AMSTERDAM

Amsterdam was the second city I went to on my tour. We only spent half a day here, which is not enough for museums or to really even see a city. In the morning we had a canal cruise. We learned that Amsterdam is mostly bicycles over 100,000. They have a bike garage that holds 10,000 at the train station. The canal is said to have about 10,000 bikes at the bottom of it that have been stolen then tossed. Also drunks like to throw bikes in the canal for fun if they aren’t chained up.  There are stairs that go up to some the houses and under them is a door where the old servants would live with kitchens where they would prepare food for the family. We passed by Anne Frank’s house; it had a long wait to get in.  We saw the narrowest house in the world and the crooked houses that are sinking like much of Amsterdam. House boats that lined the canals along with the 1,000s of bicycles. We had a diamond tour that was interesting until they tried to sell them so we left. After that we had a couple of hours of free time so we walked around the canal and saw the red light district during the day. We then sampled the food and a “special” dessert before jumping back on the bus and heading for Germany.

 

Museums

• Van Gogh- Van Gogh is originally dutch so that is why they have the museum and it’s the largest in the world with his work. I REALLY wanted to go but not enough time. Not all his famous works are here but many are. His most famous Starry night is actually in NYC at the Museum of Modern Art. I learned it was painted from an insane asylum roof he was in near to the end of his life. He suffered from mental illness much of his life and his best painting were painted during that time. Other famous works like Starry night at the Rhone, church at Auvers, self portrait are at Musee D’Orsay in Paris. I would suggest if there are famous paintings or sculptures you want to see look them up to see what museums they are in and if they are being loaned out. That way you don’t accidentally miss them.
•  Riksmuseum- impressive gallery that has just had a major renovation. Recently opened back up in April which means it will have a long line for quite awhile, expect a wait. Has Rembrandt among other great artists.
•  Anne Franks House– Where they stayed when they were in hiding. Best to buy tickets before. Although I knew people who didn’t and got in less than an hour.
•  Sex Museum- On the red light district. Self explanatory.
• Hash Marihuana & Hemp museum– Also on the Red light distict.
•  Medieval Torture Museum– Sounds cool and something to look into if that interests you.
•  Rembrandt House Museum– Experience the life and times of Holland’s greatest artist.
• Tulip Museum– Hollands flower.

Other things to see and do:

• Red Light District- During the day this is a regular looking canal. We even saw families walking down them, a couple of which didn’t realize it. At night all the lights come on and the clothes come off. They wear underwear during the day in the windows and at night nothing.
• “Special” brownies and cookies are all around Amsterdam best place to get them is in the red light district. It will mostly make you tired and if you eat too much- sick.
• 1,000s of bicycles and rental places– I would advise against renting one because if you don’t chain it up properly it will get stolen. Also watch out for bicyclists on the marked roads they will run you over!
• Royal Palace– Was very pretty on the outside and has guided tours you can take inside.
• Canal cruise– Well worth the $10. The guides tell you very interesting facts that you wouldn’t normally know and point out cool things around Amsterdam.
• Reypenaer Cheese Tasting Rooms– I heard some people went here and loved it. Highly rated.
• Food! They Have amazing food shops everywhere. Their specialties are: fries with some weird sauce, Hot dogs with everything you can imagine one them, Waffles that look like donuts, pizzas, and everything you can think of that would make a person fat in a week. I don’s see how they don’t all weigh 500 pounds.

LONDON

Beautiful buildings everywhere! You will see something and think it is the most beautiful building and then realize it’s a bank. That’s London! There is always a possibility you might catch a glimpse of the Royal Family! You will find yourself walking and end up on the other side of the city; lost and happy.

