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So I'm traveling in Europe for three weeks in August, starting, likely, in Dublin.
I plan on traveling around to various countries and seeing the sites in places like Paris, Barcelona, Oslo, Copenhagen, Berlin, Prague.
If you could share general tips on traveling, or a spectacular city to visit, that'd be great.
Thanks,
CR
People. I've never been to Europe but the rule holds true. Talk to the locals and share your drinks. That's the best experience you'll ever have.
Prague. Go there, spend at least 2 days there, its so amazing. I only spent one day and only saw like a third of the city. But then again, I was there for the Easter Markets, so that was awesome.
But I heard Vienna is also amazing.
Great selection of cities! What will be your mode of traveling? You are covering quite some geography with these places - are you planning to "hop" from city to city via plane or is there also ground travel involved, so that you would not be limited to these cities?
Definietly make sure that with this broad range you also get the opportunity to get lots of typical local food and drinks ~:)
Oslo and copenhagen are really expensive and have little to offer. Do not skip Berlin and Prague at least.
Yeah especially Oslo isn't worth it. Prague might easily be the most beautiful of all the bigger cities in Europe, was there a two weeks ago. Budapest, though often forgotten, is also a must visit in my eyes. Barcelona is also a must because of Gaudi (the garden, but especially the Sagrada Familia which is definitely the single most fantastic building in the world).
Ya there is nothig there. Copenhagen has a saving grace though, Tivoli is by far the coolest atraction-park in the world, it's also the oldest I believe. What other atraction-park is the middle of the city, letting you peek in people's houses when going up in the rollercoasted.Quote:
Originally Posted by Moros
And again, Berlin and Prague. Berlin is the coolest, Prague the prettiest. Do not even think about going to Amsterdam by the way it has become incredibly dull. Avoid it like the plague.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Crazed Rabbit
I dont have to explain about the pubs CR so I believe we can just assume the partaking or alcoholic libations in Dublins fair city :wink:
I cant comment on what many of the links are like as I have only been to Croke Park for the football and the museum and I did the tour there too.
I have also been to the National Museum of Ireland (a while back though) and of course I was also on the Guinness and the Jameson tours.
Here is a list of events in Dublin from 1st Aug to 31 Aug on the Visit Dublin website
The Phoenix Park 1752 acres in a capital free to the public with herds of deer unfortunately for US visitors it will be frowned upon to bring a hunting rifle as the President lives in the Phoenix park, you can vist the Presidents house to but only on a saturday.
The James Joyce Centre- Walking Tours
National Museum of Ireland (has one of the largest collections of gold in Europe)
Dublin Writers Museum
Dublin Castle Visitor Facilities
includes the famous Chester Beatty Library all sorts of rare books never been though
Croke Park been on the tour myself and naturally been at matches loads of times.
The GPO
1916 rebellion walking tour apparently it's very popular never been myself.
Kilmainham Jail 1916 executions and the place of imprisonment for various Irish people throughout history.
The Old Library and the Book of Kells Exhibition Trinity College
Christ Church Cathedral dublin
St Patricks Cathedral
Walking tours and pub crawls of Dublin
Dublin has beeches not many capitials have them
The Guinness Storehouse tour
Jameson Distillery tour
Viking Splash tour/ never been on it but seen the amphibious truck driving around the city loads of times.
To be honest the city is so small and so old I cant think of all the stuff you can do and I am sure to leave something out plus I cant account for your own taste either.
The one thing your going to notice about Dublin is that there are only a few places in the city where you will require taxi's or public transport. Also it's probably one of the best preserved cities for Georgian architecture cos it didnt get bombed in WW2.
If you do come here and are willing to venture outside the city then pm me an I can let you know about other stuff.
In short there is a ton of stuff to do in Ireland but we tend to sell ourselves a bit short on the cultural side of things it's like tourist and native alike play up the drink related activities. Beware prices in dublin apply the usual holiday rules like avoiding hotel bars and obvious tourist traps that sort of thing.
Top 10 lunch options in Dublin city centre Eating out can be a bit tricky during the day till you realise that the bars do carvery lunches, basically take a chance and go with the flow thats what Dublin is all about.
There is no structured holiday in Ireland and there is only one golden rule and that is always remember the Caic is the most important thing to have. (it is however the hardest concept to explain to the visitor)
My big piece of advice is to organise a trip to a small intimate pub for a traditional music session. If you can play an instrument middling well then you can join in or sing a song as long as it's an open session and not a touristy concert. I was told by my cousin that Devitts on a friday night is a good place to start he plays traditional music himself.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90Fo...eature=related
the Queen
I didn't know you lived in Europe Strike. ~;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Strike For The South
@OP: I can second that Budapest is an absolutely beautiful city (esp if you get a tour of the Parliament building).
