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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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You can get some good discounts (2 for 1) for a lot of London attractions here: http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/attraction-types/2for1london.aspx A lot of the stuff is crap but they have the Tower of London, London Eye and London Walks (I really enjoyed the Tower and the London Walks - I hear the Eye is pretty cool too). You can save a good amount of money with these deals. [EDIT] - If you use this great advice to buy tickets to Madame Tussauds I swear I will fly to London and punch you in your stupid Canadian face. Omits-Bagels fucked around with this message at 01:20 on Sep 8, 2010 |
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Sep 8, 2010 01:11
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Nosaj posted:Dont worry I was told already not to waste my money on that (we were totally going to tho!). Saved myself a punch in the face there. Do a walk from London Walks. http://www.walks.com/ (their site is a little confusing/disorganized) They have multiple walks based on different subjects and I wish I would have gone on multiple walks. You'll learn a lot of interesting stuff that you would have never learned on your own. A lot of the walks are at night so you won't have to miss a museum/attraction that is only open during the day. Their Jack the Ripper guide is supposedly the leading expert on Jack and his antics. It is cheap too.
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Sep 8, 2010 05:52
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LordWeird posted:Well, looks like I'm flying into Bremen in two weeks. My friend convinced me to go with him and another one of our crew. None of us speak a word of German and we have no real plan other than "go to Germany." Is this a setup for a fantastic adventure or utter disaster? We saved their asses in WWII, they should at least know a little english. You should be fine. Like stated above, most younger people have been learning English since grade school. Just say "moo" for beef and flap your arms like a chicken if you want chicken.
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Sep 18, 2010 17:08
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What are some good websites geared to backpackers/college students traveling abroad?
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Sep 21, 2010 21:42
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I've recently started a travel advice blog geared for people traveling to Europe. https://www.thesavvybackpacker.com It isn't done and there are tons of spelling mistakes but there is a decent amount of info up so far. It might be helpful to some people.
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Oct 22, 2010 22:49
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several wet dogs posted:Okay, I have somewhat of an odd question. I'm planning to explore Western Europe and The Mediterranean with my mother, who turned 50 this year. It has always been a dream of hers to visit and only now is it a possibility. She wants me to tag along and pay half my way. Who could say no to that? most hostels are geared toward younger people but there are plenty that allow old farts like your mom. where have you been looking?
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Nov 11, 2010 02:12
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several wet dogs posted:Just the websites suggested here; HostelWorld.com and HostelBookers.com. I guess I haven't really looked at much, but after seeing 20 venues in a row all baring the same restrictions I got a little worried! Are these sites in particular geared toward the younger crowds? try http://www.hihostels.com/ I think you need a membership card but they might allow older people.
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Nov 11, 2010 03:06
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pinegala posted:I'm a 21-year-old American college student who has never traveled without family and am planning on visiting a friend who's studying abroad in Dublin from Dec. 14th to Dec. 31st (who similarly hasn't traveled abroad without family). We originally planned to spend 3-4 days in Ireland, 3-4 days in Sweden (Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmo), a week in Italy (2 days Rome, Sienna, 2 days Florence, 2 days Venice), and 3 days in Switzerland (Lugano, Lauterbrunnen, Lucerne). I'm a little concerned about : First off, visit my website: https://www.thesavvybackpacker.com — you're making all the mistakes that newbie travelers make. You have way too many places on your list. Doing a city a day is way too crazy of a schedule. In 14 days I suggest sticking to about 3-4 cities. Why did you pick the cities you picked? Is there a reason? Are you open to other suggestions? Other important things to remember. Everything will be closed December 25th. A lot will also be closed the 24th and 26th.
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Nov 12, 2010 01:46
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several wet dogs posted:Okay, so I'm pretty confident the age thing is a non-issue, but now I have another query. What's the deal with the hostel prices I'm seeing online? They are more than I was expecting, from €30 per person per night for a shared dorm, to as much as €70 for a private one (which is what we'd prefer). In regards to the private dorms, I've seen many regular hotels with rooms for the same amount or less! The cheapest rooms are the ones with a lot of people in them. Private rooms are really expensive — sometimes as much as a hotel. I've never really heard about not booking hostels ahead of time. You could save a few bucks by booking directly with the hostel though.
