International travelers, i need advice and help

ryano

ryano

Active member
alright. so i just booked my flight into dublin, ireland.

I need to know whats up. i've heard you need a visa for some countries? or will just a passport work for short visits?

what to get if i want a cell phone? how to get around the best way? bus? train? cheap flights over to europe?

social things i should know?

anything and everything will help. i'm planning on going from ireland, to england, to france, to germany. and if i have enough time, to prague.

+k to and serious and helpful answers.
 
threads. OP when will you be in france? i will be there in Nantes for the semester (sept 1-dec 18)

Beer is served warm in ireland
 
Yeah you do need visa's for some countries, and I'm guessing you're American so you'll need a visa to visit the UK. I'm not 100% sure about the rest of Europe, as I'm an EU citizen and can travel throughout.

Your best bet will be a telephone card if you're moving around, otherwise you're 'gonna get hit with some massive international charges.

Not sure if you specificaly mean Ireland, but check out Ryanair and EasyJet for cheap flights around Europe. If you book in advance, you'll get flights for around $100.

The Irish love to drink, make sure you visit a load of pubs and their road crossings sound like a game of pacman (You'll understand this more when you're there).

Also Prague is a cool place, and it's really cheap compared to London and especially Dublin, so try and make the trip!

 
Dub post but yes, gato is right. i just finished the visa process for france. it depends on the duration of your stay. i had to get a short term visa as i will be a student in france for 3-6 months.

if you stay less than a month then i dont think you need anything other than a passport for most places
 
Well it really depends what you're drinking, if it's Ale then it shouldn't be chilled where ever you are.
 
i'll be in france last week of september. more specifically, in paris.

sweet. el gato's link said i dont for the UK since it is a short visit. so that was helpful.

and ok, good to know about the phone card.

and i had heard about ryan air and was checking flights from dublin to london, found some for 20 euro. and from london to paris for like 65US.

thanks for the answers so far!
 
this. i have traveled throughout europe (france,italy, holland, england) all without a visa u just need a passport. I wouldn't recommend using use phone, most hotels have land lines that are cheaper, or free internet cafes for Facebook, email, ns (the essentials) other that that buses and train are ur best bet, or rent a car for an adventure. Although driving on the left side is scary as hell from what I've heard.
 
is it a bad idea to bring my phone and just use the wireless on airplane mode? cuz thats kind of what i was thinking of doing..
 
The past month, I've been in Poland and New Zealand, and will be heading to England in July, I haven't needed any visas. I'm also Canadian, and I think Canada doesn't need it for a whole bunch of countries. And as stated, make sure your phone is unlocked, or just buy an unlocked phone and get a SIM card for it
 
ya i did that with my iPod touch and used wifi, and although roaming costs a shit ton calls are also relatively expensive. If u are a quick talker that will be fine but you can pay well over a 100 dollars for a long phone call with mom
 
thats what ill be doing. skype and that internet texting app should be just fine.

also i think ill be in paris one of those weekends! i have a good friend who will be there in paris for the semester as well, so i might be able to offer a place to stay for a night/weekend

i have a question: what are youth hostels like? or any hostel? i'll be doing a good bit of traveling during my stay and want to spend as little as possible while do as much as possible, but i still wanna stay safe
 
oh sick!! i'm still working out some details.. but i might have a place to stay too.. but deff will keep that in mind..

 
alright, so my trip is two weeks out. here are some questions i could use some answers to..

1. best way to exchange my monies? atm? exchange place?

2. cell phone/internet? should i get a pay as you go phone? do american phones work there?

3. public transportation advice? for trains and buses? any tricks or local things i should know?

4. should i rely more on cash? or just plan on using a debit/credit card?

5. hostels, do i have to book ahead? or can i usually get a bed pretty last minute?

6. any NS'ers gonna be in ireland, england, france, or germany sept 19th - oct. 10th? cuz i'm open to anything.

any other tips, tricks, and advice?
 
