The Holidays Thread

[Martino Knockavelli]

I want to go on holiday with Carel.

Got a spare bed in Bordeaux in mid June, afaik. Holla at me.

 

[Techno Natch]

Off to Berlin in two weeks, anything/anywhere anyone would reccomend doing/seeing apart from the obvious?

Suicide Circus So much to do in Berlin though. Not a fan of tours normally but the alternative tour was really good and we found some good places to drink through that. I really like the area around suicide circus but they did get rid of the conveted bus with Karaoke porn which was a shame.

 

[Mustard]

Tresor was good when I was there too. Didn't get a chance to go to Berghain but it can be a bitch to get into, luckily Tresor/SC are both near.

Also bear in mind if you plan to go up the Reichstag you have to book in advance.

 

[SUTSS]

There are some good places in East Berlin that aren't as well marked on the tourist map as they should be. If you have an interest in the wars then there is a great little museum in Karlshorst which focuses on the Russian side. It had just been redone when I went there last year and I found it very interesting. It is only small but you could spend hours in there. If you do try and find it you will think you're lost though. I found the road it was on and set off down it and it was just houses and the road was very long but it is there at the end there is just no signposts to reassure you that you're on the right path. (http://www.museum-karlshorst.de/en.html)

There is also the memorial at Treptower Park. It's a lovely park anyway and then you get to the memorial and it is pretty awe inspiring. Which was the idea as it was built to celebrate Soviet strength as much as remember the dead. There is also a few other Soviet memorials/statues doted around the East as well.

You can also go on a Trabant safari around the city which looked really interesting but out of my price range so I settled for looking at them in the museum.

Currywurst is obviously something that you try when you go to Berlin but you should also try a Turkish Pizza from one of the many kebab shops round the city.

 

[Techno Natch]

Tresor was good when I was there too. Didn't get a chance to go to Berghain but it can be a bitch to get into, luckily Tresor/SC are both near.

Also bare in mind if you plan to go up the Reichstag you have to book in advance.

Trick with Berghain is to go around 9am on Sunday morning. Don't make it the whole point of your night and just have it as a treat.

Treptower is really nice as Sutts said and also there is a prison in East Germany that the Russians used which is pretty good.

 

[Rammy]

Off to Berlin in two weeks, anything/anywhere anyone would reccomend doing/seeing apart from the obvious?

Go out to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp if you have time. It's in a small town just outside of Berlin, which is easily accessible by train.

Words can't even begin to describe the feeling you have whilst walking round the place. You can read about them, but until you see the sheer scale of it, you're stood where all those innocent people were killed, or sat in their living quarters, you have no idea just how horrific these places were.

Definitely glad we had the time to go out there.

 

[Rammy]

Trick with Berghain is to go around 9am on Sunday morning. Don't make it the whole point of your night and just have it as a treat.

Treptower is really nice as Sutts said and also there is a prison in East Germany that the Russians used which is pretty good.

We were going to go out to that prison, but didn't have the time. It was between that and Sachsenhausen on the last day. Most certainly made the correct decision.

 

[Techno Natch]

We were going to go out to that prSachsenhausenachsenhausenson, but didn't have the time. It was between that and Sachsenhausen on the last day. Most certainly made the correct decision.

Yeah the prision was okay but mainly because of our guide. I plan to go to sachsenhausen in July.

 

[Conker]

Going Ayia Napa end of june on a 'lads holiday'

I'm led to believe it's not quite the shithole compared to the likes of Maga?

Been Cyprus before but only on family holidays, enjoyed Nicosia and a boat trip to see Famagusta but never been to Ayia Napa.

 

[mistermagic]

Off to Berlin in two weeks, anything/anywhere anyone would reccomend doing/seeing apart from the obvious?

Union Berlin's ground. Good.

And stay away from them needles.

 

[SUTSS]

I went to Union Berlin v Koln and it was fantastic.

 

[Luke_1884]

Thanks for the idea's lads.

I'm only there Fri-Mon so will cram in as much as possible. Union Berlin are away unfortunately too!

 

[Techno Natch]

Every time I go away the teams in the City either seem to be having a week off or are playing away.

