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Dev blog: Fanfest 2015 Tickets Are Now Available!

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Xindi Kraid
Itsukame-Zainou Hyperspatial Inquiries Ltd.
Arataka Research Consortium
#21 - 2014-05-15 22:40:48 UTC  |  Edited by: Xindi Kraid
Wow you're starting early aren't you.
I have been wanting to go to fanfest for a while and couldn't allow myself to buy a ticket this year having not worked for 9 months out of the year, but I have solved my cashflow problem and am ready for next year. Any idea when the hotels and airlines might be doing discounts on packages? Can I buy hotel and airfare now and come out paying less than I would when those discounts go up?

I too need to come up with a budget. I have some savings and could probably afford to buy everything now, but I want to make sure I know what I am doing first, and having money set aside specifically for the vacation is good for budgeting. I'm coming from the southwest US (Phoenix AZ). (also what's the air port code there? I like to search by that (eg when looking for flights to LA I search "PHX to LAX [date]")

Also as a hot weather denizen I have no idea about cold weather clothing. Freezing temperatures are uncommon here.

Makoto Priano wrote:
Oh god.

What have I done?

Oh, did you grab some tickets too? If so maybe I'll try and say hi (if that's not too weird of me)
Meiyang Lee
Game Instrument Applications
#22 - 2014-05-15 22:52:49 UTC  |  Edited by: Meiyang Lee
Xindi Kraid wrote:


Also as a hot weather denizen I have no idea about cold weather clothing. Freezing temperatures are uncommon here.


Like was said in earlier posts, Iceland in March isn't that cold. 25-35F is what you can expect, so a warm coat and light gloves should be more than sufficient, it's more important that the coat keeps the wind out than anything else, that's what makes it feel cold.

According to some weather data I googled, low-temperatures in December for Phoenix (December 6th 2013 was ~36F) are about the highest you can expect, that should give you some indication at least. Blink
Sephira Galamore
Inner Beard Society
Kvitravn.
#23 - 2014-05-15 22:53:15 UTC
It looks like the total eclipse barely misses iceland tho, no?
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e9/SE2015Mar20T.gif
Meiyang Lee
Game Instrument Applications
#24 - 2014-05-15 22:54:30 UTC
Sephira Galamore wrote:
It looks like the total eclipse barely misses iceland tho, no?
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e9/SE2015Mar20T.gif


We'll miss totality, yeah, but it'll be very close to a total eclipse, still very spectacular and quite rare to witness.
Xindi Kraid
Itsukame-Zainou Hyperspatial Inquiries Ltd.
Arataka Research Consortium
#25 - 2014-05-15 22:58:10 UTC
Meiyang Lee wrote:
Xindi Kraid wrote:


Also as a hot weather denizen I have no idea about cold weather clothing. Freezing temperatures are uncommon here.


According to some weather data I googled, low-temperatures in December for Phoenix (December 6th 2013 was ~36F) are about the highest you can expect, that should give you some indication at least. Blink

That sounds about right. I never liked it that cold but I MIGHT have a jacket that will suffice if it dips a little below that.

Meiyang Lee wrote:
Sephira Galamore wrote:
It looks like the total eclipse barely misses iceland tho, no?
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e9/SE2015Mar20T.gif


We'll miss totality, yeah, but it'll be very close to a total eclipse, still very spectacular and quite rare to witness.

I've never seen a solar eclipse in person so anything is great for me.
TheSmokingHertog
Julia's Interstellar Trade Emperium
#26 - 2014-05-15 23:02:48 UTC
I did not even have a salary after the last one.,,

"Dogma is kind of like quantum physics, observing the dogma state will change it." ~ CCP Prism X

"Schrödinger's Missile. I dig it." ~ Makari Aeron

-= "Brain in a Box on Singularity" - April 2015 =-
Castelo Branco
Forcas armadas
Brave Collective
#27 - 2014-05-16 01:22:15 UTC  |  Edited by: Castelo Branco
I think I almost certainly go for my first time. I will reach 10 years of eve non-stop subscription late october this year and it will be like my “eve decade” celebration expedition. However, I have some doubts, of course.

The first one is the cold. I live at Brazil in a warm place, around 32°C during day and 24°C at night, so I have zero experience in cold weather, and I need lots and lots of tips to not become a frozen snowman.

Second, since I will fly overseas to some city at Europe, and then catch the fly to Reykjavik, where are the most easy / best city to get it?

