Hi everyone! <BR> <BR>I've been reading posts on this forum for a month now (since I began planning my first trip to Europe). I'm hooked! I've seen posts that range from the informative to the humorous and absurd. What I've gathered, however, is that many of you are well-informed travellers. This leads me to my questions: how long have you been traveling and do you consider yourself to be a travel expert? I'm a novice traveller and am quite envious of your experiences. <BR> <BR>Have a good day!

I have been travelling for about 40 years. Two vacations per year usually only for one week at a time. I am a notive with each new experience. A total notive compare to some who post here. i.e Patrick, Elvira, Elaine, etc.

That's novice and not notive. Old broads just can't admit to being a novice at anything.

This is an interesting but difficult question to answer. I have been traveling for business and pleasure for 15-plus years, and I now live abroad. However, I still learn something new on this board everyday, and I post quite a few questions myself, including ones about my so-called country of expertise. Many of the travelers here--and they are travelers in the true sense of the word--may not have been to as many places as perhaps others, but because of diligent research beforehand; energetic, organized touring during the trip; and follow-up with detailed notes afterward, they are more traveled than those who only superficially hit the highlights. <BR> <BR>So to answer you in a nutshell, from my observation there are not as many truly expert travelers (I can think of a handful)as you would think. Or, an even smaller nutshell, it's the quality not the quantity of travel. <BR> <BR>Good luck on planning your first trip to Europe. I do promise that you will be hooked.

A hard one to even define! I left home (New Zealand) in 1968 for a “working holiday” in Aus. In 1971 I went on to Hong Kong for 3½ years that somehow turned into 22 years. Even then I didn’t head for home but for Thailand where I believe that I have stopped. In between I have managed to visit thirty other countries and to work in a few more. <BR> <BR>There are still a lot of places to go to! <BR>

I have been travelling all of my life, ever since I was a baby. My father was a graduate student at Stanford, but his family and my mother's family lived in Alabama. By the time I was 6 I had made 13 cross country round trips. (So they told me.) My earliest memories are of Yosemite. <BR> <BR>Despite my travels, I do not consider myself a travel expert. In fact, I am not sure what one is. And I don't think I know any because a true expert has knowledge that is both broad and deep that he or she keeps updated. <BR> <BR>I think we have some contributors to this forum who have a high degree of knowledge within limited areas. <BR>I know there are limits to my interests and therefore there are limits to my interest in what contributors to this forum have to say. <BR> <BR>For example I have an interest in Paris, Bavaria, Austria, Switzerland, and train travel in Europe. Therefore, when Elvira writes on Paris, I read it carefully. When Ben Haines writes on train travel in Europe, I pay attention because I usually learn something I did not know. When Wes Fowler has something to say on travel in Bavaria, I read it and keep it. <BR>Bear in mind, however, that what I find interesting is a function of my travel objectives and what I don't know. So the person who knows something I don't and is willing to help fill the gaps in my knowledge is very valuable to my planning. <BR> <BR>So, yes, there is a lot of knowledge floating around on the forum. And some very well informed and widely traveled people generously contribute what they know. Also, some of the pontificators and poseurs, of which we have our share, are sometimes amusing, sometimes bombastic, and at times a decided annoyance. <BR> <BR>

I think that I am becoming an "expert" - - first trip 1969 (age 15), second 1986, then 18 more since 1989. 7 other international (Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, Bahamas, trans-pacific whirlwind to Japan, Malaysia and Australia) and 47 states in the US. <BR> <BR>And I have traveled in a number of different "contexts" - - meetings, family, friends, school groups. Fluent in languages; intent on doing 2-4 trips a year for a good while to come. <BR> <BR>Including the fall Fodorites' trip (possibly) a first - - though Art Hussey might win that distinction - - by a few days. <BR> <BR>Best wishes, <BR> <BR>Rex Bickers <BR>Westerville, Ohio <BR>www.rexbickers.italy.com (for info on the fall Fodorites' trip) <BR>

Bob Brown makes the excellent point that any "expert" is only as good as his/her info is current. Travel information is inherently VERY "perishable". <BR> <BR>I suppose that this is one of the best things about this forum. There is experience gained over time -- and fresh new opinions that are a little less "obsolete" because time hasn't eroded them yet. <BR> <BR>So, there is much to be gained from less "veteran" travelers - - freshly returned from (or researching) some place anew. <BR>

