Backpacking Euro Info 2

Backpacking Europe info #2 of 4 - 22 pages long Cities to Visit – I will give you some brief comments about places in case you are considering some places but are not sure whether they are worth visiting. I have been to all of these places (and others) so I am not just telling you to go to the places that I have been to & avoid all the places that I avoided. I have selected some of my comments specifically for those first time travelers or those with 1 month in Europe or less and thus, would have to choose one place over another. I have listed the following countries in alphabetical order and listed the main cities for that country. The cities that I have listed are listed in the order that I think the average traveler should visit them (for example, if you only had time to visit one place in Austria, I think the average traveler should see Vienna. However, if you had time to see 2 places, see Vienna and Salzburg. I have listed the countries alphabetically. AUSTRIA – Vienna Salzburg Innsbruck Graz BELGIUM (although there are many other nice places in Belgium, these are pretty much all that the average traveler will probably see) Brugge – probably the best city to visit in Belgium Antwerp Brussels (yes the capital city is on the bottom of the list) BULGARIA Sophia Varna CZECH REPUBLIC Prague – make sure to visit Hotel Axa to get a $4 massage Ceske Budejovice Cesky Krumlov Canadians are required to pay about $85 for a visa to visit the Czech Republic DENMARK Copenhagen Roskilde ESTONIA Tallinn FINLAND

Helsinki FRANCE Paris – make sure to see Saint Chapelle (amazing stained glass) located near the Notre Dame) Nice/Monte Carlo Marseille Annecy GERMANY Munich Berlin Neuschwanstein (the Castle upon which Walt Disney based Cinderella’s palace) which is located in the Bavarian Alps (actually there are 2 castles there (the yellow one is less famous and about a 30-minute walk from the big one). www.allgaeu-schwaben.com/cneuschwanstein.html provides info. The Rhine Valley (from Frankfurt north to Kolne (Cologne)) GREAT BRITAIN London Ireland (see below) GREECE Athens (1 complete day is enough – but it is tough to get a complete day because when you wake up you will be real tired from the ferry ride from Italy) Island of Corfu (stay at Pink Palace to Party) Island of Ios (party) Island of Santorini Island of Mykonos Island of Paros Island of Naxos Thessaloniki (if passing through) HUNGARY Budapest Lake Balaton (Balatonfured) – relaxing IRELAND Dublin Killarney Cork ITALY Rome

Venice Florence (and can do Pisa in a day trip) Sienna (if the season for the horse races) Brindisi – - this town sucks but probably will go here if taking the Eurail ferry to Corfu or Athens) LATVIA Riga LITHUANIA Vilnius NETHERLANDS (A.K.A. Holland) Amsterdam – I lived in Holland so I can tell you a lot more, but the average traveler will probably just have time for Amsterdam NORWAY Oslo POLAND Krakow (Auschwitze and Birkenau nearby) Warsaw – PORTUGAL – out of the way, so most travelers will not go to Lagos Lisbon ROMANIA – high crime and dirty so most travelers will avoid (but dirt-cheap) Bucharest SPAIN – Although I have listed many great places, many backpackers will only have time for Barcelona. Barcelona Ibiza (to party) Madrid San Sabastian/Bilbao Seville Valencia Salamanca Malaga Mallorca SWEEDEN Stockholm SWITZERLAND

Luzern (Lucerne) Grindelwald or Grimmelwald or Gryon Interlaken (for expensive partying) Geneva Lausanne Zurich Neuchatel TURKEY Istanbul Ephesus (stay in Selcuk) /Kusadasi Izmir Pamukkale Rather than trying to give a review of each city that I have been to (that could take forever) I suggest the following: Select the general places that you feel you MUST go to first and then select some places that you would LIKE to go to and then create an itinerary that includes your MUST locations and also your LIKE locations and then come up with an idea on how to see them (do not forget that you can save time by traveling to far away locations during the night time & catch some sleep on the travel. Night Trains/ couchette However, night travel has its drawbacks – 1) you either will still pay for lodging if you get a couchette (so you really would only saving time and not money) or you can save money and just sleep in the seats (which pull out so that you can fully recline – but if you travel during the busy season & to popular countries, then expect to have to share the compartment and others may want to sit up (or there may be too many people to recline) – either way, you will not get good rest; 2) you will not get a shower – 3) you will have to plan ahead and bring food and water on the train for your travels (or pay the expensive prices charged in the dining cart (if it is even available!) 4) also, depending on the distance traveled (if you cross several boarders) you MAY be waken up by conductors if you are in a couchette, and you WILL be waken up if you are a cheapskate and just in the normal seats. When I first traveled, I was real cheap (Europe on $25/day) and I never got a couchette. As I learned, I got couchettes when I could afford it. Usually the conductor takes the passports for all of the people that are in the couchette as you board and then if your couchette is full (or if nobody else will be sleeping in the compartment), then you will be able to sleep without interruption from the conductor

and without interruption from other passengers looking for a seat. This is because other passengers cannot enter any of the “sleeper cars” because they are locked. However, expect that on the Czech/Slovak/ Hungarian/Austrian crossings you WILL get woken up, because the conductor doesn't collect the passports on these routes. Also, when the train crosses the boarder, the boarder police just look at the passports that the conductor took from the people sleeping in the couchettes, and he has no need to disturb the sleeping people. The only exception to this that I have experienced was once when I had a pass that did not cover Austria and I changed my route from Florence to Munich at the last second and I went trough Austria and I forgot that my particular pass did not cover that portion (that went through Austria). Well, the guy came in and explained this to me (in German) and I had to pay right then. This event woke up everyone in the couchette. Some people tell me that they are worried about theft in a couchette. This has never bothered me in the past. You can reduce your chances of theft in a couchette by requesting the bottom bunk (if you travel solo). That way you can stuff your backpack under your bed and greatly reduce any chance that someone will steal stuff from your pack. Also, sleep with your money belt either on (under your clothes) or inside your pillow. Be very careful if you put it in your pillow so you do not forget it and leave it on the train. By the way, they give you a pillow, sheets and a blanket for the night when you pay for a cochette. Couchettes and sleeper compartments are not included in a Eurail (you must pay extra to use a couchette or sleeper). In general, couchettes are cheaper than sleepers. If you are only traveling on a train that does not cross any boarder, then you can get a sleeper for a domestic price. This can be affordable in eastern Europe. However, if you are going from, say Bucharest to Vienna, then you will have to pay the more expensive “western” price, and a couchette might be the most that you can afford. Here are some final thoughts and tips that may help. In general, there will be many places that charge some change to use the toilet. Expect to pay for it and don’t bother complaining. Also many places will have an attendant in the restroom and they will give you a napkin as toilet paper and you have to pay extra for each additional napkin. I suggest bring about a ½ roll of good quality toilet paper from the USA and keep it in your daypack. Also, some places do not have toilets at all and just have a hole in the floor and little gripper areas for your feet (so you don’t slip) and you are required to squat over the hole. This is very odd for Americans – so don’t be surprised if you see it the further East that you travel and the further South that you go. It will rain at some point while you are traveling. Some people prefer a big poncho so they can just throw it over their backpack too. Others prefer umbrellas – to each his own. I now believe that the poncho is pretty much a waste of space and weight. My reason? My personal preference is to bring a

