Anagor
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Hi, just want to write a bit about my first trip backpacking to UK and Ireland.
Disclaimer: in the context of StP this will be mildly interesting, I guess. No hitchhiking, no sleeping rough, let alone train hopping. Yet, that is ...
Went from my home town to Cologne by passenger train, then to Aachen (again by train) and by Bus to Maastricht where I had a short break. Then went to Leuven (Belgium) where I stayed my first night in a very cool hostel. Met people from Canada, Spain, France and Hong Kong. Spend the evening and half of the night with a few of them partying quite cheap in two clubs mostly visited by students. The rest of the night I slept on one of the couches in the lobby cause I didn't want to disturb the people already sleeping in the dorm room. Became a habit btw for the rest of the journey. Most of the time I didn't sleep in the room I paid for (or only a few hours) cause I either didn't want to disturb people or I just found it more comfortable to sleep on a couch in the lobby/corridor than in a muggy room with 12 other people (half of them snoring like hell).
From Leuven I headed to Lille (France) where I stayed in a hostel I found with the last few electrons left in my smartphone's battery. First lesson learned: keep your phone charged if you depend on it. Was a nice and clean hostel, but a bit expensive, unfortunately. On the other hand, I got a bed in a 4-people room and was alone there. So it was okay. Private room for about 25 € ...
Then I went to Calais by train, tried to find a travel adapter for UK power outlets (fail) and crossed the channel by PBO ferry for about 40 €. Arrived in Dover in the afternoon, changed some money to get a beer or two and draw some money from the ATM later. Consulted my phone for the next (and cheapest) hostel and found one not far away from the city centre. Quite old building (oldest pub in Dover apparently). Stayed there in a private room cause it was only 5 pounds more than a dorm room bed. Had a few pints there, met interesting people (even a guy from Germany who is staying there long term). Wasn't like the hostels I visited before and after, was a quite unique experience ...
From there I got a city bus to Canterbury. Nice city, quite famous cathedral (I didn't visit cause they charge 10 pounds for that) and nice people. Stayed there in a Yha hostel (it's one of those frequented by school classes more than by backpackers). There I met the driver of a coach of a German school class. He offered to give me a ride to London (if the teachers were okay with it), but the next day I turned it down because it could cause troubles for them for formal reasons. So I went into city centre in the morning to the bus station and what did I see? A coach heading to London just departing right now. Paid 16 € ...
Arrived at London Victoria Coach Station in the afternoon and walked around for some time. Saw the Buckingham Palace (incredibly masses of tourists), Hyde Park and so on. Then I looked for a place to stay and found another Yha hostel (the guy at the reception in Canterbury gave me some contact information). Was one of those large hostels (300+ beds) a few stations away by underground. Payed about 5 pounds for the tube ride, was quite annoyed. But in the end if was quite nice, the neighborhood was great, chilled there sitting on a wall near a small lake for hours. And got blisters walking around in London all day long (stayed there for three days).
Then I decided to make some miles and got a megabus ride to Liverpool for 13 €. Ride was shitty, I guess the a/c was broken. It was cold and humid in the coach, I couldn't sleep and found myself in Liverpool at 5:30am shivering at the bus station all alone. As soon as I got my backpack, I put on another hoodie and the vest. Didn't know where to go so I followed the signs to centre. Watched some party folks heading home. My smartphone was on its last leg again. As I was about to roll a cig a homeless guy in his 50s or so approached me asking for some tobacco. I gave him my half rolled one and he asked where I'm from. (Obviously I was travelling, with backpack and sleeping bag and so on). Told him I was from Germany and all of a sudden he talked to me in my language. Turned out he worked in Germany for a few years in the past. He was so nice and friendly, shook my hands three times and gave some tips where to find a cheap room or bed in town.
Charged my phone in a Starbucks as soon as they opened and tried to find a bed. But no luck as it turned out at about 2pm after walking a few miles I guess. Weekend plus some student orientation days did it, I guess. Was the first time I thought about having to sleep rough somewhere in the city. But then I came along a National Express coach station and I looked up a ride to Dublin where I wanted to go anyway. Found a ride departing at about 10pm so decided to spend the next night in coach again. Good decision.
On the ferry from Holyhead to Dublin I met a couple on their vacation and they invited me to come along. So we end up in the same hostel and spend the evening together in a pub and later in a rock bar. Was a great night. Nough said
The next day I explored Dublin a little bit and spend the evening with my new friends again.
