It's a rainy day in Toronto, still 7.5 weeks until I leave for vacation, and I'm 2 travel tickets away from completing all my major transportation bookings through Central Europe.
To distract myself from the 52 day countdown, I've been following my friend Sylvia's roadtrip adventures through the U.S. She's already seen more of the states than I ever have and at some point I hope to a less charted vacation like hers too. Having only 2 weeks and a mountain of recos and dream destinations, I made the decision early to pre-book my transportation and accommodations to keep my time and wallet better budgeted. I think it started when I decided to get a ticket to see Cirque du Soleil's Allegria (the most recommended Cirque show from almost every avid fan I know), which meant I would have to be in Salzberg somehow on Oct 5. With my flight going to Venice, the map and route plotting began...
I've also come into possession of a LG Optimus Pad aka one of the many new tablets hitting the market in recent months. I'm very excited about this since its lightweight dimensions and capabilities are ideal for travel. My HP Mini netbook has served me well the last couple of years and but onwards and upwards in the parade of technological advances! Between the tablet and my iphone, I should be able to post many an update and rack up a phenomenal amount of data charges! Just kidding, I plan to keep the tablet as wifi only while overseas (though if you catch me at TIFF I will likely be carrying it around with a SIM card in use)and am still researching the best travel pack to add onto my iphone.
There's certainly no shortage on my list of things to do in each city, but I always welcome more suggestions. Please let me know if you have further must-do's in Venice, Milan, Salzburg, Vienna, Budapest, and Prague. I've decided to skip Bratislava and Liechtenstein this trip, but next time I'm back in that direction I will be sure to stop in.
Tuesday, August 09, 2011
Thursday, August 04, 2011
Spare Change for the Opera?
One of the jewels of Vienna I'm told is the Wiener Staatsoper (trying to resist the urge to make a hot dog joke...) aka the Vienna Opera House, one of the most important opera houses in the world.
Access into the opera house itself is restricted to guided tours and performances, the former not very appealing as I'm allergic to tour guides. Performances, while enjoyable to me, can get pretty pricey. Shows at the Wiener Staatsoper are actually quite reasonable with tickets as cheap as 11€-30€, the views will be obstructed but at least you're in the building with a seat for the show. To save further, if you're willing to give up your seat (literally), there are 600 standing spots per show with tickets as cheap as 3€ each!
This blurb from Trip Advisor outlines where to line up for super cheap same day standing room tickets, the options for where you can stand, tips on proper etiquette and how to politely secure your spot. I think it's worthwhile to give this a go, and I will report back later in the fall on how I do. I figure the plan of attack is to pack my binoculars (I'm not cultured enough to own opera glasses nor do I know the functional differences between the two) and sit during intermissions to rest up. For 3€ I also wouldn't feel too badly if I got tired/bored and decided to leave during one of the breaks.
If you follow this link, it will bring you to a large image of the inside of the opera house. It's a little blurry but if you scroll you'll notice on the main level and on the top level at the very back there are some folks standing at the very back behind some railings. Personally I can live with that, especially knowing that I've just saved myself up to 150€.
Access into the opera house itself is restricted to guided tours and performances, the former not very appealing as I'm allergic to tour guides. Performances, while enjoyable to me, can get pretty pricey. Shows at the Wiener Staatsoper are actually quite reasonable with tickets as cheap as 11€-30€, the views will be obstructed but at least you're in the building with a seat for the show. To save further, if you're willing to give up your seat (literally), there are 600 standing spots per show with tickets as cheap as 3€ each!
This blurb from Trip Advisor outlines where to line up for super cheap same day standing room tickets, the options for where you can stand, tips on proper etiquette and how to politely secure your spot. I think it's worthwhile to give this a go, and I will report back later in the fall on how I do. I figure the plan of attack is to pack my binoculars (I'm not cultured enough to own opera glasses nor do I know the functional differences between the two) and sit during intermissions to rest up. For 3€ I also wouldn't feel too badly if I got tired/bored and decided to leave during one of the breaks.
If you follow this link, it will bring you to a large image of the inside of the opera house. It's a little blurry but if you scroll you'll notice on the main level and on the top level at the very back there are some folks standing at the very back behind some railings. Personally I can live with that, especially knowing that I've just saved myself up to 150€.
