Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with europe and france

2 weeks driving around Europe at Christmas - what not to miss?

allkindsoftime — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 09:12:48 -0800

European road-trip for the holidays (filter). Meeting up with a friend in Paris on the evening of the 19th - both of us traveling there from different continents and wrapping up on Jan 2nd back in Paris. Here's the current plan:

Week 1 (Road Trip!):
12/19 - Arrive Paris, stay overnight.
12/20 - Drive to Munich, staying with friends.
12/21 - Explore Munich, Christmas markets, etc.
12/22 - Drive to Vienna with a stop in Steyr, Austria*.
12/23 - Explore Vienna, Christmass markets, etc.
12/24 - More Vienna, Christmas Eve Mass at St. Stephansdom*.
12/25 - Drive to Venice.
12/26 - Explore Venice.

Week 2 (based out of Geneva, where we have a free apartment):
12/27 - Drive to Geneva.
12/28 - Ski Chamonix, stay in Geneva
12/29 - More skiing, still in Geneva.
12/30 - More skiing, last night in Geneva.
12/31 - Drive to Paris for New Years.
1/1 - Explore Paris
1/2 - Friend flies out, I'm off to London for a day then flying out myself on the 3rd.

*Both of these were "local recommendations" given by friends - cool things to see and do. I am particularly interested on these around our route.

My questions:

1. Cheap / decent hotel near the airport in Paris - any suggestions?

2. Driving - we're both pretty set on it because a) we both love driving / road trips, and b) we crave the flexibility of being able to stop off in this or that place along the way, stay at a B&B outside the city rather than a hotel in it, etc.. We realize trains are good around here but would really need a strong argument against driving to sway us at this point. Any tips on tolls / etc. appreciated, as well as things along our routes not to miss.

3. Hotel in Vienna - same as above, we are looking for something more local / small, preferably on the city outskirts. From what I understand most of Europe will shut down on the 25/26th, so I figure on spending Christmas day on the road.

4. Hotel in Venice - see above.

5. Best skiing recommendations within reasonable driving distance of Geneva? I'm pretty set on Chamonix as I've been reading about skiing there my entire life, and extreme skiing is my "thing," although not my friend's, so I'm only pushing for one day there - the other 2 days we're looking for something more enjoyable to ride together.

6. New Years Eve in Paris - where to go? What to do? Where to stay?

Any input on the above or anything I'm not thinking of is appreciated in advance. I've only been to the UK and Greece before so if parts of (hopefully not all!) my plans are idiotic, please hope me. We're pretty much going off of the Lonely Planet guide and the AskMe tags (i.e. Vienna, Venice, etc.) for things to do in the cities we are at, but any other suggestions on stops along the way that are don't-miss are appreciated.

Warmish places to go in Europe?

walla — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:44:37 -0800

Where in Southern Europe should we go for a few winter months? We work remotely and are considering spending January through March in Europe. We've done this before in Northern Europe (Germany, northern France & Italy), but because of the season we're thinking about going south. Ideally we'd rent an apartment for a month in each of 2 or 3 places.

We love smallish, walkable, affordable cities - Freiburg, Germany was one of our favorites - but we're flexible. It's great if there are day trips nearby, as we won't have to start working until 3 PM.

Thanks for any ideas!

Vegetarian seeks tasty food in Western Europe

embrangled — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 04:57:04 -0800

What tasty foods should an adventurous vegetarian eat in the UK and Western Europe? I eat eggs and dairy, but not meat and only rarely fish. I'm not overly uptight about trace animal products or stock. I'll be travelling through England, The Netherlands, Belgium, France and Germany. These countries aren't generally known as hotbeds of vegetarianism, but I'd still like to try as many interesting local foods as I can.

A meat-eating friend has been joking that I'll starve - I'm more optimistic, so help me prove him wrong. I'm not worried about what I'll eat, but I'd like to expand my culinary horizons beyond "That one vegan cafe in the hippy district". Which quintessential European meals and snacks just happen to be meat-free?

