All Over
Feb 27th, 2006, 02:50 PM
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All Over
I have a million questions. I didn't really know where to post all these, so any help to any of my questions would be greatly appreciated.
This is my first trip to Europe, and I'm pretty much clueless about some things. My trip is from June 19-July 25. Flying in and out of Dublin, I want to get immediately to Amsterdam then take the train to Berlin to Prague to Vienna to Zurich (maybe) to Venice to Rome to Florence to Nice to Barcelona to Pamplona to Paris to Brussels to Bruges back to Amsterdam (for like an afternoon) then to London and then back to explore Dublin before leaving after having 5 weeks of the time of my life!!!
1) I'm stuck on whether it's a better deal to do the 21 day consecutive rail pass or to do the 10 day flexi pass. The 10 day is cheaper and I know I will only be traveling between cities on exactly 10 days but, will I need to be using my pass IN the city? Will I need my eurorail to be available to get around during my days once I'm in the destination I'll be at for a few days or will I just walk or use some non-eurorail mode of transportation?
2) What's the best way to get from Dublin to Amsterdam? The cheaper the better, but I would like to get to Amsterdam in the morning sometime.
3) What's the best way to get from Berlin to Prague to Vienna? Because Prague isn't covered in the rail pass, would I just need to buy individual tickets between these cities?
4) I'm thinking about going from Vienna to Zurich to stay for only two days and one night, but I'm not sure if it would be worth the travel time to do it for only a night. The other option is to go straight from Vienna to Venice. What would you recommend - Vienna to Zurich or straight to Venice?
5) I have 6 days to spend in Italy. I'm thinking about splitting it 2 nights in Venice 3 nights in Rome and just 1 night in Florence. What do you all think? Should I spend it somewhere else?
6) I'm thinking about going from Barcelona to Pamplona July 12th (during the running of the bulls). I would like to just spend the day there and watch all the festivities and then go on to Paris that night. How would I best do that? Am I packing too much for one day?
7) As a marijuana enthusiast, I'm wondering how I will be able to smoke in Europe. My first stop will be Amsterdam. Is there any chance I could just buy it there and take it along with my on the trains, or is that a completely bad idea? Otherwise, Any other tips and suggestions?
Thank you so much for any advice you can give me. I can’t wait to go!
Sincerely,
Lea
This is my first trip to Europe, and I'm pretty much clueless about some things. My trip is from June 19-July 25. Flying in and out of Dublin, I want to get immediately to Amsterdam then take the train to Berlin to Prague to Vienna to Zurich (maybe) to Venice to Rome to Florence to Nice to Barcelona to Pamplona to Paris to Brussels to Bruges back to Amsterdam (for like an afternoon) then to London and then back to explore Dublin before leaving after having 5 weeks of the time of my life!!!
1) I'm stuck on whether it's a better deal to do the 21 day consecutive rail pass or to do the 10 day flexi pass. The 10 day is cheaper and I know I will only be traveling between cities on exactly 10 days but, will I need to be using my pass IN the city? Will I need my eurorail to be available to get around during my days once I'm in the destination I'll be at for a few days or will I just walk or use some non-eurorail mode of transportation?
2) What's the best way to get from Dublin to Amsterdam? The cheaper the better, but I would like to get to Amsterdam in the morning sometime.
3) What's the best way to get from Berlin to Prague to Vienna? Because Prague isn't covered in the rail pass, would I just need to buy individual tickets between these cities?
4) I'm thinking about going from Vienna to Zurich to stay for only two days and one night, but I'm not sure if it would be worth the travel time to do it for only a night. The other option is to go straight from Vienna to Venice. What would you recommend - Vienna to Zurich or straight to Venice?
5) I have 6 days to spend in Italy. I'm thinking about splitting it 2 nights in Venice 3 nights in Rome and just 1 night in Florence. What do you all think? Should I spend it somewhere else?
6) I'm thinking about going from Barcelona to Pamplona July 12th (during the running of the bulls). I would like to just spend the day there and watch all the festivities and then go on to Paris that night. How would I best do that? Am I packing too much for one day?
7) As a marijuana enthusiast, I'm wondering how I will be able to smoke in Europe. My first stop will be Amsterdam. Is there any chance I could just buy it there and take it along with my on the trains, or is that a completely bad idea? Otherwise, Any other tips and suggestions?
Thank you so much for any advice you can give me. I can’t wait to go!
