Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with europe

People in Europa / Ciao ciao bella, Monaco

mippy — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 04:53:03 -0800

April. Europe. Our first proper holiday, and I haven't left the country in eight years. Where to go? On the shortlist are Amsterdam, Paris, Berlin, Barcelona, and, um, somewhere Scandinavian or Italian.

As the pound is worth little these days, and I have to pay £80 to renew my passport, we need to know cities and places to stay that aren't hugely expensive (hostels are fine as long as they're safe), and food too. We like museums, art and graveyards, interesting urban architecture and culture, shopping (ie. things that we can't get in the UK - we like crafts and boardgaming, and I like thriftshopping), pubs rather than clubs, nice cafes, things to see and do and photograph. Neither of us can drive, but I'm a beginner cyclist so we can get around that way.

from venice to lyon

swimmingly — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:13:33 -0800

Recommend somewhere in between Venice and Lyon to spend 3-4 days this December? Winter break travels:

My sister and I (two college-age girls) were originally thinking of taking an overnight train to Geneva from Venice since Venice-Geneva-Lyon seems like a pretty straightforward route looking at the map. Also, we thought that taking the cable car up Mont Blanc would be nice.

Problem is, bahn.de's Geneva-bound night trains currently appear to transit through Innsbruck and Zurich, which seems like an unnecessarily long detour with not much time for sleep. Is there any awesome place in between Venice and Lyon that doesn't have that much of a detour by train? Or should we just suck it up and go to Geneva anyway?

The Venice and Lyon bits are fixed, unfortunately or not.

Prior to this, we will have visited Rome and Florence. We'd like to visit somewhere in Switzerland, but it seems like every train will go through Zurich. Should we just do Zurich then? Another possible option I've considered is Milan but it doesn't seem very interesting, from what others have said.

Thanks!

Yelp a Paris?

kenzi23 — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 18:48:48 -0800

Is there a Yelp-type site for restaurants in Paris (or Europe, as a whole)? Ideally I'd like a restaurant guide for Paris that is based on user reviews, is easy to search and bookmark like Yelp to make my meals in Paris a breeze. I'll even take a blog or a list if that's all I can get. Any suggestions are welcome.

A dark, rich cup of coffee creme, please!

backseatpilot — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 06:40:31 -0800

What makes European coffee different from American coffee? While in Europe the other week, I was reminded about how much different their coffee is from ours in America - darker, thicker, richer. I often saw it listed as "Kaffee Kreme" on menus, and regular "drip" style coffee seemed to be nonexistent.

I'd like to recreate that style of coffee at home, but I'm not sure how. It seemed almost, but not exactly, like a large espresso - but espressos were also on the menu, so it seems obvious that it's something different. What's the secret?

I have a normal drip coffee maker, a French press, and a stovetop "Tassimo" pot - can I make European coffee with these? Do I need other equipment?

Bonus: the single serve coffee machines I saw there were awesome - pick a coffee drink and the machine grinds beans and gives you a perfect brew, none of this K-cup crap. Is there anywhere I can buy one of those in the States?

Researching flight without sepcific destination?

2legit2quit — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 19:01:38 -0800

I would like to take a flight to Europe in January. I don't care where in Europe I go, and can fly out of pretty much anywhere in the south (I would prefer Atlanta, though). Is there a site out there that doesn't require me to pick a specific starting and ending destination?

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?

Looking for one-year programmes in Europe to study political science, public policy, and/or law

Anonymous — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 18:38:35 -0800

I'm thinking of applying to spend a year at university in Europe studying political science, public policy, or law. Help me find a programme! I'm thinking of applying to one-year MSc/MPhil/MA programmes in Europe, to spend the next year constructively as well as learn skills in a new area.

I'm interested in the following subjects:

(1) political science, political economy, international affairs, international relations, public policy

(2) law, comparative law, international law, technology law

I haven't been to law school, so would need a law programme that does not have a law degree prerequisite. (I know these are hard to find but have heard of a few.)

I have a background in economics, biology, and computers.

I have dual EU/US citizenship but no ties to any particular city/country. I would prefer to study in English. Future goals are still uncertain, but I will likely end up in academia.

What is the best way to move from London, UK, to Brussels, Belgium?

meso — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 07:07:30 -0800

Hey there! I'm moving to Brussels for a job early November, and I'm trying to plan my move from London. What is the best way to do this move? My latest plan is to drive there in a van with a friend, stay with him for a couple of days, and have him drive the empty van back to London. Am I missing something? Is there an obvious way to make it easier/cheaper?

