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 – 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...]
Europe – The Locals
I think that whatever country you are traveling in you will meet the bad apples as well as the good oranges. On my first journey through Europe I met some very helpful people who went out of their way to give me advice, show me certain areas, or give me help. Then I met some overly stressed people who all they had to say was "stick it between your teeth". I could definitely tell a general difference in personality between different cultures … [Read more...]
Europe – Thieves
I put myself in a certain "stay away from people" - "trust absolutely no one" zone when I was in train stations or crowded areas. I would keep a good distance from other people and not let anyone get very close to me. My awareness of what was going on around me was extremely heightened to the point of paranoia when I had my backpack with me. If I stopped in a crowded area to look at a map or for some other reason I would always try to make sure … [Read more...]
Europe – Money
The Euro was introduced on January 1, 2002. 14 billion Euro banknotes and 55 billion coins were initially introduced to more than 300 million people in 12 countries of the European Union. 12 countries who initially converted were: Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands Spain and Portugal, & Monaco. For a list of the Euro conversion rates (for the participating countries old … [Read more...]
Europe – More Info
This is information that was not able to find a home in any of the other categories in this article. Bathrooms Drinking Fountains Travel Books ID Cards Internet Access Student Organizations Links Airlines Transportation Budget General Tours Bathrooms Just about all the public bathrooms in Europe have an access charge. Usually this runs from several cents to several dollars depending on the country … [Read more...]
Hopland, CA – Wine Tasting
Tiny Hopland contains a number of tasting rooms which deliver down to earth experiences for visitors - focusing on wines from Mendocino County. Although there are many wineries in Mendocino County including a number of tasting rooms in Hopland, this area does not have the recognition that perhaps Napa and Sonoma County have obtained over the decades. For the consumer, that is not a bad thing. Mendocino County is producing some stellar wines (the … [Read more...]
Monterey, CA – Monterey Restaurants
Monterey has a great selection of restaurants. This city is known for excellent seafood and this is easy to see, considering Monterey is situated on the coast. If these restaurants have been rated we will be sure to include a rating. The prices listed below are for dinner only. Most of the good restaurants in the town of Monterey are located at Fisherman's Wharf or along certain sections of Cannery Row or in the downtown area. Prices … [Read more...]
Monterey, CA – Carmel Restaurants
Carmel has a great selection of restaurants, many known for their excellent European influenced cuisine. The one type of restaurant you will not find in town are fast food chain restaurants. Note that Carmel does not use street numbers for addresses - so when giving someone directions to a restaurant you have to include the nearest cross streets and or any other signifying landmarks. Some restaurants offer sunset specials - the meals are … [Read more...]