Let's Talk EUROPE!

[HeatherFL]

I thought maybe we could have a general Europe thread. I find myself looking through the country specific threads for things that relate to general topics such as train/plane info and so forth. So many of the ladies have been a wealth of knowledge and I know it's helped many of us in our travels and our planning!

I'm going to start out copying and pasting the info I can find from other threads. Please feel free to add and ask questions!

Thanks! :)

~H.

[HeatherFL]

Posted by jnettie:

Rick Steve's Website! (http://www.ricksteves.com/)

Low cost airlines:
http://ryanair.com
http://EasyJet.com - In and out of London
http://virgin.com
http://airberlin.com
http://basiqair.com
http://crossair.com
http://Sterlingticket.com
http://Volareweb.com - in Italian
http://Buzzway.com
http://flybmi.com

Train:
http://www.railsaver.com - Helped me soooooo much!
http://www.raileurope.com/us/

Places to Stay:
http://laserre.parishotels.it/main_en.htm?source=
mije youth hostle - kinda steap for a hostle...JMO
http://www.eurcheapo.com/paris/lis...on/dumarais.asp
http://www.france.com/hotels/hotel.cfm?hotel_id=564
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...de_France.html
Backpacking on a Budget (http://www.backpackeurope.com/)
Cheap-uk-hotels (http://www.cheap-uk-hotels.co.uk/) - I like this one!
www.venere.com - This one's also great for all of Europe!

Getting Around:
http://www.mapquest.co.uk/

tlew12778 also added that www.myair.com and www.whichbudget.com are helpful

[HeatherFL]

thompso2 suggested TravelSmith (http://www.travelsmith.com/ts/home.jsp) for travel clothes

[HeatherFL]

Very good information on changes taking places with credit/debit cards in Europe, posted by Rosebud03.

Here's the article that I mentioned in the previous post. Just a good FYI for anyone who's going to Europe soon.

New 'chip and PIN' credit may cause confusion overseas

Issuers are mandating 'smart' methods in many countries, so merchants may balk at Americans' older cards.

IF you are one of the millions of Americans heading overseas this summer, you may find confusion rather than acceptance when you try to use your credit card. And it will be up to you to set recalcitrant clerks straight. The confusion stems from mandates by governments to card issuers (including American Express, MasterCard and Visa, both credit and debit cards) in foreign countries to adopt the "smart card," also known as "chip and PIN" technology, for credit cards issued in that country.

They look like regular credit cards but store information in a small computer chip on the front instead of a magnetic strip on the back. The card requires the holder to use a PIN number instead of scribbling his or her signature for every transaction.

I was in London in April, and the cards and the machines that accept them are everywhere — even in Jimmy's restaurant, my favorite old-time SoHo place to grab an inexpensive (by London standards) bite of good Greek food. There my friend Seamus and I put the new system to the test.

Seamus is a Londoner and has the chip and PIN card. We split the bill, Seamus paying with his smart card and me with my U.S.-issued Visa. Our waiter easily handled Seamus' transaction, inserting the card into a portable device, then handing the device back to him to punch in the PIN. But when I tendered my old-style card, the waiter looked a bit confused. He quickly recovered, swiped it in the same machine and printed a copy for my signature.

Britain went completely chip and PIN in January, said Brian Triplett, senior vice president of emerging product development for Visa USA, but the old-fashioned card issued in the U.S. is still accepted anywhere Visa is accepted, Triplett said.

Travelers have encountered some confusion when they have tried to use a debit (not credit) card and were asked for a PIN number, said Simon Bennett, a spokesman for Chip and PIN, an organization whose goal is to educate retailers and consumers on the new card. American PIN numbers are not recognized for charge transactions (they do work for ATM withdrawals) so a transaction slip would have to be signed.

In major metropolitan areas such as London, I had no trouble with my card, other than a clerk's occasional hesitation. But once you're out of major tourist centers, some personnel are unfamiliar with the dual system.

Paul Chibeba, spokesman for VisitBritain, the official British tourism agency, is based in New York and carries an American-issued credit card. Visiting London last month, he had no trouble, but once he was outside metropolitan areas, he encountered some resistance to his old-style card.

"It was really not a problem," he said. "I just had to explain to them that they could take it."

Part of the confusion is due to implementation of new rules to curtail fraud. The chip and PIN cards have been successful in reducing bogus transactions. In Britain, credit-card fraud reached $914 million in 2004, and fraud was committed every seven seconds, according to Card Watch, the British banking industry's fraud awareness organization. Losses dropped by $117 million in 2005, even though the program had not been completely rolled out.

If a merchant doesn't want to take a magnetic-strip card, the traveler needs to be persistent, Triplett said.

"Request the merchant to look into it," Triplett said. "Don't take that first 'no' for an answer."

If the clerk still says no, go up the ladder and ask to see a manager.

Here are some other tips on credit cards and money if you are traveling abroad this summer.

• Use a credit card for major purchases at hotels, restaurants and other merchants. They come with important consumer protections that can help you in case of a disputed charge.

• Try to find a card that does not carry foreign transaction fees, which can add up to 3% to your total charges. As you will discover when you start hunting for a such a card, finding an online or other source for comparing these fees is difficult. Your best bet: Read the fine print on the credit card offer. And remember that those are subject to change.

