Traveling to Europe, what do I need to know, what to bring, and what should I see?

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Joey D

Joey D

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Through Oakland University I'm going to Oxford for the month of July to study medieval English history. However, I'm going about a week early and staying about 3 weeks after the program ends in order to travel around parts of Europe. I have no idea whether I want to just stay in the United Kingdom, or travel around. I know we have quite a few members from the UK around these forums, so any help you guys can offer I'd appreciate it.

What do I need to bring to make sure my American stuff work? I know there are different outlets, but what about Ethernet? Are wireless networks the same as well?

What kind of weather can I expect in the UK during July and August?

What do most people wear during this time (I don't want to dress in a way that say "look at me I'm an American")?

Where can I stay? I know youth hostiles but what are the cheap motels in Europe and how cheap is cheap?

What is the best way to travel around? I assume train.

What sort of food can I expect? What is the drinking age? And if I'm legal (I assume I am) what sorts of beverages should I partake in?

Are there any American things I should avoid doing? Any American words that have a double meaning in Europe? (I don't want to piss anyone off)

What do I have to see? I mean I'm going all that way I don't want to get home and realize there was something uber cool I should have seen. And are there any places I should avoid?

And really anything else anyone can tell me would be greatly appreciated. I was in Europe before, but it was with a tour group and they took care of everything. I also was much younger.
 
Joey D
Through Oakland University I'm going to Oxford for the month of July to study medieval English history. However, I'm going about a week early and staying about 3 weeks after the program ends in order to travel around parts of Europe. I have no idea whether I want to just stay in the United Kingdom, or travel around. I know we have quite a few members from the UK around these forums, so any help you guys can offer I'd appreciate it.
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It depends what your into really. I'm at work at the moment but after work I'll give a more indepth answer than this post because time right now is limited.

What kind of weather can I expect in the UK during July and August?
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Generally, bright, clear skies temperatures around the 25-30 degree range.

What do most people wear during this time (I don't want to dress in a way that say "look at me I'm an American")?
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Generally we probably don't dress that different. The main thing I guess will be logos. T-Shirts and jumpers ect with logo's advertising places in America like New York ect arn't that common over here.

Where can I stay? I know youth hostiles but what are the cheap motels in Europe and how cheap is cheap?
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There are some that I know of. I'll make a list later.

What is the best way to travel around? I assume train.
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Short distance, no, buses and taxis are far better than trains. Travelling from say London to Manchester, unless you hire a car (which would be a lot better than taking a train) then you don't have a whole lot of choice. Long distance taxi journeys will wipe your ban balance in no time. There are some coach routes that are pretty decent though.

What sort of food can I expect? What is the drinking age? And if I'm legal (I assume I am) what sorts of beverages should I partake in?
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Drinking age is 18, take ID if you look under 21. Check the thread in the rumble strip about drinks and look at Famines post early on. That covers the main drinks in the UK pretty well.

Are there any American things I should avoid doing? Any American words that have a double meaning in Europe? (I don't want to piss anyone off)
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Not really, there are words that mean different things, like a fanny bag in America, fanny over here means something very different. Nothing that I can think of that could be offensive though.

And really anything else anyone can tell me would be greatly appreciated. I was in Europe before, but it was with a tour group and they took care of everything. I also was much younger.
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There's a lot to see and do. I don't have time to go into more detail right now, but I will do at another time.
 
Dave A
Generally, bright, clear skies temperatures around the 25-30 degree range.
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That's in celsius, not fahrenheit (sp?) ;)

If you're doing medieval history would you be interested in seeing some castles? A couple of quick searches and I'm sure I could find some of that era that would be worth a visit.
 
What kind of weather can I expect in the UK during July and August?
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Rain is a safe bet

What do most people wear during this time (I don't want to dress in a way that say "look at me I'm an American")?
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Baseball cap, plaid shorts, hawaiian shirt, open toed sandals and a large camera around your neck. Remember to comment loudly about how 'quaint' everything is.

Where can I stay? I know youth hostiles but what are the cheap motels in Europe and how cheap is cheap?
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Cheap over here, especially with current exchage rates, is probably quite expensive for you. Expect to budget around $80 for a cheap hotel.

What is the best way to travel around? I assume train.
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Trains are expensive and unreliable. Hire a little car instead. We have all the major car hire firms that you have over there - book one in advance.

