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Back to my series on how to budget for your vacation, we’ve discussed several different forms of lodging. We started out with hostels, made our way to bed & breakfasts, talked about local vs. chain hotels, agriturismi, camping, and in my last post, we discussed apartments.
In this post, I’d like to talk a bit about Convents & Monasteries. This is an option that not many people tend to consider when thinking about lodging choices in their European travels. I can honestly say that I had never considered convents or monasteries as a viable form of lodging and had never even read about it until, while researching my first trip to Italy in 2004, I came across a guide to Lodging in Italy’s Monasteries by Eileen Barish. Armed with the information in this book, my travel buddy and I decided to stay at a convent in Florence. The rooms were spartan but clean and the price was very reasonable. Breakfast was included and dinner at the convent could be purchased separately. The convent was within walking distance of the Ponte Vecchio, the Uffuzi Gallery, the Boboli Gardens, and many other destinations.
For anyone who is on a tight traveling budget, if you’re willing to be a bit flexible, a convent or monastery might just be the perfect way to travel throughout Europe.
 Large comfortable guest rooms include private baths and breakfast for about $35 per night. I am pleased and honored to feature Eileen Barish, author of Lodging in Italy’s Monasteries, Lodging in Britain’s Monasteries, Lodging in France’s Monasteries, Lodging in Spain’s Monasteries, and several other titles (pet lovers will want to check out her other titles), as a guest blogger. Who better than Ms. Barish to share her wisdom and advice on some of the most beautiful and affordable lodging options available throughout Europe.
Beat the Euro, discover the secret of affordable European travel, and get thee to a monastery in Italy, France, Britain and Spain! There are hundreds of choices at an average cost of about $35 per night; many times including all meals. Families, groups and individuals who have yearned to travel to Europe, but have been unable to deal with the high cost of hotels and the weak dollar, now have a very affordable option. Since 1999, I’ve been introducing budget-minded travelers to hundreds of European monasteries, convents, and casas where travelers are warmly welcomed by the resident nuns and monks. Guests enjoy sharing meals with their hosts, and hearing stories that reveal rare insight into the area, its people and its history.
Travel as Europeans have for centuries and experience a sense of unhurried, uncrowded tranquility. Spend a night or a week at a monastery and come away filled with the true essence of the country, its history, art, culture, architecture and local customs. Many of the institutions are in historic centuries-old castles, chateaus and villas and most offer delicious, inexpensive meals.
Open to all without religious obligation. Each of my photo-filled guides contains two sections. The first lists monasteries that offer hospitality to all guests without any religious purpose. The second section includes monasteries that offer hospitality to guests specifically for religious retreats or other spiritual purposes.
Each monastery vignette includes travel insights not available in other guides. Travelers will have the opportunity to stay in extraordinary places, be exposed to hidden art treasures and view ancient architecture. During the extensive research of each institution, local lore, customs and often-overlooked history came to light. In addition, descriptions of nearby cities, towns, hamlets and other attractions are presented as itineraries for my readers. This information has been woven into each monastery vignette to provide a collection of insights not readily available in other travel guides.
My guides simplify the reservation process, even if you don’t speak the language. Each comprehensive lodging description contains the address, telephone and fax numbers, the name of the contact person and both driving and public transportation information. Reservation forms are in English/Italian. English/French and English/Spanish are included to simplify the reservation process. Many listings include e-mail addresses and web sites as well.
 Visit Italy, Britain, Spain and France and enjoy the authentic flavor of each country. I can personally attest to the ease of the use of these guides and to the validity of what Ms. Barish writes about this type of lodging; convents and monasteries offer an affordable way to transition from tourist to traveler. I’d like to thank Ms. Barish for her insight and time and to also let you know that she has a blog which she updates with posts about different convents and monasteries on a regular basis. Check out her blog and learn more about the convents and monasteries that Europe has to offer.
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I am not a health nut. I don’t like exercise and I don’t usually do it. I’ve been heavier than the average person all my life but I have never felt compromised by my weight…until my first trip to Europe. The first time I went to Italy, my friend JoAnn and I got off the train and as we made our way into the Termini Station, we found the escalator was broken. Our first initiation into Italian culture was about to begin…and it involved climbing stairs.
