Summer Holidays

[William the White]

to agree with bobo and Harry - we paid 25 euros for two coffees and - small - croissants by the Rialto bridge in Venice... And the same amount for a meal for two at a packed and very basic place half a mile from the market in a tangle of Venetian alleys... Inc a glass of red each...

And a totally outrageous 8 euros for a glass of coke (for the child) about a half-litre, on the Ramblas when the house red was 15 euros a bottle (!) - ie they didn't have the coke prices on the menu... And this was six or seven years ago...

This was at a large place more like a Mackie D's gone large than a restaurant.

Whereas, opposite the market and Opera House is Cafe de l'Opera, high on the Ramblas, one of the great European bars, everything charged as per menu, meticulous in all ways, in competition, imho, with only two others for best house red in Barcelona... but looks kind of pricey and, tbh, is not cheap. But is honest.

I left a tip at one, and not the other...

[General Mannerheim]

Ski resorts are good for a nice bumming. You easy pay 20 donkers for a pizza or a bowl of cold spag bog up on the mountain.

In resort too isn’t cheap, went to Chamonix earlier this year and it was always about 8 donks a pint.

Also. Mountain rescue! I got stung for a bag of sand almost once because id crashed and landed off piste! Literally yards to the side of the pisted area. As painful as it was (dislocated shoulder) had i known id have hobbled across but when it came to the medical bill, they claimed i had to be rescued from ‘off piste’ which is mega more expensive, and also voids insurance! Thousand quid. Nice.

Another time i hurt my leg in Austria, went to hossy, said it was broken, put my in a full length plastercast, gave me loads of drugs and a wheelchair – bill for that little lot was about £700 which thankfully the insurance covered – went home to Bury general, xray, nowt wrong with it, they gave me a tubagrip and i walked out! Robbing bastards.

[Beefheart]

There's an interesting thread in one of the newspapers today about the biggest rip offs you've had on holiday, following some daft sap paying 54 euros for 4 ice creams in Rome.

I was fleeced in Venice twice, but then coffee in St Mark's Square at 26 euros for 2 and a gondola for 75 euros were about what I expected to pay and you've got to do them once. Biggest holiday rip offs people?

Got charged 6 quid for a bottle of Heineken in a Prague strip club once, I was livid.

[Bijou Bob]

The other side to this is the 84p I paid for a meal for two and two small beers in a Thai market. Now THATS value.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

The other side to this is the 84p I paid for a meal for two and two small beers in a Thai market. Now THATS value.

Me and the missus were with a couple of prannets that we'd kind of bumped into in India who thought they were children of the Raj and of the hippy trail and the meanest most purse-pinching people I've ever come across. The bloke in particular was obsessed with bargaining everything down and refused to get on one of the boats at Varanasi because I'd just accepted the offered price of 10 rupee (this was like 50p or something). Anyway we sailed serenely out onto the Ganges to take in the sights of the ghats while we heard him loudly wrangling with another boat owner who finally yielded and allowed him and his hippy bint aboard for a measly one rupee. About five minutes later that boat did a particularly violent turn and dumped a very surprised Mr Bargain overboard. The boat owner was grinning like a maniac as he steered for shore leaving Mr Bargain to swim for it and wade through the filth at the bottom of the ghats. That night Mr Bargain was the illest I've ever seen a person be and still survive - upchucking doesn't even begin to describe it. That was the best nine rupees I've ever spent

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

The other side to this is the 84p I paid for a meal for two and two small beers in a Thai market. Now THATS value.

