What is the worst place to visit in Europe?

[Andre]

Seen a lot of places in Europe. I liked all Scandinavian capitals, Helsinki, Kopenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm, clean beautiful cities with nice people. For history Athens and Rome are excellent. Paris is way ahead for culture, the Louvre being top notch.

Places where I would advise people not to go are Prague for the crime level. My wallet was pickpocked there and try to explain that to the police. But without such an experience it's problably fine. Until shortly I would have advised Venice to be the worst place, never to go there, because of the extreme tourist robbery tendency seeems to be legalized there, while the cultural part is not half as what is expected. However, I just returned from London and Venice is now a nice place compared to the capital of the UK where I was robbed 200 pounds by the police after being set up.

Never ever go there.

 

[Schrodinger's Dog]

Care to elaborate on what they fined you for? Or how they conned you, if it was the traffic Nazis, then I agree the laws are strict but there are reasons behind them.

I apologise unreservedly on behalf of my nation

 

[Andre]

Sure, came driving to a road, looking for a parking place behind the hotel where I would drop my daughter off working there for a year.

So,I passed a pay your parking ticked thing and shortly thereafter, Io and behold, I found a free parking space. So I parked, unloaded her stuff an then went for a parking permit. Since that cost a lot of coins, no credit card, no bills accepted, I was forced to return to the hotel, to get those coins. When I returned to the parking thinghy, some officer stould at my car doing all kind off things. So we waved with the acquired ticked and that officer murmured some ununderstandable things and disapeared quickly. There was no ticked underneath the windshield wipers or anything else that was suspicouis. So I thought that there was no problem and I installed the parking permit.

So after doing the introductiry things at the hotel and returning to the car well within the allowed time we returned to the car, which appeared to have dissapeared. Any experience witrh a car dissapeared?? And especially since you are sure you did nothing wrong?

Forget it, two parking places further on on the road there was a little board, indicating that this was a resident area parking of which we were supposed to understand that the selected place was not free to park. We did not notice that and even if we would have, we would not have a clue whatsoever that the parking pace that we took was also a resident place.

But ultimately the car was towed away, 50 pound fine for wrong parking (wthout any sign doing this wrong) and 150 pound for the towing fee. Excluding the half day lost of understanding what happened, 22 pounds for taxi fee to find the car back, a hotel night booked for being unable to return home the same day.

But they don't realize that this is nothing short of a real real real war delaration . Whatever power I have I will advise anybody anytime and anytime again never never to go to London

 

[Schrodinger's Dog]

You're right this is daibolically unfair, I will fight as an underground movement, and support your efforts in the coming war.

Seriously it's shameful that they do this, they have signs that are too small for anyone to see, and too convoluted for anyone who's not a native speaker to understand. It discriminates against foreigners, English people already know the situation or know to check the lay of the land, but foreigners don't and they're merely taking adavantage.

I'm not sure about London in all areas, but some of these Nazis are employed privately, and so they need to get as many tickets as they can, it's on a commission basis, so the more fines they get the better paid they are. And they will be fired if they don't meet quotas, there's been a deal of publicity about this, if you got towed 9/10 it's privateering not government control. It simply is a sad state of affairs that companies can abuse this stiuation.

As I said we're well aware of it but people outside of the UK aren't and shouldn't be persecuted for it.

 

[Monique]

Amsterdam is not too great for foreigners either. Whenever I see a car with a wheel-lock, it's almost always one with a foreign license plate (and you see them often). And it isn't cheap or easy to get those removed. I've helped tourists explain where to go to pay for the ticket, which is often half way through town, try to find that when you are not familiar with a city. I can imagine your scenario must have been annoying, especially when you were not aware any mistake.

 

[Mk]

But ultimately the car was towed away, 50 pound fine for wrong parking (wthout any sign doing this wrong) and 150 pound for the towing fee. Excluding the half day lost of understanding what happened, 22 pounds for taxi fee to find the car back, a hotel night booked for being unable to return home the same day.

Well I'm glad it was just money. I thought you meant 200 pounds of your stuff—as in weight. I guess you would have said kilos. Sorry anyway.