She still owes me $20. I'll give 20% collection fee.Quote:
Originally Posted by Strike For The South
What GC fails to mention is that Dublin is reigned by drunken idiots when you are still enjoying your coffee. Skip it or get stabbed beaten raped etcQuote:
Originally Posted by gaelic cowboy
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fragony
Seriously Frag what clown goes to Dublin for the coffee :rolleyes: I suppose you went into Temple Bar ye big eejit.
Agreed. All coffee served in Dublin should be the kind that's brewed with beer.Quote:
Originally Posted by gaelic cowboy
Spend a day in London and Paris, then get out - if you can get the Eurostary from London to Paris you will massively cut the journey time. If you have the time spend a few quiet days in Oxford of Cambridge, the University Colleges survived the War and the cities are now the best preserved medieval/Renaissance cities in England. The Colleges themselves are extraordinary, Kings Cambridge in particular is something worth seeing just from the outside. Most of the Colleges do public tours as well.
London is huge, there's no way to do even half of it in a day but you don't want to spend more than that in the place, it's filthy. It's been a few years since I went to Paris, but the birds there also all appear to have diarrear.
Rome, of God, I could spend a month there and not get bored - though I understand some of the more modern Public buildings have suffred a bit in recent years.
We just do things differentily hereQuote:
Originally Posted by gaelic cowboy
Thanks to everyone for the tips, especially gaelic cowboy.
We're planning on visiting County Mayo in Ireland as well. it looks like we'll have a backpack and suit of luggage apiece - I've never been on this sort of traveling around vacation before, so any tips on useful stuff to have handy?
Thanks again,
CR
Quote:
Originally Posted by Crazed Rabbit
Take a plug, as in bath plug. You can get these tapered ones that should fit most plug holes, also a surge protector and adaptors.
Excellant choice on Mayo if I do say so myself :wink: I take it you prob visitng somewhere like Westport or do you have relations here.Quote:
Originally Posted by Crazed Rabbit
The Museum of Country Life County Mayo
It's part of the National Museum of Ireland where it hosts the collection of rural artifacts and sometimes includes demonstrations of various handicrafts etc etc.
http://www.croagh-patrick.com/visito.../holy-mountain
The River Moy indulge the guys back home in tales of the one that got away
Guirys Bar then you can kick back later on and tell me all about it over a pint in my local
Quote:
Originally Posted by gaelic cowboy
Well, we had some ancestors that came from there, but no relations we know of now-a-days. We have no plans on where to go in County Mayo yet, though Westport seems like a nice place to visit.
CR
Hungary.
The dollar is overly leveraged in the exchange rate. World class hotels and meals for a fraction of the cost. Cheap booze. Budapest is a city of perversion. Many of the women there are morally flexible. Anyone can get laid, even you.
Not european obviously but i've spent a fair bit of time in Europe.
Personally, as a disclaimer since I don't know what your like but I hate tourism type stuff. My dream vacation is going somewhere like Sicily and just renting a house in a village for a few weeks and just enjoying life. However, you should try to see someof the big stuff I suppose. PVC is completely correct don't linger in Paris or London, dirty places and really old so its a different kind of dirt than here in the States.
I recommend you try to get down to Southern Europe. Those Northerners are overrated. Probably the most underrated location to tour is Croatia, go to the Dalmatian coast. Plenty of history, beautiful women, and absolutely gorgeous scenery. I spent some time in Russia and its nice, though different.
Prague is GODLY, you have to go there. I like light beer.... but still amazing city. Haven't been to Scandinavia but I bet its lush in the Summer. For Ireland just try to do local stuff the Irish themselves are the best part of the country. When I went to Scotland with my father we stayed with one of his NATO buddies in the area and then a lodge. Flyfishing and bird hunting, my father was in heaven. So if you like either of those activities Scotland is prime territory, the castles are impressive as well.
I rambled a bit, my apologies.
I second Prague.
Screw Paris and Berlin
Screw Berlin? Must have missed the eastern part. I also second Prague by the wayQuote:
Originally Posted by Major Robert Dump
No, I just grew up in a neighborhood of Germans, so I figured there's nothing for me to see :laugh4:Quote:
Originally Posted by Fragony
I will say for germany that alot of army guys are stationed there and enjoy it immensely.
It is without question the coolest city on earth. The western part is all organised like you would expect from Germans, it's kinda boring, but in the old eastblock parts it's bursting with life.Quote:
Originally Posted by Major Robert Dump
We all have a different definition of cool. For me the "coolest city" award is Cebu.
My point is that access to Berlin comes and goes. I prefer less touristy places, and trips to Berlin are a dime a dozen, just like Paris, London, Tokyo etc. I will hit Berlin eventually, I am just in no rush.
