Invite to share experiences/suggestions re: your 1st trip abroad
 

My husband and I are in our early 30's and will be taking our first trip abroad to italy last week in Aug and 1st 2 weeks in Sept. We are from Anchorage and I'm so excited to go - I've always wanted to, but starting to get a little worried about using the public transportation (we'll be using the trains - not used to any of that around here)and nervous in general about getting around in a totally new place on our own. Anyone have any feedback re: their 1st trip? I'm comforted somewhat by what someone said on here before "you can't the stupidist person ever to go". Thanks....

My husband and I went on our first European trip some 23 years ago when we were in our mid/late 20s. I'd always admired Greek history so Greece was where I wanted to start my lifetime of travel. I certainly wouldn't call the holiday a success, but we did learn a lot, mostly about ourselves. The biggest thing was to slow down and enjoy things, even simple things. It sounds so obvious, but after reading guide books, etc. I felt obligated to see and do everything. A big mistake. Sometimes, even on this site, it seems as if there's a competition to see the most things, eat at the most talked-about restaurants, stay at the most talked-about hotels, without ever simply enjoying each moment for what it is. Because of our experience in Greece - which had nothing at all to do with the country - we have learned that if we miss three major sites but fall into conversation with a 10year old practicing his English and he takes us home and we have coffee with his family, that's fine. Or if we walk right by all the three star restaurants and discover some place that from then on becomes 'our place in Paris, or London' or wherever, so be it. What matters most is to open your eyes, put away your preconceived notions, smell, touch, taste, breathe in everything, laugh, watch, wonder about, and celebrate your good fortune in being able to share another adventure with the man you love. We've also learned from travel - and this has spilled over to our everyday lives - to honour differences and surrender to the rhythm of a new place. Since Greece, we have never, ever had a bad holiday. I hope your's is wonderful. And just think, it's only the beginning.

Mavis: ^5s^!!! Wouldn't dare try to add a thing. :o)

But you tell a nice message, Mavis.<BR><BR>So, I'll just leave it as you wrote it, out of respect for a great, heartfelt post.<BR>

Hmm, hmm, hmm... now who could have posted the above message? It's a baffler.<BR><BR>Warmest regards,<BR><BR>Dick

Newbie,<BR>If it makes you feel any better, I live in Italy and the train system still baffles me somewhat. My advice to you, therefore, is: 1. Eurostar 2. Never assume anything 3. Patience.<BR><BR>Use Eurostar whenever possible, second class is fine unless you have really long legs.<BR><BR>Never assume anything is a given in Italy. That has not only to do with trains but store hours, strikes (more frequent recently)or restaurants being open, especially at the time you are going.<BR><BR>Have patience. Take something to read while you are standing in line; if the restaurant you want to go to is closed, look around, another will be open. <BR><BR>But most of all, what Mavis said, because despite the hassles, Italy is a magical country, and if you slow down and look around you will have a wonderful time.

It seems that you have been receiving the best advice, both from Mavis and from S.Chiara. <BR><BR>My first trip was in 1971, and I still remember it like it was yesterday. Two friends and I (all new teachers) sort of bumbled our way around with a Eurrail Pass and a "Europe on $5 a Day" (if you can believe it). We knew for certain only where we had landed and where we would need to be for our return flight. We must have had a vague outline of I-really-want-to-see, but no itinerary that I can recall. We decided every couple of days where to go next. Not a single reservation. The Eurrail Pass (affordable at that time) was our security blanket. Arrived in a town and stood in line at the Tourist Office while they found us a room. Two of those 'assignments' still rank among my favorites: a tiny b&b called Haus Alpina in Berchtesgaden and a comfortable big old house called Pension de Fleurettes in Lausanne.<BR><BR>In Rome we wandered around with the directions to our hotel (I still recall it--St. Pietro right near the Vatican) until one fellow, and then another, and finally a third mimed the directions to us and showed us the way. Those were undoubtedly the good old days when being young and female and naive wasn't so dangerous. I digress.<BR><BR>My advice is to travel w/some sort of railpass so you can hop on and off, and secondly, read as much as you can about the mode of travel you've chosen. On our first trip, an important piece of info was to make sure the train car you were getting on had the name of your destination on it, because sometimes the trains split and part goes one way and part goes another. I don't know if that's true for Italian trains; maybe S. Chiara can advise. If you have not already, get a tape and learn a bit of Italian so you can meet your country hosts even a tiny part of the way. <BR><BR>And don't worry, you'll have a wonderful trip, especially if you go with the flow and enjoy even the stumbles as part of the adventure. Believe that this will be the beginning of many trips, and if you miss something you had intended to see--well that's the perfect excuse to plan another trip. J.

