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