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schoenfelder posted:I've also never seen the possibility to hook up your own laptop in an internet café. ok thanks this is useful to know. I assume it is permitted to download files onto a USB stick at an internet cafe, which should be good enough. unrelated question: I'm wondering if anyone has been to a cheap but half decent hotel in Venice? from the reviews I've read the low-end hostel-type places are relatively interchangeable, but you want to pick one that doesn't involve an extra trip on the water bus.
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Aug 22, 2010 20:17
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Are traveller's checks really necessary? What sort of situation would merit their use?
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Aug 23, 2010 16:11
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Jedi Knight Luigi posted:Are traveller's checks really necessary? What sort of situation would merit their use? None. Traveller's cheques are an outdated nightmare, don't get them.
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Aug 23, 2010 17:49
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duckmaster posted:The chances of a significant flight delay, cancellation or diversion (a diversion?! It's 2010!) is so miniscule to be irrelevent. Delays aren't that uncommon (mostly weather- or strike-related nowadays), but the other will have a hotel room to chill in until the one's flight arrives anyway. Alternatively, wait at the airport for several hours which is inconvenient but not a major problem.
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Aug 23, 2010 20:25
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Saladman posted:None. Traveller's cheques are an outdated nightmare, don't get them. This is true.
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Aug 24, 2010 12:31
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I'm planning a trip to Europe this November through December and could use some advice from more experienced/knowledgeable goons (which is most of you). My girlfriend and I finish up teaching in South Korea on November 19th, and have the following basic plan so far. November 20th-23rd - fly into Frankfurt via Air China (Any horror stories about them?)and sightsee November 24th-26th - Go to Heidelberg November 27th-29th - Go to Munich November 30th - Daytrip to Fussen, then head on to Vienna December 1st-2nd - Vienna December 3rd-4th - Prague December 5th - Kutna Hora December 6th-8th - Berlin December 9th-11th - Hamburg December 12th-16th - Belgium December 17th-22nd - Paris I am worried about the lack of time we're spending in Vienna and Prague. Where can I cut from our schedule? Belgium is a long as it is, because I will be visiting family there, so it can't really be hacked any shorter. Also, is there any must see things in these cities? I have most of the usual suspects, but is there anything hidden, or off the beaten track that you consider essential?
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Aug 26, 2010 03:37
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You could probably shave a day off Frankfurt and not really miss that much. Frankfurt is nice enough, but really only worth a day or so, and certainly doesn't hold up to Vienna or Prague. That being said, I personally think that Vienna can be a little ho-hum if you're not particularly into history, museums, or over-the-top Baroque architecture. Schloss Schonnbrunn is worth seeing, although I'd choose one of either Versailles or Schonnbrunn. The christmas markets will be in Vienna though, so that's definitely worth seeing. I'd also recommend an extra day in Berlin, although I'm not sure where I'd steal it from. Is Hamburg there for any particular reason? I wouldn't usually consider it a must-do compared to the rest of your itinerary. Finally, this would require some serious rejigging, but it might be pretty cool to be in Austria or Bavaria on St. Nicolas day (Dec 6th) - basically germanic christmas - Berlin probably won't be the best place to experience all the Christmas stuff. enki42 fucked around with this message at 04:12 on Aug 26, 2010 |
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Aug 26, 2010 04:09
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Every Man Jack posted:I'm planning a trip to Europe this November through December and could use some advice from more experienced/knowledgeable goons (which is most of you). The biggest problem I see here is the "I want to go everywhere" syndrome. You're spending 3.5 weeks, about 25 days or so in 11 cities. Personally that's stretching too thin, especially when you account for travel time. I agree with enki42 that Berlin deserves at least another day. There's a lot to do there museum wise, and the nightlife and life in general is pretty awesome. I spent nearly two weeks there and wish I could have stayed longer. Also agreeing with enki42 that Hamburg is really sticking out in a bad way. Is there any particular reason you're going there (friends or family)? If not you could nix it and recover two extra days to distribute around. Stick one of them in Berlin and you've got one more. Also, what is in Heidelberg? When I was there the only thing I remember was the giant fuckoff castle. Do you also realize you're spending four days in Belgium? Have you accounted for travel time and how will you get around? The quickest way and usually cheapest way is via discount airlines like Ryanair and Easyjet but just make sure you know what airport you need to be at (they often fly out to secondary airports outside of the city rather than the main airport). Trains can take a while, but their easy because you can buy tickets on the machines at the stations. The only problem is trains are actually pretty expensive.
