Europe Trip '08

I know I technically live in the EU, but Jess and I just got back from our trip to the 'continent' as the Brits say. All said and done we had a great time visiting Spain, Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic. You can read all about our time and places visited on Jess's blog and see all the pictures we have posted on smugmug, but I just wanted give you a few of my thoughts while I look back over the trip.



First off, when traveling around Europe in the summer, air conditioning is a non-negotiable for wherever you are staying (hotel, hostel, car....). Jess and I stayed in 2 'budget' hotels (excluding the car) when we were traveling. Both had pro's and con's as you would expect, but the lack of air conditioning was the worst part. When its hot outside, but hotter in your hotel room try getting a good night sleep - its not going to happen! I say this as a person who does not have air conditioning at home (in Scotland) , but if its hot inside I open the windows and the problem is solved. All of the old building around Europe are great, but central AC would make them amazing. Next time I stay at a budget hotel I am going to make sure it has AC, even if its just a small window unit.




Secondly, continuing on the topic of accommodation, there is no need to always stay in a hotel or hostel - try renting/ sleeping in a car! I don't know exactly how Jess and I came up with this idea, maybe the idea of an adventure and saving money, but it achieved both! Driving around Germany trying to figure out where we were going to sleep that night was hilarious. Even though we stayed at camp sites (more like mobile home parks than big sur), we could have just as easily stayed at a rest stop along the autobahn as most are super clean, open 24 hours a day with showers, Internet, food, etc. I actually would recommend the rest stops over the camp sites because it doesn't matter when you come and go and they have everything you could want - I guess this is something to look forward to next time we are there.



Third and final point for today, pack light (and in a backpack)! The main to reasons I can think of for this is related to money and general ease of getting around. In regards to money, airlines are getting more strict on weight, especially the budget carriers in Europe - some of which even weigh your hand baggage (if the total weight of your checked and carry-on luggage is over then expect a massive charge). Even though a backpack may not sound appealing, it really makes things easy as you don't have to worry about many things you encounter travelling in Europe like flights of stairs or crowds of people which can be difficult with a suitcase.

All said and done, I can't wait until our next trip whether that's around Scotland, back to Europe, or somewhere new!