Going to Europe

[oliverloran 0]

I don't know exact prices, but Paris is in the top 3 of most expensive places in Europe, but it also depends on where you go shopping in the city. I haven't heard about Red Bull having nicotine in it, i know it has caffeine, but i'll have a check today in a shop. Absinthe i don't beleive is illegal really, because it was when in the beginning it was made from herbs, which caused hallucination ( thats why poets and painters drank it ), but the only thing it has is 70%, which hits you right in the face :P

Otherwise i would look for things which are locally made, but you'll find out what are your options when you get there.

[juiced 0]

Which countries are you actually going to?

These aren't countries but we are going to Paris, Madrid, Barcelona, and Rome. I've decided i'm going to buy a bunch of alcohol, does anyone have any suggestions of stuff i should check out that's not available in north america. And how many euros would i be expecting to pay. No wine though.

[adam14 182]

meh, in barcelona find the shops run by the little turkish guys, nothing in their has a fixed price so just bargain it down and if it doesnt work threaten to go across the street or whatever. absinth and well just get the alcopops or liquor straight up... lol or the beer, its usually pretty good in those cities its easy to bargain^down, except paris, try not to spend to much money there bcz its so expensive... rome, there isnt reall anything special to shop for in rome except the touristy sorta thing... so spend the majority of ur money in barca, its the cheapest plce your going to...

[juiced 0]

absinth and well just get the alcopops or liquor straight up...

thanks for the advice, what do you mean straight up. without barganing? and i know nothing of absinthe, what's a good brand/proof and how much should i be expecting to pay

[Chadd 916]

There are a ton of things to see in those cities, the history of Europe is amazing when compared to the US or Canada. Take every chance you can to see the amazing architecture, fantastic art collections and statuary. Soak in as much of the experience as you can and along the way chances are that you will find something that you will want to bring back to remind you of your trip.

Focusing on buying some booze that you've never tried is one of the less intelligent things you could do. If you happen to try something and like it, would you even be permitted to bring it back into the country? I brought back some beer from my vacation, but only because I like the taste and it isn't imported into the US.

[mack 44]

I'd agree with that. See the sites, maybe get a little Euro strange and at the very bottom of the list worry about what booze you can drink to show off to friends who won't care a week later. Also don't come back looking like a chav.

[Trippingblue 1]

New absinthe is not the same stuff that made all those poets/artists hallucinate. That stuff had wormwood essence in it, and it's illegal to make now. The stuff they sell in bars is roughly the same, though. It's pretty powerful stuff, 50-70% ABV.

--nick--

[adam14 182]

i meant straight up as in a bottle of vodka, or any thing else... straight up... meh, the way i do is always get the cheapest u can find, even if it isnt the best, it'll get the job done... chadd is right tho, rome is amazing for its history and architecture, same in barcelona, look at gaudis buildings as well as picasso's museum.. paris, well, the mona lisa, the eiffel tower, arc de triomphe.. focus on what your there fore, not getting hammered, if this is a once in a lifetime experience take advantage of going... not just concentrating on buying a bunch of crap...

[Trippingblue 1]

Try to look for the places where locals eat and hang out. My rule- if the menu is both in English and Spanish/French/Whatever, I move on. Order what looks good off of someone else's plate i.e. point at what they're eating when your server asks what you want. And remember that they eat hella late in Spain, France, and Italy. In Spain we're talking like 10 PM...have the paella!

--nick--

[dix0r 0]

if you buy absinthe, get kubler (swiss)

[kilner 0]

A word of warning for Barcelona - watch out for pick pockets, theres loads of them about and if your not careful, you could end up having your wallet of phone stolen

[adam14 182]

good point kilner, the same goes for rome, a tip, when walking around rome and barcelona, keep your wallet in your front pocket, and even then, only keep 10-20 euros in it, keep the rest in your socks, as dumb as that sounds, its better having money that smells funny then having no money at all...

[pantherfan 0]

I'd agree with that. See the sites, maybe get a little Euro strange and at the very bottom of the list worry about what booze you can drink to show off to friends who won't care a week later. Also don't come back looking like a chav.

Aaah, the chav - true european culture at it's best :P

You have 'em over there or anything close?

[mack 44]

Eh, wiggers but I would take a busload of them over a chav any day of the weak. I don't think there's a greasier being than a chav.

[juiced 0]

First of all i'm buying the booze for my buddy whos turning 18 because i think it would be an awesome present since we dont get it here. I'm asking here because i don't want to end up getting him some shitty version. Secondly, i obviously know to look at the sites, i'm psyched about that, i know i'm going to end up buying stuff so i'm just looking for tips so i dont get ripped off.

And thanks for the tips about pick pockets and stuff, they warned us about that so i bought a money belt. Im also going to keep my suitcases locked in the hotels because i've heard the maids steal things.

