markets opening up. I assume London has a few scattered around too. I found them kitschy and sort of irritating but if you dislike the holidays less, like buying crafts and drinking more, and/or are going with someone to sit and enjoy mulled wine with, then you might want to have a look.
|
|
#
?
Nov 19, 2023 20:08
|
|
|
Thanks for the advice.Saladman posted:Looks like you have direct flights to Malta and Monastir as well. Would definitely be nice in January, although Malta might be a bit low on hotels with swimming pools that aren’t absurdly expensive. Wikipedia says the Monastir flights are seasonal - so also maybe no flights there in January. Sousse definitely has everything you’re looking for - no need to go all the way from Monastir airport to Tunis for your criteria. Thanks but we have enough to analyze and discuss with only three locations. Introducing Malta and Africa would make it unmanageable. 
|
|
#
?
Nov 19, 2023 22:10
|
|
|
Akratic Method posted:(NB: low crowds advice will emphatically not apply to Stonehenge on the solstice, so look up what day that is if you want to go out there.)
|
|
#
?
Nov 19, 2023 23:03
|
|
|
Here's a huge shot in the dark: anyone been to Heligoland? My husband and I are thinking of taking a ferry over for like, a day (or maybe a day + a night stay) for the sole purpose of seeing baby seals during the best time of year for it, which is apparently now until February. I feel like this is a high-risk plan because if the seals aren't there or are underwhelming, then... we're stuck on a North Sea island for a night in the middle of December. Please talk me into or out of this dumb idea. (also open to other less stupid ways of seeing adorable baby seals in a natural habitat from a respectful distance, ideally in northern Germany/Scandinavia). Drone fucked around with this message at 15:38 on Nov 20, 2023 |
|
#
?
Nov 20, 2023 15:29
|
|
|
Drone posted:Here's a huge shot in the dark: anyone been to Heligoland? My husband and I are thinking of taking a ferry over for like, a day (or maybe a day + a night stay) for the sole purpose of seeing baby seals during the best time of year for it, which is apparently now until February. If it's anything like the Dutch Waddenzee, it's going to be disappointing. On most of my crossings I didn't see any seals, and the ones I did see were so far away that they might as well have not been there. There's seal sanctuaries that kind of try to offer them a natural habitat, so maybe go to one of those instead if seals are a priority for you? The enclosures are never as good as real sand banks in the North Sea, of course, but at least you'll see seals
|
|
#
?
Nov 20, 2023 15:51
|
|
|
EricBauman posted:If it's anything like the Dutch Waddenzee, it's going to be disappointing. On most of my crossings I didn't see any seals, and the ones I did see were so far away that they might as well have not been there. There are some boat tours that take you specifically to the sand banks where the seals tend to gather. I think one goes from the Dutch wadden island of Ameland. I have no idea if this is seasonal, though.
|
|
#
?
Nov 20, 2023 15:56
|
|
|
Akratic Method posted:Hey, I just got back from England. Couldn't say as to special seasonal things for December, but as general advice I'll offer this: it's a terrific time to see smaller, less famous things as long as they're still open (some tourist things close or switch to limited hours Oct 31). I ranged a bit further than London but I had a surprising amount of attractions to myself. I got a private tour of Bath Abbey, because no one else showed up that hour. Even Stonehenge was pretty chill, just myself and a couple other folks on a slightly drizzly day. I wasn't going to post this update because this is isn't really a question, but: my parents got in touch with my cousin to tell him I'm coming, and since I know it's short-notice I don't expect a place to stay or much time and I plan on getting a hotel. Turns out one of his previous tenants moved out of a separate unit of his house and it won't be rented until then, so I now have my own place to stay in. Which means I've extended my trip, from November 30 to December 15, giving me a lot more time to play around with. He also misinterpreted me wanting to see a "second city" by offering to go to Poland or Dublin with me, which isn't what I meant. But with the extra time, I may take him up on it. Right now it's up in the air (no pun intended). So now I'm going to keep more of this in mind, thanks! I'm not super into Christmas stuff, I just wanted to see what it was all about because a lot of the traditions aren't ones I experienced. The Imperial War Museum has a spy exhibit I'm going to check out, and I'm going to see if there's anything else like that I can see. I was also hoping to see a separate James Bond exhibit, but that's now closed from what I can see.
|
|
#
?
Nov 20, 2023 19:53
|
|
|
Carbon dioxide posted:There are some boat tours that take you specifically to the sand banks where the seals tend to gather. I think one goes from the Dutch wadden island of Ameland. I have no idea if this is seasonal, though.
|
|
#
?
Nov 20, 2023 20:33
|
|
|
Drone posted:Here's a huge shot in the dark: anyone been to Heligoland? My husband and I are thinking of taking a ferry over for like, a day (or maybe a day + a night stay) for the sole purpose of seeing baby seals during the best time of year for it, which is apparently now until February. It's not Northern Germany or Scandinavia, but Norfolk, England isn't far away and might provide more options?
|
|
#
?
Nov 20, 2023 21:32
|
|
|
My mum doesn’t live that far from the Norfolk coast. There are seals at Horsey Gap every winter, we often go around Christmas to see them. It’s basically guaranteed to see them at this time of year. Granted you can’t get too close (you have to stay high up in the sand dunes) but I don’t think that’s bad - they’re wild animals after all. It’s also seal pup season hence the need for distance. https://www.horseygap.co.uk
|
|
#
?
