One Final Thought

No matter where you stay, write down the name and address of the place, and take it with you when you head out for the first few times. As ridiculous as it may sound, it is very easy to forget exactly where you are staying, since many hostels have similar names and may be packed into the same general area. If alcohol is involved, it is even easier. Yes, I have done this, and it’s finally funny now . . . twelve years later.

Eurotoilets

How can I put this? There are “facilities” in Europe that the average traveler is not familiar with, and may have to face at a time of desperate, diarrhea-induced panic. These are the bidet, and the two-footed “straight shot".

A bidet is that funny-looking oval porcelain thing with the faucet that shoots straight up. In the words of Crocodile Dundee, it is for “washing off your backside,” and is also a primitive form of birth control. It is not for laundry, nor is it for washing dishes, nor is it normally used for an ice tub to cool off beers and grapes, although I have seen it used for all of those things. Unless you are extremely and justifiably angry at your hosts,defecating in bidets is not a good idea. The French love these things, for some reason.

A “straight shot” usually comes as an unpleasant surprise to most tourists. The door opens, to reveal not a lovely porcelain throne, but a very shallow basin about three feet square, with a couple of raised places to stand upon, and a small, evil-smelling hole leading to a seething troll-infested pit too horrible to contemplate. Evidence of the aiming ability, kidney function, and recent diet of the last five or six users can be all too apparent. Toilet paper may be only an ancient memory.
(more…)

Showers

You will occasionally see some hostels or other places advertising “24-hour hot showers". They advertise them for a good reason: Some places only permit the use of showers, or provide hot water, at certain times. The reason for this is cost, since it is expensive to keep a tank of hot water heated during the day, when nobody is likely to use it. So, sensibly, the heat is turned on in the morning and evening, and off during the day and night.

Sometimes you are the person who turns on the heat. If you have a shower with an individual hot-water heater in your room, look for a switch, hit it, and then wait for about twenty minutes. Some places, but not many, may charge per shower. On the same subject, late risers in many hostels and small hotels can expect freezing showers that make glacial snowmelt feel warm and toasty. It usually pays to be the first one to the bathroom in the morning.

Laundry

Get used to the idea of washing your socks and underwear in the sink and then hanging them to dry where you can contemplate them as you fall asleep. Laundromats, except in Britain, can be hard to find, and they are expensive everywhere - figure about USD 6 a load. Yes, laundry is a pain; yes, it’s inconvenient and time-consuming; and yes, it’s necessary, especially if you’re trying to travel as light as possible. However, you may adjust your standards somewhat. Those who are used to washing something after one use usually go through a short process of reassessment in Europe, and after a week have made rules like: “If it’s dirty, and I keep it in my backpack for more than 48 hours, it comes out clean.” The usual tips:

- If you are staying in hostels, there may be washing machines available at stiff prices. Ask around if you can share a load with someone.

- The best way to dry something, especially in southern Europe, is to put it on you and head out the door. When it’s 107 degrees in Seville, a wet T-shirt can be a godsend. Not advisable in muggy climates.

Some Accommodation Basics

It’s amazing how easy it is to take certain creature comforts for granted - and also how quickly you can adapt to not having them once you’re out on the road for a while. Not every facility will be available to you at your homes away from home - unless you’re living in four-star luxury - so it pays to know what you’ll be up against.

Sleeping Out, or in Train Stations

Before you do either of these, think long and hard about spending more money than normal, or catching a train somewhere else. Sleeping in stations used to be quite popular with penniless student travelers, but it is now less so. It is safer than sleeping in a park, especially if someone in a group stays up to keep an eye on things, but a train station at 3.30am does not attract the most lovable characters. You may be asked by security to show a ticket at some stations these days, especially if you look a bit “alternative". Setting up shop near some business that will stay open all night, or near the security office itself if possible, is a good idea.

Sleeping out - in parks, under bridges, wherever - is taking your personal safety and putting it squarely in the hands of any person who wanders by where you are sleeping at 3am. No thanks. If against all sane advice you choose to do this, leave anything you don’t want stolen in a locker, go in a group (with people you know well), and try and find someplace out of sight.

