#245907 - 08/01/2005 23:28
Planning on heading to Europe this summer. Any tips & where's the meet
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addict
Registered: 09/06/1999
Posts: 559
Loc: Newfoundland, Canada
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Hey all.
Me and SWMBO are planning a possible trip to Europe this summer. My basic plan is to Land in Berlin (Wall) make our way to Amsterdam (Euro Meet! Red Light), go to France (Eiffel Tower) and then on to the UK (Stone Henge). From there we fly back across the pond to our home here in Newfoundland, Canada.
Does anybody have and tips on setting this up. How much time we might need? Any good trip guides (Rick Steves??)? Train tickets? Clothing we might need?
Some things that I have an interest in for us would be Castles and the location where Harry Potter is filmed.
We are just starting to get this figured out so I am a little under educated right now. I'll be taking my digital camera (of course), and a backpack each. We'll be crashing at Hostels for the most part but are open to any ideas that we can get from anyone with a bit of knowledge on the subject.
Thanks in advance!
Rene
_________________________
12 gig empeg Mark II, SN: 080000101 30 gig RioCar SN: 30103114 My blog
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#245908 - 09/01/2005 00:09
Re: Planning on heading to Europe this summer. Any tips & where's the meet
[Re: ShadowMan]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 21/05/1999
Posts: 5335
Loc: Cambridge UK
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Quote:
My basic plan is to Land in Berlin (Wall)
Amazing nightlife, museums, art galleries, architecture and sausages. Not much left of the wall, but they seem to like it better that way. You need a week to scratch the surface of this city, but if you limit yourself to just a few places of interest you could make do with a long weekend.
Quote:
make our way to Amsterdam (Euro Meet! Red Light)
Assuming the meet takes place at the usual location (Amersfoort) it is about a 30 minute train journey from Amsterdam. If Rob gets up to his usual tricks you should allow two or three days for the meet, plus Amersfoort is a really nice town to explore. Amsterdam needs no introduction - where else can you marvel over a seven foot stone penis then chill out on the lawns of the Van Gogh museum while tripping on some mushrooms you bought in a nice little shop that also sells postcards?
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go to France (Eiffel Tower)
Take a few days to soak up the atmosphere, eat some great food, look at some fantastic art and get treated rudely by the locals. Take time to consider that this is *nothing* like the rest of France, and consider heading out of the city if you want to experience some of the finest inexpensive food and wine in the world.
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and then on to the UK (Stone Henge)
Stone Henge is in the middle of nowhere (i.e. Wiltshire) so combine it with a visit to the Roman city of Bath. If you're actually interested in standing stones and ancient history then the nearby Avebury is worth a visit, and if you're there at the right time of year there may well be some crop circles around Silbury Hill.
Quote:
Some things that I have an interest in for us would be Castles and the location where Harry Potter is filmed.
http://www.castles-of-britain.com/
http://gouk.about.com/cs/attract4/a/harrypotter.htm
Have fun!
Rob
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#245909 - 09/01/2005 00:31
Re: Planning on heading to Europe this summer. Any tips & where's the
[Re: rob]
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addict
Registered: 14/01/2002
Posts: 510
Loc: NY
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Quote:
Take a few days to soak up the atmosphere, eat some great food, look at some fantastic art and get treated rudely by the locals.
Is it just me who has never been treated rudely in Paris (or the rest of France for that matter)? Not even as part of the typical gaggle of american college girls?
_________________________
Heather
"I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do because I notice it always coincides with their own desires." -Susan B Anthony
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#245910 - 09/01/2005 00:38
Re: Planning on heading to Europe this summer. Any tips & where's the
[Re: rob]
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old hand
Registered: 14/04/2002
Posts: 1172
Loc: Hants, UK
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Quote:
Stone Henge is in the middle of nowhere (i.e. Wiltshire) so combine it with a visit to the Roman city of Bath. If you're actually interested in standing stones and ancient history then the nearby Avebury is worth a visit, and if you're there at the right time of year there may well be some crop circles around Silbury Hill.
