Tips for Europe First timer

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Krishant007

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#177674 11-Aug-2015 11:25

Hey everyone

I have a friend that is going to London- Edinburgh and Paris for a few days. I asked her to do a 3 day Haggis adventure trip to go up to Loch Ness while she is in Scotland so that is all booked.

Just wanted to get from you guys, if there are any tips you can recommend for a first timer to those cities - Must dos. Especially, if there are any particular apps for iOS that you could recommend that are must have - mapping apps etc.

Cheers

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#1362729 11-Aug-2015 11:40

Tripadvisor has really been great to have to find good places to eat, almost anywhere I have been. Including Edinburgh this july.

In Edinburgh I would recommend Real Mary King's Close which is a tour of the old streets under todays modern streets in Edinburgh, which gives insight into how people used to live in Edinburgh in the 17th century.

Good places to eat in Edinburgh: Petit Paris in the Grassmarket (many other places to eat there as well), and we got good haggis (according to my Scottish/Kiwi wife) at The Doric. (by the rail road station, just outside of the old town).

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jpoc

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#1363221 11-Aug-2015 21:42

In London, the famous museums. The science museum and the natural history museum are awesome. Well worth a trip to the far side of the planet just to see them. If fine art is your friend's thing then Paris of course has the Louvre but everyone knows that. If I was in Paris for a couple of days, I would most likely catch a high speed train and go to Brussels or Strasburg. They are smaller and so the ambience of a grand old continental city is more concentrated.

gzt

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#1363255 11-Aug-2015 22:17

A uk sim card is a must have. Giffgaff (O2 network) was mostly ok and free start, will roam in paris.

Geektastic

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#1363283 11-Aug-2015 22:55

Krishant007: Hey everyone

I have a friend that is going to London- Edinburgh and Paris for a few days. I asked her to do a 3 day Haggis adventure trip to go up to Loch Ness while she is in Scotland so that is all booked.

Just wanted to get from you guys, if there are any tips you can recommend for a first timer to those cities - Must dos. Especially, if there are any particular apps for iOS that you could recommend that are must have - mapping apps etc.

Cheers

Be aware of queues.

I tend to avoid London (but of course I have been many times so it is somewhat less fascinating to me perhaps!) but my brother was there a couple of weeks ago from the USA, visiting my mother and taking his kids to London for their first time. He told me that it was hugely busy and saw some enormous queues.

So I would council against expecting to fit too much in - it will take a while to get between sites and a while to get in to museums, galleries etc.

To put some perspective on it, the equivalent of the ENTIRE population of New Zealand walks down Oxford Street EVERY DAY!

In Paris you can get a Museum Pass that allows you to skip queues (maybe for London also but I've never looked) and that is well worth it. Last year my wife had one and whilst I was out shooting work, she was getting her culture fix. She remarked on several occasions that she had noticed people in the queue that still had not entered the museum by the time she left a couple of hours later.

The steak and chips at Bistro Victoires is worth finding if she does not mind eating somewhere that they won't really speak much English.

Geektastic

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#1363392 12-Aug-2015 08:20

Also note a couple of 24 hour tube strikes announced in August if that impacts. 25th and 27th.

Tube drivers are lining themselves up to be stomped on like the miners...

timmmay

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#1363398 12-Aug-2015 08:35

Always have the address you're staying written down in the local language so you can give it to a taxi driver if you get lost. Especially important if you're out for a drink. This is the #1 tip I have for younger travelers.

A few days in each location, or a few days total? There's a LOT to see. Paris catacombs are interesting, the Louvre, the tower. Edinburgh castle, and the dungeons which aren't too far away - Edinburgh was built in layers, you can see the old stuff if you go down. London you could spend a month in and still be scratching the surface.

josephhinvest

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#1363410 12-Aug-2015 09:04

Geektastic: Also note a couple of 24 hour tube strikes announced in August if that impacts. 25th and 27th.

Tube drivers are lining themselves up to be stomped on like the miners...