Attractions to see:

• Big Ben and Parliament
• Westminster Abbey
• London Eye
• Buckingham Palace
• Kensington Palace
• Trafalgar Square
• Piccadilly Circus
• Tower Bridge
• Tower of London
• Saint Paul’s Cathedral
• Shakespeare’s Globe

Museums- are FREE in London:

• British Museum– Must see. It has the Rosetta stone and much more.
• Victoria and Albert Museum(VA)– My favorite of London! It’s right next to the Natural History Museum (dinosaur bones) and the Science Museum also both good.
• National Gallery & National Portrait Gallery are both in Trafalgar square. I would skip the Portrait, not worth it. The National Gallery is good, if you have time.
• Tate Modern– Not sure if this one is free. It’s an art gallery, I didn’t have time to see it.

Parks

London is loaded with parks as well. They are all beautiful. The 3 main parks are Regents Park, St James Park, and Hyde Park. Regents Park is a bit far away from attractions. It has the London zoo along with Queen Mary’s garden, which has more roses than you will ever see- if they are in bloom. Next to it is Primrose hill a nice overlook. St James Park is where Buckingham Palace is located. Hyde Park is where Kensington Palace is located.

Tips:

• All major cities have hop on hop off bus tours. Best to ride the circuit once then know where you want to go after. You will get to see more in an hour than you can in a day. Then you will know how to get to the places you want to see easier. The pass is good for 24 hours. You can also buy discounted tickets on them.
• If you plan on riding the metro a lot purchase an Oyster card. You put a prefixed amount on it that way you don’t have to buy tickets everytime. Just look for a kiosk that says Oyster to buy them at most stations.
• The best thing to use in Europe is your credit card most of the time. Most Credit card companies don’t charge fees. I used my capital one everywhere in Europe and was never charged a fee. Call your credit card company before to notify of course and double check. Also use your credit card to get cash from ATMs- they usually charge a small fee but it is way less than the cash exchange fee. Keep cash on you as well for the places that don’t take credit.
• Always carry a poncho on you even if its sunny. You can buy cheap ones for 99 cents at the store that are compact.
• Cheapest shopping– Oxford street close to the British museum. Has Top Shop that the Duchess shops at and Primark- I bought a shirt there for 3 pounds and a necklace for 2!
• There are free walking tours all over the city. They do expect a tip but its not required.
• They have paid walking tours that are interesting as well like Harry Potter and night walks.
• Don’t eat blood pudding- it really is blood. That may be Scotland though.
• Taxes are already figured into the prices all over Europe.
• Currency is easy to learn. Just don’t forget to convert it. McDonalds seems like the same price until you realize the conversion is 40% in the UK. That shirt you like thats only 20 pounds is really 32 dollars. Euro is a better conversion rate though.

Princess Diana is buried at Althorp; her family home. She is buried on an island that no one can get to. It can be seen from the other side. Althorp is in Northampton which is 1.5 hours away from London. It is only open July and August each year. You can tour her family home and then there is a building dedicated to her that has her wedding dress, 30+ outfits, personal pictures and videos and more. Fun Fact: The Spencers’ once lived down the street from George Washington family and were related!

I stayed at the Walrus Hostel. If you are into staying at a hostel this is a good one! If you have ear plugs that is. There is a train right next to it that runs all but 3 hours of the night. Once I got use to my ear plugs it was great. The best thing about it- Its next to Lambeth bridge after going under you will see Big Ben immediately on the other side, literally less than 5 minutes away! They are super nice there and have a private shower and bathroom on the second floor. Unlike most hostels they give you a towel too.

I also stayed at a hotel when my tour started called Novotel London West. It was on the other side of town, which worked out great. It was close to Kensington Palace, Harrods, and the 3 museums- VA, Science, and Natural. They also offered day tours you could take so I signed up for Windsor Castle. I highly recommend this! They also include Stonehenge and Bath if you want. I did Windsor by itself. If your hotel doesn’t offer tours check out Viator.

