Sleeping, Eating and Sightseeing
Most backpackers tend to sleep in youth hostels. In the hostels, you tend to meet MANY other backpackers from all corners of the globe. This is where you hook up with other travellers and share experiences and swap information. It is an inexpensive form of accomodation which, for the most part, includes breakfast (after this trip, you'll never want to see another bun with jam again!)
The quality of the hostels varies depending on the hostel. The link above will lead you to a page where others comment on the hostels they've been to. Generally, I have no complaints about any of the hostels I stayed in, although some were better than others. For the most part, they are clean. Be careful about which hostel you choose as some of them have what is called "lockout" during which time, you're not allowed to be in the hostel. This can range from an hour mid-day to 8 hours during the entire day. Naturally we prefered a place with a short or no lockout. Also beware of the hostel's curfew!! I missed curfew one night in Germany and almost had to spend the night outside, but I managed to plead my way in! I never made THAT mistake again!!
Be sure to arrive early enough to get a room or else book ahead through the Hostelling International World-Wide Booking System.
In hostels, the accomodation can range from dorm rooms to private doubles, with the latter being most expensive. Dorm rooms are fine, especially if you want to meet people and keep your expenses to a minimum. At times, a quad-room is ideal. In short, the more people in a room, the cheaper the price.
I would highly recommend that you bring a sleeping bag with you. You may also want to bring a sleep sheet, or hostel sheet. You can make this yourself by sewing 2 single sheets together to form a sort of sleeping bag to fit over your sleeping bag. Some hostels require that you have this or else they make you rent sheets.
Use a budget guide book or ask at the tourist office for the locations of hostels. The guide book is helpful because it usually has important information about the quality, price, facilities and location of the hostels.
Don't forget that you will need a Hostelling International card for the affiliated hostels or else you'll pay more. In Germany, one time, several people without the card were not permitted to stay in the hostel at all!
Unless you have an unlimited budget, I would suggest that you avoid dining in restaurants for every meal. My favourite places to buy food were from open air markets and bakeries. The markets offer fresh produce at reasonable prices. Fruits and veggies can be carried without refrigeration for a while too. They also make great "train food" and are good when you need a quick burst of energy.
Bakeries offered my fav, BREAD (I'm a carbohydrate addict!!) The bread is so fresh and tasty, it's filling and best of all, it's inexpensive! In France, I ate about 2 baguettes a day. We bought a block of cheese that lasted 4 days before it became inedible. I ate bread wherever I went in Europe!
The other great place to procure food is the supermarkets (hey, Europeans have to eat too, you know!) I did find, however, that the supermarkets are not as "visible" as in North America. You may have to inquire about their locations from the hostel, but it's worth the trip. Basically, they have whatever we have.
My fondest memory of a meal was in Munich, Germany with my pal, Thane Thompson (El Dorado, KS). We'd gone to the supermarket, purchased the cheapest bottle of wine they had ($2!), some cheese, a tomato, and some bread, then we headed off to the English Garden where we had a wonderful picnic for a couple of dollars each.
However, remember that half the fun of travelling is trying the local foods. We ate in restaurants often enough (Heath even tried rabbit in France!) but other times, we purchased food cheaply. Everyone has to eat, but eating can be one of the cheapest expeses of your trip if you do it right.
Perhaps I am assuming too much by thinking that if you've picked a city to see, you know at least ONE thing there is of interest there. If not, I suggest you do a bit of research. What you should see depends on what you are interested in. Some people choose to go on a "church tour of Europe" and feel compelled to stop in and visit every single church en route (no names mentioned...). Perhaps you are interested in local archaeology or history. Perhaps you are a museum person. Perhaps you just want to watch the world go by and hang out with the locals.
Whatever your cup of tea, each city has something different to offer the visitor. I would suggest that if you don't have a clue what there is in a city you've chosen to visit that you go and get a book on that place and find out. The country's tourist office nearest you will be happy to send out information on just that.
Lastly, I strongly urge everyone who goes abroad to procure a budget travel guide. I personally enjoyed using Let's Go Europe for my trip. It's easy to read and gives you all the goods on hostels, restaurants and attractions. They even have a couple of coloured maps included. Just be aware...the things written in that book are not gospel! They are simply a guide. Prices change, places go out of business, etc. The book is updated yearly, though. |
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