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Wow, Bruxelles is like Bucharest or Belgrade. I've seen more trash, beggars, broken glass and drunks here in three hours than in three months in Amsterdam. We tried to follow some advice from earlier in the thread. Magritte and Horta museums were all right but not must-see. A dinner near St.Catherine was great. We got scammed in one of the tourist trap restaurants too. There is really impressive architecture all around the city center and I wish we went for an organized walking tour, but we got too late for that.
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Jun 2, 2014 00:05
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Had a nice week in Krakow; bar one guy following me around Wawel before the fireworks for the dragon parade thing yesterday. It was pretty obvious what he was doing; he showed me a 20zł note when I was on the tram near the ticket machine; he implied that he wanted change but I don't speak Polosh so I don't know. He definitely was interested in me; I walked in a big circle on lit roads and he always seemed to be relatively close to me, although I might be a little paranoid... Jumped on a tram and he didn't follow me and I've still got everything so nothing went wrong bar me missing half of the fireworks and feeling very loving on edge for the rest of the night - especially since this is my first time travelling alone! Off to Berlin tomorrow by train; is the train from Warsaw to Berlin as bad as I've heard?
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Jun 2, 2014 02:07
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Doctor Malaver posted:I'm looking for suggestions for a 2-3 day trip within Netherlands or possibly Belgium. We currently live in Amsterdam and would like to see some nature for a change. Preferably by train. One of the ideas is the Terschelling island but it's mostly sold out for the weekend - there are some unattractive and not very cheap hotels left (€130-160 for a double). Any other suggestions? And if we pick Terschelling after all, will it be interesting enough for two days of hiking/cycling? Texel and the other Islands in the Wadden sea. Doctor Malaver posted:Wow, Bruxelles is like Bucharest or Belgrade. I've seen more trash, beggars, broken glass and drunks here in three hours than in three months in Amsterdam. Next time, try the comics route. http://www.brussels.be/artdet.cfm?id=5316 Where did you get scammed? My guess is Rue des Bouchers. I frequently pass this street and all I see are tourists looking sad and disgusted. The only place that's is a bit decent in that street is Chez Leon. malder fucked around with this message at 19:35 on Jun 2, 2014 |
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Jun 2, 2014 19:25
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malder posted:Where did you get scammed? My guess is Rue des Bouchers. I frequently pass this street and all I see are tourists looking sad and disgusted. The only place that's is a bit decent in that street is Chez Leon. We haven't seen the name, but it was a narrow street, rather short, that's taking a slight turn and it has restaurants door to door. It's very close to that huge hallway with chocolate shops. Frankly the tourists didn't look sad at all, including us (until we were presented with the bill). The promoters are doing a good job, cracking jokes with the passing tourists and inviting them in.
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Jun 2, 2014 23:29
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I backpacked through Europe in 2009 for about 60 days, hitchhiking the majority of the distance. I got about 65 lifts in total. Landed in western Ireland (Shannon airport), then on to Scotland, England, Netherlands, northern Germany, Czech, central and southern Germany, Austria, and finished in Italy, flying out from Rome. I shopped around for airfare and in total I spent only $660 leaving from Little Rock and getting to JFK to Shannon, and then Rome to JFK and back to Little Rock. Airfare was very cheap that summer. I've checked since and its been nowhere close. Hitchhiking was an absolute blast. In all my lifts I only had one bad experience with three young Irish punks on my first day. They took me for a very fast ride through the country for about 20 minutes then ended up dropping me off near where they had originally picked me up, trying to make me think they had taken me all the way to my destination. I thanked them and they drove off, thinking they pulled one over on the American. But I put up my sign to "Doolin" again (tiny little fishing village on the west coast of Ireland known for their 3 pubs that are always filled with live traditional Irish music) and instantly a very nice young lady picked me up and drove me all the way there. It was her destination as well and I ended up having some Guinesses with her at one of the pubs later that night. Stayed 10 days in Ireland, working my way north up the western coast and seeing some of the most beautiful country and meeting some