1. Just get money from an ATM, but enough to last you a while because there are usually extra fees. If you have extra currency when you leave a country you can always go to an exchange place, but this isn't as big of a problem anymore with the euro.

2. It's usually pretty easy to find wifi in Europe. Places like McDonald's always have free wifi or you can go to an Internet cafe. A pays as you go phone isn't a bad idea too becuase you can keep it and use it next time you go to Europe. They don't expire and there are some pretty cheap phones that you can just put minutes on at ATMs.

3. In general public transportation is great in Europe. Find the website for the public transportation company in whatever country you're in and you can find out prices and schedules between places. Check out inter rail too, it might be worth it for you.

4. Rely more on cash because sometimes cards mess up. Use your card to get larger amounts of money from ATMs.

5. Since its not really the high travel season you should be okay just showing up at a hostel. It never hurts to see if you can book online or call ahead though. If you show up and there's no room they're usually good about helping you find another hostel nearby for you to stay at.

6. Nope, I'll be in Vienna, Austria. Let me know if you end up here or have any other questions.

Live it up! Also, Prague is definitly worth the trip.
 
1.) Id go with atm2.) Depends on how long you stay I guess. Id just use skype and shit like that, but then again Im not someone who likes to talk on the phone a lot anyways

3.) most bigger cities have their own public transportation, just check them out before you go, if you are moving around a lot, check out the railway companies from the countries (for examle "Deutsche Bahn" for germany)

4.) Id go with cash, its pretty easy since you kinda only need to have euros (except in the Uk ofc)

5.) depends on the city I guess. If its some smaller city you should be fine, but I think I would book ahead if I would go to London etc. Finds you cheaper/better stuff anyway

6.) Im in Stuttgart/Karlsruhe (Germany), but there are more interesting cities to visit if you come here :D

Feel free to ask anything you want, Im sure I can help you out with stuff about Germany ^^
 
A few tips for when you are in England:

1. Don't talk to people unless you absolutely have to. Being over-friendly in Britain is normally taken as a sign of brain damage. If you need help or are lost then you can ask but don't sit next to someone on the tube and start talking about how it's raining again. If you do this and experience the rare occasion of a response from someone helpful, charming and friendly, please don't think you've made a friend... he is a con man.

2. If you go to a pub and order ANYTHING apart from a 'pint' you will be stared at and scoffed at by all within earshot - we probably won't do anything about it though, we're too nice.

3. We drive on the left hand side. This means when you cross the road you need to look right. This is not a conversation starter - we don't care that you do it differently.

4. Speak slowly and only just loud enough so the person you are talking to can hear you and no one else. American's are assumed to be obnoxious and loud - do not fuel this.

5. Try not to complain. We are the world champions of whining but this does not mean you can join in.

I forgot which dates you said you were here but if you're around in late October then come to this - http://www.relentlessfreeze.com

Also, let me know if you are in London and need a drinking buddy, I will be happy to show you around.

Disclaimer: All information above is to be taken with a pinch of salt and I will accept no responsibility for any physical harm you encounter from following this awful guide.
 
In finland the beer is served with a shot of moose piss on the side.

There's a shop in ireland where I got a cheap phone the last time I was there. Worked pretty well, had an unlimited plan. Not sure the name so I'll post a pic

images
 
1) Contact your bank and let them know you are traveling. You will likely only be using pounds and euros (unless you make it to switzerland, then francs). If you have a national bank, you should be able to use any ATM that is part of the global bank alliance for free. Get the names of the banks that belong in the countries you are going to. France is Paribas, can't remember the other countries. If you use an ATM that isn't part of it, make sure it is still a Bank ATM, the typical charge is 1% transaction fee and a $5 fee. For me, I have found it to be cheaper to pull out money if I am pulling out more than about $250. If it's less than that, then it's cheaper to use my debit card which is only %3. Do not exchange money. You will get raped in fees. Also, keep in mind that most debit cards here are chipped, you sometimes need to tell the clerk that your card needs to be swiped. Also, some machines will only take chipped cards so it's good to always care a small amount of cash should this happen to you. I got caught at a $36 toll driving in France and only had $12 euros on me... Caused a huge line of traffic and had to go into the transit station and pay by card.

