OT: Europe Trip

[UconnFanNVa]

Just out of curiosity, what kind of hotels were offering that kind of rate, because I've never seen anything close to that low.

Grand hotel francais is one. On trip advisor you can find a bunch of them.

 

[tzznandrew]

Why don't you stretch it out to the last week in September. That is when the Oktoberfest starts in Munich. Believe me. You won't regret it. I know there are beer topics galore on here. Go to one, enjoy, and report back. You can do it. Trade your July for September.

I wish. As a teacher I can't make September work. If I could ever find a way to monetize my few skills outside of the classroom (manic energy, excessive ADHD...) I'd certainly leave for the freedom to do Oktoberfest at the very least.

 

[storrsroars]

I've got nothing outstanding to recommend. I usually eat cheap in London - curry houses, fish 'n chips stuff - both easily beat US counterparts. I just like walking around. Definitely go visit the Tower and Westminster Abbey if you haven't been. I like hanging around busy areas like Trafalgar Sq and Picadilly Circus just for watching life and goofy stuff and the locals' relationships with pigeons.

Paris - if you're hitting museums, I'd skip the Pompidou. I do love the Metro though. Possibly easiest to understand subway system I've been on and it takes you anywhere you want to go. Again, just a fabulous place for walking around. If you want to do something your wife will appreciate, bring a lock, inscribe something on it for her and go to the Pont des Artes bridge. Then have a croque monsieur.

Budapest... was only there for 36 hours on a stopover for debriefing on a USAID project, but was on the Buda side, and the walk from my hotel to the west bank of the Danube was charming - lots of statuary everywhere commemorating people I had no clue about. The view overlooking the Danube and Parliament was fantastic. Was taken out to the boonies to Vedeglo a KisBorhoz and had to try the parprikash which was outstanding. But you'd need to cab it out there.

Now if you find yourself in Sofia, let's talk...

 

[8893]

I'm in London now on the 15th day of a 16-day trip to England, Wales and Ireland. I'll write more when I get back but wanted to log in to tell you not to miss seeing A Midsummer Night's Dream currently at the Globe and running through September. In a trip full of many highlights, I think that has been my favorite. Absolutely brilliant production and adaptation. Get the groundling seats for 5 pounds. But get them now. It sells out weeks in advance if not longer. I've seen that play probably at least a half dozen times before and was in it in high school and this was hands down the best production of it I've ever seen, and you can't beat the setting.

 

[tzznandrew]

I'm in London now on the 15th day of a 16-day trip to England, Wales and Ireland. I'll write more when I get back but wanted to log in to tell you not to miss seeing A Midsummer Night's Dream currently at the Globe and running through September. In a trip full of many highlights, I think that has been my favorite. Absolutely brilliant production and adaptation. Get the groundling seats for 5 pounds. But get them now. It sells out weeks in advance if not longer. I've seen that play probably at least a half dozen times before and was in it in high school and this was hands down the best production of it I've ever seen, and you can't beat the setting.

Good to know. I was going to do the Macbeth since I teach it every year, but if this is that awesome, I'll pick up the tickets today.

EDIT: And they're gone already for the three days I'll be in London (July 29-31). Wow.

 

[storrsroars]

Good to know. I was going to do the Macbeth since I teach it every year, but if this is that awesome, I'll pick up the tickets today.

EDIT: And they're gone already for the three days I'll be in London (July 29-31). Wow.

If you can swing up to Edinburgh in August, it's the 70th anniversary of the Fringe Festival. I was there for the 50th in '96 and managed to see 3 different interpretations of Hamlet in one day, including a one-man show which was fantastically absurd.

Still my favorite festival of all time.

