I'm leaving the country.
Quote:Original post by LessBread
Watch out for groups of street kids. They might swarm you and pick your pockets.
I couldn't help but LOL:
General advice:
- Get good city maps wherever you go. Most cities have had centuries to develop confusing irregular layouts, and wasting time due to getting lost or stumbling into a bad neighbourhood isn't fun.
- Many cities have daily or weekly passes for the bus, subway and sometimes train network; they cost much less than individual tickets and allow you to make as many trips as you like instead of walking to spare a ticket.
- Avoid renting cars; you'll only have trouble parking and looking for directions. For the same cost, a few taxi rides when you need them will be more useful.
Italy advice:
- Tips to waiters, taxi drivers etc. are not expected (and possibly suspicious: is this tourist just a fool, or does he want something from me?). Don't worry, they are all rather well paid. Instead, look out for fixed or (rarely) percentage cover charges on the menu; displaying them is mandatory.
- Taxis are caught at fixed places (e.g. in front of train stations and in important squares) or called by phone; if you see an empty taxi in the street it is likely to be answering a call, not free and cruising. Beware of nasty supplements for airport fares (you can wait for a bus or train instead).
Avoid the greasy guys who approach tourists in front of train stations, luring them with the offer of a "taxi" without waiting in queue: they are unlicensed and they charge arbitrary prices.
- Phone numbers: generic emergencies 113, Carabinieri (friendly military police) 112, fire emergencies 115, medical emergencies 118; all four can be called free of charge from all fixed and cellular phones.
- Get good city maps wherever you go. Most cities have had centuries to develop confusing irregular layouts, and wasting time due to getting lost or stumbling into a bad neighbourhood isn't fun.
- Many cities have daily or weekly passes for the bus, subway and sometimes train network; they cost much less than individual tickets and allow you to make as many trips as you like instead of walking to spare a ticket.
- Avoid renting cars; you'll only have trouble parking and looking for directions. For the same cost, a few taxi rides when you need them will be more useful.
Italy advice:
- Tips to waiters, taxi drivers etc. are not expected (and possibly suspicious: is this tourist just a fool, or does he want something from me?). Don't worry, they are all rather well paid. Instead, look out for fixed or (rarely) percentage cover charges on the menu; displaying them is mandatory.
- Taxis are caught at fixed places (e.g. in front of train stations and in important squares) or called by phone; if you see an empty taxi in the street it is likely to be answering a call, not free and cruising. Beware of nasty supplements for airport fares (you can wait for a bus or train instead).
Avoid the greasy guys who approach tourists in front of train stations, luring them with the offer of a "taxi" without waiting in queue: they are unlicensed and they charge arbitrary prices.
- Phone numbers: generic emergencies 113, Carabinieri (friendly military police) 112, fire emergencies 115, medical emergencies 118; all four can be called free of charge from all fixed and cellular phones.
... just as long as you keep in mind "London" != "England" [wink].
There's tons of other parts of England to visit, plus of course our neighbours Scotland, Wales and Ireland. You would be surprised - the accent and culture changes between adjacent counties can be pretty extreme (Dorset versus Hampshire versus several London accents for example). There are beaches that can be just glorious when the weather is right… like Durdle Door for instance http://www.bbc.co.uk/dorset/content/panoramas/durdle_360.shtml
Course you are only here for a very short amount of time, and there are so many things to do (if you have the money!) in London that I guess that’s why so many Americans never seem to make it out of London.
As for safety... common sense really. Stay to well lit, busy areas.
There's tons of other parts of England to visit, plus of course our neighbours Scotland, Wales and Ireland. You would be surprised - the accent and culture changes between adjacent counties can be pretty extreme (Dorset versus Hampshire versus several London accents for example). There are beaches that can be just glorious when the weather is right… like Durdle Door for instance http://www.bbc.co.uk/dorset/content/panoramas/durdle_360.shtml
Course you are only here for a very short amount of time, and there are so many things to do (if you have the money!) in London that I guess that’s why so many Americans never seem to make it out of London.
As for safety... common sense really. Stay to well lit, busy areas.
Quote:Original post by paulecoyote
You would be surprised - the accent and culture changes between adjacent counties can be pretty extreme (Dorset versus Hampshire versus several London accents for example).
paulecoyote: Are you from "Darrrr-sett"?
Rixter: Everything paulecoyote said is true. Also note that the UK is quite used to Tourists from the US and you shouldn't have too many problems admitting you're not Canadian.
Tips for Paris: Stay away from the touristy areas to find the best bits. Also the cafes in the touristy areas cost far, far more than just a 5 minute walk away from them.
Most important thing: Enjoy yourself.
