Multitool.org Forum
Non Tool Forum => The Break Room => Topic started by: comis on November 30, 2013, 04:13:20 PM
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Hi guys, I just got married a month ago, and am going on a honeymoon trip soon. For now, I have planned to go and visit many cities, since I have never been to all these places:
Frankfurt
Munich
Salzburg
Vienna
Budapest
Prague
Berlin
London
Any suggestions/tips/ideas for visiting, driving, travelling and MT/knife shops really worth visiting will be much appreciated! :cheers:
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Tip #1 don't drive to London :tu:
To be a bit more helpful with an itinery etc can you tell us how many days/nights you are thinking of spending in each place?
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It's never wrong dropping by Deutsches Museum in Munich, biggest technical museum in Europe.
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First off, congrats on getting married. :cheers:
Will you be travelling by plane between cities? And +1 on how long per city.
I don't think we have any active hungarian members. I'll do a write up on Budapest when I get to the computer.
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Tip #1 don't drive to London :tu:
To be a bit more helpful with an itinery etc can you tell us how many days/nights you are thinking of spending in each place?
Thanks, that's a good start! :tu:
I think most places are about 2 days each, probably 3 in London. I will be driving in between the cities most of the time, but for longer distance, we will be taking flight.
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It's never wrong dropping by Deutsches Museum in Munich, biggest technical museum in Europe.
I'd love to do that...gonna start the negotiation on that. :pok: :cheers:
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First off, congrats on getting married. :cheers:
Will you be travelling by plane between cities? And +1 on how long per city.
I don't think we have any active hungarian members. I'll do a write up on Budapest when I get to the computer.
Thank you, Nikola! :D
Mostly about 2 days/nights per city, and even for that, I will be taking more than 2 weeks off work and that's probably what my boss/business partners will allow me to.
I look forward to your suggestions!
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First off, congrats on getting married. :cheers:
Will you be travelling by plane between cities? And +1 on how long per city.
I don't think we have any active hungarian members. I'll do a write up on Budapest when I get to the computer.
Thank you, Nikola! :D
Mostly about 2 days/nights per city, and even for that, I will be taking more than 2 weeks off work and that's probably what my boss/business partners will allow me to.
I look forward to your suggestions!
The places to see:
St. Istvan Basilica, beautiful from inside and outside.
Hősök tere, a square where the people gather for celebrations of new year or other special occasions, has the Museum of Fine Arts and Palace of Art on each sides of it, the Vajdahunyad castle behind it. Also near it is the city Zoo.
The old Budavári Palota, you have a nice view from there too, and if you follow the street from there to the right you'll come to the Mátyás templom and the Halászbástya next to it for a great view. Then over the Széchenyi lánchíd (first bridge to connect the two cities Buda and Pest to create Budapest later on) to the Hungarian Parliament Building, one of my favourites. They only admit visitors on certain days though so I'm not sure if you'll be able to view it from the inside but the view of it from the outside of from the Halászbástya, especially at night is amazing.
On Museum Körút you'll find the National Museum, lots of joint Hungarian, Croatian and Austrian/Habsburg history there. Close by is the Fővám tér market place, great from the outside, but I'm not sure how the inside looks now.
Váci utca is known for the shops and Christmas fair but can be a tourist trap with the prices. For instance a cup of coffee there can cost you about $10 while a caffe 20 meters in either direction will charge you $1 for it. ;)
Be careful when exchanging money as some of the exchange offices charge you a quite hefty provision for the exchange so compare the exchange rates first.
As for traveling within the city, I'd advise to buy a 3 day public transportation pass, about $19 for unlimited travel on the underground, trams, busses, ... and much easier than driving through it. BUdapest can be very confusing to drive through as a lot of the streets are one way only and mostly you're not allowed to turn left.
http://www.bkk.hu/en/prices/budapest-72-hour-travel-card/
As for taxis, be careful of the unlicensed ones. Agree with the driver before you enter on where you want to go and how much the fair is.
The language might be a problem as hungarian is very different from any other language in the region so Hungarians also have difficulties learning other languages including English. The younger folks mostly understand English and the older German, but in hotels and museums you shouldn't have problems with it.
