We flew out March 25 from our hometown, then it was on to Chicago for a layover. A seven hour layover. A seven hour layover in O’Hare, which turned out to be almost nine hours as our flight there arrived early and the flight to Dublin was delayed. Yeah. I honestly hate O’Hare. Every time I’ve flown out of the international section I’ve hated it. It’s dirty, smells odd, and has no facilities whatsoever. There are some bathrooms and maybe one or two odd hallway snack kiosks selling liquor, candy bars, and magazines, all at outrageous prices. So we walked those grungy hallways for an eternity.
Once we finally got on the Aer Lingus flight to Dublin, everything started looking up. There was a decent dinner, and it was a new, clean plane with a noticeable absence of crying babies. In fact, there were so many empty seats I was able to spread out a bit and get some sleep. Since it’s impossible for me to sleep on airplanes, I felt like this was a huge improvement. And there was a built-in screen and entertainment system thing in every seat–and a bit of legroom! Yeah, I was shocked too.

So we land in Dublin, tired, hungry, and a bit lost, but it’s a gorgeous morning. The fog is just lifting, revealing this glowingly green landscape. We make it through Customs and Immigration, find my luggage, and even manage to pick up a cheap phone with SIM card so we can call around.

I call Paddy’s Palace because not only do they have cheap beds in Dublin, they have backpacker’s tours (which we plan on taking) AND a free shuttle from the airport.

Shuttle was super nice, but when we got to Paddy’s Palace the same girl that had blithely assured me they had spare rooms on the phone was now quite certain there were none to be had. I signed up for their three-day Northern Ireland tour, leaving the next morning, and after lots of hunting we found a four-bed dorm in Jacob’s Inn for 32 euro a night per person. NOT the greatest deal out there, but there just so happened to be a Tina Turner concert in town that weekend and there was nothing else to be had. Damn you, Tina Turner, damn you.

I found out that a lot of hostels in Ireland enjoy using these absolutely retarded push-button shower control things, a lot like the ones you get on sinks in public restrooms where you press the handle down and after a minute it’ll rise back up and stop the water. I struggled my way through a sporadic shower to wash off fifteen some hours of airport/airplane grunge, possibly the grodiest kind out there, and was asleep by 8 pm (damn you, jet lag) to the sound of BBC2 and some strange, strange British cooking show that involved men in flamboyant yellow suits and matching accessories.

And that was my illustrious and surprisingly smooth arrival into Ireland. Did I mention that at two am, an older gentleman reeking of alcohol stumbled into the dorm room, swore softly, and spent the next fifteen minutes struggling gamely but unsuccessfully to reach his top bunk? The rest of the night, the room smelled like a bar, but once he stopped bouncing the springs, it was fairly quiet.

Adventure of the Three Day Northern Ireland Tour coming up next!

Cheers,
Senoritaburrito

We spent the entire weekend freaking out.  ”I can’t believe we actually bought tickets!” we kept saying to each other.  After all, less than a week ago I still thought I was going to Spain.  And now, we’re on our way to Ireland.  

The living room looks like a sporting goods store that’s been vandalized; gutless backpacks sprawl, straps scattered, over the couches and floor.  Rain pants, hiking boots, and cameras compete for space on the coffee table.  We were trying to find out what size backpack we would need.  We have two 5,000 cubic inch backpacks, and one 3500, and they’re either too big or too small.  

I’m a fan of packing as light as possible and taking the 3500 inch backpack, but my mom is convinced that we need to bring everything.  I’d take nothing but my laptop, clean socks, and rain gear, but she wants to bring everything from multiple towels, sleeping bags (despite the fact that we’re sleeping in hostels,) and four different types of pants–to hair dryers, purses, and small dogs (not really.)  

I can see her point on some things; I just think it gets excessive.  I’m going to make her pack up her backpack before she leaves and carry it around for a full day–she’ll decide she doesn’t need quite as much, I’m sure.  

We still have four months before we go, though, so there’s plenty of time to pack and decide what we’re taking.  And where we’re going once we get to Ireland.  At the moment, we have no plan at all.  

Wickford Way? Dingle Way?  Kerry Way?  Part of the Donegal Way?  How long should we stay in Dublin?  These are all questions that somehow, we must at least attempt to answer before we get on the plane, naive and clueless, on our way to Ireland.

