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40 years on, how European travel and we have changed

In 1983, my wife and I backpacked around Europe for a few months before I started a secondment to a bank in London. Forty years later, we are travelling in France and Spain before heading to a family wedding in Germany.

Of course, we have been to Europe many times over those decades, but when we realised it was 40 years to the month since our first trip, we started reflecting on the changes not only in Europe and travel, but in ourselves. The starry-eyed 25-year-olds are now more worldly-wise 65-year-olds, making it impossible to say which experience was ‘better’.

But let’s look at how the trips were different, good and bad. Here's the 2023 map taken from my wife's Polarsteps blog, with a combination of plane, train and automobile travel.

1. (Almost) everything now booked in advance

For many years, every long trip has involved a spreadsheet: dates, transport, hotel, activities, all planned by the day and booked on the internet after much research. Every hotel stay involves numerous checks of booking sites and directly with the hotel to find the best price and room, ensuring the location works for transport and activities.

In 1983, without the internet and mobile phones, we knew a start and end date and a rough direction, but not much else, except something wonderful. The Eurail Youth Pass offered two months of unlimited train and boat travel for a few hundred dollars. It was a ticket to freedom, allowing decisions to be made every day according to whim.

Accommodation was not so easy. Arrive in a new city, armed with ‘Europe on $20 a Day’, and search around the train station for a ‘pension’ or hostel or affordable hotel. If especially lucky in more trusting times, an old lady (who was probably the age we are now!) would approach two clean-looking Australians and offer a room in her house. These turned into some of our best stays, in splendid residences where the owners needed money for living and upkeep.

But many times, the finding of a room after a long train journey was a slog, and without review services such as TripAdvisor, always a gamble. While today’s review services are inconsistent, there’s less chance of a dud.

Which is better? Hands down, knowing exactly where the good hotel is and already booked. It's not a time for spontaneity. A prior check on Google Street View shows where to walk as we step out of the train station, and into a quality room quickly. 

2. The single currency

The euro was launched on 1 January 1999 and the change to common coins and bank notes took three years to 2002. It is a welcome improvement in European travel convenience, and no doubt was one of the driving forces behind the expected efficiency of one currency across many major countries in the European Union (but not all).

In 1983, changing currency in every country, and then making sure not too much was leftover before leaving, was a logistical exercise. The most common way to carry currency was travellers’ cheques, and with the nascent adoption of credit cards, nearly all payments were in cash. The late 1980s was a boom period for adoption of travel loyalty cards, but The Platinum Card was not introduced by American Express until 1984.

So a big plus now is using one currency in all major mainland Europe countries. A few hundred euros was all the cash needed for a month of travel, and in Spain and France especially, even small purchases of a few euro were done by phone.

3. Minimising the exchange rate cost

While carrying a physical credit card is useful, it usually stays in the pocket, as nearly all payments are made by a swipe of a mobile phone. Here is a valuable improvement in technology, but it’s not only the convenience of everything, including a great camera, on the mobile phone.

One of the last bastions of little competition, especially among the banks and financial institutions who are the major issuers of credit and travel cards, is retail foreign exchange. The ‘no commissions’ claim is meaningless, especially at bureaus de change, as the spread between the wholesale rates and retail rates is at least 3%, and usually more at the bureaus in airports and popular tourist spots. If travelling business class, staying in good hotels and eating well, 3% could add $1,000 or more on a $30,000 trip.

Our go-to payment method was the Wise Visa card with euros stored on the account in advance (there is no commercial arrangement here, and no doubt there are competitors with similar offers, and any reader is welcome to add a comment to this article about any genuinely good product).

The Wise card offers wholesale exchange rates with a transaction fee of only 0.46%. For example, if A$1,000 is converted to euros using the Wise app when the wholesale exchange rate is 0.6, €600 is received less a fee of $4.60. This compares with say 3% or $30 with most banks, and worse at ATMs. On arrival in Paris, we needed some cash, and the exchange rate was 0.54 plus a €3 fee. Although we changed only a small amount, paying an extra 6% to travel around should be avoided. We topped up the Wise card as needed with quick transfers between our Australian bank account and Wise, but we did not use a physical card.

(Since writing this, I note reviews saying other experiences with Wise have not been good so buyer beware. I did not need to use their customer service nor a physical card).

4. Communication

In 1983, we queued at Amex offices to collect letters from home. We waited in line at post offices to make expensive reverse charge phone calls lasting only a few minutes. We wrote ‘aerogrammes’ regularly as the only way to stay in touch, and those documents now record precious memories.

These days, it’s all mobile phones, and Wi-Fi is good in hotels and most eating places. One downside of the heavy reliance on the phone is the agony if it is lost. I took my previous phone as a backup but I’m old enough to need a printed copy of all bookings for reassurance. I’m also in the uncomfortable habit of checking where my phone is a hundred times a day. I use the PPWW system to check I have the essentials with me – Phone, Passport, Wallet, Wife (oops, wrong order).

But what about mobile access without Wi-Fi? Our mobile provider is Telstra in Australia, and their global roaming cost is $10 a day with 1GB data. For both of us, that would cost $600 for a month.

In previous years, the solution was to buy a sim card on arrival in a city, but that involved finding the right store, changing the sim card and hoping it all worked with a new phone number.

