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Just starting to think about popping over to Paris in the next couple years, except I'd only go on the condition that I went to Juno/Omaha Beach. That's close to 300km away. Is there any feasible way, other than a tour (I'd rather discover things on my own than get shuffled through things) to get there and back? I speak nothing but English if that means anything.
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Jul 24, 2013 20:45
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http://wikitravel.org/en/D-Day_beaches makes it sound easy.
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Jul 24, 2013 21:01
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I'm flying to Kiev the day after tomorrow, and meeting a friend who's flying in from Prague an hour later. Do any of you know a logical and most of all easy to find meeting point in Kiev Borispol airport? Or is it small enough that I can basically wait for my friend immediately after passport control? We're both arriving at terminal D. The map they have on the airport website doesn't really give me a sense of scale (or confidence that it's very accurate).
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Jul 24, 2013 21:57
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reflex posted:Just starting to think about popping over to Paris in the next couple years, except I'd only go on the condition that I went to Juno/Omaha Beach. That's close to 300km away. Is there any feasible way, other than a tour (I'd rather discover things on my own than get shuffled through things) to get there and back? I speak nothing but English if that means anything. Rent a car.
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Jul 24, 2013 22:28
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Saladman posted:Rent a car. Rent a boat from England and storm the beaches.
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Jul 24, 2013 23:35
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reflex posted:Just starting to think about popping over to Paris in the next couple years, except I'd only go on the condition that I went to Juno/Omaha Beach. That's close to 300km away. Is there any feasible way, other than a tour (I'd rather discover things on my own than get shuffled through things) to get there and back? I speak nothing but English if that means anything. I did a day trip to Juno Beach during my time in Paris. I actually decided on spending the night in Caen because I had a lot of time, but I could definitely see doing (only) one of them in one day by public transit. The best way would definitely be to rent a car though because the frequency of buses to Courselles-sur-Mer for Juno was one every hour and a half (or so) combined with a 2 hour train ride from Paris to Caen means a lot of travelling and waiting. If you're wanting to see Juno Beach I'm guessing you're Canadian (as am I) and it was very moving/shocking. A basic knowledge of French is extremely helpful in Normandy as I found very few people who could speak English. It's not terribly hard to get by though, just learn some basic phrases for buying bus tickets to Courselles-sur-Mer and getting around and you'll be fine. I managed with basic/butchering French and pointing at things. I can't say much for Omaha though because I only went to Juno Beach but from what I heard from other traveler's was that it was a bit easier to get to because Bayeux is closer to Omaha than Caen to Juno. All of that is moot though if you rent a car, so if you can drive and afford it, it is the best option by far. Plus if you rent a car you can get out to Vimy Ridge as well which I was unable to see because there is no reasonable way to get there without a car or a taxi. MagicCube fucked around with this message at 03:01 on Jul 25, 2013 |
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Jul 25, 2013 02:57
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I did the trip about 6 months ago. We rented a car from the Gare du Nord and had no problems. Tip: learn how to drive a manual transmission and you'll save a ton of money compared to renting an auto. Anyways, I'd try to stay overnight in Normandy but you can probably do it in a (long) day. Using public transportation out there is going to be a huge pain in the rear end. Trust me. The only way to go from beach to beach is with a car. Make sure you have an GPS because some of those roads can be a bit confusing.
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Jul 25, 2013 04:41
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EricBauman posted:I'm flying to Kiev the day after tomorrow, and meeting a friend who's flying in from Prague an hour later. Do any of you know a logical and most of all easy to find meeting point in Kiev Borispol airport? Or is it small enough that I can basically wait for my friend immediately after passport control? We're both arriving at terminal D. There are only two international terminals: D or F. You and your friend will most likely end up in the former. It is very small compared to international standards so just hang around the arrivals area.
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Jul 25, 2013 16:30
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Xtronoc posted:There are only two international terminals: D or F. You and your friend will most likely end up in the former. It is very small compared to international standards so just hang around the arrivals area. Thanks! Some of the pictures I saw and the website make it look pretty big, but it's reassuring to hear that that's not the case and I can just wait for my friend.
