FAQ for shoestring travellers

15

The world of Mit...zentralen (sharing of whatever) in Germany

Mitfahrzentralen (car ride sharing)
The original idea. Car drivers offers a lift between two places and you pay your share of the fuel costs.
www.mitfahrgelegenheit.de (the best in my view - only Germany)
www.mitfahrzentrale.de (Europe - but still only in German)
www.hitchhikers.org (Europe - nearly more languages than entries in the database)

There are also offices in bigger German cities which can be reached under the same phone number: <area code> 19440
http://www.mitfahrzentralen.de (adresses of offices - in German and English)

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Mitbahnzentralen (train ticket sharing)
German Rail (DB) offers various rebates for people travelling together. The rebated ticket price is divided by the number of co-travellers.

There is a Meta-Search site wich checks 10 Mitbahnzentralen: www.fahrkartenpartner.de
These are e.g. ticket-mitfahrer.de, Bahnfahrzentrale.de, Bahn-Billig.de, Billiger-Bahnfahren.net, Ticket-Teilen.de, TrainTravelTogether.de
fahrkartenpartner.de, ticket-mitfahrer.de and ticket-teilen.de have the most offers.

Some people may think that this is not really 100% legal. Wrong. DB (German Rail) operates their very own
www.bahnmitfahrzentrale.de which offers the same service.

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Mitflugzentrale (flight sharing)
Flights between smaller airports and with small planes (e.g. Cessna). Basically two types of pilots: business people with their own plane who often fly on some routes rather regularly and have free places left. And pilots who need some more flight hours to keep their pilot license.
You have to pay your share on the fuel costs and airport fees.
www.mitflugzentrale.de

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Mitwohnzentrale (appartment/room sharing)
People (mostly students) who are away for some time (working placement, vacation, studying abroad, ...) rent their appartment/room for this time. You pay normally a bit more than the original tenant. But furnished and compared to all other possibilities the cheapest method if you want to stay a few weeks or more at one place.
(This term is not as common as the other ones, i.e. sites may offer the same service but not under this name. Which means you won't find them under this term with search engines.)
http://www.mitwohnzentrale.de

Generally:
Mit... zentralen sites and services
+ offer cheap services and deals
+ are reliable
+ are safe
- are for flexible people - one has often to search a bit around to find something which really fits to the own needs
- assume you know German (at least most of them)
- assume that you have been delivered with a built-in 1:300.000 map of Germany and know at least all 209 cities with more than 50.000 inhabitants by name

+/- you may meet a great variety of people. Very nice and interesting ones and others where you're happy when the trip is over.

16

How to save on accomodation costs

The following has been posted by TT handle DutchBelg as a separate thread. To keep the valuable information "alive" I added it to this FAQ:

Did you know you could safe enormously on accomodation costs by registering (FOR FREE and without any obligation!!) at one of the following websites?

http://www.Globalfreeloaders.com
http://www.hospitalityclub.org
http://www.place2stay.net
http://www.couchsurfing.com

We had this year the wonderful experience of being host for several people from all over the world AND being guest of 2 families in Canada. Just for your assurance..We are in no way sponsored by any of above sites..We just love the concept and hope many people will join and enjoy meeting other people from differnet cultures. For once this is all about having fun together and not about drawing money from anyones pocket...

"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

17

Keeping control of costs.

I've been travelling Europe on a shoestring for over a year now, and something not mentioned here yet is, you can save a great deal of time and effort by using an online journal for not only keeping in touch with everyone quickly and cheaply, but you also get a record of your trip into the bargain. There are a couple of really good free services out there. My personal favourite is www.travelpackers.com and if you wanna see my wonderful trip click here to see Europe by pictures

18

Saving money on food

Food is likely to be your biggest non-avoidable expense after accomodation and transport. Here are a few tips on saving money while not starving:

1. Stay in hostels that have kitchens and make your own food. Some good value, nutritious and quick meals include:
- Pasta with tomato and basil sauce
- Omlette (add mushrooms, tomatoes, ham, onions as required)
- Salad (add beans, cheese, ham or tinned fish for extra protein)
- Stir fried veg with rice (add tofu, beans or meat for protein)
- Scrambled or fried egg, beans, and toast

2. Find out from locals where is the cheapest place to buy food. For example, in the UK, Tesco is cheaper than Sainsbury's which is in turn cheaper than Waitrose. Small groceries or markets may also be good value and will allow you to buy small portions.

