Cold Weather Traveling?

A cold weather question from a fan.

"Hi guys-

I was directed to your blog by a friend who spent this past summer backpacking across Europe, and she swore by your site!

My boyfriend and I are getting set to do some of our own traveling in Europe toward the end of February and through March. My question is how to properly pack for the cooler weather at the beginning of our trip without weighing down our packs. Do you have any tips on how/what to pack for this time of the year?"

"The first step I would take is to visit www.weather.com or the local tourist web site for the countries you’ll be visiting and find out exactly what the temperatures will be (look at past year averages). I haven’t done much traveling in cold months, but I have traveled to cold countries. Scotland will be much different than Italy and Greece different than Switzerland.

The quick and easiest answer for you is layers. Even when I was exploring in fall and spring, evenings can get very cold and I always had the option to wear a t-shirt, long sleeve t-shirt, long sleeve/collared button down shirt, hooded sweatshirt, windbreaker/rain jacket and my pajama pants under my jeans which always kept me pretty warm when I needed it to. Doing this meant I really only got the layer closest to my body dirty.

One bummer with the cold is your outer garment will be the same in every photo you take, and you won’t have room for two winter coats. Even when it was cold, my wife always took off her rain jacket for photos. Her being a style aficionado, she would also recommend to make sure everything matches to either black or brown, so if you take an extra sweater, make sure it goes with everything.

Companies like The North Face and Arc’Teryx (among many, many others) make all kinds of cold weather shirts, pants, coats and hoodies. They are specially designed from fabrics to keep the body warm when extremely cold and cool when it gets warm. The fabrics breath easily and help whisk moisture away from the body. These items are great but they get very expensive. These are made for weight conscious people when every ounce in your pack counts. You can easily drop $50-100 for one shirt. However, if you plan to do more traveling or you like hiking and camping, a couple of these might be worth the investment, but I’m always about saving money when traveling, not spending hundreds before you leave the country.

Like I said with my packing list of layers above, I would also take a sweater so when I was in a museum or at dinner, I didn’t have to wear my hoodie all the time. I would also take one pair of gloves and one hat and if you’re a scarf person take one of those too, but I wouldn’t do more than one of each. I might also change my normal pajama pants for thermal long-underwear. Granted this stuff is not heavy, but it is bulky.

I have received many emails and comments about cotton hoodies vs. fleece. Like every person in the US, we all own a hoodie with our high school, college or favorite sports team name on it. I own one of these so I took that and not fleece. Many avid campers and hikers have told me that fleece is much warmer than cotton, dries quicker if it gets wet and also much lighter. I have personally never done field research on this, but I believe what I've been told. I chose my hoodie because it had a hood instead of taking a hat, a nice front pocket instead of gloves and most importantly, I already owned it.

Do some research with the temperatures and try out my list of layers to see if it keeps you warm enough. (granted if you live in Florida it might be hard to recreate the English winter). I personally would not take a “winter coat”. What I mean by “winter coat” is one that is heavy and warm enough to only wear a t-shirt underneath and be warm. My packable wind/rain resistant jacket was great and it packed up very tiny. When you go inside a place for a meal or internet café, it packs up to fit in your day pack instead of having to lug around a big coat.

Safe (and warm) Travels!!!!

p.s. A little word or warning, it might not happen to you, but it did to me a few times, especially in eastern Europe, but the trains did not have heat. During the day I didn’t notice it, but when it was dark and I was trying to sleep, it was bitter cold.

Travel Clothing from SCOTTEVEST

I stumbled across an advertisement for some pretty cool travel clothing. I'm not endorsing these items because I've personally never tried them out, but I thought I would point everyone in the direction to check it out for yourself, especially with Christmas around the corner it might not hurt to put it on your list since the items are a bit costly.


SCOTTEVEST sells all sorts of travel clothing from hats, winter coats, pants, hoodies and more. The main draw to the clothing is the many hidden pockets to fit all your important travel documents and expensive gadgets. The main goal behind starting the company was for the CEO to carry all his stuff without having to lug around a man-purse.

