European Caches

[+osmosis]

How do people locate caches by location in Europe?

[+Hemlock]

Ummm, coordinates?

[+Nathannah]

Do you mean how do you find the cache PAGES by location? Like, I'm going to be in a specific area in Germany, how do I find out what caches are there???

 

I've never tried to do that. I think the UK you can use their equivalent zip code, but I don't know about other countries.

[+Divine]

We don't. That's why I have found so few caches.

[+fly46]

If it was a small country, you could just do a country search.. ie, bring up the Isle of Man and you'll get all 35 caches..

If you know a specific cache you'll be at/near, you can go to that cache page and search for caches from that location (down near the hint on the cache page)..

If you know where you'll be, you could search from cords.

[+Divine]

Sometimes (definitely not always) it pays off to use the city name in the search by keyword option. For example: search with keyword hamburg, pick a suitable cache and search for nearest ones.

 

I was on a Central European vacation last summer and found the cache pages I needed with an extensive nearest caches -hopping. Laborious? Yes, but I got enough printouts to keep myself occupied during the vacation.

Edited November 9, 2004 by Divine

[+fly46]

It had been discussed having zipcode searches available for europe, but there was a problem with identical zipcodes.

 

Nearest Hopping is the best option right now.

[+º]

They use maps - very nice maps:

 

Bavaria

 

Munich

 

Northwest Hesse

 

Potsdam

 

...

 

and so on

[+tobsas]

It had been discussed having zipcode searches available for europe, but there was a problem with identical zipcodes.

 

Nearest Hopping is the best option right now.

Actually, there are several options if you want to search by zipcode, only GC.com is not one of them. For Germany, Austria or Switzerland you can enter the ZIP-code at Geocaching.de, or if you want to use a map you could look at this site for Austria and Germany ...

 

Greetings,

Tobias

[Prof. Y. Lupardi]

And for the Netherlands (where Amsterdam is) you have maps at

http://www.geocaching.nl/maps/seek.php?action=nederland

[+osmosis]

I'm more interested in eastern France near Stasborg. When I place the coords

if that city in I get nothing, go 100 miles out and still receive nothing.

 

I figured that folks over there must have a better system for searching.

[+tobsas]

I'm more interested in eastern France near Stasborg.  When I place the coords

if that city in I get nothing, go 100 miles out and still receive nothing.

 

I figured that folks over there must have a better system for searching.

In France exists another page which name I don't remember right now but I'm sure someone will jump in and help out. I can't tell you if that is the reason or not that Geocaching isn't popular there, but a fact is that the cache density in France is low. If you want a map for the region around Strassbourg, you might have a look at this one or that one (all to the left, please consider that those are made for Germany...). Another possibilitie is to look at the map at Buxley (but be aware that this map is out of date as gc.com is blocking Buxley right now).

If you look into the All Nations-subforum, you will see some other threads about caching in France. I would recommend to repost your question about caches there as it seems that cachers who are active in the Elsass (very roughly the region around Straßbourg) are reading that subforum and I don't know if they are also reading here.

Edit: I thought about sTeamTraen who offered already multiple times his help for that region. As he is reading here, you can skip the sentence before this edit section. ;-)

 

In any case there are several caches around Straßbourg in the radius of 100 miles. Are you sure that you coordinates are correct? It should be something like N 48.58°, E 7.73° or N 48° 34.8', E 7° 43.8'. For example Uff 'm Scharrach is 10 miles west of Straßbourg and there are several nearby.

 

Greetings,

Tobias

Edited November 10, 2004 by tobsas

[+Metaphor]

I tried the Geocaching.de site this past weekend and the interactive map for Germany (a great feature, btw) is down. (I'm not sure about the other two map areas.) I think I translated the page to say they they are having code problems because the size of the page has exceeded its memory limits. The map is still up, but you can't ID caches by dragging over them. When this is working, it is a powerful resource for finding caches along your route, and covers Switzerland, Germany and Austria, as well as surrounding nations like the Czech Republic, where I'm hoping to get to in February. Let's hope it gets up and back online soon.

[geotrouvetout]

I'm more interested in eastern France near Stasborg. When I place the coords

if that city in I get nothing, go 100 miles out and still receive nothing.

 

I figured that folks over there must have a better system for searching.

I am originally from Strasbourg. On GC.com I've found about 450 caches for the whole country and a few around Strasbourg that I’ll get this winter during my annual vacation there. GC.com really need to improve its search engine for other than USA countries cause it's pretty fastidious to go though all the caches until you find some in the target area.

[+º]

As usual the French have to copy something what the world uses and give it a different name: www.cistes.net

That's why they don't have many geocaches.

