Thorn Tree travel forum

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Before you start

Before you post your question do a search. Many questions have been posted before and you may find the answer available on previous posts. Questions such as "How long can I stay in the EU with my Schengen visa?" get posted a couple of times per week. And there is nobody out there on TT who knows what the weather will be like in Madrid next summer or winter... People can only give you information about how the weather was there last summer but keep in mind that this is no guarantee that it will be the same this year.


Do some basic search before you post your question

You can also check on the Western Europe branch where even more information is available. If you have specific regional questions may consider the following branches: Eastern Europe, Scandinavia and UK and Ireland.

If you check out LP Destinations you will find plenty of country specific information as well. You can also find lots of information on google.com; a few keywords will suffice to get you to the right link.

Bugeurope is another excellent source for information designed for backpackers.


Tell us what you want to know...

When you post your question try to be as specific as possible. Every now and then people ask "how to get there" but don´t specify where they are coming from. Unless you have this information in your profile you should mention it in your post.

And if you are about to plan a longer trip - what shoestring travellers usually tend to do - split up your question into several posts. People get confused when they have to read through a "mega post"... They have already forgotten what you asked at the beginning by the time they reach the end of your post. It is wiser to split your question into more than one thread in these cases. There are people out here on TT who regularily answer questions but not everybody is specialised in all countries you might have in mind. Also some cannot be bothered to read through long messages; it is therefore essential to be as specific in the title (country etc.).

Last but not least: Post your language related questions on Speaking in tongues rather than on this travel related branch.

And finally: Share your information and your experiences. Once you are back from your trip join the team on the answering side and share your knowledge with other future fellow travellers.

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The Schengen visa

The name "Schengen" originates from a small town in Luxembourg. In June 1985, seven European Union countries signed a treaty to end internal border checkpoints and controls. More countries have joined the treaty over the past years. At present, there are 15 Schengen countries, all in Europe: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Greece, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. All these countries except Norway and Iceland are European Union members. If you want to read more about Schengen click here.

Traveling in Europe has been simplified with the introduction of the Schengen visa. As a visitor to the Schengen area, you will enjoy the many advantages of this unified visa system. With a Schengen visa, you may enter one country and travel freely throughout the Schengen zone. Internal border controls have disappeared; there are no or few stops and checks. This means that internal air, road and train travel are handled as domestic trips, similar to travel from one US state to another. Those who traveled in Europe before Schengen know the difference.

Nationals of many other countries, including Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland and the USA, do not need a visa for tourist visits of up to 90 days.

At the point of writing the Schengen visa is valid for 90 days. People often ask if that 90 day period starts again from the beginning if they leave Schengen (e.g. going to Switzerland or the UK), and then come back into Schengen. This is not the case; your visa has a validity of 90 days in total (in any 180 days), no matter if you left Schengen during that trip or spend the entire 90 days in one go in Schengen. You cannot just hop over to a non-Schengen country to "renew" your 90 days. You have to stay away for 90 days. If you want to stay longer than 90 days, please refer to the detailed Schengen visa information further down this thread.

Where do you apply for a visa? All depends on the place(s) you want to visit. If you intend to visit only one Schengen country, you must apply at the Embassy or Consulate of that particular country. You apply at the Embassy or Consulate responsible for the state where you live. If you intend to visit several Schengen countries, you must apply for a visa at the Embassy or Consulate of the country which is your main destination. If you intend to visit several Schengen countries but do not have a main destination, you should apply for a visa at the Embassy or Consulate of the country which is your first point of entry (Schengen visa application form).

All foreigners who plan to study in Schengen longer than three months need a 'type D' Visa for language study, valid up to one year. N.B. If you are not sure about the length of your stay, it is safer to ask for a 'type D' Visa, as the 'type C' Visa is valid only for three months and not prolongable.

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Getting around in Europe

Almost all countries in Europe have a national airline but there are also a few budget airlines you may want to consider to get around in Europe: Easy Jet, Ryan Air, Hapag Lloyd Express and Transavia are just four of the ever growing market.

Check out Opodo or Budgettravel.com for more information.

If you prefer to get around by bus, Eurolines has the best overall European network. While Eurolines will get you only from A to B, Busabout is a hop-on/hop-off style travel network for backpackers; an excellent way to travel together with the like minded (comparable to Magic or Kiwi Experience in New Zealand). It all depends on your own preferences.

Click here for a comprehensive list of national bus networks.

Train fans also have the choice between point to point tickets and Interrail, a rail pass that is comparable to Busabout. Click here for a link to all the European rail componies; most sites are multi-lingual and you can even book online.