My initial thought on the clothing is that it seems very useful, especially the Revolution jacket that has 26 pockets and fits your MP3 player, phone, iPad, water bottle, has a hidden passport pocket and more. The price for this is high at $175, but it seems pretty cool for people who might be traveling in cold months and don't want to carry a day pack. The only bummer I can see about this is having anything in the pockets and then trying to wear your pack. The straps would inevitably overlap something important and make it uncomfortable or crush something. The other is trying to get through security with this thing seems like a nightmare. I'd never get all the metal out of the pockets.

I few of the items seem ridiulous like a hat with space in the bill for cash and boxers that have a pocket for your smart phone, but I guess if you have the money for it, why not have underwear with pockets?

Screwpop

Recently I picked up a little tool to try out thinking it might have some travel uses. Since I’m in love with my Swiss Army Knife, I thought this would make a great companion. The item is called The Screwpop, named because it has a phillips and a flat head screwdriver and a bottle opener.

The price of only $4.95 and name first attracted me to the product. I’m not a keychain person because I hate things poking me and having a huge bulge in my pocket (hahahaha). This isn’t very large but very heavy duty in it’s construction which makes it able to open any bottle and even have use as a screwdriver. However, since I always have my Swiss knife, I never need a bottle opener or flathead screwdriver. That being said, in the two weeks it was on my keychain I did use the phillips attachment to change my license plate, but I only did so to prove whether or not the product works. I should have saved some time and frustration of using the tiny tool and simply ran up to my apartment and got a real screwdriver.

The tool also has a ¼” Hex. Nut driver and honestly I can say I’ve never used one of these during any home or car application, it simply works to hold the screwdriver in place – which it does very well. When you put it in your pocket however, make sure the Phillips attachment is facing out because the flat head will poke you in the leg all day.



This thing did make it through security at an airport so if you decide to not take a knife and check a bag this might be the way to go to have a couple features other than a simple pocket bottle opener. But for me, I can open a bottle with a lighter, spoon, railing, table, stapler, scissors, another bottle, a rock or even a frying pan so it wouldn’t be on my list of must haves for a trip to Europe, but it is definitely a great stocking stuffer for a friend who thinks he is MacGyver.

The Innocent Abroad

Interested in going to Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific? There's a great new web site/blog that has information and discussions about it. The Innocent Abroad was started by Melissa who is American but has lived in Australia before and will be going back for another year soon. She has some great advice and a site that is a perfect place to start planning your trip!


Red Wine Helps you Sleep on Trains was included in one of her posts about what it means to be a backpacker - check it out!

Creating a Travel Blog

While traveling to a new place, it is often tempting to want to send out a mass e-mail to family and friends, update your Facebook status and Twitter feed, and load photos of your experience along the way. Unfortunately, this takes a lot of time and effort, which are two things you don't want to waste when the Eiffel Tower or Vatican Museum are calling your name.

We have found that the easiest way to keep up with everyone at home is to set up a blog before you leave. Whether you use Blogger, Wordpress, or another blog storage service, this tool serves as an online journal that allows all of your friends and family to become part of your trip. This is not something you need to update on a daily basis, but is good to utilize for a quick post before bed to let everyone know what you have been up to.

Hometown Series: Cleveland, Ohio

Krystin shares her ideas about what makes Cleveland, Ohio, a city worth visiting. And yes, she is aware that Cleveland is famous for the Cuyahoga River catching fire, being called "the mistake on the lake," and for generally being one of the most made fun of cities in film and television. But she is out to prove that this city has something to offer, something that makes her proud to be a Clevelander.

"I was born in Cleveland in 1984 and raised in Streetsboro, a suburb 30 minutes outside the city. My family moved out to Streetsboro because my parents wanted my sister and I to grow up somewhere safe, which tells you a little bit about the state Cleveland was in during my youth. Fast forward 25 years and Cleveland seems like a completely different city than the one I was born in. Major improvements have been made to clean up the city and make it a location worth exploring.

