How Did You Attain Your Travel Expertise?

ooooh, I get to be first. Well, living in Frankfurt for 22 years is fairly helpful. Not only because I have the German info downpat, but because it is so easy and cheap to travel from here. You can pick up a week trip to anywhere here with flight and hotel for around 400 € per person. Trains about the same. I have traveled down to Morocco and Turkey with my kids, and taken trains everywhere else, mainly just for little 3-4 day trips. Amsterdam, Paris, Bayeux, Berlin, Brugge, Milan, Rome, Ostende, London, Brussels, and also Austria for a white water rafting trip. Army Reserves brought me here originally, I just decided to move over here. I have lots of years experience working in restaurants, bars, and hotels over here. I like taking walking tours in cities that I go to, to get a good feel for the city and to find out good info from the guides. Now, I want to hear from Kent and Lee, the professional train guy.

Thanks Jo. I really appreciate your advice since you live abroad. I love Germany and hope to return again soon. I may have to ask you about my favorite store package cookie that I can't locate here or online! :-)

To me there is a difference between an expert and someone with lots of experience. Steves is the expert. I have lots of experience. We have traveled about 300+ days over the past 15 years or so. As we transition to retirement it will be many more days. I am willing to related our experiences and what has worked and not worked for us with the hope that it may be useful to you but you do not have to do what we do. I try not to tell you what you should do. Draw you own conclusions. There are posters who views themselves as experts after one trip and having read three guide books.

We became "experts" in small way by reading a lot and making some pretty dumb mistakes -- but never twice. I am an engineer by training so I have a tendency to analyze everything especially failures. And then I write it down so I don't forget.

For a couple of very personal reasons we started traveling with our children when they were young (8 and 12) with the result that we turned them into world travelers. Our older son just returned from a five month around the world honeymoon and boasts on his Face page that he has seen 19% of the world. Not bad for a 30 year old. As educators we thought it was terrible important for our children to have very thorough understanding of the world fabric. We may have over done it bit but we all make mistakes.

Just start traveling. Experience is your teacher. Reading sets your expectations. Keep a journal and write a lot. And don't be afraid to do it in small pieces. Tomorrow never comes !!!!

Thanks Frank! Your analytical approach is good imo. I am reader and somehow I think reading has lost some of its appeal in this visual and verbal world.

Perhaps I should edit my question: How many countries, favorites, next trip?

Well, I agree with Frank. I'm no expert either, I just have a lot of experience in many countries. Although I traveled around the US and Canada with my parents growing up, I traveled to Europe for the first time on my own, when I was 21. Most of my time in Europe was work-related or to visit with extended family, although I have taken several trips purely for pleasure. Traveling to Europe for work gives you a different perspective, because I often find myself in places that most casual tourists avoid, and hence, most of the travel writers also ignore (Rick included). It's in these places, like Hasselt and Mons Belgium, Maastricht Netherlands, Kaiserslautern Germany, Skopje Macedonia or Gnjilane Kosovo, for example, far removed from the tourist industry, that you really start to understand the continent not as a series of "must-sees", but a vibrant, living, working world.

I have never taken a RS tour. I travel to the continent at least once a year, sometimes more often. I have currently visited 22 countries on the continent, although when people ask me how I like Italy and Spain, I must confess I have never set foot in either.

We spent several years in the early 80's as cilivian employees of the US military and traveled extensively from Norway to Greece. We lived in(and loved) Germany, but now tend to focus on Italy.

Frank hit the nail on the head...it's experience, not "expertise." Recommending a night in a hotel out near CDG before leaving on an early flight comes from having to scramble for a taxi upon the realization the trains don't run early enough, or getting caught up in a traffic jam and missing the flight! Suggesting hotel bookings in advance comes from arriving dead tired and settling for the first thing you can find, or arriving and finding an entire town or city booked up because of some holiday or festival we weren't aware of. That's not to say you can't stay in downtown Paris, or not wing it with accommodations...but I think we want to make sure posters are aware of all the potential issues out there, so they can make a balanced decision. My experience comes from a life-time of travel...with my parents from the age of 4, and, since adulthood, via business and pleasure. I sacrifice some other things in life so I can travel, but since I love it, those aren't really sacrifices, I guess. Maybe it has something to do with my upbringing on the Canadian prairies.... with the wide open spaces, you just had to find out what was over the horizon!

