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PT6A posted:Even international withdrawals? My bank is pretty good about not charging fees when I use an out-of-network ATM domestically, but holy gently caress does that ever go out the window once you step foot on foreign soil. Some banks (mine, at least) have foreign partners that they treat like using their own ATMs. Works wonderfully if you're lucky enough to have a bank that does it.
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Apr 5, 2015 21:40
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Yeah, Wells Fargo doesn't and they charged me $5 per withdrawal. Could have been worse as some banks charge a percentage of how much you take out.
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Apr 6, 2015 02:22
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If there are any goons in Barcelona this week, send me a PM or post here. We need more teammates for the room escape game. 
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Apr 6, 2015 09:31
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PT6A posted:Even international withdrawals? My bank is pretty good about not charging fees when I use an out-of-network ATM domestically, but holy gently caress does that ever go out the window once you step foot on foreign soil. Nope, no fees at all from Schwab and like I said the banks I've used in Spain, Italy, and Switzerland (forgot this one in the first post) don't seem to charge fees either. I'm pretty sure that the exchange rate is also the standard Visa one that you'd get if you used a Visa credit card somewhere, just for reference I got 1.087 usd to 1 euro on the 1st.
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Apr 6, 2015 15:18
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asur posted:Nope, no fees at all from Schwab and like I said the banks I've used in Spain, Italy, and Switzerland (forgot this one in the first post) don't seem to charge fees either. I'm pretty sure that the exchange rate is also the standard Visa one that you'd get if you used a Visa credit card somewhere, just for reference I got 1.087 usd to 1 euro on the 1st. In at least some European countries banks aren't allowed to charge ATM fees, at least that was my experience with Ambro and Danske Bank in the Netherlands and Denmark respectively.
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Apr 6, 2015 16:11
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Man, Bank of Montreal can go eat a dick in that case. $5/withdrawal (applied on their end, not the ATM') every goddamn time without warning.
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Apr 6, 2015 22:08
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PT6A posted:Man, Bank of Montreal can go eat a dick in that case. $5/withdrawal (applied on their end, not the ATM') every goddamn time without warning. Eh, well every Canadian bank has the same policy and it is written down in their 7-8 page terms (although I can't blame you for not wanting to search through the legalese). I looked it up for TD before I went over so I wouldn't get burned. I made sure that I only used an ATM to take out 200 Euros or more to make it worth the $5 and only ended up doing it a couple of times over 10 weeks. However, from a cursory glance it looks like Scotiabank is the only one that has partnerships with other banks for no-fee international withdrawals. MagicCube fucked around with this message at 22:41 on Apr 6, 2015 |
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Apr 6, 2015 22:38
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Also, as a U.S. citizen living abroad, it is a major pain in the rear end to try and open an account, even in Italy due to FATCA. Obviously, the thrust behind this is to prevent people from hoarding money in places such as Switzerland and the Caymans. But these people know the loopholes and people like me get the shaft. Only two countries to my knowledge goes after its own citizens and taxes them when they live abroad, Eritrea (!?!?) and the U.S.  
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Apr 7, 2015 09:10
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WaryWarren posted:Also, as a U.S. citizen living abroad, it is a major pain in the rear end to try and open an account, even in Italy due to FATCA. Obviously, the thrust behind this is to prevent people from hoarding money in places such as Switzerland and the Caymans. But these people know the loopholes and people like me get the shaft. Only two countries to my knowledge goes after its own citizens and taxes them when they live abroad, Eritrea (!?!?) and the U.S. I've opened a couple Swiss bank accounts after FATCA and haven't had any issues except for getting credit cards (which I -finally- got about a year ago, after having these accounts for 4-6 years). I bet the person at your Italian bank just doesn't want to have to work 10 minutes and file the mandatory paperwork, and that they're fully allowed to open an account for you. I filed my FATCAs and FBARs for the first time--yes meaning I was years late for FBARs--a few months ago and was surprised at how quick it was (although it's loving retarded that you have to do it in the first place, since I'm pretty sure the bank anyway sends all your information to the guvvament). I'm not like some high roller with the red carpet treatment either. E: on later rereading, I didn't open any after FATCA went into effect, but the banks here changed their attitudes/policies toward US citizens back in like 2009 Saladman fucked around with this message at 10:36 on Apr 9, 2015 |
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Apr 7, 2015 09:24
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HookShot posted:Yeah, they'll check your ticket on the train. On the mainline/intercity trains there will be a conductor who will check tickets. On S-bahns and U-bahns etc. it is done by "undercover" ticket inspectors. If you feel lucky schwarzfahr it and hope you don't get caught, I wouldn't recommend it though, the fines are very steep and the inspectors are less than friendly. In Munich there is a blue line at the Sbahn stations, do not cross this line without a ticket.
