Traveling to Europe for the first time...
Hello,
This forum probably gets a lot of these threads around graduation time. Well yes, I am graduating from college and I have saved enough money to go to Europe (on a budget) for a couple of weeks. The plan is to fly into Madrid and fly back out of Paris. In between I will be using the Eurail pass to see as much as I can.
Any advice on cool things to see?
How difficult is it to get around in Euro cities?
Can you just book hotels when you get into the cities?
I've been reading some travel books and they mention all of these things you have to do before boarding a train (stamp here, go to check in there, make sure you have this stub...) or you will be fined by the comductor. How confusing is it?
I would love to hear from anyone who has done this before, your replies are appreciated.
This forum probably gets a lot of these threads around graduation time. Well yes, I am graduating from college and I have saved enough money to go to Europe (on a budget) for a couple of weeks. The plan is to fly into Madrid and fly back out of Paris. In between I will be using the Eurail pass to see as much as I can.
Any advice on cool things to see?
How difficult is it to get around in Euro cities?
Can you just book hotels when you get into the cities?
I've been reading some travel books and they mention all of these things you have to do before boarding a train (stamp here, go to check in there, make sure you have this stub...) or you will be fined by the comductor. How confusing is it?
I would love to hear from anyone who has done this before, your replies are appreciated.
Comments
Originally posted by cris84
[BI am graduating from college and I have saved enough money to go to Europe (on a budget) for a couple of weeks. The plan is to fly into Madrid and fly back out of Paris. In between I will be using the Eurail pass to see as much as I can.
Any advice on cool things to see?
How difficult is it to get around in Euro cities?
Can you just book hotels when you get into the cities?
I've been reading some travel books and they mention all of these things you have to do before boarding a train (stamp here, go to check in there, make sure you have this stub...) or you will be fined by the comductor. How confusing is it?[/B]
Congrats in advance!
2 weeks is not a very long time, so don't plan to see 25 countries in that time.
You can book hotels or hostels in location. Hostels might be a good alternative for you - if you are not bringing everything valuable with you (like your 17" Powerbook). Which I don't suggest anyway .. have only the essentials, (wallet, credit student etc cards, some travellers chequest, camera .. if you need computers, you find internet cafes in all big cities, at least in the big cities). You find a lot of hostels information in www.hostels.com - if you have siblings or have travelled with other people it feels an easier option.
Another option is once you arrive to the city, the railway stations or airports etc have often an infopoint where they can boook you. At least you don't find hte overly turistic season.
I think only in Italy you need to stamp your train ticket beforegoing to the train. So elsewehere, just buy the ticket and get to the train.
Talk to the people .. locals, other travellers, enjoy the local foods & coffees. Cities .. or others - what kind of things would you want to see? Barcelona is great (Barcelona of Spain, not Barcellona), Madrid, Paris, London, Scotland (anywhere), Ireland (Dublin & countryside) ... Choose a roughly area you want to see and I'm sure you get a looot more hints for what to see. And you'll learn teh local bad words before being in the ocuntry.
I will be in Europe for about 18 days, too short i know. I am looking forward to seeing all of the big tourist attractions, particularly interested in the art and architecture. But i would also like to see the smaller towns and enjoy the culture.
My mother's side of the family is from Spain and I will be the first one to go back in at least 100 years of our history. I definitly want to explore the south of Spain. Then the plan is to go to Italy: Rome, Florence, Venice, Piza. Then up through Switzerland or Austria and on to Belgim, then finally to Paris. Since we are going by train, i am looking forward to seeing the country side.
I'm just concerned about logistics. Do we need a hotel every night? What do we do with our backbacks? Where do you brush your teeth? Can you travel overnight and avoid the hotels? (thats what the book says to do).
I am fluent in Spanish and my French is passable, what about the other languages?
And no, i will definitely not be taking my powerbook, just the Ipod. I'm not sure which camera I should take, my trustly old canon rebel (the big lens might get in the way but it takes great pics) the digital canon that needs to be recharged (but the small CF cards sure beat rolls of film, or the old film minitola with zoom lens (just replace batteries and if the thing gets lost or breaks its not a big deal).
i am way too excited about this
But, you can easily take overnight trains and sleep on them, but being your first time travelling you might find that you won't get your best sleep on them. You'll probably end up tired. Once you've done it enough times you'll stop worrying about your bags or your life and you can rest easy, but for some people the first times are rough. I'd definitely encourage overnight trains though.