Living abroad and can't access Gmail or Facebook - help!

nicoleincanada — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 11:01:16 -0800

I can search Google, read the news and view most websites, but specific sites like Facebook and Gmail won't load on my Mac Powerbook - I just get page load errors. Any idea what the problem is? I'm a Canadian living in France temporarily, and I've taken my laptop from home with me. While here I'm using a shared internet connection at a school, and although I can do web-searching and such, Gmail and Facebook won't load, in Firefox or Safari (or even the crappy discontinued version of Internet Exporer I just downloaded in the hope that it might work). I suspect the problem is with my computer, since other people using the same network connection are able to access these sites with no problems.

The page load error message suggests I might have a firewall in place, but I've checked the settings and nothing seems to be enabled. That said, I'm not terribly well-versed in this stuff. As well, the local tech support guy gave my computer a thorough once-over and can't figure out the problem.

Any ideas? For what it's worth, I've used both Gmail and Facebook in Canada and elsewhere on this computer with no problems.

How do I get from Paris to Innsbruck?

iguanapolitico — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 07:54:58 -0800

How do I get from Paris to Innsbruck? Traveling to France and Austria later this month. We need to get from Paris to Innsbruck on a Thursday. My traveling companion and I are having trouble finding airfare that even approaches "reasonably priced" ($1100 one-way, $450 round-trip). She has made this trip before and didn't pay those kinds of fares, but the dollar *is* in the toilet.

So we're looking at rail. We're kind of having trouble finding a definitive answer on whether we need to book this now or if we can get a ticket on our day of travel. Some MeFites must be familiar with European rail travel, hopefully specifically from Paris to Innsbruck. Any specific advice you can offer? Thanks.

Mobile software for the mobile traveller?

zaebiz — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 16:30:18 -0800

What applications/software for your mobile device did you find useful/essential for travelling? I will be travelling initially around Europe and then who knows.... I have an iMate JasJam phone running Windows Mobile 6 but would acquire another device if this will be more suitable for running useful applications.

Best cheese in Paris?

ransom — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 10:10:01 -0800

What cheese shops should not be missed in Paris? We're in Paris in early April and want to have great cheese experiences. Where should we go?

how do I rent a car?

mustcatchmooseandsquirrel — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 08:12:45 -0800

I need to rent a car (in France). How do I do it and what do I need to know? I've never rented a car before but family members who want to see me have now offered to pay for me to rent one to visit them. I have been told that if I reserve the car in advance, it will be a better deal but I really have no idea how to go about this other than a vague idea that I probably need something with insurance included and unlimited kilometers

Relevant info: I am in Lyon, France. The primary driver will be a 26 year old American male who knows how to drive manual. We will be driving a total of ~1000km (to/from Milan, Italy) on March 7-8, 2009. We have no strong car preferences (money trumps type) but if it were possible to get a Smart Car as our rental I would be delighted.

I have no idea where to start on this and no experience with rental cars, so any information is welcome.

Train travel around France and Italy for cosy travellers

vizsla — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 16:00:52 -0800

Rail trips across France and Italy. Any recommendations, experiences, sights, travel wisdom for an over 30 couple who like to see the world from their window without too much hassle and in as much comfort as possible? (Also kind of keen on seeing Pompeii and the south of France)

flavored beer?

mustcatchmooseandsquirrel — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 02:53:58 -0800

Is the practice of putting flavored syrup in beer common all over Europe? Also: why? I'm in France and I keep seeing people with brightly colored half-pints of beer. I thought I was going crazy and that maybe the beer in France was just somehow normally that color or the plane ride has distorted my vision. But then! I saw the option of adding syrup to one's own beer on several menus and now infer that it is a relatively common thing.

So, what's the deal? Is this just a France thing or do people all over do it? And why (I mean, I know it's probably sort of similar to adulterating one's coffee with all that flavored crap, but beer has so many flavors that one would think it not to be necessary to dump in syrup)?