Ah, just what I was going to suggest. I would recommend finding an internet connection before travelling and see if there are any decent circles to visit, www.cropcircleconnector.com and www.swirlednews.com will have up-to-date locations. Stick a few quid in any pots for the farmers, it earns them more than the crops 
http://www.cropcircleconnector.com/2004/silburyhill2/silburyhill2004b.html
Gareth
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#245911 - 09/01/2005 01:26
Re: Planning on heading to Europe this summer. Any tips & where's the meet
[Re: ShadowMan]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/06/1999
Posts: 7868
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Quote:
My basic plan is to Land in Berlin (Wall) make our way to Amsterdam (Euro Meet! Red Light)
Look to the German ICE trains for travel here, they are high speed (174mph) and are quite confortable. I took them for my Amsterdam - Freiburg trip, as well as Freiburg - Hamburg. Online reservations are here, and more information is here. When riding, keep your tickey handy as they do check them frequently. I usually kept it out to hand over, then thanked them in German once they marked it.
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#245912 - 09/01/2005 02:32
Re: Planning on heading to Europe this summer. Any tips & where's the
[Re: Heather]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 29/08/2000
Posts: 14491
Loc: Canada
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Quote:
Is it just me who has never been treated rudely in Paris
I've had a grand two weeks in Paris so far, and everyone seems very nice there.
Of course, it'd be really hard for any place to seem rude after having flown Air Canada to get there (bloody Quebecers!)
Cheers
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#245913 - 09/01/2005 02:49
Re: Planning on heading to Europe this summer. Any tips & where's the
[Re: ShadowMan]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 06/10/1999
Posts: 2591
Loc: Seattle, WA, U.S.A.
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Quote:
Does anybody have and tips on setting this up. How much time we might need?
Heres just a swag for activity/place and days:
Fly 1
Recover 1
Berlin 3
Move 1
ADam 3
Move 1
Paris 4
Move 1
UK 5
Fly 1
That adds up to 21 days -- three weeks - and it is missing at least 4-5 days of what I find the most fun -- "Wander".
The general plan you describe sounds pretty city-centric. I would discuss with SWMBO what your priorities are. If it is to stay in cities and visit the Louvres and Rijksmuseums, then the point-to-point planning and reservations become a little simpler. You could do the whole thing (save perhaps the UK) by train.
Personally? Personally? I have a bias toward the "Wander" part and would spend some time getting out of the band of northern citiies you list. Don't get me wrong, I love all the places you mention, but I don't find the countryside outside of those cities as interesting as what you'd find if you dipped further south in Germany, France and elsewhere.
So, some philosophical questions: Do you want to stick with large cities where you are part of a large body of tourists or would you also like to see smaller towns where communication might be more challenging? Any language skills, you and SWMBO? Enjoy driving? Driving in Europe is pretty easy. I haven't gone down one-way streets the wrong way *too* many times, and when I did I, think I gave the locals something to chatter about for the afternoon.
I see Tom's post about ICE trains. Agree. If you managed to make this trip without spending some time on ICE/TGV/Thalys/Eurostar, I think that would be a shame. The slower trains are generally no slouches, either! As far as planning goes, that Bahn site has the most comprehensive schedule info that I am aware of. A site I have used for some Railpass ticketing in past is the Rail Europe site that Steves touts. I have been happy with their assistance. Don't know if they serve Canada, but I would think so.
If you travel in July or August, you are in peak European holiday season, which means you are propably going to have to book in advance to avoid sleeping in your car (or a train station!). If you travel in May/June or September (which are very nice) it is much easier to wing it, especially in smaller towns and cities -- pull up at 5PM and say "Hey, got a room?"
There are lots of hire car concerns like Europcar and Sixt. I have stayed with Avis as I have a "frequent flyer" track record with them and in one case where I got nudged into a guardrail late one night, that wound up saving me some hassles. Whatever you do, put your car rental charges on a silver/gold/platinum Visa/MC/Amex that will cover your deductible in the event of an oopsie (if you would like to avoid all of the overpriced insurance riders that turn a $50/day car into a $100/day car) .
So, if I take your rough itinerary and apply some Jim bias, I come up with this:
Fly 1
Recover 1
Berlin 2
Move 1
Car Hire (Geneva, Lyon, Nice?) 1
Drive around south and return car someplace 5
TGV 1
Paris 3
Move 1
ADam 2
Move 1
UK 4
Fly 1
Hmmm? 24-25 days. It is sooo hard trying to squeeze things in. To the extent that you want to span long distances, you lose a lot to "Move" (but some of those can be fun).
With respect to my revised itinerary, I think of my crossing to the UK on the Stena catermaran uber-ferry with the Empegistas from the Netherlands. I have to believe that there are plenty of rental/hire outfits that would be standing at the dock with keys to their cars for the UK segment.
Books? I have a bunch of travel books and maps from diverse sources. For driving/planning, I have stayed with Michelin. For cities, I think it varies. Rick Steves often comes across as an over-earnest goof, but, when I really look at it, I appreciate his attitude. One of these days, I'm going to buy one of his books!