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Jul 25, 2013 17:59
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Does anyone have experiences with good hostels in Amsterdam?
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Jul 26, 2013 10:42
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Boris Galerkin posted:Does anyone have experiences with good hostels in Amsterdam? Unfortunately, I don't. Do not stay at Durty Nelly's Inn.
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Jul 26, 2013 14:23
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Boris Galerkin posted:Does anyone have experiences with good hostels in Amsterdam? If you can swing a private room, do it.
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Jul 26, 2013 22:06
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I'm flying to Morocco (staying for only 3 or 4 days) to meet some friends and I can meet them in either Marrakesh or Casablanca. It's cheaper for me to fly to Marrakesh, but which is a better place to spend a few days?
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Jul 27, 2013 00:12
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smilehigh posted:I'm flying to Morocco (staying for only 3 or 4 days) to meet some friends and I can meet them in either Marrakesh or Casablanca. It's cheaper for me to fly to Marrakesh, but which is a better place to spend a few days? Marrakesh for sure.
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Jul 27, 2013 00:29
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I'd like to recommend Airbnb. I had a brilliant experience with it in Barcelona. Way better than hostels, I think, in terms of price and experience. It's more like a cross between hostels and couchsurfing - cheap, but in someone's home, but without the freebie culture. Anyone else had good experiences?
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Jul 27, 2013 00:41
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Neris posted:I'd like to recommend Airbnb. I had a brilliant experience with it in Barcelona. Way better than hostels, I think, in terms of price and experience. It's more like a cross between hostels and couchsurfing - cheap, but in someone's home, but without the freebie culture. Anyone else had good experiences? I've done airbnb a few of times and it has always been a positive experience. I wrote up a post about it on my site:http://thesavvybackpacker.com/airbnb-reviews/ but basically it beats a hotel (well, any hotel I can afford).
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Jul 27, 2013 03:32
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Neris posted:I'd like to recommend Airbnb. I had a brilliant experience with it in Barcelona. Way better than hostels, I think, in terms of price and experience. It's more like a cross between hostels and couchsurfing - cheap, but in someone's home, but without the freebie culture. Anyone else had good experiences? Yes, I've just spent a month travelling through Europe and used airbnb to book my accommodation in each city I visited. It's great value for money, my hosts all gave me useful info on the area in which I was staying and all had free wifi I could use. I'll be using it again in the future, definitely.
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Jul 27, 2013 07:31
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Dunno if this is the best place for it but I'm spending 2 weeks in London England starting at the end of the week and was wondering if there were any good ebooks to read while there. I'd be into either history or fiction based around London or England in general, I'm not picky. I know this is a weird question but would appreciate any advice.
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Jul 28, 2013 06:54
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SilkyP posted:Dunno if this is the best place for it but I'm spending 2 weeks in London England starting at the end of the week and was wondering if there were any good ebooks to read while there. I'd be into either history or fiction based around London or England in general, I'm not picky. I know this is a weird question but would appreciate any advice. About 50 pages back, someone recommended The Knife Man by Wendy Moore (about the Scottish surgeon John Hunter). I read it just because I happened to find it in my local library, and I thought it was really great.
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Jul 28, 2013 10:06
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Does anyone know how garbage recycling works in Spain? Currently on holiday there, near Cartagena in Murcia if that matters. Typing this on an iPad so aspiring to brevity. Question one: metal cans and similar containers, where do they go? Question two: there are separate dumpsters for "plastic", is this just for empty bottles or other typer of plastic as well? We'd ask someone here but our Spanish is barely even rudimentary and none of the English-speaking tourists nearby seem particularly clueful in this regard.