Where should I go to med school?

snoogles — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 02:52:57 -0800

Where can I get a quality medical education for cheap in Europe when dual French and Canadian nationalities? I'm an undergrad student in my 3rd year of an Honours Degree in biology at a university in Ontario, Canada. Right now, I'm on exchange in France.
I have both French and Canadian nationalities, but I've been living in Canada for the part 10 years, meaning that I fail the "residence" test for qualifying for EU tuition (i.e cheap tuition) at most European medical schools that I've looked at.
I'm looking to get a medical education in Europe, because this is where I'm planning to live and practice medicine. However, there is no way I can afford the exorbitant tuition rates that is charged to international students. I'd stay and do it in Canada, but that degree is not recognized in France (and other European countries, AFAIK).
To complicate matters, I'd prefer not to attend med school in France, because they would ignore my undergrad education, and I would have to start at the very beginning of the 8 year med program.
If it makes a difference, I'd also be interested in pursuing a masters in biology before med school, especially if that makes qualifying for EU tuition possible.
Any ideas? What's the best possible way of going about this to make it the easiest for me to get a "short", cheap, and transferrable medical degree? Or should I just suck it up, do it in Canada, and then jump through the hoops to be able to work in Europe later?

Screw Chevy Chase

Christ, what an asshole — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:03:51 -0800

I'm looking for underrated, obscure European vacation stops. A couple friends and I are going to Europe for a month (Nov/Dec), and we plan on doing the whole Eurorail/hostel thing across several countries. 1/3rd of the destination stops are for my choosing, and while I know they'll be making the saturated, obvious choices like Rome, Barcelona, Paris, Amsterdam, etc., I'd like to spice things up with places that don't automatically spring to mind but offer the same level (if not more) of awe. Ideally, cities that aren't automatic tourist stops where most everyone speaks English and there's a McDonald's on every corner (but also not so far out of the way from mid-Europe like some hole-in-the-wall, Eastern-European Caspian city).

What sort of places have you visited that you would recommend?

Please evaluate my route from Italy to Spain by car

zaebiz — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 02:07:07 -0800

I plan to drive from Venice, Italy to Valenica, Spain in April or May 2009 using the following route. I will stay for a few days or weeks in little spots along the way. I should have about six weeks in total. I mostly want to see a little of Spain and Italy, the French Riviera, Montpellier, Marseilles and finish at Valencia. Apart from that anything else I should try to see? Any parts of the chosen route I should avoid? What's driving like along that route? Any rental car companies which will let me pick up in Italy and drop off in Spain?

Foreign guides around Europe

vizsla — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 21:21:43 -0800

How does a 40ish year old male with enough money find his way around Europe without foreign language skills? Is it possible to hire guides to travel with, or at least to show them around on a city-by-city basis for this sort of thing? I'm thinking specifically France, Spain, Italy. Willing to use University students or some other creative possibility. Mostly there for a holiday but may also need to talk to real agent agents about places in France or Spain.

Where in France can I find some inexpensive privacy?

Beardman — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 05:12:44 -0800

I'm looking for a secluded place in France, preferably no more than two hours from Paris by train, where I can read philosophy for two days straight. On Thursday I've got to be in Paris, but I'm flying there from Berlin on Tuesday morning. I was supposed to have gotten a lot of studying done in Berlin, but got sucked in by the city and its nightlife. Now I'm hoping to arrive at Orly and promptly head somewhere utterly off the beaten track, preferably a nice, small town that doesn't have any renowned sights that I'll feel obligated to check out. My preference is for Normandy, but I'm open to anything: where would you shack up for two nights if you wanted a secluded single room, but had no reservations?

