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Post by jimnastics on Aug 22, 2022 11:57:13 GMT
I thought this thread may have already existed however I couldn't find it... so here we go! A thread to ask for advice and recommendations when off on hols, short breaks, staycations etc. etc.
I'm travelling to Cork on Dec 28th to attend a wedding, and was thinking of hiring a car to travel to and from the airport / B&B / venue. Prices eems crazy high, £250+ just for one day for a the cheapest option (pokey little Micra or similar). I'm very wet behind the ears with this kind of thing, am I missing something or is this literally my only option? I really don't want to rely on ubers / taxis.
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Post by TheSaint on Aug 22, 2022 12:00:11 GMT
The shortage of cars has sent rental car prices through the roof all over the world, unfortunately.
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Post by TheSaint on Aug 22, 2022 12:05:45 GMT
The only thing I can suggest and something I often do is to book a car now with the dates you need but make sure it has free cancellation. Then make a note to keep checking once or twice a week and then cancel and rebook if the price drops.
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Post by jimnastics on Aug 22, 2022 12:09:09 GMT
The only thing I can suggest and something I often do is to book a car now with the dates you need but make sure it has free cancellation. Then make a note to keep checking once or twice a week and then cancel and rebook if the price drops. Yeah good shout.... only other thing I can think (which is pretty obvious now I think about it) is contacting all the lads coming on the stag and suggesting a car hire share with some of them. I barely know anyone any of them but hopefully I can twist an arm or two! |
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mrharvest
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Post by mrharvest on Aug 22, 2022 13:09:18 GMT
What's wrong with taking the bus? You know there are buses in Ireland? Direct route from Dublin airport to Cork. Once you're there you can walk, it's a small town. Or you can get a pass for the city bikes.
Fecking lazy people spoiling the environment. (I'm actually only half joking. I hate cars.)
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Post by jimnastics on Aug 22, 2022 13:24:27 GMT
What's wrong with taking the bus? You know there are buses in Ireland? Direct route from Dublin airport to Cork. Once you're there you can walk, it's a small town. Or you can get a pass for the city bikes. Fecking lazy people spoiling the environment. (I'm actually only half joking. I hate cars.) I should have been more specific... flying in to Cork but the wedding is 40 min drive from Cork Airport, so transport defo needed, sadly buses not an option! |
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mrharvest
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Post by mrharvest on Aug 22, 2022 13:57:33 GMT
Fair enough, carry on.
But yeah, sharing a car with a few people seems reasonable. And funny enough, as much as I dislike privately owned cars I think rental cars should be a lot cheaper and more readily available than they are. Something like £50 per day for a small car would seem about right to me, for when you cannot get by with public transit.
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Bongo Heracles
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Post by Bongo Heracles on Aug 22, 2022 14:20:13 GMT
We ran the numbers for hiring a car for our upcoming visit to the US and its going to be cheaper to get ubers everywhere.
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dmukgr
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Post by dmukgr on Aug 22, 2022 14:28:41 GMT
I stopped getting hire cars years ago due to them giving you one with a million scratches and dents and then claiming it was immaculate when you picked it up. It got tiring having to photograph everything and get it all signed off in order not to get conned.
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Post by Sarfrin on Aug 22, 2022 15:27:27 GMT
I stopped getting hire cars years ago due to them giving you one with a million scratches and dents and then claiming it was immaculate when you picked it up. It got tiring having to photograph everything and get it all signed off in order not to get conned. The non-dodgy ones do an inspection with you beforehand and note down the existing dents and scratches on a form these days. |
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Post by gamingdave on Aug 22, 2022 15:30:23 GMT
A mate was looking to hire a car for a month, to go to France to see his mum and take a few trips. He worked out it would be cheaper to buy a car from a dealer and sell it back a month later, which seems like madness.
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Post by bichii2 on Apr 18, 2023 8:49:03 GMT
I know a few of you have been to Japan and I was looking for some recommendations. I'm hitting up Tokyo and Osaka in a couple of weeks. I will do some research on cool things to do at some point this week but any recommendations would be appreciated. Weird is good, good drinking spots, night clubs, off the beaten track type places etc.
Also everywhere recommends the jr rail pass if moving between cities. Fookin expensive but apparently it's cheaper than just getting the tickets on the day.
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mrpon
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Post by mrpon on Apr 18, 2023 8:56:00 GMT
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Post by One_Vurfed_Gwrx on Apr 18, 2023 8:56:15 GMT
The Jr pass is a must, much cheaper than doing things on the fly. Remember it can only he bought outside of Japan so once you arrive it is too late.
One random lesser known place as time is short, if it still exists, is Meguro Parasitology Museum in Tokyo. Tiny but suitably different, only an hour of your time. If I get a chance I will have a think about other stuff later on.