My first trip to England could be considered a failure, but it really wasn’t, because I learned so much and met so many great people.<BR><BR>My three day stay in London was wonderful until the very end. Because I was able to navigate on the tube so well, I decided to save a little money by traveling via the tube to the train station with all my luggage. BIG MISTAKE! As a first time traveler, I had, of course, packed way too much, my luggage was all wrong (too big and bulky) and then there was all those stairs! What a nightmare. . .<BR><BR>I wanted to be able to drive out into the countryside and see out-of-the-way places, so I rented a car. Now this works out great for most people, but not for all of us. By the end of the first day, I was literally in tears. That’s how I met my first “knight in shining armor”. I had gotten off the M4 to look for a place to spend the night. I found a very modern shopping center (have no idea what town it was) and parked near a sporting goods store. I sat there scared to death and crying when the store owner came out with his small son to lock up for the night. <BR><BR>I went over to the young man and explained my dilemma. I must have looked very much like I felt, because he took me inside and called his wife that he would be a little late getting home. He took his car and I followed him to a hotel there in town. He was so kind; he didn’t leave until I was checked in. He drew a map to get me back on the M4.<BR><BR>The next day was no better, and as soon as I could, I stopped at a service station. I went in and talked to two very nice men who worked there. They suggested I go to Warwick and drew me a map to get there. I finally made it to Warwick and managed to get to the Pickwick Hotel. There, I parked that car and did not drive again for the next two weeks. <BR><BR>The people who owned the hotel “adopted” me. They took me shopping with them in Birmingham, took me to a wonderful old pub way out in the country, told me how to do day tours and in general, made my stay memorable. To top it off, the son-in-law taught driving for a living. He took me out driving and taught me how to get around a little. It never became easy for me, but at least I was able to get back where I needed to be to come home.<BR><BR>I’ve since made five trips to the UK, and I’m going to Wales this September. Now days, I pack light, with the right luggage and use the train to travel. I’ve had no more catastrophes, but I do make new friends each time I go. Ain’t traveling great!!!<BR><BR>Thanks for the opportunity to reminisce. <BR><BR><BR><BR>

My first trip with my husband was loads of fun, partly because we have similar interests, and partly because we know each other's strengths and weaknesses. I think the most important thing we had going for us is that we could laugh at ourselves and laugh at our mistakes.<BR><BR>Just make sure you blend together well, and keep a good mix of stuff he wants to do and stuff you want to do, and don't be afraid to give each other some breathing space. Guys do NOT want to spend 2 hours in a department store. And girls do NOT like guys breathing down their neck while they're spending 2 hours in a department store.<BR><BR>Mostly, we learned that the most enjoyable experiences were those that we didn't plan, that just happened.<BR><BR>Have fun!

One suggestion that might offset an otherwise frantic moment would be to write down - before you board the train - the last stop before you plan to get off, and the times for both stops. That way when you get to the stop before yours, you'll know the next one is where you want to get off. This has helped me numerous times when they don't announce the stops on the train, and when they aren't running on schedule.

I can't really add much to what others have written except for a great perspective a friend gave me before my first trip two years ago. My husband, three kids (then ages 13, 9, and 5) and I were travelling to Italy, much of the time in small villages in Tuscany--some too small to make the map I was using; we had never been out of the US as a family, I knew no Italian (okay, I could say "where is the restroom" and "I'm sorry," the two phrases I assumed I would need the most), I was going to be driving a rental car with those "crazy" Italian drivers, etc. etc. etc. A week before the trip I was literally hoping that Alitalia would go on strike so I could bag the trip without feeling guilty! <BR><BR>I finally confided my fears to my friend Don (not that I was hiding it all too well), and I'm going to tell you what he told me: you are going to have a wonderful time, just like everyone else. Something will probably go wrong somewhere along the line, but the glitches just make for better stories after you return. And when you do return, not only will you have wonderful memories of your vacation, but you'll also have the satisfaction of knowing that you challenged yourself to go outside of your comfort zone and you made it! He was absolutely right. <BR><BR>As for feedback from our trip, we learned that you're never permanently lost, hand gestures and smiles can overcome almost any language barrier, and the people of Italy are second to none. Have a great trip!<BR>

Check out the thread "My advice for other first time Europe visitors". Lots of good comments there.<BR><BR>If your main anxieties are using public transportation and getting around on your own, I have three concrete suggestions: <BR>1. When you first arrive at a train station, take a few minutes to look around and get oriented: where is the tourist office, where are the entrances, the tracks, the ticket offices, the kiosks where you can pick up panini or a drink. That way you'll feel much more comfortable when you come back to use the train for a day trip or to travel to your next destination.<BR>2. Get maps now and make marks on them (or on copies) - where is the station in relation to your hotel and the things you want to see? Is there a convenient bus, tram or metro to those areas? How would you get to, say, the Vatican from Termini? Practise virtual transportation and the real thing will be much less intimidating.<BR>3. Allow yourselves extra time whenever you have to get somewhere. The relief of getting on the right train or to the right track with 15 minutes to spare is extremely pleasurable. (This is something that I rarely manage to do.) And try not to take the LAST train somewhere, so that you can always say, "If we miss that connection there's always the 16:22." Speaking of which, you should get used to the 24-hour clock.<BR>There is nearly always a positive side to every difficulty. Hope you can find it, and things will get easier every day!

