| |
STOP! Before you go any further, make this window as big as possible!
Here you will find a virtual journey
of the places and people who made this trip so incredible. At the
end of the trip, you will find tips and suggestions to make your
Phish tour in Europe stress free.
There are lots of pictures on this
page, some of them historical places, others are of the people on
tour and others are of the band. All pictures on this page are copywrighted.
For information about the band pictures or how you can get your
hands on some of them, email
The Tour at a Glance
Click on any of the dates in the map above,
or on any of the city names below to go right to that city
or,
you can go "on tour" and scroll your way through this
page.
Throughout this page you will see excerpts from
an article that I wrote which appeared in the Clifford Ball Newspaper
as well as a featured article in the Phish Forum on AOL. The differences
you may notice between the article published in the newspaper and
what you see here comes from the fact that the newspaper edited
my story for print, whereas you will get the full version plus much
more here.
First of all, let't talk about the scene. You could
say that the crowd was split up into two groups, the train people
and the car people. I was one of the train people. All in all, I would
have to say there were about 30 hard core heads at each show (which
varied drastically depending of the size and location of the venue)in
about six different groups. But in reality there was no real separation...everyone
ended up in the taping section evenutally!
The majority of the people on the tour were males,
I know this because I was one of the five females on tour, hehe. As
for the shows, only 5 of the 19 were Phish only shows, the others
they served as the opening act. All shows were general admission except
for in Deauville, but it didn't matter anyway. Show times varied with
the earliest in Koln at 5 pm and the latest in Sesto Calende at 9:30
but all the shows started late except for Rome.
Apparently, what had happened was that Phish released
a European Greatest Hits called "Stash".
The songs on the album are:
1: Down with Disease
2: If I Could
3: You Enjoy Myself
4: Fast Enough for You
5: Scent of a Mule
6: Split Open and Melt
7: Maze
8: Sample in a Jar
9: Bouncing Around the Room
10: Stash
11: Gumbo
So, when you see the setlists for the shows when
Phish opened for Santana, it is obvious that they were trying to promote
their album (and drive US crazy). Anyway, all of the shows that they
opened up for Santana were on the average 46 minutes long.
And away we go on our virtual European Phish tour......
7/2/96
Villa Manin
Udine, Italy
I did not attend this show, but I still can
tell the tale. This was one of the shows where Phish opened foru Santana.
Santana's equipment got set up first and before the Phish crew could
get their gear set up, it started to rain. So, Phish got cancelled
as the opening act, but they came out on stage and played some tunes
with Carlos.
7/3/96
Stadio Brtamasco
Trento, Italy
I did not attend this show either, but I do
have the setlist.
Here ya go....
- Runaway Jim
- Stash
- Sparkle
- Taste*
- Jam*
- Llama*
-
- *-with Santana
7/5/96
Stadio Olimpico
Rome, Italy
opened for Santana
This was the first show that I was at. It
was in Rome at a place called Stadio Olimpico, once used for the
Olympics. As you can imagine, it was huge and at full capacity held
over 100,000 people. But for the intent and purposes of a Santana
concert they sectioned off about 1/8 of the stadium and put the
stage on the floor with about the area between the defensive line
and the goal as the floor. It was tiny. We got there really early,
as did everyone else. While on line we saw Trey walk in and he was
so psyched to see so many of us. I would have to say about 50 heads
were there. We were waiting for a long time and they didn't let
us in on time. They did a Funky Bitch soundcheck which we all heard
from outside the gates and then they let us in but the soundcheck
was in actuality the first song so everyone missed it. The majority
of us got in for the Chalkdust "opener" and I know that
none of the tape decks got in in time for the beginning of it. Everyone
was really unthrilled about it too. As for the audience, it was
all Americans on the "floor" and the Europeans were in
the stands behind us and during Sweet Adeline they were booing them.
below:(left) A capella Sweet Adeline in Rome (right) The Coliseum
Look, Fish is wearing JEANS!!
  