Nov 21, 2023 21:26
|
|
|
Looking for a second city to do in a trip to Paris April 10-30. Somewhere ~3 hours or less by train or plane to spend 6-7 days. Places that I have never been to: Madrid, Milan, Florence, Zurich, Bruges, Prague Places I have already been and am not looking to go back to on this trip: Barcelona, Amsterdam, Nice, Avignon, Rome, Vienna, Munich, London, Lisbon, Porto If anyone has a strong recommendation for any on or off my list I would like to hear it!
|
|
#
?
Nov 23, 2023 17:15
|
|
|
Larry Cum Free posted:Looking for a second city to do in a trip to Paris April 10-30. Somewhere ~3 hours or less by train or plane to spend 6-7 days. Bordeaux? 2hr train from Paris. Option to add in an over night trip to San Sebastian or Biarritz depending on what you enjoy.
|
|
#
?
Nov 23, 2023 18:46
|
|
|
Larry Cum Free posted:Looking for a second city to do in a trip to Paris April 10-30. Somewhere ~3 hours or less by train or plane to spend 6-7 days. There are a lot of nice places within 3 hours of Paris, although by plane a 2 hour flight is more like 6 hours of total travel time. What do you like doing? Pretty much all of Europe is great in April except for mountains, where it’s very much off season. You could easily spend 6-7 days in Seville, Madrid, Marseille, the non-Amsterdam parts of Holland (Hague, Utrecht, Leiden, Delft, Haarlem, …) I wouldn’t really recommend Florence for so long unless you’re able and willing to rent a car and go around Tuscany, which if you are, would personally be my #1 vote in that season, but to each their own.
|
|
#
?
Nov 23, 2023 20:43
|
|
|
Larry Cum Free posted:Looking for a second city to do in a trip to Paris April 10-30. Somewhere ~3 hours or less by train or plane to spend 6-7 days. Are you open to renting a car? Out of the cities you already visited, which ones were your favorites? Personally I would probably recommend Madrid, or even Berlin or Munich. Depends on what you like though. A week would be too much in Bruges or Prague probably.
|
|
#
?
Nov 23, 2023 21:45
|
|
|
No to renting a car. We're wanting to do a lot of museums, art galleries, live music would be great, definitely a lot of eating, a lot of walking, green spaces/gardens. I'm more of a history nerd and my wife is more artsy. I'd be happy if she was down to be dragged to a soccer game. Favourite cities I've been to out of the ones listed are probably Amsterdam and Lisbon. It's my wife's first time going to Europe.
|
|
#
?
Nov 23, 2023 22:56
|
|
|
If you hadn't just been in Paris I'd second Bordeaux. I'd probably go for a train circuit of Paris -> Milan -> Geneva -> Paris or something, 7 days is plenty for that and should be decent variety of cities. Could probably stop somewhere in the Italian Alps as well for the day depending on route e: obv some of the trains are over 2 hrs but you aren't getting any plains from Paris with an under 2 hour door to door time either. And the scenery will be fantastic E2 quote:IMPORTANT UPDATE: On 27 August 2023, a major landslide in the Alps blocked the Paris-Milan line. All Paris-Turin-Milan TGV & Frecciarossa services are cancelled until further notice. It could be summer 2024 before the line is reopened. See the landslide on video. However, alternative routes via Geneva, Basel or Zurich are open as normal, see timetable for alternative Paris-Milan train services. Looks like you'd have to go via somewhere interesting anyway distortion park fucked around with this message at 08:36 on Nov 24, 2023 |
|
#
?
Nov 24, 2023 08:31
|
|
|
If you’re up for the flight, Madrid might be the right call. Tons of art, lots of parks and neighbourhoods to walk around, more than enough stuff to keep you busy for a week, and history everywhere. Also ridiculous food scene these days. Will also be a nice contrast as a very different vibe to Paris.
|
|
#
?
Nov 24, 2023 08:50
|
|
|
distortion park posted:e: obv some of the trains are over 2 hrs but you aren't getting any plains from Paris with an under 2 hour door to door time either. And the scenery will be fantastic Wow, drat. I didn’t hear about that, but I was nearby (near Chamonix) on the 27th of Aug, that was an absolutely hellish day. It had been like 35 degrees every day for 10 days before that, then suddenly the temperature dropped by no kidding 20 degrees with probably the heaviest rainstorm I’ve ever seen in Europe. Also yeah for a week in April with no driving, and based on your prefs, I’d either go with Madrid if you want to stay in one city, or Andalucia if you’d be happy moving between two or three cities, like 3 days Granada, 2 days Cordoba, 3 days Seville. Madrid would probably be easier if you want to stay more in huge cities, but finding a small city that is fun for 7 days without a car is usually a bigger challenge.
|
|
#
?
Nov 24, 2023 10:04
|
|
|
Larry Cum Free posted:No to renting a car. Why not Berlin?
|
|
#
?
Nov 24, 2023 15:32
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 24, 2024 05:40 |
|
|
Larry Cum Free posted:Favourite cities I've been to out of the ones listed are probably Amsterdam and Lisbon. It's my wife's first time going to Europe.
|
|
#
?
Nov 24, 2023 18:48
|
|