Ha' penny Eurotripping: Student Budget Travel

Edinburgh: My favorite City

Posted on April 26th, 2010 by Tabatha Gullikson.
Categories: Locations.

I’ll just go ahead and let you guys know about my bias. I LOVE Edinburgh. There are tons of free or cheap things to do and with the castle looming over everything it really does feel like Europe. I’m dating an Edinburgh guy which also adds to my fondness of the city. <3 Read on to find out about my favorite spots and more things I love about Edinburgh.

The atmosphere of Edinburgh is hard to beat. In the middle of the city, carved into an old volcano is Edinburgh Castle. Admission to the castle is on the pricey side, but it doesn’t cost anything to look at it from the outside. Below the castle are the Princes Street gardens which are full of colorful flowers in the spring and the perfect spot for a cheap picnic lunch. Princes Street runs along the gardens. This is one of the busiest streets in the city lined with stores and people shopping.

I’ve found the people in Edinburgh to be very friendly and welcoming. If I even look confused, a local will come up to me and ask if I need directions. The pubs are great too because people will come up to you and strike up a conversation, unlike in American bars where people tend to stay to their own group.

Museums and Galleries

Pretty much all of the museums and art galleries in the city are free. The Museum of Scotland is a huge place detailing the history of Scotland and its people. It would take more than a day to cover everything in the museum and since it is free you might as well come back another day.

The Modern Art Gallery and Dean Gallery on the West End of town are in very cool old buildings. One used to be a school for the blind before it was turned into a gallery. Edinburgh typically reuses buildings instead of knocking them down to build something else. The galleries are free and full of well known painters such as Van Gogh. The Museum of Art on Princes Street is small compared to most art museums I’ve been to, but it’s free and worth the trip.

Food

Eating is what you will spend the most money on in Edinburgh. Food is not cheap here. Grocery stores have a cheap clearance section you can rummage through if you have access to a kitchen for cooking. There are a few cheap food places such as Snak Fax Café, which is behind the Burger King on Princes street as well as a few other locations. For about $3.50 you can get a burger and fries freshly made among other things.

Festivities

Edinburgh is known as the city of festivals. August is a month long festival featuring, theatre, music, art and other shenanigans. Hogmanay, or New Years in Edinburgh is by far the most amazing thing I’ve experienced. The city has a huge street party on Princes Street with bands and DJs down in the gardens and on the street. At midnight there are fireworks from the castle and Calton Hill simultaneously with more music after midnight. The days leading up to Hogmanay are also full of activities like a parade.

Part of Edinburgh's Christmas festival includes a ferris wheel next to the Scot Monument.

Edinburgh is a great old European city with tons of history and cheap things to do. Take a day trip to Fife or the Highlands if you’re looking to relax for a day.

A brief farewell

I started out writing this blog for a class and while this is my last entry, I plan to continue writing here. I recently got a job in Scotland and I’ll continue writing about my travels. Thank you for reading and commenting.

Slàinte! (Cheers! In gaelic),  Tabatha

2 comments.

Food in the UK: Haggis, stovies and tatties, oh my!

Posted on April 22nd, 2010 by Tabatha Gullikson.
Categories: Food.

The United Kingdom is not known for being a cuisine capitol. I have found this to be untrue. Not only are there some tasty traditional dishes filled with ingredients unfamiliar to most American palates, the ethnic food is amazing thanks to the diverse immigrant population. Food can be pricey, but if you know where to find bargains you can find great food for cheap. These are mostly Scottish, as that is where my experience has mostly been.

Haggis

This is probably Scotland’s best known dish. Even though it seems like a stereotype that all Scottish people eat Haggis, I have yet to meet a Scot that doesn’t like Haggis. So you may be wondering, what exactly is this thing?

According to Wikepedia, Haggis is a dish containing sheep’s ‘pluck’ (heart, liver and lungs), minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, and traditionally simmered in the animal’s stomach for approximately three hours.

Yummy, right? It doesn’t taste as bad as it sounds. It reminded me of sausage. The dish is served with “neeps and tatties” or turnips and potatoes. The dish may sound weird to Americans, but it is standard Scottish fare. It’s worth a try to at least say you’ve had it.

Meat Pies

Meat pies rock. They’re portable, filling and cheap. The closest thing we have to them in The States are pot pies or those apple pies from Mc Donald’s, but filled with meat instead.

Stovies

While these look gross, they are pretty similar to corned beef hash, just mushier. A traditional Scottish dish, stovies consist of potatoes, onions, and roast beef or some other kind of meat. Ingredients vary by region and sometimes family. The word “stove” is Scots for “to stew”. The potatoes are cooked by stewing them in fat.