What sort of food can I expect? What is the drinking age? And if I'm legal (I assume I am) what sorts of beverages should I partake in?
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Again, we have most of your biggest fast food chains if you feel comfortable with them (McD's, Burger King, Pizza Hut, KFC etc) You'll also find Chinese, Indian, Thai, Italian, Greek, etc, etc in most places. Drink wise, and by this i'm talking alcoholic beverages, you should try a pint of good English 'Bitter'. Don't expect it to be ice cold - it's supposed to be served at room temp.

What do I have to see? I mean I'm going all that way I don't want to get home and realize there was something uber cool I should have seen. And are there any places I should avoid?
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Tell us where you are planning on going and we can supply you with a list of places worth visiting and those to not bother with. It's easier this way.
 
Thank you much guys!

I'm into anything really, unless it's a gay bar I'll probably try to check it out :lol:.

I plan on staying in Oxford quite a bit of the time, but I plan on going up to Scotland since I have relatives that live somewhere in the northern part, and into Wales since I have relatives that live there as well...except I can't really understand them, even though I think they they are speaking english.

But I plan to go to London, Bath, York, Manchester, Edinburgh, and if I can't help it the group I'm going with is going to Paris, so I guess I'll have to go.
 
If you are stopping in Oxford then I would strongly advice you take a trip to Silverstone (around 30 miles from Oxford), depending on exactly when you are here, the following are on.

6th to 8th July - British Grand Prix (however very expensive - from £99/$200)

27th to 29th July - Silverstone Classic (£35 for the weekend)

11th to 12th August - British F3/GT Championship (£20 for the weekend)

Keep in mind that you are stopping near the heart of worldwide motorsport, a huge number of teams and constructors are based in this area and many on or near the Silverstone circuit. Now how can you miss that.

Regards

Scaff
 
Scaff
27th to 29th July - Silverstone Classic (£35 for the weekend)
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And if you're really lucky you might actually get to meet me too :ouch:

If you are going to York i'd probably skip Bath. Bath's like a York Light. Bath's also quite a deviation from the route you'd take to visit the others.
 
You can understand your relatives from northern Scotland but not your Welsh relatives? :confused:

Where abouts in Wales are they?
 
Joey D
Thank you much guys!

I'm into anything really, unless it's a gay bar I'll probably try to check it out :lol:
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When/if you visit Manchester you might want to aviod Canal street then.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canal_Street_(Manchester)
(BTW someone has removed the C from Canal, and the S from Street so the sign now reads anal treet :lol:)
Shopping wise, the Trafford center is miles better than M'cr city center.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Trafford_Centre
There's a lot of pubs and clubs and lounge bars in Manchester, especially down Oxford Rod and Wilmslow road, which will be hard to miss if you stayed in South Manchester or near the center.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxford_Road,_Manchester

I plan on staying in Oxford quite a bit of the time, but I plan on going up to Scotland since I have relatives that live somewhere in the northern part, and into Wales since I have relatives that live there as well...except I can't really understand them, even though I think they they are speaking english.
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Scotland has awesome scenery, it's second to none when it comes to green vales and the lochs. It's a really nice place. Wales isn't as bad as most Brits (often jokingly) make it out to be. Theres two languages in Wales, there English and theres some make it up as you go along Welsh language as well.

But I plan to go to London, Bath, York, Manchester, Edinburgh, and if I can't help it the group I'm going with is going to Paris, so I guess I'll have to go.
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Paris might be worth a trip, but traffic there is horrendous. I have some friends who live in the South of France, so I drive through France a few tiems a year. It's a lovely country in the whole. York city center is basically an area of shops, pubs and restaurantes ect located within old castle walls. The city is full of old ruins and it makes for a nice day out.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/York

Manchester really depends on what part of it you go to. Avoid Moss Side.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moss_side
Didsbury and Cheadle are the more classy areas but could prove to be expensive to stay.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Didsbury
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheadle,_Greater_Manchester
A good place for a meal out if you like curries and Indian food in general is the Curry mile in Rusholm. It's packed full of some great quality restaurants.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curry_mile
 
Joey D
What do most people wear during this time (I don't want to dress in a way that say "look at me I'm an American")?
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If you're coming up to Scotland, kilts are very much the clothing of choice.

Joey D
Where can I stay? I know youth hostiles but what are the cheap motels in Europe and how cheap is cheap?
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Yes, the youths are quite hostile.

Joey D
Are there any American things I should avoid doing? Any American words that have a double meaning in Europe? (I don't want to piss anyone off)
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Pants here equals underwear. Your pants are our trousers. And as has been mentioned before, stay away from fanny.

