Anyone got any travel planned?

[ShortInSeattle]

Just booked a Halloween trip to Las Vegas. Going to check out the "Frightdome" which has just the right amount of cheesiness to tickle my funny bone.

I love this time of year. Never done it in Vegas though! Should be colorful.

SIS

[rodi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by brett It is not uncommon in Italian train stations to have to carry your luggage down a stairway passage, under the tracks, and back up again. Most stations have elevators but our experience is that they are often out of service. IMHO the best way to travel by train is to travel light...with luggage that you can easily physically handle by yourself.

This! We did nine weeks in Europe this summer - 3 of them in Italy, all travel by train. We planned for the stairs by limiting our luggage to one rolling carry on size and one backpack per person. Even still, we over packed (I had clothes I didn't wear as much as anticipated.)

Even if you can roll up to the train platform with no stairs (very unusual) - you still have to haul your suitcases up onto the train and possibly put them over your seat. The lighter you travel, the better your travel experience will be.

The transfer might be a good option as well. But that won't help you get your luggage on the train at Termini.

[brett]

Although we only both travel with a roller carry on after each trip we see what we did not use or wear very much and either replace it or elimate it on the next trip. It is so liberating to travel with less.

[NC 57]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rodi This! We did nine weeks in Europe this summer - 3 of them in Italy, all travel by train. We planned for the stairs by limiting our luggage to one rolling carry on size and one backpack per person. Even still, we over packed (I had clothes I didn't wear as much as anticipated.) Even if you can roll up to the train platform with no stairs (very unusual) - you still have to haul your suitcases up onto the train and possibly put them over your seat. The lighter you travel, the better your travel experience will be. The transfer might be a good option as well. But that won't help you get your luggage on the train at Termini.

Is it difficult to find a place to do laundry in Europe? What kind of accommodations did you stay in?

[Sarah in SC]

Laundromats exist everywhere! Most folks in other countries don't have personal washers and dryers, so all you need to do is know the word for Linsey in whatever language is needed. We've done laundry in lots of countries, and cheaply, too.
I still remember the nice ladies in Cusco, Peru and the way they carefully folded everything and gave it back to us still warm.
And plenty of hotels, hostels, and random places to stay have laundry facilities, though one in a basement of a dodgy hotel in the Ukraine looked like a perfect scene for an axe murder. I wouldn't go down there to switch loads without at least two buddies!!!!

[Lsbcal]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NC 57 Is it difficult to find a place to do laundry in Europe? What kind of accommodations did you stay in?

If it's warm enough I just do mine in the room sink. Only do a few pieces at a time and bring along a stretch cord to hang on (see Rick Steves site for one). Take only easily washable stuff and drip dry. Pack very lightly so not too much gets dirty.

Also many BB's have a washing service. After all, it's suppose to be a fun vacation.

[Bamaman]

I try to live by Rick Steves' packing list, a 20" rolling bag and a small backpack. I came in at 24 lbs. this past trip. My wife's 22" rolling bag came in @ 29 lbs.--and a small duffel.

I remember my poor father having to haul around my mother's huge suitcases on their world travels. And she never learned how to travel very light.

The family rules are that you can take anything you can carry 2 miles. And it's understood that I don't carry anyone's luggage. But if my wife's nice to me, I will carry the two suitcases up a flight of stairs or get it on the train for her.

I'm thinking about scrapping that 20" roller, and packing in a 4" briefcase--throwing away personal items as I go and buying new. With heavy starch, you can wear jeans 2 weeks without them looking too bad, and they don't even get dirty. Men certainly don't pack like women.

[ERD50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sarah in SC Laundromats exist everywhere! Most folks in other countries don't have personal washers and dryers, so all you need to do is know the word for Linsey in whatever language is needed. We've done laundry in lots of countries, and cheaply, too. ...

OK, I'm not all that experienced at travel (mostly short business trips), but when I went to Budapest with a friend (who is very experienced traveler, and for long stays), we simply could not find a 'laundromat'.

We figured, no problem, looked around, went through tour guides, couldn't find anything, asked at some business place and got directed to someplace that just gave us blank stares after they found someone who spoke English (and this is right in the city), no luck!

When we asked at the hotel, we got the look again "You don't have wash machines in your homes in the US?". Yes, but we aren't home. And we do have laundromats at home for people w/o. All we could find was "dry cleaners" kind of places, and we could buy new clothes for the prices they charged (and this is in a country where most everything was very inexpensive). The hotel rates for laundering were also high enough to justify buying new.

We ended up buying detergent there and washing stuff in the bathtub or sink ourselves, and hanging it in the room to dry. Not all that much effort, but rinsing is a pain, and not what we wanted to do on vacation.

Maybe things are different in other places, or maybe we just never caught on to how to find a US-style 'laundromat', but that's how it was for us.

