For anyone who has flown into Girona airport outside of Barcelona, (the place ryanair typically flies to) how do you recommend getting to Barcelona from there? I know it's an hour bus ride but I'm curious if there are any better options. Paying 40 euro for a round trip is kind of absurd, seeing as I only spent 30 euro on the plane ticket from Frankfurt to Girona.
I'm studying abroad in Europe this semester, and I'm looking for a cool place to hang out during Holy Week. I've heard good things about Florence. Suggestions? Thoughts?
Anyone know anything about Croatia? I'm in the planning stages of a eurotrip and a friend mentioned a place called Pag in Croatia, I believe its an island. I've heard it described as the new Ibiza, but cheaper and that in a few years it will as popular as, if not more than, Ibiza.
It depends how you look at it. Ibiza is primarily a British party place, which Pag is primarily an Italian party place. You'll find a whole lot more diversity in Ibiza though. I don't think Pag will ever come close to Ibiza, partially because high season is only a month long, and also because it's not built around the club scene. Plus Pag is definitely lacking in infrastructure. As for the price...well, Ibiza is what you make of it. Pag is certainly cheaper than clubbing it in Ibiza, but not much cheaper than sticking to the West End of San Antonio and partying there. As for other places to go in Croatia, there are a ton. If you're heading down to Dubrovnik, try to get into Montenegro too, at least as far as Budva. You won't regret it.
Second that. There is no glitz and glamour, just a scuzzy shithole filled with mean drunks disease-ridden hookers.
Re: Cape Town and Durban While in Cape Town, take the ferry across to Robben Island. Since Mandela's release from Prison there, the island has become a sort of working museum, and a great place to grab some interesting snapshots. Do not go here at night. Consider a day trip out to Aquila Game Reserve as well. Spend some time in Greenmarket Square as well- but be warned- take nothing valuable with you in case of pickpocketers. Warnings; -AVOID the packaged tours like the red bus tour- tours like this are targeted by criminals. -avoid public transport. If taking cabs, agree to price before getting in. -if driving in a car, hide all personal possessions- wallets, phones, etc under seat to avoid smash-and-grabs at lights.Lock doors (even when you are in car), do not roll down windows. If people are flashing their lights at you- steer clear- it means fuck off. Also, be aware that even locals only stop at red lights at night if they absolutely must- for safety, they tend to roll up, check it is clear, then proceed through the red light. -street kids operate in packs- if you get surrounded, they will strip you of everything you are carrying. Children are the devil's spawn- avoid them at all costs. But hey- chin up- Cape Town is the safest place in SA!
It is more like 90minutes and the bus is the cheapest way out of there. Welcome to the fucking joke that is Ryanair. But you will continue to fly with them because it is cheap.
Agreed. Would also mention taking a day trip into Bosnia and going to Mostar. The bridge divers are incredible. I am guessing you are college age? In that case I would recommend doing something like Sail Croatia and a week of island hopping. If the dates work I would start out at http://www.exitfest.org/ then make your way to Budva, Pag then finish it off by going to Split and hooking up with one of the above boats.
Anyone have anything on Puerta Vallarta, Mexico? I'm going in a few weeks and would love to eat/see/do stuff thats not in or around the resort.
I don't have any questions at this point, but I have been living in Costa Rica for a little over a year, and traveled extensively through Central America and some of So. America. Any questions feel free to ask!
I'm looking at taking a trip to Germany sometime this summer, with 2-3 weeks to spend, flying into the Dutch-German border area. I wouldn't mind a side trip into Switzerland or Holland, but we'll see where that goes. My main objective is going to be Bavaria with Munich, Dachau and Berchtesgaden on a definite to-do list. I'd also like to get into Berlin, time permitting. If anyone has any experiences to share, or solid resources on things to do in the area and general advice on backpacking and taking a train through Europe (it looks like trains are going to be a necessity given the circumstances), I'd greatly appreciate it.
