The last trip I took before coming home to H-town for the holidays was a bit of a surprise. I'm being very careful about how much I book right now in advance due to work and other things, so most of my trips over the next few months will be last minute. This was my first truly last minute trip since Edinburgh in March - I'm usually very concious about booking at least 2-3 months in advance. I booked Salzburg less than 10 days in advance. Yikes!
This also marks the second weekend that I have repeated a city since moving over here (other than London). I've now repeated Prague and Salzburg, both of which were worth a second glance at Christmas time. Completely different atmosphere. I know I said I wouldn't do that until I'd run out of cities to see....but knowing how much I love Christmas in Europe, I figured it couldn't hurt to repeat cities I love to see. These trips were completely different than the ones I took in May.
I flew out on Friday night, using Lufthansa and flying through Frankfurt on the way to Salzburg. I used Lufthansa to continue to build my United status points to make sure I keep getting those economy plus seats for free. It is key to my happiness to get economy plus for over the pond flights. Those 5-6 inches make all the difference in the world.
I got very lucky heading to the airport - one of the guys who normally comes to the Hague from London was headed back to the airport at relatively the same time and agreed to go early for me, so I got a nice cab ride to the airport. Worked out great as I took advantage of a free checked bag on Lufthansa so the bike wasn't an option.
The flight experience was a bit stressful. I only had 40 minutes between flights in Frankfurt. That airport is huge - getting from the plane to the next gate was an undertaking. First, they don't park planes at the terminal - they bus you into the terminal from the tarmac. Seriously long bus ride. Then once in the terminal, it's a maze of gates. I barely made the second flight. But it worked out, I'm thinking Lufthansa knows you will make your second flight when selling you the ticket, but enjoys the thrill of raising your blood pressure slightly.
After landing at about 10PM in Salzburg, I had the best transport experience I've ever had from the airport. Salzburg airport is about 20 miles outside of town and man was it cold. I think there was a way to get a bus, but after feeling how cold it was, I quickly decided I was worth the cab fare. I caught a cab and not only did I not get ripped off, the guy driving was driving for his father's company and finishing his MBA at the same time. Very cute and great english. This marked the 3rd time on the trip I spoke with strangers...met a nice Danish girl on the plane and a nice family from Manchester on the bus. Look at miss social butterfly :)
Anyways, super hot cab driver could have given me an extended ride through the city, but being the responsible person he is, took me straight to the hotel. I booked the same hotel I used last time because the bus picks up right outside to take you to the old town and it's about 1/3 of the cost of staying in the old town. Totally worth it.
I debated with some friends last night the value of hotels over hostels. I haven't stayed in a hostel since coming over. A London friend explained that unless you are 22 or a drifter, then hostels are not for you. My Houston friend explained that I'm missing the thrill and risk of potential theft every night. Not sure "missing" is the right word! I can see some of the benefits of a hostel - easier to meet fellow solo travelers and have someone to hang out with if you desire. However, those benefits far outweigh the negatives....plus, I'm not good at meeting new people. It stresses me out....and the last thing I want to worry about when enjoying a new city is being stressed out about a new person. Occassionally, it happens organically, which is fine, but I'm not seeking out situations to make a new best friend whilst on the road. Plus, I really don't want my stuff stolen, I'm not 22, I'm not a drifter, and my company pays me to work. All signs point to hotel (no matter how dumpy, hotel.)
I called it an early night to get an early start on the next day.
No comments:
Post a Comment