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Yeah we can walk up but wanted to go all the way up if we could.
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May 8, 2019 18:34
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Saladman posted:That only gets you to the first deck; the elevator is the only option to the top. The waits to the top are much longer than the waits to mid-station using the elevator. I haven't been up to the mid-station in a few years but IIRC the lift ride to the top is always quite a wait. It gets you to the second deck, but yeah, from there there's the elevator but I don't think I've ever waited longer than 20 minutes for that one. I've always found the wait at the bottom to be the longer one.
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May 8, 2019 23:56
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are the crowds and the heat terrible in june in italy, or is it just before they get bad?
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May 9, 2019 14:34
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The heat is decently bad everywhere except the north (to my baby Canadian climatization, anyway), crowds will depend on where you're going.
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May 9, 2019 15:13
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Tourists and heat will vary depending on where you are but July-August is peak season for both.
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May 9, 2019 15:36
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Yeah June is usually fine. I mean it depends what you're used to of course, but just go to the Wikipedia page for wherever you're going's biggest city and look at the climate section for what to expect: e.g. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rome#Climate HookShot posted:The heat is decently bad everywhere except the north (to my baby Canadian climatization, anyway), crowds will depend on where you're going. So how's, uh, southern Egypt in May going for you?
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May 9, 2019 19:49
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Davincie posted:are the crowds and the heat terrible in june in italy, or is it just before they get bad? We did Italy in July 2 years ago because of scheduling issues. We avoided southern Italy and stuck to more Northern parts. The furthest south we went was Florence, and we did: Florence Venice Modena (just for lunch) Milan Lake Como Florence was hot, but bearable because we made sure to get all of our tickets in advance and didn't wait in any lines. Venice was my least favorite and may as well be Disney/Vegas. Milan was great and Como is one of my favorite places in the world.
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May 9, 2019 20:16
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Residency Evil posted:We did Italy in July 2 years ago because of scheduling issues. We avoided southern Italy and stuck to more Northern parts. The furthest south we went was Florence, and we did: Venice is great if you sleep til noon and wander the streets til 1AM. During the day you have the tour groups and cruise ships which makes it horrible. Once it clears out is is very nice.
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May 9, 2019 20:18
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Saladman posted:So how's, uh, southern Egypt in May going for you? I got sunburned on the mountain in like 15 degrees last week and I'm regretting all of my life choices. My flight leaves tomorrow. (But seriously I'm super excited despite the expected 43 degrees when we're in Aswan)
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May 10, 2019 06:14
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Cheesemaster200 posted:Venice is great if you sleep til noon and wander the streets til 1AM. During the day you have the tour groups and cruise ships which makes it horrible. Once it clears out is is very nice. I guess maybe, although do the tourist trap restaurants and vendors all go away too? It felt like everything everywhere was like Disney. Maybe I have to give Venice another shot?
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May 10, 2019 06:51
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Davincie posted:are the crowds and the heat terrible in june in italy, or is it just before they get bad? I was in Greece in late June last year. I'm from Brisbane, geographically basically Surfers Paradise/Gold Coast. It was hot, but a very bearable hot because it wasn't particularly humid. Use a lot of sunscreen and reapply it every 2 hours regardless of what the bottle says, you're going to sweat and wash it all off. Carry a water bottle too. The relative low humidity means sweating works really well, but you'll need to keep hydrated. You'll get used to it faster than you recover from jetlag. If you keep hydrated, wear a hat and sunscreen, and baggier clothes than you otherwise would, it won't be a problem for you at all. underage at the vape shop fucked around with this message at 11:38 on May 10, 2019 |
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May 10, 2019 11:34
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This may well be nothing, but I've been watching some "So you're going to Italy" videos on YouTube, and they have advice like "Don't wear running shoes or t-shirts with words/stuff on them", but I am a giant goon who has basically nothing else, except for the few occasions where we dress up to go out for dinner or something. Does it actually matter? I assume we'll be pegged as American tourists immediately regardless of what we do, and while I'm aware that I could use a more expanded wardrobe at some point, that's not really in the cards at the moment.