My experience comes from nine trips to Europe, six to Germany (84 days) in the last eight years, as well as extensive study of the German Rail and other German travel websites over that time. I also have a modest fluency in German which allows me to read these websites and to report the information.

I found I was answering so many questions about rail travel in Germany that I put together a website to which to refer people.

Actually, I AM Rick Steves but I pose as an unassuming hockey coach of an up and coming hockey team in the Federal League.

That's why you never see me, RS, or Batman in the same room together...ooops...maybe I shouldn't have said that.

Actually my travel experience started as a child. My Mother from England and my Father from Latin America required scheduling vacation time at either end of the world. Since becoming an adult it has never stopped mostly for pleasure travel but some for business. Now retired I travel to Europe at least once a year and use RS guidebks more than any other.

Although my parents and I explored US State and National Parks when I was growing up my first trip abroad occurred at age 20. It was with the college boyfriend who was traveling for his father's business. I remember flying into Amsterdam and nearly crying upon seeing a windmill. I was overwhelmed and yet so curious. The canals, the flowers, the food, the red light district, the people were all new to my senses. I vividly recall standing alone in the Rijksmuseum discovering that Rembrandt's Nightwatch nearly covered an entire wall!!! On that trip we visited Copenhagen, Zurich, Geneva, Munich, Vienna, Brussels, and London. I was hooked. Travel keeps me sane. Each month I set aside one paycheck for the travel fund. In December I will become a first time Rick Steve's tour taker in Florence. A new experience awaits.

I am by no means an expert either.

When I was married, my husband was a structural engineer and was transferred all over the world. I did not go overseas with him. But did have to move around here in the states.

I have travel and visited 49% of the states in the US and 3 Canadian provinces.

Lived in Fairbanks, Alaska for several years during the pipeline.

Traveled for over 20 years in my career. Got tired of all the travel and retired.

Retired and my daughter and I went to Europe for 8 weeks visiting 8 counrtried. I planned each day, (printed train schedules, hotels, hostels on the internet. My only tour was to Israel last November.

Gain most of my information from the Graffiti Wall and The Thorn Tree - by copying...pasting and asking tons of questions.

The itch to travel to Europe was as a result of me buying Europe Though The Back door..by Rick Steves in the very early 80's. I knew it could be done without going 1st class all the way.

Aside from our airline tickets and rail pass, our trip in 2005 cost less the 100 Euros per day as a result of careful planning and organization.

It can be done.

I find that developing skill in travelling is a mix of early inspiration and lots of perspiration, both through work (research) or through necessity (jumping in and figuring it out!). Like many on here, my parents filled me with a desire to travel.Dad was career military, and if we were not moving for duty, we were vacationing on the road. My own travel was delayed some 20 years, under the mistaken belief that career and raising a family demanded the time and money more so than travel. If I have any regret in life, it is that I did not figure out the value of travel sooner. For my first trip to Europe, I really knew nothing, had only planned on flying to Germany to spend time with my brother, who was stationed near Kaiserslautern. I will always give credit where due, that plan changed when I randomly picked up a copy of "Europe Through the Back Door". Here was the first (only?) book I found that talked about how to travel rather than just where to travel. It gave me enough confidence to plan an open jaw into Amsterdam and out of Frankfurt, stretch it to 4 weeks, get a rail pass, my wife and I travelling on our own, with few reservations. Near the end of a great trip, it was then we promised each other to take a "big" trip every two years, at least. I enjoy the planning as much as the trip, reading guides, internet searches, participating here! I have learned as much "on the ground" while travelling, putting myself in new situations, maybe challenging myself, even getting lost. I am blessed with a decent job with generous vacation (start getting 5 weeks paid per year now!) plus I travel internationally for business at least once per year for a week now. My wife and I have kept our promise, now planning our sixth trip to Europe since 2000, and we dutifully contribute to a travel fund to be able to do it. If you have the desire, do it! Don't wait, Don't worry about the details, just bring lots of options, and live your trip as you go!

