quote:
6) This is EUROTRIP. Not CHINATRIP, nor FRENCH POLYNESIA TRIP. Thus, questions about places not in Europe (refer to a atlas for clarification) shouldn’t be here

Except on the "Rest of the world" forum.

13. "Which railpass is best for me?" requires an itinerary for anyone to answer.

quote:
4) Don’t ask which is better, Florence or Rome. They both suck ))) Just kidding

Seriously folks…"Spain or Italy" "Croatia or Greece" &quotaris or Berlin" "Corsica or Sardinia" etc….how can someone answer that question for you? It’s perfectly legit to ask for a comparison/contrast of two places; but you need to be more specific in your questions (cost, transportation, culture, nightlife, etc). Only you know what you like, what you’re looking for, and what your expectations are. Pick up a guidebook, and look at some pictures…which do you think you’ll like more? If you ask other people to decide for you which is "better," you’ll only get an answer that’s as good as their tastes and [often limited] experiences. Comparison/contrast questions are good questions, but they need to be more specific and worded differently. A simplistic question like "Which is better, Florence or Rome" won’t get you anywhere.

Great topic, auher.

I’m here all the time, but I never need to post. Whenever new questions arise, I can simply run a search.

Thanks for the tips though. This may help weed out some of the "space-taking" posts.

-C

Glad I’m not the only one who feels this way….

Yeah, sometimes it just makes you laugh, but sometimes it’s annoying when the good posts get pushed downwind for some repetative crap about "what railpass to get" like old-lady said…. or even worse those "Croatia or Romania" posts.

Maybe we will regain some sense of civility here soon…..it would be so nice….

But good to see that "Dwop" is continuing his sleaziness with new topics of his own….. We all are glad to know that he prefers American girls to Euro girls. Really, it will change the EuroTrip experience for many a female EuroTripper, esp. once they find out where he is from (so he can be avoided at all costs).

-A

BUMP

And don’t forget to run a search for the Helpful Hints Thread or the older thread that has something to do with being a beginner as well….

Well done A!

Glad you guys like the post

One more to add….

13) Busses in Europe (just as they do in the US/Canada) suck. Thus, getting the "Europe by Bus" to go all around Europe from London to Greece will suck. Yes, it is cheap, yes, there is a reason for this…

**only possible exception is busses in the Balkans. Sometimes, due to the wars, there isn’t a choice.

-A

I’m sorry, I shouldn’t pick on people with one post, but this is too easy

quote:I just started planning my first trip to Western Europe. I plan on going to London, Paris, Venice and Rome. What are the best areas to stay in each of these places? I’m looking for a central location so I can easily get to all of the main sights.

‘Cause….

a) This hasn’t been discussed 1 million times
b) There isn’t one best central location to stay in a MASSIVE city like London. If you want to be near Buckingham Palace, stay near it. But if you like charming neighborhoods, stay in them. You get the point. You have to figure where you might like to be.

On a related note, I am pleased at all these new people who are posting on the site. It seems like a massive rush of 1-posters have came to the site soon. Hope I don’t scare them off!!

-A

quote: 8) Brugges is touristy in the summer

Well said.

I put that one in for you, Sickboy. It’s been said so many times, one would think if you did a search on say…BRUGGES, you might find that very comment made by yourself….

But it’s a true one. I am sure Rick Steves would tell me it is an undiscovered backdoor though….

I think I need to come out with a new guidebook of those…. maybe Moldova, Krgyzstan?? What’s left In all reality, when you think about it, it’s funny to have a guidebook like that, sort of ruins all the places for everyone else then….

But who am I to say…. People here seem to still think Prague is the "Frontier" of Europe or something. Ashame it’s like freakin’ Disneyland now…..