If you’ve never been to Europe, you may be in for a big surprise. You will be walking…alot. Not only will you be walking, you’ll be climbing stairs. Lots and lots of stairs. And if you believe that staying in a 4-star, Americanized hotel, will save you from climbing stairs, you should think again. You may not have to lug your luggage up several flights of stairs but you’ll still be climbing stairs and walking up hills (and besides, why would you want to stay in an Americanized hotel anyway?). Not only that, there are places that you will want to visit that are situated on tops of hills, churches, towers, etc. 
People wonder why Europe has so few elevators but tend to forget that the buildings in Europe are much older than the ones in the U.S. Real estate was at a minimum and there was no place for buildings in the town centers to expand. So, instead of growing out, buildings grew up and now, historic preservation and expense prevents many building owners from installing elevators. Or owners, especially small hotel owners, prefer to preserve as many rooms in their hotels and offices as possible as opposed to sacrificing one or two rooms (and the income) from each floor in order to install an elevator shaft and elevator.
I am detailing all of this for you because you will inevitably find yourself in a beautiful, locally owned hotel or bed & breakfast, cursing under your breath as you painstakingly navigate your luggage up 5 very, narrow flights of stairs. And trust me when I tell you that it doesn’t matter how lightly you think you’ve packed, your bag will turn into the heaviest thing you’ve ever carried in your life. (You will also learn very quickly the European method of counting floors and you will curse that as well.)
And if you’re fortunate enough to stay in a hotel or bed & breakfast or hostel that has an elevator, you will still encounter stairs. They are in gardens. They are in museums. They are in subway stations. They are in churches. They are in towers. They are in town centers. You get the picture.
And if you manage to avoid the stairs, you’ll still encounter hills. Gradually sloping hills and steeply ascending grades that seem to never move in a downward direction. And even if you’re renting a car, chances are that you will be leaving that car parked while you’re in the city or town you’ll be visiting and you’ll be walking like everyone else.
So, back to my introduction paragraph, I’m not in shape and I’m not sure I ever will be; however, I do try to start walking and getting in some semblance of “shape” before I travel. This year, I’ll be traveling to Amsterdam and I’d like to be in good enough “shape” to get on a bicycle to do a bike tour of the nearby countryside. (Something I am ashamed to admit I would never consider doing here in the U.S.) I’d like to feel comfortable enough to climb the steps up to the Notre Dame Cathedral Towers to see the gargoyles. This is the reason I push myself out of my comfortable boundaries and do things I wouldn’t normally do.
(And on a short, but necessary, side-note, please don’t be the bitchy tourist who’s always whining about the lack of elevators and the lack of ice in their drinks. You’re in a different country. Roll with it.)
So…I’ve joined a gym. I’ve started walking. I’m going to start using the exercise bike. It’ll be a little harder this year due to the accident I had last year but I’m committed to getting healthier. I’m not as focused on losing weight as I am on just getting healthier. I don’t want it to be like my first trip to Italy when JoAnn and I were trudging up a hill towards the train station in Orvieto. We were both huffing and puffing with our bags on our backs and walking as slowly as we could up the cobblestone sidewalk when an older Italian woman (by older, I would have guessed in her 60’s, maybe 70’s) zoomed right past us on her bicycle. She was smoking. End of story.
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Because I am currently planning a trip to Europe in November of this year, I have been doing quite a bit of research on different types of lodging and for the majority of my trip, I have opted to choose an apartment as my first choice for lodging.
In my series on how to budget for your vacation, we’ve discussed different forms of lodging. We started out with hostels, worked our way to bed & breakfasts, talked about local vs. chain hotels, agriturismi and most recently, we discussed camping.
In this post, I’m going to discuss apartments.
