The Essential Packing List

Boy, I hate packing. I hate the planning part even more. But, if I had to rate anything lower than either one of those two it would busting my butt with a bunch of overloaded bags as I travel across the continent of Europe. Gosh, just the hassle of getting all those bags to the baggage counter at the area causes me to wake up in cold sweat, never mind the nightmare of getting them up the stairs at a B and B.

In our last post we wrote about our philosophy of packing. One bag is all you need, even for longer trips. Women this works for you too. Now, I suppose if you are headed to a swank resort for a week and you’re into the nightlife and such more than one bag might be necessary. That sure doesn’t describe us though.

So you understand the philospophy, now you want to have a better idea of just what to pack to keep that bag light as a feather. Well, that list is a bit long for this entry to my blog, but here is a link to a very good list that will give you everything that you need to know about packing for that great trip. See you in Europe. Hopefully much lighter afoot.

Packing Essentials for Your European Trip

What to Pack? What to Pack?

I have to shake my head as I walk through the airport, or train station while traveling through Europe. It’s an amazing sight really. One person schlepping four or five full-sized pieces of luggage. My gosh, what a pain the …

Avoiding a hernia while traveling is just a matter of planning and packing the essentials, and that doesn’t mean the kitchen sink. Now, I understand that we all have slightly different standards for what we call “essential”, but my wife and I manage to make our way around Europe for a month or more at a time with just one bag and a daypack each.

Yes, you read that right. One!

It isn’t hard at all if you make a fundamental shift in your thinking. Do you really need to wear a new outfit everyday? After all, the people you meet today will more than likely not be the people you meet tomorrow. The only ones who will know that you are wearing the same pants today as yesterday is your traveling companion. Just a fresh change of underwear and socks each day and a hand wash to get them clean and you’re good to go.
More of this article can be found at Planning Easy European Travels.Com

International Travel is a Mind Opening Experience

Have you spent any time giving thought to the joys of international travel? This is something that my wife and I keep as a focus in our lives. We just can’t get enough of visiting Europe. We feel there is nothing better than to spend our time and money wandering the backroads of Europe. Maybe you feel the same. If not, possibly the following article will have you thinking other thoughts.

This article was submitted by one of our contributing editors. Chris Nugent is an avid traveler, and like us, she loves to share her thoughts and experiences in international travel through the written word with others. We hope you find the following article to be both interesting and informative. If you have pertinent thoughts you would like to add, please feel free to submit you comments below.

International Travel

International travel opens your mind to the diversity of humanity. Does a foreign vacation seem an impossible dream? It isn’t. Come see why.

You need not be rich to engage in international travel. A well-planned itinerary is as close as your computer keyboard. You can find a good airfare if you plan ahead and travel in the so-called ìshoulderî seasons, generally in fall and spring. You’ll find the cheapest fares in winter. If you’re traveling to Italy or Spain, this can be a plus, with mild winter temperatures. If you’re really adventurous and footloose, look into courier deals. Airfare on international travel can be free!

Think outside the box when booking accommodations. Whether your trip is for a week or a month, look online for housing for rent on a daily or weekly basis. Rentals may include kitchen equipment, linens, telephone, internet connections and laundry facilities.

Having a kitchen lets you prepare some of your meals yourself. You can save a bundle of money and time just fixing your morning coffee and breakfast before going out sightseeing. Laundry facilities also save time and money. Send email postcards to friends and family with a click of your mouse. More time and money saved, letting you make the most of your vacation time.

Experiencing a different culture is a great adventure. It’s the little things that really reach out and grab you. For example, European society is similar in many ways to American society. Yet, daily priorities are different. Food is a much more drawn out event than our eat-and-run habit. Meals are enjoyed slowly, seasoned with the camaraderie of your companions. And it’s actually quite safe to go out at night in any major European city!

Try new things! Walk around your neighborhood and discover the bookstore, grocer, hardware, night club or restaurant. Neighborhood businesses reflect the tempo of life in your chosen destination. Jump into the culture, and rejoice!

International travel exposes you to new cuisines. You may never taste an authentic Spanish Paella, empanada, French Pistou or Italian pizza unless you take the leap and immerse yourself in your international travel destination of choice.

Part of the experience of international travel is getting around. Be adventurous! Large cities, such as Paris, have inexpensive and ultra-efficient access to anywhere you want to go.