SPRING BREAK.  All right, let me tell the whole story and not get ahead of myself here.  

For a long time, I was planning on going on a group tour to Spain over spring break 2009 for ten days.  The final payment is due next week, and I suddenly looked at the bill, looked at how (not) excited I really was about it, and decided to cancel Spain.  I will lose the $600 I’ve already paid for it, but at least I won’t be spending another $3400 on the trip that I really don’t want to go on.  

I’d like to go to Spain, don’t get me wrong.  BUT, my reasons for not going outweighed my reasons for going and therefore, based on my superior mental acuity, I made a swift and powerful decision.

REASONS FOR GOING TO SPAIN:

• I’ve already paid $600 unrefundable dollars for Spain
• I’ve been expecting to go for almost three years
• it’s a sure thing.  All I have to do is send in my check and show up at the airport w/ a passport and spending money.  

REASONS FOR NOT GOING TO SPAIN

• It’s going to cost $4000.  I’ve known how much it was going to cost from the beginning, and I don’t mind that, but I can do a LOT more with $4000 than go to Spain with a bunch of kids for a week and a half.  
• I don’t want to be constrained to a tour and a group and a guide, etc.  I want to be able to make my own decisions.
• The tour company added a ton of extra costs on at the last minute, and they’re going to add more before I leave.  
• I’m just not as interested in Spain as in other European countries…like IRELAND.
• This is going to be the last summer before I go off to college and am dirt poor for indefinite number of years.  I want to spend my hard-earned money on something I really want to do.  

As you can see, one list is a bit longer than the other one.  Therefore, Ireland it is. 

SO, I bought my tickets about two hours ago.  I’m going hiking for two weeks along the coast of Ireland over spring break 2009 with my mother.  We have no plans as of yet, only ticket dates.

 I will be blogging the entire adventure.  We are going to stay as unplanned and spontaneous, sleeping in hostels and B&Bs, and I’m going to be taking the Macbook with me (it’s like my child.

I will be posting updates as they happen.  If you have any suggestions for us, let us know.  We don’t even know what area of Ireland we’re going to yet, only that we’re flying into and leaving in Dublin.  We want to see castles and Irish countryside, and possibly the Giant’s Causeway–and the Guinness Storehouse, in Dublin.  

Now that this blog has a sense of purpose again, you will all be getting bombarded with a constant stream of epic travel-ness!  Make sure you RSS my blog so that you can stay updated with the latest in my spontaneous travel adventure–HIKING IRELAND!

There is always the option to hitchhike of you’re really short on cash, really desperate, adventurous, or just crazy.  It’s possible.  People do it all the time.  If you do, for some insane reason, want to hitchhike, most of Europe is better than the United States.  

Now, for those of you who are determined to hitchhike, a few tips.  

Keep your backpack with you at all times.  Don’t let the driver put in in their trunk.  Even carry it with you when you stop at rest stations, etc.  

Carry your driver’s license.  Many drivers pick up a hitchhiker because they want someone to share the driving load with.  

Don’t try to pick up a ride in the middle of a city.  For one thing, your chances aren’t good.  It’s difficult for people to stop, and you never know where they’re going.  Try to get outside of town, at a rest station or some area where it is easy and safe for people to stop.  

Look neat and respectable.  You are much more likely to get a ride if you look clean and non-threatening.  This also helps improve other people’s impression of hitchhikers.  Avoid wearing sunglasses and face oncoming traffic.  Don’t wear a business suit, as people might think you’re a little creepy.  

Ask the driver where they’re going before you get in.  This way, you can make sure you won’t be going in the wrong direction, and it gives you a moment before you get in the car to scope out the scene.  If you get a bad vibe from the driver, or they have a bloody axe sitting next to them on the seat, turn them down. A new ride will be along shortly.  

Hitchhiking community websites include: Hitchhikers.org and digihitch.com.  

Ride Sharing 

As an alternative to flat-out hitchhiking, try ride sharing.  This service pairs up drivers with riders.  You sometimes share the cost of fuel–it depends on the person and service. A few sites for this: eRideshare.com, Ridester, CarpoolWorld; there are others–try Googling “ride sharing” and “europe.”  Generally safer and more reliable than hitchhiking–check it out.