• Make a photocopy or other record of the credit, ATM and debit cards you carry, along with the issuers' phone numbers for overseas collect calls. This can assist you in reporting lost or stolen cards.

• Always carry a little local currency for incidentals and a few U.S. dollars just in case — especially if you are traveling off the beaten path. Though your credit card is good, there is no guarantee that any particular merchant will accept credit cards, period.

I always withdraw $100 to $200 in local currency from the first ATM I see after I get to my destination. The exchange rates are, probably, the best you'll find. In a pinch, U.S. currency is often accepted in many places that cater to tourists, though the exchange rate is frequently bad. Avoid hotels and currency exchange booths in airports and on the street. The exchange rates will be unfavorable and many of these tack on big service fees.

• Avoid exchanging foreign currency back into U.S. dollars. You get hit with fees on both ends of that transaction. Use the money to buy trinkets or, if you have a large amount, pay part of your hotel bill. (But remember that some countries require an exit fee paid in the local currency, so don't spend all your cash, just in case.) I give bills and coins to my nieces and nephew as souvenirs.

Be persistent if a merchant balks at taking your old-style card. Tell him nicely but firmly that he is required by his agreement with the credit-card company to accept your card.

If you have difficulty with a merchant, you can report it at http://www.chipandpin.co.uk . There is little that can be done after the fact, Bennett said. But it might make you feel better.


By James Gilden
Los Angeles Times 7/9/06

[HeatherFL]

I have a question. If I want to train it to Monte Carlo, do I need to go to the Monaco Station?

AND what does this mean:

It gives me a chart that looks sort of like this

8 October AMSTERDAM BRUSSELS

11 October BRUSSELS LAUSANNE

13 October LAUSANNE MONACO

16 October MONACO ROME

and next to each date and country it says the following:

Use the Eurail 4 Country Benelux/France/Italy/Switzerland 5 Day 1st Class Adult Saver Select pass to cover this entire journey.

Does this mean we're only using this pass less than five times so it covers the ENTIRE Europe trip (which I am assuming) or does it cover the entire journey from station to station?

I did this differently last time I was in Europe!


Thanks!

~H.

[tlew12778]

Skyscanner.net will also do a search of all the low-cost airline contemporaneously. Whichbudget.com just tells you what airlines fly what routes, then you have to click on each individual company link.

Anyway, about the train, a 5 day pass can be used on 5 dates. You are using it 4 times. So yes, it will cover your entire trip and could technically include one more trip.

Monaco is the same as Monte Carlo. Monaco is the Italian name for Monte Carlo. Don't confuse this with Munich which is also called Monaco in Italian. On a train schedule it should appear as Munchen. I don't really understand your question bc the trip from station to station is part of your entire Europe trip. Do you mean, if you have to change trains? If you have to change trains and countries it is still considered one trip.

[HeatherFL]

No it was because I thought I had seen a train station listed as "Monte Carlo" then another website there was only a listing for "Monaco". I wasn't sure if there were two different stations or if I had the names confused or what (it must be these meds, I had surgery last week...sorry ;) )? I must have been mistaken. Thanks for clearing that up for me! :)

~H.

[Larissa]

Skyscanner is awesome!!

Wizzair does flights into Eastern Europe.

[HeatherFL]

I know it may not seem like a big deal, but I just wanted to again thank everyone who has provided links and info. Skyscanner was so perfect getting me flights from Rome to Mallorca! I saved over $1,000 US when compared to sites like Expedia.

Additionally, railsaver.com helped a great deal. I was looking at tickets for over $700 US each and ended up with 1st class tickets for $362 a person.

More money for shopping! ;)

So, again thanks.

~H.

[LeslieandPaul]

When we went to Europe in April we took planes, trains and buses to get around. We just bought our train tickets at the station, and booked flights the day before on expedia.

[vee05]

You rock!!!!

Now i need to find airfare from DC-London & Paris-DC and i think il be all set!

[HeatherFL]

I did use Expedia.com's multi-city feature to get tickets from Tampa to Amsterdam and then from Madrid, Spain back to Tampa. We're flying first class and they were about $2,000 each on Delta (which I have status on so I am really happy about!) When I went directly to some of the websites for the airlines they were up to $6,000 :eek:.

This link should take you to the multiple destination feature:
Multiple Destination Search (http://www.expedia.com/daily/flights/default.asp?FCity=&TCity=&FDate=mm/dd/yy&TDate=mm/dd/yy&FTime=362&TTime=362&NumRoom=1&NumAdult=1&NumSenior=0&ao=1)

Where it says flight type, just choose "Multiple Destinations" from the drop down menu. :)

Happy Travels! :)

~H.

[vee05]

Thanks girl. I have been looking there. Wer doing Washington DC- Paris & London-DC. the paris-London flight i got a great deal on expedia for 140 US so that wont be too bad. Hopefully we can get this trip done soon. Any hotel recommendations in Paris & London ladies?

[HeatherFL]

Hey there, I have a question for you train experts.

Since we'll be gone for three weeks and the weather will be cooler for us we are going to need pants/sweaters which can take up a little more room. We want to do our best to keep packing to a minimum BUT how hard it is it to check luggage on the train system? I've always just carried a backpack with me or something small like that. Is it organized or should we not even bother?

Thanks again!

~H.

