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Aromatic Stretch posted:There's been some great advice on going to Paris in the last few pages, but I was wondering if anyone had any advice on good things to do during a slightly longer stay. I'm going for 7 days at the start of September and I've never been before, but I think 7 days will be long enough to see a lot without feeling rushed? 7 days is, in my opinion, a minimum to get a global feeling of a city like Paris: there's so much to see that any shorter stay means leaving out something (especially if you like to spend time in museums). But with a whole week, you should have enough time to be able to hang out, slacking off at cafe terraces (which is what this city was built for, really). You could combine your visit to the Eiffel tower with a visit to the nearby Quai Branly museum (tribal art from pretty much everywhere on Earth). Likewise, Pompidou Center shouldn't take you a whole day, but rather 2-3 hours, which leaves enough time to explore the nearby area (Arr 1 to 4). I don't know if the Pantheon can even be visited, but the surrounding district is certainly worth a stroll, from la rue Mouffetard to the Pantheon itself, to the Seine and Notre-Dame and then back up on St Michel to the Luxembourg gardens, it's a really nice walk. I personnally hate the Champs-Elysées because it's got nothing to do with the way we live here, but of course you should go there (by the way, there might be an interesting exhibition at the Grand Palais which is close by). The Quai d'Orsay combines well with a visit of nearby St Germain... Since you've got a full week, don't forget to go to Versailles, it's outside Paris itself but the castle and the gardens are worth the visit. Good to know: on the first Sunday of each month, entrance to national museums (national museums only) is free - get up early, because there's going to be even more people than usual. About your budget: a three-course menu in an average restaurant costs around 30-35 euros (yeah, it's pretty expensive but to be honest, who eats a three-course menu?). There are of course plenty of ways to eat for cheaper if you want (sushi, kebabs etc), but that's just to give you an idea. You don't have to tip if you don't feel like to. So yes, 100 euro a day is likely to be enough. I hope this helps a bit.
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Aug 19, 2012 01:58
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Aromatic Stretch posted:There's been some great advice on going to Paris in the last few pages, but I was wondering if anyone had any advice on good things to do during a slightly longer stay. I'm going for 7 days at the start of September and I've never been before, but I think 7 days will be long enough to see a lot without feeling rushed? Orsay will take you a full day, for sure. The Champs-Elysees should take you a half day or so, maybe a bit longer, if you take your time, including the visit to the Arc de Triomphe at the end. And yeah, seconding the advice to spend a day at Versailles.
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Aug 19, 2012 04:36
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Orillion posted:Good Advice HookShot posted:Good Advice Thanks very much guys, all this information helps a lot. I'll definitely have to take the time to see the Quai Branly and Versailles.
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Aug 19, 2012 12:12
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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.
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Aug 20, 2012 11:59
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Hey guys, I'm planning a trip to Europe for the start of September, and I've got a few questions. 1. With around 2K euros spending money, how long should I book my trip for? I was trying to have the departure date flexible, so I'd be able to book it for when I started to run out of money, but it seems that that option is pretty expensive, so that kind of defeats the purpose. 2. I'll be doing the backpacking thing, planning on staying in lots of hostels. I read that I didn't have to book too many days in advance. Is this true in september? Also I was thinking of bringing a small tent, is it practical to camp outside in september and early october? Canada has a lot of national parks where camping is free, is there any parallels in Europe? 3. I'm Canadian, I was planning on flying into Heath-row, because I heard that's generally the cheapest. Probably flying out of Toronto. I heard about the Schereger visa, that Canadians get that allows them to stay for up to 60 days? Is that still the case of flying into G.B? Also I was under the understanding that just getting to customs resulting in the issuance of the visa, is that the case or do I have to apply earlier? Thanks for your help guys, I've had the dream of a Grand Tour since I've been young, I want to avoid having reality ruining my dreams.
