Introduction Thread & "Travel Style"
Since this forum is mostly a question and answer format, we don't actually end up knowing that much about the "regulars" we're all interacting with. There's also a lot of assumptions about the demographics here which may or may not be correct. Why shouldn't we get to know each other a little more? Maybe it will be harder to get so irritated with each other if we know a little bit more about the person behind the screen.
Tell the forum a little bit about who you are, how and why you travel, and what's important to you when you travel.
Sarah
Stuttgart, Germany 10/30/12
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okay, ill bite.
50 something husband and wife team. I started with Greece, Italy and Egypt in the 80's and the got buried in life until 2000 when my wife and i returned to Italy
over the years we've been to all the standards like London, Paris, Rome, etc. Some multiple times. Then we spread out to the Czech Rep, Austria, and finally Budapest where we fell in love with the city. After several trips back we purchased a small apartment in Budapest near the Opera. Using Budapest as a base we have seen Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Israel and even Moscow one cold winter.
A few years ago to help pay the bills we started renting the apt to tourists when we weren't there, Turned out that it paid more than just the bills so this year we bought a second place which is currently being renovated. I got stuck with a 700 sf cold war bomb shelter as part of the deal. Anyone interested?
Okay, so i am biased but if you read my responses i don't show favorites i try to help people find what they will enjoy in any location i know anything first hand about.
We tend to travel at the high end of the middle of the road and usually plan one somewhat extravagant day or night each week while on the road. it might be the Bolshoi or a few nights in a 5star hotel in the mountains but then we quickly come back to reality. i can save $25 if i were to use public transport from the airport in Budapest but I will take a cab instead to save an hour and s lot of hassle. Time is very valuable when traveling. while i carry emergency cash we travel on Debit and Credit Cords as that's the best Hassle Free Exchange rate.
When I first read the post, all I could think of was match.com or whatever that dating site is called. Then as I read the poster, I found how diverse a population of posters are on the site. I am finally retired with two children and four grandchildren. My first career was as an elementary school teacher. That was back in the day when parochial schools had many, many children in a class. Stuck with it as I loved it. Left to raise family and had many very part time jobs, you name it, I did it. In my mid-thirties, went back to school to become a registered nurse. I always had a travel bug and was finally able to afford first trip to Europe in 1992 as I found a FANTASTIC deal of $274.00 round trip air fare from PA to Paris. Never had heard of Rick Steves at that time so I did all planning myself. First trip, seven days, one thousand miles in a car with two teenagers who were missing girlfriends as it was over Valentine's Day. I didn't know what packing light was so I packed seven woolen sweaters, seven pair matching turtlenecks and pairs of jeans and also rented a car and drove in Paris and then over alps in snowstorm to take kids skiing, it wasn't snowing too much when we left Munich at five pm in February. Many, many trips later as have been to maybe forty countries, some several times, go with a back pack or weekend bag. I love to travel for the history, read a book about a country and I am so there. I am now blessed as can fly free, stand-by and off season but will keep on as long as I can. Hostels, B&B'S,picnics, etc as I do like to be every economical. Thanks Sarah for your idea.
What a great idea, Sarah. I'm a midwesterner who now lives in NYC having moved here to the big city in my 50's. I grew up with an English grandmother in the house and so always wanted to go to the UK. I ended up, however, going to Germany for six months when I was in college. We got to travel widely, but the highlights were a trip to Berlin, Greece/Italy and then Paris. I was a textbook rep and back in those good old days & we got the summer off, so I took my bonus money and went to the UK for a month and two years later went to Greece for a month. Both trips were awesome, but I was spoiled and it took me a long, long time to realize that I didn't have to have a whole month to enjoy a trip to Europe. I did do a heck of a lot of US travel in-between.
Since then I rediscovered travel to Europe, I've been back nearly every year. Scotland is my favorite place. Not only was my grandfather from Orkney, I now have friends there. But, I do like to bust out of the Scotland rut now and then.
What I like best about travel is getting to know the country today and to understand the history. I love reading novels based in the places I'm visiting and I have to follow the story on a map. I enjoy learning more about the music of different countries and like to get the music on my iPad. I mostly travel alone, but also meet up with friends, or take a tour or two as well. I will have my DSLR with me and occasionally my tripod.
