Ok - did I forget anything?

[paint]

I confirmed my hostel reservations and flights... my passport is valid for a few years yet... I have travel insurance valid for the entire length of my trip... student ID is packed... ATM pin is 4 numbers.

I have a backpack - will try to stuff it with clothes and toiletries, I bought vitamins, I have one decent pair of broken-in comfortable shoes.

Am I forgetting anything?

I don't have an itinerary per se... the original plan of this trip was to visit friends but I haven't heard from any of them AT ALL in over two months. I left a message for one of them a month ago but got no response. To err on the side of caution I'm going to take that as meaning I'm on my own - I don't fancy being stranded in a foreign country (which is why I booked the hostel). However, I don't want to make any rigid plans in case they contact me the day before I leave and say "we'll pick you up at the airport and we've got your entire trip planned out." Any thoughts? Has this happened to any of you before?

[Kim]

Looks like you have it under control!

Something similar to this happened to Nicstar, I'll try and point her your way.

Kim

[dumbdiety]

Whew! Sounds like you got everything! Good luck! Find a cafe you can post from so we can live vicariously through you! ;D

[paint]

Doug said:

Whew! Sounds like you got everything! Good luck! Find a cafe you can post from so we can live vicariously through you! ;D

I have happily discovered that the hostel I booked into has internet access as well as cheap beer for sale. Also, they are right on the river, and can arrange canoe-trips for their guests. While I wouldn't get to see as much as I would with native-guides...and it is a bit disturbing to wonder what went wrong... this could still be a worthwhile trip.

[Eagle]

Sounds like you've got everything sorted out. It's a bit strange that your "friends" have been so silent the last few months? Oh well, make the best of it, and have a great time anyway!!!! We'll all look forward to reading your trip reports.

Happy travels!!!

[jennifer]

Good luck!
Have fun!
Keep us posted! ;D

[Nicstar]

yep a similar thing happened to me just after I booked and paid for my plane ticket.
I'd had a whole couple of weeks travelling planned with a friend which fell through for reasons beyond her control, and although it became a major disappointment since the purpose of the trip was to visit mainly her and a few other mates, I decided to just use the time exactly how I wanted to.

I ended up spending more time in both Paris and Edinburgh than I had originally planned to, and ended up finding myself in Glasgow for 2 days with nothing to do when a mate pulled out of catching up at the last minute, but in the end, taking it that bit slower was a blessing in disguise. It meant I could just hang around the hostel for a day to catch up on washing and reading and post card writing, as opposed to hurriedly trying to get the washing done before heading off somewhere and coming home and writing on postcards while I crammed food in etc etc.

In the end I was heaps lucky in that the friend I was suppposed to see in Glasgow ended up coming over to Edinburgh on one of the days I was there to hang out, and another friend (an internet buddy) came up to Edinburgh on another day to hang out. And I found the times when I didn't have prearranged things happening, and wasn't about to head off to meet mates, or wasn't in a hostel room with mates, I met a heap more people, and filled my time talking with them etc etc. And if my trip wasn't so short and already planned, I'd have probably joined some of these other people to the "next destination".

Just make sure you have some idea of things YOU want to do and plan to do those, and a general sort of itinerary mapped out so you don't find yourself at the end of your trip wishing you'd been a bit more organised and done x, y, and z. And then if your friends get in contact with you, you can rearrange some things, or tell them to join you! After all, you're the one thats travelled over there, its the least they can do. And seriously, if they know you're coming, and haven't bothered to be in contact with you before now, and they suddenly contact you the day before you're supposed to leave telling you they've got the trip mapped out, I'd tell them, "uh, no, I'VE got my trip planned, can you fit in amongst this at all?" I figure thats how I tell who my true friends are. When my friend in Glasgow just ditched on meeting up for whatever reason it was, I was a little put out at first, but then when he decided to make it up to me, it meant a lot, and I put him in that basket of "true friends".


Just go, enjoy yourself, and do as you're doing, think of this trip as an adventure for yourself, and if you do end up seeing your mates, its a bonus!

[Kamilla]

Rely on yourself! In any case you will be ready to survive in any situation. Buy a goodguide beforehand. Following it's recommendations you won't be lost. If you don't have a hotel room booked, it's ok. You can find Hotel Booking desk right at the airport. And try just to call your friends. Maybe they've changed their e-mail address. Wish you luck!!!!

[paint]

5 days until I leave home, and still I haven't heard from my friend.

[jennifer]

Don't worry!
Have a backup plan! Check for hostels!

[paint]

I've been a member of a message board forum about the Czech Republic and it's people... and I posted the following message there:

"Hi. I'm leaving in less than a week for my trip to Prague, which I planned many many months ago. The purpose of the trip was to visit a friend, but I have not heard from him in about two and a half months. He said once upon a time that he'd meet me at the airport and show me around the entire country... but no details or even my flight information were ever discussed. I have left him a couple of messages in the past couple of months but I have not received any reply. I am one of those travellers that is so used to things going wrong that I can't cope if I don't know what is going on or haven't been told not to worry. I'm not sure what to do. Am I overreacting? Should I just trust him? Is this a cultural difference? Or, should I assume that I'm being abandoned and start trying to confirm hostel reservations, decide on transportation from the airport, and try to put together some sort of itinerary? I'm travelling alone and though I have managed to learn some very basic phrases of Czech, I feel sort of lost. I don't want to offend my friend by putting together a last minute back-up plan, but I also don't want to arrive at the airport to discover that there's no one to meet me and I'm completely on my own for a week and a half without a plan. I don't know what to do. Any advice would be appreciated."

I've gotten some responses already, and everyone said the same thing... most of them along the lines of "I hate to say this but I think it is safe to assume that you have been abandoned." Between the people on that board and you all, I've gotten some good encouragement and some advice for just planning an itinerary and doing my own thing. I just wish that I had heard SOMETHING from him... even if it was "well a lot has changed since you booked your plane ticket..." I would have done things differently. I have confirmed reservations at The Boathouse hostel, because the comments people left on that thread were very positive. I sat down with some guidebooks tonight and at least got an idea of what I'd like to see. I have way more than enough time to see Prague, and places outside of it as well. Right now it's a bit hard to get into the spirit of packing and planning. Maybe I'll try again tomorrow. So far I've only packed my passport, guidebooks, and a menu reader.

[paint]

Ok, done with rant... I feel better. Thanks for the encouragement everyone.

[Kim]

I think you are right in putting together a backup plan - if it all works out in the end, you can just ditch it and go with what you originally planned. You will have a great time, no matter what. Have you emailed Ray from this forum? He is from San Fransisco and is living in Prague teaching English. He's taken many a member from this forum out and everyone has had a blast. His profile is under BigRay and his email is in his profile, I believe.

Kim

[paint]

(still haven't packed and I leave on Saturday! Oops!)
Anyway, I heard from my friend today. I've already booked a hostel and he's ok with that, and I'm on my own during days he has to work, but it looks like I'll have a guided tour for much of my trip. Also, the group from the Czech message boards are having their monthly gathering while I'm there and invited me to join them. As long as I can sort out which of the clothes on my floor to stuff into my backpack, I should be set.

*feeling better*

[LHR02]

Paint,
That is wonderful news! I am so glad you finally heard something. But to tell the truth, the group you were in contact with and their 'get together' sure sounds like something fun and that you'll never forget. I'll be anxious to hear all about that party. ;D

safe travels, have a terrific time....now, go finish that packing!

ging