First the definition of an expert. <BR>Ex - a has been. <BR>Spurt - a drip under pressure. <BR>I've been traveling in Europe and the US for 30 years, have been to 47 states and all of western Europe and most of Central Europe. I consider myself a novice as I am almost always going to areas that I've never been to before. I use this forum, travel tapes, books and newspaper travel sections for every trip. The enjoyment never ceases and the wonderment is consistant. <BR>Have a great first trip and start planning your next one as soon as you return. <BR>Regards, <BR>Art <BR>

I never travelled as a child, but was given a summer-long stay in Florence as a HS graduation gift over 30 years ago. The minute I got on the plane (my first plane ride ever) I was hooked and have returned to Europe 13 times since. I ended up marrying someone who had grown up travelling the world over and we started fairly ambitious travel with our son when he was 4 years old - the kid just made his 8th trip to Europe and recently turned 19. We've also dragged him all over the Caribbean and a lot of the US. While we dont consider ourselves "travel experts" we've become very good at putting together trips which suit our particular tastes and interests extremely well - The "next trip" is always in the process of being planned and all of our completed trips somehow impact our lives each day - the decoration of our home, the food we prepare, clothes we wear, art we hang on the wall, etc etc etc are all influenced by our travel experiences in some way - we aren't experts, because we've still got so much to learn and see!

Hmmm...'expert' connotes book learning and finite information, but real traveling hasn't much to do with either of those; the world's too fluid to be able to master any of it. <BR> <BR>I like "experienced traveler" better; it leaves room for improvement, and no mitre or crown is required. It also means I recognize what I'm good at (organizing a 2-week European adventure for ten women) and what I'm not (arranging a 3-month tour of central China for 30 high-school boys)&lt;-heaven forfend that ever happens, but if it does, believe me I'll be calling on a lot of experienced travelers without a moment's hesitation. <BR> <BR>Even "experienced" in various areas, I still do heads up when people respond to questions about those areas, 'cause like I said, the world's too fluid to ever master any of it, and I can always learn (how else would I know about that zinc gel stuff?). <BR> <BR>I've been traveling since I was born; my parents were into "hey let's go for a ride" which turned into day-long treks into God's country; my first onmyown trip overseas was in '88, and now I make 2-3 trips a year, either alone or in the company of a band of women of questionable sanity.

Art -- per usual you provided a much needed laugh! <BR> <BR>My parents took us on trips stateside from a fairly early age, culminating in a 5 1/2 week trip from Syracuse, NY to the "left coast" and back. [I did a site of those old pictures: http://www.geocities.com/shrimp56/1958/ -- my we were younger]and a horseback ride into a lodge in the canadian Rockies. [Then there's the fanous flashlight down the outhouse story...] <BR> <BR>My first trip to Europe was a 6 week travel course in european art [I *still* feel sorry for the professor -- we were more than a handfull!] <BR> <BR>My next trip was in 1970, I think, for my brother's wedding in Lubeck, Germany. Since then it's been sporadic until the past few years. <BR> <BR>I don't count myself an "expert" -- but I do know a few things that help ME travel easier and I'm comfortable offering what I DO know -- especially about Paris, London and Budapest -- but also Vienna and, of course, that hot tourist spot [not in a good way right now, unfortunately] Macedonia.

Been travelling for 50 years. Been to Australia, New Zealand, UK, Europe, Mexico, Panama, Bermuda, Canada, every state in the Union including Hawaii. Why? Because I'm curious and like to travel. An expert? Not hardly. That's like saying you I've learned all I'm going to learn. Every trip is a new experience. <BR>John

Hey Art and Rex, I've done 48 states!

Tony, that's "47 states and the Soviet of Washington" (quote from former US Postmaster, commenting on the popularity of the Wobblies in our fair state, that is until a number of them were given an old-west "necktie party" or otherwise slaughtered, our finest hour up here in Latte-land.) <BR> <BR>We ourselves, have been experiencing travel for 35 years or so, N. America, Europe (E & W), middle east & some western Asia, a little far east and a little Antipodean/s.Pacific exposure. I agree with everyone else - "expert" is a bogus denomination, your expertise is time-limited to a couple of years. It's true the ancient monuments don't change much (tower still leaning, Mona Lisa still looking stoned) but everything else does - hotels, train stations, restaurants, the makeup of other travelers...how can you be an expert in such things at all? But we accumulate knowledge of how things work, how to behave in certain circumstances, and hopefully gain enough self-awareness that it reduces the time required to cope with travel "infrastructure" (how to get around, how to find things, etc.) so that the real fun can begin.