          

Windsor Castle was big and beautiful. The Queen stays there often and was there then. The royals drive around in green Range Rovers and they were there as well. We got to see the church the Queen attends service. It has all the old Kings and Queens buried in it (mentioned earlier), including her parents and one day her. It also has a room with the highest honors given to people where they have their flags displayed along with hats and swords above their seats when they die they are taken down and a plague is put on the wall. No pictures were allowed inside. We then went inside Windsor and saw a huge doll house followed by portraits of the queen over the years. Including pictures taken by Annie Leibovitz and a portrait painted by Sigmond Freud’s son that was tiny. Then we got to see sets of china used at royal dinners. They have 32 sets brought from others countries around the world to be used when they come to eat. Very pretty. After that we got to walk through rooms filled with art by the King the people beheaded because he backrupted the country by buying the art. He is buried in the church. His head was on display but they decided to bury it with his body in the church when they dug up his grave they discovered there was only room for the body so they put the head under his arm. We walked on his grave. The art was off all sizes some huge. We also saw the room that was rebuilt after the fire. The portraits in it were of different Kings and famous people, when it caught on fire the soldiers ran into the room and ripped all the paintings down and threw them out of the window to save them only one had minor fire damage as a result. They also rolled up the carpet one of the longest in the world also throwing it out the window. We then watched the changing of the guard before we left.

I also saw the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. When I was there I noticed a huge crowd. I thought it was odd until I found out it was the opening of Parliament!! Which only happens twice a year!! What does that mean? The Queen and Prince Phillip bring out their carriage to ride to Big Ben. I saw the Queen of England!!! And it was the first time Charles was allowed too, so he was right behind her! So when I said you might catch a glimpse it was because I did!

London is a big beautiful city one that can not be properly seen in only a few days. I would suggest a minimum of 4 days at the least. Below is a suggested itinerary, you can change up days to see things the way you want. I put all the things close to each other together.

         

Day 1- Big Ben and Parliament, Westminster Abbey, London Eye, St. James Park, and Buckingham Palace.  Big Ben and Parliament are amazing to see. Some people say that it is smaller in person. Its what I expected. Westminster Abbey you can go inside for $28, usually has long lines. It has a few Kings from long ago along with Darwin and Newton buried in it. The London Eye cost $30 to ride and you can take amazing pictures. It also can be packaged with the aquarium or a Thames river cruise. They are all right next to each other so can be done very easily in a morning. Get to the eye first because the lines get long. Next Buckingham Palace or you can do this first; you can walk to from the Big Ben area. You will walk through St. James Park to get to it. Changing of the guard happens at 11am daily during the summer. Other months only a couple times a week. The big fountain out front is dedicated to Queen Victoria. I would suggest going back to Big Ben to get pictures of it at night. You could also ride the London Eye at night but check the times.

         

Day 2- Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, and Museums. Go to whichever is closest to your hotel and work your way from there. Piccadilly Circus is a nice place to just walk around and take pictures. It has been compared to NYC Times Square. Food around this area can be pricey. Trafalgar Square has the 2 National Galleries if you want to go in one or both. The British Museum is not super close but you can walk to it or take a taxi or metro.  Don’t forget its close to super cheap shopping!! If you have time after and aren’t too tired you can take a metro or taxi to Regents Park.

          

Day 3- Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Shakespeares Globe, St. Pauls, and Tate Modern. All of these are in the same area and sound like a lot but shouldn’t take long. If you want to go in the Tower of London it is about $31 for a guided tour given by the beefeaters. The best way to get tickets is on a hop on hop off bus then be there right as it opens and go straight to the crown jewels not to have to wait in line. Check to see before you go if any are on loan. The Tower Bridge, not to be confused with the London bridge-a boring bridge, also has a tour but I just walked across it- good enough for me. Actually I got to see the bridge go up, which is super rare! Shakespear’s Globe Theater I just took pictures of the outside but you can go inside for $20 guided tour or come back and watch a show for $8. I didn’t have time for St Pauls but I heard it was spectacular and worth a visit. Same for Tate Modern.

Day 4- Kensington Palace, Museums, Harrods, and Hyde Park. Kensington Palace is where Princess Diana lived. Now Will and Kate and Harry live there. It is located in Hyde park which is a great place to walk around. Close by is the Victoria and Albert Museum which has amazing sculptures in it. The Nature/History Museum with the dinosaurs is next to it. The Science museum is also close by. Just a short walk past is Harrods department store. There is a cafeteria instead along with restaurants. I did Windsor Castle on the same day I did these making for a long day but well worth it! You can also work Windsor into Day 1 or 2 in the morning.

