Tips on Backpacking and Staying in Hostels

If you've never stayed in a hostel before, it can be an intimidating experience. It's really not much different that sharing a dorm room at college with someone, except that sometimes you're sharing a room with many other people. If you want peace and quiet, but can't afford a private room, booking a dorm with fewer beds is a good idea. I tend to try to book four bed dorms. Six at the most. When I was younger, I once stayed in a 22 bed dorm. Talk about an experience! I don't suggest doing something like that, except for maybe a single night.

Make sure you bring all the toiletries you need. Some hostels will have soap dispensers in the bathroom and in the showers, but not all of them. Also, make sure you bring a towel, as they are usually not provided. Some hostels will rent you a towel for the duration of your stay, but not all of them.

Don't bring a sleeping bag. Most hostels don't allow them for health reasons.

In order to keep your pack smelling as good as possible (and let me tell you, it won't smell that great even so), you'll want to wash your underwear and socks every day. Taking time to wash them in the sink is a pain in the ass, so I suggest doing what my sister taught me, and that is washing them while you're in the shower. I bring a little vial (or two) of actual laundry soap to do this. Regular soap or shampoo or body wash, does not work very well. I will put a little drop of laundry soap on my socks and underwear and scrub them while I'm in the shower. You can hang them to dry over night. Most of the time, they will be dry before you have to leave, even if it's the next morning. Most bunks will have bars on them, and this is a great place to hang wet stuff, like your towel.

Beware of damp rooms though. Even the thinnest of wet laundry won't dry in a damp room, even if allowed days to do so. Sometimes you can alleviate the dampness by opening a window if possible. Be sure to close the windows by evening though, to avoid mosquitoes.

Try not to rush to too many places too quickly. After a while, you won't care about another Roman ruin, or another classical painting, no matter how cool it is. Bring moleskin and band-aids. You're going to need them. And aspirin and glass wipes (if you wear glasses). Your feet and legs are going to hurt like a son of a bitch, even if you have been walking a lot at home. You're going to wind up walking more than you have been, no matter how much you were doing before you left. I had worked myself up to walking five miles before most of my trips, and I think on average I walked 12-15 miles per day during these last two trips.

You will want to get a small pad lock, so you can lock up your pack or other valuables if there are lockers. Most hostels do have lockers, some big enough to fit your pack. Others only have small lockers. Don't leave valuables lying around. In hostels without lockers, keep your stuff zipped up and under the bed or something, out of sight. Better yet, don't travel with anything of value. Leave your iPhone and tablet at home. The first time I went backpacking, I didn't even have a cell phone. Nowadays, you can purchase Sim cards that will fit in an old unlocked phone in order to be able to call home. The great thing about buying a European Sim card is that you can accept incoming calls for free. Your family can get a cheap calling card and call you for much less than using your American cell phone there. In '09, I spent $400 on phone calls with AT&T. Don't give the evil empire your money!

Look for hostels that have 24-hour reception. This might not seem like a big deal, but if you ever have a problem in the middle of the night, it's nice to have someone to turn to.

Some hostels have laundry facilities. You can travel with less clothing if you plan when you will be able to do a whole load of laundry. Having to lug a heavy pack of clothing around will put a damper on your day. Don't bring enough clothes for six months, even if you're traveling for that long. Besides what you are wearing, two pairs of pants, two shirts, and five days worth of underwear is plenty. When you change out of clothes, be sure to hang them up in order to air them out, so they will not smell when you wear them again. I usually wear clothes for three days, and I hang them up in between (or throw them over a rail or bed if there isn't a wardrobe with hangers). If you have to change hostels, hang up your clothes as soon as you can after arriving. I usually try to wash right after my initial arrival at the first hostel. I refuse to wear airplane clothes two days in a row, they always smell terrible. When you get ready to do laundry, don't forget to wash your towel and pajamas. It will feel refreshing to have clean stuff.

Wear 8" boots. Yeah, it sucks having to get them off and back on in the security line at the airport, but they can save your ankles (and your trip) if you turn your foot on a cobblestone. My sister brings flip-flops to wear to the shower. I don't. I still have my feet and to my knowledge, haven't caught any diseases.