Then I went to Galway. I thought about going to Cork first, but then I read on Travelwiki that Galway should be nice so I went there. And it was. Nice town, many small shops and alike, nice people, many pubs with traditional Irish music. Found a bed in a hostel there, met two guys from US, a girl from Ireland, a guy from Ireland and his Spanish fiancee, a half Irish half Dubai student staying there while he was looking for an apartment and so on. The Irish/Spain couple was very nice, coming from a three weeks hitchhiking/camping trip. Smoking weed all the time. Very generous, too. Nough said.
Then I was about to explore the rural areas of Ireland a little bit since I had a few days left, but then I felt ill. Perhaps cause of the cold bus trip don't know. Not a good thing walking in chilly, rainy environment all day. So I decided to head back in home direction. Turned out the couple I met in Dublin was also heading home early, so we met again in Dublin and headed back to UK the next day.
I went to Bradford with them and stayed at their flat. We arrived early in the morning, slept a few hours and then they walked me around their town. In the evening we went to a pub run by the guy's uncle and had a really good time. Stayed the next night there and then went to London again to get home cause I had to be in office next Monday.
Found a hostel there right on the Thames, a bit expensive but okay, was my last night. And pints were 3 pounds for guests, soft drinks for free (!) and live music so it was quite okay. Had a lot of nice conversations there too.
Then I planned to go back by train (Eurostar, channel tunnel) but they charge 175 pounds. Let me think about that ... no. So I got a coach to Cologne (50 pounds). Took 12 hours but was okay.
So what remains, what did I learn?
First of all it was great and I'll do something like that as soon as possible again, but different. I really have itchy feet ...
Why different? Well, there are some points not so optimal I want to do otherwise the next time.
First I spend too much money. Because I didn't hitchhike, didn't make use of my sleeping bag and tarp I hauled with me all the time and stayed in (quite expensive in UK) hostels all the time. Okay was my first trip, but I won't do that again if the hostel isn't quite cheap (like 10€ per night).
And I regret that I didn't exchange contact information with some people I met. We had a good time, but then I was away or they were away and we will most probably never meet again.
I learned that good shoes/boots are essential if you don't want to hobble for some days and that (if you depend on your phone) you should try to get it charged in time.
Other than that, it was great.
And besides trying hitchhiking and sleeping without paying (much) money I think about traveling not only on vacation but long term. Digital nomad and alike. But I have to get more experienced before I try that.
Thanks for reading (if you're still here).
Cheers!
Disclaimer: in the context of StP this will be mildly interesting, I guess. No hitchhiking, no sleeping rough, let alone train hopping. Yet, that is ...
Went from my home town to Cologne by passenger train, then to Aachen (again by train) and by Bus to Maastricht where I had a short break. Then went to Leuven (Belgium) where I stayed my first night in a very cool hostel. Met people from Canada, Spain, France and Hong Kong. Spend the evening and half of the night with a few of them partying quite cheap in two clubs mostly visited by students. The rest of the night I slept on one of the couches in the lobby cause I didn't want to disturb the people already sleeping in the dorm room. Became a habit btw for the rest of the journey. Most of the time I didn't sleep in the room I paid for (or only a few hours) cause I either didn't want to disturb people or I just found it more comfortable to sleep on a couch in the lobby/corridor than in a muggy room with 12 other people (half of them snoring like hell).
From Leuven I headed to Lille (France) where I stayed in a hostel I found with the last few electrons left in my smartphone's battery. First lesson learned: keep your phone charged if you depend on it. Was a nice and clean hostel, but a bit expensive, unfortunately. On the other hand, I got a bed in a 4-people room and was alone there. So it was okay. Private room for about 25 € ...
Then I went to Calais by train, tried to find a travel adapter for UK power outlets (fail) and crossed the channel by PBO ferry for about 40 €. Arrived in Dover in the afternoon, changed some money to get a beer or two and draw some money from the ATM later. Consulted my phone for the next (and cheapest) hostel and found one not far away from the city centre. Quite old building (oldest pub in Dover apparently). Stayed there in a private room cause it was only 5 pounds more than a dorm room bed. Had a few pints there, met interesting people (even a guy from Germany who is staying there long term). Wasn't like the hostels I visited before and after, was a quite unique experience ...
From there I got a city bus to Canterbury. Nice city, quite famous cathedral (I didn't visit cause they charge 10 pounds for that) and nice people. Stayed there in a Yha hostel (it's one of those frequented by school classes more than by backpackers). There I met the driver of a coach of a German school class. He offered to give me a ride to London (if the teachers were okay with it), but the next day I turned it down because it could cause troubles for them for formal reasons. So I went into city centre in the morning to the bus station and what did I see? A coach heading to London just departing right now. Paid 16 € ...
