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Mount Vesuvius April 19, 2010

Posted by Chris in : Naples, Travel Tips , add a comment

To go up Vesuvius, you have to take a bus most of the way up and then hike to the summit.  The cheapest way to get the bus is to go to the Ercolano stop where the bus tickets are the cheapest, in addition to the train tickets being fairly cheap.  Be wary though because there is a tour that charges extra for a tour guide.  It’s a volcano, do you really need a tour guide?

Mount VesuviusThe bus ride up gives you great views over the Bay of Naples in addition to the towns of Pompei and Ercolano.  About 4km from the bus stop at the top of the volcano, we stopped at a shop run by a man who has been living and working on Vesuvius for over 40 years, saw the last eruption in 1944 at age 16, and gave us a nice history of the volcano highlighted by pictures out of a book about Vesuvius.

The top of Mount Vesuvius is a National Park that you have to pay 4.50 to 6.50 Euros a person to climb to the top, depending on age and whether or not you are a student.Mount Vesuvius We paid to exert ourselves and climb to the top and it was worth it.  The hike afforded us great views some of the time, odd visions while walking in clouds, and finally, stunning views into the volcano itself.

Along the way, there are several small shops where you can buy nifty figures and souvenirs from the mountain made of shiny volcanic rock and such.  There are Roman statues, fairies, and even just plain shiny rocks!

At the top is a shop where you can grab a coffee while admiring the views around and over the mountain and if it’s cloudy when you get to the top, just wait a few minutes, the clouds have a tendency to be only temporary things, passing by and giving you an absolutely stunning view down the volcano.

While taking the climb, Tiff and I got engrossed in looking for shiny rocks of our own so that we wouldn’t have to pay for a rock, shiny or not, deciding that it would be more fun to find our own anyway.  What we discovered by the end of our trek up and down the volcano was that there are more shiny rocks at the beginning of the path than at any other point on the climb; however, there were a lot of nifty, shiny, and colorful rocks on the path, just not as many as were at the bottom.

One thing to remember before deciding to climb Vesuvius is to bring a jacket even if it feels nice and warm at sea level; it can be several degrees cooler at the top and is often very windy, there are even signs posted around the entrance to the Park.

Mount VesuviusWhile looking into the volcano, we noticed that apparently there are steam vents in the sides of the volcano because there would be steam constantly moving up from the walls of the volcano and joining the clouds, even when there weren’t any clouds anywhere near the volcano!

Vesuvius is definitely something you can’t miss on a trip through southern Italy!

Traveling Europe on a Budget March 10, 2010

Posted by Chris in : Travel Tips , 2comments

There are so many ways to travel around Europe, and despite the differing price range, it comes down to what your specific needs and wants are.  Your primary methods of travel would be renting a car, hiring a taxi, by bus, train, or airplane.  For traveling around a town, another option you may want to consider would be to rent a bicycle.

There are varying levels of comfort, price, and length of trip between these options so be sure to consider before choosing which you’d prefer.

Rent a Car

Renting a car can be your best option when you will need to travel around your destination as well, but only if you can return the car near to where you will be instead of having to return to the rental location.  There are great prices by the day so if you are going to be traveling around a lot and already have your own insurance, the last thing to consider would be gas.

Gas is expensive throughout Europe so expect to be paying more than you do at home and you won’t be disappointed.  Also, if you aren’t carrying insurance that covers rental cars, you will be required to pay for insurance on the rental car as well.

Taxi

If, on the other hand, you are traveling shorter distances, say from the bus or train station, or maybe the airport, taxis can be a great option.  Make sure you understand the pricing before you head off or you might get shocked about what you’re expected to pay on arrival.  Returning to stations can often have set rates so ask if they are available in the taxi you’re taking.

While taxis can be a great option, they can also be quite expensive; however, attempting to drive around in a city you don’t know can get you terribly lost.

While taxis may not be your best option for getting to a destination, there are many different options with cabs!  Many taxi companies have hourly rates for tours so be sure to ask about pricing.  Who better to show you around the town than somebody who drives around it all day!  Taxi drivers may know the best things to see, the best places to go, and more!

Bus

Traveling from cities near to each other, cities that are around 3-4 hours apart, often have bus as the best option, as long as you remember to book online.  The buses often have stops in between the stations where passengers can get on or off so they are often great options for inter-city travels.

Traveling around a city by bus can also be a quite affordable way to get around.  Usually you can ask the people where you are staying for help with the bus schedule so don’t be afraid to ask.  Traveling by bus can be less than 5 pounds per day for unlimited travel that day so is often a good option.

When traveling by bus and returning to your departure location later that day, be sure to verify that you will have a return bus running on the day that you are riding or you could easily end up stranded overnight in a distant town.  While this can be a fun adventure, it can also cost you a decent amount of money to handle, either renting a bed for the night or getting a taxi (expensive) back to your location.

In Scotland, Citylink often has prices of less than 10 quid to travel between cities but only when booked one-way, online.

Train

While I debated with myself about including the train in the traveling Europe on a budget, I decided to put a few notes about it in here.

Trains can often be the most comfortable option of those listed to get from city to city; however, they are not the cheapest or even always the fastest so depending on what your goals are, think long and hard about using trains.

Traveling between cities can also be a great time to use trains if you need to get there quickly.  With trains, you can avoid timely security checkpoints and get to your destination much more quickly.  Train stations are also usually located more centrally than airports and so can even make it easier for your later travel.

If you will be doing a lot of travel by train, I advise checking into Britt Rail or EurRail passes but don’t forget that both of these options can be costly.

Airplane

When traveling longer distances than a 4 hour bus ride would take you, check out air prices.  RyanAir has great prices, as low as 19 quid to go from Glasgow to Paris.  The short plane trips are often more cramped and often have limited features and can include limitations like only 1 bag, and they mean only one bag.  One carry on, no checked items, and no additional personal bag (no purse, laptop bag, or backpack).

If you are taking a plane, be sure to give time to account for clearing security.  While a plane will occasionally be held for you, don’t count on it, you will be left behind.  While you may or may not have to clear customs heading into different countries while traveling through Europe, don’t forget that you might have to and plan accordingly.

Bicycle

While a bicycle may not be as efficient for traveling long distances, a bicycle can be a great asset to have when staying in one city or town.  At around 20 pounds per day, a bicycle can be an afordable way to travel around.

Be careful though to not get ahead of yourself, make sure to observe the local area, are the streets cobblestone?  Are there sidewalks?  Is the traffic really heavy?  These are some of the questions you should ask yourself before deciding on a bicycle as your primary mode of transportation or you could find yourself in a bad situation.

Traveling around Europe is an adventure but there are many different options that are available to the budget traveler.

Have fun and Good Luck!

European Travel: Things to Remember February 26, 2010

Posted by Chris in : Travel Tips , add a comment

While traveling anywhere, there are a few general suggestions that you should remember.