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~~Itinerary~~ Plans

2002.05.21
Okay, here it goes. All my templates are all ready to go... All the functions and customization is perfected to my liking... Now it's time to add the content. Two down, let's see how many more I can do before the pizza gets here!

It's a little surreal working during the nights, but it's the perfect schedule for partying when the weekend comes! The whole last week, Quinn, Tamas and I have been taking advantage of the DDF office internet connection to play. We wander in around 5pm as everyone is leaving, come back and code. Take a 'dinner' break at 7pm, come back and code. Go out for snacks and some frisbee before the shops close, come back and code. Tonight (well, it's night for me) we're ordering a pizza, at 4:25am. We'll probably call it quits around 6am. Then catch one of the first metro's home to sleep till 2pm. Home's another story.

Our current residence is the apartment of the uncle of a friend of a friend. We needed a place to stay since Quinn was getting kicked out and I didn't want to pay the 'expensive' cost of the hostel. The hostel's only $10/night but compared to the $4/night that Quinn and I now split it's expensive.

Yeah, so yeah, the place belongs to the uncle of a friend of a friend, but the uncle died in november and the place is exactly as he left it. The guy, Atilla Marcus, was a photographer on a cruiseliner for most of his life. We've been calling the place the Pimp Shack because Atilla's has pictures of himself with all kinds of beautiful women all over the house, and because there's (wrapped) condoms next to every bed, couch, chair, sink, etc. I even tried on his leather jacket and each pocket had a condom in it...

Taking a little time to surf tonight, I came across Kevin Fox'AOLiza. I showed it to Tamas and, little to my surprise he had set up the same thing on his server, only with a better 'brain,' and in Hungarian. His 'brain' has been listening and learing on many different chats for a while. He set up a new english brain and logged into a irc with a few pray users. It was really amusing watching people actually talk with this program. But then someone started questioning if our 'user' was a bot. And to my surprise someone even posted that it sounds like (Tamas)' bot. I guess he's been playing with a lot of people...

Pizza's here! We got one Mexican style (beans, corn, ham, cheese) and one Angry style (Pepperoni, onion, spicy peppers, and cheese). I love spicy.

Packlist

This is my list of what I brought and some of what I've added and subtracted along the way. Start planning a few months ahead by throwing things that you think you'll need in a box. Tape a list of things that you need to the box.

Passport
Duhhh! Apply for this 6 months before you need it, it may take that long.

Discount Cards
» ISIC card (International Student Identity Card: It gives you lots of discounts and enough insurance to get you back in one piece should something go wrong.
» Hostelling International card
» Hostels of Europe card
» European under 26 (or "<26") card - I got mine in Austria, you may have to look around or wait till you're in Europe for this card).

Books & Maps
Lonely Planet: Europe on a Shoestring (budget traveler)
Hanging Out in Europe (budget party traveler)
- I have both, they're both heavy, but I'm an info maniac. Get the most up to date books you can find; things change, new hot-spots are discovered, new youth hostels open… I also have a travel book only on Italy that my relatives gave me, but I'll have to pass it on when I leave the peninsula, it's heavy, too.
AAA has free maps for Europe!
Find a good map or two for the area you're traveling in and get familiar with it. You can always buy these during your trip; they're for sale everywhere. I like to see where I'm going because I'm a visual learner.