Arrived at London Victoria Coach Station in the afternoon and walked around for some time. Saw the Buckingham Palace (incredibly masses of tourists), Hyde Park and so on. Then I looked for a place to stay and found another Yha hostel (the guy at the reception in Canterbury gave me some contact information). Was one of those large hostels (300+ beds) a few stations away by underground. Payed about 5 pounds for the tube ride, was quite annoyed. But in the end if was quite nice, the neighborhood was great, chilled there sitting on a wall near a small lake for hours. And got blisters walking around in London all day long (stayed there for three days).
Then I decided to make some miles and got a megabus ride to Liverpool for 13 €. Ride was shitty, I guess the a/c was broken. It was cold and humid in the coach, I couldn't sleep and found myself in Liverpool at 5:30am shivering at the bus station all alone. As soon as I got my backpack, I put on another hoodie and the vest. Didn't know where to go so I followed the signs to centre. Watched some party folks heading home. My smartphone was on its last leg again. As I was about to roll a cig a homeless guy in his 50s or so approached me asking for some tobacco. I gave him my half rolled one and he asked where I'm from. (Obviously I was travelling, with backpack and sleeping bag and so on). Told him I was from Germany and all of a sudden he talked to me in my language. Turned out he worked in Germany for a few years in the past. He was so nice and friendly, shook my hands three times and gave some tips where to find a cheap room or bed in town.
Charged my phone in a Starbucks as soon as they opened and tried to find a bed. But no luck as it turned out at about 2pm after walking a few miles I guess. Weekend plus some student orientation days did it, I guess. Was the first time I thought about having to sleep rough somewhere in the city. But then I came along a National Express coach station and I looked up a ride to Dublin where I wanted to go anyway. Found a ride departing at about 10pm so decided to spend the next night in coach again. Good decision.
On the ferry from Holyhead to Dublin I met a couple on their vacation and they invited me to come along. So we end up in the same hostel and spend the evening together in a pub and later in a rock bar. Was a great night. Nough said
The next day I explored Dublin a little bit and spend the evening with my new friends again.Then I went to Galway. I thought about going to Cork first, but then I read on Travelwiki that Galway should be nice so I went there. And it was. Nice town, many small shops and alike, nice people, many pubs with traditional Irish music. Found a bed in a hostel there, met two guys from US, a girl from Ireland, a guy from Ireland and his Spanish fiancee, a half Irish half Dubai student staying there while he was looking for an apartment and so on. The Irish/Spain couple was very nice, coming from a three weeks hitchhiking/camping trip. Smoking weed all the time. Very generous, too. Nough said.
Then I was about to explore the rural areas of Ireland a little bit since I had a few days left, but then I felt ill. Perhaps cause of the cold bus trip don't know. Not a good thing walking in chilly, rainy environment all day. So I decided to head back in home direction. Turned out the couple I met in Dublin was also heading home early, so we met again in Dublin and headed back to UK the next day.
I went to Bradford with them and stayed at their flat. We arrived early in the morning, slept a few hours and then they walked me around their town. In the evening we went to a pub run by the guy's uncle and had a really good time. Stayed the next night there and then went to London again to get home cause I had to be in office next Monday.
Found a hostel there right on the Thames, a bit expensive but okay, was my last night. And pints were 3 pounds for guests, soft drinks for free (!) and live music so it was quite okay. Had a lot of nice conversations there too.
Then I planned to go back by train (Eurostar, channel tunnel) but they charge 175 pounds. Let me think about that ... no. So I got a coach to Cologne (50 pounds). Took 12 hours but was okay.
So what remains, what did I learn?
First of all it was great and I'll do something like that as soon as possible again, but different. I really have itchy feet ...
Why different? Well, there are some points not so optimal I want to do otherwise the next time.
First I spend too much money. Because I didn't hitchhike, didn't make use of my sleeping bag and tarp I hauled with me all the time and stayed in (quite expensive in UK) hostels all the time. Okay was my first trip, but I won't do that again if the hostel isn't quite cheap (like 10€ per night).
And I regret that I didn't exchange contact information with some people I met. We had a good time, but then I was away or they were away and we will most probably never meet again.
I learned that good shoes/boots are essential if you don't want to hobble for some days and that (if you depend on your phone) you should try to get it charged in time.
Other than that, it was great.
And besides trying hitchhiking and sleeping without paying (much) money I think about traveling not only on vacation but long term. Digital nomad and alike. But I have to get more experienced before I try that.
Thanks for reading (if you're still here).
Cheers!