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Nov 13, 2010 01:25
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several wet dogs posted:Thanks guys, you're a really helpful lot! Does anybody know of any other forums more centered around travel where I can get intelligent/informative discourse such as this? I have so many more questions and feel like I'm posting too much already. 9 weeks with your mom? uggg. Good luck with that. I give it about 10 days before you're at each others throats. You won't get lost... well, you will but not really. I did 5 weeks alone in Europe and didn't have any major problems. So you're staying in Paris for a week? Do you plan on visiting other cities in France? Ohh, and Easter season is the week of Easter.
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Nov 13, 2010 18:51
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Grenyarnia posted:Alright so I'm trying to work out my budget for my 2-week trip to Europe later next month and was looking for some help. I really have no idea how much I will be spending since I am unsure of the cost of things. I would budget about 30-35 Euros ($41-$48) per day. You can probably spend 20-25Euros if you don't buy any alcohol and only eat food from grocery stores.
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Nov 21, 2010 00:15
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Limastock posted:
Yeah, cut out some cities. You are really rushing things. You're not even taking transportation time into consideration. Munich > Prague = 6 hours Prague > Berlin = 4.5 hours Berlin > Amsterdam = 6.5 hours Amsterdam > Paris = 4.5 hours And you have to figure in all the time you'll spend getting from the train stations into your hotel/hostel. Then getting checked in and getting orientated. So you're losing at least half day each time you change cities. Also, everything will be closed on Christmas day and some stuff might be closed on the 24th or 26th. I recommend being in a big city during this time so you can walk around the city and enjoy the sights. Also, as said before, is there a reason you're flying into Zurich? You're using up a solid 1.5 days by doing this.
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Nov 26, 2010 17:09
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Limastock posted:Flights into and out of zurich were about ~$200 less than anywhere else. I would have loved to fly into berlin or frankfurt but it was a $700 ticket VS a $1000 ticket. $1000 in the winter? Dang. I paid $520 flying into Paris and out of Frankfurt last winter. Amsterdam could be ok. I was in Amsterdam around christmas last year (like the 20-22) and I wish I would have skipped it. It was really cold and rainy/snowy. I enjoyed it much more during the spring/summer. I agree with the other poster and I suggest skipping it. This will allow for more time in Paris and Berlin. I think Paris would be a lot better during Christmas but it really won't work with flow of your trip. Are you staying in hostels or hotels? One thing to consider is that most hotels and hostels won't let you check-in until like 4pm so you'll have to stash you stuff. They'll have a place for you to do it but you won't be able to shower/unpack during those days where you arrive early in the morning.
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Nov 26, 2010 18:40
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Limastock posted:Ill keep the amsterdam advice in mind however my wife and I are pretty set on seeing it and we love the cold snowy/rainy weather so we will most likely still spend some time there. The hostels will have plenty of people in them. Not as many as during the summer but you'll still want to book your room a few days in advance. But yeah, the cold usually doesn't bother me but after being out for 8 hours it starts to get old. But, I was also in Europe during a cold spell so it was regularly in the low 20s for most of the day. Or it could be in the 40s. Just make sure you have the right clothes.
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Nov 26, 2010 19:06
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Limastock posted:Yeah I saw a video on munich recently and it said the park is clothing optional? I thought they were exaggerating as the idea of an entire urban park being nudist friendly is almost unthinkable. I was there in the spring and there were about 5 old guys walking around naked so its not like you get to see a bunch of hot german chicks.
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Nov 27, 2010 18:16
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Fists Up posted:Someone want to tell me why the raileurope website is a load of crap and won't let me see anything for travelling in spain? Eurail isn't worth it in Spain anyways. It is cheaper to just buy tickets at the station. Spain's rail site sucks worse than their economy. You probably don't need to make reservations anyways. Just do it at the station if it is required. [Edit] Search here http://www.bahn.com/i/view/USA/en/index.shtml Omits-Bagels fucked around with this message at 05:43 on Dec 6, 2010 |
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Dec 6, 2010 05:13
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tyang209 posted:I'm going to amsterdam for two weeks from the 30th of December and I had a few questions. I think Cap One has the best credit card for international use. Although, you're only going to be in Europe for like a week so the amount of foreign transactions fees you rack up is going to be small (like $5).
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Dec 13, 2010 01:07
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tyang209 posted:Oh sorry I didn't clarify. I'm actually staying for about two weeks till January 12th. It's just that hostels are ridiculous for the days around New Years so I figure we might as well get an apartment which costs around 25-35 euros a night per person in amsterdam from checking websites like vrbo , crashpadder, and airbnb. It looks like you've checked out the most popular apartment rental sites. I would start contacting the people now because I'm sure apartment are going quickly. I did a post about apartment rentals in Europe on my website: http://thesavvybackpacker.com/678/guide-to-short-term-apartment-rental-europe-great-way-live-like-local/ But yeah, with a few people an apartment rental is a great idea.
