1. This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Learn More.

European Vacation. Any tips???

Discussion in 'Chit Chat' started by Yuri, Jun 20, 2013.

  1. Yuri

    Full Member

    Joined:
    Jul 31, 2012
    Messages:
    0
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Las Vegas
    Gender:
    Female
    Gender Pronoun:
    She
    Sexual Orientation:
    Bisexual
    Out Status:
    Some people
    So, I'm going to Europe for the first time on Friday. I will be there for two weeks. I am visiting London, Paris, Florence, and Rome.

    Any hot spots I should check out?
    Any restaurants or tourists sights?

    Just looking for tips from people who have visited these places or live there.

    Thanks :eusa_danc
     
  2. SchwulIstCool

    Regular Member

    Joined:
    Jun 19, 2013
    Messages:
    3
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Dans mes rĂªves de New York et des blazers...
    Heheheh it always confuses me how Americans come to just Europe and then visit like all the cities in it, and us Europeans only go to one country at a time. :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:

    Erm, well London is absolutely wonderful (a little biased, of course :wink: ). How long are you spending in each city? There are of course the big sights, Big Ben, The London Eye, Buckingham Palace etc etc, and you can take open top bus tours of the city and take it all in with being overcome by lots of other tourists, which is fun. :slight_smile: And then if you like shopping, then there's Covent Garden (near Leicester Square and Theatreland) and Oxford and Regent Streets which are next to each other and are basically this massive long thing of shops - although they are very very busy, so if that doesn't float, then you may not enjoy it. :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes: If you have time and money, you might want to see a musical :slight_smile: I've heard they're all very good, but I've only seen a couple. It'd be better to look on the website.

    I also recommend coming off the beaten track a bit, seeing other parts of London not necessarily spotted by the tourist. For example, there is an LGBT book shop in Camden Town called 'Gay's The Word' if you fancy checking that out, and there are lots of little shops and boutiques that are worth visiting away from the big shopping streets if you fancy. The gay areas are in Soho mainly, which is right in the centre of the city (where the West End and Theatreland is). Lots of gay bars and such in London, so if you fancy that, then they are in abundance.

    Take a brolley (umbrella) with you! It may rain a bit, but it should at least be sunny for a short while as well, we've had some pretty nice weather recently soooo. Things tend to cost more in Britain than in the USA apparently, so take enough money. In restaurants, tipping is appreciated but mandatory, unlike in America. The prices on items in shops is the actual price you have to pay, no having to add tax onto the end of things at the till. If you need to get round the city, the Tube (our Underground Subway system) is a great way to get around if they're not on strike - although the maps can be a bit confusing, so only use it if you want to accept the consequences of getting lost (which shouldn't happen if you read the signs well enough, they're not that bad :slight_smile: ).

    Have fun in London! :slight_smile:
     
  3. Hexagon

    Full Member

    Joined:
    May 1, 2011
    Messages:
    8,558
    Likes Received:
    1
    Location:
    Earth
    I should probably mention that london pride is on the day after you get there. (assuming you visit in the order you gave.)
     
  4. Candace

    Regular Member

    Joined:
    May 8, 2013
    Messages:
    3,819
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Southeastern U.S.
    Gender:
    Male
    I've been to Paris and Florence. From both experiences, I will tell you that if you (try at least) to speak French and Italian respectively, you will be treated better (I speak both languages, and my brother does not, so I know :wink: ). Paris is nice, but if you want quietness and a laidback atmosphere, then Florence is ideal.

    Remember-- the Louvre is closed for cleaning on Tuesdays! :wink:
     
  5. Amerigo

    Full Member

    Joined:
    May 30, 2013
    Messages:
    860
    Likes Received:
    1
    Location:
    between land and sea
    soho is where all the fun is in london (glbt fun :wink:)

    my homophobic father says that's where all the "wierdos" are...
     