In the late 60's I was still in school and had many friends who had "done" Europe. Around that time Frommer had written "Europe on $5 a Day," so I got a EurailPass and a ticket on a charter flight and flew to Europe. I spent a few days each in a lot of places, hopped onto trains at a whim, with never a reservation. I was too naive (not that young) to know that what I was doing was difficult. I had studied French a little and knew a little German. It was great! Even when I got sick I was enjoying myself. Later trips were to Greece, on my own, and guided tours to Ireland and the USSR. By then I had figured out that you just need some information in the form of a book, some time, and some money. I enjoy figuring out the logistics. In the 1990's I became aware of Rick's Europe Thru The Back Door philosophy, which isn't much different from Frommer's philosophy. I've been traveling with Rick's books and tour guides ever since.

I was raised by parents who loved to travel and camp. I have been to 46 of the 50 states, Canada, and Mexico as a result of going with my parents every summer (they weren't those parents that took vacations FROM the kids). My first trip to Europe was a big one -- a college semester in Salzburg, Austria, when I was 19. While there I visited Germany, East Germany (when there was one), Czechoslovakia (when there was one), Hungary, Belgium, and England. Since then I've made repeated trips to Ireland (some solo), a solo trip to Spain, and went with a tour to China. My next big trip is a land tour in Costa Rica this December. I have traveled individually with my now-grown kids (my daughter will also be going along to Costa Rica - now I'll have to come up with something to appease my son).

Before a trip I read everything I can get my hands on about my destination. I'm a lover of itineraries, but I'm willing to chuck it if I find something more interesting along the way. I have never (and probably would never) take a Rick Steves tour. I have been fortunate enough to make friends with people in other countries over the years, via the internet, and get lots of inside info from them regarding what to see, etc.

I still work, so my vacation time is a little limited. In fact, during the winter I have a second job, too. I tell people that I have that job because feeding my travel bug is expensive.

It very interesting reading ALL the posts. You post was a great idea Audrey.

I grew up in Germany, lived there for most of my life. So as a child we did lots of vacations to popular European destinations. Also spent a year studying and working in different regions of France.

Since I moved to Canada I've been travelling to Europe pretty much once a year, usually combining a few weeks in Germany with one other country. Most of the time with husband and young kids.

So I've seen about 17 European countries to date. Italy was the last of these, which is quite different from the experience of most travellers on this board who tend to see Italy first ;-)

Oh, and I got a Masters in Geography as well (my thesis was about Lorraine, France).

Amazing resumes here! All the "experience" adds up to expertise as a group. I hope Kent posts his background as well as several others who regularly post. I love your humor. I am glad to learn some of the travel planning I do is not unique. I do a lot of cutting and pasting from this site and others to a Word planning document for my next trip. Then I compile a journal prior to my trip so everything is handy when I need it. Yes, I use Rick's moleskine journals. I also have a Civita bag and two carry-on bags along with maps, wash cloth, laundry soap, etc etc. I went to Edmonds three years ago for a RS alumni reunion. I plan to go up this year for a couple of Saturday classes. I have taken two tours (my daughter has taken 3) and made my deposit for a 2009 Ireland tour. My first trip was with a friend, no tour. I'm leaving this month for NY, Ontario, New England, and Midwest (10 states, 1 province). I will have one state left on my "bucket list" --- Mississippi after this trip My parents introduced me to wonderful vacations. I also traveled quite a bit on business and usually took extra days to explore new areas.

Thanks & keep sharing your experiences, expertise, ideas, comments, whatever! :-)

What a great thread! I also am no "expert". I am just a very passionate traveler. Like someone who previously posted, I also grew up in a military family. We lived in the Philippines, Hawaii (while it was a territory), Japan, and all over the US. At age 6 I was shocked to find that the world is not just a series of little islands! I grew up open to differences in people and lifestyles. As an adult, for a long time travel was somewhat limited due to family circumstance. I have made up for that by marrying a wonderful man who has developed a taste and passion for travel. We feed our travel knowledge fund by reading and surfing the net. And dreaming. And traveling. I have files on the computer and also have a hard file for saving articles and comments. Travel is so incredibly easy with planning and passion. We travel independently and have been to Europe four times in the last four years. Hopefully, it will be 5 in 5 next year!