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Aug 20, 2012 16:56
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2000Euro after airfares or? What countries in Europe are you looking at visiting? Your biggest cost will be travel between places - If you catch a bus you can generally manage about 30-50euro per trip, but it will mean between 5-10~ hours on a bus (If you're going cheap and don't have an exact time limit beyond "money runs out" I'd recommend it). Some places you can catch a plane for about 50-100 euro, depends on how far/where you want to go. If you intend on travelling around a lot then a rail ticket can cover literally all your travel, but it'll be around 4-600euro. The bonus is you can literally hop on a train when you want without prebooking (generally) and it is a lot faster. Also you don't have to pay to take your bag with you(which is where airline prices double on the budget airlines) For a decent hostel you're looking at about 20euro a night (some cities you can do slightly less, some a chunk more[read: Scandinavia]). If spending money is after airfare I'd say you can do 3-4 weeks, depending on what attractions you want to see/how much travelling you intend on doing. You seem like you want to see the world and whatnot. Don't waste your money drinking every night away and you'll get a hell of a lot further. And you know.. remember it. I've been in Europe for 3 and change months, and did 7-8 weeks of almost exactly what I think you want. Fill in the details and shoot questions! Alkazard.exe fucked around with this message at 19:41 on Aug 20, 2012 |
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Aug 20, 2012 19:38
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Ardent Communist posted:Hey guys, I'm planning a trip to Europe for the start of September, and I've got a few questions. Not sure about 1 and 2, but if you're talking about the Schengen visa, it's 90 days, not 60. Or at least it's 90 for U.S. citizens, but I think that applies to anyone that is either not a citizen of the E.U. or isn't a New Zealander (because for some reason New Zealanders have some special agreement where they can stay in the Schengen area indefinitely). Oh, and G.B. isn't part of the Schengen Area, so it wouldn't go into effect until you entered one of the countries that is. You can actually stay in England for a really long time in comparison to the rest of the E.U.--like 6 months or something crazy. Once you enter the Schengen Area, any travel you do within those countries will be like you're traveling within the same country (your passport isn't going to be looked at again). I'm not sure if you need to apply for it separately as a Canadian... my U.S. passport got me through just fine and I've traveled from France to Germany and onward to Spain with no trouble. Aimee fucked around with this message at 19:44 on Aug 20, 2012 |
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Aug 20, 2012 19:38
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No, Schengen is fine for a Canadian, they'll just stamp your passport when you show up at your POE, and you won't get another stamp until you leave the region again. No need to apply for anything before you get there. It's also 90 days for Canadians (and everyone else except NZers, AFAIK)
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Aug 20, 2012 20:28
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Aromatic Stretch posted:There's been some great advice on going to Paris in the last few pages, but I was wondering if anyone had any advice on good things to do during a slightly longer stay. I'm going for 7 days at the start of September and I've never been before, but I think 7 days will be long enough to see a lot without feeling rushed? 7 days is probably a good time frame for a first visit. You will still probably miss some of the places you wanted to visit, I know we did (too crowded, opening times didn't match our plans etc). As for museum, here's a tip for you: visit the Musee de L'armee at the grave of Napoleon. For some reason it doesn't get much noted as a "must-visit spot" in Paris but for me it was one of the highlights. 100 EUR a day is fine, if it's just for you. I've found that around 60-70 EUR a day is a good amount to spend *per person* in Paris (in addition to airline fares and accommodation of course). Orillion posted:About your budget: a three-course menu in an average restaurant costs around 30-35 euros (yeah, it's pretty expensive but to be honest, who eats a three-course menu?). There are of course plenty of ways to eat for cheaper if you want (sushi, kebabs etc), but that's just to give you an idea. You don't have to tip if you don't feel like to. So yes, 100 euro a day is likely to be enough. I hope this helps a bit. Well we ate a three-course dinner with wine every night we were in Paris. To be honest that's one of the reasons you go to Paris, so don't bother saving a dime on the food. It just doesn't make any sense. You can find a good three-course dinner for less than 30 EUR (the cheapest we found was 19 and the food was good, especially considering the price), but make sure you do your research on the restaurants you plan to visit. There are a lot of tourist traps in Paris, and if you end up in one you will be paying top dollar for basically very uninspiring and bland food.