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Apr 7, 2015 12:44
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WaryWarren posted:Also, as a U.S. citizen living abroad, it is a major pain in the rear end to try and open an account, even in Italy due to FATCA. Obviously, the thrust behind this is to prevent people from hoarding money in places such as Switzerland and the Caymans. But these people know the loopholes and people like me get the shaft. Only two countries to my knowledge goes after its own citizens and taxes them when they live abroad, Eritrea (!?!?) and the U.S. It's one form that's mainly just name and social it should seriously take about 3 minutes of your life, total
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Apr 8, 2015 16:37
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Arnold of Soissons posted:It's one form that's mainly just name and social it should seriously take about 3 minutes of your life, total Yeah. Opening a savings account in Europe is in general a pain in the rear end that seemed like it required more paperwork than my mortgage, but FATCA is not adding any real complications.
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Apr 8, 2015 16:48
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MagicCube posted:Eh, well every Canadian bank has the same policy and it is written down in their 7-8 page terms (although I can't blame you for not wanting to search through the legalese). I looked it up for TD before I went over so I wouldn't get burned. I made sure that I only used an ATM to take out 200 Euros or more to make it worth the $5 and only ended up doing it a couple of times over 10 weeks. Scotiabank is the only one with partnerships, but I keep TD All-Inclusive Banking Plan (formerly Select Service) because it doesn't charge you for using non-TD ATMs ("No TD or network fee for non-TD ATM use anywhere in world"). edit: On the credit card front, the amazon.ca Visa is the only Canadian card I found that doesn't charge the usual 2.5% forex fee. spoof fucked around with this message at 03:48 on Apr 9, 2015 |
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Apr 9, 2015 03:42
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I'm spending some time in Europe this summer, and dedicating roughly month-long chunks to a few cities. I can arrange apartments in Amsterdam, Stockholm and Warsaw through friends of friends but I don't have any networks in Berlin or Copenhagen. What's my best bet for finding a place? I've used airbnb extensively for shorter stays (<2 weeks) and have 30+ reviews but the prices end up much higher than what I was able to get when dealing directly with people for understandable reasons. What areas should I be looking to stay in Berlin? In Copenhagen? Mostly looking for a good daytime scene since I'll be working afternoon-midnight and won't be able to get out at night except on weekends.
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Apr 9, 2015 04:02
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spoof posted:I'm spending some time in Europe this summer, and dedicating roughly month-long chunks to a few cities. I can arrange apartments in Amsterdam, Stockholm and Warsaw through friends of friends but I don't have any networks in Berlin or Copenhagen. What's my best bet for finding a place? I've used airbnb extensively for shorter stays (<2 weeks) and have 30+ reviews but the prices end up much higher than what I was able to get when dealing directly with people for understandable reasons. What areas should I be looking to stay in Berlin? In Copenhagen? Mostly looking for a good daytime scene since I'll be working afternoon-midnight and won't be able to get out at night except on weekends. Copenhagen is expensive, nothing you can do there. Depending on what you prefer, the first bit of Amager (directly towards Langebro/Fisketorvet -- Amager proper and Kastrup can be a bit dodgy), Christianshavn, Østerbro, Vesterbro are all good options. Nørrebro can be a bit dodgy in places, but has some very nice areas as well. Things get more affordable if you go further out (unless it's towards the North) but I don't really know much about the areas. I have used http://www.boligportal.dk/en/ for looking for a place, but you have to purchase a subscription-type thing for a month or so to be able to contact people. That said, they have a lot, and they validate their stuff, so you won't get scammed. Berlin, again, depends. If you want a hip-ish feeling, have a look around Kreuzberg, if you want a bit of a more unfinished feel, have a look at something like the Wedding. I personally would also give Charlottenburg a look, which is not extremly exciting as a place, but has the really nice, traditional "courtyard" living so typical for Berlin, a bunch of restaurants, is nicely mixed in terms of people living there, and it's extremly central. For Berlin, http://www.wg-gesucht.de/ does not just offer WGs (Wohngemeinschaften/shared flats), but also single flats, and is probably a good bet.