The advent of the e-sim allows access to cheaper services loaded before leaving Australia. We used Airalo which offers a Europe regional e-sim covering 39 countries. Connection to the e-sim is downloaded directly to the phone via their app, activated on arrival in Europe. The cost for 30 days and 3GB is US$13 or 5GB for US$20. Larger downloads can be done on Wi-Fi in hotels and top up is easy if more data is required. Airalo is nominated on the phone as the ‘primary’ provider and moves the usual ISP to ‘secondary’. It proved a reliable and cheap way to retain internet, maps, and WhatsApp access at all times.

Another great development is Google Translate to read signs or menus by choosing the camera option to give an English translation. No more wondering about the vast choices on the long menu.

5. Rental cars

Renting cars has become more complicated, and not only because the range of cars is almost infinite with many more companies. I’m reminded of the work of Barry Schwartz on The Paradox of Choice. Annoyingly, selecting a particular car is almost impossible as every company can supply a ‘comparable car’.

The good side is that Europe offers a wonderful motorway system, and long distances favour diesel cars, which frequently give a range of 1,000 kilometres or more as they sip fuel in top gear. It’s easy to average 120km/hour even for Australians not as familiar with fast driving as Europeans, who fly past at speeds approaching 200km/hour. A daunting 500 kilometres journey can be completed in four to five hours without breaking the speed rules.

(Rental car companies know how much fuel expenses can be saved on diesel and offer a ‘diesel guarantee’ for an extra charge when booking a car).

But tolls are everywhere and expensive. One toll in Spain after a good drive on a motorway was €27, or almost $50. Keep a physical credit card handy as waving an expensive iPhone out of the car window is an accident waiting to happen.

A major complication involves the level of insurance with the rental car company. My usual credit card provides travel insurance including coverage for rental cars, and I rely on that, but some people just want to hand back the car and not bother about the consequences of any damage, so they take out full insurances with the rental company. Fine, but it’s a big cost and the rental car company always gives the hard sell on “We’ll charge you the excess and you’ll need to fight it out with your own insurer” so it’s my guess they make heaps out of the insurance.

For example, to reduce the $1,500 excess to zero costs $65 a day, and there are all types of other choices, such as ‘Windscreen, glass, lights and tyres’ at $28 a day, ‘personal accident’ at $41 a day, roadside assistance at $39 a day, cross-border fee of $31, additional driver fee of $41, even a navigation cost of $43 a day when everyone has maps on their phone. We connected to the car’s Apple CarPlay for no cost. If any domestic insurer can find a way to extend normal Australian car insurance to an overseas trip, it would be a great product.

6. Comfort and convenience

The big difference between the youths of 1983 and the journeyed of 2023 is the ability and willingness to pay for comfort. Travel involves a fair amount of effort and inconvenience and is likely to become less appealing as the years roll by, so take a chunk out of the kids’ inheritance and do it with a bit of style, if it’s affordable.

We all have different thresholds in the many facets of travel. For me, good accommodation in great locations is worth paying for, and I appreciated the room overlooking the Guggenheim in Bilbao, the Paradores hotel built inside an ancient castle on the water at Hondaribbia near San Sebastian, and the East Side accommodation facing the Spree River and the Berlin Wall, decorated by artists in the longest gallery in the world. Memories worth paying for. And I’m not schlepping at the back of a plane for 24 hours, hoping to arrive in one piece.

But I don’t need to be picked up by a limo, I don’t need to eat under Michelin stars every night (although the $1,000 lunch at three-star Arzak was a worthwhile special event), I’m fine with Hop-On-Hop-Off tours rather than a personal guide, and public transport can be a great way to see a city. Assembling a dinner of cheeses, meats, bread and wine to eat by a river is every bit as good now as 40 years ago.

In 1983, we stayed in youth hostels for a few dollars, sometimes 12 people to a room, we walked a lot, and rooms in pensions were inexpensive with shared facilities. We often chose the cheapest form of transport. Comfort didn’t matter so much at the time but it sure as hell does now.

And crucially, we slowed the pace this time. In 1983, we packed the days and nights and moved on. In 2023, we spent longer in one place, with more down time and even a snooze in the afternoon. It can be difficult to give yourself permission for a day off when you’re in a major European city with much to see, but we relaxed into it better.

7. The economy

Staying in the booming cities of Barcelona or Bilbao or Hamburg or Berlin or Paris or Cologne in the height of summer is no guide to how the European economy is faring overall. Inflation has hit Australian prices but Europe feels more expensive than ever. Joining the queues to spend heaps of euros makes it look as if Europe is thriving and must be a great place to invest, although it barely rates in the portfolios of most Australians. 

The vibrant activity in the big cities is misleading as Europe overall is not doing well economically. The Wall Street Journal of 17 June 2023 ran the following headline, and the article discusses economic stagflation, poor demographics due to an ageing population, little urge for innovation and technology, insufficient migration and a population that values free time over long work hours. As the recent elections in Spain confirm, in addition to results in Italy and Germany, politics is becoming hostage to extremes. The lessons of dependence on Russia for energy have not been learned as there is massive reliance on China for raw material supplies, such as 100% of rare earth elements, 97% of magnesium and 79% of lithium. It does not bode well for a European carbon-free future and desire to avoid reliance on oil.

Reuters ran the following two days later.

Nobody in the US, Australia or Asia, for example, would dream of imposing a siesta. Final consumption expenditure (spending on goods and services to satisfy individual needs or the collective needs of the community) was similar in Europe and the US in 2008, but Europe has since stagnated while the US is up over 50%.

Retiring overseas

According to The Australian, almost 10,000 Australians retire overseas each year, attracted by numerous benefits:

“Whether those Australians are drawn to the lower cost of living, quality of life, or just a change of view, there’s a lot to be excited about international living.”

