Suggestions about France/Italy from you worldly travelers?

Glad to hear you are extending. Don't be concerned about being clueless, it's not hard to get around over there, and if you get one of the Frommer or other guide books for Europe you'll get the high points and then have time to do some things you want on your own.

I'm not a fan of the guided tours because they are rather restrictive. Just rent a car and go your own way.

http://www.frommers.com/destinations/europe/

Call around to Half Price books and find a year old book or two. Do some reading, figure out what you want to see, and go for it. Two weeks is still not a lot of time. I'd do the circle from Paris up into Amsterdam, then down the Rhine and across to Munich(check the Engineering museum, it's amazing), then into the German Alps to Neushwanstein, and maybe Zurich then back up to Paris.
 
bbchien said:
OH. Diana, and Tom. You have GOT to do Italy tour of Cathedrals. San Simeon, St. Sabastian, San Giovanni, St. Peter's. No I'm not catholic. The Cathedral of Milan. All were built.....by hand. Amazing. The Franciscans were sparse. The Dominicans live in luxury.....

The Uffizi in Florence.
The Pitti palace.
Palazza Vecchio
Michelangelo's David
The michelango "Wives of Guilano d'Medici" sculpture-

Yeah, you have to see the Forums and Pantheon, the Trevi fountain, the Spanish Steps, Hadrian's circus, and all that. The Isle of Capri and the Ducal Palace in Venice....

I wouldn't bother with Napoli. The mobs of kids will strip you bare. Unchanged since 1974.

It's time. It's NOW.
Click to expand...

These are all amazing places, but there are a few places I would see before them, for the sheer uniqueness:

San Petronio in Bologna. There isn't a church in Italy that can make you feel any smaller or insignificant (due to the complete lack of ornamentation on the exterior or interior).

Duomo di Siena, in Siena. Siena is, for me, the most amazing city in Tuscany, even beating out Florence. The duomo is not only unique for the amazing façade, which features the various patriarchs in far more interactive poses than you will see elsewhere in Italy. The Gothic architecture is simply amazing, and the partially-finished new apse (which would have turned the main duomo apse into the transcept) its awe inspiring to see.

Sainte-Chapelle in Paris. I turned the corner from the narrow stone stairs early on a crystal clear February morning and was stopped, awestruck, in my tracks by the brilliant scene before me.

The Accademia Galleria in Florence hosts the original David, but more noteworthy are the unfinished works of Michelangelo that line the hall leading up to the David. Also, Giambologna's "Rape of the Sabine Women", to me one of the most beautiful and amazing sculptures of the Renaissance.

I personally prefer the Italian countryside to the French, but I am not as well traveled down south as Beth is. Driving around the Italian countryside, specially the run from the Cinque Terre to Tuscany and Chinati, is one of life's true traveling delights. Especially when the day ends with cinghiale alla cacciatore (Wild boar hunters stew) in Siena, or Bistecca all Fiorentina at a small restaurant outside of Florence.

Enjoy your trip!

Cheers,

-Andrew
 
I have some seasoned traveler friends who have been on half a dozen Rick Steves tours and love them - they are going on another one this spring.

His guides are fine - basic info, but for first timers, you need that.

I like his luggage a lot.
 
docmirror said:
Glad to hear you are extending. Don't be concerned about being clueless, it's not hard to get around over there, and if you get one of the Frommer or other guide books for Europe you'll get the high points and then have time to do some things you want on your own.

I'm not a fan of the guided tours because they are rather restrictive. Just rent a car and go your own way.

http://www.frommers.com/destinations/europe/

Call around to Half Price books and find a year old book or two. Do some reading, figure out what you want to see, and go for it. Two weeks is still not a lot of time. I'd do the circle from Paris up into Amsterdam, then down the Rhine and across to Munich(check the Engineering museum, it's amazing), then into the German Alps to Neushwanstein, and maybe Zurich then back up to Paris.
Click to expand...