Brown sauce

This is like a vinegar version of ketchup. It reminds me a bit of steak sauce. While I can’t stand Ketchup, I eat brown sauce on most everything when I’m in Scotland, Bacon rolls, chips, fish, sausage, etc.

Fish and Chips

Every time I’m in the UK. I HAVE to have some fish and chips. The fish is amazing in the UK and after eating it there, I can’t eat Midwest or frozen seafood anymore. It is typically served with salt and vinegar, or salt and brown sauce in Scotland. If you want to sound like a local say “salt and sauce” when they ask what you want on your chips.

Bangers and Mash

Or sausage and mashed potatoes with gravy. This is a good dish to try if you want to have something traditional, but more familiar to you.

Irn Bru

This yummy florescent orange soda is the miracle cure for whatever ails you. It tastes like a mix of bubblegum, orange and cream soda with enough sugar and caffeine to kill a moose. This is a Scottish soda and Scotland is the only country where a brand outsells Coke-a-cola. It’s illegal in The States because the coloring agent used is outlawed by the FDA.

Cheap Eats

Stay away from the major tourist areas to find cheaper places to eat. They are typically more expensive unless you get lucky and find specials. Eating dinner (or Tea as it’s known there) early will usually be cheaper as many restaurants have “Early Bird” specials. Gregg’s is one of my favorites for cheap, good food. They have sandwiches, pastries, meat pies, and other baked goods. For about a $1.50 you can get 2 sausage rolls which will fill you up until lunch. Small ethnic places tend to have cheap meals as well as areas around college campuses. If you have access to a kitchen, grocery stores are a good cheap food option. Most have a clearance section of food close to expiring really cheap. Chippies (or fish and chip shops) have cheap food options and are open late for the post-pub munchies.

While the food in the UK may sound odd to us Americans, give it a try. Just because we don’t normally eat things like haggis, doesn’t mean it’s gross. Try to be open minded. It’s not yucky, it’s just different.

Bon Appétit, Tabby

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A Few of my Favorite Things: Travel Gadgets

Posted on April 14th, 2010 by Tabatha Gullikson.
Categories: Uncategorized.

Most people love gadgets. Nothing is more fun to me than playing with a new do-dad. Some gadgets make travel life easier, while others are a big, fat, waste of money.

Travel lighter, smarter, and cheaper. There’s a saying among travelers that you can only have 2 of the 3. These gadgets can help you achieve at least one.

An Itouch can make travel logistics easier.

Itouch or Iphone: I prefer the Itouch for the simple reason that you can access wireless internet for free, where with the Iphone you pay to access the internet through your phone plan. You can find wireless internet, often free, all over Europe from cafes to hotels and even McDonalds. Other than internet access, there are helpful apps you can download. You can get tons of free ones like language dictionaries and lessons, currency converter, alarm clock, bus times and more. The Kindle app is free. You have to pay for most books, by downloading books to your Iphone; your bags will be much lighter than carting books around. For $30 you can buy a microphone to attach to your Ipod for use with Skype to call home to other computers. Calling a phone internationally is pretty cheap at $0.02 to $0.04 a call.

Luggage scale: I found mine for $10. It’s light and fits easily in my bag. This little gadget can save you hundreds of dollars over the years in overweight luggage fees.

A good bag: Get a bag that you can carry and has wheels. I use a backpack with wheels for luggage it. I can wheel it around the long airport hallways or put it on my back for the crowded cobblestone streets.

Sleeping gear: A sleep mask, ear plugs and U-shaped pillow help me sleep anywhere, anytime. Flights to London are about 7.5 hours and I usually fly overnight. Sleeping on the plane helps me adjust to the new time zone.

Water bottle: Some cities in Europe have great drinking water. Edinburgh and London are two examples. Having your own water bottle will save you the expensive bottled water you’d be purchasing otherwise. You can also purchase water bottle with filters built right in.

This website contains a ton of articles about gadgets.

Happy Shopping, Tabby

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Sleeping on the cheap

Posted on April 8th, 2010 by Tabatha Gullikson.
Categories: Tips and Tricks.

So you know where you want to go, but where will you sleep? There are many options in Europe for cheap accomodations.

Hostels
Hostels are a cheap option compared to hotels. You are typically in a room with 1 to 17 other people. Bunk beds are typical as are communal showers and toilets. Some hostels include breakfast, free wifi, televisions, free tours, kitchens, etc. It reminds me of staying in the dorms at college. People are generally in the 18-24 age group, but much older travellers use hostels also. Many tend to have a party atmosphere. Check Hostel World for rates and reviews of hostels.