[Jazz]

Hi Heather, I'm by no means a train expert, but have traveled on them a fair amount, mainly in Germany, and also in Switzerland and France last summer (first class on those, as we had a rail pass). I've never noticed an actual place to check bags (it seems like it might not exist, since the stops are usually so brief ...?), but the first class cabins did have a decent amount of room, including some racks at the ends of the car. Mostly, though, the storage space is overhead, which we used so we didn't have to worry about keeping an eye on it. We each had a wheeled bag, and it was fine. I think if you had a small-medium wheeled bag and a smallish backpack, you'd be fine.

Let's not discuss the train ride (not in first) from the airport for our wedding, with multiple large bags, my wedding dress, packed train, and record heat. I've almost managed to forget that horrid experience. But you're guaranteed not to have that much stuff, and we made it somehow. :D

[HeatherFL]

Awesome! Thanks so much for the feedback. We do have first class tickets so hopefully that help us out room-wise. Thanks again!

~H.

[tlew12778]

You don't check luggage on trains in Europe. You have luggage racks (noth above your head and at the end of each car) to stack them on. Make sure you lock your luggage.

[HeatherFL]

Thanks! We do always lock our luggage, I had a baaad experience when I was still in college so now it's a habit I try hard not to break. Thanks again! :)

~H.

[tlew12778]

You should get those locks that the TSA has keys for. Otherwise you cannot check your locked luggage. They'll just clip them off (or bust your luggage if you use hard-side).

[Annette]

Rental car Question??

We're planning on renting a car for 2 days while we're in Florence to travel around the countryside. We want to pick up in Florence and drop off in Pordenone or Venice. The cheapest I am finding so far for 2 days is over $200 which is crazy!! Is there anything out there that's cheaper? What rental car sites do you recommend? Do we need an international driver's license to drive the rental? What about insurance?
Also, what class of car would 4 ppl fit comfortably in? I'm assuming anything that's 4 door is fine, but since I am not familiar with European makes and models, I really don't know how small a 4 door car is.

[HeatherFL]

You should get those locks that the TSA has keys for. Otherwise you cannot check your locked luggage. They'll just clip them off (or bust your luggage if you use hard-side).

Yep. :) We have Tumi luggage and all of the locks are TSA compatible.

~H.

[Mrs. M.]

Rental car Question??

We're planning on renting a car for 2 days while we're in Florence to travel around the countryside. We want to pick up in Florence and drop off in Pordenone or Venice. The cheapest I am finding so far for 2 days is over $200 which is crazy!! Is there anything out there that's cheaper? What rental car sites do you recommend? Do we need an international driver's license to drive the rental? What about insurance?
Also, what class of car would 4 ppl fit comfortably in? I'm assuming anything that's 4 door is fine, but since I am not familiar with European makes and models, I really don't know how small a 4 door car is.

That actually sounds pretty average for a car rental in Europe. Also, it might be subject to a one-way charge since you are returning to a different location. You will not need an intl. driver's license - US licenses are fine. The rental conpanies have different insurance options that you can include in your rental. As for car size, usually, you can see samples of the category car you are getting on their website.

We usually rent from Avis or www.holidayautos.com

[jnettie]

ooo! Great thread!

We had plenty of room for our fairly large packs on the overhead racks in the trains, so no worries about that! I wished that I had brought a thicker sweater, though. In August, we went from 90+ degree Italy to 60 degree Austria and Czech Republic and I was FREEZING!

[designer]

bumping - I'm looking for cheap airfare from the US - to europe, probably spain or italy, but I'm not picky on where, we just need to go at the end of May 2007. Any suggestions? I looked at a couple of those links above, but a lot of those were for flights within Europe.

TIA!

[meatpie]

orbitz.com is a good tool to compare different airlines and pricing.

[Rosebud]

I like http://www.sidestep.com, which allows you to compare prices offered on the big discount airfare websites and the airlines' rates with just one search.

[tlew12778]

If you have open travel dates, I like travelocity.com. You can search for best fares by month or within a 3 day range of a date.

[designer]

thanks for all the recommendations....now I just have to find the time to start searching :)

[thechick79]

I need some suggestions for what type of clothing I should pack for weather in London and France from September 12-23. I checked some weather averages and it seems to be in the low 70s? I get cold easily and I want to make sure I have enough cover-ups but I also don't want to waste room packing summer-y clothes if it does get cooler than what I'm used to. (I live in Georgia - hot!) TIA!

[tlew12778]

I'd pack clothes you can layer. London and Drance (where in France?) can be a drastic climate change. London is sort of weird in that it rains a lot but sometimes it can be hot. Once when I was there in January, it was like in the upper 60s. I was sweltering and I came from Milan which already has a pretty moderate climate (never goes below freezing).

I probably wouldn't pack summer clothes. I cannot wear summer clothes in September here and I'm farther south than either London or southern France.

[thechick79]

We'll be in Paris for 3 days and then we're going tp Normandy for a couple of days and then another 3 days in London. We want to visit the Loirre Valley somewhere in there too.
So no open-toed shoes then either? I have a pair of sporty mary janes and a pair of sneakers for walking - I'm hoping those will be enough.

[tlew12778]

I guess it depends if you would wear open toes in 70F. I've seen girls in strappy sandals in the dead of winter in NYC (where it most definitely goes below freezing), so it's really a question of comfort level.

[HeatherFL]

Checklists
:eek: We leave next week! I am starting a checklist, please add things you think are necessary to take with you to Europe! THANK YOU!

