When I first arrive......

[Guest]

This message board has given me such good advice and tips, but I am needing some more advice. I would like to know, from those of you who have made the backpacking trip before a few more things. What do I need to do first, after I get off the plane at Barcelona from the states? What do I do as soon as I find my hostel? This is my first trip to Europe and I am going by myself. I just need advice of what to do first.

Thanks!

[Kim]

It's always the small details that are the most intimidating, isn't it!

OK, when you get off the plane you will follow everyone else to immigration. You will probably see two (or more rows) - one will be for Spain residents and the other for International visitors (you). They will ask to see your passport and ask you a few questions, like how long you are staying etc.

Once you are through immigration, you proceed to the baggage claim to get your bag. Listen to the stewardess before you land, most of the time they will tell you at which baggage station you need to be at. If they don't, there are often monitors in the aiport saying which flight equals which baggage station.

So you now have your luggage. Now you have to make your way to the hostel. Your best bet is to find out in advance how you get from the airport to the hostel. Email the hostel and ask, if you aren't sure. Find out details and write it all down so you have it with you.

So you arrive at your hostel. They will check you in, often look at your passport and get you to fill something out and tell you what room you are in. If it's a dorm, sometimes they will assign you a certain bed (some are numbered), if they don't take any bed in the room that doesn't look like it's being used. If you are going out right away, throw your pack on the bed to claim it.

That's pretty much it! You will probably want to go to a bank machine in the airport or buy local currency from a currency exchange before you leave the US, as you will need money to pay for the transportation to get to the hostel.

Let me know if I missed anything or if you are wondering about anything specific.

Kim

[LHR02]

Agree with Kim and want to stress here.....make sure you know exactly where your hostel is and exactly how to get there from the airport! There is nothing worse than being dog tired, in a strange country, and feeling 100% lost. If you at least know just where you are going once you claim your bags you will have some sense of 'control' in a very strange place. ;D For my money, if the hostel is ANY distance at all from the airport, then this is one of those times to 'slurge' if you at all can on a taxi. I always find once I find my place to be, then everything else falls into place more easily.

As for that first day.....everyone has their own thoughts on what to do/how to proceed with the jet lag thing. For me, I get to my room as quickly as I can from the airport, get settled a bit, take a nice shower and hit the streets! A nap is DEADLY! I normally will just do a nice walkabout of the immediate area, grab something to eat, check out where is public transport, tourist info offices (visit if they are open), find a grocery, anything to keep me moving in my drowsy state. By early evening I am the walking dead, but near enough to 'their' bedtimes to be reasonable. Will normally find me in bed asleep by eight or nine that first night, but awaken at a semi normal time the next morning and voila! I am on to their time zone and ready to go.

Take a nap, no matter how small, and for me I am lost. I will be up till all hours their time, sleeping till late morning the next day, and so it goes. If I can just stay up that first day the battle is won.

All of this coming from someone who has never mastered the art of sleeping on planes. But the main thing I would stress is knowing just where to go once you are ready to leave the airport to avoid that 'help! I am so lost' feeling.

ging

[Michael]

I have a tack on question...regarding the whole "take money vs. get it at the airport ATM" thing...

I asked if I could buy GBP at the bank yesterday and they said that they don't keep them, that I'd have to go to a Currency Exchange to *maybe* get them.

Is it better to just go to the ATM at the airport? Will UK Immigration have any concerns with me not having ANY cash on me? Should I carry a hundred or so CDN$ to lessen their fears? Should I bring a bank statement with me? If I should buy GBP before I leave, should I buy some Euros while I'm at it or just wait til we get to Paris?

I'm so green..

[LHR02]

I had about $50 us when I arrived in London. Never have I had anyone ask me about 'money' except for the train ride from hell into Poland. ;D There are ATM's everywhere in the airports and train stations.....I just grabbed some local bucks before I left there. Untill I actually arrived, I had no need for the local currency, so why pay a currency exchange 'at home' just to have some pounds in your pocket.

ging

[Kim]

Also want to add, always make a reservation for your first hostel when you arrive - like Ging says, you are so tired you really don't want to deal with looking for a place to stay.

