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geera posted:Yeah that's what I figured. So of the three cities I mentioned, you would drop Dublin/Ireland in general? Why? Europe isn't that complicated. Have you even flown in a plane in the US? Perfect, you've acquired all the skills you need to navigate Europe. But seriously, millions of people each year travel between the cities you've listed so the transportation links are well established. I really recommend that you stick to two locations. People really underestimate how much time transportation eats into your travel time. If you Booking a hotel isn't difficult... everything is online. Just check out trip adviser. Also, forget renting a car. You don't need one and they are expensive. Just take trains and/or planes (they're super easy to use. Honest). Plus, driving in any major city is going to be wayyy more difficult than using public transportation. But if you want to keep it simple then just do London and Paris. Book your hotels ahead of time and use the subways to get around the city. Easy. I'm more than willing to help if you have more questions.
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Apr 12, 2011 03:51
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Lady Gaza posted:Booked a last minute trip to Paris with my girlfriend, we're there for 4 nights. I'm looking into accommodation and was wondering about areas to stay in; any recommendations? We both like walking so somewhere fairly central would probably be best. We're probably going to go fairly cheap and get a private room in a hostel. If we do decide to spend a bit more money, what was the name of that website where you can rent apartments? A private hostel room in Paris will probably cost just as much as a hotel. Check out AirBnB.com
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Apr 19, 2011 01:23
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GregNorc posted:So I'm looking into how I'll go from Paris to London... the Eurostar seems to be really expensive (£75 for a one way ticket?! And that's if I go "non-flexible" - it jumps to about £150 if I want to get a refund if I can't make the train for some reason) We got our tickets for like $60 but we got them a good month ahead of time. What website are you using?
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Jun 4, 2011 16:54
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goldboilermark posted:What is the general consensus on Ryanair? I saw a 15 Euro flight from Porto to Madrid. Is there a catch here or is it really just that cheap? The catch is to know how Ryanair works. Here is a write up I did... http://thesavvybackpacker.com/675/ryanair-survival-guide-tips-for-flying-ryanair/ I've never had any problems with them.
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Jun 12, 2011 04:10
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goldboilermark posted:Haha holy poo poo, that looks like a disaster. I have four and a half months, I guess I'll stick to buses and trains. Probably more enjoyable that way anyway. Thanks for that great write up! Ryanair isn't bad. It looks like Porto to Madrid is around a 10 hour bus ride. I would probably rather deal with the flight than take a 10 hour bus ride that costs 3x as much. The key to Ryanair is to not check bags, arrive on time and know where the airports are actually located. If you know this stuff you'll be fine.
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Jun 12, 2011 06:30
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tourgon posted:Me and two friends will be doing a road trip through Europe starting from the UK on the 17th of June and getting to Greece on the 26th-27th. Our itinerary at the moment looks something like this You'll spend more time traveling than you will visiting places.
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Jun 13, 2011 13:53
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I work in Paris for a vacation apartment rental company and I recommend a rental apartment over a hotel. Our website sucks (I'm pushing for a complete redesign ASAP) but we have good reviews on the big rental sites. https://www.feelslikehomeinparis.com Check out http://www.spottedbylocals.com/paris/ and http://paris.unlike.net/ for more "youthful" things to do in Paris. And I always recommend walking tours. Also, in Paris/France its considered rude for waiters to check up on you all the time. You have to get their attention to get service.
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Oct 1, 2011 19:30
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Ras Het posted:No way. Yeah, I know it's hard to believe. But, even if I didn't work for a rental company, I would still recommend an apartment over a hotel. Plus, they'd be able to meet a real-live Yankee goon that works in Paris.
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Oct 1, 2011 20:50
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Feenix posted:I'm in Paris for 3 more nights of my honeymoon and have (mostly) been eating at streetside cafe bistro dealies. Good enough food, but a bit cookiecutter for such a gastronomic place. I'd love a recommendation for a nice restaurant that I can take the wife ( that doesn't have a huge waitlist or will cost a small fortune.) My boss's husband is a chef and this is a restaurant he recommends. It's affordable but good. I've yet to go but I pan on going soon. You might want to call a day or two ahead for dinner. La Table d'Eugene 18 rue Eugene Sue Paris 75018 Tel: 01 42 55 61 64 I found this write-up about it: http://parisbymouth.com/la-table-deugene/
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Oct 18, 2011 21:07
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Farecoal posted:Is it true that water systems (tap water) in most of Europe are really bad? Like so bad people in France usually drink wine over water? It doesn't true to me but I heard it from family members. I live in Paris (originally from Missouri) and I think the water is fine here.
