Planning the next Europe trip!

I'm back! The next trip back to Europe is in progress. We're looking at times in Summer and Fall of 2012. This time, I'll be bringing my wife. :)

Some possible cities this time: Amsterdam, Berlin, Zurich, Salsburg, Rome

More to come soon!

Open Thread: Which backpack to use?

It's the age old question. What backpack do you travel to Europe on? Post any thoughts in the comments section. Hopefully we can help other travelers! I spent months planning for my trip and deciding what the perfect size was for me. You can read about some of my initial thoughts on what to pack as well. I ended up going with a North Face Terra 30. I was on the fence and actually purchased a 60L backpack only to determine it was going to be too big. I looked at 40L and then found my sweet spot in a 30L. I was backpacking for just over two weeks and that size worked perfectly for my trip. What size do you plan on taking?

Interlaken, Switzerland

I arrived in Interlaken on a very late train. It was the last train in I believe. From Munich I had to travel through Zurich, through Bern and finally to Interlaken. When I got there the streets were pitch black. If I didn't have my iPhone, I would have been screwed trying to find my hostel. I stayed at Balmers the first night. It took me about 15 minutes to walk to it from the Interlaken Ost station. It was not a scary walk, it was just black and eerily quiet. You have to remember that I noticed I was in the mountains coming in but when you arrive in Interlaken you are surrounded by them. Since it was pitch black I could not see any of them! The air smelled clean and refreshing. The people at Balmers were at the desk when I arrived and helped me to my room. It was probably the most awkward arrival because I had to go in when everyone was sleeping. I tried to be quiet though.


I woke up in the morning and looked out of my window. The mountains were amazing. I walked around Interlaken and I was on a mission to go skydiving later that afternoon. I scheduled it up with Skydive Interlaken and was ready to go. I had a few hours to kill so I got some lunch and jammed out to some adrenaline pumping music on my iPod while I waited. It was my birthday and I really wanted to jump out over the Swiss Alps. It cost around $400 and was one of the most expensive things of my trip but it was totally worth it. I began to get nervous because it was a 15,000ft skydive. I kept telling myself that it was going to be a scenic view and I turned on some adrenaline pumping music. I suited up and "Beat" and crew took off. The trip up was amazing. The views were incredible and words cannot do it justice. I'd recommend it. Check out my video!

After I got done I walked into town and ate some lunch and checked out all of the stores in town. I called home and then told them what I did so they were enver worried about me. Ha.

The next day, I walked down with some friends I met from Canada who were also staying at Balmers. We all went to the Lauterbrunnen Valley to do some hiking. Balmers gave us some discounted Interlaken transit passes which got us to the region. We then started walking! We had no idea what was down the trail but we knew we wanted to see the Trummelbach Falls. After about 30 minutes we got there. The falls were very scenic. I have posted some of my own pictures of the falls on my pictures page.

We got to an area of the valley called Stechelburg and there was a small home and a local lady who had opened a restaurant there. She was making apple pie. We ordered some from her. She gave us apple pie with ice cream and it was delicious! This is where my Canadian friends split off from me. They were hiking back to go back to the hostel but I did not want to. I was really enjoying it out there and decided to go on another adventure all by myself. I went on the cable car system known as: Luftseilbahn Stechelberg-Mürren-Schilthorn (LSMS). This car takes you up to the Piz Gloria which is where the 007 movie "On Her Majesty's Secret Service' was filmed! I took this up to the small mountain town called Mürren. There were several stops on the cable car. I then walked around and since it was getting late decided to abandon my hostel I had back in Interlaken and stay here for the night. (This is one of the perks of having a single backpack. I had all of my possessions and could do whatever I wanted!) I stopped at a local grocery store and bought food to make a sandwich. No stores were open because Mürren is not a very touristy place. It's something to see, but they do not have a massive tourist industry. I found a hotel at the edge of the cliff called the Eiger Guesthouse. I booked a room, my only request to them was that it have a good view. They did not disappoint. My room had a very good view! I was on a corner of the building with nothing else around but mountains. My balcony was wide open and the bathroom had a shower with a full window that you could open while you were taking a shower in it!! I washed some of my clothes in the sink and hung them up to dry overnight. I went down to the bar and chatted with some of the locals over a nice cold beer. I quickly fell asleep from a long day of hiking.

