Check out the free Rick Steves Graffiti Wall to find European travel partners, current tips for travel, information about youth hostels, and fun locales for foodies. Rick Steves guidebooks have almost everything one needs for a trip to Europe (especially Euro Newbies). So, of course, Rick Steves has the best info site for vacation ideas.
Don't leave home without checking the Rick Steves' Website Graffiti Wall.
Rick Steves Graffiti Wall: The Best Info Site for European Trippers
The Graffiti Wall is a place for people to post the good, the bad, and the ugly about their European vacations. There aren’t many websites where travelers can find so much jam-packed data on one page. People can even find a travel partner. Here are a few bits of info from his 100+ travel topic links.
European Travel Partners Wanted
Click on European Travel Partners to locate someone who also wants to explore the Old Country. It’s much more fun to have a friend and it’s safer for a gal to have a girl or guy along. If a seeker is lucky, he or she will locate a buddy who can speak French or knows some non-touristy places in Spain, or well, one never knows what one will find. The posters are encouraged to leave info about:
- Starting and ending dates of a trip
- Countries on their itinerary
- Gender for a travel partner (male, female, or either)
- Age range for potential travel companion
- Budget (luxury 5 stars or youth hostel bunks)
- Transportation (railpass or rental car)
The 2009 posting list includes a 21y/o girl who wants to visit Greece and Italy, a 50y/o woman who’s going solo to Venice and loves Vivaldi, a 47y/o man experienced in indie travel, and a single 30-ish gal looking for people to meet for tapas in Spain. Look on website to find others, either for a travel partner or someone to meet up with for a beer in Munich.
Tips for Travel: Best Travel Shoes
There is a lot of walking involved in European and UK cities. Anyone planning on Euro Tripping should be breaking in a good pair of shoes as they read this article. This is the most important item of clothing that a traveler will wear or pack. If time is crunching, try zappos.com. Zappos will get shoes to their customers by the next day (this has changed, but often it is overnight). It’s free to have them shipped and returned. (Well, nothing is free. The cost is probably factored into the credit card float.) Anyway, Zappos is one place to try for walking shoes, but there are others, so look online for the best price.
Here are shoes that come highly recommended by Graffiti Wall women:
- Keen Leather Sandals, style “Naples”
- Mephisto Allrounder, Mephistos are expensive but a pair will last for years and take a traveler around the world
- Echo Yucatan Sandals
Shoes recommended by men:
- REI hiking boots
- MBT shoes or sandals
- Clarks
Check Graffiti Wall to get more info. Also, if there’s no time to break in a pair of shoes or if it’s hot, rub feet with antiperspirant. It keeps feet from getting blisters.
Tips for Travel in Youth Hostels
The Graffiti Wall says that there are more than 2,000 hostels in Europe. Some are in castles or Alpine chalets. Most places (not Bavaria) carry cheap beds for every age. Look at the Rick Steves website for more info. And, here are a few sample snippets of advice for specific locations in Europe:
- Stayokay Amsterdam Vondelpark in A'dam Netherlands, recommended by a gal out on her first solo trip
- Greg Tom Hostel in Krakow, in the center of town
- Danyhouse in Florence Italy, though it’s a party house and not so good for oldsters
Fun for Foodies
The Graffiti Wall has links for gastronomists. Europe is foodie heaven for those who know where to go. Follow the links for information:
- Several posters rave about Cook'n With Class in Paris.
- Great gelato at Old Bridge by the Vatican (Rome).
- Best Pizza in Rome is Massenzio at Largo Corrado Ricci
And, these posters haven’t even started talking about Bruges chocolate cherries. To die for. There’s a section just for chocolate. Don’t click on it right before lunch. Promise.
Check out the free Rick Steves Graffiti Wall to find more info. It’s packed with tidbits about youth hostels, travel partners, foodie stops, and so much it’s hard to take it all in. Oh, check out Rick Steves books for Europe. Rick rocks.
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Christina Gregoire - Christina Gregoire writes about divorce, fashion, and baby boomers. Her forte is explaining complex ideas in simple language.
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