Tuesday, August 02, 2011
To Pack or Not To Pack...That Is the Traveller's Question
August is here, and half the summer has gone by... perhaps you've already taken a trip this summer, or maybe it's fast approaching... I prefer to travel during low season, which is usually in the fall, so my own vacation is still 8.5 weeks off (*sigh*)
No matter what kind of a vacation you decide to take, where ever you decide to go, and however long you're away, one of the universal challenges of a traveler is how to pack efficiently. There is no correct answer to this, everyone has their own preference and items of necessity/comfort. I think the most important thing is to organize and analyze.
There are different ways to approach this, but in all instances, it's still better to pack a few days to a week in advance to avoid forgetting things. If you have an upcoming trip, why not take a look at this site for some packing tips to start? The Independent Traveler site gives you the rundown with packing tips, most common problems, and an interactive customizable packing list.
There's a few personal practices I adhere to when it comes to packing (and avoiding extra baggage fees)...
1. Dress in layers
Check your destination weather as much as you like, there will always be a margin of error for what the actual temps will when you get there. Not to mention if you're traveling to a destination that has a different climate than your own, you still need to arrive to the airport and get home later in the proper attire. To avoid having to pack for 2 different climates, try to layer. This will also theoretically give you more wardrobe combination while on the road. Also, extra hoodies can be rolled up and double for pillows.
2. Wear your heaviest clothing items onto the plane
Heaviest can be in reference to weight or warmth. These will usually be the parkas/ski jackets/pea coats... they either weigh a lot, take up a lot of room in your suitcase, or both. Packed in a bag or suitcase their dimensions/weight will work against you, maybe even resulting in extra baggage fees. But airlines cannot penalize you for your body mass, whether you weight 90 Ibs or 250 Ibs, the price for you to get on the plane remains the same. Stuff a reusable shopping bag in your carry-on, once you're onboard, fold the jacket up, put it in the bag, and sling it into the overhead compartment. Sure you might look like a moron boarding a flight to Hawaii in a wool coat, but it's worth it knowing you've just legally and cost-effectively increased your carry-on allowance. (Note: wearing an unusually large coat is a visual cue for spotting terrorists, so don't do this unless you're originating or destination city is actually cold enough to require such a jacket)
3. Pack a PJ t-shirt that you wouldn't be embarrassed to wear to the mall
Sometimes even with the best planning and prep, things go wrong. You might be short a change of clothes or have an exploding liquid mishap that ruins some of your shirts. Most travel destinations will have somewhere you can go to pick up a new shirt, but for whatever reason you might not want to (ie. you're low on funds) This is why when selecting pj's for travel my rule of thumb is to opt for slightly loose-fitting t-shirts that I would be willing to wear out if need be, so that in a pinch I can wear them for a day of sight-seeing without feeling awkward.
4. Pack a change of underwear and a thin clean t-shirt in your carry-on
Also a good idea in case of unexpected mishaps, or lost luggage. The change of undies and shirt will give you an extra day while you wait for your luggage to arrive and/or to go out and buy some new clothes.
In all my meticulous preparations and list-making, I can sometimes err in the other direction and wind up packing too much. I'm well-prepared, but then I usually wind up having to visit a massage therapist for my back the day after I return. In anticipation of my fall trip, I'm going to try the following to reduce the weight of my luggage, hopefully this will give my back a break (or allow me buy more souvenirs...either way...)
-cut down on the number of books I bring by using my ebook reader on my iphone and just bring a couple of magazines for take-off and landing that I can then trade with my mom or discard.
-take advantage of my longer stopovers to do a bit of laundry. A little bit of hand-washing clothes in the bathroom sink never killed anyone, takes a little longer to dry so I'll just have to remember to get those socks washed the first day I arrive in the city, but this way I won't have to pack 14 of everything. I've rented private flats in a couple of my destinations so my clothes can be hung up undisturbed by housekeeping.
-use phone camera instead of bringing another point and shoot. I have a Canon SX30IS for scenic photography, in addition I usually bring a pocket camera to take around when I'm not expecting spectacular scenery or "just in case". With the advanced technology of phone cameras these days I'm just going to rely on my iphone for these instances, so that will be one less device to worry about.
-try to do without my hair straightener. Don't underestimate vanity...but I also shouldn't underestimate my ability to deal with my hair either. I didn't own a straightener for most of my life and still got my hair to behave when I needed it to, it's not a trip that requires me to dress up a lot, so if all else fails I can resort to a ponytail.
