Micromanaging Europe pre internet
Mar 15th, 2007, 12:10 PM
#22
Join Date: Jan 2004
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Oh, yes, arghh, the Thomas Cook train schedule. I remember lugging it around.
Some thoughtful responses. I plan much more now. When I was growing up, my family flew standby (airline family) and therefore could not commit to many reservations.
We sometimes ended up on different planes from our luggage, or split the family on different flights; certainly made me a flexible traveler!
We spent the night occasionally in some odd places, including Heathrow benches and in the car on the border of Spain & Portugal.
Mom did most of the research. She was big on reading Fodor's, Frommers and someone named Myra Waldo who had driving itineraries. We also had these small TWA (dad's airline) guides to different cities. Always took those little Berlitz books, too.
So, we planned what we could, but winged much. We stayed in lots of paradores & pousadas in Spain & Portugal just by calling ahead, but we usually did not travel in high season. I think shoulder season lasted a lot longer back then??
On my own I then backpacked/eurailed w/ no reservations beyond the first night meeting point. Carried pages from guidebooks (Let's Go was the big one) for ideas.
Traveled without reservations through much of Asia as well.
Now, as mentioned by others here, things are more crowded. I enjoy the planning and frankly, after spending all those youthful trips driving/walking around after a long day, looking for lodging, I love having most (not all) of my hotels/rooms booked!
My travel $$ are precious and I really want to get the maximum out of my trips now.
I still like to 'wing' most restaurants, however.
Some thoughtful responses. I plan much more now. When I was growing up, my family flew standby (airline family) and therefore could not commit to many reservations.
We sometimes ended up on different planes from our luggage, or split the family on different flights; certainly made me a flexible traveler!
We spent the night occasionally in some odd places, including Heathrow benches and in the car on the border of Spain & Portugal.
Mom did most of the research. She was big on reading Fodor's, Frommers and someone named Myra Waldo who had driving itineraries. We also had these small TWA (dad's airline) guides to different cities. Always took those little Berlitz books, too.
So, we planned what we could, but winged much. We stayed in lots of paradores & pousadas in Spain & Portugal just by calling ahead, but we usually did not travel in high season. I think shoulder season lasted a lot longer back then??
On my own I then backpacked/eurailed w/ no reservations beyond the first night meeting point. Carried pages from guidebooks (Let's Go was the big one) for ideas.
Traveled without reservations through much of Asia as well.
Now, as mentioned by others here, things are more crowded. I enjoy the planning and frankly, after spending all those youthful trips driving/walking around after a long day, looking for lodging, I love having most (not all) of my hotels/rooms booked!
My travel $$ are precious and I really want to get the maximum out of my trips now.
I still like to 'wing' most restaurants, however.
Mar 15th, 2007, 04:41 PM
#23
Join Date: Dec 2006
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suze and Zerlina made some good points. Fewer people traveling. and hotels easier to get. Winging it was the way to go.
I started in 1985 and just expected to find a hotel wherever I was going. I'd be on a Eurail (France Vacances) pass and wouldn't decide exactly where I was going to stay until I read something in my guidebook that sounded interesting that day.
There was no Rick Steeves telling us to march lock-step here and there, so you just made it up as you went along.
I made every mistake Rick Steeves tells you to avoid, but that helped me learn more about how to travel.
If you wanted to strike up a conversation, you just held up a book that was obviously in English and people would start talking to you. If not, just look out the window or pretend to be asleep and find out what the locals had to say.
I started in 1985 and just expected to find a hotel wherever I was going. I'd be on a Eurail (France Vacances) pass and wouldn't decide exactly where I was going to stay until I read something in my guidebook that sounded interesting that day.
There was no Rick Steeves telling us to march lock-step here and there, so you just made it up as you went along.
I made every mistake Rick Steeves tells you to avoid, but that helped me learn more about how to travel.
If you wanted to strike up a conversation, you just held up a book that was obviously in English and people would start talking to you. If not, just look out the window or pretend to be asleep and find out what the locals had to say.