[Platypus 0]

And thanks for the tips about pick pockets and stuff, they warned us about that so i bought a money belt.

you bought a fanny pack? those belts with the pouch in the front? AHAHAHAH I want pics of this trip.

-as far as stuff you can get there and cant get here - Id pick up some euro soccer apparel or obscure designer labels' clothes if I went to Europe

[juiced 0]

And thanks for the tips about pick pockets and stuff, they warned us about that so i bought a money belt.

you bought a fanny pack? those belts with the pouch in the front? AHAHAHAH I want pics of this trip.

-as far as stuff you can get there and cant get here - Id pick up some euro soccer apparel or obscure designer labels' clothes if I went to Europe

i said money belt. its like half a centimeter thick, just for bills and you cant even see it if you have a tee shirt on.

[adam14 182]

yeah you wear them under ur shirt right? theyr pretty effective, just dont make it to noticable when u take ur money out. u should definately get a soccer jersey even if u hate soccer, get a fake in barca with ur name on the back for dirt cheap just to put on ur wall, always a good idea for a present to

[IrishHockey 0]

im from ireland go to see barcelona play soccer twice a year and i can tell ya shits pretty expensive its cheaper over in america and canada.(designer clothes that is).a soccer jerseys 65 euro for a new one.

oh yea and keep an eye out for pick pockets 1 guy tried to pretend my leg was on fire and pretended to put it out and tried to rob me so be careful!!!!!!

[dix0r 0]

stuff i learned in 6 weeks of backpacking

german guys can outdrink me severely.

korean's think they can breathe underwater (they are in fact incorrect).

at eurodisney, the haunted mansion is known as phantom manor. pirates of the carribean is just pirates of the carribean.

parisians aren't so bad. only one guy i talked to was a jerk. everyone else was cool.

you can drink and drive in germany as long as you're not drunk. you can also drink and bike as long as you don't have a driver's license, from what i hear.

nobody goes through your pockets when you pass out on the tram in munich.

homeless culture is different everywhere. italian bums are the most depressing as they look very haggard. czech ones are a close second, as they kneel before you. didn't like the german ones much as they're a bit dodgy. english ones kinda keep to themselves in a crazy secluded kind of way.

europeans really do love their techno. germans love tobacco products even more though (cans of 100 cigs)

swiss absinthe is about 10,000x better than czech. go kubler!

don't stay at the tent in munich. it's not a hostel. it's a freaking tent.

jean tinguely rules.

european kezboards all have shittz kez placement :[

australians all travel for over a year.

irish girls rule. they also lead me to delicious corn when i'm drunk.

interlaken is the most beautiful place i've ever been. like banff x 10. and i think there's better places in switzerland...next time i'm going to try gimmelwald.

doner durums and shwarma are unarguably the best culinary creations ever. kalbsbratvurst can come too.

sometimes it's more fun to just meet people and hang out than go see famous sights.

visiting czech republic can be very budget friendly.

you'll see a lot of parallels between people you meet and your friends. like..."if friend x was german, he'd be exactly like friend y" sort of stuff.

i turn into a complete jerk when i'm lost.

if one encounters cheese at a store, and it is vacuum-sealed more than once, there's a damn good chance it's about 84.9 times stronger than limburger. fridge ruiningly strong.

the tube doesn't run all night. even on weekends.

soccer in europe is bigger than football and baseball in the US combined. probably bigger than hockey in canada too, hah.

filthy macnasty's is a kick-ass bar.

mayo on fries IS good :)

the mona lisa isn't that small, and there isn't a ridiculous line to see it.

one should learn the words for "gas-free" and "still" for all the countries they visit or they'll waste a lot of money on bubbling water.

[IrishHockey 0]

hahaha nice!!!

[juiced 0]

stuff i learned in 6 weeks of backpacking

german guys can outdrink me severely.

the tube doesn't run all night. even on weekends.

very interesting, thank you. Those two were my favourite. I laughed at the first one but the second surprised me, is that in all of europe?

[adam14 182]

yep more or less, in lausanne, where i live, the busses stop running at midnight, every night, but then they have 2 busses that do rounds every half hour... but the tube thing is right, and doner and durums are indeed the best fast food ever.

[Trippingblue 1]

stuff i learned in 6 weeks of backpacking

german guys can outdrink me severely.

the tube doesn't run all night. even on weekends.

very interesting, thank you. Those two were my favourite. I laughed at the first one but the second surprised me, is that in all of europe?

The tube? That's what they call the subway in London.

--nick--

[bucko 0]

as most of you guys might know europe is not a country (to you mr.bush) so there a diffrences for each single european country, starts with subway schedules and goes over to the homeless culture (good one though)...

so as mentioned before just try to get a little bit insight of the countrys you travel to, try to go where the natives go and you will have a superb trip!! enjoy the culture and mentality of spain, france and where els you´re going, its the little differences who make this continent so interesting!