Germany is pretty much the easiest non-english speaking country on the planet to get around. Normally I would recommend keeping your intinerary loose to allow for changes, but a trip of 2-3 weeks I would say go the opposite and stick to a pretty regemented schedule. Decide on a plan and book the tickets in advance for solid savings at http://www.bahn.co.uk. For the longer trips I would recommend looking into taking the overnight sleeper trains. They are slower but you will save on accomodation and have the added advantage of then having fully days to get out and see things. If you are backpacking for accomodation look no further than http://www.hostelworld.com. There is no need to stay in Dachau, there is fuck all there bar the concentration camp. It is only about 30mins from Munich so I would just make it a day trip before hauling my ass back to a beer hall. You would be stupid not to go to Berlin, it is by far the coolest city in Germany, arguably not as fun as Munich but still the coolest. I am guessing you are flying into Dusseldorf? Personally I would then train it to Cologne for a night or two, train to Eindhoven for a night, up to Amsterdam for a night or two. Onto Berlin, train would take about 8hrs or so, not sure if there is an overnight option but I would look into this. Spend two nights or so in Berlin before taking the train down to Munich and then exploring Bavaria. Edit: If you can time your trip to coincide with the Soccer World Cup you will up the good times by a factor of about 3.47. The atmosphere in Holland and Germany will be electric during this time.
1) Follow Toddus' advice 2) Switzerland and the Swiss Alps are fucking great, but if you're on a tight budget, give them a miss. EVERYTHING in Switzerland is expensive by comparison. Even if you eat directly out of the supermarket, it'll still be pretty dear just to get around. I don't know about special backpacker's tickets though. If you're interested in staying in or around Zurich, PM me. 3) Definitely go to Berlin. Culture, history, really good urban vibe and shitloads of parties/festivals.
The future wife and I are strongly considering Caye Caulker in Belize for our honeymoon. Has anyone been there? Any recommendations on hotels?
I'm going on a trip to South East Asia starting at the end of May. A friend and I are planning to start in Singapore and end up in Sri Lanka (he has family there so we can stay for free). We want to hit Angkor Wat in Cambodia, but other than that I am open to ideas. I'm more into the adventure, hiking kind of trip, though I know my friend wants to see any major museums or historical sites. I was hoping to go to Vietnam and Cambodia definitely, but I'm open to Thailand and Laos. I don't know as many people who have traveled in that area, and we only have 3-4 weeks. Ideas or advice?
Ok I've been meaning to do this for a while. Should you want to know any more specifics or ask me a question, shoot me a PM. Asia (went in late 2009) Singapore Spoiler I am most familiar with Singapore having lived there for a bit. Singapore is like Asia 101 for the English-speaking tourist. First, English is the main language of business. Second, the standard of living is quite high. If you're looking to get away from the western world and hoping for a truly "Asian" experience, Singapore is not the place for you. For as small as the country is, there are a ton of shopping malls. If you're looking for cheap stuff, I recommend you not buy it in Singapore and wait until you get to another country in Asia. Stuff to see: The Night Safari - Go early. The Esplanade and the Merlion - Best to go at night, but not too late b/c they turn off the water spouting from its mouth at a certain hour. Go and eat at the hawker stands. The more popular one seems to be Newton but if you look around you'll see each one varies (Little India is going to have more Indian food obviously, the one near the Harbourfront Mall seems to be predominantly Muslim, etc). Ethnic neighborhoods: Arab Street, Little India, Chinatown Of the three, I think Arab Street is the most fun. Just remember that some places may not serve alcohol. Little India is ok, with some decent food places. Chinatown is mostly a tourist area with lots of people trying to sell you stuff. If you must be touristy kitsch, this is the place. Remember to haggle though. They're usually willing to go pretty low if you're paying in cash. Now there's other things to do/see, but I imagine anyone going to Singapore is also going to other places in Asia, and these other destinations will have the same activities (hiking, scuba, etc) that is just as good (if not better) and much less expensive than it is in Singapore. That being said, hiking at the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve is a nice afternoon trip. The cost of being in Singapore can vary. Housing seems to be about the same rate as many metropolitan cities in the US. If you eat at the hawkers, dining is not very expensive, usually US$3-6 for a rather large meal. Alcohol and cigarettes are expensive. Almost any bar you go to is going to charge a lot for drinks. If you're on a budget, go to 7-11 and buy booze there. They don't cite people for open containers and it is quite popular to buy some beers and sit on the Quay (pronounced "Key") Bridge and drink. If you plan on doing duty free before coming into Singapore read it carefully. Also, I believe you are not