Backpacking Europe info #3 of 4 – 84 pages long (covers most of western

Europe).

The following is some info that I have compiled as answers to the many e-mails
that I have received lately. I simply put it all together into a few documents and I
am sending this to you. I hope that it gives you more information. I have
compiled four documents. The first two are background information and give
some tips and general information about backpacking. The third and fourth
documents give you some detail about specific cities and lodging options.
Just because I have information about a specific city, that does not mean
that it is a great city to visit. You should decide which cities you would like to see
and then use the information that I list to supplement your guidebook.

The following couple of websites should be at the top of you list if you are looking
for hostels in specific locations: If you want to find a list of hostels for a specific
city, I suggest visiting http://www.hostels.com/ or
http://www.budgettravel.com/hosteleu.htm and just scrolling down, or
http://www.europeanhostels.com/, www.eurocheapo.com. Another web site that
has many reviews of different hostels is available at
http://www.eurotrip.com/hostels/ Also, you can book hostels online at such
websites as http://www.hostels.com/europe.html, or
http://www.hosteleurope.com/ or http://www.hostelworld.com or
http://www.guideforeurope.com/bookeurohostels.html

Also check www.inyourpocket.com for hostel listings in many cities and

general info for the cities (such as weather and places to eat).
You should not have a single problem finding a hostel if you use all of the
resources provided: your travel book, the above websites, and the information
contained in this document.
There are a bunch of websites that have hostel reviews and other info.
For example, BUG http://www.bugforums.com/ contains information on every
backpackers hostel and youth hostel in Germany. That's over 630 hostels.
If you make reservations through the Internet for a hostel, have your
reference number handy when you arrive at the hostel for a faster check-in.
Be aware that it is possible that a hostel that you hear about in a Let’s Go
type of book (or from the Internet or a fellow traveler) may no longer be in
existence by the time that you arrive in that city. Some of the info listed in the
books or internet is not verified each year and even if it is, some of the hostels go
out of business. So, keep that in mind if you are using old books from a library
and copying down phone numbers, or reading old Internet postings. I have tried
to verify all the information in this document, but I am not paid for this, so I only
do what I can. So expect that some phone numbers or prices might have
changed since I last checked.

All prices that are stated in U.S. Dollars in this document can be converted to
Euros. The conversion rate changes daily but is about
1.00 Dollar =.77 Euro (€)
1.00 Euro = 1.29 Dollar

Visit the following website to convert any currency

http://www.xe.com/ucc/convert.cgi and you should double check shortly before
your trip to have the most up-to-date conversion rates (but still keep in mind that
the rates change daily).

You can find almost all train timetables in Europe at http://bahn.hafas.de/ (click
on English at the top right side). This is a nice asset because there is also a book
sold by Thomas Cook Publications that lists all of the times, but that is not free.
Personally, I have never purchased a train time table book (even in the days
before the Internet) because the small train timetable book that comes free with
your Eurail pass contains most of the trains that you will need.

If you want to stay in hotels (as opposed to hostels) then check out the cheap
deals that are listed at http://www.eurocheapo.com/ they have a bunch of
options for the major cities in Europe (about 40 in Paris). I suggest that you
check this website out before you go if cheap hotels are what you want.

About Boarders – Nowadays when you travel by train in Europe there is almost
no way to tell that you are going across the boarder sometimes. The conductor
and sometimes a few police officers will walk around the train and check
passports as you cross the boarder between 2 countries. Some countries are
more lax than other countries. Nowadays, if you want your passport stamped,
you have to ask them to stamp it (and even then, they usually will not stamp it).

Euro cities / countries

London –
London is the second most expensive city in the world (Tokyo is the most
expensive). While you are in London, you will use the metro (they call it the
TUBE http://tube.tfl.gov.uk/ ) on a pay as you use it method and that means that
your Eurail doesn't get used when you travel on the Tube. However, in London
they do have plenty of different TUBE plans (unlimited , one week, etc) so when
you are there, figure out how often you will travel via the tube, and buy
accordingly. There are 287 Tube stations. Here is a tip for first-timers: the most
popular Tube route for tourists is Leicester Square to Covent Garden (on the
Piccadilly line) but it is quicker to walk this distance (200 meters) than travel on
the tube! The price of your Tube ticket depends on how many zones you travel
through. The city center is in Zone 1, where many of the attractions of London
are found. The busiest times to ride the Tube are between 08.00 and 09.30 and
17.00 to 18.30, Mondays to Fridays. The Underground runs until approximately
00.30. After this time you can use the Night Buses.
Here is a link to the website for the London pass
http://www.londonpass.com/ You can buy a Pass for 1 day (£27), 2 days (£47), 3
days (£60) or 6 consecutive days (£94). This pass allows you free entrance into
over 60 attractions, but most of them you would never plan on going to anyway.
However, using the transport feature of this pass might be worth the price of the
pass because all your journeys on public transport within Zones 1-6 are free with
the pass. Make sure that when you buy the pass, you get the one that is “with
transport.” However, if you are only travelling within Zone 1 (as many tourists
do), it may not be worth it. But if you have lodging in, say, Zone 3, and you plan
on a 3-day stay, then figure out how much you will use the public transport and
see if it is worth the cost (visit http://tube.tfl.gov.uk/ and compare the normal costs
of transportation and make the determination).
Regardless, remember that most of the national museums and galleries in
London are free entry now (including the British Museum, National Gallery,
National Portrait Gallery, Science Musem, Natural History Museum, Victoria &
Albert, Tate Modern, Tate Britain, National Maritime Museum, Greenwich
Observatory, and others). So be sure that you are not getting ripped off by buying
the London Pass.
London is very much like New York City (the British will argue that New
York is like London because London is an older city) and if you are an American
and this is your first time traveling abroad, London is a good place to get your
footing (if this is your first destination) because there is no language barrier.
However, because the Eurail pass does not include the U.K., you will have to pay
extra for any travel on trains in the U.K., so if you want to save money maybe
visit the U.K next time since it is not covered on the Eurail pass, or fly from the
continent.
If you must decide whether to spend your £10 on the London Eye (the
world's highest observation wheel) or the Tower of London (which is adjacent to
the famous Tower Bridge) , I suggest the latter. If you can afford to do both, and
it is a clear day, spend the money on the London Eye. Keep in mind that in the
summer there can be a 45-90 minute line for the London Eye, but you can book
the London Eye in advance, and skip the long wait. The wait really fluctuates
and can be as short as 15 minutes. In general, weekends and holidays have
longer waits. I probably would not suggest booking in advance due to London’s
crappy weather. If you go, I suggest going for sunset – a great way to see the
city.
In addition to the Tube (or possibly in place of the Tube) you can take the
London Big Bus tour. It costs about £17 per person for a ticket which is valid for
24 hours. (www.bigbus.co.uk ). You can save £2 if you book your tour online.
Just like in NYC, this bus tour will visit all of the main tourist sites in London.
Obviously if it is cold, this will not be as much fun. If you plan on going to an
attraction that has a long line, then you can skip the line and just buy the Fast-
Entry ticket from the Big Bus company.
Alternatively, the Tube day-pass costs about £4 (off-peak) or £6 (peak and
weekend) but it is only valid on the date on the ticket (http://tube.tfl.gov.uk/)
Another idea is for a £1 coin (US$1.75) you can take the central London
double decker bus and see the city. If you take the #11 bus, you will go down
King’s Road (Chelsea), Westminster Abbey, Trafalgar Square, and St. Paul’s
Cathedral.
There is a section of town called Brick Lane (in the East End) where you
should go to get cheap curries and observe Bangladeshi culture.

Regarding lodging. Many people have friends in London and I suggest

that you try to get some free lodging if at all possible because this is an
expensive city (just like Paris) As for other lodging, I found that the Chelsea
Hotel was an okay hostel and that the Euro Tower was a dump. I also hear that
the Grenada Hostel is a dump – no hot water, some lights not working, toilet
paper not replaced, and smells pretty bad.
There is a new 600 bed hostel located in the heart of Piccadilly (London’s
liveliest area) called the Piccadilly Hotel http://www.piccadillyhotel.net/ Tel: +44
(0) 207 942 0555; fax +44 (0) 207 942 0565 email:
bookings@piccadillyhotel.net They have a common room, high speed internet
access (£1 for 1 hour), no curfew. This place gets really hot in the summer and
you have to climb about 4 flights of stairs to get to the hostel. Expect to pay £12
in an 8-10 bed dorm, £16-17 in a 6 bed dorm, £18 in a 4 bed dorm, or £25 in a
twin/double and £36 for a single. Add an extra £3 to the price per night for Friday
and Saturday nights. The price includes a basic contenental breakfast and linens.
None of the rooms have en suite facilities but all have washbasins. To get to this
hostel, take the Tube to Piccadilly Circus and exit the station at Exit #1 onto
Glasshouse Street Cross the road onto Sherewood Street and walk for 30
seconds until you see #12 Sherewood Street.

Also consider the Hyde Park Inn at 48-50 Inverness Terrace - good location (the
nearest tube stations are Bayswater and Queensway), fairly new, and a
reasonable price (4-bed dorm room costs 16.50 pounds each). Recently there
have been reports of it being dirty (wear your flip flops here) and problems with
the showers. It has a bar, friendly staff and a tourist office next door. Try and get
a room in the basement (quieter and away from the foot traffic and has its own
shower).

If you want to party, go to St. Christopher’s http://www.st-christophers.co.uk/ It is

a famous hostel and has many locations. The largest of the St. Christopher’s
hostels is called St. Christopher’s Village and this is the party hostel and is
located at 161-165 Borough High Street. The Tube is a 3 minute walk from the
Village hostel.

All of the St. Christopher’s hostels offer a free continental breakfast, free linen &
bedding, BBQs, karaoke DJs, electronic swipe card access, CCTV, in room
lockers and 24 hour reception. Th eVillage also offers a luggage storeroom,
rooftop sauna and hot tub.

The St.Christopher's Inn is the original of the multiple St. Christopher’s hostels
and is one half a block away (at 121 Borough High Street) from St. Christopher’s
Village and the Inn offers a pool table, big screen TV, and has it's own bar in it
and the bass thumps late into the night. If you are looking for a quieter or more
intimate stay because of the noise and atmosphere consider the Orient Espresso
which is has a coffee shop and internet café just down the street at 59-61
Borough High Street. The Orient Expresso has smaller rooms but guests can still
use the other St. Chrisopher’s facilities such as the Roof Top Hot Tub, laundry
facilities, bar and pub.
Expect to pay from £12 - £25 per night (dorms 8-12 beds – £12-15, 4-6
beds – £16-18, or £25 per person in a private twin. Tel: 44.(0)207.407 1856 Fax:
44.(0)207.403 7715

Astor hostels have 4 hostels in different parts of London, and they can be as
cheap as from £11. Check out http://www.astorhostels.com/ for the details, but
keep in mind that I have heard some bad things about the Astor Hyde Park
Hostel (2-6 Inverness Terrace, Bayswater (London) and the Astor museum
hostel.

The Ashlee House http://www.ashleehouse.co.uk/ costs the following

prices during the high season: £15 for a dorm, £17-19 for a 4-10 person room,
£24 for a double, £22 for a triple, £36 for a single (price includes breakfast).
They have 24-hour reception, no curfew, and a kitchen. It is located in an OK
area (it’s well lit and plenty of people around). The contact information is:
address: 261-265 Gray's Inn Road; Tel; 44 (0) 20 7833 9400; Fax: +44 (0)20
7833 9677 Email: info@ashleehouse.co.uk It is close to Bloomsbury and Russell
Square, and near the British Museum. It’s about 300 steps from Kings Cross tube
(which is serviced by 6 different tube lines). In 2002 the Ashlee House was
clean, comfortable and OK, but the shower controls were bad (hard to get hot
water). I have heard that they have since renovated and fixed the showers. If
you choose this hostel, make sure you get a dorm facing away from the street,
the traffic is noisy there starting at 7:00a.m. From Victoria train station take the
underground (Victoria Line) direct to King’s Cross (four stops). Trains depart
every 5 minutes and tickets cost £1.20 single. This is a nice hostel that makes
you feel good about being a budget traveler.

A huge party place is the Generator http://www.the-generator.co.uk or

http://www.generatorhostels.com/ (near Russell Sq.) Tel: 0044(0)20-7388 7666
Fax: 0044(0)20-7388 7644. It is a huge hostel (It used to be a police barracks
and now houses 800 beds) with a bar that stays open until 2am. Only go here if
you want to party. This place used to be listed as one of the top 5 hostels in
Europe, but it has been taken off the list. It can be quite dirty and loud. Hostel
dorm room rates from as little as £10 a night, but if you can afford it, consider
paying the 35 Euro for a single. If you can’t afford that but you want less than
average noise, get in a room with less people (try for a 4 bed instead of 10 bed
room). The bar is open from 6pm-2am and it is happy hour from 6-9 pm. To get
there, go straight out of the Russell Square tube station, walk up Marchmont 2
blocks (past the Internet café) ahead to Tavistock Place street, turn right and its
just ahead on your left.
There is a new hostel (started in summer of 2001) in an old building called
the Eurotrip Inn http://www.eurotripinn.com/ which is actually student lodging
during the rest of the year. Even though it opened as a hostel in the summer of
2001, during the summer of 2003 it was closed. Their website indicates that it
will be open in 2005. This place is located in the center of London. Email
info@eurotripinn.com Rooms are limited and only available from July 15 -
September 12. Reserve and pay online by May 31st and you can get a private
room for $39.00 US. If you are not calling in July, Augist or Sept, then the
reservation office London is closed and the only way to reserve is by email, or
calling a number in the USA (tel: 617.916.5229). This place has a full-service
restaurant and bar. There are cheaper places in London to sleep if you are on a
tight budget, but this Eurotrip Inn is a good place if you can afford it and you want
a single. The Tube less than 5 minute walk away. To get to the Eurotrip Inn, take
the Tube to the Barbican stop. When you get out of the station, you will see
small cafe on you right side. Cross the street and through the underpass. You
will see an Italian restaurant and the Eurotrip Courtyard is on your left. FYI -
from the EurotripInn, expect that a taxi to Waterloo will cost £10.
Another option is the Holland House Youth Hostel
http://www.hollhse.btinternet.co.uk/. tel +44 (0)20 7937 0748; Fax +44 (0)20 7376
0667; email: hollandhouse@yha.org.uk It was clean, safe and centrally located.
It's about 15 pounds (about $24USD) per night. This place is actually located in
Holland Park which is west of Notting Hill and off High Street Kensington. They
have internet access, and will give you a meal for only £5.00.
There is a hostel called the Barmy Badger. It is located in Earl's Court
(good location) Just go to Earls Court station, turn left into Earls Court Rd and the
hostel is the 4th street on the left (#17 Logridge Road). It is cheap for London
(about 15 –17 pounds/night). But, it has very small rooms but owner is very
enthusiastic, and they have clean bathrooms. TIP - You can pay 17 Euro for a 2
person room and hope that it is not filled with another (the 2 person rooms have
a shower). Tel: +44 (0)20 370 5213 ; Fax: +44 (0)20 370 5213 email:
barmy_badger.b@virgin.net Many guests at this hostel work in London and stay
there for a long period of time, and thus it may not be the best place to meet
other travelers.

Also consider Trek Inn Hostel http://62.73.162.187/trek_inn_london/

Or http://www.trekinnhostel.co.uk which is located at 59 Mount Pleasant (10 min
walk from Covent Garden). Email: info@trekinnhostel.co.uk Phone: +44 (020)
813 2326; Fax: +44 (020) 813 5237. They have 24-hour reception and email
availability. Expect to pay £20 per person in a double room, and £12.50 per
person in a dorm (they also offer female only dorms).
Also consider the London House Hotel, located at 81-83 Kensington
Garden Road. It is a 6-min bus ride to Oxford Street, (2 minutes from two major
train lines). Expect to pay £10-12 pounds per night for a dorm room. The singles
and double prices jump to £40. This place used to have bad service, but it is
now under new management and this is a cheap place that serves free
breakfast. The offer a special for free high speed internet Sun-Thurs (9-5). This
place is a 3-minute walk from Bayswater tube station. When you exit the station,
turn left and walk towards the shopping center. At the traffic lights turn left and
the hotel is on the second road on the right.
There is a new hostel in London called The Lodge
http://www.thelondonlodge.com/ which is located at 44 Norfolk Square in
Paddington. It is run by South Africans and is located a 2 minute walk from
Paddington Station, and a 5 minute walk from Hyde Park. It is recently
renovated, non-smoking and has decent sized rooms. No curfew, it has a
kitchen and a tv lounge, and all rooms have refrigerators. Tel/fax: 0207 2624406;
Email: info@thelondonlodge.com Expect to pay £17.50 per night in a 4-6 bed
dorm, or £20 per person in a double room. Some rooms have tvs, so ask about
that when checking in.
For an inexpensive hotel, try the Alhambra Hotel
http://www.alhambrahotel.com/ is located about 100 meters from either the
Kings Cross underground or the St. Pancras train station. The address is #17-19
Argyle Street. Tel: (+44) 020 7 837 9575; fax: (+44) 020 7 916 2476; email:
reservations@alhambrahotel.com All rooms come with a color tv and the price
includes breakfast. Expect to pay £32-55 for a single room, if you want either a
twin or a double, expect to pay £45-60, triples are £65-80, and quads (2 double
beds) are £90.
Another option is the Barbican YMCA located on Fann Street. Tel: +44 (0)
207 628 0697; Fax: +44(0) 207 638 2420; email: Barbicanymca@aol.com. Web:
http://www.barbicanymca.com/. Expect to pay £24 in a room with two beds (twin)
or pay £28 in a single.
I have heard about another new hostel called the Millenium hostel. This
place is cheap because it is a long way from the center, but that is not a big deal
because it is close to a tube station. Most hostels in London don’t have good
views, and this one is adjacent to a cemetary.

For £5 (£3.50 students) you can retrace Jack the Ripper’s killing spree. A
company called Mystery Walks provides a two-hour walking tour. Meet at Aldgate
Tube station (Circle and Metropolitan lines) Web Site: www.mysterywalks.co.uk
(was not running when I checked it last) but their phone number is 020 8558
9446 They like to do the tour when it is dark, so it takes place at 8 p.m. on
Sundays and Wednesdays, and 7 p.m. on Fridays.

A nice day trip from London is visiting Stonehenge. Don’t expect to actually
touch any of the stones unless you get on a special access tour, such as one
offered by Astral travels http://www.astraltravels.co.uk/index.htm . If you are lazy
and have too much money and can afford the £42 (GBP) that the tours charge
(the special access fee costs an additional £15, making the total cost a whopping
£57), it might be worth avoiding the hassles.
 But you can save a lot of money by taking the train from London’s
Waterloo station to Salisbury (about 1 1/2 hours) and then catch a bus out to
Stonehenge (40 minute ride on the Wilts and Dorset bus #3). FYI - For the same
price as a Salisbury-Stonehenge return bus, you can buy an Explorer ticket
(which allows you all-day travel on any bus (including those stopping by
Avebury).
The buses run regularly from the Salisbury station. I think that a return
train ticket from London to Salisbury costs about £20, and a return ticket on bus
from Salisbury to Stonehenge costs £5.25, and admission to Stonehenge £5. To
be honest, I don’t know if touching the stones is worth the extra money that a tour
would cost. Besides, you can get quite close to the stones just by paying the
normal entrance fee of £5 (and you can touch the stones by walking over a rope
and risk getting yelled at). So, by doing it my way you will spend £30 instead of
£57.
(If you prefer to not do this as a day trip, the only hostel in Salisbury is the
YHA, which is located just outside the city center, which costs about £14)
Anyway, when you are at Stonehenge you are given informational phones,
which tell you the history and geography as you walk up towards the stones and
you listen to these phones as you walk around.
Depending on the particular month, Stonehenge opens at either 9 or 9:30
a.m. and closes at 6 or 7 p.m. in the summer (but closes at 4 or 5 p.m. in the
winter). I suggest going as early as possible, since seeing the stones really
doesn’t take too long, you can also see another city nearby (such as Bath or
Avebury)

Avebury is 24 miles (40-minute ride) from Stonehenge and is similar to

Stonhenge but on a much larger scale than Stonehenge and at Avebury you can
walk around and touch the stones. This place has unrestricted access and is
free. The stones at Avebury make up the largest stone circle in the world
(covering an area of 28 acres). This place had a great ring of 98 rocks enclosing
two smaller circles of 30 stones each, but today you will only see 27 stones in
place because many of the stones were broken up hundreds of years ago by the
locals so that they could use the rocks to construct the present village. The
missing stones are marked by concrete posts. Today a village, with an inn and
some shops, is completely enclosed by the stones. It takes about ten minutes to
walk from one side of the stone ring to the other (without stopping).
Some of the stones within the circle are over 40 tons (almost twice as
heavy as those at Stonehenge), although the stones at Avebury are rough and
not shaped (unlike the stones at Stonehenge).

Another nice day tip from London is the town of Bath. Consider going to
Stonehenge as early as possible in the morning (before its gets crowded). After
an hour or so, head to Bath for lunch and maybe take one of the City Tours on
the double decker bus. Also, the tourist office in Bath sponsors pretty good free
walking tours.
 If you need lodging in Bath, consider Bath Backpackers
http://www.hostels.co.uk/index.htm Expect to pay £12-13 for a dorm, or £17 per
person in a double or triple. Email: bath@hostels.co.uk Tel: 44(0) 1225-446787
There is also a nice B&B at the edge of town called The Old Schoolhouse.

Leeds Castle is in the city of Kent. Some visitors get confused and go to the city
of Leeds and expect to see this castle, but Kent is 200 miles from Leeds city.
This medieval castle was built on two small islands in a lake. Opening hours from
March to October 10am to 5pm (last admission) for the park and gardens, and 11
– 5:30 for the Castle. For information, send an email: enquiries@leeds-
castle.co.uk Leeds Castle is located 4 miles east of Maidstone (midway between
London and the Channel ports), and is 3 miles southwest of Canterbury. You can
reach Leeds Castle from London by taking a train from London Victoria (60
minutes) to Bearsted and then take a shuttlebus to the castle (£3.20) – when you
arrive by train in Bearsted, pick up a brochure from the tourist information to
figure out which bus you need.
Expect to pay about £11 if you are a student for admission to the castle
and grounds.

Another good daytrip from London is to the town of Windsor, which is home to
the Windsor Castle. The castle is open during the summer from 09:45 -17:15
(last admission 16:00). Expect to pay £12.00, or £10.00 for students. Tel: (+44)
(0) 20 7766 7304; Fax: (+44) (0) 20 7930 9625 E-mail:
bookinginfo@royalcollection.org.uk The Changing of the Guard takes place on
alternate days at 11:00. You can reach Windsor castle by using a train from
London via either Paddington Station or via Waterloo station. The quickest way
(22 minutes) is from London’s Paddington Station, take the Thames train line to
Slough and change at Slough (platform 1) for the Windsor shuttle service which
arrives at Windsor and Eton Central Station. The second option takes longer (50
minutes) and is from London’s Waterloo station, where you take the Southwest
train line direct to Windsor and Eton Riverside. Windsor and Eton Riverside
Station is only a five minute walk from the Castle, BUT, the walk from the
Riverside Station is steeper than from the Central Station (Paddington line).
If you take the bus from London to Windsor, the most convenient stop in
central Windsor is at the Parish Church (which is right by the castle). This is the
GREENLINE bus service and departs from Victoria. There are two places in
Victoria from where buses leave. The Colonnades is a shopping center in
Victoria. It is opposite Victoria Coach Station, on Buckingham Palace Rd.
GREENLINE has stops BOTH in front and behind the Colonnades building, so
make sure that you are waiting at the correct place.
Arundel – This is a pretty English town, located about 80 mins from
London (take the train from Victoria). The Castle here feels more real than the
Leed’s Castle, which seems Disney-like. The castle is about a 10-minute walk
from the train station (you can see the castle and cathedral from the train
station).
Canterbury - Take the train from London’s Victoria Station.

Dover – I would skip this destination.

Ireland – you can visit Ireland for free with your Eurail pass by taking the ferry
from France (Le Havre) to Rosslare, Ireland. Then take a train up to Dublin and
have some Guinness at one of Dublin’s thousand pubs or at the Guinness
brewery.
Go see the Trinity College and the famous Book of Kells. I remember a
pretty cool metal sculpture outside the college buildings that kind of resembled a
globe that was disintegrating.
While walking on O’Connel Street, stop in at the post office to read about
the uprising.

Regarding lodging in Dublin, avoid the Chelsea House (also known as

Backpackers CitiHostel) – it is a dump.

Consider the Four Courts Hostel for good security, price and location
http://www.fourcourtshostel.com/ located at #15-17 Merchants Quay, Tel: 353 1
672 5839; Fax: 353 1 672 5862; Email: info@fourcourtshostel.com During high
season, expect to pay 17.50-25 Euro in a dorm, 30-33 Euro in a twin, 29 Euro in
a triple, 25 Euro in a quad and 27 Euro ina family room. These prices include
linen and a continental breakfast, but there is € 2.00 supplement charge on
Friday /Saturday. This place is a 2-minute walk from the popular nightspot,
Temple Bar. From the bus or train stations just take the # 90 bus and it will drop
you off right in front of the hostel. It will cost just 1 Euro from the bus station.

The Avalon House www.avalon-house.ie is nice - big, cheap, clean and

safe (near Grafton Street) and has security (it has lockers and keycard access).
They also have internet access. Great free breakfast, too. It is located at 55
Aungier Street; Tel: 353-1-4750001, Fax: 353-1-4750303, which is a long 10-
minute walk from the Temple Bar areas/center of town. This is generally NOT a
party place. It does have a full kitchen. From March – October, expect to pay
15-17 Euro for a dorm; 32-37 Euro for a single; 30-35 Euro for a double; 25-30
Euro for a quad; or 28-30 Euro for a six bed room.

Barnacles (or the Temple Bar Hostel)

http://www.barnacles.ie/templebar/accommodation.htm is right in the middle of
Temple Bar, where few Irish go to get drunk (there will be tons of tourists here).
Barnacles (Temple Bar House) is located at 19 Temple Lane. From May –
October, expect to pay the following: 17.50 – 22 Euro for a dorm (depending on
how many people in the room), 39 Euro for a double, and 78 Euro for a single.
Email tbh@barnacles.ie Tel: +353 1 6716277; fax +353 1 6716591
They have excellent kitchen facilities if you plan on cooking. There is no drinking
in the hostel, but plenty of pubs nearby. There is no lockout or curfew.
 Isaacs Hostel http://www.isaacs.ie/isaacs_hostel/index.htm have 12-16
bed dorms for 17.50 Euro, 6-10 bed dorms for 20 Euro, quads for 25 euro, triples
for 30 euro, double for 33 Euro, and a single for 37 Euro. They are located at 2-5
Frenchmans Lane (near Busarus bus station). Tel:+353 1 8556215; Fax: +353 1
8556574; Email: hostel@isaacs.ie They allow alcohol and it is lively and has a
jukebox.

Another lodging option is the Litton Lane hostel http://www.irish-

hostel.com/litton_hostel/index.htm (located at 2-4 Litton Lane; tel:
Tel: +353+1+8728389; fax: (01) 8720039; email: litton@indigo.ie This hostel
actually used to be a recording studio for bands such as U2 and Van Morrison!
Clean co-ed rooms, but the bathrooms were not so clean. It has a great location
about 1/2 block from the river and Temple Bar is on the other side. During the
high season, expect to pay 22-23.50 Euro for a dorm room or 65-70 Euro for a
double. Breakfast is included in the price. They have internet access. If you need
your laundry done for you, they will do it around the corner at the Abbey Lane
Hostel.

There is a medium size hostel called the Brewery Hostel which is located
near (100 meters) the Guinness Brewary & Storehouse which is a 2 min. walk
from Heuston train station, but along (20 min.) walk from the city center/Temple
Bar Area. It is located at #22-23 Thomas Street, Phone: +353 1 453 8616 or 353
1 483 8600; Fax: +353 1 453 8616 web: http://www.irish-hostel.com/home.htm
Email: brewery@irish-hostel.com All rooms are ensuite with free hot showers
and bed linen supplied. They have twin/doubles, and 4, 8 and 10 bed dorms.
Expect to pay 18-20 Euro for a 10-bed dorm, 20-22 Euro in an 8-bed dorm, 22-25
Euro in a quad, and 75-78 Euro in a twin/double. Breakfast is included in the
price.
One of the best options is Globetrotters Tourist Hostel, which is located at
#46/48 Lower Gardiner Street (This places is located right beside busaras bus
station and is only a 2-minute walk by foot). They have a kitchen, internet
access, no lock-out. Tel: (01) 8735893; fax: +353 01 878 8787 Web:
http://www.globetrottersdublin.com/ Email: info@globetrottersdublin.com or
gtrotter@indigo.ie Expect to pay 19 Euro per night in a 12-bed dorm which
includes a HUGE breakfast (a full Irish breakfast: bacon, sausage, eggs, hash
brown, tomatoes, baked beans, cereals, fruit salad, a selection of breads and
tea/ coffee and a selection of juice)

Consider doing the Backpacker’s Pubcrawl. It leaves every night from the
front gates of Trinity College at 8pm, ask for details at your hostel. During the
peak season you can expect 20-80 backpackers from different hostels to show
up. Expect to visit between 6-8 different pubs.

Consider Paddy’s Palace http://www.paddyspalace.com/dublinhostel.php

or http://www.paddywagontours.com/ppalace.html where you can get a dorm
from £10. (Private rooms available). It is located on the corner of Lr. Gardiner
Street and Beresford Row. Officially 5 Beresford Place, Dublin 1, it is a 2 minute
walk from Busaras (Dublin’s primary bus station). Telephone 01 8881756 (inside
Ireland) 00 353 1 8881756 (outside Ireland). Fax 01 8881684 Email
Paddyspalace@dublin.com If your goal is to be near the bus station, this is a
good choice. Although there are cheaper nearby hostels (on the same street)
they are a worse choice than this one.

If you are up for it, head north to Northern Ireland. It was not my thing, so
I headed south and saw the Killarney and Cork and the Blarney Castle. It is
funny because tourists bend over backwards and kiss the Blarney stone, but the
locals get drunk and piss on that stone at night! If you have a week or less, stick
to Dublin and then head west such as Galway city.

Galway – Consider the Barnacles Hostel

http://www.barnacles.ie/quaystreet/accommodation.htm It is situated on the main
street in Galway (full of pubs and restaurants) at #10 Quay Street. Tel: +353 91
568644; email: qsh@barnacles.ie. In fact, directly across from the hostel, there is
a pub called “The Quays” that plays Irish Music and can become very noisy. As
for hearing pub noise while you are in the hostel, the worst time is at 8 a.m. when
the kegs of beer are delivered to the pub. If you can deal with that, the hostel is
clean and safe. From May- October, expect to pay 16-20.50 Euro for a dorm,
22.50 Euro in a quad, 27 Euro for a double and 54 Euro for a single.

There is another hostel called the Galway hostel that is right next to the train/bus
station at Eyre Square. Tel: 353 91 566959. They have a kitchen, common room
and probably the cleanest hostel in town and this place has a friendlier staff than
the staff at Barnacles. It is small and only has 6 rooms, so call ahead.

Another hostel is called Sleep Zone http://www.sleepzone.ie/ e-mail:

info@sleepzone.ie Tel: +353-91-566999 Fax: +353-91-566996
Expect to pay 18-20 Euro in a 8-10 bed dorm, 20 Euro in a 6-bed dorm, 22 Euro
in a quad, 25 Euro in a triple, 30 Euro in a double, and 50 Euro in a single. The
train/bus station is located at Eyre Square. When you exit the station go to the
opposite end of the Square and turn right. You should see Cuba Bar on your left.
Take the next turn left (Bothar na mBan) and you will see Sleepzone about 80
metres down on the left hand side. This place caters to youbng foreigners living
and working in Galway (so you might not find fellow short-term backpackers
here).

In Cork City there are a couple of budget hostels. Sheila's hostel is a 5-

minute walk from the bus and train stations (where there is a regular bus service
to Blarney). http://www.sheilashostel.ie/ Tel: 353 21 4505562 (Outside Ireland);
Tel: 021 4505562 (Within Ireland); Fax: 353 21 4500940 (Outside Ireland) / Fax:
021 4500940 (Within Ireland). Email: info@sheilashostel.ie
Expect to pay 22-25 Euro for a double, 14.50-15.50 Euro for a quad, or 14-15
Euro for a 6-8 bed dorm. Although this place is not the cleanest in the world, it is
a good hostel and is close to the pubs and a good pizza place.
Another lodging option in Cork City is Kinlay house (in the city center (10-
minute walk to the bus station)). http://www.kinlayhouse.ie/ tel: 021-4508966
Email: Kinlay.Cork@usitWORLD.com Expect to pay the following 16-19.50 Euro
for a dorm, 20-21 Euro for a quad, 22.50-24 Euro in a triple, 24.50-26 Euro per
person for double, and 45 Euro for a single. They have free breakfast and have
internet access.
If you come down to deciding between Dingle and Blarney – choose
Dingle.

Edinburgh, Scotland
Haggis is a national food and it is usually made from sheep stomach,
lungs, liver and heart. If eating haggis is not your thing, a great Chinese
restaurant is in the center of town and is called China China and has all-you-can-
eat buffet menu which costs £4.99 noon-5pm; £7.99 5pm-7pm and £9.99 7pm-
midnight. It is located at #10 Antigua Street (five minutes from East Princes
Street) Tel: 0131-556 9791.
As for lodging, consider staying at the Castle Rock hostel – right at the
foot of the Edinburgh Castle. Located at 15 Johnston Terrace,Tel: 44.(0)131.225
9666 Email: castlerock@scotlands-top-hostels.com Expect to pay £13.50.
Another option which is run by the same people as Castle Rock is the
High Street hostel (Except Castle Rock is newer). The High Street hostel is
located at 8 Blackfriars Street Tel:+44 131 557 3984 email: high-
street@scotlands-top-hostels.com (They play a movie each night). It is located
right on the Royal mile. Expect to pay pay £13.50. I remember the showers
being in poor condition.
Another few ideas are the Royal Mile Backpackers located at 105 High
Street, tel: +44 131 557 6120; email: royal-mile@scotlands-top-hostels.com
Expect to pay pay £13.50.
Or try Brodies hostel http://www.brodieshostels.co.uk/ They have 2
locations. Brodies One is at #12 High Street - Tel:556 6770) this is a very social
place. Brodies Two is new and only opened in July 2003 (tel: 0131 – 5562-223).
They have a self-catering kitchen buit breakfast is not included in the price, they
have electronic access so you can come and go as you please.
In general, Brodies Two, Broadies One and the Royal Mile hostel are your
best located hostels. Brodies One and Royal Mile are the most social, but
Brodies Two is the newest. Expect to pay the following: at Brodies One: £17-19
for an 8-bed dorm, and £16- £18 for a 16-bed dorm. At Brodies Two: £20-22 in a
4 bed dorm, £18- £20 for a 6-bed dorm, £17 for an 8-10 bed dorm, £69-85 for a
triple, £65-77 for a double en-suite, and £84-88 for a quad. Therefore, if you
want the cheapest, go to Brodies One because they have more dorm space.
A new hostel opened in 2004 called "Budget Backpackers" located at # 15
Cowgatehead. Their website calls it "Edinburgh's Premier 4 star new hostel." It
only gets so-so reviews – I would stick with Brodies.
 Another option is called Argyle backpackers (good option if you do not
want to stay in the center of town). It is located on Argyle terrace, across the
meadows from the old town.

I would avoid St. Christopher's which is right across the street from
Waverly Station (not too clean).

Amsterdam – you will find that if you speak English you will do just fine here.
This is because the Dutch all learn several languages in school (because nobody
in the world, except for me, learns Dutch!). Anyway, when you are in this city,
make sure to visit the Red Light District (even if you don’t want to solicit a
prostitute) because it is really an experience to see it. Don’t worry, I have even
seen tour groups go through it! My advice is to go through it during the daytime
first if possible, as the night is not as safe (there is a police presence, but there is
plenty of crime in that area). You can get decent cheap food in the chinese
district, which is located near the red light district. Also good and cheap are
schwarmas, or croketts, or french fries (pomme frites) with peanut sauce.
If you want to buy drugs (pot and hash are sold in most coffee shops) you
can do so in Amsterdam. Drug dealers walk all over the place (especially in and
near the Red Light District) and offer any type of drug you can imagine. If you do
some drugs, make sure to finish them all up in Holland because most other
countries in Europe have some pretty tough penalties (also big trouble if you are
caught on a train exiting the country with drugs). The boarder police often
scrutinize backpackers and even look through packs of cigarettes to look for
drugs. I have even seen some drug-sniffing dogs on the trains a few times.
Rembrandt Square is filled with small bars. The cheap foods to look for in
Amsterdam are kroketje (meat croquette) and shawarma (similar to a gyro).
FYI – all coffee shops and other hash/pot bars also sell other stuff (like
coffee or beer) so you don’t have to smoke if you don’t want to. One of the most
famous places to go for a smoke or a beer is called the Bulldog. Another very
famous place is called the Grasshopper. There are several Bulldog and
Grasshopper locations scattered around Amsterdam. These are nice places to
hang out, but they are more expensive than other coffeshops in town.
I spoke to some ladies that had decided to skip Amsterdam because they
had heard that it was unsafe. That was a shame because Amsterdam is a capital
city and is no more unsafe than Paris or Rome (in fact, I would argue that the
latter two capitals are less safe than Amsterdam). Granted, the Red Light District
(a section of Amsterdam) has prostitutes and drugs, and that tends to encourage
certain types of crime. However, keep in mind that common sense will keep you
safe. Any lone tourist (especiailly a lone female) walking around at night in the
wrong area is not a good idea in any large city!

Amsterdam also has some cool art museums (Rijksmuseum and the Van
GoghMuseum) and even a sex museum (on Damrak (the main street that runs
between the Dam and Central Station) and a hash/marijuana/hemp museum.
Although some guidebooks suggest the Heineken brewery tour (a whopping 10
Euro, but at least you get some free beer included in the price!)
www.heinekenexperience.nl Tel. +31 (0)20-5239666 Email:
info@heinekenexperience.com If you do that, please understand that
Amsterdam is the location for the OLD brewery and the real brewery (the 2nd
largest in the world and the largest in Europe) is not in Amsterdam, but rather it is
just outside of Leiden. Anyway, if you go on the Heineken brewery tour in
Amsterdam, get tickets early in the morning and return later in day (after the
tickets are sold out) for your tour, or just take your tour in the morning. Don’t plan
on showing up in the late afternoon and think that you will be touring the brewary
that same day. Plan on a minimum of 75 minutes for the tour. From Central
Station take trams, 16, 24 or 25 and get off the tram at Heinekenplein. Keep in
mind that they are closed on Mondays.

Heineken is a premium beer which is like Budweiser in America. If you

want a more authentic Dutch experience, consider touring the brewery called “IJ.”
The brewary is called Brouwerij 't IJ and is located at Funenkade 7 in
Amsterdam. Tel: 020-6228325; E-mail: info@brouwerijhetij.nl IJ is open for
tastings Wed-Sun from 4 to 8 pm (but the bar actually opens at 3:00). That’s
right, it has very limited hours because it is technically a tasting café as opoosed
to a full-blown bar. Therefore, I suggest that you arrive as close to 3pm as you
can. You will find it at the far end of Sarphatistraat (near a windmill on the eastern
edge of town). It is a good place to meet real Dutch people and taste some nice
beer.
If possible, go to one of the diamond cutting places and see the amazing
stones. Although most backpackers will not care, if you are in the market for
diamonds, this is one of the best places in the world to get some.
Very near the Costor (sp?) diamond factory is the Rijksmuseum, which
has great Dutch art and is small enough to enjoy. Many visit the Van Gogh
museum – 3 floors of Van Gogh, but it was not as interesting as the
Rijksmuseum to me.
There is a new (2004) museum called the Hermitage Amsterdam
http://www.hermitage.nl/ which is a satellite of the famous St. Petersburg
museum, and it has a display of Greek gold (more than 2,000 years old) on loan
from the Russian museum. This new museum is open 10-5 daily and costs 6
Euro, and is located on Nieuwe Herengracht 14. You can reach the museum from
Central Station: tram 4 (Rembrandtplein), 9 (Waterlooplein) and subway
(Waterlooplein).

Another new museum in A’dam is called FOAM, which is dedicated to

photography. It is open from 10-5 and is located at Keizersgracht 609
Tel: 31 (0)20 551 6500 email info@foam.nl and costs 5 Euro.

If you visit the Oude Kerk (Old Church) there is a hidden self-portrait under
the great oak-encased organ. The organ stands on marble pillars, but the panels
between the pillars are made of wood that is painted to resemble marble. When
the marble was cleaned in 1978, the restorer Henk Dogger snuck in his self-
portrait into the marble. Look to the left of the organ just above the floor.
I once took a boat tour of the canals of Amsterdam and learned that the
city has 1,281 bridged. On the boat tour, there is a place where you can see 15
bridges. I later found out that you can also see this exact same view from land
(well, one of the bridges) for free. This special bridge is located just a few blocks
from Rembrandtplein at Reguliersgracht at the corner of Herengracht on the odd-
numbered side. Stand with your back to the Thorbeckeplein, and you will see six
arched bridges in a row. Turn to the left and six more will appear over the
Herengracht. Look to the right to see two more. And the 15th bridge is the one
that you are standing on. That was the most memorable part of the boat tour, so
I saved you about 15 Euro. Some of the tourist guidebooks on Amsterdam call
this the “Bridge of 15 bridges.”

While you walk around Amsterdam, pay attention to how some of the
buildings are tilted or leaning. This is because they were built on soft peat
ground and over the years the buiding sank. Usually the buildings that are
leaning are very old.
Three great examples of narrow houses can be found at 1) Singel #7, 2)
Oude Hoogstraat #22, 3) Kloveniersburgwal #26. On the Singel #7. You will see
the front of a house that is only one meter wide (barely wider than the front door).
Behind this facade the house broadens out to more normal dimensions.
When you go to Oude Hoogstraat 22 (between the Dam and the Nieuwmarkt
(New Market) you will see a tiny house, complete with a typical Amsterdam bell-
gable is 2 meters wide and 6 meters deep. This is the narrowest house in
Europe. The third free house is located nearby on the Kloveniersburgwal 26:
less than 2.5 meters wide, known as “The Small Trippenhouse” (Kleine
Trippenhuis) or (Mr Trip’s Coachman’s House). This is located directly opposite
the impressive Trippenhouse, #29 which at about 22 meters wide is the widest
house in Amsterdam.
There is a free ferry that few tourists know about. This ferry crosses the
River Ij from the back of Centraal Station to North Amsterdam. A ride on this ferry
will give you a feeling of houseboat living. When the ferry passes houseboats
you can see the houseboat’s hidden gardens and onboard trees. Catch this
“Buikersloterwegveer” ferry by landing stage #7 behind Centraal Station. The
longest that you will have to wait at any point during the day is 15 minutes for the
ferry. There is a smaller similar ferry the “IJ-Veer”, which leaves from landing
stage #8.
Some of the current clubs in Amsterdam are “More” (especially on
Thursday) or “Marcanti” (on Saturday). When I lived in Holland, and visited
Amsterdam, the good clubs were Melkweg melkweg.nl , Paradiso paradiso.nl
or Arena Hotel for live music. Paradiso has lots of live concerts, dance and 80's.
Melkweg is usually R&B and house. Clubs with DJs are Club More, Mazzo,
Escape It, Jimmy Woo, and Sinners in Heaven.
 You can get free internet access at any of the 30 public libraries in
Amsterdam. The Central Library is located at Prinsengracht #587. Although it is
open from 09.00 - 18.00 hrs, I suggest that you get there early in the morning to
avoid the wait.

Another good tip is that you can rent a bike. I would not suggest renting a
bike if you will only be in town for a couple of days. Maybe rent one if you want
to bike into the countryside (easy because everything is flat). Keep in mind that
bikes are stolen all the time in A’dam. Anyway, there are several locations to rent
bikes. 1) Bulldog on Oudezijds Voorburgwal (in the Red Light District). About 6
Euro per day. 2) MacBike which has 5 locations in the center of Amsterdam
http://www.macbike.nl/ email: info@macbike Tel: +31 20 620 09 85. Unless you
will never get off your bike, I suggest renting the traditional “city bike” instead of a
mountain bike because it is less likely to be stolen. The city bike can be rented
for about 7 Euro per day, whereas the mountain bike is about 14 Euro. Tel: +31
20 625 50 29. 3) Rent-a-bike Damstraat located at Pieterjacobszdwarsstraat 11
(in a little alley off Dam Square), also € 7 per day.

If you want to buy something really fragile (who wants to do that?) then
buy some delft pottery – make sure the bottom says hand-made. Amsterdam
sells the real stuff but it originates in a small town in Holland called Delft.
www.delfttourisme.nl If you do buy some of this – make sure to do it immediately
prior to leaving Europe or else you should mail it back home because it will break
in your backpack.
One of the most famous hostels in Europe is located in Amsterdam and is
called the Flying pig. There are 3 locations (the Downtown and Palace Hostels
are in Amsterdam and the Beach hostel is 20 miles outside Amsterdam in
Noordwijk (but it is also much cheaper).
The downtown location is 500 meters from the train station at Nieuwendijk
100, 1012 MR Amsterdam, Tel: 31.(0)20.420 68 22 – email –
downtown@flyingpig.nl Web – www.flyingpig.nl From Central Station walk
towards Damrak. Pass the Victoria Hotel and take your first alleyway on the
right and go all the way to the end.
The Palace location is also called the Park location and it is located near
the the Leidse Plein (square) and the Vondel Park, which is close to the
museums. The address is Vossiusstraat 46-47, and the contact number is tel:
020-400-4187 email: palace@flyingpig.nl Take tram #1, 2, or 5 from Centraal
Station and get off at the stop for Leidse Plein
For the Beach location, they offer a shuttle bus from either of the
Amsterdam locations to get you there. Otherwise, take a train south to the
university town of Leiden, then take bus 40 or 42 to Noordwijk, stop at
“Vuurtorenplein,” face south and 100m on your left side you'll find the Beach
Hostel.
As for prices, singles/twins cost 76 Euro at the Downtown hostel, and 62
Euro at the Palace location, and 42 Euro at the Beach location. Small shared
rooms (4-6 people) are 28.40 Euro at the Downtown location, 27 Euro at the
Palace location. Medium dorm rooms (8-10 beds) cost 25.40 Euro at the
Downtown location, and 25 Euro at the Palace location. Lareg dorm rooms (18-
26 beds) cost 22.40 Euro at the Downtown location and 22 Euro at the Palace
location. The Beach location also has rooms that hold 6-8 beds for 17 Euro per
person.

TIP - I suggest the location at Voldelpark (Palace location), which is still in

the center of Amsterdam, over the one near Central Station (Downtown location).
The Palace location is more relaxed whereas the downtown location has a
smoky, loud music atmosphere.
Since the Flying Pig is so popular, I have given you a lot of information. In
general, you should make a reservation if you want to sleep here, but they do
have a few extra beds set aside for walk-ins. So if you call from the train station
(or show up at the hostel) at 8 am or at 10:30 (checkout time) you will still have a
chance to get in the hostel on the day of arrival.

Also the Bulldog has a pretty good reputation and is centrally located near
the RLD at Oudezijds Voorburgwal 220, Amsterdam 1012 GJ, tel – 020 620
3822, email – bullmail@bulldog.nl Web – www.bulldog.nl Expect to pay 26
(Euro) for a dorm bed if it is available, 85 Euro in a double, 108 Euro in a triple,
and 125 Euro in a quad. This price includes breakfast. The rooms are smoke-
free.
You may also want to consider staying at Bob’s Youth Hostel (Nieuwezijds
Voorburgwal 92, tel: 020-623-0063) – caution – lots of smoking goes on here.

A newer option is Budget Hotel Clemens which is located at Raadhuisstraat 39,

1016 DC AMSTERDAM, Tel.: ++31(0)20-624 60 89, Fax: ++31(0)20-626 96 58,
E-mail: info@clemenshotel.nl http://www.clemenshotel.nl/ This place is not that
much of a budget (55 euro's to 125 euro's per night per room), but if all of your
other options are booked, this may be good to know about.
I have heard good things about Hostel Cosmos.
http://www.hostelcosmos.com/. Tel. +31206252438; email:
info@hostelcosmos.com (minimum 2-night stay on weekends), no
curfew or lockout. It is located at Nieuwe nieuwstraat 17-1. Expect to
pay 40 Euro for a private room and dorms range from 27.50 Euro to 35
Euro. The hostel is a 5-minute walk from the train station. Just walk down
Damrak (main street) and turn right when you cross the 5th alley (just look for
USA Pizza). Follow this alley until the end and turn left.

If you want a quiet hostel in Amsterdam, consider NJHC City Hostel

Vondelpark. It is kind of institutional, but it is clean, well run and safe and has a
good breakfast. It is located at #5 Zandpad (take tram: 1, 2, 12) tel: (020) 589 89
96; fax: (020) 589 89 55

You can also try the Globe Hostel http://www.hotel-theglobe.nl/ - located at

Oudezijds Voorburgwal 3, which is right across from the main train station on a
canal near the Red Light district. When you exit Centraal Station, turn left and
walk down Nieuwe Brugsteeg for three blocks and turn right on Oudezijds
Voorburgwal (which is right after the canal). It has a 24-hour bar, and clean
rooms.
If a bed and breakfast is your thing, try Mama Doma. This is not a place
to meet otherbackpackers, as it can only accommodate 2 people. The shower
and the toilet are located in the hall , both of which you share with the owners.
But if the hostel scene is not for you, this is a cheaper alternative than most
hotels. Expect to spend 60 Euro for 2 people at this B&B. This place offers free
internet access. To get to the B&B make your way to the train station (Lelylaan)
in Amsterdam West (just a 12 minute train ride from Centraal station).The B&B is
located 5 minutes walking distance from the Lelylaan train station. Tel: 020
6158467. The last time I checked, their website was not running.
Two other ideas are the Last Watering Hole (they even have live music)
and The Meeting Point, which are both in the RLD.

Check out http://www.noord-holland-tourist.nl/nl/amsterdam/content.htm

It’s the Dutch tourist bureau’s list of 400 hotels. Although it is in Dutch, you might
still be able to figure it out. There’s quite a few 1 star hotels that are less than US
$30. Postal codes in the 1013 to 1017 range are in Central or canal zone
Amsterdam.
Also if you go to www.ignatzmice.com and click on accommodation and
then red light district hotels you’ll get a list of 40 hotels in the RLD. If you want to
stay in a hotel in the RLD, consider Durty Nelly’s. Email them at nellys@xs4all.nl

Consider the Hans Brinker Budget Hotel http://www.hans-brinker.com/. It

is located at Kerkstraat 136-138. Tel: +31 (0)20 622 06 87; Fax: +31 (0)20 638
20 60. Dorms cost 21-24 Euro, which includes breakfast and linen. No curfew.
They have a new MP3 jukebox which allows you to download your favorite music
and play it in their disco. From Centraal station, take tram 1, 2 or 5, Get off at the
Keizersgracht (5th stop). Walk in the direction of the tram to the Kerkstraat (on
your left).The hotel is on #136. Another way to get there is to take tram 16, 24 or
25. Get off at the Prinsengracht (5th stop). Walk back to the Kerkstraat (on your
left). The hotel is on #136. It has a nice bar, but can be a loud place.
Some people consider staying in the Amstel Botel (cross between a boat
and hostel). Don’t expect too much, and expect evrything to be very cramped.
You might get stuck in a room with a view of the land (as opposed to the water)
and you might hear people walking above your small room. The botel is located
about 100 meters from Centraal station on your left as you exit the station (walk
through a bus parking lot to the botel). If you are determined to go, try and get a
room on the top floor to eliminate the walking sounds. It is located at 2-4
Oosterdokskd. Prices are very expensive as this is considered a 3 star place,
and it is only reasonable if you are traveling with 2 other people (114 Euro for a
single, 117 Euro for a double, 132 Euro for a triple). Oh yeah, expect to be able
to view porn for free on the tv in your room.
 If you use an old travel book, it might suggest the Arena Hostel. That
place is located just outside the center, but it was renovated in 2001 and they
made it into a real hotel now (with hotel prices (150 Euro for a double.
http://www.hotelarena.nl/
There is a Christian hostel http://www.shelter.nl/ called the Shelter.
Actually there are two. One is called Shelter City and the other is called Shelter
Jordan. Do not expect to party at either of these places. In the high season,
expect to pay 18 euro per person but that includes breakfast and linens.
Regarding the Shelter City, it is located at #21 Barndesteeg, Tel: +31 (0)
20 - 625 32 30; fax: +31 (0) 20 - 623 22 82.
Regarding the Shelter Jordaan, it is located at #179 Bloemstraat, Tel: +31
(0) 20 - 62 44 717; fax: +31 (0) 20 - 62 76 137. It is about a 10-minute walk to
Dam Square. The hostel is located in the quiet Jordaan (western part of city) on
the street opposite the Anne Frank house (on the other side of the canal). From
the train station, take the tram (13 or 20) for 8 minutes to Westerkerk, it is only a
short walk from there. They have free email access.
Both of these Shelter hostels have a strict curfew – Shelter City is
midnight curfew (1am on weekends) and Shelter Jordan is 2am. Both of the
locations enforce a strict no drug/alcohol policy (so you cannot smoke pot or
drink beer in these hostels). Expect to be invited to bible study, but you don’t
have to go if you don’t want to. Sometimes they even offer you a free dinner if
you watch a bible play. Expect small showers with no dressing area. Also, the
free breakfast is pretty good (pancakes, French toast or fried eggs and toast).
TIP - Shelter City is located right in the middle of the Red Light District so
it is noisier than Shelter Jordaan.

If camping is your thing, consider Camping Zeeburg

www.campingzeeburg.nl. (they even offer cabins). To get there from Centraal
Station, take bus 22, which leaves, from platform ‘C’ in front of the station. Take
the bus till the “Kramatweg”’ (ask the driver), get out and walk in the direction of
the Shell-gasoline-station. From there you follow the signs, cross the bridge and
immediately you’ll see the campground on your right side. In total, it takes about
30 minutes to arrive from the station to the campground.
If you are having trouble finding lodging, you will have a better chance of
getting a room if you sleep in Haarlem (another Dutch city), and it is not as crazy
Amsterdam.

Outside Amsterdam – If you are into flowers, then you may want to visit the
Keukenhof, which is a flower park (the world’s largest flower garden (32
hectares) that is in bloom in from mid-March to mid-May each year. This park is
located south west of Amsterdam in the town of Lisse. Specifically, it is is located
between the two towns of Hillegom and Lisse south of Haarlem.

Kinderdijk http://www.kinderdijk.nl/ is probably the best place to see windmills.

This is a village that I slocated 20 km outside Rotterdam so if you are based in
Amsterdam, it is too far to ride a bike, but a nice day trip from A’dam. Other than
the transportation costs, it is free to see the windmills. From Amsterdam take the
train to either Rotterdam or Utrecht. From Rotterdam take the subway to
Rotterdam Zuidplein station and then the bus to Kinderdijk, and get off at the
busstop called Molenkade. OR, from Utrecht take the bus to Kinderdijk, bus stop
Molenkade.

Zaanse Schans http://www.zaanseschans.nl/ is another good place to see

windmills and it is closer to Amsterdam. In fact, it is located in the town of
Zaandam, which is just north or Amsterdam. By train, buy a ticket to railway-
station “Koog Zaandijk” which is only 4 stops from A’dam’s Centraal station.
Then you have to walk 15 minutes to the “Zaanse Schans.” Entrance to the
Zaanse Schans is free, but they charge for some of the attractions. Tel: +31
(0)75 6168218. Email: info@zaanseschans.nl If you prefer to ride a bike, you
can either rent a bike in Amsterdam and bike the 10 miles, or you can rent a bike
at the train station of Zaandam, after which it is about 10 - 15 minute cycling. If
you rent a bike at the train station in Amsterdam you follow the signs Zaandam,
Koog Zaandijk, Zaanse Schans. From Amsterdam it is about 30 - 40 minutes
cycling.

Den Haag (The Hague) offers a neat tourist trap called Madurodam. It is a
miniature version of Holland (really neat, you walk around and see these 2 foot
high buildings and trains and oil barges with fires and everything). The address
is: George Maduroplein 1 2584 RZ Den Haag (The Hague). Phone (+31)
704162400. From The Hague central station take tram 1 or 9. Madurodam’s
website is: http://www.madurodam.nl/ The following link is a map with the public
transportation: http://www.htm.net/smartsite.dws?id=23 it is located between the
Den Haag (The Hague) and the seaside resort of Scheveningen.

Belgium – although many people visit Brussels, I suggest visiting a smaller

town named Brugge 90 minute train ride from the center of Brussels). If you go to
Brussels, after you see the Mannequin Pis (small statue of boy taking a leak) you
will realize that something is wrong when this is arguably the most famous thing
about the city! In fact, I even suggest seeing Antwerp over Brussels. If you must
visit Brussels, then consider staying at a hostel called the Center Van Gogh
(CHAB) – the rooms are nice and the people friendly. Decent location too (near
Gare du Nord and the Botanical Gardens and a metro stop).
The contact numbers of the hostels are:

1) Center "Vincent Van Gogh"(tel:0032/2/217.01.58) http://www.chab.be/ email:

CHAB@ping.be (you must be between 17 and 35 years old to stay at this
YOUTH hostel). It is located at #8 rue Traversiere. Tel: 32 2 217 01 58. Email:
CHAB.ping.be Expect to pay 12 Euro for a dorm, 26.50 Euro for a single and 20
Euro for a double.
2) Jeugdherberg "Bruegel" (HI) (tel:0032/2/511.04.36) (Expect to pay 13.75 Euro
for a dorm, 18 Euro for a double, 23 Euro for a single (all prices include breakfast
and sheets) (300 meters from the Gare Centrale train station) http://www.vjh.be/

email: jeugdherberg.bruegel@ping.be or brussel@vjh.be It is located at #2

Heilige Geeststraat (It is easier to get to this hostel than it is to get to the Van
Gogh hostel)

3) Jacques Brel (HI) (tel:0032/2/218.01.87) - very clean and it has a bar and
terrace. It is located at Rue de la Sablonnière #30. Expect to pay 14.75 Euro for
a dorm, 20 Euro for a double, and 25 for a single.
http://www.laj.be/html/en/hostels/brel/aubergesbrel_en01.htm email
brussels.brel@laj.be

4) "Sleep Well" (tel:0032/2/218.50.50) (located at Rue du Damier #23, which is a

10-minute walk from Gare du Nord) http://www.sleepwell.be/index.html email:
info@sleepwell.be Expect to pay 16-18 Euro for the first night in a dorm, and 12-
14 Euro for each additional night. Also a double is 23.75 for the first night and 20
each additional night. A single costs 26.50 Euro per night. Breakfast is included
in the price. This place is more expensive than other options (such as Van
Gogh).
(Sleep well/Van Gogh/J. Brel are not far from each other)

5) Generation Europe Youth Hostel

http://www.laj.be/html/en/hostels/europe/aubergeseurope_en01.htm
(tel: 0032/2/410.38.58) (This hostel used to be called the Jean Nihon Youth
Hostel (in case you are looking in an older book).YHI - Email:
brussels.europe@laj.be or gener.europe@infoie.be and website: www.laj.be Tel:
410 38 58. This is located at Rue de l’Éléphant #4. Expect to pay 14.75 Euro for
a dorm, 16.75 in a quad, 20 Euro in a double, and 25 Euro in a single.

FYI – The Mannekin Pis is kind of hard to find (it is a small statute down
some alley). It is 3 blocks behind the Town Hall on the corner of Rue de l’Euve
and Rue du Chene.

I have read some reports in the last few years about a bunch of guys (from
Muslim countries) in the city center (especially around La Grand Place (one of
the most tourist spots)) that yell at and grab women. So be very careful if you
are a solo female traveler in Brussels. However, I have never witnessed this
myself on any of my visits into this city.

Cheap places to eat in Brussels are around the Grand-Palace. I suggest

Leon (located at Rue des Bouchers #18 (very large amounts of mussels and fries
for 15 Euro) and Sole d’Italia (located at Rue Gentry #67 (large portions of
spaghetti and bread for 5 Euro.
 If you like beer, check out the Cantillon brewery in Brussels
http://www.cantillon.be/br/en/Cantillon-13001.html They charge 3.50 Euro but
you only get one glass of beer included in the price.
If you like chocolate, then you might want to visit the museum of cocoa
and chocolate www.mucc.be This museum is located in the center of Brussels in
the Grand-Place (the building is called the House of the Dukes of Brabant, and is
#13 Grand-Place). Tel: 0032 (0) 514 20 48. Email: info@mucc.be. From July-
August the museum is open every day. Otherwise Tuesday to Sunday 10 a.m.
until 5 p.m. Closed on Monday. The price for students is 4 Euro.

As for Brugge, it is really a cool town. The downtown area of Brugge is

really neat and has a big square with amazing architecture (in the wintertime they
make the square into an ice-skating rink). On Saturdays there is a market on
Langestraat and they sell vegetables, lace, and also some stuff that you would
expect to find at a flea market. Although the big tourist thing to buy is lace (such
as doilies) the prices are not that much better than you would find in the
Caribbean or even in the USA. There are some cool windmills on the outskirts of
the town and provide backgrounds for really nice pictures. I once stayed at the
Europa International Youth Hostel (20 minute walk from the town) because the
Bauhaus was full. Even then, I distinctly remember hanging out at the Bauhaus
hostel (has a bar) and some place called the Fire Mill or Red Mill (Moelen in
Belgian). Also try the Brugges Beertje for a quaint pub. The 't Brugges Beertje
has over 200 types of Belgian beers and is located on the same block of
Kemelstraat as the t' Dreupelhuisje, which has dozens of kinds of genever
(Belgian gin) served cold, in shots.

While in Brugge, try the Belgian waffles and the Pomme frites (French-
Fries). Although many Belgians eat their fries with mayonnaise, try some pinda
saus (peanut sauce) as it is excellent.
The most popular hostel in Brugge is called the Bauhaus (no curfew or
lockout) http://www.bauhaus.be/youthhostel.html – Langestraat 133-137, Tel.:
+32(0)50.341093. Right inside the train station there is a special telephone
that has a direct line to this hostel and you just pick up the phone and you are
automatically connected to the hostel for free!
Take bus 6 or 16 from the train station (direction “center”). The bus driver
will point out the Bauhaus stop. Expect to pay 11-12 Euro for a dorm, 13 Euro for
each in a quad, 13.5 Euro for each in a triple, and 15 Euro for each in a double.
There is a coin operated laundromat next door to the Bauhaus. Even if this place
is full, you can always go there for dinner (from 6.80 Euro) or to drink at their bar.
There is a new hostel in Brugge called Charlie Rockets.
http://www.charlierockets.com/ Expect to pay 14 Euro for a dorm, or 42 Euro for a
double room and 3 Euro for breakfast. Email youth.hostel@charlierockets.com
or info@charlierockets.com Tel: 0032-50/33.06.60; fax: +32 - 50 / 343 630. it is
located at 19 Hoogstraat. Just take any bus from the train station to the market
square and walk to the hostel from there. The hostel also has a bar and even
sells tex-mex meals.
A cheap hotel is ‘t Keizershof. That place is very close to (100 meters) the train
station, but a longer walk into town. It is located at Oosmeers #126 (Tel: 32,(0)50
33 87 28); email: hotel.keizershof@12move.be Expect to pay 40 Euro for a
double room (includes breakfast)
Some other hostels in this town are listed at
http://www.brugge.be/Verblijf/en/heeme.htm
If you have more money, consider Hotel Nicolas, located 100 meters from
Markt (town center) at Niklaas Desparstraat #9. Expect to pay 55 Euro for a
double or 40-45 Euro for a single.
As for a B&B in Brugge, go to the one run by Lut and Bruno Setola.
http://www.bedandbreakfast-bruges.com/ It is located at # 12 Sint-
Walburgastraat, which is on a quiet street just around the corner from the Markt.
TEL. +32 50 33 49 77; FAX +32 50 33 25 51; E-MAIL
SETOLA@BEDANDBREAKFAST-BRUGES.COM Expect to pay the following: 55
Euro for a single, 60 Euro for a double, 80 Euro for a triple, 100 for a quad. They
charge an extra 10 Euro if you only stay one night. These prices include
breakfast (obviously).

Another hotel is Hotel Gulden Vlies located at Kon. Elisabethlaan 40; Tel:
0032/50.34.12.70 – Fax: 0032/50.34.73.00. Email: info@bedandbreakfast.be
Web: www.guldenvlies.be Expect to pay 50-65 Euro for a single, 65-90 Euro for
a double, 80-110 Euro for a triple, and 110-120 Euro for a quad. The hotel is 10
minutes walking from the marketsquare. From the train station, take a bus (nr. 3
or 13) up to busstop Ezelpoort. From there you can see the hotel on the other
side of the street.

In Brugges, you can take a canal ride for only about 5 Euro. Also, you can rent a
bike next door to Bauhaus and you can get a guide with 5 bike paths.

Antwerp – if you have a short layover you might want to visit the zoo as it is near
the train station. This city has a hostel called the New International Youth Hotel
www.niyhotel.com www.youthhotel.be Although the hostel’s location is not the
best, there is a tram service 200 meters away. Take tram #11 at the
Rolwagenstraat (or you can go to the metro station “Plantin” and take tram #2).
Tel: 230 05 22; email: niyh@pandora.be. Expect to pay 25 Euro for a single, 38
Euro for a double, or 63 Euro for a quad.
Another option is Jeugdherberg Op-Sinjoorke (HI), located at Eric
Sasselaan #2. Te; 238 02 73; fax: +32 0 3 248 19 32. Expect to pay 10.50 -13
Euro for a dorm but this hostel is located in a park in the south part of Antwerp
near the Antwerp ring road (4 km from the city center).
 Another place to sleep is called the Scoutel. I would rather stay at the
International Youth Hotel, but it is a good second choice. It is located near the
train station (not too far from the International Youth Hotel).

Leuven . This town does have some amazing architecture that was not
destroyed in WWII. It is 20min from Brussels. Ask anyone (=student) where to
go for a quality bite and drink; you’ll have a cheap, time in a swell Belgian town.
This is the hometown of the beer known as Stella Artois. Visit Leuven’s Oude
Markt (Old Market Place) for more than 20 bars/pubs within 100 yards or so.
This is sometimes referred to the largest bar in Europe. There is a student hostel
located in the center of Leuven next to the Aula De Somer.

Ghent – this city is located between Brussels and Brugges. During July 20-29
the city has the famous Ghent Festival (Gentse Feesten) which is 10 days of
partying, big free open-air parties on medieval squares. But otherthan this 10
day period, Antwerp has much more night-life than Ghent.

One lodging option for Ghent is at the International Youth Hostel “De Draecke (which
means Dragon), http://www.ghent-hostel.com/ . This new hostel is located on St-
Widostraat 11, right in the heart of the city centre; only 100 meters away from the well
known "Castle of the counts of Flanders". They have 24-hour reception, Expect
to pay 15.75 Euro in a dorm, 19 Euro per person in a double (breakfast and
sheets included), 15 Euro per person in a triple or quad. A dinner costs 8.75
Euro, and lunch costs 6.10 Euro. The hostel is 3 km from the Gent St. Pieters
train Station. You can take tram numbers 1, 10, or 11 to the Gravensteen stop
(which is 300m from the hostel).
Located at St. Widostraat #11; Tel: +32 (0) 9 / 233 70 50 - Fax: 09 / 233 80 01
e-mail: gent@vjh.be
The VJH hostel in Antwerp is OK but about 5 km out of town in the middle
of a high rise housing estate

Another lodging option is through the university renting student rooms

http://www.rug.ac.be

Luxembourg – this is another country that you can visit to add another country
under your belt, but there is very little to see in Luxembourg city. I wouldn’t spend
more than a day there, as you can easily see the “sights” in one day. The tourist
information in the center of town will give you a map with an excellent walking
tour, but make sure to follow it in the direction they suggest, or else you will end
up doing a lot of climbing.
Just outside Luxembourg City is a forest called the Ardennes, which was
the site of pivotal WWI and WWII battles, and is now a popular weekend
getaway.
There is a HI in lux City which was about a 10-minute bus ride from the
center & the hostel itself is okay. Expect large dorm facilities (no doubles, triples
or quad rooms), and a decent meal for fairly cheap. Expect the shower stalls to
be open (you cannot be seen when showering – only when drying off and
dressing) but they do have very strong water pressure. More hostels can be
found at http://www.cajl.lu/e/auberges/auberges.html
Some cheap hotels are as follows: in the city : Airfield hotel, 6 routes de
Treves, 43 19 34; E-mail: eaa1231@gmx.net URL: http://fly.to/eaa1231
Also consider In the ardennes:Star Hotel, Diekirich,2-4 avenue de la gare,
80 36 36 0; Hotel Bissen, Heiderscheidergrund, 1 route de Bastogne, 26 88 92
91; also there is camping available in Diekirch, Camping de La lure, near the
river.

France –
Paris – Anticipate that France will be pretty expensive. Generally, Paris will kill
your budget if you are not careful. Drinking and hitting the clubs (discos) in Paris
gets expensive. If you are a solo traveler, a hostel is the best priced. If you are
traveling with others then you will probably do better in a 2 star hotel. If you are
on a very tight budget, Paris may be a good place to party at the hostel (as
opposed to the bars/clubs) or just rest for the night. There is so much to see in
Paris, you really should dedicate about 4 days to see it all and it is very hard to
do if you are drinking all night. However, sometimes 4 days is not possible and
what I is suggest is to look in your Let’s Go type book and pick out the things that
look interesting to you and just try to see as much of that as possible. I once
took my brother there for 15 hours and we actually saw quite a bit (obviously not
any time insude the museums). It is hard to suggest what is the best thing to
see, because if you hate art, then the world-famous Louvre museum will not be
that interesting to you, but may be the most interesting thing in Paris for another.
Regardless, if you have no clue and maybe only one or two days, I suggest trying
to see the following: Eiffel Tower (you can pay and go up to different levels),
Notre Dame (church) it is free to enter and you can pay to go to the roof, Arc de
Triumphe (free to walk around and under and you can pay to get on the top – 284
stairs to climb), a white church that is called the Basilique du Sacre-Coeur (free
to enter and authentic painters nearby – in an area of Paris known as
Montmarte), the Louvre, Sainte Chappelle (church near the Notre Dame and has
the best stained glass in Europe – small fee), stroll down the Champs-Elysees
(big shopping street). This is a very expensive street and I suggest visiting rue
d'Alesia if you are looking for prices (which are severely reduced) for designer
clothes. If you are careful, you should be able to do all of the above in one full,
fast-paced day.

Keep in mind that Paris has 6 train stations (each one handles trains that
go to a certain area of Europe), so keep that in mind when making plans. This is
important because when you arrive from Amsterdam, you will arrive at one train
station, but if your next destination after Paris is Spain or Italy for example, then
you will NOT be returning to that same train station for your departure. So, if you
obtain lodging close to the train station at which you arrive, that does not mean
that you can leave your lodging right before your departure, because chances
are that you will have to cross the whole city to get to your departure station.
Expect to pay for a reservation (and a supplement if you take the TVG) for most
trains out of Paris.
About the metro – as is true in many places in Europe, a single-fare ticket
is valid for an entire continuous trip (including connections) make sure you keep
your ticket until you leave the system at your destination. The reason is because
if you are caught without your ticket, you will be fined €35 which you must pay in
cash on the spot.

When buying metro tickets, unless you buy one of the passes (most
backpackers should buy a pass), you should probably ask for a carnet (10 metro
tickets). The carnet costs 10.50 Euro (but if you buy the tickets separately, you
will pay 1.40 Euro for a single ticket). Also the Carte mobilis allows unlimited
travel on the metro all day for 5 Euro in zones one and two (the central area of
Paris), so this is even cheaper than a book of carnets. However, the Carte
mobilis costs 5.20 Euro per day.

The locals use monthly passes (Carte Orange) or weekly passes (coupon
hebdominaire), which are good deals for tourists too. Most backpackers who will
be in paris 4 or more days should consider the weekly pass (coupon
hebdominaire), which is valid for unlimited travel on metro and RER, for seven
days—Monday to Sunday—so it’s a great deal, even if you’re not there an entire
week. This is a week pass, and you can get it at the machines in most stations,
using a credit card or cash, as well as at the customer service window. (the
machine accommodates multiple languages)
The monthly pass (Carte Orange) begins on the first day of the month and
can be purchased starting on the 20th of the prior month. You must have a
passport photo to place on the pass, so make sure to bring extras from home or
purchase one for about €4 from machines in the main stations if you will be in
Paris long enough to use the month-long pass.
There are also passes offered to toutists called Paris Visites, ranging from
1-5 days’ unlimited use for métro travel alone (within Paris city limits). In general,
these are not as cheap as the coupon hebdominaire, but they are flexible
because they can begin on any day of the week (rather than just Monday to
Sunday).
TIP – Most backpackers should purchase either a “coupon
hebdominaire” or a “Paris Visites” to save money on the metro in Paris.

In Paris there are three types of trains: 1) trains that will take you to other
cities; 2) the RER, and 3) the Metro. I want to make clear that the metro and the
RER are not the same thing. However, there is some useful information about
the two that most travelers do not realize. If you stay within Zone 1 (basically,
central Paris, within the Peripherique), you can use your regular Metro tickets on
the RER. However, for destinations outside the central zone, you will either need
a regular train ticket purchased in advance or a rail pass. FYI - the RER is a good
way to travel across Paris in a hurry; the RER makes fewer stops and travels
more quickly than the regular Metro. Regardless of whether you use the RER or
the Metro, make sure to hold on to your ticket as inspectors can ask you for them
up until you exit the station.
Consider the Paris Visite card (one-day pass ranges from 8.35-16.75 Euro
depending on how many zones you need; 2 day pass for 14-34 Euro; 3 day pass
for 18-43 Euro; 5day pass for 27-53 Euro). This card allows you unlimited rides
on all the public transport services.
Make sure to ask about the “Ticket Jeunes” if you are under age 26, you
can use the Metro and buslines on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays at a
reduced rate. Zones 1-3 cost 3.20 Euros for the day.

Paris’ public transportation system in runs 24 hours but, the underground

subway system shuts down about 12am and reopens at about 5:00 am. Some of
the buses run all night, but their frequency is significantly reduced. For specific
lines, review http://www.citefutee.com/informer/horaires_premier_dernier.php
It gives the first and the last daily departures per line.
If you are just in Paris for a few hours, leave your big backpack at the train
station (don’t forget that there are 6 stations) and I suggest that you head to the
metro stop for Place du Traocadero. This is a neat place to get great pictures of
the Eiffel Tower (especially at sunrise). If you arrive via an overnight train, you
may arrive very early (such as 7a.m.) and this should be taken into account
because most tourist sites will not be open (such as the Notre Dame) so you
should take advantage of the time and obtain a croissant and take in the view of
the Eiffel Tower.
FYI – in June 2003 they placed 20,000 twinkling lights on the Eiffel Tower
(the lights are expected to only remain on the tower for 10 years). So now the
lights will twinkle for 10 minutes every hour from sunset until 1:10 am.
In December 2004 they installed an ice skating rink on the first level of the
Eiffel Tower and you can skate for free (well, after you pay the price to go to that
level of the tower). The ice rink is only scheduled to be there until january 10,
2005. 9:30am to 9pm.

Paris offers a museum pass (carte Musee) which is probably worth buying
if you plan on seeing museums and other major sites (Louvre, Versailles, Orsay,
Rodin, Invalides, Arc de Triomphe climb, Notre Dame tower climb, etc.) With the
pass, you can step to the front of most ticket lines rather than having to wait
(which can save a lot of time). The pass can be purchased at most major sights
in Paris, and they have a one, two and three day pass, but expect to pay about
15 Euro per day. If you are a student you can get into most museums for half
price, so the pass might be a waste except for cutting through the wait.

Paris has a great metro system (you will note how quiet many of the trains
are because they use rubber tires instead of metal wheels). However, make sure
that you keep in mind that the metro stops running around midnight.
A neat idea to do some cheap sightseeing without walking is to take the
city bus (I think it is #69) that runs from Place de la Bastille to the Eiffel Tower. It
provides a nice tour along the Rue de Rivoli, past the Louvre, thru the Left Bank,
then to the D'Orsay and on to the Eiffel. Tip – do not take the bus during rush
hour (or else you will not see anything). Maybe try Saturday around 9 a.m.
If you are in Paris on July 13 or 14, expect the city to be packed. July 14
is Bastille day and there is a parade down the Champs Elysees and also a party
at the location of the former Bastille. There are fireworks at the Trocadero in front
of the Eiffel tower (The left bank is the best location to see it.) Obviously plan to
be at both the parade and the fireworks early to get a good spot.
If you want to lay on the sand and get some sun in the center of Paris, you
can do that during July - August 2005. It is something called Paris Plage, which
began in 2002 and is a 2-mile-long beach that runs along the Seine from the
Tuileries to the Pont de Sully. They close off the road inbetween the Seine and
the beach and they have palm trees, deck chairs and parasols and showers set
up. It is divided into 3 sections – beach, picnic, and siesta.

A great place to eat fondue dirt cheap in Paris is located in between the Sacre
Coeur and the Moulin Rouge. It is called “Au Refuge des Fondues.” Tel: 01 42 55
22 65 It is located on Rue des Trois Freres #17 (a few blocks from the Abbesses
metro stop - from the metro stop entrance you kind of walked (up hill) directly
towards the Sacre Coeur as the bird flies (which is not exactly the same way that
you would go if you actually wanted to get to the Sacre Coeur). I remember it
was a pretty small restaurant and I remember climbing over the tables (kind of
like a long row of pick-nick tables all packed next to each other). They only offer
meat fondue or cheese fondue and all-you-can-drink wine (from baby bottles) for
14 Euro. I have heard that they have recently changed the drink policy to just
one free drink (yes, wine in baby bottles), a starter and a dessert. I think this
place is only open for dinner.
About safety in this area of Paris, Pigalle (the red light district) is pretty
safe, but I would avoid walking through Porte de la Chapelle if you are alone at
night.
You probably have figured out that the Champs Elysees area is the most
expensive place to eat.
The cheapest food is from a grocery store or street vendor. If you have
more than the bare bones budget, then you will want a cheap sit-down meal. In
general some of the cheapest (though not the tastiest) sit-down meals in Paris
can be found in the area around Place St Michele (across the Seine from the
Notre Dame). There are 3 streets (Rue de la Huchette, Rue de la Harpe and Rue
St Severin) and this area has a lot of inexpensive restaurants which have two
and three course prix fixed meals for under 15 Euro. Most of these places even
have a really cheap (8 Euro) option which is only good before 7pm.
If you like falafel there is a small place called MAOZ falafel, which is
located in the pedestrian area just south of the Seine from the isle de la cite
(where the Notre Dame is situated). I suggest heading here for lunch.

Everyone should experience at least one nice meal in Paris. Even if you
are on a tight budget you can eat a decent sit-down meal in this expensive city at
least once. I have come across a list of great cheap restaurants. I am not taking
credit for this list because these places are also on a list by Frommers. (why
reinvent the wheel?). For most of the following places you better dress up a little:

• Chartier, Located at #7 Faubourg-Montmarte. Tel: 01-47-70-86-29. MÉTRO:

GRAND BOULEVARDS or RUE MONTMARTRE (in the 9th arrondissement).
Two courses from 8.75 Euro, two courses with wine from 11 Euro. Examples
of the food are: steak with béarnaise sauce (9.70 Euro), grilled salmon (9
Euro), pommes frites (2.25 Euro). Appetizers average 2.25 Euro and main
dishes going for between 7-10 Euro. Chartier, is a funky place that is worth a
visit. Expect to be seated at a large table with strangers, and watch the
waiters zip around. In general, expect to pay about 10-14 Euro for a filling
meal (includes wine).
• Restaurant Lescure, located at #7 Rue Mondovi, (near the Louvre or the
Tuileries in the 1st arrondissement). Tel: 01-42-60-18-91. MÉTRO:
CONCORDE. They have two courses from 11.50 Euro. Closed Sundays.
Expect large portions. Sample prices are: stuffed chicken (9 Euro) or chicken
with a piquant tomato sauce (8 Euro); the classic boeuf bourguignon (11
Euro).
• Le Petit Keller, located at #13 Bis Rue Keller. Tel: 01-47-00-12-97. MÉTRO:
BASTILLE Three courses for 14 Euro, dinner only. (closed Sunday).
• Le Colimacon, located at #44 Rue Vielle Du Temple. Tel: 01-48-87-12-01.
MÉTRO: PLACE DU VILLE. Appetizer and entrée or entrée and dessert for
14.50 Euro. Closed Tuesdays, dinner only.
• Le Reconforte, 37 rue de Poitou (Métro: Filles du Calvaire) 12 Euro prix fixe
(two courses) for lunch.
• Restaurant La Peccadille, located at #12 Rue Pecquay (near the Centre
Pompidou), 01-44-59-86-72. MÉTRO: RAMBUTEAU. Two courses from
12.50 Euro. Samples are pork Provençal for 9.50 Euro, beef forestière 10
Euro)
• Le Pied De Fouet, located at #45 Rue De Babylone. Tel: 01-47-05-12-27.
MÉTRO: VANEAU OR ST. FRANÇOIS-XAVIER (7th arrondissement bistro)
Two courses from 8.90 Euro. Closed Sundays. Sample prices are fondant au
chocolat (2.75 Euro), the fillet of bass (10 Euro), or the sausage plate (9.50
Euro).
• Creperie Josselin, located at #67 Rue De Montparnasse. Tel: 01-43-20-93-
50. MÉTRO: MONTPARNASSE-BIENVENUE. Two courses from 10.85 Euro.
Closed Mondays. Expect oversize crepes, ranging in price from 8-9 Euro.
• Le Petit Prince de Paris, located at #12 Rue De Lanneau. You better call first
for reservations (01-43-54-77-26). MÉTRO: MAUBERT-MUTUALITÉ
Two courses for 17 Euro. Dinner only

There is another list that is a few years old called “The Top 10 Places to Eat”
which lists restaurants in sevral categories (Inexpensive)/Very Expensive/
Romantic/ With a View) and that list is available at the following website
http://www.top10guides.com/samples/Top_10_Guide_to_Paris.html

TIP- You might want to try and eat a nice sit-down meal as a lunch late in
the day so you can still get lunch prices.
Here are a few more good places to try:
A good place to eat in the 4th arrondissement is called Le Petit Picard, 42
rue Ste Croix de la Bretonniere. The restaurant is 100 meters from the Hotel de
Ville metro stop. Take the metro to “Hotel de Ville.” Exit the metro station by
going out by the exit named “Rue du Temple.” Walk north on the street called
“Rue du Temple.” The rue Ste Croix de la Bretonnerie is the second street on the
right. This place is great for lunch, but it is closed Saturday for lunch, Sunday for
lunch and Monday. Expect an excellent menu at lunch for 10.50 Euro. A choice
of 7 entrees, 5 main dishes , 5 desserts and wine included Either arrive before
the lunch crowd (12:15pm) or after the lunch crowd (around 1:30 pm), but they
will usually turn you away if you arrive after 1:45.
In the 10th arrondissement there is Restaurant de Bourgogne, 26 rue des
Vinaigriers tel 0146070791. (Closed Saturday night and Sunday).
They have family cuisine. Expect lunch menus to cost 8.50-9.25 Euro and
evening dinners for 9.25-10.25 Euro.
Le Trumilou, Which is located at #84 Quai d'Hotel de Ville (4th
arrondissement) Tel: 42.77.63.98 The nearest metro is Pont Marie. On the Right
bank, just past Hotel de Ville (the restaurant has red-checkered tablecloths and a
lot of local students). Come here to eat bistro cuisine, such as leg of lamb and
apple tarts. The location is facing the Seine and the Ile St-Louis but if you sit
outside the traffic is very close.
In the 13th arrondissement there is La Chaumine Normande, rue du
Moulin-des-Pres 22, 13th arr. tel 0145807923 Closed Sunday.
Expect a lunch menu for 10.75 Euro (except on weekends) and a dinner menu
for 15.50 Euro.
Le Suffren, at the east end of the Champs de Mars opposite Ecole
Militaire. Moderately priced bistro popular with the locals. Large portions
Also there are 4 locations for Chez Papa, which has very large portions of
southwestern French specialties. They even have large salads (and one of their
most popular ones is called La Super Boyarde which is served on a base of
roasted potatoes (and only costs 6 Euro). Be warned – avoid the rush times or
expect to wait.
In the 6th arrondissement try Cremerie Restaurant Polidor, located at #41
rue Monsieur-le-Prince. Tel: 011-33-1-43-26-95-34. Order the plate of the day
and make sure to visit the “loo.”

To save money when eating out in Paris, order a “caraf d’eau” which is
free water. If you just ask for “water” you will receive bottled water, which will
usually cost more than soda or wine!
If you have a higher budget, eat one meal at “La Table d’Aligre restaurant.”
It costs 23 Euro fixed price for dinner and the food and service is excellent. It is
located at #11 Plailce d'Aligre (75012 Paris), Tel: 01 43 07 84 88. I suggest
making a reservation. You can reach it by the Metro Ledru Rollin. The restaurant
is located about 3 or 4 blocks behind the Bastille Opera.

Some backpackers are Doors fans and want to see the Lizard King (Jim
Morrison)’s grave. If this appeals to you, go to the Père LaChaise cemetery (on
the east side of town near the Place de la Bastille). It has its own metro stop so it
is easy to find. This cemetery also is the final resting place for Chopin, Molière,
Oscar Wilde, Max Ernst, Georges Seurat, De Balzac and Marcel Proust. Unless
you go at the peak of summer, I suggest that you buy a map of the cemetery
(from the man selling them near the entrance or a nearby cafe) for about 1-2
Euro.
If you like cemeteries but want to avoid the crowds, visit the one on
Montmartre's hillside. The Montmartre Cemetery contains the tomb of Degas.
Take the Metro to Blanche and walk to 20 avenue Rachel (accessible by stairs
from rue Caulaincourt). The cemetery is open daily 9-5

If you would like to see a museum on the history of Paris, there is a free
museum that is called Musee Carnavalet, located at # 23 rue Sevigné, which is in
the 3rd arrondissement in the Marais.

Some other not so typical things to do in Paris are visiting the sewer
system or the Catacombs.
The Paris Catacombs are where several of the cemeteries moved their
“guests” during the 1700’s and are now underground in old limestone quarries.
To get here, take the Métro to the Denfert-Rochereau station in Montparnasse.
Cross the Boulevard Raspail and you will see the entrance to the catacombs of
Paris (behind the green doors next to a small park). Facing the front entrance of
the Catacombs, McDonalds is on your right about 1/4 block. There is also a
supermarket and local food stands located across from McDonalds (for a cheap
lunch).
Expect to pay 4.50 Euro, afterwhich you can see the bones of 6 million
Parisians. The first 15 minutes undergroud will be spent walking and you will not
see any bones until after that. The catacomb workers actually search your bags
on your exit to make sure that you didn’t steal any souvenirs. Make sure to bring
your flashlight with you because with it you will be able to see more than
everyone else.
When you are finished with this attraction you do not leave the
catacombes at the same location atr which you entered them, so when you exit
you will need to turn right to get back to Boulevard St Jacques, then take another
right to head back to the metrostop.

Paris’ Sewer museum (Musee des Egouts). Expect to pay 3.80 Euro or 3
Euro for students. This is located in the Place de la Resistance (the entrance is
by the Pont (bridge) d'Alma on the left bank in the seventh arrondissement).
Obviously the museum is underground, and part of the actual sewer system,
which you walk through for 500 meters. At one point during the tour you actually
see a river of sewage. Surprisingly, the smell was not that bad and even when it
did smell, it was only on certain parts of the tour. There are usually intern
students during the summer who provide free tours in several languages. Expect
to spend 90 minutes. They actually have a “sewer-venir” store at the end where
you can buy postcards. If you like this kind of museum, Brussels and Vienna
also have similar sewer museums.
If you want a free view of the city without paying to go up the Notre Dame
or the Eiffel Tower or the Arc de Triomphe, go to the eighth floor of the
department store called Samaritaine (rue de Rivoli) which gives access to the
rooftop for a 360 degree view. They close the roof access in the winter but open
it back up again in mid March.

The most famous hostel to stay at in Paris is called the Three Ducks
http://www.3ducks.fr/ , has its own bar and is located at #6 Place Etienne Pernet,
Tel: 33.(0)1.48 42 04 05 Fax: 33.(0)1.48 42 99 99. Email backpack@3ducks.fr
Expect to pay 26 Euro per person in a double, 25 Euro per person in a triple, or
23 Euro in a dorm. This place is located just 10 minute walk from the Eiffel
Tower. Take the Metro to Felix Faure and walk against the traffic (and on the left
side of the church – so the church is on your right as you walk) The hostel is
located across from the church (on your left)
Keep in mind, if 3 ducks is already full, you can always sleep at a different
hostel and visit 3 ducks to party.
Another hostel worth trying in Paris is Le Village Hostel
http://www.villagehostel.fr/ in the shadow of Montmartre (great view of the Sacre
Coeur) – it is clean, small hostel and has a nice staff. tél : 00 33 1 42 64 22 02;
Email bonjour@villagehostel.fr Expect to pay 23 Euro for a dorm, 27 Euro per
person in a double and 25 Euro per person in a triple. These prices include
breakfast. The hostel is a block from the metro and there is a supermarket
nearby.

Another option is “Auberge Internationale des Jeunes” or “AIJ”

http://www.aijparis.com/ (10 rue Trousseau ) Tel : 01.47.00.62.00 E-mail
aij@aijparis.com. The prices here are cheap for a decent hostel. Expect to pay
a minimum of 14 Euro per person (breakfast & linens included). This is located
in the Bastille district. Take the subway to the metro station Ledru Rollin (line 8).
The building was rebuilt in 1994, but the luggage storage in the basement retains
an authentic atmosphere.

Another option is the Lucky Youth hostel www.luckyyouth.com which is located in

either Montmartre or in the Latin area, there is no curfew, and a hostess comes
and pick you up free at the Gare du Nord at 1:00, 3:30 or 6 pm. You must be
between 18-27 years old, and expect to share the place with backpackers of the
opposite sex. Email: hello@luckyyouth.com Open from April 1 – September 1.
Expect to pay 29 Euro per night to sleep in a room with 4 beds. This is not really
a hostel as much as backpackers sharing an apartment. There is a 2 night
minimum. This place is small and usually fills up months in advance. Tel +(33)
(0)1 42.23.02.51 / Fax +(33) (0)1 53.28.19.07

Another option is the Aloha Hostel. http://www.aloha.fr/ Tél.01 42 73 03 03

- fax 01 42 73 14 14 Email: friends@aloha.fr They have a foozball table, drink
machine, bar, kitchen, phone and internet access. You can see the Eiffel tower
from the street on which the hostel is located and from some windows in the
hostel. They do not have any lockers. Expect to pay 22 Euro for a bed in a
dorm, or 25 Euro per bed in a double. Breakfast is included in this price. The
hostel has a fully equipped kitchen. Unfortunately it also has a 2 a.m. curfew.
There are nearby supermarkets, laundromat, fruit store, pharmacy, bakery, post
office, and bank. It is located near the Volontaires Metro stop. The hostel has
some trouble with scalding hot water, so I suggest using the second floor
showers. If you are on a tight budget, think about getting a cot on the floor (they
are cheaper and just as good as a normal bed).
Another option is the Blue Planet hostel http://www.hostelblueplanet.com/
expect to pay about 21 Euro (breakfast included). It is located near the Gare de
Lyon (5-minute walk) and it is a 10-minute walk to the Bastille, and a 15-minute
walk from the Gare D’Austerlitz. No curfew, no lockout. Some rooms have
toilets and showers at no extra charge. Email: general@hostelblueplanet.com.
Address: Metro Gare de Lyon. # 5 Rue Hector Malot. Tel: =33 1 43 42 06 18. It
has a blue awning and a bunch of flags around the front door. Keep in mind that
this hostel is 5 floors and there is no elevator. I have heard some bad things
about this hostel, so don’t make this place your first choice.
Another option is the Woodstock hostel www.woodstock.fr This hostel is
located in the Montmartre neighborhood (by the Basilique du Sacre-Coeur) it has
Internet access (not free), bar until 2 am, a so-so kitchen, commission-free
currency exchange. The bar is not really a typical bar, but rather just a counter
with a refrigerator behind it that holds a limited quantity of only 2 types of beer.
This is a small area, so if the crowd is rowdy that night, expect to hear a lot of
noise from the bar downstairs. Otherwise, walk to a nearby bar (down the road
by the Young and Happy hostel. During peak season (they open June 1) expect
to pay 20 Euro for a dorm, and 23 Euro per person in a double (prices includes
breakfast but not sheets (2.5 Euro to rent sheets)). Email: flowers@woodstock.fr.
There is only one toilet & shower on each floor (approx 30 people use it), but
there is a sink in every room. There is a supermarket just 2mins walk and a mini-
market just 100m down the street. They have a lockout between 11-4 and a 2am
curfew.
Hotel Perfect, is located across the street from the Woodstock hostel and
the Hotel Perfect’s rates are about the same as the hostel.
Also the Young and Happy hostel www.youngandhappy.fr
(80 rue Mouffetard near the Latin Quarter) has gotten some good reviews. It is a
small hostel but has a great location. You probably should assume that you will
need to reserve ahead for this place. Also assume that this place might get loud.
Expect to pay 22 Euro for a dorm and 25 Euro for a double. Breakfast is included
in these prices.
 A cheap (non-hostel) place to stay is at the Stella hotel
http://site.voila.fr/hotel-stella in the 6th Arrondissement, Latin quarter at #41 rue
Monsieur le Prince (about 45 Euro includes shower & toilet in a single room)
doubles are 55-60 Euro. Tel: 33 1 40 51 00 25 or 33 6 07 03 19 71 or 33 01 43
26 43 49 E-Mail hotelstella@hotmail.com To get to this hotel, take the Metro to
Odeon - Line # 4. All rooms have bathroom (shower and toilet in the room).
There is no TV, no elevator, and the breakfast is not included. Currently no credit
cards accepted.

Another good hotel is Hotel D'Argenson http://www.france-hotel-

guide.com/h75008argenson2.htm located at #15 Rue d'Argenson, in the 8th
Arrondissement (the financial district), which is about a 10 min walk north of the
Champs-Elysees, Eiffel Tower, L'Arc de Triomphe, etc. (Tel 011 33 01 42 65 16
87). The Metro stop is Miromesnil. Expect to pay 63-82 euros for a large single,
(2 persons=76-88 euros; 3 persons = 103-109 Euro). The price includes a
continental breakfast served in the room. This place has old furniture, molded
ceilings, and skillful flower arrangements to add to the charm.

Another option is the one star hotel Sainte Marie

http://www.hotelsaintemarie.com/ which is located on a quiet street at #6 rue de
la Ville-Neuve (near the Bonne-Nouvelle Metro), Tel: +33 1 42 33 21 61; Fax: +33
1 42 33 29 24; Email: info@hotelsaintemarie.com Expect to pay 40 or 48 Euro
for a single, 56 Euro for a double or twin, 74 Euro for a triple.
A great bargain hotel option is Hotel de Nevers. If you are solo or
traveling with one other person, the rooms in this category cost 34 –52 Euro total.
Triples cost 65-77 Euro for the room. Breakfast is 4.5 Euro and a shower is 4
Euro. Tel: +33 1 47 00 56 18; Web: www.hoteldenevers.com email:
reservation@hoteldenevers.com or reservation@hoteldenevers.fr This place
is located just off the place de la republique at #53 rue de Malte (in the 4th
Arrondissement near the Centre Culture Georges-Pompidou).
Another great hotel deal is Hotel du Mont Blanc http://www.france-hotel-
guide.com/h75005montblanc.htm , 5th arrondisement in the Latin Quarter
between the place Saint Michel and the cathedral Notre Dame, located at # 28
rue de la Huchette; Tel: +33(0)1 43 54 22 29; Fax: +33(0)1 46 34 14 56. Expect
to pay 55 Euro for a single with bath en suite, telephone, cable tv with remote.
Doubles are 72-80 euros, triples are 99 Euro and quads are 110 Euro. The rooms
are clean, the towels are new and monogrammed. The closest RER is St. Michel.
Breakfast costs 6 Euro.

Two cheap basic hotels owned by the same people are the Telemaque
and the Floridor. They are both in the 14th arrondisment and located near the
Denfert Rochereau metro. The service is not that great at the hotel, but the price
and location are wonderful. This area is not touristy and has a street market
(great location). The Telemaque (located at #64 Rue Daguerre) is about 42 Euro
for a double with an en suite bathroom. Tel : (33-1) 43 22 60 08; Fax : (33-1) 43
20 72 92. The hotel is walking distance (less than a block) to McDonalds, Metro
(Denfert), three restaurants, chess market, wine store, bread/pastry store,
chocolate store, large cheap grocery store, cigar store, three flower stores, one
meat market, one fish market, the post office (with 24 hour ATM machine). I
suggest that you make reservations in advance because there are only 38
rooms. FYI - there is no elevator .
The Hotel Floridor costs 55 euros for a double room with en suite
bathroom (or a single for 51 Euro), but the cheaper Telemaque is nicer. It is
located at #28 place Denfert Rochereau; Tel : (33-1) 43 21 35 53; Fax : (33-1) 43
27 65 81
Hotel Saint Andre Des Arts in the 5th Arrondissement has singles for 64
Euro, doubles for 82 Euro, twins for 87 Euro, triples for 102 Euro, and quads for
112 Euro, including breakfast. Very clean, large rooms, large bath, shower & tub.
No elevator, no tv but great location, great restaurants.
The hotel Le Regent Montmartre is a two star hotel and is located in
Montmarte (near the Sacre Coeur) at #37 bld Rocheschouart. Tel: 00 33 1 48 78
24 00; fax: 00 33 1 48 78 25 24. The hotel is 20 meters from the Metro station
ANVERS (line 2). Their website is: www.hotelregent-montmartre.com Email:
info@hotelregent-montmartre.com Expect to pay the following during the
summer: 33-53 Euro for a single, 69-89 Euro for a double, 109 for a triple, and 6
Euro for breakfast.

A two star hotel is the Hotel du Palais Bourbon http://www.hotel-palais-

bourbon.com/ which is s located near the Invalides museum at #49, rue de
Bourgogne; Tel. +33 1 44 11 30 70; Fax: + 33 1 45 55 20 21; Expect to pay 98
Euro for a single, 120 Euro for a double, 145 for a triple, and 155 Euro for a
quad. This price includes breakfast served in your room.

Another good deal is the Ibis hotel (there are about 50, but the Ibis porte
de clichy (tel: +33)1/40252000), this particular Ibis ALWAYS has last minute
discounts on their website. www.accorhotels.com FYI - accorhotels own Ibis,
f1hotels, mercure, suitehotel and many more. If you don’t know, Ibis are 2 or 3
star hotels. If you book it about a month before you want to go you can get it at
the last minute price of 59 euro a night. It even has a pool.
A great way to save money is to stay at Hotel Etap located at #57-63
Avenue Jean Jaurès; Tel : (+33)892680891 For about 30 euros you get a double
bed and a single bunk, standard in every room, your own bathroom, tv, and a/c. If
you split the cost with another person, you will only pay 15 euros each. Add a
thrid person and the cost drops to 10 euros each!
Another cheap hotel is Mr. Bed City (which is located outside of the center
but very close to a metro stop (100 m from Galliéni station, (last stop on line 3).
This place can be as cheap as 41 Euro and the hotel even has air conditioning!
http://www.lsfhotels.com/lsf/lsfinstit/5-mb-city/508-bagnolet/508f1-bagnolet.html
Located at # 2 av. Général de Gaulle, BAGNOLET (Just outside Paris) Tel. +33
(0)149 72 63 00; Fax + 33 (0)149 72 63 63; Email:
misterbed.bagnolet@lsfhotels.com
 A funky one-star hotel in the Latin Quarter with a nice close view of the
Notre Dame is Hotel Esmeralda, located at #4 rue St-Julien-le-Pauvre, Tel: 01 43
54 19 20; Fax: 01 40 51 00 68; Metro: Maubert-Mutualite. Expect to pay 30 Euro
for a single, 60-85 Euro for a double, 95 Euro for a triple, and 105 Euro for a
quad. They suggest that you try and book 3 months in advance. Some websites
indicate that the prices are more expensive, so call ahead.
In the 18th Arrondissement is the Hotel Style (Metro: Place de Clichy),
which is not far from Montmartre and Pigalle. This hotel was renovated in 2001.
Expect that singles and doubles cost 49-130 Euro. Also in the same area is the
Eldorado Hotel where a double room with WC and shower was about 60 Euro.
Another option is the 2 star Hotel Exposition http://www.hotel-
exposition.com/ Located at # 4 boulevard de Magenta, tel: +33 1 42 40 13 15 /
fax: +33 1 42 40 75 50 info@hotel-exposition.com Expect to pay 56-62 Euro for
a single, 66-72 Euro for a double, 73-79 in a twin, 82-88 Euro for a triple, and 94
Euro for a quad.

For people with a high budget, try Hotel du Lys in the 6th Arrondissement
www.hoteldulys.com Expect to pay 95 Euro for a single, or 110 Euro for a
double or 125 for a triple (continental breakfast is included in all prices). No
elevator.

DAYTRIPS FROM PARIS

Consider going to Versailles. It is 50 minutes from Paris by RER (line C) or by
train (Station: St Lazare). The RER runs from M: Invalides or any stop on RER
Line C5 to the Versailles Rive Gauche station. The RER trains depart every
15min and cost 5 Euro round-trip. When you take the RER to Versilles
remember to buy the proper ticket (the standard ticket for the metro & busses is
not good for the outskirts/suburbs of Paris).

Château de Fontainbleu is about 45 minutes from Paris’ Gare de Lyon train

station. Then take a city bus which will drop you off at the front gate of the
chateau. The interior of the Chateau is much more impressive than the outside.
FYI - Napoleon lived there. This place is less crowded than Versailles.

Rouen is about 45 minutes from Paris.

Chartre. This is where there is a beautiful church called Notre Dame which
makes the church by the same name in Paris seem tiny and boring. This town is
the place to go if you like stained glass. Trains for Chartres leave from Paris’
Montparnasse station.

Mt. St. Michel – you can take a train from Paris to Rennes and then take a bus
to Mt. St. Michel. In Rennes, the bus station is right outside the train station. If
you have a Eurail pass you will only have to pay a reservation fee of 3 Euro each
way and the bus http://www.lescourriersbretons.fr/accueil.htm (click regular
routes) from Rennes to Mt. St. Michel is 22 Euro round trip. As with many
daytrips, make sure to eat before you go. The main reason is that the food on
Mt. St. Michel is expensive. You should budget about 2 hours for the train to
Rennes, 1 ½ hours for the bus from Rennes to Mt. St. Michel and maybe 4 hours
to explore the whole island. As you can see, it can be done as a day trip from
Paris, but get an early start because it will be a long day.

Normandy – this is a nice area for WWII buffs. You can do a day trip from Paris
but it will be a complete day because it is about 4 hours travel each way. From
Paris, take a train to St. Malo. Then head to the beaches. I think that there is a
travel agency from St. Malo called Westcapades http://www.westcapades.com/
that you might want to look into. If you try and do this as a day trip from Paris,
make sure to get on an early morning train to St. Malo.
If you have more time, then consider using Bayeux as a central base but
realized that the bus system they have is very inconvenient. They only run every
45 minutes - 1 hour or so and the sites really don't take too long to see.
There is a new tour company called Battlebus based in Bayeux which gets
good reviews. Expect to pay them about 75 Euro for a full day tour of the landing
sites (you chose whether you want to see the British/Canadian or the American
landing sites.. The travel is by minibus (can go on smaller roads than larger
coach buses). The website is www.battlebus.fr and I would consider this one if
you want to do a day-trip from Paris.

There are a few websites that you should look at if you are thinking about
visiting this area: www.Normandywebguide.com
http://www.normandybattlefields.com/ http://www.ww2tours.com/

Carnac Ruins in Brittany. There are hundreds of menhirs and dolmens that are
located here but they are much smaller than the rocks at Stonehenge. To get
there from Paris, take the TGV from Gare Montparnasse to to Auray. It is a 3 1/4
hour trip. Then you catch a bus from there to Carnac. The menhirs and dolmens
are located about a mile from the bus station and they are just to the north of the
old town (not the beach part). There is a visitors centre in Carnac at which you
can arrange for a guided tour. In addition to the dolmens, you can also see burial
mounds which are called tumuli. Keep in mind that about 10 years ago they
stopped visitors from climbing over the menhirs for pictures, so if you go, you will
just be getting pictures of rocks and if you want to be in the picture, you will not
be too close to any rocks.

the Pont du Gard – you can see the big 3-tiered Roman aqueduct that is
featured in the VW beetle commercial. This place is located 30 minutes from the
town of Nimes, so it might also be a good day trip if you are located in the south
of France.
Provence region (Avignon, Aix-en-Provence) (and even Nice) – these towns
offer great Southern French food and culture (the band called the Gypsy Kings
are actually from the South of France, as opposed to Spain as many people
think)
Aix-en-Provence – There is not much to do here besides exploring the
small streets, fountains and market, so you might find Avignon more interesting.
Anyway, for lodging in Aix-en-Provence, visit http://www.aix-en-provence.com/
(for example, see one star hotel (Hotel Paul) Tél: 04.42.23.23.89 email:
hotel.paul@wanadoo.fr which costs 35 Euro for a double and 55 Euro for a
triple). One hostel is Auberge le jas de Bouffan, Tel: 04-42-20-15-99. Expect to
pay about 13 Euro. This place is kind of far from town, has a midnight curfew,
and an unfriendly staff. If you get stuck here, at least it is clean and breakfast is
included in the price. Oh yeah, you can play tennis for free at the hostel.

Nice – make sure to see the Musée National Message Biblique Marc
Chagall (a.k.a. the Chagall Museum). There is a hotel information desk right
outside the train station and can hook you up in a cheap hotel. The more people
you have, the cheaper the rates can be. Antares Backpackers Hostel in Nice (Tel:
04 93 88 22 87 Fax: 04 93 16 11 22) has 6 person dorms for about $16 US a
night, or as much as 42 Euros for a small, private room. Not really a bargain
unless you are in the dorm. It is located one block from the train station
(adjacent to Hotel Baccarat), which is about a 20 minute walk from the beach.
Located at 5 ave Thiers, in central Nice. No lockout and 3 am curfew.

Another option is Hotel Baccarat Tel: 04 93 88 35 73; email:

christine.delacourt@wanadoo.fr (one block from the train station and is about a
15 minute walk to the beach) #39 Rue d'Angleterre tel: 33 (0) 4.93.88.35.73 Fax
33 (0)4.93.16.14.25. dorm = 18 Euro, single = 29-36 Euro, double = 36-44 Euro,
triple = 44 Euro, quad = 56 Euro, 5 persons = 66 Euro. No a/c. I just heard that
this place just got new management and they have increased the prices, so all of
these above prices might have changed
Another option is Hotel La Belle Meuniere. It is located at 21 Avenue
Durante, just down the street from the train station (towards the water). Tel: 04
93 88 66 15 fax #:04 93 82 51 76. A dorm without bathroom will cost 13-13.50
Euro /night plus 2 Euro for a shower. A dorm w/full bath is 18 Euro /night. All
prices include breakfast. There is no lockout or curfew, the staff is friendly, and
every night the courtyard fills up with guests conversing and drinking (until 10p
when they all move on to either the beach or a pub in old town). Laundry service
is available for 5.50-9.50 Euro /load. Also there is a fridge for your use. Try and
reserve because it is popular.

Another option is Chez Patrick Backpackers (near the station), tel: (04) 93 80 30
72; Mobile: + 33 (0) 6 13 25 29 31; email chezpatrick@voila.fr low season 18
Euro, high season 20 Euro http://www.backpackerschezpatrick.com/ To walk to
this hostel from the train station, exit the station and turn left, walk up to Jean-
Medecin Avenue and then turn right and continue walking on the left side of the
avenue to the second street crossing which is the Rue Pertinax. On the corner of
Rue Pertinax you will find a pharmacy, to the opposite of which are the
McDonald’s and Multary cafe. Turn left into Rue Pertinax and the first apartment
building is Backpacker’s Chez Patrick hostel, Door number 32, press button
“Backpacker’s Chez Patrick” to open the door and go up one flight of stairs to the
first floor. Remember, in Europe, the first floor is NOT the ground floor.

And yet another option is the Comfort Hotel Azur Riviera, 19, rue Assalit
(56 Euro with AAA for single; or 3 beds 71 Euro), 0033 4 93 62 94 36. Beware
that this place has received a lot of complaints.
Another option is Hotel Etap, located at #232 Rte de Grenoble, which is a
little ways out of town. Expect to pay 35.5-39 Euro for a single.

You can take either the bus or the train from Nice to Monaco - fantastic
views and it only costs 3 Euro.
In the Nice train station keep your eyes open for the beautiful stained
glass window with a Gubelin clock.
The beaches in Nice suck. They are very rocky. Most people lay on chairs
if they go to the beach. However, you do not HAVE to lay on a chair – even in
front of a resort or hotel. All beaches in France are owned by the government so
as long as you stay off the chairs, there's not a lot the hotels can do. That doesn't
mean, however, that they will be nice to you.

I've heard (but not experienced) that Juan les pins and Antibes are better
places to party than Nice. They are about a 40 minute train ride from Nice. You
can even see a Picasso museum in a 12th century castle (expect to pay 2.30
Euro if you are a student), and a 16th century fort where Napoleon was once a
reluctant resident. In Juan les pins the discos cost about 15 Euro for a cover
charge, but that includes one drink. A hostel to try is Youth Hostel (RIJ)
Caravelle, 60 boulevard de la Garoupe - Cap d'Antibes - 06600 Antibes Juan les
Pins, tel: 04 93 61 34 40

Lyon – There are 2,000 year-old ruins of a Coliseum here, from the days that the
Romans conquered this area. They actually use the Coliseum for modern-day
concerts. There is a youth hostel (Auberge de jeunesse)
http://www.fuaj.org/fra/auberges/aj_fiche.php?aj_id=115 Tel : 0478150550; Fax :
0478150551; email: lyon@fuaj.org It is well situated near Vieux Lyon on the
Fourvière Hill. The hostel has a good kitchen and a great view (which also
means that you must climb up a steep hill to get there.

Chamonix and Annecy – two nice places to visit if you have extra time in
France.
Avignon – there is a cheap place to stay called the Squash Club Hostel, 32
Boulevard Limbert , 04-90-85-27-78, no e-mail, 10$US, not that great of a place
to stay at all, but it is cheap.Another hostel to try is called Chateau de la Barbiere
(holiday center for children), ave du Roi Soleil. Tel 33 4 90 87 18 06; fax: 04 90
89 77 05
There are 4 campgrounds in Avignon. 1) Le Pont D'Avignon
www.camping-avignon.com 2) Bagatelle, 3) Les Deux Rhone, and 4) Parc Des
Libertes.

Visit the following link for cheap hotels http://www.avignon-et-

provence.com/ The hotels are listed by the number of stars, so you can just click
on the one star and you will get info on all of the one star hotels.

For $30, you can get a room in a 1-2 star Avignon hotel (150-250F) ($20.50 –
$34.25), such as the Innova and Mignon hotels—See www.hotel-mignon.com
(rooms quoted at 150-300F ($20.50 - $41.00),. For a list of 1-2 star hotels, go to
www.avignon-et-provence.com, accommodations section. Here is a good URL
for general travel info for France and cheap places to stay, this is the section on
Avignon which mentions those two hotels:http://www.jack-
travel.com/Provence/Html/avignon_Hotel_recomm.htm
Another option may be the Etap hotel (this brand of hotels are usually
located in the suburbs, but this one is right at the entry of the old town). The price
is about 150F.($20.50)

I have also heard that there is a pretty cheap campground on the other
side of the river in Avignon.

ITALY – If you plan on staying at a hotel in Italy (as opposed to a hostel) then
there is something that you should know. Many hotels in this country have these
little ropes that hang down from the ceiling (usually near the shower). Do not pull
that rope. I have warned my travel companions to not pull the strings, but on two
separate occasions, people with whom I was traveling felt the need to pull the
string. One guy thought it was the way to flush the toilet. Regardless, both times
the owner of the hotel rushed to our door and asked whether we were ok
because he received the “emergency signal”. Do not pull the string unless you
are having a heart attack or something.

For cheap flights in and out of Italy, look at http://www.volareweb.com/

If you plan on going to Florence, you can leave you big backpack in the hostel in
Florence and take a quick day trip to many places such as San Gimignano,
Siena, Lucca, or Pisa. If you are considering such a day trip, look into
http://www.fs-on-line.com because it lists the train schedules you'll need.
San Gimignano is 24 miles northwest of Siena, and 35 miles (57 km) from
Florence. San Gimignano does not have a railway station – so you have to reach
it by bus, but there are no direct regular buses from Florence to San Gimignano.
The best way to travel from Florence to San Gimignano is to take a train from
Florence to Poggibonsi/San Gimignano railway station (75 minute ride). From
Poggibonsi/San Gimignano railway station take a bus 25 minutes to San
Gimignano.
In San Gimignani check out the torture museum. Also check out the
chapel at the top of the square (it has some amazing frescos including a
depiction of the seven deadly sins). You can spend the night in Siena and do a
day trip to San Gimiano from Siena. I think that one day is the max that should
be spent in San Gimigano. Combine it with another city. Maybe 2-3 days in
Siena with a day-trip to San Gimigano.

In Pisa the luggage storage is on platform # 1. If you are facing the station from
the tracks it is on your right. They have large lockers and baggage storage. Also
there is a new McDonalds in the Pisa train station (good for you to be aware of in
case you run out of time) but you should try to grab local food (pizza a few blocks
from the leaning tower).
You can walk from the train station about 30 minutes and see the leaning
tower (or else take bus # 1 which you can board just opposite the train station
(across the street) – remember to buy your bus tickets (before boarding) from the
station newspaper kiosk or bar for about 69 cents or .77 Euro). If you walk to the
leaning tower, there are signs that have a picture of the tower and an arrow. Just
follow the signs and you will end up at the tower (remember how to walk back to
the station!). To walk there, you will exit the station and kind of go to the left and
straight. Here is an option for brave souls: Take the commuter train that runs from
Florence, to Lucca and then Pisa. You can hop off at some small suburban
station at the next to last stop, from where you can see the tower. It is closer than
walking from the main station. I can’t remember any more facts than that, so if
you are conservative, then follow my directions above from the main train station.
If you have some time, then also go into the Duomo and Baptistry (next to
the tower). The Baptistry costs 6 Euro.
They have reopened the tower to visitors (to climb up) but the crowds are
limited to groups of 30. The tour lasts approximately 30 minutes and tickets cost
15 Euro per person. Reservations may be made via email at:
primaziale@sirius.pisa.it Further information available at L'Opera Primaziale
Pisana at: Telephone: 050 560547 or 050 561820 Fax: 050 560505. You can also
order your tickets for the Leaning Tower at the following ticket office:
http://www.opapisa.it/boxoffice/ If you are 100% sure that you want tickets & you
know the exact day that you will be there, order them online so you don’t have to
wait in line at the tower.

I have heard about people getting the view from another tower in Pisa.
(The Guelf Tower along side the arno in Pisa).
 There are a bunch of tourist vendors outside the leaning tower. They sell
all kinds of trinkets. Some of the cooler trinkets are small statues of the tower or
a leaning coffee mug.
A great day trip would be to leave Florence in the morning, and see Pisa
(only 80 km (50 miles) from Florence) for a few hours and then return to Florence
by way of Lucca, where you can have lunch and stroll through the town. Lucca
is only 12.5 miles from Pisa. You can even see Giacomo Puccini’s house (the
composer of La Boheme and Madama Butterfly) in Lucca if you like. Lucca has a
law whereby private cars are not allowed into the city.

Florence – This city was rated as the #1 city in Europe and the #2 city in the
world by the readers of Travel and Leisure magazine (Paris and London aren’t
even in the top ten according to the ratings).
As you walk around Florence, especially in the Santa Croce area, you will
see plaques on the buildings (above your head) that show the levels reached by
the waters when the Arno river flooded the city in 1966. This is a very left-wing
city and you can still find communist posters and graffiti today.
Also as you walk around the city you will see buildings with a varying
number of balls on a shield – this is the coat of arms for the Medici family & they
represent that the building was owned or connected to the family.
If you want some good Italian gold, Florence is a great place for great
quality stuff – there is a bridge in Florence called the Ponte Vecchio
http://www.mega.it/eng/egui/monu/ponvec.htm and http://www.pontevecchio.net/
and it actually has jewelry stores on the bridge – most is pretty expensive for
backpackers (but you will get good deals if you are planning on buying jewelry
anyway) – I got my fiancée a nice bangle made from 18k gold. FYI – almost
every piece of gold in Italy is 18k. S. Viaggi & Co on the Ponte Vecchio has good
deals and are honest (deal with Roberto for the best prices since he is the
owner). If you are concerned about the shops on the Ponte Vecchio being too
touristy and maybe a rip-off (due to the high rents these shops have to pay to be
on the bridge), try the square in front of Santa Croce – especially The Gold
Corner and another shop that is directly across the street from the Gold Corner.
Florence has some cool museums but they are kind of expensive. You can see
Michelangelo’s statue of David if you pay and go inside, or else you can see a
replica just outside the building. If you pay to see the real David, then you will
see a whiter, brighter statue than has been seen in hundreds of years, because
in May 2004 they finished cleaning the statue. In September 2004 the statue
celebrates its 500-year birthday.

FYI – there is a campground on the outskirts of Florence that is near the top of a
hill called Camping Michaelangelo
http://www.hostels.com/hosteldetails.php?HostelNumber=319 . There is another
replica of the David up there too. This is located south of the Arno across from S.
Croce, where you can get a great view of the city for free at Piazzale
Michaelangelo (take tram 12 or 13).
 Keep in mind that the main museums (Uffizi and Accadamia) are closed
on Mondays. For the Uffizi and the Academia in the easiest way to get tickets is
to call (39) 055-294-883 8:30-18:30 M-F and 8:30-12:00 Sat. (Florence time). An
English-speaking operator will be available and in 2-3 minutes you can make
reservations for both museums. They only charge about 1.60 Euro for the
service.

Also, silk ties and leather goods (purses/backpacks/belts) are really good
buys in Florence. I also saw music boxes for about 1/3 of what they charge in
the USA. You can get excellent silk ties for $8-15 each right from venders in the
street. Make sure to haggle with them (the more you buy, the cheaper it should
cost (I bought 10 ties and spent $75). This might not fit into a backpacker’s
budget, but if you can afford it, get such a souvenir. Also there is a leather school
in the back of the Santa Croce church. This is a place to buy leather goods
(wallets, handbags, etc.) at deep discount prices because they are made by
excellent students.
If you are not satisfied with the selection at the leather school, there is also
an open-air market at San Lorenzo. The shops (behind the stalls) sell beautiful
leather goods (especially coats).

Regarding the Uffizi (museum) make sure to get your tickets in advance
(or else you will have to wait in a long line). So, if you are planning 2 days in
Florence, reserve tickets the first day that you are in the city for the following day.
If you were curious as to how long it takes to travel between Rome and
Florence, it depends on what type of train you take. The Eurostar takes 1:35, the
Intercity 2:30, and the slow train 3:37. If you do not have a Eurail pass and have
to pay for a ticket, expect to pay 30 Euro on the Eurostar for 2nd class, 22 Euro on
the Intercity for 2nd class, and 14 Euro for the "Slow" train. Eurostar requires a
seat reservation. Intercity trains charge 3 Euro supplement for each seat you
reserve (but you are not required to reserve –but it is suggested that you do
during peak summer). The main downside to the slow (interregionale or
regionale or diretto trains) is not their speed, but rather the fact that they do NOT
have air conditioning. All Italian trains (except for the ES) you are allowed to
travel standing. Intercity trains are even equipped with a few small seats in the
corridor. If it is crowded, grab one of these seats. If all of the little seats in the
corridor are taken, standing in first class is allowed with a second class ticket.
For a cheap place to eat, head to Da Mario (east of Stazione di SM
Novella) at #2R Via Rosina. Expect to pay 3.5-5 Euro for main dishes (lunch
only). This place is hidden behind a row of market stalls.
Vegetarians should head to Il Vegetariano (east of Stazione di SM
Novella) at#30R Via Delle Ruote. Expect to pay 15.50 Euro for a meal with wine.
For average food at cheap prices around the Piazze di SM Novella, head
to Trattoria il Contadino at #71 R Via Palazzuolo. Tel: 055 238 26 73. They have
a set menu with wine for 8.5 Euro.
Also near the Piazze di SM Novella is Ristorante Dino at #6-8 Via Maso
Finiguerra where main dishes cost about 9-15 Euro and Pasta dishes are 8 Euro.
 If you are between the Duomo and the Arno, there are tons of pizzerias
where you can get a slice for 1.5 Euro. A good choice in that section is
Ristorante Self-Service Leonardo at #35 R Via de’ Pecori where you can get
main dishes for 4 Euro.
Regarding hostels in Florence – one of the good options is Archi Rossi,
located at via Faenza 94r, 055-290-804; Fax 00 39 0 55 23 02 601,
http://www.hostelarchirossi.com/ Email info@hostelarchirossi.com or
ostelloarchirossi@hotmail.com This place does not take reservations and fills up
quickly so get there early (before 9). Expect to pay 20-23 Euro for a dorm, but on
your first night they might require you to pay 21.50 Euro and stay in a 4 person
room and then allow you to switch to the dorm on your second day. The price
includes breakfast and they even sell dinner. Expect a midnight curfew and a
lockout from noon - 2:30 for cleaning. They have free internet access and free
breakfast. This place fills up quickly and will be completely full by 9-10 am. If
your train arrives around 6 am, make a beeline to this hostel (because they open
at 6:30) or forget it. If they are full, there is another hostel across the street run
by a guy named Ivano (check the doorbell for 3rd level). They also have a cheap
café with good pizza.

Instituto gould – tel – 055/212576; fax 0039 55 280274; email:

gould.reception@dada.it Located at #49 Via de'Serragli. This is not party place,
there is no common room and the hostel doesn’t serve a breakfast. Expect to
pay 36-41 Euro for a single, 25-29 Euro in a double, 21-24 Euro in a triple, and
21-23 Euro in a quad. The reception is open only from Monday to Friday
(8:45a.m. - 1p.m. and from 3p.m. to 7.30p.m., on Saturday (from 9a.m. to
1.30p.m. and from 2.30p.m. to 6p.m.), closed on Sunday and holiday all day. If
you are tired, then I suggest that you do not walk the 15 minutes to the hostel
and opt instead for the bus (36 or 37). Just get off at the 2nd bus stop (over
bridge Carraia) is the bus stop in front of the hostel. Double check with
passengers or the driver to make sure you get off at the right place.

7 santi Ostello (a.k.a. Sete Santi hostel, a.k.a. 7 Saints Hostel), viale dei Mille 11,
tel: 055-504-8452, web www.eidinet.com/7santi; Email: 7santi@eidinet.com
This hostel is located in a former convent which is adjacent to the Church of the
Sette Santi (Seven Saints). Expect to pay 21 Euro for a dorm, 25.85-31 Euro in a
single, 42-51.65 Euro for a double, or 63-70 Euro for a triple, or 21-23.25 Euro in
a room with either 4, 5, or 6 beds. They are located 30 minute by foot or 10
minutes by bus from the train station. From the train station, take bus # 17
(drops you in front of the Hostel) or Bus # 11 (one block from the Hostel), Take
the bus in the direction of Campo di Marte to the Sette Santi bus stop (10
minutes ride from railway station). This is a good place to sleep, but don’t plan
on partying inside this hostel. There is no curfew. There are better hostel
options if you want to meet people to party. Also some female travelers have told
me that they have found this hostel “spooky” and they did not like the co-ed
showers.
Pensionato Pio X, via dei Serragli #106, Tel: 055-225-044; or 055 239 6451, this
place has a midnight curfew. Rooms start at 24 Euro. Pleasant management.

There is a small basic hostel called Locanda Startlight

http://www.locandastarlight.it/ which is a 5 minute walk from the train station, and
is located on a large street at Via Guelfa #59. Tel: 055287012 Email:
info@locandastarlight.com This place was renovated in 1998. Expect to pay 18-
23 Euro for a dorm, 30-40 Euro for a single, 45-58 for a double, 60-75 Euro for a
triple, 72-90 for a quad.

Florence’s HI Hostel is called Europa Villa Camerata and is located at #2/4 Vialle
Augusto Righi 2/4, Tel: 055-601-451; Fax 39-055-610300; Expect to pay 17 Euro
in a dorm, 46 Euro for a double room, 57 Euro for a triple room, which includes
breakfast and linens. The hostel sells dinner for 8.50 Euro which includes a first
course (pasta), a second course (meat or fish plus vegetables or salad), bread
and fruit. This hostel is 5km north-east of the center of town and the train station
(take bus #17 from Central station to the Salviatino stop).
http://www.ostellionline.org/ostello.php?idostello=180 Email:
florenceaighostel@virgilio.it

or Ostello Santa Monaca (this would be low on my list of places to sleep) – tel
055/268338 – email info@ostello.it, web www.ostello.it (They only have dorms
available and they cost 16.50 Euro which includes sheets and a hot shower). If
possible, try and request a room that is not over the main street, which is very
loud. Also expect to hear noise from children at a nearby school. Also, they
have a lot of beds crammed in the room – kind of like a military barrack, and the
place is not too clean. This hostel is about a 10-minute walk from the train
station, or you can take a bus (lines 11-36-37) from the train station.

There is a monastery-hostel 5 km outside the city with a nice view called Youth
Hostel del Bigallo. http://www.bigallo.it/bigost_uk.htm It is located at Via Bigallo e
Apparita #14. Tel: +39 340 41 23 101; or 055 63 09 07; email: info@bigallo.it
Expect to pay 20 Euro in a dorm, or 32.50 Euro in a double, or 27.50 in a family
room. To get to the hostel, take bus # 33 from the railway station and get off at
the last stop (La Fonte). The bus ride is approximately 30 minutes and then you
walk about 15 min. So, I probably would not have this hostel at the top of my list
simply because I do not like to waste 90 minutes each day going to and from the
hostel, but it is always goot to keep this option in mind in case the other hostels
are full and your budget does not allow you to stay in a hotel.

As for other cheap ($60/night for 2 persons and private bath) hotels, try
Hotel Tina.
If you are solo with a higher budget, or if you are traveling with others, you
can afford Hotel Medici www.hotelmedici.it - 2-star hotel. Expect to pay 45-70
Euro for a single, 70-100 Euro for a double, 80-115 Euro for a triple, 90-120 for a
quad. (As you can see, if you and 3 others stay here, your cost can be as low as
22.5 Euro per night per person). The hotel is near the Duomo at Via de Medici #
6. Tel: +39 055 28.48.18 / 29.10.98 Fax +39 055 21.62.02; email:
info@hotelmedici.it To walk to the hotel from the train station, you will exit the
station and come to Piazza della Stazione, and walk down Via Panzani which
turns left and turns into Via Cerretani. Walk about 3 blocks until you dead-end
into the Baptistery and turn right just at the Baptistery (Piazza San Giovanni)
down Via Roma a few blocks and turn left on Via Tosinghi. Walk a short block
and you will see Via de' Medici (turn right and look for #6).
A good 2 star hotel is Hotel Casci. www.hotelcasci.com which is located at
Via Cavour #13; Tel: 055 211 686. This place is clean and has nice owners. In
the high season the prices are expensive and cost: 110 Euro for a single, 150
Euro for a double, 190 Euro for a triple, and 230 Euro for a quad.

I have also heard good things about a place Hotel Il Bargellino – one star
hotel (few minutes walk from Stazione Santa Maria Novella, Via Guelfa 87,
50129 Firenze, Italia , Telephone (055) 238-2658, Fax (055) 238-2698,
http://www.ilbargellino.com/. singles = 43 Euro, doubles with private bath = 75
Euro, doubles with sink and bidet only = 65 Euro, Triples with sink and shower
only = 90 Euro, triples with private bathroom = 100 Euro, Quad with private
bathroom = 125 Euro.
Another place to try is called Laconda Daniel located on Via Nazionale
and is in the same building as the Hotel Nazionale.
And yet one more place is the Soggiorno Magliani. It is run by a mother
and daughter (the daughter speaks English) and within walking distance to most
attractions. It has seven rooms, and expect to pay 39 Euro for a single, and 49
Euro for a double. The place is near Via Guelfa at Via Reparata 1, tel. 055-287-
378, e-mail: hotel-magliani@libero.it

Pensionne Sorelle Bandini, located on the Piazza Santa Spirito at #9 Piazza

Santo Spirito; tel 055 215 308; email: pensionebandini@tiscali.it They have
doubles, triples, and quads. Expect to pay 108-130 for a double room. This
pensionne is located on the other side (in the Oltrarno area) of the Arno river
from the historical section but it is only about 1/2 kilometer from the Ponte
Vecchio.

Hotel Scoti http://www.hotelscoti.com it is located opposite PalazzoStrozzi at #7

Via Tornabuoni; tel/fax (055) 29 21 28; email: hotelscoti@hotmail.com

Hotel Johanna http://www.johanna.it/ offers a Residenze with 4 different

locations.Tel. 055.461.185; Tel. 055.463.3292; Tel. +39-055.481.896; Tel. +39-
055.473.377; Prices range from 50-85 Euro for a single and 80-145 for a double.

Venice was rated as the #3 city in Europe and the #8 city on the world by Travel
and Leisure magazine (Paris and London aren’t even in the top ten according to
the ratings). Venice is really a city of about 100 islands that are all connected by
bridges. It is really neat to see and should be on your itinerary if possible.
However, there is no nightlife in Venice, and many hostels have open windows
and that means the mosquitoes will get you (so bring your bug repellant). If you
can get a cheap place, then it would be nice to see Venice (at least to relax – you
will be tired after Rome) – Venice can be seen in one full day (if you don’t get
there early in the morning, then budget 2 days) and you should eat dinner out
and have some wine. Expect that most decent Italian restaurants will not open
before about 7 or 8 p.m. When you are in Italy, make sure to try the Gelato (or
Gelati) – this is the real good Italian version of ice cream. If you are in Venice for
a few days, then consider buying the water taxi pass – three day pass about $15
unlimited rides on the water taxis. If you are in Venice on a Wednesday, expect
many crowds because 5 cruise ships will be in port.
If possible, try to walk around this city very early in the morning. This is a
great city to watch wake up. I once arrived on a night train and arrived about
4:30 (yes that sucked) but it was neat to see the town wake up.
You can get a great view of the city by going to Piazza San Marco and
going up to the brick bell tower (campanile) which costs about 5 Euro.
I suggest that you hot St. Mark’s early in the morning, before the crowds
arrive, and then spend the day exploring the city’s winding streets.
If you are tired of walking (or lazy) get a 24-hour vaporetto pass which will
cost 10.50 Euro (for 72 hours it will cost 22 Euro and they even have a 7-day
pass if you will be in town that long). If you hop on a vaporetto without validating
your ticket, you can be fined 23 Euro! If you don’t but the pass, then expect to
pay 5 Euro for a Grand Canal ticket (good for 90 minutes) and/or 3.50 Euro for a
non-Grand Canal ride. Instead of paying 5 Euro for a Vaporetto between St.
Marks and La Salute Church, take a traghetto (described below) for only .40 Euro
instead! At night vaporettos are rarely crowded and are a great way to cruise the
Grand Canal.

Just remember to validate it the first time you use it (There are little
machines at each vaporetto stop) and the passes can be purchased at vaporetto
ticket offices as well as Tabacs/ newsagents. Try to sit at the front of the
vaporetto to get a good view. If it is crowded, you will probably be stuck in the
middle.
Here is a tip so you can save money. Remember the passes (such as the
three-day pass) is not just able to be used for 3 days. Rather, the pass is valid
for that many 24 hour periods. So, if you get a 3-day pass and you first use it at
11:30 a.m. on the first day, you can use the pass on the fourth day (up until 11:30
a.m. on that fourth day).

Another tip is to talk to the guy at the booth at the Tronchetto, because if you are
in a group you can get a discount (for example you can get a 3-day pass for 4
people).
 FYI – gondola rides are very expensive. They might start out with a price
of 150 Euro for a 45 minute ride, but you should always negotiate these prices.
The going rate is about 62 Euro for a 50-minute ride during the day and 80-120
Euro after 8pm). If you are determined to ride in a gondola, I suggest doing so in
the evening. Regardless, Venetians haven't used gondolas for centuries. If you
really want the experience, you will pay for it. Otherwise, try a “Traghetto,” a
large gondola that is useful to cross the grand canal. Most people stand on a
Traghetto.

As for a hostel, I used to suggest visiting Casa Gerotto as a cheap hostel

http://www.casagerottocalderan.com/ They have changed their name to “Casa
Alloggi Gerotto & Calderan.” It is very clean, just off Lista di Spagna 150 meters
(5 minute walk) from the train station & near lots of shops and restaurants. The
location is great when you are tired and it is easy to find from the train station.
There can be a line at the toilets and showers, so figure that in for what time you
wake up. Just a few years ago, it used to cost about $20USD per night, which
was a great deal. However, in 2001 they shut down and renovated which resulted
in them only having one dorm room with 6 beds and it was only for females until
2003, when they also opened dorm rooms for boys too, but they do not accept
reservations for them more than two days prior to the arrival date.
Otherwise expect to pay 36 Euro for a single if you stay more than one
night, and 72 Euro for a double. Email: info@casagerottocalderan.com Tel: 041
715 562; Fax 0039 ( 0 )41 715361

Some other options are one of the convents:

1) Foresteria Santa Fosca http://www.santafosca.it/ 2372 Cannaregio,

Fondamente Canale Santa Fosca, phone and fax 39 041/215775 or 39 041
715733); email: ostello@santafosca.it – 15 minute walk from the train station
(located near the Rialto bridge, on the way to San Marco) or take the #1 ferry and
get off at San Marcuola and walk). This place has 200 beds in the summer. For
a dorm you will pay 16 Euro per night with a Go 25 or ISIC card or 18 Euro
without the card – breakfast is not included. If you stay in a single or double, you
will pay 19 Euro per night with a Go 25 or ISIC card or 21 Euro without the card.
They do not let you book more than a week in advance, so you can still get a
room (even in the middle of summer) if you call very early exactly 7 days prior.
Keep in mind that there is only one person checking people in, so it might take a
while. It is a quiet place at night (not a party place). Check-in is from 10 to noon
only, but there is no curfew. To get to this hostel, exit the railway station and turn
left (do not cross the Grand Canal, which is straight across from the railway
station). Walk along the main street (it is called Rio Terra but it becomes Lista di
Spagna in 2 blocks) and cross three bridges (the first bridge that you will cross is
called ponte della Gugile bridge) keep walking straight and you will be on a street
called Rio Terà S.Leonardo, and then you will come to Rio Terà della Maddalena
street. After you cross the third bridge (3 bridges from the train station), you will
see on your left a little square with a statue in its middle (Campo Santa Fosca);
cross the square and the bridge, turn left and walk until the end of the street
(Fondamenta Canal).

Another monastery/convent is Casa Caburlotto, located at #316 Santa Croce

(situated near Piazzale Roma, which is a 10-minute walk from the train station).
Tel: 041/710-877; fax 041/710-875. It is in an 18th century building. Single men
are allowed only if a single room is available. Expect to pay 37-47 Euro for a
single, 73 Euro for a double room, or per person in a double, triple or quad is 34
Euro. Breakfast is included in the price. Curfew is 10:30 p.m.

Another convent is Casa Cardinal Piazza. Expect to pay 38 Euro for a single, 61
Euro for a double, or 86 Euro for a triple (breakfast included in the price). Tel:
041/721-388; fax: 041/720-233. Take ferry #52 & 42 and ask for Madonna
dell’Orto

Another convent is Circolo ANSPI – Patronato Pio IX; Tel: 041/719-933 or 719-
969; fax: 041/720-002. Expect to pay 22 Euro plus the cost of ANSPI
subscription if you are not a member (6 Euro). Take ferries #52 and 42 (ask for
Madonna dell’Orto.

Another monestery is Instituto Suore Salesie Catecumeni (near the church of

Santa Maria della Salute). It is open July and September. Expect to pay 45-50
Euro for a single, and 36-45 Euro for a double (breakfast included). Cuerfew is
11 pm. Take ferry #1 and get off at Santa Maria della Salute. Tel: 041/522-3691;
fax: 041/522-1100

Another monestery is Foresteria della Chiesa Valdese (located half way between
St. Marks and Rialto). Expect to pay 22 Euro in a dorm, or 56-74 Euro in a
double. Tel: 041/528-6797; fax 041/241-6238; email
foresteriavenezia@diaconiavaldez.org

You can also try Hotel Marte and/or Hotel Biasin

http://www.hotelmartebiasin.com/ these hotels are located near each other and
are both about a 10-minute walk from the train station. As you exit the train
station, turn left on Rio Terra (it becomes Lista di Spagna in 2 blocks) Walk along
Lista di Spagna and one hotel is located just before the first bridge and the other
hotel is located just after the first bridge (both on the left side of Lista di Spagna)
Tel: (+39)041/716.351 or 717.231; fax: (+39)041/720.642 Email:
info@hotelmartebiasin.com The last time that I tried the email, it did not work.

If you are on a tight budget, try Camping Alba D’ Oro,

http://www.ecvacanze.it/ing/alba_home.asp a camping ground on the mainland—
normally a half-hour busride from Venice. For 2 people to sleep on beds in a little
fiberglass cabin, expect each person to pay 13.50 Euro. If you camp in a tent,
each person will pay 8 Euro. From June 1 – September 30, the campground
provides a private shuttle bus to the site, leaving from Piazzale Roma bus station
from the section D1 every hour on the half hour (15 minutes bus ride to the
campsite). Tel 041-541-5102, email: albadoro@tin.it
Another good campground is Camping Fusina, located at Via Moranzani
#79. Tel: 39 41 547 0055, fax 39 41 547 0050 email: info@camping-fusina.com
Web: http://www.camping-fusina.com/ where a bed in a 2 bed cabin will cost 13
Euro per person. The directions are easiest from the Venice Mestre train station
(this is usually the first train station that you will come to because Venice will be
across the water at the Santa Lucia train station). Anyway, if you forgot to get off
the train at the Mestre station, then just then take the train back to Mestre. When
you are at the Mestre train station, then take the #11 bus from outside the
Venezia-Mestre train station to Fusina. Once you are at Fusina, it has a ferry
connection to Venice in the summer, which is about a 40-minute ride.

Another campground is Camping Miramare http://www.camping-miramare.it/

which is located near Punta Sabbioni (east of Venice - off the tip of the Lido).
They offer air conditioned bungalows. It is just a short ferry ride to St Mark’s and
attracts a lot of British tourists. tel. +39-041 966150; fax +39-041 5301150; e-
mail: info@camping-miramare.it

Some more cheap lodging options are listed at

http://www.comune.venezia.it/rol2/en_dormire.asp?ipo=&C=&Nuovo=1

And a ton opf cheap hotels in Venice are listed at:

http://www.ciaociaoitaly.com/venezia.htm

If you are running into every place being booked, some of the small hotels
such as the one-star hotels listed at http://www.v4u.it/eng/hotels/1star.html
Such as: Hotel Noemi, Tel: 39 041 5238144 http://www.hotelnoemi.com/ Email:
info@hotelnoemi.com (double room w/o bath 50-100 Euro – they keep the toilets
clean); single without private bath – 40-80 Euro.

Hotel Rossi, Tel: 041-715-164

Another option is Hotel Dalla Mora http://www.hoteldallamora.it/ (15 minute walk

from the train station and rooms at the back overlook a canal). Located at Santa
Croce #42a tel: 0039041710703. Expect to pay 70-90 Euro for a double or twin,
85-111 Euro for a triple, 95-132 Euro for a quad, and 60 Euro for a single. Price
includes linens and breakfast.

Locanda Ca’Foscari Tel: 041-710-401 or 041/521-1365 – located at Calle della

Frescada, 3887/b. It has 11 rooms, 3 with shower or tub, family-run, well
maintained, top floors get lots of sunlight (keep in mind to for hanging clothes to
dry). Continental breakfast included. Double room with private bath 88-90 Euro.
Locanda Antica Casa Carettoni is a three-star hotel right on Lista di
Spagna # 130, which is about a one minute walk from the train station on your
left. Tel: 71 62 31. Expect to pay 150 Euro for a single, or 220 Euro in a double.
San Samuele Tel 041-5228045

Adua, Telephone 041-716184 (Lista di Spagna, 233/A)

Remember to Dial 39 for Italy and 041 for Venice

Another place to try is Venice’s Youth Hostel, Ostello della Gioventù located at
Fondamenta Zitelle #86, Isola della Giudecca (catch vaporetto #82 to Zittele),
phone 39-041-5238211 (vaporetto #42). Email vehostel@tin.it It costs 16 Euro
per night and that includes breakfast. It has single sex dorms. It is located on one
of the islands (Giudecca), but is only a short vaporetto trip from the main part of
Venice. You can book online at www.hostelbooking.com. Great views from the
hostel towards the church of Santa Maria Della Salute and San Marco. Reserve
ahead during summer. Plain but very cheap meals are available in their budget
cafeteria. This hostel gets mixed reviews and is known for its toilets which are
missing toilet seats. Visit some reviews at
http://www.hostelz.com/display.php/93+Ostello+Venezia

Another place is Archies House, 1814B San Leonardo (10 minute walk
(300 meters) from the train station). Archie speaks 13 languages fluently. Sadly
this place has gone downhill in the last several years, but it is still popular for
budget travelers. Phone +39 041 720 884 – located above a fruit and vegetable
store in a building with peeling facade (reception desk is one flight up), dorms
cost 10 Euro + 1.5 Euro for linen. Cold showers are free - or pay 1 Euro more for
a hot shower.

There is a newer hotel in Venice which has gotten good reviews called Hotel
Alex. http://www.hotelalexinvenice.com/ It is located only 10 minutes walk from
the train station. Just ask how to get to the well-known Frari Church (Chiesa dei
Frari) and when you get to the church ask around for the hotel. The actual
address is 2606 San Polo. Tel/fax: 39-041-5231 341, email:
info@hotelalexinvenice.com Expect to pay 35-45 Euro for a single, 50-94 Euro
for a double, 70-127 Euro for a triple, 90-160 Euro for a quad. These prices
include breakfast. This place does not have a/c.
If you can afford it, a hotel with a great location (right next to St. Marks
Square, but far from the train station) is Hotel Ai do Mori
http://www.hotelaidomori.com/ It is located at Calle Larga San Marco 658. TEL.
+39-0415204817, 0415289293 - FAX: +39 041 5205328 E-mail:
reception@hotelaidomori.com This place has air conditioning (A/C). A double
without a private bath is 60-90 Euro and double with a private bath is 80-135
Euro.

Also some cheap hotels are listed on .

http://turismo.regione.veneto.it/en/ric/alberghi/ (click on Venezia for Venice)
 If you still have trouble, consider staying in Padua (Padova) which is a
lovely city 30 minutes away from Venice by train (2 Euro). It is much cheaper
than Venice and is less crowded.
I remember a monastery called Casa Del Pellegrino, Via M. Cesarotti, 21.
35123 Padova, http://www.monasteriesofitaly.com/r.html Tel 0498239711 Fax
0498239780; email: casadelpellegrino@jumpy.it Expect to pay 14 Euro in a
dorm, or 16.50 Euro in a family room (breakfast is included in both prices).

Also, there is a tourist office inside the Padua train station that can give
you directions and telephone number to other lodging.
The youth hostel in Padova is called Città di Padova, and is located at #30
Via Aleardo Aleardi, Tel. 049 8752219, fax 049 654210, e-Mail: pdyhtl@tin.it
web: http://www.ostellionline.org/ostello.php?idostello=452 Expect to pay 14
Euro which includes breakfast.

In general, Venice has many hostels (the information center at the train station
can provide the list), but if you want to stay in cheap ones, don’t arrive too late.
When all else fails, call the following number WHEN YOU ARE IN VENICE: 800-
843006. It is a general reservation line for ALL hotels in Venice.
The cheapest quality meal in Venice can be found at the railway labor
union's restaurant (self-service, 120-seat DLF Mensa (Cannaregio 19)) Local
members pay only ($7) for a three-course meal (soup or spaghetti, then main
course and dessert), and tourists pay ($9.00). Pay first, then fill your tray and sit
down. This place is located about 150 meters from the main train station. Just
walk outside the train station, turn right, walk along the Canal Grande, pass the
trees and the statue of a female saint, and you will see a five-story, red-brick
building with marble balconies and pillars. There is no street address on this
building (you will have climbed 8 steps and gone through an unmarked door).
Food is available from 12:00 – 14:00 and from 18:00 – 21:00 daily; cash only.

Another good cheap place to eat is near the train station at Brek Self service
cafeteria (7 days per week). As you exit the station and you are facing the canal
go left on Rio Terra (it becomes Lista di Spagna in 2 blocks). It is located at #124
Lista di Spagna. Tel: 041/244-0158. It is a little hard to find because you must
walk through a coffee bar and then the Brek cafeteria is in the back.

Some of the canals are very dirty and I once made a bet at a hostel to see if
anyone would jump in the canal for $25. Nobody did. I was convinced that the
toilets flowed directly into the canals, but I have since read that they have a
vacuum sewage system that delivers all their sewage (via enormous vacuum
pipes) to a sewage treatment plant on the mainland. I am not sure if the vacuum
sewage system is a reality yet or just a pipe dream.

Siena - This medieval city is known for its Piazza Del Campo, which is the
location of an annual bareback horse race called the Palio. It is held every year
on July 2 & Aug. 16. It lasts several days both times. Each horse has a rider
from one of Siena’s districts (contrade) and the winning distruct takes home the
palio (a silk banner). However, if you go to Siena during the race – you better
make sure that you have reservations because the place will be packed! There
are plenty of homes and buildings in Siena that are colored with the reddish
brown hues known as burnt siena.
If you want to get to Siena from Florence, chose to travel by bus rather
than train. By train it takes an hour and a half and the train leaves you outside of
the city center (you will have to take a bus to reach the center) If you take a bus
from Florence to Siena, the bus will take one hour and a bus from Florence to
Siena is cheaper than the train and the city bus together. A bus leaves from
Florence to Siena every hour
FYI – coffee is served after (not with dessert) and it is always expresso.
Cappuccino is only a morning drink. Siena has a traditional (sticky) confection
called panforte.
The Guidoriccio hostel is about a mile outside of old Siena (Via Fiorentina,
89), but it’s not bad, and not too far from the train station and busses can take
you if you do not want to walk. (take bus 4 or 10 from the Siena railway station,
direction "Stellino" or take bus 15 from town center). Tel +39 055 80 77 009;
Siena’s 1-4 star hotels are listed at http://www.ciaociaoitaly.it/siena.htm

Consider (a 2 star) Hotel Piccola Etruria located at a good location very close (2
minute walk) to Piazza del Campo (where the Pallio takes place). The hotel is
located at #3 Via Donzelle; tel +39-0577-288088 cost 70 Euro for a double
without bath (in the heart of Siena (about a block from the Piazza del Campo),
and clean). Breakfast is 5 Euro extra. There's another small one star hotel next
door (Tre Donzelle) tel +39-0577-280358 which costs 44 Euro for a double.
Also consider the B&B called Palazzo Bruchi, it is located at Via
Pantaneto #105. It is close to the town center (only 200 meters from the famous
"Piazza del Campo"), Check their website: www.palazzobruchi.it and
www.ilgiardino-masignani.it. Email masignani@hotmail.com Tel and fax +39-
0577-2873-42. Expect to pay the following (depending on the season): single
private bath 50-60 Euro; single shared bath 40-50 Euro; Double standard private
bath 60-80 Euro; Double standard shared bath 50-65 Euro; Luxury for two people
90-120 Euro; Luxury for 3 people 110-140 Euro.
Also consider Soggiorno Sabrina (located near the main square) at Via
Calzoleria 16. Expect to pay 55 Euro for a double, 35 Euro for a single, or 70
Euro for a triple.

Bologna – This city has two leaning towers that are next to each other that you
can climb. Few tourists know about this, and it is cheaper to go up one of these
towers than the tower in Pisa, so keep it in mind.

Consider lodging at Pensione Marconi – Next to the train station on Via Marconi
#22 - Tel. 051262832 or 051235041 - single room for 34-43 Euro and double
room for 53-68 Euro. This hotel is in the center of town (and just 200 m from the
railway station).
Another option is HI hostel San Sisto (Ostello due Torre San Sisto),
located at #5 Via Viadogola. Tel: 051-510-810. Expect to pay 11 Euro (slightly
more if you do not have an HI card) but expect about a 20-minute bus ride to
downtown (6 km). From the train station walk south for 2 blocks on via dei
Mille/via Imerio and catch bus #93, 20B, 21B or 301 to San Sisto.
Let’s Go Europe 2002 suggests a place called Garisenda, Galleria Leone
#1 (3rd floor) Tel: 051 22 43 69. But expect to pay 41 Euro for a single, 62 Euro
for a double and 83 Euro for a triple.
Another option is Hotel Panorama which is 2 blocks from the main square,
and costs about 60 a night for a double.
There is also a three star hotel called Centro Turistico “Città di Bologna”
located at #12/4a Via Romita. The hotel even has a swimming pool. Expect to
pay 42 Euro for a single, 25 Euro in a room with 2 beds, 26 Euro in a triple, and
24 Euro in a quad. This place is a great choice except for the location which is a
little out of town – from the train station, walk 50 meters to the bus station and
take Bus #68.
I suggest eating a dish of tagliatelle con ragù alla bolognese or a dish of
cappelletti in brodo while in this town. One good location for this dish is at
Ristorante Pizzeria La Baita (Via Falliera #34 – Tel: 24 80 73). They charge 5
Euro for a plateful.

ROME – Rome was rated as the #2 city in Europe and the #4 city in the world by
Travel and Leisure magazine in August 2003 (Paris and London aren’t even in
the top ten according to the ratings). Let me also explain that although the
Vatican is technically its own sovereign entity, it really is just a part of Rome – it is
a very expensive part of Rome (ice cream cone from vendor is $4-5) – if
possible, spend 3-4 days in Rome – there really is a lot to see. At least 2 days, as
one day really is not enough time.
Although many of Rome’s museums are closed on Monday, all of Rome’s
1000 churches (including the Vatican) are open on Mondays. In the summer the
Sistine Chapel is open at 9 am and the last admission is at 1pm, so you better
get up early to get in line. I suggest getting in line by 8 am at the absolute latest.
Although you are guaranteed a 1 hour wait at a minimum, there will already be a
line when you arrive and it is better to wait in the early morning when it is not so
hot. Don’t even think about getting into the Sistine Chapel if you are wearing
shorts (or anything that even shows your knees) or sandals. I think that your
shoulders also have to be covered. FYI - In 445 A.D., Pope St. Leo I
excommunicated a church deacon for wearing shorts in St. Peter's.
If you are an early riser, I suggest heading over to St Peter’s Basilica as
early as possible to avoid the crowds. And don’t bother going on a Sunday
unless you want to stand with thousands of people who want to see the Pope.
Before heading to Europe, try to see the movie Gladiator. It will make your
visit to the Coliseum more meaningful.
 The subway (metro) in Rome pretty much sucks – you may have to use
very crowded buses. The metro is ok for certain areas. Visit
http://www.romebuddy.com/givesadvice/subwayroutes.html to see what is
covered.
If on a bus, make sure to watch you passport. Out of all of the traveling
that I have done, the only place that someone tried to pick my pocket was on a
bus in Rome (amazingly, they were actually able to unzip my money belt which
was under my pants!!!) In such a situation, you should always keep your daypack
in front of you. Be very careful in Rome for thieves. This is where you will hear
stories about kids (gypsies) approaching tourists (several kids) and shaking
newspapers in your face to distract you and then some of them will pick your
pockets or mug you. If you even see the kids coming up to you, say VERY loudly
No – Police – help – etc. and stomp your feet and swing your arms – you may
look like a nut, but you will not be mugged by kids.
Rome’s public bus information is available at http://www.atac.roma.it/
You can take one of the city’s public buses which allows you to hop-on and off. It
is the #110 bus has two options. Option #1 is the basic tour, lasts about 110
minutes and travels around Rome in a loop. Option #2 gives you hop-on, hop-off
priviliges. This bus is airconditioned and offers a commentary, and departs from
outside Terminini station, and Piazza dei Cinquecento side walk “C.” FYI – the
stops include Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Piazza del Popolo, Vatican, Castel
S. Angelo, Piazza Navona, Piazza Venezia/Campidoglio, Colosseum/Foro
Romano/Palatino, Quirinale, and back to Termini Station. During the summer the
bus departs every 30 minutes from 9am to 8pm. You can buy tickets at the
RomaVision stands in: Piazza del Colosseo, Piazza Cinquecento (Termini
Station) sidewalk “C”, Piazza Santa Maria Maggiore, Piazza San Giovanni. You
can even buy the ticket on board the bus for an additional charge).. Tel.
06.46954695 info@romavision.it
A private company does a similar bus service. It is called Siteseeing Italy
and www.city-sightseeing.it. on their Top Deck buses which run every 0 minutes
and leave at Terminus Via Sallustiana. They pass P.zza Santa Maria Maggiore,
the Forum, Town Hall, Colosseum, Via del Tratro do Marcello and St. peter’s
church. You can hop on and off at all 5 stops. They charge 10 Euro (can book
online or from the bus staff itself).
Furthermore, you can make any bus in Rome into a hop-on and hop-off
bus by purchasing an all-day tourist bus pass. At Stazione Termini, you can buy a
special tourist pass for 3 Euro for one day or 12 Euro for a week. The only
reason that you might decide to not chose this option over the private company
(top deck buses) is because Rome’s public buses are usually very crowded. You
can try and plan your cheap bus trip when you think it is less likely to be
crowded. Keep in mind if you are on a crowded bus, you will usually have to
stand and may be pickpocketed. Some of the standard routes that never change
are: as #27 (Stazione Termini to the Colosseum), #75 and #170 (from Stazione
Termini to Trastevere), and #492 (from Stazione Termini to the Vatican). If you do
not buy an all-day pass, each bus ticket costs .75 Euro and is good for as many
buses or trams as you want within a 75 minute period.
 In Rome once I stayed at a place near the Vatican called Pensione
Ottaviano, which is not a pension, but rather is a hostel and only two toilets for
the whole place (and one was broken). Anyway, this was a move up because we
originally stayed in a dump near the train station because it was cheap. If the
toilet is fixed, the place will be good if your main goal is to be close to the
Vatican. Besides, a dorm only costs 18-20 Euro, a double costs 35 Euro per
peron and a triple costs 27 Euro per person. There is a 24-hour bakery nearby
which is cheap and yummy.

A lot of people ask me for about hostels in Rome in case their number one choice
is booked – so here are some options. I have heard good things about a place
called Casa Olmata http://www.casaolmata.com/ They are located near the
Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore at #36 Via dell’Olmata, Ph. +39 06 483 019; Fax.
+39 06 474 2854; email: info@casaolmata.com Open all year. Curfew 2am – a
small family-run place, centrally located between the Coliseum and Termini
station. They offer singles, doubles, triples & dorms (in rooms with 4 beds).
They have free spaghetti parties every Tuesday and Friday with free wine, and
the access to the Internet is also free.
Hotel Alessandro is the largest independent hostel in Rome
http://www.hostelalessandro.com/ and gets mixed reviews depending on which
location you are at. There are two hostels with this same name. One is called
Alessandro Palace Hostel and is located at Via Vincenza 42, 00185; Ph. +39 06
446 1958 Fax. +39 06 493 80534, email: palace@hostelsalessandro.com. The
other one is new and is called Alessandro Downtown Hostel and is located at Via
Carlo Cattaneo 23, 00185 Ph. +39 06 443 40147 Fax. +39 06 493 80534, email
downtown@hostelsalessandro.com
Both hostels do offer free breakfast, coffee, tea and hot chocolate and a
weekly pizza party. If you stay at the Palace location, expect to pay in the high
season 22 Euro for a dorm, 50-80 Euro for a double, 99 Euro for a triple, and
108-120 Euro for a quad. If you have a really tight budget, then keep in mind that
at the downtown location, you will pay 20 Euro for a dorm (2 Euro cheaper than
the Palace location). The staff at the Palace has a reputation for being more
friendly than the staff at the Downtown hostel.

Some other hostels that I am aware of in Rome are

Freedom Traveler Hostel http://www.freedom-traveller.it/

Via Gaeta 25, 00185
Ph. +39 06 478 23862 email info@freedom-traveller.it
Open all year. No curfew. Lockout 10-1330
During the high season, expect to pay 20-24 Euro for a dorm, 24-30 Euro per
person in a double, 30 Euro per person in a triple, and 25 Euro per person in a
quad . They have a communal kitchen and two refrigerators. They have acess to
the Internet but you have to pay about 2.60 Euro per hour.
City Guest House http://www.hotel.cityguesthouse.com/
Viale Opita Oppio 76
Ph. +39 06 76983140 Fax. +39 06 76967961
Open all year. No curfew. During the high season expect to pay 92 Euro for a
double room and 62 Euro for a single room, and 112 Euro for a double room with
a third bed. They charge you 5 Euro per room per night for air conditioning.

Alberto and Maria Vittoria Hostel http://www.geocities.com/mariahostel/

Via Principe Amedeo138, 00175 (5 minute walk from the train station)
Ph. +39 06 76907285, email Maria49@tin.it
Open all year. No curfew; Prices are 64-72 Euro for a triple room, 52-60 Euro for
double room, and 34-40 Euro for a single room. These prices include color tv and
use of equipped kitchen. Ask to see if they still offer their super discount price for
2 people in small room with bunk-bed for 50 Euro.

Stargate Hostel http://www.hostelstargate.com/ email: info@hostelstargate.com

Via Palestro 88 (4 block walk from the train station) Ph. +39 06 4457164 Fax.
+39 06 49384134. Open all year. No curfew. Dorms starting at 20 Euro in high
season. They also own a large internet room 3 blocks away (adjacent to the train
station) with over 50 computers. This hostel is only 20 meters from the train
station and is not very clean and the rooms are in a separate building from the
reception so security isn't that great. There are much better places to stay in
Rome.

Another party place is the Yellow Hostel http://www.yellowhostel.com/ is located

at # 44 via Palestro and has no lock-out or curfew, has a kitchen, laundry
facilities (only one washer and dryer), 3 computers with free internet access, a
small kitchen, friendly staff, but the dorms are up 10 flights of stairs (the elevator
is only big enough for 1 person with their backpack), and there are only two
bathrooms, one with a tub shower and the other with a shower with no curtain.
They now offer ensuite rooms and some have air conditioning (A/C). Expect to
pay 20-25 Euro for a dorm. Yellow Hostel is across the street from (and parnered
with) Hotel Romae http://www.yellowhostel.com/hotelromae/
info@hotelromae.com (which does have private rooms - doubles and triples).
There is a Pam supermarket right around the corner.
The contact info for Yello Hostel is Tel: +39 06 49382682; fax: +39 06
4463914; email: info@yellowhostel.com and toll-free (only Italy) 800 99 12 87.
To get to this hostel from the train station, leave the termini train station from the
side exit at track no. 1, taking a left onto via Marsala. Then take first right into via
Vicenza, walk straight for four blocks and turn left into via Palestro. Yellow Hostel
is 20 meters ahead on your right (and Hotel Roma is 20 meters ahead on your
left).

Casa Christina I and II

Casa Christina I is located at Via Varese 15, 00185 (near the Termini Station)
And Casa Christina II is located at Via Milazzo No. 3
Ph. /fax +(39).06.44.70.45.86
email: info@cristinahouse.com
http://www.cristinahouse.com/eng2/casa01.php
http://www.cristinahotels.com/
Open all year. No curfew.

Papa Germano http://www.hotelpapagermano.com/home.html

Via Calatafimi 14/A, 00185
Ph. +39 06 486919 Fax. +39 06 47825202 (speak English, French and Spanish)
E-mail: info@hotelpapagermano.com
Open all year. No curfew, 5 minute walk from the Termini (northwest of Stazione
Termini). This place gives you a cash discount and the following prices are if you
use cash: In the high season a dorm costs 22 Euro a night, double = 66 Euro (or
85 Euro with private bath), triple = 70 Euro (or 95 Euro with private bath), quad =
88 Euro (or 110 Euro with private bath), and single without private bath= 35 Euro.
The rooms cost a little more if you do not pay in cash. Showers were clean, and
TV in every room.

Michelanglo's Palace would not be too high on my list. The bathrooms all had
problems, and there is not any common room. For the same price, you can stay
in a dorm room at Gulliver's House (in the same building as Michelanglo's
Palace, ground floor).

Another good place to party is the 2 star hotel named after an old television show
called Fawlty Towers, Tel: 064-450-374, e-mail info@fawltytowers.org
web page http://www.fawltytowers.org/ or http://www.fawltytowersrome.com or
www.enjoyrome.it/ftywhtl.htm Expect to pay the following: Single with no bath 47
Euro, Single with shower 55 Euro, Double with no bath 65 Euro, Double with
shower 70 Euro, Double with bathroom 80 Euro, Triple with shower 86 Euro,
Triple with bath 86 Euro, Dorm beds 22 euro (no reservations accepted for
dorms). No curfew. This place is about 200 meters northeast of the train station.

Hostel Casonova – no curfew or lock-out, free internet. Email:

hostelcasanova@yahoo.com Web: http://www.hostelcasanova.com/
This place is close to the Vatican at #12 Via Ottorino Lazzarini. tel.
(+39)06/397.45228 Take the Metro Line A direction Battistini. Get off at the stop
Cipro (Musei Vaticani). Expect to pay 20 Euro during the high season.

A newer hostel is called Colors Hostel http://colorshotel.com/ located just north of

the Vatican (accessible by metro and bus). Tel 39 06 6874 030, fax 39 06 6867
947;email info@enjoyrome.com or fulang@flashnet.it Fully equipped kitchen
and laundry services are available; no curfew or lockout. Expect to pay 22 Euro
for a dorm bed during the high season and a double with a shared bathroom is
75 Euro per night and a double room with a private bathroom is 90 Euro per
room
Pensione (or hostel) Sandy, 064-884-585, e-mail gi.costantini@agora.stm.it
web address http://www.sandyhostel.com/ or www.enjoyrome.it/sandyhtl.htm
Expect to pay 18 – 20 Euro for a dorm in the high season. Good location
between train station and Coliseum. Expect a lot of steps. From the Central
Train Station (Termini): exit by track n.22 and take via Cavor. Walk seven blocks
and the hostel is on the left.

I have heard about a new hostel called Hostel Beautiful

http://www.hostelbeautiful.com which is located near the train station at Via
Napoleone III, #35 tel: +39064465890. Email: info@hostelbeautiful.com They
have free Internet, kitchen, pub crawls are available and it is clean and safe, no
curfew or lockouts. Dorms start at 20 Euro. Please keep in mind that Hostel
Beautiful posts a notice on the wall (at least they used to post it) that says that if
you make a positive comment about the hostel on certain backpacking websites
you will get free internet time, so keep that in mind when you see a lot of positive
reviews. Also realize that Hostel Beautiful only has 3 showers and one toilet for
the entire hostel.

If you are looking to stay away from the party crowd, probably the best choice is
the Beehive hostel http://www.the-beehive.com/ If you are using older travel
books be careful because in December 2002 the hostel moved locations. The
new address is #8 Via Marghera (three blocks north of the train station, which is
a 5 minute walk – when you exit the train station, turn right) and the new phone
number is (39) 0644704553. Open all year. No curfew. No lockout. It is small,
friendly, very clean, cheap, has a huge bathroom and is. Expect to pay 20 Euro
for a dorm or 35 Euro per person if you want a private room. This place has
been around since 1999 and is run by an American couple, but it really fills up, so
reserve weeks/months in advance.

One of the best places in Rome to stay is Gulliver’s House

http://www.gullivershouse.com/ (10-minute walk from train station). (They do not
have singles, but they have one double, one quad and two dorms.) The shared
rooms (dorms) are 18 Euro and the privates are around 30;
They have internet connection, a rooftop terrace, and food); Email
welcome@gullivershouse.com. You must reserve this place or else you will
never get in. The only complaint that I have heard about this place was that
there are no windows and they keep the lights out until 10:00 in the morning (so
you may have to get dressed in the dark). This hostel actually has some rooms
with air conditioning but they cost more than the cheap dorms. This is generally
NOT a party hostel.

The friendly people at Gulliver’s house have listed tons of information that will
answer standard tourist questions about Rome and Italy. Just go to
http://www.gullivershouse.com/English/English%20Tourist%20Informations.html
I have hear that when Gulliver’s house gets full, they refer people to a place
called Navigator Hostel, which is supposedly very clean.
http://www.navigatorhostel.com/ Expect to pay 70 Euro for a single, 100 Euro for
a double, 120 Euro for a triple, 120 Euro for a quad, and 20-22 Euro in a dorm.

I have never stayed at the Charlie Brown Hostel, but it is literally right next to the
train station at via marsala #80. I think that this might be a relatively new hostel.
A seach on the Internet turned up that this is the same address for a place called
the Red Cheeks B&B – I don’t know if they are the same place but I think that
they changed their name to Red Cheeks. Anyway, this place has a 24-hour
reception, no lock-out, no curfew. In the summer, expect to pay 18-30 Euro for a
dorm, 55-90 Euro for a single, and 35-48 Euro in a double, 27-40 Euro in a triple,
and 20-30 Euro in a quad. These prices includes breakfast. tel: (06) 4959887
fax: (06) 49383697 website: www.travelingrome.com email:
info@travelingrome.com

Make sure to avoid the Roma Inn – dirty place. Also avoid the Euro Youth Hostel
(right next to the Olympic Stadium) – poorly managed (weirdos sleep in your bed
and management does not care) and there are no toilet seats, and there is a
midnight curfew. Also avoid the Gladiator's Hostel (cold water, no sheet until
11PM, and forced leave at 8AM the next morning). Also avoid the HI Hostel in
Rome it is an old hospital, with segregated huge rooms for 20 people each.
Also avoid Hotel Scott House. Some guy told me he had a reservation,
confirmed it and when he showed up, they gave his bed to someone else. Also,
they are usually more expensive than many other options in Rome.
Also avoid the Pink Floyd hostel near the train station. I have heard some
bad things about the safety of that place and the strange owner touching you
when you sleep.
Also avoid the cabins offered at Flaminio Village due to the mold problems
and poor management.
I have also heard some bad stuff about Michaelangelo’s palace hostel.
There were complaints about the bathroom, the common area, and the owner.
This place is in the same building as Gulliver’s, but Gulliver’s is a much better
option.
Another place that you should avoid is the Orange Garden Hotel, which is
run by the same people who run the Atlante Star Hotel (1 block away). The
Orange Garden Hotel is a B&B located in a seedy, noisy neighborhood.

Also regarding M+J Place Hostel – Via Solferino 9, 00185

Ph. +36 06 4462802 Fax. +39 06 4462802. This place is open all year & has no
curfew but rumor has it that bed bugs thrive here & that the management sucks).
They have a strict quiet policy after 2am.

A more expensive place is the three-star Hotel California

http://www.europehotelink.com/rome/california/ It is located at Via Principe
Amedeo 39. All rooms have A/C. Tel: 06/4822002. It is located between the
train station and Santa Maria Maggiore. Expect to pay 135 Euro for a single, 170
Euro for a double and 205 Euro for a triple and 240 for a quad.

In the last year or two there have been many strange Internet postings
about a bed and breakfast called 58 Via Cavour
http://www.58viacavour.it/camere.html The postings appear to be written by the
owners of the B&B under false names giving it glowing praise. Anyway, if you
want to stay there, it is easy to reach by foot because it is only 3 blocks from the
train station. As you walk from the train station go left (by the metro stop) and
you will see the street called Via Cavour. The B&B is 3 blocks down on your left
(before you reach the oblisque and S. Maria Maggiore.) Expect to pay the
following: Single Room: 65-75 Euro; Double Room: 85-95 Euro; Triple Room:
110-115 Euro. Tel: 06 48 23 566; 33 98 052 485; 34 71 82 93 87; email:
info@58viacavour.it

Also be very careful when you make telephone calls in Rome (especially if
you make a call at the train station) because there are many people that stand by
the phones and watch you punch in your calling card number and they copy it
down and then they sell it.
There is so much to see in Rome, on my 4th trip there I finally saw the
bone collection. This is one of the strangest things that I have ever seen. It is
the basement of a church called Santa Maria Della Concezione. You enter and
there is artwork made out of human bones (from 4000 priests and monks) all
over the walls and ceilings. Really weird. You are supposed to pay a small
donation to see this stuff – also you are not supposed to take pictures. I have
some really neat pictures! If you want to, they sell postcards of the bones.
If possible, don’t eat in places near the tourist spots. You will get ripped off
and receive poor food. Eat in places called Trattoria (family run restaurants).
And try the ice cream parlor at Giolitti, near the Parliment building and
Parthenon.
I have heard about a good place for vegetarian food in Rome. La
Carbonara in Campo d’Fiori. Just have the self help antipasto costs about 10
Euro for all you can eat and fantastic quality.
Also if you want some good pizza (almost all pizza will have thin crusts),
try Pizza San Calisto, which is located in the Trastevere section of Rome at P.S.
Calisto #9a (right off of P.S. Maria). In general the Trastevere section of Rome
(located just west of the Tiber river) has some of the best food and not too
many tourists eat there, because there are few tourist sites. However, if you go
to the Trastevere section, then you can visit the Church of Santa Cecilia (patron
saint of music).
Also in in Trastevere I would check out a restaurant for lunch or dinner
called Mario's located at #53 via del Moro (at Via della Pelliccis), for inexpensive
traditional Italian food (the place is frequented by locals). Tel: 5803809
Another good place to eat in Trastevere is called Da Giovanni located at
Lia Delle Lungara #41/a (between Via degli Orti d’Aliberti and Via di San
Onofrio). Tel. 68 61 514. They offer lunch and dinner but are closed in August.
This place offeres 2 or 3 hearty pasta dishes or standard entres and caters to
local workers.
Just across the Tiber river (east of Trastevere) is a section of Rome called
Testaccio. In this section you will find Pizzaria Remo. Take the Metro (B-line) to
Piramide and ask a local for directions.
Also east of the Tiber, north of Piazza Venezia, on the west side of Via del
Corso (the main drag between Piazza del Popolo and Piazza Venezia) is a good
place fod lunch called the Antica Tavola Calda del Corso.
A good place for dinner (they are closed Sunday and do not serve lunch)
near that Vatican is La Sagra del Vino on Via Marziale #5 . You must make a
reservation (they only have two seatings). Tel: 06.39737015.
A few cheap places near the Pantheon are:
- Miscellanea (walk toward Via del Corso and you will find it at #110 Via della
Paste. This place attracts a lot of students and you can get 3 Euro
sandwiches.
- Cafeteria Brek (just south of the Pantheon at the northwest corner of the
square (Largo Argentina #1). Head upstairs for the cafeteria.

Milan is a big city which has a great cathedral of gothic design (the Duomo,
which is the 3rd largest church in the world) and fabulous opera house (the opera
house is closed for a restoration and will reopen in 2005). If you go to the
Duomo, take the elevator to the roof for great views on a clear day and a close
up view of some of the 3000 statues and gargoyles that decorate the church.
(The elevator is located around the right side of the cathedral.) Close to the
Duomo is the Castle in which several free museums are housed. One
“masterpiece” that you can find is Micahelangelo’s unfinished “Pietà rondanini.”
Another worthwhile art piece is Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper which is located
in the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie. The painting is in a bad state of
deterioration, but it is amazing that it survived the bombings of WWII which
destroyed the main cloister of the church.
The city is kind of like Paris or New York with regard to the shopping
prices (expensive) and the fashion, but don’t expect too much else in Milan.
Milan is Italy’s most modern city as it was heavily destroyed during WWII—
consequently it doesn’t have as much antiquity or old world character as other
Italian cities.
Milan’s version of the Left Bank is called the La Brera district.
Milan is the most expensive city in Italy, and the prices are similar to Paris
or Berlin and I suggest backpackers skip Milan altogether – especially if this is
your first trip to Europe.
The train station (Stazione Centrale) is anything but central. It is a pretty
cool station with very high ceilings, artwork and there are cheap fast-food joints
located in the square just outside the front door of the station (I think a Burger
King or KFC).
A good cheap place to eat is near the train station at Brek Self service cafeteria
(closed sunday). As you exit the station go left for 1 block. It is located at Via
Lepetit, 20 Tel. 02 – 6705149.

As for the sights, you can walk to some things, but generally, you will need
the metro. They sell a daily or two-day pass that will allow you on every bus, tram
or subway in Milan.
The best place for pizza in Milan is Pizza OK, there are 2 restaurants, one
is close to Corso Buenos Aires.

Be warned that it can be very difficult to find cheap lodging options in this
city. I bet that this is one of the harder towns in which to find a cheap hostel. The
main HI (Piero Rotta Hostel) has greased someone’s hands and it’s the only
name that is given out to those who ask for cheap lodging, but if you go to Milan,
some other places to try are:
Hotel Kennedy – one star (tel 02/2940-0934; fax: 02 294.012.53) (expect
to pay 40-55 Euro for a single, 60-80 Euro for a double, 90 Euro for a triple or
115 Euro for a quad at this one star hotel) located at #6 Viale Tunisia. Web:
www.kennedyhotel.it Email: hotelkennedy@galactica.it The hotel is clean and a
friendly staff and is located 700 metres from the Milan Central Station
(approximately 10-15 minute walk from the station or by catching tram no. 5 (stop
9): the tram stop is directly in front of the hotel).
There is also a 2 star Hotel Serena, tel 02-29404483; located 1 ½ blocks
from the train station at Via Boscovich #59. Expect to pay 45-75 Euro for a
single, 58-110 Euro for a double, 85-150 Euro for a triple, and 95-180 Euro for a
quad. When I checked online in November for prices during the high season
(July) the website showed the prices at the low end of the price ranges that I
have listed.

There is the one-star Hotel Ullrich (tel 02-86450156; fax 02-804535)

located at #6 Corso Italia.
The 1-star Hotel Aladin charges 50-70 Euro for a single and 60-100 Euro
for a double. Located at #48 Viale dei Mille.
The 1-star Hotel ABC is located in the centre of Milan near Duomo and
charges 52-65 Euro for a single, 90-105 Euro for a double, 110-120 for a triple,
and 120-140 Euro for a quad and is located at # 12 Via Molino delle Armi.
Telefono 02.867501; E-mail: info@abchotel.it web:
http://www.italiaabc.com/hotelabc/ You can get to the hotel by Internal ring rc bus
# 94 or tramcar # 15 or Metro (yellow line - Missori stop or red line - Duomo
stop). From the train station take metro yellow line direction San Donato (Missori
stop) and exit to your left (Piazza Missori) as you exit the metro, take exit Corso
Italia and follow this street for about 5 minutes, look for Via Molino delle Armi on
your right and walk for about 50 meters and the hotel is on your right at #12.
They do not have A/C and there is no elevator in the building.
Hotel Aurora (1-star) is located in the centre of Milan on a main street, at
#18 Corso Buenos Aires, which is between the Duomo and the Central Station,
(50 metres from the subway stop “PORTA VENEZIA” (red line) and the tram stop
#5. You can walk to it from the train station in about 15 minutes. This place is not
fancy but it is nicer than the Hotel City (Best Western) which is just down the
street. The rooms at the back and side of the hotel look out directly onto the rail
tracks and the hospital windows opposite. Expect to pay 50 Euro for a single, 80
Euro for a double, and 100 Euro for a triple. The management is friendly here.
The only problem is that there is no A/C so remember that for mosquito
protection in the summer.
Hotel Edy (1-star) is located at #8 Via delle Forze Armate (near Piazza
Duomo and the Milan Exhibition center). Tel: 02-48707995; fax: 02-48707995
This place is closest to the Red metro line (Metro stop: Gambara). Expect to pay
57-65 Euro for a single, 85-85 Euro for a double, 100-120 Euro for a triple.

The Piero Rotta Hostel (HI) is the worst hostel and should be your last
choice. This hostel is the run like a jail with wardens and loud buzzers to wake
you up at 7 or 7:30 a.m. (The buzzers continue to go off at regular intervals to
make sure that you get up (and out of the hostel until 3 p.m.) Also, this hostel is
far from everything, including the attractions and the train station. No surprise
that it is pretty cheap (18.5 Euro)– via Martino Bassi 2, (entrance from Via
Salmoiraghi 1; tel 02/3926-7095) Fax: (2)39267095 or Fax 02 33000191. They
have a strict midnight curfew, which all but eliminates experiencing any nightlife.

Another lodging option in this town is to go to the tourist office by the

duomo when you arrive in town, and ask for a list of hotels. They will give you a
list, and a map, and you can find one yourself. Hotel Nuovo, is on this list and
costs 31 Euro and 70 Euro for a double. This is the place that I would choose. It
is also listed in Lonely Planet, and its location is great (near the Duomo) and it
was completely been refurbished in December 2000. It is located at #6 Piazza
Beccaria Cesare; tel: Tel: 02 86464444 or 02 86460542; fax 02/72001752
Another good option is the one-star Hotel del Sole, which is located at Via
Spontini # 6. Tel: 02 29512971; fax: 02 29513689. Expect to pay 70-85 Euro for
a double, 95-114 Euro for a triple, and 130 Euro for a quad. This place is about 5
minutes from the train station, and might have some problems with hot water.
Also consider Hotel Speronari, which is about 200 meters from Piazza
Duomo at #4 Via Speronari. Tel: 02 86461125; fax: 02 720 03178. Expect to pay
44 Euro for a single, but if you have others in the room, the price can be as
cheap as 30 Euro per person. You should ask for a room on the third (or higher)
floors for good views.
I have also heard good things about Hotel Eva - very clean and cheap
rates – located at #17 via Lazzerreto about a 5-minute walk from the central rail
station. Tel: 02 670.60.93; fax: 02 670.59.07
Next door to Hotel Eva is Hotel Arno (also a 1 star-hotel, with quite small
rooms, but with a friendly atmosphere). Expect to pay 35-40 Euro in a single,
and 50 Euro + in a double.
This website has a list of hundreds of hotels in miland including many one
and two star hotels http://www.ciaociaoitaly.com/milano.htm
Skip Hotel Brianza, it looks like a whorehouse.
Hotel Trieste (2-star) http://trieste.hotelsinmilan.it/ located near the Cental
Station at Via Marco Polo #13. Expect to pay 55 Euro for a single, 65 Euro for a
double, and 95 Euro for a triple.

You might find a room at hostel La Cordata ($14), Via Burigozzo 11, tel.
(+39)/02/58314675, but this places tends to be a co-op.

If all else fails, consider the three-star Bernina Hotel

http://www.hotelbernina.com/ or http://www.hotelberninamilan.com/ located in
front of Milan's Central Railway Station at via Napo Torriani #27. Tel: 02 669880
22; fax: 02 6702964, but expect to pay a whopping 140 Euro for a single, 200
Euro for a double, and 260 for a triple.

Good daytrips from Milan can be Bergamo's medieval palaces (1 hour from
Milan) or the Lake Country (Lake Como, Garda or Maggiore (also 1 hour from
Milan). Then there is Mantova and Bergamo.

In Verona – for

A good cheap place to eat is at Brek Self service cafeteria (open 7 days per
week). It is located at #20 Piazza Bra. Tel. 045 - 8004561

lodging maybe try Ostello della gioventu “Villa Francescatti”,

located at #15 Via Fontana del Ferro; tel. +39/045/590360, fax 8009127 (13 Euro
for bed and breakfast or 15 Euro in a family room) and 8 Euro for a meal. It is
located in a former palazzo (mansion) and former monastery that was built in the
Renaissance 500 years ago. This place used to have communal showers (no
privacy) but they upgraded in 2003 to private stalls. No co-ed rooms. The hostel
is 2 miles from the train station. From the train station, buy a bus ticket at the
magazine stand and take bus 73 to Piazza Isolo (the final stop) and follow the
yellow hostel signs. The bus stops 200 yards from the hostel.

Or try Locanda Catullo (located between Piazza Bra and Piazza Erbe at
Via Valerio Catullo 1), tel. 045/800-2786; fax 045-596-987, e-mail:
locandacatullo@tiscalinet.it; They book in advance only for a 3 night minumum
stay. If you will stay less than 3 nights, contact them upon arriving in Verona.
Expect to pay 65 Euro for a double with private bath, or 55 Euro for a double
without private bath, or 40 Euro for a single (only without private bath).All rooms
have twin beds.
Another option is the Albergo Arena, http://www.albergoarena.it/ located
at #2 Stradone Porta Palio; tel. 045/803-2440) email: albergoarena@yahoo.it
 (expect to pay 40-48 Euro for a single, and 62-72 Euro for a double,
centrally located)

You can see plenty of the Tuscany region on the train ride from Florence to Pisa
(45 minute ride) and that is really about it. If you buy a point to point ticket from
Florence to Pisa - expect to pay about $4 USD. If you run out of time, skip the
Milan and Tuscany part. If you have extra time (yeah right), then try to get some
wine in Tuscany. The wine in all of Italy is really pretty good and much better than
their beer (their most famous beer in Italy is the imported Dutch Heineken!). If
you do try the beers, there are three major Italian breweries to consider, Peroni,
Moretti and Poretti. Keep in mind that Italian Pilsners are lighter than those you
encounter in the Germanic and Slavic countries. Nastro Azzurro is a lager-type
beer and may be worth a try. If you get wine, at a restaurant make sure to get
the house wine & save $.

Naples – From Rome to Naples takes 1 hour 45 minutes with an ES train and 1
hour 57 minutes with a cheaper IC train. Naples is famous for their calimari. It
looks like onion rings and so light and delicately prepared there. Some great
pizza can be found at Da Michele (located at Via Sersale 1 (off Corso
Umberto)(walking distance from Centrale)). Tel: 081-5539204. EVERYBODY
knows where it is. Most pizzerias in Naples are better than anywhere else. Not
too much to see in this city – maybe see the Museum of Anthropology, as it is
pretty neat and has a bunch of stuff from Pompeii. It is a short train ride to
Sorento and Pompeii from Naples.
If you are determined to stay in Naples, an independent hostel called Six
Small Rooms http://www.at6smallrooms.com/ is a good option. It is run by an
Australian named Jenny. The phone number is 081 7901378. e-mail:
info@at6smallrooms.com Expect to pay about 18 Euro for a dorm, and if you
stay in a double, triple, or quad, expect to pay about 25 Euro per person. 55 Euro
for a double room.
Also a hostel in Naples is Ostello Mergellina, 081-761-2346. A bed in dorm
room is 14 euro/person/night; in double 17 euro/person/night; family room 16
euro/person/night. The price includes breakfast and bed sheets. Take the metro
4 stops from the main Naples train station (Garibaldi) and then
walk about 300 meters that might scare some novice travelers.
www.ostellionline.org/ostello.php?idostello=212 Tel: 081 7612346 / 081
7611215; Fax: 081 7612391. This hostel is not that great, but it is the cheapest
place to stay in this town.
Be aware that there are lots of rip-off artists and scams in the Naples train
station. So, pretty much anyone who appears to be helping you (even baggage
handlers and other people wearing train company uniforms) will probably be
working some scam, to take your money. I would be very wary of anyone
offering you unsolicited assistance in Naples (or anywhere for that matter).

Pompeii – The ruins are open from 9-6 and costs about 8 Euro. There is a
campground right outside (50 meters from) the main entrance to the ruins called
Camping Spartacus. http://www.campingspartacus.it/ Tel: 081 862 40 78 . They
even have some cabins which cost 39 Euro for 2 people, 49 Euro for 3 people,
and 72 Euro for 4 people. If you camp, the cost is 3 Euro per tent and 6 Euro for
each adult in the tent. They even have Internet access. To get here from Naples
(Napoli Centrale) take the Circumvesuviana line towards Sorrento. Obviously
you will not go all the way to Sorrento, so pay attention and get off at the Pompei-
Scavi Villa dei Misteri station and you just walk 100 meters to the campground.
The ruins have two entrances. The first entrance to the ruins is immediately on
your left as you walk out of the train station. Go right instead and you will see the
second ruin entrance (also n your left) and the bus stop and information and then
you will come to the campground.
There is also a hostel called Casa Del Pellegrino
http://www.ostellionline.org/ostello.php?idostello=220 It is located at #4 Via Duca
D'Aosta. Email: ostellopompei@virgilio.it Tel/fax: 081 8508644 This hostel is 200
meters from the train station. Expect to pay 13-16 Euro and they provide a meal
for 8.50 Euro.

Capri - The isle of Capri is reachable by ferries and hydrofoils leaving from
Naples and Sorrento. Capri is about 1 hour 15 minutes from Naples by ferry
(traghetto) or 45 minutes by hydrofoil (aliscafo), and it costs about 5 Euro for the
ferry and 11 Euro for the hydrofoil (each way). Capri is relaxing for the day, but
too expensive for overnight stays.

If you want to get to Greece from Brindisi, read my other document (#1).
If you want to get to Greece from Bari, you take bus number 20 from outside the
Bari train station to the port. You can take the Superfast Ferries (located in the
port area in the big glass building. These are the RED SHIPS, and if you have a
Eurail pass, expect to pay 6 Euro for the port taxes or else you will pay 42 Euro if
you do not havea Eurail pass.

The Amalfi coast region: The most popular cities in this area are Positano and
Capri, but the town of Amalfi itself is just as amazing, at a fraction of the price.
To reach the town of Amalfi, the nearest train station is in Salerno, from there you
can take a bus. Another idea is to take the bus (from the train station in
Sorrento) to Positano and Almafi for the day. Almafi is the last stop and is about a
45 minute ride. The bus goes along a beautiful windy road that goes right along
the coast. So sit on the right side (when facing forward) of the bus for the best
views.

Sorrento – This town is part of the Amalfi coast and it offers more to do than
does Naples or Capri. This town would be a good place to use as a base for day-
trips to surrounding areas. Sorrento is a 65 minute train ride (50 km) from
Naples.
There is a youth hostel called Hotel City. This place is run by friendly
people and is only a short walk from the train and bus station. Another option is
Hotel Elios (ten-minute walk from the center of Sorrento and 20 minutes from the
train station (but you can take a bus)). It cost 47 Euro per night for a double room
which included breakfast. This is a small town and there is only one bus from the
train station, so you can walk most of it if you are really cheap.

Another option is Palazzo Starace http://www.palazzostarace.com/ Email:

palazzostarace@tiscalinet.it. It is centrally located (10-15 minute walk from the
train station) on Via S.M. Pietà, 9 (Corso Italia corner)). Tel 39.081.878.4031.
Expect to pay 140 Euro for a quad, 120 Euro for a triple, 90 Euro for a double, 70
Euro for a single.
Also consider Il Nido Hotel http://www.ilnido.it/ tel: 0818782766 or
0818073304. Expect to pay 50-70 Euro for a single, 90-120 Euro for a double,
100-140 Euro for a triple, and 110-150 Euro for a quad. The price includes
breakfast. This place has amazing views because it is located 5km from the
center of town (and 6km from the train station) on the side of a hill). Simply
telephone when you arrive and they will pick you up for free!) The free pick up
service is available from 3:00pm - 11.00pm. If you arrive at another time, you can
use the public bus to reach the hotel. Buses leave from the Train Station in
Sorrento for Via Nastro Verde. Just ask the drivers which bus is for IL NIDO. The
hotel offers free shuttle service for the downtown 12 times a day.

Here is a listing of most hotels in Sorrento (ranging from 1-5 stars)

http://www.ilnido.it/sorrento-hotels.htm

Another option is renting a bungalow in a campsite called Camping Nube

d'Argento. Phone: (+39) 081 8781344; Fax: (+39) 081 8073450;
http://www.emmeti.it/Welcome/Campania/Sorrentino/Sorrento/Alberghi/Nube/ind
ex.uk.html email: info@nubedargento.com It is located 500 meters from the
center of town and just 200 meters from the sea. For a bungalow (with kitchen
and toilet), expect to pay 65-80 Euro /night for 2 people, 80-90 Euro for 3 people,
90-110 Euro for 4 people, and 120-150 Euro for 6 people. If you camp in a tent,
expect to pay 9 Euro per person plus 6-9.50 Euro per tent.

Cinque Terre region –

Personally, I do not advise backpackers visit this area unless you are really into
outdoors stuff (scenery, hiking and relaxing). These places were nicer before
Rick Steves put them on the map in his travel guides. Now they are tourist traps.
You will hear more American English spoken in Vernazza than Italian, and more
German spoken in Monterosso. Many backpackers stay in Manarola and
Riomaggiore, because that's where the hostels are. Actually, now that I think
about it, I would suggest seeing Cinque Terre rather than Nice (France) for a feel
for the Riviera.
Even if everything is booked when you arrive in one of the towns making
up Cinque Terre, you can ask any local and they’ll direct to you to someone
who’ll rent their rooms for tourists. If you show up in Vernazza and ask for MIKE
he’s got great accommodations. He’s a former New Yorker and everyone knows
him. Also in Vernazza, you can just walk into Trattoria Capitano (one of the best
harborfront restaurants) and inquire about Albergo Barbara (located at #30 P.
Marconi (at the port) on the top floor). Tel/fax: 0187 81 23 98. Expect to stay a
minimum of 2 nights and pay 40-52 Euro for a double or 65 Euro for a triple, or
75 Euro for a quad.
The only hostel that is part of Cinque Terre is in Manorola and called
Albergo Della Gioventu-Ostello “Cinque Terre” http://www.cinqueterre.net/ostello/
Tel: +39-0187-920215; fax 92 02 18; Email ostello@cdh.it The hostel is 300
meters from the train station. Expect to pay 22 Euro for a dorm bed or 88 Euro
for a family room (4 beds) or 132 Euro for 6 beds (no doubles). Dinner at this
hostel costs 12 Euro.
There are plenty of apartments that can be found in local bars and cafe's.
They will cost about 25 Euro per person which is much cheaper than the 60 Euro
that many hotels will charge.
In Riomaggiore (Cinque Terre) contact Roberto Fazioli for private rooms
and 10 person dorms. Located on Via Colombo 94, Phone: (+39) 0187/920904-
920587; E-mail: robertofazioli@libero.it. Expect to pay 50-75 Euro for a double
and 50-130 Euro for an apartment for 2 persons.
One of the places offered by Roberto Fazioli in Riomaggiore is the Cinque
Terre Holidays, located at #94 Via Colombo. It costs about 20-25 Euro per
person. Expect to pay 22 Euro in a dorm 40 Euro for a double, 20-30 Euro for a
twin, 70 Euro for a triple. Tel: +390187920904; Fax: +390187920904.

My friend Kim has posted a bunch of general and A LOT of lodging info for the
Cinque Terre region at http://pretravel.proboards1.com/

Consider staying in Levanto (it's the 1st town east of the five towns that
make up Cinque Terre). The beach is great and there are a lot more shops and
even a disco on the beach. You can get to the hostel by following the signs as
you leave the train stain. There is a bar across the street that makes really strong
drinks. If you stay in Levanto, expect only a five minute train ride to Cinque Terre.

Sicily –
If you are considering going to Sicily, make sure to buy (or at least look at)
Roughguide on Sicily (which is more detailed and accurate than Lonely Planet).

Some hostels in Sicily are:

1) Eagles nest, Messina, 090-974-6398, (Medieval castle high above the
Tyrrhenian Sea) Nice and cheap;

2) Etna Youth Hostel (Etna Garden Park Hotel)

http://www.etnagardenhostel.com/ or www.ostellionline.org email:
ostelloct@tiscalinet.it or info@etnagardenhostel.com or etnahostel@hotmail.com
(13 km from Catania rail station and the public transportation line Catania-
Nicolosi is 300 meters from the hostel), tel: 095-791-4686, mobile: +39 347 877
9969; fax: (095) 7914701. This place is remote (next door neighbor is a
volcano); located at #7 Via della Quercia 95030 NICOLOSI CT; Expect to pay 16
Euro in a dorm, 60 Euro for a double room, 85 Euro for a triple room, 40 Euro for
a single room, and breakfast costs 3 Euro and other meals cost 10 Euro.

3) Amodeo, Trapani, 09-23-55-29-64, nice view of the Egadi Islands. If you are
considering going to Sicily, make sure to buy (or at least look at) Roughguide on
Sicily (which is more detailed and accurate than Lonely Planet).

Let's Go suggests Hotel Regina, located at Corso Vittoria Emanuele #316 (off V.
Maqueda) Tel: 091 611 42 16. Expect to pay 15.50 for a single and 36-41 Euro
for a double.

Another option listed by Let's Go is Hotel Cortese, located at #16 V. Scarparelly

(10 minute walk from the train station). Tel/fax - 091 33 17 22. Expect to pay 23-
28 Euro for a single and 36-44 Euro for a double room.

Keep in mind that you can get some cheap food at Pizzeria Bellini, located at P.
Bellini #6. A good meal for under 5 Euro. Closed Tuesdays.

GREECE -
Athens - www.athensinfoguide.com has a lot of good general info on Athens.
Athens is good to visit, but you probably can see everything in one full day. To be
honest, the main attraction is the Parthenon, which is on top of a hill called
Acropolis. Once you arrive, you really just walk around the ruins and take some
pictures. It is always hot so bring some water and try to get there early in the
morning. Then again, most of the tour groups also arrive early and it is usually
crowded then. I have also visited about 3 pm and it was less crowded. You will
just have to decide for yourself. If you hate crowds, opt for the hot afternoon.
You can see some of the other stuff in the city like the Olympic stadium,
but the Parthenon really is the most exciting thing. There are some restaurants
and plenty of tourist junk nearby the Parthenon in a section of Athens that is
called the Plaka. There is also a nearby “Monastiraki” fleemarket, and on
Saturday and Monday mornings it is jam packed and plenty of pick pockets are
around. This is the place to get pirated CDs and used phone cards. If you want a
good vegetarian place to eat in the Plaka/Monistiraki area, go to EDEN located
at 12 Lysiou Str (& corner of Mnisikleous Street),
A good walking tour is to follow the new pedestrian was. I suggest that
you start at the Hadrian Arch (near the Temple of Zeus) and walk along
Dionyssou Areopagitou (street) and you will see the Acropolis to your right and
the New Acropolis museum on your left. Keep walking and the road veers to the
right (and changes names to become Apostolou Pavlou) and you just follow it
until you reach the Thissio metro station (total distance = 1 mile). Then you can
walk through the Monastiraki Flea Market to the Monastiraki metro stop (1/2 mile
from Thissio) and turn left and walk 2/3 mile to Omonia Square. This is a pretty
big loop and it takes just over 2 miles to do (the Parthenon and the area of town
called the Plaka is in the middle of the loop).
 The National Archaeological Museum is scheduled to re-open in June
2004.