One of the highlights of Cleveland is, of course, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum that opened its doors on the bank of Lake Erie in 1995. The admission is a bit steep (regular admission is $22, college students pay $17 with a student ID), but you get to spend all day perusing Jim Morrison's hand-written letters, Jimi Hendrix's clothing collection, Janis Joplin's Porsche, John Lennon's glasses, and many more relics that make the visit worthwhile. The building itself is an impressive architectural monument to rock created by revered architect I.M. Pei, who is most famous for designing the additions to the Louvre in Paris.


I grew up going on field trips to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and The Rainforest. I have been to zoos all over the U.S. and Europe, and Cleveland's is really one of the best. Founded in 1882, this is one of the oldest zoos in the country, but it is always making improvements and additions. There is a wide variety of every animal you expect to see - giraffes, gorillas, monkeys, sea lions, bears - but the wolf exhibit is a must-see along with the newly renovated elephant area that will open in 2011. The Rainforest is also really impressive, featuring over 6,000 plants and 600 animals in a two-story building that really makes you feel like you have been transported to the jungle. Depending on the time of year, admission is between $7 and $10, which is a steal considering most zoos and aquariums run around $20.


Another spot I often frequented on school trips in my youth is The Cleveland Museum of Art. I visited the museum with Scott recently, and I still think it is an impressive collection even after visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and the Tate Modern in London. Major works are featured by famous artists including Dalí, Matisse, Renoir, Gauguin, Degas, Monet, van Gogh, Picasso, Warhol, and Pollock. One of the best parts of the museum is that it's free, so you can spend the day exploring and still have cash in your pocket for the evening.

As for the nightlife in Cleveland, the main spot to go out is called The Flats. Major renovations took place in this area during the 80s and 90s, making it a great place to grab a drink, eat a meal, or catch a gig. One of my favorite spots to catch a show is The Odeon, a smaller venue with an industrial feel. Of course, Cleveland also has a House of Blues if you prefer to visit a more mainstream venue. If you like to try local beers, make sure to get some Great Lakes Brewing Company specialties. Scott's favorite is the Dortmunder.

A fun way to see Cleveland and to appreciate all the changes its been through it is take a trip on the Goodtime III, the city's largest excursion ship. It's $15 for a two-hour narrated cruise through Cleveland (save a buck by visiting the site and printing the coupon). The Goodtime has been around since 1924, and riding down the river really gives you a sense of the history of the city.


As for seasonal activities, if you happen to be in Cleveland during the Christmas holidays and are a fan of the classic film A Christmas Story, there are two musts for you. A little known fact is that this movie was filmed in Cleveland, and the home used for the filming has recently been renovated to look exactly like it did in the movie, complete with a museum and gift shop where you can purchase your very own leg lamp. Admission to the A Christmas Story House and Museum is $8. You can also visit Tower City Center and Public Square to see the lights and visit the spot where the Christmas parade scene was filmed."

For more information on the latest happenings in Cleveland throughout the year, check out Cleveland Magazine.

Beer Gardens in the UK

As we were checking e-mail on Yahoo.com, we came across an article about the Top Ten Beer Gardens in Great Britain. These pubs have been chosen by the editors of The Good Pub Guide, UK’s #1 bestselling guidebook. When traveling around Great Britain, you’ll see signs in pub windows that show off the fact that the establishment was included in last year’s guide.

Unfortunately, we can't say we have been to any of the pubs on the top 10 list. However, we have been to many fantastic pubs in two England cities we've lived in and would definitely recommend visiting: Lincoln, Lincolnshire and Exeter, Devon. Our favorite beer garden in Exeter is The Imperial, which is located in front of Exeter University, making it a popular student hangout. One of the best parts about this pub is that there is a huge area to sit outside that overlooks the train station. The building itself is interesting because it used to be an old hotel and was home to a massive glass orangery (or conservatory) before that.