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Aug 26, 2010 05:44
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enki42 posted:You could probably shave a day off Frankfurt and not really miss that much. Frankfurt is nice enough, but really only worth a day or so, and certainly doesn't hold up to Vienna or Prague. This is good advice. I had the opportunity to visit Frankfurt this summer but before that I went to check a local tourism board. I found people talking about basically every German city except Frankfurt. Apparently people don't travel there for tourism so neither did I. And Berlin is one of The European Destinations, unlike the rest of the cities on your list (except Paris, of course). So you definitely want more Berlin. You can also ask for advice in Ask me about Germany thread in this same subforum. e: Also what Ziir says about too many destinations in too few days.
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Aug 26, 2010 05:50
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Frankfurt and Heidelberg are, at most, day-trip territory. I would only stay in Frankfurt for a night for jetlag reasons. Hamburg is nice enough and you can totally do 1-2 days there (I would go there just for this. If you take the ICE from Berlin it's just a 90 minutes trip.
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Aug 26, 2010 07:56
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Every Man Jack posted:I am worried about the lack of time we're spending in Vienna and Prague. Where can I cut from our schedule? Belgium is a long as it is, because I will be visiting family there, so it can't really be hacked any shorter. What I would do personally: 1) Go directly from Frankfurt to Heidelberg or spend max 1 night in Frankfurt 2) Stay max 1 night in Heidelberg 3) Leave out Füssen (you probably want to see Castle Neuschwanstein, right?) 4) Leave out Vienna 5) Leave out Kutna Hora 6) Leave out Hamburg 7) Add the days to Prague and Berlin Reasons: 1) Frankfurt is not interesting, unless you want to see banks and are really big into museums (there are actually some nice museums there). 2) Heidelberg is nice to see for a day but that's it. 3 and 4) I guess you want to travel by train. A quick check reveals that the train from Munich to Füssen takes 2.5hrs and the train from Füssen to Vienna takes 7.5hrs. That's basically one day spent on the train just to see Castle Neuschwanstein. 4) Vienna is beautiful if you're into Baroque architecture and museums. Aside from that I wouldn't know what to do there. 5) Pretty obvious: 1 day for something nice but not overwhelming. 6) Hamburg is actually IMHO the most beautiful city in Germany but as a first-time visitor you'll be better off spending more time in Berlin, I think.
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Aug 26, 2010 08:14
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Every Man Jack posted:I'm planning a trip to Europe this November through December and could use some advice from more experienced/knowledgeable goons (which is most of you). What's your schedule like before and after the trip? Are you working right up to the flight? Are you also tying up all the loose ends and leaving Korea? Do you have jobs waiting for you when you get back? My point is, do you want/need a relaxing vacation or is it a once-in-a-lifetime-must-see-everything kind of trip? Personally I prefer my holidays on the relaxing side. So I hope you haven't already booked flights for all those days. Keep in mind that every day you fly you also need to get to and from an airport and check in at a new hotel so you're looking at about 9 days of schlepping through airports. I would decide which 5 cities were the absolute must do's on the list. Berlin, Munich, Prague, Brussels, Paris for example. Get your guidebooks now and figure out what you want to do in each. When you're done, go buy a train ticket and go to the next place. If you're on a schedule you get pissed when things are closed, you rush from place to place, etc. And poo poo gets expensive if you miss a flight. I always find the most memorable parts of my holidays are the unstructured bits where I just stumble upon something that wasn't in my plans or guidebook. Make sure to give yourself time to just let things happen!