Everyone else has given you lots of advice on how to act and what to watch out for so I'll just add this:
Look poor. Poor people don't get mugged. [grin]
If you're travelling around by train you should definitely get a Thomas Cook European Rail Timetable (see this). It makes travelling around much easier.
- You can look up trains in the comfort of your room rather than having to go to the train stations all the time.
- You can plan long journeys, even involving several trains through multiple countries.
- It has details of which trains require supplements if you have a rail pass and which trains have couchettes (great for saving time and money - go to sleep in Paris, wake up in Milan and the extra for the couchette is less than a room in either place).
- Very importantly, it can help you buy tickets when you don't speak the local language and the ticket seller doesn't speak your's. Simply draw a box around the journey you want to make and show it to the ticket seller.
Don't bother buying one in advance - they produce a new one every month and, in the UK at least, they are available in many branches of Thomas Cook travel agents and bureau de changes (probably including at the one in the airport). If the branch you go to doesn't have them, they'll be able to direct you to a branch that does. The timetables don't change much month to month so don't worry if you can't get the very latest. The last one I got (September 2005) was UKP 11.
Don't try and see too many different places - you'll spend all your time travelling and not get to see anything. On one trip, I went to Istanbul for the day. It took 24 hours to get there by train from Athens, 18 hours in Istanbul and then 36 hours on another train to get to Munich. I like travelling by train but that was too much. [smile]
Even when travelling around one country, I allow a whole day to get from one place to another and find somewhere to stay when I get there.
2.5 weeks isn't really very long to see four countries. Given the distances you'll be travelling, you won't be able to really see more than about four places. Getting to and from Greece might take up too much time for you to see anything of it on this trip.
If you are returning to the US from London, plan to visit there last. If you plan three days in London at the end of your trip and slip by a day you'll have a shorter stay in London. If you plan to go straight from Paris to a London airport and slip a day, you'll miss your flight.
Have a great time and remember, it's still a vacation. Don't get too hung up on the warnings people have given - just be aware of your surroundings as you would be if you were visiting a new US city.
dave j
Look poor. Poor people don't get mugged. [grin]
If you're travelling around by train you should definitely get a Thomas Cook European Rail Timetable (see this). It makes travelling around much easier.
- You can look up trains in the comfort of your room rather than having to go to the train stations all the time.
- You can plan long journeys, even involving several trains through multiple countries.
- It has details of which trains require supplements if you have a rail pass and which trains have couchettes (great for saving time and money - go to sleep in Paris, wake up in Milan and the extra for the couchette is less than a room in either place).
- Very importantly, it can help you buy tickets when you don't speak the local language and the ticket seller doesn't speak your's. Simply draw a box around the journey you want to make and show it to the ticket seller.
Don't bother buying one in advance - they produce a new one every month and, in the UK at least, they are available in many branches of Thomas Cook travel agents and bureau de changes (probably including at the one in the airport). If the branch you go to doesn't have them, they'll be able to direct you to a branch that does. The timetables don't change much month to month so don't worry if you can't get the very latest. The last one I got (September 2005) was UKP 11.
Don't try and see too many different places - you'll spend all your time travelling and not get to see anything. On one trip, I went to Istanbul for the day. It took 24 hours to get there by train from Athens, 18 hours in Istanbul and then 36 hours on another train to get to Munich. I like travelling by train but that was too much. [smile]
Even when travelling around one country, I allow a whole day to get from one place to another and find somewhere to stay when I get there.
2.5 weeks isn't really very long to see four countries. Given the distances you'll be travelling, you won't be able to really see more than about four places. Getting to and from Greece might take up too much time for you to see anything of it on this trip.
If you are returning to the US from London, plan to visit there last. If you plan three days in London at the end of your trip and slip by a day you'll have a shorter stay in London. If you plan to go straight from Paris to a London airport and slip a day, you'll miss your flight.
Have a great time and remember, it's still a vacation. Don't get too hung up on the warnings people have given - just be aware of your surroundings as you would be if you were visiting a new US city.
dave j
Quote:Original post by LorenzoGattiQuote:Original post by LessBreadDon't expect pizza in Italy to be like pizza here in the States. They don't use nearly as much cheese on them as we do - and it's usually only one kind of topping - sausage or mushrooms or olives - but not all three together.
This is not a bug, it's a feature: it's called taste.
Italian pizzerias offer a wide choice of pizza types, often exceeding two pages of the menu, from traditional common recipes to creative anomalies and from inexpensive to replete with luxury ingredients.
One needs to read the ingredient lists and not only the pizza names, as every cook has his own ideas, and expect to be slightly frowned upon if asking for a custom pizza (unless extras are listed in the menu).
Please, don't get snooty about "taste" and all that. I've been to Italy. The pizza there is different than the pizza here. I wasn't saying that one is better than the other, just that it's different there than it is here so he shouldn't be surprised by it. That's all I was saying.