very wonderful people. Their kindness was matched only by the Scottish, where I headed next and stayed for 11 days. The Scottish Highlands stole my heart. I backpacked through and camped in a remote 40 mile stretch that took me out near the Isle of Skye, where I stayed in Portree for one night and met a family that took me in for a night on the town and wouldn't let me pay for a single drink. They were pure class. England was next and I drank a Newcastle Brown Ale (one of my all-time favorite beers) on the Newcastle bridge that you see on the label. That was a personal pilgrimage, as was hitting a bucket of balls at St. Andrews Old Course (oldest golf course in the world). England was good but the people weren't nearly as friendly as the Irish or Scottish. I was anxious to get to Amsterdam. Amsterdam... I meant to stay there a couple of nights but that somehow turned into ten. Not because of the drugs or whores (however the weed and relaxed culture was excellent, but no prostitutes for this guy), but because I met so many amazing people at the hostel I was staying at, and for the first time in my journey it wasn't raining on me - not a drop in the 10 days I was there, early June. It never rained hard in Ireland or the U.K., but it felt like the grocery section in a supermarket.. spells of sprinkles every hour. Amsterdam is an amazing city. Very beautiful, flat, canals, easy to get around, the parks everywhere, cool people... it was just great. It was also probably the reason my trip lasted only 2 months instead of 3 or 4. I spent a lot of money during those ten days, but I wouldn't take back a second of it. That's all the time I have for now. Will finish this later.
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Jun 3, 2014 04:22
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Does anyone have any restaurant recommendations for Malaga? I'm on a budget, so nothing too expensive.
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Jun 3, 2014 12:21
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Back from London, it was a blast. I'm poor now. It'll be hard getting used to lovely street food and Pimm's not being available everywhere as a matter of course again. Important shopping lesson learned: if the main part of the shop is in the basement or on the first floor, it's worth a visit, even if the basement smells like piss. Subtler nuances in quality of the shop may be related to the narrowness and ricketiness of the stairs. If you go to Camden Lock Market, go in blind and hungry and with money.
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Jun 6, 2014 10:09
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Hadlock posted:I just(!) bought a round trip ticket to Frankfurt for two weeks in Europe. I will be there for the first half of July. My plan is to get out of Germany ASAP and explore the area around Budapest, and/or see Rome. I wouldn't add a day to Rome. It's got great sights to see, but 4 days should be enough. Most of the major attractions are close together in short walking distance, and you can step from one to the other without rushing assuming you are staying anywhere central. I was there for 3 days and saw all the major attractions without any trouble. Also Rome is expensive and poor value for food and drinks, where your other destinations aren't.
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Jun 6, 2014 11:42
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After going all these years to EUR, I just realized there's no 711. And man forget burger king when a panini is cheaper and tastier.
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Jun 6, 2014 12:59
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Hadlock posted:June 30th - Monday Morning - Fly to Rome on Ryan Air ($45?) I'd avoid Ryanair for this, if at all possible. The company doing ground handling for them at Ciampino (the Rome airport they fly at) just went belly-up, causing no ends of trouble (including a parked 737 sliding tail-first into an airport building because the ground crew "forgot" to put the chocks on the wheels). I don't know if this will be resolved by the 30th, but I wouldn't risk it.
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Jun 6, 2014 13:33
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EgonSpengler posted:I wouldn't add a day to Rome. It's got great sights to see, but 4 days should be enough. Most of the major attractions are close together in short walking distance, and you can step from one to the other without rushing assuming you are staying anywhere central. I was there for 3 days and saw all the major attractions without any trouble. Also Rome is expensive and poor value for food and drinks, where your other destinations aren't. Dude, Rome is hands down better than any of his other destinations except maybe Prague. I spent two weeks there a couple years back and can't wait to go back, I didn't see nearly everything I wanted to see. It's also not expensive at all if you aren't eating in the super touristy parts of town all the time.