2) Cell phone/Internet. If you have ATnt or Tmobile, you can use your phone here. Call the phone company and let them know you would like your phone unlocked while you travel abroad (AT&T may not do this if you have an Iphone). If you have Sprint or Verizon, your shit out of luck and will need to buy a phone. Orange is the biggest network, I bought a $20 sim card, I pay 10 cents per minute in Switzerland for calls I make and 10 cents per text for texts i send. Incoming is free. If I leave the country, it's 60 cents per all texts and $1.20 per minute for all minutes. So it may be cheaper to buy $10 sim cards for whatever country you are in. Also, a LOT of the major cities out here have free wifi. Paris has like 250 hot spots, London has them all over the place.. Pretty much every city I have been to offers free internet to an extent. So buy a phone card with no internet or extremely limited and disable facebook and all that and only use it for google if you need to look up a location.

3) Public transit. I bought a Eurail Pass, this can be a good deal, or not. If you plan to make longer trips, it's a good deal. I'm paying an average (after additional fees) of about $100 per trip and can make them with little to no notice. Flying can seem cheaper, but the train tickets to get to the air port, the hassle of being at the airport, needing to book so far in advance... all becomes a pain in the ass. Flights are only cheap if you know far in advance you will be taking them. Trains are only cheap far in advance as well. With a Eurail ticket, they are just the 1 price and you pay for your reservation. Some reservations are cheap, sometimes they aren't needed, and some cost more. If you get a first class eurail pass like mine (which I so highly recommend, they feed you and give you free drinks) you are looking at around $100 per major trip like mine. Second class you'll probably be closer to $60 per trip.

Also, consider the eurostar between England and Paris, I know that the flights are cheap, but if you get a Eurail pass, I believe it's only $100 round trip in which you go straight from the center of London to the Center of Paris. Both the Airport in London and Paris are a bit far from the city and you can end up paying $15 for just the train to the aiport. So it really begins to add on fees. And with the train, there is no baggage allowance, customs is silly and almost non existent, and you show up half hour in advance, it's so easy.

4. explained in #1

5. Hostels, you should try to book ahead, different events make things more expensive. Hostels in Munic over oktoberfest are around $100 -$200 a night when they are typically $20. That being said, Couchsurfers.com is the shit. I trust it pretty well, have had people crash with me while living in Luzern who have had next to no difficulty traveling europe with no lodging costs. Just buy your host a bottle of wine or make dinner and you are set. Keep a small emergency fund should you make a last minute decision and need a cheep hotel/hostel.

6. I will be in Switzerland till September 20th, then Germany till the 26th, then Annecy for IF3 and I fly to Iceland via Paris on the 1st.
 
I've got experience traveling and studying abroad...

first off, get your money situation sorted. Some banks here can do the exchange, do that. Then find out what atm corresponds to your bank. (Bank of America=Barclay's, etc.)

Don't bank on using your card everywhere. Ever heard of chip and pin cards? That's all they use. And while it's probably changed since I went, that meant that in a lot of places, I couldn't pay with my cards because it was a different system.

Buses and trains are your friend. Europe loves them, and so should you. You can get literally anywhere you need to go in england and France via train. (And I assume other countries, but i haven't taken them elsewhere)On a bus...have your change ready, no one wants to wait behind the "ignorant" American. And they just about always run on time. However when there's maintenance or closures...it's absolute hell. Have a backup plan. (Taxis)

Get a pay as you go phone. I bought my phone for less than $8. You can top them up anywhere, and most of them will work everywhere. Unless you pay out the ass, your american phone is useless except for the internet via wifi. You probably won't even get roaming service.