 

[huskypantz]

Yea i'm not try to do it on the cheap so to speak, but paying for 2 hotel rooms for 6-7 nighs, thats a little steep. I'm actually choosing Paris over some all inclusive resort on an island, so it shouldnt be THAT much more expensive. I'd rather spend my money on food, drink and stuff like that. Im finding some decent air bnb spots for anywhere between 220 - 300 bucks a night. For a spacious (by french standards) apartment with 2 bedrooms thats pretty good to me. For 2 decent hotel rooms I'd be looking at the 180 - 220 a night rate per room, so times 2 we are talking roughly 400 bucks a night. Saving 100 bucks a night over 7 nights, that works for me lol.

I was in Paris and London in 2013. I lean toward the cheaper spots but I need convenience and safety. These two were really cheap and I recommend both:
Campanile Paris 11 -Bastille: 9 Rue Du Chemin Vert, 11. Bastille - République ($417 total for 3 nights)
Novotel London Waterloo: 113 Lambeth Road, London, England SE1 7LS United Kingdom ($1044 total for 4 nights)
http://www.expedia.com/London-Hotel...ce&&hashTag=default&rfrr=-30461#hotelMapPanel
I was traveling with a 1 year old and a pregnant wife so I needed something close to public transportation, safe and convenient but budget friendly. These are the 2 hotels we used. Campanile has multiple metro stops within a block or two of it. There are good restaurants, pastry shops etc within the same distance. For my morning runs I'd jog to the Louvre and Notre Dame. Unfortunately 630am in Paris is still essentially night time and there are drunk people wandering along with the Green Crew that clean the streets. Just to note, the room is tiny and we squeezed a mini crib in too - but you're in Paris so your room should be used for sleeping only. In London, the Novotel Waterloo was perfect for us. The Big Red Bus stop is right on the corner, which is right off the Thames. I think it's the waterloo train station/tube that is closest, little more of a walk but we actually used the bus as our transportation with a few small exceptions (like getting to Heathrow). My morning runs in London included Big Ben, Parliament, Buckingham Palace and the Eye - they're all very close. There was not much in the way of food close by the restaurant - one downfall.

 

[8893]

Good to know. I was going to do the Macbeth since I teach it every year, but if this is that awesome, I'll pick up the tickets today.

EDIT: And they're gone already for the three days I'll be in London (July 29-31). Wow.

That's a bummer, but I'm not surprised. It's a real crowd pleaser with broad appeal. They do have a day-of "returns queue" for people to buy tickets that are returned, which apparently happens often (they can use the credit for a future performance), so that is an option. Otherwise, I'm sure Macbeth would be worth the visit. You should also plan to spend a little time checking out the surrounding Southwark neighborhood, which I found to be one of the most historically interesting areas in the city. It's like you've stepped into a scene from a Dickens novel.

As for other London recs for your three-day visit, I'm still pretty lagged from our return last night, but here is my stream-of-consciousness for general thoughts and recs for your purposes:

• In all, we spent four full days just doing London, and I still feel like we barely scratched the surface. It is very crowded and there is a lot to see and do. I had my wife and three daughters in tow and that definitely affected our choices and pace, but no matter what you have to have a plan of attack. Try to do the most crowded things early or late so you can avoid the midday crowds. Plan for some rain and some sun every day, often within minutes of each other.
  
• The most impressive and worthwhile sites IMO included:
  (1) British Museum (free), which is mind-boggling in scope. We limited our visit to Egypt, Assyria and Greece and were still overwhelmed. Download the free audio tour from Rick Steves. I wanted to continue on to the nearby British Library (also free), but the kids and wife vetoed it after the museum. Based on your interests I think you should plan on doing that too though.
  (2) Churchill War Rooms. Absolutely fascinating and essential for anyone interested in the history or the man. Extremely well presented/preserved. The War Rooms themselves are incredibly cool. The museum has an unbelievable and pretty overwhelming volume of materials, information and interactive displays, but I did not find the arrangement to be very logical or efficient. You can easily get lost for hours here. The included audio tour is very well done, except for the museum part.
  (3) Westminster Abbey. We saw many impressive cathedrals on this trip (including Canterbury and St. Paul's), but this one probably takes the top billing in terms of historical scope, importance and sheer grandiosity. Again, the included audio tour is essential imo. Don't miss Poet's Corner.
  (4) Tower of London. A bit overdone, but not to be missed imo. Join one of the free Beefeater tours or plan your own; but you'll be waiting in line for the Crown Jewels no matter what.
  (5) St. Paul's Cathedral. Unless you need to see the view from the top (i.e., if you're not doing the London Eye or the Shard), I wouldn't pay for entry, but it is worth going in for free for the 5:00 p.m. Evensong (doors at 4:15) just to see it from the inside.
  
