Paging International Travelers

[trojangal]

What should I pack, climate wise?

How is the exchange rate overseas--where did you find to be the better place if you needed to get cash?


Places to see in Paris--also to avoid?



Right now it looks like 3 days in Hamburg, and 2 in Paris. We have one day with nothing scheduled the day before we leave. Any suggestions?

Recommendations of hotels in Paris?

Best places to shop? Eat?

DH is also wanting to get a language translator for his needs--any recommendations?

[PeppyGPhiB]

Check out Tripadvisor.com for suggestions on hotels and some activities, and Lonely Planet's Thorntree can be good too. I wouldn't even know where to start.

Suggestions regarding money: bring credit cards/debit card w/Mastercard or VISA logo, and some Euros that you've exchanged here in the states before your visit just to cover things like taxis. Get the rest of your cash there, from ATMs, and try to pay for major purchases with credit cards instead of cash. That way you won't have to carry a lot of cash around. I haven't been to Hamburg, but I can't imagine you would have trouble finding ATMs there since I didn't even have problems finding them in Greece. Don't bring travellers cheques. You won't have any problem finding ATMs when you need cash in Paris.

I would not carry money in your pockets, since pickpocketers seem particularly skilled in Europe. My friends and I use money belts when we travel in Europe, and none of us have ever had anything stollen from us. I got mine at REI. The money belts slip under your clothes and are totally hidden and comfortable. You just have to be subtle when taking money in and out of the belt.

Oh, and I wouldn't bother with the language translator. You won't use it.

[Private I]

i agree with whoever said to buy hygiene equipment in Germany. Fa makes the best body washes!

[RU OX Alum]

Originally Posted by trojangal

What should I pack, climate wise?

How is the exchange rate overseas--where did you find to be the better place if you needed to get cash?


Places to see in Paris--also to avoid?



Right now it looks like 3 days in Hamburg, and 2 in Paris. We have one day with nothing scheduled the day before we leave. Any suggestions?

Recommendations of hotels in Paris?

Best places to shop? Eat?

DH is also wanting to get a language translator for his needs--any recommendations?

Well, the exchange sucks, when I went it was E1,70 to US$1.00 plus the commision. So you pay almost 2 to 1. Just take your atm card and use it, you still get the sucky exchange rate (technically this varies day to day) but no commision fees and the ATM useage fee is usualy only E1 or E1,50 as opposed to US$2 or 3 or upwards.

[xo_kathy]

For climate - check weather.com for averages. We were in Paris in April 2006 - it was in the 60s mostly. I layered - usually a long sleeve shirt with a blazer with a scarf/pashmina. Don't think I wore an actual jacket much.

In Paris, you should sit in a cafe and people watch for a while. There are also hop-on/hop-off boats on the Seine. You can get an all day pass and it's a nice way to get from place to place not being on the metro - you can see things you might not have time to actually go visit. We used Batobus. We got our tickets right by the Eiffel Tower.

You must go see the Eiffel Tower. You don't have to go up (we didn't b/c I had a horrible head cold and was so congested I thought my head might explode on the elevator), but you should just go see it, stand under it, grab a crepe and sit in the park there and eat it.

For a wonderful, romantic view, go to the bar in Montparnasse Tower. It has a 360 view of Paris. Get there early enough (before dusk) to get a seat facing the Eiffel Tower. Then when it lights up you get the full glittery show! Beautiful. It costs to go up there, but get some champgane and gaze out at the view. http://www.tourmontparnasse56.com/uk/

The Louvre takes a whole day, so I wouldn't go to it if I were you with only 2 days in the city. If you really want to go to a museum, we hit the Picasso museum. It was cool b/c it was in his old apartment/home but also small enough that you weren't there the whole day.

You'll have a wonderful time! Enjoy!