 

[BlueBee]

Going Ayia Napa end of june on a 'lads holiday'

I'm led to believe it's not quite the shithole compared to the likes of Maga?

Been Cyprus before but only on family holidays, enjoyed Nicosia and a boat trip to see Famagusta but never been to Ayia Napa.

It will be a shit hole.

 

[mistermagic]

Thanks for the idea's lads.

I'm only there Fri-Mon so will cram in as much as possible. Union Berlin are away unfortunately too!

Hertha will be at home then hopefully. Can't say much about the Olympiastadion as I walked around it but didn't go to a game. Seems great but I reckon the ground is too big for small Hertha Bsc.

 

[Smudge]

Im going to New York for a week in June and we're just reaching the stage where I starting to plan where exactly I want to go, as there is so much, theres no chance Ill be able to do it all. Definitely doing a baseball game (have decided to do the Mets rather than Yankees) going to Ellis Island (though less interested in Liberty Island) staying in Brooklyn so having a day there, Prospect Park, Coney Island, walking across the Brooklyyn Bridge etc. and obviously plenty of sight seeing. Has anybody been before and can recommend anything outside the obvious? Or any of the big name attractions that I just afford to miss?

Off to Berlin in two weeks, anything/anywhere anyone would reccomend doing/seeing apart from the obvious?

I did the tour at The Olimpiastadion when I was over there for the Wolfsburg game in November. Even if Hertha arent playing, I would recommend the tour. Didnt cost a lot, and there is a lot of history on site, as obviously it was built for the 1936 Olympics. Lots of artifacts there and statues, you can walk pretty much freely all around the inside of the stadium, and then pay a bit more to go up the tower overlooking the former track on the far side. Would have loved to have seen a game there if I could have so Ill have to go back at some point!

The Berlin Wall museum is well worth a look too. We stayed at the bottom of the street where the wall used to be, loads on the street along where it ran then a little indoor museum at the end where you can overlook a section of the wall that has been preserved as the whole lot looked at the time.

 

[Rammy]

Im going to New York for a week in June and we're just reaching the stage where I starting to plan where exactly I want to go, as there is so much, theres no chance Ill be able to do it all. Definitely doing a baseball game (have decided to do the Mets rather than Yankees) going to Ellis Island (though less interested in Liberty Island) staying in Brooklyn so having a day there, Prospect Park, Coney Island, walking across the Brooklyyn Bridge etc. and obviously plenty of sight seeing. Has anybody been before and can recommend anything outside the obvious? Or any of the big name attractions that I just afford to miss?

We went to see the Mets too, but that was only because the Yankees were away. Ellis Island is brilliant and definitely something you need to do. Go to the top of the Statue of Liberty if you can (has to be booked in advance). They closed it for a while, but I think it's open again now. Bit of a climb, but well worth it for the view.

We went up the Empire State Building at night, and Top of the Rock in the daytime. Well worth doing that IMO.

Go to Grand Central Station, to the basement, and buy a cheesecake from Juniors. They're amazing!

 

[SUTSS]

Another little museum in Berlin worth a visit is the Markisches Museum. Not everything in there has been translated into English, or at least hadn't been when I went last year, but it had a lot of interesting stuff about the city. The old boy who was the guide in the childhood section was very eager to practice his english when I went there (also I went in as they opened in the morning and didn't see a single other person who wasn't staff as I walked around so he might have just been bored). The park that it is situated in has a couple of bears as well.

 

[Smudge]

We went to see the Mets too, but that was only because the Yankees were away. Ellis Island is brilliant and definitely something you need to do. Go to the top of the Statue of Liberty if you can (has to be booked in advance). They closed it for a while, but I think it's open again now. Bit of a climb, but well worth it for the view.

We went up the Empire State Building at night, and Top of the Rock in the daytime. Well worth doing that IMO.

Go to Grand Central Station, to the basement, and buy a cheesecake from Juniors. They're amazing!

Grand Central is on my mum's side of the must do list so thats on there!