windbreaker (which I have previously sprayed to make it water repellant) and I just spray water repellant on both my big backpack as well as my daypack. (I just use my hood on my jacket (or a baseball cap) to cover my head). This way you can use the jacket when it rains, and it is not extra weight – since you will have brought it anyway. The only way that this saves space is if the jacket is waterproof – so make sure to buy one that is waterproof or to spray your windbreaker down before leaving home. I also like to bring a waterproof clear plastic zip-lock type bag that is specifically made to hold a normal sheet of typing paper. That way, you can just rip out the part of the Let’s Go that has the map of the town that you are visiting and carry around the map (in the plastic) so it doesn’t get wet when it is raining. This is also what I do if I arrive in a town and I get a hostel lined up and I am making my way to the hostel and it is raining (this way, your directions don’t get smeared). Also, if you are careful (maybe use a blade from your Swiss Army knife) when you rip out the map (if it is a 2 page map) then you can tape the 2 pages of the map together and you will still be able to see the center of the map. Although many American college students wear baseball caps, this type of headwear is a very rare sight in Europe (except for the American tourists), so you might want to just leave your cap at home – and if you want to bring a ball cap, don’t bring more than one! In Greece – if you are going to the Islands of Santorini, Ios (to party) Island of Paros, and the Island of Naxos, be careful to not oversleep on the ferry. You will probably party on the ferry (and may even hook up) but if you do not get off the ferry (such as on Ios) because you are passed out, then the ferry just keeps going to the next island. This happened to my travel partner (since we kind of were separated due to the festivities in which we partook on the ferry) and I was able to get off the ferry but he slept through it. I got us lodging on Ios, hoping that he would return. I was nice and waited by the docks when the ferry was scheduled to return later in the day and he was on it. But he was lucky that I got us lodging, because when he arrived, it was about 2pm and all of the good lodging was gone. On Ios, when the ferry pulls into port, there will be a bunch of people waiting and soliciting you to stay at their hostel. Also, in Greece you will find out that there is a big problem with the plumbing (especially on the islands) and they forbid you from placing dirty toilet paper into the toilet when you are finished. That’s right! They expect you to place it into a trashcan (to stink up the room). Exchanging money – read the books, but generally, when you first arrive in a country, the first thing that you will want to do is exchange some money. It is a good idea to have already figured out a budget (such as $50/day). Then you estimate how long you will be in that country (not just that city!) and exchange enough money for your whole time in that country (that way you do not get charged multiple commissions). You can exchange money in many places, but generally, the locations in the train stations are more expensive than a normal bank. Also a Change Bureau will usually cost more than a bank. You can tell this because either your exchange rate will be lower or that you will be charged a

higher commission. Although considered safer than cash, traveler’s checks probably will cost you more to use than cash because they are often charged an additional commission to change and some places do not accept them (rare). If you decide to bring traveler’s checks, make sure that they are in Euros. Some Americans still try to travel with traveler’s checks in US Dollars. This is a bad idea. The other option is to use an ATM machine & get money out that way. BUT you should be good at converting and be aware of what the current exchange rate is, because when you take out money from an ATM, it will ask you what amount in that country’s currency! FYI - you can locate ATMs by going to www.visa.com for “Plus” ATMs, or www.mastercard.com for “Cirrus” ATMs. It may help if you are in a crunch and have the time for that. Make sure that your ATM code is a FOUR-digit NUMERICAL code. There are still a lot of ATM's in Europe that don't accept 5 or 6 digit codes and most do not list the alphabet next to the numbers on the keypad of the ATM. This is important because if you have a five or six digit PIN, you better contact your bank and change your PIN to a four digit PIN or make sure that if you enter only the first four digits at the ATM that your bank will process the card properly). Also, assume that the ATMs in Europe will NOT have letters on the keypad, so if you use letters to remember your PIN it is time to memorize the number instead. Also, ATMs in Europe do not allow you to withdraw cash from a savings account, only a checking, so make sure that your checking account if full! If you have at least one month before you depart for Europe, contact your credit card companies and your bank and have them issue new cards with brand new magnetized strips. That way, you minimize the chance that the strips fail to work when you need them. It is possible to exchange small amounts of money before you even arrive in Europe if you have a bank in your hometown that carries foreign currency. It is amazing how many American banks do not have this feature available outside of the big cities. Regardless, you will ALWAYS be able to exchange money in the airport (departing or arriving) but it will cost you more. Do not assume that you will always be able to exchange money in a train station when you arrive in a country. Usually you will be able to (if you arrive in that country’s capital) but if you arrive in a smaller town, there may not be anyplace to exchange money. This is very important to notice when traveling overnight. I once flew into Amsterdam and took a night train to Bari, Italy. Well, when I arrived the next day, it was Sunday and all the banks were closed and I could not exchange money. I had to hop on the next train and leave that whole town because I couldn’t get any currency to buy food! When you leave a country, try to spend most or all of that country’s currency (unless you have a lot (such as over $40) or unless you will positively be returning to that country later on. If you will be returning, then place all of that country’s coins and bills into a zip-lock bag (keep all the different currency in different zip-lock bags). Although you can usually exchange a country’s currency with the neighboring country, you will lose because a SECOND commission will be charged and they will not exchange coins or small denominations.