Sincerely,
Lea
Feb 27th, 2006, 03:07 PM
#2
4) Skip Zurich and go straight to Venice. I wouldn't go out of my way to spend only 1 night in Zurich. I don't see any point in that myself.
6) Yes Barcelona as a day trip from Paris is "packing too much for one day" to put it mildly. Have you looked at train schedules to see the length of all these different train rides you're mentioning?
7) Certainly you can purchase and smoke in Amsterdam. Whether you want to take it on the train when you leave is your call. I would consult The Thorn Tree forum at Lonely Planet where you will find more people to help with this particular question than here. Also "Let's Go Amsterdam" guidebook is excellent on pot do's and don'ts as well as other Only-in-Amsterdam topics.
6) Yes Barcelona as a day trip from Paris is "packing too much for one day" to put it mildly. Have you looked at train schedules to see the length of all these different train rides you're mentioning?
7) Certainly you can purchase and smoke in Amsterdam. Whether you want to take it on the train when you leave is your call. I would consult The Thorn Tree forum at Lonely Planet where you will find more people to help with this particular question than here. Also "Let's Go Amsterdam" guidebook is excellent on pot do's and don'ts as well as other Only-in-Amsterdam topics.
Feb 27th, 2006, 03:27 PM
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1. Plug your itinerary into railsaver.com, see what comes up as the best deal (and not that many cities give you free metro travel with a pass).
2. Check cheap flights, http://www.skyscanner.net/ is what I use, though there are some others that also look at a variety of airlines (also check the national carriers, Aer Lingus and KLM, they sometimes have good deals)
3. The pass will cover your trip as far as the Czech border; you can get a ticket for just the parts of the journeys in the Czech republic.
4. Straight to Venice
7. Legally, you can't buy weed in the Netherlands and take it elsewhere in Europe, since it is illegal elsewhere. As for what you can actually do, I know people who have taken weed on trains out of the Netherlands and haven't been caught (you don't go through customs as long as you stay within the Schengen countries), also the penalties are not that great in Germany at least (generally just confiscation and a fine). Of course, I'm not endorsing this, and I am not a lawyer; the safe and legal course would be to get your fix in Amsterdam. And don't try to bring it back to the US, that would be a VERY bad idea.
2. Check cheap flights, http://www.skyscanner.net/ is what I use, though there are some others that also look at a variety of airlines (also check the national carriers, Aer Lingus and KLM, they sometimes have good deals)
3. The pass will cover your trip as far as the Czech border; you can get a ticket for just the parts of the journeys in the Czech republic.
4. Straight to Venice
7. Legally, you can't buy weed in the Netherlands and take it elsewhere in Europe, since it is illegal elsewhere. As for what you can actually do, I know people who have taken weed on trains out of the Netherlands and haven't been caught (you don't go through customs as long as you stay within the Schengen countries), also the penalties are not that great in Germany at least (generally just confiscation and a fine). Of course, I'm not endorsing this, and I am not a lawyer; the safe and legal course would be to get your fix in Amsterdam. And don't try to bring it back to the US, that would be a VERY bad idea.
Feb 28th, 2006, 06:59 AM
#4
Lea, You might want to post again and separate out your questions into smaller ones.
You are in fact "all over" the map with this post -lol. If you put them into separate threads and title something very specific (like need help with rail pass, or Zurich to Venice, etc.) you might get more helpful replies.
You are in fact "all over" the map with this post -lol. If you put them into separate threads and title something very specific (like need help with rail pass, or Zurich to Venice, etc.) you might get more helpful replies.
Feb 28th, 2006, 07:44 AM
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Just so you know the actual laws:
Cannabis remains a controlled substance in the Netherlands and both possession and production for personal use are still misdemeanors, punishable by fine. Coffee shops are also illegal according to the statutes.
However, a policy of non-enforcement has led to a situation where reliance upon non-enforcement has become common, and because of this the courts have ruled against the government when individual cases were prosecuted.
You could very easily take substances out of The Netherlands by rail since it is unlikely anyone is going to search either you or your possessions.
Would I do it? No, but since you asked...
Unless you are definitely traveling on a railpass I would suggest you look into cheap flights AMS to Berlin www.whichbudget.com..you might even do so anyway.
You can use the pass on certain city transport systems IF they are run by the state railways, e.g., the S-Bahns in Germany but not the U-Bahns.
I agree with not directionally backtracking to Zurich to get to Venice.
Cannabis remains a controlled substance in the Netherlands and both possession and production for personal use are still misdemeanors, punishable by fine. Coffee shops are also illegal according to the statutes.
