Taking a first trip to Europe, but how to choose? (bus, visa)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Of the 2 Europe trips I've done(Ireland and also Northern Ireland(part of the UK still), and the Netherlands), the Netherlands definitely is my favorite country I've visited for sure. You could totally get by fine without knowing Dutch in so much of that country! I got the sense that a VERY high percentage of residents were bilingual between Dutch and English if they didn't know more languages, and the local culture in that country is just AMAZING. The local food, things to do, you name it the Netherlands blew me away. Amsterdam is an extremely amazing city to visit, as well.
Dublin(and Ireland/Northern Ireland, including Belfast and the northern coast including Giant's Causeway) was nice as well, but honestly Amsterdam(and the Netherlands, including Delft and Haarlem) no question is what I preferred. The only way Ireland may've beaten the Netherlands on, was natural/outdoor scenery, plus how historic its castles, churches, and cemeteries were. It kinda bummed me out too how early bars/pubs and stores closed in Dublin, vs. in Amsterdam. LOL, I guess I'm too used to certain stores being 24/7 in the US, or at least open late into the night!
gentlearts glad you have booked your tour, so many folks visit London only are missing out on seeing the real UK.. It would be like visiting New York city and saying you have 'seen' America.
I'm kind of late to the thread here but I'm going to suggest you pick up a good guide like Fodors and read up on the stops on your trip. That way you will have more of an appreciation for the cities/towns and other sites you will see rather than your guides 15 minute abridged version that you will more than likely forget anyway.
Other fun stuff will be Eire uses the Euro while Scotland, England and Wales are still using Pounds sterling, gone are the days of travelers checks instead make sure you have a credit/debit card with a chip and you should be fine. If you need extra cash or are like my hubby and enjoy the challenge of paying with local currency most banks over there have ATMs inside which are much safer.
Thanks for the tips! I do intend to look up the stops and see what I can find out beforehand. The travel agent said to use the local ATMs to get a bit of cash, and most places take credit cards, so you only need a little. The trick is to not get stuck with much cash when you leave.
Thanks for the tips! I do intend to look up the stops and see what I can find out beforehand. The travel agent said to use the local ATMs to get a bit of cash, and most places take credit cards, so you only need a little. The trick is to not get stuck with much cash when you leave.
Be watchful of ATM's outside of banks, I have been intimidated and followed whilst getting money when in the UK, if I use an ATM I always go inside the bank nowadays. I'm English so we tend to go 'home' once a year so having leftover cash isn't a problem
The UK also is in the process of switching over currency and coin designs, so 'old pounds' not spent this time might require a trip to a bank to swap or just not be useful anymore altogether on the next time over.
Thanks for the tips! I do intend to look up the stops and see what I can find out beforehand. The travel agent said to use the local ATMs to get a bit of cash, and most places take credit cards, so you only need a little. The trick is to not get stuck with much cash when you leave.
Just note that American Express is not widely accepted in the UK. Visa and Mastercard are.
If you have too much cash when you are about to leave I can arrange to take care of it for you.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.