The only bummer about The Imperial is that it is part of a pub chain, so it lacks some of the character that privately owned pubs possess. The chain is Weatherspoons and can be found throughout Britain. What makes it a chain is the menu, drinks and employee uniform (once you visit one, you will be able to recognize other Weatherspoons-owned pubs). Because the Imperial is part of Weatherspoons, they have some of the cheapest drink prices you’ll find in England - one of the best parts of this chain!

The best beer garden in Lincoln is The Jolly Brewer. They have regular open mic nights and jam sessions, great real ales, local cider in barrels on the counter and plenty of outdoor picnic tables and heaters in the winter. Beer prices are decent and the atmosphere is extremely diverse and friendly with an eclectic mix of locals, students, professionals and artists. It is more than worth it to visit the Brewer just to people watch for a night to see the unique characters that frequent it.


For a great "real" pub experience in Lincoln, try The Strugglers Inn located just outside Lincoln Castle. The pub got its' name because this is the spot prisoners would visit for their last pint on the way from court inside the castle to the gallows located just down the road. This pub is great for a glimpse into life of the locals and what a real English pub looks like. There is almost always a fire burning a dog wandering around beneath the tables.

No matter what city you visit throughout the UK, the best idea is always to ask the reception staff at your hostel what pubs they would recommend. If you are looking for something specific (cheap drinks, local ales, live music), be sure to ask for pubs that cater to these criteria. The best part about the UK is that no matter how small the town is, they will always have a local pub. The second best part is, that pub is more than likely within walking distance of where you are staying. Remember, the walk home is half the fun. Make sure to stop at the all-night chip shop where locals will be lined up and grab some chips and gravy for the walk home.

17 Days in Italy

Two of our friends recently spent a couple weeks in Italy and were nice enough to give some tips and advice about their experience.


"Ahhhh, Italia. Ryan and I spent 17 days playing in this beautiful country and it breaks my heart to be away. We decided to fly into Milan (as this seemed to be the cheapest option). We were told by many people that Milan is not worth the stop. However, Ry and I were glad to be able to spend the day exploring the city; walking on the top of the beautiful Duomo, exploring La Scala Opera house, window shopping, indulging in copious cups of gelato, etc.

Do I Need Travel Insurance?

We have never purchased travel insurance because we are cheap, but it doesn’t mean that it is not worth the money. We’ve simply been very lucky and never lost our backpacks or had medical emergencies during a trip.(Krystin did forget to grab her bag in New York from London and recheck it for the connecting flight and arrived in Florida with no clothes, but that is another story). Scott does, however, have insurance on his camera gear.

YouTube Video Comments

One of the great things about Youtube is receiving comments from viewers. It is fantastic to know we helped someone with his or her future travels. However, sometimes the comments can be off-kilter and we have no problem taking comments down if we think they may lead other viewers to make bad decisions on their trips. All over YouTube, there are millions of viewers with way too much time on their hands who enjoy writing something that makes no sense or might confuse someone just for kicks.

For instance, someone said Krystin was wrong in her video about packing by saying that heavy items go in the bottom of the backpack. However, every hiking guide we have read say that heavy items should go in the bottom third of the pack, but most importantly as close to your back as possible. Maybe we should have elaborated on this fact, but we provided the general rule in the time allotted. We would hate for anyone to read that comment and think they should carry heavy items at the top of the pack, which could potentially cause physical injury to that person during their travels.

How to Tip Across Europe

Tipping in Europe is difficult to figure out because most countries have different customs and even if you have the general rule figured out, it's usually still different depending on if you are ordering at a bar or sitting at a table. We generally try to stay away from any establishment that looks like a tip is needed. We've been servers and bar tenders before and appreciate tips and the hard work that goes into earning them, but it is hard for us to part with our money
when traveling and trying to save every penny possible.

Under-tipping and over-tipping can both be considered offensive depending on what country you are in. The main rule to stick with when in doubt is never tip for bar/counter service, and add about 10 percent for a sit-down restaurant. Servers in Europe make a paycheck and tips are considered a small "bonus" — to reward great service, or to simply round the total bill to a convenient number. In most countries, 5 to 10 percent is adequate and 15 or 20 percent is unheard of.