-A

hi this is one of the new girls that i think you hate.
i am just very fustrated because i have spent NUMERIOUS! hours on the web hunting for useful information when i barely know how to check my email properly and have finally come upon a site that ACTUALLY…..HELPS!people are telling me thing i need,things to do,where to go,you shouldnt do this and you should do that instead of: thank you for your question.our staff will get back to you in 2 to 5 working days……you see what i mean.
please keep giving useful tips,useful links, books, what backpacks are best and etc etc etc etc….every little thing helps.
thanks
desiree

14. Yes, theft occurs. But theft also occurs in the USA or wherever you are from. You only hear the horror stories. People always forget how many people go to Europe and have no trouble at all with theft or crime. There are millions of instances of safe travels compared to the handful of "horror" stories. The same logic applies when in your own country: If you are smart, use common sense, and use appropriate safety measures, you will have no problems and your trip will be unforgettable.

http://www.kahunna.n…

You guys make me laugh! This is the reason why this site is one of my favorites (that and because I have the travel bug). And if DWOP thinks Abercrombie=USA… then we just might have bigger problems than Iraq….

15. If you have to ask, "Is this too much for TWO weeks?" then you probably answered your question

16. Give people something to work with instead of just "Italy, Suggestions?". What are you looking for? quiet beaches, clubs, history…etc. Otherwise you’ll only get an arguement about how many days Venice is worth.

17. Don’t ask 8 questions in your opening post.

18. No matter how many times its been covered before, address ALL QUESTIONS RELATED TO GREECE (i.e. greek islands) to luv the beach.

bump

19. sickboy is always right. If in doubt, you Sir or Madam, are wrong.

20) If you have a question about where to stay, post it in the hostels forum. If you want to know how to get from place a to b, there’s a forum called transport. Bullshit goes in the pub.

21) Give your post a title that tells people what it’s about. "Scandinavia", "where to go kayaking?" or "southern Europe itinerary" are good titles; &quotlease help", "itinerary" or "European trip" are not.

22. You will NOT be gassed on the overnight train.

hah, I love the thing about Gassing on the night trains. So funny. I always wonder why everyone is so damn paranoid about that I mean do you wonder if you will get gassed on a night flight

23. Just don’t go.

24) Don’t ask if you should wear a Canadian flag pin or some other ridiculous shit if you are an American.

25) Don’t wear a "Bush-4 More Years" t-shirt either

26) Is it REALLY worth it to save the couple bucks by staying in a 10-bed hostel room vs. a double/trip/quad? No, prob. not. Do you stay in 10-bedded rooms at home regularly? If so, go for it.

27) 1.35 USD = 1.00 EURO, roughly. Seems to be a complicated concept for many of you

28) Dont ask if you need a money belt to walk around a city in. Maybe for a night train, sure, it’s not a bad idea, but do you walk around at home with one?

29) Rick Steves, while he has one of the more palatable travel programs is a tool. If you are in Turkey like his video, it’s highly unlikely that you will encounter wandering nomads who will invite you in for tea which progresses to nationalistic dancing.

30) Visit my website www.eurotrek.net

31) No longer applicable

-A

quote:
3) Don’t start a new post for every question…ESPECIALLY when the first one is still unanswered. You can "reply" to your own post, with more additional comments or questions, and it’s all in one place then.

Maybe you need to take some of your own advice – this post of yours would have fitted nicely in "Newbies: Posting and you"

That post was at least accompanied by a humorous video clip, and not just whinging, and stating the obvious.

You shouldn’t point the finger at "newbies" when you yourself are littering the place with irrelevent, or duplicated posts.

Flipisme,

I think you’d "get" a lot more of what we are writing about in this thread if you had been here longer. It’s not whining, it’s the truth!

And why I didn’t use Kahunna’s Newbie’s thread? That was intended to be a joke & it evolved into a discussion about moderators for this forum. Also, no one noticed or changed, so I guess we felt like we might try something again.

Not quite sure why you take this as a personal attack, I haven’t noticed you writing fluff….

-A

quote:
hah, I love the thing about Gassing on the night trains. So funny. I always wonder why everyone is so damn paranoid about that I mean do you wonder if you will get gassed on a night flight

Well, you can’t really blame the posters. Someone inexperienced with traveling abroad will hear a horror story, or any kind of false story, and will believe it. The ease at which someone believes or disbelieves something they hear about a foreign society is based on their own culture’s worldviews, fears, and stereotypes about the outside world.

