Gatecrashing Europe

In 2007, Kris Mole flew one-way to Stockholm with a vow not to return home to England until he had visited every capital city in the mainland European Union. He set himself eight simple rules, most importantly A) that no money would be spent or handled during the journey, and B) no credit cards would be used either. Thus, the great Euro Freebie Challenge began: twenty-three cities to be visited, 6000 miles to be covered, without spending a single penny on the journey - to raise money, in fact, for Cancer Research UK. The colourful story of this six-month trip was first told by charismatic, wise-cracking, semi-anti-hero Kris via a series of blogs, and followed by readers of The Daily Mail, The Telegraph and the BBC website. Readers found Kris drawing on his formidable resourcefulness to acquire all of life's necessities for free, resting wherever he could find a place, and travelling by foot, hitch-hiking, or stowing away on trains - experiencing, as you might expect, a wild emotional ride in the process. August 2015 marks the first appearance of this epic journey in book form, with the author donating 10% of his royalties to Cancer Research UK.

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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.
Unusually Inspiring
By Book Reviewer
Whether or not you agree with his method, or would want to travel this way yourself, the message of the book is this: Go out and experience the world and you will learn.

This guy's ability to subject himself to the whims of others astounds me. He's brave; he's daring; he's a young guy throwing himself into life.

This book probably won't be about your life but will inspire you to look at your own life. In the end you'll be asking yourself: How can I get more out of my journey?

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Europe with Kids: Full-Color Lifestyle Guide To Traveling In Europe

While one needn’t forgo the beaches and the sun, a family holiday in Europe can of course be about much, much more. How about taking the little darlings around the Louvre in Paris, or the Uffizi Gallery in Florence? Climb the Leaning Tower of Pisa, scale an Alp or two, or even watch Mount Etna erupt? Yes, it can be done. Footprint’s new guide to savoring mainland Europe with children shows how to put the fun back into foreign holidays with a cornucopia of family-friendly places to see and things to do, plus recipes, games, and great ideas on how to get the kids as excited about being in the Old World as you are.

"The perfect book to have to hand when planning your family's annual holiday" Junior Magazine "Top resources for vacationing: Travel with Kids by William Gray - exotic excursions, from hanging out under a pagoda in Kathmandu to puffin-watching in Wales." Nick Jnr Magazine (Nickleodean) "From tots to teens, this book helps parents get it right for different age groups, budgets and style of travel." Sticky Travel - MTV Magazine "Travel with Kids by William Gray includes lots of tips for eco-friendly family holidays worldwide - from tots to teens" www.greentraveller.co.uk Britain with Kids is a guided tour of all the goodness on our doorstep. Whether you want fun and free things to do, child-heavenly beaches, luxury places to stay, gorgeous woodlands, farm days or a guide to the best local food around the country, this is the place to find it. Chapters are helpfully divided by theme, as well as regions with listings of local attractions, costs, and a description. Great when you are not familiar with the area. Be inspired.A" Junior Magazine Britain with Kids is all you need to know - from the best fish & chips to the not-so-boring museums, and everything in between.A" Angels & Urchins Magazine

It's hard to say which was the more pivotal moment of William Gray's travelling career - surviving his first long-haul flight with toddler twins or clinching the coveted Travel Writer of the Year award in 2002. A member of the British Guild of Travel Writers, William wrote and illustrated his first book at the age of 23. Coral Reefs & Islands: The Natural History of a Threatened Paradise was highly commended in the Conservation Book Prize. A sought-after photographer, William supplies images to several leading agencies including Photolibrary, Travel Ink and John Warburton-Lee. In 1995 William accompanied Patrick Lichfield as guest lecturer on the Oriana's maiden Atlantic crossing and he now gives slide talks throughout the UK. William followed up his award-winning Travel with Kids with Britain with Kids and Footprint's recently published Cornwall with Kids. For more information, check out willliam-gray.co.uk.

