NY, London, Europe and Thailand heading off RTW and looking for ideas :D

[Deelight]

FF and I are heading on a 7wk RTW holiday in just over 2wks and we really want to get off the beaten track so to speak, well we really don''t just want to do the touristy things. I have stalked Tripadvisor and the web for ideas but I am open to any suggestions. We will be spending just under a week in NY a few days in London and are heading across Europe with a tour company (Paris, Prague, Germany, Austria, Rome, Amsterdam and Switzerland) before visiting family and heading to Thailand on the way home.

So I am asking and and all PSer''s who have been to or lives in these places what things can you recommend doing/seeing/eating/shopping.

We are on a tighter budget as we will be gone a fairly long time, so anything really expensive will probably not be viable.

On FF''s request he would love to know a great place in NY to get a great black on blue steak, he will be most appreciative

.

TIA for any and all suggestions.

 

[Deelight]

no suggestions?...

 

[Catmom]

Just be careful in Thailand. We had a friend last year that went off the beaten track there and contracted Dengue fever and is in very, very bad shape now. The Doctors say he will never recover fully. Bring lots of repellant and sleep with mosquito nets!

 

[Skippy123]

Hi Deelight, does the tour company have things planned for you? Or do you have choices and can you post the choices? I only been to London, Paris, and Rome on your list. If you not the choices then maybe I can help? Sounds like a fabulous trip and lots to see!!! YAY

 

[NuiX]

I second the notion about Dengue Fever. My boyfriend contract it in Brazil and although he recovered completely, he did spend a month and a half in the fetal position unable to er... properly digest things. So, be careful!

On a positive note, my brother goes to Thailand twice a year for extended trips and just got back from his most recent excursion and has never encountered a problem. In fact, he''s a contractor and insurance-less so on his latest trip he went specifically for a medical check up, full body scan, blood work, and such. He said the hospital was beautiful and spa-like and he wished we had anything like it in the US even for twice the price. I''ll see what I can pry out of him in the way of places to go/see!

 

[NuiX]

Oh, also, you may want to consider www.chowhound.com to locate a good place to eat in NYC. If they don''t have something on topic, you could post for opinions!

 

[Pandora II]

Sign up to TopTable and use it for eating out in London - I get the 50% off specials and it's well worth it. I've eaten in some great places I wouldn't have otherwise thought to choose.

Fun things to do:

- Feed the squirrels nuts in St James's Park (they'll sit on your knee/shoulder to get them.
- Museums (amazing bling in the Natural History Museum) all museums in London are free.

Not really worth doing - London Eye, Crown Jewels (you barely get to see them on the new conveyer belt thing).

 

[Deelight]

Catmom and NuiX thanks for the heads up about the dengue fever (and the foodie website), I seriously didn''t realise it was an issue. I spoke to a doctor that warned against hep A and cholera, but that was it. I feel almost silly admitting it that I would not have even thought to pack repellent

and as someone who the mosquitoes love, it would be prudent (adds to the list) - must also remember to eat heaps of vegimite as well apparently that helps repel them as well. Apart from a visit to the Tiger temple and the Bridge over river Kwai we will be spending most of the time in Bangkok.


Skippy The tour company does have a certain amount of planned and optional tours but you do get free time to roam (I forgot to mention we also are doing Venice and Florence while in Italy), the tour company is really popular with under 35''s here but they tend to take you to and recommend their designated spots (they get kick backs) so when we have free time I would much prefer get a real feel for the localities.

Pandora I remember you mentioned the squirrels in another thread and that has been at the top of my list since I saw that we don''t have squirrels here so I am fairly excited. Thanks for the suggestions on the museums and the website, we have about 3 days in London I am sure there is heaps to see. Is there a best place to get Devonshire Tea?

Thanks for the help ladies we have 2wks before we leave as of today argh so much to plan and so much to see .

