1st Dinner Experience in Lisbon

In Lisbon, Sunday is still generally a day of rest and religion, and most places are closed either all day or early, so the hostel offered a dinner option for 5 Euros.   When we checked in, the girl at the desk described it to us as including salad, fries, wine, Portuguese roasted chicken, and dessert.   Sounded great to us and it would be an opportunity to meet some other people staying at the hostel, so we decided to join.

Our Only Complaint So Far…

After a 25 min bus ride to the center of town, we checked into the Rossio Hostel and learned that, apart from the whole shared bathroom situation, a hostel can be just as nice as a hotel!  Granted, this is our first hostel experience and the Rossio is rated as one of the top hostels in the world, but we really feel like our expectations are exceeded!

The lounge is comfortable, the kitchen is nice with two fridges to store anything you decide to buy at the supermarket, there’s 3 computers with fast Internet available for you to use as well as Wi-Fi Internet if you have your own laptop, the TV room is equipped with comfy couches and  quite a big plasma TV where you can watch cable TV or DVDs, and the bedrooms here are impeccably clean.

No Coins In Lisbon?

Today we landed in Lisbon right on schedule and got through customs quickly and easily.  However,  finding change in the airport to take a bus to the hostel was unbelievably difficult!  We tried an ice cream store, a foreign exchange booth, a coffee shop, a convenience store, and 3 random strangers and no one could provide change for just 5 Euros!  Finally at a sandwich store, at the opposite end of the airport, we managed to get 1 Euro coins.

After all of that, we discovered that you actually get change from the bus driver!  Apparently in Spain they will only give you change for a 5 Euro bill, but in Portugal you can give them a 20 Euro bill and get change!  So now we know

Oh, and when in Portugal, a good place to get change is to buy a 50 Euro cent bag of roasted chestnuts from a street vendor.

Blood Donation Failure

So being a superstitious Buddhist, my mom phones me up and tells me that Paul and I should go donate blood before we leave because it’s good karma in case something happens to us when we’re away.  I think “yeah OK, sounds like a good idea” and phone up Canadian Blood Services (CBS) about a week before we’re scheduled to leave Vancouver…

Plastic, Cash or Travellers Cheques

The market for Traveller’s cheques has been in steady decline for a few years, despite the overall increase in travel. This has been caused by a number of factors, not least being the increased issuance of credit cards and debit cards, and the extent to which they are accepted abroad. Support for the use of cards and the undermining to Travellers Cheques has been further eroded by the massive growth in the worldwide ATM network. This is coupled with the perception (and fact) that travellers Cheques can be a pain to cash. Especially on weekends or the during holidays.

Chip Cards in Europe

“Smart cards,” also known as “chip and PIN cards,” are increasingly commonplace in Europe. Such cards incorporate microchips that are programmed with user information and security data. Normally, you’ll need to enter a four-digit Personal Identification Number, or PIN, when you make a purchase. This makes it tougher for thieves to use stolen cards or card numbers.

Travel Assurance

When you’re travelling, even a minor accident or sickness can become a major expense and inconvenience. So whether your plans include a trip outside your home province or territory, to the U.S. or to another continent, having travel insurance will go a long way toward ensuring you enjoy your time away.

“Robbers Communications” – Wireless, Digital Cable TV, Hi-Speed …

Gave up my Canadian cell phone today… Rogers (Robbers) international data roaming rates are $30/MB with a cap so I switched to an AT&T plan with unlimited international data for $65.99.  Unfortunately, this plan is scheduled to be retired at the end of the month but customers can buy 20, 50 or 100MB allowances for reasonable prices.

T-Mobile also has a good international addon for $19.99 on top your regular blackberry plan but is email only.  However, if you’re on a BES you can hide your browser traffic….

Don’t assume you need a rail pass…

The days of the cheap unlimited Eurail pass are long gone.   What was once true in the 70s, 80s and 90s is no longer.  Generally, point to point tickets will be a better buy.

The first 3 months of our trip takes us from Portugal, Spain, France, Switzerland, Germany, Luxembourg, Brussels and the Netherlands.

Our first thought like most people was to just buy a Eurail Global pass…

$0.00 airfare

Sometimes you have to wonder how Air Canada can charge so much and still be losing money while Ryanair is practically giving away airfare and is still profitable?

Take for example our flight from Porto to Madrid.

From Porto (OPO) to Madrid (MAD)
PASSENGERS

1. MR MONKEY 2. MRS ROOSTER
PAYMENT DETAILS
*********0.00 EUR Total Fare
********20.00 EUR Taxes, Fees & Charges
********10.00 EUR Passenger Fee: CC
********30.00 EUR Total Paid