And be careful of doggy "land mines", they can be everywhere, especially around parks. :ahhh
Also, traditional hungarian food is either spicy or very sweet. If the say something is sweet (édes) trust them. ;) They put sugar in everything, including cucumber salad.
There are some Vic Climbers with hungarian motives, either the ones with the crest or scenic ones.
http://extrametal.hu/index.php?main_page=advanced_search_result&search_in_description=1&keyword=climber
Extrametal shops usually carry them and they have a few shops around town so it depends where you'll be staying.
http://extrametal.hu/index.php?main_page=uzlethalozat
That's it for now, I'll add more if I remember something or if you have questions, just ask. ;)
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London;
If you have 2 or 3 hours to spare I would suggest The Tower Of London
http://www.hrp.org.uk/TowerOfLondon/Default.aspx
Make sure you catch the 'Yeoman Warder guided tours ' (its included in the entrance fee)
http://www.hrp.org.uk/TowerOfLondon/stories/yeomanwarder
Yeoman Warder guided tours
Join one of these famous tours where Yeoman Warders (popularly known at ‘Beefeaters’) will entertain you with tales of intrigue, imprisonment, execution, torture and much more…
When? Every 30 mins (last tour 15.30 in summer, 14.30 in winter). Tours last approximately 60 mins and start near the main entrance.
Included in palace admission ticket
I'm sure some more London suggestions will be along soon :salute:
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Wow, Nikola, never dissapoint!
Thank you for a very detailed guide, I will make sure to visit those places you have mentioned. And am glad to hear not-to-drive advise as well, because I might be stuck/lost even with a GPS on car. Certain part of the world is just plain difficult to drive in, small winding streets with high density and fast traffic could be challenging for any new driver in town.
I have been collecting Vic Climbers/Spartan with Country motives for the last few months, and your suggestion for Extrametal is right on! Any more knife/MT shop, I am all ears. :salute: :cheers:
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I did write a few times on knife buying in some European countries etc. I think they were in the shutter/edged/general forums so have a look.
Here is one on Budapest: http://forum.multitool.org/edged-tools/knife-shopping-in-budapest-hungary/msg520173/#msg520173
Here are some quick notes on a few of the cities toy asked about, for sightseeing:
Frankfurt: Take a walk around the city Centre, lots of interesting restored buildings, see the river, have lunch on a river restaurant. Some OK knife shops can be found near the centre metro station.
Salzburg: Walk around and definitely take a boat ride through the old city (you may get a bit wet). Food is nice but can be expensive. They sometimes hold sword fighting demonstration in the centre too.
Vienna: Get off at stephanplatz and walk around. See the opera and the museums (I posted some pictures a while back). Some knife shops in the centre. Lots of nice restaurants around the centre; some underground too, lots of nice meats. If you want go to the funfair and get on the giant wheel for a nice view.
Budapest: What Enki said. :)
Prague: the clock, the beer....
London: Lots of UK based people here, so they will be able to give you lots of advice (palaces, tower, etc.
Many of these cities have mini-festivals in the city centre during the weekends with food and drink; especially during the Christmas time.
I tried to be as short as possible :D
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London;
If you have 2 or 3 hours to spare I would suggest The Tower Of London
http://www.hrp.org.uk/TowerOfLondon/Default.aspx
Make sure you catch the 'Yeoman Warder guided tours ' (its included in the entrance fee)
http://www.hrp.org.uk/TowerOfLondon/stories/yeomanwarder
Yeoman Warder guided tours
Join one of these famous tours where Yeoman Warders (popularly known at ‘Beefeaters’) will entertain you with tales of intrigue, imprisonment, execution, torture and much more…
When? Every 30 mins (last tour 15.30 in summer, 14.30 in winter). Tours last approximately 60 mins and start near the main entrance.
Included in palace admission ticket
I'm sure some more London suggestions will be along soon :salute:
The tower of London sounds good, Yeoman Warder guided tours sounds even better...(just check it out on youtube, I love their sense of humor)
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I'm not sure if you're interested in more traditional knives from Hungary. I know a few but I think suveges might be better to give you advice on those.