Make sure that you don’t spend ALL of the money before you are ready to leave the country (this does not apply if you will only be in countries that use the Euro). In Bratislava, Slovakia I had exchanged $20 and discovered what a mistake that town was in a few hours, so I decided to buy some CDs and have a 5-course meal to spend the rest of my money and leave town (the meal only cost $12). Anyway, After buying my CDs, I left all of the remaining money as a tip for my meal, but I forgot that I was about a mile from the train station and had 15 minutes to catch my departing train. I had to run back to the train station because I didn’t even have the 12-cents that it cost for a trolley (actually, I would have just hopped on a passing trolley without a ticket and taken my chances, but a trolley didn’t even come by at all!) So there are really 2 lessons to learn – leave enough money and time to get back to the station. The time factor was also problematic the last time that I was in Prague when I only left 30 minutes to get from my lodging to the train station. I figured that I had no problem because my lodging was close to a metro stop. Well, I normally would have been ok on time, but the metro train skipped a stop that I had planned on using to change lines (because of a bomb threat at that stop), so I missed the train that I had planned on taking and had to wait a few hours for the next one. Also, if you leave a country that has a bad economic system (such as if you travel through Serbia or any other part of the old Yugoslavia) then expect that NOBODY will take that money. I once tricked a salesman in Prague to take $8 worth of Yugoslavian Dinars for something that the salesman was charging $12 for. This was a very rare thing, since the salespeople usually know the exchange rates better than you. However, there are a bunch of tourist booths all over (kind of like a flea market) and you can always bargain with them, but you better feel comfortable bargaining with them, or else you will be ripped off. When I was at the Pink Palace in Greece, someone stole my swimtrunks (granted, I had left them on my balcony to dry in the sun) and I had to buy new trunks at a shop in town & they were cheap by American standards (they asked $12) and I talked the lady down to $8. She was mad at first because she assumed that I was a “rich” American and I should have paid the full price just because I could afford it. I lied and told her that I was Canadian and the Canadian currency sucked and I was not rich like Americans. The bottom line is even if it is a good deal for you, bargain, because only the old American tourist on the tour groups pay full price in Europe. That $4 that I saved ended up being an extra couple of drinks at the bar that night. Granted, the big fancy shops on the Champs-Elysees in Paris are just like New York - bargaining will get you nowhere. Also, all of the above talk about changing money each time you enter a country may not be relevant to you if you only travel in places where the Euro is accepted. The official change-over to the Euro began in January 2002. So, unlike those who traveled 2 years ago, if you travel in the summer of 2003, you will have it a little easier since you will have less of the hassles associated with exchanging money. The parts of “western Europe” that do not use the Euro: are the UK, Denmark, Sweden, Norway & Switzerland. Check out www.ecb.int/ for info in English.

Also, some places in Eastern Europe and Russia will prefer hard currency (USD, pounds) to their crappy currency and you can just pay with your hard currency (especially in the flea markets (where you can get some bootleg music)). However, I think that plenty of travel books mention this because I saw some older Americans in a tour group that paid $2 in US currency for a cassette tape in a flea market in Warsaw. Although these people thought that they were getting a good deal, the vender initially asked for a price in Polish zloty (the local currency) which converted to only 90 cents. So, remember to know your conversions before you try to bargain. I have a very small lightweight calculator that I always bring with me so I don’t make conversion mistakes by trying to do it in me head. Also regarding exchanging money – it is wise to rip out the section of the USA Today (on your flight over to Europe) that lists all of the current exchange rates and put it in your Let’s Go. When I arrived in Russia, I knew that the exchange rate was $1 equals something like 15,000 Rubles. Well, when I arrived at the train station, I looked around and I saw a long line where people were exchanging money and I waited in line and when I got to the front, they had posted the exchange rate as being $1 equals 1,500 Rubles. That means that they were ripping you off and giving you only 10% of what you were due! That is an example of black market exchanges. Although it was set up in a room and looked official, when I past by a few days later, nothing was in the office at all! Usually, black market exchangers will approach you in the train station and ask if you need to exchange money – avoid them. Also, misunderstanding the exchange rates will really hurt your wallet. Also when I was in Russia, I met this other guy who told me that when he arrived he received his proper exchange but that when he was figuring the prices of stuff, he did not really understand the rate and he forgot one decimal and when he went to Baskin Robins he thought that the cones were 40 cents and later realized that he paid $4.00 for an ice cream cone! On the flight to Europe you will probably be able to drink beer for free. Resist the urge and do not drink alcohol. Opt for water. The reason is that flying for that length of time will tire you out and dehydrate you and you should drink water not alcohol (which further dehydrates you). Also, your flight will most likely arrive in Europe in the early morning (European time) and it will probably be very late your normal USA time, so try to sleep on the plane, because you will have to stay up for the whole first day you arrive (well you don’t have to, but you should in order to get over the jet lag). Another way to get over jet lag is to try and get on European time for a couple of days before you leave home. That would mean that you might be wide awake when it is night time and you sleep during the day. This would work best if you are pretty excited and unable to sleep on the plane. If that is the case, read up on the first city that you will be arriving in and make sure you know how to get from the airport to the train station (or to your lodging). When you arrive in Europe, you will have to navigate to your place of lodging for that evening (or drop your backpack in a locker and see the town with your