I got up and took advantage of the view in the shower. It felt a little odd taking a shower like that, but when in Rome right? :) There was nothing but me and the mountains pretty much. I packed my bag and set off for the top of the mountain. It was another cable car ride away. When I got up there the view was breath taking. It was fairly cold and I stayed up there for about an hour. There was no time limit so take your time!

I ventured back down via cable car and hiked back to Interlaken later that day. It was a nice walk by myself. Gave me a lot of time to think and be grateful that I was on such a trip. I had to catch a night train to Barcelona, Spain that night so I tried to relax for a bit and just enjoy the surroundings. I figured that in 24 hours I would be kicked back on the Mediterranean Sea! I had to make sure I enjoyed the Alps because you never know when you'll be back.

Munich, Germany

I got to Munich on Friday after a few days in Prague. Prague was very beautiful but out of all the places I have been, I had the hardest time with the language barrier there. Shoot, when I left Prague I just kind of listened for certain words in the crowd standing under the train board. The departure board never actually displayed what dock that the train would be arriving on. The ladies in the information booth were pretty unhelpful as well. I ended up following this older couple. On the train I rode next to Peter who was also 25 and grew up in the Czech Republic. We talked the entire train ride because he wanted to practice his English with me. After a four hour train ride to Nuremberg from Prague, I successfully made my first less than 5 minute train switch to Munich later. I was so damn proud of myself for reading the departure board and navigating the train station. I did not have much room for error!

Anyway, my friend Moritz (Paul) who was a foreign exchange student with me back in high school lives in Munich so he met me at the train station when I came in on Friday. For those of you who know him as well, he is exactly the same. Not changed a bit! We hit up a jazz club, drank a few beers and then met some of his friends out at a dance club. We pretty much watched the sun come up as we were walking home. It was a crazy night. It was nice to be in an era where I could be taken around and see some of the things without being a full blown tourist. I was able to let my guard down and not worry about getting lost because I knew Morita knew the way home.

It was amazing to hear some stories regarding World War II and see the area. Munich was where the Nazi party has a lot of roots and it was amazing to see how the area was cleaned up from the bombings. (Most of the old building debris is under the Olympia Park!) My grandpa was an American WWII veteran and he knew about WWII from a German side of things. Now we are both walking the streets together and are good friends. It's amazing how the world can change even in a lifetime.


On Saturday we took a bus tour of Munich, walked around the city, grabbed some food from the market and then went to the English Gardens. The gardens had quite the eclectic crowd. Between all the naked people, African drum circles, people playing football and the guys and girls surfing the "wave" in the river that flows through. Later in the afternoon we walked into the Englisher Garden and saw some drum circles and all of the nudists taking a dip in the creek. Over there it's like nothing, they don't even care about the nudity. America seems so stuck up and prudish compared to Europe and especially Germany. We spoke about music and shared some of our favorite songs. It was really a blast from the past and it was nice to be able to meet with an old friend while on my adventure. We chilled out for a few hours there just chatting about the old band days. Then we walked over to the world famous Hofbräuhaus and had an authentic German meal and drank a few more beers. I think I've tried about 11 different types of beer just this past weekend in Munich!


Before I forget, there is this pretty good cola drink called Mezzo Mix. The first time I saw it was at the train station in Germany so I don't know if it is sold anywhere else. It is cola mixed with a bit of orange flavor. Pretty tasty!! I also tried the carbonated water and absolutely hate it. If I need to quench my thirst, I'll just stick to something else.

We walked around town the next day and had breakfast at a little pastry shop near where he lived. He also cooked some German sausage for lunch and I did a load of laundry which was my second load on the trip! Needless to say, with the one backpack mentality, you have to hunt down laundromats during your trip.