No matter what kind of a vacation you decide to take, where ever you decide to go, and however long you're away, one of the universal challenges of a traveler is how to pack efficiently. There is no correct answer to this, everyone has their own preference and items of necessity/comfort. I think the most important thing is to organize and analyze.
There are different ways to approach this, but in all instances, it's still better to pack a few days to a week in advance to avoid forgetting things. If you have an upcoming trip, why not take a look at this site for some packing tips to start? The Independent Traveler site gives you the rundown with packing tips, most common problems, and an interactive customizable packing list.
There's a few personal practices I adhere to when it comes to packing (and avoiding extra baggage fees)...
1. Dress in layers
Check your destination weather as much as you like, there will always be a margin of error for what the actual temps will when you get there. Not to mention if you're traveling to a destination that has a different climate than your own, you still need to arrive to the airport and get home later in the proper attire. To avoid having to pack for 2 different climates, try to layer. This will also theoretically give you more wardrobe combination while on the road. Also, extra hoodies can be rolled up and double for pillows.
2. Wear your heaviest clothing items onto the plane
Heaviest can be in reference to weight or warmth. These will usually be the parkas/ski jackets/pea coats... they either weigh a lot, take up a lot of room in your suitcase, or both. Packed in a bag or suitcase their dimensions/weight will work against you, maybe even resulting in extra baggage fees. But airlines cannot penalize you for your body mass, whether you weight 90 Ibs or 250 Ibs, the price for you to get on the plane remains the same. Stuff a reusable shopping bag in your carry-on, once you're onboard, fold the jacket up, put it in the bag, and sling it into the overhead compartment. Sure you might look like a moron boarding a flight to Hawaii in a wool coat, but it's worth it knowing you've just legally and cost-effectively increased your carry-on allowance. (Note: wearing an unusually large coat is a visual cue for spotting terrorists, so don't do this unless you're originating or destination city is actually cold enough to require such a jacket)
3. Pack a PJ t-shirt that you wouldn't be embarrassed to wear to the mall
Sometimes even with the best planning and prep, things go wrong. You might be short a change of clothes or have an exploding liquid mishap that ruins some of your shirts. Most travel destinations will have somewhere you can go to pick up a new shirt, but for whatever reason you might not want to (ie. you're low on funds) This is why when selecting pj's for travel my rule of thumb is to opt for slightly loose-fitting t-shirts that I would be willing to wear out if need be, so that in a pinch I can wear them for a day of sight-seeing without feeling awkward.
4. Pack a change of underwear and a thin clean t-shirt in your carry-on
Also a good idea in case of unexpected mishaps, or lost luggage. The change of undies and shirt will give you an extra day while you wait for your luggage to arrive and/or to go out and buy some new clothes.
In all my meticulous preparations and list-making, I can sometimes err in the other direction and wind up packing too much. I'm well-prepared, but then I usually wind up having to visit a massage therapist for my back the day after I return. In anticipation of my fall trip, I'm going to try the following to reduce the weight of my luggage, hopefully this will give my back a break (or allow me buy more souvenirs...either way...)
-cut down on the number of books I bring by using my ebook reader on my iphone and just bring a couple of magazines for take-off and landing that I can then trade with my mom or discard.
-take advantage of my longer stopovers to do a bit of laundry. A little bit of hand-washing clothes in the bathroom sink never killed anyone, takes a little longer to dry so I'll just have to remember to get those socks washed the first day I arrive in the city, but this way I won't have to pack 14 of everything. I've rented private flats in a couple of my destinations so my clothes can be hung up undisturbed by housekeeping.
-use phone camera instead of bringing another point and shoot. I have a Canon SX30IS for scenic photography, in addition I usually bring a pocket camera to take around when I'm not expecting spectacular scenery or "just in case". With the advanced technology of phone cameras these days I'm just going to rely on my iphone for these instances, so that will be one less device to worry about.
-try to do without my hair straightener. Don't underestimate vanity...but I also shouldn't underestimate my ability to deal with my hair either. I didn't own a straightener for most of my life and still got my hair to behave when I needed it to, it's not a trip that requires me to dress up a lot, so if all else fails I can resort to a ponytail.
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