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Aug 26, 2010 08:32
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Currently coming to the end of my trip in Europe. I'm heading to Prague tomorrow for 2/3 days. After that, I have no plans. I fly home on sept 15 from Dublin. I've been traveling fairly relaxed until now, basically spent the past 2 months in Spain and Portugal only, and the past week in a rural Czech town. Also, due to some generous people letting me crash on couches and general cheapness, I've come out significantly under my budget. Here's what I'm thinking for the rest of my time and could use some thoughts on it: Also, while I enjoy seeing sights and all that, I'm more into eating local foods, drinks (Beer!) and meeting people. I'm also a very last minute planner, in case you can't tell. Aug 27-29: Prague Aug 30: Vienna - was planning on staying here longer but it doesn't seem that recommended here, so I'm thinking of shooting to get in early morning and leaving early the next day. Aug 31-3: Bratislava (have a friend here, but is it worth this much time?) Sept 4-6: Budapest, from here I will fly to either Amsterdam or Brussels Sept 6-14: Amsterdam/Belgium (mostly in Antwerp because I can crash at a friends) Sept 15: get an early flight to Dublin, I leave in the evening. or maybe the night before if I have to. For the last part, I'm thinking 2/3 days in Amsterdam and the rest in Belgium. My goal for Belgium is to drink as many fine beers as possible as I am a huge belgian beer fan. My ultimate goal is to make it to Westvleteren Abby (the best beer in the world, according to most), and St Bernardus (my personal favorite) but they are kinda in the middle of nowhere so I don't know. I realize this is quite a bit of stuff in a short time, but it's the end of my trip and I'm ok with getting a little burnt out.
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Aug 26, 2010 10:50
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If you're into local culture stuff and do have some time to spend, there's a ton of small towns around Vienna (really near Melk) that are totally worth a stop. The monastery in Melk is fantastic, and that area is really great for nice little authentic Austrian restaurants and Heuringers (basically Austrian wine bars that sell small little plates of amazing stuff to go with the wine)
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Aug 26, 2010 11:49
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Any of you fine folks in Barcelona? I just got here yesterday to start my CELTA course on Tuesday. I highly doubt it but I just wanted to reach out and see if there was anyone else around here to maybe hang out with. My sister whom I'm staying with is working and I'm feeling a little overwhelmed right now with the city. It's a strange feeling since I don't know when I'll be back in Miami.
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Aug 28, 2010 10:52
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Is there a ferry from Helsinki across those islands to Sweden? A friend and I are going to be travelling from Moscow to London in October, and going through Scandinavia looks more attractive than going through Eastern Europe. Also, does anyone have experience with hitchhiking? This is something I'm definitely considering in the west, but am not so sure about in Russia.
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Aug 29, 2010 05:19
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freebooter posted:Is there a ferry from Helsinki across those islands to Sweden? A friend and I are going to be travelling from Moscow to London in October, and going through Scandinavia looks more attractive than going through Eastern Europe. The helsinki-stockholm ferry (I forget which company) is often a party cruise, full of drunks, especially after football games (if the swedes won and everyone is going back to stockholm, it can get rowdy). It's a pretty good way to get between the 2 cities.
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Aug 29, 2010 11:33
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Is there a way off England without getting your poo poo searched? I'm assuming a ferry would do the trick.
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Aug 29, 2010 18:44
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Shampy posted:Is there a way off England without getting your poo poo searched? I'm assuming a ferry would do the trick. ya, try hitch with a trucker from france. bring 2 quid to put on the dash.
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Aug 29, 2010 19:03
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freebooter posted:Is there a ferry from Helsinki across those islands to Sweden? A friend and I are going to be travelling from Moscow to London in October, and going through Scandinavia looks more attractive than going through Eastern Europe. Check out these two companies: Viking Line http://www.vikingline.fi/index.asp?lang=en Silja Line http://www.tallinksilja.com/en/ Overnight cruises from Helsinki to Stockholm. They're not exactly cheap, but the ships are very luxurious. Another, slightly cheaper option is to go overland to Turku, and catch a boat there.