My next trip is to the Shetlands. I work for a British firm and so may combo it with a work trip. Someday, I'm going to go to Spain with my niece and nephew since they speak fluent Spanish. They are only 8 and 11 and so I have time.
Pam
Great thread. I've been following the helpline for about two years now and have gained a tremendous amount of knowledge for our 2011 trip and upcoming 2013 trip from both the regulars and others such as myself.
My husband and I are both 54 and love to travel. I grew up in Minnesota and did the three week camping vacation in the station wagon every summer with my 4 brothers. After finishing college, I had to move to Colorado (one too many ski trips) where I met my husband. Then after 20 years in Colorado, we decided to move to northern California, (after many weekends/vacations to Wine country) where we've lived for 13 years. (See the trend?)
My first trip to Europe was in my early 20s for a three week group bus tour. Great seeing Europe, but swore I'd never, ever, do a tour again. The next trip to Europe (my husband's first) was in 2004 to Portugal, then 2007 to Dublin/London, 2011 to Germany/Italy (our first 2 week vacation as working adults), and next April to Italy. We've also love our tropical vacations over the years; Jamaica, Barbados, Belize, Hawaii, Mexico, and most recently, Costa Rica.
Now that we have more discretionary income, we are able afford longer vacations further away. We will almost always spend more to save time. We've had great luck following RS 3 Star hotel recommendations and always choose the boutique hotels with ambiance and charactor as well as views, balconies, or terraces. For us, good food and wine are an important part of any vacation. Researching, planning, and looking forward to vacations is either an obsession or a hobby for me....but at least I'm not alone.
I'm Jo of course, from Col. Ohio, 57 and have lived in Frankfurt for 26 years. Came over with my Army Reserve Unit in '86 and thought it would be a grand idea to move here. Living in Frankfurt allows me to go on lots of short, 1 day, or 3-4 day weekend trips, as the city is so central in Europe.
Travel is by train usually and I enjoy finding bargains and the best schedule, preferring Regional trains with a scenic route, but also like the ICE trains. Am one of the few who will use Ryan Air with no complaints. It has gotten me to Edinburgh and Rome on the cheap. Hotels are what ever is low priced, but decent. Could care less about ambience in the hotel, as am surrounded by ambience in Frankfurt on a daily basis. Trip Advisor is my main source to read up-to-date reviews for hotels, tours and attractions.
I enjoy walking tours the most, hate bus and ho-ho tours, like open air museums, adore old churches, preferring Romanesque or Carolingen to Baroque. Things that are unusual, like cemeteries, museums with out of the ordinary themes, and unique festivals attract me. Love to eat and will seek out hole-in the wall places with cheap, authentic food before eating grocery store stuff. Traditional food is part of the experience of travel to me. Archeology is my secret passion, but really, anything historic I can delve into and research. From Celts, to Romans, to the Jewish history in Europe, to the wars that were fought here.
One of my favorite things to do is just talk with people, store clerks, front desk people, folks on a train, etc.
Have been to Edinburgh, London, Brussels, Bruge, Oostende, Antwerp, Berlin x3, Garmisch, Salzberg, Munich, Bayeux, Paris, Amsterdam, Milan, Rome and many of the towns around FF dozens of times. Turkey, Greece and Morocco are the farthest I have gone.
I also enjoy meeting people from the Helpline, but also those from Trip Advisor and Fodors forums. Making new friends is fun.
Thanks for starting this thread , Sarah. Love hearing about other people's travels. In fact its one of the things I enjoy when meeting people in B&Bs etc..
I was born in Belgium and my family moved to the US when I was 10. My husband had never been on a European vacation (He had been stationed in Turkey during Vietnam era) and I always wanted him to see where I spent my early years. In 1997 we took a trip to Belgium and Netherlands. He fell in love with travel and Europe and have gone 3 weeks a year ever since.
We normally travel independently, leasing a car and staying mostly at B&Bs or small hotels. We have however taken 4 RS tours which include Turkey, Spain and Rome.
We have quite a collection of Rick's travel guide books.
Our favorite countries are France and Italy though we haven't been anywhere we wouldn't return. We find travel enriches our lives so much and are at a point in our lives when we look for experiences rather than things.
One main benefit of our travels is that we have passed the travel bug on to our grown sons and our grandchildren will hopefully follow suit.