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Jul 28, 2013 22:04
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Groke posted:Does anyone know how garbage recycling works in Spain? Currently on holiday there, near Cartagena in Murcia if that matters. Typing this on an iPad so aspiring to brevity. Question one: metal cans and similar containers, where do they go? Question two: there are separate dumpsters for "plastic", is this just for empty bottles or other typer of plastic as well? Can't help exactly where you are, but plastic recycling is exclusively PET (e.g. clear plastic bottles, like for water or coke). Does not include plastic grocery bags and the like. Metal cans and similar containers go into aluminum recycle, which will be -somewhere- but maybe not in the specific area you live. Some places, they expect residents to store these up for a while before going to a community recycling center. Same thing with tin cans (like for beans or whatever). E: Aluminum recycling is usually fairly common, like you'll find near parks or schools or community centers, whereas tins and the like you have to actually go to a recycling center to unload. I don't know how Spain is, but Switzerland/France/Germany are like this. Saladman fucked around with this message at 09:33 on Jul 29, 2013 |
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Jul 29, 2013 09:26
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Groke posted:Does anyone know how garbage recycling works in Spain? Currently on holiday there, near Cartagena in Murcia if that matters. Typing this on an iPad so aspiring to brevity. Question one: metal cans and similar containers, where do they go? Question two: there are separate dumpsters for "plastic", is this just for empty bottles or other typer of plastic as well? Plastic dumpsters (the yellow ones) are for all kinds of plastic and metallic containers, including trays and cans.
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Jul 29, 2013 10:28
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In mid-late September, my boyfriend and I (both twenty-something Americans) are going to be visiting London, Paris, Barcelona, Amsterdam, and Rome on vacation. We already have the major things - flights, hotels, train tickets, etc. - booked, and right now we're trying to figure out what to do once we're there. We've both separately visited London, Paris, Amsterdam and Rome and seen the major tourist attractions there, so in those cities in particular, we're looking for new and different places to go and things to do. Barcelona will be new for both of us, so we'll probably spend some time at more traditional/popular tourist spots (plus at the beach). He will be living in London for a year, and we'll only be there for one day at the beginning of the trip to move things into his new apartment and another day at the end before my flight back to the US. I've spent two summers in London before and will have other chances to visit him while he's studying there, so this post is mainly asking about the other destinations. We will have about three days each in the other cities. Can anyone recommend particular restaurants, bars, clubs, museums, activities, events, or miscellaneous cool stuff to see/do during the fall in Paris, Barcelona, Amsterdam, or Rome? EDIT: When it comes to restaurants in particular, I'm finding myself overwhelmed by the options and not sure where to start. I have the Frommers/Lonely Planet/etc. guides at my disposal, but it's still tough to narrow down. We'd like to splurge on a few dinners and go somewhere fancy, particularly in Paris. However, even though we have a pretty liberal budget for the trip, I won't be able to wrestle him into a suit more than 2-3 times, so mostly it'll be casual (or at least no jacket required) places. No allergies/dietary restrictions to accommodate aside from my inconvenient dislike of most seafood (which I'll still try at least once or twice on the trip since he's a fan, but I don't want to pack our schedule with places that are mainly known for fish). PurePerfection fucked around with this message at 15:56 on Jul 29, 2013 |
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Jul 29, 2013 15:45
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utana posted:Plastic dumpsters (the yellow ones) are for all kinds of plastic and metallic containers, including trays and cans. Thanks, that's helpful. And on closer inspection some of those dumpsters have the remains of posters with metal cans alongside plastic bottles. Should perhaps have been more specific; we are from Norway and are no strangers to recycling, it's just the scheme we're used to differs in some specifics. For example at home most drink cans and bottles are covered by a deposit/return system, and non-returnable metal containers go in the same dumpster as glass rather than plastic. And there are even some variations in details between different municipal areas. So we thought it best to make sure.
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Jul 29, 2013 19:43
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On the subject of recycling. How do the machines in Germany work? My wife and I probably throw out 4-5 Euros of the thick plastic bottles worth of bottles every year because we don't know how to work the machines that get your deposit back. You usually see the machines in grocery and drug stores.
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Jul 29, 2013 20:39
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Put bottle in and see if the machine accepts it (some stores don't take certain bottles). If you're done you press a button and get a receipt that you can trade in at the cashier (for the next beer/Klaren).