@Centurion -- yes, tell me about it. I know a lot who ETS'd and never came back
my buddy is black and he went there and he said it was like the pick of the litter.... like a tall guy in asia.Quote:
Originally Posted by Major Robert Dump
QFTQuote:
My point is that access to Berlin comes and goes. I prefer less touristy places, and trips to Berlin are a dime a dozen, just like Paris, London, Tokyo etc. I will hit Berlin eventually, I am just in no rush.
Berlin is somewhat different to Paris and Londen though. It has that 'trendy artsy night-life culture' and it's highlight is the Tacheles and much more. It has it's charms in having so different districts, not just East and West. And the bars don't close at one or two pm like in most places. Thank god that isn't case over here either.
Don't go anywhere near Salford.
I recommend Berlin and Budapest.
About the latter: lots of historical stuff to be seen, as is to be expected of the (twin) capital of the Austro-Hungarian empire. There's even a huge pre-modern fort on a hill overlooking the city, which is nice enough in itself, but it actually still has bullet holes and other visible damage from the time the Germans used it to resist the Red Army. There's also a smallish museum about the regional KGB/Stasi-like agency and their practices that I meant to visit in the two times I was there but never got around to it. It's also a den of iniquity as MRD notes.
Berlin speaks for itself. But actually I think that visiting large cities as these is generally not worth it unless you plan to spend at least 2-3 days there.
Iniquity. I like that term. I pick my vacation spots based on very important criteria. I might visit Belgrade for much the same reasons, although I hear it has calmed down a bit since Bill Clinton bombed them to death.
Actually, never been to Budapest, almost went there on my january vacation but ended up hitting New Zealand and the Philippines.
CR, you are going as a group, yes? Will you split up at any point, or is this something where you will all be together all the time? Will the group have any flexibility if you opt for a different COA? Also, are they all men?
Skip the touristy parts. The roaring twenties relive in the area's where you least expect it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Major Robert Dump
Are you interested in twins? One of them isn't actually in the trade anymore, but I read that she still helps out her sister when a client asks for it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Major Robert Dump
Re: Traveling in Europe - What to see?
Me.
At least that seem to be the main attraction for the oversea girls I meet.
I'm going with my brother; we plan on traveling together the whole time, and we're not part of any tour schedule.Quote:
Originally Posted by Major Robert Dump
CR
So it looks like we'll be hitting Ireland (Dublin and County Mayo), then Budapest, then Prague, then Lithuania, then Germany.
Thanks again for all the help you guys!
CR
Be safe, and have fun. Take pictures!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Crazed Rabbit
You cannot leave Mayo without visiting Matt Molloys Pub let me know when and where and I can advise a good night for trad music.
Krakow is a good place to have a beer, actually do a pub-tour through entire Kazimierz district to see all the weird pubs they have there!
Also Prague, for cheap bear and amazing architecture.
Budapest, for the thermal baths and the castle mountain. After traveling to over 200 cities in my life, Budapest is still my favorite. Beware of the scam where they give you food you didn't order and charge ridiculous prices for it!
Pamplona, if you go during 6th to 14th July, to see the running of the bulls, or to take part.
Rome or Florence, for Baroque and Renaissance culture.
Anywhere in Spain for good parties and easy casual meeting other people.
I'm arriving in Dublin this Saturday the 4th and leaving Ireland on the 8th to go to budapest.Quote:
Originally Posted by gaelic cowboy
What's the best way to travel across ireland?
Thanks again!
CR
What day are you going to Mayo the train goes from Dublin to Westport direct if you dont fancy driving.Quote:
Originally Posted by Crazed Rabbit
This monday is a bank holiday so be prepared for a busy weekend in Dublin
We don't know what day we're going to Mayo, we're winging a lot of the details.
A train ride would be great.
CR
I assume you have accom sorted? yes/no Westport can be tricky on busy weekends as this one will be.Quote:
Originally Posted by Crazed Rabbit
but I'm guessing you prob wont go til the start of the week anyway
We have a place in Dublin sorted for the first couple nights and we would likely travel out to Westport on Monday at the earliest.Quote:
Originally Posted by gaelic cowboy
CR
Really? By train?
I was cautioned against trains in Ireland, but it has been a few years.
We flew into Sligo Airport, and I must say it was a good experience. A lot of fun.
My wife always books accommodations months in advance. If there is a trip in the offing computer access is limited until everything is booked. Lol
I would recommend renting a car for most people. My wife is pathologically risk-adverse ,however.
Our last trip to Ireland we stayed in a cottage in the middle of nowhere in West Cork and a car was the only option. It was something like 12 mi. back on the boreens. She had a melt down. Five years later and she will almost never let me drive with her in the car at home. Of course she insists I drive when we are in another country.