For the plane
Airborne
Small pack of Clorox wipes (wipe the tray and armrests, unscented)
Headphones
Portable DVD Player with some DVDs to watch
Magazines/Books
Snacks/PowerBars
A pair of socks
blanket/small pillow
Moisturizer
Toothbrushes/toothpaste to brush with and use bottled water only
Mini hairbrush
Prescription meds
facial wipes

To have in Europe
OTC painkillers (Tylenol, Excedrin, Cold and Flu medicine, Pepto)
Contact solution
extra contact lenses
Guidebook
Folder with all of our reservation information
Travel size wine journal
Travel journal
Extra batteries and memory cards for cameras/chargers
SLR camera and small waterproof digital camera
Small backpack to carry things in (with lock)
Safe pouch for money/ID/Credit cards

~H.

[tlew12778]

I don't know if you will need to charge stuff, but you will need a convertor, if so.

[HeatherFL]

Thanks! We do have one and I meant to add it to the list. Thanks for reminding me! I would not have wanted to forget that!

~H.

[jnettie]

Checklists
:eek: We leave next week! I am starting a checklist, please add things you think are necessary to take with you to Europe! THANK YOU!

For the plane
Airborne
Small pack of Clorox wipes (wipe the tray and armrests, unscented)
Headphones
Portable DVD Player with some DVDs to watch - On our flight to London and back on American, there were little tvs at each seat with a selection of tv shows and movies to watch. Call your airline, you may not need this.
Magazines/Books I'd only take one, small, paperback. You won't read much, even if you are a huge reader, and they will just get in the way on your trip.
Snacks/PowerBars
A pair of socks
blanket/small pillow
Moisturizer
Toothbrushes/toothpaste to brush with and use bottled water only
Mini hairbrush
Prescription meds
facial wipes

To have in Europe
OTC painkillers (Tylenol, Excedrin, Cold and Flu medicine, Pepto)
Contact solution
extra contact lenses
Guidebook
Folder with all of our reservation information
Travel size wine journal
Travel journal
Extra batteries and memory cards for cameras/chargers
SLR camera and small waterproof digital camera
Small backpack to carry things in (with lock)
Safe pouch for money/ID/Credit cards


Be sure to make copies of your passports and write down all your CC numbers with the customer service phone numbers, then hide these in a safe place. If your wallet or passports get stolen, it makes it much faster to fix everything when you have this information.

[Cr8nme]

Heather~ You should check in advance because they may not let you bring any toothpaste/moisturizer/bottled water on the plane... I flew a few weeks ago and they threw away all of my moisturizer/lip gloss and mascara :(

[tenofcups]

CR8nme: The rules have just changed again (as of yesterday if I remember right) about what can be carried on and they're now a lot looser again. There are a lot of articles on line, Heather, if you want to confirm right before you go what you can and cannot carry on in terms of liquids, gels, etc.

I'd second jnettie's comment about not bothering with a DVD player unless there's something you're really dying to catch up on while you fly. Most (maybe all?) international flights now have those little tv screens right on the seat with numerous choices of movies and tv shows to watch. You could check with your own airline if you want to be sure.

I always bring at least 2 books and a magazine, if not more on a flight with me. Often I finish whatever book I'm reading and then like to have a choice of 2 to move onto, depending on my mood. I find flying a great time to get through magazines and then I just leave them or throw them out when I'm done so I don't have to keep carrying them with me.

Personally I also wouldn't bother with the pillow/blanket. I've always received them on international flights.

[HeatherFL]

jnettie THANK YOU for the reminder on copying passport pages and writing down credit card numbers with phone numbers!! Todd's company has some of it on file as far as credit card stuff goes. But with the time change it's probably a good idea to have it with us just in case something happens.

I know they have the individual TVs in first class/business class (which I think are cool), but we like to watch our own movies since they usually edit the movies on planes. ;) Plus Todd usually hooks up the DVD player to our in room TVs if they don't have DVD players so he can play DVDs.

The magazines are more for Todd than for me. I usually just bring a book, but he is the magazine king. LOL I go through books pretty quickly so I try to force myself to slow down and bring paperbacks with small print and a lot of pages. We usually leave the magazines on the plane or in the Crown Room when we're done.

Michelle Thanks for that reminder. I know we can get the bottled water from the flight attendants, but toothpaste UGH. Maybe I can find those toothpaste caplets. They're hard but they turn into toothpaste. A little boy invented them. They look like a throat lozenge. As of today they changed the ban on liquids:
New Item List Updated 09/26/06 (http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/prohibited/permitted-prohibited-items.shtm)
Travelers may now carry through security checkpoints travel-size toiletries (3 ounces or less) that fit comfortably in ONE, QUART-SIZE, clear plastic, zip-top bag.

After clearing security, travelers can now bring beverages and other items purchased in the secure boarding area on-board aircraft.

Thanks again, jnettie and Michelle!

~H.

[tlew12778]

You won't be able to hook up an American DVD player to an Italian TV. We use PAL format and you use NTSC format. Likewise, you would not be able to play DVDs you rent/buy in Europe bc of the region codes. Your DVD player is more than likely region 1, we are region 2.

One more thing, every single transcontinental flight I have taken has had a personal screen in economy class. I have flown Lufthansa, Alitalia, Delta, Air France, United, SAS, BA, KLM... probably some others as well.