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Jul 29, 2013 23:51
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How many years have you been in Germany and not asked anyone, or even tried? 
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Jul 30, 2013 00:30
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Arnold of Soissons posted:How many years have you been in Germany and not asked anyone, or even tried? Visited 4 time for a total of about 2 months.  At least I'm asking now, right? ha ha
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Jul 30, 2013 00:44
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You can also go to most Getränkemarkts and Kiosks to get the deposit back. (Or just leave anything you've drunk a liquid out of next to a trash can for someone/a homeless person to pick up later) Total Confusion fucked around with this message at 14:12 on Jul 30, 2013 |
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Jul 30, 2013 14:09
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I'm going to be visiting Mainz in autumn for some school stuff, I'm all gimpy so my partner is coming with me to help me out, but is worried about being bored stiff during the daytime when I'm doing school stuff. Is there any recommended fun stuff within about an hour of there?
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Jul 30, 2013 16:29
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This Ireland video is wicked if anyone is thinking of going there any time soon, and it's why I tell people to get out of Dublin. It's nice and all but it's just a city. The really good stuff is the countryside! http://vimeo.com/69986476
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Aug 1, 2013 12:34
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Need some recommendations about hostels in Barcelona, Madrid, Paris and London. Can anyone help out with some favorites and why they liked them?
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Aug 2, 2013 06:01
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Hi folks, In three weeks my husband and I are heading over to Europe for the usual kiwi go-to-as-many-places-as-possible-in-a-month Europe trip. We're starting in Prague, heading up on a tour through Berlin and Amsterdam then over to London by ferry. From London, we go Paris-> ? -> Munich -> Vienna -> Venice -> Florence -> Sorrento -> Rome and then spend 24 hours on a hellish plane trip to get home. We've got some activities planned, but are still trying to work out what we want to do on the "free time" days. That said, my main question at the moment though is what is the best way to carry our stuff around that will discourage any pickpockets etc? This is something I've literally never had to consider before, I've never been in an environment where I've needed to worry about that and I'm kind of concerned by all the stories of the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower etc swarming with people trying to steal your stuff. I've seen a bunch of ads for money/travel document pouches that are meant to fit snugly inside your top/pants/lower colon/wherever so they're supposedly safe, but haven't bought anything like that yet because I don't know if they're that practical. Can anyone please give me some advice on this? I just want to get through this trip with my credit card and passport intact.
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Aug 3, 2013 04:47
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Tamarillo posted:That said, my main question at the moment though is what is the best way to carry our stuff around that will discourage any pickpockets etc? This is something I've literally never had to consider before, I've never been in an environment where I've needed to worry about that and I'm kind of concerned by all the stories of the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower etc swarming with people trying to steal your stuff. I used this on my trip: http://shop.eaglecreek.com/silk-undercover-money-belt/d/1124_c_312 and wore it under my shirt and I thought it worked very well. I genuinely forgot I had it on a lot of times (even during long sweaty hikes), but overall I felt like I didn't really need it. I kept my passport, credit card, and my cash in it (kept a small amount of cash in my wallet day to day). However, my wallet was in my pants pocket and I never felt threatened or got pick-pocketed. Now that might have something to do with being a taller than average person and there were easier people to steal from, but again, I never felt unsafe. Personally, I don't think I'd use it again the next time I go to Europe, but I do believe it works and if it makes you feel safer then go for it.
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Aug 3, 2013 05:40
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I just kept everything in my purse/camera bag, my husband in his front pockets. You'll be fine, just don't be stupid, always have a hand on your purse, that sort of thing. If you take even a modicum of precautions the pickpockets will ignore you in favour of easier pickings. Also it might be too late anything but that is seriously way too many cities to visit in a month. If you haven't got everything booked yet, I would seriously consider changing your plans and visiting four, maybe five cities in that month.
