Travelling Europe.

Ben:

Ben:

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Ben
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I'm thinking of travelling some of Europe next year by train (InterRail).
Possibly starting in Holland, then to Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, France. (maybe Spain and Portugal depending on funds)
Looking to travel for around a month.

Obviously I'll be taking my camera.
Current gear (is in my signature) but I mainly use a 50d with Sigma 17-70mm.
Ideally I want to be travelling as light as possible.

Just wanted a few tips, suggestions regarding amount of kit, memory, insurance etc and of course any 'must see' places.

PS: Just ordered 2 x 8GB Sandisk Ultra CF Cards :)
Thanks,
Ben
 
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I'd take 50/1.8 as well for low light situations. Also if you do not have a laptop with plenty HDD free space you will need many CF cards with you. Don't forget a good polarizer (CPL) and if you can make space a little table tripod could help a lot.

My advice: do not try to go in too many places spending too little time in each. Pick a few spots you desperately wanna see and organize your trip around them. Make enough time to discover life, traditions, local foods, etc and do not be trapped in big "kitschy" touristic attractions.
 
Kit wise think a prime W/A and a short w/a to telephoto walkabout ideal. You don't want to be dragging lots of kit around.

Consider hiring a car if you go to Spain you can cover southern spain Adalucia much easier that way and stay in Pensiones.

France you can look out for formula ones for budget accomodation.

How much time away are you talking about?
 
Ben: said:
PS: Just ordered 2 x 8GB Sandisk Ultra CF Cards :)
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Unless you'll have a laptop for dumping images with you, this may not be enough. I generally use up 16Gb on a weekend trip myself, although I guess it depends on how much you shoot, and in what format.

Regarding insurance, you'd better speak to your insurer about this, as most standard insurance policies won't cover items in excess of £500 without a special endorsement.

I agree with some of the other posts that if you take along a fast prime, then together with your current lens that should suffice.
 
A screw in polarizer and 2 stop grad filter perhaps? not much extra to carry but potentially make a big difference in certain situations.

If you wanted to spend a bit more what about replacing the Sigma with a Canon 15-85?
 
mishu said:
I'd take 50/1.8 as well for low light situations. Also if you do not have a laptop with plenty HDD free space you will need many CF cards with you. Don't forget a good polarizer (CPL) and if you can make space a little table tripod could help a lot.

My advice: do not try to go in too many places spending too little time in each. Pick a few spots you desperately wanna see and organize your trip around them. Make enough time to discover life, traditions, local foods, etc and do not be trapped in big "kitschy" touristic attractions.
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Yeah bringing the 50mm seems like a good idea for low light.
I hadn't thought about a laptop, is it recommend in general for travelling? (will it have other uses?)
I have a polariser on the Sigma :)
Exactly my thoughts about spending time in certain areas, getting the most out of the cities for culture, food, landmarks and so on. Not atall fussed about the 'tourist' side of things tbh.

chivers67 said:
Kit wise think a prime W/A and a short w/a to telephoto walkabout ideal. You don't want to be dragging lots of kit around.

Consider hiring a car if you go to Spain you can cover southern spain Adalucia much easier that way and stay in Pensiones.

France you can look out for formula ones for budget accomodation.

How much time away are you talking about?
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Thanks for this. I'm thinking about 1 month.
InterRail do a 1 month unlimited rail travel throughout Europe.

onona said:
Unless you'll have a laptop for dumping images with you, this may not be enough. I generally use up 16Gb on a weekend trip myself, although I guess it depends on how much you shoot, and in what format.

Regarding insurance, you'd better speak to your insurer about this, as most standard insurance policies won't cover items in excess of £500 without a special endorsement.

I agree with some of the other posts that if you take along a fast prime, then together with your current lens that should suffice.
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Second mention of the laptop...is it worth the extra weight, space bringing a laptop for image storage and other things (what?)
I understand that the 2 cards I have just bought won't be near enough memory for the trip. Just thought I'd buy a couple as I was in need of them anyway. But will also come in handy for the trip.
I read it's sometimes best to have multiple cards instead of 1 big one incase card errors/lose etc.

Moreorless said:
A screw in polarizer and 2 stop grad filter perhaps? not much extra to carry but potentially make a big difference in certain situations.

If you wanted to spend a bit more what about replacing the Sigma with a Canon 15-85?
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Polariser - CHECK :)
The Canon is quite a abit more money and I'm currently very happy with the Sigma. Good suggestion though, thanks.
 
Sounds really exciting, hope you enjoy your trip.
 
Ben: said:
Second mention of the laptop...is it worth the extra weight, space bringing a laptop for image storage and other things (what?)
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I always take a laptop with me, everywhere I go. But then, the one I travel with is a dinky 13" Macbook so it doesn't take up much room and isn't particularly heavy. The other nice thing about travelling with a laptop, apart from having web access, is that you can do quick edits on your photos and post them online so your friends can see what you're up to. At least, that's the case for me!