Funky Bitch, Chalkdust, AC/DC, YEM, Scent,
David Bowie, Sweet Adeline (no microphones)
7/6/96
Duomo Square
Pistoia, Italy
opened for Santana
We all arrived in Pistoia to find that the
town was hosting the Pistoia Blues festival. We had no idea that it
was going to be such a huge event. Seven bands played before Phish
and it was a long wait. Everything was pretty mellow until about the
middle of their set when the Europeans decided to move onto the floor.
Then it got really crowded and my own personal experience was that
the people there were very rude and unkind. I heard people booing
them standing right near me but others didn't have that experience.
Overall, I did not enjoy Pistoia because of the crowd and the weird
scene. After the show there was a campground and I can give you two
accounts "It was something out of Mad Max beyond Thunderdome.
Crazy gypsies everywhere with spiked hair and chains and spikes. People
were stepping on me as I slept. Little kids were wandering around
like lost puppies". The second account "It was raging, the
phattest campground ever". It was here that we got our first
glance of how mellow it was with the band. Fishman spent an hour writing
out a postcard to send to a friend of my friend. Mike was just chillin'
out also. It was pretty phat!
 
2001, Reba, Poor Heart, Day in the Life, Maze, Hood
7/7/96
Parco Acquatica
Milano, Italy
opened for Santana
As the name indicates it was in a water park,
sorta, well it was in a vacant lot of a water park. No, we weren't
listening to the show as we went down a water slide (although that
would have been phat). This was the one show when Phish played for
over 45 minutes, actually 60 minutes!! For those of us taping on analog
it was an unwelcome surprise though. Anyway, it was a pretty mellow
scene and there really isn't much to say about it other than there
were mosquitoes from hell! It was here that I met Trey for the first
time while on line for a beer.
below:(left) Parco Acquatica (right) the train
people in the Milan station
 
Sample, Divided Sky, Bouncin', Curtain>Tweezer,Sweet
Adeline,Uncle Penn,Cavern,Antelope,Suzy Greenberg
7/9/96
Le Cid (Centre International de
Deauville)
Deauville, France
opened for Santana
The first venue in France was in Deauville,
a small, resort/yachting town on the coasts of the Normandy invasion.
Like I said, it was resorty and the venue was actually in a casino.
People there were sorta snobby and we stuck out like sore thumbs and
weren't allowed into the gambling part of the casino at all! Regardless,
Deauville is a beautiful city. Before the show many of us drank wine
on the beaches of the Normandy invasion. The show was almost non-existent
as far as length goes I think it was something like 37 minutes!! But
at this venue there were probably about only 15 heads there and we
had fun anyway.
below:(left) Trey banging on his drums in Deauville (right) myself,
taking in Deauville.
 
Theme>Poor Heart,Taste>Cars,Trucks, Buses,
Mikes>Bouncin, Character Zero*
*first time played
7/10/96
Le Zenith
Paris, France
opened for Santana
The number of people on tour seemed to increase
at this point I guess the prospect of three Phish-only shows motivated
people. Anyway, it was the same scene all around. At this point everyone
knew everyone else. I was part of the whole little taper world. And
other than that there really were not that many people who were there.
I would have to almost say that the tapers were the core of the tourers
with the other people as branches from that. All I know is that at
some point, everyone always ended up in the taping section. But I
guess I do write this from the perspective of the tapers. Personally,
I thought the Paris set was the best so far as far as their playing
and the energy level. The split open and melt was unreal! The venue
was small, as they all were. The shows started to get irritating because
we travelled so far to see the same songs and only like 45 minutes
of them at that! It was funny, after the Paris show Trey threw his
hands up in the air and laughed as he said goodbye. He must have been
thinking the same thing that we did, that was it?
Chalkdust,Ya Mar>Split Open and
Melt>Waste, Bowie, Ragtime Girl, Good times, Bad times
7/11/96
Shepherd's Bush Empire
London, England
Well, finally, a PHISH-ONLY show!! Yes!! London
in itself was a trip. It made New York City look clean by comparison.
With no sort of pollution control and the huge buses everywhere,
it made many people sick, literally! But otherwise. The venue was
tiny, it was comprable to the Beacon theatre in nyc but it was smaller.
There were a lot of people who came out of the woodwork for this
show and most of them were Americans. Many were studying abroad
or many hopped on tour there since London has the cheapest airfares.
Other than that I can't say very much about
London other than that everyone was really excited for the show
the next night in Amsterdam. It was definetly time to stock up,
if you know what I mean.
Set I
Runaway Jim, Cavern, Reba, I didn't know,
Sparkle, Stash, Scent of a Mule, Sample
Set II
Hood,Bouncin', 2001, Maze, Lizards,Terrapin
(Hairs on end),YEM,Ragtime Gal'
E:Day in the Life*
*(we didn't know if they would have the guts
to do a Beatles song in England, but they did and it was well received)
7/12/96
The Melkweg
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Phish-only
Well, as you can imagine, this show had to
be good, or if not good at least a real good time. Amsterdam is the
coolest city by far. Other than the toleration of pot, it was just
so cool. But that's probably why, hehe. After everyone hit the coffee
shops and got their tickets (those who had them reserved) it was time
to puff hard, and we did. There was much ticket chaos outside, for
the first time on tour. There was a little in London, but not too
bad. But as the showtime drew nearer, those who didn't have tickets
sort of gave up because it was a lost cause. I would have to say that
99% of the people in the show were Americans. It was truly an experience.
The band members were just as, if not more wasted than all of us and
it showed. They jammed out hard and tried to keep it together. The
setlist wasn't exactly stellar, but the experience was. Before the
second set someone handed Trey a joint from the audience and he took
a huge hit, it was cool to see that. Anyway, the venue itself was
tiny, about half of the size of Irving Plaza in New York City.
 