Well I am no expert and I never really give advice, but I am a former travel agent and now executive assistant so I still arrange travel, and also travel to europe and the caribbean at least once a year. I studied geography and history in school and maintain a love for it so the countries I visit must have a bit of what I studied. I am off to Italy soon so I am looking forward to it as I studied the unification of italy in my history class. I am also going to Interlaken and I did study the Lauterbrunnen (mountain formation etc)Valley in school so it will be exciting to be there. I also love to read so I read everything pertaining to travel/history/geography.
Now and then I find a question on the RS Helpline I can answer or contribute to and so I do. Being a travel agent was my dream job which I did for over 15 years and I think that once you have the love for travel you never lose it.

I am an expert on nothing but the best ice cream in Paris,, LOL

My travel experiences started as a child, my father is French( as I am having been born there, BUT, I have not lived there) so we went to spend a couple of summers at my grandmothers. She lived outside Paris ( Andresy) but our family owned and operated a hotel/cafe for many decades in Paris and stayed there during the week. It was the Calvados, which is still there( across from Gare ST Lazare).

My first trips back were with my mom and sister,( first one I was about 9) but when I was 13 I was sent on my own,, to stay for almost three months, to learn french.. my granny spoke no english! I unfortunately made lots of friends in the neighborhood with french kids that wanted to practice their english with me,,I was only to happy to let them.
I went again at 18 and stayed with a childhood friend in her tiny apartment in Paris.

At 23 my friend and I spent 3 months " doing Europe",, we had a blast, but I don't remember all of it as I was still at the immature party stage of life, LOL.
Then no Europe for about the next ten years( marriage,kids etc).
Then my dad wanted to return with me,, his treat,, to France and Switzerland .

Well that was it, I have since( that was 13 years ago) returned 6 more times.
I have returned to Paris on my own( I have relatives who have an apartment in Paris, so I stayed with them), with a friend , and with 2 of 3 of my kids.
My shortest trip was 9 days( with friend) and I swore I would never go for such a short trip agai.I usaully go for at minimum 3 weeks, longer if I can.

This past summer I finally took a RS tour.
I have never done a tour before( except a day tour to Loire Valley),but RS has a Family Tour that I thought would be fun and a great way to cover lots in a short time. The tour was great for my daughter as there were 29 people on the tour, and 14 of them were kids, and of that, 9 were girls, she had a blast and so did I !

I am probably one of the younger 'regulars' (as officially appointed by Kent ;-)) around the Helpline, in both age and experience. I've been to Europe twice, although the first time was 10 years ago and I don't really remember enough from that trip (England & Scotland) to be of much use.

The second time was RS' Rome city tour just this past December, plus a day trip out to Florence, so I do have quite a bit of useful information about a) RS tours, b) Rome, c) travel in the winter, and d) day-tripping to Florence. I also have spent a lot of time researching and preparing for an upcoming trip to Rome, Florence, and Orvieto.

I also have a voracious appetite for reading and a fairly good ability to research and remember things I've read. So, while my own experience is somewhat limited, I can remember information posted by others on the Helpline and shamelessly parrot it in other responses. ;-)

Like many here, I traveled often through the U.S. with my parents, although we tend to return to the same places a number of times before moving on, so my actual count of states is lower than you might expect. I majored in Global Studies, with a heavy dose of world history--particularly ancient Greek and Roman history--and I've always planned to be a world traveler. It's a bit difficult to do while working full-time, but I'll manage.

Man, I am spoiled, I just remembered, I have been to London and outlying( Bath, Brighton, and a small willage called " Upper Beading" in Sussex) twice also, once with friend and once on my own but visiting friends.

I have also taken 5 cruises, and numerous trips to Hawaii, and a few to L.A. one to San Francisco, a few to Las Vega, Reno, and Lake Tahoe.

We also have a motorhome and drag the kids around all over.

It sounds pretty bad to "forget" trips,,, LOL
I do suck at details though..

I am happy to say I am a travel 'expert'... not perfect by any means, that keeps it exciting, no?... but most certainly by the definition that I gained knowledge and skills through training and experience.

