Are you cultured?

[Darren B]

More specifically, are you one for culture on your trips or is it all about theme parks?

For me it's all about theme parks, I haven't been on a non coaster related trip/holiday in over 5 years, and avoid doing anything cultural where possible.

My last non CF trip abroad was to Salou, every day consisted of sitting around the pool, drinking and Port Aventura. On the one day that culture was included it involved a coach trip to Barcelona with pick up and drop offs at notable places, I went to the Nou Camp (football stadium), decided that was enough for me and got a different bus back to PortAventura.

I have attempted to do cultural things since, most notably when myself, Richard, Rach and Peter went to Austria/Hungary and Slovakia for creds and culture. I was more than happy to get involved with the cultural parts of the trip and spent a good few hours doing so, if only for the sake of the other 3. I've never been a selfish person so went along and made the most of it. Only on the last day in Slovakia did I separate from the group, I missed out on the old town part of Bratislava to have a dump, grab a Mcdonalds and hunt down some duty free fags.

So basically, I'm a uncultured moron.

Whilst I'm waiting for Gavin to come and rip me apart, how about you guys? Creds, culture or both.

 

[gavin]

^Ha. You're actually dreadful! Xx

For me it's both, I can't stand the idea of being in a new place and not actually seeing anything. I did it on a couple of CF Lives (Denmark and, to some extent, Gothenburg). I had a great time at the parks, but was annoyed with myself after Denmark that I hadn't done anything else either before or after. I don't really feel like I've actually been to Denmark at all.

On Lives since then, I've always done something before and/or after. With Italy I started in Venice, went to Verona early before we met most of the group, stayed behind in Rome and went to Florence, Pisa, Bologna and Rimini afterwards (getting a few more creds in the process).

Before Toverland/Efteling, I spent about 10 days in Belgium and the Netherlands, mostly to see the countries, but creds were involved as well.

Similarly, after Europa I went to Strasbourg for a couple of days, then to Munich, picking up some coasters on the way.

Shenzhen a few weeks ago was all about coasters though. I saw very little of the place, mostly because there's **** all to see.

When I go away somewhere, the priority is seeing somewhere new. I'll always make time for parks though, quite often allowing enough time for some kiddy coaster whoring. I've been to plenty of places with no coasters though and had a great time.

So yeah, it's actually a bit of both. I'll happily go somewhere with no coasters, though I do hunt them down if they're there.

 

[tomahawk]

Re: RE: Are you cultured?

I have to have culture mixed in. I absolutely love seeing new places, and if I can go to a park while I'm somewhere, great, if not, that's fine too. When I finally make it over to Europe in (hopefully) two or three years, I may go to two or three parks in a two week trip. Would I like to just do a coaster trip, sure, but I'm more interested in the culture and history of everything.

 

[Lottie.]

I love to have a mix of both culture and theme parks. When travelling I cannot miss out on visiting a city or town when it's near a theme park I am visiting or where I will be staying hotel wise.

 

[Rachel]

I think it's important to have a bit of both. When I went to Florida this year we literally did nothing but go to parks. When we weren't at parks we were laying around the pool. My other half really wanted to drive to Miami and visit some other places in the state but I fobbed him off with excuses (too tired, too far away etc.) but we could have easily done it and I really regret this now. In the future i'd definitely hope to mix visiting parks with some culture.

But then it can also depend on time and affordability. If you only have the time and money to visit some parks, or visit a city then which do you go for? In this situation i'd probably go for the creds.

 

[furie]

I don't really know :lol:

Like in the UK, if I'm travelling somewhere to "go to a park" - then that's what I do. I've not been abroad often since "becoming an enthusiast" enough to really comment I don't think.

I'm not a sit around a pool all day kind of person though. I've visited huge amounts of the UK though, and I love going to areas of natural beauty, stately homes, castles, etc. I tend to stay in the UK because there are a load of great places that are much easier/cheaper to get to with the family in the car that I haven't yet experienced.