Quote:Original post by EDIQuote:Original post by LessBread
Watch out for groups of street kids. They might swarm you and pick your pockets.
I couldn't help but LOL:
LOL indeed! However, I was thinking more about gypsies than the Artful Dodger.
- most hotels and many hostels have a safe, either in the room or at reception. If there is one available, keeping your travel documents, a little spare money/travellers cheques, and emergency contact details in there is better than carrying them around with you whilst out and about.
- if you have a Cirrus/Maestro/Visa Delta debit card from a reasonably large bank, it's likely work in many cashpoints (ATMs) in Europe. Your bank will probably charge you a money exchange fee, but it can still be cheaper, more convenient and safer than changing between dollars and local currency.
- Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted, and American Express is fairly widely accepted in Europe. Beware though, some credit card companies will charge extra on top of the usual exchange fee - also many stores, restaurants, etc charge an additional "handling fee". If you intend using your credit card to pay for something, in the UK at least, you'll need to know your PIN.
- In the UK, sales tax (V.A.T.) is almost always included in the price advertised. Tips are for good service, a standard service charge is usually included unless stated.
- Unless your US cellphone is tri/quad band, it's unlikely to work in Europe, and even if it did, your service provider would charge a massive premium.
- Unless you're a millionaire, NEVER EVER use a hotel room phone to make an external (non-emergency) phone call, particularly long distance.
- Likewise, payphones can be expensive (but much cheaper than hotel phones), particularly long distance/international.
- The cheapest option in most countries is to buy a pre-pay phone calling card - these give you a freephone (toll free) number to call (from all payphones, and some hotel phones - but read the small print) and a PIN to enter before you dial the number.
- Set up a webmail account for non-essential communication with home - most large cities have an internet cafe somewhere and are very cheap for internet access. In the UK, many public libraries provide internet access too.
- There's generally good advice already been given regarding crime: if you don't stand out as an obvious target, it's far less likely you'll be a target. Simple stuff that applies in any big city in the world really: Don't count money in full view of people after using an ATM; don't flash your valuables around; try not to look 'lost'.
- When entering your PIN at an ATM or for your credit card, keep your hand over the number pad so nobody can see what you're typing and look out for anything out of place attached to/around the machine (in the UK there have been a few incidents involving card readers attached over the top of the standard ATM slots!).
- If you see signs/posters warning about crime and pickpockets in touristy places, DO NOT check your wallet/valuables immediately - do it somewhere you can't be seen. Pickpockets & muggers hang around near those posters because everyone who sees them checks their valuables - which tells the thief exactly which pockets to go for!
- Eat the local cuisine in each country! - you can get your US franchised fast food in the US. Also try to find the restaurants, cafes, bars, pubs, etc that the locals use - the ones in the tourist areas will be overpriced and the poorest quality.
- The reception staff at your hostel/hotel know the area - they can give you more current and up to date information than any guide book about where to go, where to eat, etc. The staff closest to your own age group will give you the most relevent advice (the quiet pub the 50 year old manageress likes to visit probably isn't going to be as enjoyable for you as the one the 19 year old waitress likes...).
- Hotel concierges are also great for local advice, getting taxis in busy cities, etc **even if you aren't staying at the hotel they're outside (remember to tip them)**
- In most of the UK, the only taxis you can [legally] hail in the street are "Hackney carriages" (mostly "black cabs") that [usually] have an orange "Taxi" lit sign on the top. Any ordinary looking car with a lit [usually white] taxi sign on top is a "private hire" taxi and needs to be booked in advance (or from a taxi base). A private hire car that's been hailed from the street isn't properly insured.
All licensed taxis in the UK have a square plate on/near their front and rear bumper *separate* from their license plate. If a car doesn't have any, don't get in - you're likely to get ripped off.
- Taxis in most countries will rip tourists off to some extent - busses, trains, trams, metros, tubes, etc are a much cheaper way to get around.
- Many larger train stations in the UK charge you (~20p) if you want to go to the toilet. Find a pub/bar instead (most train stations also have one of those :o), the toilet will be free, even if you're not drinking.
- To help avoid jetlag from flying this way over the Atlantic: set your watch to the time of your destination; try to synchronise your sleep patterns on the plane (and even beforehand) to the time you'd go to bed at your destination (i.e. sleep on the plane if you can); same with eating; finally, once you arrive, continue the same synchronisation.
- Obvious really, but people still do it: Don't joke with airport/customs/immigration officials, particularly regarding things like terrorism, smuggling, and the purpose of your visit/how long you'll be staying.
- If you're drinking alcohol, don't drink too much on the plane - it'll go to your head faster in the air - and it isn't fun dealing with foreign immigration officials when you're slightly worse for wear.