A few things to pack for staying in hostels:
flip-flops or sandles: for the shower. Not all of them are the cleanest.
Ear plugs and sleep mask: Hostels can be noisey and you may get some not so curtueas roommates who turn the lights on and off.
Photos or trinkets from your home country: These are great to share with new people you meet at the hostel as there will be people from all over the world.

Some of my favorite hostels are in very unique locations that you may not have the chance to sleep in any other time. In Edinburgh Belford Hostel is in an old church with open ceilings so you wake up to the sun shining in through the stained glass windows. The Tent, in Munich, is open every summer and people sleep in a circuis tent.

Couch Surfing
I have never used this, but friends of mine highly recommend it. People all over the world offer their couches for free. You set up a profile on the website and send requests to people who accept or deney them. Fill out your profile as completely as possible to increase your chances of someone accepting your request. Some people even show you are the city or take you out to their favorite pub for a drink. Not only is it free accomodation, but a chance to meet locals.

Camping
Camping is a cheap option with prices ranging from $2-$15 dollars a night depending if you have your own tent or sleep in a building. There are campgrounds all over Europe. Many have great facilities like showers, restaurants, clubs, pubs, grocery stores, kitchens and pools. Try to find one that is near public transportation so you can get into the city easily.

Less Conventional Options
You can always just stay out all night, which I have done before. The problem is having a secure place to keep your stuff. Most train or bus stations have lockers you can keep your bags in. Some cities have later bar or club hours that give you a dry, warm place to stay and people to hang out with. I stayed in a hostel in London that had a pub on the first floor with a 24 hour lisence. While I did have a bed, I ended up hanging out in the pub until 5 AM socializing with other europeans. The clubs in Paris are open until 6:30AM. While this is an option I don’t recommend it very frequently as we kind of need sleep to function and the last thing you want is to be sick in a foreign country. Always make sure you are taking care of yourself, no matter how limited your budget is.

Sleep Well, Tabatha

6 comments.

Tip-toeing Through the Tulips: Spring in Amsterdam

Posted on April 7th, 2010 by Tabatha Gullikson.
Categories: Locations.

Amsterdam is one of my favorite cities. The people are laid back and friendly, the food is amazing and pretty much everything you could want is legal. Spring is an especially good tiem to visit the countryside in the Netherlands to see the famous windmills and blooming tulip farms.

The Coffee Houses
One of the most jaring sites for Americans is the people walking around smoking joints. Technically marajuana is not legal in Amsterdam, it is decriminalized. The police don’t bother anyone unless they are carrying an obscene amount of it. Take it easy especially if you have never smoked before as Amsterdam’s pot is much more potent than what is available in the States or the UK. This is a great resource for new comers to the coffee shop scene. If you really do want coffee, try a café. There are coffee houses everywhere and the staff is used to tourists and first timers, so if you need help or suggestions just ask.

Amsterdam is full of canals.

Red Light District
Prostitution is a legal and tightly regulated industry in Amsterdam. I’m not going to give you tips on getting a budget prostitute, but I hear some are willing to haggle. The Red Light District is a must see as there is definetely nothing like it in the states. Just be sure to not have your camera out and bouncers will take it from you and throw it in the canal. Naked and partially naked women show off their goods to interested passerbys. There are also live sex shows and adult novelty stores in the area. My favorite shop name was Banana Time where the bouncer tried to talk us into watching a show.

Cultural stuff
If you start feeling guilty about all of the time you spend in the red light district and coffee houses, there are cultural things to do Amsterdam. The Ann Frank House and Van Gogh Museum are especially good attractions, but a bit on the pricey side. 

There aren’t many free things to do in the city, but it is cheaper than other European cities like Paris and London. New Europe offers free walking tours of the city. Guides work for tips so I usually tip based on how good the tour is. I took the New Europe tour in Paris and it was the best tour I’ve ever been on.

Check out Amsterdam for it’s fun atmostphere, pretty scenery and budget friendly prices.

Enjoy your, um, “coffee”, Tabby

2 comments.

Travel Logistics

Posted on February 19th, 2010 by Tabatha Gullikson.
Categories: Before you leave.

Going to Europe isn’t as easy as getting on the plane. There are many things you need to do before your trip to make it easier and in some cases avoid being deported. Yes a country will really deport you. I know people it has happened to.

• Passport- You need to apply for your passport at least 2 months ahead of time. If you already have one check the date. If your passport expires within 6 months of your trip you’ll need to renew it. As of today the passport processing time is 4-6 weeks or 2-3 weeks if you pay for expedited service. You can apply for a passport at your post office. Bring your birth certificate, a passport size photo and photo ID. More information can be found on the US Department of State passport website here.

