Lessons learned from our Adventure!!

[k5jm]

There is also an amazing series on Netflix called "The Tower" . It is documentary series.

 

[LionKingRules84]

Thanks so much this is truly the most helpful thread ever!!!

Kevin: I remember you mentioned Samantha Brown on the podcast but didn't think to check her on Netflix! They have her to rent but nothing streaming.

I'm and huge fan of Anthony Bourdain, mostly because he has my dry, sarcastic and cynical sense of humor plus he always visits places most others don't. No one should watch his shows that doesn't want to know where your food comes from. Call me strange but I actually have a greater respect for what I eat from his shows. His last episode he did on Paris was great! I plan on visiting 'Rue Mouffetard' because of that episode.

I like the travel shows on my local channel 12 here Rick Steve's is among them. I concur with the 'putting you to sleep' I found a podcast of his and his podcast actually did put me to sleep and there's not much that can do that! I think it's his voice that does it. I like him because he seems to always know of every art museum in every European country and I happen to like to know that I'm a sucker for art. I had to take Art History in College and I feel in love with those classes and art after taking them. Even Modern Art which never interested me till I took those classes(I had some great teachers one actually was French). I've been wanting to visit the Louvre again since College since I actually have an understanding of a good amount of what they have. Plus I love learning new things about art.

Kevin&Christy : I'll have to dig on the net for some blogs then never thought of doing that either.

I just got a Kindle for Christmas and have been contemplating whether I should buy the book or Kindle version. I only have a Kindle Touch though so if there are any color pages they come up as black and white.

jessrose18: Thanks for the universal hairdryer tip! I actually need a new one since my nice travel size hair dryer broke recently.

k5jmh: I saw that series listed on Netflix for Streaming. I haven't gotten around to watching it yet though.

Thanks again for all the tips, keep them coming they are truly helpful!

 

[DisneyKevin]

There is also an amazing series on Netflix called "The Tower" . It is documentary series.

k5jmh: I saw that series listed on Netflix for Streaming. I haven't gotten around to watching it yet though.

Each episode is approximately 80 hours long....or maybe that's just how it feels.

On top of that, the series starts in 1100 or something like that.

"In this first episode, we'll cover 1100 to 1103."

I started to count my teeth about 40 minutes in.

I kept thinking of all of the useful things I could be doing.

You have been warned.

This is like watching paint dry. No, that's not fair. Drying paint makes this sucker look interesting.

 

[k5jm]

I still hear the hideous music from that show in my nightmares.

 

[sayhello]

jessrose18: Thanks for the universal hairdryer tip! I actually need a new one since my nice travel size hair dryer broke recently.

I can't vouch for the Foxhills Hotel, because it's new this year, but all the other hotels had hairdryers in the room, and they worked just fine for me (and I have a lot of very thick hair). I didn't bring a blow dryer, and didn't miss it. Although the one at the Disneyland Hotel was a bit of a challenge... I bought & brought a travel flat iron, and found it totally inadequate to do anything with my hair. I ended up buying a new full-sized one at Harrod's.

Sayhello

 

[k5jm]

And, Harrods does take US Bank and Credit Cards. No need for British £'s at Harrods. Several other places accepted US cards as well.

 

[Sarabi's Cubs]

Ahem, Kevin!!!! SOME of us out here LIKED "The Tower". To each his own!! Keep bashing it and I'm sending you a copy of David Starkey's "The Monarchy", which I also thoroughly enjoyed and which is about 100 hours long.

Laurie

 

[DisneyKevin]

Ahem, Kevin!!!! SOME of us out here LIKED "The Tower". To each his own!! Keep bashing it and I'm sending you a copy of David Starkey's "The Monarchy", which I also thoroughly enjoyed and which is about 100 hours long.

Laurie

"In 1103, they realized that you'd get a better result if you stacked the stone block."

"In 1104 they swept the tower with brooms made of straw."

"In 1105 nothing interesting happened."

"In 1106....ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

 

[LionKingRules84]

I can't vouch for the Foxhills Hotel, because it's new this year, but all the other hotels had hairdryers in the room, and they worked just fine for me (and I have a lot of very thick hair). I didn't bring a blow dryer, and didn't miss it. Although the one at the Disneyland Hotel was a bit of a challenge... I bought & brought a travel flat iron, and found it totally inadequate to do anything with my hair. I ended up buying a new full-sized one at Harrod's.

Sayhello

Thanks for this I forgot to ask if the hotel rooms had hairdryers or not. A lot of the times the hairdryers are kind of whimpy though and I have long thick hair and most hair dryers can't completely dry my hair. I'll probably end up doing my hair on the bus after waiting for it to dry enough to put up properly. The one I had that broke was more powerful than most hotel hairdryers but I'm sure with my laziness I'll probably end up using whatever they have at the Hotels.

at Kevin and k5jmh! The Tower series sounds great!

jessrose18: Thanks for the suggestion on DLRP site it's getting me extremely excited to visit Disney Land Paris! I've been so excited to go to Europe again I almost forgot the major highlight of this particular trip.

 

[jessrose18]

Also check out dlrpmagic site good tips, and restaurant menus and ride descriptions. I did pick up the unofficial guide to disneyland paris from amazon as well, good book, but no 20th anniv stuff, which looks so exciting!! Rewatched some episodes of The Tudors last night on streaming netflix, if you are interested in Henry VIII make sure to watch this series!