Right now the costs would involve paying the van rental, the Eurotunnel transfer between the UK and the continent, paying for a hotel, and packing stuff myself.

More information: I don't have any furniture, just books and clothes. It's not a massive amount. I don't have a driving licence myself. I'm also hesitating between driving there with a friend, gonig there on Eurostar and leave my stuff, or send them to myself by post.

Any suggestion would be immensely appreciated... thank you!

Have to fly in July, but we'll adapt to anything else!

amicamentis — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 09:53:46 -0800

How to find the best NYC --> Europe flight deals when both day of week and destination are flexible. Caveat: flying out July 2010. My roommate and I are planning an extended European vacation beginning around the middle of July next year. I know that this is the absolute worst time to fly out, so we need some tips about how to cut down the price.

We are flying from NYC but would be willing to travel to Newark or even Philadelphia if there were significant savings. I have used RyanAir in the past and am familiar with inter-European travel, which is why we don't care much about the city that we first land in. So far, it looks like flying into Dublin is the least expensive. We would also be fine with Paris, London, Glasgow, Amsterdam, or Geneva.

What now? I've heard that if you're flying during peak season then you should just buy tickets as early as possible because they will never lower. However, with our flexibility it seems that there may be some deal, somewhere a bit closer to our flight date. Is this wishful thinking?

We would appreciate any website recommendations that would give fares on neighboring cities as well, or flexibility about the day of the week. I've tried Kayak and liked it - are there others?

In addition, our vacation will probably continue for several months. Will the customs agents give us any problems for having a return ticket for more than three months from the day we enter the country?

Thanks!

How to get from Toronto to Brussels (and what to do with a 4-year-old once there)?

fsmontenegro — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 13:22:58 -0800

Hi. Two questions related to an upcoming family trip - from Toronto to Brussels: - cost-effective (but not too tiring) ways to get from Toronto to Brussels? Non-stop flight? Connect elsewhere (London, Paris, Frankfurt, ...)? Fly into large hub (Paris, Frankfurt, ...) and book secondary flight or train? - things to do in Brussels with a 4-year-old?

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.

We need a destination!

Zaximus — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:57:38 -0800

Help us pick a destination for a two week winter getaway! So since my girlfriend and I have successfully survived the latest round of layoffs (knock on wood), it's time to blow some of those vacation hours we've been hoarding. We'd like to take a trip for about two weeks, leaving shortly after Christmas and coming back sometime in January. So far, we have been tossing around ideas about heading to Europe but we are having a hard time deciding where specifically. I've only been to Paris before so it's all new to me, but she has studied abroad for a year and has more European traveling under her belt. We are still trying to decide on a country but locations that keep coming up in conversation are Barcelona, Venice, or Prague. Seeing as how we are terribly indecisive, I turn to you, AskMe, for recommendations.

Some things to consider:

- We're in San Jose, CA so we'll probably be starting out at the San Francisco airport.
- We're not afraid of cold weather but we don't want to be stuck indoors for two weeks.
- Wherever we end up, we'll be there for New Year's! We like fun but we'd also like to avoid NYC Times Square type events.
- We don't speak any other languages, although I can struggle my way through French if needed.

That's it! We'd love to hear your recommendations on where to go, and why. Any place you've been dying to get back to? Places you've always wanted to check out? Big cities? Small towns? Let us have it.

Thanks!

Do we stay (in NYC) or do we go (to Budapest)?

Hwaet — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 11:20:36 -0800

Following the trail of adventure and windborne caution, my boyfriend and I are kicking around the idea of moving to Budapest next year. Pipe dream or feasible goal? Questions about teaching ESL abroad (ten years after the Central European expat boom, no less!), expat experiences in 2009, Eastern European culture, general questions about Hungary, and... I've been living in Brooklyn for nearly three years, which has been fun but now I'm getting restless. I have worked as a bartender for a year that, sadly, has no future or room for upward mobility. I convened with my boyfriend and he's maybe game for moving to Europe, if we can swing it without bringing destruction to our finances. I honed in on Budapest because as a student studying abroad in Prague a couple years ago, Budapest was by far my favorite city. I liked the metropolitan, open-spaced feel that Prague seemed to lack, the wide streets, friendly but pessimistic people, the lovely architecture, the relatively cheap living (compared to NYC), the spas and operas and flea market, and its central location to other great locations.