My first travel experiences were off to a summer course in DC when I was 20. I had to figure every detail on my own. I did that for a few years and grew braver each time. Then it was time to do the European backpacking thing on my own. The first year without a guide book even! Did it once more and decided to work in Africa after grad school. A few years there with lots of independent traveling around eastern and southern Africa overland. Finally, to working in London. This is a great city to springboard all over Europe and the world for cheap. My recent 'big' trips have been to India, Israel, Armenia, Karabagh and Georgia. I will be off to Korea and Japan next year. Eventually I will get around to the Americas. My next big move may be down under.

Greece, Portugal and Spain surprisingly are still on my to do list!

I am NOT an excpert at traveling but I have been traveling international since I was 3. My Dad is from Colombia and my Mom is from the US. When I was 9 we moved to Venezuela and did alot of traveling around while we were living there. Then I had several years of not traveling international but traveled all over the US. Then I married my husband who grew up in Puerto Rico and is in the Marine Corps Reserve and have traveled all over Central and South America again. I have only been on 2 Europe trips but with the internet and guide books I have felt very comfortable traveling. I think that my time traveling as a child helped me be more comfortable going solo while in Europe as at least 2 weeks of both of my Europe trips so far have been alone (at least w/o my hubby.)

So, though I am not an expert I have planed and done up plans for many of my friends trips to Europe so, even if I didn't get to go on those trips I live vicariously (sp?) through them. ;) Thank God they all enjoyed the trips I planed for them.

I took my first trip to Europe in 1996 very reluctantly.I loved and have been back many times.I enjoy reading people questions and responding. When I was working we always described an expert as"someone from 100 miles away: Im waiting hear from Kent and Larry.

I’ve been traveling to Europe & other international destinations for 50+ years. Father’s work (US State Department) had us outside the US when I was born and I've been traveling ever since, didn't live in the US until I was 18 and had traveled extensively by then. If you start traveling that early and live long enough, in 50-60 years you realize you've been to a few places. Work and vacations have sent me to 50 states, a bunch of countries and several continents. Work still has me traveling extensively. 2008 is the first year in some time we haven’t gone to Europe, airfares and exchange rates persuaded us to travel domestically this year. Most recent trip to Europe was exactly a year ago to France & Italy.

I have family living in several Western European countries, so started travels in Europe while still a kid in elementary school. First solo trip in Europe at 17 the summer I graduated high school. Have gone every few years since then.

Most recent trip to Europe was part of a 1 year round the world solo. Quit my job to take that trip and totally worth it - although I'm sure I will have a hard time re-adjusting to only spending 1 to 2 weeks next time I go back to Europe.

I don't think anyone on this board (with the exception of Rick Steves himself) can claim expert status when it comes to travel. I look at this board as a place to make suggestions to other travelers. Whether they use those suggestions or not is entirely up to them. And not all suggestions should be considered gospel...after all, a few years ago when I was in the process of planning my solo year long adventure I had posted something on another section of the Rick Steves graffiti board when I received a private message from a man who said I was either 'not thinking about how lonely I would be' if I left my family and friends for a whole year to travel, or that I 'must come from a very broken and dysfunctional family' if I was willing to leave home for such a long amount of time. He believed I should cut my trip to just 1 to 3 months.

His suggestion was completely ignored and I had the experience of a lifetime while he probably sat behind his computer dispensing bad advice to others and never getting out there.

I'm a real duffer compared to most people here in terms of Europe but 30+ years of steady business and pleasure travel to US, Carribean, Mexico, Central America, etc. with a handful of trips to the UK and Europe. (Somehow, Fiji and Tahiti escaped me due to some last trip cancellation) For most of that time we've averaged two vacation trips a year, usually one being a two week trip and one 7-10 days. Amongst the mostly independent travel we've done over the years were also some cruise ships, a scientific expedition, a bareboat sailboat charter, Maine windjammer trip, the typical boondoggle business trips, etc. What travel skills I have were bolstered putting together trips to go scuba diving- usually always some place difficult to get to, truly devious airline connections, few facilities and no luxuries. (all while hauling 40 pounds of underwater photo gear, batteries and film, 60 pounds of dive gear and very little clothing...)
Another thing that motivates me to learn more about travel is that despite all the money I've spent on travel over the years, I'm actually incredibly cheap- I'm fanatical about getting the best deal on air, we stay in small places, we rent houses, apartments or house-sit, shop and cook meals, etc. so that we can keep traveling. Putting in the work enables the cycle to keep going.
I will never be a real expert on travel but have learned that in most cases the unplanned things that happen on trips almost always leave you with the best stories to tell, so don't try to make a trip Perfect. And by all means, get out there, don't wait- remember, banks cannot "reposess your memories".