[HeatherFL]

tenocups We x-posted. I don't use the airline pillows and blankets. It is just a personal thing after seeing studies on it and reading books about it. They're not the most sanitary things in the world (not that planes in general are sanitary) and I prefer to have my travel blanket and pillow. They pack down really, really small and go into a small carry on I always bring with me.

Honestly, I would just use the individual TVs and not bring the DVD player, but we take it since Todd likes to have it. :)

Thanks again!

[HeatherFL]

Tiffany Hmmm you make a good point. Even with the adapters it won't work? He knows all about Audio Visual, but true. Since we'll be in five countries he may just have to live without it! Hmmmm...Thank YOU for the heads up again.

[Mrs. M.]

Make sure your ATM card had a 4-digit PIN. Some American ones don't, and European ATMs only accept 4 digits.

[tlew12778]

I have tried the adaptors. It still doesn't play back properly. I found this:
Converting NTSC to PAL
When converting from NTSC to PAL, two things need to be accomplished. 480 lines of resolution have to be upconverted to 576 lines of resolution, and 30 images per second have to be downconverted to 25 images per second.

The resolution upconversion does not actually add any real picture information to the image, as you cannot create real picture information where none existed before. It does, however, make the picture viewable on a PAL display, and often results in a superficially better-looking image.

The frame rate conversion actually results in a loss of temporal resolution, as PAL has a lower frame rate than NTSC. source (http://www.michaeldvd.com.au/Articles/PALvsNTSC/PALvsNTSC.asp) Basically, in my experience, you get lots of lines, lots of color distortion, and sometimes it does not synch properly... so essentially you cannot watch the movie. But you could just watch it on the small screen of the portable DVD if you really *have* to see that film.

You cannot convert the regions on a DVD. You can sometimes convert the region on a laptop a few times, but I don't think you have that option on a portable DVD player.

[HeatherFL]

mrsm Thanks. Yep, they all have four digits.

Tiffany Well if it were up to me we'd just leave it here ;). Thanks so much for the info! I know the last thing I want to be doing in Europe is watching a movie, let alone on a small little screen. I want to go out an EXPLORE!

Thanks for that conversion info.

Do most places take American Express? We both use them instead of Visa. We have a Mastercard we rarely use just in case.

~H.

[mlfallis]

We just got for 2 weeks in Spain, France, and Italy. I would say 90% of the places we went would not have taken American Express. I found that everyone really perferred cash, or visa.

The thing that also got me what having cash for tipping at resturants, there is no spot where you can add the tip onto the bill.

Just was wondering where you fly into? I am not sure of England have relax their rules or just North America. We flow through England to and from Spain and it was a PITA.

Have fun.

[Mrs. M.]

Amex is not widely used. Visa/Mastercard or Diners would be more useful.

[HeatherFL]

Thanks. I'll get on that right away with the AMEX.

We're flying into Amsterdam and out of Madrid.

(Our trip goes like this...Amsterdam, Brussels and area, Monte Carlo, Rome, Mallorca.)

I believe there is no tip spot added because it's either built into the meals or not expected. I've been refused when offering tips throughout different areas of Europe.

[tlew12778]

No tip is expected in Italy bc you pay a cover charge per person at the restaurant. Although... a lot of waiters sort of expect the Americans to tip... if you want to tip 10% is sufficient.

[Annette]

Call your bank and credit card companies to put a note in your file that you will be traveling internationally. I've heard stories of ppl's cards getting declined because the bank thought the card was stolen.

Is the weather in Italy humid or dry? I noticed it will be in the 70s/80s in all the cities, but the humidity will make a huge difference as far as what to pack.

[HeatherFL]

Thanks we've already done that. I used to travel over half the month + for work seven months out of the year, so it just became habit to call and let them know where I'd be. GREAT habit to have!

Well I'm going to imagine in October it's not as humid as our oh so lovely weather here in Florida LOL. From the info I've gathered the weather will be high of 70 and low of 57 which is pretty cool for us. I'm packing accordingly :).

~H.

[tlew12778]

Humid and gross. All year round. In the summer you can expect it to be around 100 and humid. If it not's 100 it still feels like 100 bc of the humidity. In the fall there is really bad fog and rain.

[HeatherFL]

Will it be as humid as in Florida? I do NOT mind, though. I'll be just so darned happy to be in Rome. :D I guess we're used to it. Now I'm seeing 60-70 degree weather for Rome. How can it be that humid and so cold at the same time LOL? (rhetorical question)

~H.

[jnettie]

Well, if Todd wants all that stuff, he can carry it, now can't he. ;) If you are traveling to a variety of countries by train, you won't want to have a lot of stuff. I started tossing things out because I couldn't stand to carry it with me anymore. Even without technology issues, I'd seriously reconsider the DVD. You're on vacation, you don't need to watch movies! :p Besides, you'll be tired. Go see a play (even if you don't understand the language!) or sit in a cafe all night. We would seriously leave the hotel by 10am, and not get back til midnight. Plus, not all of the hotels had TVs.

[HeatherFL]

Oh I know LOL! That's what I was writing, we won't be watching movies anyway. :) And yes, if it ends up coming with us HE will be carry it! But I think it'll be staying home. :D

Now...to find magic shows. Anyone know of good magic shops in Europe?

~H.