Apparently you should have an idea about how much and how far you will travel before you decide which alternative is better (point to point or passes).

Hitch-hiking is another way to get around but it is often not recommend. Use your common sense if you do it and have a look at some basic rules and tips.

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Accomodation

Being on the shoestring branch, only information about hostels is given on this thread (you will find plenty of information about hotels on the Western Europe branch).

Hostels are a great place to meet other budget travellers and times are long over where hostels where considered places for young people only. Today they are open to all people, incuding the young at heart.

The International Youth Hostel Federation/Hostelling International has the biggest network of hostels in Europe and with more than 4,200 hostels in more than 60 countries it is the biggest hostel network worldwide. The IYHF usually requires you to become a member before you stay in any of their hostels. Membership fees vary from country to country but are about 35 Euros per year in Europe (the membership will allow you to stay anywhere in the world). Some countries will also allow you to stay at their hostels up to six times (you will have to pay a bit more for each stay) but after your sixth stay you will become a member automatically. You can check availability for most hostels online and can also book them online via the link above.

Hostelweb and hostels.com are similar networks. Again most hostels can be booked online. Also check out eurotrip.

While you will almost always get a bed in remote places it is highly advisable to book in advance in the major cities - not only during peak seasons; some hostels get fully booked month ahead. And if you have too much information and don´t know where to stay, have a look at Tripadvisor.

Camping is one of the cheapest ways to spend the night somewhere. FindACamping can help you to find the right place for your tent. So can Campwijzer and ecamp.com.

Although this is probably not your preferred solution, an airport sometimes becomes your home for a night. SleepingInAirports.com has useful information about these "hotels".

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Country specific information

Every country has its own tourist office: Tourist office directory. They usually have excellent information, not only about the country but also about concerts, events etc. Some will even mail glossy brochures, maps and other information for free if you call them or email them. Make use of this information; it is an excellent and cheap way to prepare your trip.

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Money

Europe is a fairly expensive place to travel around, however it is possible to do the continent on a budget. As a thumb of a rule you should calculate a minimum of 30 Euros/day to enjoy your trip. With thes budget, you´ll be generally staying at hostels, campgrounds etc. Add another 20 Euros/day to allow yourself a decent lunch or dinner from time to time. Also consider transportation which can be a major factor in your budget.
ATMs are available everywhere in Europe. They are often the best way to get cash but be careful when you use your credit card: most credit card companies charge enormous fees; using your Cirrus or Maestro card is usually a lot cheaper.

Traveller´s cheques are not as common as in northern America; there are many shops that don´t accept them so you will have to cash them in before you go shopping etc.

If you need to know how much your money is worth, have a look at this currency converter.

Last but not least get yourself armed with discount cards to further ruduce costs.

And finally, as a budget traveller you want to save every cent, so spending no money at all is the best. Check out these freebies sites: Betting Freebies and Best Freebies.

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Work

Be careful when you accept a job, even if it is only as a waitress/waiter in a pub. You are most likely not allowed to accept a job although many people do it. Here are a couple of links if you need some work:

Jobs in Europe
1st contact
Elstead UK
Weser Jobs
Fruit Picking

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Weather

People on TT are human beings only, and very few might have capabilities to predict the future. So when it comes to "what will be the weather like in xxx in summer" you need to rely on reports from the past. Yahoo Europe Weather will give you an impression about the current weather situation. CNN Weather is another source.

On these two links you will find recent highs and lows.

And if you want to know what the weather really looks like check out this Weather Web Camera.

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Communication

Compared to other continents, Europe has many small countries and almost every country has its own language. This means that when travelling for a few hundred kilometers you will not only have passed three countries but also met people who speak three different languages. This can be challenging but is part of the game - and it´s fun, too. You will get around with English in most of Europe but adding some phrases in the local language will not only be very handy but also open the hearts of the locals. Rather than starting to talk to people in English straight away, approach them and ask them if they speak English as well. Lonely Planet has a number of phrasebooks (scroll down on that page to get an overview).

Although online translators are usually very limited when it comes to more than one word, you can try Babelfish or Paralink

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Where is the best...

Ever wondered what the best museums are, the most haunted castles, where the best beer is being served? Here is an unofficial ranking.

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Eating out

If you are on a tight budget you might want to consider buying your own food at the local supermarket to prepare your food yourself in the hostel if a kitchen is available. This will safe you a lot of money and standing in the kitchen with other fellow travellers is great fun. Well, if you a bit more money available you might want to go out lunching/dining. It doesn´t make any sense to recommend any specific restaurants at this point.

