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HookShot posted:Go to a grocery store, get picnic stuff, spend the day in the gardens at Versailles. We used to do it when I was a kid. 1000% this. I've been to Paris either 8 or 9 times (I've lost count) and this is my #1 favorite thing to do.
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May 19, 2022 21:55
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Julio Cruz posted:this sounds nightmarish Yeah, the wife and I did 3 days in Rome -> 2 days in Bologna (side trip to Ravenna) -> 2 days in Salzburg -> 3 days in Munich and we were wiped the gently caress out before the end, and that itinerary is nowhere near as ambitious as Spelling Mistake's. But I hope SM has fun anyway!
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Jul 12, 2022 16:27
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Drone posted:Picking up smoking while on European vacation is certainly a choice I did when I was 16 and they were sold in vending machines in Germany. But I quit as soon as I got back to the States 'cause it's a lot harder to buy smokes when you're underage and they aren't in vending machines.
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Jul 19, 2022 14:31
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runawayturtles posted:Despite my best efforts to actually do this in advance for once, my wife and I are planning another last-minute trip, this time to Spain in about a month. Here's the rough plan: My wife and I did Rome->Bologna->Ravenna->Salzburg->Munich over 11 days by train and while we had the time of our lives we were loving exhausted and agreed to never do anything like that again. Wished we’d had more time at every stop. Definitely recommending cutting 2-3 stops out and staying longer at the ones you do visit.
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Sep 6, 2022 13:07
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runawayturtles posted:And yeah, the train rides are pretty short, so I don't know, it doesn't seem that exhausting to me. Maybe writing "Train to x" for a day is unclear that it's only a couple hours at most and we have the rest of the day to spend in the destination city. But yeah, it does seem expensive... do people not usually take trains visiting these cities? It looks like certain flights can be slightly cheaper and obviously shorter, but with added time at airports it probably doesn't save much. I guess a rental car is an option, but then we have to deal with parking everywhere. All the trains we took in the itinerary I posted except for Ravenna to Salzburg (it was actually Bologna to Salzburg) were only a few hours each, it just adds up. Sightseeing trips are already kinda exerting, think about having to repack everything and lugging around your...luggage so much. And it does eat up a lot of time. Trust me, we thought the same thing: "Oh, it's just a hop, skip, and a jump away, no biggie!" Yeah, once or twice. Not as often as we did. Almost all train stations will have luggage lockers, but you should Google each station individually just to be sure. Oftentimes they're not literal lockers and more like cloakrooms with open hours, so if you want to drop off or (heaven forbid) pick up your luggage after hours, you're possibly gonna be poo poo outta luck.
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Sep 6, 2022 17:28
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Jerry Manderbilt posted:if I have a week in Munich is it worth earmarking a day to go to Neuschwanstein? I'd bet getting a guided tour since I wouldn't have a car. It's pretty cool, but if it means bumping something else you're interested in I'd pass just to spare the cost and travel time. Not at all the same thing but if you're looking for an excursion Dachau was incredible.
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Sep 7, 2022 19:59
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kiimo posted:After spending two days in Munich I am not super sure what you'd do for a whole week but maybe I just didn't do enough research and explore things that don't have to do with drinking. The Glyptothek has the best collection of Greco-Roman antiquities north of the Alps, if you're into that kind of thing. But yeah, Munich is definitely a city where you go to just vibe for a while. Which means hanging out in biergartens.
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Sep 8, 2022 15:14
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WaryWarren posted:I really miss drinking at Augustiner Bräu Kloster Mülln. So if you're into beer halls and serviceable food, it's pretty good. It's at the opposite end of the Mönchsberg trail network from the old town, so it's a good way to walk off the calories. Was going to recommend this. Wonderful biergarten. And as far as the walking goes, it's all along the river so it's loving beautiful to see and experience the rest of Salzburg living outdoors.
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Oct 27, 2022 15:29
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Electric Wrigglies posted:That just sounds like you care too much what other people think of what you look like. As long as you dress respectfully of local norms, no one cares if they even notice. If going somewhere cold, a nice warm jacket, neat button down long sleeve shirts and jeans are no problem to take for a light packer. Agreed you can't do too much souvenir shopping but for me that is a feature, not a bug (or buy a bag for the return journey like you suggest). Anecdotal and niche so I won’t overgeneralize but having been to Paris many times, often as part of a tour group my family led, how you dress definitely has an effect on how people interact with you. Many Parisians will not give the time of day to shlubbily-dressed tourists, and scam artists/pickpockets single such people out. It’s easy to avoid the thieves if you know what you’re doing but it’s better to just blend in in my experience. More than once a Parisian has mistaken my wife and I for locals and when they figure out we’re Americans they do the Looney Tunes thing where they run away so fast there’s a little wispy outline of themselves where they used to be. Like dressing in white trainers and a windbreaker won’t ruin your trip but also sticking out like a sore thumb does have consequences that can wear on you. And at least while I was around the other people in our group weren’t doing the usual American thing of “being really loud” that would explain negative interactions. I did my best to keep us on good behavior. Judgy Fucker fucked around with this message at 14:05 on Jan 30, 2023 |
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Jan 30, 2023 13:47
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WithoutTheFezOn posted:The white sneakers part I get, and have heard that mentioned for decades. But windbreakers are US-centric? What’s the European solution for waterproof light jacket then? I won't claim to be an expert on Parisian culture or anything, but based on my experiences from (I think) 9 trips there, almost all in March: most Parisians dress in neutral sweaters regardless of the weather. Sunny and in the 60s F? Sweater. Cloudy and in the 40s? Sweater. Raining? Sweater with umbrella. Wearing anything that isn't black, charcoal, or dark brown immediately pegs you as a tourist. Also Parisians wear nice shoes all the time. Judgy Fucker fucked around with this message at 16:12 on Jan 30, 2023 |
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Jan 30, 2023 16:09
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Likewise I haven’t been to Paris since 2015 or ‘16, and sheesh yeah that was 7-8 years ago now that I think about it. It’d be surprising if trends hadn’t changed.
