Man, We Sure Have It Easy Now!

I'm just glad I'm not traveling back in the early 60's when my mom did. She wore skirts and heels everywhere and had to pack an iron (and I'm sure they were much bigger and heavier than any travel irons we have now). Shoot, my kids hardly ever see me use an iron. If I do, they watch me like it's some kind of show.

Maureen, if you take the cord off, they make great door stops. Then your kids would think you were crazy.

Tony,

I agree, things are much easier now. I was a bit hesitant to get an Internet connection when they were first introduced, but now can't imagine getting along without it.

We also have it a bit easier since the E.U. was formed and introduced the Euro. It sure is nice not to have to worry about changing currency every time one crosses a border. Also, crossing borders in many countries is now a "non-event".

Cheers!

"Seat of the pants" travel is easy when you are young. Now that I am older I pour lots of my time and energy into planning my trips and trying to cover every possible eventuality. I enjoy the effort, but I think it was easier in the 60's when Frommer's "Europe on $5 a Day" was the Americans' "bible." I just bought a EurailPass and went all over the place for a month, never making a reservation (I didn't know how), following a loose itinerary, and having to change my money every time I crossed a border.

I agree! I remember making sure that we had booked a room for the first night/couple of days. You had to do it way in advance because it was all by mail. Also, you had to rely on friends for suggestions or go with a travel agent. Once you got there finding a room was not a problem. I remember a trip to Greece that I made with a friend. Every ferry was greeted by women holding signs and calling out "Rooms, Rooms!" We would then take turns, one of us in the cafe with the luggage, and the other off to check out the room. Pam

Pamela ,, I must have been in Greece during same era as you ( 1985) I remember that too.. wonder if its still the same now??

Tony ,,, totally agree ,, it is so easy and fun now to plan and book a trip.. I remember going into an Amex office in Amsterdam to book a room for first night in Athens,, back then we didn't want to arrive in a big city with no place for first night,, but we were young and budget travellers and definately did not use travel agents for hotels,, just winged it mostly,, and found ourselves in some real dumps!

After planning so many trips now, I actually kind of want to do a few the old fashioned way! All of this research tends towards information overload. I kind of want to just roll in to a place and see what happens.

But there's a part of me that presumes all that would happen is that the whole trip would just cost more.

I remember going to Hawaii and using a travel agent. We booked our air/accommodations and a car through them. The cost for two weeks was a lot more than what we spend on a month in Europe!! I also remember travelling to London and not even having a room booked! Once we got a room, we'd go to the Tourist office to get brochures and info on things to see and do. We much prefer the way it is now. I cannot imagine going anywhere totally unprepared. I do some preparation and probably should do even more, but it works for us.

Tony:

Amen! The internet is a travler's best friend. Just the opportunity to see the hotel, the rooms, read reviews - takes so much tension and anxiety out of the planning process.

Now we mix up some detailed planning with a little of the "seat of the pants" old school travel - just for fun.

I remember in 1988 I planned my first trip to Germany. I roughed out an itinerary, then got a copy of Michelin guide. I looked up each town, found accommodations, and wrote to them. I started in March and by August, when I left for Germany, there was still one night unreserved.

In 2000, I took my next trip. I used the internet and made all my reservations for rooms in two weekends.

My first trip in the late 60's was really by the seat of my pants. Flew into Frankfurt, stayed there a couple days then on trains to wherever. Few spoke English back then but always managed. Many of the places I stayed were in small towns in a Gausthaus above a restaurant or bar. Big feather beds. I really visited small town Germany & Austria and the most enjoyable trips you could imagine. My trip this Sept is all planned out but may dump plans a couple days and do it the old way again.

Yes, it was different years ago. On my first solo overseas trip I had no idea where I would spend the night when the plane landed. All I had was my Lonely Planet bible and a few suggestions from some folks on the plane. I found decent lodging for around $12/night! Now I make all my arrangements online. And yes, crossing borders in Europe is easier. But I do miss getting all those national stamps in my passport. I filled my first passport on a couple overseas trips. Now that all those European countries are in the EU, it takes a lot more trips to fill a passport. ;-)

I remember buying plane tickets at the airline ticket counters at the World Trade Center. I remember for my first trip to Europe having to go to American Express to ask for a bank draft in Dutch guilders because the hotel I had booked could not take credit cards. That was '96, not very long ago.

Remember Travelers Checks? Yep, we still have them but now we use the ATM! Things really do change in such a short time, and that makes life so much more exciting!
I wonder what we will have next!!

In 1960 we travelled by a Dutch student ship....there were no 747s then. We flew home on
a BOAC Commet jet and had to refuel in Iceland!
We just carried traveler's checks and knew the address of every American Express office. People had mail sent c/o Amex and you went to pick it up! No phone calls home in 2 1/2 months!!!

But you know what...it was glorious!!! The BandB in London in So Kensington cost 19/6 which is just less than a pound!!! Does anyone remember the harp shop on
Old Brompton Road? So Ken is still my favorite London neighborhood but now it is terribly upmarket.