I was thinking I want to do one of these high up ones, the One World Trade Observartory opens the week before I go, so was thinking of that maybe instead of Empire State or Top of the Rock. Want to do one of them, just not fully decided on which one yet! They're all a similar price too, so thats not really a helpful deal breaker!

 

[MSB92]

Im going to New York for a week in June and we're just reaching the stage where I starting to plan where exactly I want to go, as there is so much, theres no chance Ill be able to do it all. Definitely doing a baseball game (have decided to do the Mets rather than Yankees) going to Ellis Island (though less interested in Liberty Island) staying in Brooklyn so having a day there, Prospect Park, Coney Island, walking across the Brooklyyn Bridge etc. and obviously plenty of sight seeing. Has anybody been before and can recommend anything outside the obvious? Or any of the big name attractions that I just afford to miss?

Don't miss the Blue Man Group if the have a show that time, it's a pretty entertaining and funny show. Try to get front row seats though. http://www.blueman.com/ That's their website.
One of my favorite restaurants in New York is the Food Hall in the Plaza Hotel. There's also a place called the Clinton Street Baking Co. which is a pretty good breakfast place, although they have a huge wait on busy days. https://clintonstreetbaking.com/ Finally, there's a pretty good Yemeni restaurant in Brooklyn, the place is one of my favorite places in Brooklyn, it's a small place but the food is really good. http://www.yemencafe.com/ I recommend that you get the lamb Haneeth and the lamb Fahsah, pretty good dishes. I'm really hungry so I'm only thinking about food right now

 

[Smudge]

Don't miss the Blue Man Group if the have a show that time, it's a pretty entertaining and funny show. Try to get front row seats though. http://www.blueman.com/ That's their website.
One of my favorite restaurants in New York is the Food Hall in the Plaza Hotel. There's also a place called the Clinton Street Baking Co. which is a pretty good breakfast place, although they have a huge wait on busy days. https://clintonstreetbaking.com/ Finally, there's a pretty good Yemeni restaurant in Brooklyn, the place is one of my favorite places in Brooklyn, it's a small place but the food is really good. http://www.yemencafe.com/ I recommend that you get the lamb Haneeth and the lamb Fahsah, pretty good dishes. I'm really hungry so I'm only thinking about food right now

Just had a look on that Yemen Cafe's website, now that looks good! The Downtown one isnt that far from where we're staying either, so already got my eye on that for the day we land, as by the time we do land, we will probably be too tired to venture too far, rather have a decent sleep then start the big stuff the next morning.

Had a good sit down with my mum tonight and we've had a good look at how we're planning the days and what we've got to leave out. We've now got a plan for what we're going to do each day, but not concrete with which days we're doing them, so we can still move around which day we go where based on weather, cost, how busy it will be etc.

Midtown and Central Park will be 2 all dayers on their own. So much to see and do, you need a full day for each. Had the talk about which of the places we want to 'go up,' and settled on the Empire State Building. Has to be done really, and as a bonus, you can book online without having to pick a day or time so thats good.
Day three plan, there is a great route walking through Brooklyn from our hotel that takes in Prospect Park, the Flea Market, Grand Army Plaza, Barclay Center, Brooklyn Heights Promenade, then a walk over Brooklyn Bridge. Coupled that in with finishing off the afternoon/ evening in Chinatown.
Day four plan, Ellis Island in the morning, spend a day at leisure there and Liberty Island, then the baseball in the evening. The baseball starts around 7pm, so gives us time to not have to rush around at Ellis Island during the day, and gives us time enough to have something to eat etc rather than rushing straight to Queens.
Day five plan, Staten Island Ferry in the morning, with a little look around St George, then a little bit around the Financial District, before going up to Greenwich/ Union Square for the rest of the day.
The day we go home, we fly quite late in the evening, think it 10pm. So thought we would do the Museum of City of New York, as its something you can either spend all day without having to rush around, but still close enough to other attractions that if we are a bit early, we are still close enough to find something else.

Still room for one day to plan looking at that!