If you ever make it to Amsterdam, go to Lucky
Mothers. Get yourself a spacecake or ten, but don't eat them all!
They taste so chocolately and yummy and the hash inside tastes like
peanut butter, but don't be fooled, just half of one will send you
into orbit for sure!
And make sure you try the Jack Carrera-Northern
Lights hybrid.
Also, for my all time favorite strain, White
Widow check out the the Sensi Seed shop!
Set I
Divided Sky,Horn,Split Open and Melt, Ya Mar>Funky
Bitch,Taste* ,Theme,Tweezer>Llama
*Trey informed us that this song, which was
sometimes called The Fog that Surrounds was, from that point on
officially called Taste, so make a note of that.)
Set II
Prince Caspian,Mike's>Antelope**,HYHU>Purple
Rain>HYHU,Jam***,NICU**, Slave, Suzy G.
**not finished.....We spoke to Trey and he
told us that sometimes in the middle of jam you just lose the groove
and you must decide whether to fumble to get it back or end it,
and that they ended it. He told us that Fishman actually forgot
what song they were playing at one point as well as himself.
***We call this the creating the jam, jam.
Trey asked the audience to throw out two keys and I believe we decided
on E and G and then he asked us to choose the kind of jam and we
decided on a SKA groove. So they did it in E and G and after a fewminutes
Trey said that we needed some words and then he said it was too
weird and that it was time to play one of their songs, which they
did)
Set III
Bowie, Free, Ragtime Gal'
Encores: Bathtub Gin, Johnny B. Goode
All in all it was phat!
7/13/96
Dour Festival
Dour, Belgium
We didn't go to this one because we decided that an extra day in
Amsterdam was more valuable than Sample In a Jar.
Runaway Jim, Cavern, Reba, Poor Heart, Split Open and Melt, Fire,
Funky Bitch, Chalkdust,YEM
7/15/96
Lido La Marna
Sesto Calende, Italy
Phish-only
Before I get to the show, let me talk about some events that led
up to the show. Most people on tour skipped the Dour festival and
opted to stay an extra day in Amsterdam. Those who stayed all ended
up leaving Amsterdam at about 8pm the night before the show in Sesto
Calende.There were two trains that were going to Milan (the closest
hub to Sesto). One of the trains, which was the one that we were on
went through Germany while the other train went through Belgium and
France. Let me be honest, everyone was really sketched out about transporting
"goods" out of Amsterdam. The authorities know what is up
and the first place they look is in places like your shampoo bottle.
But, we devised our own plan to keep the dogs out of our couchette
car on the train at the time we crossed the Italian border. All I
have to say is electrical tape and a jar of Nutella. Apparently, we
got lucky for on the other train from Amsterdam was some big cocaine
smuggler. As a result, the train was under serious watch and when
it passed over the Italian border, the dogs boarded and they searched
EVERY car in search of the cocaine. But, what they found was a bunch
of American kids with some pot in their shampoo bottles. Three of
my friends got nailed on the train. Nothing happened to them either,
they just took it away. That was until they got to Milan. As soon
as they got off the train they were escorted to some sort of interrogation
room. To make matters worse, the police dragged away two of their
friends who did not get busted just because their friends said hello
to them. So now it was a real mess and the look of terror on my friends
faces was very upsetting as they were being led away into a room with
machine guns prodding their backs. In the end, they all got busted
for what they all had and they had to endure a strip search and a
slap on the wrists. They received some sort of letter that they had
to keep with them for as long as they were in Italy, but no one could
read it because it was in Italian.....ugh...the drama of it all.....
Anyway, now we can talk about the show!
This place was sweet. It was like the local bar on this lake with
this beach. It was seriously beautiful and serene. The number of people
at this show did taper off from the Amsterdam show but there were
still a decent number of people there. Outside on the steps were a
bunch of heads playing drums and guitars and Mike Gordon walked out
and borrowed someone's mandolin and sat down and played. I must say
that Mike was probably the most social of the bunch, everytime I turned
around he was standing next to me!
 