HerrGruyere said:
I just remembered to not get anything by Rick Steve's. I never really liked his guide style.

YMMV
Click to expand...

woodstock said:
I have some seasoned traveler friends who have been on half a dozen Rick Steves tours and love them - they are going on another one this spring.

His guides are fine - basic info, but for first timers, you need that.

I like his luggage a lot.
Click to expand...

I was going to recommend Rick Steves' books. We've been using them for trips to Europe for the past 22 years and he has yet to stear us wrong. For first timers they are priceless.
 
I dunno. I think I just didn't like him for some reason. Then again, I wanted to go off the beaten trail, which his books aren't really good for. I felt like he kept guiding me toward something that is fairly touristy.
 
Rick Steves is "controversial" because he is geared towards showing people "don't be afraid to go to Europe on your own" and as a result, people who aren't newbies to Europe might find him more basic.

My first "solo with a backpack and Eurail pass", 20+ years ago, was done entirely with Rick Steves "Europe through the Back Door" book and no other guidebooks. I had been to Europe a number of times before that trip, but this was my first "it's just me and my backpack (and this jar of nutella)".

What he tends to do is distill the huge amounts of Europe info into "you should see this, this and this". For newbies, that can be reassuring. There is a reason the big sights are so popular and good for first timers - they are the "must sees" when you haven't been there before. Are they beaten path? Well, not anymore - although 20+ years ago when he helped start the "DIY travel" movement, they would have been somewhat more so (for Americans at least).

I usually consult his books if someplace is new for me (for instance, Norway in 2011). Or even if it's someplace I've visited several times - just to be comprehensive. More info isn't a bad thing. You learn what to filter out with practice.
 
HerrGruyere said:
Then again, I wanted to go off the beaten trail, which his books aren't really good for. I felt like he kept guiding me toward something that is fairly touristy.
Click to expand...
First of all it is difficult to go off "beaten trail" in Europe these days, everything is fairly congested (specially in summer) and have been "beaten" to death by now millions of times. But it would be difficult to say to ask somebody go to Venice but yet ask him to steer clear of St.Mark's square. And when Rick sends you say in France towards the Cluny monastery or in Italy towards the Cinque Terre that is fairly "off beaten" path in my books. In my opinion he has the right balance of what is worthwhile to see yet avoiding staying in Holiday Inns. Would you send somebody on their first trip to Italy with warnings - make sure you do NOT see Vatican, Forum Romanum or Via Appia??
If I really want to get "lost" and be "off beaten trail" I pick places in the US ...
 
Last edited:
Hahaha well I'm not going to tell someone who has never visited Europe to not use him. I meant for me. I had lived in Europe for six months when I looked at his books. I consulted his books, but I just found them boring. Maybe I just didn't like his glasses. He was kind of a running joke with my buddies over there.

I agree: for a first timer, he is helpful. Really helpful. For someone more seasoned, he might be a little boring.

When I travel, I like to see a little of what you "should" see, like major monuments and stuff. I also like to experience the country with a local. I prefer to go to a local, unpopular restaurant or try to talk to some of the people who consider my vacation their home.
 
Rick Steve's is OK for a first-timer, I like some of the Eyewitness books, too.

Fodors tend to be a little dense - there's often good info, but way too much of it - you'd rather be out exploring and seeing sights than reading.

I avoid Frommer's ever since Arthur Frommer turned into a fanboy for some of the most objectionable TSA practices & urged his disciples to become fanboys.

Diana, given that you're planning to extend your stay, my advice would be to hit 2-3 larger cities of interest (say, Rome and Venice and maybe Sienna) and find good local tours in each place. Avoid the Gray Line/Perillo/US-packaged tour operatore.... you'll spend more time riding and be herded through the sites, and you'll get exactly zero local flavor. I think Rick Steve's sponsors some local tours, and many of the travel boards can offer suggestions of good local travel guides to use. You want to AVOID the ones that will take you to see a couple of sights and then insist on taking you to a carpet/olive/perfume/jade/jewelry factory/etc where there is a strong sales pitch for overpriced tourist trinkets (and the tour operator gets a kickback of the sales).