Day 5- Windsor. If you have 5 days you can work in Windsor this day and possibly Stonehenge and Bath. Or other day tours you may be interested in. Or things I haven’t mentioned you want to see. Along with things you didn’t get to see the first 4 days if you ran out of time. It’s best to cram a lot in the first 4 days so if you don’t get to it you can save it for your last day. If you do get to all of them then you have a nice leisurely last day to revisit something you loved or just get lost in London.

Happy Travels!

Tours versus going on your own

Since I did a combination of the 2 I think I have a pretty good idea. So here it goes.

Tours:

There are many different tour companies to choose from. It all depends on how much you want to spend, where you want to go, and what type you are looking for. All tours are good if you go into them with a positive attitude! None of them include airfare. I didn’t include all tour companies. These are just the ones I researched. Make sure you research tour companies throughly to find one that best fits you. Also find the reviews and read them to get an idea of what to expect from that tour. Then you are better prepared for the tour and go in with a better attitude.

Tours to choose from:

Trafalgar-Highest end. They tend to stay in nicer, centrally located hotels. They are mostly Europe and North American tours. They have several included sightseeing tours. All breakfasts are included and a few dinners. They offer optional excursions that you have to pay extra for-which means the trip is even more. Then you also have to tip the tour director and bus driver. But if you want to do things more on your own they give you time for that. Website: http://www.trafalgar.com

Rick Steves- One of the highest end of tours but that’s because its all inclusive. Mainly Europe tours. You stay in very centrally located hotels that he has researched- so you never have to worry about bad locations. All excursions are included- one of the very few tours that does this! They include all breakfasts and half your meals- more than other tours. Also included in the price is a tour book to the country you are going, ear plugs, money belt, and phase books! They also include tips. So if you are really comparing you need to add up all the optionals from other tours you want to do then compare. Website: http://www.ricksteves.com

Globus- Moderate. Mainly North America and Europe tours. They tend to stay in nicer, centrally located hotels but not all the time. They still have bad located ones. They have included sightseeing tours in major cities. All breakfasts are included and a few dinners. They offer optional excursions that you have to pay extra for as well. Then you also have to tip the tour director and bus driver- they suggest $100 a piece. But if you want to do things more on your own they give you time for that. They also offer cruise options if you would rather go by sea or river. Longest tour around 29 days. Websites: http://www.globusjourneys.com

Cosmos- The tour group I took so I’m a little bias. It is on the cheaper end.  They are owned by Globus and considered the cheaper version. They also tour North America and Europe mainly with a few other places like Egypt thrown in. They stay more in 3-4 star hotels sometimes not centrally located. When I went that only happened once so not bad in 21 days. And the hotels were not bad if you aren’t expecting luxury. All breakfasts are included and a few dinners. They also offer optional excursion you can buy. Then you also have to tip the tour director and bus driver- they suggest $100 a piece. They include a few sight seeing tours as well. Longest tour is 29 days. Website: http://www.cosmos.com

Contiki- Tours for ages 18-35 and cheapest. If I’m going to be honest it’s really tours for kids 18-25 and wanting to party. It is known for being a party tour and even some of the excursions are going to bars. If you are in your late 20s  and early 30s you may feel old and out of place. They see the sites of course and Im sure you can skip the bars if you really want to see a lot. They are the only tour group that offers camping and hostel options for the cheapest of all trips. They also normally have quad shares which is why its so cheap, you can upgrade to a double or single. Longest tour is around 50 days. Website: http://www.contiki.com

The next 3 tours go all over the world and combine hiking and outdoor type travel with the typical traveling types. They also are smaller tour groups of about 15-20 compared to the bus tours above which are 30-50. They also can be as long as a couple months:

Intrepid– They have tours all over the world. They are mostly off the beaten path tours. They offer different styles of travel from cheap(camping) to comfortable. They use local transportation. Website: www.intrepidtravel.com