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Dec 27, 2011 19:10
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Red7 posted:For the best savings, especially on the UK train network, make sure you buy your tickets in utero. This isn't actually true. All you really need to do is have your parents buy your tickets right before they have sex and conceive you. Worked for me and I saved 25€.
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Feb 27, 2012 09:18
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Talas posted:I'm planning to travel to Europe for around two weeks (17 days total) next July. I have two options right now; it's between travelling Paris->Brussels->Amsterdam->Bonn->Frankfurt->Paris or doing Munich->Vienna->Budapest->Belgrade->Zagreb->Munich. Maybe I'll try to visit a couple of cities close to some of those if I have the chance, but I think both lists are good enough. I visited Frankfurt and you should skip it.
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Mar 1, 2012 19:45
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Gold and a Pager posted:Anyone know of any good/cheap hotel or hostels in Paris (or a good apartment rental site)? Hostels in Paris tend to suck so I'd just go for the "best" one you find on hostelworld.com How many people are in your group or are you traveling alone. I know a few apartment rental companies that might be worth checking out if you have a few people in your group (I work at an apartment rental company in Paris).
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Mar 5, 2012 20:27
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I'm hoping you might be able to help me a bit. I currently live in Paris and my parents and sister are coming from the US to visit. They're going to spend 6-7 days in Paris and then we're wanting to visit Switzerland for 2.5-3 days (this is all the time I can get off work). We're not sure where to go in Switzerland. I've only been to Interlaken but my parents are not exactly big into outdoor sports (but they do like being in nature and all that jazz). I've already ruled out Geneva Zurich as they seem a bit boring but that is about it. Any ideas of where to visit?
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Mar 27, 2012 20:18
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professor muthafukkah posted:So I have read through this whole thread and found a bunch of useful stuff, but I figure it wont hurt to post my itinerary and see what you goons think. As mentioned before, Paris hostels are crap. I'm not sure why as the city is the top tourist destination in the world. But there are only a handful of hostels and they all get pretty crappy reviews. I'm sure it has to do with the super high housing prices. I stayed here: http://www.aloha.fr/ and the place was ok. I mean, I've stayed in worse places but it was still near the bottom of the list. Don't expect much peace but I'm sure it is fine if you just want a place to sleep. But honestly, you should really look at airbnb.com. I actually work with an apartment rental company in Paris but I booked a place for my parents through airbnb. You can actually find some pretty nice places for a reasonable price on the site. Look at it this way, you're going to pay probably 65-80€/night in a hostel (for the two of you) and you're still going to be in a room with 4-10 other people. But through AirBnB you can get a private apt. (so you have have the sex and stuff) for anywhere between 45-100€/night. Take this place for example: http://www.airbnb.com/rooms/39396, I found this after looking for like 5 minutes. It is in a cool area and you'll feel much more like a "local".
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Apr 24, 2012 16:24
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Akion posted:Right now I make about $60K USD. There is also a pay I live in Paris with my wife and only make about 2200€/month combined (after taxes) and we get along fine. Granted, we live pretty simply and can't really put anything away in savings but you'll be able to get along fine with your salary.
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Apr 30, 2012 07:58
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Mikey Purp posted:Yes, I am going to Belgium on this trip, however that doesn't really answer my original question. I am specifically interested in trying French craft beer. Surely there's at least one craft beer bar in all of Paris. After living in Paris for 10 months I've discovered that you should never assume anything about Paris because you will be wrong. But check out this link: http://beeradvocate.com/beerfly/city/50
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Jun 29, 2012 22:13
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Orillion posted:Oh, and about having drinks: there are bars and pubs pretty much everywhere, but good spots in which they're clustered are rue Mouffetard (5th Arr), Bastille (on the 11th Arr side), rue Oberkampf (11th Arr), or along the St Martin canal (10th Arr). Since you're sleeping in the 15th Arr, have a look at the Edgar Quinet subway, there are plenty of restaurants and bars nearby. I live in the 11th (about 2 blocks away from rue Oberkamf and Orillion is right. I suggest buying some beer and drinking on the Canal St. Martin. There are always tons of people there at night (when the weather is warm). Are you French Orillion or do you just know a lot about Paris? Omits-Bagels fucked around with this message at 22:24 on Aug 23, 2012 |
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Aug 23, 2012 22:21
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Orillion posted:I'm French, and have been living in Paris for nearly 10 years now. There's so much to see here (but then again, i suppose the same can be said about many cities: once you're living in it, you can see tons of things you wouldn't expect when just visiting). My wife and I moved to Paris from the US about a year ago. My french is terrible and I'm always looking for someone to practice with. What part of the city do you live in?