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Aug 29, 2010 20:14
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Shampy posted:Is there a way off England without getting your poo poo searched? I'm assuming a ferry would do the trick. no xrays on the train as far as I know but seriously you should be able to get whatever you need in barca
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Aug 29, 2010 21:02
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unixbeard posted:bring 2 quid to put on the dash. Is that a custom with truckers? I just started hitching in the UK.
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Aug 30, 2010 11:40
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Al2001 posted:Is that a custom with truckers? I just started hitching in the UK. I think it's just for ferry crossings. I met a welsh trucker once, who told me it was to smooth things over otherwise they might check all your cargo and check for red diesel and stuff.
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Aug 30, 2010 18:51
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nevermind
blueblaze fucked around with this message at 18:17 on Dec 16, 2010 |
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Aug 30, 2010 19:25
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blueblaze posted:what's the prime age to do this backpacking stuff at? I'm about to turn 25 and still have like 8 months left on my UK working holiday visa. I'm split between wanting to go back to school and wanting to travel, but I'm probably going to go back to school. Unless you have kids anytime is primetime for traveling. Even with kids it's just a little more complicated logistically. Anybody can take a few months to travel if it's a priority, if you want to do it then do it! Do you have money saved? Can you start school a semester or a year later? Any reasons not to travel except the vague, oooh it'll look bad on your CV/doesn't show single-minded ambition towards career/random guilt? greazeball fucked around with this message at 19:31 on Aug 30, 2010 |
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Aug 30, 2010 19:28
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Youth discounts in Europe are for under 26 y/olds so there's one more reason to go now.
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Aug 31, 2010 15:07
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25 is probably the ideal age, but you can have a ton of fun at really any age over say 18 or so. I traveled for a year at 28 / 29, and never really felt out of place or too old. The fact that your Eurail passes are first class if you're not a youth is a nice perk as well.
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Aug 31, 2010 16:12
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I'm going to Salzburg for MLK weekend 2011, and I cannot figure out the trains. I am flying into MUC and plan to take a train from MUC to Salzburg, but when I attempt to use bahn.de I am told that'll be $120 US round trip. For reasons that are unknown to me at the moment, this seems excessive. Am I missing something and is there some key to lower train fares?
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Sep 3, 2010 03:07
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Mackieman posted:I'm going to Salzburg for MLK weekend 2011, and I cannot figure out the trains. I am flying into MUC and plan to take a train from MUC to Salzburg, but when I attempt to use bahn.de I am told that'll be $120 US round trip. That actually sounds about right. Keep in mind you're crossing a border, so a lot of the really good deals aren't going to be relevant for you. There's a really good deal in Austria where you can get unlimited travel on regional (slow) trains for 27 Euro for up to 5 people outside of rush hours, but that wouldn't really help you for a Munich to Salzburg trip, particularly if you're on your own.
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Sep 3, 2010 03:34
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enki42 posted:That actually sounds about right. Keep in mind you're crossing a border, so a lot of the really good deals aren't going to be relevant for you. There's a really good deal in Austria where you can get unlimited travel on regional (slow) trains for 27 Euro for up to 5 people outside of rush hours, but that wouldn't really help you for a Munich to Salzburg trip, particularly if you're on your own. Well, poo poo. Thanks for the insight in any event. I am going with a group; every MLK weekend is Beer in Europe weekend. 2009 was BRU, 2010 was PRG, and 2011 is SZG. Perhaps we'll fork over for a car and pile a bunch of us into it. I have some pretty mean Avis discounts. We'll see what happens.