 Madrid Apartments (c)-Monica R. Gonzalez 2009 I would have to say that in the past, the idea of staying in someone’s apartment while I traveled would probably have never entered my mind. Then sometime in the mid 90’s, some friends from Mexico wanted to come to San Antonio to visit and they asked me to see if I could locate a hotel room for them. This was not an easy task as their family numbered 7 with their nanny. In the past I had been able to find them an extended stay hotel but this time they wanted to come during the Easter holiday, or Holy Week as it’s referred to in Mexico, and because they had waited until the last minute to notify me, I couldn’t find room at the inn. At around the same time, a friend of mine informed me she would be leaving for vacation and would I mind taking care of her dog while she was gone. Voila, problem solved! I would stay at Susan’s place and my friends could stay in my one bedroom apartment.
I didn’t give much more thought to this arrangement again until I was getting ready to go to Rome in 2004. I was reading a lot of guide books and using those hotel recommendations as a starting base. I checked the websites of several of the guidebook’s recommendations and did as much research as I could and somewhere along the way, I came across a website that touted nice apartments available for rent in Rome.
I thought about it and liked the idea of having an apartment. My travel partner and I would be able to cook some meals to save money and we could each have our own room and the price was no more expensive than some of the b&b’s I had been researching. I finally settled on a good-sized apartment for which we paid 99 euros a night. It had a small kitchen, large bedroooms, a decent entryway that doubled as a living area, and a full bath with a washer/dryer. The building was right across the street from the metro and directly down the street from a pizza place and a pharmacy. There was more shopping right around the corner. The building had an elevator and we felt safe and secure there. It was perfect.
If you plan on staying in one place for a couple of days or more, you would be surprised how comfortable and pleasant staying in an apartment will make you feel. You’re living like a local and isn’t that why we travel to begin with?? We want to know what life is like as an Italian or a German or a Belgian. We want to feel the draw of the market and we want to smell the baguettes as the scent wafts out the door of the local boulangerie. We want to say “hello” to our neighbors and we want to feel what it would be like to live in Rome, Paris, or Amsterdam.
 Apartment in Piazza Navona (c) Monica R Gonzalez-2009 I found some great resources as I plan my November 2010 trip to Europe and I’m happy to share my latest find. Airbnb.com may be known to some of you but I just recently made its acquaintance. Airbnb is a website dedicated to assisting people who have a room, apartment, or full house to lease out and for travelers looking for lodging other than a typical hotel. There’s a nice write-up about it in the New York Times here. I found entire studio apartments near central Paris for $39 a night!!! You read correctly, I said $39 a night! Of course, studio apartments may not be your cup of tea. You may want more room.
The apartment I’ve booked for myself is a one bedroom apartment with 32″ tv, dvd player, free wi-fi internet, a brand new kitchen equipped with washing machine (also a dryer), microwave, kettle, dishwasher, fridge, oven and vitro-ceramic stove. Plus my hostess has a huge DVD collection free for her guests to use in case we get tired of French television. My nightly fee for all of this will be $73 a night!!! (If you’d like to see where I’m going to be staying in Paris, click here.)
Keep in mind that most apartments may not be as centrally located as you might like so you’ll have to weigh the pros and cons of apartment rental vs. a centrally located hotel. Also, compared to a bed & breakfast, you probably won’t have breakfast provided for you and if that’s important to you, an apartment might not be your number one choice either.
One more thing to keep in mind is that apartments/homes will vary by location. What I mean by that is in Amsterdam, it may be located in a houseboat. In Costa Rica, it may be a beach hut. In the UK, it may be in a castle. In Hong Kong, it may be in a very high-rise tower. (If you’d like to see where I’m staying in Amsterdam, click here.)
And one last thing to remember. Don’t be seduced by pretty pictures or a good-looking website. Do your research. How are payments accepted? When do you have to pay? Is there a deposit? What about cleaning fees? Is your communication with the apartment owner or a management company? Who will meet you when you arrive to give you the keys? What is the cancellation policy? Can the owner/manager provide any references? These are all questions you should ask BEFORE you plunk down your hard-earned money for your lodging. Remember, your lodging will constitute approximately 1/3 of your travel budget so plan wisely. Email or call your apartment owner/manager with questions and note their response time. How long did it take for them to respond to you? If it wasn’t a reasonable amount of time or if they never responded to your questions, move on and find one that will.