above:(left) Where's Mike!? (right) how does one translate the secret
language into Italian? all fall down.....
me on the beach...that building on the right is the venue....
Set I
My Friend, My Friend, Punch You in the Eye, Fast enough, Guyute,
Possum, I didn't know, Hood, Cavern
Set II
Down with Disease>Maze,Loving Cup>*Makisupa Policeman*, Ice,
Julius, HYHU>Purple Rain>Uncle Penn,Antelope
E:Golgi
*There is actually a story behind the Loving Cup>Makisupa. There
was a bridge near the lake, a small bridge, not like the Brooklyn
Bridge or anything, and during the day some people were hanging
out by it and Trey walked out and dared someone to jump off it (it
wasn't a big jump) A girl said she would if they played Loving Cup>Makisupa
and they did. End of story.
7/17/96
Theatre Antique
Vienne, France
opened for Santana
The of the venue says it all. This is an amphitheatre carved out
of the side of the mountain and was built in 500 something AD. It
is antique and truly beautiful complete with a castle on top. Vienne
is a very eclectic rustic town. The night before Phish played there,
Neil Young played at the theatre and as we were eating dinner at an
outdoor cafe a few blocks away, Neil's immortal words could be heard
wafting through the air....."hey hey, my my...rock and roll will
never die..." it was, in a word, majestic.
There was an opening act before Phish, her was NOA and she is apparantly
a huge hit over there. The crowd had no tolerance for Phish at all
and they knew it. They were being whistled at and booed. NOA was supposed
to come out and play with them, she was cool actually, she played
like 10 different instruments and jammed hard. Anyway, she was supposed
to play with them and apparently Trey looked over at her towards the
end of the set and based on the crowds reaction to Phish, she said
she wasn't going to play with them after all. They were unthrilled
to be there and we were unthrilled to get the end product of all the
bad energy. It was schwaggy.
Divided Sky, Sample, Bowie, Ya Mar, Funky Bitch
What a waste of such a beautiful venue!
7/18/96
Nice Jazz Festival
Nice, France
Les Arenes
opened for Santana
Nice was nice. This was the Jazz Festival, enough said. It was in
a park. There were a lot of people.
Julius,Cars Trucks & Buses>Bouncin', Stash, Ragtime Gal',
Ice, YEM
Note: I suppose that if you had only seen one or two of these Phish/Santana
shows these sets may seem ok, but after so many of the same sets we
were coming to the realization that they were promoting their album
and that we should stop hoping for magic. So if you are perceiving
some sort of negative attitude, it comes solely out of repetition.
7/19/96
Les Arenes
Arles, France
opened for Santana
The town itself had such incredible charm and beauty. One can see
why Van Gogh made it his home. It was a sweet venue and we had fun.
This venue was similar to the one in Vienne. It is an ancient coliseum
complete with stones as seats and dirt as a floor. The French people
here actually dug Phish a lot and they got a standing applause when
their set was done. We were happy because we actually got to hear
two songs they had not yet played.
 
Runaway Jim, Foam, Sweet Adeline, Waste, Chalkdust, Squirming Coil
7/21/96
The Forum
Nurnberg, Germany
Phish-only
At long last, we were finally in Germany. It was quite a hike from
Arles to Nurnberg. We boarded a train at 11pm at night and did not
get off in Nurnberg until about 7pm the next day. This venue was tiny
and it was a really mellow scene. Lots of people had gone back to
Amsterdam and restocked. I was about the only person on tour with
a glass pipe so I was set! Glass pipes are in demand, ya know? We
pulled up to the Frankenheimer (or something like that) station which
was literally right behind the venue and we saw Trey standing there.
I yelled out his name and he waved at us. Pretty kewl, huh? In Germany
marijuana is tolerated so it was phat. We even convinced the guard
(a very weak one) at the back of the venue that we had something for
the band, which we did. They let us back there and we lit the band.
Outside everyone was just puffing everywhere.
 
