Lessons Learned

Now that the jet lag has worn off - how did it go, what did we learn and what can we do better next time? Here is a data dump of things we learned in our first time backpacking in Europe.

Language – Pack a list of common phrases, particularly transportation (train station, gate, seat), common signs (open, closed, entrance, exit), destinations, food and drinks. Instead of printing, we saved a list to my phone so we could update it as needed.  Also, study with www.duolingo.com. I studied Spanish for years and Jason only a few months on Duolingo and he nailed it in Spain.

Toilets – If you don't have to pay to pee, you probably don't want to. The difference between a pay toilet and a public toilet is noticeable, to put it politely. We stopped for plenty of drinks just to use a restaurant bathroom.

Rain gear – Tote garbage bags or waterproof sacks to cover your packs. Thanks for that lesson, San Sebastian. We live in the desert so we did need some learning in this area. My waterproof, hooded jacket was perfect. We considered an umbrella but fortunately most of our hotels loaned them out.

Printing – Electronic tickets save a lot of time at the train station and museum kiosks. Ask the hotel first if they can help you print. Some may print a page or two for free. Otherwise we found most shops cost about 0.15 Euro per page. If we couldn’t spot one on the street, we searched on Yelp for printing and internet services.  

Transportation – You usually have to validate your ticket but it is not always clear how or when.  Also, it helps to know the name of the final stop of the bus or train you are boarding as that is often all that is listed.  Often the train number is the easiest piece of information to use to find your train. Read your tickets in advance – our tickets for Germany and Budapest were almost indecipherable in another language. Also, there may be no seat listed because it is open seating in some trains’ second class.  

Payment – Pay in cash. Our Charles Schwab debit card, with no international or ATM fees, was also excellent. My Chase Sapphire preferred credit card with a chip was only OK. Europe uses the chip-and-pin system; the Sapphire card is a chip and signature. Some machines wouldn't take it, and it confused some vendors, which meant in most countries we rarely bothered with it.

Laundry – We did small items by hand with a Tide packet or bar of soap. (Note: Girl undies dry faster than dudes'.)  Don't do pants or heavy shirts unless you have days to dry or heated drying rack. And the rumor is true, you will sniff your clothes and shrug off washing them much more than you’d like to admit.

Hotels/hostels – Unless you are staying at major hotels, read the fine print and call or email ahead of time. In Budapest, we would've been stranded had we not. While it was frustrating at first (since we didn’t have cell service), these types of places turned out to be our favorite.

Smartphone – You can buy phones or phone cards. We happened to have a Motorola Xprt that is unlocked for international service. Check with your carrier for phones with that capability. Theoretically we could have purchased an international SIM card or purchased an international plan from Sprint. However, we opted for wifi and Skype. The Skype app allows you to make phone calls for approximately 2 cents per minute (varies by country). This worked but we were occasionally stuck without access to the internet when we were out on the town and needed to look something up (i.e., happy hour).

Security – Wherever you are, just assume you will get mugged. This means separating money and cards and passports so if one bag gets stolen, not everything goes at once. I carry a small wallet in my front pocket clipped to my belt loop or clipped to a pocket I had sewn inside my jacket. Jason carries his wallet in his front pocket and just keeps his hand in his pocket in crowded/sketchy places. We always lock our passports and laptop in our packs or safe in the hotel. On trains or busses, we hook our bags together so if someone did try to snatch them, they have to snatch a clumsy 50-pound mass. 

Locks – These add a layer of security to deter thieves. Unfortunately our Kelty Redwing packs do not have lockable zippers and we had to manufacture our own. Jason did so using his quality chainmail skills. Our packs are now medieval meets backpacker chic.

Down time – We appreciate the idea of going off the grid, but with our inability to plan ahead, there is always down time when we huddle behind our laptop and smartphone screens. It takes a joint effort to Yelp, Tripadvisor and Google all at the same time. We just tried to do it during rainy days or at pubs. Research (and blogging) will eat up some of your time but consider that time to rest your feet.

Lastly, and most importantly: S--t happens. All of our best laid plans got messed up. Our debit card was late in the mail. My chip came off my credit card. Jason lost his allen wrench for his camera gun. I dropped my phone in a glass of water. Our train tickets did not arrive by email. Jason's camera bag is now tied and safety pinned together. I wore a hole through my Converses and our day bag. It rained every time we planned outdoorsy stuff. The list goes on . . .

Whatever happens, remember you are on vacation and you volunteered for the adventure. (i.e., no one will sympathize because XYZ happened while you were backpacking through Europe).  Things will go wrong, get lost and/or break.  Traveling is not always easy but in some ways that is part of its charm.  Remember that time you missed your ferry and got stuck in a weird little town in Wales?  It might be easy to get upset and frustrated but if you roll with it, you might find it is one of the most unique experiences of your trip.  You might also discover the best happy hour in Great Britain.

Next up? Photos, behind the scenes and the final tally on what this trip really cost.

Benvenuti in Italia

We took the "bus" (turned out to be a passenger van) to "Venice (turned out to be Mestre). Our first steps onto Italian soil were into a fist fight breaking out at the bus stop. We found wifi for advice about Venice/Mestre, which was "Whatever you do, do not get off at Mestre." So, we boarded a 10-minute train to actual Venice. (Trains are easy here; just learn the Italian name for your city and validate your ticket in the little machine before you board.)