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Apr 9, 2015 15:54
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spoof posted:I'm spending some time in Europe this summer, and dedicating roughly month-long chunks to a few cities. I can arrange apartments in Amsterdam, Stockholm and Warsaw through friends of friends but I don't have any networks in Berlin or Copenhagen. What's my best bet for finding a place? I've used airbnb extensively for shorter stays (<2 weeks) and have 30+ reviews but the prices end up much higher than what I was able to get when dealing directly with people for understandable reasons. What areas should I be looking to stay in Berlin? In Copenhagen? Mostly looking for a good daytime scene since I'll be working afternoon-midnight and won't be able to get out at night except on weekends. I stayed here in Copenhagen, it's in a very nice area and located right by Norreport station. https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/3410811
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Apr 9, 2015 16:23
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Anyone have any suggestions as to what brands of cigarettes to smoke in Paris/Rome? Will I get yelled at for smoking in public there or are they more relaxed about it than Canada?
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Apr 9, 2015 17:03
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Hollow Talk posted:Awesome advice Exactly what I was looking for. Thanks!
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Apr 9, 2015 17:19
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Phisty posted:Anyone have any suggestions as to what brands of cigarettes to smoke in Paris/Rome? Will I get yelled at for smoking in public there or are they more relaxed about it than Canada? They'll have the pretty much the same brands you smoke in Canada, except also Gauloises and some cheap brands that I've seen around but can never remember the names of. Pretty much every smoker I know here rolls their own American Spirits or smokes Camels/Marlboro. I haven't been to Canada in ages, but it's pretty much the same in the US as in Europe now--fairly anti-smoking. There's no smoking indoors anywhere, including in bars (except in like Austria?? of all places). No one's going to give you poo poo for smoking at an outdoor bus stop, though, unless you're blowing smoke directly in a baby's face.
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Apr 9, 2015 20:56
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Has anyone been to any of the previous Universal Expos? I was thinking about heading to the 2015 one in Milan -- it's a little under 3 hours by train from where I live, and I have a free place to stay out there. OTOH I really have no idea what to expect, even after reading about it on their website.
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Apr 9, 2015 20:58
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Saladman posted:They'll have the pretty much the same brands you smoke in Canada, except also Gauloises and some cheap brands that I've seen around but can never remember the names of. Pretty much every smoker I know here rolls their own American Spirits or smokes Camels/Marlboro. Austria is cracking down severely on smoking indoors this year, surprisingly. Already a few places I frequent have converted to fully non-smoking. There are lots of exemptions now but many of them are being eliminated this summer. I am not sure of the full details. Smoking outdoors in public is still widely acceptable.
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Apr 9, 2015 22:43
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Saladman posted:I haven't been to Canada in ages, but it's pretty much the same in the US as in Europe now--fairly anti-smoking. There's no smoking indoors anywhere, including in bars (except in like Austria?? of all places). And Eastern Europe of course.
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Apr 10, 2015 01:44
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Doctor Malaver posted:And Eastern Europe of course. That's pretty much why I wouldn't want to visit that part of the continent, smoking indoors irritates the hell out of me.
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Apr 10, 2015 02:42
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Phisty posted:Anyone have any suggestions as to what brands of cigarettes to smoke in Paris/Rome? Will I get yelled at for smoking in public there or are they more relaxed about it than Canada? You will get yelled at for not smoking in public in Paris.
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Apr 10, 2015 02:45
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Going to Croatia for a week. Starting in Split and ending in Dubrovnik. Thinking about renting a car for part of that time. Would like to go to Mostar in Bosnia and Kotor in Montenegro, but maybe looking for a guide to handle the driving for both. Any recommendations greatly appreciated.
