How to Prepare for Winter Travel to Europe
Europe is one of the most popular travel destinations, as well as the place that requires the most preparation beforehand. ST gives our readers the useful tips in preparation for a trip to Europe during winter. …………….Ed
Many college students go abroad during their vacation. In particular, most college students have a dream of long-term traveling to Europe during the peak season from the end of June to the end of August when the college students begin their summer vacation. Summer travel to Europe has the advantage of less weight and longer daytime, but on the other hand, the prices are much higher, based on the number of tourists at this time of the year, and too many people are crowded in every major tourist destination. For this reason, I would like to share a travel preparation method of traveling to Europe, which is cheap and leisure.
1. Packing
The biggest drawback of winter travel is heavy and thick clothes. Europe is not as cold as Korea, but the sensation temperature is low because of areas with frequent rainfall and early sunset due to the winter season. Most college students will be traveling on foot, so it is a good idea to take several kinds of thin clothes to reduce the load if necessary. Thick sweaters are bulky, and wearing multiple layers of thin clothes is better than the bulk of the load. Inaddition, you can change your clothes on the outside and take a variety of pictures while wearing them.
2. Purchase of Transportation and Vouchers
You can buy most of the admission tickets on the spot. Tickets for trains and for internationally popular London musicals, however, must be booked at least two months prior if you want to reserve the dates and seats you want at a reasonable price. The famous Eurailpass, FlixBus, and Trans Italia, among others, are getting more expensive every day, so the faster you buy, the more affordable you can travel. If it is too late, it may not be available because of unavailable seats. You can also use the “OUI” application to book tickets for international transit trains on your smartphone. If you book like this, the barcode, which will serve as the voucher, is stored in the smartphone, so it is more convenient because there is no need to print it separately. If you go to London, you will see a variety of musicals. You can book directly, but even those seats are around 150,000 won per person. However, if you make a reservation through a blog in Korea, you can buy a good seat with a price of 200,000 won for about 70,000 won because you are making a joint purchase. In addition, you can save time by entering many museums and temples with the voucher without standing a long line, even if the prices are the same.
3. Accommodation
Hotels have good facilities and a private room, but they are too expensive for college students. Instead, you can use a dormitory-type youth hostel and a Korean hostel. The youth hostel has the advantage of being able to make friends with various nationalities because various countries people use it. Korean hostels are a bit more expensive than the youth hostels, but the facilities (e.g., heating and showers) are more convenient because there are only Koreans, and you can listen to the travel advice from Korean hosts or tourists. The biggest advantage of the Korean hostel is the Korean food provided for breakfast and dinner. If you go on a long trip for more than a month, you will eventually end up gaining weight when you eat only fatty European food. At that time, eating a Korean meal provided by a Korean homestay can reduce the cost or physical burden associated with meals. At the Naver cafe “Yurang” (http://cafe.naver.com/firenze), there are reviews by customers regarding the price, meal, cleanliness, and hospitality. The café staff will be more than happy to assist you in finding the right accommodation.
4. Security
The biggest disadvantage of traveling in Europe is the lack of security, such as being pilfered from crowded subways or sightseeing spots, or being snatched money in front of an automated ticket office. You have to be prepared in advance to avoid this. The most basic method is to lock the entrance to the carrier, backpack, or zipper. This is because they can take items from the bag. The next step is to keep your passport, ID card, and cash inside your clothes. Thin and small travel bags that can hold passports and money are actually being sold. For this reason, you should keep your mobile phone or other currencies inside your bag, such as a body sack, that can be placed in front of your chest while keeping the rest of your money and your passport inside your clothes. In particular, when you travel to Europe during winter, it is advantageous that you do not get tired easily even if you wear a bag because your clothes are thick.
If you travel to Europe during winter, you can enjoy the spectacular views of the snow, or enjoy various festivals and events especially during the Christmas and New Year seasons. If you are planning to travel to Europe with the aforementioned valuable tips, you will be able to enjoy Europe in the middle of winter with a fully prepared trip, even if it is your first time to travel to this place.
Park Tae-ha (ST Cub-Reporter)
xogk0831@soongsil.ac.kr
