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International Travellers Guide to PAX Prime 2011
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Great advice given here, a couple things to add:
Currency exchange, won't be a problem if you are using a card, but if you bring your country's cash you'll of course have to trade them in for US dollars; check exchange rates as well. If possible do NOT do this at the airport, they will always over-price the rate to make a profit.
Transportation in Seattle is crazy, but assuming most of you are staying in downtown hotels, TAKE THE LIGHTRAIL, it'll cost a tiny fraction of a taxi for the same time/distance, and you can socialize. Look to the transportation thread for more help on this.
Finally, don't be embarrassed to ask locals for directions, help with ticket machines, good restaurants etc. Most of us will be happy to help!
Hope all the foreigners have a good trip. Welcome to Seattle!
EDIT: figured it out! it looks like i'll need to take the central light rail to the end of the line and then walk for 15mins....at least i won't be walking with wheeled luggage.
Previous PAXs: PAX Prime 2011
Well, you've figured it out, but I'll mention it here anyway in case anyone else is curious. I'm assuming that people are going to either the Sheraton or the convention center.
When taking the light rail from the airport, you'll want to stay on until you get to Westlake Station. This is also the last stop, and the conductor will do a quick sweep to make sure that everyone's off, so you don't need to worry about missing the stop.
Once you get off the train, go upstairs. There are exits at each end of the station, and a couple that lead into department stores (I think the exit leading into the actual Westlake Mall will still be closed then). The exit near the giant clock is the one that will get you closest to the Sheraton and the convention center. Once you're on the street, cross Pine Street (the street one you come out on), walk one block, then turn left on Pike. the Sheraton is across the street, and the convention center is one block further.
If you need to get as close to the convention center as you can before you start walking, stay on the platform after you get off the train, and wait for the next bus to come by. Get on (any bus will work, and it's free if you're in the tunnel and it's between 6am and 7pm), and ride one stop to get to Convention Place Station. Go upstairs, and turn left. Cross the street, and keep going until you reach the convention center (one block past the Paramount). If you're going to the Sheraton, turn right, and walk about two blocks.
Here's a tip: if you're like me, most of your portable devices can be charged via USB. My phone, Kindle, tablet, DS, etc - all USB chargable. Some devices you'll have to pick up an adapter cable (most of them available from DealExtreme for $1-$3 USD with free shipping almost worldwide). Then all you have to do is pick up a powered USB hub with a 110/240v power brick (most of them are, just double-check before you spend any money). I charge pretty much everything all at once off a single hub and I only have to carry a single plug adapter with me.
Here's a few items off the top of my head from DealExtreme:
USB Charging Cable for NDSi/DSi
USB Charging Cable for NDS Lite
Universal USB Power Charging Cable for iPod/PSP/NDS/NDSi/NDS Lite/MP3/MP4/iPhone 2G/3G
USB Data and Charging Cable for PSP 3000/2000/1000 (110cm-Length)
Just a tip from some poor bastard who has found himself hauling small suitcases to cheap hotels a lot in the past few months.
PS: For international travelers, what sort of distance do you have to cover to get to PAX? I'm looking at about 12,500km.
yes....stupid!
Previous PAXs: PAX Prime 2011
Based on my experience last year, yes.
cool, i hate basing things on negative pre-conceived notions....ruins the fun.
EDIT: don't get me wrong i am super excited to be heading over to North America and meeting new people, i just dislike the minority that just have to be douchebags because they want to.
Previous PAXs: PAX Prime 2011
Probably not, laws can be pretty strict regarding minors in bars. At the university I meet so many people who are 18 and legal in their country but can't go into any bar around campus.
Previous PAXs: PAX Prime 2011
And no, just because they serve food doesn't make then a bar/restaurant.
EDIT: cos I am planning to bring my alienware M11x with me to document my trip (see blog in sig) and I have read the horror stories of the TSA stealing passenger valuables.
Previous PAXs: PAX Prime 2011
The process for scanning hand luggage is similar to that here, although the TSA are a little more picky (you have to take your shoes off, for example, and some airports have the Nude-O-Scope full body scanners rather than simple X-rays).
i am concern as at that point, when you're in the scanner, is the perfect opportunity to steal stuff. i don't want some fat bloke groping my package!
Previous PAXs: PAX Prime 2011
For the most part, you will be interacting with PAX people and staff at local businesses. I've always found everyone to be super friendly, except that one taxi driver who was a bit of a dick because I couldn't tip, as I hadn't factored it in to my spending, being from Britain and visiting for the first time. BUT ANYWAY.
The one thing that surprised me about downtown Seattle was that there's a lot of homeless people. They're the same as any other homeless folk in any other city - mostly decent people, but be as wary as you would anywhere else when walking around.
@gamefacts - Totally and utterly true gaming facts on the regular!
It depends on the direction you're flying in from. East to West is th end of a long day, but you don't feel as bad as West to East. This can utterly wipe you out for a day or so.
I will have to second that one as one who's had to fly back and forth from the UK to the east coast of the US for school several times in the past year. Even on the shorter flight, I generally need more time to recover flying to west to east than I do east to west.
im leaving from sydney in AUS so that would make it...........west to east yeh?