Ceidleh, I would call Rick Steves an expert in Europeon travel, but certainly ( and he would agree) he is not a World travel expert.
Of course certain travel smarts and know how apply anywhere you go,, but travelling in Asia and Africa are pretty different then just loping around Paris or London..
I would have a hard time calling anyone a destination expert,, unless they either lived there( and for at least a year or two) or they had been there at least 3 or 4 times for more then a week or two..BUT, I certainly do not need an EXPERT to give me good advise or recommendations,, I learn something on this board ( and others I go on) all the time, and often from people who would not be considered "experts" by themselves or others.

My first trip to Europe was a 3 month road trip with 2 friends. We were teachers in our mid twenties with boundless energy and access to a car, so we saw a lot. I have vacationed in Europe every year since (30+ years)and never tire of travel.

My dictionary includes the following definition of the word expertise: "special knowledge or training acquired through practice". That surely sounds like Kent, Lee, Frank and many of the other regulars.

I consider myself something of an expert on the bars at Atlanta's Hartsfield International Airport.

Carole, thanks for the laugh on the bars!

Carole: LOL.

I lived in Germany 6 years as a kid, but I also have a German mom, grandfather, and relatives, so I have ok insight into the culture. We traveled over a lot of Germany, and then also visited France, Belgium, England, Scotland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Austria, and Italy. I don't consider myself an expert by any means, and I am getting so much info from here for my next trip (first as a mommy, first to Venice and Berlin, and first driving myself.)

I am darn good at US road trips, though, and I earned that expertise through blood, sweat, and tears. (Or rather exhaustion, car sickness, and temper tantrums!)

Trial and error, reading, talking to others, and learning from/loving every minute of it. Even the frustrating minutes.

"Expert" is a label that implies a level of skill and experience that is beyond familiarity or competence, which is why I think most of us would just claim "experience." My first trip to Europe was in 1973, and I have been lucky enough to have a job that sends me abroad frequently and permits me to tack on personal touring time. So I've been to Europe probably thirty times. But there are areas in which I have little or no experience (Scandinavia, the Baltics, southern Italy), areas in which I have reasonable experience but none recently (Portugal, Greece, Switzerland) and areas in which I have longer stays and recent experience (Britain, Turkey, Central Europe, Spain.) So I tend not to post about, say, Portugal, because my week long visit there in 1989 doesn't mean much in terms of predicting someone's experience today, and post a lot about Turkey, because I've spent a total of four months there in the last three years.

In 4th grade we studied "The World" in geography. From then on I wanted to see "The World" and it's people. Also, my dad traveled a lot for his job and brought home tons of pictures, stories, and inexpensive presents for us as I was growing up.

Growing up in a somewhat nomadic lifestyle thanks to dad's employment, we saw much. Both parents were also all about making any excursion an educational one.

In 1991 we moved to Denmark for a bit and Rick's ETTBD was purchased new for the occasion. It's now on my desk shelf here in Germany 17yrs later. My siblings and I jammed into the back seat and laughed over the toilet section with the accompanying photo of the squat-and-aim as our parents drove us all over Europe. We were told we'd be sent to the Embassy School unless we kept thorough scrapbooks/journals, so the motivation to pay attention to details was high. ;) I had my first pickpocket experience at age 13 in the Rijksmuseum where I caught the elegant lady/thief dropping a dirty kleenex she'd pulled from my coat pocket. :P

Family, vacations, studies, and aid trips took me all over the continental US, Canada, Europe (3x living here, now in Germany with my German husband) as well as a chunk of time in the Middle East and a few other corners. I'm fluent in German (almost proficient!). I'm also an avid reader and have friends who collect frequent flier miles like CVS extra bucks. Of course we talk and swap war stories.