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Jun 6, 2014 17:17
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Well in case anyone cares i'm pretty much done with my trip around Europe. Total cost 6 months and about $NZ 14,000. Totally worth every cent. Highights were Prague, Athens, Amsterdam, Edinburgh, Rome, Sicilly and Granada. I'm disapointed I missed most of France and didn't spend more time in Greece but I can do the Islands another time. (Click for interactive map) Saros fucked around with this message at 18:17 on Jun 6, 2014 |
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Jun 6, 2014 18:10
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HookShot posted:Dude, Rome is hands down better than any of his other destinations except maybe Prague. I spent two weeks there a couple years back and can't wait to go back, I didn't see nearly everything I wanted to see. It's also not expensive at all if you aren't eating in the super touristy parts of town all the time. Yeah, gotta agree with HookShot here. The first time I went to Rome it was for 3 days and it was not nearly enough to see everything I wanted to, and I was staying in a place overlooking the Pantheon. I went back a year later and spent 8 days and still didn't even have enough time to do anything outside of Rome itself. Finally went back for a couple more days this year and got to check out Ostia Antica. Four days seems pretty reasonable for the other poster's itinerary though, gives enough time to see the old city, some Roman ruins, the Vatican, and some aimless wandering.
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Jun 6, 2014 18:18
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You guys have any tips for milan? I'm pretty much done with duomo and the city centre in a day. Oh and any other European country besides Italy uses bidets? They are great caberham fucked around with this message at 21:16 on Jun 6, 2014 |
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Jun 6, 2014 19:57
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caberham posted:You guys have any tips for milan? I'm pretty much done with duomo and the city centre in a day. France does
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Jun 6, 2014 21:39
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caberham posted:You guys have any tips for milan? I'm pretty much done with duomo and the city centre in a day. If you're into science and technology, the Leonardo da Vinci Science and Technology museum is a good day to spend a morning. Or an afternoon. Or both.
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Jun 6, 2014 22:36
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My Lovely Horse posted:Back from London, it was a blast. I'm poor now. It'll be hard getting used to lovely street food and Pimm's not being available everywhere as a matter of course again. Important shopping lesson learned: if the main part of the shop is in the basement or on the first floor, it's worth a visit, even if the basement smells like piss. Subtler nuances in quality of the shop may be related to the narrowness and ricketiness of the stairs.
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Jun 6, 2014 23:04
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So I found out this girl I ran in to in Mexico, her parents own a vinyard in German winecountry that I've been invited to, looks like about 20 miles westfrom Speyer/Mannheim. What is the public transit/bus situation like from Frankfurt, in particular at 9am on a Sunday?Saladman posted:Yeah, gotta agree with HookShot here. The first time I went to Rome it was for 3 days and it was not nearly enough to see everything I wanted to, and I was staying in a place overlooking the Pantheon. I went back a year later and spent 8 days and still didn't even have enough time to do anything outside of Rome itself. Finally went back for a couple more days this year and got to check out Ostia Antica. Fantastic, thanks to both of you. I should mention I took four years of Latin in high school (ugh  ) so I picked up quite a bit of ancient history knowledge via osmosisMikl posted:I'd avoid Ryanair for this, if at all possible. The company doing ground handling for them at Ciampino (the Rome airport they fly at) just went belly-up, causing no ends of trouble (including a parked 737 sliding tail-first into an airport building because the ground crew "forgot" to put the chocks on the wheels). I don't know if this will be resolved by the 30th, but I wouldn't risk it. Good call, I saw a photo of this over in the aero-nerd thread recently but didn't realize it was that recent. kind of cheap-o air options am I looking at for Frankfurt->Rome if not Ryan air? I don't do checked luggage and my carry on meets their "no cost" size/weight requirements.
