In West London? I always thought it was portrayed as a bunch of trophy wives and sassy businesswomen marching about all day.
I have travelled a fair bit but mostly in the East. I would have to say its a great idea to go off the beaten path and enjoy some adventure though, tourist areas get pretty boring.
Hostels are by far the most fun way to travel around as you will meet a lot of people who are up for anything. If you are travelling with a group don't feel you have to maintain the group constantly, it can be easier if you mix it up and it reduces tension or stress later when the group is together and trying to organise the next leg of the journey.
I will be able to talk about it more later, when I have time.
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shit T-mobil charges me $4 a minute. I just use Skype like someone said, but have the phone in case of emergencies.
Still in the BX buddy. I am looking at the fall right now. Should be down for a visit in a couple of weeks. I'll let you know.
__________________ I am a sinner in the hands of an angry god
Quote:
Originally Posted by pisceschef
Too late. The siren song of skinny jeans and skittlerex lured him back to his people. We won't see him for another 3 months.
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I have done several backpacking trips in Europe so I will help where I can.
The most important thing when you get to any new area is to find internet access. I didn't bring a laptop because hostels and hotels in Europe lack in the security department. I would just find an internet cafe.
Hostelworld.com is the site I used most often. Simple and efficient.
Score a prepaid phone at a local pharmacy or department store. They are cheap and work fairly well. I used one while in Spain....no problems there.
Eurail passes depend on where you plan to travel and how many days you spend travelling. I have done a month long trip with the Eurail youth pass. It did give us some peace of mind knowing we could hop a train if we needed to. The biggest problems are the restrictions, and the price. I think I paid about $500 for the pass and would have saved a lot of money just buying regular tickets. It did, however, save me a ton of money on the chunnel train from London to Brussels. I would say that if you are going to be there as long as you are....forget the rail pass. You won't use it enough to make it worthwhile.
I have used several airlines over there Ryanair, Easyjet, Clickair...all very cheap and efficient.
My bank allowed me to make ATM withdrawls and debit purchases with no service charge. Check with your bank. If you can get around the service fees, ATMs will give you the best exchange rate.
Have fun man.....I'll be out there in a couple months.
oh....if you're in Spain and can get there....Check out Granada, it's amazing. Hit up Amsterdam too if you can.
Oh yeah bring a padlock with you as a lot of hostels will have lockers for your expensive stuff. Security has never been a problem anywhere I have been so far, but its better safe than sorry at the end of the day.
I also travelled around by train when I was there but I never bought any prepaid rail cards or anything. I just showed up, asked when the next train was and tried to bargain a good deal. I dont remember how much I spent on any of my rail travel, which means it can't have been too much.
I would also recommend buying a sim card as its very handy being able to use your phone anywhere rather than just at payments (like when you are lost or separate from friends). Plus, you have a domestic number to give the locals you meet.
Heat, Keep your money in the bank and use an ATM card to get it out, just let your bank know you are going to Europe. Your Bank will calculate the exchange rate for the time and day you withdraw money. A much more advantageous rate than money changers. For example the last time I was in London the money changers would give you fifty six pounds for a C-Note. From my ATM I got 62 pounds for a C-note. Not a huge diff, but big enough, and All ATMs I encountered in Europe (France and UK) charge no fees... While I was in France the Euro started weakening against the dollar, so the days it was weakest, that was the time I withdrew the most cash. Hope it helps. Have Fun.
P.S. Bring Neosporin with you, you can't buy it without a prescription in France or UK (I got a cut on my finger and it got infected and sore). You can buy Tylenol with Codeine (Paracetamol = Acetaminophen, Same E Same) over the counter, So stock up... Worst case you sell it to your college buds for a couple of bucks a pill.
__________________ It's got bits of Real Panther in it so you know it's good. "And they've done studies...60% of the time, it works every time."
Quote:
Originally Posted by katelynnx
Anchorman is probably my favorite movie EVER which means I love you.
As far as hotels go, If you make it to Paris... I stayed in the 6th arrondisment, at a little hotel called Jardin La Brea.
Jardin La Brea
14 Rue Brea
Paris, France 75006
Phone 01133143254441
Small Hotel, Nice Location 2 small blocks from Metro station, Vavin. Just down the street from Jardin du Luxembourg. Luxembourg Gardens. If I remember it was relatively inexpensive as well. Great area too, lots of toddler stores nearby, so it seemed like a family area.
Go to Google Earth street view and put in the address, and you can see the hotel from the outside.
__________________ It's got bits of Real Panther in it so you know it's good. "And they've done studies...60% of the time, it works every time."
Quote:
Originally Posted by katelynnx
Anchorman is probably my favorite movie EVER which means I love you.