For all veggies I would like to draw your attention to this overview of vegetarian restaurants. If you are muslim, you may find this guide to halal eating helpful, and here is a link to kosher eating. As you might guess, there are many more than those listed on the previous links.

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A few tips for the faithful

Christian church services are likely to be the same as back home: usually on Sunday mornings at 10 am. The same applies for services in synagoges. If you are muslim and want to stick to the exact times, this is where you will find prayer times for muslims. Buddhist temples in Europe might be a helpful link for travellers from Asia.

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Finally: Getting started - your backpack

Finally you have decided where to go, what to see, how much money to spend... so now it is time to get your backpack ready! Compared to a suitcase backpacks have many advantages and they are the only real option if you go hiking for hours.

Do not pack too much and travel light! The following is a witty and helpful post by cmcmc on TT (it was an advise to a women backpacker but the message is clear - for both women and men): "Yes, you can have too many clothes, shoes and handbags. This will become very evident when you have to walk from the train station to your accommodation carrying your pack, then carry it up three flights of stairs, then carry it back to the train station, up some more stairs, haul it onto the train... repeat every 2 to 3 days.

Trust me, it's not fun. Some tips... at the most, you need one pair of daytime closed shoes, one pair of daytime sandals etc, and one pair of nicer shoes for going out at night (even better if you can combine the last two in one). Your daypack is your daytime bag, maybe one small bag for night. Two skirts, two pairs of pants, one or two tops for night and four or five tops for day. One jumper or jacket. They have laundries in Europe, you can wash everything (and everything you take should be able to be machine washed). Yes, you'll get sick of wearing the same clothes, but it's better than carrying your whole wardrobe, especially given you're covering a lot of ground in a month. When the monotony gets to you too much, you can always buy something new.

As for the hairdryer etc, forget it. You'll have to hunt round your room for a power socket, carry adaptors and lug them in your pack everytime. Put your hair in a ponytail, or cut it short and take a tub of wax. At that time of year in Europe, you'll be glad not to have hair all down your back, it's far too hot.

Sorry if I sound like a bit of a packing Nazi, but I've learnt my lesson. I took about this much for two months, and will take even less next time I go. Anyway, I'm sure someone else will post telling you that they did a 12 month trip with a 30-litre pack and two T-shirts."

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Daylight Saving Times in the European Union

Time advances one hour in spring (from 1:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m.) and is turned back one hour (from 2:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m.) in autumn. Note that these times are all Greenwich Mean Time, i.e. for most of continental Europe this means that time advances from 2:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. and is turned back from 3:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m.

Summer time periods will begin and end on the following dates:

2008: Sunday, 30 March - Sunday, 26 October

2009: Sunday, 29 March - Sunday, 25 October

2010: Sunday, 28 March - Sunday, 31 October

Make sure you consider these time changes when you have a flight, train or bus leaving on the Sunday when times have been changed - most cheap tickets are non-changeable and non-refundable!

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Enjoy your trip!

"If future generations are to remember us more with gratitude than sorrow, we must achieve more than just the miracles of technology. We must also leave them a glimpse of the world as it was created, not just as it looked when we got through with it." – Lyndon Baines Johnson

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More about the Schengen visa

As this question seems to be one of the hottest issues for travelers - specially those who want to tour Europe for a longer period - here is some more information:

A Schengen Visa is an official document handed out by the embassy of the country of destination. This visa allows the passenger to enter some or all countries part of the Schengen area. Schengen visas should be obtained prior to arrival in the Schengen territory. Note that not all nationalities need a visa for a stay up to 90 days (see original FAQ above).

For those who do need a visa, there are 6 kinds of Schengen visa:

Airside transit visit-ATV "Type A": This visa is required for those nationals who cannot use the Transit Without Visa-facility at all, being in direct transit in a Schengen airport when arriving, and departing from/to Non-Schengen countries. In no way does this visa gives access to the Schengen territory, it is only valid during the transit. Of course, people in possession of a type visa B, C, or D do not need the Type A visa.

Transit Visa "Type B": This visa is issued for a passenger making a transit in the Schengen territory which is exceeding the allowed transit-time and for passengers who are transiting in more than 1 Schengen airport. This visa allows a limited stay (indicated in the visa) in the Schengen area.

