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Wednesday 22 April 2009

Tips About Sleeping In Airports

We mention a couple times in the book (and others will vouch for us) that it is sometimes a great idea to save some money and sleep in the airport if you have an early flight. We've found this isn't the most comfortable option when all the benches are taken and you have to sleep on the ground or even the conveyor belt (yes, this actually happened to us at an airport in Belgium). We have also been through the worst-case scenario, which is when the airport closes and you are forced to sleep outside on the sidewalk in the chilly night air.

To us, saving money is worth the little bit of discomfort sleeping in airports causes. It also gives you some great stories to share. Last night, Scott spend the night at Heathrow Airport in London to save some bucks, which ended up being the highest on the discomfort scale we have ever encountered. Nothing could be worse than the construction at terminal 3 with jackhammers and trucks beeping and backing up until 5 am.

But when you're just plain poor, you make an adventure out of it.

Tuesday 21 April 2009

New Videos About Trains and Hostels

There are three new videos on www.youtube.com for you to watch.

1. The benefits of train cabs instead of normal seats.
2. How to find a hostel in a new town.
3. How to read train timetables at the station.

Search the youtube user name 'redwinehelpsyousleep' to view all the Red Wine videos.
Enjoy the videos and more will come shortly.

Monday 20 April 2009

Tips About Getting Around from Backpacker Joe

Joe from Hiram, Ohio, states:

I was always lost, but luckily my travel buddy wasn’t. Actually, he probably was but never really admitted it. I think he figured if we walked around long enough we’d end up somewhere that was on the map. I think it is good advice to: 1) have a good map, and 2) travel with someone with a better sense of direction than yourself.

Thursday 16 April 2009

Scott's Mini Backpacking Excursion to Trieste, Italy

Scott made it back from Trieste, Italy, without a scratch after jumping from a moving train, avoiding being eaten by wild boars, and escaping payment at an internet cafe!

I also realized during this trip how involuntary it is to add an 'o' or 'a' to the end of an English word and say it with the local accent in hopes that the locals will understand what you're saying. For example, 'One ticketo por favore.' This definitely doesn't work, by the way, so it's important to brush up on your common phrases before heading out!

Scott's return also means we'll soon have a few more videos to upload including ones about train cabs and reading a train schedule in the station. Scott has gathered all the photos to finish the book and we look forward to putting the final pieces together.

Saturday 4 April 2009

Budgeting Tips From Backpacker Mike

Mike from Eerie, PA, states:

To save some Euros, take the night train. When you sleep and travel,
you don’t need a hostel. Also, airports are some of the best sleeping
I have found. There are all sorts of hidden nooks and crannies, and if
you tie a bandanna around your eyes, put in ear plugs and stuff your
valuables down your trousers, I have found you can sleep through just
about anything… Anything.

Why pay for a hostel when you can sleep with a local! A few gin and
tonics are a lot cheaper than an overcrowded, dank, bedbug-infested
dorm room. Play your cards right and you might even get a free
breakfast. Alright!

Also, if you are the type that likes to stay up all night, do it! Drop
your bag at the left luggage in the train station and live it up until all
those business types are on their way to work. Have you ever slept
in a park during the day? I have. Not only is it great feeling closer to
nature, it is free – so are the drinking fountains.