Apparently I've only seen 21% of this planet, been to 4 continents, and still want to see more. By nature I'm more of a see and enjoy, rather than see and tick off the list sort of person, so I do my homework before going - helps me get excited to go, and know what to do/expect when I arrive. It also means I have info to share. Others have helped me on my way, so I try to return the favor.

I grew up in San Diego and spent a lot of time in Mexico but didn't really start traveling until I joined the Air Force. I asked for an overseas assignment (thinking Europe) and was sent to the Pacific. I left the Air Force but still travel as much as I can. I've now traveled quite a bit to four continents, which means I have to make a point to visit three more.

Most of the things I now "know" about packing, choosing iteneraries, transportation and lodging, I learned from trying, and sometimes regretting, different ways.

I tend to shy away from giving specific advice about where to go or where to stay because it's based so much on personal preference. I know places that I have no desire to visit can be the highlight of someone else's trip and vice versa. I like to answer questions about what to bring, how to pack it and how to find good travel deals. I do weigh in on places I think stood out as either exceeding my expections or disappointing.

Carole,

Remember that no matter where you die, when you go to heaven, you'll have to change planes in Hartsfield, so that bar knowledge will come in handy. ;-)

My Experience started as a small child travelling with my family across Canada in a VW Beetle. We emigrated to Canada in the 60's and my dad wanted to see every corner of this New Country of ours.Every summer we would cram the car with everything we needed and my dad would drive.We camped in camp grounds, along rivers, in forests and at truck stops (we even slept in the parking lot of a grocery store once).

As an adult my future husband and I decided to spend 6 months in Europe.We learned the fine points of budgeting when we ran out of money behaving like "Tourists" and our choices became "go home" or "get work and learn to Travel".Well, our 6 months became 2 years as we travelled through Western Europe,Israel and Egypt.

This past summer we started educating our daughers (12+14)about seeing the world like Travellers and enjoyed 5 weeks in Europe. Picnic lunches,carrying "emergency food" in our day bags,reading train and bus schedules,sleeping in hostels etc quickly became Normal for them.

Although we didn't sleep in any parking lots,we did have adventures that I hope will become the beginning of Their lifelong travel experience.

Like many European children, I grew up traveling extensively, and also living in several European countries at various times.
At the age of 24, with two small children in tow, and another one on the way, I accompanied my Ex husband the USA, but maintained my roots and friendships in Europe, traveling back and forth, with at times, five children along.
Already, at the age of ten, I commuted alone by rail between boarding school in Salzburg, my grandparent's house in the Wachau and my parent's house, wherever that was at the time.
I really seem to have passed on the family genes for travel -
my children travel all the time, and my eight year old grandson flew all by himself from Boston to Vienna to spend the summer with me.

I was born with the desire to travel. My parents were not big travelers, but we would usually take one-week vacations in the summer to places like Gettysburg, Washington D.C., the NY Worlds Fair, and stuff like that. I loved all of them. All my sisters wanted to do was swim in the hotel pool, but I was always pushing to see one more thing. My dream was to go to Disneyland and Europe. I went to DisneyWorld on my honeymoon and have been there several thousand times since. I'm a Disney freak. Our first trip to Europe was in my late 20's (London with many day trips). Shortly after I got home, I got pregnant so we decided to go back (Scotland), figuring we wouldn't be able to do it again for a long time. We were right about that! We did end up taking the kids to Europe twice when they were teenagers, which was great. Now they are out of the house, so I figure this is my prime time for travel. My husband and I are still working, but we get five weeks vacation. So I am trying to cram in as much travel as I can afford before I fall apart. I love the US and Canada, but Europe is my favorite and there are a zillion places I haven't seen yet.

I stumbled onto Rick Steves when I was planning a trip to Scandanavia and couldn't find many books. As someone who loves to do lots and lots of reading before my trips, I thought his books looked too skimpy, but I loved his approach to travel. I wasn't so sure about his low cost accommodation recommendations, but with the exchange rate cutting into my budget, I have discovered he is right -- cheaper travel really is better.

I don't consider myself an expert, but I have lots of experience and do lots of reading beforehand, which I enjoy almost as much as the actual trip. You learn something on every trip.

I just discovered the Helpline this summer, and it is great. It's a community of people who enjoy traveling as much as I do.