My first trip to England in 1968 was done thru a travel agent as I was travelling with my aunt. Not nearly as much fun as a year later when three of us set off for Europe backpacking for 1 1/2 years!! Of course there was no internet to book hostels ahead so we spent plenty of nights sneaking in and sleeping on the floor and then out really early in the morning because hostel was full! As I recall, the cost of a night in a H.I. hostel was 10 - 25 cents. We hitch hiked the whole time except for Greek Islands and thru Turkey. The three of us still have many fond memories and made lifelong friends who are now all over the world. As a matter of fact we had a reunion in Greece in 2008 where several of us originally met and remain wonderful friends to this day. Now our 2 -3 months a year in Europe are all done on the internet, altho we still wing it when we are travelling in the off season and have often found 40 Euro a night hotels in Italy and Greece in March and early April.

Yes, it sure was fun and exciting in the old days. Everyone wanted $$$ as they were worth much more. German marks were worth .25 cents. Easy to do a two week trip for $200 plus air. I got off trains in small towns where some people had never seen an American. Was just a fun way to travel

I do not think that "seat of your pants" travel need be dead. I for one enjoy a flexible, wandering journey, finding the exploration factor adds an aspect to the trip that has it's own attraction. In 2002 we took off for Europe with only a flight into Athens and a ticket out of Milan; no other reservations for transport or lodging, and had one of our best trips yet. The Greek Islands, to me, are still best done by hopping a ferry, showing up, and getting a room (Yes, the old ladies still meet you at the dock and they have some of the best rooms you can not find on the web or even by phone.) The internet certainly helps in research, a reservation if you need it, providing information that no guidebook could start to cover, but I have to be a little romantic for the "unknown" in travel.

Sleeping in our compact car in Grenada during a downpour that turned to snow during the night, because Grenada is a bit isolated and there was a festival in town the day we arrived we did not know about beforehand because...well....there really was no way TOO know about it, so no rooms were available. At least we were parked below the Alhambra, which they illuminate at night. I thought, at least if I die before morning, I have something pretty to look at as my eyes fade out......

Thinking we could sleep on a night train in Italy back in the day, when it would have been nice to know that EVERYONE thought they could sleep on a night train back then. My choice seat on the floor was next to the busy wc.

Trying to sleep in the Bologna train station starting at 2 in the morning for four hours till our train left. This was pretty bad.

Pre-GPS and trying to drive out of Madrid, Spain. We rented our car in downtown. We soon learned that there is absolulely no access from downtown Madrid to the outskirts of Madrid. None. Nade. Zilch. No logical route. Eight hours later (I am not kidding) we escaped by going out of downtown to the east. Our plan was to head west.

Italian train strikes. They actually TELL you now when the trains will go on strike. Talk about having it easy now. Our train from Rome to Naples went on strike twenty miles from Naples. In the middle of nowhere. They left us to figure out what to do. Fortunately, another train that was NOT on strike (I for some reason miss this about Italy) came along and we all scampered across four lines of tracks like refugees in a bad movie to board this train before it pulled away.

Good memories.

First trip, 1965 for 6mos. Heavy, cumbersome backpacks.Europe on $5 a Day..also big & heavy! Hitchhiking,buses and sl-o-o-w 3rd class trains, sometimes with various fowl as traveling companions."Footprints in the snow" outhouses...some awful!Some hostels you hoped to get to early enough to sign up for the "good" morning chores. Occassionally straw mattresses.Standing in the rain trying to thumb a ride. Selling a pint of blood in Athens for enough money to cover almost 2 days expenses. Am. Express always one of our first stops in a new city..to pick up mail from home and meet other young people to share info on transportation, where to stay in different places and where to find cheap eats. I don't think anyone worried about blending in or the color of their shoes.We were young and it was an incredible experience!
I am 67 now,leave in 38 days for my 4th trip since 2000 (only took 45 years!) still use a backpack but what a backpack! It is light & has wheels if I need them! Prep & planning done easily on internet..like working on an exciting puzzle to get everything in place. The excitement of planning and the experience, fun and rewards when we are finally there are every bit as wonderful as 45 yrs. ago. One difference, although still traveling on a budget,thankfully it is a much better budget so the accommodations, meals, transportation etc. are sooo much better!!

Hey Pam, your 65 trip sure brings back memories as I was there also in 64 and 65. I LOL at some of your memories as mine were similiar. I just turned 65 and am leaving in 47 days for 3 weeks. I am however concerned about you having the wrong color shoes and hope you have the right travel bra. I am looking for a travel jock just in case I run into a senior rugby or soccer match. Just amazes me what some people consider important and thepeople in Europe would all LOL if they read some of the stuff people post. Enjoy each and every minute of your upcoming trip. It will be wonderful but somehow I doubt if we will ever have as much fun as we did back then.