• As per that last note, you need at least one good aerial view of the city. We did the London Eye by popular demand of the family and it was pretty cool, albeit pricey. Buy advance tickets on line to save time and money. Other options are the aforementioned St. Paul's and its 500+ stairs, or the Shard's expensive viewing platform. You can also go most of the way up the Shard to visit either Oblix or Aqua Shard, the two bar/restaurants on the 36th floor. Popping into one of them just for a drink is a good option, although Oblix has a "smart" dress code that prohibits shorts, sandals or sneakers, and Aqua Shard prohibits kids after 5:00 p.m. And obviously the drinks will not be cheap...
• I thought the hop-on, hop-off bus was a waste because of the traffic. We took it once and and then scrapped it because we could walk faster for anywhere up to a mile; and otherwise use the Tube, which is quite good.
• If you are doing a boat ride on the Thames, make sure you have time to take it to Greenwich, which is supposed to be stunning. That was our intent but herding the cats made that impossible for the day we had tickets, as we also had our Globe show that day and it was too much for my harem.
  
• I disagree with the poster who suggested that the average fish and chips options are superior there than here. By far the best we had on our trip were in Galway, with some very decent ones in Tadworth (Surrey) as well. The two we tried in London pubs that were supposed to be decent were very disappointing. Too much coating, too oily, and fish that wasn't fresh. The best food we found in London were dinners at the Mayflower Pub (traditional and local; very cool spot with a cool story behind it; very friendly and very good, fresh food and very good beer and cider options); and Champor Champor, an excellent Malaysian-fusion restaurant near London Bridge. Best lunch options were at Burroughs Market near London Bridge.
  
• Finally, check the London Pass and see if it might be a value for you. We bought a three-day family pass for our final three days and I don't think it was a great value for us at the end of the day (although I got a sale that was essentially the same price as a two-day pass), but that was because of the krewe I had in tow. If your krewe has at least one other gear and understands the value in getting up early to see and do more, you might have better success there.

 

[BUHusky]

I solicited suggestions a few years ago about Europe and you guys had some great suggestions. I'm going again for about 3 weeks this year (July 10-Aug 1), and I'm wondering if the collective wisdom of the Boneyard could help crowdsource some interesting finds.

I generally do a lot of research, so what I'm interested in is (1) Traditional Tourist Attractions that are (a) totally worth it or (say, large parts of the Louvre) (b) terrible and not worth it (say, the Mona Lisa) (2) Non-traditional Places that are worth a visit, or (3) Restaurant/Bar recommendations.

Here are the places I'm going to. Any suggestions would be great:

(1) Iceland (mostly for waterfalls and techtonic plates...my wife teaches environmental science)
(2) Amsterdam (2 days)
(3) Brussels/Bruges (mostly for beer...would love recs here...mostly spent in Bruges)
(4) Paris (we've been, and it's a way point for a cheap flight to Eastern Europe. Suggestions or off topic slanders of the city is fine)
(5) Budapest (and Eger for a day there)
(6) Prague
(7) Berlin
(8) London

Any suggestions or random discussions about

Ok finally got over my malaise from London. Wimbledon was great, but I was a much bigger fan of the Australian Open (if you're a tennis fan). Anyway, here are some thoughts about your trip:

As an initial matter, are you sure you want to do all of those places in just 3 weeks? Seems a little rushed IMO. That said you probably already booked everything, but if not you might want to think about cutting out a city or two. Something to think about. Anyway...