Answer: It depends.  On a lot of things.  Your transportation costs are going to be a big one.  Plane tickets, train passes, and the associated taxes, fees, and extras are going to eat up a considerable portion of your budget.  

But it’s not impossible to travel cheaply.  That’s what the point of this is.  You don’t need to spend a lot of money to have a good time.  In fact, sometimes the budget trips–staying in a hostel, eating from grocery stores, and using every student discount you can get your hands on–is the most profound, fascinating trip experience.  

When planning your trip, you need to remember that there are more than just the actual trip cost.  A big chunk of change is going to be gone before you ever get to the airport.  

Pre-Trip Expenses

Passport: Unless you already have one, a passport is going to run $97 if you are a U.S. citizen, plus $10-20 for pictures. Be sure to get your passport at least three months before you plan to leave, as processing is taking up to ten weeks in some cases.  You can get it faster with expedited service for an extra $60.  

Travel Guides: varies. With the recent rise in book prices, you will probably spend at least $15 for one guidebook, and I recommend having more than one.  Estimate $15-70 for your guidebooks.  

Backpack: If you’re going to backpack, you need a good one.  Don’t spend more than $250.  Make sure it fits comfortably and is not too big.  You don’t need an enormous wilderness backpack–you’re not carrying all of your food, tents, etc.  If you are, then consider something a little bigger.  A decent backpack will probably run about $85-110.  

International Student Identification Card (ISIC): $20.  Provides discounts that are well worth the $20 it costs you.  

Airline Tickets: This is going to be a huge one, and getting larger every day.  It’s hard to average this one, because there are so many variables.  When you fly, where you fly, round trip v. one-way, airline, state of the economy, gas prices, and whether or not you found the best deal.  Generally, though, you can expect to shell out a big one for a round trip ticket–if you get a good deal.  I will not even venture to guess what airline prices will be in the future.  This is one that needs to be researched carefully.  

Train Pass: If you’re planning on traveling for any length of time and/or going a large distance, then you should definitely consider a train pass for $400-$800.  Again, this is trip specific, but you should expect to spend about this amount on travel even if you end up buying individual train tickets, bus passes, etc.  

Random Things: Allot about $30-$200 for other expenses like: good clothes, hiking shoes, first-aid kit, toiletries, rainjacket/poncho, socks, etc.  Also consider a sleeping bag, bed liner (buy one for $20 or make one by sewing a sheet together,) small bags, sewing kits, cooking utensils (pick up backpacking pots, pans, cups, silverware, for easily packable items.)  For entertainment on long trains or flights, consider an iPod or other MP3 player if you don’t have one already.  You can get an iPod shuffle for under a hundred dollars.  It hold plenty of music and if it gets lost, stolen, or broken, it’s not that big of a deal.  

TOTAL: $1300-$2500

Some of this expense can be either reduced or eliminated by cleverly asking for these things for your birthday, Christmas, graduation, etc.  If you already own a passport, make sure it isn’t going to expire within six months of your estimated return date.  You might already own some of the smaller things, and it’s possible to get better deals on plane tickets–at least at the moment.  

Don’t get discouraged if this seems like a lot.  There are ways to cut it down, and remember–this includes your transportation costs. 

Now for some ON THE ROAD COSTS

Food: Restaurant prices in Europe are ridiculous. Unless you have the money, buy your food at grocery stores or markets and eat at a park.  Try limiting yourself to two meals a day: breakfast, and a late lunch/dinner.  You can get by on about 10-20 euros a day this way.

Lodging: Hostels are going to cost a lot more in big cities like Paris and London and a lot less out in the country and in Eastern Europe.  Estimate 15-50 euros a night for lodging; the high end for big cities and the lower end for everywhere else.  

Incidentals: You’ll probably occasionally want to take a bus or subway, go to a museum or other place that charges admission, have a snack, or buy new supplies.  For this, depending on your spending habits, where you are, and what you’re buying, estimate 10-30 euros a day.  

In general, multiply the number of days you’re going to be there by 50-70 euros.  If you’re planning on being in Europe for two weeks, multiply 14×50=700.  Of course, this depends on what level of living you’re planning on having, where you are going, and what season.  The bust summer months are probably not the best idea of you’re looking for relative solitude and a good deal.  And everything’s a bit uncertain now with the fluctuating stock market and raising prices.  

