[ I heard articles without photos of yourself don’t get any attention, so I had no choice but to… use this photo I’ve posted almost to death T^T ]
Traveling nonstop for 85 days across 16 countries was, after all, a pretty massive undertaking. And since it was my first time doing anything like this, of course I was a little nervous (blush). Whenever people heard about it, they would ask: Did you plan the entire trip before setting off? How do you even plan a journey this long? Creya here! Of course I can tell you—I’m holding nothing back. Today, I’m revealing all my secret tricks!
[ I sense destiny has brought us together, so you may have this book ]
Secret Tip One! A good guidebook will take you straight to heaven
The travel guide 地球の歩き方－歐洲Europe. This book is mighty powerful. The moment I first saw it, I felt as though divine power were surging through me. My heart started pounding as I cried inside: This is the one! This is the one! Finding a good book is like finding a soulmate—it understands me, and I understand it. I was beside myself with joy and immediately decided to take it traveling with me. (If it were a real man, I would…pounce on him immediately.…>///<)。
[ All I remember is a flash of light, and then… I don’t remember anything at all~ ]
That’s because the book’s contents matched my plan for traveling around Europe perfectly: to get an overview of European countries, casually check out the popular sights, and see what each country actually looks like. It includes the majorcheat sheets for popular attractionsas well assuggested itinerary bundles.For example, if you have only ten days to tour the Iberian Peninsula, it tells you which city to visit each day. But that alone apparently wasn’t thoughtful enough: it even planned out how to draw upa route for a winter-break trip,or, for an itinerary focused on visiting churches,which country you should visit first and which one should come next,、and where the most suitable starting and ending points would be.It provides sample plans for all of this (although I ultimately ignored them and drew up my own route anyway). What a lifesaver! It let me identify each country’s greatest highlights immediately and estimate roughly how many days I would need. Amsterdam, for example, had 12 attractions listed. After quickly reading through them, I found that only four interested me, so I knew I would need just one day there. And just like that, I could effortlessly sketch out a rough itinerary.
Naturally, the book also containsbasic information about traveling in Europe,such as visas, time differences, how to buy train tickets, and how to cross borders, along with themajor festivals,、must-eat dishes in each country,andmust-buy souvenirs.The number of attractions it covers in each city is also ideal for anyone planning to spend only a few days in each country. More importantly, throughout the book it noteswhich places are free or discounted in each country for Eurail Pass holders.We were practically joined at the hip! No matter how heavy it was, I insisted on taking it with me. All I can say is that I could never have completed this mission so smoothly without it. (Big heart~
[ All 824 pages of it nearly broke my back ]
As the saying goes, “If you want to do a good job, you must first sharpen your tools.” (I desperately wanted to use a fresher saying, but I honestly couldn’t find a more suitable one.)Finding a travel guide that suits you first can save you a tremendous amount of time!So basically, my entire trip was built around the framework of this book. A few countries I wanted to visit weren’t included, such as Slovenia, along with the Greek islands and so on. But by combining it with online searches and adding or removing destinations and attractions according to my own interests, my information was pretty much complete!
When it comes to bibles for independent travel, aside from Lonely Planet, the wildly popular Japanese-style MOOK series 地球の歩き方 is the one to beat. Yep! It certainly didn’t let me down.
[ In my eyes, it truly is the Bible… Hallelujah ]
>>Official introduction to 地球の歩き方－歐洲Europe Books.com.tw book description
Secret Tip Two! Worship the mighty Google three times a day
But then again, it’s better to have no book than to believe everything in one. If my entire trip simply followed 地球の歩き方－歐洲Europe, what fun would there be in doing everything exactly as the book says? After all, not every attraction it introduces will be somewhere you want to visit, nor could it possibly cover every mountain, every sea,and Justice Bao too.So besides reading a few other travel guides and combining their recommendations, you can also wiggle your fingers, tap on the keyboard, andask the almighty Google to show you the way.For each country and city you want to visit,search travel posts from different blogs,and you’ll find precious information left behind by the pioneers who went before you. This is what they call standing on the heads of giants to see the world and climbing upward over the corpses of your predecessors. (Wait—was that how the saying went…?) Sowhat I’m doing right now is helping build an enormous database for the whole world too! (Puffs out chest
And Google also hasan incredibly useful map feature.Not only can you see the distances between attractions and group places in the same area together—GO!—you can also download or bookmark them, then carry a smartphone to guide your directionally challenged self through the wilderness. (Just admit you have no sense of direction already~) You can even use Street View beforehand to see exactly what a place looks like. There’s no need to leave home at all:you can tour all of Europe from your sofa with Google Maps!(Huh?