I assume I'd probably have to teach ESL, probably business English. I have a college degree in English lit, and it seems I'll need to be certified in order to compete with Budapest's preferred English-speaking Hungarians. My boyfriend dropped out of college with a semester to go before completing his degree in English, and now he's a graphic designer who specializes in designing and selling signs. Do we have a chance in hell at scraping by in Budapest if I teach English and he freelances as a designer? Have you or anyone you know had experience with the TESOL programs? What's the most effective route that will make me appealing to employers that won't also break my bank?

Assuming we did move to Budapest, what should we expect in terms of culture shock? Is Hungarian culture very different from Czech culture? Keep in mind that I was still an American student living with fellow Americans during my time in Prague, so I might have very little idea of authentic Eastern European lifestyles.

Nitty gritty: What salary range should I expect as a first year ESL teacher? How much do decent, centrally-located apartments cost? What's the ex-pat community like? Can I bike in Budapest?

Barring Budapest, should I consider another city? I'm not really game for Asia, as I'm predisposed to cool, gloomy habitats. Budapest is so appealing partly because A) I've lived in Central Europe before and have some idea of how things are run, B) I'm a Brooklyn resident who likes big cities with a small town feel, and C) I'm dying to get away from the NYC mentality that justifies spending tons of money on booze and entertainment. More than anything else, I want to do something challenging before I settle down for marriage and babies and a mortgage. My boyfriend and I have each other, we're bright and adventurous, and I don't want to waste that energy living in America for the end of our days if it's feasible to try another country, however short of a time.

Is this possible?

You pay for our safety, so we don't have to.

nax — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:19:43 -0800

Do the U.S. military bases in foreign countries, esp. Western Europe and Japan, help those countries keep their military budgets low so that they can afford things like, I dunno, universal health care? I found this discussion among others regarding the general reasons why we have foreign bases, but nothing seems to address the financial benefits to foreign nations having us provide some of their security.

Berlin cabaret help needed.

Xalf — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 01:22:14 -0800

We will be in Berlin from this Saturday until Wednesday. Please recommend a cabaret-type performance that will be comprehensible to non-German speakers, is not overly risque, and will make for a fun evening.

I know basically nothing about football, but I know I like to drink beer and shout profanity with people wearing team colors

little e — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 21:19:15 -0800

Help a clueless American attend a football game in Europe!! I'll be travelling in central and eastern Europe approximately October 21 through November 10. I just up and decided to take this trip a couple of days ago, so I'm still in the very early planning stages. I am tenatively thinking I'll begin in Amsterdam or Berlin and end up in either Athens or Istanbul. Intermediate locations under consideration include other parts of Germany and Greece, Kraków, Prague, and Budapest. Or whatever looks exciting when I go look at all the pretty pictures in the travel section at the bookstore. (Yeah, I just listed half the continent. But it all sounds exciting, I want to go everywhere and I can't make up my mind!! Anyway, my intent is to actually spend several days in each of four cities with some sightseeing in between.)

I would like to go to a football game while I'm there. I know basically nothing about it, but I know that I like to drink beer and watch sports and shout profanity with people wearing team colors. For someone who's not supporting a particular team, where in this part of the world would be fun to go to a game? I'm more concerned with having an interesting experience than with seeing, y'know, a really good team or a big matchup. I'd prefer not to spend a ridiculous amount on the ticket. Is it feasible to buy a ticket the day of the game, or would it be easier to buy one online ahead of time? (I'm assuming based on my American football experience I can buy tickets online, so correct me if this is wrong.) What else do I need to know? Thanks!

Seeking tips/advice for a trip to Oktoberfest (and surrounding area) for 2010.

gummo — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 15:54:49 -0800

Seeking tips/advice for a trip to Oktoberfest (and surrounding area) for 2010. Myself and 3 friends (American, 2 guys, 2 girls, 25-37 yrs old) have decided to go to Oktoberfest for 2010 (the 200 yr. anniversary). Our plan is to spend approximately 2 weeks on the trip. I'm looking for tips and advice on what we should do. We're initially thinking we probably want to do 2 or 3 days at the actual festival and in Munich, and the rest of the time, either before or after or both, in surrounding areas.