(When I went to Beijing recently, the hotel was pushing Gray Line tours to the Great Wall... those included a stop at the Jade Factory and a "chinese restaurant" or "tea room".... I chose, instead, to hire a local driver to take me to a less trafficed/less touristy section of the wall & got a box lunch from the hotel. About the same price.)
 
We're looking for something a little different. We want to go to Italy this fall (late Sept., early Oct.) and stay in one or two small towns and become, in Rick Steves' words, "temporary locals." We've been to Rome, Florence, Naples, Pisa and the Amalfi coast, and this time would rather hang out on our own away from the tourists. We both speak a little Italian and are working with a tutor to get more proficient so we won't have to rely on English.

We'd like something of historic and/or scenic interest, where we can get to and from by train and then walk around. If we can avoid it we'd rather not rent a car.

We presume at that time of year we'd have to focus on the southern half of the country, for better weather.

Anybody have suggestions for small towns that fit this description?
 
Have you been to Orvieto? You would have tourists though.

How about Assisi?

Any place you go that isn't very big would require a car, I'd think.

If you have not been to Venice, that would definitely hold your interest for a week. Plus the outlying islands, and if you really want, Verona.

No need for a car at all.
 
Pilawt said:
Thanks. Those are among the places that interest us.
Click to expand...

Venice in Sept/Oct would still be decent weather. Highly recommend it. Will certainly hold your interest for a week, especially if you did the islands nearby and Verona for a day.
 
The "Hill Towns" are a great visit. I took the train through them when I only had a few days. Did lunch and wandered around in one then on the the next one for dinner and the night. Same thing for 3 days. Really nice part of the country and the food is excellent, as usual, but some special local pastas and meat dishes. Mostly small and historic little places like Assisi, Perugia and Siena.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCUPxEFc8fw
http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/destinations/italy/ctlitaly_hilltowns.htm
http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/destinations/italy/hilltowns.htm

Have fun!
 
Last edited:
Do they have tornadoes in France and northern Italy in early May?
 
Diana said:
Do they have tornadoes in France and northern Italy in early May?
Click to expand...
They do (often very weak ones) but probability is so low I would not even consider it for 1/100 sec in my vacation planning. Frankly you are probably 10 times more likely of getting robbed or .. groped. :wink2:
 
Last edited:
Pilawt said:
We're looking for something a little different. We want to go to Italy this fall (late Sept., early Oct.) and stay in one or two small towns and become, in Rick Steves' words, "temporary locals." We've been to Rome, Florence, Naples, Pisa and the Amalfi coast, and this time would rather hang out on our own away from the tourists. We both speak a little Italian and are working with a tutor to get more proficient so we won't have to rely on English.

We'd like something of historic and/or scenic interest, where we can get to and from by train and then walk around. If we can avoid it we'd rather not rent a car.

We presume at that time of year we'd have to focus on the southern half of the country, for better weather.

Anybody have suggestions for small towns that fit this description?
Click to expand...

Lake Country. Bellagio. Como. Lago di Garda. Verona. Side trips to Milano
and Lugano.

Beautiful area. Nice folks.

I've found that i can 'be like a local' in most place in Italy by studying ahead, staying in small hotels, and asking the hotel staff about the local stuff. One great story was at Locanda Amarosa near Siena, I asked for dinner reservations at a wonderful local restaurant. Hotel front desk readily made reservations and commented that the restaurant was 'very special'. From that point on, I was treated like a local.
 
Thanks again, everyone for your advice. :) Especially Beth. :)

We have narrowed it down to May in Rome, Venice, with a brief stop at Assisi first, Florence, a brief stop at Pisa and Monte Carlo, Nice, a train ride to Paris. Staying two nights at each major city.

