So as an effort to keep expanding my coverage, and allow those who follow me to gain knowledge about attending events such as concerts I am once again covering the music scene. I will be covering how accessible the venue is, how the staff is, how awesome the artist are! My goal will be to cover as much as possible over the three day event. Join me as I take in the atmosphere, and give you the real scoop on Oceans Calling 2024.
Where to stay?!
Hostels verse Hotels verse AirBnBs.
Hostels: My plan often is to say at hostels because they are very affordable and in my opinion offer more than most hotels for the money. One site that I have used again and again has been HostelWorld.com. Their site is user friendly, and their customer service is great if you do find yourself needing assistance. When I look at hostels I usually get a private room either single or double this way I have my own space similar to a hotel, however I also get to be around fellow travelers who I can share stories of our adventure and get great advice. Many of these hostels are rated very high and even offer bonus things like free breakfast, and laundry facilities on-site. While I can say it can be fun to have an adventure searching out one in a foreign country it can also be nice to spend that time searching for something great to eat or see. Hostels often offer tours similar to hotels as well or know where you can go to obtain one. There are things to be aware of with hostels. Many of them you will have to share a common bathroom with several rooms either down a hall or on the floor your are staying on. ALWAYS bring some simple flip-flops and your will be fine. Most of the time you either are provided a towel or you can rent one from the hostel. I tend to bring at least a travel towel which is also useful at the end of the adventure if your have something breakable. The other benefit is that unlike a hotel you have the use of a kitchen if you wish to cook or even store food.
Update for Staying at Hostels - So things have definitely changed in regards to staying at Hostels. The largest change is the huge increase in cost. As I stated before I have enjoyed the different benefits of staying at different hostels. Its is great to have other guest to chat with, and a kitchen to use and other great resources, however the price increases have made booking an apartment or similar option just as desirable due to both options being similarly priced nowadays. I do hope that prices become more budget friendly again, and I do understand that Hostels are a business and need to make a profit while covering their overhead. I merely feel if I am going to be spend the same amount of money and I am able to get a larger space that offers more privacy and many of the same resources I have my preference.
Airbnb: That being said I have stayed at Airbnbs as well during several of my adventures. These can be great if you want more space and you feel exploring on your own is part of the adventure. I stayed at airbnbs when I was in Vienna Austria, Dubrovnik Croatia, and Budapest Hungary. They were all nice places to stay while I will say my stay in Hungary was a bit small. I will say you can sometimes rent an Airbnb for cheaper than you can a hotel and have more flexibility in certain aspects.
Hotels: Hotels can be great if you are only staying a day or two somewhere and are looking to treat yourself. The other benefits to staying at a hotel can be they can often set up tours for their guest as well you usually get your room cleaned daily. Similar to Hostels you can ask the front desk person suggestions, however be aware that often these hotels are in partnerships with certain touring companies and this will skew their suggestions.
Update for Hotels - So as with everything else the prices have increased to stay at a hotel. That does not mean that you are unable to find a great deal and still stay close to all the attractions and local transportation.
Layovers!
So when booking your flights you may be similar to myself and wish to find the best deal. Something to keep in mind is there may be a flight that is slightly cheaper but has a short layover. This may seem great in two ways, the first is less money spent and the second is less time waiting to catch the next flight. Beware of layovers that are less than an hour. I have been let down by this on several incidents. One of the times I thought my layover time would be enough I was near the back of the plane and the airport we landed at used buses to transport passengers. The issue was that they only had one bus working and it took over an hour and half to deplane. The issue was my layover was only for an hour and fifth teen minutes. While the airline was willing to get me another flight it was not going to be until the next day. In order to get a flight that day but five hours later I had to catch a bus to another airport an hour away. Bottom line is I will never cheap out and by picking the slightly less ticket but have under an hour layover. I usually will pick one that is around two hours.
The plus of a long layover- So I have used a long layover to my advantage as well. I have use a 23 hour layover to spend a day in Dublin, and a 26 hour layover in Madrid in the past. While this might be a source of inconvenient for some, I saw this as an opportunity to have a bonus destination added usually in the tale end of my adventure. One that I purposefully added to add excitement even though that experience was coming to a close it would with a fun end.
Getting local currency before you leave!
So with all my traveling one thing I have learned to do before I leave is to exchange my dollars for whatever the local currency is where I am headed. I know there may be people who feel differently about this and that is okay. I merely like knowing that I have one less thing to do when I land. I have gotten to places and made the mistake of taking money out of an money machine without doing proper research. There are several companies that charge you a large fee to get money in that local currency. So my advice is to always us a machine that is attached to a bank and do your research. Most of the time you can find machine that will only charge you a small fee and the current exchange rate. When I screwed up and used the first one I found after getting off a train in Prague I was charged a fee of eighty dollars extra for no reason other than me not doing proper research. Fool me once shame on you and I will not make that mistake for a second time.
Another tip is to make sure you have enough small bills like tens and twenties because in many places at least in Europe it can be frowned upon to pay with much higher notes than what the bill is. You can often exchange some of your larger bills at banks without issue.
Another money related tip is to not have all your money in one place. When I go walking around I usually keep a small amount of money in one pocket in case I am going to find something I may want. This is helpful so you can not only pay fast, but lets be realistic pickpockets do exist and sometimes people will watch to see what is in your wallet. Always better to be safe than sorry.
Hop on and off buses are a must!