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Sep 3, 2010 03:51
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Mackieman posted:Well, poo poo. Thanks for the insight in any event. I am going with a group; every MLK weekend is Beer in Europe weekend. 2009 was BRU, 2010 was PRG, and 2011 is SZG. Perhaps we'll fork over for a car and pile a bunch of us into it. I have some pretty mean Avis discounts. We'll see what happens. I see trains for about 30 euro one way (about $75 round trip) on bahn.de Look around here and see if you can get these prices from the US or if you have to try your luck at the station. Driving does not sound like a fun way for someone to spend Beer in Europe weekend.
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Sep 4, 2010 00:27
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Mackieman posted:I'm going to Salzburg for MLK weekend 2011, and I cannot figure out the trains. I am flying into MUC and plan to take a train from MUC to Salzburg, but when I attempt to use bahn.de I am told that'll be $120 US round trip. With the BayernTicket you can use public transport (buses and regional trains that are denoted as IRE, RE, RB or S) in all of Bavaria and on some connections to bordering states and countries, which includes Salzburg. The BayernTicket is valid from 9 AM until 3 AM of the next day during the week, and from 12 AM until 3 AM of the next day on Saturdays and Sundays. The regional train from Munich to Salzburg takes only 2 hours and you don't have to change trains. The ticket can be bought at any train station using the vending machines. schoenfelder fucked around with this message at 09:33 on Sep 4, 2010 |
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Sep 4, 2010 09:27
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Shampy posted:Any of you fine folks in Barcelona? I just got here yesterday to start my CELTA course on Tuesday. I highly doubt it but I just wanted to reach out and see if there was anyone else around here to maybe hang out with. My sister whom I'm staying with is working and I'm feeling a little overwhelmed right now with the city. Im here, have been for over a year now (my spanish still sucks) send me an email to barcelonapartytour@gmail.com and we can go get a drink somewhere
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Sep 4, 2010 17:34
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London goons or anyone with the knowledge, I have a question. Me and my girlfriend will be arriving in Heathrow next tuesday morning between 6 and 8 am and need to get to our hotel (Impersial Hotel) in Russell square. We are trying to do it on the cheap and avoid taxis and we found online that its apparently very easy and cheap (4-5 pound each) to take the Piccadilly lane/line from the Heathrow underground station about 45 minutes to the Russell square station. Our hotels only a few minutes walk from there so that'd be perfect. My question is regarding our luggage and the space it would/will take up. We are going to have one standard checked luggage with clothes/etc each as well as a backpack/carry on size luggage type thing. So all in all 4 pieces of luggage 2 medium sized and 2 personal/carry on types. Will there be any problems taking this much space up? I'm hoping where its semi early in the morning we might avoid some rush but a lot of people will be up and on their way to work I suspect. Me and the gf are both small town folk and have never been on a subway before. We just dont want to break some unwritten etiquette by taking up too much space and making people inconvienienced. Obviously we wouldnt be sprawled up taking anymore then we need but my mental pictures of subways are from Seinfeld and clips from Japan which dont leave a lot to be desired in the way of luggage space. Also, regarding London itself, if we need to get somewhere 10-20 mins away by car are we better off looking into getting the underground/tram/buses or paying for a taxi? We obviously dont want to go broke paying for cabs but frankly coming from butt gently caress nowhere trying to figure out the London underground system is rather daunting to me and the gf. How expensive a cab ride would it be for rides of 10-20 mins? Thanks in advance. Nosaj fucked around with this message at 03:58 on Sep 7, 2010 |
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Sep 7, 2010 03:53
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Nosaj posted:London goons or anyone with the knowledge, I have a question. I'm not British but I have been to London a few times. Don't worry about all your luggage on the subway. Since you're getting on at the airport you'll have first dibs of seats. I am not 100% sure but there might be extra luggage room on those trains because a billion people travel to London and take the train into the city. If nothing else, just get a spot at the end of the car and take a seat. Also, the morning is probably the busiest time for the tube but don't worry about it. The tube will take you anywhere in the city and it will be quicker than a taxi. You'll never have to take a taxi and they are way too expensive anyways. The tube is huge and really easy to use. London was my first experience with a subway and it took me like 10 minutes to figure it out. Just get a map and be on you way. Get an Oyster card from any small shop and put money on it (I think you can only use cash to add money to the card but I could be wrong). There are ATMs all over the place so don't worry.