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Jan 30, 2023 17:52
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Chieves posted:Hello everyone, It honestly doesn't sound like you have the time for it but if you can manage, St. Paul's Outside-the-Walls is absolutely beautiful and fascinating as a fellow history dork. The story of it being "outside the [Aurelianic] walls" is because it's built on the purported site of Paul of Tarsus' tomb, and necropoli were things that were not built inside cities. I won't speculate on the authenticity of it, but supposing it is in fact his final resting place, it's really quite awe-inspiring to be in the presence of the dude who basically invented Christianity. I'm secular, but seeing pilgrims pray to him definitely evoked some strong and complicated feelings in me. Also, it was far and away the quietest place my wife and I visited in Rome so if you're wanting to escape the crowds make a trip out there.
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Feb 28, 2023 01:00
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kiimo posted:If you can get the special tour you can actually go down and see St Peter's grave under the basilica gently caress, I'm sad we missed that! As much as I love Ancient Rome stuff we're probably never going back to Rome. Way too anarchic and crazy for us, and of the various major cities I've visited in Europe--London, Paris, Rome, Munich, and Berlin--it was far and away the most touristy. Honestly felt more like a theme park than an actual city people live in. I know that's not literally true of course, just our perceptions of it. We spent a day in Bologna that was fantastic, and our day trip to Ravenna is one of the more cherished memories I have of all my travels. But I could take or leave Rome.
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Mar 1, 2023 16:50
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I just remember getting off a night train from Bologna to Salzburg, we were loving exhausted, not just from normal tourist stuff but just from all the craziness in general. The first thing we do is drop our bags off, then we head over to the Maribel Gardens and there's a placard with like a dozen rules listed on it and thinking "finally, we are with our own people." And yeah I'm not trying to poo poo on Rome, obviously the issue is us, not it. It's just not for us 
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Mar 2, 2023 18:51
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I do not work in IT, no, though this is not the first time someone has compared me to Dwight (never watched a second of The Office btw) which I'm sure is a testament to my impeccable character. Think more like Walter in The Big Lebowski flipping the gently caress out and screaming "Doesn't anyone give a poo poo about the rules?!?!?!" That's the dude behind the keyboard.
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Mar 2, 2023 19:02
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Julio Cruz posted:oh yeah church fatigue is 100% a thing, if you rush around trying to see everything in one visit you won't even remember most of the stuff you saw after about day 3 Think this is pretty good tourism advice in general. Depending on where you're going, you're just not going to be able to cover a city within a given time frame. Nobody should feel obligated to try and see all the "musts" in any given place--do some research ahead of time and stick to what you want to do. It's like visiting the Louvre: if you go and try to hit the "highlights" I think you're more than likely to just wind up hating the experience. Figure out which collection you most want to see and just hang out there for a few hours.
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Mar 3, 2023 22:59
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I am a good/heavy sleeper and my one experience on a sleeper train was not good. Private cabin for my wife and I, on a six hour train got maybe two hours’ sleep total. It was nice to have the travel time overnight to get full days of sightseeing on either side but do not recommended if you can avoid.
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Mar 21, 2023 12:00
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dphi posted:Will be in Salzburg, Austria for ~3 weeks for work next month, open to any suggestions for stuff to do on the weekends. I'll have a car as well so if there's something worth making a drive for, I'd be interested in that as well. Places to avoid, restaurants to visit, etc., appreciate any info! I know it's pretty cliche to just go straight to beer but the Augustiner bräu beer hall & garden is fantastic. My wife and I stayed in the old town when we visited, and it's about a 30-minute walk to and from there, but the walk was along the river and it was so pleasant going there, seeing Salzburgers living life outdoors, getting a few drinks in a communal setting, then walking back and people-watching again. If I was going to be in Salzburg for three weeks I'd probably spend an inordinate amount of time there. The Mozart museum was interesting, though small. Budget maybe an hour for it.