Me and the missus were with a couple of prannets that we'd kind of bumped into in India who thought they were children of the Raj and of the hippy trail and the meanest most purse-pinching people I've ever come across. The bloke in particular was obsessed with bargaining everything down and refused to get on one of the boats at Varanasi because I'd just accepted the offered price of 10 rupee (this was like 50p or something). Anyway we sailed serenely out onto the Ganges to take in the sights of the ghats while we heard him loudly wrangling with another boat owner who finally yielded and allowed him and his hippy bint aboard for a measly one rupee. About five minutes later that boat did a particularly violent turn and dumped a very surprised Mr Bargain overboard. The boat owner was grinning like a maniac as he steered for shore leaving Mr Bargain to swim for it and wade through the filth at the bottom of the ghats. That night Mr Bargain was the illest I've ever seen a person be and still survive - upchucking doesn't even begin to describe it. That was the best nine rupees I've ever spent

Brilliant! I have seen the very waters you mention and feel ill at the though of falling in. Sadly there are many people like Mr Bargain and I met a few of them in India.

[Beefheart]

Can anyone recommend a good hostel in Amsterdam? Once friend refuses to stay at the Hans Brinker, and his choice the bulldog doesn't seem to have any availibility on the dates we're there.

[mrkint]

Can anyone recommend a good hostel in Amsterdam? Once friend refuses to stay at the Hans Brinker, and his choice the bulldog doesn't seem to have any availibility on the dates we're there.

Only ever stayed at the Flying Pig when I was in a footy tournament over there, but it's a pretty decent place. Bang in the centre, clean and does a job. Though will be full of americans having an 'awesome time' while getting high at 10am.

[Beefheart]

Can anyone recommend a good hostel in Amsterdam? Once friend refuses to stay at the Hans Brinker, and his choice the bulldog doesn't seem to have any availibility on the dates we're there.

Only ever stayed at the Flying Pig when I was in a footy tournament over there, but it's a pretty decent place. Bang in the centre, clean and does a job. Though will be full of americans having an 'awesome time' while getting high at 10am.

I'll look into it. Cheers.

[Worthy4England]

Can anyone recommend a good hostel in Amsterdam? Once friend refuses to stay at the Hans Brinker, and his choice the bulldog doesn't seem to have any availibility on the dates we're there.

Dunno if they're still around, but I used to stay on a Boatel (quite a few of them, in the harbour) when I was inter-railing as a whipper-snapper.

Got a smallish room and brekkers and most of them were licensed.

[Bruce Rioja]

If you get stuck, Beefy, Tourist Information is straight facing Central Station. They really are the reigning world champions at sorting people out with what they want.

[Bruce Rioja]

Not on holiday and not in Summer either but in a couple of weeks I'll have a couple of evenings to kill in Helsinki. Anyone have any 'must do or see's' or know of any decent restaurants for whilst I'm there?

[Montreal Wanderer]

Not on holiday and not in Summer either but in a couple of weeks I'll have a couple of evenings to kill in Helsinki. Anyone have any 'must do or see's' or know of any decent restaurants for whilst I'm there?

I know a bloke who spends a lot of time there - I'll see him at lunch and will ask.

[Bruce Rioja]

Not on holiday and not in Summer either but in a couple of weeks I'll have a couple of evenings to kill in Helsinki. Anyone have any 'must do or see's' or know of any decent restaurants for whilst I'm there?

I know a bloke who spends a lot of time there - I'll see him at lunch and will ask.

Thanks, Monty. Much appreciated.

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

Second week in June the mrs and I are going to Capri for a week with a night in Naples tacked onto the end. I expect we'll take a daytrip to Herculaneum in the middle of the week. Can't wait.

[Beefheart]

Second week in June the mrs and I are going to Capri for a week with a night in Naples tacked onto the end. I expect we'll take a daytrip to Herculaneum in the middle of the week. Can't wait.

Hurculaneum is a decent trip. Smaller, but much less busy and touristy than Pompeii.

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

Second week in June the mrs and I are going to Capri for a week with a night in Naples tacked onto the end. I expect we'll take a daytrip to Herculaneum in the middle of the week. Can't wait.

Hurculaneum is a decent trip. Smaller, but much less busy and touristy than Pompeii.