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Sep 7, 2010 06:22
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Nosaj posted:London goons or anyone with the knowledge, I have a question. Give yourself some credit, just because you're from a small town doesn't mean you can't read a map. Furthermore, maps of the Underground have won design awards for making a massive network of trains visually appealing and easy to understand. Your guide book will list the nearest tube station and tell you what line it's on, then you look on the underground map, find the nearest tube station to you, find where you want to go, where you have to change, and that's it. When you're changing trains in the stations you just have to look for the colour of the train you want and the last station in the direction you're going (so you don't go the wrong way). Taxis are rather expensive so unless you have piles of money that you otherwise won't spend on your holiday, save it and buy some nice things for each other.
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Sep 7, 2010 07:45
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This is probably too late but there's a tube strike going on right now. For future reference, take up all the space that you like on the tube. Quaint traditions such as good manners or consideration for other people are non-existent in London. Case in point, people will throw their garbage everywhere. It's quite common to see mcdonalds burger wrappers taking up their own seats on the tube or train. Try not to pack too much luggage because most of the tube system is only accessible by stairs. Taxis are ungodly expensive in London and London cabbies are loving cunts. Your best bet is to take the train/tube and get on a bus. The train network in the UK is excellent (when it's not broken down/delayed). Some links that are your friends: thetrainline.com - for planning train trips tfl.co.uk - for planning tube journeys
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Sep 7, 2010 08:30
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Not exactly Europe, but could someone tell me how expensive Moscow is (compared to major European cities)?
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Sep 7, 2010 09:25
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Sai posted:Not exactly Europe, but could someone tell me how expensive Moscow is (compared to major European cities)? Their underground system is amazing and dirt cheap. It's all in Russian though so you need to get one of the maps that show the station names (in Russian) and how they sound in English, because the trains don't have signs saying which station you're coming to. The driver shouts them out over a PA system instead and it can get confusing. Actually, no, it is incredibly confusing. Cigarettes are cheap, if you smoke the Russian brands. Having said that, don't smoke the Russian brands. Don't buy the Russian vodka from the shops either - it seems like a good idea (a litre for 20p?! Yes please!), but your stomach, brains and eyes can't handle it. You will go blind, and then you will die. If you're not using the underground your transport options are: 1) Bus/trolleybus (a trolleybus is like a tram on wheels instead of tracks) - cheap as chips but you'll probably get pickpocketed when you open your mouth. 2) Minibus - still pretty cheap but they basically drive around randomly so who knows where you'll end up 3) Taxi - hugely expensive 4) Hitching - all the expats do this. Stick your thumb out and a car will stop for you within seconds. Point on your map where you want to go and show the driver the money you're offering. He will either go "Da" or "Nyet". If it is "Da", get in and go. This is, incredibly, perfectly safe! And much cheaper than a taxi! Drinking in bars is expensive (think London prices x 2). When you eat out in restaurants you will instinctively work out the exchange rate for your meal so you know how much you've spent in your own currency. Try to stop doing this as quickly as possible, unless you want to cry yourself to sleep every night. Seriously. The prices at the McDonalds near Red Square absolutely blew my mind, and it was always packed. ALWAYS. Hope this helps!
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Sep 7, 2010 12:01
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Omits-Bagels posted:Get an Oyster card from any small shop and put money on it (I think you can only use cash to add money to the card but I could be wrong). There are ATMs all over the place so don't worry. Seconding this. Oyster is the cheapest way to use the transport network in London. It's a card that you touch on sensors at the beginning and end of your journey (on tubes and trains) and just at the beginning (on buses). You can buy them from Heathrow, and it's the first thing you should get. You can reload them with cash or from a credit card.
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Sep 7, 2010 12:09
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