[ Apparently Google can take you straight to heaven too ]
>>Do I really need to give you information aboutthe almighty Google? If you’ve never used it, I’m the one who should be worshipping you!
>> Bonus giftThe ultimate travel-information hub—背包客棧 (Backpackers.com.tw).Not only is it a treasure trove where travelers discuss and share experiences from countries around the world, it also offers country-by-country travel information compiled on a scale comparable to Wikipedia, plus hotel and airfare comparison tools. Just add it to your bookmarks already!
Secret Tip Three! See the world through the box—even a homebody can know everything under heaven
Sorry~ I know plenty of people now have 60-inch widescreens rather than boxy TVs, but I truly dislike the narrow worldview of Taiwan’s television news media, which confines Taiwanese people’s horizons to a tiny space. Switch away from the news channels, though, and you may suddenly discover a much wider world. Many educational programs are getting better and better, offering fairly in-depth coverage of travel, food, and local culture. Examples include 食尚玩家, Women愛旅行, and 台灣腳逛大陸.
[ We don’t need media like this ]
After watching travel shows in Taiwan for long enough, you inevitably start itching to visit those places yourself. And once you decide to go, don’t forget to look those programs up again. They offer a quick, effortless, immersive look at a destination and can help you decide whether it’s worth visiting and what there is to do. Before this trip, for example, I did some emergency cramming with the Italy and London episodes of 食尚玩家 featuring 浩角翔起. I immediately learned how to “use” Rome’s Trevi Fountain, so as soon as I arrived in Rome, I fit right in and made a wish to return someday.
[ 食尚玩家 is a travel and food authority too~ ]
As for where you can watch old segments and quickly pick the episodes you want… since this is a wholesome little corner of the internet, you’ll have to ask me secretly in private~I definitely never said anything about places like 屁屁A西 or 瘋你網!
Secret Tip Four! Taiwan’s secret file
After collecting so much information, what good would any of it be without an ultimate magical treasure to organize everything? Today I’m sharing a secret file that can guide the road ahead. Darling, come out with the Bull Demon King and behold God! This is the ultimate Excel planning spreadsheet! I originally found a great post sharing something similar on 背包客棧, then copied its format and gave it an upgrade. Transportation, accommodation, and attractions all go into one place, letting me take a paper journey through the itinerary and keep most of the trip under control. Since I was setting off this time under painfully frugal circumstances,detailed advance planning was the only way to keep my spending under control.It also kept my 85-day itinerary from spiraling wildly out of control during a moment of madness. Finally, I loaded the file onto a reliable mobile device and carried it everywhere. With it by my side, I could sleep soundly every night… (Something about that sounds a little odd.)
[ Leave it to the professionals—put all your transportation, attractions, and accommodation in one place! ]
>> By popular demand, I’m also providing a clean version for you to download and use however your heart desires.(Just right-click the link and select “Save Link As” to save it.)
Secret Tip Five! Roam the world freely—the unexpected surprises are what give travel meaning
Ultimately, no amount of preparation can compare with the fun of venturing into the unknown and being surprised. Some people argue that preparing too much detailed travel information in advance makes you lose the true meaning of travel. You don’t have to agree—I’m also the sort of person who needs to do a certain amount of homework before I can feel at ease—but while traveling, I always leave myself a little flexibility. Sometimes,letting go of a rigid, tour-group-style schedulemight mean visiting the local Information Centre, asking for advice, and deciding on the spot where to go next. Or it could mean wandering the streets on a whim, hopping aboard a train or tram and riding around, playing a game of “Where are you going?”, or even sitting by the roadside in a daze, watching passersby and waiting for someone to hit on you (!!!!). These can all becomethe unexpected travel experiences that leave the deepest and most lasting impressions.。
[ Face the adventure bravely! Let’s set off~ ]
That’s a little of my itinerary-planning experience for your reference. These secret tips are absurdly generous, aren’t they?! I’ve practically handed over my heart, lungs, and treasurefor your browsing pleasure~Now go plan your trip!