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Apr 7, 2023 12:48
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Chewbecca posted:Easy Jet has 'rescheduled' my Venice to Paris flight from 11am(ish) to 7 in the frigging morning Easy Jet doesn't sound so easy
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Apr 19, 2023 12:46
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brunch with yr parents posted:This is great reading all the thread to dream about future trips! If you read this in time, do some research about what you want to see. You may know the Louvre is big, but you really don’t grasp it until you’re inside. Nothing wrong with hitting up the “big 3” if you want, but two of the three are pretty underwhelming to me. I suggest choosing one collection and going as deep in it as you are able, otherwise you’re going to feel rushed trying to see “everything” (which would take several days to actually do). Also, if it’s the last day of a trip, spare yourself some energy during the day—again, big museum, lot of walking.
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Jun 30, 2023 03:14
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Thomamelas posted:Yeah, I gave myself two full days to see the Louvre and I still felt like I didn't give some things the attention I wanted to. My wife and I have half-seriously talked about a “louvre only” trip for ~5 days, but it feels silly even talking about it ‘cause Paris just has so much to see and do, spending 40 hours in just one building seems absurd. Thing is, the louvre is an absurd building.
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Jul 6, 2023 17:57
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kru posted:Have you considered Scotland, the better England I’m under the impression that equating Scotland with England in any way could be construed as fightin’ words in some parts
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Jul 24, 2023 15:33
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When I travel in Europe I keep my wallet in one of my front pockets with my hand on the wallet, in my pocket, while in crowded conditions. If they can get my wallet from me with my hand on it, they can have it. My father got pickpocketed on the Paris Metro back in the '90s, took his cash and threw the wallet in the trash. Police found it sitting right there on the pile of garbage, all his credit cards and IDs intact, just money gone.
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Aug 30, 2023 22:02
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DanTheFryingPan posted:How is Uber not the same thing as a taxi from a customer's point of view, exactly? With Uber the fare is determined and collected via a singular app. The driver is not part of that process. With traditional taxis the fare is determined by a meter inside the car that can be hosed with (specifically, turned off) and you pay either the driver directly or via some payment mechanism in the car. So you really can't get scammed by using Uber specifically but taxi drivers can and do pull poo poo like turning the meter off and telling you the price will be much more than is advertised.
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Sep 21, 2023 14:57
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For anyone else reading this thread looking for Europe travel advice: please don’t jump in front of speeding taxis just to prove a point.
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Sep 22, 2023 12:33
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I hate fun and love alive goons, what can I say?
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Sep 22, 2023 15:11
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Tour for the Vatican is a must, reiterating what Shartre (lol) said. The Vatican is a total clusterfuck of humanity and being with a sanctioned tour helps cut through the morass of tourists. For the Coliseum and Forum, either way. We booked a tour for them, but toward the end of the Coliseum our guide had a panic attack that lasted at least 20 minutes because he couldn't find two people in the group before we told him we were bouncing and started looking around ourselves.
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Apr 2, 2024 14:59
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Petanque posted:On the topic of Italy, I recently booked a trip for mid-October, getting a steep discount on business class seats (just under twice the price of economy!). I'll be there for two weeks, planning to spend half my time and Rome and the other half out of Florence. My question is about the latter; I had plans on going to other towns in Tuscany while I was there, but I don't drive and would need to take buses/trains to get around. I have Siena/Lucca on places to consider, any other suggestions on where to go for someone based in Florence with no car? Ravenna might be a bit far for train or bus (outside Tuscany, but certainly not an impossible side quest), wife and I did a day trip to there from Bologna a few years back and it was absolutely worth it. By far the largest collection of extant buildings from the 5th-7th centuries anywhere in Europe, including the only Ostrogothic structure still in existence. If you're into Ancient Rome and/or medieval history it's a bucket list town.
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Apr 4, 2024 18:30
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Hedgehog Pie posted:As an art fan, I love the Louvre, but my big tips are: buy your ticket in advance and use the underground entrance in the Carrousel du Louvre as early as possible. It opens, I believe, at 9am. This is the entrance connected to the metro station via a series of underground passageways through a supposedly fancy shopping mall (it's not that fancy, despite what some want you to think), right by the inverted glass pyramid. Don't take any big bags or anything that might need to be checked, because you go through airport-styled security when you enter. You can usually get to the top floor of the Denon Wing, which is where the Italian Renaissance art (including the Mona Lisa) is, fairly quickly this way, before the crowds get too stupid. Based on multiple visits to the Louvre, this is exactly how to do it. In particular, doing your homework ahead of time and picking the one or two exhibits you want to see. I'm also a big fan (or was, anyway) of just getting the museum pass you can buy at any of the publicly-owned museums, you used to be able to skip all the lines and just flash your pass but I haven't been to Paris in probably 8 years and don't know if that's still a thing. The trick was to buy at the Orangerie since that was likely to be the least-crowded of the museums you could buy the pass at so no line to purchase it.
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May 7, 2024 17:58
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Fitzy Fitz posted:I went ahead and made reservations in Paris. I'm excited to see the newer bike infrastructure there, and now I'm also wondering if there are any architecture or history recommendations that people have (outside of the top ten list staples). Off the top of my head:
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May 9, 2024 12:57
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