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May 10, 2019 13:46
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If you're obviously tourists you're going to be targeted more in general (from people wanting you to eat in their restaurant all the way up to pickpockets) so keep your wits about you but it shouldn't be a big deal if you're sensible and careful.
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May 10, 2019 14:10
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morcant posted:This may well be nothing, but I've been watching some "So you're going to Italy" videos on YouTube, and they have advice like "Don't wear running shoes or t-shirts with words/stuff on them", but I am a giant goon who has basically nothing else, except for the few occasions where we dress up to go out for dinner or something. Does it actually matter? I assume we'll be pegged as American tourists immediately regardless of what we do, and while I'm aware that I could use a more expanded wardrobe at some point, that's not really in the cards at the moment. I mean, shorts are also technically out of the question for Italians for the most part even in summer, but you'd be nuts not to wear shorts.
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May 10, 2019 14:12
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Julio Cruz posted:If you're obviously tourists you're going to be targeted more in general (from people wanting you to eat in their restaurant all the way up to pickpockets) so keep your wits about you but it shouldn't be a big deal if you're sensible and careful. Legit. I have also seen videos about pickpockets and got one of those money belts since it was only like $10 on Amazon. I am generally quite cautious and anxious, which might actually work to my benefit here, lol. I also just finished my 4th Italian language class, so I can communicate fairly decently. Also, I'm not sure if dyed hair is popular in Italy, but it's possible my green hair might be louder than any graphic tee or pair of shorts I wear. Shibawanko posted:I mean, shorts are also technically out of the question for Italians for the most part even in summer, but you'd be nuts not to wear shorts. That was one of my thoughts too, considering I will rarely if ever pass up an excuse to break out my shorts and/or walking sandals, especially if it's really hot. Oh, and in case this is useful for anyone else: when I went to AAA to ask about international drivers permits, they told me that Italy has started requiring them this year in order to actually get a rental car. The permits were extremely quick and painless to get, a $20 fee and like $15 for the photos, valid for one year, but in case that impacts anyone else's plans I wanted to mention it.
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May 10, 2019 14:43
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morcant posted:Also, I'm not sure if dyed hair is popular in Italy, but it's possible my green hair might be louder than any graphic tee or pair of shorts I wear. Depends where you are. I guess you'd fit in reasonably well in Trastevere. But anyway it doesn't matter if you pass as an Italian or not, especially if you're staying in big touristy cities. morcant posted:Oh, and in case this is useful for anyone else: when I went to AAA to ask about international drivers permits, they told me that Italy has started requiring them this year in order to actually get a rental car. The permits were extremely quick and painless to get, a $20 fee and like $15 for the photos, valid for one year, but in case that impacts anyone else's plans I wanted to mention it. This has technically always been the case, the legality of requiring an IDP or not is a total mess*** and it's often seen as a better idea to have one and not need it, rather than need one and not have it. I still think it's a racket run by AAA as I've only ever been asked once in my life for an IDP, in Egypt, and an old expired one was accepted, but YMMV. I know my parents have occasionally been asked in Europe. *** except in countries that don't use the Latin alphabet, or whatever the matches-your-driver's-license-alphabet is, then the IDP is a super good idea and almost always required.
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May 10, 2019 15:05
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Saladman posted:Depends where you are. I guess you'd fit in reasonably well in Trastevere. But anyway it doesn't matter if you pass as an Italian or not, especially if you're staying in big touristy cities. Got it. We've got a couple night in smaller towns in Tuscany and Lazio, but I'm not too worried about it. Plus, one of the first things my first instructor said was, "You'll never be able to pass as a native Italian speaker so don't even worry about it," and I've tried to take that to heart, though it was admittedly really more about pronunciation and speaking than physical appearance. Saladman posted:This has technically always been the case, the legality of requiring an IDP or not is a total mess*** and it's often seen as a better idea to have one and not need it, rather than need one and not have it. I still think it's a racket run by AAA as I've only ever been asked once in my life for an IDP, in Egypt, and an old expired one was accepted, but YMMV. I know my parents have occasionally been asked in Europe. Ah, legit. This is both my and my partner's first time driving in another country, so it did strike us as a thing better to have and not need than the inverse, but yeah we'll see if it actually comes up. Mostly I'm happy I knew enough to make sure to get us a car with automatic transmission. Manual might be a good thing to learn, but not on my drat honeymoon tyvm. And, again, thanks everyone for the feedback! We'll be in Italy this coming Tuesday morning and I am so excited. 