Visa for a short stay or travel visa "Type C": This visa is valid for a maximum of 3 months, as indicated in the "Duration of Stay". It is the common "Schengen visa"

Visa for a long stay "Type D": This visa is valid for a stay of more than 3 months. It is always valid for 1 Schengen-country and authorises the foreigner to transit by a Schengen-country, different than the country of final destination

Visa with limited territorial validity. L.T.V. (whether type A, B, or C): This visa is only valid for the Schengen country mentioned in the "Valid for" box. The entry and the departure from the Schengen area has to happen in the country mentioned in this box (with the exception of type D)

Collective visa: This visa is delivered to passengers travelling in group. It is delivered to the responsible of the group and is valid for all passengers indicated on the visa.

"If future generations are to remember us more with gratitude than sorrow, we must achieve more than just the miracles of technology. We must also leave them a glimpse of the world as it was created, not just as it looked when we got through with it." – Lyndon Baines Johnson

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Visa requirements for Australians and New Zealanders entering new member states of the EU

Australian and New Zealand passport holders planning a holiday to any of the (as per today current) 15 Member States of the EU do not require a visa if their stay is no longer than 90 days in a six month period within the EU, i.e. without a long-stay visa, you can only remain as a visitor in the whole of Schengen area for 90 days in any 180 days. You cannot just hop over to a non-Schengen country (e.g. Switzerland) to "renew" your 90 days. You have to stay away for 90 days.

On 1 May 2004 the European Union has been extended from 15 to 25 member states and now also includes: Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovak Republic and Slovenia. More information about all EU countries on this link(details on this link).

Please note that the newly joined EU countries are NOT (yet) Schengen members.

Note that this information is for AUS and NZ passport holders only although other nationalities might have similar regulations!

"If future generations are to remember us more with gratitude than sorrow, we must achieve more than just the miracles of technology. We must also leave them a glimpse of the world as it was created, not just as it looked when we got through with it." – Lyndon Baines Johnson

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Travelling around Europe

Car:-

Fuel costs across Europe can be found at http://www.theaa.com/allaboutcars/fuel/index.html, bear in mind a few of the countries also operate motorway tolling. If you're taking your own car from the UK AA European insurance, cos if it dies and has to be expatriated back (eg after a smash) it'll cost you a small fortune. A friend of mine saved 1500 quid after hers was smashed up by her boyfriend.

The road network is extensive on the continent and in the UK, although not quite as fabulous in North Scotland, Ireland and Wales. Assume lower average speeds in these regions. Special mention for Germany - contrary to popular belief, a decent chunk of the autobahn network has speed limits, mainly in urban areas and parts where the road surface is of poor quality, and fines are heavy for ignoring them. Don't. If you're a driving geek, for the ultimate guide to them see http://www.texhwyman.com/autobahn.htm.

Trains:-

The train systems in Europe are fragmented, with all countries running their own companies, although many will operate in several countries on long distance routes such as various French and German trains. National as well as European rail passes exist, the two major ones are www.eurail.com and www.interrail.net. For a good guide to the overall system, how it works and so forth, you'd do well to check out www.seat61.com.

Buses:-

Buses are pretty uncomfortable (although they have their fans) and slower than most train networks. www.eurolines.com will provide a european wide pass, but services are restricted to between major cities unlike train passes which include obscure domestic stuff as well. In addition, bus frequency is often limited, legroom is cramped (you can't get up and about), and they're always stopping every 4.5 hrs or less for driver breaks, v irritating but a legal requirement.

Flights:-

Europe has an extensive budget airline network, but a major pricewar has erupted throughout Europe engulfing all major established airlines (BA, Air France, Lufthansa etc) so don't assume that budget airlines are the cheapest option. If you're booking more than 6 weeks ahead, than almost always the budget airline is better, but closer to the date you need to check major airlines as well. For info about the budget airlines see below:-

www.flybudget.com - Global guide to no frills airlines

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Airports - Getting there and away

Safe your money and take public transportation from the airport to the city.

The following list does not claim to be complete but will provide a few direct links to some of the major cities in Europe:

Amsterdam
Athens
Barcelona
Berlin
Brussels
Budapest
Copenhagen
Dublin
Edinburgh
Geneva
Hamburg
Helsinki
Lisbon
London
Luxembourg
Madrid
Malta
Milan Malpensa
Milan Linate
Munich
Nice
Oslo
Paris
Prague
Riga
Rome
Tallinn
Venice
Vienna
Vilnius
Warsaw
Zurich

"If future generations are to remember us more with gratitude than sorrow, we must achieve more than just the miracles of technology. We must also leave them a glimpse of the world as it was created, not just as it looked when we got through with it." – Lyndon Baines Johnson

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Budget airlines

Budget airlines are an ever growing market in Europe. Keep track of the cheapest connections and options on WhichBudget.com.