Here's a picture of one owned by my good friend Gergely/sveqs from Budapest. Fejes görbe made by Istvan Nagy. He had a small shop in Rákóczi út 32, but I haven't been to Budapest in over two years so I don't know if it's still there.
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-VrN08-X11SY/T5HoR6YPdpI/AAAAAAAAD5k/yJSR9e7jZiw/s640/IMG_5175.jpg)
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mine looks the same too :D
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Dks,
I just read the Budapest and Vienna writeup, very good! I know my wife has already something for the trip, but I definitely love to squeeze in some knife/tool shopping! :tu:
Nikola,
That's the same knife as Dks! :D
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mine looks the same too :D
I was just reading that. :D Didn't know Szankovits had a stall at the old Vámház/market place. :cheers: I'll certainly go check in out the next time I'm in Budapest. The last time I was there I could only find the old russian ak47 bayonets in the cellar.
As for the knife, it's an old pattern made by several makers. ;)
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I regret not buying the wooden handled one. The stag is nice but the one with wood would have looked more traditional...
maybe next time...
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Congrats on getting married.
Wait, no stop in Switzerland :ahhh
Vienna: Cafe Sacher is a must, its great place for a break and to eat the famous Sacher cake.
Munich: You have!!! to visit a "Biergarden" and sample the local beer and eat some "Weisswurst" (no english translation), carefull traditionally Germans eat Weisswurst in the morning.
... yeah I'm slightly overweight :whistle:
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Congrats on getting married.
Wait, no stop in Switzerland :ahhh
Vienna: Cafe Sacher is a must, its great place for a break and to eat the famous Sacher cake.
Munich: You have!!! to visit a "Biergarden" and sample the local beer and eat some "Weisswurst" (no english translation), carefull traditionally Germans eat Weisswurst in the morning.
... yeah I'm slightly overweight :whistle:
I actually didn't like the Sachertorte so much... :/
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Congrats on getting married.
Wait, no stop in Switzerland :ahhh
Vienna: Cafe Sacher is a must, its great place for a break and to eat the famous Sacher cake.
Munich: You have!!! to visit a "Biergarden" and sample the local beer and eat some "Weisswurst" (no english translation), carefull traditionally Germans eat Weisswurst in the morning.
... yeah I'm slightly overweight :whistle:
I actually didn't like the Sachertorte so much... :/
De gustibus non est disputandum (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_gustibus_non_est_disputandum)
But your statement clearly marks you as a weirdo :rofl:
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Congrats on getting married.
Wait, no stop in Switzerland :ahhh
Vienna: Cafe Sacher is a must, its great place for a break and to eat the famous Sacher cake.
Munich: You have!!! to visit a "Biergarden" and sample the local beer and eat some "Weisswurst" (no english translation), carefull traditionally Germans eat Weisswurst in the morning.
... yeah I'm slightly overweight :whistle:
I actually didn't like the Sachertorte so much... :/
De gustibus non est disputandum (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_gustibus_non_est_disputandum)
But your statement clearly marks you as a weirdo :rofl:
Not much news there... :facepalm: (http://www.sherv.net/cm/emo/funny/2/banana.gif)
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The problem with London, like most of the cities I'm sure, is that you could easily spend two weeks never mind two days and still not see everything. There are any number of top class attractions such as the Natural History Museum, British Museum, Tate Galleries, St Pauls Cathedral etc.
One thing with the indoor attractions is that you could easily spend most of a day in one of them, and they could almost be in any city. So I would definitely spend one day doing the standard tourist circuit of seeing Buckinham Palace, Horseguards, Traffalger Square, Houses of Parliament / "Big Ben" etc. Yes it's a popular - but for a good reason. It's easily walkable to take them all in and being mainly outdoors you get to see London. The Tower of London suggested above is also a good call.
I would recommend a ride on the Thames and maybe for something slightly off the usual route you could go to Greenwich and see Greenwich Observatory (photo standing across the Greenwich Meridian) and see the http://www.rmg.co.uk/cuttysark/ and then maybe a walk under the Thames through the tunnel.