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Aug 20, 2012 23:02
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Ardent Communist posted:2. I'll be doing the backpacking thing, planning on staying in lots of hostels. I read that I didn't have to book too many days in advance. Is this true in september? Also I was thinking of bringing a small tent, is it practical to camp outside in september and early october? Canada has a lot of national parks where camping is free, is there any parallels in Europe? Where in Europe do you intend to go? Booking hostels on short notice shouldn't be a problem in most places, as September/October isn't a particularly active tourist season in many places, but of course local events or holidays might change that for an individual country/city (for example, I'd imagine finding cheap accommodation in Munich around Oktoberfest could be difficult). As for camping, it really depends on what kind places you want to visit, what kind of gear you have, and which countries do you intend to visit. It's definitely doable, even in northern Europe, but I'm not sure if you intend to lug around winter sleeping bags and so on. Free camping varies by country, but camping grounds are cheap, a lot of national parks allow free camping (can't be more specific without knowing where you're going), and in many northern European countries you can camp for free anywhere that isn't a street/park/someone's lawn.
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Aug 20, 2012 23:14
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OhYeah posted:7 days is probably a good time frame for a first visit. You will still probably miss some of the places you wanted to visit, I know we did (too crowded, opening times didn't match our plans etc). As for museum, here's a tip for you: visit the Musee de L'armee at the grave of Napoleon. For some reason it doesn't get much noted as a "must-visit spot" in Paris but for me it was one of the highlights. I also went to this museum recently for the first time and loved it. I think a lot of guidebooks don't know about it--I think the exhibit it has now is a relatively new renovation, so maybe it sucked before? Consequently, it's not crowded at all. I only had 3 hours to spend there and was disappointed I had to run through WW2.
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Aug 21, 2012 09:53
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Saladman posted:I also went to this museum recently for the first time and loved it. I think a lot of guidebooks don't know about it--I think the exhibit it has now is a relatively new renovation, so maybe it sucked before? Consequently, it's not crowded at all. I only had 3 hours to spend there and was disappointed I had to run through WW2. Yeah, I can't exactly say the tomb Napoleon was "empty", but at least you could move around like a normal person without wanting to stab someone, unlike in Louvre, Versailles or near the Eiffel tower. Most of the actual musem, however, was trouble-free when it came to moving about. The collection of weapons and armour there from the stone age to WWII is fantastic, so if you into history and technology you simply HAVE to go to this museum.
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Aug 21, 2012 13:28
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Saladman posted:I think the exhibit it has now is a relatively new renovation, so maybe it sucked before? I really liked Napoleon's tomb, though. I felt like an insect walking in to that enormous building.
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Aug 21, 2012 13:41
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No, the Invalides has always been awesome. I've been there about 4 times in the last 15 years and it hasn't really changed much, they've just added a few things here and there. But it's always ruled.
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Aug 21, 2012 17:48
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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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Hey guys, looking to hear about anyones experiences in: Warsaw Krakow Budapest Bratislava Vienna This will be the second trip for my wife and I so not really looking for advice on traveling, or pass port junk or anything. Just looking to hear from people who have been to these places and had some fun. Best hostels, bars, clubs, museums or whatever We did 5 countries in 2 weeks last time but this trip we have an extra week. Last one we started in Zurich and hit Munich, Prague, Berlin, Amsterdam, and Paris in that order before flying back from Zurich and this time we were thinking; Prague, Berlin, Warsaw, Krakow, Bratislava, Budapest in that order with maybe a day trip to Vienna if we have the time/energy.