 

[bee*]

In Paris, definitely do the main sights but also just walk around, eat Crepes, sit in the parks and just soak it all up. It''s such a beautiful place to just sit and relax. It is quite pricey to eat there so we used to get a baquette and some beautiful cheeses and make our own lunch. The latin quater, around the place monge subway station is my favourite place to go for dinner. There are usually street musicians out and there are plenty of different restaurants in that area.
In Amsterdam I loved the Anne Frank museum-it was so different to how I thought it would be. We also did a boat cruise down the canals and we did most of the other main sights also. It''s a great city to eat and drink and it''s very reasonably priced. If you''re feeling naughty, you can go to the museum of s*x which was absolutely hilarious.

Not sure which parts of Germany you''re going to, but my favourites are Berlin, Munich and Frankfurt. Eat lots of sausages and drink lots of beer. Munich is such a beautiful old city and the town hall is beautiful. Berlin is so interesting-the difference between the East and the West side is still so easy to see. I just loved Berlin. It''s also quite reasonably priced to visit. Frankfurt has some great museums and there''s great night life in Frankfurt.

 

[Cleo]

London - I would want to take a walk around Covent Garden (which isn''t a garden at all, it''s cool little shops, with outside performers). Visit Lush while you''re there & B Never 2 Busy 2 Be Beautiful (for amazing natural cosmetics etc). Ditto to the museums - Nautural History Nuseum, British Museum and also the National Gallery and Tate Gallery are great. (Google them to see what''s at each and which places have stuff you''d like to see).

Eating wise, I reckon Yo Sushi! is a fun experience. Hehehe. I love it there! Grabbing dishes off a conveyor belt as they whizz by.. loads of fun.

Paris - I have to say go to the Louvre to see the Venus de Milo and the Mona Lisa. They have some fabulous other da Vinci paintings there... well worth a visit.

x x x

 

[Delster]

Can you budget to go to a show in London? It's horribly expensive but I always love doing that when we go there! I think it's worth the expense.

In Prague, IIRC you can rent pedal boats (or maybe there are guys who row for you?) and go out on the Vlatava. I really liked the river cruise too, if you do the nighttime ones the boats have these huuuuuge spotlights and they shine them on the shores of the islands in the river, to embarrass couples making out on the beach!!!

In Vienna there's this gorgeous Kaffee-und-Kuchen coffeeshop that's been there for centuries, it's the oldest one in the city (Mozart used to go there), and the cakes are just gorgeous. Part of its charm is the horrible grumpy attitude of the waiters who just dump the cakes in front of you, you don't get any choice in what you're having! But it's such an experience

Here's the website (Cafe Frauenhuber), click on 'Rundgang' and then 'Slideshow' to get a sense of the place.

In Rome, consider doing a twilight walking tour. We used this fantastic company that we just can't rave enough about. All their guides are native English speakers and have university degrees in art, history or education. The groups are limited to 25 (ours only had 9) and the guides bring these huge folders with big pictures of the areas you're looking at, with overlays so you can track how they've changed through the centuries. The twilight tour with those people was the best thing we did in Rome - here's the link: Enjoy Rome

In Paris, Versailles is amazing, particularly if you catch the fountain display set to music. If you want to go there, buy your tickets from the tourist office in the village of Versailles, rather than at the palace itself, and you'll save about two hours queueing time. I preferred the Musee D'Orsay to the Louvre but both are spectacular. Remember all museums in Paris are closed on Mondays. Admission is free on the first Sunday of every month, and there is reduced admission every other Sunday, and on all days after 16:15 (except Thursdays, when it's after 20:00).

Where are you going in Germany?

I'll keep thinking!

ETA - oooh yeah, definitely be careful about the dengue fever, a friend of ours got it and he's in a terrible way for the last four years since! He needs a brain scan done to check things out but if he gets the brain scan and it shows up damage then he'll never be able to get life assurance, and the doctors don't think they'd be able to do much to treat him anyway. So he's been advised to just live with the unknown and not have the scan. It's a really scary disease!