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Apr 10, 2015 05:04
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Phisty posted:Anyone have any suggestions as to what brands of cigarettes to smoke in Paris/Rome? Will I get yelled at for smoking in public there or are they more relaxed about it than Canada? If it's anything like everywhere else in Europe, no. A waiter in Spain once looked at me like I had three heads when I asked if I was allowed to smoke while sitting outside. Personally, I'm a big fan of Lucky Strikes and Gauloises. In France, you might be able to find Gauloises or Gitanes Brunes, which are an acquired taste but I quite enjoy them. Ducados in Spain as well, but I don't know if they sell them anywhere else.
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Apr 10, 2015 05:06
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Doctor Malaver posted:And Eastern Europe of course. You mean you can smoke indoors , because thats my experience in eastern europe , almost everywhere you can smoke indoors . As for cigarettes , winston/chesterfield , parliament (not everywhere can be found) this are the ones i like here .
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Apr 10, 2015 10:31
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actionjackson posted:That's pretty much why I wouldn't want to visit that part of the continent, smoking indoors irritates the hell out of me. It's mostly in bars, though. We don't smoke in restaurants, cinemas, concert venues, offices, etc. MayakovskyMarmite posted:Going to Croatia for a week. Starting in Split and ending in Dubrovnik. Thinking about renting a car for part of that time. Would like to go to Mostar in Bosnia and Kotor in Montenegro, but maybe looking for a guide to handle the driving for both. Any recommendations greatly appreciated. What kind of guide? A driver? Can you even do that? Sounds like something for the very rich. If you decide to drive on your own, here are some suggestions. - ferry/boat from Split to Brac. Rent the car there, visit Blace desert, Zlatni rat beach. - ferry/boat from Split to Hvar, stay a day or two, boat to Dubrovnik - if you're going from Split to Dubrovnik by land and you like wine, get a wine tour of the Peljesac peninsula. Interesting wine yards and some of the best Croatian wines (dingach).
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Apr 10, 2015 10:42
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actionjackson posted:That's pretty much why I wouldn't want to visit that part of the continent, smoking indoors irritates the hell out of me. That's a shame because you're missing out on a lot of great places.
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Apr 10, 2015 11:43
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DNova posted:That's a shame because you're missing out on a lot of great places. Yeah Eastern Europe is fantastic. I've only been in the southern parts so far, but I loved Serbia, Hungary (arguably central Europe but the smoking bit is the same) and Romania, so many great places that are a thousand times worth visiting even with the cigarette smoke.
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Apr 10, 2015 12:08
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DNova posted:That's a shame because you're missing out on a lot of great places. Maybe I'll change my mind but it really bothers me. I remember when smoking was allowed indoors here and I couldn't stand it.
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Apr 10, 2015 15:56
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I don't know what everyone was complaining about with the RENFE website. Granted, it's not very good at figuring out connections and the schedules don't seem to be updated as often as they should be, but the actual purchase process was smooth and easy, and I have the tickets right now on my iPhone (and a printed copy for backup).
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Apr 10, 2015 19:33
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I actually really like Capitaine Train, both their site and app. No credit card surcharges, accepts foreign cards, solid search. They act as agents for basically all of the train companies that matter, so they get paid a commission based on that.
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Apr 10, 2015 21:26
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PT6A posted:I don't know what everyone was complaining about with the RENFE website. Granted, it's not very good at figuring out connections and the schedules don't seem to be updated as often as they should be, but the actual purchase process was smooth and easy, and I have the tickets right now on my iPhone (and a printed copy for backup). Just as a follow-up, did it just take a little while longer for them to post the schedule/tickets available from when you first looked?
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Apr 10, 2015 23:06
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FaceEater posted:Just as a follow-up, did it just take a little while longer for them to post the schedule/tickets available from when you first looked? I still haven't done the Madrid-San Sebastian tickets, and they have not updated that schedule -- this was just for Madrid->Logroño. I'm thinking of just booking Madrid to Zaragoza and then Zaragoza to San Sebastian, since, even with the connection, it's around the same speed as the direct routes (that only seem to exist up to May 5th at the moment). Since the Madrid-Zaragoza route is an AVE route, it's a hint more expensive, but not enough to really concern me. It turns out my uncle is going to be travelling through Andalucia at the beginning of May, so I might make a short trip down to Cordoba or Sevilla to see him as he passes through as well.