  6. boo841

    Regular Member

    Joined:
    Jun 20, 2013
    Messages:
    14
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Indonesia
    Gender:
    Male
    Sexual Orientation:
    Gay
    Out Status:
    A few people
    in everywhere, try, absolutely try, to have maps of the city, the tourist attractions, and the transportation system (metro map, subway map, underground map, bus map, etc). and true, in paris, if you can, try to speak french. if you can't, oh well, just shoot and wish the other person does speak english. and if you can, spare some days in paris, as it is so huge and so much things to do and enjoy, don't expect 3 days to be sufficient. and one last thing: ENJOY! :slight_smile:

    ---------- Post added 20th Jun 2013 at 09:37 PM ----------

    ooh, one more thing, in paris, if you want to buy some mini eiffel keychains, never, and i mean NEVER, buy them on the streets of champs elysees, they are hella expensive. last summer, i bought some there for around 2 euros each. when i got to the notre dame, i bought 10 pieces for 2 euros. what a bargain, what a bargain. hopefully things stay the same haha
     
  7. When you're in Paris, go to Montmartre, preferably around dusk. I spent this past year studying abroad in France, and whenever I was in Paris I always made a point to go to that district. Just don't be surprised if a drunk hobo pisses in the street, they do that a lot there.
     
  8. Amerigo

    Full Member

    Joined:
    May 30, 2013
    Messages:
    860
    Likes Received:
    1
    Location:
    between land and sea
    you should go to barcelona
     
  9. Joe54321

    Full Member

    Joined:
    Feb 22, 2013
    Messages:
    135
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    United Kingdom
    Gender:
    Male
    Gender Pronoun:
    He
    Sexual Orientation:
    Gay
    Out Status:
    Out to everyone
    If the weather is nice in London go to Hyde Park, The Princess Diana memorial (large water feature) is very beautiful.
     
  10. Tetraquark

    Tetraquark Guest

    I would say to resist the temptation to eat American food even when it's readily available. You will see plenty of McDonald's and the like, and often the European food will may look or sound unappealing. However, just because it's new doesn't mean it tastes bad. This is a chance to get real, authentic European food, which often tastes nothing like the American interpretations of the same (this applies to food from pretty much everywhere outside the U.S.).

    The one exception: if you see a restaurant obviously run by Europeans for Europeans, and not tourists, that serves American food, it can be really entertaining to see how other people interpret American culture. For example, my mom and I once went to a "Tex-Mex" restaurant in Germany that thought cucumbers were a perfectly normal thing to put in burritos. I wouldn't recommend doing this more than once, but it might give you a good story to tell later.

    I suppose that the key is to have memorable experiences like that. During a two week, whirlwind tour, you won't be able to experience the cultures with any depth. Instead, try to do things that will make the trip stand out in your mind so that you can look back on it and enjoy the memories.
     
  11. Harve

    Full Member

    Joined:
    May 25, 2009
    Messages:
    1,953
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Scotland
    I honestly had no idea that American food was *that* different to European food. I thought it was a fusion of just about everything. And obviously there's no one 'American cuisine' and definitely no one 'European cuisine' (the French would not like to be lumped with the British when it comes to food). I think British food, especially breakfasts, can be just as unhealthy as American food typically is, if not more so!
     
  12. Dublin Boy

    Dublin Boy Guest

    Joined:
    Feb 12, 2013
    Messages:
    1,738
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    UK
    Gender:
    Male
    Sexual Orientation:
    Gay
  13. greatwhale

    Full Member

    Joined:
    Feb 12, 2013
    Messages:
    6,582
    Likes Received:
    413
    Location:
    Montreal
    Gender:
    Male
    Gender Pronoun:
    He
    Sexual Orientation:
    Gay
    Out Status:
    Out to everyone
    In London, check out Churchill's underground war room; just awesome, you feel as if you're right there with him planning the next air raid (it's near Big Ben).

    In Paris, Montmartre at dusk was mentioned, totally agree...

