Posts tagged ‘europe’
This year Easter is different! again…
I just notice that it’s been 3 years since I don’t spend my Easter at home and I will not do it soon. I should miss it or something, but, it seems that this holiday doesn’t mean that much for me. Or… who says Easter has to be at home eating painted eggs?
2 years ago I spent Easter in India. There wasn’t any Easter feeling. I even didn’t feel it happen, and I remember I was so sad because of it.
Last year on Eastern I was in India, but I made a Romanian dinner with everything! Painted eggs, cozonac, sarmale. Yamii!! Thank you mom for your parcel! It has been the most special Easter.
This year, Eastern will not be at home, and Easter will not be Easter again, but till I am with friends I don’t care. This year, Jac So is coming to Europe!!! I’m so eager to travel with you again Jac so!!
The plan is ready, we are ready for the cheap flights hunting too! C u in London for Easter!!!
Traveling around Europe, just take you backpack and leave!
People say that if one lives in Mumbai, one can live everywhere. I’m not sure if it because of this, or just because in Europe the things are really easy and well in place, but traveling across Europe is more simple than you can imagine. All you need is little money in your pocket (is not a typo), gluttony to travel, and… a backpack. Being an European helps, but is not a must.
Having very little money makes you creative, think about solutions, makes you maybe more wise, but also be a hindrance to enjoy your trip. So, let’s make a list of what to need for a great trip around Europe with little money:
Nota bene: this is not applicable for a luxury enjoyable holidays, or couples holidays. That’s another post, and for sure the trip will not be that cheap.
- Transportation
- International
- If you are European or you’ve been living in Europe for the last 6 months then you can get an Internrail pass for 4, 5, or 22 days. More details here: for Europeans – InterRrail or for non Europeans – EuroRail
- Or you can make as my friend Marilinadid: hitching, but having the rail pass, is not really worth it to waste time for this, only if you are extremely adventurous.
Attention: If you plan to travel from/to Amsterdam/Paris/Brussels, you better check the plane fares. It may be cheaper and faster! Be prices of this route are rising as the plane fares, or you have another option – spend a day switching trains and waiting in the train stations. Same thing is valid for long distance trips (more than one night). But for fights it is necessary to plan your trip well in advance.
- Local
For some countries, the rail pass covers public transportation too, for others, the cities are too small, so you can walk and usually the train station is very close to the tourist area.
For those situations in which you need to have a ticket, look around and check if locals are having tickets,- if they don’t then you don’t either (but in case somebody checks you need to keep in mind that your English is so damn poor than you can’t understand a thing, and you can’t open your mouth; Be careful, in a lot of European countries people speak multiple languages);
- if they do, they you definitely do. It never happened to me to find somebody checking the tickets in public transportation (still locals pay enough taxes for this), but the entrances have gates which let you go only if you have a ticket.
In this situation you just have to believe with all your heart that you are so lucky that, who knows, your one way ticket can be accepted twice by the machine (it happen to me in Paris); or you are completely convinced you bought your 24 hours pass last night and it should work this morning (even if the truth is that it expired a day ago) – this doesn’t work with machines, if there are automatic doors you can always extend a hand or leg and pass behind another person (be careful, in France you may get a 50 Euros fine)
In my opinion, if the ticket is not insane expensive(like 4.5 EUR one way as it is in Stockholm) you can afford a ticket, or a day pass if you travel more, and try to use the most as you can your rail pass.
- International
- Food
Here cans and pates are your best friends, but get them from home, if you know your country is cheaper, if not, wherever you go and you see it’s been get provisions. Use only supermarkets, and set your eyes on sales mode.
- Accommodation
Check the friends living in the cities you plan to go and definitely use CouchSurfing! I’ve seen people sleeping under bridges, in the train stations – be aware, most of the train stations in Europe are closed at night. Anyways, the sleeping bag is a must in your luggage.
- Money for entrances*
This is optional, you may want to just lay on the beach or enjoy the nature which is for free. However it is up to you how much you want to spend, what you can do is to make an accurate plan (which is impossible for other parts of the world) with the cost of the entrances fees, lockers, bus tickets, train reservations and other things with fixed price.
To give you a rough example, I think 600 EUR is more than enough for a 22 days trip around Europe.
- What to pack
Depends when and where in Europe, but whatever will be your decision, this is what should not miss from your backpack:- sleeping bag,
- cans, cans, and again cans with pate,
- plane biscuits reach in calcium, which you don’t like – you need food for your body, not for gaining weight,
- jacket,
- t-shirts,
- a sweater,
- jeans,
- sport shoes,
- camera
Forget about your phone/laptop with wi-fi, it will be useless for western Europe – there is almost no free internet, pills are not required, maybe just 2 for digestion
- Tour plans and what to do/visit
Google it! And make an itinerary. Once that’s done, don’t bother about what to visit once you are there. All the cities have a Tourist Information Office where you will figure out what you can do there, for how much money, how long it will take you and other details you are interested in. Usually they make the tour according with your needs.
This is all! Easy, no? Enjoy your trip around Europe! and Make friends!