3. Bread: forget the Atkins plan and eat plenty of it. Ideal for breakfast (with coffee) and for afternoon/ evening meal (with sandwich filling).

4. Buy slices of cheese and meat at the deli rather than large packets, unless you're staying somewhere a long time. These make excellent sandwich fillers, esp if you slice a tomato as well. Tinned fish is also good but smelly (wash hands after eating!).

5. Fruit: Tasty, good for you, portable, and (if local and in season) cheap.

6. Camping stove: Indispensible if you are camping (of course). Even if you're staying in hostels or cheap hotels it may help save costs, especially if you drink a lot of coffee or tea. However, the extra weight in your backpack may negate the benefits. YMMV. You will have to buy gas abroad since you can't take it on the plane.

7. In the city, find a nice park where you can eat your sandwiches. In some countries, it's considered bad manners to eat in the street.

8. If eating out, make lunch your main meal. Go for the menu du jour/del dia/di giorno. Be careful to check if bread and drinks are included on the menu, or you may end up paying extra.

9. Go a little off the tourist trail to find good value spots to eat. Locals will know these places, or you could ask the hostel/hotel employees.

10. Water, 90% of body weight and needs to be replenished frequently esp when travelling (and esp in hot weather). Prices differ drastically between supermarket and cafes. Where possible, buy water in the supermarket and bring to your location. If you are in a hostel with a kitchen, buy the largest bottle you can carry, leave in the fridge, and refill in to a smaller bottle when you leave for the day.
Special rip-off prices for water are found:
- In heavily touristed locations e.g. directly in front of the Eiffel Tower.
- On trains.

11. In Italy, the pasta option often looks good value, but it may be smaller than you expect. This is because Italians usually eat the pasta dish as part of a 3 or 4 course meal! Pizzas are usually good value, though (and v yummy).

12. Learn the following phrases in the local language:
- A slice or two/three slices of...
- A half/quarter kilo of... (remember, most Euro countries use the metric system!)
- This/that
- How much is it?
- Less/more
- Please
- Thank you

That's all I can think of for now. Hope this helps someone :)

19

FAQ links

Please remember to do a search before you ask a question, quite often that question (or one very similar to it) has been asked and answered many times already. Following a couple of FAQ links that can be very helpful.

Find answers to common questions about your trip in Lonely Planet's Trip FAQ. Here, you will find answers and many links on the following subjects: Before you go, Visas, Health & Safety, Transport, Accomodation, Money & Costs and Weather.

Loads of information about transportation can be found on Lonely Planet's Travel Services FAQ. For Europe, this is in particular information about rail passes, discounts and high speed train tickets.

More questions about trains? - Have a look at the Train FAQ. Puzzled about what all those term and conditions mean for you? - Check out the Policies FAQ. And here is even more stuff: Passes FAQ, Tickets FAQ and Reservations FAQ.

And if you cannot make up your mind which pass is the best for you, the Pass comparison FAQ can be helpful. And if you are still thinking about whether trains are the best solution, then the All about train travel FAQ can be helpful.

"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

20

Hostel Reviews

The following sites provide reviews of hostels from people who have stayed there and links to hostel websites where there is one as well as a list of names and addresses of hostels in a given location:

http://www.bugeurope.com

http://www.hostelz.com

Lots of travel links, for accommodation, independent travel, UK, Newcastle and other categories - http://www.geocities.com/milliebell/links.htm

21

And before you book your airline ticket, consider booking an "open jaw" ticket and/or taking advantage of airline stopover policies. An open jaw is when you fly into one place and leave from another, i.e. into London but out of Rome. Saves a lot of backtracking and it's a little known fact that you do not generally pay more for this type of ticket.

I recently wrote an informational blog on The Open Jaw and Stopover -- check it out for full details on getting the most for your time and $.

Puerto Viejo Satellite — the most complete guide to the Costa Rican Caribbean

22

Travel budget

Although there is a dedicated UK branch, the once TFT by TroyRocks gives good insight about your travel budget: London survival tips.

"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

23

Hi all!

First, I just have to give a HUGE thanks to Cosmopolitan for his extensive and most helpful info on this thread! I've been reading it and re-reading it for the past few days and it contains a wealth of practical info and advice.

Second, as a 61-year-old fem about to embark on her first trip to the U.K. & Europe this Fall, I'm reading everything I possibly can.

Third, I was all set to do one of those "If's it Tuesday, it must be Belgium" package things but just couldn't face having my ass stuck to a bus seat as we flew past everything I really wanted to see while on the way to do the same flyby in another city.