Edit: Oh, and I should have asked: Do you and SWMBO like to eat?
Edited by jimhogan (09/01/2005 03:04)
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#245914 - 09/01/2005 02:52
Re: Planning on heading to Europe this summer. Any tips & where's the
[Re: Heather]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 06/10/1999
Posts: 2591
Loc: Seattle, WA, U.S.A.
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Quote:
Not even as part of the typical gaggle of american college girls?
Operative term: girls.
With a few rude/indifferent exceptions, I have been treated pretty well in Paree.
I try to imagine how I would have been treated if I were an american college girl!
_________________________
Jim
'Tis the exceptional fellow who lies awake at night thinking of his successes.
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#245915 - 09/01/2005 04:44
Re: Planning on heading to Europe this summer. Any tips & where's the
[Re: Heather]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/03/2000
Posts: 12338
Loc: Sterling, VA
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Quote:
Is it just me who has never been treated rudely in Paris
I've beem there twice, and the last time was fine. The first time was not. Every Parisian my friend and I encountered was very rude. Quick story:
My friend and I were leaving Paris and had changed where in Spain we were going to. So we're at the station, and can't find which train is going to Barcelona instead of Madrid like we originally planned. We finally found a station attendant and politely asked which train went to Barcelona. All we knew was that it left soon, and we were a little panicked. Her response seemed like something out of a movie:
[condescending French accent and facial expression] "I'm sorry, French trains don't go to Spain." [/condescending...]
What she could have said was that French trains stop at the border, then another train takes you into Spain. It was a technicality that she chose to use instead of helping us out.
---------------------------
Sorry, one more:
I was on the train with my friend from Madrid to Bologna. It was an uncomfortable overnight train and in the early morning, we had to switch trains just before we got into Italy (because apparently, French trains don't go to Italy). Well, it appears that during the night, my tossing and turning caused my money belt to unlatch and come off. It wasn't until I was off the train, cleared from my sleepy daze, and the train left that I realized what had happened. Naturally, I was going crazy at the thought that I'd lost a couple hundred dollars, my credit card, and most importantly my passport. So we found the police department at the train station. It was staffed by both Italian and French policeman, since this was the border. The Italians were very understanding even though there wasn't anything they could do for me. They were sympathetic (and I knew so, my friend spoke Italian). There was, however, one French policewoman on the other side of the room just sitting back in her chair. I swear this is exactly what she said:
"Oh, don't help them, they're just Americans"
_________________________
Matt
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#245916 - 09/01/2005 11:25
Re: Planning on heading to Europe this summer. Any tips & where's the
[Re: Heather]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 21/05/1999
Posts: 5335
Loc: Cambridge UK
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Quote:
Is it just me who has never been treated rudely in Paris (or the rest of France for that matter)?
It's a generalisation, but one which even the (non-Parisian) French tend to maintain. Elsewhere in France you're likely to be treated very well provided you make some effort with the language (which I think is reasonable).
Quote:
Not even as part of the typical gaggle of american college girls?
Do gaggles of college girls get treated badly *anywhere*??
Rob
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#245917 - 09/01/2005 13:04
Re: Planning on heading to Europe this summer. Any tips & where's the
[Re: ShadowMan]
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veteran
Registered: 01/10/2001
Posts: 1307
Loc: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Quote:
make our way to Amsterdam
By the way, do we have a date for the 2005 meet?
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#245918 - 09/01/2005 16:35
Re: Planning on heading to Europe this summer. Any tips & where's the
[Re: julf]
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addict
Registered: 27/10/2002
Posts: 568
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I'm hoping for first half of July as the previous years, then I'll be there for sure...
Stig
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#245920 - 09/01/2005 21:26
Re: Planning on heading to Europe this summer. Any tips & where's the
[Re: Heather]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 13/09/1999
Posts: 2401
Loc: Croatia
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Quote:
Is it just me who has never been treated rudely in Paris (or the rest of France for that matter)? Not even as part of the typical gaggle of american college girls?
I recently spent five months in Paris, did not bother to learn more than 10 words of French, and have been treated mildly rudely exactly once. I don't know whre the myth comes from.