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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful.
Its a starting point...
By D & S mum
How, how is it possible that a book called "Europe for kids..." would offer only 20 pages to the countries of Belgium, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, and Swizerland? No, not 20 pages per country...20 pages IN TOTAL! Germany, Austria, and Switzerland easily deserve 20 pages (or more) a piece!

If you are looking for a guidebook to the touristy spots your children might enjoy, this may not be the book for you. If you want a book which will offer you prices and opening hours to attractions this is also not the book for you; very rarely are either offered. This book appears to have *some* helpful information and a few age specific pointers; it would be a great resource from your local library when you begin to plan your trip. When you want to get down to the meat of planning, you won't find a lot here. There is simply not enough substance here to justify the $18 price (especially when you consider Central Europe is but a whisper in this book!); surely at that price you are really paying for the beautiful photos.

On the pro side, each chapter has children's book suggestions for each country/region. Would like to have seen a longer list as notable books were left off the lists! Also enjoyable were the children's Top 10 lists for several countries. We will certainly be referring back to these. Finally, it was nice to see the inclusion of some recipes for each country. Although any google search could locate similar recipes, having them in one location as you prepare for the trip is handy. This book also has a decent amount of information (comparatively) on Turkey and Eastern Europe with kids.

This book was published in the UK. If you are in the US and considering this book, note that all prices given are either in pounds or euro. Also, most of the travel agencies listed are based in the UK.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful.
Not very useful
By B. Fulsom
This book seriously lacks specifics. At best it offers rough ideas for things to do, but it is far too general. Lots of nice colour pictures taking up precious space, but I don't need someone else's beautiful vacation photos when I plan to go for myself. Hardly any useful maps, brief descriptions, and whole geographic areas left out. The author admits as much in the book, but even then it is a little thin on content.

As a North American, I was also a little put off by the book's very UK-centric nature: aside from the lingo, there is a strong focus on Britain/Ireland and sun-seeker destinations like Greece, Spain, and Italy. There is almost nothing about Germany and Switzerland. The different destinations and particulars for newborns and toddlers versus teenagers are barely touched upon at the start of each chapter. Again, lots of generalities and few details.

Overall, a waste of money for the price.

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.
Four Stars
By Ludmila Forti
Arrive as promises and the book is in great conditions!

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The Rough Guide First-Time Europe 8 (Rough Guide to First-Time

"The Rough Guide First-Time Europe" tells you everything you need to know before you go to Europe, from visas and vaccinations to budgets and packing. It will help you plan the best possible trip, with advice on when to go and what not to miss, and how to avoid trouble on the road. You'll find insightful information on what tickets to buy, where to stay, what to eat and how to stay healthy and save money in Europe. "The Rough Guide First-Time Europe" includes insightful overviews of each European country highlighting the best places to visit with country-specific websites, clear maps, suggested reading and budget information. Be inspired by the full-colour 'things not to miss' section whilst useful contact details will help you plan your route. All kinds of advice and anecdotes from travellers who've been there and done it will make travelling stress-free. "The Rough Guide First-Time Europe" has everything you need to get your journey underway.

"...especially useful for anyone veering from the standard itinerary." -- Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Written by the same author as the best-selling Rough Guide First Time Around the World

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29 of 30 people found the following review helpful.
Excellent place to start planning
By drumlinds
Although this book is aimed at backpackers planning to spend 1-3+ months in Europe, it applies to low-budget backpackers on shorter trips as well. The book is divided into two main sections: the first section (about 2/3 of the book) is the information you'd use for planning, the second is a snapshot of 20-30 individual European countries with highlights and facts for each. There aren't more than a few pages per country, so plan to buy country- or region-specific guide books in addition.

I am planning a 10-day trip to Italy and I found the packing, transportation, and pricing information most helpful. The book has comparison charts of the costs of hotels and food in each country, which help you figure out where (in what countries) your money will go the furthest and help you calculate a realistic budget. It also has a whole chapter devoted to packing, with suggestions on what to take (and what to leave behind!) and a sample packing list.