I'm in my mid-60's (really? I feel like a kid!), and semi-retired (recovering lawyer). Since the mid-1990's I've been trying in a modest way to make up for lost time as to travel. Just wasn't interested when I was young. Not that I've seen a lot of the world yet. I keep hopping that BA nonstop flight from DEN to Heathrow - and never getting across the Channel!
London's my favorite place in the world; I can't explain it and I don't even try. I just try to get back for a visit often, and I'm overdue for the next one. I have toured Australia, NZ, Fiji, Peru, Thailand. When I retired in 2007, the GBP/Euro exchange rate was horrible vs. the dollar so I headed in other directions, to get the most bang for my travel buck.
Now I'm looking toward Europe, which is why I follow RS on TV, and attend the Denver group meetings. I'm fine as a solo traveler, also have booked tours as a 'single' and not been disappointed - have become lasting friends with some folks I met on those tours. My travel style is modest comfort, and I prefer not to be rushing about past the point of tiredness just to "see" a lot of things. You can really *see* a lot just by sitting down and looking at the people and places around you, even if you can't put names to all of it or recite the history of everything. I can see myself booking a RS tour, I hope sometime next year. And probably gaining the confidence from that to explore more of Europe on my own on the trips after that.
I've enjoyed meeting in real life, people I first "met" on TripAdvisor and this forum.
I'm over 40 (blah) and married - pretty much DINKs. I LOVE to travel and spent 9 months in France in college. While there I explored almost every corner of France and much of Europe. Then skip ahead almost 20 years... Three years ago I was given the opportunity to travel in Europe for several months. I covered most of Western Europe starting in the Baltics and moving south to Greece. My wife joined me three times and caught the European travel bug. Now we're planning another trip next year.
I'm very much a foodie and love to eat and taste regional foods that can inspire me to cook when I get home. I love art and architecture and history so mostly focus on seeing those types of things. I can still travel on the cheap, but more and more am able to splurge on nicer accommodations. I'm used to traveling on my own or just with my wife and wouldn't do a tour in Europe.
Its nice to see such an upbeat (well except one contributor) thread. Thanks, Sarah.
I'm Nigel, pushing 60 and married to my special wife for over half of that time.
I am not a snob, and I do plough my own furrow. Born in the US to a diplomatic family I have been a US/UK dual citizen all my life. My family went back and forth across the Atlantic every year or two so I have a few miles on trans-atlantic liners (mostly Cunard and US Lines - big and little boats) between NYC and Southampton under my belt.
My high school years were started in south London and completed on Long Island, NY, with University in Montreal. When I moved from New England to Texas I met and married my lovely Bride. As an adult I have lived on the left and right coast as well as several years in Texas.
About 15 years ago we moved back to the UK, prompted by a Rick Steves public TV pledge fest and a job which opened in the UK at the Canadian firm my wife was working for. We had the priviledge to meet Rick in Paris where we thanked him for the inspiration to relocate.
In the US I have visited all areas except the Northwest and the deep South.
In Europe I have never been to the island of Ireland, nor the Scottish Islands, nor the Isles of Man or Scilly or the Channel Islands. We go to Europe frequently but never have been to Iberia or further east than Austria. We have had one very rewarding trip to Israel.
I work on the UK railways so we prefer to avoid "busman's holidays". Sometimes we take the train but usually drive our own car. Favourite places we return to year after year are Switzerland, Italy, Germany, and all over BeNeLux, and France. I am astonished by how much we yet have to see.
We used to, when both working, stay at pretty nice places. Now, with horns pulled in, we usually stay less than 100€ a night.
And now we will all sing a rousing chorus of "I've Been Working on the Railroad" in honour of Nigel!
And Nigel, you should come and visit the Pacific Northwest sometime. But make it summer, as it is not very nice here right now.
I should add to my bio that I am a lawyer, my husband is a doctor, and we are new grandparents this year. One of my grandchildren has already been to Europe, at the age of 6 months. His parents took him in September, and apparently he charmed the socks off everyone they met. He did just fine on the flight over and back, so is now a seasoned traveler.
Thanks Sarah for the thread. I think it's interesting to get to know the ages and backround of the travelers on this forum.