G Adventures– They have tours all over the world. They have sailing tours, biking, hiking, trains, buses, and any thing different you can think of. They are moderately priced. They go more on the off beaten path. They do some volunteer travel tours.  Website: www.gadventures.com

STA Travel– They offer every kind of travel you can think of. They do volunteer travel tours, they offer work abroad jobs, study abroad, bus tours, train tours, and any type of travel you are looking for. They also sale Eurorail passes. Website: http://www.statravel.com

A great search engine that compares prices of them all is http://www.globaljourneys.com. Its an Australian search engine so it gives the prices in AU but you can convert it over to see. AU is very close to our dollar.

Examples/Comparison:

• Trafalgar- 11-day Italy $2,800
• Globus- 11 day Italy $2,700
• Rick Steves- 10-day Italy $2,495
• Contiki- 9-day Italy $1,400- twin share
• Cosmos- 9-daysItaly $1,289

All of Europe trips:

• Trafalgar- 21-day Europe- $4,900
• Globus- 21- day Europe- $4,689
• Rick Steves- 21-day Europe tour $4,995
• Contiki- 20 day Europe $2,500- Quad share
• Cosmos- 21 day Grand European $3,315

Remember these are all without the optional excursions so they will be more depending on how many you buy.  I took the Cosmos and with optionals and tips mine was close to $4,000. Rick Steves is already included! Also they all go different routes so you need to pick the route that is best for you.

My opinion on optional excursions:

Research them before you go. Sometimes the optionals are the same price as what you would pay to do something on your own although you get transportation there. Also some places are harder to get to and it’s worth the extra to go. Like the Vatican in Rome- the metro doesn’t even go close and they have a tour guide that gives you great insight and history on it. If your hotel is in a good location and you can navigate well- then don’t buy the optional. The dinners are not worth it for me. I only did one because it was cheap. The rest are way over priced and not that great. Like $75 for dinner and a walk after. I did my own thing.

Plus side to tours:

• You don’t have to worry about transportation between cities.
• You don’t have to worry about booking hotels.
• You have optional excursions to choose from and don’t have to plan everything out.
• You have sightseeing tours included in the price
• You have the ability to plan extra things you might like to see.
• Tour Directors that are knowledgeable and can answer your questions and give you suggestions on what to see.
• You get to meet interesting people and form life long friendships.

Downside to tours:

• You don’t get to pick how long you stay in places. On my 21-day tour they only stayed 2 days max in each place. Not long enough. Although mine started in London and ended in Paris so I just stayed longer in both which is always an option.
• You might miss out on places you really wanted to see because they are not on the tour.
• There can be annoying people on the tour you don’t like or have to wait for often.
• You don’t get to pick the hotels.
• You have to keep a tight schedule and don’t get to sleep in if you want.
• Bus rides are long
• No wiggle room is you want to stay longer or leave sooner

On your own:

If your traveling on your own or with someone you have complete freedom to do what you want, where you want, and however long you want. If you don’t like to follow schedules or a tour group around this is your best option. Its not as scary as you would think either. Like I mentioned before all countries speak english well especially in tourist areas where you would be. The train system is fairly easy to figure out. You can do a combinations of trains and flying since they both are so cheap. Look into rail passes if you plan on using trains a lot to save money. They have overnight trains as well that help with costs so you don’t have to book a hotel. You can create your own itinerary and extend your stay in places if you decide you want to. Flexibility is the best thing about going on your own.

Plus side to being on your own:

• The obvious upside is you can pick and do whatever you want.
• You can stay as long as you want in each city and don’t have to skip places you really want to see.
• You can take either a train or a plane to other cities which is way faster than a bus.
• You get to do exactly what you want to do.
• Don’t have to worry about schedules.
• You don’t have to follow a tour group around or wait on people.