The jet lag thing is manageable if you can get a few hours' sleep on the long-haul flight.
My flight this year leaves BNE at 10:20 and takes 13 hours to get to LAX. But 23:25 for me means 06:25 in the morning in LAX, so I'll have a whole day to get through before reaching my comfy, comfy hotel bed. Not to mention a few hours in airports queueing for CBP, queueing for connecting flights, queueing for TSA, queueing for Starbucks... nothing is more tiring than doing nothing.
If you can get some shut-eye on the plane- ANY sleep is better than NO sleep- you'll be reasonably able to face the day on arrival in the USA. If I can get through the first day, get an early night and a full night's sleep, generally I find I'm fine and not jet-lagged after that.
Ninja edit: This link at MedicineNet has more info on avoiding jet lag.
--
On a tangent: I made the mistake on my first trip of doing the Qantas Movie Marathon on the way over- no sleep, just non-stop movies. (I did the return flight home on the A380 superjumbo. That flight had popcorn!) I knew I was in for a long day when I arrived, but I figured I'd spend most of it in queues. No dice- flights were exactly on time, I was in and out of CBP in a jiffy, the terminal for the connecting flight to SEA was five minutes' walk away, and there were no lines at check-in.
I spent the next five hours in Terminal 3 at LAX doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. I had purchased US$100 in cash so I had money on arrival, and I think I spent all of it on coffee that morning. But I caught my flight.
Ugh. I hate those stops - you're there long enough that you've seen everything you could possibly want to at the airport (not to mention all the money those places manage to squeeze out of you), but not long enough to leave the secure area to hit up some sights. That's why I like Schipol so much. Since they do their security screening right at the gate, even a stopover of 5 hours is plenty of time to get in some adventuring.
There isn't even much variety of that at LAX T3- there's Starbucks, Burger King, and a newsstand, and THAT'S IT. Unless you're willing to pony up for lounge access.
(The miles tally from three previous PAX runs means I have status for lounge access, but not with any of the airlines at T3.)
Less than three weeks to go- everyone got their ESTA sorted out, I hope? Hint, hint.
Qantas, Delta and V Australia have movies, TV shows and CDs on demand- the screen in front of you does it all. They also have games, but they're fairly rudimentary- don't expect anything more complex than Tetris.
United has movies on the main screen in the cabin.
It doesn't hurt to have books in tow, or your DS/iGadget charged, just in case, though.
If you have the cash, get a Kindle. Those things are absolute gold on a long flight. They stash easy, they're fantastic on battery life and I currently have about 400 books on mine (some were even purchased. ahem). If you're looking to stay awake during a long flight, then a Kindle and/or 3-4 books you know you can read in an entire sitting are good, the DS is also a good call. Depending on what airline you're on, the in-flight entertainment system might have plenty of stuff to keep you occupied. Royal Dutch, Quantas and Delta are all great for this - dunno about anyone else. General rule about laptops, though - don't count on them. They're a pain in the ass to unpack and set up (assuming you're flying coach), the battery will be drained completely before you land, and they're very awkward to use on those little folding trays.
The key is small -- ideally, something that can fit in your pocket -- and good battery life. USB battery packs (such as these) can increase your playtime, but keep in mind that's more money and more carryon stuff to keep track of.
Other than that, I'd actually recommend trying to sleep on your flight. Any sleep you get will be better than no sleep, and the last thing you want is to get jetlagged to shit on the first day of PAX. If you can swing it, try to adjust your sleep schedule as much as possible before you leave. Assuming that's not possible, trying to sleep on the flight could make the difference between being alert and enjoying your day at PAX and sleeping the day away in the handheld lounge.
i work night shifts, so my sleeping pattern is already out of wack, maybe a 14 hour flight will cancel it out
http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/cell-phone-plans/pyg-cell-phone-plans.jsp?wtSlotClick=1-005ZH4-0-2&_requestid=86144
Also a note on taxes for Canadians, I remember there was discussion that PAXers coming down from BC were exempt from sales tax?
Been reading articles that say otherwise though... Can anyone confirm this?
I'm pretty sure that's not true.
My mother-in-law came to visit me recently from Alberta (I live in the Seattle area), and she was able to pay tax-exempt at a few malls here. Apparently all you have to do is tell the clerks where you're from, and you just show your Canadian ID & fill out a form with your home address. I had never heard of it before, but it worked for her in June.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2010/06/30/bc-washington-sales-tax-exemption-blocked.html
@gamefacts - Totally and utterly true gaming facts on the regular!
The AT&T site has "prepaid data" listed, it explicitly lists smartphones as requiring a datapack, and 500MB for $25 sounds reasonable enough, has anyone had any experience with this option? (My phone's not network locked, and uses the 850Mhz band that AT&T uses)
http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/cell-phone-plans/pyg-cell-phone-plans.jsp?_requestid=170490
Melthar, you might find that because of the proliferation of iPhones at the convention, ATT network coverage is shite and it's not worth going for.
@gamefacts - Totally and utterly true gaming facts on the regular!
also same thing with a prepaid mobile phone, but im only making local calls/texts
Your hotel may offer internet free, or at a modest price, if that helps for skyping.
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How about for Valet parking? Is there a standard for that? Is it customary to tip?