Kim

[Guest]

Thanks so much. That helped out a newbie a lot! It is the small things that tend to drive me crazy.

[LHR02]

We've all been newbies! ;D

Just make sure you know where you are going from the airport, remember to grab some local bucks at the ATM....and stay awake that first day. And you are off and running and on your way! Have fun....it'll all be fine...it's that first day that can be so stressful.

ging

[snorkelman]

Most banks outside of the largest banks in the largest cities in North America WILL NOT have any foreign currency available to give you. i live in a city of 200,000 people in South Florida and I was told that I would have to drive 2 1/2 hours to Miami for the closest bank that could give me the desired European currency. Almost every airport in the world offers money exchange booths but the rates usually suck. You can always exchange a little money at the airport and then later on, exchange more money at a bank in town.

When you land in Europe (Spain) you will probably land late morning (Spanish time) and you will be very tired because it will be around 4 am your time. I always try to sleep on the plane and I force myself to stay awake on my first day until at least 6 or 7 pm local (Spanish) time. That way, when you wake up, you will have conquered jet lag and be ready to go.

[emily]

adding to that..... this past trip, i didnt take any foreign currency with me.... just paid for my tube ticket with my debit card...and then grabbed some money at the ATM (cash machine in europe!) on the way to the hotel.....

previous trips i have ordered currencies in advance.....this has proved to be just an unnecessary hassle.......

[WillTravel]

I have obtained some currency for this trip. The main reason was that although I'm 99.9% certain my ATM card will work without a problem in Europe, I didn't want to be left cashless if it didn't. I plan to pay what I can by credit card, so the cash is really only for food in those places that do not take credit cards. My bank says it will charge me $3 Canadian for each ATM use in Europe and I'm visiting 4 countries - so I don't lose much by getting the currency in advance even given the premium the currency exchange charged. My estimate is using the currency exchange vs. ATM only might cost me about $15, give or take a few. I'm also taking along a little US money in the event of an emergency - there will always be someone willing to take that, I'm sure.

Having a pre-set amount of cash will also help with budgeting - hard to conceal the cash stock dwindling!

I have three credit cards and an an ATM card, and my son has the same, so you might say I like to over-prepare .

[me]

you might want to look for a bank that doesn't charge for ATM use. i know they exist in USA (i use one that doesn't - BankDirect.com - i don't own stock, promise!), one would think there'd be a Canadian bank also that wouldn't.

- d

WillTravel said:

My bank says it will charge me $3 Canadian for each ATM use in Europe and I'm visiting 4 countries - so I don't lose much by getting the currency

[sejvirgo]

I brought about 200 euros with me so I didn't have to worry about finding an ATM right off. After I landed I took a taxi to my hostel, which was expensive, but I was exhausted, a bit confused, and it took me right to where I wanted to be. Now that I have done some traveling I will skip the taxi when I go back in January and take the cheaper public transportation.

[snorkelman]

My bank charges ATM fees, but my brother banks with a very large bank (citibank) which actually issues credit cards. Because he banks with such a large bank, he was actually able to find a Citibank in Paris and took ouit some money without incurring a fee because he was actually at one of their banks!


I reread the original post and there are a bunch of great replies.

In general, I would use an ATM at the airport and get out about 50 Euro. Then navigate your way to the hostel. Yes, I also suggest that you reserve lodging in advance for the first city that you are in (the city into which you fly). That will have given you time to review the map on their website, or to have the hostel email you specific directions from the airport.

Once you drop off your big backpack at the hostel, force yourself to do some sightseeing until 6 or 7 pm and then you can go to sleep. You probably want to avoid drinking that first day that you land in Spain.

The next day (day two) you can visit a local bank and take out a few hundred Euro (at better rates than were available in the airport).

Don't waste the effort of trying to get local currency before your flight.

[me]

in my experience, the ATM doesn't set the exchange rate. When one gets cash at an ATM, one gets the bank rate - the rate listed in the papers. but, most ATM's charge fees in the US. when i was there in '99, none of the ATM's i saw charged a fee.

have things changed?

snorkelman said:

The next day (day two) you can visit a local bank and take out a few hundred Euro (at better rates than were available in the airport).