Down side to being on your own:

• You have to plan everything out!!
• You don’t have a tour director to go to with question, concerns, or advice
• You have to book all your hotels/hostels.
• You have to book airfare or figure out the train system.
• You have to plan out every day and find day tours to go on.
• You have to do more research

In the end its up to what makes you most comfortable and what you want to do. Simple trips are easy to plan and do on your own; especially if you only want to see 3-4 cities. If you want more freedom and more time than on your own is for you. If you don’t want to have the hassle of planning and researching or are afraid to go on your own then a tour would fit you best. Or you can do a combinations like me; take a tour and add on before and after. I like both. I plan on taking tours in the future but also doing trips on my own.

Trip advice and tips for Europe

Everyone says this but you really only believe it when you are there. Ill say it anyway- All major cities speak English! Way more than you would expect and it even makes you feel bad because you realize they all know 2-3 languages and you know one. Even though they speak English you should still learn some phrases before you go not to be rude. You should always know “Do you speak English” in their language especially in Paris. They tend to pretend they don’t know English unless you do that; and even when you do they will still pretend until you struggle enough.

• French- Do you speak English- Parle vous Anglais? Pronounced Par-lay Voo On-Glay
• I don’t speak French- Je ne parle pas Francais. Pronounced- ja na par-al pa Fran-say
• If they are still looking at you funny say- English?
• Italian- Do you speak English- Parli Inglese?
• English?
• Spanish- Do you speak English- Hablas Ingles?

The best English speaking is in Holland. You would think they are all American or Canadian they barely have accents. And they all know 3-4 languages along with perfect English. Spain is the worst, they tend to know less but you can always find someone who speaks it. And in tourist areas no problems.

I HIGHLY recommend downloading Trip Advisor Guides if you have an iPhone, iPod, or iPad! I used it everyday. It runs offline! Before you leave go through your trip advisor app and save all the attractions you want to go to in each city; that way you wont miss out on what you want to see.  When you get there you will just want to walk around all the beauty. Check them off as you go. I used the map on trip advisor to plan my days with the ones closest to each other that I had saved. You can zoom in the map and it gives you street names. I used their maps to get around along with the ones provided at my hotels and hostels. I used it before we ate anywhere! If you come up on a place and want to know if its good all you do is type it in search and it will give you its ratings! Stopped us from going in a few bad ones that charge table fees and extra stuff just to tourists or the food was bad. Also helped us find amazing places. You can search the best places to eat and then pick from there. Can’t say enough good things about it.

Other suggestions on Apps to download: I downloaded a ton. The only ones I used were my currency calculator, trip advisor, the language ones that give simple phases offline, and a panoramic camera. All should be free. I downloaded metro and regular maps and never used them because I got paper copies. I would also suggest games you can play offline.

Make sure you turn off Cellular Data and Data Roaming- they are under Settings-General-Cellular. Otherwise you will get a HUGE bill when you come home. Or you can turn it to Airplane mode, which also turns off phone calls and text. I added on texting oversees so I had to leave that on. Even if you are planning on keeping it on Airplane Mode still turn off the other 2 in case you want to use free Wi-Fi in hotels.

I also recommend buying Rick Steves Europe through the back door. It gives great advice on traveling in Europe, money saving tips, packing checklist, and scams that can happen. And I saw a lot of the ones he talked about while I was there. He gives websites and helpful books to buy.  In the second half of the book he talks about places you should go in Europe. In his book he says to pack light- that is only for backpackers I would say pack as much as you feel comfortable with. I didn’t have near enough shoes- needed dressy ones. His website is also very helpful! http://www.ricksteves.com

Try to watch travel shows on where you want to go or check them out from your local library.  I would always look up the scripts when I checked out Rick Steves DVDs and copy and paste what I liked while I watched it. If you are more of a reader & don’t want to watch just go to his website and click on TV then Guide to all 100 shows.

Or rent movies shot in those locations. I recommend Roman Holiday if you are going to Rome, not To Rome with love- Horrible!  Midnight in Paris if you are going to Paris- the first 5 minutes are just scenes of Paris! My life in Ruins- If you are going on a tour!! Under the Tucson sun if you are going to Tuscany.

