Travel The MEGA Travel Thread!

[brimz]

Sounds great but i think you should have a ponder about the time of year it's not that warm in Spain in Jan. well except in Andalucia.

 

[wooger]

gapyear.com is another great site, not only is it full of tips but there are forums where you can meet people before you go

Also little padlocks on compartments on the backpacks can be a god send, I would recommend you get either an 80 litre pack or a 120 litre one depending on how much stuff you are taking with you but remember a lot of airlines might add extra fees if you take alot of heavy stuff with you.

But really, check out gapyear.com. they even have lists of useful things to take and really helps you organise your tip./ Have fun.!!

 

[fakeplastictrees4]

thanks I havent heard of gapyear.com ill check it out

About the time of year - I am definitely going to try and change it to a spring time trip. I don't really want to go when it's extremely crowded and hot in july/august. But going february - may or even march june might be a better idea. Just the problem of waiting over a year for this is a bit of a drag. We have nothing else to do but work shitty jobs till then because neither of us are going to post secondary. Guess it will be worth it thoug

 

[malakaix]

How strange! I came here to make a thread about this very topic!

I'm planning on traveling through Europe around April, unfortunately for me i am the WORST person when it comes to organization and planning.. i usually end up winging everything. My father is a British citizen, so i'm going to be applying for a British passport before i leave, i have just under $20,000.. so im hoping to spend at least a year traveling and then hopefully pickup some work in the UK. I have one question for those who have done this before.. for events like Oktoberfest and the Tomato Festival in spain, would booking a hostel for those dates through a travel agent prior to leaving be recommended opposed to doing it while over there? I know most of Munich city is entirely booked out around by late September..

Im also planning on traveling with minimal luggage, hopefully just a backpack.. but i may need to pickup a swag for some of the week long festivals (Boom in Portugal maybe). I've never traveled Solo before so im a bit overwhelmed.. i've been to Europe once before with family, so i have a brief idea of the transport system in some countries. I'll have a look at the links suggested in here for extra advice.. in my head it seems like there is SO MUCH to plan, but im sure it's not as complex as i believe it to be.

We have nothing else to do but work shitty jobs till then because neither of us are going to post secondary. Guess it will be worth it thoug

Haha, yeah almost all of 2011 for me was spent working a shitty job in order to save up enough money.

 

[kytnism]

Network network network!



*Travel forums: www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/ is fantastic and a wealth of information - www.tripadvisor.com is a great resource to get the lowdown on hotels/guest houses/hostels. If you need to book accommodation, if you can get onto the internet - you'll often find really cheap accommodation
* Other travel blogs - these will give you insights into places that you most likely won't find in a run of the mill travel guide.

I'm planning a trip to Indonesia and have found the above two things invaluable - we're heading off the beaten track for a chunk of it so this has been important. You'll also get to know travellers who will be where you are at the same time - i've also done this and it's been so wonderful to meet up with someone who you have familiarity with, even if it's only over the internet. A friendly face in a foreign country is great
* Insurance. No, really - INSURANCE! Read your policy to find out what you're covered for - you don't want to be caught out. Get your international license too - just in case (this is if you have a license in your country)
* Either keep your passport locked up tight in a safe-deposit box (if you're keeping it at the hotel reception, get a receipt for everything you have given them. Alternately, keep it on your person at all times, in a hidden pouch under your clothes that you hang around your neck. This doesn't work if you're not wearing alot, but i'm guessing that if you travel in Winter, you will be. Make copies of your passport, tickets, and any other documentation you will require and keep another copy in your hotel room and also give it to someone at home. Make sure other people know your itinerary (give them copies).
* I know you said that you want a more pub/club experience, but make sure you get out and about You're travelling to amazing parts of the world, you don't want to miss it all because of hang overs

hehe, i'm excited for you! :D

this.

sidenote: ebay for the next 5 days is having an up to 65% off all lonely planet guides; with each averaging around the $25-$30 price range.

...kytnism...

 

[CHiLD-0F-THE-BEAT]

^ If you have a smartphone, there are applications for each Lonely Planet guide that will take up far less physical space in your backpack.

I would definitely recommend taking a smartphone with you, not to use for phone functionality but more for access to free wifi around the place.

I've travelled with one several times, and it certainly beats having to pay for a one hour block of Internet time at a seedy Internet cafe when you just want to book a bus, room or flight.

Also there are some excellent translation applications where you can type or say a word or sentence in one language and it will translate it into your own language. I imagine this would be very useful!

You can also use currency applications to work out the monetary differences, and endure you're not being ripped off.

If you do bring electronics, ensure you have a lock on your backpack and appropriate power adapters for each country you're going to.

 

[motiv311]

I've backpacked the northwest ... all over the USA .. and bolivia... I'd go with yall and show ya the ropes... learn to love washing dishes in old dining shacks lol.. best advice I can give. and prepare to be cold and hungry but its all worth it.