Despite your attempt at cleanliness, you will smell. You won't notice it however while you're traveling. If you're concerned about smelling like the road and the hostel, bring something to counteract it, like good smelling perfume or febreeze. I had no idea how horrid my pack smelled until I had been home a couple of days. It would knock your nose off. And I'd tried to keep everything clean and washed up.

Take the reviews on Hostelworld with a grain of salt. If you're on a budget, know that you get what you pay for. It ain't going to be the Hilton if it's €15 a night. Most hostels are clean enough for most people. If you're really picky about everything being perfect, maybe backpacking isn't for you. Save your money longer and pay for better accommodation. However, you will never meet anyone in a private room. I've met some really cool people while backpacking. 

While I think it's safe to associate with other backpackers, as a general rule, do not engage random strangers. There are all kinds of scammers and criminal-types attempting to sell you fake goods or pick your pocket. Don't look at them. Don't talk to them. Keep walking. Don't be afraid to offend. For the most part, traveling alone as a woman is safe, but you need to use your head. Don't go out drinking with people you don't know at three o'clock in the morning. Don't meet someone you met online in a secluded location. These are not good ideas. When I travel alone, I am back at the hostel at dark and I get up early because I'm interested in the historical and archaeological stuff. If you're wanting to party and pub-hop, I suggest getting some friends that you trust together to go with you so you can watch out for each other. 

Good luck and have fun backpacking!

Journal Entry: Leaving Paris

I am at Orly. Way too early. I’ve been here for a while actually. I used the lady’s room, saw about getting on an earlier flight (I would have had to pay) and about getting an exit row seat (no-go there either). 

 

Dawn in Paris

I got a Cappuccino and a Pain au Chocolat from the Illy stand. There is that and a couple other shops beyond security, but that’s about it.

I took the RER-B train here. There were very shady young men hanging around the platform at Gare du Nord. In fact, I was crossing the bridge not 10 meters from the hostel and a couple picked something up off the ground (sound familiar) and then started talking to me. I don’t even look at them.

While on the train, a young, healthy looking male came by passing out cards begging for money. Usually it’s a woman with a baby.

Oh, and when buying the ticket for the Orly shuttle, which was an exorbitant €8.40 for a ten minute ride (if that), the machine spit out what I thought was the ticket, but it was a receipt. I had selected “non” for the receipt. The gate wouldn’t take it, and the man at the gate didn’t speak enough English to tell me it was a receipt. I went to the window and the man there explained it to me. So stupid. 

Also, I nearly got on the wrong train at Gare du Nord. It said track 42 for the train that goes to Orly (RER-B) and track 44 for the RER-D. Well guess what train was on track 42? Not the RER-D you say? Why yes it was. The screen was thoroughly confusing. I only realized it after boarding the train that the map said “RER-D” I hopped off a half second before the doors closed. 

Looks like the 8:10a flight is a little late leaving. I only have an hour and a half at Heathrow. I few come into Terminal B or C, I will have to go back through security. I don’t want to miss my flight home. I want to be in my own bed tonight. 

Paris from the Air

Journal Entry: Raining on my Parade & Get Out of My Face

It is raining pretty hard now. It was drizzling earlier, and if you stick to the side of the buildings you won’t get very wet. I put on my packaway jacket to go get dinner. I decided to eat a pizza just this once, since I am in Italy. I asked the guy at the front desk where the best pizza was and he told me, a place called “Pizza Man.” I got the “Napoli.” It had sardines on it, which was a surprise. I thought the menu had said anchovies, but perhaps their English is a bit mixed up (or mine is!). [LOL I was so tired, I was thinking olives, which is not the same at all.] I really liked it although it was nearly cold by the time I got it back to the hostel, what with the cold rain and all. I heated up two slices in the toaster oven. This hostel does have a nice kitchen. I don’t think they’re supposed to be able to have one, but maybe because there is no stove it doesn’t count. 

 

Pizza and a Birra Moretti

Hopefully I’ll sleep better tonight, as I have an extra blanket for my feet. If the rain keeps up, I may have to either buy an umbrella (not from the street sellers!) (one of which I said “basta!” to tonight because I was sick of having them step in front of me and shove an umbrella in my face)** or take a cab to the train station. That would be an interesting ride. I think an umbrella would be cheaper. My pack is water resistant, but not water-proof.

I bought Jan a scarf from a merchant’s stall. I hope she likes it. It sounds like what she was looking for.