How to Navigate Internet Cafe's and European Keyboards

Let us be blunt. We definitely do not recommend bringing a laptop along on your backpacking trip. They’re heavy, take up space, are easy to break while jumping on and off trains, need to be charged every two hours and are very easy for someone to walk off with, not to mention you have to find a “wi-fi hotspot” to use it.

That being said, this is 2010 and everyone pretty much owns a laptop and with Macbook Air™ which weighs three pounds and is less than an inch thick or the entire line of HP, Toshiba, Acer and Sony Mini books that cost less than $400, it can be very tempting to bring your Twitter, Facebook, video chatting and photo storage along for the ride.

The Role Weather Plays

When should I travel? I have summer free and plenty of time... but it's peak season so places will be crowded and hostels full, not to mention it will be hot and sweaty. Christmas break is nice because places won't be crowded... but will every place be open in the off-season? Spring break and Thanksgiving sound good... but might be too short for a visit overseas. So when do I travel? Not to mention - what will the temperature be like where I want to go at that time of year?

Hometown Series: Miami, Florida

Forget about what you've seen on TV from Dexter and CSI; Red Wine follower Celia would like to give you some insight into her Miami in the second of our Hometown Series.

"Bienvenidos a Miami (Welcome to Miami)! Most people who visit our metropolis refuse to label Miami as part of the "south," rather, they accept it as just the capital of all of Central and South America (with an American twist)!

Seat Reservations on European Trains

We would like to address a question we received from a Red Wine follower that we thought might be helpful for many other followers planning their train journeys abroad.

The question: "The girl with who I will make the inter-rail trip and I have just found out that we need to make a reservation for a lot of national trains. Now, this is a huge bummer because we thought that you could just go anywhere national. It is also a lot harder to plan the journey, but we see it as a challenge. Now is my question for you: how did you book the national and international trains? Which Web site did you use?"

The answer: When we traveled we only needed reservations on night trains and express trains, and we never used the express ones because they were too expensive. Night trains are great because you can get from one town to another and not waste precious daylight. The easiest way to get a reservation takes very little planning.

Three Sheets with Zane Lamprey

We all love Anthony Bordain and Samantha Brown, but for those of you bored with many of the travel programs out there where the hosts stay in the priciest of accommodations and then tend to complain about how difficult life is, we have the perfect show for you. Three Sheets is hosted by comedian Zane Lamprey and follows him as he travels around the world learning the local drinking cultures. Yes, he is paid to travel and drink in the coolest places on Earth.

Hometown Series: Louisville, Kentucky

We would like to start a new Hometown Series to give our Red Wine followers the opportunity to give some advice about the town you grew up in or where you currently live. The travelers you meet along the way and have experienced a destination or lived there for years always give the best travel advice. You’ll find restaurants, galleries, shops, clubs, bars and parks that are not even given the time of day in mainstream travel books.

Scott is going to start off the Hometown Series by telling you the best places in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky.

For anyone not familiar with Kentucky, Louisville is on the Ohio River and borders Indiana. It’s known as the Bluegrass State and Kentucky Fried Chicken really is from this great state, along with Papa John’s Pizza, the Kentucky Derby, Abraham Lincoln, bourbon and nine NCAA basketball championships.

Traveling by Train in Italy with Trenitalia

One of our followers is about to embark on a trip to Italy and came up with a very interesting question we thought some of you may also come across.

The question: "Ry and I are leaving for Italy in five weeks and are so pumped. I think we have everything figured out, but I am a little confused about the train. Have you guys used Trenitalia? If so, did you use the Trenitalia pass? It obviously seems like the best option for the amount of traveling we are doing, but I don't know much about it. I think the thing I'm most concerned about is getting from Rome to Milan to make a flight early in the morning. Do you think it's safe to buy a train ticket there, or purchase it ahead of time?