 

I'm more interested in eastern France near Stasborg. When I place the coords

if that city in I get nothing, go 100 miles out and still receive nothing.

 

I figured that folks over there must have a better system for searching.

As tobsas already mentioned this map is the right one for Strasbourg. Since most of the caches close to it are in Germany it doesn't really matter that you see only the area east of Strasbourg.

[+Divine]

There is an active geocacher (also a forum active) living near Strasbourg, and he has also hidden some of the caches in that area. I met him briefly on my last summer's trip (and I also found couple of caches in the area). He's very nice guy and I'm sure he'll have some good cache hints for anyone who's visiting the city.

[+sTeamTraen]

There is an active geocacher (also a forum active) living near Strasbourg, and he has also hidden some of the caches in that area. I met him briefly on my last summer's trip (and I also found couple of caches in the area). He's very nice guy and I'm sure he'll have some good cache hints for anyone who's visiting the city.

Yes indeed, I am a very nice guy, thanks Divine

 

As far as I know I am the only active Geocacher living in Alsace, a region of 1.2 million people (!). I own 9 caches here (OK, one of them ends just over the border in Germany) and they are all fabulous. There are another 6 or 7 within 70-80km of Strasbourg, mostly left by German/Dutch/Belgian tourisits.

 

Of course, just over the border in Germany, there are dozens if not hundreds of caches within 50km of Strasbourg, mostly in the Schwarzwald (Black Forest).

 

Feel free to contact me, possibly by e-mail, for any other questions. I haven't had much time to spend in the forums recently (thanks again to Divine for the heads-up about this thread), but I will add a "Track" to this topic.

 

Nick

Edited November 10, 2004 by sTeamTraen

[+tobsas]

[Geocaching.de ... ] it is a powerful resource for finding caches along your route, and covers Switzerland, Germany and Austria, as well as surrounding nations like the Czech Republic, where I'm hoping to get to in February.  Let's hope it gets up and back online soon.

Just for the record: You should give www.swissgeocache.ch for Switzerland and Geocache.at for Austria a try.

 

Greetings,

Tobias

[geotrouvetout]

As usual the French have to copy something what the world uses and give it a different name: www.cistes.net

That's why they don't have many geocaches.

 

I hope it was a joke because it is not very nice for us...

A had a look at this site and it is completely different from geocaching:

 

1. they don't use GPSr

2. you have to answer correctly to a series of questions that will lead you to the cache.

 

Besides, geocaching is such a great hobby that I wish it would be more developed there. I think France, Europe in general, have more freedom to hide caches almost anywhere compared to the US where lots of land owner welcome you with a shot gun if you trespass and the government owned lands are also controlled in some way (Forest Preserves for instance). Keep in mind also that unlike Nick from STeamTraen, most French have poor English skills (although it's improving) and since this site is in English, it does not help promoting the game. Thus, it is not a bad idea to sort of copy GC.com in French. Also, as I said before, you need to go though all caches on this site before you find some in the area you are interested in because GC.com does not provide us with a zip search option, same issue for Germany .

Edited November 10, 2004 by geotrouvetout

[geotrouvetout]

There is an active geocacher (also a forum active) living near Strasbourg, and he has also hidden some of the caches in that area. I met him briefly on my last summer's trip (and I also found couple of caches in the area). He's very nice guy and I'm sure he'll have some good cache hints for anyone who's visiting the city.

Yes indeed, I am a very nice guy, thanks Divine

 

As far as I know I am the only active Geocacher living in Alsace, a region of 1.2 million people (!). I own 9 caches here (OK, one of them ends just over the border in Germany) and they are all fabulous. There are another 6 or 7 within 70-80km of Strasbourg, mostly left by German/Dutch/Belgian tourisits.

 

Of course, just over the border in Germany, there are dozens if not hundreds of caches within 50km of Strasbourg, mostly in the Schwarzwald (Black Forest).

 

Feel free to contact me, possibly by e-mail, for any other questions. I haven't had much time to spend in the forums recently (thanks again to Divine for the heads-up about this thread), but I will add a "Track" to this topic.

 

Nick

Nick, I was actually talking about you in my post yesterday . I'll try to visit a few of your caches in December and hope to plant a TB in one of them. There's one stuck in my area since August and I feel the need to free it. The owner did not answer to me when I asked him if it was Ok to move it that far so I guess it's fine. My parents live in Griesheim sur Souffel near Strasbourg, while I am here in Chicago area for 5 years now. I count on you to develop the "business" in Alsace!

Edited November 10, 2004 by geotrouvetout

[ksrayc1]

Here's another little question about using my gps in Europe. Will it work there? without using any other software? I currently have a Garmin III

 

Thanks,

 

ksrayc1

[+Divine]

Here's another little question about using my gps in Europe. Will it work there? without using any other software? I currently have a Garmin III

Yes. The same satellites fly over Europe too.