daypack and catch a night train out of that town). But don’t forget that if you are taking a night train, you may need to make a reservation (if sleeping car or couchette) and you will not have a shower or free food, so prepare for that. However, I would not suggest spending your first night in Europe on a train. Even if you fly into a crappy town like Frankfurt or Stuttgart and you do not want to spend time there, travel during the day to another town and sleep in the other town. Even if you do not want to make any hostel reservations because you are a free-spirit, you should try to get hostel reservations for your first night in Europe (especially if you will not be sleeping in the city into which you fly). Before leaving the USA make a list of all the home phone numbers, email and snail mail addresses that you will need when you are in Europe (to call or to send a post card to) and write or type them either in your Let’s Go book (because you will never lose that) or onto a piece of paper – this is much better than carrying along an address book or palm pilot. Guidebooks suggest photocopying your important documents (such as passport, visa documents, immunization documents, drug and eyeglass prescription, Eurail pass, airline tickets and credit cards). If you do that, leave one copy back home (with the parents or a friend that you can get in touch with), one copy in your big backpack, and one copy in your daypack (you can also insert a copy into your shoe beneath the sole if you can remove the sole insert). If any of these are stolen/lost you will have the info in the other bag (but if any bag is stolen/lost, make sure to notify the credit card company so that the thief does not use your photocopies to charge something to your credit card). Also, a great idea is to scan these documents in on the computer and email them to yourself. You'll be able to make a printout in almost any Internet café in the world, saving yourself time and expense of calling back home and having it faxed to you. Some people have a real aversion to destroying books. I have sometimes brought the whole Let’s Go type book and ripped out all of the countries that I was absolutely positive that I would not be visiting. That way my guidebook was about ½ as thick and much lighter. However, be aware that if you do this, 2 things will happen. The book will start to fall apart (and you may lose pages) and if you ever change your mind and want to visit someplace else or want to reference a different country to help someone else, you will not be able to. Also, sometimes people throw away the parts of the books after they have left that country. This is also problematic for the same reasons. The one thing that I almost always do is that when I am in a town and I am sightseeing, I rip the map out of the Let’s Go guidebook and just walk around with the map in my hand/pocket (and I still have the Let’s Go book in my daypack for reference to places to see and eat). When you meet people on your travels, ask lots of questions about places that they have been (that you are planning on going to) and when they give you useful information, write it down in your book, either at the front or the back of the book, or right in the area on that country. Even if you think that you are all set for your arrival in Berlin, ask questions from people that

you meet about it, just in case your lodging gets screwed up or that they tell you that everything is flooded from a week of rain (in which case you may wish to reschedule that part of your trip.) For example, during August 2002 huge areas of Germany and surrounding countries (specifically the city of Prague) were flooded and although this made the newspaper, the average backpacker does not read the paper while traveling and is kind of out of touch. Thus, information learned from fellow backpackers can be very helpful. Also if you come across someone who has a travel book that you do not have (such as Lonely Planet) and their book has listed different hostels. This may not be helpful, but if you arrive in a country and your choices of hostels are limited or all full, then this may help! It is also wise because other travelers will be able to tell you the up-to-date prices (such as if the books are not correct about how much the rooms cost) and whether the place is a real dump or a real far walk, etc. If you are into partying, you might want to visit any of the following websites since they list the festivals and parties going on all over the world during particular times: www.world-party.com and www.holidayfestival.com and www.festivals.com Bring a watch because you will need to make sure that you do not miss your trains. Also, if your watch has an alarm, then you will be able to use that to wake up in the morning when you either want to get up early to see sights or when you have to get up early to either make the free breakfast (at some pensions/hostels) or to make your train! If your watch does not have an alarm, bring a small alarm clock (battery powered). I have experienced people setting their alarm clocks and hitting snooze. This is rude when you are in a dorm. Worse than that, I was stuck in a room a few times with people who were heavy sleepers and had VERY loud alarms and they slept right through them. Once I got so angry that I got out of my bed, shut off the alarm and went back to sleep. 3 hours later while I was packing my stuff, the guy finally woke up and was cursing because he missed his train. I had a nice laugh, as did the rest of the room. Also, many novice backpackers don't realize how loud zippers can be late at night or early in the morning and they keep zipping and unzipping their backpacks. Although some zipping should be expected, there is no reason to have to do it several times. If you stay in a dorm, to be polite, you should get your stuff ready and leave it near the top of the backpack so that when you come in the hostel after a night drinking and need to brush your teeth, your toothbrush is easy to find when you are drunk. Also, if you need clothes for after a 5am shower, they should be set near the top so that when you get up in the morning, you don't have to take a lot of time making noise in the room digging through your backpack looking for them. Just because you think that 8 am is late and everyone should be awake by then, don’t make that assumption. This is especially important to the backpacker who went out partying the night before and finally fell asleep at 6 am.

Another good use for Ziplock bags (in addition to reducing space and preventing things from leaking) is to bring them with you to hostel breakfasts. Some hostels (especially in Germany) have a buffet of food for all of the people who slept in the hostel. If you are on a very tight budget, bring some Ziplocks with you to breakfast and sit in a corner, and fill them with food from breakfast. The hostel workers do not always like you to do this, so don’t draw attention to yourself if you do it. Likewise, if you know that you will never eat it, then don’t waste the food just because it is a buffet. Another thing that helped me was earplugs (nice when you need to sleep and others are partying). My travel mate ran into a bout of diarrhea, and because we were in an isolated area in Poland, where the locals did not know any of the 5 languages that we could speak, it was hard to find some stuff for him. It taught me to bring a few of those small packets with me in my first aid kit. Also, some aspirin is a good idea. Bring some duct tape (not a whole roll). In fact, just wrap several feet worth of the tape around a pencil and that will save space and you will be using the pencil anyway. Also a small flashlight can be handy if you need to do something in a hostel and others are already sleeping in the room. Also a deck of cards comes in handy when bored and on long train rides (and especially for drinking games). Bring a small bottle of insect repellant (and wrap it in a zip-lock bag). I needed this in Venice (as well in northern Europe where it rains frequently) when I slept at a hostel that had open windows without screens (in the middle of summer) and plenty of huge mosquitoes bit travelers at night. Many places in Europe have armies of starved blood-sucking mosquitoes, so bring a small bottle of pump spray. Some of the stuff that I have listed is not necessary, so if your pack is too heavy, feel free to leave it at home. If you want to bring reading material (such as books) to help pass the time, ok, but they are heavy, so when you finish reading them, give them away or leave them in a hostel. Your most valuable book that you will bring along will be the book that comes with your Eurail ticket. That is your train timetable. This book will tell you the times that all of the trains in Europe are scheduled to run. Generally, these times are accurate. However, it is possible (and I have run into this many times) where some scheduled trains have been canceled or additional trains have been added. However, you can pretty much count on the timetable to be correct. What I suggest doing is plan a few cities ahead and when you arrive in one city by train (such as Amsterdam) go to the end of the platform and look at the time that the table says trains leave for your next city (such as Paris) and make sure that the time that you planned on is still listed. FYI – most train stations have timetables in 2 places. Usually a real big one is somewhere overhead, but those will just be the trains that are arriving and departing in the next few hours. However, if you look around, on the walls somewhere (or maybe even on the platforms) there should also be timetables posted for all trains departing and arriving in that station for any time of the day. Make sure that you