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Dec 13, 2010 01:49
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Xanderg posted:So as of now I'm living in England studying for a year, right now it's our Winter break and I want to use these four weeks to travel. I was thinking about starting out small, within the U.K. and then branching out to Europe. However, the problem is that if I travel, it will be alone. My course of action was going to be: Use those extra days in London or Paris. You'll be fine traveling alone. I did it for like 6 weeks and I am just a wide-eyed Midwestern boy. New Europe tours can be good. The one I did in London was fine but I thought the Amsterdam one sucked (it all depends on the guide, though). One problem is that you can sometimes get in huge groups. I think we had something like 35 people in my group in London. Search out other guides on tripadvisor, too. London Walks has some excellent guides for 7 pounds and I found them to be better than the New Europe. And for accommodation, just go off hostelworld's ratings.
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Dec 14, 2010 03:55
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tyang209 posted:I found a great looking place that looks legitimate enough. payment upfront is pretty common. it sounds like you're paying in person so I'm sure it is fine.
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Dec 15, 2010 02:19
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Ziir posted:I say this all the time but once more, if you are a student or have a plastic student ID that clearly says "student" on it somewhere, bring it with you and always ask about a student discount. I guarantee every single museum has some kind of discount for students and none of which I've gone to cared that I didn't have an ISIC, and a lot of hostels I've been to gave me discounts for showing them my student ID as well (even if they don't advertise a discount). Except France. those jerks only take EU student IDs.
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Jan 11, 2011 04:06
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mrchina posted:Anybody know anything about the Eurail Global Pass? They have an option called the "Saver Pass" and they say it is shared by 2-5 people traveling together at all times good for 15 travel days. One pass is good for all the people in your group.
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Jan 11, 2011 04:07
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ChadBroChill17 posted:I just wanted to visit Switzerland. Would Bern or Geneva be more fun/less-expensive or should I just permanently axe it from the trip? If you want to do a lot of cool outdoors stuff then you should go to Interlaken, Switzerland. You can do everything from hiking to skydiving. I went parasailing and skydiving there.
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Jan 13, 2011 01:41
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Private Snowball posted:Have some questions about London. I'm going there for a wedding and will be staying January 31-February 5. I really only have from February 1-3 to myself though because of family and wedding stuff. 1.the oyster card is good forever. it is what locals use. You put money on it at the station/grocery stores and money is deducted out of your account when you pass through the turnstiles. 2. you can see all those things in 3 days. no problem. You could probably see it all in one day if you really wanted. 3. don't know anything about football.
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Jan 15, 2011 06:19
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Brokyn posted:
This is hilarious.
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Jan 23, 2011 20:37
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That lying bastard told my dad it was somewhere in Europe.
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GregNorc posted:So I have about 2-3 grand I can afford to blow on a vaction. I'm starting a PhD program inthe fall, so this is my last hurrah. I've never traveled much, just within the US and a couple trips to Niagara Falls. You can't go wrong with Europe. In your case, I would stick to two or three cities. London and Paris are great cities and they are really close. You can take the Eurostar train between the two cities in like 2.5 hours so travel time isn't even an issue. Then you can add another location that is close. You could fly into Dublin, spend four days in the city and the surrounding countryside, take a cheap flight into london and stay there for 5 days, and then take the 5:30am Eurostar into Paris, spend 4-5 days in Paris and fly out of Paris.
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Mar 6, 2011 03:05
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Ziir posted:I love beer. I love Belgian beer. I love Belgian beer more than anything else in this world. I'm planning on going on a beer tour through Belgium to profess my love for Belgian beer. Maybe I'll even go out and see something historical or museums or something, if the beer lets me, but my main goal is to drink as much Belgium beer as I can. I'm not looking to get drunk off of cheap beer and party cause I can just do that here in Germany. I want to sample and try out all sorts and types of Belgium beer, local beers, food cooked with beer, beer with fruits in it that Germans can't help but think I know there is a bar in Brussels that has like 2000 beers. [EDIT] http://www.deliriumcafe.be/
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Mar 7, 2011 04:51
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and make fun of, dubels, tripels, white beer, blonde beer, maybe even visit a Trappist brewery if I can (Chimay, I'd do anything for you 
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GLITTER AND GREASE posted:I love the idea of driving through quaint towns since I love the history and architecture of Europe, however; my younger sister is more focused on the main points. She's interested in the big cities and bright lights so to speak (she lives in a small city in Canada). Though I would love to go to Nice as that's where part of our family originates from. Big cities are a pain in the rear end to drive in. Every European of any size will have good/great public transportation. Just buy a railpass. Driving is going to suck and train are awesome.