Otherwise you should be set. Do yourself a huge favor, and make damn sure that you have 3 things on you at all times. Passport, credit card, cash. And I mean on your person...not in a backpack or bag of any sort.

and while it's usually said by a scared mother, be generally aware of where the American embassy/consulate is wherever you're going. I'm not saying have the address tattooed on you, but have some idea.
 
One thing to add. If you're going to Paris from London, just get the train. No arseing about with airports. It'll take you to/from the centre of both cities, PLUS you get to travel underwater, the English channel.

Trains are cheap in Europe

 
not sure how helpful this will be but here's my experience from travels earlier this year:

1. i used specific atms. as a bank of america customer i got no charges at certain atms (deutsche bank, bnp paribas, + more) so i would check with your bank. i think it's currently cheaper to wait until you get overseas to exchange monies. fwiw i did all of my purchases in cash (euros) while i was there

2. did not use phones or internet, can't really comment. somewhat related note: we travelled with an ipod touch and the "CityMaps2Go" app where i downloaded maps of all the major cities we were in. helped me to get around and find my way a lot of times

3. i was on a cruise when i was there and actually went through the trouble to print out transit schedules (bus/train/boat) for all the cities i was in. in the end my preparation was almost worthless. in italy the boats i wanted to take were not functioning so i had to audible. in france the trains were on strike so their schedules were inaccurate. most places it was easy to find someone to sell you the right ticket for where you needed to go (the exception for me was trying to figure out metro in paris late at night, i ended up having to jump a gate at my final destination but all was ok).

tl:dr? in general i found public transportation somewhat easy to figure out. if you have a chance to research transit schedules before you go it's somewhat helpful, but expect the unexpected.

4. i used cash for everything bc getting a lot of cash at the atm was my best bet as far as exchange rate goes. my girlfriend used her credit card (capital one?, i'll try to find out if you really need to know) for nearly everything because it charged almost nothing for international transactions. she's smart with money, i'm not so i figure her solution was better. do your own research as all credit cards/banks are different, what worked for me may not be best for you.

5. no comment

6. no comment

 
While the convenience of the Eurostar is way, way higher than fucking around with a London airport, the generalization that trains are cheaper/easier than planes doesn't necessarily apply to some chunks of Europe.

That said, for shorter segments (like OP's), trains are the way to go. Just felt it needed to be said if you have to deal with longer segments, multiple trains, mountain ranges, or large bodies water, planes can be a super convenient way to go. There is a reason why the likes of Ryan Air & EasyJet have blown up huge over the years, and have impacted Eurostar pricing a bunch.
 
definitely, eurostar wins in terms of convenience. You show up, go through security like nothing, and then just sit waiting for the track number.

Not necessarily the winner in terms of pricing though. You're probably gonna be paying upwards of $100 one way. Not terrible mind you, considering it brings you from central london to central paris in little over 2 hours.

But for a similar price, I flew round trip london-lyon, in British Airways business class. And I must've eaten/taken at least $500 worth of free food from the travelers lounge. (flight at 5pm...showed up at 10:30am, started drinking at 11)

otherwise, le metro, the tube and so on are a bit pricey, but ridiculously convenient.

Only warning about the tube...if you've got a decent sized bag and have to get from heathrow to central london, try to make sure you aren't going during rush hour. You will have no place for that bag within very few stops.
 
It’s all pretty much been said here’s my 2 cents

Atm’s are the way to go, you don’t want huge amounts of

money on you… watch for pick pockets/ getting your

bag nicked especially in paris. But always good to have enough cash for a few days on you in case

something goes wrong.

If you’re gonna buy a pay as you go phone get it in the UK (about

£7) they cost more in France.

Public transport is really

easy in Europe, but defs fly from Dublin – London as it’s a bitch of a journey

by train + boat. In London get an oyster card which it cheaper for the tube + busses.

Prague’s amazing … defiantly worth a visit, low-cost alcohol

and crazy clubs

depending what music you like, there may be some decent nights coming up at fabric (in London)

which could be worth looking into.

Have an awesome time!
 
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