The article details many possibilities, including in Spain where we have just visited:

“One of the preferred retirement locations for our friends over in the United Kingdom, Spain is increasing in popularity with Aussie retirees too. With thousands of kilometres of coastline, Spain rivals Australia as a retirement destination for retirees seeking world class access to the ocean and sea. There’s even a national park or two for the explorers.

Retiring overseas to Spain is another attractive European option for Australians, particularly given it is one of the 31 countries Australia has a bilateral social security agreement with, meaning you can access your pension from there. Given the lower cost of living, retirement looks like a dream in Alicante or Bilbao, or even the more metropolitan cities of Madrid and Barcelona.”

Lower cost of living in Bilbao and Barcelona? Quality of life? Not based on our experience. Friends have just returned from Greece and were shocked by the prices. Of course, travel expenditure is not a good guide to how the general population spends, but at an exchange rate of 0.55 to 0.6, it's almost double the amount of Aussie dollars for every euro. The quick lunch that looks a reasonable €30 is a comparable $50. We told ourselves to think dollars equals euros but that’s not a fair comparison when considering retirement’s “lower cost of living”.

It's all very well for someone from rainy Manchester or Leeds or Birmingham to move to sunny Spain for a better retirement in the warmth, but it’s hardly a motivation for most Australians. And despite what the article says, sitting around a Spanish or Italian or Greek village all day, away from friends and family, would drive many Australian retirees stir-crazy. It’s sounds ideal but the beach taverna can quickly become tiresome. Do your research and give it a short try before making a commitment as it’s tough to top the lifestyle (and coffee) of Australia.

Experiencing versus remembering

The Eiffel Tower looks the same although security is much tighter. The monuments of Barcelona and Berlin have been there for hundreds of years, and they haven’t changed in 40 years, although more of Gaudi’s amazing Sagrada Familia Basilica is finished. The astonishing cathedral in Cologne took 632 years to build so decades mean little. It’s still a pleasure to walk the old parts of great cities, sit by their rivers and ports, enjoy the differences.

The biggest travel change is the way technology has made the experience easier, as Google maps beat paper maps every time, and payments and communications and translating are light years ahead.

But there are the same hassles nobody talks about when they rave about their holidays. Travel to and from airports and train stations requires careful planning and checking. Packing every few days and carting luggage around is irksome. Deciding where to eat is tricky and time-consuming, and reviews can be misleading. Avoiding the common tourist traps takes effort, and many European cities are targets for pickpockets. While Europe oozes old-world charm, it's often grimy and untidy away from the tourist highlights.

I long ago accepted that my ‘remembering’ of holidays is better than my ‘experiencing’. Nobel Laureate Daniel Kahneman of behavioural economics fame describes how the ‘experiencing self’ and the ‘remembering self’ are totally different and poorly correlated. He offers this thought experiment in his bestseller Thinking Fast and Slow:

“Imagine that you are considering several options for your next vacation and you reach a decision. You now learn that at the end of the vacation all your pictures and video will vanish. Furthermore, you will take an amnesic drug that will wipe out all the memories of the vacation. Would you still choose the same vacation? Would you be willing to pay as much for it?”

I look back on our travel experiences with fondness, especially when my wife compiles a photobook of highlights. But at the time of the actual trip, the experience is often tiring and not one jolly event after another. It’s as if travel is an investment in the future, a stock of good memories to spice up conversation and imagination.

This 2023 trip is too close to rank with the one 40 years ago. European travel as a 25-year-old was a unique adventure for sights and senses. For those suffering European FOMO when travellers return … remember, we only talk about the good bits, and Australia is a great place to live and travel. Retire overseas? Not a chance.

 

Graham Hand is Editor-At-Large for Firstlinks. This article is general information.

 

69 Comments
Chris
August 12, 2023

HSBC Everyday Global Account...check it out

John West
August 13, 2023

Congratulations Graham on an interesting piece. For what it's worth, my travelling today is much more enjoyable because I have had time to read and learn about the places I visit. I am also more selective in my choice of travel destinations. For example, this past week I visited Liverpool on a Beatles' pilgrimage.
The political change in Europe over the past 40 years is also astonishing to observe, especially in Germany, which has reunified, absorbed many ethnic Germans from elsewhere in Europe, moved its capital, kept the EU alive by financing the financial bailouts of many poorer European countries, and absorbed a million Syrian and other refugees.
And as if that was not enough, German is now having to get serious about its military/defence policy, and also its relations with Russia.
Bon voyage!

Neil B
August 11, 2023

Thanks Graham. With all the recommendations on credit or debit cards, could you have a future article comparing them or point to an accurate URL that has already done this? My wife and I have done two 3 month trips and used Citi MasterCard Debit cards. No transaction or conversion fees and it uses the wholesale Xchange rates as far as I can tell. Love to know whether there is anything better.
For both our trips we walked Camino pilgrim tracks and it was very immersive. Travellers not tourists and huge range of budgets. You only need to be mildly fit and there are plenty of 70yr-late70’s Aussies and others. Mentally relaxing and physically rewarding. LePuy en velay to the Pyrenees was our favourite so far.

Liam
August 09, 2023

Thanks for a great article Graham, with item 4 (communication) I assume you left your home Telstra sim in the phone and disabled data roaming on that sim, were you still able to receive SMS for 2FA etc on your Telstra sim, without a global roaming pack from Telstra?