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Aug 27, 2012 17:53
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Orillion posted:I'm no longer living in Paris strictly speaking, but in Pantin, which is the immediate suburb right beyond La Villette park. Real estate price, you know... What about you? Yeah, prices here are crazy. We live by the St. Ambroise metro station which is in the 11th. I love this neighborhood. I am 5 minutes to Oberkampf and 15 minutes to the canal.
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Aug 29, 2012 21:37
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Boris Galerkin posted:I'm going to Paris for a day–trip this weekend with a friend. Neither of us has been there before, and we're only going for the day, what are some fun things to do? Touristy or not, doesn't matter, we just don't want to spend the entire day in a museum (so we're probably not going to even consider the Louvre this time around). And what are some delicious places to eat that are cheap? I'm an American that has been living in Paris for a little over a year so I'll give you my advice. For a day you're only going to be able to see a few things. I would skip the museums as it just won't be worth your time. The best thing about Paris is walking around and seeing all the cool buildings/monuments/etc. I would start at Notre Dame and walk around there. Check out the Hotel de Ville, Marais and Pompidou Museum (just the area around the museum is cool). Then walk along the river toward the Eiffel Tower. On the way you'll pass the Louvre (walk around the outside and the grounds but don't go in). Continue walking by the river and you'll come across all kinds of other cool things along the way. Make little detours along the way if something seems interesting. Some people really like Montmartre but it is away from the "center" of the city. But the Paris metro is very good so it isn't really much of a problem. If the weather is nice I suggest having a picnic. You can get a good sandwich at a bakery but beware that bakeries become pretty scarce around the touristy areas. Ohh and skip the Catacombs. It isn't worth your time (especially if you only have a day in the city). If you do want to go, get there 30 minutes before it opens or you're going to spend hours in line. Trust me. But I still recommend skipping it. I also recommend not going up the Eiffel Tower. The view isn't that great from the top. You're probably going to find pretty low quality (and very expensive) food near the tourist places. If you want a good yet affordable meal you're going to have to venture where the locals live. I always recommend ParisByMouth.com for some good tips on places to eat.
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Oct 12, 2012 19:08
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Is Berlin in Mid-November a dumb idea? My wife and I are wanting to plan a 4-5 day vacation that is (fairly) near to Paris. It looks like an interesting city and we've both never been.
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Oct 22, 2012 08:32
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Landsknecht posted:it's a good time, as there's no longer the summer tourists so you can actually go to clubs. Also all the museums are less crowded and still good, so highly worth it. We're not into clubs. Can we still have a good time?
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Oct 22, 2012 21:51
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MiracleToaster posted:My wife wants to go to Paris for a couple of weeks to work for a game company as a concept artist and illustrator. We've known the founder for several years now and they have offered to have the company take care of obtaining a work permit for her. Roadblocks and France. haha. I moved to Paris with my wife about 14 months ago (we are both US Citizens) so I had to go through all this. It will take 6-8 weeks to get all her initial paperwork/visa sorted so that she has the right to work in France. She isn't technically supposed to work here until this is all approved. You can visit for three months without a visa (and work illegally) but if you do this you will have to return to the US to get the visa (you can only get it from the US). My memory is a little fuzzy but basically her work has to draw up a contract and send it to the French dept of immigration. That dept has to approve it and then they send the approved work contract to the French consulate near your home (Chicago, NYC, Dallas (or somewhere in TX), etc). You then make an appointment and visit your region's consulate. Then you leave your passport there and they issue you a temp. visa. Depending on your consulate, you either have to come back a week later to pick it up or they mail it back to you. Once you have this you can enter the wonderful country of France. Once in Paris you have to go register yourself with the dept of immigration and submit a poo poo load of paperwork. Birth certificates, marriage documents (all translated into French), maybe proof of residence in France, passport photos, and a bunch of other stuff. She'll wait in line for 6 hours before she talks to someone. She'll get her number called, she'll hand over her paperwork, she'll probably get scolded because she is missing something that they never said you needed and they'll issue her a temporary document that says "this person has the right to work in France." This will be good for three months and they'll give you an appointment with a different govt office about 2 months down the road. You don't get to choose your date/time and you can't miss these appointments. Somewhere in all this paperwork you have to schedule a medical appointment to get a chest x-ray after you arrive in France to test for TB. I hope your wife doesn't get embarrassed about being topless in front of some mean French nurse but she better get used to it. After this you get a document that says you're healthy. You'll need this