On my first trip to Europe I was a real travel neophyte. I was totally naive about what to expect and let my boyfriend and another couple make all the plans (I was in my 30's). <BR>I was sorry later that I hadn't looked up some information about the countries that we visited on that trip. It would have made the trip even better to know some local history. Now I go overboard studying up on the country or area or city I want to vist, but it pays off in small details that I find interesting. The Lonely Planet books used to have (maybe still) unknown facts about bridges, buildings, etc in cities. My boyfriend and I walked over a bridge in So. France once to look at an animal sculpted in the center after we had read the background story.<BR>Also, I was taken aback with being bombarded with "foreign language" on my first trip. I had only heard German spoken on old war movies and was bewildered to hear so much German being spoken when we were walking deserted walkways in the night in the first German town. I had like a panic attack like I was in WWII. But I think people now days are much more sophisicated than I was.

On our 1st trip we took notes when we took pictures. As my husband clicked, I wrote down what it was. That way when the rolls were developed we didn't have to wonder what old ruin was roll 3 # 20.<BR><BR>Also take along a face cloth (wash rag or whatever you call it). Lots of hotels don't supply one & after a day of sightseeing I needed to wash off my face with one.<BR><BR>I also took along individual packets of snack stuff like cookies, chips, granola bars,etc. My husband didn't realize that a lot of small towns close up about 4:30pm & having a snack helped me when he tried to find places to eat. Especially good to have while on trains or to supplement the "great" airline meals.<BR><BR>You will only feel stupid if you don't ask questions. This forum has been helpful to me in spite of some of the "comedians in training" that practice on us.

My first trip abroad to Italy was in 1999 with my friend who turned out to be a psycho..Parts of it were maddening because of her but it was an adventure. We had no reservations except the last night at a place close to the airport. It was fun driving around and practicing my phrasebook Italian, asking if they had a room for 2 people etc.. <BR><BR>One thing I'll warn you about that my take you off guard but is really no big deal once you get used to it...Italians don't queue for anything. They don't wait in line and won't hesitate to step in front of you and anyone else in line. It happened dozens of times and is not considered rude.

Just got back from my first trip abroad. Had the BEST time in London for a week. I did learn an awful lot along the way. I am glad I decided not to drive as driving on the left would have been dangerous for both Londoners and myself. I walked and took the tube everywhere. The best thing to do is take your time, READ SIGNS and use a map. By rushing is when you end up in the wrong place. I packed my week with alot but broke the city down into sectors and just explored a sector each day. With my map I literally sketched a route to walk to hit all my intended interest. Have a blast, good luck.

Dear Newbie,<BR><BR>Lots of good advice for you so far. I'll add a little more. Pack LIGHT, and bring either a suitcase that expands or an empty nylon-type bag that you can stuff with your clothes and then put the "treasures" you accumulate in your suitcase for the trip home. My husband and I are not shoppers but we still end up coming home with more than we left. Have a wonderful time!

My first trip abroad was when I was 6 - I'm now 29 so it was a wee while ago! I remember my mum saying to me "Would you like to to France this year for your holidays?" and replying "Yes, but only if they speak English there." Quite why I thought of this I don't know, but I grew out of that kind of politics soon afterwards!<BR><BR>More recently, I remember my first trip out of Europe - to the USA. I was spending an exchange year at the University of Illinois and flew via Newark. The plane arrived late because of thunderstorms, and I was trying to make a connection to Minneapolis to visit friends. The departure board wasn't much help - it just said to "listen for announcements." This might have been OK, but for the fact that the announcements were being made by a woman with a VERY strong NY/New Jersey accent and I couldn't understand a word!<BR><BR>Then I tried to phone my friends to tell them I'd be late. Fortunately they had told me to bring plenty quarters, and I put them all in the phone and figured that, like in Europe, I'd be cut off when the money ran out. Nope. I put the phone down, then leapt about six feet when it immediately rang back. I picked it up, and it said something like "please insert four dollars and twenty seven cents." By this stage I only had about 4 quarters left and a bag full of one cent coins - exactly how many I didn't know. I ended up putting the quarters in, as many pennies as I could, then running like mad when it started ringing again!<BR><BR>On our first trip to Sri Lanka, my wife and I were warned about locals who liked to act as your guide for the day when you leave the hotel. This did happen once. We left the hotel to walk down the road to the nearest village. As we are both typically Scottish in colour, we stood out like sore thumbs, and the inevitable "guide" appeared. We explained for ages that we didn't want to see anything in particular, we just wanted to walk around a bit, and after a while we thought the message had got through as we couldn't see or hear him any more. We walked round a corner, and saw a very striking building, but then heard suddenly from behind - "On your left, a church!" At that point we just gave up and let him come with us!<BR><BR>Getting back to newbie's point, don't worry about making mistakes when you're abroad. Often, as long as they're not too serious, they end up as some of the most memorable and funniest bits of a trip. Just take things easy and allow a bit more time than you would at home, and you'll be fine.