[tlew12778]

Um... it's not a big thing in Italy. I have no clue where you would find stuff like that... There's a chain called Magic America but it's a sex shop (inappropriately called a Sexy Shop :rolleyes: ).

Maybe someone will know for the other countries.

[HeatherFL]

Thanks, Tiffany!

I found one in Amsterdam, I think. I wrote Magic Magazine and they're trying to help me out with more options. :)

[HeatherFL]

I use a free (and great!) service called OpenTable.com which doesn't include Europe. Does anyone have a website similar-which you can look up the area and then get a list of restaurants, read a description and then book a dinner reservation through them for Europe?

Thanks,

~H.

[tlew12778]

Nothing like that exists for Italy. I don't know about the other countries. The reason it doesn't exist here is bc not *that* many ppl use the internet. I would NEVER rely on it bc you have to assume the restaurant also checks their internet reservations on a regular basis. So while the service might be reliable here, the restaurants would not be. In Milan, where you pretty much need a reservation for just about any restaurant, I have never had a problem reserving the day of. There are a couple where you need to reserve a week in advance but the chances of tourists actually 1) knowing about them and 2) wanting to go to them, are low. I would just have your hotel make your reservations for you when you get to each city.

[Lindsan]

Heather, how about Guide Rouge (used to be called Guide Michelin)? I think they publish the restaurants that have been awarded. Going to one of those you know you will get a great meal (albeit probably a really expensive one).

They won't offer a booking service, but at least it's a good guide.

[HeatherFL]

Thanks, Lindsan! MMM food! You already have me thinking about lunch and it's not even 10:30am LOL.

Can anyone tell me where there are easy timetables. I don't want a train schedule, just how long it takes to get from one city to another-Spain/Portugal. We've changed plans a bit and will be spending time not only on Mallorca, but also on the mainland of Spain and would like to train into Portugal. I'm thinking it'll be a bit too long to go into Lisbon. Anyway, just looking for length of time from Madrid to different Portugal cities. (It takes a bit too long to do the train schedule city by city that's why I ask.)

THANKS again! A million times, thanks!

~H.

[tlew12778]

The Michelin Guide still exists here (it's still called that I mean), but in Italy we use something called the Gambero Rosso. It's all in Italian though. It sort of depends on what you focus on when you dine - the food or the overall dining experience. The Gambero Rosso is all about the food. It will obviously tell you about the ambiance but it really focuses on the food.

I am pretty sure you can get the travel times from the Deutsche Bahn (http://www.bahn.de/p/view/international/englisch/international_guests.shtml) website.

[zhannushka]

Maybe someone in here could help me out... - I am looking for a cheap car rental in Nice, France. My parents own an apartment there and we normally go once a year and rent a car from Alamo or Avis, however - this year their rates have totally skyrocketed, so - I was wondering whether anyone may know of a cheaper local rent-a-car company around the area... Thanks!!!

[anjuli]

Try www.autoeurope.com. They have special contracts with the car rental companies (Hertz, Avis, Alamo, etc.), so they can usually give you a good deal. I recently rented a car in Germany through www.autoeurope.com for an Avis car. They were able to get me a better deal than what I found on the Avis website.

[zhannushka]

Thanks anjuli! I'll check it out!

[HeatherFL]

Just wanted to write that about 90% of places we went to in Barcelona take AMEX.

~H.

[Daisy]

Could someone recommend a website for buying inexpensive airfare for flights within Europe?

I'm specifically looking for a one-way Florence to Paris ticket. I've done a few searches and I keep seeing tickets for $800! Give me a break - this is a 2 hour flight! So far, I have tried regular travel sites and Air France and Ali Italia.

Thanks in advance!

[houseblend]

Daisy - try www.easyjet.com and www.ryanair.com. (I think ryanair has more flight options). Both these airlines often offer free (yes, free!) flights...you just pay the taxes (which is around 30 euros). Otherwise they are around 30-50 euros. Neither fly direct out of Florence, though, so you would have to take the train or bus to Pisa. Adds an extra hour and a half travel time, but can save you $800! Train and bus tickets are under 10 euro per person.

[Daisy]

houseblend - Thank you so much! I can handle those prices for sure. I will check those airlines/sites out. We're actually staying outside Florence in Montespertoli, so I don't mind at all to fly out of Pisa (we'll have a car).

Thanks again!

[tlew12778]

Also try skyscanner.net. It will check all the low cost airlines for you at the same time.

[Daisy]

tlew12778 - thanks, I will check this site out too. I was hoping you'd write in! :)

[HeatherFL]

bump

[HeatherFL]

Does anyone have experience with Easy Jet? The prices seem to good to be true! £29.99 for a flight from London to Paris? Does that seem right? (That includes all the taxes and surcharges.) Sure beats the $260 on the Chunnel!

~H.

[tlew12778]

I LOVE Easyjet. They are rated one of the best low cost airlines in the world.

[HeatherFL]

Well, I'm sold then! WOW I had no idea it would be so much cheaper to fly than to take the train. Thanks!!!

~H.

[Rosebud]

Easyjet is great. Just know that Easyjet and Ryan Air don't always fly into large airports, so you may arrive outside the city and have to take a train in. Just make sure you check on the airports and figure out how you're going to get to/from them.

[Rosebud]

Cross-Posted with the Airport Security thread in Travel Talk.