However, a policy of non-enforcement has led to a situation where reliance upon non-enforcement has become common, and because of this the courts have ruled against the government when individual cases were prosecuted.
You could very easily take substances out of The Netherlands by rail since it is unlikely anyone is going to search either you or your possessions.
Would I do it? No, but since you asked...
Unless you are definitely traveling on a railpass I would suggest you look into cheap flights AMS to Berlin www.whichbudget.com..you might even do so anyway.
You can use the pass on certain city transport systems IF they are run by the state railways, e.g., the S-Bahns in Germany but not the U-Bahns.
I agree with not directionally backtracking to Zurich to get to Venice.
Feb 28th, 2006, 08:11 AM
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Hi L,
15 stops in 35 days is not a vacation - it is a trek.
35 days is a long time for a first visit. Have you considered breaking this up into two 3-week trips?
I strongly recommend against taking pot with you on a train or plane. Being arrested for possession will ruin more than just one day.
Is there a reason for flying in/out of Dublin?
15 stops in 35 days is not a vacation - it is a trek.
35 days is a long time for a first visit. Have you considered breaking this up into two 3-week trips?
I strongly recommend against taking pot with you on a train or plane. Being arrested for possession will ruin more than just one day.
Is there a reason for flying in/out of Dublin?
Feb 28th, 2006, 09:20 AM
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And at least, you really should use up your marijuana before heading to Vienna. The Austrian police is just mad about "drugs", and they're including marijuana among them. Nothing like "confiscation & fine" - they're putting you into jail in Austria.
Feb 28th, 2006, 09:37 AM
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Hello, I'll add my two cents...
I think one night in Florence - though doable - will only make you long for more. Since this is your first trip, you may find your itinerary leaves you sad when you realize that you drew it up sight unseen, and once you are on land and in a place and experiencing the sights, sounds, food, wine, people...you are wistful about leaving a certain place that may captivate your heart and soul once you are actually there. For me, looking at your itinerary, I can see several places that will tug at you and you fill find yourself conflicted about moving on, but will need to in order to keep up your "amazing race" schedule.
I am with the others when I say stick to a tighter locale, maybe 3 countries for the time you are this first time.
A book I would recommend you read, also, is called "Honeymoon with my Brother". It was written by a guy who gets jilted and decides to take his honeymoon anyway, and takes his recently divorced brother along with him, and it is a travelog of their adventures in traveling around the world. It isn't fiction, it is a memoir. This might give you some insight into the kind of traveling you are preparing to do.
Also, if you haven't purchased it yet, I would suggest getting "Europe Through The Back Door", by Rick Steves. You can glean some very useful information. I have never taken one of his packaged tours, for lots of reasons, but this book really will give you some great info and answers many of the questions you are posting here.
Another book I highly recommend is "The Best European Travel Tips". I have worn out two copies, and I still go back and brush up, and I've been to Europe and traveled internationally at least 30 times in the last 20 years.
Check out the site www.whatsonwhen.com and check your dates of travel. There may be festivals, events, concerts, and other special things going on in certain cities that you would love to experience. Don't go on your trip and find out once you get home that the one thing you've always wanted to see or do was only a ten minute cab ride from where you happened to be, but you missed it because you were unaware. I've found all kinds of wonderful things on this site, small concerts and plays, operas that weren't advertised, unique festivals that usually only locals attend in Italy...it is a great resource for making your trip a truly memorable experience.
Also, if you haven't been to www.virtualtourist.com, check it out. I have travel pages up, as do THOUSANDS of travelers from all over the globe. The forums and information are invaluable. For instance, let's say you put in Paris as your search. You will get a list of members who live in Paris, members who have travel pages up that have been to Paris, all kinds of info on restaurants, hotels, tips, packing suggestions...you will love the site.
If you would like to look at my travel pages, just answer this post and I will supply my member name and you can take a look. It is a very friendly community. I've never - in the three or four years I have belonged - been bothered by any whackos or had anything strange emailed to me through their site.
Buon viaggio!
I think one night in Florence - though doable - will only make you long for more. Since this is your first trip, you may find your itinerary leaves you sad when you realize that you drew it up sight unseen, and once you are on land and in a place and experiencing the sights, sounds, food, wine, people...you are wistful about leaving a certain place that may captivate your heart and soul once you are actually there. For me, looking at your itinerary, I can see several places that will tug at you and you fill find yourself conflicted about moving on, but will need to in order to keep up your "amazing race" schedule.
