European travel questions

[SHAFT]

Planning a trip to Europe next year in the fall and we're thinking Spain and France as the two places we'd like to spend 2 weeks or so in. Wondering if any of you had ever traveled there and what are some do's and don'ts?

I know Barcelona and Madrid are notorious for pick pocketing, petty theft, and muggings. One of my main questions is, neither of us speak French or Spanish, so how difficult will it be to communicate? Is English a widely known language?

[Seizer]

From what friends have said that have traveled to France I've been told this. If you at least try and speak a little to them, such as asking if they speak English, they appreciate it and will speak English. This is purely heresay. Spain, not a clue. My wife and I went to England, and Ireland so we didn't have to deal with that barrier.

[Keller]

English is relatively common in Paris. Seizer is correct that attempting to communicate in French will get you good results and just assuming people speak English will make your trip miserable.

If you end up in Paris, let me know. My wife and I've put together a 20 page restaurant guide from our time there. It's not going to be Michelin starred restaurants, but it's going to be amazing food at reasonable prices.

[msconstrew]

Yeah, we spent 10 days in Paris and got very good results when we tried to open the conversation in French. Most people speak English, and if they don't they're willing to try to figure it out through a combination of pidgin English and hand motions. I've been to Spain twice, once to Madrid and once to Barcelona, and found the same was true - if you try to respect their culture, they're pretty easy going. I really liked Barcelona a lot.

[SHAFT]

English is relatively common in Paris. Seizer is correct that attempting to communicate in French will get you good results and just assuming people speak English will make your trip miserable.

If you end up in Paris, let me know. My wife and I've put together a 20 page restaurant guide from our time there. It's not going to be Michelin starred restaurants, but it's going to be amazing food at reasonable prices.

Hell yeah Keller! France is my #1 destination due to the food. Send that baby over whenever you get a chance.

[EasternBrand]

Planning a trip to Europe next year in the fall and we're thinking Spain and France as the two places we'd like to spend 2 weeks or so in. Wondering if any of you had ever traveled there and what are some do's and don'ts?

I know Barcelona and Madrid are notorious for pick pocketing, petty theft, and muggings. One of my main questions is, neither of us speak French or Spanish, so how difficult will it be to communicate? Is English a widely known language?

Pickpocketing, petty theft, and muggings are common problems for the American traveler abroad, but with these safety tips you can enjoy your vacation with the comfort that you've come to expect in the USA, whose big cities are unique for their conspicuous lack of pickpocketing and street crime.

DO keep your valuables in a zippered pouch, easily accessible for your snowglobe purchases but visible so that you know it's still there. Fanny pack recommended.
DO wear comfortable clothing in which you feel easily maneuverable. In case of an unexpected hostile encounter, you will want to run a few blocks without tripping. Shorts are recommended for breathability, and crew socks to wick away unwanted leg sweat.
DO NOT smile at strangers. In Spain, baring your teeth is considered a sign of aggression and may result in an unexpected hostile encounter.
DO NOT exchange your valuable American currency for worthless "funny money." You will surely encounter many talented scam artists who will want to take your dollars and exchange them for colored and oddly-sized numbered slips of paper. This is not real money, as it does not mention God or the United States on it. Despite many shopkeepers' protestations, they all accept real dollars. As haggling is considered a time-honored sport in Spain, you will likely need to press your point by shouting until they agree to your terms.

I would avoid France altogether as the language is wholly unpronounceable. Good luck, and have fun!

[msconstrew]

In Spain, baring your teeth is considered a sign of aggression and may result in an unexpected hostile encounter.


Much like the chicken dance in Mexico.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9TXVMkQ29g

Also, we've sworn by the Rick Steves guides when we've got to Europe and haven't been disappointed by the recommendations. One of the best/memorable meals we had there was a North African/Moroccan meal at L'Atlas. Granted, this was several years ago, but apparently it is still well-regarded (http://www.lefigaro.fr/assets/couscous.jpg).

[SHAFT]

I've been waiting for a chance to unleash my fanny pack collection!

[Androidpk]

I've been waiting for a chance to unleash my fanny pack collection!

Belt worn and vla?