If you are flying into a European airport anytime soon, be sure you read these new regulations!

From May 6, 2007 all Western European airports will adopt the same rules for carry-on baggage.

All passengers going through security at a Western European airport will be imited to ONE piece of handbaggage, which must be no more than 56 cm x 45 cm x 25 cm. That "one" includes handbags: if you want a handbag and a suitcase, the bag must fit inside the suitcase.

These are the specific new regulations that apply to all European Union airports, plus Switzerland, Norway and Iceland:

- Liquids or comparable items of similar consistency such as gels, aerosols, lotions, creams or toothpaste may only be carried by travelers in small quantities and in small containers. The maximum size of a container is limited to 100 ml. The containers must be placed and transported in a clear plastic, zip lock bag having a maximum volume of 1 liter. Only one bag is permitted per passenger. This bag must be removed from the carry-on baggage and presented to security personnel at the checkpoint for separate X-raying.

- Medications and special dietary requirement, including baby formula, are permitted in carry-on baggage if needed on board. These must be removed from the carry-on baggage and declared to security personnel at the checkpoint.

- The traveler may take Duty Free items through the security checkpoint which he/she has purchased on the day of the flight in a shop after the boarding card checkpoint at an EU airport or on board an aircraft of an EU airline. These items must be packed in a clear plastic bag which has been sealed by shop personnel after paying. The sales slip with date and location of the purchase must be inside the bag and capable of being checked (read) without having to open the bag.

- The size of carry-on baggage is limited to 56 cm x 45 cm x 25 cm (approximately 22 inches x 17.5 inches x 9.85 inches).

[HeatherFL]

Thanks, Rosebud.

I'll be leaving out of London Luton and flying into Charles de Gaulle (Paris) on Easy Jet.

You know, I had heard you could only take one laptop into England. Does anyone know if that's still true? I guess this was awhile ago...I always travel with two for business (have to-if one goes down in the middle of a meeting MUST have a back-up, it's written into the contracts.) The London part of my trip is pleasure, while the France part is pleasure/work (more work than pleasure.) Hmmm, maybe I can add the laptops to my Carnet?

~H.

[Amuse Bouche]

Heather -- would it be possible to check one of the laptops?

[HeatherFL]

I know a lot of airlines won't "knowingly" check laptops, but I'll have to check into that! Thanks!

~H.

[Purple]

I also want to confirm what Annette said about letting your cc company know that you are travelling. I was in Europe last month and my MC was denied in France and Portugal. Yet, it worked in Duty-Free at the airport :rolleyes:. So be sure to sort it out beforehand.

Also, I was amazed at the low fares within Europe. But just a heads-up Heather... book well in advance. Those fares go up significantly closer to departure. My Spain-Paris ended up costing almost as much as my transatlantic b/c I booked the day before at a travel agency in Portugal. If I had booked way in advance it would have been only 20 euro!!! But it was a last minute trip and I REALLY wanted to see Paris again.

[HeatherFL]

Thanks, Lexi! I booked ** the same day to grab that fair and then ** went down the next day LOL! (Only by a few dollars, so I wasn't too disappointed.) I hadn't realized *** could actually fly around Europe cheaper than taking the trains! I had heard, but had no idea ** *** really true!

[vee05]

Anyone traveled through Europe on the Eurail?

[Daisy]

I'm headed to Italy and France in 1 week and I can barely concentrate at work, I'm so ready for a vacation!

I have friends getting married in Tuscany, so we are headed there for about a week, then we're going to spend some time in Paris before coming home (my first trip to Paris).

I have a driver / wine tour booked in Tuscany, I reserved my Uffizi tickets and I have an outlet plan of attack. :D So far in Paris, we're going to do a day trip to Versailles and see a show at the Moulin Rouge. Has anyone gone on a Seine River dinner cruise? I've heard they're great, but I'm still having sticker shock at the price ($525 for two for the upgraded service).

vee05 - I haven't, we always fly or take a boat between locals in Europe. If we had more time, I would like to take the train from Florence to Paris.

[Rosebud]

Daisy- I would actually take this over to the France thread (http://www.constantchatter.com/forum/showthread.php?t=680) for more feedback on the Paris portion of your trip. There's tons of good info there on Paris that should be helpful to you.

No, I don't recommend a dinner cruise, personally. It's super touristy and the food isn't great, at least in my experience. For (less than) that price, you could have dinner at a Michelin-starred restaurant, which would be memorable to say the least. You can just take a cruise at night to see the lights if you like and forego the dinner. I have to say, I actually think that hanging out on one of the bridges at night is more fun than a Seine cruise, though. Ours was filled with drunken teenagers and hardly romantic.

[Daisy]

Thanks Rosebud. Yeah, I thought about posting the Paris thread if I didn't receive any responses here. That's too bad you didn't have a good time, I've read a ton of good reviews on trip advisor. But now that I'm thinking about it, I think I would rather go eat at a highly rated michelin restaurant and then just do the cruise w/o dinner.

[Rosebud]

Well, I probably didn't do the highest end dinner cruise, either. I was with my parents on that one. I'm wondering if the Chowhound.com boards would have thoughts on a dinner cruise? I trust them the most for food recommendations.

Our night cruise (the non-dinner one) wasn't expensive. That might be a good compromise.

