GRcade Travel Topic

Fed up talking videogames? Why?
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Rocsteady
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PostRe: GRcade Travel Topic
by Rocsteady » Fri Jul 24, 2015 2:39 am

Corazon de Leon wrote:
Rocsteady wrote:Really, Jesus Christ.

It was interesting anyway, think I would've enjoyed it more had I gone without a tour guide as mine was a bit gooseberry fool. Impossible stuff to comprehend really.

Brno tomorrow, hopefully get some caving done then off south to Austria. Arnold Schwarzenegger museum here I come.


I'm pretty sure it's just his house. "Here is the toilet where Arnold took his first gooseberry fool. A single gooseberry fool, on the way to becoming the greatest bodybuilder and fourth greatest actor the world has ever seen."

I think you might be right, does have good reviews on trip advisor though. Apparently it's out of the way to the extent I'll need multiple buses to get there so will see how I feel when I'm nearby, might just skip it can't be bothered with hassle.

Feeling a bit rough and this hostel completely sucks for meeting folk, absolutely no common area. Brno's quite pretty at least, think I might just have a little wander tomorrow and hit the cinema or something. Hopefully the films are in English :slol:

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K
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PostRe: GRcade Travel Topic
by K » Thu Jul 30, 2015 1:43 am

Parksey wrote:
K wrote:Off to Tokyo next week. No real clue what I'm doing there but I'm there for like a month. Any suggestions outside of the usual tourist stuff?


If you are there for a month, you are doing more than Tokyo right?

I have just come back from there myself. To be honest, seeing as I have acted as a guide for my UK friends twice, I generally only know the tourist sights. Saying that, even the tourist sites are pretty fun.

You will need to see the neon garishness of Shinjuku, Shibuyu and Akihabara anyway as a visit to Tokyo isn't complete without those (the latter in particularly if you are into that anime/manga/gaming culture, though it's not quite for me).

From what I can tell, Tokyo doesn't have a great deal of historical sights, bar maybe Asakusa. You can do that, Ueno and the Skytree easily as they are all fairly close. For something older, Nikko is about an hour and a half away.

Get a JR pass! I can't get one due to not being on a tourist visa, but it makes life so much cheaper and easier because the Shinkansen gets quite pricey, but cuts down journey times pretty much anywhere on Honshuu.

It's going to be warm and very humid - you will probably sweat a lot. It's quite rainy at the moment too, so maybe bring some things that are thin, light and waterproof.

Language-wise, in Tokyo you will be fine I reckon. I was surprised at how good everyone's english was, which made my role as a half-arsed translator a bit defunct. A little Japanese will help, so bring a phrasebook perhaps but don't worry about it. If you look non-Japanese, like I do, often I would speak in Japanese and they would reply in English anyway.

All train signs, notices and announcements *seem* to be in English. Even where I live, the JR lines have English.

If you want to drink though, you want to ask for "nomihodai" or 飲み放題 in kanji and on menus. It's basically all you can drink for about ¥1000-1500 and often lasts two hours and has tonnes of different drinks on the menu.

You may often have to pay a table charge though in Tokyo, though this is far less common elsewhere.

I am surprised at how cheap Tokyo is. I was warned Japan was expensive, but even an upper-range restaurant is far less a drain on your wallet. If you want to eat cheaply, I reckon you eat *very* cheaply, with a bowl of ramen, udon or meat and rice setting you back a few quid. We saw happy hours offering beer for ¥100, which works out at about 60p! It seems way cheaper than London.

Where are you staying? What's your plan?


Ahh, I wish I'd seen this. I was planning on getting a rail pass but I didn't realise you can't buy them in Japan. I'm leaving in like three hours so I've strawberry floated that one. This is all super useful though, I've made a few notes on nomihodai and stuff, so thank you.

I'm staying in Hatagaya. My plan was to dick around in Tokyo for a couple weeks and then get a rail pass and spend some time screwing around Japan, but yeah. Guess it's just Tokyo for me.

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Bunni
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PostRe: GRcade Travel Topic
by Bunni » Thu Jul 30, 2015 3:13 am

We had passes but ended up not using them and stayed in tokyo for like a month anyway.

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K
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PostRe: GRcade Travel Topic
by K » Thu Jul 30, 2015 6:12 am

Nice one. Robot cafe looks like hell on earth, btw.

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Parksey
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PostRe: GRcade Travel Topic
by Parksey » Thu Jul 30, 2015 8:17 am

To be honest, I am the opposite of Bunni - train travel is so easy in Japan it seems a waste to not use it, especially when the pass includes the bullet train (which gets expensive without the pass, but means the pass pays for itself in a few journeys).