Graham Hand
August 10, 2023

Hi Liam, I disabled data roaming on my Telstra sim but I still received SMS (and WhatsApp to my Telstra number). I did not do any 2FA while I was away. Not sure how all the bits connect.

Michael Stobie
August 15, 2023

I’ve call forwarded my Australian mobile number to my Skype number. When I have my European sim installed in a phone, i forward my Skype number to my european number. I haven’t had a chance to check this out with 2FA yet.

Doug
August 08, 2023

Enjoyed these reflections on the financials and the "ROI" of a travel. Also back from an overseas trip that admittedly was more family catch-up than holiday. Maybe I value time more older than when I was younger, but it amazes me how much time is lost/wasted traveling. It's not just the 24 hours flying but the packing, getting ready to go to the airport, going to the airport, waiting at the airport, delayed at the airport, and then somewhat duplicated on the other side. When say visiting the museum/attending the performance or ..., there is inevitably the train or car ride, parking, carting luggage, checking in, unpacking (cruises aside) ... . My guess is the bright rewarding remembered moments of an overseas trip are 10% of your waking time. In analytical terms, the "time yield" is really low. As for the financials, it is best not to try to also cost the special moments you enjoyed by counting your air fare, hotel, the unexciting restaurant meals in between, .... Indeed I dare not ask how I could have spent that $30,000+ instead at home doing whatever with whomever. Best to think of travel money as a parallel currency (a bit like Australian property is a parallel 10x world of earned money). Sorry I know this really sounds depressing or grumpy. Yes you are probably right I need either a better travel agent or a therapist. Probably I'm getting older, but travel seems harder and more expensive. It really is a good thing we only remember the special moments that make it worthwhile ... cause there is so much "leakage" of time and money best forgotten. Agree I wouldn't want to retire overseas because landing back in Australia after a long trip is always a reminder we live in the lucky country.

David
August 08, 2023

Yes, Doug, I agree, so I must also be a GOM (grumpy old man). I've never thought of it in terms of $$$ per great experience, I probably should not go there or looking at that museum would be hellishly expensive.

Dudley
August 08, 2023

"leakage":

Drastically reduced by honed internet search skills. Virtual travel has more virtue.

“Give me broadband and wide screen and I can time travel Earth at light speed.”

Gary
August 07, 2023

Wise Visa is brill. I've used them for a few years now.

Paul
August 07, 2023

Great article Graham really enjoyed and great reflection on my recent Italy trip. Thanks as always. P

Anne
August 07, 2023

Cars
A tip we have picked up is leasing a brand new Peugot, and I mean brand new,; the car we picked up at CDG airport last week had 7km on the clock. If you lease as a non-European, you pay in AUD, with full comprehensive insurance with Zero excess, roadside assistance, sat nav etc. The cost for our Peugot 2008 for 31 days is just under $2,500. We’ve done this a few times now, and takes away all the hassle of renting.

Tony Dillon
August 07, 2023

Terrific read Graham.

Timely actually, as I have recently been reminiscing our own travels, being ten years exactly when my wife and I were one month into 12 months leave without pay from our jobs, travelling Europe.

I particularly relate to your comment, “In 2023, we spent longer in one place, with more down time and even a snooze in the afternoon.”

We certainly agree with that. Our first three months we spent in France, for which we needed a French visa, but that’s a whole other story. And in that three months, we spent one month each in two country France locations. In those places we immersed ourselves in the local towns, as well as using the stays as a base for wider exploring, occasionally doing an over-nighter here or there. In fact, whist staying in Mirepoix (which I thoroughly recommend), which is in the Midi-Pyrenees, we did weekend trips to Andorra, and just over the Spanish border into Barcelona. Both doable by car.

Basing ourselves in one place for a month allowed us plenty of time to relax, meet locals, enjoy the many local markets, and have some decent downtime in between our days of exploring. The other town we bunkered down in for a month was Uzes (equally recommended) in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of southern France.

Prior to commencing our year abroad, we had only booked the first three months of the tour, so just the French leg. We began piecing the rest of the year together whist in France, first developing an itinerary, then actually booking accommodation, transport, tours, and things. We were only ever booked about two to three months in advance. So the year basically evolved as we went.

After France, and appreciating the need for downtime in any one place, we almost always booked seven-day stays, and did that on 24 occasions. We had a great routine going, packing up and setting off to the next destination every Saturday morning, whether it be by car, train, bus, or plane, and sometimes combinations of the above. My wife was funny. She obviously had input into the itinerary, but largely left all bookings and things to me, and when it came to set off every Saturday, she’d always ask, “so where are we off to today?”. And she really meant it. It was always a nice surprise for her as the day got underway.

In any one place of a week’s stay, we would be quite busy for about five of those days, leaving the other two to chill, do more bookings, do laundry, domestics, go to movies, or whatever. It worked great. But we only really had that luxury because we were away for so long. No doubt we appreciated the opportunity, and can really recommend a sabbatical if it can be arranged. We left all our affairs back home in the more than capable hands of our two adult children. And in fact, doing a full year allowed us to let out our home on a twelve-month lease, which covered a lot of our accommodation. We had a car for the whole three months in France too which we did on a lease basis with Peugeot, and was a great deal from memory.

Finally, being an actuary I kept lots of stats on the trip if anyone is interested, I also have the full itinerary.

Thanks again Graham, great article.