FleaMarketFilter: Looking for all Flea Markets in Europe

dripdripdrop — Fri, 23 May 2008 09:55:20 -0800

I'm looking for flea markets in Europe. Specifically we will be going through Greece, Macedonia, Albania, Croatia, Bosnia (Sarajevo), Slovenia, Hungary, Czech Republic and Poland (Krakow) before settling in France, but any other suggestions in Europe are welcome. I'm interested in the kind of flea markets with old, random crap, not the new, cheap crap. I've been to the flea market outside Budapest on Nagykőrösi út and loved all the old nick nacks.

Please be as specific as possible about addresses. If I get a lot of answers I'll put together a Google Map for sharing.

Where to go from Lyon?

flibbertigibbet — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 22:25:31 -0800

I'm thinking of taking a day/weekend trip from Lyon (Rhône-Alpes) to... somewhere. I'd like the destination city to be pretty close. Any suggestions? (I've managed to scrounge up some additional cash since my last question. Yay!).

I'm trying to figure out what to do with a long weekend during a trip to Lyon. I'd love to go to Paris, seeing as this will be my first trip to Europe, period. Problem: the tickets are so expensive (80 Euros, 130CAD/USD) that I'm thinking of trying to find something closer, and, err, cheaper. (Just as a quick comparison: the cheapest trip to Milan costs about the same as the average trip to Paris, both via train.)

I'm really open to suggestions. I'm into art, architecture, religious studies, and history, so anything along those lines would be awesome. Tiny town known for its beautiful churches? Sure!

Thanks in advance.

Lookout Europe, here I come

barrakuda — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 11:20:01 -0800

What are some good job search websites/engines for Europe? I'm interested in jobs in international affairs, public relations, business and finance, advertising and marketing. I'm mostly looking for resources for Germany, Belgium, France and the UK, but pan-European websites are good too.

Looking for a European holiday apartment.

DirtyCreature — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 15:54:09 -0800

Where is a good place in a European city for a non-European to buy a small but nice two bedroom apartment for holidays? Looking for a city environment. How much would I need to spend? Are there any regulatory hurdles? Where do I find them? I was kind of leaning towards Paris but am fairly open. I am also open to Eastern Europe in safe areas and don't want to have to worry too much about the apartment when I am not there.

Paris, London, Switzerland in a week - recommendations?

Malad — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 22:16:20 -0800

I want to do Paris/daytrips (1-2 days), Switzerland (4-5 days), and London/daytrips (1-2 days), all late this January. I'll be traveling alone. I'd love some advice. I've done a lot of the main Paris/London touristy stuff, and also seen Nice, but I've never visited Switzerland.

Recommendations in my itinerary for great:
-hostels/B&Bs/budget hotels?
-must-see scenery?
-must-see attractions?
-must-taste restaurants/pubs/wineries/etc.?
-amazing classical music/other concerts/film festivals/etc.?
-other must-sees on your personal list, in whatever category?

Oh, and -- a great travel guide or two I should buy before I leave? Any other tips welcome too.

Thanks!

I have some questions about listening to the radio in Europe.

jordanian2 — Wed, 06 Dec 2006 17:13:05 -0800

I have some questions about listening to the radio in Europe. I'm studying abroad in Pau, France, next semester, and I think it'd be a good learning experience if I brought a walkman with me and listened to French radio. And then after the semester is over, I plan to travel to other countries (Germany, Italy, Greece, etc.) and listen to the radio there, too.

The following questions are really dumb...but I hope you don't judge me :) First, does European radio use FM and AM bands? Will my American walkman work ok? And does Radio France transmit to Pau, France (some of the Radio France stations look really great).

Thanks for your help!

If it's MyAir.com, why can't I book a flight?

Scram — Tue, 05 Sep 2006 19:06:06 -0800

Why can't I purchase a cheap air ticket on Italian MyAir.com from the US? MyAir.com seems to have the only cheap flights from Bologna to Paris--as little as .01 Euro with tax. I have my eye on a 19.99 Euro flight on October 29, but every time I try to complete the purchase through their web form, I get an error message that says "you seem to have entered the wrong credit card details" (which I haven't) and warning me that if I do this three times I'll get bounced out of the system.