[Archigeek]

I found the food scene in Paris to be a little daunting and fine dinning in particular to be obscenely expensive. I agree, speak a little French, and your stay there will be better. Get yourself a couple of metro passes and take the subway everywhere. You'll need passport photos (or from the photo booth in the station) but the subway system there is awesome and can get you within a short walk of any place you'll want to go.

General travel tips: make copies of your passports and put them in each other's luggage, in case yours gets lost or stolen. Use your credit card for transactions where possible for the best exchange rate. Your cash card will work just fine to, so no need to buy a bunch of traveler's checks or carry a lot of cash.

Have a great trip.

[Ker_Thwap]

Notify your bank so they won't shut shut off your card for questionable purchases overseas. French people were awesome, outside of Paris. Ran into a few idiots in Paris... but that's no reason not to go. Get off the beaten path, most of my fond memories of Europe were when we ditched the tour and winged it. Never been to Spain, but they have some funny shaped bottles of wine.

[Allereli]

Notify your bank so they won't shut shut off your card for questionable purchases overseas.

This. Also, Capital One doesn't charge foreign transaction fees on many of its credit cards. Plenty of time to get one before your trip. Don't exchange money at the airport, you will have a new butthole after.

[Tgo01]

Tell everyone you're from Canada.

[SHAFT]

Belt worn and vla?

Weightless and multi tiered too

[Androidpk]

Weightless and multi tiered too

Oh snap. I expect lots of hash from spain.

[Allereli]

If you're at all into Dali, go to Figueres where his museum (http://www.salvador-dali.org/museus/figueres/en_index.html) is. It's well worth the trip. Dali's castle in Pubol was interesting but not worth it if you're limited on time.

[SHAFT]

Oh snap. I expect lots of hash from spain.

Nice, best thing I've read on the PC in ages

[Archigeek]

Yeah notifying your bank is very important. Even when you do notify them, if you make a large transaction overseas, you should be prepared to get on the phone with the bank. So be ready to make an international call to your bank's credit card help line if you want to buy a nice keepsake. I had that problem after negotiating for about an hour on a purchase in Sharja UAE. You should have seen the look on the guys face when the transaction was denied after dealing with me for an hour. Fortunately my credit union was happy to clear it up right away with one short phone call.

Back to Paris, it's such a great city to walk around in. My favorite memories all revolve around just exploring. Forget organized tours; just make a list of places you want to go, hop on the metro and get as close as you can, then start walking. Allow extra time and stop at anything that looks interesting to you. Do buy nutela and banana crapes from a tiny stand somewhere, shop at a local market, and visit some of the less well known sites. I found that staying at a small hotel or B&B within a short walk of the center of the city was ideal.

[DoctorUnne]

Spent two weeks in Spain last summer. If you end up there I highly recommend San Sebastian, which has food that rivals Paris'. Near Barcelona there is a beach town called Sitges which has beautiful beaches. There are also amazing beaches on the southwest coast (Costa de la Luz). Tarifa was my favorite and it's one of the best places to windsurf in the world. Also had a lot of fun in Marbella but I think that had a lot to do with being single. I found Spaniards to be extremely friendly and welcoming and they know how to enjoy life. I would recommend renting a car if you visit southern Spain. There are just a lot of different places to go, including Ronda and Granada in addition to the others I already mentioned.

[Keller]

If you end up there I highly recommend San Sebastian, which has food that rivals Paris'.

http://i417.photobucket.com/albums/pp256/bobberyt/nonono.gif

Spent a few days in San Sebastian. Has good seafood. But it's insane to compare San Sebastian's food to Paris's.

[Keller]

Back to Paris, it's such a great city to walk around in. My favorite memories all revolve around just exploring. Forget organized tours; just make a list of places you want to go, hop on the metro and get as close as you can, then start walking. Allow extra time and stop at anything that looks interesting to you. Do buy nutela and banana crapes from a tiny stand somewhere, shop at a local market, and visit some of the less well known sites. I found that staying at a small hotel or B&B within a short walk of the center of the city was ideal.

I know I sent you the dining guide, but I might also propose a few discrete events that I think are "can't miss" items in Paris.

