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multipost
Last edited:
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Vice versa as well
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What is it that you do?
If i was considering going to europe what places should i hit up first and about how much will it cost me?
Also, when you get there are you gonna travel by train to get to each destinaiton?
If i was considering going to europe what places should i hit up first and about how much will it cost me?
Also, when you get there are you gonna travel by train to get to each destinaiton?
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OP gown...
mr marcus
Banned
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OP got ghost...I chop it up with this chick on twitter from Italy and she says the economy is **** over there (Italy)
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Y ppl stink over there b
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I was thinking maybe he got busted for using a company computer to go on NT.
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Do you see a lot of plump butted Euro women or are butts not as loved over there?
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Are prices negotiable at the red light district
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Are the yambs bare or do euro girls rock the retro bush?
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Yea, 50 euros with the pretty face discount. 75-100 if u ugly
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I have been to Western Europe several times and I recommend not giving priority to visiting the capitals, especially during the summer months. I also recommend generally avoiding London and Amsterdam all together, you can get overpriced, overcooked food and narcotics, respectively, back in the US.
Also avoid biggest cities and the far south during the summer. Parisians, Romans, Londoners and Berliners tend to skip town and almost everyone else in the city will be other tourists. In the far south, the temps get very hot and you will be outside and walking a lot and triple digit heat can suck away a lot of your energy. Do not forget that authentic culture tends to reside in either the countryside or the smaller cities and towns so look to go to those places.
Avoid low end hostels and high end hotels as well. Do an apartment exchange with someone from Hamburg (Fritz or Hans goes to Thailand for a month in July and you can rent his apartment for a pretty good rate for a week). Stay at a Bed and Breakfast in the English Midlands, rent a beach house in Denmark, stay in a cabin on the Fjords in Norway, stay at a Pension in the Austria Alps or a small hotel in Provence.
If you go to Italy, stay at an "Agro-Tourismo," which are bed and breakfasts located in big houses on farms and vineyards. The proprietor will usually serve breakfasts and dinner made from fresh and extremely local. I have some friends who are normally vegan for ethical reasons but they did eat the meat and dairy product and eggs at the farms because they saw well treated the animals were.
Also, when it comes to food, avoid resturants on the mainstreets that advertise that they speak English and that serve out of season specialties and that have a big menu. That means that it caters to less than savvy Brits and Americans who overpay for bland food that is not in season. Places that mostly serve locals offer good prices because they rely on repeat business and their kitchen takes in local produce and only cooks a few dishes on a given night. Restaurants that serve tourists also suffer in quality because they know that many Americans refuse to wait more than 15 minutes for their food while your typical Italian or Frenchmen knows that good food has to actually be cooked and that is why you nibble on antipasto and drink wine and have a conservation while you wait for the main courses to be cooked.
In Europe, a night out at a resturant will be a bit pricey because in most countries, you eat several courses and you "own" the table for the entire night. To save money, look to street food (In germany, there is sausage and pretzel stand on practically every corner), tapas bars, cafes and the ubiquitous farmers' markets where you can but fruit, cooked meats, bread, cheese and dessert and wine and have a picnic in a park or in town square. You also tend to get charged less at cafes if you drink your coffee or booze at the bar instead of at a table on the side walk. It is nice to sip a cafe au lait on a French sidewalk but when it is raining hard in Normandy, a double shot of espresso and a double shot of calvados at the bar is quite nice.
Pack lightly because you will be walking a great deal and carrying all of your luggage at train stations and airports. Bring one pair of very comfortable walking shoes and one pair of comfortable loafers. Mostly pack comfortable but semi formal clothing, khakis and wrinkle resistent button ups are ideal. Europeans consider cargo shorts and t-shirts somewhat low class. If you are going to be north of the Alps, bring a sweater and a wind and water proof jacket because even in July, temps can get close to freezing in the North and it rains almost every day.
Aside from comfortable but stylish clothes and sensible shoes and underwear and socks, avoid packing much else. If you decide to go to the beach, you can simply buy swim wear and flip flops. You can buy toothpaste and deodorant and shampoo while you are there as well, the same is true for umbrellas and OTC medicines. Also when it comes to your health, avoid hangovers and sunburns or general dehydration, you want your strength to be able to walk and stand all day and to be able to eat, drink and other things by night.