are aware of which table you are looking at because the arrivals and departures are different colors (departure is yellow and arrival is white). The timetables use 24 hour (a.k.a. military time), so if you see that your train leaves at 17:15, that means 5:15 p.m. Also keep in mind that some cities have multiple train stations (Paris has 6). In the South (Spain, Greece) they sell these cheap mats made out of wicker-type stuff that you can use to lay on at a beach and roll it up when you are done. They only cost about 1 Euro so you can just throw it away (or give it away) when you are finished, but if you are continuing your travels, just strap it to the outside of your big backpack (nobody said that your backpack has to look all nice and contained). Many experienced backpackers have lots of crap on the outside. But when you start your trip, your backpack should not have anything on the outside (use that area only as a last resort if you begin to accumulate stuff). Another tip comes in handy if you are reading this document at least a week before you fly to Europe. If you have some old clothes that you are going to throw out – do not throw them out (this works even better if you just have some old, but still nice, clothes that you don’t need any more). Set them aside and place them into ziplocks and pack them into your backpack at the top (so that they will be the first clothes that you encounter when you open your backpack). Wear this old clothing for your first week in Europe. When it is dirty, just throw it away or leave it in a hostel. This allows you to lighten your backpack and also allows you to travel for about 2 weeks without doing laundry (at the end of your second week you will only have 1 week’s worth of dirty clothes to wash (because you have discarded the other week’s worth of clothes). If you are reading this document more than 4 months before you plan on leaving for Europe, then consider taking a college class on European history or art. This way you will appreciate some of the amazing places that you will be visiting and some of the priceless pieces of art. If you don’t want to spend money on a college course, then you probably can still learn a lot by auditing such an art course (just showing up and sitting in the back of the auditorium during the lecture). Often these art courses show pictures or slides of the art work and the professor discusses the pieces. If you don’t have the time or money for a college art course, you should at least buy a few books on the topic. If you are too cheap for that, spend a few hours downloading some text on European history and art, or browsing art books at a book store or library. Unless you have degrees in both art and history, if you are from the USA, chances are that your schooling really did not prepare you too well for what you will be seeing in Europe. Also, regardless of how well-educated you are, if you are an American then you should really try to get up-to-date on current events. This is important for two reasons: 1) so you do not feel like a fool when you meet fellow travelers and they ask your opinion as an American about some American policy decision; and 2) so that you can help dispel the widely believed view that Americans are ignorant. Please remember that you will meet many people from other countries. Most of these people will be much more in touch with current events than you, simply because their news does not spend the majority of its time talking about what is

going on in the 50 states of America. The rest of the world generally understands how the United Nations works and what is going on with the European Union. My advice – keep an open mind and learn from the people that you meet. Don’t try and persuade a guy from England that America fought and won the Persian Gulf War in 1991, because you will be in for an argument about how involved the British were in that war. Be proud of your country, but don’t think that the USA has always made the proper decisions when it comes to politics, and certainly don’t be foolish enough to think that the American media accurately portrays world events. If you are considering backpacking with others, great. However, many people want to go, and will tell you that they will go with you, but in my experience, few actually will go. Until you are actually on the plane with your friends, you should be prepared to go solo if your friend(s) back out on you. Even if you plan on backpacking with others, since you are the one who has taken the initiative to look around on the internet, most likely, it will be you who will probably be in charge of making the whole thing happen. I suggest talking about backpacking and finances long before you are planning on going. The more excited someone is, the more likely that they will actually go. The main reasons people back out of backpacking Europe are money, a need to work, or a significant other. If you have enough money to go, no other reason (besides a dying relative) should prevent you from going. This entire document assumes that you will take trains. However, there are good reasons to fly within Europe on the cheap airlines, and traveling by bus is also worth considering. Regarding a bus, there is a company called Busabout is increasing in popularity. Two of my friends used this when they took the obligatory college trip to Europe. These two friends were American ladies that have never traveled outside of America, and felt that their hairdryer was their best friend (and each brought one with them even though they traveled together). In their case, I think that the Busabout was the perfect way to go. I have never done Busabout myself, but from what I understand, Busabout could be a good deal as long as you stick to the routes planned by the company and stay at the hostels that they suggest. In general, Busabout has very limited routes and frequency. Most of their departures are every 2 days, and some lines are only every 4 days. They only travel by day. And they only have a full schedule in June-August. They cut their service in April-May and September-October, and shut down altogether November-March. They only go to major, popular destinations – so if you want to go to smaller, off the beaten track places, they are of no use. They pick up and drop off at hostels, which is good if you like to stay at those hostels. It's not that good if you stay elsewhere. By the way, Contiki and Busabout are operated by the same company, so Contiki's budget tours will stay at many of the same places that Busabout does. This is important for all backpackers to understand because when one of these buses arrives in a city, 95% of all the people on the bus will stay at the same