I'm 67, single, retired and love to travel. I spent my first 60 years in Minnesota, then moved to Colorado for 6 years, recently moved to Corvallis Oregon. I traveled extensively in the US for years, visited all but 4 states. First trip to Europe was in '97 and have been going as often as possible since. Have cruised and traveled with group tours but prefer solo. I'm friendly with all types of transportation - boats (big and small), trains, planes, automobiles. One of my passions is lighthouses and I belong to the US Lighthouse Society. They offer tours geared to seeing the lighthouses of an area but also the normal tourist sites too. Have been to Sweden, Greece, Turkey, NZ, Puerto Rico, Ireland, Scotland with them and loved them all. But Europe is the big draw for me. This summer I spent 2 months in France on my own, one month driving (and training) around the country and one month in an apartment in Paris. Favorite places are Provence, Brittany, Paris but also enjoyed Alsace and really loved Annecy. This was a one-time "trip of a lifetime" for me. I have friends my age who have health and mobility issues and can't travel (except for cruises) so I decided I had to do it now in case I wouldn't be able to in the future. Took a bite out of my retirement fund but I would do it again in a minute. I'll never have to say "wish I had done that when I had the chance".
wow this is great to learn about all you "posters"!
I check out this site on my lunch break and have enjoyed vicariously your travels. When I was younger I spent too much time on a barstool dreaming "what if"... with no intention of ever leaving Seattle. Coming to, so to speak, gave me extra $, a different life and new courage to try living. My sister was studying at Cambridge and suggested I visit. With not a little fear, I took the plunge and using RS books we also spent a week in France. Since then I've made six trips to Europe, Italy and Greece stand out as more than memorable. RS Grand Daddy Tour (21 days) was fantastic, and this year, on my own, I took my mother to the Czech Republic and even drove a rental car! Definitely I'll return, maybe Northern Europe next year. Thank you all for the advice and travel "secrets" that you may not have known you gave.
I'll keep reading....
I just turned 56 (yikes), I have a 22 yo son who just graduated from UC Davis and I own a small business. I grew up in France (my Dad was in the Army). We first lived in a small village near Paris, then moved to International Housing nearby. We had lots of friends from all over the world. Unlike most other Americans living there, my parents immersed us in French culture, my sisters and I went to French schools and we shopped in town and at the weekly marche. We travelled all over Europe in the RS style (long before RS).
After moving back to the US we returned to visit and travel. When I was 18, I moved to Paris for a year on my own. After marrying, my (then) husband and I spent a month in Paris, then traveled for several more weeks in Europe.
My son was born with severe congenital heart disease and my dream, when he was well enough, was to one day take him to Paris. Finally, in 2001 we went. He also fell in love with Paris (a family gene I guess), and all of Europe really, and we've now been to Europe together 6 times. He's been once on his own with friends.
We do all the planning and research ourselves. We take one rolling RS bag each, and one RS daypack. All our trips have been anywhere from a month to 2 1/2 months. We can never get enough of Europe! For me, it's like being a kid at Disneyland... it's a treasure box of fun. I hate coming home.
I love different cultures, history, the people, parks, chateaux, gardens, grocery stores, museums, churches, the food, cities, towns and countryside. Love to walk, bike ride, hike, take public transportation and sit at outdoor cafes. I like both kinds of travel, slow and easy (renting an apt in Paris for a month) or faster...6 countries in 7 wks.
When I think back on all the memories of just the past 6 trips, I could write a book. Those memories and experiences have enriched my life beyond words...
Sarah, this is a nice idea. It is great to get to know others on the Helpline.
I am a 59 y/o mother of three adult children and the second of 5 other siblings; now living in the Seattle area working as a Legal Assistant (30yrs). Dad was in the Army which "afforded" us ample opportunity to travel as a group (and boy was it) over both coasts of the continental United States, part of Canada, Germany (2x) and Hawaii (1960s to 1996). I have two beautiful granddaughters who live close by, along with my two daughters – this is why I could not live abroad for any length of time. My son has stayed on the Island of Hawaii and we visit every 3-4 years. I lived on Oahu from 1971 to 1985 and the Big Island from 1985 to 1996, when I decided it was time to pack up the kids and seek out better schools and more worldly understanding for them.
I am not a person to travel "on the fly" so much. Like to plan and devise an itinerary that is comfortable, educational, active, and entertaining – and usually it is solo travel for me. Pack light, use a money belt (most of the time), stay in hostels if traveling alone or small centrally located hotels (75-100E tops), otherwise. I like to connect up with friends along the way and that is why planning is so important to me. Have taken one group tour (RS) and enjoyed it – but the pace was too fast. Fortunately, I combined the trip with solo travel before & after the RS tour (Italy: Tuscany, Umbria & Rome).