- Have the details of your destination hotel/hostel with you in your hand luggage on the plane - you'll probably need them for filling out immigration/entry visa/visa waiver forms.
- Enjoy it! It's an adventure, even any bad parts of any big trip are good life experience you'll look back on.
- if you have a Cirrus/Maestro/Visa Delta debit card from a reasonably large bank, it's likely work in many cashpoints (ATMs) in Europe. Your bank will probably charge you a money exchange fee, but it can still be cheaper, more convenient and safer than changing between dollars and local currency.
- Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted, and American Express is fairly widely accepted in Europe. Beware though, some credit card companies will charge extra on top of the usual exchange fee - also many stores, restaurants, etc charge an additional "handling fee". If you intend using your credit card to pay for something, in the UK at least, you'll need to know your PIN.
- In the UK, sales tax (V.A.T.) is almost always included in the price advertised. Tips are for good service, a standard service charge is usually included unless stated.
- Unless your US cellphone is tri/quad band, it's unlikely to work in Europe, and even if it did, your service provider would charge a massive premium.
- Unless you're a millionaire, NEVER EVER use a hotel room phone to make an external (non-emergency) phone call, particularly long distance.
- Likewise, payphones can be expensive (but much cheaper than hotel phones), particularly long distance/international.
- The cheapest option in most countries is to buy a pre-pay phone calling card - these give you a freephone (toll free) number to call (from all payphones, and some hotel phones - but read the small print) and a PIN to enter before you dial the number.
- Set up a webmail account for non-essential communication with home - most large cities have an internet cafe somewhere and are very cheap for internet access. In the UK, many public libraries provide internet access too.
- There's generally good advice already been given regarding crime: if you don't stand out as an obvious target, it's far less likely you'll be a target. Simple stuff that applies in any big city in the world really: Don't count money in full view of people after using an ATM; don't flash your valuables around; try not to look 'lost'.
- When entering your PIN at an ATM or for your credit card, keep your hand over the number pad so nobody can see what you're typing and look out for anything out of place attached to/around the machine (in the UK there have been a few incidents involving card readers attached over the top of the standard ATM slots!).
- If you see signs/posters warning about crime and pickpockets in touristy places, DO NOT check your wallet/valuables immediately - do it somewhere you can't be seen. Pickpockets & muggers hang around near those posters because everyone who sees them checks their valuables - which tells the thief exactly which pockets to go for!
- Eat the local cuisine in each country! - you can get your US franchised fast food in the US. Also try to find the restaurants, cafes, bars, pubs, etc that the locals use - the ones in the tourist areas will be overpriced and the poorest quality.
- The reception staff at your hostel/hotel know the area - they can give you more current and up to date information than any guide book about where to go, where to eat, etc. The staff closest to your own age group will give you the most relevent advice (the quiet pub the 50 year old manageress likes to visit probably isn't going to be as enjoyable for you as the one the 19 year old waitress likes...).
- Hotel concierges are also great for local advice, getting taxis in busy cities, etc **even if you aren't staying at the hotel they're outside (remember to tip them)**
- In most of the UK, the only taxis you can [legally] hail in the street are "Hackney carriages" (mostly "black cabs") that [usually] have an orange "Taxi" lit sign on the top. Any ordinary looking car with a lit [usually white] taxi sign on top is a "private hire" taxi and needs to be booked in advance (or from a taxi base). A private hire car that's been hailed from the street isn't properly insured.
All licensed taxis in the UK have a square plate on/near their front and rear bumper *separate* from their license plate. If a car doesn't have any, don't get in - you're likely to get ripped off.
- Taxis in most countries will rip tourists off to some extent - busses, trains, trams, metros, tubes, etc are a much cheaper way to get around.
- Many larger train stations in the UK charge you (~20p) if you want to go to the toilet. Find a pub/bar instead (most train stations also have one of those :o), the toilet will be free, even if you're not drinking.
- To help avoid jetlag from flying this way over the Atlantic: set your watch to the time of your destination; try to synchronise your sleep patterns on the plane (and even beforehand) to the time you'd go to bed at your destination (i.e. sleep on the plane if you can); same with eating; finally, once you arrive, continue the same synchronisation.
- Obvious really, but people still do it: Don't joke with airport/customs/immigration officials, particularly regarding things like terrorism, smuggling, and the purpose of your visit/how long you'll be staying.
- If you're drinking alcohol, don't drink too much on the plane - it'll go to your head faster in the air - and it isn't fun dealing with foreign immigration officials when you're slightly worse for wear.
- Have the details of your destination hotel/hostel with you in your hand luggage on the plane - you'll probably need them for filling out immigration/entry visa/visa waiver forms.
- Enjoy it! It's an adventure, even any bad parts of any big trip are good life experience you'll look back on.
This topic is closed to new replies.
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