Time to get down to business. Roll up your sleeves, because I have some delicious foods here for you to make at home….or, even better, get the real deal in Spain.

Spanish people eat a lot of ham. Do not ask me why this is so, but it is. Ham, and seafood on the coast. And their two main staple ingredients are olive oil and garlic. Mmm, I’m liking this already. Because of the mountains running through the country, which made communication difficult until the last half of the twentieth century, regional dishes can vary extremely widely. But there will be ham. Believe you me, there are even museos de jamon, or ham museums. Definitely check one of those out.

Beyond that, they eat seafood, legumes, cheese, etc. The standard stuff that you probably eat everyday. They like to make things into stew. Mmm, ham stew.

Here is one of my favorite recipes of all time. It takes a little bit of work to make until you figure it out, but then it becomes quite easy. This is a staple in many Spanish homes (or so I’ve been told–I haven’t been there.) And yes, it involves plenty of olive oil and garlic.

Spanish Tortilla

The ingredients don’t have to be precise here. Figure one egg and one potato per person and add garlic and onion accordingly, or just use the standard recipe until you figure out what you like.

London is a notoriously expensive city.  But you can have fun there without spending any money.  Here are some activities in London that cost zero pounds, dollars, euros, pesos, yen, soles, etc.

Museum of London: Free, but the lower galleries are closed until 2010 for renovation and improvements.

the Women’s Library The largest collection of women’s history in the U.K., according to the website.  Check it out!

Fulham Palace: this estate was owned by the Bishops of London for over 1300 years.

Walk Hampstead Heath.  Why not?

Fly a kite, go rollerblading, ride a bike, or go skateboarding in one of London’s parks.  There are also often free talks and guided walks in the royal parks, so be sure to check that out at the Royal Parks website.

Attend an auction at Christie’s.

View the Changing of the Guard.  How could you go to London and not see this?

This is just a short list to get you started.  There are hundreds of things in London that don’t cost anything, so keep that in mind as you plan your itinerary.  Some museums are free, as are libraries, art galleries, street performers, street markets, Westminster Abbey, Trafalgar Square, and, of course, just walking around (the South Bank, say.  You can download free walking tours at Walk This Way.)

Cheers,

Senoritaburrito

Wow…this is pretty dumb.  But I’m excited, so what’s not to love?  I’ve been incredibly busy the last week or two and haven’t had much time to write.  So I finally checked my stats today, and I definitely had over 1,000 hits!  I never thought more than a hundred people would see this.  But in only three months I’ve reached over one thousand people.

It’s a pretty small number for the internet, I know, but it’s still pretty exciting.  I just had to say something.  In a year I’ll look back at this and laugh at how excited I was to hit 1 k.  Now I’ve reached my first goal: my next is to write at least every other day, and start reaching over fifty people a day on a consistent basis.

On a travel point, my trip is definitely starting to look more solid.  My chances of getting good scholarships are high, with a 31 ACT.  So that reduces my college-paying stresses.  And I have a well-paying job for the summer at a high end restaurant.  And my parents are going to help me out with my Macbook, so there’s even less money I have to spend on that.  I’m feeling pretty golden right now!

So…question for you blog-savvy people out there: what are the beset ways to increase your traffic for free?  I think I’d like to do another article on that, but I need some new tactics to write about.

Good luck on everyone’s goals, whatever they may be.  What are your travel goals?  Let me know!

Cheers,

Senoritaburrito

Hostels can be somewhat more bewildering than a hotel. How much do they really cost, what do you get for your money, and what do you need to know about them? These vary by country and city; here is some information about what you can expect for hostels in England, especially the pricier London area, and how prices compare in different areas of England.  There are also links of useful websites to book your reservation and read reviews, look at pictures, etc.

First off: What exactly is a hostel?  It is basically a dormitory-style budget sleeping accommodation, generally frequented by young backpackers and other people traveling on the cheap. 

In recent years the line has blurred between hostels and hotels: you can get individual rooms at some hostels, accommodations are clean and bed-bug free, and it’s just generally not a place even your mother could ever object to.

It’s a great place to meet other travelers, as the shared-type kitchen, bathrooms, and bedrooms don’t really allow you to be EMO and ignore everyone else.