The answer: For the Trenitalia pass, are you using Eurail or RailEurope? These two are pretty much equally priced and seem like the best deal. We have used Eurail twice and loved it. We had an unlimited pass, but the one where you purchase a certain amount of days would also be good.

How To Plan for a Long Backpacking Journey

We recently received another great question from a reader that we want to address for our general readership.

The question: "Hi, my buddy and I are about to embark on a 3-4 month backpack of Europe. We would like to travel by train but don't know which pass to buy. Any suggestions??"

The answer: Eurail has a three-month pass you could look into. Make sure to look at the “saver” prices if you are older than 25 and you and your buddy always plan to be together. With the saver, if two or more people purchase the pass together, you can save about 15 percent of the cost.

The best thing to do in your situation is to go to countries that don’t use the rail pass during the beginning and end of your journey. For instance, lets say you decide to do a four-month trip. Buy the three-month pass (it is only $254 more than the two-month) and fly to England first since the Eurail pass does not cover the United Kingdom (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland). Travel around for two or three weeks and see London, Bath, Stonehenge, Glastonbury festival, Edinburgh, The Loch Ness Monster, Newcastle and catch a rugby match or two. Then fly (check out the great deals at www.ryanair.com) to Barcelona or any other city you might like to spend a few days in. (Sidenote: Flight on Ryanair from London to Barcelona on April 22 is $46 per person one way, which includes one checked bag.)

After you are finished with that town and you’re ready to move on, take the train to the next destination and get the rail pass validated. You have now been traveling for nearly three weeks and the pass has just started the three-month run. Then at the end of your journey, end up near an area that is not on the pass or in a city you’d like to relax and spend a week in. Now you have been traveling for four months and only needed to buy the three-month pass.

We did the math on purchasing a one-month global pass and then buying a 10-day, three-country pass, but it works out better to just buy the three-month pass if you’re going to be there for that long.

For travel in Great Britain, look into buying a young person's railcard, which saves about one third off each train ticket and also look into www.megabus.com. Riding a bus sucks, but it can be about $3-5 from one city to the next.

For more information on rail cards, visit http://www.redwinehelpsyousleepontrains.com/2009/11/travel-in-uk-young-persons-railcard.html

Anyone for Bruges? Belgium, That Is.

If you love beer, the best place in the world to try some new brews is Belgium. There are more than 125 breweries in a country smaller than the state of South Carolina with roughly 800 standard beers. If you include seasonal and one-offs, that number jumps to 8,700.

Brussels, the capital of Belgium, is similar to any other large European metropolitan city. While it definitely possesses some charm, a smaller town like Bruges is more our speed. Bruges is a perfect place to rent bikes and see a lot in a short amount of time. Bikes range from $10-20 per day and can be picked up all over town.




There is a bike and walking loop around the old part of town that takes you through parks, old moats and drawbridges that protected the city, windmills and plenty of pubs. The coast is also only about ten miles away along a canal which connects Bruges to Zeebrugge, a village on Belgium’s coast.

Our favorite pub in town is Brugs Beertje (www.brugsbeertje.be) which has more than 300 Belgian beers to choose from in a menu that resembles a karaoke book. One of Scott’s favorites is Delirium Nocturnum, which is characterized by a pink elephant on the label. (We assume this mascot was chosen due to the fact that this extremely strong drink nearly made Scott see elephants on our walk back to the hostel after a few of these.)

Happy Birthday, Red Wine!

Red Wine Helps You Sleep on Trains has celebrated its first birthday. Our first videos were uploaded in February 2009 and since that time we have received more than 20,000 views. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of Red Wine and we hope we have helped you with your future travels.

Please keep asking questions, sending comments and posting photos to Flickr. We hope that this year will be even more successful than the last.

Cheers!

Scott and Krystin Dean

Take in the Alps (and Much More) in Interlaken, Switzerland

When it comes to picturesque European villages, Interlaken, Switzerland, is one of our all-time favorites, which may be due to the fact that it provides breathtaking 360-degree views of the Alps.