Is the Moulin Rouge worth the time and money?

Still have lots of questions...coming up.
 
Diana said:
Thanks again, everyone for your advice. :) Especially Beth. :)

We have narrowed it down to May in Rome, Venice, with a brief stop at Assisi first, Florence, a brief stop at Pisa and Monte Carlo, Nice, a train ride to Paris. Staying two nights at each major city.

Is the Moulin Rouge worth the time and money?
Click to expand...

Beth's helped you with a great itinerary. You'll enjoy (and may well want to go back).

In my personal opinion, if you mean the cabaret in Paris, I would find other thingst to do than visit the Moulin Rouge. Yes, it's famous, and lots of folks go there, but for a short visit in Paris I think a ride on Bateau Mouches or one of the other riverboats is more worthwhile - or visiting the observation deck on Montparnasse. But that's just me & my style.

A word of caution: the area around Montmarte (the area where Moulin Rouge is) is known for pickpockets and petty street crime - if you go there, really, truly be careful to the point of wearing pouches inside your clothing while carrying a little pocket cash.

Still have lots of questions...coming up.
Click to expand...

Fire away!
 
wsuffa said:
A word of caution: the area around Montmarte (the area where Moulin Rouge is) is known for pickpockets and petty street crime - if you go there, really, truly be careful to the point of wearing pouches inside your clothing while carrying a little pocket cash.
Click to expand...

Also, if you spend time in Montmarte, I would avoid eating in the area. I've yet to find a place that wasn't a total tourist trap. YMMV, though.

Cheers,

-Andrew
 
Bill is right, that district or arrondismont is a bit sketchy. You can drive by, or ride by on a tour bus but no reason to stop. Not far from there however is the church of the sacred heart(Sacre Cour). The area is overrun with so called 'starving artists' who are actually quite good. You can negotiate a decent price on a portrait, or 'portraiture a duel' with two people. The restaurants are low cost, and serve hearty if simple meals. Take the time to walk the steps up to the Sacre Cour on a clear day and you'll be rewarded with a grand view of much of Paris. Excellent picture taking area.

If you spend only one day in the Louvre, that's a shame but many people do just a day and hit the highlights. I was astounded by the compilation of Vermeer's they have, or maybe had. Incredible work with facial accuracy.

Another thing I found up there was the street crepe vendors. I could have gained 20 lbs on crepes. All kinds, with fresh fruit, choco, cinnamon, etc. I usually would get up in the morning and have a up of tea, then go out for a crepe on the street or in a small shop. Heaven and I don't know why we don't have them in larger US cities.

Nice also has some rough areas, so be careful of where you go. The bad parts used to be down by the quay, but now the money has moved in and the nasty spots are more inland. Watch your valuables there.

Rome is a cesspool. I went to see the historical stuff from ancient times, and a few museums then got out. Venice is much nicer overall.
 
Last edited:
Diana, so glad this is coming to fruition!

For your days in Paris, first time, stick near the river. 5-6-7 arrondissement on the Left Bank, 1-2-3-8-9 on the Right.

How many days in Paris and how many in Normandy?
 
docmirror said:
Bill is right, that district or arrondismont is a bit sketchy. You can drive by, or ride by on a tour bus but no reason to stop. Not far from there however is the church of the sacred heart(Sacre Cour). The area is overrun with so called 'starving artists' who are actually quite good. You can negotiate a decent price on a portrait, or 'portraiture a duel' with two people. The restaurants are low cost, and serve hearty if simple meals. Take the time to walk the steps up to the Sacre Cour on a clear day and you'll be rewarded with a grand view of much of Paris. Excellent picture taking area.

...


Another thing I found up there was the street crepe vendors. I could have gained 20 lbs on crepes. All kinds, with fresh fruit, choco, cinnamon, etc. I usually would get up in the morning and have a up of tea, then go out for a crepe on the street or in a small shop. Heaven and I don't know why we don't have them in larger US cities.
Click to expand...