Terry
August 06, 2023

If I was to give one piece of advice to someone planning travel by rail around Europe, or anywhere overseas, is to consult Mark Smith’s website seat61.com. You will not go wrong in following his advice.
And don’t book European rail tickets through Australian domiciled web sites. You will pay over the odds. Go direct to the rail company in the country in which you will be travelling.

Graham Hand
August 07, 2023

Hi Terry, yes, seat61 is excellent, incredible detail on so many train trips in Europe. Always worth checking.

MM
August 06, 2023

Graham, wine is our secret to a great European holiday, and I see it doesn't rate a mention in your article. The wine board I frequent has a travel forum and has amazing recco's not only on food but other items also-eg had an amazing sunset cruise-only 4 couples in Santorini for not much more cost than getting on the big tourist sunset boat. From the wine board we are usually set for what the best restaurants are-the board also recco's good bloggers and that was especially helpful in Paris last year. If we are eating in a "good" restaurant I usually order sparkling water right away-that signals to the staff that we are not some tight ass tourists. I generally order a "good" wine and talk to the staff/sommelier and sometimes this interaction even leads the restaurant giving us a sample of other wines or if we are doing by the glass with a degustation some very generous or multiple pours. It is all about interacting with knowledge with the staff. They frequently have given us tips on other restaurants to go to. Pretty much avoid TripAdvisor and Yelp etc-that is for sheeple recco's.

Geoff R
August 07, 2023

Hi MM. Care to post a link to the wine board you frequent? (Assuming it's permitted here) I would be most interested to have a look. Thanks!

MM
August 09, 2023

Sure, Geoff. https://www.wineberserkers.com/c/travel-wine-tourism-and-restaurants-forum/26

Geoff R
August 12, 2023

thanks so much for the link MM. Appreciated.

Tim
August 06, 2023

Graham
Your article had great relevance as firstly we are the same age and our own travel sequences similar to your description .In 1980’s we backpacked in Europe and worked in London .This May we travelled also to the Basque centres of Spain.
Differences - yes - The sheer excitement at Kingsford Smith in 1984 I can easily recall but also the haphazard nature of travelling then was of course all a big adventure - the youthful zeal of soaking up unknown cultures - it seems funny now we treasure stocks of fine shiraz, that our regular drop then was a 1.5 Litre bottle of Piat D’Or gotten from Sainsbury each few days and the Friday slap up dinners had at Shepherds Bush amongst a gaggle of Aussie/ Brit flatties.
Now we would rather start with a rugged walking holiday as we did in Scotland but yes then enjoy the hotel views in Biarritz or San Sebastion.
But the great joy was reviewing shared experiences with Brit mates - No one can take that away from you .



D Ramsay
August 05, 2023

Great article thanks. Agree with so many points you make.
I got some great tips from it, and from your readers that I will investigate.
(Maybe we should start a travel tips "sub-stream" arm to the newsletter ? But sans opinions re places, food etc)
Another - tip - When going to a restaurant with friends who live over there I pay the whole bill on the card and they pay me in Euros - with 6 people at 70 E each (say) plus only ever using my card for purchases, then I rarely ever need an ATM.
BTW - Thanks to Mr Bouris, Wizard home loans Master Card was the best (no fees on anything and it used the Mcard exchange rates on purchases when converting to $Aus). Now Latitude have it (28 Degrees Mcard) and its not so good. (You used to be able to make 1 phone call to change your credit limit - now its a plethora of forms which I refused to use and gave them the boot (fortuitous given their security breach))

Ray King
August 05, 2023

Graham Just back from Europe and like you I did Europe in the late 70s era. You've provided a wealth of ideas as usual. Some thoughts
- Australian has a reciprocal hospital arrangement with a number of countries and its worth being familiar with this
- I was scammed twice ....once by a train conductor and the other by a taxi driver. I heard of a scam on AirBNB
- Kindles or Kobos are great when travelling

Michael Sandy
August 07, 2023

https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/reciprocal-health-care-agreements

Jack
August 04, 2023

On your "I’m not schlepping at the back of a plane for 24 hours, hoping to arrive in one piece." It frequently amazes me when I hear about the trips of friends who I know have enjoyed long and successful careers, who live in multi million dollar houses, and when they finally have the time for the big trips, they fly economy. What is their money for? Their kids will be flying up front in 20 years while they sat in economy in aging agony. The Government is encouraging retirees to spend - for once, listen to them!

Mark
August 04, 2023

After the month in France last year, my wife and I agreed it was the best ever trip we had taken. I think staying in 1 place for up to a week really helped as we were not moving luggage around much. Plus we revisited quite a few places we had been before-so we were not doing "touristy things" every day and knew our way around with any iphone help. We generally avoided big cities and enjoyed the slower pace in smaller towns. Not so tiring. Will have to try the e sim as we usually just buy an Orange sim when we arrive in France.

Miles Harris
August 04, 2023

We like the Wise Card also - especially because we can buy the currencies we need when our buy price is best.
We bought EURO last Feb and along the way as the price improved.
Whilst our best buy price was $1.58 for 1 Euro - while travelling it was $1.68 for 1.
And if I have too many of them on return - wait for the rate to be like the last number quoted.

Steve Ritter
August 04, 2023

Really enjoyed the article ...