allowed to bring in alcohol if you are coming in from Malaysia. If you really want western food (Mexican, Italian, etc) and bars, go to Holland Village. Bangkok, Thailand Spoiler I spent 3 days in Bangkok, which I felt was plenty of time for me. I stayed at the Udee Bangkok hostel. One of the nicest hostels I've ever been in. If you plan properly, you can see Wat Pho, the Grand Palace and Wat Arun all in a day. I recommend ending your day at the Golden Mount to watch the sun set. I went to the National Museum which was, on the whole, a disappointment. If you're into sports, thai boxing is really fun to watch live and I highly recommend it. When going to the Palace, you will have to wear pants, closed toe shoes, and a shirt with sleeves. They have some for you to put on if you don't have any, but I recommend bringing your own in a backpack. It's a wise idea regardless as you may want to change in less sweaty clothes at some point later in the day. The cost of Bangkok is relatively inexpensive. Shopping is decent. I went to a tailor inquiring about some flyer advertising a deal for 2 suits, 3 shirts, 3 ties, yada yada. Really it's a bait and switch scheme. The deal is only one awful print fabrics but then they offer you the nicer ones for more money. The nightlife in Patpong is pretty fun/bizarre to observe. Supposedly the area has calmed down a bit now and there is actually a decent night market there if you feel like buying souvenirs. Nevertheless, you will (especially if you look like a westerner) be constantly accosted by guys handing you flyers for ping pong shows and the like. I am told it is unwise to go to these because they often force you to buy a bunch of expensive drinks or such but you're welcome to try. There are also the go-go bars where girls dance on the bar hoping to be called down by a gentleman in order to complete their business transaction. Some of the tourist destinations in Bangkok are further apart than you'd think and the street signage isn't always the best. Plus it gets wicked hot in the daytime. I'd recommend either renting a bicycle of just shelling out the money for a tuk-tuk. Angkor Wat / Siem Reap, Cambodia Spoiler I spent 3 days in Siem Reap. Angkor Wat really is an awesome site and I highly recommend you see it. I stayed at the Happy Guest House. Which was ok. It wasn't that expensive for a private room. Not great, but not the worst either. Just one of those "a place to rest my head" kind of places. They can arrange ahead of time for a Tuk-Tuk to pick you up at the airport, which is what I did. I paid to have my Tuk-Tuk driver take me around the sites for 2 and a half days. Other people have opted to rent a bicycle, which I hear is very fun and rewarding. The first was a late afternoon and I watched the sun set from atop one of the temples. Do it. I don't care if you just got in and are incredibly tired. Do it. The other advantage is that you can purchase your pass to the temples for the next day, thereby saving you precious sightseeing time. Be prepared with plenty of cash as I believe it was something like US$90 for a three day pass. If are seeing most of the temples and your Tuk-Tuk driver didn't already recommend it, I suggest you work your way up and see Angkor Wat last, otherwise all the others will just seem meh. We started at the ones in the north and worked out way south I believe. The top of the main temple was closed off, but I did see people slipping the security guys money to have them take them to the top if you're interested. Siem Reap has a surprising amount of nightlife. The bar scene is actually quite fun and you can find cheap booze aplenty. Cambodia primarily uses US dollars for transactions. The ATMs will even give you American money. Unfortunately I kept getting $50 bills, and nothing in the country ever costs close to that so I kept having to get change from people. Try to keep 20's in your wallet (at the most). Malaysia Spoiler Being in Singapore, I ventured into Malaysia a couple of different times. Tioman - a beautiful island off the east coast of Malaysia. You need to take a ferry to get over. It's quite beautiful there with amazing snorkeling and scuba diving. The prices for snorkeling and scuba diving are very good too. If you plan on doing either, I recommend going in a group as most operators require a group of 4 to go out. If you're by yourself or with a friend, try teaming up with people at your hotel or during the ferry ride over. I stayed at ABC beach, which is on north part the west coast of the island. It is a bit rocky but a decent, sandy beach is within a short walking distance to the south. BRING BUG SPRAY and use it liberally. Tioman is duty free. You can venture into the capital and buy rather cheap alcohol. I recommend this as there isn't much of a nightlife so to speak. Once the bars/restaurants close around 10pm, that's it. Every bar we went to though was nice enough to let us hang around once they closed and drink our own alcohol so long as we promised to turn off the nights when we left. I recommend you bring cards, an iPod with speaks, or whatever else you would think can entertain you once the bars close. I recommend you do the jungle trek from the west coast to the east. It's not as rustic as one may imagine, there being stairs constructed at some parts for instance, but you will probably get to see live monkeys and other native wildlife. The beach on the eastern