Totally agree on both of the above--some of those artists are great, and I actually really wanted to buy one of the paintings, but I didn't have the cash on hand (no cards).

And the first time I went to France, I made it a mission to try out every crepe place I could find in hopes of finding the best, which I finally found in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, a little walled town in the same vicinity as Nice. I think you need a car to get to it, though.
 
woodstock said:
Diana, so glad this is coming to fruition!

For your days in Paris, first time, stick near the river. 5-6-7 arrondissement on the Left Bank, 1-2-3-8-9 on the Right.
Click to expand...
I'll look that up. Thanks. :)

woodstock said:
How many days in Paris and how many in Normandy?
Click to expand...
Only two days in Paris. We won't get to Normandy this trip, but hope to someday.

A question about the voltage converter. Someone loaned us a converter...it sure is heavy. There aren't any adapter plugs in the box. Do I need to get adapter plugs?
 
Last edited:
Diana said:
I'll look up that up. Thanks. :)


Only two days in Paris. We won't get to Normandy this trip, but hope to someday.

A question about the voltage converter. Someone loaned us a converter...it sure is heavy. There aren't any adapter plugs in the box. Do I need to get adapter plugs?
Click to expand...



What electronic products are you taking? Most things we use nowadays already have the converter built in. Laptops, cameras, cell phones, ipods, etc. All built in.

You only need a plug converter which weighs maybe an ounce, tops. Rick Steves' website has super cheap plug adapters. Buy a handful at at time, take several. They are somewhat easy to lose and if you take several you won't feel bad about lending them to people you are traveling with not to mention you will probably want to recharge everything each night and don't want to only have one adapter to charge one thing at at time (and if you only buy one, don't lend it out). Those buggers are somewhat hard to find believe it or not - especially on vacation.

Don't take a hairdryer - the hotels will have them. I'd suggest not taking an electric razor, either. I don't pack light in the way most people think of packing light but I don't take that kind of stuff either.
 
Diana said:
A question about the voltage converter. Someone loaned us a converter...it sure is heavy. There aren't any adapter plugs in the box. Do I need to get adapter plugs?
Click to expand...
As Beth said, you probably do not need a voltage converter, just plug adapters.

Look at what power supplies you are bringing. If it is anything Apple it is made to run on all voltages and line frequencies. Most other electronics are as well. You can check on the label. If you see something like 100-240VAC 50/60Hz that will run on all the Euro voltages.

This is the plug adapter you will need
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3932600&locale=en_US

If you cannot find them locally and do not want to order, you can also get them in most airports.
 
woodstock said:
What electronic products are you taking? Most things we use nowadays already have the converter built in. Laptops, cameras, cell phones, ipods, etc. All built in.

You only need a plug converter which weighs maybe an ounce, tops. Rick Steves' website has super cheap plug adapters. Buy a handful at at time, take several. They are somewhat easy to lose and if you take several you won't feel bad about lending them to people you are traveling with not to mention you will probably want to recharge everything each night and don't want to only have one adapter to charge one thing at at time (and if you only buy one, don't lend it out). Those buggers are somewhat hard to find believe it or not - especially on vacation.

Don't take a hairdryer - the hotels will have them. I'd suggest not taking an electric razor, either. I don't pack light in the way most people think of packing light but I don't take that kind of stuff either.
Click to expand...

ScottM said:
As Beth said, you probably do not need a voltage converter, just plug adapters.

Look at what power supplies you are bringing. If it is anything Apple it is made to run on all voltages and line frequencies. Most other electronics are as well. You can check on the label. If you see something like 100-240VAC 50/60Hz that will run on all the Euro voltages.

This is the plug adapter you will need
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3932600&locale=en_US

If you cannot find them locally and do not want to order, you can also get them in most airports.
Click to expand...

