sandralist

But clothes need to dry, and the itinerary outlined above is very brisk, constantly on the go, and it covers a long period of time. For the depth of cold in the places visited, it would be fairly impossible to go without some heavier trousers, socks, and shirts/long sleeve tops. Outer garments and sweaters can go the whole distance , but enough winter clothes for a month can't.

If I wash any clothes in a sink, I try to do it as soon as I check in to give maximum drying time. Clothes don't always dry well hung in bathrooms or rooms. They can't be hung outside in Jan & Feb. Personally I would rather just get my clothes washed and dried professionally, all at once. For a trip this long, I would want to track down a mid-trip opportunity to do a full load of wash and get it dry as well.

kimhe

Perhaps go to the fabulous Tamborrada festival on January 19 and 20 in San Sebastian in Northern Spain very close to the French border. Music, drums, dance, literally the best food in Europe, drinks and party for 24 very intense hours. http://www.donquijote.org/culture/sp.../la-tamborrada

Here is the city choir Orfeón Donostiarra leading the crowds on the main square in San Sebastián's Parte vieja (Old town) singing on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of one of the city's most famous gastronomic societies (Gaztelubide) during the Tamborrada in 2008: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhncDjXMeQ4

About beautiful Donostia/San Sebastian, the food capital of Spain if not all of Europe and very popular with surfers.
http://www.sansebastianturismo.com/en/

thursdaysd

I test wash and dry my clothes before they get to travel. I travel for months at a time, and I find it's less hassle to take care of laundry myself.

janisj

I'm w/ thursdaysd. I take nothing that won't dry quickly or at least over night. The only exception is I do sometimes take one pair of jeans (never more -- other fabrics are more practical). But never wear them enough that they must be washed. If they do happen to get dirty - I just stick them in my suitcase and leave them til I get home. Everything else I pack will dry in a couple of hour or over night at the most.

PalenQ

Do the French ladies still buy and wear tissue paper pants as in the old child's song and which was true after the war and according to my French friends until not too long ago but who knows maybe they still sell em - if so that could be a solution to part of the laundry problem.

Playground Jungle: Index of First/Key Lines
http://www.playgroundjungle.com/2009...rst-lines.html
All the girls in France Wear tissue-paper pants. When they climb up a pole ... May also be "toilet-paper pants" for that extra measure of naughtyness.

TrojanTravler

Thank you again for all the replies. I have taken all the advice to heart. So far I have decided that a) I need to plan more time between cities -- though I will still be brisk in a few, less major destinations. b) I bought a pair of boots online, http://www.sorel.com/mens-ankeny-mid...53371.html#fit they seem the most practical for winter walking. Thoughts? c) I need to decide backpack or luggage and the point that i'll be slushing around in the snow makes me lean more towards backpack.

If possible, I would still like some advice similar to kimhe's of events taking place during my travels that are somewhat in line with my itinerary. So far the updated places and dates are listed below. Again, thanks to all for the help thus far!

Lisbon: 26-Dec - 29-Dec
Madrid: 29-Dec - 1-Jan
Barcelona: 1-Jan - 4-Jan
San Sebastian: 4-Jan - 6-Jan
Aquitaine: 6-Jan - 9-Jan
Paris: 9-Jan - 12-Jan

Amsterdam: 12-Jan - 16-Jan
Hamburg:
Berlin:
Copenhagen:
Prague:
Budapest:
Vienna:
Zurich:
London: Depart February 10th-15thish

janisj

You do list two destinations on the same days - it is better to lay out an itinerary in nights, not days.

what you really have is:
Lisbon: 26-Dec - 28-Dec
Madrid: 29-Dec - 31-Dec
Barcelona: 1-Jan - 3-Jan
San Sebastian: 4-Jan - 5-Jan
Aquitaine: 6-Jan -8-Jan
Paris: 9-Jan - 11-Jan
Amsterdam: 12-Jan - 15-Jan

This is a rush for sure.

Then you are visiting 8 more cities in 7 countries in the next 4 weeks.

That is a LOT to bite off . . .

PalenQ

Why Zurich? Many flks are nonplussed by this yes nice but modern city - you will not see the real Switzerland in Zurich but in places like the Interlaken-Jungfrau Region - the soaring glacier-girdled Alpine peaks, toylike mountain trains and thrilling aerial cableways going off in all directions, etc.

Janis is right about the first part at least being a little rushed - cut out maybe Hamburg and Zurich (especially in the dead of winter) and add days to Paris and other stops perhaps.

PalenQ

With stops often very far apart you may of course fly but Europe also has a network of overnight trains linking cities far removed from each other - plus you save on a night in a hotel.

Sassafrass

Is your GF a real "winter, doesn't mind traipsing through all kinds of weather, carrying a backpack" kind of woman? Is she having any input on this trip?