I read it's sometimes best to have multiple cards instead of 1 big one incase card errors/lose etc.
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Yeah it is safer to work that way - but then, it's also safer to dump all your photos at the end of every day onto a laptop ;-)
 
If I could fit a laptop in and get internet access I wouldn't hesitate to take one with me.
How difficult is it to gain internet access around Europe?

More of a general question about travelling... With camera gear, laptop as well as clothing etc, is a large rucksack (backpacking style) or a wheelie suitcase more practical?
 
I generally depend on my hotels for web access. Roaming on a mobile data plan is too expensive after a couple of days.

Regarding luggage, I think it's a really personal choice. Use whichever you find most comfortable and convenient yourself, after all, it'll be you lugging it around.
 
onona said:
I generally depend on my hotels for web access. Roaming on a mobile data plan is too expensive after a couple of days.

Yes I wouldn't ever use Roaming as a way of uploading images, as you said, far to expensive. Hotels sounds like the best idea.

Regarding luggage, I think it's a really personal choice. Use whichever you find most comfortable and convenient yourself, after all, it'll be you lugging it around.

Fair enough :)
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My advice, is all seriousness, knowing you stated you want to go by rail is to not....DRIVE.

ive done both and believe me having your own wheels is sooooo good, not to mention cheaper and of course the flexibility of reaching every far flung destination.

in my experience, the less hype, the less tourism, the less you know/read about a place, the friendlier the locals, the better time you have and the more you get to really know a location.

Then you can also take all the kit you could ever dream off.
 
saxk said:
My advice, is all seriousness, knowing you stated you want to go by rail is to not....DRIVE.

ive done both and believe me having your own wheels is sooooo good, not to mention cheaper and of course the flexibility of reaching every far flung destination.

in my experience, the less hype, the less tourism, the less you know/read about a place, the friendlier the locals, the better time you have and the more you get to really know a location.

Then you can also take all the kit you could ever dream off.
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I can see the appeal of having your own car for getting about to any location and being able to take as much gear as you like. But realistically I can fit my camera gear in 1 bag, laptop in another with suitcase. With train, a lot of the planning, times, 'effort' is done for you. Driving is tiring after long periods. Cheaper? Really? £500ish for 1 month rail travel throughout many countries seems pretty good. I think for the first time of doing anything like this a more structured plan, timetable and route will be suitable for me. Know what you mean about driving though.
 
Personally I love rail journeys. You get to sit back and enjoy the view, doze off when you feel like it, and meet other travellers.
 
onona said:
Personally I love rail journeys. You get to sit back and enjoy the view, doze off when you feel like it, and meet other travellers.
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These are also my views. Taking in the views as you travel from/through a country. Time to rest and sleep on overnight journeys. In general it seems less stressful, tiring and giving you more time to take everything in.
 
Absolutely! Some of my best travel experiences have been train journeys - like the Bergen Railway and Flåm Railway in Norway and one of the long train rides up into the Arctic circle in Sweden. Trains are wonderful machines and every journey I take gives me loads of great memories :-) I'm quite envious of your planned trip!

One day I still want to do the trans-Siberian.
 
Not interested in what camera kit you should take :) , but very interested in the train trip, as just this week I have been looking at a train trip to Dresden/Berlin/Prague :) :)

onona Please do not mention the trans-Siberian, as my dad offer to pay for me to do that back when I was 21 (30 years ago ) and I said no thanks :bang: (my brother had been on a tall ship for two weeks a couple of years before)
 
Ben: said:
But realistically I can fit my camera gear in 1 bag, laptop in another ...
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Get a camera bag that can fit your laptop in the back.

I went back to Europe for a month last year. We left some stuff with family in the UK when we went to the continent. So just carried 1 luggage bag between myself and my girlfriend, and I took a laptop, 1D and 24-70, and a Manfrotto 055 tripod (fits inside the luggage). Oh, and I think I took a flashgun which I used for one photo.

So, I'd say take your camera and the 17-70, maybe a tripod if you want and then a laptop or a portable storage device that runs without a computer. Although it really depends on how you like to shoot.

We caught the train from Paris to Rome, besides the hour delay in Paris, it was great. Met some interesting people, had a few beers, had a bed.. beats a car any day for me. We planned on doing more by train, but the cost was prohibitive from what we could find.
 
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Jayst84 said:
Get a camera bag that can fit your laptop in the back.
Good idea!

I went back to Europe for a month last year. We left some stuff with family in the UK when we went to the continent. So just carried 1 luggage bag between myself and my girlfriend, and I took a laptop, 1D and 24-70, and a Manfrotto 055 tripod (fits inside the luggage). Oh, and I think I took a flashgun which I used for one photo.
I had wondered about a flashgun, not sure if it would be needed. If I can fit it in I'll bring it :)


So, I'd say take your camera and the 17-70, maybe a tripod if you want and then a laptop or a portable storage device that runs without a computer. Although it really depends on how you like to shoot.
How useful have you found a tripod?
Is it best to shoot in RAW (if I have enough memory) so when back at home the photos can be edited to their full potential?