It’s also cheap.  Hostels in England are generally more expensive than, say, the Czech Republic, but that’s to be expected.  They’re also considerably cheaper than even cheap hotel rooms.  You can pick up a dorm bed in London for under $30 U.S. a night, if you know where to look, and much cheaper in the country.

Hostels also vary by what hostel you stay at.  Some include free sheets; some make you pay a small fee for sheets.  Some include breakfast; some don’t.  Some give you free wi-fi and rec rooms;some, well, don’t.  What level of hostel you want to pay for is up to you.  The most important thing is to see the essential things that are included, such as:

Do they provide secure lockers to store your luggage?

Can you take breakfast off your bill?  (Usually, it’s cheaper and much more atmospheric to go to a cafe for a croissant than stay at the hostel for a cheap breakfast.)

What are their lock-out times?  Many hostels have a random few hours in the middle of the day when no one can get in or out.  They also have curfews, so find out when these are too.  My friend missed his hostel curfew in Japan and had to spend the night on the streets of Tokyo.  You don’t want to do that.

Some hostels are members of Hostelling International (HI.) You do not have to be a member to stay at these places, but you may get a discount if you are.  If you aren’t, you may have to pay a small supplement and have a card stamped at each place you stay.  Eventually, after (five?) stamps, you automatically become a member.

You can also get discounts at a few hostels with an ISIC, International Student Identity Card, which you can get if you are a full-time student under twenty-six.  This card will also give access to many other discounts on your travels and is worth the twenty dollar cost.

Is there one particular thing that you must have, like wi-fi?  Find out if they provide it free or if you can buy it before you reserve a room.

The best place I’ve found to compare and book hostels online is hostels.com, which has listings for the entire world.  They have over 10,000 hostels listed.

To do a random example, I searched hostels.com for a three night stay in a London hostel beginning June ninth for one person.  My very first result was a dorm for $24.62 a night at London Backpackers.  Of course, it was an 18-bed mixed dorm (meaning that both sexes sleep there) and prices go up as you get smaller rooms, but for peak season in London that’s a pretty cheap deal.  A ten-bed female dorm is the same price, so it’s all good.

Most prices, however, average between $30-$50 U.S.  Still not bad, when you think of what a hotel room would cost you.

For comparison, hostels in Oxford also average about $30 U.S. a night.  You can find cheaper, but these are averages.  You can also find much more expensive.

Overall, hostels area  good deal if you don’t mind deviating from the norm and going on a bit of an adventure.  You never really know what you’re going to get.  The best way to get an idea is just to go to a website and look at prices, features, and reviews, and make your own decision.

For the person really traveling on the cheap, looking for adventure, there is this cool thing called couchsurfing, which I will talk about next time.

Until then,

Cheers,

Senoritaburrito

I borrowed this book from a friend the other day and absolutely fell in love with it.  It is a rough travel guide type of thing; the first half is devoted to general information on things like eating, sleeping, and getting around in Europe; the second half is filled with amazing places to see in Europe that are much sweeter than the standard tourist traps.

The friend who I borrowed it from just used it in Italy and said that it saved his life over there.  It is absolutely packed with useful information.  It was so interesting that I ended up reading the entire thing straight through like a novel….what that says about me I don’t know, except that it is an amazing book and if you’re planning on going to Europe or are even interested in it, you should buy, beg, borrow, or steal (not really the last one) Europe Through the Back Door.

There was information on planning your itinerary, places to see and avoid, times to go, how to act, where to eat, how to get around when you don’t speak the native language, how to get good, cheap hostel/hotel rooms, and so much advice that you can only get from someone who has been there a thousand times.

The best part is that the author, Rick Steves, actually has a sense of humor and can write well.  This is always a refreshing change after thousands of guidebooks that sound as though they were written by someone who didn’t know how to laugh.

It’s updated every year or every few years, too, so you can always have an updated edition.  It’s definitely more than just a guidebook.  I would recommend this book as a suplpement to any more location-specific guidebooks that you are buying for your trip.  No matter where you go in Europe, you will find useful information in here.  I give it five thumbs-up burritos for simple amazingness and usefulness.

Now I can’t wait to go try it out in Europe myself.  Oh, for the day…

Cheers,

Senoritaburrito