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A few more alterations and updates to my plan based on how things have gone so far:
Communication:
Lesson #1: AT&T Sucks
My iPhone works when I have a wifi network in range, but I miss pulling up information and posting updates on the fly. Fuck AT&T. The fact that you can’t have an iPhone unlocked for use on other networks even after you’ve completed your contract is absurd.
With roaming data charges set at $20 for 1Mb, they’re dressing you like Jodie Foster and throwing you onto a pinball machine. Current hacker buzz is that there’s a software release to unlock my version of the iPhone in the next week or two, which will be a huge help.
Lesson #2: McDonald’s free wifi often makes them the cuisine of choice.
I’m sticking to my goals and eating local cuisine rather than a lot of fast food, but on a warm afternoon it’s great to grab a McFlurry and relax in an air conditioned environment while catching up on e-mail.
Lesson #3: Skype is a wonderful gift to the travel world.
I know, I didn’t just learn this but calling a friend in the US for 2 cents a minute? Amazing.
Transportation
Lesson #1: My navigation is excellent, my skills with my GPS? Not so much.
Two days in a row, I didn’t load my well planned route into my GPS. So, instead of settling in somewhere to find directions, I made it up as I went and followed my instincts. Let’s just say that I accidentally discovered that Belgium has some beautiful countryside & it’s impossible to tell when you have crossed the border from France. But eventually, I got to where I needed to be.
Lesson #2: Bicycles are not as easy to manage as I had hoped they might be
Coming from London, where they had secure underground parking, I had hoped I would meet similar facilities in France. Nope. Cycling is very common here, but primarily for short rides on cheap commuter bikes, which are then secured with locks the size and weight of a fire hydrant.
Most hotels and hostels will store the bike indoors for you, even if it’s in a storage room or utility closet. I don’t think my bike minds sharing a room with a mop bucket.
Lesson #3: Trains are not all bike friendly
Trains accept bicycles for some routes but not all, and I haven’t gotten the hang of which is which yet. While I’m planning on riding most of the trip, there are legs in which I’d like to take the train due to time considerations, or even on a day forecast for torrential downpours. On July 19th, for example, I don’t have time to ride from Amsterdam to Paris before I’m due there so I’ll be looking to hop a train, even if it means boxing up the bike as luggage (which seems the best alternative so far).
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Part 3 coming: Blogging and writing updates!
Ah yes, the train-bike issue. We experienced this while traveling through France. We basically had to pre-plan our train travel, so that we knew which train would hold bikes. Of course, that wasn’t always accurate, but it was better than guessing. AND when the train rolled in, we RAN to the closest “bike car”, so in case it was full, we could SPRINT to the next closest bike car (you only got two chances before the train rolled out)! Plus there is always a chance that the train is at bike capacity and typically, they will refuse you and your bike. Also, for more accurate bike friendly train info, we went to the nearest SNCF travel agency. They were able to tell us exactly what train would take a bike and if they were full. Sometimes you could even reserve a bike slot. It was an adventure!
I’m getting the hang of it – sort of. Basically, the high speed trains won’t take them unless they can be broken down easily (mine can’t with racks and panniers on it).
Instead of the 3 hour train from Amsterdam to Paris, I’m embarking on a 9 hour excursion (on 4 separate trains) on Tuesday!
McDonalds became our “stop in real quick” and grab a milkshake, a diet coke, a whatever in order to check email, too. and thank god for it- or my mom would never have heard from me!
Jade´s last [type] ..RTW Day 35- Riomaggiore to London
Fortunately most of the places I’ve stayed have had internet access. But McD’s is nice for a quick check of the iphone for a map or a tweet
I don’t know about Europe but I haven’t had a phone in Central America and have never really needed one. I haven’t made a single call.
Also 2 cents on Skype is cheap, but get your friends set up on Skype and it’s free. Skype is the best thing that happened to travelers and I even managed to get my mother on it as she likes video chat better.
ayngelina´s last [type] ..Have you met Andres
haha – yes, Skype to Skype is free, but I have some very tech-challenged folks on my call list