Cell phone and walking shoes

I don't use phones in Europe but I do walk LOTS! Have you checked out:
"Graffiti Wall > Packing & Planning > Best Walking Shoes" yet? Shoes are such a personal thing. What some folks swear by don't fit me at all. I happen to wear a pair of Clarks Air Mover Shoes that have had so many miles put on them that I finally had to have them resoled. Fit like a glove.

You will probably get lots of opinions on brands of shoes, but the best walking shoes for you are the ones that YOU find comfortable. Some of the common brands people mention here don't work for me, no matter how many people recommend them. I wear my Columbia hiking shoes, or my regular athletic shoes most of the time. What is most important is that you make sure they are broken in and comfortable before you pack them. As for cellphone options, search on "cellphones" in the box in the upper right of this page, and you will get numerous recent threads about that topic. It all comes down to how you intend to use your phone, and what other technology you might be taking with you.

Yes, try on lots of shoes. You want the ones that feel most comfortable to you. I do think water proof is a nice feature for Europe, especially when traveling outside of summer. If you can't find anything you like, pick a pair of shoes from your closet you would wear for a long day of shopping.

Best is what works best for you. We use ECCO exclusively. My guidelines are a heavy/tick sole to absorb the irregular surface of most streets in Europe. We find little need for a phone that is not handled via a local calling card and skype/face time for calling home. One less thing to keep track of or recharge.

My favorite traveling shoes are Rockport World Traveler. Another good shoe brand for me is SAS. We don't use a phone when traveling, we use a gen 1 iPod Touch and communicate through email wherever WiFi is available, and that's just about anywhere these days.

Sasha, to help you get started on a search of past posts about phones in Europe, check out this thread and the links in that thread Phone in Europe.

Hello Sasha ! A few thoughts that I hope will help : If you have a quad band GSM unlocked cell phone , look for a Lebara sim card in France. We used Lebara in 2010 in UK and 2011 in France . Don't be put off by the identification( residency ) requirement . Buy the card , top it off and follow the prompts to activiate it . One of the prompts will send you to english language activation so no need to worry . charges are about 10 cents per minute and it worked like a charm . As for walking shoes , our favorite is the merrell Moab XCR gore tex waterproof . This shoe is the most comfortable shoe I have ever worn . My wife and I each used them on our recent trip to Italy and Switzerland . With an agressive vibram sole which felt like walking on marshmallows , we comfortably navigated slippery cobblestone streets in Florence and alpine trails in the Bernese Oberland . We will never wear anyting else , Anywhere ! PM me if you need more details . Have a wonderful trip , Sue and Steve !