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May 10, 2019 15:15
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So apropos of nothing: if you have to choose (for a short, three-night stay) between Dublin or Edinburgh, which is the one to choose? Edit: background is I'd like to go to whichever of these two are likely to have fewer tourists in mid-June. Both have the climate that I'd like and appropriate old-city feel. Leaning Edinburgh because I feel like visiting it now before Brexit finally happens (if it ever does) will be better than doing it later. Drone fucked around with this message at 18:32 on May 10, 2019 |
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May 10, 2019 18:24
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Oof drat that's a tough one, man. ... gonna say Edinburgh. Narrowly. Just cause it's such a massive concentrated dose of old-city. But I'm not sure about the tourists. It may even be more crowded with tourists now cause everyone wants to get a pre-Brexit visit in.
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May 10, 2019 19:23
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I can handle throngs of people pretty well. London's my favorite city ever, for as a barometer for my tolerance of masses of humanity. My husband is another story, he doesn't handle huge crowds terribly well. So that's a consideration.
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May 10, 2019 19:31
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Dublin is pretty bad for tourist crowds as it's popular yet not that big, and the fact that it attracts tourists for its pubs doesn't help. I haven't actually been in Edinburgh so I can't compare directly, but I don't think it can be worse.
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May 10, 2019 23:17
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morcant posted:This may well be nothing, but I've been watching some "So you're going to Italy" videos on YouTube, and they have advice like "Don't wear running shoes or t-shirts with words/stuff on them", but I am a giant goon who has basically nothing else, except for the few occasions where we dress up to go out for dinner or something. Does it actually matter? I assume we'll be pegged as American tourists immediately regardless of what we do, and while I'm aware that I could use a more expanded wardrobe at some point, that's not really in the cards at the moment. I wouldn't worry about it too much, honestly. Just leave the baseball caps and American sports team clothing at home and you'll be doing OK. I don't think money belts or hidden wallets are really worth the bother, just keep your wallet and phone in your front pockets and be very aware of your personal space particularly in crowded areas like train stations. Don't carry too much cash, split up your credit cards, and keep your passport locked in a safe in your hotel.
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May 11, 2019 08:38
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webmeister posted:and keep your passport locked in a safe in your hotel. Isn't it required to be able to show government-issued id when cops ask for it in several European countries?
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May 11, 2019 10:41
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Drone posted:So apropos of nothing: if you have to choose (for a short, three-night stay) between Dublin or Edinburgh, which is the one to choose? Edinburgh is lovely and will be cheaper than Dublin to visit. They are both cool cities but my gut says go to Edinburgh. I don't think there will be much difference in the number of tourists. I love the look of Scottish architecture, and Edinburgh has some great examples of it, plus you can get up to Arthur's Seat so you can combine some city stuff with some more outdoorsy stuff if that's your bag.
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May 11, 2019 12:02
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Carbon dioxide posted:Isn't it required to be able to show government-issued id when cops ask for it in several European countries? Yes, but the frequency at which this happens is extremely rare (if you're visibly from the middle east) or zero (if you're not). Plus something like a drivers license is fine, it doesn't need to be your passport. Worst case scenario is if you both run into the once-in-a-decade inconvenience AND the cop wants to screw you personally beyond the norm you might have to wait an hour or two while someone gets your passport from the hotel. Getting a new passport abroad without access to your old one is much more of a problem, and getting pickpocketed or just plain forgetting your bag somewhere is much more likely.