If you’re looking for a place to call your own, if you’re willing to do some of your own cooking in order to save some money, if you don’t mind being a little further away from the action, and if you’d like to stay in a more residential setting in local neighborhoods, then an apartment may be the best option for you. I know for this upcoming trip, it will be the place for me.
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It goes without saying when we decide to travel, we do our best to be as prepared for the unexpected as possible.
Most of us travel with some sort of gadget that allows us to do a multitude of things with minimal effort but we should keep in mind that we are only going to get the best out of our gadgets if we put good information into them.
Apps are great and there are tons of blogs out there naming their top 10 apps for travel but if you’re unfamiliar with the app, it won’t do you too much good in a pinch. If you use an electronic gadget to listen to music and you’ve never bothered to see what other functions your little gadget has going for it, you aren’t getting the most use out of your techie gear.
Here’s a quick list of simple things you can do to get your iPhone, iTouch, smartphone, etc. ready for travel:
- If your phone has the capability to group or categorize contacts and/or phone numbers, create a group or category for your upcoming trip and enter all the contact information for every place you’re staying, places you plan on visiting, people you will be contacting, etc. This way, when you are ready to call ahead to your next place of lodging to confirm your reservation, you don’t have to search your entire list of contacts. Pull up the appropriate group and find your information. Don’t forget to pre-enter your numbers with the necessary country codes for dialing in other countries. Not sure about country codes or how to use them? Here’s a link that might help.
- Don’t forget when you enter the phone numbers to enter all the contact information including addresses and the names of the person/people you’ve been talking to over the phone for the last few weeks. If you’re phone has a GPS function, the address will be necessary to utilize the map that can point you in the right direction once you get to where you’re going.
- As long as we’re adding contacts, be sure to add the 800#’s for the credit cards you’ll be taking with you on the trip. In the area where you enter contact information there is usually a space to enter “notes” or details. If you like, you can also enter the card numbers there for easy tracking. If you don’t feel good about doing that, consider downloading an application that works as a “safe” where all your information can be virtually “locked” in with a password. Just don’t forget the password because you will probably be out of luck trying to find someone to assist you in getting all your information out. I use an app called OI Safe. It was a free app on my android phone and I couldn’t be happier with it.
- Use your camera phone (if it has decent resolution) to take pictures of your credit cards, passport, and any other identification. You should also carry hard copies of these things but an easy to access photo on your phone may be enough to help you out in a bind or until you can get your hands on your hard copies. I would also send these photos to a trusted friend or a family member so they have access to them in case you lose your phone. They can easily email them back to you if you need them.
- Utilize free email addresses and site functions for your trip and use your smart phone to gain access to them. I have a gmail account already and I usually create a folder for each trip I plan on taking and save all email related to my trip in that folder. If you don’t have a gmail account or a yahoo account, set one up just for your trip correspondence and use your smartphone to access all relevant emails, contacts, and documents. Gmail and Yahoo mail both have good mobile sites that allow you to access your account with minimal fuss. In addition to access, gmail allows me to sync my contacts and calendar to my android phone so everything I need is directly in my hand.
- There are some really good apps available for travel and there are plenty of sites that list their version of the “Top 10″ travel apps but my concern is how well do you know the app and have you taken the time to practice using it? Download the app at least a week or two before you leave and use it around town. Does it do what you thought it would do? Is it a help or a hindrance? Do you like it so much, you’d opt for the paid version? Of course, this won’t help you if you want to download an app for a walking tour for Paris, but some of the other apps can be tested before you leave. In addition to learning how well the app works, you won’t pay as much to download it at home as you might if you downloaded it in another part of the world.
- One quick app recommendation would be for an app that can track your phone if stolen. There are some free apps out there that can do just that. After you install the app, you register your phone and the app itself gets buried in the workings of the phone. It uses the GPS in your phone to allow you to track its whereabouts on the internet. I use an app like this and I can’t tell you if it really works because I’ve been lucky enough to never have lost my phone or to have it stolen, but I figure, it’s free and it’s gotten great reviews so it doesn’t hurt to have it because you never know when you might need it.