Places I have travelled in the last 20 years: Hawaii, Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, Italy and France. Plans for the future: skip a year to work on the floors, then Spain & Portugal. For the near future (maybe this Spring), I want to explore the Southeastern part of the U.S. & the Gulf coast.
Linda
I am 38, single & custodial parent to my nephews (almost 17 and just turned
10). I travel with them as well as my mother and sometimes my niece (8). I was born in the San Francisco bay area, raised in South Lake Tahoe and spent a number of years living in Northern Nevada and Las Vegas before moving to the Nashville, TN area. My love of travel started with romance novels mostly set in England. I dreamed of London!
As a child my family took only 1 vacation to Disneyland and Universal Studios when I was 12. My only other travel was to visit grandparents and the occasional night in Reno at Circus Circus. I eventually traveled a bit to various parts of the US but never thought I would have enough money to go to Europe. As someone else said I just woke up one day and decided that if I didn't commit then I never would get there. I finally saw London in 2007 (actually went twice that year) and also spent a few days in the Cotswolds on that trip.
I didn't get back to Europe until last summer when we were able to spend 2 weeks in France; Brittany and Paris for a week each. I returned to Paris just this past month for 6 nights thanks to a Travelzoo Top 20 lead on great airfare.
We are currently planning a 2 week trip for 2014 to celebrate my oldest's HS graduation and my 40th and grandma's 60th birthdays. We are planning Rome (his pick) and a return to Paris (girls choice).
I love to research almost as much as I love to explore the places we go. We all enjoy museums, architecture and food sampling!
As a photographer/artist my approach to travel is relatively spontaneous. I have structured my life so I am able to make plans at a moment's notice, and I often do. First trip to Europe 1998 and I have now been at least once a year, often two or three times, but I travel on a shoestring and give up most other things to be able to do this. I travel on instinct rather than itinerary. I love the train but it has one drawback and that is, it will not stop when I see an incredible image I want to photograph, so I have driven thousands of miles in Europe. Obviously, I love art, but you will not find me spending hours in galleries...about 2-3 hours is all I can handle...instead you will find me hanging out at locations that inspired artists...the countryside, a vineyard, the gardens or seashore. I enjoy history, but am definitely more into the visual beauty and ambiance. I plan only when I feel it is necessary. I appreciate people who plan all the details, but I like the surprises that I find. I probably spend more time worrying about what cameras and clothes I will take than on my itinerary (shallow, I know) I travel light and pack efficiently, but love fashion.
Travel alone, with friends, with granddkids...whoever. My main source of income has changed from environmental portrait photography to mostly selling wall decor images from my travels to Europe... thus it justifies my frequent travels. I try to travel with no regrets, and many times have missed sights of great historical signifigance due to my lack of planning, but I always have another experience that wasn't planned and for me, was better. Met Jo from Frankfurt last year and will see her again in Germany in a few weeks...its fun to hang out with people who have the same obsession for travel. Appreciate all the help I have received from people on this site.
Hi, I'm Larry and I'm 66 years old, a retired Baptist minister and trying to catch up on the things I put off for years. The last few years my wife(47 years next week) and I have made month-long trips to Europe, staying in hotels but I prefer B&Bs and Ireland. Our last trip ended on October 15th and included Venice, Verona, Florence and Munich. As to why I travel, my father, who died at 92, told me "if there's anyplace you want to go....do it while you can because there'll come a time when you can't". I'm trying to do it while I can.
I'm 57, female, and grew up in Michigan. In 8th grade, we were given the option of taking French, German, or Spanish and I chose French. In high school, I took a school sponsored spring break trip to Paris and loved everything about it – the croissants and pastries, the Jeu de Paume, traveling by train to Rouen, Chartres, just walking around and exploring. My hotel room had a glorious view of the Opera. Didn't go back until 2005 when a friend moved to Paris. I visited her for ten days and came home wanting more. I've been back to Paris six times since then, and have also been to Italy, England, Scotland, and Spain. I almost feel like a drug addict, wanting/needing my dose of Europe, and this site/helpline helps scratch the itch until I make my next trip. I can only travel for two weeks at a time, and hope to take longer, slower trips when I retire, especially to England, Scotland, Italy, and France.