Also check out the following direct links - it is just a small selection:

www.openjet.com
www.volareweb.com
www.ryanair.com
www.easyjet.com
www.bmibaby.com
www.germanwings.com
www.airberlin.com
www.cheapflights.co.uk
www.travelocity.co.uk
www.kelkoo.co.uk
www.skyeurope.com

"If future generations are to remember us more with gratitude than sorrow, we must achieve more than just the miracles of technology. We must also leave them a glimpse of the world as it was created, not just as it looked when we got through with it." – Lyndon Baines Johnson

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www.wizzair.com is new for Central-Eastern Europe especially.

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Luxembourg FAQ

Best time to visit
mid June end of September.

22nd / 23rd June - *Grand Dukes Birthday/National Day celebrations, *Fireworks from the Pont Adolphe bridge, all-night party with great outdoor discos and bars all over the city, huge crowds, maybe 250,000 people, all having fun...! see Whats On When

International Jazz & Blues Festival in early July

also, at the end of summer:

Schueberfouer Funfair, Aug-Sep

Luxembourg is well worth a visit!

Luxembourg city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to the impressive fortifications, only destroyed and dismantled after the Napoleonic Wars...

In Luxembourg city don´t miss the Petrusse Casemates which are the underground fortifications from when Luxembourg was known as the Gibralter of the North! There are also the Bock Casemates fortifications which you can enter from the hill going down to the Grund from the Rue des Bain (follow buses #9 and #6 #19 !)

Also, in Hamm (take bus #8 from the Hamilus/Monterrey bus station in the center) you will find the American Military Cemetary where General Patton was laid to rest. And, the Luxembourg History museum is well worth a rainy morning, it´s just down from the Palace in the city centre.

For Vianden - with the stunning chateau, and Luxembourgs chairlift for great views of the village, 11 Century Chateau, and valley below, travel to Vianden via Ettlebruck, as from Ettlebruck train station bus 570 goes directly to Vianden.

In Clervaux there is the Chateau with the Battle of The Ardennes museum, and the magnificent Family of Man photographic exhibition assembled by Edward G. Steichen in the 60´s - not to be missed. Train takes about 50 minutes from Lux city.

If you finish in Clerveaux by about 1PM, there is a bus that takes a nice route through mountains and valleys to Vianden...if u want to go back and take the chairlift or see the chateau again!

Don´t miss a day trip on bus #110 (call the no. below to check !) to Ecternach, in the area known as Little Switzerland which is beautiful, a great town to look at with amazing walks 5 mins away on the bus.

Esch-sur-Sure is well worth a day, beautiful surroundings and setting, ruined castle, etc..
The same applies to Remich, on the German border, in the Moselle Valley, wine producing region of Lux!

Try go to Borscheid Castle if you can. It´s a 10th C ruin in a stunning commanding position surrounded by valleys and mountains...in fact there is a great walk from the station in Michelau which you can follow up to Bourscheid then either continue down to Goebelsmühle station, or walk back to Michelau stn. (see CFL Train & Walking Guides). Or hire a car!

In Remich (Moselle Vally) u should be able to find trips and tours to the vinyards.

see Luxembourg CFL Rail & Bus site or Luxembourg Rail timetables (Tél. +352 49 90 49 90) for rail/bus travel in country.

also

Luxembourg City Buses
Luxembourg Tourist Site

For bars, coffee & nightlife:

The Interview, in the corner of the Hamilus bus station, does the best Capuccino in Europe!

For good coffee and beer to read the paper, head to Bananas on the Place D'Armes, near to

Sparkys Coffee and Internet Cafe - American style Lattes' etc

Coffee Break, Avenue De La Gare (other end from McDonalds) - Great English Breakfasts, muffins, best bagels in Europe!

Down in the Palace area, and behind, on the hill to the Grund (old part of the city) you can find:

Prime Time

Urban

The Tube

Yesterdays

At the Gare end of town, just past the Train stn, you will find the Rue Hollerich, and down there:

the Marx Bar

In the Grund valley, historic part of town:

Scotts bar, by the river, at the bottom of the elevator from the Place De St Esprit

Traders

Liquid

Pygmalion Irish Bar

Ecosse, Scottish bar

The Britannia Bar

For restaurants:

Chez Bacanos, Portugese, giant garlic shrimps a house speciality! Round the corner from the Britannia Pub!