Later that evening I left for Interlaken, Switzerland. The time was too short as always, but Moritz was a great host and one day I'll be back!

Prague, Czech Republic

I flew from Brussels to Prague because it was fairly cheap. I had no checked baggage and also because the train ride was going to be 12+ hours and an easily accessible night train was not available. I'm glad I flew.

...I'm also glad I didn't cross Prague off my list!

It was quite a sight flying into Prague at 10:30pm. As the airplane came down you could see outlines of all the main streets. It was lit up beautifully. It put London Heathrow and Chicago OHare to shame.

On the way in, my taxi driver asked if I was a tourist and I hesitantly said yes. I mean, it's pretty obvious when I have a backpack on. It's something that you can't hide and I sure can't speak any Czech to cover it up. He was very nice and told me that he would point out spots in town as we headed to my destination. It was dark out so I got to see the city in lights. We drove past the mini Eiffel Tower and after seeing the real one I can tell you that it is definitely a joke. I saw the Charles Bridge all lit up at night and I can say this is one thing that I wish I had a picture of. It was beautiful. We drove past a long line to get into a bar and he said that the area was popular with younger people who go to Charles University and "you go, you nice, you fit in, pretty girls in Prague." Haha. He was not lying though, there certainly were lots and lots of pretty girls in Prague!

I noticed that the Czech language sounded very harsh. Almost like they were mad at you! Before I go any further, you have to be careful in Prague if you decide to take a taxi. I did all my research beforehand and found reputable taxi companies (AAA Radiotaxi) because I knew I was going to come in late and I did not feel like learning yet another public transit system when it was dark out and partially shut down. I never had a problem. From the research I did, any taxi you order inside the airport will be a reputable company and you won't be scammed. Being ripped off by taxi drivers in Prague is well documented on the internet. I'd recommend taking the public transportation as it is cheaper and actually very easy to use. (except late at night...read on) There is a subway and also a tram system that you can use. You can buy many different types of passes and use both with the same pass.

It took about 25 minutes to get to my hostel. The cab ride was pretty cheap at about 20USD. Also, make sure you are carrying some Czech Korunas as well as Euros. Even though Prague is part of the EU, Euros are not excepted everywhere. Be glad of it too, it makes for a better exchange rate! In Prague I got the best bang for my USD. Everything was cheaper compared to other parts of Europe.

I checked into my hostel. The Czech Inn. I'd highly recommend this place. It is a bit off the main area, but it was hands down the nicest place I stayed on my entire trip. It actually felt like a hotel and people were so nice there. The wifi was great so I decided to grab a Czech Pilsner at the bar and fire up the Skype app on my iPhone to make a few phone calls back home. It was the first time I tried to use it internationally and it worked pretty well. Definitely worth the 12 dollars.


I woke up the next morning and my friend Megan and I hunted down the Prague Castle. It was guarded by soldiers and it was huge! We got poured on before we could make it there and I thought the weather looked nice in the morning so I didn't take my umbrella. Luckily it only rained for about an hour. After the weather cleared up, we walked into Old Town Square later that afternoon. This was the most architecturally beautiful thing I saw on my trip. The streets in Prague never really feel like they intersect. The roads seem to always just have a rounded edge and they always seem like they fork and it is easy to get lost. It is a good lost though, there is plenty to see. I remember turning on the road the led into the square. It felt awesome! It is nothing like you have seen anywhere else. Words and pictures don't do it justice. Just go see it!!


View Larger Map
We got lunch at a restaurant on the square and then we had to find a store. She needed a jacket and I needed a belt. We wandered around for a bit and then found a Tesco. I forgot my belt at home and with all of the walking I had been doing I ended up needing one by the time I got to Prague. I'm telling you, finding a belt in Prague was a pain in the ass! I went into all kinds of stores and even the one I bought was not your typical American plain belt. I had a choice of looking like I was blinged out or one with a bigger than usual belt buckle. I went with the bigger than usual belt buckle. Lesson learned. Don't forget your belt.