I'll pile on. Most cellphones (Android, Apple, Blackberry, etc) come with chargers that work on either US or Euro voltages. You can verify that by looking for the voltage label - the one I have in front of me at the moment reads "Input 100-240V ~ 50-60 Hz". US voltage is between 110 and 120, Euro is 220-240.... so the charger will work there. Same with my laptop computer & my cameras.

Some electric razors will work on 220/240, some will not - but most hotels will have a shaver adapter in the bathroom that will operate at 110. Electric shavers are fairly small & lightweight - if you're checking bags, it's really a non-issue (I don't check bags - everything I need I carry on).

Scott's got a good link to an outlet adapter. My favorite adapter (I'd love to get another one) came with a Philips electric razor about 15 years ago. It's small and compact yet is sturdy - I also had one like Scott linked to and the internal spring-clips bent rendering it unusable. Never had a problem at all with my little Philips adapter.... Buy several as Beth suggested - if one goes bad, you're still OK. (hint: many hotels have switches for each outlet for safety - you'll need to turn them on to use them).

Concur with Beth's suggestion - don't take a hair dryer. I've even seen curling irons in some hotels (not that I would use one....)

I'd leave the heavy adapter you were loaned at home.
 
wsuffa said:
A word of caution: the area around Montmarte (the area where Moulin Rouge is) is known for pickpockets and petty street crime - if you go there, really, truly be careful to the point of wearing pouches inside your clothing while carrying a little pocket cash.
Click to expand...

Before I say ditto, let me say that I greatly enjoyed Paris. I think it's a wonderful city and I'm very, very much looking forward to going back and seeing more of it. I loved just walking the streets and getting special treats like walking out into Place Vendome or rounding the corner on Rue de la Sorbonne and finding the "Fac" dorway from French in Action (Elle va a la fac!). I loved seeing the dancing Santa Clauses around the chirstmas tree in front of Notre Dame and that they randomly shut down the streets to let people ride bicycles in the summer. I think there really is something special about Sacre-Coeur. And yes, even though the French don't think much of it, I liked the inverted pyramid at the Louvre.

But there are issues to be aware of. So, ditto and a special warning about the pigpale along the Blvd de Clichy. Club operators along the way are known to be predatory toward single guys. While walking along the street alone in the middle of the day, in a large crowd, I had a guy grab my arm and try to pull me into a club. I pulled away from him, yelled and jumped back. What I found out later is that is their MO - to get a single guy into their club, hook them up with a girl and then "convince" them that their only option is paying an exorbitant amount for entertainment. Once they have you pulled in, it's a minimum of 300 euros to get out and you're going to pay it whether you enjoy yourself or not. I give the warning because I dodged a bullet there. Even in broad daylight, in a large crowd, there is danger if you're not on your guard. I suspect this is not as large a problem with more than one person in a group.

Also - I carry a small wallet in my front pants pocket, frequently with something on top of it. Through the entire trip and several crowded trips on the metro (another site for pick pockets), I had no issues.

On the one hand - Paris is a large city, with all the problems that large cities have. Ok, accept that and get past it. It's also a beautiful place with a rich history, so enjoy it.
 
Last edited:
woodstock said:
Don't take a hairdryer - the hotels will have them. I'd suggest not taking an electric razor, either. I don't pack light in the way most people think of packing light but I don't take that kind of stuff either.
Click to expand...

:lol:
Completely off-topic, but the only time I take a hairdryer is when visiting my mother-in-law in Germany, who doesn't have one.

If you lose your little adapters, hardware stores also sell them very cheap, something like 1 Euro.
 
bflynn said:
Also - I carry a small wallet in my front pants pocket, frequently with something on top of it. Through the entire trip and several crowded trips on the metro (another site for pick pockets), I had no issues.

On the one hand - Paris is a large city, with all the problems that large cities have. Ok, accept that and get past it. It's also a beautiful place with a rich history, so enjoy it.
Click to expand...