Joey D
but I plan on going up to Scotland since I have relatives that live somewhere in the northern part,
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Furryboots they fae?
 
Joey D
What kind of weather can I expect in the UK during July and August?

Are there any American things I should avoid doing? Any American words that have a double meaning in Europe? (I don't want to piss anyone off)
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The weather is likely to be sunny at that time of year, but being the Great Britain, I wouldn't rule out Grey-overcast rainy skies.

A big give-away of an American, is calling football 'Soccer', its bound to raise eyebrows. Football is the biggest spectator sport in England, so just remember. Its not offensive at all but may annoy a few Die-hard football fans which may not be the best idea on a night out at the pub.
 
Or they might guess he's American when he speaks anyway, so whether he calls it football or soccer they'll know he's American.

The weather in that time depend on where you are in Britain, Scotland will be alot colder than say the south coast (where I live) which is just about the hottest, Surrey recorded 36C last year.

Of course we will have rain, but then so do most countries during the summer (barring places like the Sahara, Empty Quarter, etc)
 
Thats possibly the most important one to remember, it's football not soccer. Almost everyone talks about football, it's the unofficial national sport here. Officially it's cricket, but don't talk about cricket. You can never rule out the chance of rain here in England, but July and August are usually good weather months.
 
Joey D
But I plan to go to London, Bath, York, Manchester, Edinburgh, and if I can't help it the group I'm going with is going to Paris, so I guess I'll have to go.
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Oh, York is amazing.
I was there on Sunday.



You'll love it.
 
I do want to go to Silverstone, I might have to plan it so I am there during a race, probably the British F3/GT Championship race or the Classic, they are cheaper and it's not racing I see very often...errrr correction, ever.

If you are going to York i'd probably skip Bath.
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They are included with the program so we get a day in each, I don't really want to see the plays that are planned so I'm going to explore on my own. I do want to see the Roman bath's since I am into ancient stuff...after all it is my major.

You can understand your relatives from northern Scotland but not your Welsh relatives?
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My grandpa is from Scotland and I grew up listening to him so I've gotten used to his accent.

Where abouts in Wales are they?
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A village (town) (whatever they are called in the UK) near Cardiff. I honestly can't remember the name.

Thanks Dave for the Manchester suggestions, everything I've seen so far makes it look like a pretty nice city.

And thanks for the suggestion about football, I'll have to get used to that.

Thanks for the advice everyone!
 
"don't mention the war, I mentioned it once but I think I got away with it" Basil ftw.

You've got many attractions up in the North/Scotland, something like the Falkirk wheel would interest you (probably).
 
I'd want to see the whole D-Day Normandy memorial thing, Auschwitz, the White cliffs, Red Square, the Arc du Triumph (sp?), the 'Ring, Prague, St. Petersburg, Vatican City, Venice, London, the Alps, Dublin, the Hagia Sophia, some gothic cathedrals, a castle or two, and a partridge in a pear tree.
 
turboash78
I'd want to see the whole D-Day Normandy memorial thing, Auschwitz, the White cliffs, Red Square, the Arc du Triumph (sp?), the 'Ring, Prague, St. Petersburg, Vatican City, Venice, London, the Alps, Dublin, the Hagia Sophia, some gothic cathedrals, a castle or two, and a partridge in a pear tree.
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Quite the traveller then?

I heard Auschwitz is rather freeky. I have to say the Arc du Triumph is quite a sight if you can put up with all the traffic, that's the problem with Paris its seriously busy, and there are riots occasionally but not many recently. Plus they speak a different language which may cause problems if you haven't learnt French.

I would stay in England if your group lets you, mind that's my opinion many people like Paris and with good reason.
 
I have freedom to do whatever I want really. I think I'm mostly going to stay in the UK.
 
Stevisiov90
Quite the traveller then?
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Well ya... if you're gonna be over there anyway, why not see as much as you can, who knows when (or if) you'll be back.

If possible go to a taping of Top Gear, and make sure you're standing in the front row wearing a GTPlanet T-shirt!

You'll have a hell of a time no matter what though!
 
Been into the Bodleian? I was there last week and they were filming for that Philip Pullman book.

You're room looks a million times better than what we had in St Hughes. All those looking to go to Oxford, beware of the Kenyon building when it comes to accomodation.
 
I haven't really been anywhere yet, just the pub where Tolkin and Lewis hung out in. I'm going to go for a walk in a bit.
 

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