What places have you liked? I am going to be Euro-tripping in a few years. I'm working on visiting every continent, then more specific culture regions. Australia/New Zealand is great for anybody, Thailand was awesome, but you may have trouble communicating. Costa Rica has great hamburgers! (and Australia definitely doesn't :yuck:)

 

[Moonbear]

I guess that while the general rule everywhere is that there is no such thing as a free lunch, when traveling to large cities, one should also heed the caution that there is no such thing as free parking! I think all cities I've been in have their own share of obscure or annoying parking rules, most just being due to confusing signs. Ann Arbor, MI has really annoying parking signs. You have to be pretty careful to check and double check that there are no "No parking between these signs" signs. They can be at either corner of the block and if you didn't pay attention as you turned the corner, you might think there's a whole block open for parking.

Anyway, that really sucks, especially when you walked up to the car while the cop was there and he could have told you right then and there that you were parked illegally and needed to move or be towed. At that point, you'd have probably grumbled a bit about a parking ticket if he handed you one then and there, but at least you could have avoided all the towing fees and wasted time, not to mention the difficulty in getting around an unfamiliar city without a car if you hadn't had time to learn the public transportation routes.

 

[Astronuc]

Australia/New Zealand is great for anybody, . . . (and Australia definitely doesn't :yuck:)

Meat pies and pasties in Aus. Go to US for hamburgers and hotdogs.

In Continental Europe, I agree with most of what Andre said - but London is OK, just don't dry a car there. :rofl: And it helps to know ahead of time, where things are and where you are going. Advanced planning.

Germany has lots of great places - down the Rhein valley. Southern Germany is great.

France - Paris is fine, but I like Lyon and places south - Provence. But Loire valley is nice too.

Italy - Tuscany - well just about all of it.

Switzerland and Austria have mountains - lots of fun.

I love the Nordic countries - be prepared to eat a lot of fish.

Eastern Europe has lots of cool places, but I strongly recommend finding someone local to accompany one. The further east one goes, the more careful one must be.

 

[Andre]

You're right this is daibolically unfair, I will fight as an underground movement, and support your efforts in the coming war.

Thanks, I think, I will file a complaint to the European Court for legalizing robbery in London.

Seriously it's shameful that they do this, they have signs that are too small for anyone to see.

I do wonder if those signs have a legal base. Is it described in the law about traffic including penalties and towing regulations?

Amsterdam is not too great for foreigners either.

Yes, although I seem to remember that there are clear unambiguous standard European roadsigns regulating parking. So it's probably more underestimating the possible consequences of ignoring them. And then finding a wheel lock on your car is probably not as bad as not finding your car.

one should also heed the caution that there is no such thing as free parking!

Well I did pay 3 pounds for a parking permit from a money parking machine some 50 yards away, which suggested that it was a mere standard payed parking place. So make it "There is no such thing as parking"

At that point, you'd have probably grumbled a bit about a parking ticket if he handed you one then and there,

He did not, he murmered something I did not understand while he got away quickly when I waved with the just bought permit. There was also no ticked under the windscreen wiper, so I assumed that he was talking about the other car a few parking places further on, directly under the small "Residents only" sign, not readable from where my car was parked.

So I thought everything was okay, that it was not about my car. How stupid. When I returned 20 minutes later it was all over.

What places have you liked?

Most definitely not London, but I second Astronuc's proposals, especially South Germany, where I live close to both:

http://www.landhannes.de/images/neuschwanstein-480.jpg

and:

http://www.mars.slupsk.pl/fort/rob/hohburg.jpg

and

http://ps.ds-group.info/Members/klaus/album/2004-tue/2005-04-castle-lichtenstein/variant/medium

No parking problems there.

Moreover it has highly interesting archeologic and geologic features.

 

[JasonRox]

OMG!

That's awesome.

Friends and I have plans to go to Europe next summer. Southern Germany is definitely on my list.

 

[hypatia]

{sighs} very lovely photos, wish I was there

 

[FredGarvin]

Funny. I enjoyed all of those places very much, especially London. Granted, I didn't have a car to worry about the parking mess. I enjoyed walking around Venice much more than I thought I would.

I loved flying around Bavaria. The mountainous terrain was a nice change of pace from up north. Although, flying in the Rhineland Valley was no boring trip either. Neushcwanstein kicked butt.

 

[Line]

Those are vague reasons of why to not liek those countries.