My travel is about 50-50, RS tours and independent travel. I love RS tours, the guides are terrific and I can go off on my own and yet there's a fun group to tour and eat with too. I've kept in touch with friends made on the tours and we've traveled together since. My favorite classes in college were art history and I love visiting art museums and also love to visit gardens and parks, love people watching, food, architecture, scenery, walking, history, historic homes more than palaces. I like staying in smaller, family run hotels and having one good meal a day, with lighter meals in between. I also like to read about travel and to read about places I'm visiting. I have a stack of books on Italy to read for my Italy tour next year.
At first I didn't know if I was eligible to post; what's a "regular"? Over one hundred posts? Over 10,000,000? At least one?
We are retired and live in Oregon's beautiful Willamette Valley. Our travel appetite was whetted early as we lived in South America for 9 years right after marriage. After a travel hiatus for raising kids and getting into our respective careers, we encountered RS on PBS and he got us interested in Europe. We've traveled to Europe eight times now (from 4 weeks to 4 months), gone to Australia/NZ/Fiji, and also to Israel and Jordan. Three of the Europe trips have included an RS tour and on four other trips a volunteer stint with a Christian church-related organization (once in SW Germany, and 3 times teaching English in Lithuania) has formed the basis of the trip. Consequently we've hit almost all of the countries in Western and Central Europe and Scandinavia, Greece and Turkey. We've traveled in Mexico, the interior not the coasts, a couple of times, back to Brazil as a family of 10, and many of the countries in South America.
In Europe we travel mostly by train but also by rental car, and look for, in many instances, the RS recommended centrally located hotels. We like everythingmuseums, art, WW I & II sites, archeology, nature's beauty, and more. We're not foodies, but we really like to eat.
I enjoy the Helpline because I've learned so much here that has been beneficial in our travels in spite of some of the stuff that goes on here. From time to time I contribute, and hope that what I have to say is worthwhile.
Great idea, Sarah. Maybe Webmaster Andrew can put up a "Profile and Travel Style" page?
I love to travel solo, have never taken a tour but I certainly appreciate the appeal, especially the RS tours - I've run into several groups on their own with an RS tour and they are the happiest bunch of people. I guess grumps really aren't allowed.
I have summers available for traveling (I teach at a small private college) so I try to turn money into time, which means a daily budget of about 100-120 euro. I take one rolling carryon and one messenger bag. Toward the end of the trip, I start throwing away clothes (once I came back with no packed clothing at all, which confused the customs agent).
The last couple of years I've met up with lifelong friends who now live in Switzerland for a couple of weeks' travel together (we rent a car, otherwise I travel by train/bus/boat). It's a nice break from solo travel.
I can't seem to get out of Italy, but I'm trying (the Gothic cathedrals in France are making me feel guilty for teaching about them when I haven't been there). I plan to visit Berlin, France, Belgium and The Netherlands this year. That's in addition to Italy.
Like many posters, I love to go back to my favorite places and I love to add new places - which makes for longer trips! I've been to London and Paris briefly, with multiple trips to Switzerland, Greece and Turkey.
Hello Folks,
Sarah, once again a great post!
My real first name is Kosmo, no wait, that's Seinfeld. My real first name is Craig. Born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1957. Came to the states when I was 5 years old, when my dad and his brother, got jobs at Bethlehem Steel in Pinole. Grew up in San Francisco, Napa, then South Lake Tahoe, CA. Graduated from Cal-Poly SLO, with a linguistics degree. I haved worked almost my entire life in construction, for B and R, working on projects all over the world, but never in Europe. Usually horrible places. Mostly passed through the airports in Europe.
I met my wife, Cindy, when I was building a hotel in Las Vegas, and she was dealing blackjack at the Flamingo Hilton. Played on her table for about a month on her graveyard shift, until she finally agreed to go out to dinner. The rest is history. We have traveled Europe extensively since 1997, sometimes two trips a year.
Recently, I applied and got an opportunity to work for a major German company in the U.S. We were sent to the Stuttgart area for training. After completion of my training, I was asked to take a position here which will keep us in Germany. Now waiting on our permanent work permits.