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Jun 7, 2014 01:02
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Hadlock posted:So I found out this girl I ran in to in Mexico, her parents own a vinyard in German winecountry that I've been invited to, looks like about 20 miles westfrom Speyer/Mannheim. What is the public transit/bus situation like from Frankfurt, in particular at 9am on a Sunday? You can take an ICE (expensive) or a regional train (RE, cheaper, in this case only marginally slower) from Frankfurt Hbf to Mannheim Hbf, and once you are in Mannheim, you can take the S-Bahn (S3) to Speyer. Short of knowing where exactly you need to go, have a look whether you can get there directly. Sunday morning won't be a problem, from what I can tell. Another option is to take an S-Bahn from Frankfurt to Mainz, then a RE from Mainz directly to Speyer. Use https://www.bahn.de/i/view/GBR/en/index.shtml to find a specific connection.
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Jun 7, 2014 02:17
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Hadlock posted:Good call, I saw a photo of this over in the aero-nerd thread recently but didn't realize it was that recent. kind of cheap-o air options am I looking at for Frankfurt->Rome if not Ryan air? I don't do checked luggage and my carry on meets their "no cost" size/weight requirements.
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Jun 7, 2014 04:15
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Definitely go to that vineyard! Take a train to her neatest station and maybe call her for a pickup? She probably has a car and it's probably much easier meeting at the station than you busing around. Oh and have visited the Leonardo museum. I'm really tempted to take a train else where this morning. I have another 2 days in Milan and will be back next week for another 3 days. I can't really stay else where because of work
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Jun 7, 2014 06:23
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Pablo Bluth posted:Tell me you made it to the fan museum?  Even though I should have. For one thing, I could claim I hit up every single Music & Goods Exchange in the city. Alas, it wasn't to be.
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Jun 7, 2014 07:59
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Hadlock posted:So I found out this girl I ran in to in Mexico, her parents own a vinyard in German winecountry that I've been invited to, looks like about 20 miles westfrom Speyer/Mannheim. What is the public transit/bus situation like from Frankfurt, in particular at 9am on a Sunday? My wife and I used easy jet from Paris to Venice without issue. We did pay a bit more due to our massive luggage size. But a good quick flight.
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Jun 7, 2014 08:33
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Can some goons prove me wrong but why does everyone in Italy seem to like campy American music so much. It's so weird seeing all these well dressed stylish folks watching trashy tv and campy music.
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Jun 8, 2014 13:55
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caberham posted:Can some goons prove me wrong but why does everyone in Italy seem to like campy American music so much. Everyone in Europe likes crappy American music.
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Jun 8, 2014 15:52
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Everyone in Europe likes crappy music. See also: Eurovision Song Contest
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Jun 9, 2014 17:32
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I'm going to be taking my first overseas trip (to London) from the US in November. I will be attending an event there for a few days, but then I wanted to get out of the city. I was interested in travelling up to Durham, Newcastle, York, etc. using the East Coast rail. Not sure how many days I'll want to do this yet, but I'm wondering if buying this specific pass is my best bet: http://www.acprail.com/rail-passes/united-kingdom/britrail-england-pass Also this will be in November, so I should get (up to a) 20% discount according to this website since it's off-peak. I'm also wondering if I still need to make a reservation even if I have the pass, as I've heard the trains can be pretty busy. I have other questions, but this is probably a good start. Thanks.
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Jun 9, 2014 22:51
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actionjackson posted:I'm going to be taking my first overseas trip (to London) from the US in November. I will be attending an event there for a few days, but then I wanted to get out of the city. I was interested in travelling up to Durham, Newcastle, York, etc. using the East Coast rail. Not sure how many days I'll want to do this yet, but I'm wondering if buying this specific pass is my best bet: The BritRail pass is pretty good (at least I thought it was). The flexibility it affords is amazing, however it's always cheaper to book the tickets well in advance. The downside of that is that your stuck on a rigid schedule and if you miss a train you're out of luck. Since it's your first trip I'd probably recommend the BritRail pass because it gives you more options and ease of use. You don't need to reserve seats on most trains (sleepers excluded, although I'm not even sure if the pass covers those). On my trip to the UK last year I bought a one month consecutive BritRail pass and travelled almost every day to a new city on it (not the brightest idea in hindsight, I was super worn out near the end). It was pretty nice just showing up at the station a couple minutes before the train leaves and hopping right on no problem. I was only on one super crowded train, but most of the people on it were going to a rugby game. From my limited time on trains in England it seemed as if they regularly overbook them too, so worst case you'll just be stuck standing. If you have any other questions I'd be happy to answer them as I ended up visiting 18 cities in the UK and Ireland in about 36 days.