We caught the train from Paris to Rome, besides the hour delay in Paris, it was great. Met some interesting people, had a few beers, had a bed.. beats a car any day for me. We planned on doing more by train, but the cost was prohibitive from what we could find.
Sounds good!
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I'm planning a backpacking trip in Central America (and already thinking about one around Italy for the year after). I've decided not to take a laptop, as unless I spend a lot of money they are heavy, I may look at portable storage devices, but may end up just relying on CF cards and uploading at internet cafes as I go along. I was planning on shooting in RAW + small jpeg, so that I can upload the small jpegs to Flickr/Facebook etc while I am still out there, without having to do any editing.

A tripod is something I am also considering, again there is the weight to contend with and a tripod strapped to a rucksack is just going to scream "Expensive camera equipment here".

Luggage/kit wise I have decided on an FStop Satori rucksack (60L), with the small camera block, which is big enough for body and 3 lenses (wide, mid prime and 70-200/100 prime). I don't want my bag to be too difficult to carry, as I'll be traveling around a fair bit.
 
Hmm, id say take the train. The problem with driving is that you spend lots of your time driving. especially if you are going to all the countries you mentioned. I did the same trip, drove and spent days just trying to get places. Take the train and forget about the worry of having to think about a car.

I would also pack a Gorillapod. Small, light and great for landscapes/at night.
 
PS. For a one-month trip I'd ditch Spain/Portugal and head for Venice instead - fantastic.
 
One thing I find invaluable to take with me while travelling is a Gorillapod. Fairly small and light, and great for landscapes and long exposure stuff if you don't want to take a 'real' tripod.

Other than that, just fairly obvious stuff like plenty of memory cards and spare batteries.
:)
 
Ben: said:
Obviously I'll be taking my camera.
Current gear (is in my signature) but I mainly use a 50d with Sigma 17-70mm.
Ideally I want to be travelling as light as possible.
Click to expand...

Go with what you use the most.. I used to travel with three or four lenses, now it's just a 40D and 30mm f/1.4. For me it's all I need, your needs may vary.

I can only give recent information for Germany. Generally, wi-fi availability is good with many bars, cafes and hotels offering it for free (although you'll probably need to buy a drink and ask for the access code). A good smartphone with wi-fi capability should get you basic access. Data-roaming isn't worth it, far too expensive.
 
boccers_2000 said:
Hmm, id say take the train. The problem with driving is that you spend lots of your time driving. especially if you are going to all the countries you mentioned. I did the same trip, drove and spent days just trying to get places. Take the train and forget about the worry of having to think about a car.

I would also pack a Gorillapod. Small, light and great for landscapes/at night.
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Definitely decided train is the best way for me :) Good idea! I'll get one nearer the time.

Ozei said:
Ben - have a listen to this: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0134ssl. NB. Part 2 is on R4 on Saturday.

Must see places:

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Thanks alot! Will have a listen later on :)

Ozei said:
PS. For a one-month trip I'd ditch Spain/Portugal and head for Venice instead - fantastic.
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Yeah I was thinking about leaving Spain/Portugal out. But Venice is a great idea!

Chapman said:
One thing I find invaluable to take with me while travelling is a Gorillapod. Fairly small and light, and great for landscapes and long exposure stuff if you don't want to take a 'real' tripod.

Other than that, just fairly obvious stuff like plenty of memory cards and spare batteries.
:)
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Gorillapod it is! :thumbs:

Alastair said:
Go with what you use the most.. I used to travel with three or four lenses, now it's just a 40D and 30mm f/1.4. For me it's all I need, your needs may vary.

I can only give recent information for Germany. Generally, wi-fi availability is good with many bars, cafes and hotels offering it for free (although you'll probably need to buy a drink and ask for the access code). A good smartphone with wi-fi capability should get you basic access. Data-roaming isn't worth it, far too expensive.
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I think I'll stick with the 50d 50mm ang 17-70mm then. Always handy to have something for low light.
As you say, hopefully they'll be lots of Wi-Fi areas about to upload images etc.


Thanks for all this useful information everyone :D:D
 
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Ben: said:
How useful have you found a tripod?
Is it best to shoot in RAW (if I have enough memory) so when back at home the photos can be edited to their full potential?
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I didn't use the tripod too much (hate the things really), but there were some night landscape type shots I wanted, so it was invaluable for them. Next time I go back, I probably won't take one.

A Gorillapod could be handy, it could also be completely useless if there's nothing to attach it to in the place you want to frame a shot.

I shoot raw, entirely up to you though, if you're happy with JPEGs then shoot them.
 
It might be worth while on a long trip like this to put a cheap 35mm compact in your bag. Something a bit lomo from a charity shop, for a bit of fun and a back-up. If all else fails (battery, camera, lens, memory cards).. 35mm film is still readily available and you can get 1hr processing in most cities you're likely to visit.

On the must-see side of things, I have to recommend Berlin.. it's my favourite city.
 
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