Set I
Golgi, Rift,Tweezer, If I could, My mind, Split Open, Horse>Silent
in the AM,Taste,Train Song*, Fee, Timber Ho!, JBG
*first time played and it was dedicated to all those following the
band around on the trains.
Set II
Llam>, Theme, Reba, Life on Mars, Free, Antelope>Simple>Prince
Caspian>Suzy G.
E:Hood
7/22/96
Tanzbrunnen
Koln, Germany
opened for Santana
No one knew that the show started at 5 pm
so many people actually missed the Phish set. We made it there by
the skin of our teeth, set up and got rolling. The venue was in
a park which had an early curfew, hence the early show time. It
was right on the Rhine across from this castle, it was gorgeous.
 
Sample, Poor Heart, Cavern, Maze>Bouncin',
Stash, YEM
ugh......
7/23/96
Markthalle
Hamburg, Germany
Phish-only
Hamburg is a trip in itself. Prostitution
and heroin are somewhat legalized so it was everywhere. The venue
was also in the middle of it all. I will never forget staying in
a brothel, which we thought was a regular hotel. Nor will I forget
the first sight of Hamburg being a junkie sitting there with the
needle still in his arm. But I was amused when I was offered 50
DeutchMarks for something that I didn't even understand. So, it
all came down to this basically. We even got a pool going. You had
to write down five songs that they didn't play yet and hand them
in to Andrey and afterwards whoever picked the most songs that they
played got a dollar from everyone who entered. Well, no one won,
if that says anything at all. The place was seriously tiny with
a capacity of about 300 people. It was rockin' !
 
Set I
AC/DC,Foam,Theme, Scent, Gumbo, Down with
Disease>McGrupp, Ragtime Gal'
Set II
2001, Runaway Jim, Loving Cup, Sparkle, Mikes>Hydrogen>*Weekapaug
Groove, HYHU>Bike>HYHU,Slave
E:Rocky Top
*brought back into rotation
7/24/96
The Musik Halle
Hannover, Germany
opened for Santana
This show was in a warehouse in the middle
of nowhere. Inside the warehouse was a three ring circus tent, one
in which there was a stage for Phish and Santana. My friend's favorite
song is the Sloth. Before the show he made a sign that said "17
shows and no Sloth??" and walked around with it before the
show. By the way, there were only about 15 heads at this one. Anyway,
so when the boys came out on stage, Trey busted out a sign that
said "18 shows and still no Sloth". Joke was on us. After
their set we left and walked around the back and convinced the guard
that it was all right if we stayed and smoked a cigarette. It paid
off because Page walked out of the tour bus and recognized my friend
and invited us backstage. There we met Trey who thanked us for being
part of their little joke and he promised that if we slip him a
note with a certain thing written on it, he will play it at a US
show. Then we spoke to Fishman and he apologized for the close proximity
of the mail order for the fall tour to the end of the European tour.
But that didn't change it or anything. All I can say is that they
are all so cool. Fishman even said that in the states that cant
socialize because of all the chaos. I guess the combination of them
and us being cool was what made it work. Like Trey could actually
stand at a concession stand and not be mobbed. As I looked to my
right I saw Santana with his whole entourage going through his pre-show
spirituality stuff. Then we had to leave for if we missed the train
back to Hamburg, we would have been stuck in Hannover for the night.
 
Chalkdust, Ya Mar, Julius, YEM, Golgi
7/25/96
Stadtpark
Hamburg, Germany
opened for Santana
This was it, we didn't know what to expect,
but really, we did. We knew we would get the same songs again, but
tonight we were going to be thrilled about it since it was the last
one. Everyone also agreed to actually stick it through and not leave
after Phish was over. The show was fun. I hung out with Mike after
the show. Then they all went to a bar and drank.
 