coast of the island seemed to be a lot nicer and way less crowded. I warn you, the trek BACK to the western coast felt pretty brutal. I have honestly never felt that exhausted in my life. Desaru - a nice beach in southern Malaysia if you want to bus out of Singapore for a couple of days. Kuala Lumpur - I stayed at the BackHome hostel for 2 nights. It had very nice facilities, some of the best showers I've ever had. The major drawback is that it is on a fairly busy street so it can get noise at night and it may also wake you up early in the morning. Not exactly the most exciting city for me. Go see the Petronas Towers though. If you want to go up the elevator and onto the skybridge get in line EARLY. I mean 2 hours or 2 before the doors are supposed to open. If you just try to come around opening time, you flat out will not get in and shouldn't even bother. The way it works is around 30 mins before opening time they go up to everyone in line and ask them what time they want to go up. Once all the slots for the day are filled, that is it.. Guangzhou, China Spoiler I spent 2 night at the Riverside YHA. I saw a rat each night, and could hear them while I tried to sleep. I couldn't take it and had to leave. Also, if you get the 6 person dorm, it is dark and dank. Guangzhou gives you a less touristy experience in China. You will encounter very little English here, and nicely enough, very few people trying to scam you. The food is quite amazing, but overall not that much to see. You should bring a phrasebook if you want to get something to eat. English menus/servers seemed pretty rare. Going out at night in the Shangxiajiu is pretty fun. Xi'an, China Spoiler Xi'an is the home of the Terra Cotta army, which was reason enough for me to go there. Beyond that, the city itself was one of my favorite destinations. Despite being rather out of the way, I think you'd be happy if you scheduled some time out there. I stayed for 4 nights at the Shuyuan Hostel. Another great hostel. Decent bar downstairs. Very friendly staff and they have plenty of packaged day trips. Get a tour of the terra cotta army through your hostel/hotel. It makes it easier and you'll get a helpful guide. Usually you first tour a "workshop" with whom the guide has an arrangement though, so they shop can try to sell you their wares. I bought a statue from mine and am very pleased with it though. Another thing worth checking out is the city wall. I rented a bicycle to go along it and had a great time. The hostel also offered a trip to a "panda reserve." I went thinking it would be seeing pandas in the wild. Unfortunately, it was actually a zoo mostly dedicated to pandas. Nevertheless, it was entirely worthwhile because our guide just ripped some wild bamboo growing nearby to lure the pandas to the edge of the cage, close enough for us to touch them were one of us so stupid to try. It's quite cool seeing them that up close. Mainly, I liked Xi'an because it was a decent size for me. Not huge and overwhelming, but still a big city with lots to do. Beijing, China Spoiler I spent 5 nights at the Tian An Men Sunrise Hostel A decent hostel. Nothing special though it is within walking distance of the Forbidden City. They also arrange tours of the Great Wall. I took the one that was from Jinshanling to Simatai. It was about a 10km trek, sometimes getting rather steep and rocky but the views were quite breathtaking. At the end you can pay extra to take a zipline over a river gorge. The Chinese are known for safety, so you should do it. Go with a buddy b/c you pick up more speed with two people. You probably know all the stuff to see in Beijing and most of it is worth seeing (Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, etc). A good way to start or end your day is seeing the flag ceremony in the Square. Be prepared to arrive early and wait, as even in sub-freezing weather, it got crowded. Overall, Beijing lives up to a lot of the hype. Something a little different is the food market at night where you can buy stuff you don't normally find in the states like scorpion. Kyoto, Japan Spoiler I spent 3 nights at the Sandal Wood Hostel. This is the absolute, by far best hostel I have ever been in. Nice facilities, free internet with skype, good shower. They take hospitality to an unparalleled level though. I was there over the Christmas holiday and they prepared a wonderful meal for everyone, free of charge. The owner is very friendly and the girl who works there is beyond gorgeous. Kyoto is great, and let me say that 3 days is not enough time. I regret that. It is full of temples and shrines that will take days to see. The Golden Pavilion and the Rock Garden were letdowns in my book. You pay, you see it for 5 minutes, and you're out. Keep in mind I went in the middle of winter so the scenery is rather bare. It is supposedly best when the cherry blossoms are in bloom in the spring. I urge you to see the Fushimi Inari Taisha shrine however. Just a short 2 stop train ride to the south and it is amazing. You pass through these orange gates that are built so closely it is like you're in a tunnel. I spent several hours wondering around. Take the less beaten paths up the hillside. Himeji, Japan Spoiler The main draw of Himeji is the castle. Pretty cool to see, but I suppose not mandatory if you're on a tight schedule. It's location makes it a decent daytrip from Osaka, Kyoto or Hiroshima if you have