One option to consider before doing either of these things is sleeping at an airport if there is one within public transport range. Airports are always more isolated than train
stations, and they don’t get the late-night wanderers that train stations attract. However, if you’re at this point it’s probably time to head home.

Sleeping on Trains

Sleeping on trains, surprisingly, does not save money so much as time. Especially on a short trip, days wasted sitting in a train are frustrating, and some people recommend traveling almost entirely by night train so the days can be spent sightseeing. If you could get a decent night’s sleep, this might be true, but the various noises, stops, border crossings, and other disturbances that occur on any train journey mean this can be difficult for all but the heaviest sleepers. Bear in mind, also, that taking night trains cuts down on some of the best times to see Europe: mornings, and especially at night, when most cities come alive. That said, a night train here and there can be a sensible use of limited time. If you want to sleep on a train, on a budget at least, you have three options: a seat, a reclining seat in a compartment, or a couchette. There are also “hotel trains” and sleepers in first class, but you could charter a plane for the cost of one of those beds.
(more…)

Sleep-inns and Slum Hostels

This is one accommodation option that you may only want to try if everything else is unavailable. Genuine sleep-inns, at least in my experience, open only in the summers, and are mainly there to keep people from sleeping on the streets when the local hostels are overrun (Amsterdam’s “Sleep-Inn” is an exception and is open year-round). They are apdy named, since there is little to do but sleep in one of these places, and a bed is pretty much all they provide. Expect huge, crowded dorms full to the rafters. Imagine two doors, one saying “Beds 1-75″, and the other “Beds 76-150″. That’s when you pray for the ghost of John Wesley Hardin to make an appearance, and with plenty of ammunition.

These places are better than nothing, but are not real hostels - and sometimes they’re not even much of a cost-saver. For example, in Copenhagen, the Amager hostel has only two- and five-bed rooms, and charges 120 crowns (about USD 18) for breakfast and a bed in a five-bed room. It has a kitchen, laundry, playground, TV room, serves a hot dinner, and so on. The City Public Hostel, actually a sleep-inn, has the two dorms just mentioned, and a few smaller rooms, and charges 135 crowns (USD 20), with breakfast. The point is not that sleep-inns are run by bad people; they fill a need as best they can. However, if you end up in one of these places, get out as soon as possible. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that all hostels are like this or that once in a place like this, you’re stuck.
(more…)

Other Accommodations

Other accommodations are as varied as the imagination: YMCAs, YWCAs, monasteries and convents in Italy (not much partying there), private homes - whatever turns up if you look beyond the guidebook. Even though you will probably be hosteling a lot, I do recommend trying out other options; you may be pleasantly surprised. Your local tourist office is a good start, and don’t be shy about asking other travelers about unusual places they have stayed. One possibility to consider, especially if you want a single room and some peace and quiet, is student housing.

These are university residence halls that are opened to travelers when school is out for the summer. Rooms are usually quite small, simple, and clean.Worth looking into, especially for a couple, or for a hostel break. As a bonus, you can talk to your friends about “your time spent at the London School of Economics.” Student housing is usually listed in guidebooks, but you should also check at the tourist office if you’re interested.

Mooching off Friends

Now here is the ideal accommodation if you can find it. Trading addresses and invitations is very common among travelers in Europe, and it may be worth changing your plans to accept an invitation. You will probably end up well off the tourist trail and get a glimpse into the real everyday life of your host’s country. If you do accept such hospitality, remember that your hosts will probably be working or going to school and may not have the time to show you around. Plan to arrive on a weekend.

It is also a nice gesture to spend some of the money you’ll save on accommodation to take your friend(s) out, bring a gift when you arrive, or buy a truckload of beer and throw a party that destroys their apartment. It is considered bad form to be given an invitation and then arrive in town six weeks later and expect to be welcomed immediately. A postcard and/or phone call in the interim to alert your future hosts as to your intentions is both smart and polite.