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Aug 24, 2012 18:36
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Limastock posted:we were thinking; Prague, Berlin, Warsaw, Krakow, Bratislava, Budapest in that order with maybe a day trip to Vienna if we have the time/energy. Vienna is only 45 minutes from Bratislava and it's way more interesting (and more expensive). Bratislava is tiny and suitable for an afternoon walking around the city and hanging out, but not really any more unless you want to hit one of its (few) museums. Your route sounds pretty reasonable for 3 weeks. Kind of a weird route though, I'd probably do Berlin -> Prague -> Vienna -> Budapest -> Krakow -> Warsaw (almost 300km shorter than yours). And looking at this route, I'd probably stop in Dresden for a day or two too. Saladman fucked around with this message at 19:19 on Aug 24, 2012 |
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Aug 24, 2012 19:17
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Reading you loud and clear on the Bratislava/Vienna switch. My lady REALLY wants to do slovakia though so maybe we will do a split of like 2 days in bratislava, 3-4 days in vienna or something. I was looking to fly into warsaw or prague and start our route from there because those places are the cheapest to fly into. Germany is usually rather expensive. Last time we flew into and left from Zurich and it cost only 750$ round trip. Prague and warsaw flights tend to hover around a similar price range. If your math is correct however on cutting 300km out of our train rides then i will definitely reconsider paying 100-200$ extra to simply fly into Berlin. Ill look into it! thanks.
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Aug 24, 2012 20:06
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If you do end up staying a few days in Vienna and are into hostels, I can recommend Wombat's at the Naschmarkt. Really convenient location, great staff, very clean. Don't get too excited about the free drink coupon when you check in, because it's a Pfiff (200mL) of Austria's worst beer (Ottakringer). Free is nice though.
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Aug 24, 2012 20:35
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Yep, we pretty much exclusively stay in hostels because they are awesome and you meet great people. So ill definitely put a check mark next to the Wombat hostel, thanks!
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Aug 24, 2012 23:10
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I'll be living there (literally) from the 29th of August until September 3rd. It'll be my second time in that hostel and also my first time re-visiting a hostel.
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Aug 24, 2012 23:33
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I stayed in all the Wombats prior to the new one(Budapest?) and vouch for them rocking. All opinion, but I did Vienna & Bratislava two months ago as part of a larger trip and Vienna was pretty boring for us. Bratislava wasn't bad, doesn't require more than two days of exploring imo. DEFINITELY hit up the Slavin war memorial. It's amazing, hands down the most memorable experience you can have there. Oh, and you can get awesome ice cream on the river side of St. Martins Cathedral. http://www.lonelyplanet.com/maps/europe/slovakia/bratislava/map_of_bratislava.jpg The green area there. As many(more than ten if you really want) scoops in one ridiculousl big cone. Do that, too.
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Aug 26, 2012 01:07
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Omits-Bagels posted: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). 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).
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Aug 26, 2012 08:08
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I'm flying out tomorrow for a 3 month tour of (mostly Westen) Europe. Any last minute tips or stuff I definitely shouldn't forget?
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Aug 26, 2012 08:13
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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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Omits-Bagels posted: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? 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?
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Aug 28, 2012 12:37
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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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Will I have any problem bringing dried fruit and nuts/trail mix into Germany?
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Aug 31, 2012 17:28
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HalfPricePimpSuit posted:Will I have any problem bringing dried fruit and nuts/trail mix into Germany? No, we aren't crazy in Europe.
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Aug 31, 2012 23:01
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OhYeah posted:No, we aren't crazy in Europe. Like hell, the humorless workers in switzerland confiscated the snow globe that I bought at their very own airport. I was literally within eyesight of the security check when i bought it.
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Aug 31, 2012 23:06
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Limastock posted:Like hell, the humorless workers in switzerland confiscated the snow globe that I bought at their very own airport. I was literally within eyesight of the security check when i bought it. Switzerland isn't part of Europe, it's a little snowflake island like Britain. What was their rationale for taking it away, anyway? (Typing this from the Geneva airport...)
