GABIT attendees thread

[sofie]

Speaking as your royal tube correspondent:

* For the weekend of the con assuming you're not going to be bothered going anywhere else DON'T by a travel card. You can always by a bus pass for those times when you need to pop to the shops or if we're all wandering off somewhere. Reason being that Heathrow is in Zone 6 versus central London (tourist hangout) which is in Zone 1. The cost of a travel card encompassing all of those zones is quite high.

*If you're still staying at the Ren beyond the con and planning to hit the city then invest in a zone1-6 travel card and you can go on any mode of transport in London.

*If you change hotels to a more central location after the con then all you would need is a Zone 1 travel card bought at any tube station or ticket stop for around £4. You can then go anywhere and keep that card for 24 hours.

*The Picadilly Line is your best option if you choose to opt out from taking the express train (that's the expensive one). Bussing it in would very likely kill you. For one thing no bus (barr the night bus) travels directly from Hounslow to central London so you'd be chopping an changing the whole way. And it would very likely take 3 hours to get there. The Picadilly Line will indeed take 45 minutes.

*As to ease - the airport is well sign posted. The buses (hoppa or otherwise) drop you off directly at the terminals. Every terminal will have signs and access to the Underground. You don't have to walk miles, usually it's a case a going down an escalator as you enter the terminal. Follow the signs, and there are plenty of staff there to help wayward tourists.

Thanks PengYn
Always helpfull!!
I'm thinking bout taking a day-card, We'll be doing some sightseeing before going to Heathrow.

20 days *does a dance*

[SamJackShipLover]

Is it chip and pin or does it need swiping and then a signature?

Uhhh???

I think it has both. Cause we did get a pinnumber with it, cause the bank said in other countries it's pin more and more. But the couple times we used it, it was swipe and sign. If I remember correctly, last year I went to Disney with my sis, and I signed the fuel receipt with my signature, they didn't check the card.

Ummmm.... I'm not sure whether you can technically do this or not.... Since Feb 2006, shops and restaurants in the UK have been legally bound to use chip and pin. Apparently. Somehow, places are still getting round it (I managed to sign for something last week) but as a rule, if the card is chip and pin, you have to enter the pin.

Sounds good to me then! I just need to test the pinnumber in a shop over here to be sure I have the correct one.

And I can't believe in 3 weeks we're all in London Julia, great news about the schedule, I can't wait to see it as this is my first con (ever )!

[becky_preen]

Regarding credit cards... Here in the UK is is normal and standard practice for clerks to check both the name and the signature. It was always that way before we went to chip and pin system, But if you hand over a credit card and its not your name and signture on it the shop is very likely not to allow it and may even think it's stolen and call the police. Seriously folks, if it's not your credit card with your name on it, you can't use it.

Now we have chip and pin, the chips are embedded in the cards and rather than signing you enter your pin number. This is similar to how you might have used a pin for an ATM.

before we had chip and pin, many credit cards also had a relevent PIN number so you could use it in an ATM/ Cash Machine.

There is an ATM in the ren but it's a flaky one, and it's liable to get emptied quickly and will almost definately be a charging one.

If you want to get money from ATMs your best bet is to do it before you leave Heathrow airport. the airport will have a large range of machines, and they will be well serviced ( ie not likely to be empty) and because they are high traffic most of them don't charge a local fee to withdraw.

Also I think it's here the law now that if the ATM provider itself is going to charge you a fee it has to tell you what the fee is. You have to option of cancelling before finishing the transaction. That doesn't stop your bank at your end charging you another or additional fee, but at least you know what will be charged in the UK.

Becks
20 days you say...

[Skydiver]

to kinda second what becky said, whomever has the CC in the hubby's name, call your company and get a second card in your name. they should do it quite willingly and happily and not give you any grief over it.

heck, i carry a CC that's my mom's account but in my name because i'll do her online shopping for her and ti was easier to do that than for her to give me her card all the time

you can even call your CC company on the weekend. And when you do call, tell them 'hey, i'm going to england from april 23 - may 6 (or whatever) so that they will note the account and won't deny it on the basis of it being fradulent.