Get an adaptor/convertor all in one. Most of the time the regular adaptors aren’t long enough to plug into all of their outlets. My Australian roommate had that problem. IPhones or Mac products don’t have to be converted but you would want to anyway just in case; but if it won’t charge take the convertor off and it will. Ladies from the US if you are bringing a straightener this is very important!! You must have the convertor ON and DON’T turn on the straightener. Plug it in and use it turned off, I know that sounds weird but its like being turned on. If you turn it on it will short out within 5 minutes. I met a lot of people this happened too. Also make sure you have the switch to the convertor, if you accidentally leave the adaptor  on- it will catch on fire! Blow dryers are in every hotel and hostel so don’t bring one- you will short it out. They have safes in most hotels.

Book an overnight flight in, the one back doesn’t matter. It’s a better way to deal with the 6-7 hour time difference. I slept maybe 2 hours if that on the plane so when it was time for bed I was ready. Not too sleepy though considering that’s all I got. Try to get a flight that arrives between 11am-3pm their time. The next day you should be fine. I adjusted immediately. I know people who traveled during the day and it was very hard for them to adjust.  Coming back is another story

Check out Viator.com it has really cool tours you can take you might not have thought about. Like a 3-day tour from Rome to- Sorrento, Pompeii, Capri, and Naples. Or a one-day tour to Florence in Pisa from Rome. Tours to Normandy or the Loire Valley from Paris. Also offers day tours like Colosseum and forum that Ill tell you about in the Rome part.

I used a combination of my iPhone and a camera- Canon PowerShot SX260. I have the iPhone 5 and it takes GREAT pictures! I couldnt tell the difference between it and my camera when I had them developed. You have to have a camera for zoom though.  IPhone’s zoom is horrible so the canon worked great in those situations. I bought a canon with a 20X zoom and it was Amazing! Try to have a camera with as much zoom as you can get because you cant always get close to the amazing sites.

Metros

The metros are VERY easy once you learn one you will know them all. If you already know metros or subway systems you will be a pro. Easiest metro to learn is in London. Paris is a little more difficult since it has so many lines but once you get it down its fine and I consider it the best because there are stops everywhere. Rome metro is probably the worst not because it’s hard but because there are only 2 lines! They keep finding ruins every time they try to make a new one. Haha

Hotels

Hotels in Europe are a little different from the US but also very similar. Our norm is to have either king beds or double full. They have king or double twin normally. Breakfasts are almost always included just like here. Wi-Fi is harder to come by than you would hope and sometimes they charge for it. The showers can sometimes be tricky. They only give you one towel per person. Most rooms are a good size but some can be very small. I never had one with a mini fridge. When choosing a hotel make sure you don’t just go for the cheapest best rated also check its location- that could be why its so cheap. You want something close to all the sites you plan to see which is not always centrally located. Seems like a no brainer but when you start looking and find hotels you like you forget about their location. In Rome it is VERY important if you plan to take the metro everywhere.

Hostels

The biggest miss conceptions about hostels are that you have to be college age to stay in them and that you could get taken/killed like in the movies. There were several times I saw people in their 50s and 60s. If you are traveling alone at any age this is the best option because you wont feel lonely. All hostels have kitchens so you can have cheap meals. Hostels also have private rooms for couples. The dorms can consist of 4 bed, 6 bed, and all the way up to 20 beds, your choice. They have lockers to keep your valuables in and most rooms lock from the outside. They are completely safe! With new technology and websites you can now research them. If you pick the highest rated ones you will NEVER go wrong. Of course they will be more expensive but $50 a night in Paris is still cheap. When you get down to the $10 a night then you get what you pay for. All the websites compare hostels, give reviews written by people who have stayed in them, and you can book your hostel from them to get a discount. Same as with hotels check the location as well and read at least 15 reviews to get a good idea. Good websites are: http://www.hostelworld.com http://www.hostelbookers.com and http://www.hostelz.com it is the best of the 3 because it compares all websites together to give you a comprehensive view.

