In this ongoing series, Barbara Dawson embarks on a two-month vacation in Europe with her family and is investigating how frugality and high adventure can come together to create a once in a lifetime family experience.
Like most people in my family, I think I know everything and strive to control every situation. But when you are far from home without your usual tools of control, you have to concede that there are some things you do not know. Here are some lessons I’ve learned so far:
1) Be realistic about what you can do without:
We can’t stand sharing our computer anymore. I wanted to check email and update my travel blog, the kids wanted to watch movies or play games and my husband was jonesing every time the market opened and he couldn’t look at his stocks. I should have known that we all would require more screen time than one little computer could provide. We also had to get a SFR key so that we could get internet in all locations in France.
2) When they call your stop..GET TO THE DOOR:
We missed our train stop on our very first train ride. My husband was taking his time pulling his stuff together, assuming the train would be stopping for 5 minutes as it had at the last 4 stops. The train stopped for less than 30 seconds and then left. We had to get off at the next station and wait for the next train back (with crying children) which meant we missed our connecting train. We paid for our mistake with a 50 eu taxi ride. My husband moves a lot faster now that a price has been put on his dawdling.
3) Read the fine print, in English if possible:
We rented both rooms in an apartment that had a “shared bathroom, living space and kitchen” so we'd only be sharing with ourselves right? What a surprise to find out that there were THREE rooms and the owner would be staying with us. My husband said that at least it was a relief that I could no longer gloat about what a great job I had done in planning this trip.
4) Planning ahead can save you money:
My husband wanted to leave our 3 weeks in Italy open so we could change our plans. Our accommodations up to this point has cost less than 70 eu/night all with kitchens to make food. Because we waited so long, we could only find hotels in Italy and they are all between 100 an 150 eu/night for the simplest quadruple room. No kitchens, no separate rooms, no…well you know.
5) Sometimes planning ahead can cost you money
I booked some train tickets to expurgate our travel to Ales for a Feria Festival (Bullfight and equestrian events). Cue Mistral winds and torrential downpour. I only got half of the price of the tickets back in my refund. From now on we take the chance, arrive early and get the tickets on the day of our activity.
6) Check your references:
I had found an article that claimed there would be Russian Circus in Avignon. Some more investigation unearthed it would be on Ile Piot, over a bridge, behind the skate-park. We walked to the island, over the bridge, past the skate-park in gale force winds that nearly blew my daughter into the Rhone. Instead of a Russian Circus, we found a parking lot, some carnie-like vans, a couple of wild-ish dogs and swirling garbage. Luckily my family has a very good sense of humour and enjoyed playing in the graffiti and broken-glass filled skate-park. I may be paying for this one for a long time to come.
7) Things that were cute are now annoying:
My younger daughter hums under her breath most of the time, and sings herself to sleep….adorable!….until now. Now we are all yelling “QUIET AUDREY!!!” as she innocently twitters the songs from “Tangled” about dreams and love. My older daughter has plans to build a transporter and also to make a lemonade stand this summer to get money for charity. She has spent 4 weeks talking about them 17 times/day and is now banned from ever mentioning it again. Platypuses are off the subject list too. My husband's allergies used to make me want to rub his back and kiss him on the temple. Now I want to rip his nose off. According to my travel mates, I am a spaz. I also seem to like boring things and make my family walk long distance to see them.
We still have a month to learn more lessons….and I’m sure we will. There is no question that this trip has taught us a lot about traveling, about saving and spending money, and a lot about each other. I believe the biggest lesson we will learn is how much fun we have when we are together, even when things are not completely under our control.
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