If you like tools and mechanical stuff HMS Belfast might be worth a visit?
For the Mrs take in Harrods and Oxford Road etc.
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Lots of good ideas there Mickey :tu:
One other thing, bus and boat tours are very entertaining but you need to dress for the weather ;)
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Lots of good ideas there Mickey :tu:
One other thing, bus and boat tours are very entertaining but you need to dress for the weather ;)
Thanks. I must admit I have never been on a tourist open top bus because it doesn't really appeal.
The last couple of times I've been to London we stayed in Docklands area and so discoverd the boats which are not only good for sightseeing but also a reasonably cheap and quick way of travelling to the centre.
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First thing is congrats on the nuptuals :woohoo:
Unusually, I'm going to disagree with Sparky, I'd avoid it like the plague. I was there about 2 years ago for the first time,and found it to be a dumb trip around gift shops...I'm just glad it was a freebie visit!
Having said that,Sparky and Mickey are right about the other stuff. I'd make a point of going on one of the bus tours. They're not really my thing,but it allows you to see an awful lot of stuff you might otherwise miss,or not even know about!
Theres a Vic shop on Bond Street. If you never been to one,its worth a look. Romanys Hardware in Mayfair has lots of discontinued LM in NIB condition.
I work in cetral London,so if you'd like to say HI,drop me a pm :tu:
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Congrats on getting married.
Wait, no stop in Switzerland :ahhh
...carefull traditionally Germans eat Weisswurst in the morning.
... yeah I'm slightly overweight :whistle:
I know, I know...especially I am a SAKaholic. Weisswurst in the morning?! That's right up my alley! :D
The problem with London, like most of the cities I'm sure, is that you could easily spend two weeks never mind two days and still not see everything. There are any number of top class attractions such as the Natural History Museum, British Museum, Tate Galleries, St Pauls Cathedral etc.
One thing with the indoor attractions is that you could easily spend most of a day in one of them, and they could almost be in any city. So I would definitely spend one day doing the standard tourist circuit of seeing Buckinham Palace, Horseguards, Traffalger Square, Houses of Parliament / "Big Ben" etc. Yes it's a popular - but for a good reason. It's easily walkable to take them all in and being mainly outdoors you get to see London. The Tower of London suggested above is also a good call.
I would recommend a ride on the Thames and maybe for something slightly off the usual route you could go to Greenwich and see Greenwich Observatory (photo standing across the Greenwich Meridian) and see the http://www.rmg.co.uk/cuttysark/ and then maybe a walk under the Thames through the tunnel.
If you like tools and mechanical stuff HMS Belfast might be worth a visit?
For the Mrs take in Harrods and Oxford Road etc.
I think my wife has a similar plan as you have suggested, and we probably will spend 1 day on different museums, and the other on the regular tour circuit. The Harrods and Oxford Road are good suggestion, it is both fortunate and unfortunate that she is not the shopping type, so I can leave her in a shopping area while escape onto HMS Belfast... >:D :)
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First thing is congrats on the nuptuals :woohoo:
Unusually, I'm going to disagree with Sparky, I'd avoid it like the plague. I was there about 2 years ago for the first time,and found it to be a dumb trip around gift shops...I'm just glad it was a freebie visit!
Must admit I haven't been to the Tower since I was knee-high. I believe a lot of the exhibits have been moved to the Royal Armouries (at Leeds)?
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Oi :pok:
Unusually, I'm going to disagree with Sparky,
:D
I have done a few open topped bus trips over the years, inc a night time one in London ( a very romantic warm Summers evening/night :dd: )
Another year I did a freezing cold one around Oxford :ahhh (we were the only people stupid enough to go upstairs :rofl: )
Take appropriate clothing :tu:
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First thing is congrats on the nuptuals :woohoo:
Unusually, I'm going to disagree with Sparky, I'd avoid it like the plague. I was there about 2 years ago for the first time,and found it to be a dumb trip around gift shops...I'm just glad it was a freebie visit!