Later that night I decided to go on a Pub Crawl. What an adventure that was! Everyone who wanted to go was told to meet under the astronomical clock (see my pictures) in Old Town Square. I ventured up that way and met some Aussies, Canadians and a couple Irish guys. The first place we went to felt kind of touristy. I met all kinds of nationalities but it never felt like it was "true" Prague. We all stuck together for the night. The Irish guys dominated the alcohol as myself and the Aussies sat back and watched them down shot after shot after shot. For every 3 they did, we took 1 shot. If it were the alcohol Olympics, Ireland would take home gold. It's true what you see in the movies. Those cats can drink! We sat at the bar for an hour and politely poked fun at each others countries. It was a great time! They rounded us up and we went to another bar where I did my first shot of Absinthe. Why was this stuff illegal in the United States? (It's legal now) Who wrote that law back in 1912? Oh that's right, probably somebody who never tried it but decided it was bad for you. At this point we were all having a good time. We met Adalie and Marianne (hopefully those are spelled right.) from Sweden and we all learned a bit about Sweden.

We then went to this club. It was definitely more a club than it was a pub. I walked in and they were playing one of my favorite DJ Tiesto songs. They played it all. Bonobo, Sasha, Oakenfold and even some Timo Maas. I felt like I was at a bar and I finally fit in. I'm a huge fan of electronic music and Prague did not disappoint. In order to enjoy a club like this in the states you have to be in a big city. Nothing like this place would even survive in Indianapolis because people live and breathe the crappy Billboard Hot 100 here. Needless to say, I took advantage and lived it up.

A few more beers later and we all had to say goodbye. This is where it got interesting for me. I wouldn't say I was drunk, but I'd have to say the level of being impaired should be increased by default being that I'm in Prague. I speak English, they speak Czech. I never made a mistake on a transit system up until this point. I got on the Metro 22 back to Francouzská 240/76. It's the same line that I used to get there so why not take it back right? It makes logical sense even after a few beers. I was wrong. Prague changes their line numbers at night. I got on the wrong line and went to the opposite side of Prague. Awesome. I was just glad I didn't have my backpack so I could be flagged as a tourist just by looking at me. I wouldn't say I felt unsafe, I just felt awkward. One girl who you could tell was just as lost as I was stopped and asked me how to get somewhere in Czech. I just shrugged my shoulders and said "English." I felt like a jerk because the local people I met were always so helpful. She just kind of looked at me like a dog does when you say its name. A little back and forth curious head tilt. I told myself that I would give myself a set time of 15 minutes to find a metro stop. If I couldn't find anything within 15 minutes, I'd just flag a cab. I google mapped it but couldn't find anything near. Remember, the streets make no sense. I watched for a cab from a company that I knew was legit. At this point I thought I was a genius for researching it earlier. A $20 cab ride later and I was back at the Czech Inn. Honestly, I felt safe. I'd actually feel more unsafe walking the streets of the Indianapolis ghetto at night and I know the roads and the language. This was verified later, more shootings were committed in Indianapolis than Prague that night.


The next afternoon, that's right, I had a hard time getting up at my usual crack of dawn that day in Prague. It's a vacation, damn it! :) I ventured into town again and got some food at an outdoor patio. I had to catch a train to Munich, Germany later in the day so I wanted to at least stick near the train station.

When I left Prague I just kind of listened for certain words in the crowd standing under the train board. The departure board never actually displayed what dock that the train would be arriving on. The ladies in the information booth were pretty unhelpful because they only saw as much information as we did. I ended up following this older German couple. On the train I rode next to Peter who was also 25 and grew up in the Czech Republic. We talked the entire train ride because he wanted to practice his English with me. He was well aware of the two Indianapolis sports teams. I was shocked to find out that he knew who the Pacers were. He only knew Reggie Miller, but he is really the only Pacer you need to know. Shoot, I couldn't even tell you the current starting line up. He was very into the Colts. He was able to name several starters and he said he did not like the Patriots, so he and I got along just fine.

Prague pictures are here.