You bought hiking boots for yourself. Good, but does she have proper shoes and clothing yet for this adventure?

Does she want to tote a backpack or use wheeled luggage?

You might consider sitting down with her to learn her expectations for the trip and to make sure she is aware of weather, short days, and longish travel times.

Since she is probably wanting to please you, she may be going along with something she won't really enjoy. Frankly, if that is the case, it is not a good thing. Just saying, it is something for you to think about seriously.

TrojanTravler

Thanks for the relationship advice, Sassafrass! You can rest assured she is involved in the decision making (is following this blog post as well), and that I am not a douchebag just because i'm an american.

Thanks!

Sassafrass

Trojan, certainly never thought you were a "d______g" or that the question had anything to do with being American. Just that except for her going, you had not mentioned your GF again, and you might be surprised how often the person planning is so excited about making plans, they can't think it possible that the other person would like something else or might not be prepared for the trip.

An acquaintance got a surprise, last minute trip from her BF. Until they were at the airport, she thought they were going to a beach. He was so excited! He was a sweet guy, wanting to do something nice, but she didn't have a jacket, much less ski clothes, and was miserable.

Sometimes too, people are excited to be going and say they will enjoy anything, but they haven't really thought about it. A friend wanted to go on a trip to Europe with me and insisted they didn't care what we did, to plan anything I wanted. When I presented the plan, they were aghast. What I wanted to do was nothing they had ever envisioned.

So, no reflection on anybody, only to be aware of possible issues.

TrojanTravler

Sassafrass, that is fair. I apologize for the defensive response.

Sassafrass

Trojan, all is good.

I have traveled a good bit with other people, so am probably overly watchful of travel compatibility styles.

It is funny to see how different people can be when they leave their everyday life behind. Beach people, mountain people, see everything people and relax at a cafe people, and sometimes, you don't even know what you are until you do it.

Sometimes the idea of something sounds great. Then you do it and hate it. You may learn as much about yourself and your SO when you travel as you do about the places you visit.

I sincerely hope your trip is wonderful.

PalenQ

Ah yeh - travel can be travail at times for some and an adventure at times for others - either brings you closer or tears you apart often.

FrenchMystiqueTours

When I was backpacking through Europe in the 90's here's the list of places I visited in a two month period. I tried to list them in the order I visited but I may have a few destinations misplaced: Amsterdam, Dresden, Hamburg, Copenhagen, Berlin, Munich, Krakow, Prague, Budapest, Zagreb, Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Interlakken, Gimmelwald, Genoa, Mallorca, Barcelona, Seville, Paris, Dublin, Galway. It was the best time of my life and looking back I wouldn't change a thing.

Sassafrass

FrenchMystique,
Glad that trip gave you such wonderful memories. Very curious. What time of year did you do that backpacking trip? Did you go mostly by train? By yourself or with friends?

When DD went backpacking with a friend for six months, starting in Ireland, by the third week, they had split, never to see each other again. They found they just liked different things.

FrenchMystiqueTours

I went from early September to early November in 1994. I was by myself and traveled on trains only (one flight to/from Mallorca). At the time the dollar was strong and food and lodging were cheap for me. I got a two month Eurail pass that was good for unlimited first class train travel in 17 countries and I think it cost 1,500 U.S. dollars at the time. I never pre-booked any accommodation and just showed up in a city, got out my Let's Go Europe book to find a hostel, bought a city map and then walked to whatever hostel and got a place to stay. I met European backpackers on the way and in a few countries stayed with some of the people I met, which was good for about two weeks of free food and accommodation.

I don't think it would be possible to do this today for the cost of what I paid, with inflation and the need to reserve places on TGV trains and food and lodging cost. If you have the money it can be done but as I said, it would be much more expensive. At the time many train conductors just shrugged when they saw my Eurail pass (especially in eastern Europe) as they weren't quite sure what to make of it. Even though I was supposed to pay supplements on TGV trains and make reservations I never did. No one seemed to care. I remember once on an overnight train sitting in a seat trying to sleep when the conductor approached me and asked if I wanted a sleeper cabin. The train was pretty empty so he showed me to a private cabin that was super deluxe and let me stay there for free. Ah, the good old days.

PalenQ

Yup French Mystique - no free rides any more IME on trains or not paying the supplement, etc.

Sassafrass

FMT,
Thanks for sharing about your trip. DD went in 1989. Back then was so different from now. I don't think she had a 90 day rule to worry about, and she got several odd jobs along the way, returning to the states with the same amount of money she had when she left. She dug potatoes in Ireland, worked on another farm in England, worked at a hotel in Germany, We never knew where she was at any given time. No internet back then, so only a phone call now and then or a letter, and by time we got the letter, she had moved on. When she learned the Berlin Wall was being breached, she hopped a train and helped, and brought back pieces she tore out.

Travel is easier now, but perhaps not as interesting.