I would also be averse to spending so long in Tokyo, though it's undoubtedly so big that you could possibly do that, albeit I think it's quite low on actual tourist "sights" to see, bar the general neon illuminating its many busy streets.

I prefer the history side of things generally, and because of the widespread bombing in WWII (not helped by the cities being made out of wood and being crowded), not much before 1945 remains in the likes of Tokyo and Osaka. A lot of what is there and not massive grey city blocks (beyond the neon, modern architecture here is pretty grim) are recent reconstructions.

Still, there may be fast track pass options? I know different companies offer them so perhaps there's an express service or one you can still do? Maybe even there is one you can do in Japan. You can probably buy commuter passes as well I guess.

You'd be missing out on a lot by not taking the opportunity to see more. Normal rail passes on the generic trains is cheap, albeit slower. There are night buses and the like too to cut costs further. It would be a shame to not see other places seeing as you are here for so long.

If you must stay in Tokyo, then my advice would be to do some stuff besides drinking and eating in restaurants/bars. Join a few clubs/classes or what have you. Go do some Japanese cooking a few times, or practice kendo or something completely different to what you are used to.

If you absolutely must spend the entire time in Tokyo. You don't want to be just hanging around Shinjuku or Shibuya for four weeks, though they are undoubtedly busy enough that you could not go in the same bar twice.

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Bunni
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PostRe: GRcade Travel Topic
by Bunni » Thu Jul 30, 2015 11:41 am

Look for Tokyo dodgeball friendship club on Facebook. They meet every week and welcome holidaymakers and expats.

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Moggy
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PostRe: GRcade Travel Topic
by Moggy » Thu Jul 30, 2015 12:24 pm

Bunni wrote:Look for Tokyo dodgeball friendship club on Facebook. They meet every week and welcome holidaymakers and expats.


We're better than you, and we know it.

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K
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PostRe: GRcade Travel Topic
by K » Thu Jul 30, 2015 1:11 pm

Honestly I'm not much of a drinker anyway. Might order a rail pass to back home and then have my parents send it to my hotel. Posting from Copenhagen airport btw, what up!

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Wedgie
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PostRe: GRcade Travel Topic
by Wedgie » Thu Jul 30, 2015 2:31 pm

Going to Las Vegas with my mates next year, for a week. :mrgreen:

Can't bloody wait.

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Denster wrote:My phone messaged me yesterday after i'd encouraged him to download and play the RESi demo.


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Corazon de Leon

PostRe: GRcade Travel Topic
by Corazon de Leon » Thu Jul 30, 2015 2:34 pm

I read that as you were going next week, for a year. :lol:

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Wedgie
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PostRe: GRcade Travel Topic
by Wedgie » Thu Jul 30, 2015 3:22 pm

I wish.

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Denster wrote:My phone messaged me yesterday after i'd encouraged him to download and play the RESi demo.


Super Intelligent Phones Are Here!!!! We are dooooomed!
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Parksey
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PostRe: GRcade Travel Topic
by Parksey » Tue Aug 11, 2015 3:06 am

Anyone able to recommend accommodation in Hong Kong?

I am traveling alone, so would probably prefer a hotel and because I am only there for two days (en route back to the UK), a decent location would probably be preferable to something dirt cheap but out of the way.

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tomvek
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PostRe: GRcade Travel Topic
by tomvek » Sun Aug 16, 2015 9:30 pm

Just arrived in Rome. Anyone got any tips or must see places? Here for over a week so I have plenty of time to get around.

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Tomous
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PostRe: GRcade Travel Topic
by Tomous » Sun Aug 16, 2015 9:42 pm

Just booked flights to US in Nov for Vegas > SF > LA road trip :cool:

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Rocsteady
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PostRe: GRcade Travel Topic
by Rocsteady » Sun Aug 16, 2015 9:55 pm

Jealous! You got plenty of money squirreled away for it?

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OnlyShallow
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PostRe: GRcade Travel Topic
by OnlyShallow » Tue Aug 18, 2015 6:46 am

satriales wrote:I'm off to Croatia next week. Got 3 days in Dubrovnik, 8 days in Lopud Kayaking around the nearby small islands, then 4 days chilling in Cavtat.

Anyone been before and got ideas of things to do or places to visit?

Aw, shame I just read this. I was over there last year., at Soline. I hope you managed to check out Kupari Beach and the abandoned, war damaged hotels. It is a surreal location. Lovely quiet beach with a great bar that the best grilled squid. Surrounded by hotels pockmarked with bullet and bomb holes.

