Name: European Travel Skills Part III
Uploaded: 2015-09-06T02:35:41.000Z
Duration: 24 min 57 s
Description: Thousands of YouTube videos with English-Chinese subtitles! Now you can learn to understand native speakers, expand your vocabulary, and improve your pronunciation...

Hi I'm Rick Steves back for the last episode of our three part travel skills special. We're

Adverbs of degree

in a village, high in the Swiss Alps. In this finale, we'll show that in so many ways, you

Adverbs of manner

can actually experience more by spending less.

Our tips this time: finding the best value accommodations, getting around in big cities,

and enjoying Europe's cuisine. This information can help you make the most of your vacation

time and, if you're on a budget, it can cut the cost of your travels in half.

Whether you discover Norway's breath-taking fjords, explore ancient temples in Athens,

hike along a Roman wall in England, sweat with locals in Finland, or enjoy a concert

in Ireland, you'll find the kinds of places and experiences you incorporate into your

itinerary shape the character of your trip.

In this three-part travels-skills special we start in the Netherlands, venture through

Germany, dip into Italy, sweep through Switzerland and France before finishing in England. In

this final episode we start in the Swiss Alps, take a high-speed train to Paris and finish

When touring Europe, many travelers only visit famous and well-promoted hot spots, like Grindelwald,

here in Switzerland. It's "the" famous Alpine resort in the shadow of the Jungfrau. Europe

energetically markets its top tourist attractions. Alpine resorts like this are geared to large-scale

tourism-helping the masses have fun...spending their money.

But, just one valley over, you can have an entirely different experience. Riding this

gondola, you soar, landing in the sleepy, un-promoted village of Gimmelwald. In 30 years

of researching guidebooks, I've found hidden gems like this in every country. Gimmelwald

would have been developed to the hilt like neighboring towns but the village had its

real estate declared an "avalanche zone" so no one could get new building permits. The

result: a real mountain community-families, farms, and traditional ways.

Choosing places like Gimmelwald and then meeting the people, you become part of the party rather

than just part of the economy. This is a realistic goal for any good traveler. Take a moment

Once you're off the tourist track, make a point to connect with the living culture-pitch

in... even if that means getting dirty. Here, Farmer Peter's making hay while the sun shines.

Whether in a big city or a small village, your major expense each day is renting a bed.

You have lots of options. We'll review them from cheapest to most expensive. In rural

settings-like here in Gimmelwald-I like simple, less expensive accommodations. Gimmelwald

has a pension, a bed and breakfast, and a hostel.

Europe has thousands of hostels-like Gimmelwald's Mountain Hostel-offering cheap dorm beds.

While not for everybody, the price is certainly right. Rather than privacy and your own bathroom,

you'll enjoy a convivial camaraderie: a helpful reception desk; a welcoming common room with

lots of information and hiking partners; and the kitchen where hostellers cook for the

price of groceries. It's dinnertime. And after a sunny day of hiking, travelers are sharing

Today, European hostels come in all shapes and sizes. Modern ones are often big and institutional.

They come with inviting lobbies and modern facilities. Rather than the traditional large

dorms, more and more hostels are offering smaller rooms-family rooms and even doubles

In cities or villages, the young at heart-of any age-are entirely welcome. A great thing

about hostelling-especially if you're going solo-is gaining an instant circle of friends.

For me, B&Bs offer an ideal combination of comfort and economy, privacy and cultural

experience. Every country has private rooms for rent. You've just got to know the local

word...Husroom is Norwegian for Chambre d'Hote which is French for Zimmer which is what they

say here in Switzerland for Bed and Breakfast.

B&Bs give you more than just a good night's sleep. Imagine, enjoying a renovated attic

with a view of this small town Czech castle, being a guest in a home rebuilt after a civil

war in Dubrovnik, savoring the salty ambiance in the captain's house on a Danish Isle, or

being a noble for a night with Giorgio in the heart of Tuscany.

Tonight, we're sleeping in the home of Ollie and his wife Maria. They teach in the village

and supplement their income by renting out three rooms in their home.

As is generally the case with B&Bs, the rooms are as comfortable as a hotel but homier.

While you're living in someone else's home, you can be as private as you like-just take

the key and do your own thing. Or you can go downstairs and get to know the family.

Ollie: This yellow cliff over there, that's where the eagle has each year his nest.

Typically, hosts enjoy sharing. Ollie knows the backside of the Jungfrau intimately.

Ollie: And the young birds, in early spring, you see them starting to learn to fly.

Pensions are a good value. A pension is a place without many of the services you'd expect

in a hotel. This one is inexpensive...with the toilet and shower down the hall. The bedrooms

are well-worn and traditional. And the place creaks just the way you want it to-and once

again, humbler places seem to foster community.

Continuing our swing through the best of Europe, we're heading for Paris. After a full day

in the Alps, this fast train gets us there in time to cap our day with a view of the

A big city like Paris is bursting with world-class sights: towering monuments, magnificent boulevards,

and glorious history. In a major city like this you have lots of hotel options. The neighborhood

you choose as well as the hotel shapes your experience.

Many travelers opt for the big, international class hotels outside the historic center.

I find that these, while very comfortable, build a wall between you and the people and

culture you traveled so far to experience.

I prefer a small-scale hotel in a cozy neighborhood. For example, the area around Rue Cler is a

pedestrian-friendly bit of village Paris, a ten-minute walk from the Eiffel Tower.

Accommodations are a classic example of how spending less can actually give you a richer

experience. Europe's big cities still have well-located, characteristic hotels at an

There's a range of categories. Many countries have helpful rating systems. In France, plaques

with stars are posted by the door. In a well-chosen one star place, budget travelers can sleep

well and safely. Rooms are pretty basic...but come at near youth hostel prices.

European cities have lots of night noise, and, especially in cheap hotels, this can

be a problem. Rather than paying a premium for a room with a view, I'll take a quiet

In France, two-star hotels offer, for me, a great balance of price and comfort-still

basic but with good beds, private bathrooms, and often tiny but appreciated elevators.

The more people who share a room, the less expensive it gets per person. A double costs

just a little more than a single. And many hotels are happy

While three-star hotels are more expensive, they can also be a good value. Here, you're

paying for extras like a lounge, room service, and all the comforts.

Hotelier: It's one of our typical rooms, with big TV, mini bar, iPod bays, of course air

conditioning. It can be very useful, especially in August in Paris. Um, bathroom.

Rick: Two sinks. Hotelier: Yes, two sinks. French people like

it. You can be two at the same moment in the bathroom.

Know your priorities. This hotel is great. But those on a budget may need to choose between

these extras-for an additional $50 a night-and a nice dinner, concert or city tour.

Throughout Europe, small family-run hotels offer fine values. This London hotel is plush,

beautifully located, and more affordable than you might expect because it has no elevator.