There are many free hikes to take in order to view this stunning panorama of the Jungfrau region of mountains. We took a hike suggested by our hostel that took us to the top of Harder Kulm, which looks down upon Interlaken and out toward the mountains. (You can also ride a funicular to the top if you’re short on time or short of breathe for $14 to the top or $22 round trip.) The walk, which takes around three hours, is fairly steep the entire way so make sure to bring along a snack or meal and plenty of water for each person. Also, take plenty of breaks and enjoy the views on the way up; it is very easy to get caught up in the goal of getting to the top but it’s important to look around you on the way. Nestled at the top of Harder Kulm is a restaurant and gift shop to enjoy a coffee or beer before the hike back down. We took our lunch along to avoid paying for food and enjoyed a lovely picnic before taking loads of photos and making our way back down. (We think it worth mentioning that walking down a steep mountain can be hell on your shins and calves, so it is best to take your time.)

iPod® Tours

Let us begin by saying that we love technology. Scott loves using his MacBook whenever possible and Krystin tends to hyperventilate if she realizes her iPod isn’t charged when she wants to go to the gym. However, we are very, very anti-technology when it comes to taking iPods®, iPhones®, iTouches® or other expensive cellular or MP3 devices to Europe.

We have our reasons for this blatant prejudice:
1. They can get lost.
2. They can get broken.
3. They can get stolen.

If these three reasons weren’t enough to deter you, we have more:
4. You are constantly having to charge or change batteries in hostel rooms with few to no plugs available.
5. There are way better things to do in Europe than update your Facebook status or text someone. Also, both of these things require looking down at a screen when your eyes should be roaming around the city instead.
6. Listening to the sounds of the cities and their languages is much better than listening to Lady Gaga, no matter how awesome “Paparazzi” is.

We could go on and on. But we know that despite all of these valid reasons to leave the gadgets at home, many of you will simply refuse to be separated from your MP3 player. Since we cannot persuade you to leave them behind, we will at least tell you some ways to put them to good use while you are abroad.

The Web site, www.apple.com/ipod/tours, offers many free downloadable audio and video tours that go above and beyond the tiny sign on the wall next to the painting by providing in-depth history and fun facts about works of art, specific galleries, or entire rooms at the touch of a button. Information can be skipped, fast-forwarded, or rewound at your own pace.

If you don’t see the museum or attraction you’re visiting on the iPod Web site, it doesn’t mean they don’t offer one. Try checking the Web site of the attraction you’ll be visiting to see if they offer one for free or a small fee. Some attractions let you download the audio tour on site instead of doing it at home.

Another Web site to download free walks and tours is www.iaudioguide.com which has over 50 world cities and links to other sites that offer tours like the BBC. Two pay sites you may want to check out are www.tourcaster.com and www.walki-talki.com, which provide walking tours for spots all over the world. Some have previews so you know what you’re getting into before you buy. However, these sites can charge a pretty penny for short tours - $10 to $25 for an hour or two. We suggest reading up on the locales beforehand or asking locals about the places you visit to save some dough.

Another productive way to use your MP3 player while backpacking is to learn a language while traveling or before you leave. There are many programs on CDs that you can burn to your player and take with you to brush up on a language. Check your local or school library to see if they have some that you can take advantage of for free.

Finally, if you simply insist on using your iPod for musical purposes while roaming around Europe, we suggest researching some of the popular artists in major cities and downloading some of their songs beforehand. That way, even if you are shutting yourself off from the unique sounds of the city, you can still get a feel for the culture through the music.

Make Each Day Count

The first time I backpacked Europe my travel buddy and I saw everything at the speed of light and took little time to hang out in towns longer than a single night. We wanted to see as much as possible because we both had the mindset we would be back one day and know where we would want to visit again. I think our grand total of cities visited was 34 in 32 days. When it was all over, I felt like I needed a vacation after my vacation. But I wouldn’t have changed anything about that trip.