document to continue the application for the right to work/live in France. At the next meeting she'll have to hand over a bunch of other paperwork (and all the other paperwork you've turned in before). They'll stamp stuff and issue her another temporary document that says she has the right to work (assuming she has all the correct paperwork). Normally I think she'll come back in 3 months to get a physical card (carte de sejour) — which is pretty much the equivalent of an US green card. This card might be good for only a few months at first but then it eventually become valid for a full year. She'll have to reapply every year if you plan on staying a long time. Also, prepare to wait 3-4 hours at each of these meetings. The French Government makes the DMV look like a well-oiled machine. Just be she has all the paperwork required at each meeting. In fact, take many copies of everything and take things that you think you might need — even if they don't ask for it. Ohh, and do you all speak French? I didn't speak very much when I went through this and it was difficult but I managed. One lady yelled at me and said "we're not translators for you" but whatever. Basically, France is a paperwork nightmare. Something will go wrong with somewhere down the line but you just have to go with the flow and roll with the punches. What about you? How do you plan on staying in France? We're leaving in Feb so we're looking for someone to take over our apt. Plus, my landlord is American and she is cool.
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Nov 24, 2012 17:43
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MiracleToaster posted:I was afraid France would be a shitload of paperwork, one of my friends made a joking comment about it and I wondered how much truth it contained. She probably won't have trouble getting things approved but she will still have to do a ton of paperwork and spend hours waiting in government waiting rooms. But this is what all foreigners have to go through. As long as you follow directions everything will be fine. The people who have the most problems are the people who think everything should be like how they do it in the US. You're just setting yourself up for disappointment if you have this attitude. I would try to live in the city. Paris is great but commuting everyday will suck (and I imagine it will be expensive). How much will your wife make? We pay about 900€/month for a 25m2 apt.
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Nov 25, 2012 15:21
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Hopefully it won't be too bad though, the company that wants her to work has supposedly already started the papers for her work permit.
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Saladman posted:Lille is more like 3 hours from Paris. I can't imagine her friend actually commutes from Lille to Paris--not only would that be insanely far, but Lille isn't really that nice unless you're Erasmus-student-aged. You have to turn in all the paperwork to the consulate in-person. But Lille is 1 hour via train from Paris. That is station to station. You'll have to add extra time to get from the station to work. Either way, I would still try to live in the city.
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Nov 25, 2012 15:26
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Limastock posted:
Ha, I think I stayed at the Carpe Noctem Hostel when I visited Budapest in like 2006. I seem to remember that one of the workers hooked up with a guest. But everyone seemed friendly and helpful. I seem to remember that the layout of the hostel was pretty cool.
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Jan 21, 2013 11:47
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Konig posted:This is probably the most related thread to what I want to know: Going to Ireland for two semesters, January to December as part of my university degree. This surrounds the "summer" break, such as it is (coming from Australia), is it going to be an issue if I want to maybe see the rest of the British Isles? How freely can I travel between the countries - do I need to organise this at the same time as I'm organising the main Irish trip, or can I do it once I'm over there, or can I just head over the border no questions asked? I believe you can be in the UK for up to 6 months without needing any kind of visa. You just need your passport.
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Mar 23, 2013 19:13
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Mr.AARP posted:Looking for hostel recommendations in: Hostels in Pairs are all kind of crap. I'd just go to hostelworld and see what gets the best rating. I know there is a hostel in the 18th district http://www.hostelworld.com/hosteldetails.php/Square-Caulaincourt/Paris/2193 I stayed there like 5 years ago and I worked on that street when I lived in Pairs. The Neighborhood is cool. It is bit out of the city center though. No idea of the quality but these two hostels are probably in the best locations: http://www.hostelworld.com/hosteldetails.php/Hostel-des-2-Empereurs/Paris/63161 http://www.hostelworld.com/hosteldetails.php/Young-and-Happy/Paris/607 Here is a guide I wrote about staying in hostels. Feel free to check it out. http://thesavvybackpacker.com/hostels-in-europe-guide/
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Apr 16, 2013 03:44
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Mr.AARP posted:Oh sweet Jesus that site is awesome! I'll definitely look into it. If you know you're going to be there then I would just book it now. July is the busy season so things tend book up around that time. Generally, you're safe if you book about a week in advance (although there are a lot of concerts and things that time of year so hostels book up for those events). And if you click on the link to hostelworld on that article and book, I'll get a small commission. Feel free to click around and read the other articles.