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Jun 9, 2014 23:50
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Thanks for the helpful reply. On second thought I'm probably going to limit my destinations to one or two cities so probably buying single tickets is cheaper. I saw this article today and that's what inspired the idea. Durham sounds amazing, and it's not too big. They also have really nice B and B's like this. I want to be in a place that's very scenic and relaxing, while having a lot of historical interest as well. Other cities that I mentioned are possibilities too, but I'd like to focus on just one of them. Since I'm looking at Durham right now, have you been there? They have the cathedrals, castles, a botanical garden, all of it sounds pretty nice. I'm looking through their tourism site right now.
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Jun 10, 2014 00:59
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actionjackson posted:Thanks for the helpful reply. Durham was actually one of the few places I didn't end up going to. Although, when I passed it on the train it looked really nice. The cathedral looked massive and I'm sure it's a lovely town. I did find the Northeast of England to be really nice. I went to Newcastle, York, and Whitby in the NE. From those I'd recommend York as well because there is a ton of stuff to see and the centre is small and very walkable.
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Jun 10, 2014 12:10
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As for London itself, I'm flying into LHR and the event is at ExCeL, which is kind of annoying because it's on the other side of the city. According to google it involves one bus trip and three different subway lines, so maybe I should just split a taxi with some other people. After that, going from there to King's Cross is just two lines, and just one line from King's Cross to LHR at the end. I'm also curious what the best site is to buy tickets for the East Coast line, and if you think first class is worth the upgrade price.
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Jun 10, 2014 18:01
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Check out this site for the travel and click on Heathrow: http://www.excel-london.co.uk/visiting-excel/travel-guide/travel-by-tube/ It looks like a complicated and long trip, but the tube is pretty good and fairly straightforward (only 14 stops which isn't that bad actually). Definitely cheaper, and arguably faster, depending on the time of day, than a cab. As to buying tickets I just used http://www.nationalrail.co.uk. Personally I never worried about upgrading to first class because I was on a budget backpacking. But if the extra space, comfort, and food is a plus to you and you're not too worried about the cost then go for it.
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Jun 10, 2014 18:25
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Well that rail pass is $329 standard and $495 first (for eight days travel, and this will be discounted somewhat since it's off-peak), so that's not too bad for first if I'm taking several trips. I'm willing to get first, as long as not reserving advance means I can still get a seat whenever. Do most people buy ahead of time or at the station? My recent thoughts have been, with the pass, to take the train to Durham and stay in a B&B right next to the station in the city. I found this one, which is within walking distance and not too expensive. I would spend a few days there, mainly to see the university, cathedral, botanical garden, whatever else. I would also like to take one day train trip to Newcastle which is really close, York, and maybe Edinburgh. As for coming back, it's a bit annoying since the flight leaves at 12:25 pm. So most likely I would just get up super early and sleep on the train, then take the tube from King's Cross to LHR.
