Travel tips for Bavarian countries

1. Always carry cash as many times they do not accept credit cards. Also carry coins ,it's common you need .50€ to pay to use a toilet! but it's worth it because they are spotlessly clean.

2. Create your own memories. Don't spend an entire day hunting for a place to eat or visit that I or anyone else said you had to visit. My experience has taught me you can frustrate yourself and spend way to much time looking for something that created a memory for someone else. Half the fun is just setting out on foot or by car and stumbling across something. Europe has no shortage of amazing places ,and some of our most unforgettable experiences are less about the place than the fact that we all have a great time together usually doing something very simple.  A perfect example of this for me was Neuschwannstein castle. This castle I read about in a book I have called 500 places to see before you die. Yes it was awesome, and it had a million tourists to prove it, but I personally much prefer the random sleepy little castles no one ever talks about. 

3. In Germany, they have an amazing recycling system. Make sure to buy your German beers and make sure your water bottles and soda or juice come from Germany.  If they do you take them to to the grocery store and they have this cool machine you place the bottles in ,it sucks them up and then gives you a ticket for .15-.25€  not bad and pretty cool.

4. When you get to Europe buy yourself a cute reusable grocery bag, you have to pay for bags here anyway, may as we'll buy a cute one then have a keepsake.

5. Don't let your husband cheap out on you and not let you pay to use a shopping cart. Our first grocery store visit I sent Jimmie to get a cart, he came back saying you have to pay for it. By the time we got to the line I had items on my head, stuffed in my bra,and coming out of pockets. I looked ridiculous was exasperated and come to find out you just return the cart and you get your money back. How clever.

6. If your traveling with kids look for the local parks. They don't sue here if your kids fall off something and gets hurt so the parks are way more interesting and fun and it's something free to do.

7. Pack picnic lunches ahead on travel days. You save bundles of money doing this and it's always really fun to see where you end up having lunch. There are loads of picnic spots with tables often provided.

8. If you didn't pack lunch or you just need to experience the gas stations in Europe , they often have what's called motor grills. It really puts our gas stations to shame. If we get hungry were left to choose from nasty hostess twinkles candy bars chips or petrified donuts. Here is an abundance of fresh local delicious food at a very reasonable price. Jim and I each had the salad bar, you would not believe your eating at a gas station it was full of interesting healthy delicious choices and cost us 5€ . We shared a beer and they provide glasses so no need to drink from the bottle. So sophisticated. Then we had a beautiful cup of illy coffee ( the best coffee in the world in my opinion) with some apple strudel and Black Forest cake. These places are great.