Amsterdam: Vondelpark, Van Gough Museum, rents some bicycles and ride all over, go to a coffee shop to partake and then get lost walking around the canals. Also, eat lots of fries and mayo (no matter your mental state).

Brussels/Bruges: It's been too long so I don't have anything useful to say other than drink lots of beer.

Paris: You've been so I probably don't have much to add. I personally think Sacré-Cœur has the best views in the city and the 10th and 11th arrondissements are fun areas to go out drinking (though a bit gritty in some places).

Budapest: go to a thermal bath (Széchenyi is great), Central Market Hall, walk all around the hills on the Buda side of the river (e.g. start at the bridge next to the market and make your way to Buda Castle and beyond), walk along the river at night, and drink at ruin bars in Pest. Szimpla Kert is a great ruin bar at night and a better market during the day.

I'll post about Prague, Berlin, and London later tonight or tomorrow.

 

[boba]

I should add something but it looks like everything is covered. In Berlin, there was a "Sparrow's alley" back in the day. Couldn't find it on the map, IIRC, it's around KaDeWe. Great bunch of small bars all packed in like sparrows (hence the name). Each one had a fruit concoction (Rumtopf) that was quite interesting.

Turkish bath in Paris is not as bad as you might think. I enjoy them when I visit. The Paris Flea Market is fun too, but watch for pickpockets.

Amsterdam, well, I like the Grasshopper, not far from Centraal Station. Watch out for anything with "white" in the label ("White Widow," "White Rhino") you might find yourself picking up the candle (which are orange and look very much like the orange juice you ordered) and drinking from it.

 

[8893]

Amsterdam, well, I like the Grasshopper, not far from Centraal Station.

Good to know that the Grasshopper is still getting it done. I quite liked the place when I spent a semester in the Netherlands almost 30 years ago. Good coffee.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Paris: the 10th and 11th arrondissements are fun areas to go out drinking (though a bit gritty in some places).

+1. Great restaurants out there too, and not inundated with tourists.

 

[junglehusky]

Quick story on my family's trip to Paris circa 2000. My mom and I decided to take the train to Auvers, about an hour outside of paris where Van Gough had stayed and done some paintings. There was a chateau that I think had some of his works. I looked at the train route, counted the number of stops to get off in Auvers. Well, it turned out I didn't realize we had to transfer to another train in Pontoise where the line split in two directions. When we disembarked we were in a tiny village instead of Auvers, basically in the middle of nowhere. There wasn't another train going back in the other direction for 3 hours or so. I asked the station master "Est ce que il y a quelque chose interresant pres d'ici?" and he made a funny face like "Here? seriously???"

But it was great. We just walked around town for a couple hours, looked at the cute houses and farms, the little WWII memorial in the town square. Everyone was nice even if the little old ladies in the market were staring at these weird foreigners (obviously they never get tourists there). Had lunch near the station and then got on the right train to Auvers in the afternoon.

So sometimes having an unplanned diversion can let you see someplace you weren't expecting. As long as you are in a generally safe /friendly area it can be a pleasant surprise.

 

[BUHusky]

Ok here's the rest.

Prague: Walk all over the parks and hills in Mala Strana to Pohorelec/Hradcany and then enter the Castle/Cathedral grounds from the western entrance. Before heading into the grounds you might want to grab some food and plenty of pivo (beer) at Strahov Monastic Brewery (probably the best pilsner you'll ever have). After the walk down head over Charles Bridge and then get lost in Old Town (not hard to do at all). Old Town Square is cool especially if there is an event and the view from atop the Astronomical Clock is quite good. Letna Park is chill and the beer garden there a nice place to take a load off. Park Cafe south of the train station is situated on a hillside park and has great views of the sunset, good beer, and lots of locals. If you don't mind going somewhere where absolutely no English is spoken by the staff then try to get some seats and the amazing beer at U Zlateho Tygra. I had a fantastic time there (though my clothes reeked of cigarette smoke for the rest of my trip...something that happens a lot in Prague). The Jewish Quarter is interesting if you have time. Eat a Smažený sýr (Fried Cheese Sandwich) from a street vendor.