Finally, I would like to stay more days, like 10 to 15 days, to know better the place and surroundings. Travel that far are a bit expensive, and it is better (and more economic) enjoy the most of country in one go. So, what you guys recommend for me?

Thank you all in advance, and sorry for my truncate English.
Castelo
Merida DunBrogh
Black Screen Of Raging Defeat
#28 - 2014-05-16 05:17:41 UTC  |  Edited by: Merida DunBrogh
Meiyang Lee wrote:

1) For the flight, Iceland Air from Schiphol (fellow Dutchy here) is your best option, and should be ~250-300 or so for a return ticket, if you book early (and since we know 10 months in advance, you will) it may well be less.

The Iceland Air Hotel packages usually aren't bad, but quite limited in terms of duration, if you intend to stay longer than say 4-5 days or so, it's probably easier to book the hotel separately, in my experience (last time I went was 2011) the hotels in Reykjavik aren't that expensive either, the CenterHotel Skjaldbreid (which is just up the Laugavegur from the Harpa, 10 minutes walk away) was something like €60 per night for late March.

2) The Aurora should be visible solar activity permitting, it's March so it'll be dark relatively early which helps. Keep an eye on sites like Spaceweather.com for big solar-flares, it takes an ejection about 3 days to get to earth, time your excursion with the arrival of one, the bigger the better, it needs to be pushed south quite a bit. Blink

3) Unlike the name suggests, Iceland isn't that cold, it'll usually about the same as the Netherlands in that time of year, so just below freezing to just above freezing generally. The wind can be rather nasty though, as you're very close to water at all times in Reykjavik, and the weather is extremely variable. Expect a normal day to include snow, rain, blue skies and everything in between in rapid succession.

4) Alcohol and candy is exceptionally expensive compared to the Netherlands, everything else was reasonable depending on where you went (Perlan, while a cool restaurant is pricey as all hell for instance).

Expect to pay around €40-€50 for a hot meal at a mid-to-high range restaurant.
A meal at "American Style" on Tryggvagata for instance won't cost you much more than €20-€25 or so and the portions are generous to put it mildly.
You'll pay €10-€12 for a sub at Nonnabiti (these are delicious I might add), but again cheaper options are available, and the super-markets are quite well stocked too.

Shop smart and look stuff up (the number of restaurants with full menus on their site is rather high) and budget accordingly. Big smile


Thanks for the info as well!

2) Do you have a lot of experience with the hotels there? Which ones are good, which ones are bad etc.?
3) Looking forward to it, sounds mostly like our country anyway Lol
4) Not candy! Nooo!!
- But I'll do some digging and see which places might be good to go. But any recommendations are welcome.


I really hope I can go, will be interesting as my first flight...With fear of heights Lol(But I want to GTFO of Netherlands anyway, so I better do it sooner rather than later)

Btw, do they speak proper english there? Or should I start learning sign language?
Meiyang Lee
Game Instrument Applications
#29 - 2014-05-16 08:30:36 UTC  |  Edited by: Meiyang Lee
Merida DunBrogh wrote:

Thanks for the info as well!

2) Do you have a lot of experience with the hotels there? Which ones are good, which ones are bad etc.?
3) Looking forward to it, sounds mostly like our country anyway Lol
4) Not candy! Nooo!!
- But I'll do some digging and see which places might be good to go. But any recommendations are welcome.


I really hope I can go, will be interesting as my first flight...With fear of heights Lol(But I want to GTFO of Netherlands anyway, so I better do it sooner rather than later)

Btw, do they speak proper english there? Or should I start learning sign language?


2) I don't really have a lot of experience with the hotels, but generally speaking the Center Hotels (there's like 4 of them) are pretty good at fairly reasonable prices, and more or less all of them are close to the Harpa where Fanfest is held.
Just use a site like Booking.com or something similar to look for hotels in the city center and check reviews. Blink
I've been to fanfest twice, both times staying for 10 days minimum, the first time I had a hotel close to the Hilton, and that's ~40 minutes walk from the city center, no use to you for this fanfest.
The 2nd time I stayed at the Skjaldbreid, which is an average 3-star hotel, nothing fancy, but fairly large rooms and decent beds. The breakfast buffet there is again, nothing special, but good enough for my needs.

Do count on the hot water everywhere smelling a bit like rotten eggs, as there's a little dissolved hydrogen sulphide in there because it's generally geothermally heated water. You'll get used to it in a day or two.