[+sTeamTraen]

Yes. The same satellites fly over Europe too.

... but you will need to change your AAA batteries from 110 to 220 volts

[Prof. Y. Lupardi]

Yes. The same satellites fly over Europe too.  

... but you will need to change your AAA batteries from 110 to 220 volts

And upgrade the stuff: in Europe they have 50 Hz and not 60 cycles/sec

[geotrouvetout]

Yes. The same satellites fly over Europe too.  

... but you will need to change your AAA batteries from 110 to 220 volts

Change the (1.5 volts) batteries from 110 to 220 ?

The charger yes, but not the batteries. AA or AAA they are the same around the world. Newer chargers work either on 110 or 220, just an adaptor is needed for the plug. But maybe you meant to say "charge"

[+º]

I hope it was a joke because it is not very nice for us.

It wasn't a joke - the basic idea of geocaching and searching cistes is the same: Finding some kind of tupperware with logbook out there in the nature.

 

You have to admit that French are always a little bit peculiar especially if they have to deal with the British/American culture. A lot of Germans don't speak English or very little as well but the German geocaching community created an own portal (geocaching.de) where you don't need to know any English. Anyway - we're getting Off Topic.

 

And we have a different satellite over here: EGNOS instead of WAAS but it doesn't work

[+Metaphor]

The geocaching.de cache interactive map has been refined, and if you know your area, you can zoom into sections to search for caches very easily. However, the countries bordering Germany (excepting Switzerland and Austria) are no longer part of the interactive map. Is there a good route search site site for the Czech Republic?

 

Also, are there any recommendations for 1) easy, as in readily accessible just off the main road, 2) winter accessible, and 3) traditional box-style, big enough for a travel bug or two on a route from Frankfurt, through either Nurnburg or Amburg, and then on to Prague?

 

I've got three days, a trio of interested neophytes, limited German (read only, speak with extreme embarrassment), and no Czech, except for badly pronounced polite tourist phrases, but I am trying to learn a bit more.)

[+fly46]

Yes. The same satellites fly over Europe too.  

... but you will need to change your AAA batteries from 110 to 220 volts

Change the (1.5 volts) batteries from 110 to 220 ?

The charger yes, but not the batteries. AA or AAA they are the same around the world. Newer chargers work either on 110 or 220, just an adaptor is needed for the plug. But maybe you meant to say "charge"

Umm... chances are that was a joke.

 

If you have problems translating a site, you can always copy the url of the site and go to babelfish.altavista.com and enter in the url and what you want it to translate to and from.

It won't be a perfect translation, but it's good enough that you'll understand the pages.

 

I use it all the time to translate cool caches in europe so I can read the cache pages.

[+haggaeus]

...  However, the countries bordering Germany (excepting Switzerland and Austria) are no longer part of the interactive map.  Is there a good route search site site for the Czech Republic?

geocaching.cz

Click on the Brithish flag in the top right corner to get an English interface.

No route search though, just a zoomable map with all CZ caches, links to local topo maps and search by city.

[+Metaphor]

Haggaeus --Thank you for the site link...

[+team kweb cakes]

THANKS SOOOOO Much for the Czech site help. I'm headed there in Feb. for about 10 days. I've been looking all over for such a site! Thanks a ton.

[geotrouvetout]

It wasn't a joke -

 

we're getting Off Topic.

 

Even if you are not completely wrong, I don't think your comment was appropriate on this forum, and yes, it is off topic .

 

I wish we had a "geocaching.fr" web site as you guys have a "geocaching.de", maybe someone will make it some day, I would if I knew how to. Fact is this hobby is way more developed on your side of the Rhine than on ours unfortunately, I don't know why but it will eventually change with the help of guys like sTeamTraen. Being in the US, I can't help it.

[+sTeamTraen]

Yes. The same satellites fly over Europe too.  

... but you will need to change your AAA batteries from 110 to 220 volts

Change the (1.5 volts) batteries from 110 to 220 ?

The charger yes, but not the batteries. AA or AAA they are the same around the world. Newer chargers work either on 110 or 220, just an adaptor is needed for the plug. But maybe you meant to say "charge"

Umm... chances are that was a joke.

It was a joke - hence the smiley - but indeed "change" and "charge" are not far off, and it was therefore possible to misinterpret it.

 

However, charging AAA batteries to 110 or 220 volts is not recommended, unless you enjoy the smell of things burning.

[+boulist44]

I am both the Geocacher and a French Cisteur. Yes the French do look for hidden plastic boxes but it takes a little more intelligence to find them without the aid of a GPS and 220v AA batteries