Berlin: Skip it and head to Munich instead. If that is not possible then I suppose Berlin isn't so bad. Brandenburg Gate and Tiergarten are essential stops. Lots of interesting spots along the Berlin Wall (Checkpoint Charlie not being one of them, it's a huge tourist trap). The Holocaust Memorial and Museum is a must though be prepared for the mental anguish that follows. If you're up for a fun experience head to Kreuzberg late night and hop in and out of the old industrial warehouses along the Spree. Nothing quite like experiencing German techno in an old East German warehouse. Alexandarplatz is an interesting place to people watch and also take in some (ugly) East German architecture.

London: Question, have you been there before or is this your first time? If this is your first time then 8893's post is a good start. If you've been before and are looking for something different this time then I'd recommend spending some time in Shoreditch (the Sunday street market is great in addition to everything else), Brixton (Brockwell Park is really nice and Pop Brixton has awesome food), and Camden (for the street food and weird vibe). Borough Market in South Bank is also a good place to kill some time. Head east to the Olympic Park and take a stroll down the River Lea. Pubs close at 11, bars close a little later, and clubs are open really late. We stuck to pubs mostly and drank as much cask beer as possible. You'll be a little late for Wimbledon but the museum might be open if you're a tennis fan (though the area is kind of a trek outside the city). Definitely stop by Brick Lane, but do your research and don't let a tout get you. I'd recommend Muhib.

Lastly, take advantage of the free walking tours in each city. If you have any additional questions feel free to ask. Have fun!

 

[tzznandrew]

Berlin: Skip it and head to Munich instead. If that is not possible then I suppose Berlin isn't so bad. Brandenburg Gate and Tiergarten are essential stops. Lots of interesting spots along the Berlin Wall (Checkpoint Charlie not being one of them, it's a huge tourist trap). The Holocaust Memorial and Museum is a must though be prepared for the mental anguish that follows. If you're up for a fun experience head to Kreuzberg late night and hop in and out of the old industrial warehouses along the Spree. Nothing quite like experiencing German techno in an old East German warehouse. Alexandarplatz is an interesting place to people watch and also take in some (ugly) East German architecture.

Thanks for the suggestions. I have been to Munich in the past and really enjoyed it.

Thanks for the heads up on Checkpoint Charlie. I assumed it was a huge trap and was going to go to the museum a little further north.

 

[UconnFanNVa]

I'd Air bnb it. You could get two bedroom places easier and cheaper that way. I gotta say, though, it's near impossible to stay cheaply in Paris.

I'll look at my itinerary from two years ago and let you know what restaurants we liked best.

I ended up going the airbnb route. Got a nice two bedroom apartment in a really nice location arr. 3. Now I need to figure out how much food for 4 and shopping is going to set me back for 8 days. In guessing that won't be cheap

 

[Yorkeez4]

Paris - if you're hitting museums, I'd skip the Pompidou. I do love the Metro though. Possibly easiest to understand subway system I've been on and it takes you anywhere you want to go. Again, just a fabulous place for walking around. If you want to do something your wife will appreciate, bring a lock, inscribe something on it for her and go to the Pont des Artes bridge. Then have a croque...

 

[Yorkeez4]

Unfortunately the bridge was collaspsing under the weight of the padlocks so you can no longer leave one.

Paris has replaced the padlocks on the Pont des Arts with padlock-themed graffiti

 

[UconnFanNVa]

That sucks, was going to do that. Oh well