Renato Reggiardo

Europe & Eurail Traveler

When did you go on your Europe trip?
June 2002 - September 2002
How old were you when you took this trip?
29
Including your air ticket and other expenses (incl. air ticket, rail passes, etc.), about how much did your trip cost?
$11,000
Nationality
Canada
Where do you live now?
Miami, Florida, USA
Did you buy a rail pass?
Yes
What pass(es) did you buy?
Eurail, britpass
Occupation

Before your trip: waiter
Now: waiter

How did your travels affect your career when you got back?
I don't want to wait tables anymore and I would like to find a job that would let me take extended periods of time to travel.

What is the route you took/places you visited?
Everywhery from west of Hungary and south of Denmark, as well as Great Britain and Ireland.

Why did you decide to take this trip? What got you into this type of travel, and/or influenced you to go?
I heard about backpacking, it seemed like something fun and educational to do. Love to see the world and meet different people and their cultures.

What did your family, friends, co-workers, etc. think of your trip? Were they supportive of you? What is their opinion of your traveling and railing around Europe?
They would love to do it. Everyone was supportive. They envy me ;-)
Out of all your experiences traveling around Europe, what was the:
- Best Moment
  Leaving Miami
- Worst Moment
  Coming back
- Biggest Hurdle, Obstacle or Difficulty?
  Money
- Biggest surprise?
  Croatia
Who is the most memorable person you met on your trip and why?
Almost everyone I met. I was very lucky.

How much planning and preparing did you do?
Just Enough

What was your favorite piece of gear?
My comfy backpack

What did you bring, that in hindsight you could've left at home?
Baseball cap

How did your trip change your life? How did it affect and change you as a person?
Opened my horizons. Renewed my faith in humanity: there's good people everywhere. Made me realise that the US is not nearly as loved as people here think they are, and that not everyone wants to come and live here as may Americans believe.

If you had to sum up your trip in one sentence, what would it be?
Best new car I never bought.

Are you planning more trips and travels for the future? Are you planning another trip to Europe?
Yes. Next will hopefully be Australia, New Zealand and S.E. Asia. Europe later again is not out of the picture.

Why do you think people should take longer trips like this? Why not just take a regular old one- or two-week vacation instead?
More freedom, cheaper, get to meet more and different people.

What is the most valuable thing you learned?
The importance of speaking other languages.

What is the biggest myth that people have about traveling Europe by rail?
Never heard of many.

Why do you like to travel?
To see different place, get away, meet new and different places, see different museums, cultures, religions, ways of living, different foods, wines beers, etc.

What is your advice for people planning their own Europe trip?
Do your reading ahead of time. Visit websites and read about other travellers' adventures and experiences.

What is a tip about Eurailing you would have, that would help other travelers who are using train travel in Europe?
Be aware of your surroundings and find out if you have to make reservations ahead of time.

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