When it comes to langauge, it is great to be able to speak the local language but it is not essential. Young people in Europe can all speak at least a little bit of English and many can speak it at or near a fluent level. Most mom and pop stores and resturants, especially in the south, have one son or nephew who works their and can translate for you. Either that or you can point at food or merchandise and write down a number for grams of cheese you would like to buy and the OG Greek or Italian Grandpa will write down the price in euros and two shake hands and nod and complete the transaction.
Mostly importantly, have fun and use some savvy and some common sense.
Also avoid biggest cities and the far south during the summer. Parisians, Romans, Londoners and Berliners tend to skip town and almost everyone else in the city will be other tourists. In the far south, the temps get very hot and you will be outside and walking a lot and triple digit heat can suck away a lot of your energy. Do not forget that authentic culture tends to reside in either the countryside or the smaller cities and towns so look to go to those places.
Avoid low end hostels and high end hotels as well. Do an apartment exchange with someone from Hamburg (Fritz or Hans goes to Thailand for a month in July and you can rent his apartment for a pretty good rate for a week). Stay at a Bed and Breakfast in the English Midlands, rent a beach house in Denmark, stay in a cabin on the Fjords in Norway, stay at a Pension in the Austria Alps or a small hotel in Provence.
If you go to Italy, stay at an "Agro-Tourismo," which are bed and breakfasts located in big houses on farms and vineyards. The proprietor will usually serve breakfasts and dinner made from fresh and extremely local. I have some friends who are normally vegan for ethical reasons but they did eat the meat and dairy product and eggs at the farms because they saw well treated the animals were.
Also, when it comes to food, avoid resturants on the mainstreets that advertise that they speak English and that serve out of season specialties and that have a big menu. That means that it caters to less than savvy Brits and Americans who overpay for bland food that is not in season. Places that mostly serve locals offer good prices because they rely on repeat business and their kitchen takes in local produce and only cooks a few dishes on a given night. Restaurants that serve tourists also suffer in quality because they know that many Americans refuse to wait more than 15 minutes for their food while your typical Italian or Frenchmen knows that good food has to actually be cooked and that is why you nibble on antipasto and drink wine and have a conservation while you wait for the main courses to be cooked.
In Europe, a night out at a resturant will be a bit pricey because in most countries, you eat several courses and you "own" the table for the entire night. To save money, look to street food (In germany, there is sausage and pretzel stand on practically every corner), tapas bars, cafes and the ubiquitous farmers' markets where you can but fruit, cooked meats, bread, cheese and dessert and wine and have a picnic in a park or in town square. You also tend to get charged less at cafes if you drink your coffee or booze at the bar instead of at a table on the side walk. It is nice to sip a cafe au lait on a French sidewalk but when it is raining hard in Normandy, a double shot of espresso and a double shot of calvados at the bar is quite nice.
Pack lightly because you will be walking a great deal and carrying all of your luggage at train stations and airports. Bring one pair of very comfortable walking shoes and one pair of comfortable loafers. Mostly pack comfortable but semi formal clothing, khakis and wrinkle resistent button ups are ideal. Europeans consider cargo shorts and t-shirts somewhat low class. If you are going to be north of the Alps, bring a sweater and a wind and water proof jacket because even in July, temps can get close to freezing in the North and it rains almost every day.
Aside from comfortable but stylish clothes and sensible shoes and underwear and socks, avoid packing much else. If you decide to go to the beach, you can simply buy swim wear and flip flops. You can buy toothpaste and deodorant and shampoo while you are there as well, the same is true for umbrellas and OTC medicines. Also when it comes to your health, avoid hangovers and sunburns or general dehydration, you want your strength to be able to walk and stand all day and to be able to eat, drink and other things by night.
When it comes to langauge, it is great to be able to speak the local language but it is not essential. Young people in Europe can all speak at least a little bit of English and many can speak it at or near a fluent level. Most mom and pop stores and resturants, especially in the south, have one son or nephew who works their and can translate for you. Either that or you can point at food or merchandise and write down a number for grams of cheese you would like to buy and the OG Greek or Italian Grandpa will write down the price in euros and two shake hands and nod and complete the transaction.
Mostly importantly, have fun and use some savvy and some common sense.
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^
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^ Brilliant post, copied for future references.