First, the Arene de Luttece. It's an old Roman theater on the left bank. I love it for a lot of reasons. When you stand in the middle, you see the ancient theater with Housman-era apartment buildings in the background. It's a great juxtaposition of ancient and "modern" Paris. If you go during the day, you're likely to see at least one (and probably both) of a group of old men playing boulle (bocce ball) and a group of kids playing soccer. It's truly a neighborhood playspace and not at all a tourist attraction.

Second, get a drink in the Place Dauphine (https://maps.google.com/maps?q=paris+france&hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=48.856763,2.342615&spn=0.002037,0.005284&sll=39.76527,-86.132812&sspn=0.304542,0.676346&t=m&hnear=Paris,+%C3%8Ele-de-France,+France&z=18) some night after dinner. They have lovely outdoor seating and the setting is pretty romantic (even for Paris).

Third, picnic on the Champs de Mars (the green space behind the Eiffel Tower, ie away from the Seine). Bring some bread, cheese, saucisson, in-season fruit, and wine. It's amazing what allowing alcohol in public spaces does for use of those spaces. On a nice night, it will be packed with locals enjoying company and an easy dinner.

Fourth, walk somewhere to eat macarons. Pierre Herme is very delightful.

Fifth, unless you're going to be there July, Comptoir (my favorite restaurant in Paris) is going to be very difficult to get into. Do yourself a favor and get one of their savory crepes from the creperie next door. You won't find a better crepe in Paris - at least I haven't.

[DoctorUnne]

Spent a few days in San Sebastian. Has good seafood. But it's insane to compare San Sebastian's food to Paris's.

I guess you just didn't eat at the right places then. San Sebastian has three 3-star Michelin restaurants which is pretty amazing for a town with a population of 200,000.

[4a6c1]

Near Barcelona there is a beach town called Sitges which has beautiful beaches. There are also amazing beaches on the southwest coast (Costa de la Luz). Tarifa was my favorite and it's one of the best places to windsurf in the world.

Ooooh. Noted!

[WRoss]

Didn't read anyone else's post, but here are the things I've found:

First, don't look like a tourist. Get rid of those sneakers and jeans and dress nicely. Secondly, try and speak a little bit of the language. Like asking (Je voudrais, yo quiero/Podrais) for things when ordering food or asking if they speak English (Parlez-vous francais, Ustede hableais espanol). Pickpockets will be prevalent in any major city, especially around tourist attractions. The Eiffel Tower is notorious, especially the little kids running around there. You can get travel pouches to wear under your undershirt so you don't look dorky as fuck and they'll store everything. Make sure to keep your passports in those at all times. Losing your passport will be a nightmare. Avoid people trying to sell you stuff on the street as they are often scams or set ups for robbery. If you want to go out in France, look up a forum about the nightlife. Many places will turn you away simply for being American. Likewise, in Spain, there are some pretty shady areas, but if you stick within the tourist districts, you should be fine. That's about all I can think of, currently.

[SHAFT]

Yeah I wanna go to San sebastian! It's the only place in Spain I really want to go. There are 2 restaurants there that are considered some of the best in the world and the place just looks amazing. I'm luke warm on Madrid and Barcelona, but San Sebastian looks amazing.

[SHAFT]

Paris is a must and I'm torn between Venice, Vienna, Barcelona, Madrid, and San Sebastian. I'll probably do Paris, Venice, and Vienna, but Spain is alluring.

My fiancée is planning the wedding and I'm doing the honeymoon. Great deal I say. We're going October 2013 so I have time. I love hearing people's stories and experiences though.

Paris is the one city that is a must. I'm a food nut and Paris, and Japan it seems, are the best places for incredible food. Vienna looks amazing too.

[DoctorUnne]

I was kind of unimpressed by Venice. Obviously it's something different and the gondolas are romantic and all that but once you get past the novelty of all the waterways I didn't think there was a whole lot to the city. I don't know anything about Vienna but I would choose Barcelona over Venice and Barcelona is fairly close to San Sebastian so you could hit both. If you do decide on Italy and want to go with a big city I would do Rome, but I'd also recommend Cinque Terre or Lake Como as alternatives. Both also very romantic.

[Wrathbringer]

A bit off topic, but a friend of mine went to Egypt and saw the pyramids; something I've wanted to do for awhile now. He said, "Ya know, I wasn't impressed. I thought they'd be bigger." I lol'd.