This method of seeing Europe is not for everyone, but for those of you who have a limited amount of time to spend overseas or happen to enjoy speaking a new language every other day, I highly recommend it. Some smaller towns will require only a single day to see the main sights before heading back to the station for an overnight train to the next destination. Most cities will need more time to truly savor each landmark, although you will be shocked by how familiar you can get with a city in just a few days.

Many people wonder how long they should stay in each city, and the truth is that there is no right answer because it depends on what each backpacker wants to see. I lived in England for two years and I still didn’t experience everything the cities I lived in had to offer. Every day will bring a new adventure regardless how long you stay in a place. A stay of more than a day will bring a couple things – familiarity with the area, more chances to meet locals and other travelers, and the opportunity to learn more about the language, food, and culture.

When deciding how long to stay in each city, think about the sights you want to see. For instance, if you want to visit the Louvre in Paris you will need to budget half a day if you want to take in even a quarter of the beauty that building houses. And that is only one of the sights Paris has to offer. Another aspect to consider is how large a city is. London not only has loads of places to visit but is spread out and requires public transportation, which means it will take more time to get from place to place.

It is also important to budget a few days for relaxation to make sure you aren’t spending every day running from tourist attraction to tourist attraction. We chose some of the most beautiful cities in Europe like Interlaken, Switzerland, and Cinque Terre, Italy, to hike and sunbath and not worry about what time it was. Once you have been going nonstop for a week, or two you will be so happy to recharge your batteries and slow things down for a bit.

Before you make the trip across the pond, sit down with all the people in your group and make a list of all the cities and villages everyone wants to see, including the sights that you deem crucial to visit. Find out what pace everyone feels comfortable with and how much relax time you want. It’s best to cover these items before you leave so that arguments don’t arise when one person wants to spend five days at each stop while everyone else is bored by day two.

Hostelling International (HI) Hostels

Hostelling International (HI) (http://www.hihostels.com) is the brand name of the non-profit International Youth Hostel Federation (IYHF) and more than 90 Youth Hostel Associations in 90 countries that operate 4,000 hostels around the globe. HI hostels can be easily recognized by a blue triangle sign.

Let’s get something straight first. Around 90 percent of all hostels in Europe do not require a membership card; however, HI hostels do. A membership card can be purchased from your nearest HI office in your home country, or from the first HI hostel you stay at for around $15.

We have only stayed in a couple HI hostels due to the membership card fee. If you do not purchase the card up front, it will cost around $3 or $4 extra per person for each night you stay. We make sure to only stay in HI hostels that have prices that are comparable to others in the city, even with this extra charge. For each night you pay the extra fee, you’ll be given a stamp on a card that holds six stamps. When the card is full, it is just like having purchased a card for $15, although purchasing the card for the initial fee up front saves around $3 to $5.

According to HI’s Web site, the main reason to become a member is to have access to safe, clean hostels. You may also receive discounted member prices in other hostels, discounts on activities, reduced admission to museums and cultural centers, savings in retail outlets, and reductions on some travel services. When we stayed in HI hostels, no one made us aware of these discounts so it behooves you to ask the reception staff what discounts you can get with the card.

HI hostels generally have the capacity to cater to large groups so they might be packed with people from school trips or tour groups when you’re there. Every HI is different so it is hard to categorize them – some have kitchens, some have lockouts, some have curfews, some offer free breakfast, some charge for bed linens.

It is important to be aware of HI hostels when you are booking rooms. The easiest thing to do may be to steer away from them in order to avoid paying extra for a membership card or an additional fee for each night’s stay. However, you may find that some smaller cities only have HI hostels, which means you will be paying the fee whether you want to or not.

No matter what kind of hostel you are staying at, here are some things to look for:
-Kitchen
-Free backpack storage
-No lockout (Some hostels lock their doors for a few hours during the day to clean and no entry is granted for a nap, meal, shower, or to grab something from your backpack during that time.)
-No curfew
-Free bed linen
-Co-ed or female-only rooms (depending on your group)
-Distance from train station