Sorry to stray off topic, this is something I've been following. Did you read the open letter from an underground driver that was in the news lately? Interesting stuff. Sounds like with no negotiation, the drivers contracts would be changed from doing one weeks night shift a year, to 14 weeks per year. As a shift worker, this level of disruption to your home life is huge and pretty hard to deal with on a logistical level. Will be interesting to see how it pans out.

Cheers,
Joseph

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Krishant007

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#1364749 12-Aug-2015 16:37

Great stuff guys. Really appreciate the input.

I suggested the normal stuff in London:
London Eye
Tower Bridge of London
Tower of London
Piccadilly Circus
Trafalger Sq etc

I did think of getting a sim card as well when you get to the airport - even though she is there for a week, its always a good idea to get this.

For Edinburgh - the castle is a must see. And doing one of the night tours that talk about the history and things in Edinburgh is quite nice. Arthurs seat if there is time - gives an awesome view of the city area.

For Paris - the Lourve bcz you just have to. Eiffel tower, Arc de trioumph. I also mentioned to just wander around some of the alleyway cafes etc in Paris and find your way around with a city map.

Geektastic

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#1364980 12-Aug-2015 21:03

josephhinvest:
Geektastic: Also note a couple of 24 hour tube strikes announced in August if that impacts. 25th and 27th.

Tube drivers are lining themselves up to be stomped on like the miners...

Sorry to stray off topic, this is something I've been following. Did you read the open letter from an underground driver that was in the news lately? Interesting stuff. Sounds like with no negotiation, the drivers contracts would be changed from doing one weeks night shift a year, to 14 weeks per year. As a shift worker, this level of disruption to your home life is huge and pretty hard to deal with on a logistical level. Will be interesting to see how it pans out.

Cheers,
Joseph

They'll lose. It will take not very long for the public to hate every fibre of their being if they persist in disrupting people's lives in pursuit of what most people see as out-dated working practices by people who are already somewhat overpaid.

You'll get a flavour of most Londoner's view of the matter in this article.

ToPGuNZ

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#1365052 12-Aug-2015 21:54

We are heading to England and Paris for December. A couple of things for Paris that people have recommended are the bike tours http://www.bluebiketours.com/paris and Chateau Versailles http://en.chateauversailles.fr/homepage which is probably a day trip. The other thing that is mentioned a lot is just to venture out and take your time soaking in the town rather than just visiting the tourist sights. The hop on hop off bus is also mentioned as not only do you get to the locations they also sell tickets on the bus which makes it easier and might help with getting past some of the ques.

jnimmo

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#1365061 12-Aug-2015 22:04

I did find the eye to be disappointing.. the tower was great but needed more time there. Oxford Street was very busy 3 days out from Christmas.
Sad I didn't go to the globe, and should've gone to Notre Dame

mdf

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#1365123 12-Aug-2015 23:07

Europe has so much to offer, it really depends what you're in to. You can live there for years and not see everything.

In Scotland: Loch Ness is pretty cool, so long as you can get past the touristy kitsch. Urquhart Castle is well worth it. Edinburgh is really nice, but if you can get out to Sterling, you should definitely do Sterling Castle, the William Wallace Memorial and Falkirk Wheel.

In London, the Museums are just incredible. British Museum and Imperial War Museum were my favourites. St Pauls and the Tower are worth the hype. Possibly my favourite spot in London was Old St Barts. One of the churches attached to the Hospital is incredible. I'm agnostic at best, but the place was probably as close to believing in a higher power as I've ever got. William Wallace was also executed down the road too. And the ANZAC memorials at Hyde Park are pretty special.

graemeh

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#1365294 13-Aug-2015 09:55

If you get a local SIM, don't pay any more than 99p for it.

There are vending machines at the airport that sell them for exorbitant prices. Local newsagents (and possibly even the ones at the airport) sell them for 99p. Most telco shops seem to give them away for free but never seem to have the one you want in stock.

BTR

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#1365343 13-Aug-2015 10:19

Don't watch Taken before you go...

bfginger

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#1367123 15-Aug-2015 19:33

Pick pockets are a huge problem for tourists in some places so have your wallet where they can't get it.

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