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Jun 10, 2014 19:54
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You can use the tfl journey planner to plan Heathrow to ExCel. You will be using the DLR at the end, which as far as your concerned is an overground extension of the tube to the east of London. You shouldn't have use the bus at all unless there is engineering work on a weekend, which won't be scheduled this far out. You'll either want to get a oyster card or possibly a travelcard for each day to cover everything. Though bear in mind that the quickest way from Heathrow might using the Heathrow Express, which isn't covered by oyster/travelcards so you may need to specify to avoid it. For long distance journeys most people buy in advance, the cost between the cheapest advance fares and "walk-up" fares is significant. The first, and cheapest, advance fares are available from about 12 weeks before the travel date. To give you an example the cheapest advance fare from London to Durham is £16.85 each way, while the cheapest walk-up return is £126. So in the itinerary you have just suggested, id get an advance from London to Durham (and back), and a day return for Durham to Newcastle and York. For Edinburgh it is probably far enough to go for advances again. If you managed to get the cheapest advances this would come to £33.70 for London to Durham and back, £7 for a return to Newcastle, £34.40 for a return to York, and £20.20 for Edinburgh and back, coming to £95.30 or $160. If you go for advances for york that could be done for £14.40 there and back. This is assuming you can tie yourself to specific trains and get the cheapest advance fares possible, which you may not be able to do. However, even if you only got the normal, on-the-day off-peak returns for all of your travel it would only come to £225. This is more than the pass, but then that pass doesn't let you go to Scotland!!! (Also the £126 return would not let you arrive back in London in time for your flight if it is on a weekday, as this particular ticket is quite restrictive in the mornings. Instead you would have to get one for £199.50) Also if you are under 25 then you can get a railcard that will knock 1/3 off all ticket prices, and is worth buying if you spend £90 or more, which would might make getting the pass pointless! If you do buy tickets then I'd use east-coast.co.uk as they discount their own advance tickets by 10%. Durham/York/Edinburgh are all really lovely.
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Jun 10, 2014 20:46
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Yeah, I forgot that I'd need a pricier pass to go to Edinburgh. Once September hits I will be able to see what the discounted price is for off-peak, so I may make my decision based on that. I still think that because I may not be 100% sure which cities I will want to visit and how much time I will want to spend in each that the pass might be better, but I'll see. I'm too old for the discount  I'm also looking at going to a small town right on the coast that's on the rail line. Is Berwick worth seeing? actionjackson fucked around with this message at 21:27 on Jun 10, 2014 |
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Jun 10, 2014 21:09
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Hollow Talk posted:If you would like to spend a day outside Edinburgh, I would recommend going on one of the tourist tours into the Highlands. I have done one tour to Loch Ness with Rabbie's (http://rabbies.com/one_day_tours_scotland_ed.asp), and they use small busses, we had a lovely driver and it was a fantastic day. We left somewhere around 8am from the Royal Mile and were back in the city (and rather tired) at around 8pm the same day. They are worth it!
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Jun 12, 2014 00:13
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Yeah that's a good idea, and they leave right next to the train station. Might try Loch Lomond Park. With the rail pass, I need more like 5-6 days, but don't want to spend the money for 8. My thought was to buy the four, with the first day being London to Durham, then from Durham to Newcastle/Gateshead, York and Edinburgh on the other three days. I would spend one day after seeing Durham itself, then buy a ticket for the earliest train back to London, which should be discounted due to the time.
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Jun 12, 2014 00:50
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The earliest train to London gets in at about 8, so it will be rush hour really, meaning it could cost bit more than normal! The cheapest fares are not always released if they think the train will be very busy, though booking 12 weeks ahead will still help.
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Jun 14, 2014 16:25
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nozz posted:The earliest train to London gets in at about 8, so it will be rush hour really, meaning it could cost bit more than normal! The cheapest fares are not always released if they think the train will be very busy, though booking 12 weeks ahead will still help. It was discounted on the east coast site. But I will book ahead of time anyway as you said.
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Jun 14, 2014 18:17
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What might I pay per day for a private driver in Spain? I would never do this of my own accord, but my dad is visiting me on a short "money is no object" kind of trip. edit: got one quote of 600 euros/day Mortley fucked around with this message at 19:37 on Jun 14, 2014 |
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Jun 14, 2014 19:23
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