I am already toastier with my extra blanket. The desk guy and I were talking about down comforters while he was fetching me a blanket. He didn’t know what they were called in English. I told him I sleep with one year round. He said he’d just put his away and it had turned cold again. It is very cold here compared to Texas, and colder than Naples too. I hope the change in weather doesn’t give me a cold! 

If it’s not raining in the morning, I am going to go to a market that takes place on one of the squares, almost between here and the train station. Also, I will have American Breakfast! 

**The umbrella sellers were the most obnoxious part of this trip. These were the same people selling fake purses (which are ILLEGAL), and the second it started raining, the purses would disappear, and the umbrellas would come out. Except,  they didn't keep the umbrellas on the ground like the purses. No, they would step out into your path and shove the umbrella nearly into your face and keep saying 'brello, brello, brello' while trying to follow you as you attempted to avoid running into them. Absolutely annoying. They were all over Florence and Pisa, and I would think twice before going back to either because of them.

Journal Entry: Florence First Evening

This hostel in Florence is good, there are some minor things that could be better. Like fans in the room. It’s too quiet.

 

Hostel Courtyard

The water in the shower also does not stay a constant temperature, it goes from hot to cold every other minute.

I found the American breakfast place where Lizzie ate! It’s called, hell I can’t remember, but it’s on the corner of the square by the duomo (called Astor).

I climbed to the cupola in the duomo. It was worth the €8, although part of the way is two-way traffic in a very narrow,  and very steep corridor. I am going to the Accademia and the Uffizi in the morning. I will stop by the duomo inbetween perhaps. I did not see the main part of the church yet. 

 

From the Cupola of the Duomo

There are really too many tourists here, it’s one big tourist trap really. Might be better in the off-season.

Oh, and here there are some foreigners, I’m not sure their ethnicity [south-east Asian?] that were selling the same kitsch [and fake purses] that the Nigerians were selling in Rome. They had set up their goods on sheets in the square of the duomo. As I was trying to find the hostel, the lot of them suddenly gathered up their goods and ran like mad through the square. I suppose the police were coming, although I never saw the police. [It was an impressive thing to see.]

The door to the hostel is very old and very short. I hit my head coming in, pretty hard. I have a pump knot [for those of you not from western NC, that's a goose egg, or a lump] on the top [of my head], the guy who runs the hostel was so nice, he gave me some ice to put on it.

The gelato in Portici is better [and cheaper].

Gelato

I am going to order four eggs for breakfast. Watch me.

Journal Entry: Portici

I arrived in Portici a little after noon. The Napoli Centrale station had received a massive makeover since I was here last. There were all these nice and new upscale shops.

 

I like Portici, you can walk from Fabric Hostel to Herculaneum

There are a lot of African men panhandling this time. I saw more of them than I’ve seen gypsies. I had a banana for breakfast along with a few veggie chips and an apple for lunch. By the time dinner rolled around I was starving. I bought some deep fried pizza for €2. There was nothing else and it was delicious. I also bought a large Peroni beer for €1.50.

Herculaneum was amazing. V. and I had missed a whole lot of stuff. I’d say we only saw about half of the place. I took a few hundred pictures. 

 

View of Herculaneum with Vesuvius in the Background

I walked to Herculaneum from Portici, down the narrow, “shady” road that V. and I had walked, but it didn’t see so dodgy to me this time. Maybe it was because it was earlier in the day. When V. and I walked it, I think everyone was on siesta. 

And speaking of V., I am staying in the same room! Not the same bunk though. The showers could stand to have somewhere to put toiletries. 

 

Fabric Hostel

The Italian SIM card in my phone is working out nicely. Jan and Andy called me this evening. It costs me nothing, other than the cost of the SIM card, which was €20. It costs them 4 cents a minute. A very good deal. [Last time my phone bill was $400 when I got home.]

Anyway, I went off on a tangent there. I walked back up the hill to the Circumvesuviana line and took the train back to Portici, with the intent of finding something to eat on the way down Via Libertá. I think the pizza place where V. and I ate went out of business (or maybe they moved somewhere else?) Where I think they were, there is a fabric store now. It seems there aren’t many places to eat anymore along the road here. I seem to remember there being more, although my memory does suck!

Tomorrow I am going to Pompei and possibly Sorrento if I get done early at Pompei. We will see.