hostel. This means that a hostel that normally has 20 available beds might only have one because the busload of people took the others. You might hear about certain night trains being dangerous (such as the ones through Czech republic, Hungary, former Yugoslavia, Bulgaria or Romania). Although I have traveled all over Europe multiple times on trains, I have never encountered the infamous night-time train robbers. I have heard the urban legends and horror stories about people gassing the whole compartment and taking your stuff, and also stories about people entering your compartment while you sleep and taking your stuff. The latter scenario can easily be prevented a myriad of ways. I have never personally met anyone who has been subjected to the gassing. Therefore, I have come to the conclusion that you should NOT skip traveling to a country for fear of muggings on night trains. Use common sense. If you travel with a partner and you are very concerned about a certain country, take shifts sleeping so that one of you is always awake. If you sleep in a compartment (not a couchette) lay across the seats right next to the door and keep your bag far from the door and strap it to the overhead rack (with the belt clip). More General info In order to find good hostels just look in your Let’s Go type book. There is even a book that is called something like Hostels in Europe or something like that and it lists hundreds of hostels. You may want to consider visiting a big book store near you (like Barnes and Noble) and look for such a hostel guide - even if you don't buy it, look through it and write down the info that you don't have - The local library may also have good info - but the older the books, the more likely the chance that the info may be outdated (old phone numbers and prices). Although traveling solo allows you to be independent and do whatever you want, when you are traveling with others, in general the more people, the better off you will be regarding lodging - especially if you are looking for a pension or private room. However, if you show up with no reservation, sometimes it is easier for a solo traveler to get lodging than a group (such as if there is only one bed left). Regarding hostels, if I can hook up with a few other people, I like to get a quad (4 beds in a room) and that ends up being about the same price (maybe a little more) as if you just got a bed in a big room with 10 strangers. The benefit in a quad is that you know everyone in the room, so you can take a shower and have your friend watch your passport (otherwise you will have to bring it with you or risk leaving it with strangers!) Meeting others in Europe - If you are planning on meeting people in Europe then make sure that you account for the possibility that thy miss their train or that they run late. For example, if I was meeting some friends in Vienna, and I was going to be in that city for 3 days I would arrange to meet my friends on the first day at a specific place and specific time. In order to allow for unforeseen problems, plan for a back-up. For example, if you initially planned to meet at the main entrance of a specific church or museum at noon and your

friend is not there. Have an agreement that you will wait for X amount of time (such as 30 minutes) and then you will return to that exact location X hours later (such as at 2pm or maybe the following day at noon). That way you don’t lose your friends just because one person is a few hours late. BACKPACKS - You will hate your backpack by the end of your trip. I suggest bringing the biggest one that you can carry comfortably (especially if you are gone longer than 1 month). Then just pack as much into it as you need (see the many tips on the websites and in the Let’s Go type books about what to bring). In general, the lighter that you pack, the better. Once you buy the backpack, you will learn that you can take less stuff than you originally planned - also, there is no rule that says that everything must fit inside the backpack! Some stuff can be strapped to the outside. However, you certainly should start your trip with everything inside, because you will acquire things along the way. I suggest buying a backpack (at a place that has a 30-day money back return policy) and load if full and walk around for 30 minutes – 1 hour. If you can do that, then the bag is not too big. A guy who’s opinions I respect goes by the username of Sailor on the Eurotrip board and he works as an airline baggage handler and gives the following advice: “Folks, 10 pounds of shit won't fit in a 5 pound bag. . . If your bag can't be safely thrown a distance of 10-15 feet, it isn't packed right.” Depending on how much time you have before you head off to Europe, you may be able to plan ahead. Some people bring a few extra buckles in case the ones on their backpack break while they are traveling. Do not think that it is impossible to occur. You will be lugging this big bag around and banging it into things. Personally, I broke shoulder straps on two different backpacks about ½ way through my tours. I could not find a replacement part. However, I had brought along about a 10-foot section of wire just in case, and my Swiss Army knife, and both times I fixed the straps myself enough to last the rest of the trip. Some wire is also useful when you are at a hostel that requires you to push and hold a button for water to come out of the shower. It sucks taking a shower with one hand and I have often used my wire (or duct tape) to wrap around the knob and keep the water flowing. A tip that may be helpful for you when your pack starts to feel really heavy – if you are waiting just standing around (such as on the platform waiting for your train to arrive) then take off your backpack and set it on the ground. However, keep in mind how difficult it is for you to put it back on (not hard for me, but very awkward for others). This is important because if you are boarding a train without a reserved seat, then you will want to be one of the first people on the train if possible so that you can get a decent seat and so that you can find a compartment that has enough available space on the rack to put your big backpack. So, if you see your train pulling into the station, get your pack on quickly so that you can have a position on the platform so that you can board quickly (otherwise you will have to try to push through the crowds after you get your backpack on). Another tip is that if you are standing next to a wall or a

ledge, you can usually back up to the wall of ledge and rest your backpack on the wall or ledge while it is still on your back and this takes all of the weight off your shoulders, but still keeps the pack on your back. Oh yea, when you are waiting for your train, and when it starts to pull into the station, you will see a huge 1 or 2 on each car (that means first or second class) and you will also see either a picture of a cigarette or a no smoking sign. That is important because if you rush to board the train and you board a 1st class car and you have a 2nd class Eurail (as most backpackers have), then you just wasted your time, because you cannot stay in the 1st class car. Regarding the smoking cars, if you want to avoid smoke, then try to board the train in a nonsmoking car. That way you can try that first and if that particular car is full, just keep walking trough the train until you find an available seat (which may be in smoking). Some of the better train stations have boards right on each platform that has a picture of a train and shows which cars are smoking and which ones are non-smoking (and also shows which are 1st and second class) and also shows the location of the dining car and the sleeping cars (these last two are not on all trains). By looking at this type of board before the train arrives, you will be able to figure out where on the platform you should stand. For example, you might be able to tell by looking at the board that the first nonsmoking second class car (carriage) will be the 5th car of the train. Therefore, you should not wait on the platform near the first 4 cars. Instead, walk down the platform about 5 carriage lengths. You will find that at night, many people pull the curtains for their compartment in the (non-couchette and non-sleeper cars) in the hopes that you will assume that the occupants are all sleeping and that the compartment is full. Well, don’t let that bother you. Obviously, if you also want to sleep, then your first goal would be to find an empty compartment (so that you can pull out the seats and sleep and pull your curtains closed) but if that is not possible, then you may just have to sleep sitting up. If you are not able to find an available compartment, then you may have to wake some people up and enter their compartment. This usually is not pleasant, but unless all of the empty seats in that compartment are reserved (you will see reserved tickets on the window of the compartment) then they do not have any right to keep you out. Mind you, waking up sleeping passengers is not polite and should only be done if you can’t find any other space. If you are intimidated to do that, then get a conductor to help you. Generally, if the train is that full, then other boarding passengers will also need seats and they too will be waking up the passengers. If you get on a train that is not too crowded and you have your choice of seats, choose one a few cabins in from the toilet – otherwise you might hear banging and flushing noises during your trip. Also, try to make sure that you sit facing out the window so that you are facing towards the direction that the train will be moving. Do not assume that the engine is the front of the train. When you board, you should know which way the train will leave the station – keep that in mind in selecting a seat – otherwise you will get a headache when you look out the window.