Poor Heart, Punch You, Sample, Life on Mars>Antelope,
Hood, Cavern
By the last show, this was, is and will always
be the tour clan of the Europe 1996 Phish Tour.
So that's it. As we fondly call it, "Europe
in a jar", hehe. So if anyone wants more specific info about
any of these places feel free to email me. It was a blast and I
think that they had as much fun as we did. While they did go back
to Europe this past February and they will also be going back to
Europe this summer, I do not think that the experience will ever
be the same. It was the off the beaten path venues which made it
so memorable.
"Waiting for a time when I can finally
say,
This has all been wonderful, but now I'm
on my way"...
Thank you to the band and the crew for
making it fun. To all of my friends on this continent and the European
one, I love you all and will cherish the memories forever.
-stephanie
Click on either
cover to download it!
 
Summer Tour 1996 Winter Tour 1997
Link to the European
Phish Head page
***************************************
Helpful Travel Tips for touring with Phish in Europe or Europe in
general.
Now is the part of this page when I am going
to give some suggestions to those of you who are going to Europe
to follow Phish this summer. These little things are the things
that I stressed about so maybe they will help to ease your worries
as well.
Tickets
1. Buy all your tickets in advance.
2.When you order tickets via phone, make
sure and I really mean, make sure that the person taking your
order has the correct information about you. When you go to pick
up your tickets, the slightest mistake in your name can cause
them to not find your tickets. I can't even tell you how many
people this happened to, including us.
3. Bring all information with you relating
to purchasing the tickets. This means, bring the phone number
you called to order the tickets as well as the credit card you
used to purchase the tickets and any relevant confimation numbers
in case there are any problems.
Transportation
1. The train. Ok, it is called the Eurail
system and it is probably the best, most affordable way to get
yourself around Europe. As you can see above, the route we followed
on the tour was very hectic, criss-crossing back and forth across
Europe. But, the trains were always there to take us to our next
destination, no matter where we were headed. For more information
about Eurail and how to purchase passes, click Eurail
Web Site!
I would highly recommend that you get a
train schedule before you go. You should plot out a tentative
list of trains that you could take to get you to the next show
on time. All trains are not listed in the schedule, but you should
have an idea of how much time you can spend in a city before you
have to leave. If you do not see your destination on the Eurail
schedule, don't worry. From every Eurail station there is either
the local subway-type thing or regional trains which will take
you to your destination. Subways require that you purchase usually
a one day pass but regional trains are usually covered by your
Eurail pass.
It is a good idea to make reservations for
a couchette (sleep) car on overnight trips as you will not be
happy in a seat for 12 hours, trust me. A couchette is a cabin
with six beds, two that serve as seats, two above that which fold
down and two above that which fold down. The couchettes are where
you party hard and have fun. Usually, if you want to fill a couchette
with friends, as long as you have reservations, the conductors
will allow you to stay together, regardless of which couchette
you are assigned to. Just remember to be courteous and polite
to the conductors as they could make your life miserable. Note
that to be in a couchette car, you will have to pay a supplement
which is not included in the cost of your Eurail pass. Often,
you might need a reservation to be on a train (even without a
couchette)and it is usually indicated on the schedule. It is a
good idea to take care of such details as soon as you arrive in
a city so that you are assured a place on the train you want to
take when it is time to depart.
Keep in mind that usually, on long trips
you may be going through several countries. Once you enter any
country, the train is stopped and passports are checked. This
usually happens in the middle of the night sometime when you are
sleeping. So, as a courtesy, the conductors will ask you for your
passport and Eurail pass when you first get on board so that you
will not be bothered by the whole ordeal. Before you arrive at
your destination, they will give your stuff back to you.
Also keep in mind that when travelling to
or from Amsterdam, be very wary or what you carry with you. On
suspicious trains like that, dogs are usually involved and I can't
even tell you how many people got awakened by a huge German Shepherd
barking at their groin or attacking their luggage.
Train safety is something that is a varied
subject. Before we went, we were told that there is a lot of theft
on the trains. Luckily, we never encountered such a horror, but
it does happen. To make sure you are not a victim, always keep
your luggage securely stowed away, especially when sleeping. Try
to stay in a couchette with friends. Lock the door to your couchette
before you sleep. The thieves are looking for your passports and
your money so always keep that stuff on your person. Also, be
sure to always keep your stuff guarded when you are waiting around
in the station to board a train. Thieves prey on kids who leave
their luggage unattended.
As for your luggage...in every station there