I just retired before Xmas at 60. Currently doing a overland motorcycle trip via Asia to Europe/ UK with 2 friends (was not planned but I jumped on the opportunity). Started in Malaysia (in March 2023),
via China/Tibet, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Georgia (left a few out). Probably 2 months to go to ship bike back from UK. Writing this from a tavena in central Greece on my on my way to Balkans then Croatia. Anyhow ... I use a Citibank debit card which has no fees (annual or no international currency conversion fees). In our case, we locate and book accommodation at the end of each day for the night ... so easy with Booking.com and similar. I have been camping the last 4 nights ... fantastic seaside camps sites with great bars and restaurants. Agreed with you on the road tolls ... got hit with 10 or so in a row heading north of Athens. Google Translate has be a literal live saver. Mapping apps have really made life easy ... we are doing some off the beaten track stuff so use OsmAnd (no internet connection needed). I am finding my journey very affordable so far ... and I am tracking things closely. As we move into Europe proper will need to more frugle (hence the camping I am doing for 13€ per night on a beautiful beach camped in a former olive orchard.) Guess depends on the length of trip have you allocate funds (per day budget).

Ian Nettle
August 04, 2023

As per the article we are one of those lucky retirees that spend about 7 months a year in our little casa in Spello Italy and the rest in Australia. We have a HSBC Global Rewards account. Absolutely no fees and the exchange rate is very competitive. Just make sure you have sufficent in your chosen currency to cover your expenses. We also draw cash from local ATM's for smaller cash expenses. Covid brought Italy into the electronic age but not quite! For larger transfers we use OFX. We also have an Italian bank account. Your readers should note that they should never again complain about an Australian bank! In Italy the fees are horrendous, every transaction encounters a fee and we earn zero interest. Everyone we know suffers the same fate! Salute Ian

Dudley
August 04, 2023

"Spello Italy":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pb96S_1Hd8s

Castelluccio di Norcia Umbria Italy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRdCC29EQb4

Noel Whittaker
August 04, 2023

Graham, I thought what you wrote here was fantastic, but I still love the ING debit card. In fact, I love it more every time I travel. For a long time, I wrote good things about the 28° MasterCard because it has no annual fees and charges no commissions on overseas transactions. It’s now become the Latitude MasterCard and their service levels have dropped dramatically. I much prefer the ING debit card for overseas transactions as there are no fees and they refund the hidden commissions – nobody else does this. We were refunded $210 of hidden commissions by ING on a recent trip. In contrast, I used my Amex card recently for an American plane ticket and they charged a 4% flat commission fee.

On the FX, it's the best rate I've seen. I like the app which instantaneously updates if you make a transaction, and the fact I can transfer money to the card, and it's normally available within two minutes. And the big bonus - you come home with no credit card bill!

Looking
August 04, 2023

While there are no stated FX fees on the LATITUDE 28 card, there is a ‘hidden’ cost most are not aware of if exchanging other than USD. Your amount in Euros for example is first changed into USD then again into your card’s currency. So Euro to USD to AUD. This double handling in this case amounts to a roughly 0.4% ‘cost’ compared with a direct conversion. Definitely less than ‘normal’ bank cards but not entirely ‘free’. Latitudes FAQ states:
“The foreign exchange rate is calculated by Mastercard International on a daily basis according to daily foreign exchange fluctuations. The conversion will consist of two calculations if the transaction is made in foreign currency – it will first be converted to US dollars and then converted to Australian dollars for listing on your transactions.”

Bruno
August 10, 2023

I think if you're worrying about a 0.4% exchange fee after spending tens of thousands on an overseas trip you might have lost a bit of perspective...

Dauf
August 06, 2023

Problem is ING are changing the ‘no ATM fees’…disappointing

Jack
August 07, 2023

Thanks Noel but on "they refund the hidden commissions" ... if the exchange rate is at market and there are no commissions what 'hidden commissions' are there?

Keepmoving
August 04, 2023

We backpacked around Europe in the mid eighties. And I still take a backpack to Europe, sleep in Refugio’s while hiking high in Corsica, ride a motorcycle through Morocco… not all boomers go business class, eat $1000 lunches or complain about unpacking.

Margaret Mourik
August 04, 2023

Great article - I remember 1984 and I was with 2 other Australian women (late 20s/early 30s) driving around Europe clinging to guide book 'Let's Go' and trying to avoid the hotels listed on it because they were full of back packers. How brave we were back then - no phone/no GPS/no credit card/ no wifi/no internet! My partner and I are redoing the trip to Egypt in November - after 40 years it will be interesting to see the changes. There's plenty of useful information in your article - maybe a followup article with on tips for travellers - SIMs, credit card/insurance and so on.

Acton
August 04, 2023

Travel in 1983 was all fun and spontaneous.
Travel in 2023 is all worry and micromanaged.

John
August 06, 2023

You have got it 100% right there

Glenn
August 04, 2023

1970, 6weeks with "Europe on $5 a day". 1974, 7months bought a car in Frankfurt roamed to far north Norway and Sweden then into Iron Curtain Hungary and all of western Europe. Now, our daughter lives in the Azores with 10 air B&Bs scattered from U.K. to Greece.

Phil K
August 04, 2023

Loved reading about your travels, Graham. Couldn't help being slightly taken aback by this comment in Section 7: "It does not bode well for a European carbon-free future" (referring to the impact of reliance on Russian/Chinese energy & materials). What bodes far worse than a carbon-free future is the notion that we might be aiming for one. On the assumption that "carbon" means "carbon dioxide" as it always does in this context, I'm afraid that all life ceases to exist without it.

I'm sure the intended meaning was related to net-zero human-induced carbon dioxide emissions (which admittedly doesn't make for clean prose - I get that). I'm just trying to defend the, often unfairly, maligned CO2 which is just trying to do its humble job of allowing life to exist on this planet.