- One last caveat, and it’s an important one, keep your phone locked while you’re traveling. It’s a hassle. No doubt about that but you’ll be happy you did it if you lose it. That’s not to say some little thief out there won’t be able to hack into it but if you use layers of security and good passwords, he might give up before he gets to the important stuff.
There are probably hundreds of other uses for your gadgets I didn’t even touch on. If you have some you’d like to share, feel free to leave your ideas in the comments section. Even if you decide you don’t want to pay to use the phone function for your smartphone, you can still utilize your contact lists and apps without the phone function. Either way, you have the perfect travel partner, you probably just never knew it!
Remember, you will get the best out of your tools if you put the best into them. “The real problem is not whether machines think but whether men do.” ~ B.F. Skinner
Happy travels!
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 Yours truly at Stonehenge. If you asked me today if I preferred to travel alone or with someone, I’m not sure I would be able to answer you with a clear answer. I’ve done both, I enjoy both, and I’ll probably do it both ways again. I’m not a loner by nature but I do enjoy spending time alone. However, traveling alone can be lonely and if you are the type of person who gets homesick easily, traveling alone, no matter how near or far from home you are, has a tendency to intensify those homesick blues.
Mark Twain says, “I have found out that there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.”
Luckily for me, the first time I traveled to Europe, my friend JoAnn told me she wanted to go with me. Up until that point, I had been planning the trip as a solo journey. It was my first trip to Europe and I was headed to my dream destination, Italy. I gave it some thought and decided that maybe some company would be a good thing. I’d known my friend JoAnn for several years and we had a lot in common; political beliefs, music, and our general attitude towards life. We also both have an independent spirit so she was someone I knew would enjoy traveling and enjoying the discovery of some place neither of us had been before. And…I can’t lie…the idea of splitting costs was the clincher! I was fortunate to be able to embark on my dream vacation with one of my closest friends along for the experience.
By the time I took my trip to the UK several years later, I was in a relationship with a wonderful woman and had really been looking forward to doing some international travel with her but her work schedule and my work schedule never seemed to mesh so we could take a long vacation together. One day while checking out prices for flights (something I spend quite a bit of my spare time doing) I found a flight to London for less than $700 and after talking to my partner, we both agreed the price was too good to pass up. I bought the ticket basically on a whim and began planning my solo trip to England.
Last year, I was lucky enough to be able to travel with some of my family and it was a great experience. The trip was a combination of travel with family and solo travel and I was blessed to have the experience of traveling with my aunt, (who is in her 70’s!) from whom I learned my love of adventure and travel, and my two 20-something cousins for a week in Spain. I then went on alone to Rome for the next two weeks.
 My aunt, cousins and I, in front of the Palacio Real. There are advantages and disadvantages to traveling with a friend, family, or partner.
First, the advantages:
- Money–The ability to spread the budget across two or more people obviously make the trip much more affordable. Just make sure before you leave that you all have agreed on how the expenses will be divided. There’s no wrong way to do it but make sure that all the details are clear and understood across the board. I had some friends I traveled with here in the States and our method of budgeting the trip was to determine the total cost for each particular expense and divide it by 4. We all ponied up the agreed upon amount (we usually over-estimated) and put that into an envelope labeled with that particular expense. Then the money for that expense came from that envelope. If there was money left over from the envelopes at the end of the trip, it was divided up evenly amongst the four of us. For example, if the trip was a road trip and we estimated the cost for gas would be around $400 we’d add $100 for good measure then divide the total between all four of us. The $500 went into an envelope and money for gas came only out of that envelope. To be fair, all of us were in charge of at least one envelope (gas, groceries, campsite costs, etc.). This method worked great for all of us and we usually had money left over at the end of the trip. For that first trip to Europe, JoAnn and I agreed to split lodging costs down the middle and be responsible for all of our other costs.
- Conversation–It’s always great to be able to turn to the person next to you and discuss the awesome cathedral you just saw or to comment on the scenery or just to kill time with as you wait for the next train.