In almost every place I have visited I took the opportunity to buy the Hop on and off bus tickets. Depending on where you go the prices will vary, however even if you only plan on using them for one day, by the way usually you can get a deal for a two day pass. You can get a much better idea of where things are in the place you are visiting. I usually allow the first or second day for this as it allows for a game plan to be created and I work better visually seeing a place and deciding if I want to spend more time there. Another reason the buses are great is you may see a place that is not on your list of sights to see, but once you see it can be added. I love visiting open air markets, and I have been lucky enough to find a few while ride these buses. The other nice part of the buses is that it could be cheaper to get a two day pass and get from point A to B and even maybe C verse a taxi. The hop on and off buses also often provide audio information about the sights it is taking you too which can be interesting and useful. So my advice is at least look into how much the prices are for the place you are visiting. You may be able to get them cheaper online prior to arriving at your destination.
Airport travel tips
So I have learned many things while living with mobility challenges. From when I was in a wheelchair up until currently when I travel with my cane. First rule is when traveling outside the country make sure to leave enough time for Murphy’s law to mess with you. You may ask what I mean. Well I remember showing up at airport three hours early and thinking I had all the time in the world. Wrong! While you may be able to ask for an airport employee to escort you to your gate depending on the level of mobility challenge you have it can be a process. When I was using a wheelchair I would have to get the chair checked as well as receive a pat down for myself. So while it should be shorter just do not chance it. Another thing that some might find personal is using the restroom. If you have to use the restroom or think you can use the restroom do so about an hour to hour and half before the flight is meant to depart. The reason is if you wait you may have to go right before you are supposed to board and if you need extra time due to your mobility the plane is not going to wait. The other issue is that you may think I will just use it once I get on the plane. The issue is that often the airline crew is trying to get everyone on the plane as fast as possible so they can be on time, and they cannot take off with someone in the bathroom so there are times they say you have to wait until the flight is in the air. As a person with a lives with a neurogenic bladder and bowel I understand the meaning oh shit. For those who are unfamiliar with these conditions, people who live with them are often unable to control when they have to use the restroom and when nature calls you have very little time to answer. Since I have been living with this since 2006 I no-longer get embarrassed about things that I have little or no control over. I live with it and I do not allow it to control my life. Have I had issues? Absolutely, but I also tend to have poor balance and due to my drop foot I tend to also be prone to falling. The best way I see it is, as long as I can get back up without serious injury I brush myself off and tend to my scraps and move on.
Oops moments!
No matter how well you plan something an oops moment can and often will happen. I have been to many places and done many things so I have had my fair share of these moments, however I choose never to allow these moments to define the success of a trip. I will stumble, I may fall, but I always refuse to stay down. Since this website/blog is meant to assist those who may have mobility challenges I promise to be honest with the challenges I have faced in an effort to offer you the chance to avoid or lessen any issues.
I will also start with letting everyone know when I do travel I use my single point cane. I love the type that is collapsible as it make throwing it my bag when I am on a plane, or sitting down to eat, or pretty much anytime I just want to get it out of the way easier and convenient. Often when people see my walking gait they gather the assumption I suffered from a stroke as my right side weakness is more apparent. My right arm does not have functional use, and I have drop foot in the right which means I tend to drag my foot. I do where a brace to assist with this, however I do still stumble and sometimes fall due to my foot either catching on something or if it does not lift high enough. The funny part is I have lived with my current mobility so long I often forget about their lack ability until I have an issue. Of course one I have a issue then I get frustrated for a few minutes and then I kinda of laugh at myself for getting upset. I often realize that things happen and as long as I can brush myself off and continue on I am still lucky. So many people have lives with challenges greater than myself. Anyway on to a few of my oops moments. Hopefully things will assist you and maybe even give you a giggle or two.
I remember one time when I went on a trip with my cousin to London England and Ireland I was the semi-navigator. For the most part things were fine and our trip to England was great. We saw a decent amount of the attractions we were looking forward to. I will say one of the things I noticed about London was that their pace is similar to that of New York City. This was one of my first trips after I had regained enough mobility to travel and I remember our first attempt at taking the metro. First thing to know about the metro overseas is that not all stops have an elevator/lift down to the platform. The larger stops often do, however it is always a smart choice to plan ahead if you are unable to walk down steps or take the escalator. Also a fun fact the escalators can often be out of order and you are only left with steps. So as I was working to ride the escalator down to the platform I usually have to hold on to the left-side due to the non-function of my right arm. I was unaware of the etiquette that those who are not walking down the escalator are meant to stay on the right-side to allow those who are to pass. Well firstly I was unaware and second I literally would struggle to accomplish this. This however did not stop someone from pushing past me in the effort to arrive at the bottom of the moving stair case that in another 15 seconds would have arrived at the bottom. In his effort I almost lost my grip and went face first down the escalator. Once he accomplished getting past me he decided to lecture me that I need to get to the right-side. I attempted to explain I was unable to do so and he mumbled something and walked off. One of the things I have noticed on my travels is that people tend to focus on themselves and their destination and not the people or things around them. That is not to say I have not encounter people who when they noticed me will go out of their way to ask if they can help me, either if down stairs, or if I fall to see if I need assistance. I will say nine out of ten times I will thank them and say I am fine. I have a think skin and maybe even a think head at times. I do attempt not to let my pride get the best of me, but sometimes I just want to blend in and not be seen for my disability.
Wrong Airport Oops!
So yes I did go to the wrong airport when I was on my trip with my cousin from London England to Dublin Ireland. It can happen a lot easier than one might think. A silly mistake but not a trip destroyer by any means. Since I made the goof I paid the difference to fly from the airport we went to instead of the trying to drive another hour and most likely miss our flight and still have to take another flight. In the end it worked out and I learned to ensure you know where you need to go the day before and double check even if you swear you are sure.
Travels and Adventure!
Traveling is and will always be a way to discover the world around ourselves as well as a way to discover who we are and what we can be. I have always seen the places within the world as fascinating. I guess the reason is because while each place offers new and exciting discoveries. Either people, places, foods, or the wonders of the unknown.