_________________________
Dragi "Bonzi" Raos
Q#5196
MkII #080000376, 18GB green
MkIIa #040103247, 60GB blue
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#245921 - 09/01/2005 22:59
Re: Planning on heading to Europe this summer. Any tips & where's the
[Re: rob]
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addict
Registered: 09/06/1999
Posts: 559
Loc: Newfoundland, Canada
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WOW! Great responses. We'll likely have 14-16 days in total so I guess we'll be pushing it with our itenerary. We both speak fluent English... but nothing else other then a few french words learned in junior High in the early 90s.  My main thoughts were the Berlin wall, we have seen pieces of it during previous trips to PEI and Ottawa and have both been very intrigued by it. Amsterdam is something I have always wanted to check out for the Red Light district (window shopping only and niether of us are into smoking anything but I still think it would be a neat place to check out the shops and stuff). The only real reason for Paris is to at least see the Eiffel Tower so that can be scratched off the list very easily. The UK would be nice as we should be able to communicate fairly easily there as we have Newfie accents all around us which are (in a lot of cases) more like the English accent across the pond then North American English! We both love to eat new and differnt foods! And I love to drive and SWMBO is an excellent navigator (another bonus is that if we get lost we don't get mad, we make an adventure out of it!). I have a platinum CC so my rental insurance is taken care of! Her main things to see would be castles. She is fascinated by them! As I see it right now I think we might end up exploring the UK only. With our time limit and some of the stuff we want to see (and as newbies to any continent other then our own) and the fact that English is quite widespread this might be our best bet for our first trip. If we could time it right with the empeg meet and hook up with a ride to the UK that would be more then perfect! Please keep the ideas coming, I greatly appreciate all of this so far. Rene (and Siobhan!)
_________________________
12 gig empeg Mark II, SN: 080000101 30 gig RioCar SN: 30103114 My blog
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#245922 - 10/01/2005 01:04
Re: Planning on heading to Europe this summer. Any tips & where's the
[Re: ShadowMan]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 12/02/2002
Posts: 2298
Loc: Berkeley, California
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My main advice is to not worry about the checklist of big tourist sights to see. If the only reason you want to go paris is the Eiffel Tower, it (probably) isn't worth it. If you want to experience what paris feels like, what real a real parisian baguette tastes like warm, or what spending the afternoon at a sidewalk cafe on a bustling street is like, then you're really going to enjoy paris. The Eiffel Tower may still be the highlight, but try and make sure you'll enjoy the place you're visiting too. (I say this all without ever having visited paris, so take it with a grain of salt...)
I'd reccomend going to a large bookstore and perusing the travel section together, seeing what places sound like places you'd enjoy the most. Your trip sounds like a lot of fun.
Matthew
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#245923 - 10/01/2005 01:51
Re: Planning on heading to Europe this summer. Any tips & where's the
[Re: ShadowMan]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 29/08/2000
Posts: 14491
Loc: Canada
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If you're backpacking it, then forget about rental cars. Your trip is too short to do much exploring outside the nice cities, and you really do NOT want a car inside them! Public transit (rail) is *extensive* in Europe, so just relax and take the train, RER, tube, streetcar, bus, etc..
Cheers
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#245924 - 10/01/2005 02:42
Re: Planning on heading to Europe this summer. Any tips & where's the
[Re: mlord]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 25/08/2000
Posts: 2413
Loc: NH USA
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But a day of driving (forget about parking) in Paris is such an adventure.  Especially in a well-insured rental car (the best kind!). I loved driving in Paris, but then again, I like driving in Boston too. If you want to feel poor, visit the Rue de Fauberg (urg?). And go see the Louvre (well part of it) if nothing else in Paris. That's my $0.02. You'll have a great time. Just remember to eat and stop when one of you is tired. Being grumpy in a foreign country is no fun. -Zeke
_________________________
WWFSMD?
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#245925 - 10/01/2005 04:15
Re: Planning on heading to Europe this summer. Any tips & where's the
[Re: Ezekiel]
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member
Registered: 10/09/2004
Posts: 127
Loc: Bay Area, CA/Anchorage, AK
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It doesn't seem that anyone has mentioned Brugge, on the Belgian coast, not far from either Brussels or Amsterdam, or the ferries to the UK....it's not that any one thing is so remarkable (except a Michelangelo 'Pieta" that's NOT behind glass, it's that the whole is a small gem, built on canals...for me one of the most memorable towns in Europe. Also, for either Eurrail or Britrail passes, which may be useful if not drivng (I certainly agree that medieval or older cities are not designed for cars) they must be purchased before you leave N.America...
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#245926 - 10/01/2005 07:31
Re: Planning on heading to Europe this summer. Any tips & where's the
[Re: Dignan]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 16/04/2002
Posts: 2011
Loc: Yorkshire UK
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Quote:
"I'm sorry, French trains don't go to Spain."