- Convenience–Sometimes it’s easier to take care of some things while your travel partner does something else. “You go to the deli and I’ll go to the bakery and we’ll meet back here for lunch.” It’s also nice to be able to ask someone you know to keep an eye on your bag while you go to the bathroom or go buy the tickets. Some things can be done just fine while you’re solo but traveling with someone just makes it that much easier.
- Safety in Numbers–Although I’ve never felt “unsafe” so far in any of my solo travels, one can’t help but feel a bit more vulnerable when walking in a strange city alone at night. I would venture to say that if I had been traveling with someone in the UK or in my last visit to Rome, I probably would have done a lot more sight seeing in the evening. As women, we’re always taught to travel in pairs and I think that for some of us, it’s almost ingrained into our psyches.
- Bonding–It sounds hokey but you will be sharing something with that person that you’ll never share with anyone else. A bond will be forged with your travel buddy that you will remember for the rest of your life and no matter what happens to either of you, there is nothing that will ever be able to erase that bond.
And now, the disadvantages:
- Freedom–First and foremost, when you are alone you are free to do whatever you want, whenever you want to do it. You make your own schedule and you decide whether to make or break it.
- Meeting People–If you’re traveling with someone you’re more apt to refrain from talking to anyone else. You’ve a built in sounding board so why look beyond that? When you travel alone, you will have to speak to other people. You’ll have to ask questions. You’ll have to find your way around by asking someone how to get to the next street. Meeting people is half the fun of solo travel and traveling alone all but assures that you’ll have to talk to somebody else.
- Flexibility–If public transit decides to go on strike, you can re-arrange your plans without consulting anyone. Your shopping day can become your “veg-out in the room and read” day and you don’t have to have anyone’s agreement.
- Reflection–Solo travel is a great time to reflect on your life and think about your future. It’s a great time to write songs, poems, and journals. It’s a wonderful way to make yourself feel better about you and how resourceful you were yesterday and how you didn’t panic when you took the wrong train. Sometimes, we need some time alone to help us appreciate the time we have with our loved ones.
Whatever way you choose to travel, be prepared for some bumps along the way. If you’re traveling with a friend or friends, make sure everyone is clear about the details of the budget and try to agree on as much as possible before you leave. If everyone agrees that one person is in charge of the research and making the reservations, then make sure everyone is ready to accept whatever happens without laying blame. Also, there should be a discussion that if someone doesn’t want to participate in the scheduled activity that no one else will put pressure on them to attend. If you’re traveling solo, be prepared to get lonely and to feel homesick. Be ready to practice being assertive even it you’re not usually the assertive type. Realize that you are in charge of you and have some fun.
Remember–“Travel only with thy equals or thy betters; if there are none, travel alone.” – The Dhammapada
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HERE YOU GO… YOUR BLOG HOP TRAVEL CONTEST PLAY CARDS!
PLAYING THE BLOG HOP?
You’ll find the answer to the question for my blog by clicking on the correct post below.
- Budgeting for Your Dream Vacation
- Weekend Word to the Wise (Travel Guides)
- Budget for Your Vacation—Part 4 (Agriturismi)
- Il Campo di Fiori
- Foodie Break #3 or Using Food to Guide Your Vacations
- Budget for Your Vacation—Part 4 (Camping)
THANKS TO THE BLOG HOP SPONSORS
Complete your Blog Hop play card for a chance to win one of these great prizes!
*A FEW DETAILS.
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 I’m a member of the Global Bloggers Network and next week, we’re kicking off an amazing 3-week travel contest that you’ll want to play.
Win Great Prizes
 It’s Easy to Play
- Download your Blog Hop play card. You can download your card at this blog on Monday, April, 19, .
- Click on the links in your play card and go to all 6 blogs to answer the 6 questions on the card.
- Hit submit and you’ll qualify to win.
That’s all there is to it.
- The winners will be selected at random using Random.org and announced on May 11, 2010.
- Global Bloggers Network members and their families do not qualify for the contest.
- You must answer all 6 questions to win.
