As we travel around, we learn helpful bits of info that might help others. We will add them here as and when we encounter them. We will try group them together in some semblance of order.
Train Travel
These are a few of the sites we have used to book trains while traveling in the UK and Europe. They don’t always show all the available trains but generally they are pretty good.
Most have an app which you can download to your phone for ease of booking when you are on the road. The app will also keep you up to date with departure and arrival times, where the train will stop and a whole bunch of other useful info. Worth downloading!
Trainline – we used mostly in the UK but is also pretty good in Europe. Does buses as well.
Trenitalia – for trains in Italy.
Deutsche Bahn – for trains in Germany
Trenitalia and Deutsche Bahn will often also do cross border trips if the train originates in one of their stations.
Nightjet Trains If you want to travel a fair distance overnight in relative comfort, then see what is on offer at Nightjet trains. They have an expanding network of overnight trains connecting many of the major European cities.
We traveled from Munich to Milan overnight on a Nightjet train and had a great trip.
If you are on a (tight) budget, then this is a great option. Often you will get your night’s accommodation and the trip for the price of staying a night in a budget hotel or Air BnB.
Eurostar is probably best known for the London to Paris/Paris to London run but it does go to other destinations on the continent such as Brussels and Amsterdam.
If you are going to use the Eurostar to cross the channel in either direction, then make sure you leave a decent amount of time to go through the boarding procedures. Following the implementation of Brexit, every man and his dog has to go through passport control and customs before getting on the train.
It takes time and is a bit of a dog’s breakfast as many people don’t take this into account and so there is a fair degree of mild panic in ensuring everyone gets through and onto the train.
Sadly, at the time of writing, it was probably cheaper to fly to Paris than train it.
Special Offers on Train Tickets
Before you book anything, check what special offers are available.
For example, in August 2022 DB offered an 8 euro special. You could go anywhere in Germany by train for 8 euros. We found this out just after having paid 18 euros each for Munich – Oberammergau – Munich train tickets to go see the Passion Play.
It wasn’t a particularly expensive mistake but just taught us to check first!
Getting Around Paris
If you are in Paris for a week or more, then it’s definitely worth investigating the Navigo Travel Pass
It will save you a fair amount of money and allows you to move around the greater Paris region with a single pass. You need a passport photo or two and you can buy them at most major train stations in Paris.
Accommodation
Moving from point A to point B and accommodation are probably the two most expensive aspects of travel.
We have family and friends spread across some areas of the globe. So we arrive on their doorsteps from time to time but are ever mindful of the saying:
“Friends and family are like fish – they go off after a few days!”
And of course, there are lots of places we go, or want to go, where there are neither friends nor family. It then really comes down to your budget and where and how long you want to stay.
Or maybe not!
We signed up to Trusted House Sitters . It’s a fantastic concept that operates in many countries and is worth checking out. It has allowed us to stay in places very cheaply for weeks on end and really experience what the local lifestyle has to offer.
Hotels etc
We try to avoid hotels as much as possible because they are pretty much the same the world over. However, when your plane or train or boat is leaving at 5am in the morning, staying in a hotel for the night before is often the most sensible and practical option.
For the few times we have had to do this, we have found booking.com to be quick and efficient. They offer a lot more – flights, car hire etc but we have never put those to the test.
What we have learned (the hard way) is that it’s best to spend the extra few bucks to have the option to change dates, cancel etc. Murphy is alive and well and very active when you plan to be somewhere on a particular day at a specific time.
Flexibility is King when you travel.
We have also used airbnb from time to time when we needed a bit longer than one night in a spot but could not find a house sit in that area. These were usually last minute decisions. It’s usually not the cheapest option but is usually pretty convenient and the booking is efficient.
We haven’t (yet) tried it, but many travelers have used airbnb accommodation quite economically by booking a place out for over 30 odd days. They have often found that the long stay discount offered makes the daily rate affordable.
It will depend on your budget and the discounts offered, but it is worth checking out!
SIM Cards
As we move around, we have had several challenges when it comes to staying connected.
Nowadays there are not too many places you can go where you cannot hook up to the WiFi.
However, mobile comms are not always that easily on tap and we prefer to have a local SIM in our mobile(cellular) phones. We always have international roaming from our home base available but that’s expensive to use.
We have had limited success in finding suitable solutions to our SIM card requirements. Below is a summary of our experience so far.
NB The world of modern comms changes almost by the hour. So whatever worked for us might have changed by the time you read this. So use the info below as a guide and then check out the specifics for yourself.
Dubai – no issues. Sign up to e.g. Virgin and you can renew month by month on the app as required. You can also put it on hold if you leave the UAE but plan to return sometime in the future.
NB: Try not to sign up as you come through arrivals at the airport. You will inevitably sign up for the most expensive option! As with Mobile phone networks the world over, there are a squillion different options on offer that change ten times a week.
So take a bit of time to research the options before taking the plunge. You will need your passport and possibly an address in Dubai to sign up. But post Covid Dubai is keen for business so a lot of red tape has gone out the window.
UK – giffgaff works well. Super easy to set up and deal with. You will need a UK address for them to deliver the card to. You can also roam in quite a few countries with your giffgaff SIM but there are conditions attached.
France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany – buying a SIM card is not an issue but they aren’t always practical! They are mostly a “Tourist SIM” that is only valid for 15 days in the country of purchase. We did manage to buy a SIM for the Orange network that was valid for 30 days across most of Europe but we had problems with it as soon as we crossed a border.
You can follow our travel adventures on NoTiesNoheels.com