is a locker room where you can store your luggage if you don't
feel like carrying it around with you all day and you are not
planning on staying in that city overnight. Make sure you are
aware of when the locker rooms open and close or you could have
to wait until the next day to get your stuff back which really
sucks.
GETTING TO LONDON
The best way to get from any other part
of Europe to London is by the Eurostar chunnel train. You need
to make reservations and purchase tickets for this train way in
advance. It is the cheapest, fastest and easiest way to get to
London. If memory serves me (and it usually doesn't), you can
catch the Eurostar from Paris or Brussels. Eurostar passes are
not included with your Eurail passes but they can be purchased
from the Eurail offices.
Lodging
Before we went, we made reservations in
hotels/hostels in every city. We never made it to a single one.
Do not worry about where you will stay. When you arrive in a station,
look for the sign which says "i". The "i"
will make reservations for you once you reach a city in whatever
part of the city you want for the price you want with no problems.
There are so many hotels that just aren't in the travel guides,
so don't even bother wasting your time.
Just look for a sign that looks like
this: 
Money
All I have to say is that currency exchange
sucks. We were in a different country almost every day which means
that we had to keep exchanging our currency. The ATM machines
in Europe only work if you have a 4 digit code, so make sure you
do that at your bank before you leave. ATM machines are everywhere
so don't take out more money than you will need or you could end
up losing money in the whole currency exchange process. The best
rates are usually found from the bank ATM machines. The agencies
charge high fees and you lose money. The best place to exchange
your money is in the country that it belongs to. Bring a calculator
to figure out how much money things cost instead of estimating
how much they cost in your head. Foreign currency looks and feels
like play money but it still has the same value as our money.
Just remember that....
Expect to spend at least $300 more than
you have planned for, you never know what will happen.
Credit cards are of course accepted at most
hotels and restaurants and at Eurail ticketing offices.
Clothing
Don't bring too much stuff or your life
will be hell. You will find a lot of time is spent running to
the trains or to the show and a big backpack makes it a lot harder
to deal. Get a reliable, sturdy pack because if yours breaks,
they are not that easy to find and if you do find one, it will
cost you a lot of money. Bring only what you need, you can always
do a wash if you have to. Bring one nice thing to wear because
some places do enforce dress codes. Also, and this is so important,
bring something to put on your feet other than sandals because
in the rain, they just don't cut it. Northern Europe gets chilly
and is usually not so hot even in the days in the summertime.
Make sure you have long pants and a sweatshirt or light jacket.
Food
Get prepared, most European cuisine involves
pork in some way shape or form even though it might not say so
on the menu. Pork is used as a garnish so if you are a vegetarian,
be aware that meat in Europe is very prevalent. Before you order,
ask what is in the food because you won't get a refund if it is
not what you expected. You will find that it is cheaper to buy
a bottle of water than a can of Coke in most places so keep that
in mind.
Gratuities
Most often tips are included in the price
for meals as well as taxis.
Bathrooms
I couldn't resist talking about this one....some
places don't have toilet bowls, namely southern Italy. Instead
it is more like a hole in the floor with handles on both sides.
AND, more often than not there is no toilet paper so ALWAYS have
tissues on hand.
Telephones
Before you go, call AT&T to get a card
which tells you how to access AT&T for the best rates from
any country in Europe. You really really do need this so do it!
Public phones in many countries require a phone card and usually
you will only need it to get through to the operator. Buy a phone
card as soon as you enter a country, no joke. Some hotels do charge,
while others do not charge to put you through to an AT&T operator.
Check before you do this or you could be very unhappy when
you get your bill.
Smoking
It seems like everyone in Europe smokes
so smoking in restaurants was never a problem. But, in
many places you will not be able to find the brand you want so
bring what you need.
Smoking pot...well, I guess it really depends
on what country you are in. Germany and the Netherlands (Amsterdam)
"tolerate" it, but still be careful, it is NOT LEGAL!.
As for bringing it over to Europe, unless Amsterdam is your first
stop, you better get clever because it is not easy to get at all.
We brought some with us and it held us over until we reached Amsterdam
but no one else had anything and everyone was fiending like crazy.
Just keep that in mind.
Taping the Shows
If you are taping the shows, bring your
batteries, cables and tapes with you from the states because over
there you might not find exactly what you are looking for and
if you do, it will cost you twice as much.
If you don't know the language, get a little
book...this helps a lot, especially if you are not familiar with
the likes of the German language.
Well, I hope you enjoyed my virtual trip.
Please direct any questions to me and I
will try to help.
For additional phish stories check out
|
|