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May 11, 2019 12:21
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Waci posted:Yes, but the frequency at which this happens is extremely rare (if you're visibly from the middle east) or zero (if you're not). Plus something like a drivers license is fine, it doesn't need to be your passport. Yeah, this. Carrying your passport around you for the possibility that some dick cop might once in a decade stop you and want to make an example of you and not accept your driver's license seems several orders of magnitude less likely than someone pickpocketing you. FWIW the only people I've ever seen "randomly" stopped by police and asked for ID are either (a) punk-looking kids, and (b) black people (including well-dressed couples that don't even look remotely suspicious at all; man Switzerland is the loving worst sometimes).
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May 11, 2019 12:29
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As an EU citizen I just use my ID card in the EU instead of my passport, but outside the EU I try to keep a photocopy of my passport on me, it's better than nothing. I don't remember ever being checked in the Netherlands, apparently it mostly happens if you get stopped by police / did something bad, were a witness to something bad, or were around an area where people are protesting. Or yes, probably if you look "suspicious" (black/Middle Eastern/poor). Entropist fucked around with this message at 13:03 on May 11, 2019 |
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May 11, 2019 12:59
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Bollock Monkey posted:Edinburgh is lovely and will be cheaper than Dublin to visit. They are both cool cities but my gut says go to Edinburgh. I don't think there will be much difference in the number of tourists. I love the look of Scottish architecture, and Edinburgh has some great examples of it, plus you can get up to Arthur's Seat so you can combine some city stuff with some more outdoorsy stuff if that's your bag. Just whatever you do don't go to Edinburgh in August if you're not fond of crowds.
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May 11, 2019 13:28
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If you're not fond of crowds August is a pretty bad month to be traveling in general.
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May 11, 2019 13:29
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Julio Cruz posted:If you're not fond of crowds August is a pretty bad month to be traveling in general. Depends where you go. Milan for instance is totally empty in August, it’s more lively in January than mid August. True for a lot of mid-sized French cities as well, when all the locals clear out and foreign tourists don’t come, like Clermont-Ferrand or whatever. E: but yeah for Ireland and Scotland August is going to be busy unless you go somewhere super off the beaten track.
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May 11, 2019 16:30
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Yeah I'll be going early/mid-June so I assume crowds at that point will be much more manageable. Could be wrong though. Pretty much everyone I've asked has said Edinburgh narrowly beats out Dublin, so it looks like that might be the direction I'll lean into if I can get good prices on flights/hotel.
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May 11, 2019 17:06
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I'm doing Paris solo for 9 days at the start of October. I'm not much interested in the Paris "classics" the Eiffel Tower, the Moulin Rouge, the Louvre, or Versailles. I want to see the cool stuff that the bucket-list people rush past so they can get a selfie with the Mona Lisa. (I will be seeing the catacombs though). I've got an Air B&B near Parc de Bercy. I have been told that the Paris Pass can be very useful and that getting a transit pass is also a good plan. Looking for any recommendations for cool stuff to go see including restaurants, shops, little museums, whatever. I'm going to Paris to see Paris, so where should I look? I'm also up for day tours outside the city, but if I'm burning a day I would want them to be fairly amazing. I'm also up for a goon meet if you want to get a coffee with a Canuck goon.
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May 13, 2019 14:24
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Hang out in Le Marais. Definitely do go up Sacre Coeur, the view is great and that whole little quartier is great. Fontainebleau is the oddly relatively-unknown and more historically relevant version of Versailles. There are a bunch of historically-relevant cafes and restaurants that you may or may not care at all about, e.g. Café de Flore, which is absurdly overpriced but actually pretty good drink/food quality. There are also a ton of good North African restaurants and other cuisines that are probably difficult to find where you're from, unless you're from Montreal/Quebec. I think for the most part you'll need to find exactly what you are interested in, as there's a ton of "reserve list" cool stuff to do in Paris, but it really depends on your interests. Photography museums, temporary exhibitions, graves of famous people (Pasteur's is pretty incredible), etc.