Also, there are usually signs right by the doors to each train car (some counties have the signs on the outside of the car near the door, and some trains have signs on the interior of the train near the doors). These signs let you know the origin of the train and the final destination. You should be aware that you may not be travelling the entire journey that is available, so you should have some idea as to when you will arrive in your city of choice. This is located in your Time Table book, as well, as at the train station (and you can always ask the conductor). In general, some cities have multiple train stations, and if you are not positive whether you are about to get off at the correct one, ask anyone whether this is the CENTRAL station (it may help to pronounce it Sen Trall). This is worth mentioning because if you have never been to that city before, then you do not know what it should look like when you arrive. Some cities are a different story (in Koeln you will see a huge black church). Also, usually when you arrive at the main station, the train will not be able to move forward anymore (and will have to back up to continue on its journey). Obviously, this whole issue becomes moot if you plan on getting off the train at that train’s last stop. FYI – you are not allowed to cross the train tracks except where it is clearly marked. It is very dangerous and they will get very mad at you for crossing the tracks. Once I saved a 4-minute walk in Italy once because I crossed the tracks and was one of the first people on the train. But looking back, I still suggest not doing it. Oh yea, when the train is in any station (not moving) then you are not supposed to flush the toilet. The reason? Well, the stuff just drops right down under the train onto the tracks. Trains do not have nice blue water and a holding tank like an airplane or bus. Stations begin to smell pretty bad when too many people ignore this rule. TIP – I found out a long time ago that every city in Europe sells post cards. You usually can get them pretty cheap in the tourist traps. Pick some up everywhere you go and then you will have excellent pictures that you are positive will turn out. Also, if you mail some, send postcards with different pictures on them back home and when you return collect the postcards and put into your scrapbook. Amsterdam has hilarious sex-related postcards at most shops. If you take pictures with your own camera, make sure to get as many pictures with you in the picture. Unless you are a pro photographer, the postcards will be better than anything you can do of the sites themselves, so make all of your shots great by making sure that you are in as many as possible. Oh yea, standing at the bar at a café is sometimes cheaper than sitting down and ordering the exact same stuff - but sometimes you want to sit and watch the scene and look at your map. If you just HAVE to check your e-mail while you are on vacation, then you will be happy to know that most major cities have Internet Cafes available. Even some hostels provide access (sometimes it is free, sometimes the hostels charge a fee). But don’t waste too much of your travel time on the computer when you could be enjoying the culture and sights. In eastern Europe, you can expect to pay only about .5 Euro per hour for internet access in an internet café.

Regardless of whether you are in Eastern or Western Europe, sending friends/family email (and maybe uploading pictures) will almost always be cheaper than talking on the phone (mainly because it is hard to get off the phone in 2 or 3 minutes). What to pack? – well, read the front of your Let’s Go type of book and it should walk you right through it. But in general, each person is different. If you are in Europe to dance, then you will have some clothes so that you can go out – and probably too many shoes. If you just want to see the sights and no partying, then you will probably be able to pack less clothing. If you are traveling only in the south, then you will bring less long pants and less socks (if you wear your teevas/sandals). If you are travelling in both hot and cold climates, then obviously you will need to prepare for each. The bottom line is this – do not bring too much. Figure on how you will do laundry (in sinks or at a Laundromat) and do not bring anything more than you have to. I suggest putting all toiletries in something to contain them (both from spilling, and so that you can easily transport them to the bathroom). Generally a sweatshirt can double as a pillow if needed, and unless you are in Europe after October, you should be warm enough with just a sweater and a wind breaker/light jacket. Consider buying a thin, lightweight fleece cardigan. It will be as warm as a bulky sweater, If you can find one that unzips, it can help when it is not real cold, but cold enough to have something, it is smaller inside your backpack than a regular sweater, it dries much quicker than a regular sweater, and if you buy a black one, due to the color and fact that it is non-baggy, it even looks a little dressy. I suggest packing your backpack with everything that you think you will need and walk around for one-hour minimum. When you have done that, you will be able to determine whether you need to discard some stuff. It is not uncommon for you to have a backpack on for 30-60 minutes during the time that you are traveling from the train station (after arriving in a town) to your lodging. Keep in mind that jeans and shoes are heavy. So are books, so only bring essentials. Jewelry – the less the better – it is just an attraction for thieves. If you travel in the winter, then you will need to pack heavier, more bulky clothes. I suggest wearing the heaviest stuff when you are actually traveling (i.e. hiking boots, heavy sweater, big coat) on the plane. You can take them off in flight if you get hot. Also - Layers. Only take one bulky sweater, everything else should be those light knit things. You can always throw a T shirt on UNDER if you are cold If you are trying to figure out some out-of-the-normal things to see in a particular city in Europe, visit the following website and scroll around and there are some interesting things listed that most people do not know about: http://www.unesco.org/whc/heritage.htm Regarding credit card cash advances. In general, plan ahead by calling all of your credit card companies before you leave for Europe. Ask the credit card company to explain their policy on a cardholder making a cash advance while in Europe (because that is exactly what you would be doing if you put a credit card into an ATM machine). Some banks also offer a debit card (they are