I've done a sightseeing tour of Normandy, taking in all the medieval stuff. When I went to Crecy, it was for a reenactment, so I saw the town and battlefield, but as I was shooting arrows at Frenchmen, it wasn't really a cultural trip as such :lol:

When I went to see Jerry, I was glad to get the opportunity to be shown around New York. Saw Washington and Boston as we passed by/through.

Last time I did DLRP (2004), we spent an afternoon and evening in Paris. So I guess if the opportunity presents itself?
Sweden/Norway in 2007, no culture. Germany 2012, no culture (Darren was there though, so even worse ). Port aventura live 2009, no culture. I wasn't expecting any, the trips were all about the parks so I'm not really fussed. If the live had extra days on both sides that were more convenient for me to attend than not and it was culture, I'd enjoy them. I wouldn't go out of my way though :lol:

So, probably not, but can be depending on the situation

 

[gavin]

What I don't get is how people plan an afternoon, or a few hours, for "culture" after a coaster trip. Sure, for a lot of places, a day is enough, but it really isn't when you're looking at bigger cities or places with a **** ton to see and do.

I just can not comprehend the idea of "a day in NYC/Paris" or "an afternoon in Budapest/Stockholm/Madrid" for example. Maybe it's our enthusiast mentality of checking things off a list rather than actually enjoying the experience, and maybe it's partly the culture snob in me, but you can't "do Rome" in a few hours.

 

[furie]

Yeah, I think that's why I try not to mix the two up :lol: Though it was a "tour of NYC" over several hours and the day was spent just in central park with Jerry - but yeah, there's so much missed.

With Paris, we'd paid for three days at DLRP at an insanely busy time of the year. We paid a lot for it. We didn't get the chance to see everything the parks offered, and that's what we'd paid for - so I would have rather got the most out of the park trip and then if Madame_F wanted to go to Paris, we'd make a separate trip over a long weekend or something. I think we got the train in, walked to the tower, looked around the area, went up the tower, came down, walked back to the station and back to Disney. Meh, but Madame_F wanted to "do culture" while we were there. It just ends up a compromise and not a very good one.

In Normandy, I spent a full day in Caen, most of the day in Harfleur and a full day at Mont Saint Michel (or as long as you could). Though all three places are on my medieval hit list :lol:

So I'm happy to do long days of culture, but I prefer them to be a designated, focussed, decent length of time. However, with things like New York, it was good to fit in what I could alongside the park heavy days.

So yeah, I agree Gavin. I just don't have a massive desire to head out and see these things. If Madame_Furie did and dragged me along, I'd enjoy it though (and tag a park or two on the end here and there) - which is pretty much what we do in the UK. It's just we don't really have the time/money for it. Plus kids, they're a burden

 

[DelPiero]

I like a mix. For example, spent a day and night in Paris when we went DLP a few years ago. We've also totally skipped any parks in Rome so we could immerse ourselves in the city.
The honeymoon was the perfect mix, 3 days in NYC with no coaster activities, followed by a night at Hershey and 2 days at CP. They we went to Miami, went to the everglades and skipped the three creds down there. And finished is Orlando/Tampa where there is no culture, just theme parks.

If i'm going somewhere I will generally plan for a park nearby, but unless it's specifically for the parks, we always mix it up.

 

[GeForce]

I do enjoy some local culture. For example when we (dad,sister,myself) visited Vegas coming from San Francisco we drove through a lot of National Parks (Death Valley,Kings Canyon , Yosemite) and even though I wasn´t happy at first that we took longer routes to visit them but I was really impressed afterwards and glad that I visited them as long and as extensive as I did. I even wanted to visit more areas of the Parks but a "certain problem with the american government at the beginning of october" (-.- ´murica **** yeah) made it pretty tough to do so. I managed to sneak the parks I wanted to visit into the schedule so it was a good mix of both. If I´m alone though I ride the coasters first and do some culture later but I´m open minded to do both and not just one of the two. A good mixture is always nice to have on a visit longer than three days, on short visit I could cred whore all day long and I wouldn´t shed a tear not having experienced any cultural thing

 

[ATTACKHAMMER]

I like to mix also. I like travelling to see new places but I also like creds. When I'm finished in education and have a job I'll be able to do both because I can travel more.

