All on content on this page is copyright protected. Please read my copyright page before doing anything with pictures or content from this site.

ERIK'S WANDER OF EUROPE
intro pre-trip 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Post trip
Pre-Trip

<<<INTRO

FIRST DAY>>>

 

Prior: Jade and I have already purchased our tickets. We spent 741$ each on a ticket that will deliver us in London on July 3rd (via Detroit) and then will take us back home from Rome on July 31st (via Amsterdam)
     We have also bought our backpacks. We went to Rick Steves' Europe Through The Back Door (it is similar to a travel agency, but they only give you advice and don't make actual arrangements) place in Edmonds and we each bought a travel backpack. I spent 139$ on a green Eagle Creek Expandable Journey Pack. I also bought an excellent Rick Steves' Travel Guide of Europe for 20$.

Amount Spent thus Far:                Air plane Ticket 741$
Student Travel ID 22$
Travel Book 22$
Back Pack 139$
Running Total = 924$

June 3rd:  Today I have created a tentative itinerary. definitely susceptible to major alterations. In a few days, as the itinerary becomes a little more solid. I will fill it in with more specific things we will do at each place. Of course what we actually end up doing in Europe could be very different. 

(all dates are for July)

  1. ---

  2. Leave Seattle

  3. London (arrive and recover and relax)

  4. London

  5. London

  6. London --> Chunnel to Paris

  7. Paris

  8. Paris

  9. Paris --> South France

  10. South France

  11. South France

  12. South France --> Lugano

  13. Lugano (my uncle owns a boat and apartment in Lugano. Wakeboard time!!!)

  14. Lugano

  15. Switzerland --> Rhine

  16. Rhine

  17. Rhine --> Berlin

  18. Berlin

  19. Berlin

  20. Berlin

  21. LOVE PARADE!!! in berlin

  22. open

  23. open

  24. open (these open days will be spent in Germany, doing anything from visiting my friend Ralf, to Rothenburg, to Bavaria, to Switzerland, or maybe we will just try to find a wakeboard park)

  25. Venice

  26. Venice

  27. Florence

  28. Florence

  29. Rome

  30. Rome

  31. Leave Rome and Arrive in Seattle

June 7th: I purchased Jade and my rail road pass today. I got the Student Europass with 8 travel days in 2 months at a cost of 322$. I purchased it from Rick Steves in Edmonds, he gives you a free travel book with every ticket. I should get the actual ticket in five days or so. For those of you that don't know how these passes work I will explain a little. The pass I got allows me to travel on any train in France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and Italy, and I get 8 travel days. Meaning, I can ride as many trains in one days as I want, 8 times. It is a very economical way to get around Europe. 

Amount Spent thus Far:                924$
Europass (including tax and shipping) 360$
Student European Hostel Card 15$
Running Total = 1299$

June 11th: Yesterday both the rail tickets and the hostel discounts cards came in the mail. Both came with a ton of extra information. So I had a kind of information overload yesterday and I was sort of stressing. I spent all afternoon yesterday looking over the info that came. I also reserved two hostels. 
    I reserved Astor Leinster Inn Hostel in London for the 3 days that we are there. I did that so we would have a guaranteed bed that we could crash in encase we are really tired. It probably wasn't necessary, but I did it anyway. 
    I also reserved our nights in Berlin at the A&O Backpackers hostel in Berlin, I was afraid that with the Love Parade going on we might have trouble finding a place. So, I reserved a place.
     Most of the hostels we will be staying at cost about 15 dollars a night for a room with about 6 other backpackers. I think most of them are not co-ed. Anyway, you can read more about them after the trip when I actually experience them.

Today I got some shoes. I bought a brown pair. Adidas, I think. They are fairly comfortable and the lady said they should serve me well. I also bought a few pairs of light weight socks. 

Amount Spent thus Far:                1299$
Shoes and socks 69$
Running Total = 1368$

June 25th: One week until I leave!

I bought a travel alarm clock and turned 1700$ into traveler's checks at AAA. Since my mom is a member so they do it for free. It is probably way more money than I need. But for me I don't think it will be a problem because just because I have money doesn't mean I will spend it. I am betting I will come home with a lot of money left over. The way I came up with that amount was: the books suggested 50$ a day, so that would be 1500$ since I am going to be gone 30 days, then  I tacked on 200$ more for good measure. But I will tell you for sure when  I get back. 
     I was going to buy a laundry line to hang up my laundry to dry. (all the books I read said it is a good thing to buy.) But I was too cheap  to spend 5$ on it, so I am going to make my own. 
I took one of the Rick Steve's guide books and I cut about half the pages out of it that don't pertain to my trip, so the book will be lighter and less of a burden to carry. The book looks kind of funny with the gaps in it. Oh well

Amount Spent thus Far:                1368$
Alarm 10$
Traveler's Checks* 1700$
Running Total = 3078$
* I don't know If I should count this as 'money spent thus far.' It will be all my spending money in Europe, and I am hoping to not spend it all. I think I have all my major expenses covered now. 

July 1st: I leave tomorrow on a flight at 12:40 in the afternoon. I am all packed and ready to go, my entire bag weighs only 20 pounds. (I think my backpack from school fully loaded weighs more.) Now, all I am doing is waiting around. Be sure to check my hearsay for updates from Europe, and then check back when I get back and I will post my journal. Peace, and wish me luck. 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Pre-Trip

<<<INTRO

FIRST DAY>>>