So, being a sprite and adventurous sort, I've decided to plan my own 14-day wonder tour of London, Paris, Rome, & Venice.

After hours of researching hotels in all of these cities, I came back to Cosmo's "Bible" and decided to check out hostels, hosts, etc. and am now becoming very excited about the possibility of having a real experience instead of bland touristy one.

Even though I studied French and Italina a kazillion years ago and have had absolutely no need to use either in the ensuing years, I find that I'm remembering more than I thought I would. So, I'm also brushing up on both my vocabulaire and accents.

I'm also cherry picking the sights I really want to explore in each of the cities.

It feels like I'm getting cross-eyed from trying to find the best airfare from LAX (Los Angeles, CA) to London. There seem to be so many taxes and surcharges. Any hints about who I should really be checking with and who to avoid?

It also appears that trains and buses from Paris to Rome to Venice are costly so I've been looking at flights from JetEasy and Ryan Air. Am I wise to consider using those for the city hops?

Anyway, thanks again, Cosmopolitan for providing this newbie traveler with such valuable info and insights.

dmt2005

24

Tips to make your trip and stay at hostels more agreeable

The following list does not claim to be a complete one, but I tried to put a couple of more general things together that can make your trip more pleasant.

Backpack: Let me recite what I have mentioned already at the top of this FAQ: 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 I guess the message is clear): "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 day-pack 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 every time. 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."

Here is a very helpful thread from the Activities & Gear branch that includes all kind of information about backpacks and pack sized etc. (also photos to give you an impression what they look like).

Sleeping bags: Many hostels don't allow regular sleeping bags for hygienic reasons. However, to keep your expenses on a minimal basis, you could consider a light hostel sleeping bag which is generally acceptable. They are either made of cotton, linen or – the more expensive one – of silk. They are relatively cheap and if you backpack a lot they pay off after a while. They are also handy in hot regions you might travel to in future. Speaking of sleeping bags it should be mentioned that a lot of hostels actually provide linen for free (some even provide towels). Otherwise you can always rent them for a small nominal fee for the duration of your stay.

Lockers: Some hostels have spacious complimentary locker in the room, some on the corridor. Some hostel lockers are tiny, for some you need your own padlock, some charge for locker usage and some hostels don't have any lockers at all. Best is, if you bring your own padlock. Whilst on the road, you can use it to lock the zipper of your backpack, and it can double as lock when staying at hostels. Generally I don't think you need to be paranoid about your belongings being stolen; use your common sense. Not too many people are interested in dirty clothes stuffed in a backpack. Needless to say that you should not leave any valuable items behind. Either put them into your locker when you think it is safe enough or – when it comes to tickets, passport etc. – you might even want to carry them in a money belt with you at all time. Keep in mind that some countries require you to carry an official piece of identification at any time (which is usually your passport or your ID card). Some hostels also offer safety lockers at the reception for free where you can deposit your valuable items while on the beach etc.

Earplugs: This might sound to you as if designed for elder travellers but I can tell you, there is nothing worse than having a mega-snoring backpacker in your dorm right next to you or in the bunk bed above you. And since you might not feel like partying every day, you will appreciate a quite night, even when people are a bit noisier in the room. Needless to say that you should also try to be as quiet as possible when getting back late. You can buy earplugs very cheaply in drug stores; don't go shopping for them at a pharmacy where prices are usually a lot higher.

Eye bandage: It's that thing you see people wearing on long-distance flights at night. Sometimes late comers seem to play disco with the dorm lights when you don't feel like it. Or – more banal – if you sleep in a room without curtains, it is very helpful to keep you asleep in the morning. Very bright sunlight can ruin your sleep if came back at night and want to sleep until the cleaning staff will chase you out of the room. Where do you get them? If you're lucky enough, the airline you came with handed them out on their flight. Otherwise… I actually don't know as I never saw them somewhere on sale. A smelly sock covering your eyes might do the same job though.

Shampoo bottles: Unless you travel around for month, you might want to reduce your baggage as much as possible. So why carry around 300 ml of shampoo if you only need a small portion of it for your trip. One option is to fill some of it in smaller bottles. Many hotels etc. hand out tiny shampoo bottles and small soap bars; keep them and use them for your trips.