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My Euro road trip commences on Saturday. Ferry over to Dunkirk, through Belgium into Germany. Camp over night in Limburg then drive onto Salzburg for night two. Drive to Rovinj via Lake Bled in Solvenia and spend a week there. The return trip will take us past Venice, Lake Como, through Switzerland (if I can find a route that means I don't have to pay for a vignette). Freiburg in the Black Forest and I'm not sure after that. Ghent?

Last edited by OnlyShallow on Tue Aug 18, 2015 10:10 am, edited 4 times in total.
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Many Lives -> 49 MP wrote:People like you OnlyShallow are terrible banana splits. I hate you forever.
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SandyCoin
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PostRe: GRcade Travel Topic
by SandyCoin » Tue Aug 18, 2015 7:01 am

tomvek wrote:Just arrived in Rome. Anyone got any tips or must see places? Here for over a week so I have plenty of time to get around.


Yeah I'm moving there in a couple of weeks. For food go to Pizzarium just north of Vatican. Really nice roma style pizza by the slice. Pay by weight. They are helpful if you don't understand what everything Is. Ice cream try fatamorgana, there are a few locations.

The area around cavour is very nice in the Monti area. Pretty streets and nice shops. Trastevere is beautiful too. A bit touristy but still very pretty.

Ostia Antica is a 30 min train from Piramide station. Costs about 3 euro return and is an amazingly preserved roman port town. At Piramide there is an actual pyramid which is quite cool and is right where I'm moving.

I wouldn't bother with Trevi fountain as I don't think it's even on at the moment. Plus it's just not nice there. Piazza Navona is gorgeous but don't eat or drink there. For good coffee go to Tazza d'oro neat Pantheon. If you like good beer go to Open Baladin near the Jewish quarter.

Obviously coliseum is a must even if it's obvious. If you want to go in there and the forum, go to forum first and get tickets at the side entrance. Never anyone there and no queues. Whereas getting them at coliseum is not a great idea.

If you hire bikes or want a long stroll there is the appian way, which is a long stretch of Ancient Roman Road lined with random ruins and tombs.

Also, drink lots of water.there has been a heat way there and even the locals are struggling. Fountains everywhere so no need for bought plastic bottles.

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Rocsteady
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PostRe: GRcade Travel Topic
by Rocsteady » Tue Aug 18, 2015 11:43 am

OnlyShallow wrote:
satriales wrote:I'm off to Croatia next week. Got 3 days in Dubrovnik, 8 days in Lopud Kayaking around the nearby small islands, then 4 days chilling in Cavtat.

Anyone been before and got ideas of things to do or places to visit?

Aw, shame I just read this. I was over there last year., at Soline. I hope you managed to check out Kupari Beach and the abandoned, war damaged hotels. It is a surreal location. Lovely quiet beach with a great bar that the best grilled squid. Surrounded by hotels pockmarked with bullet and bomb holes.

Image
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My Euro road trip commences on Saturday. Ferry over to Dunkirk, through Belgium into Germany. Camp over night in Limburg then drive onto Salzburg for night two. Drive to Rovinj via Lake Bled in Solvenia and spend a week there. The return trip will take us past Venice, Lake Como, through Switzerland (if I can find a route that means I don't have to pay for a vignette). Freiburg in the Black Forest and I'm not sure after that. Ghent?

Lake Bled looks incredible, really wanted to go there on my recent travels round Europe but getting from Austria to Slovenia and around the country is surprisingly difficult on public transport. Definitely need to go back once I've gotten myself a motorbike.


My travels are pretty much over now, had a great time going across Holland, Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, Ireland and Barcelona. People of all the countries were so nice and helpful, was surprised at how beautiful the Czech Rep. was too. And the woman in Poland, jesus. If I'm still single in a decade think that's where I'll be going to find myself a wife.

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Tomous
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PostRe: GRcade Travel Topic
by Tomous » Tue Aug 18, 2015 1:48 pm

Rocsteady wrote:Jealous! You got plenty of money squirreled away for it?



Nope. Got 2-3 months to save and a credit card to cover whatever's lacking :slol:

Budgeting £2k but that might be a tad optimistic.

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Rocsteady
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PostRe: GRcade Travel Topic
by Rocsteady » Tue Aug 18, 2015 5:00 pm

How long is it you're planning to be away for? I'm still hoping to roadtrip the US next year - currently I think I could probably spare 5k on it if I live frugally during my next job but how long that would cover me for I'm not sure. Going to have to extensively plan it; if it's looking too expensive I'm fancying South America instead. Although slightly worried about what will be their ramshackle healthcare systems and slight risk of kidnapping.

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