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Sep 1, 2012 07:55
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I got questioned/nicely warned (and allowed through) with one I bought an hour before heading to the Stockholm airport. It'd be because it was in the hand luggage and exceeds the limit of 150ml of liquid you can take through security. Gotta buy it on the otherside. 
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Sep 1, 2012 10:06
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I'm leaving for Italy in about a week, and wanted to get some decent tips on good places to stay. I'm arriving in Rome, spending about 2 days there, then taking the train to florence, spending a day there, and then heading out to Venice for my last 3 days. I've got my airfare all covered, and I plan on just bringing a backpack with me. I'm going by myself, and am really interested in seeing this part of the world. So, any recommendations, or websites, to help plan out a trip for myself would be awesome. I'm currently using hostels.com to figure out my lodging.
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Sep 1, 2012 12:16
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Any advice on cell phones in Belgium would be very appreciated. We'll be there for at least a year.
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Sep 1, 2012 13:39
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Cowboybot posted:I'm leaving for Italy in about a week, and wanted to get some decent tips on good places to stay. I'm arriving in Rome, spending about 2 days there, then taking the train to florence, spending a day there, and then heading out to Venice for my last 3 days. I've had good luck using: https://www.ratestogo.com for the last few trips I've taken - you can pick up some very good last minute deals if you're lucky 
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Sep 1, 2012 14:41
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Whats a good hostel in London thats easy to meet people and has a lower 20 something crowd? Right now i'm looking at The Green Man - Bestplace Inn, just wondering what else is out there. murt fucked around with this message at 16:49 on Sep 1, 2012 |
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Sep 1, 2012 16:21
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Cowboybot posted:I'm leaving for Italy in about a week, and wanted to get some decent tips on good places to stay. I'm arriving in Rome, spending about 2 days there, then taking the train to florence, spending a day there, and then heading out to Venice for my last 3 days. If you are looking for accommodation in Venice, then try this: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g187870-d2161366-Reviews-B_B_Le_Repubbliche_Marinare-Venice_Veneto.html We got a terrific price there, a stone throw's away from the Grand Canal and about a 5 minute walk to the Rialto bridge. The location doesn't get any better than that.
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Sep 1, 2012 18:20
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Alkazard.exe posted:I got questioned/nicely warned (and allowed through) with one I bought an hour before heading to the Stockholm airport. Yep, thats it. They said I couldnt carry it on the plane because of the liquid inside. It cost like 20 loving euro and was for my grandmother in law  Switzerland 
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Sep 1, 2012 22:36
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I'm planning a trip to Amsterdam for Mardi Gras in February, I realize they probably don't celebrate much but I like to do something every year for it. I figured Amsterdam would be a good fit because A. it's when the city is cheapest and B. as a canal city I've heard it's breathtaking in the winter snows. I'm looking at getting a private room for the week at St. Christopher's at the Winston. Any tips, advice? Also, I've read that I won't require a Schengen Visa since I'll only be there a week. This is still correct right? Macdeo Lurjtux fucked around with this message at 03:06 on Sep 2, 2012 |
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Sep 2, 2012 02:55
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Limastock posted:Yep, thats it. They said I couldnt carry it on the plane because of the liquid inside. It cost like 20 loving euro and was for my grandmother in law Hmmm... which country was it that decided on the no liquids rule and turned flying into a nightmare for the rest of the world lest they be forever banned from having flights into said country?  Just be happy the snowglobe wasn't If you're into nature, Slovakia and the Czech Republic are absolutely covered with hiking trails. They are big time walkers there. The wife and I went into Slovakia and stayed near Poprad and there was quite a bit of cool history and nature stuff there. I'm phone posting but GIS Spissky Hrad and then Dobsinska ice cave. There were some cool looking forests as well that we didn't get to check out. You'll have to rent a car but the roads were fine.
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Sep 2, 2012 06:27
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