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Dress to Impress Your Wallet: an inexpensive store to shop for clothes in Europe

Have you ever taken a vacation only to realize you didn't pack for the right weather?  Last May I flew into London in order to begin an around Europe rail trip and found myself freezing!  I continued to tell myself; it will get warmer.  By the time I was in Amsterdam though, I was still freezing and the two long sleeve shirts I had brought along with the one pair of jeans were just not going to hold out.  That is when I wandered into one of the best places for budget travelers to pick up extra, fashionable and cheap clothes.

Founded in 1841by two brothers, Clemens and August, in the Netherlands, C&A began as a textiles company and in 1861 opened its doors as a clothing store. Did you know that JC Pennys didn't open until 1902? By providing fashionable, off the rack wearables C&A quickly began spreading around Europe, opening stores in France, England, Germany and several other countries.  Today there are about 900 stores throughout Europe (Although England has recently done away with the store) and they are still growing.

The store offers a wide selection of clothing and in typical European style they generally look "fashion forward" compared to what you get in the States.  While I was in Amsterdam last year I found several great Jackets on the clearance racks which I would have expected to pay at least twice as much.  Whether you run out of socks or need a new pair of jeans to replace the ones you cut the legs off of to use as swimming trunks you can find a cheap pair here. 

Locals " affectionately" refer to C&A as Cheap & Awful but that is no more the case than Old Navy.  And even less the case because their clothes generally hold up to wear and style more like the Gap (ok ok this may not be saying much but come on you're on a budget and H & M is a bit pricey).  I was in the KaDeWe (Kaufhause de Westens: the largest department store on the European Continent: Berlin) last summer and realized I just couldn't afford anything there.  I approached a sales lady and asked "gibt es ein C&A nahe?" [is there a C&A near by] in poor Germany, and she jokingly rolled her eyes at me and gave me directions. It is just one of those stores that everyone knows is inexpensive and no one admits that half their clothes come from there. I recommend searching out these stores whenever the need arises and you will certainly be happy you did. 

If you are in Berlin one C&A is going to be over by the Zoo train station.  I f you are facing the entrance of the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church (the one all hollowed out from a WWII bombing) it will be down the street behind you on the left (KaDeWe is the opposite direction).  When in Amsterdam you can find at least one of the C&As straight down the street Damrak that runs directly into the Central train station (half underground half above).  After spilling sangria on your best shirt in Barcelona you will be able to find a C&A right near the Catalunya Metro stop north of Las Ramblas.  After following my advice and visiting Tuebingen you will be able to find the nearest C&A just a short train ride over to Reutlingen, the nearest big city.   

Of course there are many more of these stores around and you really should have no problem finding one in most major cities as you travel around Europe, topping off your wardrobe and figuring out what you forgot to pack.

Walk Like You're British:totally free guided tours around london,amsterdam,berlin and Paris

  You arrive in a major European city for the first time, your on a budget and have just a few days.  Walking around aimlessly or by relying on your guide book's limited info and hard to read maps can take a lot of your time and before you really know your way around or what you ha ve seen you have to move on.  Taking a guided tour is probably the best way to find your way around and gain valuable insights into what it is you're actually looking at.  Unfortunately these can put a dent in the limited funds you have set aside.  Don't worry there is a completely free option that will help you feel like a local in about 3 hours.

On a recent trip to London I first became aware of a new company that offers free guided tours around the city.  There were flyers in the hostel I stayed at and chances are there will be some where ever you are staying too.  At first I thought...it does say free..but what's the catch and what really can I expect from a free tour?  The truth of the matter is there is no catch and you can expect a superb tour with a great guide who will not only walk you through the city pointing out the major sights but also show you things that your guide book won't take the time to mention.  After the tour I was able to orient myself in the city and explore the sights I was interested in more in depth with an efficiency that made the best use of my time.

The company that provides these tours is called New Europe tours and operate s in several major cities throughout Europe.  In London you will likely see flyers for "New London tours" a nd likewise in Berlin they will be called "New Berlin tours"...you get the idea.  The tour guides are usually locals or students working their way through college who's incentive is providing you with the best tour possible so that you feel like tipping them at the end.  This however is completely voluntary and the only pressure to do so will come from your own conscious.  No matter what, you will pay less to tip these guides than you will for a paid tour of the same caliber where you will feel just as responsible to tip in the end anyways. Then again, you certainly do not have to tip if you don't feel like it. According to my tour guide the company's real money comes from their other tours such as pub crawls and ghost tours. These seem to bring in more than enough revenue to support the free ones that ultimately act as advertisement for the pay tours.  Don't worry though you won't be given any sort of hard sell...just one or two suggestions and even then you will receive a disc ount on any pay tour just for taking the free one if you so decide.