Odds and ends:

• Public Bathrooms cost money all over Europe. You can always go for free in restaurants or McDonalds and Starbucks.
• There are places that don’t have toilet seats! Mostly in Italy but in some other countries.
• They have a great bullet train system that gets you there fast and cheap. It’s usually in the main metro station and not hard to figure out once you do. If you are travelling all over Europe and plan on using trains get a Euro Rail pass. Rick Steves website sells them and tells you about the different kinds.
• Airfare in Europe is the cheapest in the world! Thanks to Ryan air! You can find flights for $50! I flew from Paris to Rome for only $100. I will go more into detail about that in Paris because airport location is also very important. Skyscanner is a great app to find cheap flights there.
• Try an book a hotel close to the Airport in the cities you are flying in and out off that is also centrally located.  Or pick an Airport that is close to the hotel you have picked. For instance Paris has 2 major airports one north and one south.

Hope this was helpful! I will update or make a new one as I remember things. I will also give specific tips in each city I write about. If you have questions feel free to ask!

5 weeks in Europe!

I decided before my 30th birthday I wanted to go to Europe. As everyone does before their 30th I wanted to have something I could say I did that would make my 20s okay. Other than my Bachelors degree which is definitely something to be proud of and having a blast in college; I don’t really have much to show for my 20s. I’ve pretty much worked them away. So Europe is my major accomplishment. 7 countries and 20+ cities staying in a combination of hotels and hostels. I took a Cosmos tour for 21 days called the Grand European and then stayed 2 weeks by myself in Rome, London, and Paris! Most people will never get to experience that in their lifetimes so I know how lucky I was. I will go into detail about all the cities in my blogs and try to give people ideas and tips.

Here are the cities I have been to:

Europe

• England– London
• Holland– Amsterdam
• Germany– Rhineland and Heidelberg
• Switzerland– Lucerne and Lugano
• Italy- Verona, Venice, Burano, Rome, Pisa, and Florence
• France– French Riviera, Carcassonne, Bordeaux, Ambroise, and Paris
• Spain– Barcelona, Madrid, Toledo, and Burgos

I had a little bit of fun with my instagram and pic collage apps!

5 week break down:

• Week 1- London and Amsterdam
• Week 2- Germany, Switzerland, Verona, Venice, Burano, and Assisi.
• Week 3- Rome, Florence, Pisa, French Riveria, and Carcossone.
• Week 4- Spain- Barcelona, Madrid, Bilbao, and Burgos. And Bordeaux France.
• Week 5- Paris, and back to Rome

Future Plans:

• See the beautiful state I live in- Arkansas 2014
• Road Trip out west to National Parks- June 2014
• Vegas round 4- July 2014
• San Francisco- July 2014
• Road Trip through Tennessee- August 2014
• Road Trip through Oklahoma- September 2014
• GREECE!!!! June 2015!!!
• Road trip out west round 2- Grand Canyon, Mesa Verde, Antelope Canyon, Zion National Park, Bryce canyons, Arches, & Canyonland. 2016
• Random weekend trips to cool places close by- As often as possible.

Wish List/ Places I plan on going someday:

• Greece– Athens, Mykonos, Santorini, and Olympia. 2015!!!!
• Austria– Vienna, Salzburg, and the Fairy Tale Castle Neuschwanstein
• Germany– Berlin, Rotenburg, and Burg Eltz Castle
• Switzerland– Gimmelwald, Lauterbrunnen, and Interlaken
• Czech Republic– Prague
• Hungary– Budapest
• Russia– St. Petersburg, Moscow
• Cambodia
• Thailand- Bangkok, Si Satchanalai National Park, Doi Inthanon National Park, Chiang Mai, Ayutthaya, Sukhothai
• Africa- South Africa, Tanzania, Masai mara, and Victoria falls.
• Africa- Egypt– Cairo, Luxor, and Valley of the Kings
• Machu picchu
• Japan– Tokyo
• China– Beijing- Great wall
• Hawaii
• New York- NYC
• Washington DC
• Colorado- BEEN THERE NOW!
• Utah
• Arizona

Im a dreamer! Been bit hard by the Traveling bug!