The RER from CDG airport is actually much more of a crime risk than the Metro. Still, like any city one needs to be aware of their surroudings....

Don't get me wrong: I love Paris - and I will be back for yet another visit long before Diana and Tom go. Just offering a bit of advice (as you did about Pigalle) for first-time visitors.

Like the rest of their trip, there is so much to see that they won't even scratch the surface.....
 
bluee said:
:lol:
Completely off-topic, but the only time I take a hairdryer is when visiting my mother-in-law in Germany, who doesn't have one.

If you lose your little adapters, hardware stores also sell them very cheap, something like 1 Euro.
Click to expand...

Hard to find one on vacation though, especially if your time card is already filled out for you. One trip I realized I left them at home and on Sunday in Paris (ten yrs ago) the one place that should have had them.. was closed. I was a few days into my trip before I found them, and that was only because I got driving instructions to the local version of Home Depot (in Brittany) and wandered around in the store and finally found them.

What was interesting though is that I came across their paint section and there are special shutter paints in all those gorgeous colors you see. Specifically for shutters.
 
woodstock said:
Hard to find one on vacation though, especially if your time card is already filled out for you. One trip I realized I left them at home and on Sunday in Paris (ten yrs ago) the one place that should have had them.. was closed. I was a few days into my trip before I found them, and that was only because I got driving instructions to the local version of Home Depot (in Brittany) and wandered around in the store and finally found them.

What was interesting though is that I came across their paint section and there are special shutter paints in all those gorgeous colors you see. Specifically for shutters.
Click to expand...

My wife has a travel size dual voltage hair dryer and curling iron. That with a handful of cheap adapters and you are good to go anywhere in the world. You can get them on Amazon so why not. With dual voltage they use the same adapters as your laptop, cell, phone charger, no converter required and less bulk to carry.
 
woodstock said:
Hard to find one on vacation though, especially if your time card is already filled out for you. One trip I realized I left them at home and on Sunday in Paris (ten yrs ago) the one place that should have had them.. was closed. I was a few days into my trip before I found them, and that was only because I got driving instructions to the local version of Home Depot (in Brittany) and wandered around in the store and finally found them.
Click to expand...

I love to stay in smaller and boutique hotels (and I know you do, too).... and you're right - Sundays and holidays find most stores locked up tight (I had a similar experience in Mulhouse on Bastille Day).

One thing I've found to be true in an emergency is that many/most large hotels catering to US travelers have a gift shop or news stand... and most of those gift shops carry adapters. Likewise you can often borrow from a hotel front desk - even the little 20 room hotel I stayed in near Hotel de Ville had them for "borrow".
 
woodstock said:
Hard to find one on vacation though, especially if your time card is already filled out for you. One trip I realized I left them at home and on Sunday in Paris (ten yrs ago) the one place that should have had them.. was closed. I was a few days into my trip before I found them, and that was only because I got driving instructions to the local version of Home Depot (in Brittany) and wandered around in the store and finally found them.

What was interesting though is that I came across their paint section and there are special shutter paints in all those gorgeous colors you see. Specifically for shutters.
Click to expand...

Most towns seem to have a small hardware store or small electronic shop somewhere near the center of town, you just have to ask. Not those big box stores, little shops. Those have those adapters.
 
Another great place to find adapters is to look at the hotel convention areas, especially when an international conference is going on. They often hand them out to delegates. I don't think I have bought an adapter in two decades. I just keep getting free ones.

Diana: for Europe, on the Continent you will need the two prong, circular kinds. They will work just about everywhere. Switzerland has a weird three prong one.

In the UK you need these giant bayonet adapters where each prong could probably take enough current to run New York! But if you know a secret you can get the euro ones to work. The secret is to stick a pencil into the ground socket, that lifts the plastic gates that block the access to the live sockets. Then jam your euro plug adapter into those openings, remove pencil, works great.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top