• Visas- You need a visa for some countries. Other you do not if you will only be there as a visitor. Google the countries immigration website to find out what documentation you need. This is very important as if you don’t have the proper paperwork when entering the country YOU WILL be deported. They don’t mess around with this stuff.

• Plane ticket- If you are a student, there are some great deals out there for plane tickets. My favorite is Student Universe. I usually pay around $675 for a round trip ticket to Scotland. The fewer layovers you have the better as this increases the chance of luggage getting misplaced or missing connections. Another little tip, avoid Heathrow Airport in London like the plague. I’ll post my Heathrow horror story another day.

• Debit/credit cards- Notify your bank and credit card company what dates you will be out of the country and where you will be. Your card may be cut off if you don’t notify them to protect you from fraud. Being in Europe with no access to money is not fun. It is also a good idea to put a family member or trusted friend on your account as power of attorney so they have access to your account should you need something paid for back home or money deposited.

• Visit the Doctor, Dentist, eye doctor- Europe is pretty similar to the United States as far as vaccines go. If you are up to date you should be fine. I got a flu shot before I went to Europe the first time and also a tetanus booster. Some doctors may give you the hepatitis A vaccine. Get a physical; go to the dentist and eye doctor before you go to catch any problems early. Nothing is worse than being sick or injured while traveling. If you are on prescription meds bring enough for the whole trip.

This is by far the most boring part of planning a trip but you will be grateful when you have a no problems while over in Europe.
Tabby

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Oh the places you’ll go: How to pick your destination

Posted on February 19th, 2010 by Tabatha Gullikson.
Categories: Before you leave.

Picking your location is the first step. Snow or sun may be something to consider.

Planning a trip to Europe can be overwhelming to just think about. There are many elements, from getting a passport to budgeting. Before you have a panic attack and decide to just stay home, take a deep breath. You can do this. Breaking your planning into baby steps makes it much more manageable.

One of the first things you can do is start researching where you want to go. There are currently 47 countries in Europe according to worldbook.com. Here are some questions you can ask yourself to help narrow it down.
• Where is your family from? If you have European heritage, you might be interested in visiting the country your forefathers are from.

• What languages do you speak? While most countries speak at least some English, there’s nothing like going to a country and using the language you’ve been studying for years. Don’t worry about being fluent, as the natives are usually happy you are attempting their language and will help you along.

• What do you like to do? Make a list of your hobbies and Google places in Europe with that hobby. Some countries or towns may specialize in something you really enjoy, like snowboarding or clubbing. A small European village may be a good choice for those just wanting to relax with a book and wander. If you’ll be studying abroad at this location, check with your school’s study abroad office to see what programs are offered through your school.

• Is there a place you’ve always wanted to go? Most people have at least one European country in mind that they’ve always wanted to go to, maybe from doing a paper or seeing a movie about it.

This should help you come up with a list of a few countries you may want to visit. Do further research online. The country’s tourism website is a good resource as well as lonleyplanet. Tripadvisor has lists of locations you may enjoy depending on different factors like budget and interest. They also have portable tour guides you can print for free.

Happy Locale Shopping! Tabby

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Welcome to Ha’ penny Eurotripping: Student Budget Travel!

Posted on February 8th, 2010 by Tabatha Gullikson.
Categories: Uncategorized.

The view from Edinburgh Castle.

This blog is intended to be your guide to budget travel in Europe, especially for students. Budget options are not always the easiest things to find.

My goal is to share what I’ve learned with you about budget travel. I plan to write a mix of articles from tips and tricks to reviews of the places I’ve been. A few topics I have in the works are financing study abroad, surviving hostel stays, couch surfing, travel gadgets, clubbing in the UK, Paris nightlife, Amsterdam coffee shops, travel photography tips, crazy things I ate in Scotland, travel book reviews, cheap transportation and more. While I have some topics in mind, please don’t hesitate to ask questions or suggest topics. I’d love to hear from people actually reading this.

Me in front of Eileen Donan which is the most photographed castle in Scotland. It has been used in movies such as Made of Honor, Highlander and The World is Not Enough.

So what makes me an expert on this topic? I’m a senior at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater graduating in May. My major is in print journalism (insert pity here) and minors in music and English writing. I studied abroad two semesters. I spent spring 2008 in Dublin, Ireland and Fall 2009 near Edinburgh, Scotland. While in those countries I also had the chance to travel a bit to other places like Paris and Amsterdam. Being a poor student I learned many tips and tricks along the way. Sometimes the hard way which is what I’m hoping you don’t have to do.

Safe Travels! Tabby

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