I know, I know. What does this have to do with my blog? No much (anything). I'm going to Europe at the end of September. I wanted to do a quick help guide for what I do in case any people from North America plan to go. It's not as expensive if you take some time to look. I'll make this post slightly different compared to previous ones. Now this is mostly off the top of my head and not planned, so I'm certain I'll miss several things.
Essentials:
- backpack for.. backpacking. Get a proper one you would use for hiking, preferably with some zippers for some decent organizing.
- storing cubes. I believe that's the name. They're small bags for organizing your things. Trust me, things get messy as I found out. My buddy had several of these in his bag, and all of his things were in order. My backpack looked like pigs lived inside after a few days.
- Towel is optional. You have to pay for it if you go to a hostel, but then do you really want a sweaty towel to carry with you so you can save 2 euros per hostel?
- 2-3 main clothes, and a few more socks, underwear, possibly a jacket depending on location/time of year, etc.
- A bit of extra space in the bag because you're a tourist and you have to buy dumb shit you won't care about other than place it somewhere at the house to tell your neighbors/family members that you were there.
- Personally if you can, I'd recommend something simple you can wear Necklace, ring, bracelet, or something unique that doesn't look like they make for millions of tourists.
Hostels:
- I recommend you take them unless you're going as a couple. I still recommend it, just stay a couple of nights at a hostel and 1-2 nights per city/country in a private hotel if you need the privacy.
- Go to hostelbookers.com to find the right hostel. They will tell you the address, how far away it is from the center of the town, photos, cost and most importantly reviews to hear from other people's experiences. Picking a place where the people there are very helpful and knowledgeable is a huge plus in my opinion.
- Once you find the right hostel, do not book it at the website. They charge far too much. I'm going to Ireland and found their actual email and contacted them. Hostelbookers was selling it for 34$ I believe, and the pub was selling it for 25$ if you contact them directly.
- Be careful of taxi drivers trying to hustle you. Hostelbookers sometimes tells you how much taxi drivers should charge from the airport to hostel and you confront them if they bullshit you.
Other:
- Be careful of robbers. Be wary of others and aware of your surroundings. Most people are really laid back and great to talk to, but always be on point when it comes to observing others. A German friend I met at Barcelona told me that he had his backpack there near a coffee shop being held by the chair. Someone went and stole the backpack while he was sitting down. He lost most of his things on the first day. Don't be like him. I have a feeling now that I gave this tip, someone is going to rob over a month from now...
- Use airplanes. They're cheap as hell provided you don't look last minute and saves a ton of time. In Europe, the prices are a joke.
- European Flights. Keep in mind a lot of them give good prices, but there is an extra charge for your bag that isn't put up for consideration unless you add. This further bumps up the price. Just something to keep in mind, not a big issue.
- Call your bank beforehand and let them know you're traveling international so they don't freeze our VISA/Mastercard.
- If you rent a car, I've been told to put a limit on the card you use to borrow the card with, once again talking to the bank. A friend of mine suggested this, as he said they can overcharge because you're a tourist and why not take advantage of that? Not with my amazing guidance, they're not.
It's not everything, but that's all I remember for now.
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