So I stopped after two times and called the airline number (0044 2073651597) a couple of times in business hours, but it was always busy.

Then I asked a travel agent in LA if she could make the booking, and she said neither she nor any travel agent in the US could book with MyAir, and suggested an AirFrance flight for $350 instead. This would put quite a crimp in our honeymoon budget, so we said nix.

So, great hive mind, I ask you: Is there an international travel agent I can hire in Italy or elsewhere in Europe? Or can I ask someone in Italy to buy tickets in someone else's name? Are there other cheap airlines flying Tuscany - Paris (Florence would be okay too) that I am overlooking? Can American Express handle this? Or is there an alternate way of communicating with MyAir?

Any suggestions much appreciated. Thanks!

Trains to Calais, Boulogne or Dunkerque from Holland (or Belgium, or Germany)... with a bike?

handee — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 06:41:32 -0800

If I want to get a ferry to Dover, I'm starting from Holland, and I want to travel by bike or train, what route should I take? What I'd like to do is work out what places offer direct or near-direct trains to one of the 3 main ferry ports (Calais, Boulogne, Dunkerque).

I'll be travelling from Tilburg in Holland, and doing at least part of the route by bike. I've got about 5 days. I could cycle straight there - it's about 150 miles to Dunkerque I think. But it's all along the coast, and that might be a bit dull and windy. I'm actually happy to cycle in completely the wrong direction for 5 days and then catch a train, as long as it's interesting there aren't too many changes. Searching that famous German train site is proving awkward - it keeps wanting to send me via Osnabruck and Paris with 9 changes.

Je t'aime, fromage!

kaseijin — Mon, 22 May 2006 22:17:42 -0800

Help us figure out how to spend 9 months to a year in France. The girlfriend and I have made a deal with each other: She wants to go abroad and spend a lengthy amount of time in France. I want to spend a comparable amount of time in Japan. Neither of us wants to go without the other, so we have decided that we will visit the two locales in turn, together.

Japan will be easy enough in theory, as we both qualify for the JET program to teach English there. France, however, is proving more of a challenge.

She would technically qualify as an English assistant in France, but as a fluent French speaker and experienced language teacher, that seems like a step down the ladder of sorts. That's basically a post for college students, not certified teachers.

Myself, I speak next to no French, save what I have learned from her and a friend of ours in Strasbourg. I should, however, be a certified science teacher (physics/chemistry/biology) by then (an admirable fall-back after a slightly too low undergrad GPA from several years back kept me out of med school). Also worth noting is the fact that I have 6 years' experience in advertising and web design -- the time between my undergrad and my decision for a job change.

We can both get TEFL certs, I think. We also want, naturally, to be placed in the same town.

We don't expect to make a lot of money while abroad, but it would be nice to be self-sustaining and to be able to line up jobs before jumping the pond.

So, hive-mind -- have any of you done this? Do any of you have suggestions?

Enjoying NW Europe on the cheap?

knapah — Fri, 19 May 2006 10:14:22 -0800

TravelFilter: This summer I and 3 friends are planning on travelling around part of Europe by train and are looking for advice on the main areas we plan to stay in. Information on hostels or other cheap accommodation (first hand if possible) would be great (more inside) We are students in the UK and are planning on getting the Interrail pass for Zone E (France, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg) so we can travel with relative freedom for 16 days.

We plan to stay in these cities primarily (although advice on other places in the general area would be accepted):

Lille (2 nights)
Brussels (3 nights)
Amsterdam (4 nights)
Luxembourg City (1 night)
Northern France including Paris (6 nights)

What I am looking for in particular are cheap (in the vicinity of €20 to €30 per night) hostels in each of the first 4 cities and also general advice for places to stay/see in Northern France.

Any other advice from people who have had InterRail or Eurail passes before would also be appreciated.

Many thanks