After seeing Sarah's post, about a good European home base, we rented a tiny apt in Köln until February, when my position will open up. Sarah gave us great advice to use Köln as a home hub. Love it in Köln! Cheap airfare, and we are minutes from the train station and airport.
Love to travel. When we get in a jam while traveling, we always say to each other, "W.W.R.S.D?"
Our vow is, we will travel until we run out of money, then we will travel on foot from there.
Hello Sarah. I liked reading the replies here. Traveling to Europe is what I like to do. I will travel to London this month (November). I was at a total of seven countries at the Europe continent, plus England and Scotland. A total of seven vacation trips from the United States of America to Europe and/or Britain. Each trip was to one or two countries, except my trip to Scandinavia which was to three countries. In each trip, I was over there a total of 10 to 14 days, except a trip to London : I was there less than 10 days; and I was at Greece 17 days. I will not be able to go to all of the places at Europe or Britain that I think I would like to be at. In deciding which places I will not go to, I decided to not go in a building that I saw in a "Virtual Video". About four years ago, on my computer's screen, from an internet website I saw a "Virtual Video" of the interior of a big room in a pleasure palace (chateau) in France, built in the 1600s or early 1700s. Moving my computer's mouse, I looked every direction in that room. It was as though I were standing on the floor in that room, turning my head to the right, and to the left, and I looked up at the ceiling, and I looked down at the wood floor. I could do that at any location on the floor in that room. I liked seeing that. I decided : "I do not need to go in that palace (chateau), because I saw it". But, to experience the environment and atmosphere at the island Naxos of Greece (Naxos is the biggest island in the Cycladic islands group at the Aegean Sea) a person must actually be at the island Naxos. (I was there, in the year 2005). I did not spend much money in any one trip to Europe. I travelled in trains in Europe. My age is 60. My flights to Europe or Britain are day time flights (of airlines) across the Atlantic Ocean from Chicago O'Hare airport, departing there in the morning.
Hello, I'm Tom and I'm a Euroholic.
Prefer hiking, skiing, cycling, rural areas, mountains and lakes to cities, museums and festivals, but will take them in small doses. Can't tolerate hot weather, so I've mostly avoided southern Europe. Spend the most time in Germany (obviously), Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria and Switzerland, going to Scandinavia more and more often over the past two years. Also spent a lot of time in the Balkans for work, but that was over a decade ago. Pick lodgings based on convenience, comfort and services, couldn't care less about having a "cultural experience" while I try to sleep, shower and eat my breakfast.
I travel because I must.
Apparently at age 36, it seems that I'm one of the younger regular posters here.
I love this thread.
I'm a 60'ish single woman. First trip to Europe in Oct 2001, on a Rick Steves
Paris tour. Wanted to go to Europe all my life, but Ricks informative TV shows, his enthusiasm and travel philosophy made me take the plunge and come here. I've returned almost yearly since then (both with family and friends and traveling solo, which I enjoy also). I like 3 star hotels and renting nice apartments (when I can get others to share the cost with me). I like a reasonable level of comfort. I take the metro and public transportation most of the time, and walk a lot! I have friends who are into cruises, but I haven't done one yet. I like to live like a local.
I retired last December, from my job as a software test engineer, working for city of San Francisco, in the IT dept. at SFO airport. I decided to spend a year living in France. I have rented nice apartments in Fontainebleau and Paris. I like it here. I live by myself, but have had a steady stream of visitors. Will return to California next year but plan to continue traveling, but probably will spend 2-3 months abroad instead of a year but this may change. I'm at the stage of life now where I do what I want!
Paris my favorite city, Venice a close second. I also love Cortona, Florence and Rome, Italy. Been to London a few times, and 2 years ago went to Ireland which I liked a lot. Last week I went to Nice and Monaco my first time in South of France.
I want to keep traveling as long as I can. So much more I want to see. I love organizing trips for myself and friends, deciding where to go, booking hotels, finding nice apartments, etc. I take a lot of photos and share them with friends, and have quite a few fans of my photography.
My interests are architecture, history, art, culture, music, food, fashion, shopping. I generally enjoy cities more than countryside, though I really loved the Irish countryside and Tuscany.
"I'm a Euroholic" and "I travel because I must".
I hear ya Tom, welcome to the meeting (ha ha). You're lucky to be able to travel like this at your age, enjoy it!