 

[LionKingRules84]

Finally got my Samantha Brown rentals from Netflix and her shows are a great resource! Her weekend episode for London was great! Didn't even know of the Camden Market! Reminds me so much of local South Street in Philadelphia, although hopefully less trashy but we will see.

 

[SingingMom]

How terrible is it of me that we leave in less than three weeks and I haven't even opened my Frommer's guides yet?!? I'm thinking 8 hours on a plane will take care of the reading, but I really wasn't "planning" anything more than a very few things - looking at the City of Knights & Lights itinerary, it didn't seem like there was all that much "free time on your own" to really get much in, anyway.., or am I really super behind in my planning? (I don't want to have a wish list, and then realize there isn't time for it... we're sort of content to let the guides show us the way for our first "European Adventure" )

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

And, Harrods does take US Bank and Credit Cards. No need for British £'s at Harrods. Several other places accepted US cards as well.

Every place in Europe which accepts debit or credit cards accepts cards from the US. The only problem you may encounter is trying to use such a card in a machine (such as at a train station) which only accepts cards with a chip and pin, which most US cards don't have. Sometimes you will also have to hand your card to a cashier rather than running it through a reader yourself due to the lack of the chip.

You also need to make sure that your debit card has a 4 digit pin if you want to use an ATM.

 

[k5jm]

I know they will accept debit and CC cards, but Harrods, since the have a presence in the US, can charge in US dollars with no currency exchange fees. Kept me from having to using my chip and pin debit card.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I know they will accept debit and CC cards, but Harrods, since the have a presence in the US, can charge in US dollars with no currency exchange fees. Kept me from having to using my chip and pin debit card.

I wonder how favorable their exchange rate is? I have had cashiers in a number of countries (France, Italy, etc.) ask me if I wanted to charge my purchase in dollars or in the local currency. I don't think they need a presence in the US to do this. I always chose local currency as I don't trust the store exchange rate.

There are US credit cards which do not charge you currency exchange fees; Capital One is one of them. I try to use this card when traveling overseas.

 

[DisneyKevin]

I wonder how favorable their exchange rate is? I have had cashiers in a number of countries (France, Italy, etc.) ask me if I wanted to charge my purchase in dollars or in the local currency. I don't think they need a presence in the US to do this. I always chose local currency as I don't trust the store exchange rate.

There are US credit cards which do not charge you currency exchange fees; Capital One is one of them. I try to use this card when traveling overseas.

I was asked this in Harrod's, when buying a pair of sunglasses.

These are sold in the states and are never "on sale".

Using a Capital One Visa, they were almost $100 less then they are here in the states.

 

[jessrose18]

Just returned from London/Paris. We never had a issue with our non chip cc. I did go to the ticket window at train station though because I heard it might be an issue in London. We used our disney visa for a lot of purchases and the exchange rate they charged was always the posted rate for the day, as well as a 3% foreign exchange fee. So for every "sale" on my statement I have a "fee". For example 20 pounds charged, was 1.61 to the dollar so $32.20 plus a fee of .97. We also took out cash twice in each country as to not have too much left over and used cash for food and for museum fees i knew ahead of time. TCF bank charged me $5 foreign atm fee everytime I took out cash as well as 3% fee on cash taken out as well. So, in hindsite getting a capital one card would have saved me some money

ps. we had a wonderful trip, a highlight was the new Disney Dreams show at DLRP Wow Amazing!!!!!!

 

[LionKingRules84]

Since it doesn't seem to have been mentioned I've been watching Rudy Maxa's 'Europe to the Max' and while some of the ones I've rented are a bit old(about 8 for the England one) he visits places that neither Rick Steves or Samantha Brown visit. Thought I would recommend that in case anyone needs some ideas for either England or France.

I seriously could spend years going to either country several times, I especially am fascinated by France the most though.

 

[jessrose18]

I have also seen rudy maxa's videos, from the library. He comes into my restaurant that I work at a lot and I always want to tell him about my travels and discuss european traveling, but I chicken out! (his hometown is in st.paul, mn so I see him a lot!) He's a great guy.

 

[mattincanberra]

I wonder how favorable their exchange rate is? I have had cashiers in a number of countries (France, Italy, etc.) ask me if I wanted to charge my purchase in dollars or in the local currency. I don't think they need a presence in the US to do this. I always chose local currency as I don't trust the store exchange rate.

There are US credit cards which do not charge you currency exchange fees; Capital One is one of them. I try to use this card when traveling overseas.

In my experience you never do better selecting the home currency in these situations - the currency conversion is effectively an "up-sell", it just isn't disclosed as such, it's offered as a "convenience".

On the Chip and Pin thing, the various merchant agreements require that stores accept mag-stripe only cards from overseas cardholders, however most store clerks have been trained only to accept chip and pin. This is of course not an issue in places frequented by tourists, but if you are on your own and outside the centre of London things can go wrong.

I was once in need of an emergency Tuxedo in Windsor (long complicated story), and found one in a menswear store, flat out refused to accept a swipe card even if it meant loosing a reasonably sized sale - most common place I have been refused service because of lack of chip-and-pin cards has been in suburban independent 7-11 style corner stores.

Matt