[PengYn]

to kinda second what becky said, whomever has the CC in the hubby's name, call your company and get a second card in your name. they should do it quite willingly and happily and not give you any grief over it.

heck, i carry a CC that's my mom's account but in my name because i'll do her online shopping for her and ti was easier to do that than for her to give me her card all the time

you can even call your CC company on the weekend. And when you do call, tell them 'hey, i'm going to england from april 23 - may 6 (or whatever) so that they will note the account and won't deny it on the basis of it being fradulent.

Ooh that's a good idea, do that! I have a CC in my name but the account is actually my mom's. I went through a bad period my first year in the UK and so she organised the card for me for emergencies. Now it's pretty much used for gift buying so that she doesn't have to pay the expense of shipping me something that I might not want or need. It shouldn't be a problem organising a second card.

[samcarterrules]

*Runs in* OMG 20 days!! *bounce, bounce, bounce*


*Hugs Everyone*



*Runs out again*






Julia(samcarterrules)

[Celandine]

Regarding credit cards... Here in the UK is is normal and standard practice for clerks to check both the name and the signature. It was always that way before we went to chip and pin system, But if you hand over a credit card and its not your name and signture on it the shop is very likely not to allow it and may even think it's stolen and call the police. Seriously folks, if it's not your credit card with your name on it, you can't use it.

Now we have chip and pin, the chips are embedded in the cards and rather than signing you enter your pin number. This is similar to how you might have used a pin for an ATM.

before we had chip and pin, many credit cards also had a relevent PIN number so you could use it in an ATM/ Cash Machine.

There is an ATM in the ren but it's a flaky one, and it's liable to get emptied quickly and will almost definately be a charging one.

If you want to get money from ATMs your best bet is to do it before you leave Heathrow airport. the airport will have a large range of machines, and they will be well serviced ( ie not likely to be empty) and because they are high traffic most of them don't charge a local fee to withdraw.

Also I think it's here the law now that if the ATM provider itself is going to charge you a fee it has to tell you what the fee is. You have to option of cancelling before finishing the transaction. That doesn't stop your bank at your end charging you another or additional fee, but at least you know what will be charged in the UK.

Becks
20 days you say...

Thank you Becks! This is all very good and useful information! I won't be charged an ATM fee by my bank so with all you've explained it just confirms what I'll most likely be doing...taking out a good portion of my money at the airport before I head onto the hotel. Thanks again.

[scifithinker]

lol

see, i live in the midwest. the nearest foreign country is a few hundred miles away. they have to send ot kansas city to get foreign currency.

its just not needed here so they don't have it

It's funny what you take for granted based on where you live. My bank told me to give them a day's notice so they can ship the money to the branch from downtown. (I could walk from there to downtown.)

It's funny how cosmopolitan I think Norfolk (VA) is... not. It's certainly not a huge city (a little less than 300,000 people), but the naval base and the port are massive. I've met people from many different places here, so it makes perfect sense that foreign currency is readily available here. After all, we actually have a World Trade Center here, too. And five sister cities, last time I checked.

[Skydiver]

right, your naval base would make you an international hub for currency and the like. cause i'd imagine all your shipping out sailors get foreign money, or thier ships do

[SEREN LWCH (MAL)]

19 DAYS TO GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Mandysg1]

19 DAYS TO GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

and 13 days til JanSam gets here

[PengYn]

Okee dokee time for a head count of a different kind. For all those wishing to do the JTR walk on the Tuesday following the con please say "ay". Even if you've already mentioned before that you want to go, please tell me again. Thanks!

[JuliaR]

The provisional schedule for AT3 is now available. Go to the front page of the Gabit website and follow the link next to the countdown.

Please cross post where you think applicable. Thanks!


Julia
G4

[Erin13]

The provisional schedule for AT3 is now available. Go to the front page of the Gabit website and follow the link next to the countdown.

Please cross post where you think applicable. Thanks!


Julia
G4

Oh geez...seeing it in print like that makes it REALLY close!!!!! Thanks Julia!!! Better get to packin!

[JanSam]

Okee dokee time for a head count of a different kind. For all those wishing to do the JTR walk on the Tuesday following the con please say "ay". Even if you've already mentioned before that you want to go, please tell me again. Thanks!

Ay!! DD and Mandy are definitely an Ay too. I'll have to double check with Nicky and Anke and let you know.
Thanks PengYn for organizing this!!!