As I mentioned above, I tried out this tour in London and was more than satisfied.  The company also offers tours in Berlin, Amsterdam, Paris, Munich and Edinburgh.  In London everyone meets at a central point and from there you are taken on a 2.5-3 hour walking tour all through the city.  You can leave the group at anytime and there will even be a break at some point where you will stop for some snacks and drinks.  This is where I first tried the Pasties I wrote about last week.   Even having been in London before this tour saved me a great deal of time finding my way around for the rest of my stay.  The guide is even a great resource to ask questions about sights and culture and since you're on the tour with others who are probably in the same boat you are (limited time and money), you may meet some great people to hang out with after.  I think this should be on every new visitor's plan for the first day of sight seeing in the cities it is offered.

The Greatest City You Have Never Heard Of: tuebingen germany

Berlin is progressive, Dresden is beautiful and Munich is rich in  history but you’re missing out on a huge part of Germany if you stay on the beaten travel path. There are many small towns and villages sprinkled throughout Germany that can give you a taste of the local German culture without the underlying emphasis on appealing to tourists. Getting too and enjoying oneself in a small village is sometimes too much to ask but there is an alternative. Tübingen is a relatively small German city in Baden Württemberg which while seemingly stuck in time is home to a major University providing it with a progressiveness and young vibrant undercurrent.

Having lived in Tübingen for over a year I am often asked, as I recommend a visit to all I meet, where is this place? In short the easiest way to locate this traditional town on a map is to find Stuttgart (the nearest airport you can fly into) and follow the Neckar river down for about the equivalent of a 40 min. drive. If you do happen to arrive at Stuttgart airport there are several options to get you here. A regularly scheduled bus, train or car rental are all inexpensive and easy to find.

The oldest part of the city or Altstadt is still a traditional south German city with half-timbered buildings, cobblestone roads and small shops lining the historic Marktplatz (market place). Having survived WWII bombings because of is military insignificance the Altstadt stands today as a memory of an older Germany. In fact, one of the focal points of the city is the Stiftskirche which was one of the first in Germany to convert from Roman Catholicism to Protestantism creating an odd juxtaposition of faith and architecture. There is also a breathtaking view of the city and the surrounding countryside when you climb the churches tower for just a couple Euros. Or, save the Euros and buy yourself a Döner Kebab (similar to a Gyro) right around the corner at the cheapest but tastiest Döner stand in the city.

One may even take notice of an indication that many famous persons have called Tübingen home throughout history by looking over their shoulder as they enter the church. On the wall above you are two placards one indicates that Goethe wohnte hier (lit. Goethe lived here) and beside it the other reads Goethe kotzte heir (lit. Goethe puked here). This stands as a testament to the number of small, cozy bars, each with its unique character that dot the city. Personally, I enjoy bringing a bottle of wine down to the fountain that stands before the Rathaus on the Martkplatz and chatting with other locals and students. Not speaking German is not a problem in this University City.

The city resides along the Neckar River where on warm days one can take a Stocherkahn ride (like a gondola) or grab a seat at the local Biergarten and enjoy the view. The Hefeweizen at the Neckar Müller restaurant is brewed in-house and some of the best you will ever taste. Moving out from the city center the area becomes a little more progressive and a younger crowd dominates the few night clubs that find themselves packed most evenings. The Blaue Turm caters to a different crowd each night and varies its theme from hip-hop to reggae to gay and lesbian night.

If you are more the outdoorsy type then there are several hikes that take you out of the city and into the countryside. The possibilities range from enjoying a short climb to the local castle or a meandering forest walk to the nearby village of Bebenhausen. Here you can explore the famous Bebe nhausen Abby which was built sometime around 1190 and stands in the middle of a village called home by only 350 residents. The honest truth is that in every nook and cranny of this picturesque little city you can find something to do and new sights to see. The people are  friendly and the town is inviting. A short visit may just have you calling it a home away from home just as it did for me.

Evading a Ticket in Germany: know what your eurail pass is good for

Although it was definitely not my first time using a Eurail pass to travel around last summer I made a costly mistake.  Knowing what your Eurail pass actually covers is very important and will not only potentially save you money but also time.  Here is an example of just how important this info can be.