3) Well, apart from the extreme emptiness, which is totally unlike the Netherlands. Lol Taking the shuttle-bus from Kevlavik International Airport (where you arrive) to Reykjavik is quite an experience the first time, the landscape is incredibly desolate and alien, unlike anything I've seen before.

4) Hereford Steakhouse is pretty nice, but expect to pay ~€35-40 for a meal, American Style is restaurant quality fast food (ie. your food looks like the pictures on the menu for a change), very tasty and not that expensive, for ~€20-25 or so you'll be full. Nonnabiti is a must visit, even if it's only once, best subs and sandwiches in town. Austur has a rather nice menu too, but again ~€35-40 for a meal minimum. Also, there's a small hotdog stand near the harbour, it's literally the best hotdog stand in Europe, visit it at least once, they're delicious.

Don't really remember any more off the top of my head, but most restaurants in the center are at least decent value for money.

As for English, most people below the age of 50 or so will speak at least a little English, and most will actually be pretty good at it. Never had any issues with the language barrier in Rekjavik
Castelo Branco
Forcas armadas
Brave Collective
#30 - 2014-05-16 14:36:52 UTC  |  Edited by: Castelo Branco
Merida DunBrogh wrote:
Btw, do they speak proper english there? Or should I start learning sign language?


Friends who was at FanFest this year said that almost everyone they talk around Reykjavik was very proficient at english, and they do not run in any situation where they were not able to communicate.

Meanwhile, since we have 10 months to be prepared to FanFest, I recommend this site (http://icelandiconline.is) to get you in touch with some basic Icelandic words. It is always nice to say some greeting and thanks.

And thank you Ruric, Meiyang Lee and Merida for the helpful tips. I am still waiting for more info.

Castelo
Meiyang Lee
Game Instrument Applications
#31 - 2014-05-16 15:32:52 UTC  |  Edited by: Meiyang Lee
Castelo Branco wrote:

The first one is the cold. I live at Brazil in a warm place, around 32°C during day and 24°C at night, so I have zero experience in cold weather, and I need lots and lots of tips to not become a frozen snowman.

Finally, I would like to stay more days, like 10 to 15 days, to know better the place and surroundings. Travel that far are a bit expensive, and it is better (and more economic) enjoy the most of country in one go. So, what you guys recommend for me?

Thank you all in advance, and sorry for my truncate English.
Castelo


Given the temperatures where you live, I'd say get a nice ski-jacket or something, those will certainly be warm enough, and should be quite toasty (it's overkill if you're used to these temperatures, but since you're anything but used to it, it may help).
As for gloves, you won't need ski-gloves, but something a little lighter would be nice, wind-chill is a bigger problem than the actual cold most of the time.

As for tourist destinations, you really can't go wrong with a Golden Circle Tour, which includes a visit to Gullfoss, Geysir and Thingvellir, very cool locations.

The Blue Lagoon is a great spot to relax towards the end of your visit, pricey, but a rather nice spa.

Xindi Kraid wrote:
I'm coming from the southwest US (Phoenix AZ). (also what's the air port code there? I like to search by that (eg when looking for flights to LA I search "PHX to LAX [date]")


The Airport code is KEF, for Keflavik International Airport, Reykjavik also has an airport, but that's only a regional one.
Keflavik is about ~45 minutes from Reykjavik by shuttle-bus, which I can recommend using, not that expensive, and they'll drop you off at most hotels.
Ruric Thyase
Star Frontiers
Brotherhood of Spacers
#32 - 2014-05-16 18:46:37 UTC
I think this has been the friendliest Dev Blog I have ever participated in...

You guys are great, See you there next year with more propaganda posters! (In case I met any of you at this past Fanfest)
Feyrin
Viziam
Amarr Empire
#33 - 2014-05-16 19:36:32 UTC
Ruric Thyase wrote:
I think this has been the friendliest Dev Blog I have ever participated in...

You guys are great, See you there next year with more propaganda posters! (In case I met any of you at this past Fanfest)


Horray Ruric, see you there next year :D
Dersen Lowery
The Scope
#34 - 2014-05-16 20:03:51 UTC
Castelo Branco wrote:
The first one is the cold. I live at Brazil in a warm place, around 32°C during day and 24°C at night, so I have zero experience in cold weather, and I need lots and lots of tips to not become a frozen snowman.