This isn't a book you would take on your trip, but I think it is an invaluable resource before/while planning a trip. I'm just planning my flight and figuring out the rest of my agenda on my own, and this really helped give me an idea of what to expect.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful.
An invaluable armchair resource, and the author freely admits it is not a guidebook
By Jessica Lux
When my college-age sister declared she wanted to backpack Europe but, "it just seems so big," this is the first place I turned. In the introduction, the author tells you that this book is based on his personal experience, that it is aimed towards budget traveling, and that it was never intended to be a comprehensive guidebook. Use this to get a rough game plan and supplement it with other more detailed Rough Guides on specific personal areas of interest. The full-color, glossy "20 Reasons to Visit Europe" in the Introduction will give anyone more than enough ideas for exploring the continent.

The guide open with invaluable advice about prioritizing your itinerary, the importantance of flexibility in your itinerary, and a reality-check on how long it takes to visit and travel to the hot spots. His budget chapter is not to be missed, along with the finance info scattered throughout the book. Unlike many other authors, the author doesn't use the cop out of saying "prices change and I'd hate to quote you wrong, so I'm going to be intentionally vague." He doesn't quote prices for specific locations, but he lets you know that an insanely cheap hostel is $6, while the most expensive he's seen is $28. This gives the novice travel a reference point to do a reality check on any price a vendor quotes them. He provides realistic, economic, and rock-bottom overall itemized trip budgets up front, so the reader can decide how to scale their travels and expectations.

Other topics covered include a detailed packing list (don't wear brand new shoes!), transportation info to Europe and once inside, accommodations, communications, medical information, safety information, and references to tourist bureaus, airlines, insurance providers, and online resources. The text is supplemented by CasaBianca's own personal narratives and examples of tourists who made mistakes.

One of my favorite sections reads as follows [p. 39]: "You WILL go to and eat at a McDonald's when you are in Europe. If you are an American, yes, I know that you wouldn't be caught dead in one in the States. Yes, I know that you are going to Europe to experience authentic foreign culture, not transplanted American food. Why [will you go]? The bathrooms will be the initial lure. Semi-clean, free, convenient bathrooms with guaranteed toilet paper will be few and far between in some cities. Once you have crossed the threshold...the battle is all but lost...Smells pretty good, and I can get something familiar, in a hurry, and it's not too expensive....' The Golden Arches will triumph in the end."

21 of 25 people found the following review helpful.
Fine Primer for Long-Term Visitors
By blahblahblah
This book is aimed very much at budget travelers looking to spend a long time wandering around Europe (i.e., students on summer vacation, people who can take 6-12 months off work). It is fine as a general primer, although much of the specific advice you can pick up through country-specific guidebooks or google searches. If you are thinking about heading to Europe next summer (for the whole summer), and want a book to help you to start thinking early about the process, then this is a good starter, especially if you're thinking about trying to find a way to pay for your vacation while you're actually in the middle of it (lots of suggestions on how to find work). There is a modicum of surprising and fresh advice in the book - it strongly discourages traveling with others; it tends to find that the disadvantages of being tied to someone else outweigh the advantages - and the best advice in the book for budget travelers I think is that it stresses that bargain-hunting shouldn't be the raison d'etre for your vacation - so don't let penny-pinching quash your fun. On the other hand, if you are looking to travel to Europe for just two weeks (because, despite the book's fantasizing, your boss actually wants you to come back when you've used up your vacation days if you want to avoid being fired), you want to know more specific info about sights, or if you don't think staying in a 2 or 3-star hotel is the height of luxury travel, then maybe stick with the guidebooks for your specific countries (or a Europe guidebook more focused on countries, not basic logistics). This book really only features a few pages truly useful for the latter class of traveler, and you can probably get all of it from country/regional guidebooks, the internet, and conversations with friends.

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