Thoughts:
-We're not afraid of a big noisy party (quite the contrary)
-None of us have been to Europe at all
-We want to see as much as possible, not just the Oktoberfest tents
-I've read that we want to reserve seats at a tent. I'm not convinced of this. The idea of being stuck at one table all day does not sound appealing. But would a reserved table be a good home base? Or when we get up, does our reservation end?
-Overnight trains to some far away destination sound GREAT.
-Can I rent a car one of the days and drive on the Autobahn to get us to one of our destinations? Is a car rental a valid plan for a more extended amount of time?
-How far can we get in 2 weeks if we just spend a couple days in Munich and jump on trains a lot? Czech Republic, Switzerland, Sweden? Where could we/should we go? (I obviously don't want to spend the entire vacation travelling)
-Can we get trains with cabins and use those as our hotel some nights?
-We're more the type to not make reservations, just so we are open to jump in a cab or on a train and head out if we hear of something great 100 miles away. But I understand we probably want hotel rooms for at least the couple nights for the festival.
-Should we stay within walking distance of the tents for the few days in Munich, or are we better off 40 minutes down the rail or road?
-We're not afraid of hostels or roughing it (though I've never stayed in a hostel and have no idea how that works)
-We can spend money when necessary, but don't want to be frivilous, and don't need too many luxuries
-Things I've seen mentioned: Volksfest, ICE Train, Castles, U-bahn, S-bahn, Mike's Bike tour.

So, Hivemind...

What should we do? Start at Oktoberfest, end up there? If we're only going to see 2 or 3 days of the actual festival, which ones do we want? Where should be book a room for the actual festival? Where else should we go? What else should we see? Are there any other events scheduled close enough? We're thinking of this more as a mini European vacation that involves Oktoberfest. Not simply an Oktoberfest trip. Any advice, experiences, ideas, cost estimates, are greatly appreciated.

In Ghent

Lord Force Crater — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 16:12:51 -0800

I'm leaving for Ghent, Belgium on September 2nd and I will be staying there for 5 months. Let me know your opinions about the city, what I should do there and if there is anything I can bring from the United States that will thrill the locals. Also feel free to tell me interesting things to do and see in Europe. I'm a scientist so science related things will appeal to me most.

Help identify a music video from MTV Europe

ciocarlia — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 13:46:56 -0800

Help identify a music video I recently saw on MTV Europe...70s style video with a female lead singer and a banjo? I recently saw a music video on MTV Europe, but didn't get a chance to catch the artist name or song title. It was shot in a style that made it look like a 70s TV show (think American Bandstand). The lead singer was a female, with bangs, and the song featured a banjo throughout. Any ideas?

We're all going on a winter holiday

rus — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 02:18:43 -0800

Looking for real world holiday recommendations for Me and Mrs Rus + 2 yo old toddler in Oct this year Ideally something say 3-4 hours flight from the UK with a kids club (which for 2 year olds seems a bit hard to find) so we can have a bit of an adult and family holiday. We've got a load of brochures + ideas + lots from google but looking for people who have been there/done that. We have a reasonable budget

Gotta get back.

Anonymous — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 15:40:57 -0800

I need to return to Poland, but I don't know if I can. Visa issues. I moved to Poland in April, because I wanted to learn the language and I had a good friend I wanted to visit. I'm a US citizen, so I didn't need a visa.

I stayed in Poland for four months. At the time, someone had told me if I leave Schengen before three months I could return and stay another three months. (I now understand this to be incorrect.) So I went to the Ukraine for a weekend and came back.

I flew back to the States last week to spend three weeks with my family. When I went through passport control in Zurich, the agent was furious, and said I had stayed too long. I told her I went to the Ukraine. She said I had no stamps of my time there - it was true.

It turns out that the border guards in the Ukraine neglected to stamp my passport, although I did have the exist and entry stamps from the Polish side of the border from that visit. The agent in Zurich called a higher-up and decided to let me continue on my journey, and said next time to make sure I've been stamped. I don't know if this has a permanent effect on my ability to enter Schengen again, or not.

Two months ago I bought a ticket to return to Poland from the States. I arrive on September 5th and fly out on December 15th, which is 101 days.

Only now have I realized that this is illegal, even if I hop over to Russia in November. I'm in a bit of a panic now, because I have a life in Poland - I have a girlfriend, close friends, and an apartment. When I arrive in Zurich again (I'm flying through the same airport again!) I worry that they will deport me, fine me, and maybe ban me from the Schengen zone.

I realize now that I should have gone for a visa while I was there; a residency, student, or some sort of visa. I am studying Polish, so it's possible I could attempt some kind of student visa.