Hi, I'm from a climate where it can hit -40°C in winter and 40°C in summer. Big smile

The trickiest thing is that you're not just dressing for wet cold, you're dressing for wet cold and hot, crowded interiors. The usual advice I give is to layer, especially woolens, but that's just more to take off once you're in HARPA, so I'll second the recommendation of a good ski jacket. Also, strongly consider a wool scarf, to protect your chin, neck and ears from the wind. Pack mittens (not gloves, unless they're heavy ski gloves--if you must, get oversized mittens to wear over the gloves) and wool socks. Stocking caps are great, too--they can protect your ears as well, and you'll want to do that.

That should take care of you just fine: ski jacket, stocking cap, wool socks, mittens, scarf. If you don't mind being warm, thermal underwear is incredibly effective. Just remember that it's also incredibly effective in a room packed full of people.

Proud founder and member of the Belligerent Desirables.

I voted in CSM X!
Merida DunBrogh
Black Screen Of Raging Defeat
#35 - 2014-05-16 23:52:37 UTC  |  Edited by: Merida DunBrogh
@CCP:
Although this is really early and information might not be available yet, will there be tours before fanfest with CCP Devs to some of the spots on the island again?

@anyone:
How is the Fanfest food? If I am gonna be stuck in there from early morning to late in the evening to catch most of the presentations(roundtables might be very interesting to attend I guess), I rather not starveLol so how is the food in there and can you actually survive on it?(Preferably without going broke)

What do the IcelandAir packages usually include? Anything special due to low pricing or is it just as easy to just go there with IcelandAir and book everything seperately?

And what hotels would you all recommend? I checked out CenterHotels and it seemed nice enough in "Arnarhvoll" and "Skjaldbreid" according to the pricing on booking.com and reviews on TripAdvisor. Though I did learn while reading the reviews of the hotels not to take a low-floor, due to noise issues, but I guess most hotels have that problem.

And last before bed, how long would you recommend for a stay? Prices add up quickly with the expensive dinners etc. so would 5-7 days cut it to check out the most things?


So many questions! Oh well, youngsters these days! Lol

Edit: I already got another question for the dutchies! Shocked
How is payments usually done there? Can I use my "bankpas" or should I expect to use cash money or?
I will go to my bank anyway to verify the information from them as well, but might as well get stories from people who have actually done it :)
Meiyang Lee
Game Instrument Applications
#36 - 2014-05-17 07:17:35 UTC  |  Edited by: Meiyang Lee
Merida DunBrogh wrote:

Edit: I already got another question for the dutchies! Shocked
How is payments usually done there? Can I use my "bankpas" or should I expect to use cash money or?
I will go to my bank anyway to verify the information from them as well, but might as well get stories from people who have actually done it :)


In most cases your PINpas works just fine (as does a creditcard). I rarely carried cash when I was in Iceland.
Icelanders love their electronic payment systems as much as the Dutch do. You can even use them in the taxis (which are dirt cheap btw compared to here in the Netherlands).

Almost any store will accept your Dutch debitcard for payments (my ING one never was an issue at any rate), the only unnerving thing in my experience was that I rarely needed my PIN to authorize the payment, you sign off on it like you would with a creditcard swipe. Only the ATMs needed a PIN to get your money.

In 2011 there was talk about modernizing the payment systems to require a PIN for transactions like we're used to, but I have no idea how far along the implementation of that is. So don't be too surprised if you pay with your debitcard, and the cashier just asks you to sign a copy of the receipt and find that you've paid without entering your PIN. This does make it a lot more important to not lose your card, as it's very easy to use for others. Shocked
CCP Falcon
#37 - 2014-05-17 14:23:18 UTC
Quote:
@CCP:
Although this is really early and information might not be available yet, will there be tours before fanfest with CCP Devs to some of the spots on the island again


We'll be announcing more closer to the time, once we have the scheudle finalized.

Quote:
@anyone:
How is the Fanfest food? If I am gonna be stuck in there from early morning to late in the evening to catch most of the presentations(roundtables might be very interesting to attend I guess), I rather not starveLol so how is the food in there and can you actually survive on it?(Preferably without going broke)


Food is fine! :D

Quote:
What do the IcelandAir packages usually include? Anything special due to low pricing or is it just as easy to just go there with IcelandAir and book everything seperately?


Generally flights, hotel and flybus transfers to and from the airport. Hotels are with our partners, who historically have been the CenterHotels group.