Having said that,Sparky and Mickey are right about the other stuff. I'd make a point of going on one of the bus tours. They're not really my thing,but it allows you to see an awful lot of stuff you might otherwise miss,or not even know about!
Theres a Vic shop on Bond Street. If you never been to one,its worth a look. Romanys Hardware in Mayfair has lots of discontinued LM in NIB condition.
I work in cetral London,so if you'd like to say HI,drop me a pm :tu:
Thank you! :cheers:
I too admit I am not the open-top bus riding type, but if it is worth the ride, I won't mind it either.
Great to hear there is some VIC shopping, and do they carry any London/GB theme VIC?
I do sincerely hope I get time for some knife/tool shopping and get to say "Hi" to many MT.O friends if time permits. But gauging from what my wife said earlier today about my addiction(when I was trying to step in a local Victorinox dealership), I might have to come visit you guys next time on my own :pok: :
"You have already spent most of our time together on the web searching and buying tools, why do you need to stay in a real retailer when you can get everything online? You probably know more about their products than the sales person..."
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*snip*
"You have already spent most of our time together on the web searching and buying tools, why do you need to stay in a real retailer when you can get everything online? You probably know more about their products than the sales person..."
I get that from people at times. Shop assistants split in to two categories - ones that are interested and start properly talking to you about things and the ones that get irritated with a know-it-all.
If you find yourself bored in London, have a trip out to Windsor, a go round the castle (see if you can catch a changing of the guard) and pop across the Thames to Eton. You'll irritate all the students there wandering around but IMO it's worth a quick look.
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So, not coming to Amsterdam, then? There's more to see here than drugs :whistle:
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So, not coming to Amsterdam, then? There's more to see here than drugs :whistle:
Amsterdam can suffer from being stereotyped with drugs/sex (you decide if that is a + or - :rofl:) but it is a great place to visit :salute:
Bruges would also be on my list for a romantic trip :tu:
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Congrats on your marriage! :cheers:
I don't live in Europe, so I have nothing else to add. :shrug:
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So, not coming to Amsterdam, then? There's more to see here than drugs :whistle:
Maybe not this time...I pretty much let my wife to decide where she likes to go, and personally, I would rather to go a fewer places each time to explore more in depth to each city. :think:
Congrats on your marriage! :cheers:
I don't live in Europe, so I have nothing else to add. :shrug:
Thank you! :cheers:
Btw, how about renting car?
I am so used to renting from Hertz whenever I visit US, and I am really attached to their good on-car GPS system called Neverlost(big screen, clear and very accurate instruction). I wonder will I be able to see the same GPS convenience in Europe? Will some of the cities I am going to visit not as GPS friendly(narrow one-way, high street density with buildings, weather...)?
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In many European towns, mainly the centers, you'll probably have trouble with one-way streets, walking-only area's and narrow streets, mainly in the older cities.
I know that Hertz operates in the Netherlands, at least. And they seem to have GPS systems for rent, too (Hertz NeverLost®).
You can also check out Europcar, which apparently is supposed to be the biggest car-rental company in Europe.
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@ comis, I like your statement ~
Maybe not this time...I pretty much let my wife to decide where she likes to go, and personally, I would rather to go a fewer places each time to explore more in depth to each city. :think:
you are either a very wise man or this isn't your first 'marriage' ? :rofl:
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It is very likely that handheld GPS systems will have a problem working/connecting in many of the older city centres, but there are usually free maps available at the hotels covering the city centres.
My phone GPS does not like small narrow streets and high buildings, so I often have to use a map or try to find some open areas to connect to the satelites.
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Also worth noting if you're driving from country to country is that some of them charge you for use of the highways in different ways. German Autobahn is free (for non-German folks at least ;) ) but you have to buy a Vignette (sticker you have to have on your windshield) in Austria and Hungary. I usually buy them on gas stations as soon as I enter the country but it looks like you can buy a e-version of it. Never tried it though. :shrug:
http://www.tolltickets.co.../vignette.aspx?lang=en-GB (http://www.tolltickets.com/country/austria/vignette.aspx?lang=en-GB)
http://www.tolltickets.co.../vignette.aspx?lang=en-GB (http://www.tolltickets.com/country/hungary/vignette.aspx?lang=en-GB)
Your rental car should probably have one on already but I'd check anyways.