 

We spent a few hours in Venice. It was packed and stuff was expensive. The canals were riddled with gondolas. While sitting at a cafe, a group of Hash House Harriers (a self-declared drinking club with a running problem) paraded through, singing and apparently ready to start/continue drinking.  For 7 Euros a person we could have ridden a boat taxi back to the train but we opted to walk and see more of the city.

 

 

 

 

On Monday, lines for the cathedral were exhausting so instead we explored the city, including a pit stop at a well reviewed gelato place, La Carraia. The line was nearly as long. The day's menu also included Jason getting a lampredotto panino at Trippaio di San Frediano. He spotted one when we first arrived. That is cow stomach, in case you are curious and eww is right. (ok, it isn't that bad. Just tasted like a sandwich to me.) 

 

 

 

 

 

On Tuesday, we took a train to Cinque Terre, a collection of five coastal villages built on steep cliffs. Unfortunately, the main coastal trail was closed so we could only hike to the second city before catching the train to the rest. It was 2.4 Euro per ticket per person or you can buy one ticket to all the cities. It was the best hike and the best view yet. I wish we had more time to hike between all of the cities. (More trails are open but took 3+ hours.) Below are several shots from the afternoon (before the rain set in).

 

Next up, climbing the duomo!

  

 

 

 

alternative transportation!

 

 

 

Busy in Budapest

We had planned on taking a night train from Munich to Budapest but the option was much more expensive so we decided to leave Munich earlier on the daytime train.

Our accommodations in Budapest were slightly different.  We booked a room from City Square Apartments that included a kitchen and a washing machine.  Maren noticed that the reservation said something about calling about your time of arrival and it is really good that she did because there was no front desk, just a guy with a tupperware container full of apartment keys who met you and led you a couple blocks away and took your money.

The apartment was in a building with a small old church in its courtyard. We got keys to the apartment and to the huge heavy wooden double doors at the front of the building.  The windows from the apartment opened right onto the main pedestrian thoroughfare that led right to the Central Market.

Once we dumped our stuff we went out to wander.  We found an upscale cheeseburger bar, Good Bar Good Burger, where we got top notch mini-cheeseburgers (and veggie burger).  We next found a Tesco-Express to stock up on supplies.  Most important lesson learned is that when you are trying to pick out beer and you don’t speak the language, choose which ever one has Demon in the title.

The next day we hiked up to the old Buda Castle and sat in the café in the courtyard. (There was construction going on which was Maren’s favorite part.) There were archery and spear-throwing activities – an interesting tourist trap we hadn’t seen elsewhere. We climbed a huge hill to the Citadella, an old fort built during rule by the Habsburgs that was a site of serious fighting during World War II.  There was a series of paved trails that crisscrossed the whole mountain.

We took the subway (350 HUF [~1.5USD] per single ticket) to a little out of way the traditional Hungarian restaurant, Pozsonyi Kisvendeglo, which a couple people on Tripadvisor suggested.  The food was fantastic and immensely cheap. We enjoyed goulash, a starter, fried pork and mini dumplings covered with sour cream and cheese, plus (several) drinks for $27.

To finish the evening, we took a nighttime cruise up and down the Danube.  Budapest is especially beautiful at night! The river is lined with cruise vendors and it was easy to walk up and make a reservation.

Our last day in Budapest we started at the Szechenyi public baths.  It is a big complex of huge heated pools and saunas. There are several in Budapest but this had the best reviews. It was 8700 HUF ($39USD)  for the two of us, including a locked changing cabin. You get a waterproof wristband that unlocks the cabin or your locker. It's a pretty simple but efficient electronic system.

For lunch, we went to Budapest’s huge central market and got some grub.  The food places line one side of the second story, and each has delicious food out on the counter.  Almost everywhere you go in Budapest there are amazing food smells. (Except the lower level of the market, which is for the fish and pickled things.)

After that we stopped by the New York Café, a famous restaurant on the bottom floor of a huge historic building built for an American insurance company in the late 1800s.  The interior of the building was crazy ornate, and we got a crunchy peanut cake that was to die for.

We finished out the night at Szimpla Kert, the most famous of the Budapest ‘Ruin Pubs’.  District VII is apparently has a number of bars in old abandoned buildings.  Szimpla Kert was the first of these and is in an old factory with a big interior courtyard. We caught the live performance and enjoyed some beer and Strong Bow cider in one of their car booths.

On the way home, the ticket dispenser at the metro was broken, which seemed a chaotic thing to have happen at midnight but the metro guys just said “No tickets” cryptically and we rode until we found a station with tickets. Well, it was some random dude selling tickets; Maren was not pleased but we made it home without any trouble. 

Budapest was a great stop not just for the sights and the people, but also the cost. The exchange rate was approximately $1USD = 220 HUF (Hungarian Forint). So, a beer never ran more than about 600 HUF or less than $3. In some places we could get 2 drinks for $3. Or our favorite economic measurement is kebabs – everywhere so far had been 1 kebab for 5 Euros ($7USD). In Budapest we stopped for kebab takeaway and got a chicken and a falafel kebab for 1100HUF ($5USD).

Next up: Bus ride to Ljubljana, Slovenia.