also called different things – and some credit cards can perform this feature (which you may have to pre-pay)) which allows you to use the card as you would use an ATM card. The bottom line is that you should completely understand what charges and exchange rates apply to withdrawals from European ATMs prior to leaving for Europe. Although you usually get a good exchange rate, if your bank charges hefty commissions, that may outweigh the benefits of using such a card. Oh yea, it would be a good idea to call your bank and credit card companies prior to leaving for Europe and do 2 things: 1) advise them that you will be traveling in Europe and that they can expect you to make approximately X amount in withdrawals in the next month. (Although you are not required to do this, it is a good idea, because some companies will flag or freeze your account because it appears as if your card was stolen and is now on a spending spree and might be frozen as a precaution). And 2) you should also obtain telephone numbers which can be dialed from Europe in case you have to cancel the bank/credit card if it is stolen. This is important because many cards only list a 1800 number on the card, which cannot be dialed from Europe. If you need to report a stolen/lost credit card, you will also probably have to contact one of the large credit bureaus: www.experian.com www.equifax.com or www.transunion.com You only need to contact one of these and they automatically place a fraud alert on your card. Once I traveled with a guy that lost his credit cards. He had to call back to the USA and cancel all of the cards, and have new cards sent to him in Europe. We picked them up at the AmEx office in Vienna. This taught me something valuable – you can have stuff sent to you in Europe if it is sent to an American Express office. The guidebooks briefly address this, but you may want to look into this – especially if you will be backpacking for a long period of time – maybe consider mailing yourself new supplies – that may help out. For instance, if you mail yourself some supplies, then you can travel around the 1st leg of your trip with maybe just one pair of shoes or with some of the smaller “travel” sized toiletries, and then you save weight and space. I have never done that myself, but it is just a thought. However, I have stopped in various post offices in Europe to mail stuff back home (such as purchases and clothing that you no longer need). Some people have lived their whole lives in a little town and have no clue about some basic travel etiquette. Some basic rules that you should always follow are the following: when you are on an escalator (such as exiting a metro/subway) you should always stand on the right so faster people can pass on your left. Also, you should always let people get off the train/subway before you try to board. If you are the one trying to exit a train/subway and other rude people try to board before you get off, just turn your body quickly and your large backpack will teach them a lesson. Some people buy electricity converters – this is a waste of space, weight and money. What the heck will you possibly bring with you that needs to be plugged in? A walkman? A camera? These two things work on batteries, which can be discarded when dead. Electric razors are much bigger and heavier than

the other kind. If you HAVE to bring an iron or hairdryer, then realize that you are packing unnecessary weight. Perhaps if you are traveling with a partner, you can agree that you both will share some of the stuff and that way only one person needs to bring it. The only way that I would even consider lugging around that extra weight is if I had a cell phone that I knew would work in Europe and I wanted to recharge the battery. Bring some multi-vitamins if possible because you will not be eating as well as you should. Keep any vitamins and/or prescription pills in their original containers and you will be ok with customs. If you plan on being adventurous and eating vendor food, bring some anti-diarrhea stuff from home. If you wear contacts, make sure to bring an extra pair of contacts and pair of glasses. I suggest this because you will be on trains which may be very dirty and dry out your contacts and you CANNOT use the water that is available on trains for anything involving your eyes or mouth – do not ever drink train water – it is ok to wash your hands with – but it is better to just bring along a small container of antibacterial hand gel. I suggest no more than 2-3 pairs of pants. Do not think that you will be selling blue jeans to the locals – this stopped a long time ago. When packing clothing I hear that rolling the clothing help keep wrinkles out, but I have not had much success with that. Make sure to bring a few garbage bags and use one for your dirty laundry. Also bring some zip-lock bags (sandwich-size and large ones for a wet swimsuit). I suggest bringing a small fork, spoon, and knife set. It is not nice to do, but I have known certain people to help themselves to the metal utensils that the airline provides for meals during the flight to Europe. These are perfect size and weight. However, in light of the recent terrorist attacks, I do not know whether you will even find metal utensils anymore on flights. If you are on a very tight budget and you are traveling in expensive countries, you can go into a grocery store and buy some refrigerated hotdogs, a ½ liter of milk or juice and come out with a meal for about 3 Euro. That is not too much fun, but it is cheap and filling. Also a hunk of cheese and a loaf of bread can be filling and cheap. Also, some grocery stores offer hot food such as ½ a cooked chicken for about 3 Euro – this is messy to eat and you will hate yourself if you don’t have utensils. If you are big into museums, then the museum passes that are available in different countries may be a good idea for you. For example, in Berlin if you plan on going to 3 or more museums, visit www.berlin-tourism.de and get one pass for $7USD - good for three days. Most entrance fees are about $4USD each. Also, in Paris, if you plan on stopping at three or more museums, visit www.intermusees.com where one pass costs $11USD/ 1day; $22USD/ 2day; $33USD / 3day. This is a good deal because most entrance fees in Paris are about $5USD - $10USD each. If you will be living in Europe, for example, if you are going to spend a semester studying at a European University, then you will be bringing more stuff over than your normal backpacking gear. For those of you who are going to live (not just

backpack) then here is a tip for you. Buy some of those vacuum bags. I think that the company American Tourister makes them. With these special bags, you just put your stuff (such as bulky sweaters) in these plastic bags, and then suck the air out of the bags with a vacuum. This results in condensing the stuff in the plastic bags into airtight plastic bags which are kind of like bricks. This will allow you to pack a lot more stuff in your luggage without having to struggle to close the zipper/latches. Just remember that this can result in 2 potential problems: 1) if the airlines/customs make you open anything up at the airport, you will probably not be able to cram that stuff back in your suit case; and 2) after you live in Europe for a semester, you will acquire more crap and you will never be able to return home with it all in your luggage, so plan on leaving some stuff in Europe or paying extra to bring it (or ship it) home. Finally (and the main reason that I believe that the vacuum bags do not work for people who only backpack (and not live in Europe), how do you expect to find a vacuum at every hostel that you stay at? Once you break the seal on the bag and use the clothes, they will expand and you will need space for that expansion. They do make something called EC Compressor bags that do not require a vacuum cleaner to suck the air out. These consist of a zip-loc style closure along with a small one-way valve. Once the bag is sealed, you roll it to force all the air out through the valve. There is sometimes a small amount of "leakage" (causing the bag to expand slightly). I hear that the clothing seems to recover it's original form quite nicely when it's removed from the bag.

Hope that helps – Dave – a.k.a. snorkelman [email protected]