Quote:
And what hotels would you all recommend? I checked out CenterHotels and it seemed nice enough in "Arnarhvoll" and "Skjaldbreid" according to the pricing on booking.com and reviews on TripAdvisor. Though I did learn while reading the reviews of the hotels not to take a low-floor, due to noise issues, but I guess most hotels have that problem.


Any of the CenterHotels are usually great to stay in and are mostly within a 5-10 minute walking distance of Harpa. Kex Hostel and Room With a View are also great places to stay.

Quote:
And last before bed, how long would you recommend for a stay? Prices add up quickly with the expensive dinners etc. so would 5-7 days cut it to check out the most things?


You can see a lot in 7 days if you put your mind to it. Generally when I was a player I used to come over for 2-3 weeks around Fanfest, but it can cost an arm and a leg.

Quote:
How is payments usually done there? Can I use my "bankpas" or should I expect to use cash money or?
I will go to my bank anyway to verify the information from them as well, but might as well get stories from people who have actually done it :)


VISA and Mastercard are accepted basically everywhere, from purchases as small as a pack of gum to buying a house. Just bring your debit/credit card, inform your bank they'll be receiving international transactions, and you should be just fine.

Hope this helps!

CCP Falcon || EVE Universe Community Manager || @CCP_Falcon

Happy Birthday To FAWLTY7! <3
Merida DunBrogh
Black Screen Of Raging Defeat
#38 - 2014-05-17 15:27:03 UTC  |  Edited by: Merida DunBrogh
*Not sure if CCP Falcon is managing me or is telling the truth* http://i.imgur.com/OgU2g.jpg

But thanks both Meiyang Lee and CCP falcon again for the info Smile Sorry for the many questions but I like being informed when dealing with these amounts of money.(First thing over 150 euro for me(Previous biggest purchase will have been the EVE CE if this goes through)...By a long shot)

Thanks though for the info on the packages, and the 3 other CenterHotels seemed to be either in a bad place(near pubs) or had quite a bunch of bad reviews regarding the shower...Or a combination of both) so those 2 seemed to be the better ones.

And I don't intend to sell my arm or my leg...My effectiveness in EVE would get compromised! So I think I'll go with 7 days Lol

I'll have a chat with my bank on monday after my internship and see if they can give me any more information whether or not my pas is sufficient or I should get something better(On my card I only see a Maestro and "chipknip" sign...like...who the hell even uses that...(Looking for a minute at google, Maestro should actually do fine in IcelandBig smile))

Btw Falcon, will there be another CCP GateCamp and Bus waiting? I'd love to get a free ride :P (I get it, that info will come later, but may or may not be shared at the time)


Let's hope I can get the money together in time :D

Btw Meiyang Lee, where exactly did you buy your plane ticket at the time? Their own website says 350, so you got a better deal somewhere? :D
Meiyang Lee
Game Instrument Applications
#39 - 2014-05-17 15:42:52 UTC
Merida DunBrogh wrote:


Btw Meiyang Lee, where exactly did you buy your plane ticket at the time? Their own website says 350, so you got a better deal somewhere? :D


Well, that was an estimate built from what I paid in 2009, and increased it a bit. Back then I paid €231 for a return ticket, however I didn't account for the much higher exchange rate of the ISK (Icelandic Kronur), as their economy has recovered quite a bit.
In 2011 I flew Business Class to Fanfest, so that's not exactly a fair comparison as that was €790, but much more comfortable. Blink

And yes, both times I went I simply booked the tickets through the Iceland Air website.

Do keep in mind that booking extremely far in advance can be more expensive, as is booking really close to your departure date,
the trouble is finding the right balance so you're getting the best price possible.
There's also no day variation visible yet, generally the Tuesday and Thursday are the cheapest days to fly over.
CCP Falcon
#40 - 2014-05-17 17:09:48 UTC
Merida DunBrogh wrote:
Btw Falcon, will there be another CCP GateCamp and Bus waiting? I'd love to get a free ride :P (I get it, that info will come later, but may or may not be shared at the time)


I should imagine we'll be running a party bus next year, yes, but it's not confirmed as of yet given how early in planning we are.

The only reason we didn't run one this year is because we were unsure what flights would make it in on time, or at all, given the airport strikes that were going on. These were only called off last minute, so sadly we couldn't commit to hiring the bus and heading on over to Keflavik because we weren't aware of how badly flights would be affected.

CCP Falcon || EVE Universe Community Manager || @CCP_Falcon

Happy Birthday To FAWLTY7! <3
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