I probably could not even manage to pronounce 'Linsey' in Magyar (their name for the Hungarian language). I can't even pronounce 'Magyar' ('Mud-yoor'?).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hu-magyar_nyelv.ogg

-ERD50

[audreyh1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sarah in SC Laundromats exist everywhere! Most folks in other countries don't have personal washers and dryers, so all you need to do is know the word for Linsey in whatever language is needed. We've done laundry in lots of countries, and cheaply, too. I still remember the nice ladies in Cusco, Peru and the way they carefully folded everything and gave it back to us still warm. And plenty of hotels, hostels, and random places to stay have laundry facilities, though one in a basement of a dodgy hotel in the Ukraine looked like a perfect scene for an axe murder. I wouldn't go down there to switch loads without at least two buddies!!!!

My experience is they can take a bit of work to find. Not always found via Internet or GPS - or worse, the info is dead wrong. The local tourist office is your best bet for getting a list. The hotels aren't helpful because they want you to pay the $$$ for their service.

I did find them when needed (self-serve coin operated machines like in U.S.) but I had researched ahead of time, and still needed assistance from the tourist office. Did get our laundry done!

In France I knew I was looking for a "laverie automatique".

[brett]

We have met some interesting fellow travellers in laundromats and swapped travel advice.

We also follow the Rick Steves method. We have a 22 and a 20 inch roller plus one small backpack. We have done this on a three week trip and on a six month trip. Works out to about 22 and 25 lbs respectively. For us it is the only way to go. We can no longer imagine travelling with those big, heavy suitcases.

[MooreBonds]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShortInSeattle Just booked a Halloween trip to Las Vegas. Going to check out the "Frightdome" which has just the right amount of cheesiness to tickle my funny bone. I love this time of year. Never done it in Vegas though! Should be colorful. SIS

Will be spending Halloween and a few days after in Cancun w/ my girlfriend at our first all-inclusive resort. Can't wait to see what it's like! Although still trying to figure out what our costumes will be...

[brett]

We were in Palermo, Italy last fall. Our B&B host said she was not aware of a laundromat near by. We googled it and sure enough we found one about a half kilometre away. In Croatia it was less expensive to have it done for us. certainly lots of them in Italy..though not in the small hill towns.

[Christine]

In my experience the further south in Europe you get the more laundromats.

If not found elsewhere most camp sites have laundromats for their guests at a reasonable price. Asking is free - you may meet a service minded person.

[Moemg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MooreBonds Will be spending Halloween and a few days after in Cancun w/ my girlfriend at our first all-inclusive resort. Can't wait to see what it's like! Although still trying to figure out what our costumes will be...

A real easy costume is the girl wears scrubs & the guy wears shorts & t shirt & lots of bandages . You can also buy fake scars at the halloween stores . Ketchup works better than fake blood . Have fun !

[rodi]

When possible, I stay in apartments with a washing machine... but sometimes that isn't available - so I either wash in the sink, or find a laundromat. I've discovered that if you call or drop by a local hostel - they know where the laundromat is (or have one onsite.)

For jeans - I've been known to wear them into the shower and wash them on me... then wring them out and hang over the shower rod. I used towels to wring out the excess water. But if I'm travelling in warmer weather I avoid bringing jeans because they are too bulky compared to other fabrics.

[Sarah in SC]

ERD, what Christine said.

When we stopped in Budapest, the slightly sketchy campground where we stayed had very serviceable laundry facilities. And surprisingly decent showers--even hot water!

Rodi, I did that jeans in the shower thing in a get camp in Mongolia and had the Devils time getting the soap out of them! I don't think my technique was all that good, though. I usually wear quick dry type pants when traveling, though.

[ERD50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sarah in SC ERD, what Christine said. When we stopped in Budapest, the slightly sketchy campground where we stayed had very serviceable laundry facilities. And surprisingly decent showers--even hot water! ...

Ahhh, thanks - we never would have thought to check out any campgrounds - especially 'slightly sketchy' ones!

No, we had rooms in a nice hotel, went to concerts (Vienna Symphony one night), and had gourmet food in nice restaurants most nights. 'Slightly sketchy campgrounds' weren't on our radar for this trip I guess!

But I'll keep that in mind for the future.

-ERD50

[Sarah in SC]

I would like to take you road camping sometime, ERD.

Bonus is that you'd be waaaay more appreciative of those nice hotels...

[ERD50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sarah in SC I would like to take you road camping sometime, ERD. Bonus is that you'd be waaaay more appreciative of those nice hotels...

Thanks, but I appreciate them just fine w/o any added 'experiences'!

One of the things DW and I see eye-to-eye on is - why leave the house/home that you work to make comfortable and nice, to take a vacation somewhere 'less nice'?

Nah, vacation for us means loosen the purse strings a little, and enjoy the comforts of modern technology. But that doesn't mean sticking your face in a computer or TV screen either - get out and investigate things. Jazz clubs with 2AM liquor licences and nightly jam sessions are my kind of 'wildlife'.

But to each their own, it's what makes the world go 'round (now that's a funny saying when you think about it).

-ERD50

[Sarah in SC]

I know, I know, I just like threatening to take people on our kinda trips sometimes.

Good that y'all see eye to eye on travel style. That is a big key to satisfying trips together.

And maybe one day I'll be asking you how to find a swanky hotel somewhere!