 

[MouseAT]

I'm generally not a big fan of the whole "culture" thing. I'm not really a big fan of wandering around and seeing cities, at least for more than a few hours. When I'm on a theme park trip, I enjoy the parks, the rides and the company more than anything else.

That said, when I'm with CF I often find myself visiting places and enjoying things that I would otherwise have missed out on. I'd wouldn't have gone out of my way to do the same things if I was on my own, but I enjoyed the experience for what it was and I'm glad I got to do it. Events such the evening in Verona before the Italy Live are particularly memorable.

I just can not comprehend the idea of "a day in NYC/Paris" or "an afternoon in Budapest/Stockholm/Madrid" for example. Maybe it's our enthusiast mentality of checking things off a list rather than actually enjoying the experience, and maybe it's partly the culture snob in me, but you can't "do Rome" in a few hours.

See, I don't think I'd bother with more than a day in somewhere like New York if left to my own devices. If I was with other people who really wanted to make a longer visit out of it then yes, I'd be keen to stick around and would probably really enjoy the experience, but personally I'm not interested in making it a long visit just for myself. A few hours or a single day might not be enough to fully experience somewhere like that, but it's certainly enough to get a flavour for the place, which for me is usually enough.

That probably puts me somewhere between "Culture, what's that? It's all about the creds" and "Creds first, culture second". Probably leaning towards the latter.

 

[Ian]

I like to see things. I believe the best way to educate is through experience.

In 2007 I went to the USA with Tomatron and we did a non-stop coaster trip for two weeks. As much fun as it was, I didn't see much of the USA except for hotels, theme parks, restaurants and interstates. I vowed to myself that I would never do a similar trip again.

I like to cram in as much culture as I can when I go somewhere. Depending on time and who I'm with, this might be sightseeing, getting pissed in a local bar or walking around the local shopping district. I enjoy doing touristy stuff as much as I like exploring off-track areas on my own.

I'm very much a list ticker; if I go somewhere I'll see the major sights and be happy. For example, in June, I managed to see all of the important memorials in Washington DC in three hours. Although I might not know how the city truly operates and feels, I'm content with seeing Lincoln's Memorial, The White House, Capital Building, Reflecting Pond etc with my own eyes. I can visualise where they are, how they appear in real life and the sense of importance to them.

That's enough culture for me.

 

[Darren B]

I'm more than up for going out of my way to see a historic landmark or something of importance, I even insisted on Niagra Falls for my upcoming trip to America. But I really can't be arsed to walk around a city to 'see what it's like'. I can't be arsed to spend hours looking at 'pretty' buildings that will add no significance to my life. Seeing historic landmarks/buildings WILL be significant to my life and I'm insistent on that happening.

The White House, Site of the Twin Towers, Niagara Falls etc. are must do's in life. Spending hours looking at well constructed and visually appealing buildings can tongue my balls!

 

[gavin]

Yeah, don't get me wrong, I'm all about the major sites over just aimlessly wandering around. I'll tend to have at least a rough idea of what I want to see. It's just that rather than walk past it and say "been there, done that", I'll try and have more of a proper look, go inside if possible etc. I'll usually walk between these places (if possible) to get the whole "feel for the city" thing and take in some of the more minor stuff, but I'll have a destination in mind while I'm doing it. I'll also include museums and art galleries if they've got anything major to see, so there's definitely an element of ticking the box, but it requires more time. I just wouldn't be able to do that within the space of a few hours or an afternoon for most places though.