This is for one very good reason: The track gauge in Spain is 5' 3", whereas in the rest of Europe it is generally 4' 8 1/4", as in the US. With the exception of Ireland (as Spain) and Russia 5' 0" (Also, I believe Finland, although I can't quite remember).
Various methods of ingenious gauge changing methods on coaches and trucks exist, but these are in the minority.
I don't know, but Parisian rudeness seems to be on the decline. It was non existent when I first went, in the early 50's, and peaked in the '70's.
_________________________
Politics and Ideology: Not my bag
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#245927 - 10/01/2005 10:14
Re: Planning on heading to Europe this summer. Any tips & where's the
[Re: boxer]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 24/12/2001
Posts: 5528
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I've never had any major problems with rudeness in Paris. One time in a random pastry shop but thats beause we were particularly inept at ordering and probably annoyed the waitress. The most recent time I went which was a few months ago, everybody was really friendly.
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#245928 - 10/01/2005 11:04
Re: Planning on heading to Europe this summer. Any tips & where's the
[Re: ShadowMan]
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old hand
Registered: 14/04/2002
Posts: 1172
Loc: Hants, UK
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Quote:
Her main things to see would be castles. She is fascinated by them!
Plenty of them to see, Warwick Castle is supposed to be good, and Arundel Castle is nice, although they don't open Saturdays and is quite far down on the south coast (you could combine it with a trip to Brighton if you want a trip to a traditional tacky seaside resort)
It's probably worth getting a book like this:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/185410621X
Gareth
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#245929 - 10/01/2005 11:18
Re: Planning on heading to Europe this summer. Any tips & where's the
[Re: g_attrill]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 21/05/1999
Posts: 5335
Loc: Cambridge UK
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Not to mention that most Brits actually live in castles.
Rob
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#245930 - 10/01/2005 11:21
Re: Planning on heading to Europe this summer. Any tips & where's the
[Re: rob]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 10/06/1999
Posts: 5916
Loc: Wivenhoe, Essex, UK
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Quote:
Not to mention that most Brits actually live in castles.
Only the English. The Welsh and Scots are still forced to live in damp, dark stone shacks.
_________________________
Remind me to change my signature to something more interesting someday
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#245931 - 10/01/2005 12:04
Re: Planning on heading to Europe this summer. Any tips & where's the
[Re: julf]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/06/1999
Posts: 2993
Loc: Wareham, Dorset, UK
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Don't you guys ever look at the calender? 
_________________________
One of the few remaining Mk1 owners...  #00015
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#245932 - 10/01/2005 12:09
Re: Planning on heading to Europe this summer. Any tips & where's the
[Re: g_attrill]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 18/01/2000
Posts: 5683
Loc: London, UK
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Quote:
Plenty of them to see, Warwick Castle is supposed to be good
If you're looking for classic square castles, you won't go far wrong with Bodiam Castle.
Another good castle (showing my southern bias here) is Dover Castle. This one's notable because it's got a bunch of history, from an early Roman lighthouse, through the Norman bits, all the way up to WW2 bunkers (casements), from where the Dunkirk evacuation was planned/controlled.
_________________________
-- roger
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#245933 - 10/01/2005 12:09
Re: Planning on heading to Europe this summer. Any tips & where's the
[Re: schofiel]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 15/08/2000
Posts: 4859
Loc: New Jersey, USA
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Oh wow. I have been on this board for how long now, and I never noticed that...
_________________________
Paul Grzelak
200GB with 48MB RAM, Illuminated Buttons and Digital Outputs
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#245934 - 10/01/2005 12:12
Re: Planning on heading to Europe this summer. Any tips & where's the
[Re: schofiel]
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veteran
Registered: 01/10/2001
Posts: 1307
Loc: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Quote:
Don't you guys ever look at the calender?
Woops! 
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#245935 - 10/01/2005 12:18
Re: Planning on heading to Europe this summer. Any tips & where's the
[Re: schofiel]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 10/06/1999
Posts: 5916
Loc: Wivenhoe, Essex, UK
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Bugger, it is the same dates as the Goodwood Festival of Speed 
_________________________
Remind me to change my signature to something more interesting someday
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#245936 - 10/01/2005 12:35
Re: Planning on heading to Europe this summer. Any tips & where's the
[Re: pgrzelak]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 24/12/2001
Posts: 5528
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It was a part of the UBB upgrade awhile back.
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