 

[Deelight]

Thanks Bee I have to make a list of everyone''s suggestions before we leave. While in Germany we will be doing Munich and Berlin (unfortunately we miss Oktoberfest by a few days) but I can still drink loads of beer . I love French bread, I went on a school trip to Noumea when I was younger and the bread was TDF, it is really different to the bread you get here. I am especially looking forward to going to Paris, the city of romance how can a girl refuse, it makes me feel giddy at the thought. The Anne Frank museum included in our tour and an optional canal tour for Amsterdam is list so that has definitely made the list as a must do.

Cleo Those suggestions sound great, definitely want to see the Louvre well as much as I can in a short period of time (I have heard it is massive) and I adore shopping.

As long as well are going I feel like we really don''t have all that much time either.

 

[Deelight]

Delster In Germany we are in Munich, and Berlin I think we spend 2 days in each though I have to double check that.

I am giggling about the cafe, and the cruise (poor couples) my uncle lives in Vienna so we will definitely get a chance to get a good look around and definitely go to that cafe it looks so cozy.

I have no idea how much a show in London is, so i don''t know if the budget will allow it, unfortunately the Aussie dollar bites compared to the pound but it would be fun if we can swing it.

Thanks for the heads up on the discounts, stuff like that definitely comes in handy.

 

[Delster]

Woohoo MUNICH!!! I can definitely help with that!!!

Ice skating in the Olympic Park

The toy museum in Marienplatz

The carillion in Marienplatz - there''s the main attraction that goes off at 11:00 but if you come back at 21:00 you can see the lesser known performance, where a wee angel comes out and blesses the city so everyone will have a safe night''s sleep. You''ll recognise the music playing, I won''t tell you here what it is.

You could take the S6 train out to Starnberg and go on a boat trip out on the lake. It''s so beautiful there (it''s actually Munich''s Beverly Hills, where all the rich people live). It''s the lake King Ludwig II drowned in, and the boat trip will show you the castle and church he built on the shores, as well as the spot his body was found, along with the body of his doctor. They don''t know what happened but they think perhaps Ludwig had an hallucination, and attacked the doctor, ultimately drowning both himself and the doctor too. The area around Starnberg is stunningly beautiful.

If you are up to it, Dachau is on the S2 line. The museum is excellent but be warned, the visit is harrowing.

Walking in the Englischer Garten (watch out for (a) the swans - they chased me out of there once! and (b) the nudey area

)

The Augustiner Keller beer house, if you can get to it. It''s very much a locals spot but soooo pretty. Think outdoor beer garden with fairy lights strung in the trees between all the tables.

For shopping, the main shopping street is Kaufinger Strasse (literally, ''Shopping Street) and all the big department stores and chains are there. If you are at Marienplatz and facing Kaufinger Str, if you go left instead of heading down Kaufinger Str, and then take the next big right, you''ll come to Sendlinger Strasse. It''s got smaller shops, more boutiques and one-of-a-kind sort of places. The Viktuallienmarkt (it''s an open air market) behind Marienplatz is great for local delicacies and souvenirs.

On the topic of food and drink, try:

Butterbrez''n - small pretzels you can buy from any bakery, sliced in two and buttered, then put back together. Very bad for you. Very delicious.

Leberkas - meatloaf, served in a hot dog style bread roll. Yummy.

Any kind of sausage, they''re all good!

Mezzo Mix - a soft drink that''s half cola, half Fanta. Unique to Germany and Austria.

All the different beers - helles (light - like ale), dunkles (dark - like stout), radler (shandy).

 

[Deelight]

OMG Delster That list is awesome so many things to do

, I am so excited and the food suggestions sound fantastic, though the fanta/coke mix just sounds a little weird LOL when in Munich

.

I have never ice skated in my life but this might be a good opportunity to try it