Travel EUROPE: Travel Tips & Tricks

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Silent Alarm said:
Two days wearing em the right way 'round, one day back to front, one day inside out, and one day inside-out and back-to-front!

They also double as fantastic hand-sized towels in filthy hostel toilets. True...
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I found many a thing to replace a towel. There's something a bit backward about spending a 30-degree day walking 20kms in a white t-shirt and then using that same white t-shirt to dry yourself after a shower... I definitely used jocks to dry myself as well. Only the outside obviously. Sometimes you have no other option!
 
Going to be in Germany this December/Jan in Dortmund - if anyone is around that area and keen to go watch the game against Augsburg on the 23rd December holla out
 

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That's my first winter Christmas sorted. Spending it with a friend at her home in Vienna :)

Will be hitting the Alps the week leading up to it, getting into Innsbruck from Munich then maybe stopping by Salzburg and Graz on the way over to Vienna by car.

Thanks to the lads in this thread who recommended Innsbruck and Salzburg, probably wouldn't have crossed my mind to travel through Austria outside of Vienna until you guys mentioned it.
 
The Dice Man said:
I'm in London right now, flew mum out so she can see a bit of Europe but **** me, it's not even winter yet and top temperature today is 8 degrees! It's my 5th European winter but this is just bullshit.

DO NOT GO IN WINTER, or if you must go south!
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It's not even the cold in London. The dark is the but that's gets you the most. Must be dark by about 4ish this time of year yeah?

wadistance said:
Can't recommend it enough going solo. It's easy to do. I would recommend the following.

- buy a eurorail pass for as many journeys as you can afford. Ultimate flexibility to just get s**t done. If you hate a place, get on the next train. Saved us big time from that shithole called Pamplona last year

- stay in as many 'nice' hostels as you can. Use HostelWorld to book or at least check out hostels. This is far better than contiki. You'll meet great people who will want to hang out with you and see stuff. Much easier if you're by yourself or with one other to integrate into other people's plans. I ended up ditching plans I had and travelled for a while with some people I met in Portugal. Was amazing.

- don't be afraid to have a 'day off'. Go sit in a laundromat and do your washing. Drink 4 coffees and try to read a foreign paper. Put up your feet and watch tv. Constantly sight seeing is tiring and burns you out. Even hanging in the hostel bar with people you've just met can be the downtime you need

- if you can afford it - treat yourself to a nice hotel once or twice. It makes such a difference

- to add to the above point. Maybe a private room in a young persons airbnb property. Read their profile to make sure they are your cup of tea. I've got lifelong friends from an airbnb in Paris

- go to Portugal. It is hostel heaven.
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I'd add to this. Get a car for a bit in a few places. It opens up so many more possibilities. Plus driving in Europe is awesome.
 
Deliverance said:
It's not even the cold in London. The dark is the but that's gets you the most. Must be dark by about 4ish this time of year yeah?


I'd add to this. Get a car for a bit in a few places. It opens up so many more possibilities. Plus driving in Europe is awesome.
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but be SUPER particular, take photos from every angle of your car. especially if in spain, they are dodgy as * and will try to rinse you for whatever youve got
 
With treating yourself to a hotel every now and then as wadistance mentioned, have a look at Ibis group. They are the haunt of the businessman generally and in some areas their peak period is the opposite of tourist hotels.
That is, they are full Monday through Thursdays and quieter over the weekend. Sometimes it's nice to have your own bathroom and a TV.
 
The Dice Man said:
I'm in London right now, flew mum out so she can see a bit of Europe but **** me, it's not even winter yet and top temperature today is 8 degrees! It's my 5th European winter but this is just bullshit.

DO NOT GO IN WINTER, or if you must go south!
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Haha maate try living in the north of England. It was below 5 for a solid 4 or 5 months every day before "Summer" came along. And I concur with the person above about the daylight. Nothing worse than going to work when it's dark and then coming home when it's still dark, it completely *s with you. That for me is the worse part about winter, all you want is sunlight yet it literally feels like it's dawn all day long. But Winter is also the best time to see some parts of Europe, so many amazing spots to see that aren't anywhere near as beautiful in Summer.
 
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Autumn heading to winter is always volatile in europe. I arrived in Barcelona 3 days ago and it was 23 degrees. Today's top is only 13 degrees. Europe at this time and December is so great.
 
Snow coming down here and staying below zero for a while it seems. Hopefully the slopes closer to Stockholm move their opening. After work snowboarding is the best.
 
Silent Alarm said:
Two days wearing em the right way 'round, one day back to front, one day inside out, and one day inside-out and back-to-front!

They also double as fantastic hand-sized towels in filthy hostel toilets. True...
Click to expand...

For real? I didn't realise people did this?

The Dice Man said:
I'm in London right now, flew mum out so she can see a bit of Europe but **** me, it's not even winter yet and top temperature today is 8 degrees! It's my 5th European winter but this is just bullshit.

DO NOT GO IN WINTER, or if you must go south!
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Will be even colder now in Dec, still not as cold though if you were to go further up north, London can still be bearable.
 
scotslad said:
Will be even colder now in Dec, still not as cold though if you were to go further up north, London can still be bearable.
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10 degrees is about as cold as it gets where I live, so London was a bit of a shock at that time of year. Have visited in June, and Feburary also. Dont remember it being that cold in Feb but I didnt stay out all day like i did last month.
 

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The Dice Man said:
10 degrees is about as cold as it gets where I live, so London was a bit of a shock at that time of year. Have visited in June, and Feburary also. Dont remember it being that cold in Feb but I didnt stay out all day like i did last month.
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Did you venture anywhere else? London is great for shows and activities, albeit very manic pace of life. You back home now?
 
scotslad said:
Did you venture anywhere else? London is great for shows and activities, albeit very manic pace of life. You back home now?
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London, Paris, Italy and all over southern france. Flew my mum over for her birthdy so a little tour for her. Just got back from 3 months in Belize... that was nice and warm.
 
anyone ever travelled iceland or norway? got a spare few months up my sleeve next year (March-april) and really want to visit these places for their landscapes and beauty, i am a cameraman and really want to make a few videos using my drone and canon, time-lapse the northern lights is a dream I've always had...i understand there most prevalent in Winter so worried March may be getting too late.
 
I've been to Norway and Northern Norway, amazing place beautiful country and the women are my girlfriend is from Norway and stole her away
Great hikes on mountain tops, make sure you have good shoes for the hikes
Highly recommend it...
Iceland is on my to do list, haven't been but I've heard great things..
 
HirdyLannister said:
I've been to Norway and Northern Norway, amazing place beautiful country and the women are my girlfriend is from Norway and stole her away
Great hikes on mountain tops, make sure you have good shoes for the hikes
Highly recommend it...
Iceland is on my to do list, haven't been but I've heard great things..
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what time of year did you go mate and did you travel solo? how'd that go
 
ohhhBigMalcho said:
anyone ever travelled iceland or norway? got a spare few months up my sleeve next year (March-april) and really want to visit these places for their landscapes and beauty, i am a cameraman and really want to make a few videos using my drone and canon, time-lapse the northern lights is a dream I've always had...i understand there most prevalent in Winter so worried March may be getting too late.
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Iceland is amazing. The landscape and natural features are unlike anything else I've seen. I don't think the lights are any more prevalent in winter, there's just more darkness around to enhance your odds of seeing it. Don't get sucked in to an overpriced tour to see them. Just watch the cloud cover maps and activity levels and drive to secluded spots away from man made light. March April is fine and better for driving around because most of the snow is gone.
 
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