Let Google Know Your Deepest, Darkest Secrets - One of the most useful tools I've had access to during our trip has been Google Maps. When you stay signed in during your searches and also have a Gmail account, Google consolidates all of the relevant information and displays it to you in a useful format. For instance, when I look at a map of Barcelona, I know my what date and time my flight takes off. I also know where I'm staying and the dates of my stay. This feature holds extra value when you're working offline (we don't have a data plan here) and regularly navigating a new city. Because of Google, we always know where home is.
The other extremely useful feature of Google Maps is the little direction arrow that displays where you are. This feature displays even when you're offline and also lets you know which direction you're moving. I can't tell you how many hours this has saved me over the past month.
Since privacy is a relic of the past anyway, you may as well give Google all the access it wants so it can at least provide some utility while you travel.
Travel on Sundays
Most of Europe is dead on Sundays, which makes it the perfect day to travel. We've been in transit 3 of the last 4 Sundays and it's worked out really well. There's nothing to do, most shops and many restaurants aren't open, and you can't fully experience the city. Better to spend a large chunk of the day on a plane/train so you can take full advantage of the city the other 6 days of the week.
Bank Tips
Some credit/debit cards in Europe will give you the option to pay in the local currency or USD. This seems like a really nice service for their customers until you calculate the exchange rates they charge to pay in USD. You will pay at least 10% more in USD than by choosing the local currency. In one eye opening experience, I was asked if I wanted to take out cash from an ATM in Euros or USD. I was pulling out 200€ and selected to pull my money out in local currency. The ATM informed me that the only way to "lock in" my exchange rate would be to charge in USD instead of Euros, where the exchange rate could be anything my bank wanted to charge. I knew better so I pulled out in Euros, but the language was ominous enough that I imagine most people would choose USD. I checked my statement when I got back to our apartment: the final tally - my Euros cost me $221. If I would have pulled out in USD to "lock in" my exchange rate, they would have cost me $255. I can only imagine how many millions of dollars the banks are scamming off of unsuspecting customers on vacation. Now it makes sense why most banks don't charge foreign transaction fees on credit cards anymore, they figured out a way to make more money and be "customer friendly" at the same time. Be alert for this deceptive practice when traveling abroad.
One post note, of all the cards I've used while abroad, American Express seems to be the only company that is not participating in this deceptive practice. Unfortunately, most European merchants don't accept AMEX. Kudos to AMEX for staying true to great customer service. The same cannot be said for Chase (with Visa) or CapitalOne (with MasterCard).
Use Airbnb
One of the other great finds from our trip has been Airbnb. I was a little skeptical of using Airbnb before this trip as I've been spoiled with dozens of free hotel rooms from all the traveling I've done for work over the years. I would have continued to stay in hotels for the duration of this trip but after about 11 free nights, I was fresh out of points. Hotels, especially in Europe's biggest cities, can be expensive, so Rachel and I decided to give Airbnb a shot. So far, we have had an overwhelmingly positive experience and have loved most of the places we've stayed. You feel more like a local and it's easier to assimilate into the culture of a new country as most owners provide local recommendations which are far superior to anything you'll get from a concierge at a hotel. We've discovered great neighborhoods, met interesting people, and most importantly, had access to washing machines! And we did all this at a fraction of the cost of a hotel (about $100/night all in). And if you really want to do Europe on the cheap, Airbnb gives you the option to stay in a private room in someone's apartment who lives there. Rachel and I chose this option in Switzerland and had a fantastic experience. Sure, you could land a creeper or a pain in the ass, but it just adds to the intrigue and could provide a great story down the road.
The only real downside to Airbnb is that the check in/check out process requires a little more coordination. You need to figure out when you're going to pick up the keys which usually requires an in-person meet up. We haven't had any problems with this and our hosts have been more than accommodating, but I'm sure there have been people stranded outside for long periods of time with luggage who just want to get inside and relax.
It amazes me how powerful of a market Airbnb unlocked. The "sharing economy" is certainly alive and well.
Create Your Own WiFi Network
Rachel and I decided we didn't want to be connected that much during our trip, and that the WiFi in the hotel/Airbnb would suffice. However, there are times when we've needed WiFi in the middle of the day to find out where a restaurant is, look up train times, or get directions. This is where leveraging past WiFi networks becomes valuable. Multiple times on this trip, we simply walked past a restaurant or bar we connected to previously and used the WiFi again. It's great when you just need a quick connection. Also, if you're really desperate, go to a department store. They almost always have free WiFi and you don't have to buy anything.
Anything I missed? Anything you would recommend? Feel free to comment.
Jeff
1 comment:
Awesome tips. And timely too!
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