Thanks - a few people have now given me this heads up, including this article:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/desti ... mpeii.html

[Prufrock]

Herculaneum is waaaay better than Pompeii. Especially if you're going in summer.

[Montreal Wanderer]

This is for Bruce but I'll put my friends rather detailed reply here in case anyone else goes to Helsinki.

Your friend's hotel will have the Helsinki This Week that I showed you.
He should head to the top of the Esplanade and first thing visit the amazing Academic Bookstore with dozens of sections--history, travel, biography, etc. It's designed by Aalto with a large internal atrium. In one corner at the street level is the periodicals section so he can get his FT, Economist, Private Eye, and The Helsinki Times in English. He can sit and read or go to the Café Aalto on the 2nd floor and read will having an espresso and sandwich.

Walking down the North Esplanade he can have a meal in the Hotel Kamp. as elegant and good as anything we have here.

At the bottom or harbour end of the Esplanade he must at least drop into the Aschan Café Jugend--it's one of the most beautiful cafes anyway with its fancy Art Deco-Jugenstil decorations. It is attached to the Helsinki City Tourist Office whose multilingual staff can tell him anything he wants to know.

Across the grassy Esplanade is the Kapelli café with wrought iron low fence and facing. If this is not the most beautiful café I'll eat my hat. In good weather there will be people enjoying a beer outside, but inside is also nice with open-face sandwiches. On a fine day the Esplanade will be crowed with people enjoying the sun and people-watching, for guys like us it's looking at les belles Finlandaises. It's about a km. long with a wide gravel path and adjacent lawns with people hanging out and enjoying ice cream or a beer.

For a real Finnish meal he should go back to the North Esplanade and go into the restaurant Aino, beside the Aschan Café, for authentic Finnish fare.

For a good visual view of the city he should take the 3 and 7 trams. The two 3 trams go in opposing 8 directions from the downtown and up about 3-4 km. The two 7 trams go in opposing circles and from it you get a good idea of the whole downtown area including one area where the trams have their own tramway through parks and new office areas. Since both trams have circular routes they stop at some point so that the drivers, many now people of various colours, can have a break and smoke. Not to worry, in 5 minutes the trams are off again.
Trams cost Euro 2:80.

He must walk around the seaside market at the beginning of the Esplanade. The first part is fresh fruit and vegetables with a fish section right at the sea side. Further along is a large tourist section with paintings, fur hats, gloves, etc.
He must watch his pockets since the Romanian Gypsies come through the Schengen zone and work their trade in benign Finland.

The other side of the market is the Bellevue, a 19c grand Russian restaurant.

The big thing these days are Nepalese, Indian, Vietnamese, Turkish restaurants, but he can give them a skip.

He must walk about Senate Square with its L'Empire style Cathedral, University and (now) National Library, where I hang out, and the old Senate (or Diet) complex. The square is impressive, with its statue of Alexander II. On the south (or sea direction) there are tourist shops and the Café Engel, again for a nice coffee and rest.

The North Esplanade and Alexander Street (Aleksanterinkatu / Alexandersgatan in Swedish -- street signs are in both official languages) are the main shopping streets, along with Kamppi, a huge shopping complex with its space-age bus station, perhaps near his hotel. The main train station (30 tracks for suburban, long-distance and Russian trains) and underground shopping complex is worth a stroll, but watch your pockets.

It hope this helps.

[Montreal Wanderer]

After i thanked my friend, he added this:

Hi John,
Thanks for your note. After Paris, Helsinki is the most aggressively active in its own tourist promotion.
If your friend likes architectural sights, at the City Tourist Office he can get a map of the ca. 1900 Jugendstil parts of the downtown, that is during the Russian period. Part of the reason I now go so often is that I stay in an apartment block in a most pretty Jugendstil quartier. The map shows the 2 major neighbourhood with street maps and photos of the best buildings.
Helsinki was lucky since it is mostly built in the +/- 1900 Russian period when Art Deco and Jugendstil were all the rage.