 

[Anttech]

Thanks, I think, I will file a complaint to the European Court for legalizing robbery in London.



I do wonder if those signs have a legal base. Is it described in the law about traffic including penalties and towing regulations?



Yes, although I seem to remember that there are clear unambiguous standard European roadsigns regulating parking. So it's probably more underestimating the possible consequences of ignoring them. And then finding a wheel lock on your car is probably not as bad as not finding your car.



Well I did pay 3 pounds for a parking permit from a money parking machine some 50 yards away, which suggested that it was a mere standard payed parking place. So make it "There is no such thing as parking"



He did not, he murmered something I did not understand while he got away quickly when I waved with the just bought permit. There was also no ticked under the windscreen wiper, so I assumed that he was talking about the other car a few parking places further on, directly under the small "Residents only" sign, not readable from where my car was parked.

So I thought everything was okay, that it was not about my car. How stupid. When I returned 20 minutes later it was all over.



Most definitely not London, but I second Astronuc's proposals, especially South Germany, where I live close to both:

http://www.landhannes.de/images/neuschwanstein-480.jpg

and:

http://www.mars.slupsk.pl/fort/rob/hohburg.jpg

and

http://ps.ds-group.info/Members/klaus/album/2004-tue/2005-04-castle-lichtenstein/variant/medium

No parking problems there.

Moreover it has highly interesting archeologic and geologic features.

YAWN

Castle like this are to be found everywhere in Europe.

 

[Andre]

Considering the parking ticket, So I just opened an envellope which said that the judge was not convinced by the statement of the parking attendant and I won the appeal.

Visiting my daughter the other week at the same place I also noted that the only-resident-parking sign has been enlarged. One tourist trap less.

 

[arildno]

I like London a lot.
But then again, I don't have a driver's license..

 

[arildno]

http://www.landhannes.de/images/neuschwanstein-480.jpg

and:

http://www.mars.slupsk.pl/fort/rob/hohburg.jpg

and

http://ps.ds-group.info/Members/klaus/album/2004-tue/2005-04-castle-lichtenstein/variant/medium

No parking problems there.

Moreover it has highly interesting archeologic and geologic features.

Yeah, I knew that Ludwig II was a great castle-builder.
I guess he loved those towers of power...

 

[Aitor]

Planning eurotrips? Don't forget Barcelona is the real deal

http://www.jdbg20436.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/tossa/tossa_pics/barcelona_fountains32.jpg

[...]

Talking about robberies, I've seen some here, but I wonder if there is any place where one can be really safe.

PS.: By the way, that's my first post, so: Hi all

 

[arildno]

Talking about robberies, I've seen some here, but I wonder if there is any place where one can be really safe.

PS.: By the way, that's my first post, so: Hi all

You are welcome to visit Norway and take the train up to Finse:
http://www.ulapland.fi/home/hkunta/jmoore/finse.jpg
Finse is, for some reason, considered a robbery safe zone. That's probably why the scenes from the rebel refuge in "The Empire Strikes Back" were filmed here.

Welcome to PF as well, BTW!

 

[rhuthwaite]

New Zealand is the best place, beautiful, although a bit cold sometimes, I love London use to live just outside but I would not recommend ne one visiting my homeland, South Africa, its way too scary and troubled at the moment although the safaris and cultural things are nice. I love Hungry as well

 

[marlon]

http://www.landhannes.de/images/neuschwanstein-480.jpg

Hey man, who told you you could post pictures of my cribb...PRIVACY MAN...

:rofl:

Seriously though, Germany is great...Been there many times and i just keep wanting to go back. Love the ladies there...Pitty i already have a girlfriend and high moral principles...:shy:

Der Marlon

 

[marlon]

You are welcome to visit Norway and take the train up to Finse:
http://www.ulapland.fi/home/hkunta/jmoore/finse.jpg
Finse is, for some reason, considered a robbery safe zone. That's probably why the scenes from the rebel refuge in "The Empire Strikes Back" were filmed here.

Welcome to PF as well, BTW!

Is there snow now or are you guys suffering from global warming just like in the Alps ?

Marlon

 

[Yonoz]

Customs officer: Anything to declare?
Cousin Avi: Yeah - never go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGbWJoZAsCs".