Posted by Scott Borger on March 2, 2007 at 4:05 PM
Beginning in August, my wife and I will be living in a small alpine village in the Swiss Alps called Huémoz (for 1-2 months). After that, we are planning on traveling/hiking/shooting throughout Europe for a month or two…or until we run out of travel money. We will be looking to live very cheaply, camp when possible, avoid tourists and see many amazing places. I know that several of you have traveled throughout Europe quite a bit (Jack B, Eric, The Original Scott B, Rene, Dave S, others), so I’d love to hear some advice on the following:
-Photographic destinations
-Good photographic guides/books/websites for Switzerland, Austria, France, Slovenia, Italy, etc. (that focus on landscapes, not cities)
-Ways to live/travel very cheaply without convincing your wife to live in a bivy
Go to the Dolomites!!!! Those mountains are incredible. When you roll into the little towns throughout the region, just go to the information offices and ask where's the cheapest place to stay. I was paying about 20 euro per night which I think is pretty cheap at least compared to mountain towns in the US. Then you can just do day hikes into the mountains from the towns. Or for multiday treks, you can stay in alpine huts for pretty cheap (~16 euro/night), instead of backpacking. If I go back though, I think I'd rent a car, bring a tent, and then just car camp every night (in campgrounds or whatever). It's fairly easy to get around in the Dolomites via bus, but a car would be key for getting places early or late (as we do).
Posted by Scott Borger on March 2, 2007 at 4:45 PM
Thanks Jack. Do you rent the hut? or pay per person? Also, are you suggesting that I rent a car once I'm in town, or just drive one from place to place? How much to rent a car?
...for a month or two…or until we run out of travel money...
See you in two weeks!
Posted by Scott Borger on March 2, 2007 at 5:18 PM
I hear ya, Todd...the Euro (and especially the Swiss franc) are beating up on the good 'ol USD these days. On the other hand, I'll be working some to "earn my keep" in Huemoz...and I've been working alot of odd jobs throughout school (nightshift janitor, photographer, tree lopper, and business plan writer). Besides, my piggy bank has at least 35 bucks in it.
Hey Scott,
I have no idea how much a car rental would be. To travel on the cheap, you'd probably want to just stick with the busses, which works just fine. The huts are a big deal out there... nobody camps - at all. That's why the huts are all over the place. They usually accommodate about 20 people.... up to about 50? The have all the meals and beer and blankets, so all you need to bring is trail snacks, cloths and camera gear... pretty sweet. You can also link up the huts to do long, comfortable multi-day hikes.
I'll second Jack's suggestions on the huts and the Dolomites.
You will also find the huts all over the Austrian Alps.
When not in the mountains, the pensions (bed and breakfasts) are inexpensive and plentiful throughout the countryside.
If you are trying to conserve $$$, then car rentals in Europe will not fit your plan.
Possibly buying and then selling a used car for your extended stay might work.
If you do rent a car, be aware that the rates vary enormously between countries. Do some comparison shopping. I got a quote, for the same car and rental company, for Vienna that was exactly double the rate in Munich. I chose to fly to Munich.
Wow, what a great opportunity. We loved Switzerland, although it is probably the most expensive of the European countries. We did a 44 day Europe Trip in 2002 for my sabbatical. We mostly hit major cities and attractions, but we did some hiking in most places - UK, Italy, Austria and Switzerland.
In Switzerland we spent about a week in Interlaken. We stayed at a hostel that was clean and relatively inexpensive. We had our own room due to it being the off season. One day we took the first train to Lauterbrunnen and walked on a trail next to the river up the valley to Trummelbach falls. The falls were pretty cool, but the hike first thing in the morning was quiet and sublime. From there we continued walking up to the end of the valley where we took a tram up to Gimmelwald and then we hiked the Mountain View trail all the way Grutschalp - beautiful views and solitude the whole day. Another day we took the train to Grindelwald and from there, a tram to Pfingstegg. Then we hiked across the Gesteinsparadies to the Upper Grindelwald Glacier and climbed some 900 steps to the viewpoint - awesome. Then we continued down into the valley and walked back to Grindelwald. Both were pretty much full, if leisurely, days with fantastic scenery.
Have a great trip, and don't hesitate to drop me a note (or post here) if you have other questions.
What a fantastic opportunity! Best wishes for a really great trip.
Re: rental cars - Bill said it - watch out (ask about) the taxes and fees assessed on the return of the car. I had a minivan for a week that started out as $900 and ended up as $1500. Just make sure they tell you everything about the cost. But not practical for the duration of an extended stay.
Ialso agree that the Italian Alps - and the mountains in sourthern Austria and Switzerland - present the best photo opportunities. I haven't been to the Dolomites but I love the area around Innsbruck and all around Lake Zurich is amazing too. And Lake Constance.... wow.
When you need a place to stay you can find great deals at private bed-and-breakfasts all around central Europe. Pensions are great too (but not hostels).
I've done most of my traveling in Europe via car or train, sorry no true hiking recommendations to share. But you'll find that you can go pretty much anywhere and find something great to explore.
Here are my suggestions:
- Destinations:Switzerland (Interlakken, Zermat, 4 pass loop starting in Gletsch), Italy (Dolomites, Cinque Terre, Tuscany, Lake Como), France (Chamonix area)
- Books: I definitely recommend Rick Steves' books, as they describe enough details and give campground locations. For hiking, I'd buy Lonely Planet books for those areas.
- My recommendation is to do a long term rental with Renault (http://www.renaultusa.com/)and then camp. We rented a Renault Kangoo for 2 months and camped all but 3-4 nights. That car averaged 50 miles per gallon (1.6L diesel, 5 speed). Campgrounds are cheap (10-15 euro), and we cooked our own food (gas stove), so our trip was cheap. We had a very relaxing trip and enjoyed the flexibility of a car.
- For camping, just follow Rick Steves' directions, or look for signs on the road for a campground, It is very easy to find campgrounds everywhere.
Your trip sounds fun.
Posted by Jon Leibowitz on March 3, 2007 at 11:50 AM
The best advice I have for you is this:
If you have the time, make it to Scotland. There are no trespassing laws in the highlands. Essentially, with your gear and a tent, you can walk around the entire country, camp where you want, and enjoy the views for weeks without seeing a single person. You just have to respect peoples livestock and such. Also, Norway is the most stunning place I have ever been to, but insanely expensive.
I think the best way to do a trip would be rent a car that you can sleep in. Get some sort of stationwagon. That way, when you are not camping, you are not spending money on a hostel or hotel. I travelled 3 months around Europe last year, its a great region. Just remember the more east you go, the cheaper and less touristy. Have a great time and keep us updated with photos from the road!!!!!
Scott - can't help with any tips. Just wanted to say "I'm envious"
Oh...and if you go to Scotland, don't try the haggis.
Posted by Art Escobado on March 3, 2007 at 1:05 PM
Scott a great destination to go visit would be the Giant's Causeway (http://www.geokem.com/images/pix/giants-causeway.JPG) also I second Chamonix in France, a very nice area which I can vouch for personally. Shoot it out man and nail Europe!!
Posted by Scott Borger on March 3, 2007 at 4:59 PM
Thanks (to everyone) for the advice. I will certainly take it into account. To give you a little more background on this trip...The first 6 weeks in Huemoz will be spent pursuing a personal academic study of sorts. I only get Thursdays off, and have/get to study much of the rest of the time. So, I probably won't be taking many pictures at this point. However, since we had to buy plane tickets to Switzerland anyway, we figured that we should travel and shoot for a while afterwards. Both my wife and I will be between jobs, I will have just finished grad school 2 days before we leave, and we don't have any kids yet. It's possible that this is the only opportunity that we will ever get to do something like this...so we better do it while we can. If anyone else has more advice, we'd be happy to hear it.
Discussion
13 replies-Photographic destinations
-Good photographic guides/books/websites for Switzerland, Austria, France, Slovenia, Italy, etc. (that focus on landscapes, not cities)
-Ways to live/travel very cheaply without convincing your wife to live in a bivy
-Places/methods/strategies/rules of camping
Thanks, Scott
See you in two weeks!
I have no idea how much a car rental would be. To travel on the cheap, you'd probably want to just stick with the busses, which works just fine. The huts are a big deal out there... nobody camps - at all. That's why the huts are all over the place. They usually accommodate about 20 people.... up to about 50? The have all the meals and beer and blankets, so all you need to bring is trail snacks, cloths and camera gear... pretty sweet. You can also link up the huts to do long, comfortable multi-day hikes.
You will also find the huts all over the Austrian Alps.
When not in the mountains, the pensions (bed and breakfasts) are inexpensive and plentiful throughout the countryside.
If you are trying to conserve $$$, then car rentals in Europe will not fit your plan.
Possibly buying and then selling a used car for your extended stay might work.
If you do rent a car, be aware that the rates vary enormously between countries. Do some comparison shopping. I got a quote, for the same car and rental company, for Vienna that was exactly double the rate in Munich.
In Switzerland we spent about a week in Interlaken. We stayed at a hostel that was clean and relatively inexpensive. We had our own room due to it being the off season. One day we took the first train to Lauterbrunnen and walked on a trail next to the river up the valley to Trummelbach falls. The falls were pretty cool, but the hike first thing in the morning was quiet and sublime. From there we continued walking up to the end of the valley where we took a tram up to Gimmelwald and then we hiked the Mountain View trail all the way Grutschalp - beautiful views and solitude the whole day. Another day we took the train to Grindelwald and from there, a tram to Pfingstegg. Then we hiked across the Gesteinsparadies to the Upper Grindelwald Glacier and climbed some 900 steps to the viewpoint - awesome. Then we continued down into the valley and walked back to Grindelwald. Both were pretty much full, if leisurely, days with fantastic scenery.
Have a great trip, and don't hesitate to drop me a note (or post here) if you have other questions.
Re: rental cars - Bill said it - watch out (ask about) the taxes and fees assessed on the return of the car. I had a minivan for a week that started out as $900 and ended up as $1500. Just make sure they tell you everything about the cost. But not practical for the duration of an extended stay.
Ialso agree that the Italian Alps - and the mountains in sourthern Austria and Switzerland - present the best photo opportunities. I haven't been to the Dolomites but I love the area around Innsbruck and all around Lake Zurich is amazing too. And Lake Constance.... wow.
When you need a place to stay you can find great deals at private bed-and-breakfasts all around central Europe. Pensions are great too (but not hostels).
I've done most of my traveling in Europe via car or train, sorry no true hiking recommendations to share. But you'll find that you can go pretty much anywhere and find something great to explore.
And most important: try not to plan everything
- Destinations:Switzerland (Interlakken, Zermat, 4 pass loop starting in Gletsch), Italy (Dolomites, Cinque Terre, Tuscany, Lake Como), France (Chamonix area)
- Books: I definitely recommend Rick Steves' books, as they describe enough details and give campground locations. For hiking, I'd buy Lonely Planet books for those areas.
- My recommendation is to do a long term rental with Renault (http://www.renaultusa.com/)and then camp. We rented a Renault Kangoo for 2 months and camped all but 3-4 nights. That car averaged 50 miles per gallon (1.6L diesel, 5 speed). Campgrounds are cheap (10-15 euro), and we cooked our own food (gas stove), so our trip was cheap. We had a very relaxing trip and enjoyed the flexibility of a car.
- For camping, just follow Rick Steves' directions, or look for signs on the road for a campground, It is very easy to find campgrounds everywhere.
Your trip sounds fun.
If you have the time, make it to Scotland. There are no trespassing laws in the highlands. Essentially, with your gear and a tent, you can walk around the entire country, camp where you want, and enjoy the views for weeks without seeing a single person. You just have to respect peoples livestock and such. Also, Norway is the most stunning place I have ever been to, but insanely expensive.
I think the best way to do a trip would be rent a car that you can sleep in. Get some sort of stationwagon. That way, when you are not camping, you are not spending money on a hostel or hotel. I travelled 3 months around Europe last year, its a great region. Just remember the more east you go, the cheaper and less touristy. Have a great time and keep us updated with photos from the road!!!!!
Oh...and if you go to Scotland, don't try the haggis.
Scott