a JR pass however. I am definitely glad I went. Hiroshima, Japan Spoiler I spent 2 nights at Backpacker K's Hostel. Decent place. Clean, good location on the rail line. Not very social though and you had to pay for internet, which I always hate. Hiroshima was the most pleasant surprise of my trip. I love history and felt some kind of solemn duty to visit Hiroshima. I planned on seeing the A-Bomb dome, museum and be on my way. These are absolutely must-see sights if you go, but the city has a lot more. It just has a friendly feel to it. You can do a nice day trip by going to Miyajima. There is the floating torii gate (best seen at high tide so plan accordingly) as deer just wondering around, hiking, and great food stalls. While in Hiroshima, try an okonomiyaki. It's kind of a savory pancake with egg, noodles, lettuce, and meat. Tokyo, Japan Spoiler I spent 6 nights at the Khaosan Tokyo Asakusa Annex. I got one of the capsule cabins which I rather enjoyed though some people complain of it feeling cramped and musty. Otherwise, nothing special about it. What is there to say concisely about Tokyo? Harajuku is cool to see the fashion and the cosplay people. They like attention and don't mind posing for a photograph. The Sony store is meh aside from the musical staircase. Basically just a Best Buy with only Sony Stuff (and nothing cutting edge or whatever). Roppongi, Shibuya, and Shinjuku all have fun nightlife. If you go to a nightclub, be prepared to pay big cover charges if you want into an all night dance club. The road crossing in Shibuya is worth seeing and quite quick. You can watch from the Starbucks overlooking it, but they don't let you take photographs or videos so hide your camera b/c you're obviously going to want a photo. Overall Tips: Spoiler People wanting to show you around or hustle you into a particular bar/club/eating establishment are generally trying to rip you off. So are people saying they want to practice their English with you or show you an authentic tea ceremony. Basically, be smart and wary of people coming up to you on the street. Some are just genuinely nice but enough aren't. Japan is rather devoid of people trying to hustle you aside from the guys outside bars/clubs. Japan and China are the most difficult to get around if you don't know the language. A phrasebook helps, particularly one with pictures. Credit cards are rather unheard aside from Japan, and even there don't expect to be able to use it much. Be prepared to use mostly cash. ATM's are plenty though. Try to have some kind of plan b/c while you don't want a lot of cash on you, you also don't want to pay a lot of transaction fees either. Getting a railpass in Japan makes life a lot easier. It also gives you more freedom for a random day trip. Order as much ramen and sushi in Japan as possible. See a wrestling match in Japan. The more local the better. Try researching places on http://wikitravel.org/ It is usually pretty helpful. A good map is your most valuable asset where ever you go. The visitors' desk at the airport or train station usually have good ones that are free. A "map" will not help you much in Tokyo. The city is too large. You really need to buy an Atlas at a bookstore. If you fail to pick one up before arriving, go to the Kinokuniya bookstore near the Yoyogi Station. Get a digital camera with the largest memory card you can find. I wound up taking a couple thousand photos, and around 200 video clips without ever having to burn stuff to a CD. Should your camera run out of memory, I'd actually recommend just buying another memory card as it will likely be the same price as burning stuff to CDs and won't take up nearly as much space in your baggage. I did all my booking ahead of time on hostelworld. I'm pretty regimental and like knowing I have a bed waiting for me when I show up. Should you use hostelworld, I suggest you create an account with them as it makes booking much easier. Aside from traveling within Japan, I flew everywhere. If you want to find a list of discount airlines in Asia, go to http://wikitravel.org/en/Discount_airlines_in_Asia. In short. Places I loved: Japan, Xi'an, Siem Reap. Didn't hate any place. Could have lived without having seen KL or Guangzhou. Glad I saw Bangkok, but also glad I didn't schedule more time there like I had originally planned. I apologize for any errors I made in this post, be they spelling, grammatical or factual. It is late after all. Hopefully I can get a post about traveling Europe up later this month. Also, I am putting a link in my signature to a youtube video I made using footage I took. If you want to ask me about something specific, let me know. I will be happy to PM with you.
No trip to Berlin is complete without the mind-boggling addition of am overnighter out in the Tropical Islands. It's about a half hour drive, or an hour by bus, and the sheer lunacy of an indoor tropical "sea" complete with beach, in a self contained climate controlled dome housing hotels, restaurants and hoppin' nightclubs- it is an experience that will never be forgotten.
I am a points junkie, I have held over 5 million points with the Star Alliance before and felt like Up in the Air was like a personal biography. That being the case I still find most of the posters on flyertalk.com to be pretentious points obsessed tools. I think it has it's place for business travellers but provides little for the leisure traveller.