Is there anything I can do? Is there an additional visa I can pay for? I want to be back there legally. I could wait a couple more months but I need to be back there as soon as possible, as my life is there. Do I have any options besides waiting?

I'm trying to contact the embassy but I thought I would ask the hivemind as well, since I'm starting to really get worried.

NTSC XBox 360 in Europe?

ninotchka — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 12:30:25 -0800

Using an American (NTSC) Xbox in Europe (land-o-PALS)? I have a 2008 XBox 360 Elite (120GB), bought in the US, NTSC. I'd like to bring it (and my NTSC games) with me to Europe to hook up to the television (which has already been provided) in my new apartment. My landlord was unable to answer me as to whether the TV was able to accept both PALS and NTSC, or only the former.
What I'm bringing: the XBox, the games, all of the cords that came with it (the AV cable, the HDMI cable, etc), a 1000-Watt step-up/step-down transformer (so as to, I hope, safely sidestep any power issues), and the other little peripherals.
Assuming, worst-case, that the TV is not HDMI and, for whatever reason, is PALS-only, do I have the basic physical bits necessary to eke even a mediocre picture and hookup out of the whole thing? Or should I buy some NTSC-to-PALS conversion kit before I leave? Any other problems with this scenario?
Any advice from anyone who's lived in Europe and made a U.S. video game system/XBox 360 work would be tremendous. I'm not disheartened by an imperfect picture, but if I'm missing a whole component I'm eager to know. Thanks, all!

30 days in Europe, what to see?

thewalrus — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 04:57:43 -0800

One month in Europe on a budget, what should we not miss? Landing in Frankfurt tomorrow! My wife and I will be landing in Frankfurt tomorrow. We plan to see Germany first and then either go via Austria to Italy, or the other way around via Hamburg to Amsterdam, then south from the Netherlands to Belgium, France, eastward.

Aside from the obvious things that can be found in guidebooks and the various good city-guide applications I've already put on my iPhone, what should we not miss? I'm looking for suggestions from metafilter on those hidden gems and out of the way places you've personally encountered on your travels. We have exactly 30 days and will be traveling on a moderate budget, staying in hostels that have private rooms for couples or budget pensions, riding 2nd class trains (generally not TGV, ICE, AVE if we can avoid it or there's a special ticket price).

I'm going to try doing GLASTONBURY 2010. Difficulty: Never been to Europe, have no idea where to begin, kind of dumb. Help me make this beautiful dream a reality.

Senor Cardgage — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 10:35:05 -0800

I'm going to try doing GLASTONBURY 2010. Difficulty: Never been to Europe, have no idea where to begin, kind of dumb. Help me make this beautiful dream a reality. I am a hardcore US music festival junkie. I try to hit up most of the major ones (and quite a few of the minor ones) every year. As next year is the 40th Glasto, I have decided to make a run at it.

This is a daunting prospect for me as I:

• Am 35 and have never been to Europe at all
• Havent yet got a passport
• Am sure there are a million details I have no idea about that I dont want to get dogpiled with when I'm two weeks from the festival

So, basically, where would one begin with trying to get their head around this kind of undertaking?

Further, how much time/expense/difficulty would it be for me to decide to hop on to the main continent for a few days and rail around a bit?

I am also looking for people with GLASTO-SPECIFIC knowledge and not just general Euro-Trip info.

Anyhoo, forgive my ignorance on this topic. I know I set the goalposts a bit broad, but all I can think to do to start is to throw myself blindly in to the water and learnt to swim from there.

Thanks!

P.S. I should mention that I travel pretty spartan and am not reliant on posh accommodations. A backpack and a hostel seem like they would be fine, but again, Ive never had that experience either.

Help? :)

Looking for data on how parents are helped in europe

elpapacito — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 13:54:22 -0800

Looking for statistics and/or reports about services given by NGOs, private companies and governments to parents, as opposed to services directed to childrens, in european countries. I am already searching within Eurostat and ChildOnEurope but so far I didn't have much luck. I am particularly interested into statistics kindergartes/ other pre-obligatory schools, baby sitting and parent counseling.

The data doesn't have to be commented as in a report and it can be raw, as long as it can be imported into excel or some spreadsheet program. Reports are also appreciated, as well as websites directing to collections of such resources. English language preferred, but I can deal with any language google translation can handle.

This is part of a research program on how helped are the parents in europe, quantitatively and qualitatively.