I'm 53, wife of nearly 29 years (March), four kids. I've traveled on duty with the Air Force (served 6 1/2 years active duty) and with the Air National Guard (part time, just coming up on 20 years total) as well as for business outside the military - but I normally just plan long, budget conscious, trips to places I haven't been.
My ideal lodging is cheap, clean, and quiet. I'll stay in a hostel dorm or a nice hotel - but always with an eye toward value and quality of sleep. A bath down the hall is not a problem. My use for a room is a safe place to sleep. Outside of sleep hours, I'm usually outside of my room.
My meals are cheap, most often purchased at a grocery store or a corner fast food kiosk. My only commitment is not eating what I could eat at home - which left me in Dublin once eating a McVegie, because the McDonald's was the only place open.
I like to see major sights but mix them in with many smaller towns and less visited sights.
I'm becoming more likely to rent or lease a car now. I make multiple stops most days - which becomes nearly impossible waiting for public transportation connections. Travel time is valuable, so I try not to waste it.
My itineraries are heavily planned but loosely followed. I like to know every option available along our route so when we make a choice, we also know what we are skipping.
Brad, I like the way you put that, "planned but loosely followed". As mentioned, I also plan my itinerary by researching a ton before the trip so that I know all my options to change the days' planned activity if a hitch comes up.
Hi! I'm a newly 60-year-old. I grew up in Iowa without much opportunity to travel beyond my small rural town. My first trip to Europe was in 1988 and I haven't stopped traveling since. Two years ago I started the Atlanta Rick Steves' Travel Group and have made wonderful friendships sharing adventures and inspiring each other to travel to new places.
I retired from community college administration nearly 6 years ago. My current passion is art history and I'm a volunteer docent at a local ancient art museum. Travel enhances my learning of art and history!
My husband is my favorite travel companion and he's also retired. We have no children but have taken six nieces/nephews on trips to Europe. We're frugal at home and on the road. We travel to Europe typically 3 weeks at a time usually twice a year - spring and fall - mixing less traveled spots with our favorites - France and Italy. Most recently, we explored the Puglia region of Italy. Thailand and Argentina are other destinations we like very much so we want to explore more of Southeast Asia and South America.
When we travel we focus on museums, food, and local culture - we don't typically like to stay in any one place too long spending 2-4 nights in each spot before we move on. One day, I hope to be as spontaneous about travel as Ed from Pensacola but for now, I'm a pretty detailed planner.
I'm a bit long in the tooth, but spent a month pedaling around Tajikistan the summer before this one that just passed. I retired from soldiering years ago. I've mucked about in flying machines just about half the time they've been around. I speak a few languages. I have no couth since I come from a long line of undifferientated hog thieves. When I grow up, I intend to go to finishing school and get some tact.
I wander. I goof off. I don't care where I go. Reservations and planning suck. Already knowing what's in the world doesn't. It takes me ten minutes to pack and thirty more to get to the airport. I can leave fast. I'll travel alone or with anybody with a lick of sense. I won't suffer laggards or dolts.
I have no style. I came home a few days ago from two weeks in £15 per night mixed dorm rooms in hostels. Starting tomorrow night, I've got two weeks in a suite at the Langham in London for quite a bit more (praise Allah the reservation-maker doesn't know about the Dorchester).
It's been really interesting to learn about all of the regulars. It explains a bit of how each of you approach traveling and why you recommend what you recommend.
I'm not exactly a regular poster but do read a lot and will chime in when I think I have something different to say or specific experience that might be helpful.
I'm *only* 30 and have a job that moves me around internationally every few years, with occasional stints at the mothership in the USA. Though I'm only 30, I've lived in seven countries and seven U.S. states. I've traveled to 28 countries and most of my travels have been for work, study, to visit friends and family, and side trips off of those other trips. So, my traveling style is usually more of a home base with friends or family or a hotel for work, and then day or weekend trips around that. I did a couple of big tours while studying abroad, but haven't done that in over 10 years. I usually stay with friends or family, in hostels, in decent hotels for work, and sometimes decent hotels on my own since the work hotels earn me a lot of hotel points.
I've studied abroad three times, twice for a year, and once for a semester, and still work with exchange students, so I know a lot about that type of experience. I've also managed multiple international moves, so I've also got some insight on traveling when you're moving and getting a household set up internationally.
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