I'm a total, unapologetic tourist, but a pretty thorough one. I can't stand the tie-dyed backpacker brigade who somehow think they're becoming one with the the local people and all that ****.

 

[tks]

Culture before coasters these days.

If I'm going somewhere and there is a notable themepark or ride then I will try and get there, however I wouldn't plan any trips around visiting parks anymore.

I've done the whole coaster ony trip and I missed out on some fantastic life experiences whilst doing it. Italy was the perfect mix of culture and coasters on a trip for me and still remains the best "live" I've been on in recent years no doubt. My last major holiday featured 0 themeparks and I had the most amazing time.

 

[Ben]

I'm more culture now, but, I like the throw in creds where I can.

Like, we went to the former Yugoslav nations and there was no creds, but it was still fab.

And in Dubai I wouldn't have missed Ferrari World, but, at the same time, I would have gone if that wasn't there.

So creds are a bonus but not essential. Like, I'm well looking forward to Sweden, but, I'll stay in Stockholm a bit afterwards to make the most of it.

 

[Peter]

I definitely miss doing culture holiday since most of my time abroad is spend in a themepark these days.

It all depends where i'm going really. Anywhere in Europa and i'm not that fussed on culture - I have been lucky enough to visit most of the major European cities in my childhood/teens and so now i'm perfectly happy to get the credits and leave. I would like to explore a bit more of Italy and Eastern Europe though.

I've spent my fair time doing 2 week long beach holiday before and whilst nicer than 2 weeks at home, they've worn off on me. I wouldn't mind doing a weekender to somewhere warm and sunny, especially if a themepark or waterpark could be fitted in, but anything longer than that is a no.

If I was going to Asian (especially Japan!) I would have to have an even mix of culture and credits. Asians countries and their completely different culture fascinates me - given the increased costs to get over to that part of the world from the UK I would much rather make a long holiday of it and get in as much culture as I can, rather than cramming in every big apple!

As for the USA, I am happy to spend 90% of the time doing themeparks as long as we stop and see the major landmarks on route so I can tick them off. Like Ian, I found a few hours in Washington DC plenty to get an impression of what its about and then move on. I also much prefer natural wonders (Grand Canyon, Deserts, National Parks e.t.c.) to doing city breaks so would love to make a detour to those places over another city.

This year has been a bit better for culture, with some non-themepark trips, Russia which was 75% culture 25% credits, and the Hungary/Slovakia trip that Darren mentioned.

One thing I do wonder is that if we get to see a fair amount of the "real" country on these credit trips rather than the glamorous tourist hot spots. I've certainly been to places I would never have done before if they didn't have that Nessie credit!

 

[ciallkennett]

I like culture, I hate tacky touristy crap. I like seeing popular and famous buildings but I much prefer just wandering around and seeing the 'non-touristy' parts of places, the true sides of the cities/countries. Touristic areas just make me want to kill everybody.

I try mixing in as much city discovery into trips as I can, however sometimes (like in the case of CF Lives) they're just not feasible, which is fine by me.

Creds usually dictate where I travel, so usually come first.

I just can not comprehend the idea of "a day in NYC/Paris" or "an afternoon in Budapest/Stockholm/Madrid" for example.

One day in NYC was nowhere near enough when I went on the US Live. To be fair, we had slotted it in just to go to Coney Island and that was closed and our cars had all been towed, so most of the day was spent faffing which made the day even shorter and spirits were a bit low. I did get to see the only thing I majorly wanted to see in NY - the 9/11 site - so I left fine with that. But I've not felt that love of NYC yet so would love to go back for at least a few days if not a week in the future.

The White House, Site of the Twin Towers, Niagara Falls etc. are must do's in life.

These were the only major tourist sights that I simply had to see while I was over there and I got to see them all.

 

[nadroJ]

I like culture, I hate tacky touristy crap.

You mean...like theme parks? ;]