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Aug 3, 2013 06:52
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Tamarillo posted:Hi folks, Moneybelts are fine, and if you're especially worried, they're probably worth it just for peace of mind. The only real problem I've ever had with them is that getting into them involves digging around inside your clothes. But it'll be summer, so you won't be wearing loads of layers, so that shouldn't really be a problem. But as others have said, they're not really necessary if you're a bit savvy.
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Aug 3, 2013 07:43
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HookShot posted:I just kept everything in my purse/camera bag, my husband in his front pockets. You'll be fine, just don't be stupid, always have a hand on your purse, that sort of thing. If you take even a modicum of precautions the pickpockets will ignore you in favour of easier pickings. I know, it's full on. But when you're literally travelling from the other side of the planet to get there (GMT +12) and it costs a bloody fortune ($2600 return per person), you try and cram as much in as you can. It's normal (at least among the people I know) to go for an action-packed trip for the first visit, then take a slower paced second visit to go and see the places you really enjoyed again. For what it's worth, the pre-London part is a really quick tour (1-2 days in each city) and once we get into the post-London stuff it's a bit more leisurely with about 4 days in Paris, Munich, the Amalfi Coast and Rome. Vienna is a quick stop to catch an opera my husband wanted to see, Venice and Florence are to punctuate the otherwise very long drive down to Sorrento. Thanks for the recommendations as well, I might get a belt thing for peace of mind.
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Aug 3, 2013 08:22
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The Amalfi Coast isn't going to be wildly different from some of the fjords you have on the south island, maybe consider cutting back on that a bit and saving the time for some longer breaks in your crazy schedule. Also Sorrento is awful, go literally anywhere else in Italy. People only go there for the resort hotels, but they go in huge numbers, so it's a terrible combination of expensive, bland and crowded. Like Venice but without any of the architectural, artistic or historical points of interest.
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Aug 3, 2013 09:07
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Tamarillo posted:I know, it's full on. But when you're literally travelling from the other side of the planet to get there (GMT +12) and it costs a bloody fortune ($2600 return per person), you try and cram as much in as you can. It's normal (at least among the people I know) to go for an action-packed trip for the first visit, then take a slower paced second visit to go and see the places you really enjoyed again. Yeah, it definitely makes sense for kiwis / aussies to do a more "hectic" trip than for Americans / Canadians. Get a sense of what you like and what you don't care about, so you can focus more on what you like next time. One "problem" I see with your trip is it focuses almost entirely on large cities except for Sorrento, but there are a lot of small places you can stop en route that would be very reasonably done within a day (e.g. Munich -> Salzburg -> Vienna. You're also missing the Alps entirely, although since you're from New Zealand I guess you could just go to South Island for basically the same thing. Paris -> Strasbourg -> Munich would fit, but you could also just take a plane direct from Paris to Munich for probably not very much money.
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Aug 3, 2013 09:32
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Thanks guys, this is really helpful. We're actually meeting my parents (who are considerably more well traveled than us) in London, and using my dad's sweet driving-on-the-right-side-of-the-road skills to do the big France to Italy roadtrip. Apart from the Prague -> London leg, we'll be zooming about in a rental car so we can have the freedom to stop in nice little rural spots or go check out random landmarks we see on the way instead of woefully passing everything by on a tour bus. You're correct about the Alps, I used to live in Christchurch and am very familiar with majestic snowy ridges  We're only using Sorrento as a base in southern Italy because it was either that or Naples, and my parents are not fond of Naples. The Amalfi Coast IS similar to the southern fjords except that it's about a zillion times warmer - I love our landscapes but they're goddamn frigid iceboxes and I'm hanging out for the warmer weather almost as much as the scenery. The other reason is that I want to go to Pompeii and Herculaneum because I'm a big classics dork.Originally we were thinking of maybe heading into Germany via Switzerland, and staying overnight in Zurich or Bern. We're leaving it open at the moment because my dad and my husband saw pictures of the Millau Viaduct in Southern France and now want to do a huge detour to see a bridge - Mum and I are still trying to win that battle...
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Aug 3, 2013 10:03
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