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As far as London goes,I'd really not bother with the car,as its madness getting around by car. Public transport is more efficient than we let on,and,as long as your not traveling in rush hour,not that expensive. Get a London AtoZ map book,and do it on foot,bus,boat or tube!
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In many European towns, mainly the centers, you'll probably have trouble with one-way streets, walking-only area's and narrow streets, mainly in the older cities.
I know that Hertz operates in the Netherlands, at least. And they seem to have GPS systems for rent, too (Hertz NeverLost®).
You can also check out Europcar, which apparently is supposed to be the biggest car-rental company in Europe.
It is very likely that handheld GPS systems will have a problem working/connecting in many of the older city centres, but there are usually free maps available at the hotels covering the city centres.
My phone GPS does not like small narrow streets and high buildings, so I often have to use a map or try to find some open areas to connect to the satelites.
Bmot and DKS,
Thanks for the tips on GPS, I think I will rely on the GPS for in between country drives, and I will learn more about the stickers before I depart. I too also have trouble using handheld/phone GPS to give good directions, even at home, but I do have faith in the Neverlost on Hertz. I will also keep an eye out for buying a GPS while I am there...nothing worse than being lost with a poor navigator with a full itinerary next to you. :whistle:
@ comis, I like your statement ~
Maybe not this time...I pretty much let my wife to decide where she likes to go, and personally, I would rather to go a fewer places each time to explore more in depth to each city. :think:
you are either a very wise man or this isn't your first 'marriage' ? :rofl:
I am a first timer for marriage, but I have been around and heard enough stories to know better. Sun Tze's "Art of War" Chapter 3 "Stragtagem", To conquer without battle is highest form of stragtagem. :cheers:
Also worth noting if you're driving from country to country is that some of them charge you for use of the highways in different ways. German Autobahn is free (for non-German folks at least ;) ) but you have to buy a Vignette (sticker you have to have on your windshield) in Austria and Hungary. I usually buy them on gas stations as soon as I enter the country but it looks like you can buy a e-version of it. Never tried it though. :shrug:
http://www.tolltickets.co.../vignette.aspx?lang=en-GB (http://www.tolltickets.com/country/austria/vignette.aspx?lang=en-GB)
http://www.tolltickets.co.../vignette.aspx?lang=en-GB (http://www.tolltickets.com/country/hungary/vignette.aspx?lang=en-GB)
Your rental car should probably have one on already but I'd check anyways.
That's good advice, I will check em' out and also ask the rental car office before leaving. To be sure, I even wish to get a Garmin GPS before leaving the Frankfurt airport, hopefully I could find it and don't break my piggy bank.
As far as London goes,I'd really not bother with the car,as its madness getting around by car. Public transport is more efficient than we let on,and,as long as your not traveling in rush hour,not that expensive. Get a London AtoZ map book,and do it on foot,bus,boat or tube!
Kirk,
It looks pretty intense, looks like they make a million maps for London alone. :o :D
http://www.az.co.uk/?nid=354
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I'd go for this one
http://www.az.co.uk/?nid=31&iid=9948
Or
http://www.az.co.uk/?nid=31&iid=10004
The second one is basically what the locals use :D
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Congratulations :cheers:
Oh and I'm with Kirky on this, don't drive in London, ever! Although people complain about public transport (face it we complain about everything!) it is by far the best way of getting around London.
The free maps are good for tourist destinations, but the AtoZ's are brilliant for anywhere else.
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I can't tell you much about the other cities, but you really should visit the Deutsches Museum in Munich if you are the least bit interessted in machines and engineering.
Also worth a visit are the Pinakotheken, either the Old Pinakothek with classical paintings or the Pinakothek der Moderne for contemporary art. I added some links for you:
http://www.deutsches-museum.de/index.php?id=1&L=1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alte_Pinakothek
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinakothek_der_Moderne
And congratulations on getting married! :cheers: