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| sodahead |
LONDON
*Taking a Cab
From Anthony Bourdain: Something you should know: never take a minicab. Only black cabs. Black cabs have the meter so you know how much you’re paying. Plus, not only do they know where they’re going but they know alternate ways to get there. Minicabs, they pretty much charge whatever the hell they like, and the likelihood that they know where they’re going is remote in the extreme.
and
*THE TUBE
Travel cards for the day are more expensive in the morning, because Londoners don’t want tourists on the subway when they’re rushing to work. It clogs them up. After 9 a.m. they get cheaper. Everyone will tell you to get an Oyster card, but get a travel card. A day travel card lasts 24 hours and you can go anywhere. But please, move quickly, do not bring a backpack on a rush-hour train.
It’s not cheapKeep in mind the pound is 1 ½ – 2 times the US dollar. That means everything, from buying a soda to booking a hotel room to dinner out is an expensive undertaking---multiply by 1.5 or 2.
JET LAG
Nearly everyone I know agrees that an overnight flight is best. Most flights from the east coast leave around 8 or 9 p.m. and arrive early the next morning. Try to sleep on the plane. The next day (your first day in England), you will be very tired, but keep going and do not nap. Go to bed early that night, and by the next morning, your jet lag will be under control.
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| goldengazette |
PARIS
*Beware the grab-n-run. Enterprising thieves will perform a pirouette à la seconde and grab valuables from cafe tables at the front row of the terrace. Do not leave your purse or bag of new purchases on the table or simply hooked on the back of a chair - easy target.
*Great cheap wine in clear bottles.
Go to Nicolas, a popular wine chain store, and get any of the clear bottled wine. Not only is it colorful and under 5 Euros, but it’s GOOD too.
*Say hello to store clerks. When you walk into that boulangerie to buy the éclairs that you will devour on one of the green benches in the Jardin du Luxembourg, don’t order immediately. First, greet the person behind the register. “Bonjour Monsieur” or “Bonjour Madame” or even a “Good morning sir/ma’am” establishes that you are a polite American familiar with the local culture. If there’s a crowd, they may prompt you with an “et pour Monsieur/Madame.” But the French think it’s rude to define personal interaction solely on the basis of a financial transaction.
*Let your guard down. Your visit to Paris shouldn’t feature any sparring with garçons in cafés, or waiters, or cab drivers. The vast majority of folks in the tourism industry speak English, many of them well. The younger crowd are a lot friendlier to Americans — and Americans have generally learned to be better tourists.
*Beware the grab-n-run. Enterprising thieves will perform a pirouette à la seconde and grab valuables from cafe tables at the front row of the terrace. Do not leave your purse or bag of new purchases on the table or simply hooked on the back of a chair - easy target.
*Great cheap wine in clear bottles.
Go to Nicolas, a popular wine chain store, and get any of the clear bottled wine. Not only is it colorful and under 5 Euros, but it’s GOOD too.
*Say hello to store clerks. When you walk into that boulangerie to buy the éclairs that you will devour on one of the green benches in the Jardin du Luxembourg, don’t order immediately. First, greet the person behind the register. “Bonjour Monsieur” or “Bonjour Madame” or even a “Good morning sir/ma’am” establishes that you are a polite American familiar with the local culture. If there’s a crowd, they may prompt you with an “et pour Monsieur/Madame.” But the French think it’s rude to define personal interaction solely on the basis of a financial transaction.
*Let your guard down. Your visit to Paris shouldn’t feature any sparring with garçons in cafés, or waiters, or cab drivers. The vast majority of folks in the tourism industry speak English, many of them well. The younger crowd are a lot friendlier to Americans — and Americans have generally learned to be better tourists.
- Some people find the Metro difficult to use. But others totally disagree. There are automatic machines that allow you to select English as your language of choice and walk you through purchasing tickets. It may take a little trial and error the first time but be patient and you should easily be able to figure it out. The metro system is very extensive and easy to use so get a map and just jump in. Most times you wait less than 2 minutes for trains.
- Cabs are very expensive. It's about 18 euros to go about 4 miles.