I am with the others when I say stick to a tighter locale, maybe 3 countries for the time you are this first time.
A book I would recommend you read, also, is called "Honeymoon with my Brother". It was written by a guy who gets jilted and decides to take his honeymoon anyway, and takes his recently divorced brother along with him, and it is a travelog of their adventures in traveling around the world. It isn't fiction, it is a memoir. This might give you some insight into the kind of traveling you are preparing to do.
Also, if you haven't purchased it yet, I would suggest getting "Europe Through The Back Door", by Rick Steves. You can glean some very useful information. I have never taken one of his packaged tours, for lots of reasons, but this book really will give you some great info and answers many of the questions you are posting here.
Another book I highly recommend is "The Best European Travel Tips". I have worn out two copies, and I still go back and brush up, and I've been to Europe and traveled internationally at least 30 times in the last 20 years.
Check out the site www.whatsonwhen.com and check your dates of travel. There may be festivals, events, concerts, and other special things going on in certain cities that you would love to experience. Don't go on your trip and find out once you get home that the one thing you've always wanted to see or do was only a ten minute cab ride from where you happened to be, but you missed it because you were unaware. I've found all kinds of wonderful things on this site, small concerts and plays, operas that weren't advertised, unique festivals that usually only locals attend in Italy...it is a great resource for making your trip a truly memorable experience.
Also, if you haven't been to www.virtualtourist.com, check it out. I have travel pages up, as do THOUSANDS of travelers from all over the globe. The forums and information are invaluable. For instance, let's say you put in Paris as your search. You will get a list of members who live in Paris, members who have travel pages up that have been to Paris, all kinds of info on restaurants, hotels, tips, packing suggestions...you will love the site.
If you would like to look at my travel pages, just answer this post and I will supply my member name and you can take a look. It is a very friendly community. I've never - in the three or four years I have belonged - been bothered by any whackos or had anything strange emailed to me through their site.
Buon viaggio!
Feb 28th, 2006, 10:21 AM
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I always advice novice travelers to get the free European Planning & Rail Guide (www.budgeteruopetravel.com) as it has a wealth of info for planning and its rail maps, itineraries, using trains, fare charts, etc. - well worth the price. www.ricksteves.com also has a lot of useful rail info as does www.euraide.com
Mar 2nd, 2006, 04:41 AM
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Dublin to Amsterdam with Aerlingus on 20th July = €34 one way
Dublin to Eindhoven with Ryanair on 20th July = €24.99 .
I would choose Aerlingus as they fly into Schiphol, its much easier to get into Central Amsterdam from there.
Both fares are excluding taxes ( which are around €20/30.
Dublin to Eindhoven with Ryanair on 20th July = €24.99 .
I would choose Aerlingus as they fly into Schiphol, its much easier to get into Central Amsterdam from there.
Both fares are excluding taxes ( which are around €20/30.
)
Mar 2nd, 2006, 09:38 AM
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It would be really stupid to take pot on the train to other countries from Amsterdam. You might get away with it, but if you didn't get away with it, it could have serious and very expensive legal consequences. (And customs officers are on to the trick of hiding pot in coffee.)
Mar 2nd, 2006, 11:56 AM
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On the cannabis issue-depending on the quantity you are carrying in the U.K. a customs or police officer may not believe it is for your own use. Whilst I do not know how the price compares in Amsterdam, the last time I compared prices in Eire with those in the U. K. they were 3.5 times higher in Eire.If for example you were carrying £50 worth out from the U.K. to Ireland , intending it for your own use, it would be very strongly implied that you were exporting it for sale and the much greater profit to be made.The consequences?
1. You would be charged with possession with intent to supply- a more serious charge with a possibility of your case going to the Crown Court depending on value of the drugs carried
2.Without an address in the U.K. you would be remanded in custody pending your trial. This would put pressure on you to plead guilty just to avoid spending months in prison.
3. You could face an application for seizure of any cash you are thought to have made from crime.
4. If convicted the options on sentence are limited and you then have a criminal record.
Keep the drugs out of the U.K.!
1. You would be charged with possession with intent to supply- a more serious charge with a possibility of your case going to the Crown Court depending on value of the drugs carried
2.Without an address in the U.K. you would be remanded in custody pending your trial. This would put pressure on you to plead guilty just to avoid spending months in prison.
3. You could face an application for seizure of any cash you are thought to have made from crime.
4. If convicted the options on sentence are limited and you then have a criminal record.
Keep the drugs out of the U.K.!