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Apr 17, 2013 04:47
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Thoguh posted:When I went there last year the line to take the elevator to the first level was several hours long. The line to walk to the first level was like 15 minutes long. So we walked up to the first level and still were able to take the elevator to the top after only a few minute's wait. Cheaper too. Two of the elevators were broken. They were broken for over a year and for all I know they still are.
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Apr 19, 2013 04:16
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Boris Galerkin posted:Any suggestions for a nice romantic place to eat dinner in Paris? I would say probably under 50€/person is what I'd like to keep it at. When I lived in Paris the La Table d'Eugene was one of my favorite restaurants. My wife and I went there for out first anniversary and she still talks about that meal. It is a great little place that is out of the tourist areas. I worked in tourism and we reccomended this place to all our guests. Everyone loved the place. They speak English there but I recommend calling ahead to make a reservation because they only have like 10 tables so it fills up quickly. http://parisbymouth.com/la-table-deugene/ Omits-Bagels fucked around with this message at 04:23 on Apr 19, 2013 |
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Apr 19, 2013 04:21
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PlantHead posted:Milka is German. I went to Jungfrau in July and I still couldn't see more than 5 feet in front of me.
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Apr 24, 2013 14:31
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LaserWash posted:From everything I hear, you are right. The last place we stayed had above average ratings from LOTS of people on TripAdvisor. It turned out to be a 2-star rated roach motel. We were given an opportunity to look in the rooms to fit our level of comfort and picked the one that least smelled like smoke and appeared cleanest. Even then, the comforter smelled like poop (literally) and when we informed the guy at the front desk that half our lamps were working in the room, he just shrugged with a "what am I supposed to do?" look on his face. I lived in Paris for 18 months and only experienced one or two strikes that impacted travelers. One was a single day taxi strike and another was a train strike that limited train service. But yeah, the service often leaves a lot to be desired — especially in cheaper hotels. I always recommend renting an apartment from AirBnB or something similar. Paris is my favorite city but maybe I am just biased.
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May 23, 2013 15:12
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Saladman posted:You poor bastard. I hope you're going to Paris for work somewhere near that, and not going to Paris for tourism, since there's nothing even remotely close. Either way I hope you're staying near Gallieni metro stop, because otherwise I don't think there's any way to get around (does Paris have buses?? Jesus I've spent a lot of time there and don't think I've ever seen one, but I guess they must have them?) I'm sure the area will be fine but I'd rater find a place in the city. There is a big grocery store at the Gallieni metro stop that we went to a few times but I wouldn't want to spend any extended time there.
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Jun 1, 2013 04:21
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Kolta posted:The hotel is Novotel Est. it's about a 5 minute walk to the metro. I'm only there for 5 days. My flight home leaves from paris. You'll be fine. You're close to the metro and it will bring you to the center of the city in like 15 minutes. You won't be spending much time at the hotel anyways.
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Jun 1, 2013 15:19
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Saladman posted:Yeah, that's a great price. Even if you were going in February that'd be good. Should be reasonably convenient next to Gallieni, I guess I was a bit dramatic in my first reply. Also completely agree about hostels vs. hotel at some point. Enjoy. Paris has a ton of buses but it seems to be mainly used by old people (since it is much easier to use than the metro). I rode them all the time but the metro is much more convenient.
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Jun 2, 2013 14:45
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Kolta posted:Hey goons, I've stumbled onto a problem. Maybe it's easily fixed, maybe not. I'd just fill it in yourself.
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Jun 3, 2013 22:32
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pylb posted:Parisians don't wear shorts in Paris. When I lived in Paris I rarely saw anyone other than tourists wearing shorts. That said, just wear well-fitting shorts if you want. No one cares what you look like.
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Jun 13, 2013 06:11
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I did the trip about 6 months ago. We rented a car from the Gare du Nord and had no problems. Tip: learn how to drive a manual transmission and you'll save a ton of money compared to renting an auto. Anyways, I'd try to stay overnight in Normandy but you can probably do it in a (long) day. Using public transportation out there is going to be a huge pain in the rear end. Trust me. The only way to go from beach to beach is with a car. Make sure you have an GPS because some of those roads can be a bit confusing.
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Jul 25, 2013 04:41
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