I’ve been traveling to Europe for over 40 years and within my home country and Canada for as long a time. I think Elvira said it aptly when she defined herself as an “experienced traveler”. So to do I. Assuredly, I have a certain degree of expertise whether in planning a trip, maximizing time spent, maintaining a travel budget or in coping with delayed or missed connections or mysteriously lost reservations or luggage. My travel experiences reflect my interests and are thus highly subjective. Because my experiences cater to my interests, I would never consider myself to be an expert; racketing about Germany, particularly Bavaria, over a dozen times has given me a great deal of knowledge about peoples and places in a limited area. Walking the streets of London and Paris has done the same. That knowledge has been provoked by my personal and eccentric interests, I suppose. Never been to Ludwig’s Neuschwanstein, for example, because I never wanted to, though I know how to get there since I’ve driven by Fussen on the way to places more likely to hold my interest. While I’ve spent time in Brugge and Amsterdam, I’ve spent far more time on far more occasions in the villages of southeastern Belgium and in the Netherlands’ eastern and northeastern provinces. While hardly the epitome of tourist attractions, they’re regions that allow one to gain insights into a culture and society less influenced by tourism and more indicative of a national or regional character. So, too, the backroads of Bavaria or London’s Hammersmith, Shoreditch or Finsbury neighborhoods. Eccentric, experienced, but hardly expert, best defines by status as a European traveler.

An expert compared to the average American - yes. Compared to many on this board - no. My family didn't really travel very much when I was growing up, so I have been trying to catch up since I got past college and had enough time and money to do it. So far trips to Asia, Europe, Mexico, and Canada totaling 14 foreign countries. I will probably add Italy as a 15th this year. Since my two-year old was born, I have been confined to the U.S. and have been doing a lot more domestic travel than ever before - Charleston, D.C., Civil War sites, and the occasional domestic business trip. However, I have been "traveling" for much longer in my mind. I have always had a cosmopolitan outlook on things, have studied three languages formally, and have an MA in European history. My "strengths" lie in the areas of history and cultural preparation. I read diligently in preparation for each travel experience - be it in regards to the Maya, the French Revolution, the Civil War, or any other subject. I have a very big thirst for knowledge. In addition, I have taken up photography pretty seriously over the past few years and try to contribute on that subject as much as I can at this stage. In that regard, I think I am generally a good adviser because I have learned a lot about travel photography but am novice enough to understand the real needs of travelers with cameras. As a long-time grad student (also earned an MBA) and a marketing research professional, I also tend to be very adept at locating information, no matter how obscure.

Here's another consideration: would some be considered a step beyond novice after visiting the "biggie" European destinations. ( I think we all can agree on some of the biggies - Paris, Rome, London. Would Barcelona, Amsterdam or Naples be considered a biggie) What about someone who has been traveling fir 10 years but has never visited Paris - and is there anything wrong with that? Is being an expert about places visited or getting from one place to another. Myself, I prefer to spend at least a week in a new place - to soak up the surroundings, to allow myself to warm up to the place I'm in. People who are leap frogging through Europe - 2 days here, 1 day there - are they experienced, seasoned travelers? As one becomes a more seasoned traveler is it easier to spend 2 days here and 3 days there? Any comments or thoughts?

I'll lower the bar a bit and say that one way to be an "experienced traveler" is to like to plan one's own trip and experience it one's own way, coupled with a total lack of fear that something will happen that can't be handled somehow. <BR> <BR>Under this relaxed definition, I think I'm experienced.

I have been traveling for 13 years and Im 28 (most of it recently). I have spent a grand total of 5.5 months in europe or africa. I do not consider myself a travel expert at all. However, the more i do it, the more comfortable i am. I also realize how goofy americans can be when abroad. Most of us tend to dress poorly, speak loudly, and not respect the differences of other cultures. I have also learned to take the back streets, research my trips well, and when in Rome, do as they do. AFter all, you are not only a guest in their country, but you are ambassador from ours.