Last but not least a gentle reminder to make life easier for your fellow travellers:

(1) Chore doesn't seem to be too common any more in today's hosteling world. However, what personally turns me off are filthy kitchen. So, please do wash your dishes. Someone else might be waiting for a clean pot for her/his own cooking. But even if it is only a dirty plate and cutlery. Don't simply leave it in the sink assuming that someone else will do the dish washing for you. Imagine if everybody had the same attitude.

(2) Some rooms look as if they were just hit by a bomb. This is at least what it looks like with clothes, shoes, shampoo and other stuff spread out all over the floor. You will be surprised what you can find in those baskets that contain lost-and-found-items. And you don't want to tour around from one place to another, suddenly realising that your sandals have disappeared because they were part of that messy clothes-shoe-mountain in one of the previous hostels, do you? Therefore, if you feel like spreading out all your stuff, try to restrict yourself to at least your own bed. This makes it easier for you to keep an overview but also more comfortable for the others.

Enjoy your vacation!

"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

25

More hostel do's and don't's on this thread started by pinkpostitnote.

"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

26

Air Passenger Rights

Having problems with your journey? The European Union (EU) has strengthened your rights. Here are the most important*.

Denied boarding and cancellation

If you are denied boarding or your flight is cancelled, the airline operating your flight must offer you financial compensation and assistance. These rights apply, provided you check in on time, for any flight, including charters:
- from an EU airport, or
- to an EU airport from one outside the EU, when operated by an EU airline.

Denied boarding

When there are too many passengers for the seats available, an airline must first ask for volunteers to give up their seats in return for agreed benefits. These must include the choice of either refund of your ticket (with a free flight back to your initial point of departure, when relevant) or alternative transport to your
final destination. If you are not a volunteer, the airline must pay you compensation of:
- 250 for flights of 1 500 km or less,
- 400 for longer flights within the EU, and for other flights between 1 500 and 3 500 km,
- 600 for flights over 3 500 km outside the EU.

Compensation may be halved if you are not delayed more than 2, 3 or 4 hours, respectively. The airline must also give you:
- a choice of either a refund of your ticket (with a free flight back to your initial point of departure, when relevant) or alternative transport to your final destination, and
- meals and refreshments, hotel accommodation when necessary (including transfers) and communication facilities.

Cancellation

Whenever your flight is cancelled, the operating airline must give you:
- a choice of either a refund of your ticket (with a free flight back to your initial point of departure, when relevant) or alternative transport to your final destination, and
- meals and refreshments, hotel accommodation when necessary (including transfers) and communication facilities.
The airline may also have to compensate you, at the same level as for denied boarding, unless it gives you sufficient advance notice. You shall be informed about alternative transport.

Refunds may be in cash,by bank transfer or cheque or, with your signed agreement,in travel vouchers,and must be paid within 7 days. If you do not receive these rights,complain immediately to the airline operating the flight.

Long delays

Immediate assistance

If you check in on time for any flight, including charters:
- from an EU airport, or
- to an EU airport from one outside the EU, when operated by an EU airline, and if the airline operating the flight expects a delay:
- of 2 hours or more, for flights of 1 500 km or less,
- of 3 hours or more, for longer flights within the EU, and for other flights between 1 500 and 3 500 km,
- of 4 hours or more for flights over 3 500 km outside the EU,
the airline must give you meals and refreshments, hotel accommodation when necessary (including transfers) and communication facilities. When the delay is 5 hours or more, the airline must also offer to refund your ticket (with a free flight back to your initial point of departure, when relevant).

If you do not receive these rights, complain immediately to the airline operating the flight.

Later claims

When an EU airline is responsible for the delay of a flight anywhere in the world, you may claim up to 4 150 SDR** for any resulting damages. If the airline does not agree with your claim, you may go to court.

You can claim from the airline with which you have a contract or from that actually operating the flight,if they are different.

Baggage

You may claim up to 1 000 SDR** for damages caused by the destruction, damage, loss or delay of your baggage on a flight by an EU airline, anywhere in the world. If the airline does not agree with your claim, you may go to court. For damage to checked-in baggage, you must claim in writing within 7 days of its return and for delayed baggage within 21 days of its return.

You can claim from the airline with which you have a contract or from that actually operating the flight,if they are different.

Injury and death in accidents

You may claim for damages caused by injury or death resulting from an accident on a flight by an EU airline, anywhere in the world. You have the right to an advance payment for immediate economic needs. If the airline does not agree with your claim, you may go to court.

You can claim from the airline with which you have a contract or from that actually operating the flight,if they are different.