Ouzo is the alcoholic drink of Greece and can be found almost anywhere
fairly cheap.
In the past, Athens has been well-known for their very crappy metro (only
2 lines) and there are plenty of problems with the trains too. Athens has recently
“cleaned up” the metro for the 2004 Olympics, and they now have two new
subway lines operating (lines 2 and 3), and both of those are not crappy at all,
but line one is over a hundred years old and still has a few crappy stations. The
new parts of the metro now have marble floors and display cases exhibiting
artifacts found during construction of the third line. Specifically, the Akropoli and
Syntagma stations display glassed-in cross sections of the excavations. The
Olympics have also transformed the crappy Hellinikon airport into a state-of-the-
art Eleftherios Venizelos Int’l airport (17 miles from the city). Athens has also
removed the plethora of billboards that covered the city, but now you can see
some of the crappy buildings, which were once blocked. The Olympics have also
resulted in renovations the port of Piraeus, now making it environmentally
friendly. Finally, if you now visit Athens, you will be able to use pedestrian
walkways linking archaeological sites – from downtown to the Acropolis and the
Parthenon and the Zeus Monument and Keramikos cemetary. FYI - 200 years
ago, a Brit named Lord Elgin stole most of the sculptures from the Parthenon and
shipped them to London with the intent for him to decorate his Scottish manor
house, but he eventually gave them to the British Museum where they are
displayed today. Greece has been trying to get them back, but the Brits have so
far refused. Athens specifically began to build the New Acropolis Museum to
house these Elgin Marbels (which everyone except for the Brits call the
Parthenon marbels) which are 56 panels that were ripped from the temple by
Lord Elgin. When the museum in Athens is built, it will have an entire empty floor
dedicated to these stolen marbels.
So, if you haven’t been to Athens in over 5 years, you will find a very
different Athens.
Anyway, the train station in Athens employs some of the laziest, rude
people in Europe. I base this on 4 separate visits to the city. They really don’t
give a damn about public relations and I believe that they go out of their way to
make life difficult for backpackers. In general, Athens is one of the dirtiest cities
that I have ever seen and it is sometimes hard to breathe with all of the exhaust
fumes in the air. If you spend the time to go to Greece from Italy, you really
should see some of the Greek Islands (otherwise you may feel like you wasted
your time).
You might want to purchase a 24-hour train, bus and metro pass for 2.90
Euro. That is an extremely good value. If you arrive in Athens by plane, there
will be a booth near where you catch the bus at which you can buy this pass.
Also, in November 2004 they just began a new 1 Euro ticket whereby you can
use Metro, bus, trolley, Suburban railway, tram for up to 1-1/2 hour.
 Probably the most famous hostel in Athens is called the Aphrodite. It is a
good place to meet people with a nice bar in the basement – located at #12
Einardou Street (at the corner of Einardou and Michail Voda 65) - Victoria Square
(Plateia Victorias). The hostel is a 5-minute walk from either the Larissis or
Peloponnese train station (if you came from Patras, you will be at the
Peloponnese train station). Tel: (0030) 210 88 10 589; Fax: (0030) 210 88 16
574; email: info@hostelaphrodite.com web: http://www.hostelaphrodite.com The
Aphrodite has recently been renovated and now has air conditioning in all of the
rooms including the dorms. The hostel is in a 4 story white building with blue
railings (blue and white are the national colors). Keep in mind that the Aphrodite
is not in the best area of town (kind of far from the main tourist things, but close,
within walking distance, to the train station). In the summer expect to pay 60 Euro
for a double, 75 Euro for a triple, 88 Euro for a quad, and 20 Euro in an 8-person
dorm. There is a grocery store next door and a bakery across the street.

I have read that the phone numbers in Athens have been changed to add a “0”.
So if any of the numbers that I list below do not work, try adding a zero after the
initial 301.

Some other hostels in Athens are:

• Student and Travelers Inn - This place is owned by the same people who own
the Aphrodite (even their websites look the same and have links to each
other). The S&A Inn is located right on the main street in the Plaka - #16
Kidathineon str. Tel: (0030) 210 32 44 808; Fax: (0030) 210 32 10 065; web:
http://www.studenttravellersinn.com email: info@studenttravellersinn.com
During the summer expect to pay the following:

Double with shared facilities at 90 euros per night.

Double with private facilities at 100 euros per night.
Triple with shared facilities at 105 euros per night.
Triple with private facilities at 114 euros per night.
Dorm (4 sharing) with shared facilities at 30 euros per person per
night.
Dorm (4 sharing) with private facilities at 35 euros per person per
night.

If you stay at the S&A Inn, sneak in some beers from the store across the
street and enjoy them on your balcony. This place is located in the middle of
bars and restaurants (great to party but can be loud at night). The main
complaints about this place have been that there was no air conditioning and it
was overprices for what you get, but now all of the rooms have a/c. About four
doors down from the S&A Inn, is a hotel for 70 Euro that includes breakfast, own
bathroom and air conditioning. The owners attempt to conserve electricity by
discouraging people from using the elevator (by telling guests to use the elevator
at their own risk). They also sometimes remove the door handle from the elevator
door, but you can still use it by using a coin or a key to turn the knob. The
elevator works just fine. I suggest that you avoid any restaurants that the
management recommends, but the nightclub they suggest is good.
• Dioskouros Guesthouse, is a few blocks from the Student and Travelers Inn
(near New York State University) at #6 Pittakou Street (this is a quiet area of
the Plaka), where a twin room with a small fridge, free continental breakfast,
and a view of the Acropolis costs about 20 Euros per person.
• Athens IYHF Hostel, 16 Victor Hugo Street, (15 min walk from Omonia
Square). Email: info@athenshostel.com or email: athenshostel@interland.gr
Tel: 30210 5234170 This is the only hostel in Greece that is member of the
Hostelling International (all other hostels in Greece are independent). The
price was about 9 Euro, breakfast included. They also have a bar and internet
room. This place attracts a more international crowd than the Aphrodite/ or
the Student & Travelers Inn. If you stay at this hostel, be sure to ask
directions to the Gyros house near Ag. Pavlos church (2 or 3 blocks away).
• Athens Youth Hostel No 2, 87-89 Alexandras Ave & 1 Drossi Street, Tel:
6442421/6426529;
• Athens Youth Hostel No 5, 75 Damareos Street, Pangrati, Tel: 751 9530, Fax:
751 0616, Email: a/skokin@hol.gr
• I have heard about at a hostel called John's Place, which is a 3 min walk from
the Plaka area and is supposed to be cheap and have a friendly staff. Tel: 21
0322 9719

Although “Let’s Go Europe 2001” recommended the Metropolis Hotel

http://www.hotelmetropolis.gr/ in Athens, I have heard nothing but bad stuff about
that place. Supposedly this place has been renovat ed, so if you want to try it,
here is the contact numbers: Tel: +30.210.32.17.871, +30.210.32.17.469 Fax:
+30.210.32.17.871. Email: info@hotelmetropolis.gr Expect to pay 40-50 Euro for
a single, 45-60 Euro for a double, 70 Euro for a triple. The address is #46
Mitropoleos str. in the Plaka. To get here from the train station, take the metro to
Syntagma Square and then walk down Mitrpoloeos str several blocks (past the
church) to #46.

Also, avoid Hotel Albatros (#77 Possidonos)

Also, I have heard bad stuff about Hotel Feron (which is listed in Rough Guide).
Tel: 2108232083

Hotel Attalos is in a great location (next to Plaka) and cost about 30 Euro/night
for a single with a bath). It's nothing special, but it's clean, in a great location, and
has a great roof deck cafe overlooking the acropolis. The prices on the Internet
seem higher, so they may have increased prices.

Thessaloniki – I have never stayed in this town over night and I have heard
mixed things about the hostel, which is the Thessaloniki Youth Hostel, located at
#44 Alexandre Svolou, tel: 0031-225946, fax: 0031-262208. Expect to pay 7
Euro. This hostel is located in an old traditional building at the center of town.

Two decent places to eat are the following: Taverna Konaki (located in the
Upper City at Akropoleos and Moreas streets. Tel: 30-2310/213-390. Ecpect to
pay about 10 Euro for a nice meal. Another good place to eat for about the same
price is a taverna called Tottis which is located at #3 Aristotle Square. Tel:30-
2310/237-715.

Mykonos. This is an island that likes to party. There is a large gay presence on
this island, and a good website to visit for information on Mykonos is:
http://www.wurli.com/wurli/Mykonos/mykonos_guide.htm A good straight club is
called Space. This island is expensive and is kind of a status symbol. Expect to
pay 40-60% more for anything on Mykonos than on the surrounding islands. Try
Taverna Antonini in front of the taxi square in Mykonos for good and cheap food.
There is camping on Mykonos beach and other lodging options too.
http://www.paradisemykonos.com/ which offers cabins and rooms on the beach.
You can get 4 people in a room and pay a total of 100 Euro, which is a pretty
good deal on this expensive island.
There is also the Mykonos Paradise hotel
http://www.mykonosparadise.com/ which is 100meters from the beach and
charges 55 Euro for a single, 74 Euro for a double and 89 Euro for a triple (during
summer). The address is 63080 Nea Kallikratia Halkidiki
Tel: ++30-2399048555, ++30-2399048588, Fax: ++30-2399024041
e-mail: mykoniati@hol.gr

Crete - There are 4 hostels on Crete, they are in the cities of Sitia, Iraklio,
Rethymno and in Plakias. Plakias is about 35km south of Rethymno (a town on
the north coast of Crete). There are about 6 buses a day from Rethymno to
Plakias during the peak season, the last being at 16:30hrs. The Plakias Hostel is
a fun place and is set in an olive grove and is a 5-minute walk from the beach.
Visit http://www.yhplakias.com Tel: +30 283 20 32 118 (call this number if you fail
to obtain a reservation online). Email: info@yhplakias.com. This hostel is open
mid-March – mid-November. Expect to pay only 7 Euro. The reception is open
from 9am to noon and from 5 to about 8.30pm. If you arrive in the afternoon just
leave your bags in the reception and wander off to the beach until after 5pm.
They do not have singles or doubles – only 6 rooms with 4 bunkbeds in each
room. Expend to pay only 7.50 Euro.

If you stop at the Island of Corfu (in between Italy and Greece) plan on
partying at the Pink Palace. If you spend more than one day on Corfu, then
make sure to rent some scooters and see the whole island. If you want to see
what Corfu looks like, just watch the 007 James Bond movie “For Your Eyes
Only” because most of that movie was shot in Greece (and most of that was shot
on Corfu – in particular the dune buggy scene, and the scenes near the
beginning that are supposedly in Spain. The car chase scene shows very typical
scenary on Corfu).
I think that Thursday night is toga night at the Pink Palace– although every
night is fun, this is a great thing.
The rates are very reasonable considering that they include breakfast as soon as
you arrive (along with ouzo shots) and it includes dinner at night. (Of course they
make much of their money from the excursions they offer and from selling
alcohol in their on-sight nightclub, but even those rates were reasonable.)
Keep in mind that although backpackers do Ouzo shots, the locals drink
Ouzo diluted in water and sipped with hors d'oerves. Ouzo is a very strong
alcohol and can get you drunk quickly when you do shots. I remember being in
the Pink Palace and they had a drink special where you get a shot of Ouzo free
with any beer purchase. My friend and I met these girls who hated Ouzo but
loved beer. Every time that anyone at our table ordered a beer, my friend and I
would be given all of the free Ouzo shots, and we had a blast that night.

If you plan on going to the Pink Palace on Corfu, then visit

http://www.thepinkpalace.com/ and click on the link for coupon and get 15%
discount on mopeds, jetskis, water-skiing etc. They even exchange money for
you at their hostel. Don’t worry about making a reservation for the Pink Palace
because there is always availability. This hostel is located on Agios Gordios
Beach, which is the other side of Corfu from where the ferry drops you off. There
is a Pink Palace bus that will meet you at the port and drive you for free to the
Pink Place (but you have to pay a few dollars to get the bus back to the pier on
your morning of departure). The contact info for the Pink Palace is in all travel
books, but here it is: Telephone: (0030) 26610 53103 or (0030) 26610 53104 or
(0030) 26610 53935; Fax: (0030) 26610 53025; (0030)26610 53985); Email:
pink-palace@ker.forthnet.gr But remember that they will meet the ferry from
Brindisi right at the port. Expect to pay about 18-24 Euro in a dorm, or 25-33
Euro in the other types of rooms. These prices include free breakfast and a free
large dinner. If you stay 4 nights, you get the 5th night free.

As a tip, you can get mopeds on Corfu about 100 meters down the beach from
the Pink Palace. They will be in better condition and cheaper.

IOS
If you want to go to other islands, there are plenty to chose from, but also expect
to party on the island of Ios (pronounced ee ohss). If you are single and want to
hook up, either of these islands (Corfu or Ios) should provide you with many
opportunities. If you stay on Ios for a few days, plan on partying at night and take
the ferry to some close islands of Santorini, Paros, Nexos and see the sights that
they offer during the day, and then return to Ios to party at night. Events for IOS
Summer 2005 are updated at: www.iospartyisland.com From Piraeus (the port of
Athens) Ios is 7.5 hours away by ferry.
 There are plenty of people who will meet your ferry at the pier and try and
get you to sleep at their place. If you stay down by the docks, you will be close to
the water, but if you stay up on the hill, you will be in the main town & close to
shops and laundry and the night life. I suggest staying up in the town (on the hill)
so when you are drunk (or if you get lucky) that you don’t risk your life walking
back to your room in the dark down a long rocky walkway. Hora is the island's
capital. It is also called Ios Town (located up on the hill). That is exactly where
you want to be.
One good place to stay on Ios is at Francescos Hostel
http://www.francescos.net/ Tel: (0286) 91223 email francescos@otenet.gr
Expect to pay about $10 for a dorm room. No reservations required if you arrive
early.
I have heard good things about a place on Ios called the Purple Pig (Star
Camping), but I never stayed there myself. It is located at Mylapotas Beach (Tel:
+30 286 91302) (Fax: +30 286 91612)
Email: purplepigios@hotmail.com Price: 8.80 – 17.60 Euro.
Things on Ios start jumping at about 1 am. The bars close at 3:30 am and
the “after bars” open at 5 am. You just walk from one bar to another.
If you have a few days on Ios, take a bus across the island to Mylopotas beach
(the best beach on the island).

I suggest taking a night ferry from Athens to Santorini – that would save
you money for a night’s lodging, and the trip will not seem as long because you
will sleep some. There are plenty of places to stay and if you go in the peak
season, then I suggest not even getting a reservationand just showing up and
choosing one of the many hotels from the hordes of people that meet you at the
ferry docks. Even right before the peak season (such as in June) you can expect
to pay about 20 Euro for two people in a room with two beds and a refrigerator. If
you are anal retentive and must have a reservation, try the Hotel Perissa. This
hotel offers a four person room for 8.80 Euro per person, which included A/C, TV
and bathroom. They have an office at the port and will take you to their hotel and
back to the port free of charge. They also have a couple of rooms with 6 beds
that are even cheaper.
There’s a little travel shop in the front next to the road where you can
rental cars, scooters, and book tours, along with having internet access. Renting
a car with A/C for 24 hours costs 38 Euro and scooters cost 20.50 Euro. This
hotel is located right on the bus line so getting to the cities is no worry and it is
located down from a grocery store. If you find that the prices have increased,
you can stay at a cheap place called Hostel Anna, but this place is not the best.
I have also heard good things about lodging on Santorini at Pension
George http://www.pensiongeorge.com/ tel & fax: 003-0286-22351; email:
pensiongeorge@san.forthnet.gr From July 1-25 the prices are: 17.5 Euro per
person in a double room, or 30 Euro in a single room. From July 26-August 20,
the prices are: 25 Euro per person in a double, or 40 Euro in a single. They sell
an optinal breakfast for 5 Euro and offer free transportation from the port or
airport.
 During the high season there are plenty of options for doubles between
25-30 Euro.
Santorini has some cool black sand beaches, and we took one of the tours
that took you to the volcano and you could see the sulfur coming out of the
ground and then you got to go swimming in the 85 degree water (hot from
fissures in the earth). Anyway, if you do that, expect a pretty long hike in the heat
over rocky terrain for the volcano walk thing. We wore sandals and bitched the
whole time about rocks getting in.
There is an man with a moustache in his 50’s-60’s who is a bus/taxi driver
at the ferry docks. Be careful of that guy because he is known to rip off tourists
about 3 times the proper fare.

If you plan on island hopping in Greece, you can check out the ferry
schedule at http://www.gtp.gr
Here are some of the codes for islands below.
Piraeus – TZE
Raphina – RAF
Mykonos – MYK
Santorini – ATI
Crete(2) Ports
Heraklio – HER
Chania – CHC

If you plan on traveling from Greece through the former Yugoslavia and
you do not have the required visas, then expect a horrible experience at the
embassy. Everything in Yugoslavia is run with the attitude – hey if we don’t get to
it today, maybe we’ll try again tomorrow – but that really sucks when you are
wasting time in Athens to get a visa. If you do travel through Serbia, then expect
to bring food with you, as the food available at the capital pretty much sucks! (I
remember buying what I thought was a hamburger at the train station and it was
only some stuffing on a bun! Don’t bother even stopping, just keep on going
through to Budapest and relax there in one of the baths.

GERMANY –
First off, the following is a good resource for pensions in different cities in
Germany: http://www.pension.de/index-english.htm

For cheap flights within Europe (in and out of Germany), check out
http://www16.germanwings.com/

Munich is a great city to visit (especially if you go during Oktoberfest). To me,

Munich epitomizes what most Americans think of when they think of Germany.
Although you will find plenty of places to buy souvenir beer steins, cookoo clocks
and other traditional German stuff, be aware that the prices are just about what
you will find in the USA, however, there is a huge selection in Munich.
For lodging, consider the Euro Youth Hotel www.euro-youth-hotel.de (located
right outside the Hauptbanhoff (main train station) on a quiet street 3 minutes
walk from the station). This place is a pretty nice hostel, and it even had
hairdryers in the bathrooms. Expect to pay 17.50 Euro for a dorm, 21 Euro per
person in a 3-5 bed room, 30 Euro in a double, 30 Euro for a triple, and 45 Euro
for a single. Breakfast is 3.90 Euro. Tel: ++49 89 5990 8811. Email: info@euro-
youth-hotel.de
(I have been told that some people prefer the hostel next door to the Euro
Youth Hostel (called MacBeds because they thought that it was nicer and more
security than the Euro Youth Hostel).
Also consider the 4Umunchen hostel. The "4 you" in Munich is only two
blocks from the main train station, and it is a good place to meet others.
www.the4you.de Email: info@the4you.de tel: 089 – 55-21-660. It is located at
Hirtenstr. #18. Expect to pay 18-21 Euro for a dorm, 25 Euro for a double, 35
Euro for a single, and 23 for a quad. Increase these prices by 1-2 Euro if you are
over 27 years old. If you get one of the private (non-dorm) rooms, they are very
nice. Expect to pay 2.30 Euro per load for the washing machine, and 1.40 Euro
for the dryer.
There is a new hostel (opened in summer 2003) called the Easy Palace
http://www.easypalace.de/english/index.html It is located at #4 Mozart Str., which
about 1 km from the train station and is right next to Goetheplatz and the
Oktoberfest grounds at Theresienwiese. This place is a pain to get to and does
not attract that large of a crowd. Expect to pay 17-20 Euro for a dorm, 29 Euro
for a single, and 25 Euro per person in either a double or triple. All-you-can eat
breakfast is 5 Euro. You can even get a light meal such as pizza from the
restaurant next door as cheap as 5 Euro. The hostel has no curfew or lockout,
and it has Internet access, free lockers, and even bike rental.

You might have heard of the famous hostel called Wombats. Well that is a
famous hostel in Vienna and they now opened a branch in Munich (the Munich
one is not as well-known, and it just opened in September 2004). Since it is new,
the beds are still comfortable, and it is clean. If the success of Wombats in
Vienna is any indication, this hostel in Munich will probably become very popular
in the next yearor two. Wombats, Munich is located at Senefelderstraße #1, tel:
+49 89 5998 918-0; fax: +49 89 5998 918-10; email: office@wombats-munich.de
You can walk to Wombats Munich from the train station as follows: when you get
off the train, while you are still on the platform, take the right exit out of the
building onto Bayerstraße. Turn left, walk along Bayerstraße for half a minute,
and turn right onto the Senefelderstraße. The second house on the
left side is the hostel. Expect to pay 19 Euro in a dorm, 32 Euro in a double, and
breakfast costs 4 Euro.
 If you want a pension/cheap hotel in Munich, try hotel Helvetia which is
located at #6 Schillerstraße (close to the train station and pedestrian area). If
you look at a map, this place is between the train station and the Deutches
Theater. www.hotel-helvetia.de Tel.: +49-(0)89-590685-0; Fax: +49-(0)89-
590685-70. Email: info@hotel-helvetia.de Expect to pay 30-40 Euro for a single,
40-70 Euro in a double, 55-80 Euro in a triple, 75-125 Euro in a quad.
A private room with a shower and a bath is available for 25 Euro for one or
40 Euro for two. The owner can be reached at niceroomfree@aol.com

BERLIN – this city really has changed since November 9, 1989 when the
wall came down. Ever since the wall fell in 1989, there have been huge
construction cranes all over the city building big buildings. Most of the old wall
has either been torn down or is protected, so don’t expect to take a chunk away
anymore (that ended in the early 1990’s). However, there are plenty of people
selling pieces of concrete that they claim to be parts of the Berlin wall. Make
sure to visit the old Checkpoint Charlie (it has been destroyed, but a museum
now stands in its place) and also see the old gates (entry way into East Berlin).
Berlin can also have a happening nightlife if you know where to look. I once
partied at an old building that was actually bombed out from WWII and half of the
bar/club was outside! Make sure to try the many different types of German beer
available. Also keep in mind what time the public transportation quits running.
Every time that I have been to Berlin, I either stayed out too late to catch the
trains or caught the last train. There are some special night busses that run and
taxis also available.
If you are in Berlin on July 14, you will see the world’s most popular rave
known as the Love Parade. Expect Berlin to be crowded. If you arrive without a
reservation, good luck getting lodging. Expect 2 million people attending. Some
do not even bother with the hostels and just sleep in the Tiergarten. The Love
Parade was cancelled in 2004.
Berlin is a large city and your cannot really walk to all of the sights. Since
you have to use the U- and S-bahns, you should consider getting a day pass
each day you're there. Berlin’s public transportation system http://www.bvg.de
is broken into 3 zones (A, B and C). Although much of what you will want to see
is in Zones A and B, Zone C includes Potsdam. You can get a day pass that
covers Zones A and B for 6.10 Euro but for just 6.30 Euro your day pass will
cover all 3 zones. If you stay more than 3 days, you probably will want to buy the
7-day pass which costs 24.30 Euro for Zones A and B and if you want all three
zones, the cost is 30 Euro. In general, the cheapest price you will pay (for a
short trip) is 2 Euro, but the average single fare ticket is 2 – 2.60 Euro
They also sell a Welcome Card for 21 Euro which is a good deal if you
want to use public transport and also see some museums. The Welcome card is
valid for 72h in all three zones (including Potsdam too).
For 20 Euro you can sit in a double-decker bus and receive a tour of the
city. It is called “Top-Tour-Berlin” This tour starts ar #18 Kurfürstendamm (in front
of Café Kranzler) from 10am to 5pm. A non-stop tour takes about 2.5 hours.
 For some cheap food, try the Mensa at TU (Technical University) at #34
Hardenbergstraße which is a 10 minute walk from the Bahnhof Zoo. They have
both a Mensa and a cafeteria )the Mensa is cheaper). Another option very close
to the TU Mensa is the Café Hardenberg (located at Hardenburgstrasse #10).
Also consider eating at the Humboldt Universität which is located at #6
Unter den Linden (behind the university building). There are lot of cheap places
to eat in Berlin, especially in Kreuzberg and Prenzlauer Berg. You can get
German and Turkish, Italian and Chinese food. Cheap food is easier to get in
Berlin than in Munich.
Also consider the KaDeWe on Tauentzienstrasse in the Charlottenburg
section of town. This is a place to eat which has big portions, big selection, and
good prices. To get there, take the U1, 2 or 15 to “Wittenburg platz” Go up to the
sixth floor.
Few backpackers realize that you can get a free view of the city by
walking around the recently opened Reichstag Cupola atop Germany’s
parliament. To do this, take the S-Bahn to Unter den Linden and walk to Platz
der Republik. It is open 8 a.m. to midnight every day.
If you are near Alexander Platz and the tall (376 meters) TV Tower, then
you should also visit the Radisson Sas Plaza Berlin Hotel, located at #5 Karl
Liebknecht Strasse. The hotel is opposite the Berliner Dom and right on the bank
of the River Spree. I am not suggesting that you sleep here (it costs about 200
Euro per night) but you can enter the hotel and see for free the world’s largest
cylindrical aquarium in the hotel lobby. The Aquadom is 25 meters high and
stocked with 2500 exotic tropical fish. It has a glass elevator that travels right
through the middle of the 26,000 gallon atrium aquarium!

In Berlin, the Circus Hostel http://www.circus-berlin.de/ is always

recommended as a place to stay (good showers, but annoying water timers).
There are two different Circus hostels. Both hostels are located north of
Alexanderplatz. The original one is the one at #39 Rosa Luxembourg Strasse (in
the district of Mitte near the Roza Luxemburg Platz U-bahn stop on the orange
line U2)). The new hostel is twice as large and is in Berlin’s young and trendy
Prenzlauer Berg neighborhood (also in the district of Mitte near the Rosenthaler
U-bahn stop on the blue line U8). The latter is located at #1a Weinbergsweg. The
hostel even provides a great walking tour. Tel: 0049 - 30 - 28 39 14 33; fax 0049
- 30 - 28 39 14 84; e-mail info@circus-berlin.de Expect to pay 15-18 Euro in a
dorm, 20 Euro in a triple, 24 Euro in a double, 45 Euro in a single. They charge
you a one-time fee of 2 Euro for linens regardless of how long you stay.
Breakfast is offered at Weinbergsweg location for 3.50 Euro.

Another decent place during the summer is the TENT (also known as also
KAPUZINERHÖLZL) http://www.the-tent.com/ No reservations needed. For
$8.50 Euro at the Tent to sleep on a foam pad in these big communal tents. If
you must sleep in a bed, then it costs 11 Euro and it is based on first come first
served (no reservations), they have a campfire, ping pong, great cafe, and clean
showers. The TENT is located in a park next to the botanical gardens. From the
central station take tram # 17 direction “Amalienburgstrasse” and get off at
“Botanischer Garten” and follow the signs 500 meters to the TENT. Tel: 089 14
14 300; fax: 089 17 50 90; email: see-you@the-tent.com

Also consider staying at Mitte's Backpacker in Berlin

http://www.backpacker.de which is run by the same people who run BaxPax
(both hostels are the same price). If you have a choice between the two, choose
Mitte's over BaxPax because Mitte is in a better location. (Mitte is a district of
Berlin in the former East Berlin). Expect to pay 15-18 Euro for a dorm, 20 Euro in
a quad, 21 Euro for a triple, 24-28 Euro for a double and 30 Euro for a single.
They charge 2.50 Euro for bed linen if you don’t have your own (for entire stay). If
you know ahead of time that you will stay for 3 days, you get a discount and only
have to pay 40 Euro for 3 nights in a dorm and 50% discount for first30 minutes
of Internet access. Mitte's Backpacker Hostel is located at Chausseestrasse
102. Tel: +49 (0)30 283 909 65; Fax: 030 283 909 35; E-
Mail:info@backpacker.de
The website for BaxPax is http://www.baxpax.de/bakpax/
It is located on Skalitzer Str. #104. Tel: +49 30 69 51 83 22. Email:
info@baxpax.de This is a refurbished factory building. Expect to pay 15-17 Euro
for a dorm, 18 Euro for a quad, 20 Euro for a triple, 23 Euro for a double and 30
Euro for a single. Also expect a 2.50 Euro charge for bed linen.
I suggest avoiding A&O hostel in Berlin. In 2001 they had very
uncomfortable beds, the place was dirty and there wasn't a kitchen. They were in
the process of renovating so it might be nicer now.
I have also heard good things about a hostel called the Clubhouse. Visit
http://www.clubhouse-berlin.de/ It does get noisy at the weekend because there
is a club nearby. It is a short walk from the Friedrichstrasse Bahnhof. Expect to
pay 14 Euro for a dorm room; 32 Euro for a single; 46 Euro for a double; 20 Euro
each for a triple or quad; and 15 Euro for 5-7 bedroom. Also expect a 2 Euro
charge for bed linen. They also have a very yummy all-you-can-eat and drink (3
Euro) breakfast. Tel: 0049 30 2809 79 79; Email info@clubhouse-berlin.de .To
get there from Zoo station, take the S-Bahn (any line) from platform 5, get off at
“Friedrichstrasse” and turn north, cross the bridge over the river SPREE, turn
right into the first street (Ziegelstr.) take the next (Kalkscheunenstr.) on the left,
and you're there.
Another good hostel is the Globetrotter Hostel Odyssee
http://www.globetrotterhostel.de/ Grünberger Str. 23 (corner to Warschauer Str.)
Tel./Fax: (+49) - (0)30 - 29 0000 81 - e-mail: odyssee@globetrotterhostel
Or email: berlin_odyssee@yahoo.com Expect to pay 35 Euro for a single, 45-52
Euro for a double, 19 Euro per person in a triple, 17 Euro per person in a quad,
and 13-15 Euro for a dormbed; free linens, all-you-can-eat breakfast cost 3 Euro;
ISIC and HOE cardholders save 5% during summer. Laundry across the street.
There is also a large new hostel called the Generator. http://www.the-
generator.co.uk/berlin/mainberlinhostel.cfm Most of the rooms have a sink and
the place was clean and had a bar. This is a newly built hostel and is the largest
hostel in Germany (850 beds), (Tel: 0049(0)30-417 2400; Fax: 0049(0)30-417
24080; email: sabine@generatorhostels.com This place is located at Storkower
Straße #160 (next to the Olympic swimming pool and Berlin Arena (Velodrome)
and the hostel is a large white and blue building right next to the “Landsberger
Allee” S-Bahn Station. Expect to spend 12-16 Euro in a dorm, 23-27 Euro in a
double, 19-24 Euro in a triple, 18-21 Euro in a quad, and 35-40 Euro in a single.
Prices include breakfast and linens.

One lodging option in Berlin to avoid is Pension Acksel Haus in Prenzlauer

Berg. People have complained that they paid by credit card, and then when they
got home they found additional charges on their card from this place. Also the
service sucks.
I have heard mixed things about a new hostel called Alcatraz.

Before you leave your home, if you have extra time, check out
http://www.berlin.de/english/index.html for info about Berlin. You can even view a
map (click on Stadtplan at the top of the page).

If you have extra time in Germany, Neuschwanstein (the Castle upon

which Walt Disney based Cinderella’s palace) is neat to see. It is located in the
Bavarian Alps (actually there are 2 castles at this location (the yellow one
(Hohenschwangau) is less famous and about a 30-minute walk from the big one).
You can diminish your wait considerably by getting there when it opens, either
8:30 or 9:00 (or the last English tour is at 4:00). I suggest visiting
Neuschwanstein before the other places as the waits are far longer at
Neuschwanstein than at Hohenschwangau. There are “time tickets” that you
purchase in an office at the bottom, so you don’t have to wait in line at the castle.
As for getting to the castles from Munich, go to www.db.de to view train
schedules. It is very easy to use (go to the English section).
For the smaller castle, visit: www.ticket-center-hohenschwangau.de
You can even book your tickets before Europe if you want to go inside either
castle. Expect to pay 9 Euro (8 Euro for students) to go into EITHER the
Hohenschwangau Castle or the Neuschwanstein castle. Or you can buy a
“King’s Ticket” which allows you to see both for 17 Euro (or 15 Euro for students).

FYI - There is only one way to get to Hohenschwangau and that is to walk up a
hill (20 minute walk). They have horse carriages available at Neuschwanstein, or
45 minute walk.

Neuschwanstein is on the outskirts of the city of Fuessen. It is probably

less expensive to stay in Füssen than in Munich and to try and do a daytrip. And
it is less crowded early morning and late afternoon
However, if you are based in Munich and are determined to see
Neuschwanstein in a day trip, you can leave Munich at 7:51 and arrive in
Fuessen at 9:57 (one change en route), or at 8:51 and arrive at 10:57 (no
changes). A local bus will take you from the train station to the castle area.
There are returns from Fuessen at 18:05, arriving with one change at 20:16, or at
19:05 with no changes, arriving in Munich as 21:07. These are examples only (to
give you an idea of the times involved), as there are departures in both directions
throughout the day.
Since the interiors of these two castles are not that memorable, I would
suggest not wasting any money to go inside and spend your time walking to the
little bridge (Marianbrucke Bridge) above the castles. You will get an amazing
view (which is much more memorable than the interior of the castles). But some
of the door carvings at Neuschwanstein are incredible.