Bachuus - Italian, near to the Palace, great pasta, pizza, steaks

The Devils Kitchen - S. American Cuisine - great steaks, lamb etc!

Maybe Not Bobs - American style ribs, bbq chicken etc, near to the Pygmalion Irish bar

Cafe Bodega - Albertos !

Hostels in LUXEMBOURG:

HiHostels - Luxembourg


Happy Trails

Philip

'Hey that looks like a good spot - set her down over there Neil'
- Buzz Aldrin July 1969

Photos from the fantastic, stunning, amazing, brilliant, excellent, mind-blowing 'Las Fallas' fiesta at Valencia, March 2004...

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to search for budget flights on a given day, or the cheapest flights between 2 cities, see:

Skyscanner

Happy Trails

Philip

'Hey that looks like a good spot - set her down over there Neil'
- Buzz Aldrin July 1969

Photos from the fantastic, stunning, amazing, brilliant, excellent, mind-blowing 'Las Fallas' fiesta at Valencia, March 2004...

10

Strange and wonderful hostels

Check out kadush's thread for today about hostels that offer a bit more than just a comfy bed for the night.

"If future generations are to remember us more with gratitude than sorrow, we must achieve more than just the miracles of technology. We must also leave them a glimpse of the world as it was created, not just as it looked when we got through with it." – Lyndon Baines Johnson

11

Car-pooling centers and local transportation

Getting around between cities as well as in a city can be a major cost factor in your budget. Therefore you want to reduce these costs to a minimum.

If you stay in a big city, check carefully if you really need some of those day passes that allow you to use the entire bus and metro network of the city for the number of days you buy the ticket for. It usually only pays if you do a lot of travelling, and walking around in the city is often preferable anyway as you get to see a lot more than hopping from one sight to the other by (underground) metro.

The above posts already contain quite a few links to budget transportation websites. If you want to further reduce your costs you may want to consider car-pooling. Compared to hitch-hiking the former is a lot safer as all passenger details - yours and the ones of the driver - are registered in the car-pool service data base. Another advantage of car-pooling is that the person you are driving with is very likely to be familiar with the place you are going to, i.e. you can get insider information. Moreover, transportation will usually be point-to-point; this will safe you another few Euros as you don't need to take local busses/trains to get from the bus terminal or train station to your hostel. As you need to register with the car pooling center it is advisable to do so before you leave (safes you money for doing so in an internet café).

Here are a few links to car pooling centers across Europe:

Start with Allostop that contains links to almost every car pooling center in Europe. Carpoolworld is another link that takes you to several country specific car pooling sites (hit "worldwide rideboard list" on the right of their homepage). Here are a few more: Drive2day, Car-pooling, Compartir, MyLifts, Freewheelers, Car-Pool UK and Mitfahrzentrale Deutschland.

Travel safely: Always buckle-up. It's the law in almost all countries anyway.

P.S.: Car pooling does not mean that you must have your own drivers license! What it means is that you get a lift on a private car and share the costs for the ride. In other words, you don't necessarily need to be a driver to be able to enjoy the advantages of car pooling. There are always two sides on a medal...

"If future generations are to remember us more with gratitude than sorrow, we must achieve more than just the miracles of technology. We must also leave them a glimpse of the world as it was created, not just as it looked when we got through with it." – Lyndon Baines Johnson

12

Here you will fond some tip adresses for travelers who wants to visit Slovenia:
SLOVENIA MOJA DEZELA
Have a nice trip !

Natasa & Tadej
"The traveler sees what he sees; the tripper sees what he has come to see"
Slovenia Moja Dezela
EXPLORE MORE

13

Packing your backpack - Pack sizes and what you can put inside

Need to know more about how much stuff you can or need or want to take? - Check out this excellent website that has been created by TT handle oldpro, photos included.

"If future generations are to remember us more with gratitude than sorrow, we must achieve more than just the miracles of technology. We must also leave them a glimpse of the world as it was created, not just as it looked when we got through with it." – Lyndon Baines Johnson

14

Hi,

here is the site for checking train times and schedules with connections in Europe - has timetables for most countries in Eastern & Western Europe - easy to search in English...

Bahn.De - Rail Travel Planner (ENGLISH)

Happy Trails

Philip

'Hey that looks like a good spot - set her down over there Neil'
- Buzz Aldrin July 1969

Photos from the fantastic, stunning, amazing, brilliant, excellent, mind-blowing 'Las Fallas' fiesta at Valencia, March 2004...