But yeah, let’s put this to rest. Folks: you will not be gassed on a train. This is an urban myth

quote: 29) Rick Steves, while he has one of the more palatable travel programs is a tool. If you are in Turkey like his video, it’s highly unlikely that you will encounter wandering nomads who will invite you in for tea which progresses to nationalistic dancing.

LMAO…

quote:14. Yes, theft occurs. But theft also occurs in the USA or wherever you are from. You only hear the horror stories. People always forget how many people go to Europe and have no trouble at all with theft or crime. There are millions of instances of safe travels compared to the handful of "horror" stories. The same logic applies when in your own country: If you are smart, use common sense, and use appropriate safety measures, you will have no problems and your trip will be unforgettable.

Amen, Publius. I can write forever about crime while traveling:

A. If you or someone you know has been victim of a crime abroad, whether a petty crime or a violent crime, don’t assume that it’s characterstic of that country. The same shit occurrs in your home country, you just don’t associate it with your country as a whole.

B. Don’t assume that the perpatrators of the crime are locals and start blaming that particular nationality. Far too often, crimes against tourists are committed by fellow foreigners, not by locals. The perpatrator of the crime could be a foreiger living in that country or yes this is very common a fellow tourist.

C. Disregard whatever stereotypical notions you may have about which countries/cities in Europe may have higher crime than others. 99% of the time, your stereotypes are wrong, and can be proven false with conrete evidence.

D. However (and therefore) when in the streets, exercise caution everywhere just as you do at home, and remember that areas/streets/towns that are very touristy are also prone to petty theft more than other areas. Beware of your belongings on you and in your car.

E. If victim of a violent crime, keep in mind that the justice systems (like the ones back home) are complex. In order to prosecute someone, the process may require witnesses, police reports, and sometimes charges to be pressed by the victim. The process can take days, too long for most tourists. They don’t just lock someone up because some tourist said so. It’s just like home, folks. Don’t get irritated and start finding fault with the local justice and police systems.

F. The best solution is prevention. Try as much as possible. But don’t be paranoid. The vast majority of tourists don’t encounter problems, and the most who do are only pickpocketed.

I once saw a guy get strangled in Vienna (no lie). I now wear a steel neck brace whenever I travel and I recommend you do the same.

I also try not to leave my hostel bed ever as someone might try to steal my bag.

On a Travel Safety note:

32) When on a night train, follow the steps below for a hassle free trip

a) Enter the compartment immediatly slamming the door shut and securing it with a large 2 X 4 (which you will carry with you of course). Proceed to wrap the door with 10-gauge chains and a padlock.

b) Using duct-tape, seal off all possible airflows from the outside of the compartment. Use plastic sheeting over the window to in effect turn your compartment into a saferoom. This will prevent you well against gassing when coupled with step ©

c) Put on your gas mask. You will not want to remove this at any point during your journey.

d) Don’t show your passport to anyone, not even a border guard. If the "border guard" continues to pressure you, a quick blow to the jaw with the 2 X 4 should work

e) If sleeping in a couchette, utilize bio-hazard spray acquired from the US Dept. of homeland security to clean the area of any pathogens.

f) Do not sleep a wink. Maintain catlike reflexes at all hours of the night. Be ready for intruder to descend from above. Possibly consider reinforcement of ceiling with lead.

g) When getting off train in arrival station, put on full riot gear (especially if arrival station is Prague’s Hlavni Nadrazi). Run at full sprint through the station taking out whatever and whomever is in your path.

That should keep you safe on those pesky night trains

-A

quote:

32) When on a night train, follow the steps below for a hassle free trip

The plus side of carrying a roll of duct tape is that it can be used in place of a razor for keeping those "sensitive areas" smooth. It also will protect you from anthrax, sarin nerve gas, and suicide bombers. If you suspect an aerial attack, simply duck and cover.

I’m addicted!
all of you fuckin rock!
oooo can i throw f-bombs as
a newbie…it’s the damn truth.

Live, love, laugh…mostly LAUGH!
~e

Delfrio, you made me have to change my underoos because I was laughing so hard.

Agreed, especially the aerial attack part. The neck brace was hilarious as well.

Good show del.

Delfrio and Auher, good job!

you are all too much! this thred is hillarious!