    The traffic in Florence will annoy you, but check out the Academia del Arte where Michelangelo's David is found, and look for his unfinished works nearby...I find those even more interesting than the David.

    Rome is fascinating, but there is no more beautiful building than the Pantheon. You can then eat in the Trastevere district.
     
  14. Hexagon

    Full Member

    Joined:
    May 1, 2011
    Messages:
    8,558
    Likes Received:
    1
    Location:
    Earth
    British food? What british food? British food is either italian, indian or chinese :slight_smile:

    I think ze just meant that you should try local food. Obviously not all dishes from europe are the same, but thats why you should try them.
     
  15. Dublin Boy

    Dublin Boy Guest

    Joined:
    Feb 12, 2013
    Messages:
    1,738
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    UK
    Gender:
    Male
    Sexual Orientation:
    Gay
    British food would be things like Fish & Chips, Full English Breakfast, Sausage & Mash, Toad in the Hole, Chicken, Potatoes, Veg, Yorkshire Pudding & Gravy just to name a few :slight_smile:
     
  16. Browncoat

    Full Member

    Joined:
    Jul 2, 2011
    Messages:
    4,053
    Likes Received:
    9
    Location:
    Zefram Cochrane's hometown.
    Gender:
    Male
    Gender Pronoun:
    They
    Sexual Orientation:
    Bisexual
    Out Status:
    Out to everyone
    Well, in America, one can drive 5,000 kilometers in one direction and be in America the entire time.


    So, Europe feels small in comparison. And your cities are so conveniently close to each other ^.^


    I don't have any specific tips, but if you're going to be in cities, my general advice:


    Wander! Every little bit is interesting. ^.^
     
  17. StefaniW

    StefaniW Guest

    When you go to Rome, be sure to visit the Pantheon. I'm told it's a breathtaking structure and it is one of the best preserved "ruins" from the principate era. The marble, etc. that was used to build it is all still very much in tact, and in absolutely amaazing condition.

    They say when you walk in you still get the effect the everyday Roman citizens (because this who the temple was built for, not simply the upperclass like many temples from that era) would have had almost 2,000 years ago of feeling very, very small, something you were supposed to experience in deference to the gods.

    Just my little tidbit, lolz. I am a toootal geek for Italian (particularly Roman) history and if I do say so myself have a massive amount of knowledge on the subject, lololz <3 soo jealous you are going to Rome XD
     
    #17 StefaniW, Jun 20, 2013
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 20, 2013
  18. Tightrope

    Full Member

    Joined:
    May 31, 2013
    Messages:
    5,415
    Likes Received:
    387
    Location:
    USA
    Gender:
    Male
    Gender Pronoun:
    He
    Sexual Orientation:
    Bisexual
    Out Status:
    Some people
    Go to the Louvre with NO preconceived notions as to the size of the Mona Lisa.

    Great itinerary. You'll have plenty to do and see.
     
  19. hazza

    Full Member

    Joined:
    Sep 9, 2010
    Messages:
    281
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Glasgow
    In Rome, you should go for aperitivo. It's a bit like a happy hour at bars where you buy drinks, but then they put on a spread of food for you to help yourself to - nice pizzas, salads, nibbles, little pastries etc. When I was in Rome in January I went to a place called Doppiozeroo. I highly recommend going there as the spread of food was impressive and the cocktails were delicious as well.
     
  20. Tetraquark

    Tetraquark Guest

    American cuisine is inspired by European cuisine (and African and Asian and Native American), but they still taste completely different. German food, at least, actually doesn't taste like American food at all, not even American interpretations of German food. American versions of schnitzel aren't the same as the German versions (and there are many different regional variations). Even their bread tastes substantially different. There's loads of subtle differences in taste that really can't be described in words and can't be replicated in the U.S. due to differences in ingredients.

    Oh, and there's almost nothing particularly healthy about European food other than maybe portion size, which tends to be a little more controlled.