Dave Zimmerman

Europe & Eurail Traveler

Dave off the ol' beaten path.

When do you leave?
April 2003
How long do you plan to be away?
1-6 Months
How old are you?
34
How much money have you saved?
3200
Did you buy a rail pass?
Yes
What pass(es) did you buy?
1 Month Eurail & 5-Day East Europe Flex
Nationality
USA
Where do you live now?
Kaiserslautern, Germany
Occupation
Stockroom Foreman
Is this job one that you actually like, or are you only doing it to pay for the trip?
One more paycheck and I'm gone
Have you traveled Europe before?
Yes
Have you bought or used a European rail pass before?
No
What is the route you plan to take/places you plan to visit?
I'll probably head up the Rhine to Amsterdam and then rail to France, Italy, Greece, Austria, Czech Republic and back into Germany.
Why did you decide to take this trip? What got you into this type of travel, and/or influenced you to go?
I've been in Europe for a few years now and done a few small trips, but this is the one I've wanted to take since I got here. I'm headed back to the States in a few months and it's finally time.
What is your biggest fear about this trip?
That it will awaken my inner beatnik spirit thus become a way of life and I'll never retu – wait, that's not scary.
Are your family, friends, co-workers, etc., supportive of you? What is their opinion of your traveling and railing around Europe?
Yes, everyone is quite supportive and some quite envious.
How much planning and preparing have you done?
Just Enough
What are you packing? What do you consider your most indispensable item(s)?
I'm going light... but most indispensable? My journal.
How do you think your trip will change your life? How do you think it will affect and change you as a person?
I don't expect any great epiphany. Life itself is a sufficient learning experience. I just plan on having fun and enjoying something new. Anything more is just a bonus.
If you had to sum up your thoughts/feelings about your Europe trip in one sentence, what would it be?
I don't need anymore money... but an extra 3 or 4 months would be cool.
Why do you think people should travel Europe by rail?
I don't. I think they should travel however they darned well please. If I had more time, I'd probably hitch.
Why do you think people should take longer trips trips like this? Why not just take a regular old one- or two-week vacation instead?
Again, it's all in what you like and what you want to do. I don't get into the whole traveler-tourist debate. I'll do touristy things, I'm sure. I'll do what I want to do and see what I want to see (or at least half of it) without a single thought as to if someone else thinks I should see it or not.
What is the biggest myth that people have about traveling Europe by rail?
That it's simple.
That it's difficult.
It simply is.
Half of it depends on the day and the other half depends on what you make of it.
Why do you like to travel?
I have an inner desire to experience everything at least once.
What is your advice for people planning their own Europe trip?
GO! I've spent a lot of time planning different routes in my mind but to be honest, my actual path may look nothing like what I've considered. But I'm having a damn good time playing around with different routes. But I'm not locked into anything, thus I don't expect I'll be the slightest bit upset when I find myself smack dab in the middle of some place I wasn't even aware existed.

Interested in Dave's trip? Follow the journey through his blog, Dharma Trekking.

Questions? Fired up about Eurailing? Email us. Or start using the BootsnAll RailSaver to figure out where you want to go.

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