Rick Steves is the authoritative resource for travel in Europe and beyond. Rick's keen sense of humor will lighten and enlighten any of your European travels. The guides for his European tours are hand picked and many are personal friends of Rick. His rare insight and travel experience will lead you to what he terms the "backdoors" of Europe. He maintains a hectic travel schedule as well as making appearances on TV and National Public Radio. He … [Read more...]
Paros, Greece – Phones
Excellent cell and data coverage exists throughout the island. We recommend using a phone that has a local SIM card installed with a pre-paid Internet and calling plan. This is the cheapest way to stay online - rather then using roaming data. Sim cards are sold at local convenience stores - or at the airport in Athens. Greek phones are operated by Organismos Tilepikoinonion Ellados. If you follow some simple steps when using a Greek telephone … [Read more...]
Paros, Greece – Restaurants
Greek food when prepared authentically is some of my favorite food. Greek salads are towards the top of my culinary list. These usually consist of olives, lettuce, cucumbers, red onions, fresh tomatoes and a touch of dried oregano. I never had any problems with food sickness on Paros and I ate at many different restaurants. There is nothing quite like eating authentic Greek food along the waterfront of Parikia watching the sun go down on a … [Read more...]
Chamonix, France
Chamonix sits almost in the shadow of western Europe's tallest mountain, Mount Blanc at 15,780 feet in the far southeastern part of France. The town is nestled in the middle of a narrow valley surrounded on both sides by the towering peaks of the Alps. Chamonix is located at about only 3400 feet but it has the feel of being much higher because of the large mountains, glaciers, and snow fields that surround it. The Chamonix Valley stretches … [Read more...]
Chamonix, France – Calling
SIM Cards Prior to sim cards, phone cards were what locals and travelers purchased to make phone calls both in and outside of the country. These days sim cards can be purchased at any "tabacs" store, or most supermarches (super markets). The "tabac" is a store that sells a variety of things such as newspapers, cigarettes, books, gum, and phone cards. They are a very common store in towns. Old French phone cards are now collectibles. Many … [Read more...]
Europe
This article differs from a number of other travel articles on Dave's Travel Corner in that it is not written about a specific place, location, or destination. It is written from personal experience based upon numerous trips to Europe and is intended to give the independent traveler to Europe additional information about a diversity of activities or experiences across the continent. The initial countries we visited before writing this article … [Read more...]
Europe- What to Pack
The independent traveler will want to pack as light as possible, especially if planning on taking trains or boats. When I travel to Europe, I take trains or budget airlines everywhere; for the nimble traveler there are certain advantages to packing light. It is easier to keep an eye on your gear and it is easy to fit into the sometimes small luggage compartments. Key words to packing for Europe are: light, light, and light. I fit all my gear into … [Read more...]
Europe – Phones
SIM Cards Roaming charges on cell phones abroad can be exorbitant if using a home network. One may find a very high cell phone bill after a trip - even just for sending and receiving SMS text messages. Even if you visit a website for just a brief period your provider often charges you the maximum megabyte usage which can be very pricey. Be sure to disable "data roaming" on your phone. The way to avoid these roaming charges is to unlock your … [Read more...]
Europe – Lodging, Hotels
For not having reservations pre-booked while traveling in Europe in mid summer, I had no issues booking hotels or hostels at the last minute. Before I arrived in Europe I made a list of hotels & hostels in every city I planned to stay the night in. Then I would then book various hotels while on the train or from downtime hanging around train stations or airports. Often times I would just show up in a city and find budget accommodation. Finding … [Read more...]
Europe – Restaurants
I ate at restaurants which ranged from luxurious to basic, to eating food from the street vendors. As with prices for other items and services, the prices of food at restaurants generally becomes more expensive moving from the south to the north. The exception to this was food in eastern Europe, which was a bit cheaper than the rest of Europe. Most restaurants charge for every little item. The only thing I don't think I was charged for was for … [Read more...]