[tlew12778]

Anyone traveled through Europe on the Eurail? I did. I did the 10 trip one but my friend who travelled with me did the 1-month one. Basically he travelled more than I did so it was worth it for him. You need to really map out your destinations and figure out which ticket type is the best for you.

The good thing about it is that you have the freedom to hop on and off at your whim. Sometimes you need a reservation (depends on the type of train) but we never had problems getting them (even day of).

We started in London and took the Eurostar to Paris (separate ticket). Then we started our eurail pass in Paris and went to Amsterdam, Bruge, Brussels, Berlin, Prague (they were not part of the eurail at the time but 1st class in and out of the country was like $40 total), Vienna, Munich, and I got off in Milan. I later used the rest of my ticket to go to Salzburg and back to Paris again.

I really figured out the "value" of each trip. If the single ticket would cost less than like $40, I just paid cash for it (like btwn Bruges and Brussels).

For long haul legs I would seriously consider flying a low budget airline. The only problem with that is that if you purchase your ticket last minute, it's not really low budget at that point.

[vee05]

What cities would you ladies recommend for a first Europe trip?

[Rosebud]

What cities would you ladies recommend for a first Europe trip?

Depends on how long you have to travel. Especially for a first trip, you don't want to go TOO many places.

There's the obvious 3: Paris, London and Rome. Not all for the same trip-- but usually a first trip to Europe involves one or two of these cities.

[tlew12778]

It also depends on your travelling style. Do you like big cities or do you want to stay off the beaten path and meet the locals? Also, are you ok with being in a country where you do not speak or understand the language? Budget is a big consideration too as London and Paris are very expensive. When I backpacked I actually spent more than half my budget in those 2 cities alone. The remaining half was disbursed over all the other cities I mentioned above. Don't forget that the Euro is very strong now so if that is a concern, you could also consider Eastern Europe.

[vee05]

Thanks for the advice ladies :)

I have been on a quick tour of europe a few years ago but DH hasnt. We wont be going to London since weve both been there several times and while its charming wer over it. (DH's been there last 5 months on business!!!)

DH knows french and he picks languages easy so i think we will be fine. Paris and Rome are on top of our list. Time frame about 2-2.5 weeks say July/Aug/Sept 2008. We pondered on Spain for a while but we ultimately decided we wanted to see the hotspots first and then hit countries individually. Tickets and hotels will be a point/mile combination so those are off the list from the beginning. Trying to figure out if driving versus the Eurail or flying makes any sense. In the perfect world wed love to see Paris,Rome,Vienna,Budapest,Florence,Venice & Zurich but gosh to me it seems impossible yet i remember seeing all of these places last time in 15 days!

-V

[tlew12778]

If you do only Paris and Rome, fly btwen them. There are low cost flights out of Paris Orly and into Rome Ciampino. I think that Easyjet might also do that route but out of CDG (which I hate, but Orly is way out in the sticks I think) and into Fiumicino (very convenient). Forget driving unless you plan on touring the cities btwn Paris and Rome. You're talking about a 2 day non-stop drive basically. I am fairly certain it's about 12 hours from Milan to Paris and Rome is another 6 hours from Milan. And that is with no traffic.

You really need 4-5 days for Paris and 4-5 days for Rome. If you wanted to rush around, then you could do them in 3-4 days but that is pushing it and you'd probably want to go back at some point to get to the spots you missed.

Remember to leave 2 days off of the intinerary for transatlantic travel time. You could easily do Paris-Venice-Florence-Rome in 15 days. Venice and Florence only take 2 days each. You'd even have time to do the Tuscan countryside outside of Florence.

Keep in mind that most things close in Italy in August. Not sure about Paris. But I know it's very hot there in August. Septemer is optimal for both countries IMO.

[vee05]

So right after labor day should be good then im thinking right?

[tlew12778]

Yes bc airfares are also lower then. Granted, you said you were using FF miles right? So it won't make too much of a difference unless you fly the bigger companies within the EU. The budget airlines don't do season sales since they are already so low cost. Anyway the weather is a lot milder than in July or August. Remember that a lot of the places you will be going to do not have AC in general. Hotels usually have it, but you're SOL if you are trying to walk down say, the Champs Elysee, IYKWIM.

[Rosebud]

In the perfect world wed love to see Paris,Rome,Vienna,Budapest,Florence,Venice & Zurich but gosh to me it seems impossible yet i remember seeing all of these places last time in 15 days!

Oh wow-- do NOT try to see all these places in one trip! I'm familiar with those tours that do a million cities in a week, but that's absolutely not the best way to see Europe and you'll run yourself ragged. If your priorities are France and Italy, then here's what I might suggest as an itinerary:

Day 1: International flight to Paris
Days 2-5: Paris
Day 6: Day trip to Versailles
Day 7: Fly from Paris to Venice.
Day 8-9: Venice
Day 10: Train to Florence
Days 11-12: Florence
Days 13-16: Rome
Day 17: International flight to USA

If you end up having less time, I'd cut Venice from your itinerary and fly from Paris to Florence. Florence and Rome are only 2 hours apart by train. I don't think you need to rent a car in either scenario.

I completely agree with tlew- avoid Europe in July and August if possible. September is a much better option. I'd even suggest mid to late September if you can do it. Better weather, fewer crowds.

[vee05]

Oh this looks great! I need to run it by DH lets see weve gone back and forth so much on this my heads spinning!