With today’s many restrictions on baggage, plan for only carry-on luggage. You’ll avoid lost luggage, and walking and waiting time at the carousel.

You can pack everything you need for a month’s stay anywhere in a carry-on. It’s easy to find a foreign equivalent of an American drugstore and pick up any toiletries you may need. These items take up space in your luggage and tend to leak under cabin pressure. Shop duty-free shops at the airport for perfumes, colognes and the like.

International travel is a blast! Wherever you’ve dreamed of traveling, do an ‘armchair’ search. You may find it’s within your reach!

Keep in mind that traveling to other parts of the world is a way to gather new perspectives and to realize that there is more than on way to view any issue and that ours is not always the best way. Best wishes on all of your upcoming voyages.

Learning a Foreign Language makes European Travel more Fun.

We hope you find this article about learning a foreign langauge to be both interesting and informative. Should you have any thoughts on the topic, please feel free to add comments below. We appreciate your interest. Thanks for visiting.

There are several reasons for learning a foreign language, including traveling abroad, business meetings and relations, moving to another country, communicating with foreign family members, or simply the desire to learn. Learning a foreign language can be very difficult for anyone, but with the right resources it is certainly something that can be accomplished. Whatever the reason, there are some places and resources that may be useful during your quest to learn.

First, the most accessible ways of learning a foreign language are books, books on tape, and dictionaries. These can be found in just about any larger bookstore or public library. Books are functional because they are relatively inexpensive, even free if you utilize the local public library. These can also be taken along with you for quick reference if you are learning a foreign language because of travel or business purposes.

Find the full article on Learning a Foreign Language in the Travel Section of Easy European Travels.Com.

Do we need Travel Agents?

We hope that you find this article both interesting and informative.  If you have thoughts that you would like to add, please leave your comments below.

Travleing for pleasure is an excellent recreational activity.  My wife and I travel to Europe each summer.  For me half the fun of making the trip is the planning of it.  This includes finding and securing rooms and all of our transportation needs.  Because of this we seldom use travel agents.  In fact, my wife has a close friend that is a travel agent, and she says that more and more people are just like us.  We take care of the details ourselves.  Why the shift?  The internet of course.

More and more people are booking their vacations and doing the research online. Travel agents are seeing less people walking through their doors. There are many websites that help people find the best deals and allow you to make all of your plans through their sites. I have used travel agents since my senior year trip and no matter how many websites offer unbeatable deals, I will remain loyal to travel agents. I have taken a liking to doing my own research. It isn’t difficult to go ahead and check out the destinations that you are thinking about exploring. I have done that many times. I have even looked at rates to see if they are affordable before I approach travel agents. I certainly don’t want to spend my time, or their time, looking into trying to find a travel deal that I can afford if I already know that I cannot.

>>>We invite you to read more about European Travels at Easy Europen Travels.com.<<<

Travel agents are not only in existence to book your travel. They are there to answer any and all of your questions regarding traveling. If you are planning on international travel, they can advise you of things you need to know. You can find out what some of the laws are that might affect you. They know all of the fees for entering and exiting the countries. Not only can they give you the facts, but they make recommendations as to where you may want to travel to and what there is to see and do. Travel agents are there to make your life easier and ensure that your vacation needs are completely taken care of. The internet cannot do that. As much as people like and trust the internet to make everything perfect, there is something more comforting about talking to an actual person. You can book all of your flights and hotels through the internet but when it comes to complaining or trying to resolve an issue, suddenly a website cannot be of assistance. Travel agents are there to assist you.

When my husband and I decided to elope to exchange vows, we called up some travel agents. One in particular, seemed to be exactly what we were looking for. She was very sweet and incredibly helpful. By the time I ended the 30 minute conversation with her, she had renewed my faith in travel agents. She had given me many choices of where we could go that we’d have wonderful weather for the month we were planning to travel. She gave us some educated guesses about pricing without even checking anything officially. I asked tons of questions and she was incredibly patient with me. She booked our vacation that same afternoon and even put us in touch with a wedding coordinator at the resort. It turned out wonderfully, just as she promised. I’m also a fan of travel agents over the internet because if you end up booking the vacation from hell, you have no one to blame but yourself. If you used a travel agency, at least you’ll have someone to complain to.

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