 

[batmanplaybaseball]

Check out couchsurfing.org. It's a network of cool people in every area of the world who are willing to let you stay at their place for free. This is a great alternative to hostels because you actually get to meet and hang out with someone familiar with the city. They can show you the best places to eat, drink, see...its just a great way to travel. I highly recommend you do it at least a couple of times...

 

[nekointheclouds]

Reading all of this is really making me want to plan another back packing trip.

Carry on...

 

[CHiLD-0F-THE-BEAT]

Check out couchsurfing.org.

I have several friends who've had successful experiences using this site while traveling. I would recommend it based on their experiences, for sure.

 

[chrissie]

Pack as light as possible. I went 2 months (june/july from the heat of spain to cold rain in poland) with a bag small/light enough for strict budget airline carry-on restrictions (most will charge around €40 for a checked bag).

All you need is 2 sets of underwear and socks. Wash the set you wore while in the shower and hang to dry while you wear the other set. I brought 3 and got quick-drying undies and one of the sock sets was smartwool. I highly recommend smartwool socks and under layers if you can afford it!

I had a long post somewhere in this forum but I think it got pruned I'll try to come back later with pictures of my pack and what I brought.

Check out onebag.com for lots of tips.

Oh and don't worry yourself too much about planning. Trains/busses can almost always be booked a few hrs before and many hostels can be booked with a days notice (depending on height of the travel season and popularity of the city)

You're going to have an amazing time!

 

[chrissie]

Also-

Make sure the hostel you're booking has lockers in the room and bring a lock. I had two... A padlock for the locker and another combination lock with retractable cable to lock my bag (or at least daypack) to my seat so I could sleep on buses/trains and not worry too much. I traveled alone mostly and had a laptop and camera to protect.

Oh and check hostel reviews before you book. There are tons of recent reviews online so you can see if a place has
bedbugs! I used hostelworld and hostelbookers mostly. Check multiple sites for the best rates (and keep in mind any fees)

 

[getyourselfhigh200]

Learn to love hostelworld.com and tripadvisor.com for checking places to stay.

It might be better in europe but I had no luck with using the couch surfing site while travelling in the US. Everyone I contacted either didn't even respond or had some kind of excuse, some people where even rude in their responses and seemed like complete douchebags! Its not like I was a like a total noob when it came to the site as well because my sharehouse hosted quite a few couch surferes in Australia.

 

[brimz]

Check out couchsurfing.org. It's a network of cool people in every area of the world who are willing to let you stay at their place for free. This is a great alternative to hostels because you actually get to meet and hang out with someone familiar with the city. They can show you the best places to eat, drink, see...its just a great way to travel. I highly recommend you do it at least a couple of times...

yeah Couchsurfing is an excellent way of meeting people and finding a free place to crash , highly recommend you at least have a look .
It's free so you've nothing to loose.

 

[Busty St Clare]

Take a visa or MasterCard (an Amex if you want but it's not as widely accepted). Make it a debit card if you want to avoid interest and too many fees. You will need one to book hotels, deposit on hire cars etc.

The banks here (and Amex) offer travel visa cards that you load with a specific currency at a set rate before you leave. You effectively have a card loaded with euros that will not change, unlike your own card account that will change with the daily exchange rate. Don't forget that euros are only accepted in some countries within the EU, you'll need another for pounds when you arrive in Britain.

 

[batmanplaybaseball]

Learn to love hostelworld.com and tripadvisor.com for checking places to stay.

It might be better in europe but I had no luck with using the couch surfing site while travelling in the US. Everyone I contacted either didn't even respond or had some kind of excuse, some people where even rude in their responses and seemed like complete douchebags! Its not like I was a like a total noob when it came to the site as well because my sharehouse hosted quite a few couch surferes in Australia.

Huh. Well I can't speak for surfing in the usa, but as far as Central America and Europe are concerned I have had only positive experiences. Couchsurfing works like any website, you start out as a stranger and you gradually build a reputation through positive experiences. People might be more reluctant to host you when you are first starting out, but someone certainly will be willing. Also, I'm sure anybody looking for a place to stay would much rather it be someone who already has positive reports. All of the hosts that I met were really into the system, meaning they really liked meeting travelers from around the world and hearing their stories as much as I enjoyed meeting them and learning about their home city.

 

[Care]

Yosemite falls hike

NSFW:

 

[Perpetual Indulgence]

Secrets Silversands Maya Riviera, Mexico

The room was gorgeous. Video on facebook. I did not bring a camera to the spa...so tranquil and beautiful.
If you are looking to swim in the ocean this is not the place for you Rocky. I knew that when I booked.
I would suggest Secrets Maroma Beach for that at $800-1000 USD more.

 

[AmorRoark]

That is SUCH a badass lobby.

 

[Perpetual Indulgence]

that is one of the bars I was standing in the lobby one morning taking it
one night they had Pink Floyd in concert on the wall and the ambient house that flowed thru all speakers on the grounds kept me groovin

this is part of the lobby