Not really taking the time to thoroughly understand the rules, regulations and limits on particular inner-city train tickets in Berlin last year I ran into a bit of a problem.  Purchasing a ticket for what I thought was travel through 3 stops from my point of departure I soon found out that I was mistaken and had gone one stop too far.  After being approached and pulled aside by the "train police"(controller) I was asked to present my ticket and then "asked" to disembark at the next stop.  Doing so I was promptly written a costly ticket (about 40 Euros) and sent on my way. Being rather surprised and hoping the German man who was pulled off the train for the same reason could convince the officers that I was genuinely an idiot for not reading the signs, it never occurred to me to pull out my Eurail pass.  In fact at the time I thought that if I pretended not to speak German (which I can) they would magically understand that there was no way I could possibly understand the law and therefore send me on my way with a coupon for a free Bratwurst mit Senf.  I realized later that I was in actuality just responding to the questions they asked me in German with English answers...Its amazing what one does when surprised by foreign authority.

In the end I walked away with a ticket and confusion as how to pay it.  The front desk people at my hostel  saw no reason I should pay the ticket but rather suggested  I forget about it and move on to the next country on my trip. Its not like the German authorities were going to track me down and make me pay.  They didn't even get my passport number.  I gave them my US drivers license. But although the German kids at the hostel made sense on a completely irresponsible level, it did not sit well with me.  I did hope one day to return to Germany and however unlikely, I did not need to worry about being deported over a 40 Euro ticket.  Then it occurred to me; I was on a train, did my Eurail pass cover my fare?  Well, long story (and even longer wait at the S-Bahn ticket office) short, a Eurail pass valid in Germany will cover the fair on the S-Bahn in Berlin.  NOT THE U-BAHN!! (think about it in terms of "S" referring too Surface and "U" referring too Underground) [In reality the S stands for Stadtschnellbahn and the U stands for Untergrundbahn] Just show your rail pass to any official who asks for your Fahrschein or Ticket

  This meant that in order to clear up the situation I had to stay in Berlin an extra day (not all that bad) and do quite a bit of train switching so that I could go to a particular office that would overturn the ticket.  For anyone who has lived in Germany...the fact that only one office, not centrally located and difficult to find can perform this function is not surprising...it just adds to their charm.   Eventually I took care of the problem and presented the official with my Eurail pass and an explanation (this time I spoke German) and all turned out well.

Th moral of the story is check into and know what your Eurail pass covers.  There are many discounts or freebies for each country that your Pass is valid in.  You can find information on each country's discounts at the raileurope.com site.  Just locate the country your headed too under the rail pass section and click on the special travel bonuses link.  Knowing these things may just save you time, money and the embarrassment of not speaking German worse than you do speak German.

                         

                A Eurail Pass valid in Germany is also good towards:

Trains

• Travelers with a German Rail Pass do not pay supplement on ICE, IC, EC trains or City Night Line trains (only if the pass covers the entire route)** Reservations, however, are strongly recommended during peak travel times. ** Exception: supplements may be required for ICE Sprinter trains.
• The pass and German TCV tickets cover the S-Bahn service
• Berlin-Warsaw Express – special reduced fare for German Rail Pass holders.

Private Rail Road

• Bayerische Zugspitzbahn – 10% reduction on round-trip tickets to Germany’s highest mountain, near Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

Ferries and Cruises

• Free transportation on boats of the Koln-Dusseldorf Rheinschiffahrt AG Line (KD Rhine Line) on:
  • The River Rhine between Cologne and Mainz
  • The Mosel River between Koblenz and Cochem am Mosel.
  • A supplement is needed for the hydrofoil. (Ships with cabins are not included).
• On the Lake of Constance a 50% reduction on all boats operated by Bodenseeschifffahrtsbetriebe

Buses

• A 60% discount on the following Europabus routes:
  • "Romantic Road" route,(Frankfurt am Main–Wurzburg–Augsburg–Munich–Fussen
  • "Castle Road" route (Mannheim–Heidelberg–Rothenburg o.d.T.) Seasonal traffic (from May to Sept). It is strongly recommended to reserve seats about two working days in advance by contacting: Deutsche Touring GmbH, Am Römerhof 17, 60486 Frankfurt am Main, Germany Phone: ++49-69-790-30; Fax: ++49-69-790-32-19