- The contest will run for 3 weeks; each week will feature a new set of questions. You can play once in each week of the contest for 3 chances to win.
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Let’s continue talking about one of the most expensive portions of your vacation budget: Lodging. In my series on How to Budget for your Vacation, I’ve shared tips about how to save and budget for your vacation, we’ve worked on trying to figure out what type of traveler you are and in these last few posts, we’ve been discussing all the very different forms of lodging available for travelers. We’ve talked about hostels, bed & breakfasts, local vs. chain hotels, Agriturismi, and today we’ll talk a bit about camping.
Camping is HUGE in Europe! There are campgrounds in or near almost every major city in Europe and some are even located within the city proper. For anyone looking to travel to Europe and trying to save money while they are there, campgrounds, along with hostels, are probably the most economical forms of lodging in Europe. Camping is TRUE budget travel. For the price of a tent and a few other basic necessities, you can actually vacation in Europe and keep your daily budget at under 50 euros a day!
Some excellent websites to start with are the European Park Guide website and the Eurocampings site. It takes a little digging but most of the links have a feature that allows you to choose the language for the site. Once you choose a country, there are literally HUNDREDS of links that will take you to various camping websites. Most of them have pictures and even if you can’t translate the pages to english, you could still probably find the on-site link that will tell you how much the daily rate is for a campsite. Most rates vary by several factors such as whether you are walking, biking, or driving, do you want a tent pad with or without electricity, and the number of people in your party. Most of the time, you’ll be paying per tent, per person, and per vehicle.
If you aren’t sure if camping is your thing, consider mixing it up with stays at budget hotels. I even found a camping website in Germany that will rent you a “camping kit” that includes everything you need (tent, stove, utensils, table, stools, etc.) for your camping extravaganza!
The biggest drawback to camping is that you might find a wider variety of accessible campsites by car than you would by just utilizing the train; however, most major cities have campgrounds within the city limits so you should be able to find some campsites within a reasonable distance from the train station. Just make sure the campground you’re choosing accepts tent campers. Some campsites are strictly for RV’s only.
Another good place to start might be the Traveler’s Guide to European Camping by Mike & Terri Church. You’ll find a link below this post.
Whoever said you couldn’t travel through Europe on 50 euros a day anymore, might not have been considering camping. What better way to be like the locals that to join them in their favorite method of vacation?
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 Passeggio Roma (c) 2009 Monica R. Gonzalez One of the things I miss about Europe, particularly Italy, is the passeggio.
Passeggio is merely the Italian word for stroll. But if you delve a bit deeper into the literal meaning, you’ll see that a passeggio is the act of walking and/or strolling. More definitions like to promenade or to take a walk pop up.
In Spain, you hear the word paseo, which also means parade, and the word camminare, which means to walk. In general, they are merely words to define the act of walking but there is so much more to a passeggio than that! I’m not talking about your typical neighborhood stroll here in the U.S.
The passeggio usually takes place in the main streets or boulevards in town. People are out to see and be seen. And there is something about the evening stroll that draws you to want to participate.
 Conversations in Orvieto (c) 2004 Monica R. Gonzalez To be a part of a culture that prides itself on community. To take part in a ritual that is seemingly quiet and benign but full of a sense of self and grace. It is also something to celebrate. To sit and watch entire families walk and talk and be together. To see young lovers walking and laughing, hands clasped, enjoying each other’s company. And on Sunday evenings, those are the best passeggio of all. Men dressed up in their suits with their wives in their finery, walking arm in arm, often not talking, merely walking, with the sort of intimacy and pride one can only feel when they are with the person they love.
Europe is a people place. Everywhere you look there are people in the streets talking, shouting, gesticulating. Cigarettes are gnashed between teeth, arms are flying wildly in the air, sing-song voices ring up and down the streets, it’s a people paradise.
Andiamo a fare una passeggio? Would you like to go for a stroll? No? Well, if you’re not inclined to the passsegio, find an outdoor cafe, sit and enjoy the show. It’s free and it’s playing daily.
 Cafe Europa-Madrid, Spain (c) 2009 Monica R. Gonzalez
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