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May 13, 2019 17:16
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Drone posted:So apropos of nothing: if you have to choose (for a short, three-night stay) between Dublin or Edinburgh, which is the one to choose? Edinburgh doesn't really have an 'off' season any more and is constantly thronged with tourist hordes, so unless you're visiting in the Festival (e: July and August) it will be exactly as touristy as it always is.
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May 14, 2019 13:55
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This is probably going to be super niche, but let's talk being coeliac in Russia - any tips? I'm doing an 8-day tour of Russia (Moscow->St Petwrsberg with Peregrine, if anyone's familiar) in September as part of my honeymoon, and have stressed the coeliac aspect with them/the travel agency I believe Peregrine are taking care of most of the meals (I could be wrong), but for the odd meal when we're free roaming from what I can see there's few options around Obviously I'll be packing a ton of snacks just in case, and will totally be buying some Maccas fries to eat across the Red Square, because why wouldn't you? Just wondering if any of y'all had a first-hand experience rather than relying on random Internet strangers (yes I understand the irony of that statement) I've had a look at the Coeliac Society St. Petersberg website and its pretty sparse as well for non-native speakers, but I'll be emailing them closer to when I leave
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May 15, 2019 06:18
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Saladman posted:Hang out in Le Marais. Definitely do go up Sacre Coeur, the view is great and that whole little quartier is great. Fontainebleau is the oddly relatively-unknown and more historically relevant version of Versailles. Historically-relevant cafes and restaurants is an odd idea to me. I'm less fussed with relevant and more interested in good and charming. I don't even know what North African restaurants would serve, but I guess I'm going to find out. Museums, yes. Photography museums, maybe... What do you mean by temporary exhibitions? I hadn't thought of grave yard tours. Thanks for that!
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May 15, 2019 13:25
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Just got back from a week in Paris. Holy poo poo, the city was incredible and everyone was incredibly nice. A+, amazing.
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May 15, 2019 22:03
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Residency Evil posted:Just got back from a week in Paris. Holy poo poo, the city was incredible and everyone was incredibly nice. A+, amazing. What'd you end up doing? Spill those beans!
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May 16, 2019 01:04
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Hutzpah posted:What'd you end up doing? Spill those beans! Ended up going all over. Saw the Musay d'orsay, Rodin museum/gardens, Louvre, St. Chapelle, Pantheon, Sacre Coeur, Pompidou, Arc de Triumphe, Eiffel tower, and Versailles. Oh, also the big flea market. I'm probably forgetting things. We walked at least 20k steps/10 miles a day and ended up seeing a lot of random places on foot. It was definitely a lot in a week, but we figure it's going to be our last chance to see Paris this way before we have kids and have to slow down. Food was fantastic. Public transportation was fantastic. Eiffel Tower: even with timed tickets, we ended up having to wait a decent amount of time, especially for the elevator up to the summit/top. We went around sunset, so that probably didn't help. View was great and definitely worth it though. Louvre: Honestly, I've never been overwhelmed by a museum before. The Louvre is the first time I've just been generally overwhelmed by the sheer size/magnitude of things to see. St. Chapelle: Honestly, one of the best surprises of the trip. If you go on a sunny day the stained glass inside is gorgeous. Versailles: We went on the weekend when the fountains were running. Awesome to see, and the weather ended up being fantastic for a walk between the fountains as they were going on/off. When I type out that itinerary it definitely seems like a lot for a week.
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May 16, 2019 17:01
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Residency Evil posted:Ended up going all over. Saw the Musay d'orsay, Rodin museum/gardens, Louvre, St. Chapelle, Pantheon, Sacre Coeur, Pompidou, Arc de Triumphe, Eiffel tower, and Versailles. Oh, also the big flea market. I'm probably forgetting things. We walked at least 20k steps/10 miles a day and ended up seeing a lot of random places on foot. It was definitely a lot in a week, but we figure it's going to be our last chance to see Paris this way before we have kids and have to slow down. Food was fantastic. Public transportation was fantastic. Thanks for all of the detail. My wife and I went in October and, other then Sacre Coeur, our experience was almost identical to yours. We already want to go back to spend time up in Montmartre.
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May 16, 2019 18:20
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