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Apr 11, 2015 17:00
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Awesome. Sorry to hear they didn't get their poo poo in gear with that direct line. Cordoba - The Mezquita / Mosque Cathedral is flippin sweet. Seville - The cathedral is worth a visit.
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Apr 11, 2015 17:38
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FaceEater posted:Awesome. Sorry to hear they didn't get their poo poo in gear with that direct line. A friend of mine just came back from travelling to both, and he preferred Cordoba, but I hear that both are well worth a visit. It will probably depend on my uncle's schedule. He's also going to Granada, but I've been there before and I don't really feel like I need to go back (plus, it's less convenient to get there).
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Apr 11, 2015 18:00
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On the topic of Spain I'm looking at doing about 2 weeks (can do 14-16 days) in Portugal and Spain in November. It's a limited trip with a family member who doesn't want to spend too much time abroad, so I was thinking of just doing Lisbon, Madrid, Barcelona, and Cordoba/Granada. What I've looked at in a preliminary itinerary is basically 4-5 days in the big cities and 2-3 in Cordoba/Granada. I figure that's a decent amount, but my main concern is travel between the cities. From what I've looked at train connections between Lisbon and Madrid aren't great (looks like only sleeper trains) and getting from Cordoba/Granada to Barcelona would require me going back through Madrid and again, taking forever. I also took a cursory glance at rental car prices and apparently it was only like 500 euros for 16 days. That seemed really low to me, but would that be a better option over trains in Portugal and Spain?
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Apr 11, 2015 23:54
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MagicCube posted:On the topic of Spain I'm looking at doing about 2 weeks (can do 14-16 days) in Portugal and Spain in November. It's a limited trip with a family member who doesn't want to spend too much time abroad, so I was thinking of just doing Lisbon, Madrid, Barcelona, and Cordoba/Granada. What I've looked at in a preliminary itinerary is basically 4-5 days in the big cities and 2-3 in Cordoba/Granada. I figure that's a decent amount, but my main concern is travel between the cities. From what I've looked at train connections between Lisbon and Madrid aren't great (looks like only sleeper trains) and getting from Cordoba/Granada to Barcelona would require me going back through Madrid and again, taking forever. I also took a cursory glance at rental car prices and apparently it was only like 500 euros for 16 days. That seemed really low to me, but would that be a better option over trains in Portugal and Spain? I like that you're already planning for longer stays. At least you aren't doing only 2-3 days in each. 4-5 might juuuuust be enough to start getting your feet wet in a couple of those. There is a train that goes between Granada and Barcelona, but I believe the line is currently cut so that they can improve the high-speed portion of it. Which means that, at present, there's a section of it that would be on a bus. It's a little under an 8 hour journey at this point. Which leads me to the following questions: 1) In Spain, busses are frequent, cheap, and generally a perfectly viable transport option. They run between absolutely everywhere, and in a few cases are even quicker than the trains. Alsa.es and http://www.movelia.es/es/ 2) If you're opposed to that, renting a car is an okay option, but be advised that parking suuuuuuuuuuuuuucks in the major cities if you're staying in a popular or touristy district, and you should look into whether or not your hotels/hostels have advice or reserved spots for parking. Also, don't take the car to Portugal. You can get away with it, but I believe there's a steep international fee for crossing the border. Also, if you've not driven in Europe before, Andalusian cities will give you a taste of their legendary ballsiness in driving. 3) Are you opposed to flying? I'm looking at flights between Granada and Barcelona for $80. And flights between Barcelona and Lisbon for ~$60. Flying is fast, relatively cheap, and while all the airports are outside the cities, they are linked via quick, inexpensive metro or bus rides. edit: Also, train or bus between Granada and Cordoba. Or if you rent a car, I guess there's that too.
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Apr 12, 2015 16:58
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You've got a lot of cities on that list, but if you are going to Portugal you should seriously consider going to Porto. It's a beautiful city and I personally preferred it to Lisboa (but Lisboa is also fantastic). Just food for thought!
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Apr 12, 2015 18:04
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