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Post by Bill in the rain on Apr 18, 2023 9:49:21 GMT
Can't really help with Osaka. Unless you wanted to get out of the city, in which case there are a few places like Koya-san that I've been to nearby-ish. I guess osaka has Universal Studios, which has added a bunch of Japanese stuff like Mario-land and Anime-inspired attractions in recent years. No idea if theme parks appeal though. There are so many tourist guides to Tokyo/Japan these days that I often find visitors know a lot more of those weird places than I do. I don't get to go to many night clubs or weird places these days. There are little bars and restaurants everywhere. Omoide Yokocho and Golden Gai in Shinjuku are fun little trashy blade-runner-esq alleys with lots of bars and restaurants. Pretty packed with tourists recently though. The robot cafe in shibuya is weird and always popular with tourists. None of these are really off the beaten track anymore. Big moving Gundam in Yokohama, and cup noodle museum. There are a couple of cool video game bars. This one is new so I don't know it. www.timeout.com/tokyo/bars-and-pubs/tokyo-video-gamersThis one might be the one I went to ages ago, but not sure. tokyocheapo.com/restaurant/button/(Timeout tokyo and tokyocheapo are good resources) I tend to mainly hang out in nice chilled out neighborhoods like Koenji and Kichijoji. Neither has anything world famous, but they have loads of little bars and restaurants if you wander around. Anything particular you're interested in? Have you been here before? |
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Post by One_Vurfed_Gwrx on Apr 18, 2023 10:05:39 GMT
The Jr pass is a must, much cheaper than doing things on the fly. Remember it can only he bought outside of Japan so once you arrive it is too late. One random lesser known place as time is short, if it still exists, is Meguro Parasitology Museum in Tokyo. Tiny but suitably different, only an hour of your time. If I get a chance I will have a think about other stuff later on. Edit - for Osaka, Midian was an interesting, friendly little bar, ran by an ex-visual Kei star. Famous for his giant ice block and pick for your drinks. I can dig out address details if necessary. Osaka was where I lived for a year so will try and think of off the beaten track stuff there other than the obvious touristy DenDen Town etc. |
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Post by bichii2 on Apr 18, 2023 12:03:05 GMT
Thanks for the replies..I'll look them all up when I do my research later in the week. No I've never been before. Nothing particular I'm looking for, just crazy different places that are not too touristy. plus loads of food and booze. All day exploring, all night drinking.
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Post by elstoof on Apr 18, 2023 12:11:32 GMT
Tokyo is the one city I’d say is best not to have too much of a plan, it’s packed full of great places to stumble across everywhere you go. Get a drink at a rooftop hotel bar and enjoy the view though
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Post by Bill in the rain on Apr 18, 2023 13:40:45 GMT
Big center places like Shibuya, Shinjuku, Ikebukuro have bars and restaurants everywhere. Any kind of guide will have dozens of recommendations.
Japan definitely has the strange/crazy market covered.
Any interest in the history or nature side of things?
Mt Fuji, Hakone, Kamakura are all decent nature/history day trips from Tokyo.
Osaka area I don't know so well, but Kyoto, Nara, Koya-san and Himeji Castle / Miyajima are all probably day trips.
None of these are really off the beaten path. But they're all cool.
Maybe worth checking the sumo schedule to see if it coincides and if there are any tickets left.
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mrpon
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Post by mrpon on Jul 6, 2023 12:47:23 GMT
Going to mid-Wales with my 12/9yro end of July for a week. Any tips on outdoor/indoor activities I need to check out? Got Ross/Hay on Wye on the list, Brecon Mountain Railway & Cantref Farm.
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Garfy
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Post by Garfy on Sept 13, 2023 14:55:36 GMT
I may have to go on a work trip to Japan for about 3 weeks in October. The city of Mito to the north east of Tokyo. Not a sightseeing trip but I would have a couple of weekends to myself. How did you get on over there bichii2 ? |
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Post by One_Vurfed_Gwrx on Sept 13, 2023 16:03:02 GMT
Most cities should have dual language signs and information (trains etc). Never ventured up quite that far on Honshu but it shpuld be pretty easy to manage. I would tell you what train website etc I used to use but that was over a decade ago so may be obsolete now (hyperdia if you care).
Normally I would recommend a JR pass before you go but if only got weekends it may not be economical. Worth checking Shinkansen prices to places you want to go to comapre though.
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Post by bichii2 on Sept 13, 2023 18:33:12 GMT
I may have to go on a work trip to Japan for about 3 weeks in October. The city of Mito to the north east of Tokyo. Not a sightseeing trip but I would have a couple of weekends to myself. How did you get on over there bichii2 ? Yeah it's amazing. Tokyo is fantastic. Don't get the jp pass unless you will be getting loads of trains and the non pass users can get better trains. Happy to message you privately a long list of things if you like? X |
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dam
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Post by dam on Sept 15, 2023 15:01:12 GMT
Iceland anyone? I was all up for a week's 5 star all inclusive, as we are ditching the eldest who is dog sitting, but one of the kids vetoed it, so it's sunny Iceland for a week in October....yes, I'll wrap up...
Any tips, what to see, where to eat, drink etc?
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askew
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Post by askew on Jan 29, 2024 16:41:33 GMT
Is 40 minutes sufficient to transit through AMS? I’ve got a feeling no, particularly with border checks for the UK flight…
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Post by uiruki on Jan 29, 2024 16:49:40 GMT
I’ve done it with 60 minutes before the checks were in place and my luggage didn’t make it on the same plane, even with the first plane being on time. Amsterdam isn’t a massive airport but it’s long so if you’re going end to end it’s a hike, even with the travelators.
If the checks are as bad as they have been then I’d say absolutely not.
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Vortex
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Post by Vortex on Jan 29, 2024 16:50:10 GMT
Last time I was there (post-brexit) passport control was pretty slow, so that's probably a push unless you get taken through by someone meeting you at the plane.
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askew
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Post by askew on Jan 29, 2024 16:54:13 GMT
Yeah, I’ve done it in reverse where I had to go through US security in Schiphol, but I’ve got a feeling that offered slightly more time.
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