Norah

After reading this, I am quite certain I can fake like I’ve already been to europe and I haven’t even left yet. I’m s.m.r.t.

this thread rules

Glad we made you guys laugh. It’s just the truth And we are trying to provide a public service here for all the newbies….

33) Most of Europe is crowded in July/August. Asking that question is like asking if Disneyland is crowded during Spring Break. You can avoid this, by going to less touristed places. Some suggestions:

a) Albania. Why not. It’s near Montenegro, Italy, and Greece.
b) Minsk, Belarus. Yeah, so it’s ruled by a dicatator/stooge? And so what that your transit visa might cost upwards of $100. You won’t see tons of tourists, that’s for sure.
c) Eastern Republik Srpska, Bosnia.

34) "Where’s the best place to party in _______". Just like at home, or anywhere, this information usually changes. Chances are that if Let’s Go, or any guidebook for that matter, tells you that a club is the hottest in _______, by the time it is published and all the backpackers go, it has either a)went out of business or b) is filled with drunk and fat 45 year old men looking for backpacking American girls (think DWOP).

-A

It’s so handy to just post the link to this thread as a reply. As for the neck brace, dude, that guy totally wouldn’t have gotten strangled if he was wearing it. I should market one.

quote: After reading this, I am quite certain I can fake like I’ve already been to europe and I haven’t even left yet.

That will be $1000 U.S. please.

heloo people

I think this is probably the most logical transcript I have read. I just posted a new topic and I think I have done everything wrong. Too many questions
accomodation
travel
all in the same post

oh well
back to the drawing board

whats gassing? or is this some inside joke?

Hah, Gassing. Yes, some people claim that on night trains (of course in scary EASTERN Europe only) theives/bandits/thugs may fill your compartment with some sort of a gas that will put you to sleep, and then they will rob you.

I think most of us regulars here find it extremely funny, because the idea of that happening (unless you are travelling in Chechnya or something) is pretty remote.

-A

Because thieves number one targets are, of course, poor, dirty backpackers.

But of course sick’….

They don’t pay any attention the business travellers that pour out of chain hotels in Europe. They walk right past those, and beat the hell out of backpackers and steal their…..ahh….backpacks??

I think maybe I should take a trip one time and travel by train and gas some backpackers. I’d just love to see the story posted on here….

"I KNEW IT WAS TRUE.. I WAS GASSED on a night train. in EASTERN Europe."

-A

haha by the time i get to eastern europe, i will be broke and dirty. they can take all they want lol…cause the best they will get off me is a cheap cd player lol

Funny, auher, I always hear the gassing-on-a-night-train story about "scary" SOUTHERN Europe (almost always Italy). And since this is "my" part of Europe, it pisses me off. Hidden inside these urban legends is an Anglo/Germanic (mostly North American) superiority complex. If only they knew these were the safest parts of Europe…safer than gasp Scandinavia (yes, folks, it’s true), at least with regards to violent crime. As I said before, if ya’ll don’t beleive, you can be proven wrong with concrete evidence. My friend EUROSTAT will back me up, as well as my experiences living and travelling in the region.

bump bump bump

35) If the search function isn’t working on this site, try turning off your firewall, I found out the hard way… Bloody norton blocks the one part of the search form that is important, the goddamned search BUTTON!!!

I sat for about 2 months trying to search for things but didnt understand why I couldn’t find the button to make the search start… looking back now it seems awfully idiotic…

Did anyone else have problems like this?

Bumpidy Bump Bump Bump…

quote:
18. No matter how many times its been covered before, address ALL QUESTIONS RELATED TO GREECE (i.e. greek islands) to luv the beach.

luv the beach answered all my probably redundant questions about Paris too. She’s such a great help!

THANK YOU luv the beach!!!!!

He.

quote:

29) Rick Steves, while he has one of the more palatable travel programs is a tool. If you are in Turkey like his video, it’s highly unlikely that you will encounter wandering nomads who will invite you in for tea which progresses to nationalistic dancing.

-A

This is one of the funniest things I’ve ever read. I lived and traveled in Turkey for a year waiting for something like this to happen to me.