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Mar 9, 2011 03:09
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GLITTER AND GREASE posted:We are going with railpasses we've decided! I don't mind walking places because I agree about getting to see a more local side of the places we go to. Right now we are looking at hostels and getting our hostel cards. As for England, I will be there this November for 2 weeks so that should be fun too. Don't waste your money on hostel cards. Just use https://www.hostelworld.com
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Mar 12, 2011 21:39
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GregNorc posted:Is it worth it for a 2 week trip, or should I just suck it up and use FB/aim on my iphone at wifi hotspots to coordinate stuff? You don't need a phone. Just use Skype over WiFi if you really need something. Or you can jailbreak and unlock your iPhone and just use an European SIM card. You can rent apartments for a week. I've seen stuff as little as 3 days. Try AirBnB.com for shorter term stuff.
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Mar 15, 2011 05:12
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GregNorc posted:Is it still fun traveling Europe if you're doing it alone? It is the most fun.
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Mar 17, 2011 04:22
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Enigma89 posted:I'm an American that will be moving to Marseille to get my masters. What do I need to know? I speak Spanish, German and English but very little French (my school is in English). Just buy a Marseille soccer jersey. You still might want to pickup some French... which shouldn't be to hard since you know Spanish.
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Mar 28, 2011 01:56
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Cascadia Pirate posted:I am going to be in Wroclaw, Poland for two or three days in April. The guidebooks I have only cover the larger Polish cities (Warsaw, Krakow) so I was wondering if anyone had been here? I was hoping to find a good hostel to stay in, see the sights in town and in the surrounding area and drinking Polish beer. Any recommendations? Check hostelworld for a good hostel. You might find this guide helpful... http://www.inyourpocket.com/poland/wroclaw
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Apr 1, 2011 03:08
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Suntory BOSS posted:Assumed like an idiot that it'd be easy to find a hotel in Amsterdam, but it looks like everything is booked or above our budget ($90-$120 per night). Try http://www.airbnb.com/
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Apr 2, 2011 01:12
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Magic Underwear posted:Ok, it is about 36 hours until my flight into Athens, my first time out of the country since I was about 11. I'm armed with a 3-month global Eurail pass, and my return flight is about 14 weeks from now. I've got my (one, carry-on sized) bag packed and I think I've covered most of my bases, but I'm still nervous. Read my website: https://www.thesavvybackpacker.com
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Apr 2, 2011 16:17
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Matty D posted:This is totally great, thank you! I never used a money belt. They are just a pain in the rear end. I kept my really important stuff locked up in the hostel and my cash/credit cards in my wallet.
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Apr 3, 2011 16:28
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duralict posted:European megathread people, I am going to London in two weeks and I have no idea what the gently caress I'm doing, or how I'm getting to France afterwards. Is there any cheap option that I can book more or less on the spot? Travel time isn't an issue - I've got scads of time. Buying any type if last minute transportation in Europe is going to cost a fortune. You can actually get some good rates on Eurostar tickets from London to Paris if you buy a month+ in advance. I was able to get a ticket for about the same price as a budget airline ticket. Buy your ticket from a brithsh or french rail site. Sometimes it will redirect you to the N. American version but don't let it (you'll get charged extra).
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Apr 3, 2011 16:48
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Matty D posted:Did you keep your passport locked up? I suppose I could walk around with a photocopy of it just in case. I never felt any reason to carry my passport.
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Apr 4, 2011 02:05
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duralict posted:Well, I got the Eurail pass, so in theory I can do some last-minute moving around without shelling out much extra, right? I gather there are surcharges and such in France and Italy and that it doesn't cover the Eurostar lines, though, and when I looked up Eurostar prices I was pretty amazed at what they charge for a 2 hour train trip. I guess I don't have much choice, though, and I should pretty much buy it right now? What kind of eurostar ticket prices are you seeing? I think I paid 41 Euros for a one way ticket. What are your travel dates?
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Apr 4, 2011 05:47
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