Andrew Morris
August 03, 2023

Thanks for a great article, Graham. Like you, I'm 65, and I, too, travelled Europe in 1983 by Eurail, and slept mostly in Youth Hostels, clutching my copy of "Europe on $20/day". Wonderful times, great memories. Your article came at the right time, as my wife and I are heading to Britain and France in September, for 6 weeks. I shall study your recommendations, particularly for money and communication, very carefully.

Michael
August 03, 2023

Just finished 19 days on a cruise ship with my wife around the Aegean Sea with only 400 passengers. 14 different ports and only unpacked once. Perfect weather and mirror seas. Wonderful experience and great memories.
My Bankwest Platinum MasterCard has no fees and excellent exchange rates. I used a Bankwest debit card for ATM cash with same result. Communication was via Boost mobile using global roaming $A 40 for 14 days gives you 5g of data , 1 hour of calls back home and 60 texts.
Stayed a few nights in downtown Athens. Backstreets were graffiti strewn and dirty but came across some great local sites- meat markets, huge junk shops, an incredible motor museum and an over the top Lewis Carroll cafe . Not on the normal tourist trail.
My motto-“ Do what you can while you can”. I am a young 70.

Eric
August 03, 2023

Great article Graham. I count myself very lucky that I have been able to visit many wonderful places. U Tube is great if you can’t actually go to a place but in my opinion it’s no substitute for the real thing. Being there is immersive, no camera adequately captures some of the scenery and the trip itself is an absolute adventure (even if a few bits are slightly scary, such as driving across Rome without GPS). Sadly, with recent inflation, I’ll be making fewer and shorter trips and when I run out of cash and energy, I still have wonderful Australia to enjoy. How good is that?

Bruno
August 03, 2023

Just back a month ago and have to say Europe made me realise how expensive Sydney has become in recent years. Petrol was expensive but everything else was fairly comparable, even a bit cheaper in some cases. Too many people though, pretty much everywhere was crowded.

BeenThereB4
August 03, 2023

Graham I totally relate to your piece.

We pick 3 or 4* hotels close to transport terminals.

Also would mention that trains in Europe are fantastic, frequent and usually punctual.

Graham Hand
August 03, 2023

Hi BeenThereB4, agree, our experience with trains was excellent, a far more relaxing way to travel than planes or driving. However, many Germans are critical of their tardy trains, saying they have become unreliable. We must have been lucky. One tip for Australians is that there are five things to check before you get on the train. Date, train number, platform, carriage and seat. Don't rush your arrival and jump on the train that is leaving for your destination as there may be two at the same time. And always pay a bit extra for a reserved seat to avoid the scramble.

George
August 05, 2023

Hi Graham
Enjoyed the article.
I was surprised you did not mention train travel in the body of the article.
We started our journey through Spain and Portugal a few years ago driving a rental car and although, as you say the motorways are great, the cities are a nightmare to negotiate.
So much so that we ditched the car in Porto, the tour operator was fantastic and the remainder of the rental was rebated, and we continued via the clean, comfortable and reliable train service in both countries. No hassles.

Lauoipo
August 03, 2023

I recently travelled to Europe (UK, Germany, Switzerland & Italy) in April & May, and I used a number of debit cards listed below which have no FX conversion fee for foreign currency purchases (and uses the wholesale exchange rate to convert) and no overseas ATM withdrawal fee. There's no fees in establishing these accounts. Just need to top it up with A$ cash before you use it as it's a normal debit card. Another added bonus with these cards is that the instant you use the card overseas, an SMS is sent to you to alert you of the foreign currency & A$ equivalent charged to your card so you can keep track of your spending.

1. the "UP" mastercard debit card from Bendigo Bank
2. Macquarie Bank mastercard debit card on its transaction account
3. Ubank (a subsidiary of NAB) visa debit card on its transaction account

OldbutSane
August 04, 2023

Further comment which I omitted before, when taking cash out or buying in credit card never choose to pay in $A if given the choice as the conversion rate will not be the MasterCard/Visa conversion rate, but one which is much worse.

Craig
August 03, 2023

I'm concerned that you're 65 Graham ! i still remember you as a young(ish) boss ! a most enjoyable read (just like your MIL's cookbooks !)

Graham Hand
August 03, 2023

Hi Craig, thanks for your comment, yes, I feel my age when I take a trip like this, watching all the young things partying in a mad town like Berlin, when all I want to do is sleep. And while we went to Pamplona for the Running of the Bulls, we watched from the bull ring rather than the streets.

Barry Miller
August 03, 2023

Just looked up Wise Visa card and their reviews as we are looking at going o/S soon. Not good reading. Think I will keep searching for that elusive “golden” card that is safe and affordable.

Graham Hand
August 03, 2023

Thanks, Barry. Yes, I see those bad reviews, so buyer beware. Maybe my different experience was that I did not bother with the physical card, it was all online loaded on my phone so don't know how their physical card works. But my good experience is not that of others. I have no barrow to push here, just my experience.

John
August 05, 2023

Wise (nee Transferwise) is my go-to for currency transfers. Until very recently, I have had exemplary service for years, with US Bank to AU Bank transfers taking only 1 day, with good tracking. Try that, CBA et al. This week it took 2 days, which led to a Wise support request, which was well handled. I will never know whether Wise or the US bank caused the delay. The currency conversion fee has increased to 0.47%, still trivial compared to well over 2% if you let a major Australian bank do the same conversion. bTW, in Australia, if I transfer money from Macquarie to CBA it appears within a minute or 2 in my CBA account. The reverse can take a day or so. Go figure.