Leave yourself about an hour or two to see the town of Fuessen itself. It
has its own castle, monastery, cathedral and a pedestrian-zone (medieval
center).

If you have even more time to kill in Germany, and you travel along the
Rhine Valley (from Frankfurt north to Koeln (Cologne)), the small towns are cool
to explore and Koeln is one of the bigger cities along the Rhine that may be
worth stopping at. FYI- The most scenic part of the Rhine is the stretch between
Wiesbaden/Mainz and Koblenz. This is where you will see the famous Lorelei
rock, castles. In Koeln, when you get out of the train station you will be staring
at this big black cathedral. Actually, the church is made out of white stone but the
years of pollution have turned the stone black. You can climb the South Tower of
the Cathedral (2 Euro). If you are taking a train that passes through Koeln, you
might want to consider getting off the train and spending an hour our two in Koeln
(the church is just outside the train station). Usually you can catch the next train
to your destination shortly after your first train stopped in Koeln.
I have never been to it, but I hear that the Stollwerk Chocolate factory has
a real river of chocolate just like in Willy Wonka. Expect to pay 5.50 Euro or 3
Euro with an ISIC. To get there from the train station, leave the station through
the main hall and go upstairs towards the cathedral. In front of that turn left and
keep as close as possible to the railways. When you reach the railway-bridge
over the Rhine go downstairs to the Rhine's bank (don't traverse it) and walk the
promenade south (against the flow of the Rhine). After app. 1-2 km you will find a
historical little bridge that covers the entrance to a little port and that can be
opened by being rotated. If you traverse that bridge you find yourself directly in
front of the chocolate museum. The walk from the station takes app. 10-15
minutes.
If you’re into Roman history, there is a Roman-German museum right near
the station and the cathedral, and be sure to check out the tombstones. Expect
to pay 3.60 Euro or 2 Euro for ISIC

Some venders sell some cheap food outside the train station. Also, there
is a shopping street not far from the church. If you want to see this area, then
make sure that you schedule your train travel during the day because there is no
point in taking a night train through this part of Germany unless you have to.
For cheap lodging options, consider the hostels:
 Jugendgastehaus Koln-Riehl, Tel: 0221-767-081, e-mail: jgh-koeln-
riehl@t-online.de, 20 Euro (good hostel).
IYHF Köln – Deutz Youth Hostel, City Hostel, located at #5 Siegesstr.; Tel:
++49 - 2 21 / 81 47 11; Fax: ++49 - 2 21 / 88 44 25; Email: jh-koeln-deutz@djh-
rheinland.de; or email: jh-deutz@t-online.de Web: http://www.djh-
rheinland.org/jh/koeln-deutz/eng/index.htm Expect to pay 23 Euro for a dorm,
39.50 Euro for a single, 59.50 Euro for a twin room, and 93.20 Euro for a quad
room. (prices include breakfast and linen)

Station Backpacker Hostel, http://www.hostel-cologne.de/ It has 2

locations Tel: 0221-912-5301 or 49-(0)221-230247, e-mail station@t-online.de or
: station@hostel-cologne.de or station2@hostel-cologne.de 16-17 Euro in a
dorm, 17.50-19.50 in a quad, 19-22 Euro in a triple, 21-25 Euro in a double, and
28-35 Euro in a single. No free breakfast. Very close to the train station and
probably your best hostel choice in this city.
A cheap hotel in Koeln is called Hotel Berg and can be found at
http://www.hotelberg.de/englisch/index.shtml (it is 100 meters from the train
station). Just exit the train station at the "Breslauer Platz" (Busstation) and go
straight on in the Johannisstraße. The second street on the left is the
Brandenburger Straße. The hotel is at number 6. Tel +49 221 9129162; EMail:
hotel@hotel-berg.com. For a single, expect to pay 41-62 Euro, and 49-72 Euro
for a double.

For great authentic German food in a restaurant with few tourists for good
prices, and large portions, visit Haus Zeyen which is near the hostel by the
Ottoplatz. This section of town is called Köln-Deutz, and it is located at #27
Neuhöfferstr. tel.: 0221 - 81 13 34. Expect to pay between 6-18 Euro. If you do
not speak German, ask them for the English menu. Get there before 6pm,
because they reserve many tables for the locals (as do most traditional German
restaurants/bars).
Another good place to eat near the Haus Zeyen is called Gaststätte
Lommerzheim, and it is located at #27 Siegesstr. (closed Tuesdays). The place
only has 3 meals on the menu. I suggest the cutlett (pork) with French fries and
onions. They have great beer. You better arrive before 6pm if you want a chair.
Another traditional place to eat is a brewpub in the Altstadt called Brauerei
Zur Malzmühle, which serves Mühlen Kölsch beer. This place is known as as the
best pub in the Köln and is a 5-story building and is about a 10-minute walk from
the Dom, and is located at #6 Heumarkt. Expect to get main dishes for 8-12
Euro, and make sure to try a beer for which the place is named.

Stuttgart – I suggest skipping this town on your first visit to Europe, but if you go
to this town, then you will probably want to visit the Mercedes-Benz Museum
(near Stuttgart -in Untertürkheim ) http://www.mercedes-
benz.com/e/mbclassic/default.htm
 Tel: +49 0711 172 25 78 Tuesday to Sunday - 9:00 am to 5:00 pm (Free
admission) and/or the Porshe museum. (located 5 miles outside the city center)
Tel: +49 0711 827 56 85 Tours available (must reserve) at 10:00 and 14:00.
Admission is free – Open Monday to Friday - 9:00 am to 4:00 pm and Saturday
and Sunday - 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
There is also a Staatsgallerie which was a modern art museum with lots of
big name sculptures and paintings.
The YHA hostel is a 15 minute walk uphill from the train station (or take a
street train, line 15, to “Eugensplatz” stop).. Expect open shower stalls (some of
the only that I have ever seen in any hostels). Expect good, cheap food and beer.
Tel: 0711/241583 Fax: 0711/2361041 Email: jh-stuttgart@t-online.de 13-20 Euros

Frankfurt – skip this town. Frankfurt is the banking/financial center of Germany

(and therefore Europe). Many people have heard of Frankfurt and think that it
must be a good place to visit. However, the reason that you have heard of
Frankfurt is because Frankfurt has the biggest airport on the European continent
and also the biggest railway station Europe (# of passengers per day). However,
there is nothing really worth seeing in Frankfurt except modern architecture. If
you really want to see this part of Germany, choose Mannheim, Rudesheim or
Heidelberg instead.
If you have a short lay-over and have ½ day to kill in Frankfurt, consider
climbing up the Helaba Tower (a.k.a. Eurotower), It is about 200m high and you
have a view on the whole town. Admission is 4.5 Euro.
You could also consider going up to the roof terrace of Zeilgallerie mall for a
(free) view of the city.
The city’s open-air salon (Roemberg square) is nice. This square has
reconstructed half-timber houses (WWII bombing destroyed most of the original
buildings).
A good cheap place to eat is to follow the students to Albatross café (#27
Kiestr) Tel: 707 27 69. Metro Bockenheimer Warte (west of the center (northwest
of the hauptbahnhof).
A great place to eat large portions of excellent food in a traditional German
restaurant is at “Zum Lahmen Esel” which is located just outside the city at
Niederursel. Take the U3 to Niederursel, and the tavern is opposite the U station.
This place is great for people who eat meat and it even offers options for
vegetarians.

If you want to go out at night, forget what great things that you heard
about the part of town known as the Alt Sachsenhausen. Things have changed
and most of the stuff there is poor quality food at inflated prices. Now the scene
is about a half mile away on Schweizer Strasse where you will find many bars,
good restaurants and shops. Also try the streets near Hauptwache for bars and
clubs.
 If you ignore my advice and decide to spend multiple days in Frankfurt,
then I suggest that you invest in a Wochenkarte, which is a one-week pass good
for public transportation in Frankfurt (including the airport). It costs 17.80 Euro.

Some people fly into Frankfurt for business and have a few days to kill. I
always tell them to get the hell out of Frankfurt! I suggest taking a train to Mainz,
then pay under 25 Euro and ride the Rhine ferry and get off at St Goar for about
an hour and catch the ferry as it returns to Mainz.
From the Frankfurt Airport, you can take the suburban train from the
airport to Mainz (28 minutes).
To get to downtown Frankfurt from the airport, go down to the lowest
airport level and take the train to the Hauptbahnhof (main train station) (12
minute ride). Then take the S Bahn to Hauptwache and walk around from there.

The hostel in Frankfurt sucks. It is kind of a summer camp for German

youth. I suggest skipping Frankfurt and staying in Mainz (see below). If you
ignore me, then here is the HI hostel info. House of the Youth (Haus der Jugend),
http://www.jugendherberge-frankfurt.de located at #12 Deutschherrnufer. Phone:
069 / 61 00 15 0, Fax: 069 / 61 00 15 99, E-Mail: jugendherberge_frankfurt@t-
online.de The only benefits are that they have lockers in the rooms and all-you-
can eat breakfast. Expect to pay 16 Euro of 20 Euro if you are over 26 years old
in a dorm. Otherwise, in a quad you will pay 20 Euro each, 25 Euro each in a
double, 30 Euro in a single. If you are 27 years old or older expect to pay 4 Euro
extra.
Another option in Frankfurt is Pension Backer http://www.hotel-backer.de/
Expect to pay 25 Euro for a single, 40 Euro for a double, and 45 Euro for a triple.

Mainz
The HI hostel in Mainz was remodeled a few years ago and is right on the Rhine
River on the south end of town, with a bar/cafe open in the evenings. The contact
info is: Otto-Brunfels-Schneise 4 55130 Mainz Tel: 06131/85332 Fax:
06131/82422 email: jh-mainz@djh-info.de It is located on the outskirts of town,
in the sports facility of the Wiesenauer Volkspark. The Volkspark is a large green
area with soccer fields and playgrounds. Call ahead because it is often full.
It's about 20 min. to Frankfurt airport from the nearby Mainz Süd train station (a
20 minute walk from the hostel). The hostel is located about 30-minute walk into
the town center. The hostel has a breakfast buffet.

Hamburg – If you go to this town, there are two good hostels. Check their
websites www.schanzenstern.de and
Instant Sleep (www.instantsleep.de).
Regarding Instant Sleep, from the hauptbahnhof (main train station) take
the S-Bahn / underground U3 or S 11/21 or S 31 to the Sternschanze stop. From
there you can either walk 5 minutes or take bus number 115 (in the direction klein
flottbek or s-othmarschen-süd) to schulterblatt. Expect to pay 15-17 Euro in a
dorm, 28 Euro in a single, 22 Euro in a double, 20 in a triple, 18 Euro in a quad.
This hostel is located above a bar, so it is noisy at night. Email:
backpackerhostel@instantsleep.de Tel: +49 40 43 18 23 10. This place is a 10-
minute walk from the “Reeperbahn” which is the center of nightlife.
Regarding Hotel Schanzenstern, there are two locations and one is
located at #24-26 Kleine Rainstraße (called Schanzenstern Altona) Tel.:(0049)-
(0)-40 / 399 191 91, email: info@schanzenstern-altona.de Expect to pay 18 Euro
in a dorm, 40 Euro for a single, 65.00 Euro for a double, 55 Euro for a double
with bunkbeds, 80 Euro for a quad. Breakfast costs 6 Euro. This location is
easily accessible from Hamburg’s Altona station (just a 5-minute walk) However,
from Hamburg central station, you will have to take the S-Bahn (S31).
The second location for the Hotel Schanzenstern is at #12 Bartelsstraße
(called Schanzenstern St. Pauli) Tel.:(0049)-(0)-40 / 439 84 41, email:
info@schanzenstern.de Expect to pay 18 Euro for a dorm, 36 Euro in a single,
51 Euro for a double, 61 Euro for a triple, 74 Euro for a quad, 91 Euro for 5
persons. Breaklfast costs either 4 Euro for a small breakfast or 6 Euro for a
buffet. To get to this lodging, go to Hamburg-Dammtor station and then transfer
to the S-Bahn S21 or S31 in the direction of Altona and go to Bahnhof
Sternschanze. From there it is a 5-minute walk to the hotel.
Another hostel is called auf dem Stintfang (HI), www.hihostel.com
which is located at #5 Alfred-Wegener-Weg (overlooking the harbour and a 5-
minute walk from the “Reeperbahn” which is the center of nightlife. Tel: 49-40-31
34 88. E-mail jh-stintfang@t-online.de In dorms, expect to pay 18.80 Euro, or if
you are 27+ years old, then you will pay 21.80 Euro. In a double, expect to pay
46.60 Euro for the room, and in a quad, you will pay 87.20 Euro for the room.
The hostel is 2 km from the main train station, but is only 200 meters from public
transport such as Bus #112, and Landungsbrucken #U3,S1,S2,S3

Pension Am Rathaus, located at #14 Rathausstraße (Take the U-bahn

to the stop called Rathaus and walk from there). Tel.: 040/337489
Fax: 040/303 93 834 email: pension-am-rathaus@hamburg.de
Expect to pay 22, 25, or 28 Euro for a single. This does not include breakfast.

There is not that much historical beauty in Hamburg because Hamburg

hasn't been restored following WWII as much as, say Munich. There's a botanical
garden and a good zoo if those are things you like.
Hamburg has a section of town known as the Reeperbahn District, which
is similar to Amsterdam’s red light district. In addition to prostitutes, this section
is also home to many good clubs and bars. The standard scam in the
Reeperbahn is when a guy goes into a club or bar and a good-looking woman
joins you and requests that you buy her a drink, expect to pay $100-$200 for that
drink. You will be forced to pay and forget about arguing about it because the
drink prices are posted (in very small print) outside the establishment. The
bouncer will even escort you to an ATM if you don’t have the money on you. This
scam is run in other towns, but it is prevalent in Hamburg.

Dresden – good city to visit (if you must choose between Dresden and Leipzig,
choose Dresden). Visit http://www.dresden-tourist.de/eng/homepage.html for
more info about this city. The official HI guesthouse is at Jugendgastehaus
Dresden (Maternistrasse 22) and costs 17 Euro ($15 USD). It is big, very clean
& within walking distance from the town center. The 2 best hostels in the
Neustadt are Die Boofe and Mondpalast.
Regarding Die Boofe www.boofe.de email to danilo@boofe.de it is located
in a 5-story red building at #10 Hechtstraße, Tel: 0049-351-8013361, Fax: 0049-
351-8013362. Expect to pay 29 Euro for a single, 22 Euro in a double, and 14.50
Euro in a quad. Breakfast costs 4.60 Euro and linens cost 2.75 Euro.
Regarding Mondpalast www.mondpalast.de. expect to pay 13.5 Euro for
dorm, 29-39 Euro in a single, 18.50-25 Euro in a double, 16 Euro in a triple, 16-
18.50 in a quad, and 15 Euro in a room with 5-6 beds. tel and fax 0049 351 804
6061 or 0049 351 563 4050 - email mondpalast@t-online.de or
info@mondpalast.de There is no curfew and no lock out, they have a self-service
kitchen and internet access..
Also consider Lolli’s Homestay. http://www.lollishome.de/en/index.html
Expect to pay 13 Euro for a dorm, 27 Euro for a single room, 18 Euro per person
in a double room, 16 Euro per person in a triple. Also expect to pay 2 Euro for
linen, 3 Euro for breakfast. Email: lollishomestay@gmx.de Tel; +49 (0) 351-799
30 25. Located 15 minute walk from the “Neustadt” train station (or 3 minutes to
tram lines 7 or 8, and 2 minutes from bus line 91)

Leipzig – This city is smaller than Dresden. Consider lodging in the Sleepy Lion
Hostel (www.hostel-leipzig.de) located at Käthe-Kollwitz-Str. #3, Tel:
+49/341/9939480; fax +49/341/9939482; email: info@hostel-leipzig.de Expect to
pay 14 Euro for a dorm, 16 Euro for a quad, 20 Euro for a double and 28 Euro for
a single. Plus linen cost 2 Euro and breakfast costs 3 Euro. Internet access is 2
Euro per hour, no curfew and no age restrictions. From the train station, take a
tram from the central tram station located directly in front of the train station. Take
tram # 1 (direction “Lausen” ). Get a “Kurzstrecke” (short journey) tram ticket,
which costs 1 Euro. Get off at the second tram stop (Gottschedstraße). The
Sleepy Lion Hostel is directly across the road from the tram stop. You can save 1
Euro by walking from the train station (15-minute walk). Visit the webpage for
directions and map.

AUSTRIA
Vienna was rated as the #10 city in Europe by Travel and Leisure magazine.
There is plenty of history here and plenty of music events. Some of the churches
and palaces are amazing. Make sure to eat Wiener Schnitzel when you are in
this city since it was invented here! There are plenty of people selling you opera
and theatre and orchestra tickets, and if you can afford them, you should try to do
one of these. In August you should head to the Filmfestival (on the Rathausplatz)
in the evening. They present (for free) movies of operas and concerts every night
on large screens. Mozart had 13 addresses in this city and Beethoven had 64
addresses here. However, only one of Mozart’s addresses in Vienna still exists,
called the Figaro House.

Vienna offers a Vienna card ($18.50) which is good for 3 days of free
public transportation and reduced admission to museums.
FYI – the Vienna Boys Choir always sings at 9:15 mass on Sunday
mornings at the Hofburg’s chapel (Burgkapelle). Visit http://www.wsk.at for more
info.
In Vienna’s Rossau district the Liechenstein Museum will open for the first
time on March 28, 2004 (so it probably will not be in many travel books). Tel:
43/1/3195/7670; It will be daily (except Tuesdays), 9am – 8pm. Web:
liechtensteinmuseum.at Expect to pay 5 Euro with your student ID. To get here
by: Tram - take route D to Porzellangasse; Bus - Route #40A to Bauernfeldplatz;
Underground - U4 to Rossauer Lände, then walk about 600 metres to the
Fürstengasse entrance, or U4 to Friedensbrücke, change to tram no. 5 or 33 to
Franz-Josefs-Bahnhof, then about 150 metres on foot to the Alserbachstrasse
entrance.

Food: Head to the Naschmarkt where you can find traditional Austrian
food, but also Turkish and Greek fare. Expect to see souvlaki, bratwurst, smoked
ham and duck, grilled sausage and fresh bread. The Naschmarkt is a buffet-style
restaurant chain, offering a good choice of meals, including a three-course lunch
menu for 5 Euro (6 Euro on weekends). There is also a branch at #1
Schottengasse and another at #16 Schwarzenbergplatz.

Another good idea is to head to the popular student eatery called

Centimeter II (located at Stiftgasse #4) where you can get huge portions of
Austrian dishes at low prices (4-6 Euro). www.centimeter.at Actually there is a
Centimeter I, Centimeter II, Centimeter III and a Centimeter IV, and each one is
located at a different part of the city. The other three locations are: Lenaugasse
II, Liechensteinstrasse #42, Zieglergasse #42.
Another place to eat is Plutzer Braeu http://www.plutzerbraeu.at which is
located at #2 Schrankgasse (on the corner of Stiftgasse). You can eat traditional
Austrian food. Expect to pay about 6 Euro for lunch.
There are nearly 30 Schnitzelhaus (fast food) around the city. You can get
decent food for cheap (schnitzel with fries or potato salad costs €3.30, a cordon
bleu is €4.30, and the grandaddy schnitzel, (Bigone Gusto Fonso), is €6.20).
As is true for most of Europe, the cheapest sit-down food is usually in the
university restaurants (Mensas). They usually only serve weekday lunches, but
anyone can go there (you do not need to be a student, however, an ISIC card
may get you a small discount. In the Innerstadt, there is a Mensa at #7
Universitatsstrasse. Take the cool elevator to the 6th floor and then walk up one
more floor. The cafe adjoining the Mensa has the same meals and longer hours
(8am to 6pm weekdays), and it stays open over summer.
One block away from the above-mentioned Mensa is Cafe Bierkeller
Zwillings Gewolb (#5 Universitatsstrasse), Their daily specials start at 3.65 Euro
– open Monday – Saturday for lunch and dinner
Also nearby, is the Katholisches Studenthaus Mensa (#8
Ebendorferstrasse) M-F and lunch only (closed August to mid-September).
Expect to pay 3-5 Euro.
The most central university cafeteria is the Music Academy Mensa (#8
Johannesgasse). Breakfast for 2 Euro (until 10:30) and lunch only 3-4.50 Euro.
You will find several pizzerias but Pizza Bizi is the best (#4
Rotenturmstrasse 4). They have pizzas 4 to 5.50 Euro (or 2.20 Euro for one
slice), pasta with a choice of sauces is 5 Euro, and they have salad and
vegetable buffets. Pizza Bizi also has a takeaway counter at #21 Franz Josefs
Kai and at #22-24 Mariahilfer Strasse in the 7th district.
If you like Chinese food, there are two places worth eating at: China
Restaurant Turandot (#2 Vorlaufstrasse). They have an all-you-can-eat lunch
buffet for 6 Euro (7.75 Euro on weekends and weekday evenings). The other
option is Restaurant Siam where you can get all-you-can-eat buffets during the
week starting at 6 Euro at #6 Krugerstrasse.

Here is a tip if you will be in or near the U3 Erdberg subway station (such
as if you are taking a bus (Eurolines or the SkyEurope Shuttle). Adjacent to the
bus stop is the PricewaterhouseCoopers building. There is a newly opened
cafeteria (canteen) inside the PricewaterhouseCoopers building. Anyone can
just walk inside the building, stay on the main floor and veer to your left and buy
an excellent meal for 4 Euros.

As for public transportation, expect to pay 1.50 Euro for a single ticket, 5
Euro for a 24-hour ticket, and 12 Euro for a 72-hour ticket. Also a one-week
(Monday to Monday ticket) is 12.50 Euro. I think that the best deal is the 8-day
ticket (8-tages-Karte) for 24 Euro – this type of ticket is like the Dutch strippenkart
and has 8 strips (each strip allows one person to travel for one day). Thus, you
can use it also for 2 people travelling togeather for 4 days or 4 people for 2 days
or any other combiniation like that. Even if you do not use all of the stripes, you
can sell the remaining stripes to anyone because anyone can use it – locals or
tourists.

Maybe stay at Hostel Zohrer – nice place for about $11.

Also consider Hostel Ruthensteiner (near the Westbahnhof)
www.hostelruthensteiner.com Expect to pay 11-13 Euro in a dorm, 19-21 Euro
per person in a double, 13-14 Euro in a triple or quad. It is well-run, but do not
expect it to be the liveliest place. It is located 3 minutes walking from the train
station and about a 20-minute walk from town. It has single and double rooms,
Internet access and 24 hour reception. Telephone: 43-1-8934202 E-Mail:
info@hostelruthensteiner.com.
 The hostel Wombats http://www.wombats.at/ is very popular and will run
you 13.80 Euro a night, incl. Sheets and has big rooms, a bar and a little outdoor
courtyard area to eat and hang out. If either Ruthensteiner or Wombats is
booked, then the other is only a block down the road from the other. Expect to
pay 16 Euro for a dorm, 21 Euro in a double, and about 40 Euro for a single
room. Breakfast costs 3.50 Euro. Tel +43 1 897 23 36. Email
wombats@chello.at There are 3 train stations in Vienna. From Westbahnhof
take the main exit and turn right on to Mariahilfer Straße. Follow Mariahilfer
Straße until No. 152 (corner Rosinagasse). Turn right into Rosinagasse and go
straight until Grangasse number 6.
Also consider the recently (2002) renovated Westend City Hostel located
at Fugergasse 3. Must pay in cash. 24 hour reception. Internet access. Expect
the price to include breakfast. Tel: +4315976729
Also the Believe it or Not Hostel, located at Myrthengasse 10, Apt. # 14,
Tel: 00 43 1 526 46 58 It coasts about 10 euros/night, has a kitchen, the
maximum number of people at a time is 16, and it's in a fun area of vienna (the
7th district), Expect a 15 minute walk to old city center.

For a pension, try Pension Wild, located at #10 Lange Gasse (at the
intersection with Trautsongasse) which is near the parliament on the ring. Tel.
+43 (0)1 406 51 74; Fax +43 (0)1 / 402 21 68; email: info@pension-wild.com
web: www.pension-wild.com Expect to pay 37-65 Euro for a single, 45-89 Euro
for a double, 78-102 for a triple.
Another pension is Pension Dr. Geissler. Tel: 1/533 28 03; Fax: 1/533 26
35; metro – Schwedenplatz (a half block away). Expect to pay 50 Euro /night for
a double for a large clean room with a TV and a sink. It is located just inside the
ring of the old city.
Another pension is called Gally Apartments http://www.gally.biz/ Expect
to pay 30-37 Euro for a single, 22-36 Euro each in a double, and 20-25 Euro
each in a triple. Tel: +43 1 89 29 073; Fax: +43 1 89 31 028; email:
office@gally.biz These apartments are located at #25 Arnsteingasse (between
the Westbahnhof and Schonbrun Palace), on a sidestreet off of Mariahilfer
Strasse. From the Westbahnhof, take tram 52 or 58 three stops to Kranzgasse or
walk on Mariahilfer Straße in direction of Schönbrunn Palace - Arnsteingasse is
the eight street on the left side.

You can get some cheap food at a place called Bizi Pizza which is right
next to (just north of) the Stephansdom, located at #4 Rotenturmstrasse

Salzburg – there is a really cool castle/fortress in this city (on top of a hill). Also
the Sound of music tours available all over the city for which you can expect to
pay 33 Euro for a 4-hour tour.
Another interesting thing to see just outside Salzburg is the ice caves.
http://www.eisriesenwelt.at/ Expect this day trip to cost about 32 Euro without
food. You can reach the ice caves by taking the train from Salzburg to
Eisreisenwelt. From the train station in Werfen, you take the shuttlebus (Firma
WEISS). Expect to pay the following costs: Train ticket from Salzburg – Werfen
and back to Salzburg (15 Euro). The shuttlebus from Werfen up to the car park
costs about 5.6- Euro. From the car park you walk for 15 minutes up to the
Wimmer Hütte. Then you can either take the cable-car 500 meters up to the Dr.-
Oedl Haus (3-minute ride) or you can walk up the mountain path (90 minute
walk). The Dr-Oedl Haus sells homely cuisine and offers a panoramic view from
the terrace. Here is an example of the prices for food at the Dr-Oedl Haus: They
have 3 plates of the day which include a soup, warm meat, either potatoes or
gnocchi, and a dessert (ice cream or cake) for 13.50 Euro. They also sell these
things al a carte and the prices are: soup = 2.60 - 4 Euro, warm meals such as
grilled pork cutlet served with roast potatoes and salad cost 7-10 Euro.
From the Dr- Oedl Haus you walk another 15 minutes to the entrance of
the caves. You can only visit from May-October from 9.00 - 15.30 (16.30 in July
or August). Expect to pay 17 Euro for the cave entrance and cable car ride.
Expect the tour to last 75 minutes, but allow 3-4 hours for the whole visit. Make
sure to wear heavy shoes and warm clothing (even in summer) because the
caves get very cold (hence the name). Photography and filming are forbidden. If
you want to call for information, try +43/(0)6468/5248 or 5291 Email:
info@eisriesenwelt.at

A great hostel to party at is called YoHo (short for Youth Hostel). FYI –
many Americans and Australians inhabit this place. The hostel has a bar in it and
everyone is standing on the tables with a beer in their hand and singing songs at
night. It is located at #9 Paracelsusstrasse; Tel: 43.(0)662. 87 96 49, Fax:
43.(0)662. 87 88 10. It is near the train station. Expect to pay 13015 Euro in a
dorm, 16-18 Euro in a quad, or 18 Euro in a double. Breakfast costs 2-4 Euro.
They also offer yummy and cheap food.
If hostels are not your thing, try the 3-star Amadeus Hotel and expect to
pay 48 Euro for a single (but the price varies by season). The hotel is located in
the heart of the old town (about 20 min from the station) at Linzer Gasse #43-45.

There is a B&B outside of Salzburg- Haus Christine. Expect to pay 17

Euro /night. Take the local train (Regionalzug) one station to the stop Maria Plain
(15 min train ride from Salzburg – Hauptbahnhof) to Salzburg- Maria Plain
Station. A five minute walk up hill to the house, but the owner will pick you up
from the train station as well with notice. Haus Christine, Panoramaweg # 3
(tel/fax 45 67 63) or (45 67 73).
Also Haus Matilda Lindner (Christine's sister) Panoramaweg # 5 (tel/fax 45
66 81) www.haus-lindner.at. This B&B is located next to the above B&B.
Another B&B is Pension Barbara A-5023 Salzburg, Schillinghoftr, 14
telefon: (0662) 64-91-20 email: barbara.schlacher@kronline.at
Also consider Pension Elisabeth http://www.pension-elisabeth.at which is
located at Vogelweiderstraße 52, Tel & Fax +43-662-871664. During summer
season expect to pay 35-44 Euro for a single, 42-66 Euro for a double, 72-78
Euro for a triple, These prices include breakfast. The Pension is a 10-minute walk
behind the train station. Don't go downstairs but stay at the platforms. You will
find a bridge (with stairs) crossing all the tracks. At the backside of the
trainstation you turn left, the first right, the first left again (onto
Breitenfelderstraße). Walk 200m ahead until you get to the traffic-light
(Vogelweiderstraße). The pension is a 30-minute walk or a 10-minute bus ride to
the center of town (bus # 15).
Also consider Institute St Sebastian www.st-sebastian-salzburg.at. This
place is mainly a female dormitory during the school year with some rooms set
aside for travelers. You will hear students practicing instruments (even during the
summer) The rooms include lockers and the bathrooms and showers were clean.
They also have a kitchen and a rooftop patio overlooking the town. Breakfast is
included. This B & B is a short walk from the main part of town and the train
station. The doors are locked past 11pm, but everyone is given a key for entry.
Expect to pay 14.50 – 17 Euro for a dorm, 26-33 Euro for a single, 38.50 – 54
Euro for a double, 55.50-69 Euro for a triple, and 69-84 for a quad.
Once I paid to go into Mozart’s birth house and it really was quite
disappointing – I am not sure what I was thinking.

Innsbruck – while in Innsbruck avoid the HI hostels. Although the independent

hostels are nothing great, they are better than the HI hostels. Maybe try Hostel
St. Nikolaus http://www.hostelnikolaus.at/ Tel: +43 0512/286515. Fax: 286515-14
Email:innsbruck@hostelnikolaus.at No curfew. The hostel is a 20-minute walk
from the train station or you can just take Bus D at the main train-station, to the
Youth Hostel St. Nikolaus stop (Schmelzergasse). Expect to pay 15.80 Euro for
a dorm, 20.20 Euro for a double, 17.60 Euro for a triple, and 17 Euro for a quad.
They have a free breakfast buffet.
There is also a Pension Glockenhaus connected to the St. Nickolaus
hostel. For the Pension, expect to pay 30 Euro for a single and 23 Euro for a
double
Another pension is Pension Paula http://www.pensionpaula.at/ located at
#15 Weiherburggasse. Tel: +43 512 29 22 62; fax: +41 512 29 30 17; Expect to
spend 26-33 Euro for a single; 44-53 Euro for a double; 58-69 Euro for a triple;
and 78 Euro for a quad (all prices include breakfast). This place is near the
Hostel St. Nikolaus. From the train station you need to take the D bus towards
St. Nickolaus and get off at Schmelzergasse. Follow the signs for Alpenzoo until
you pass the Buechsenhausen Castle.

Graz – This town is missed by most backpackers, but has a great nightlife,
due to the fact that it is a college town (45,000 students). It is just over 4 hours
away from Salzburg and 2 ½ hours from Vienna.
The contemporatry art museum (www.kunsthausgraz.at ) is called the
“friendly alien” because of it’s unique design.

The HI hostel is Jugendgaestehaus Graz and is located at Idhofg. #74,

Tel: 71 48 76. Expect to pay 17 Euro for a dorm, 24 Euro for a single, 40 Euro for
a double. Their scam is to charge an extra couple of Euro if you stay less than 3
nights.
There is a small town in Austria that is called "Fucking."
http://www.fucking.at/fucking/Index1.htm This town is pronounced "fooking," and
is named after a man (named Focko) who founded the village in the 6th century.
The town sign has been stolen often and they have had to use a lot more
concrete and longer screws to prevent theft. Some people might want to visit this
town so they can get a picture standing next to the sign. The town of Fucking
actually is comprised of two town parts, one is called Oberfucking and the other
is called Unterfucking.
The town of Fucking is south of Linz (near Salzburg).
To get to Fucking Austria, take a bus from the train station in Suben:
departs Suben Bahnhof 11:25 and arrives at 11:32 at Oberfucking Postbus 2302
Richtung Andorf. Also you can leave Suben Bahnhof at 12:32 and arrive at 12:39
at Oberfucking Postbus 2302 Richtung Eggerding.