Package holidays

In addition to the rights described above, you may claim damages from your tour operator if it fails to provide the services you have booked within the EU, whatever your destination. These rights apply to failure to provide any flight included in your package. Moreover, if the tour operator does not provide a significant part of the package booked, it is obliged to assist you and make alternative arrangements, including travel, without extra cost to you.

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(*) For your information, this document summarises the main elements of the relevant EU legislation. Any legal claim or action taken in the event of a dispute should be based solely on the legal texts concerned.

(**) 1 SDR = 1.18 at 30.9.2004. For the current exchange rate, contact Europe Direct.

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Published by the European Commission, Energy and Transport DG, B-1049 Brussels

Help and further information

If you are affected by denied boarding, a cancellation or a long delay and the airline does not give you what you are entitled to, complain to the relevant national enforcement body. For its name and address, contact the Europe Direct freephone on 00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11 or send an e-mail to mail@europe-direct.cec.eu.int. Europe Direct can also give you details of organisations that advise or help with other complaints. You may also inform the European Commission's Energy and Transport DG, B-1049 Brussels, of the follow-up given to your complaint, by fax (32-2) 29-91015 or by e-mail to tren-aprights@cec.eu.int. Leaflets with the information on this poster and more details may be found at the information desk and on the Internet (http://europa.eu.int/comm/transport/air/rights/index_en.htm).

"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

27

Accommodation network for free

The following has been posted by TT handle kdb1 as a separate thread. To keep the valuable information "alive" I added it to this FAQ:

I recently joined the CasaSwap accommodation network, where you can both rent, sublet and swap (exchange) housing with other members from around the world - and signing up is free.

Really seems like a perfect opportunity to travel and live very cheaply all over the world.

"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

28

Planning your trip

Many people are overwhelmed by the diversity of Europe and don't know where to start with their planning, what to include and how much to stuff into their itinerary. Those who try to see as much as possible on their first trip often realise that their planning has been far too ambitious while being on the road through Europe.

Although the desire to see as much as possible is usually big, it is not only more relaxing but also more rewarding to focus on a couple of countries, get a good impression about those and then come back for another trip.

If you rush through Europe at high speed you will have probably seen a lot but in the end you have experienced nothing.

You should consider a few main aspects of your travel (also let the Thorntree community know those details if you get back to the forum as it makes answering questions a lot easier for us):

How much time do you have for trip?

Are you restricted to a certain duration, e.g. by the Schengen visa?

What time of the year do you plan to travel as this will probably have influence your choice of countries?

That said, I think you should have a basic idea about your itinerary but my own experience is that the longer you travel, the less planning you actually need. Why bother to have a minute plan when you have plenty of time available and can simply stay at a place if you like it there? My philosophy is to stay at places I enjoy and adjust my itinerary accordingly. Why? Maybe I never manage to get back to that place; the weather will never be as gorgeous as it is now; the people I met are fantastic and I just want to spend a few more days together with them. You get the point.

Other things you should give a few thoughts: what are your main interests? Is it culture you're after, are you looking for vibrant night life or is your focus on landscape and nature etc. - or a mix of all? Give it a few thoughts and again: let people get an idea about your interests to get better advice.

Do you have a nice coffee table book about your destination? There are plenty of books on the market that cover all of Europe, and there are endless about specific countries. Looking into a pictorial is usually how I start planning a trip or get ideas about a certain destination or region. Just browse the book and get a feeling about what countries are like. Are there some fantastic buildings you would like to see, maybe there is a scenic drive you would like to enjoy passing through, a rugged coast line that might fascinate you, some excellent hikes through impressive mountains. You might discover some beautiful stuff in there you definitely want to see.

Get an idea first and then look at the details. Once you know where you will be heading, get a guide book and start a more detailed planning: getting around, bus/train/air passes etc.

Following a few quotes I like and which reflect some of the above aspects:

"I haven't been everywhere, but it's on my list." – Susan Sontag

"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive." – Robert Louis Stevenson

"Travelling is like gambling: it is always connected with winning and losing, and generally where it is least expected we receive more or less what we hoped for." – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

"Travel is ninety percent anticipation and ten percent recollection." – Edward Street

Enjoy planning 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

29

Mobile international roaming costs website courtesy EU parliament.

This gives a helpful guide as to how to minimise international call rates on your mobile. The cheapest option by far is to buy a prepaid card whilst in country and/or get a local sim, but if you're only there for a short while, the above might help.

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