 

[Oaf]

Wow, look at you with all of your planned out days I spent my 22 nights on the west coast making most of it up as we went along! I mean, I had a few things booked of course for certain days, and I did make some attempts to plan out some days... but I generally find that it's difficult. A lot of the time, for example, you'll plan to spend 6 hours at X location but find it to be a bit shit, so want to leave after like an hour... and likewise, you could plan to spend an hour at a place but end up spending a day there. Having a planned out schedule is great and all, but don't feel too restricted when trying to stick to it, just do what you want!

Also, I may be stating the obvious here, but you've checked out tripadvisor, right? That site is a god send when it comes to planning holiday stuff. Check this out (if you've not done so already):

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attractions-g60763-Activities-New_York_City_New_York.html.

Things to do in New York ranked on how awesome they are, usually tends to get it pretty spot on and may give you good ideas for things to do that you'd otherwise never even knew existed. Also, it's fantastic for finding places to eat. A highly rated place on TA is rarely disappointing

 

[Smudge]

Wow, look at you with all of your planned out days I spent my 22 nights on the west coast making most of it up as we went along! I mean, I had a few things booked of course for certain days, and I did make some attempts to plan out some days... but I generally find that it's difficult. A lot of the time, for example, you'll plan to spend 6 hours at X location but find it to be a bit shit, so want to leave after like an hour... and likewise, you could plan to spend an hour at a place but end up spending a day there. Having a planned out schedule is great and all, but don't feel too restricted when trying to stick to it, just do what you want!

If we had longer, I wouldnt feel so pressured to make a plan. But with it only being 7 days, I dont want to leave out anything I really want to do! Im quite organised when it comes to trips anywhere too, so Ive deliberately tried to put places together that will mean we dont have to rush. The walk through Brooklyn and over the Bridge for example, can take around 2-3 hours if we're rushing, but then Ive put it in with something that if we do want to stop a few times and it ends up taking 6 hours, there is still plenty of time for the second half of the day.

I havent checked Trip Advisor but I will thanks. Ive been using one called Fodors which is okay.

 

[The Alex]

Going Ayia Napa end of june on a 'lads holiday'

I'm led to believe it's not quite the shithole compared to the likes of Maga?

Been Cyprus before but only on family holidays, enjoyed Nicosia and a boat trip to see Famagusta but never been to Ayia Napa.

Been to Napa and Maga, Maga definitely more of a shit hole but much more fun

 

[MSB92]

If we had longer, I wouldnt feel so pressured to make a plan. But with it only being 7 days, I dont want to leave out anything I really want to do! Im quite organised when it comes to trips anywhere too, so Ive deliberately tried to put places together that will mean we dont have to rush. The walk through Brooklyn and over the Bridge for example, can take around 2-3 hours if we're rushing, but then Ive put it in with something that if we do want to stop a few times and it ends up taking 6 hours, there is still plenty of time for the second half of the day.

I havent checked Trip Advisor but I will thanks. Ive been using one called Fodors which is okay.

Check out Yelp. It's a good app for restaurant ratings. Are you only visiting NY while you're in the states?

 

[Smudge]

Check out Yelp. It's a good app for restaurant ratings. Are you only visiting NY while you're in the states?

Yeah, only there for a week. Would be amazing to see more, there are about a million places in the US Id love to go, but would have to save that for another time (and give me time to save up! Been saving for this one for about 2 years!)

 

[KevinMcallister]

I've just got back from 2 weeks in Georgia and Texas
mainly watching baseball and discovering ridiculous food everywhere i went

 

[MSB92]

I've just got back from 2 weeks in Georgia and Texas
mainly watching baseball and discovering ridiculous food everywhere i went

Always wanted to go to Texas and Georgia. Do you recommend going there?

 

[KevinMcallister]

Always wanted to go to Texas and Georgia. Do you recommend going there?

not Georgia, i only went to go see a few baseball games, TEXAS is so friendly, definately recommend there if you love food, i visited a few places like Houston and Dallas, massive massive place though

 

[MSB92]

not Georgia, i only went to go see a few baseball games, TEXAS is so friendly, definately recommend there if you love food, i visited a few places like Houston and Dallas, massive massive place though

I'm a huge fan of food. I have a friend who lives in Houston and he says that the food in Texas is on another level. It's definitely on my to do list. I heard Austin is a great place as well.