Bruno
August 03, 2023

Latitude has been a terrible stock but has a good product in its Latitude 32 Mastercard. No transaction fees and very fair exchange rates as far as I could test - about 5% better than ANZ Visa when I once accidentally used that one - and useful app to keep track of things. I loaded it up with cash before I went so I didn't incur interest. Only thing I didn't expect was a ~3% charge for taking cash out of the ATM, prob didn't read the T&Cs carefully enough. Not as big deal, as the article says, you don't need cash very often. I believe ING has a good product too.

Andrew Bird
August 03, 2023

Looking at the negative reviews on Wise, it looks like a lot of them are related to their compliance with anti money laundering laws -- e.g. the ID checks etc. This worked ok for me but it is pretty cumbersome. Not sure that's Wise's fault though. Any kind of forex transaction with a new institution is pretty difficult to set up these days. Once that bit is done the experience is pretty good.

Kim
August 03, 2023

I did read some time back that loading up your Latitude Card (was Wizard when we discovered no FX fee of 3%) with AUD that you had to forgo Credit Card security if your card was stolen -but notso if the card was not in Credit. I've always used CBA Travel Card and never had problem. Used to issue Travellers Cheques back in the 60's when I was overseas Teller for Westpac. Italians returning home loved the FNCB (First National City Bank) Travellers Chqs. usually in $20US denominations. Amex Travellers Chqs. not as popular. Only had to deal with one lot of lost/stolen Travellers Chqs. -a young Aussie in Denpasar -Bali -was a victim. He was using Bank of NSW AUD travellers Chqs.

Andrew Bird
August 03, 2023

I have been a very satistied user of Wise both in Europe and the US. The rates are good and I have had no problem with either the physical card or the digital one on my phone. I have also used it a bit to transfer funds from my AU broker to my US one. Cheaper than OFX and much cheaper than the banks.

full disclosure -- I like the product so much I have boought the stock -- listed in the UK. Also happy with that so far.

Warren Bird
August 04, 2023

I'd not heard of Wise until this week when Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook plugged it in their podcast "The Rest is History". (Including using it to pay for coffee while recording the episode just off the Champs Elysee.)
Now it's come up again. Must look into it when I venture overseas again though I've been a happy CBA Travel Money card user for many years.

Janice Sengupta
August 03, 2023

I have been using a Wise card for years without any problems.

OldbutSane
August 04, 2023

Last time we went to Europe we took about $100 in euros and same in Swiss francs. Used my Coles MasterCard (no o/s transaction fee and most merchants did not impose a surcharge) and had to deliberately spend the cash near the end of our trip as we just used the credit card all the time. Recently did the same in NZ, (although many merchants did charge a fee). Am about to go to Japan, which is still surprisingly mostly cash based so will use my Macquarie debit card (fee free at 7Eleven ATMs and no withdrawal fee) and ING Visa (minimal fee).

Also, regarding transport, we have never used a taxi whilst overseas (USA, Canada, Europe, Britain, NZ) as public transport is readily available. But my advice is pack light (I never have more than 12-14kg) even when going on bike tours (no bike, but taking own helmet, kit, etc).

James
August 03, 2023

But Dudley, you're missing the experiences, sights, sounds, feel, smells, tastes! One can be too parsimonious!

By your logic why say have sex. You could watch in on YouTube.
Each to their own I guess!

deb
August 03, 2023

Some of the smells are best forgotten: On the morning of the Running of the Bulls, after the lads have been out driking all night, Pamplona smells like a men's urinal until the sanitation trucks move through with the high pressure water blasting. Meanwhile my local bakery at 7am this morning smelt better than any in Paris.

Marcus
August 03, 2023

Spot on.

George
August 03, 2023

And graffiti everywhere, in all the great cities, plus rubbish on the streets. Paris, Berlin, Barcelona ... they do not seem to have the money or desire to keep their wonderful cities clean.

Dudley
August 03, 2023

Been there and back again.

Sights? Narrow streets cute for the first week then claustrophobic.
'Give me a home where the emu roam':
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ej0ZO79Aqxw

Sounds? un-mute.

Feel? Keep distance.

Smells? Use oven / breadmaker.

Tastes? My grocery shop supplies the ingredients and google the global recipes.

Whatever happened to French Bread? Carb intolerance?

Dudley
August 03, 2023

"‘remembering’ of holidays is better than ‘experiencing’:

Eye witness testimony is much over rated, especially about the past.

Beyond recapturing a golden youth, much more rewarding to travel YouTube especially 4K + drone.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9hF2LVn1Jw

Home for elevenses and a nice place to sleep.

David MC
August 03, 2023

How many of the travel programs you have seen on the TV screen can you remember? And how much of your travel in Australia and overseas? For me, none of the former - but multitudes of memories of wonderful sights and experiences in numerous countries continue to enrich my life, thoughts, and outlook on life and will continue to do while my brain holds out. The friendships made, though temporary, are fondly remembered, and the photos and videos taken are an added bonus when viewed again years later.
Thanks for a great article Graham. Very useful to all intending travelers I am sure but particularly persons such as me in my seventies contemplating my final expeditions.

Dudley
August 03, 2023

"photos and videos taken are an added bonus when viewed again years later":

Required to evidentially re-anchor wandering misty remembrances.

Ditto YouTube wanderings - where the skies are not cloudy all day.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BR41difKew

 

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