Recommended Basics
Leatherman WAVE or other pocketknife/multitool
Blank page journal for stories, drawings, notes and most importantly 'digits' of all the new friends that you'll meet.
Multi-color pen - circle hotels in blue, bars in red…
Deck of cards
Combination lock for hostel lockers
Four passport size photos - when applying for various cards here you must supply
Your own photo and you might meet a cute guy/gal!
Condoms - better safe than sorry!
Camera - I went digital because I knew that I'd be on a long trip, and because I want to post the photos to my web site. But I also packed 3 disposable cameras with panoramic option so that I could take a camera to raves, beachs, and snowboarding trips.
Film - just a few rolls, you can buy more later. If you're going digital, make sure you have enough memory cards for your camera. Calculate how many photos you may take to determine what you'll need. I finally had my laptop sent so that I can store my photos, update my website, and make websites for extra money.
Backpack - don't skimp on a cheap one because this is your house for all of your belongings. Lowe Alpine's Voyager 65+10 will not let you down. The "+10" is a daypack that zips on/off.
MicroLights - Get two: connect one to your day bag and connect one to your main bag. They're often brighter that a flashlight, and they last longer!
PacSafe - wire mesh with lock that fits over your bag
Backpacking sleeping bag that compacts to as small as possible. Most hostels give you a comforter, but camping is a cheaper and realistic option when you see how nice most camping sites are.
Sleeping mat if you will seriously be staying in campsites. If you just plan on a few nights of camping then don't bring one.
Disposable razors - find a kind with one handle and removable blade heads. Most all disposeables do.
toothbrush/paste - you'll buy more
Shampoo/shower gel combo - twice as much fun in one bottle + saved pack space.
Foot powder - to keep your feet dry & fungus free!
A photo of your family - to share, converse and know that you are loved :)
Postcards/photos of your hometown
Phrase book for the language of the major countries that you are visiting. I have German and I bought a French on in Paris.
Wristwatch with loud alarm that can wake you up, or small travel alarm clock.

Clothes
This can vary depending upon the climate of your destination. This is what I packed for summer in Europe, you should take less. Remember that you can also buy clothes as you are on the road. Prices are not that much different.
7 pairs of wool socks (all dark colored),
3 t-shirts (darker colors hide dirt),
1 collared pullover shirt or rugby shirt,
1 dress shirt,
2 pairs of pants that zip off at the knee (preferably nylon for quick),
1 pair dress pants,
1 Belt,
Board-shorts,
5 pairs of underwear
Sandals,
Skater type shoes (they last the longest, they're cool, and comfortable)
Baseball hat (maybe one that you can trade on your trip),
Fleece pullover (warm & quick drying)

Since it's got cold I've tossed out some summer wears and clothes that have seen better days. I've bought a jacket, a black pair of jeans, a few shirts, new shoes, socks, wool beanie, scarf, and gloves.

When packing think about what clothes will be easy to wash and dry quickly. If you're a fashionable individual you might think about packing things that will look good no matter how you combine them.

Also if you're not sure if you need a certain item of clothing, don't bring it because you can buy everything here that you can buy at home. If you have any doubt that you might not need it or wear it, don't bring it.

Also make sure that the clothes you bring are the kind that you would normally wear. In other words, don't try to dress someone that you are not. Bring clothes that reflect your interests (e.g. music, sports, college, etc.).

Train/Bus/Boat Passes
I've been staying for a week or two in every city that I've gone to. Not fast enough to take advantage of a EuroRail pass. I looked at BusAbout but that too was not right because I didn't and still don't have a plan about where I'm going more than a few weeks ahead of me. So I've been buying tickets as I go, and it's turned out to be cheaper that either of the mentioned passes.

One pass that I did buy was called a EuroDomino. You can only buy this pass outside the country that you plan to use it for. I knew that I would be making six one-way trips through Austria as I was leaving Switzerland so I decided to buy a 6 ride Euro-Domino for Austria. The price turned out to be about $20 a ride, which is good for the distances that I was traveling.

During my stay in Austria I went to Prague once and I figured out that instead of using a ride from my EuroDomino that it was cheaper to just buy a single ticket. So look at all the prices and different ticket options to save yourself money. If you will only be able to do a one or two month trip, one of the various EuroRail passes might be a better option. Also think about sleeping on trains between cities to save the cost of a hostel night. If you buy an unlimited pass, find two cities that are a night train ride apart and spend every other day in each city... I didn't do this because I wanted a shower. But some cities, like Paris, have very nice and free public showers.

Also, if you up for saving a little money, the bookstore Shakespeare & Co. in Paris will let you stay there free if you write a one-page autobiography and help in the store a few hours each night. I stayed for a week and met a lot of great people. It wasn't as nice as a hostel, but it was a lot cheaper. To do it, go to the store, look around and you'll soon notice who is working there. Ask them what to do and who to ask. I really recommend this great experience.

Well, enough. The rest you'll discover as soon as you start walking around
Europe yourself. And granted, your trip and experiences will be much different than mine.

If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Happy Packing!