With only 18 days, work out a rough itinerary in advance. Don't worry when it falls through, and it will fall through, but try and stick to it. You don't have too much time to waste in there.
Make sure you do spend some time in some of the big places you go. Do spend 2-3 nights in Madrid, just to get rid of the jet lag and see the Prado. Then work out your first overnight venture.
Always know where you're going the day before you go there. So the night before you leave Madrid, make sure you've found the train station and can find it again. When you arrive in a city and find your hostel, even if it's late in the evening, find that museum NOW, so you can find it even easier when you wake up in the morning. And again, always know the train station before you have to get there.
When doing this you should be prepared for severe exhaustion. You need to realize though that many people do much more than what you're going to do and their bodies (like yours) can handle it just fine. Don't worry about it. You can sleep later. Get up early every day and don't be afraid to leave your bags in the hostel. You can't carry them everywhere because they'll weigh you down too much.
Madrid: Prado
Rome (3 nights): Roman Forum/Colusseum, Vatican City, evenings in Piazza Navona/Patheon/Trevi Fountain/Spanish Steps. (I lived in Rome for over a year and could name 1000 things to see. Those are the 'must see' tourist highlights.)
Firenze (2 nights): Day trip to Pisa. Academia (The David) & Uffizi & Ponte Vecchio. Boboli Gardens if possible.
Venece: (1 night): Piazza San Marco.
That right there might be 12 days already. You can't skip Paris though. Simplify your scope and do more with it in the places you're at. Italy's one of the greatest places on earth but you probably should skip it in the interest of really seeing the other places you're at.
EDIT: With your background in Spanish you could probably have a LOT of fun in Spain.
Hostels are fine - depends on city etc. At least the hostel in Venice is clean and relatively cheap. Check one or two hostels on the trip and decide if they will do for you.
Spanish is a good thing. You will probably notice that if you ask people to talk slowly to you in Italian, you will understand a lot of it.
Originally posted by cris84
I'm just concerned about logistics. Do we need a hotel every night? What do we do with our backbacks? Where do you brush your teeth? Can you travel overnight and avoid the hotels? (thats what the book says to do).
I am fluent in Spanish and my French is passable, what about the other languages?
And no, i will definitely not be taking my powerbook, just the Ipod. I'm not sure which camera I should take, my trustly old canon rebel (the big lens might get in the way but it takes great pics) the digital canon that needs to be recharged (but the small CF cards sure beat rolls of film, or the old film minitola with zoom lens (just replace batteries and if the thing gets lost or breaks its not a big deal).
i am way too excited about this
Hi Cris -
With your Eurail pass, you should be able to pay for an upgrade for night travel in a compartment where you can sleep. But if you do too much sleeping in trains, you'll miss seeing the countryside. Still, it does save on the hotel hassle.
Hostels are fine, but they tend to fill up fast. When I was in Paris, the hostels were full; so two guys and I managed to find a room with two twin beds on the 5th floor of a very modest walk-up hotel. We were glad to find anything, believe me. We pushed the two beds together and lay across them sideways.
It was a fun time in Paris. I made sure I saw the Louvre...and the Mona Lisa (it's much smaller than you'd expect). I was especially fascinated by all the ancient Egyptian stuff at the Louvre.
The guys were pre-med students from NY whom I met on the train to Paris. When you're traveling on your own, you'll meet lots more people. If you travel 'with' someone, you tend to stick with that person and talk with them the whole time...instead of reaching out to others. Just my thought on the matter.
Carry a sturdy, good-quality fanny pack turned around on your stomach. Don't leave passports, traveler's checks, plane tickets in your backpack. I would carry your valuables with you. Never take the fanny pack off and set it down in a busy area - it will get snatched, and then you're screwed!
If you can live without the ipod, I would avoid taking it. Don't take anything unless you are prepared to have it stolen. I had my camera stolen in the airport in Peru the very last 10 minutes of a two-month-long trip. It was an old camera. I didn't mind losing it, but I lost all my amazon, Lima, and Macchu Picchu pictures.
I've heard that when cars get stuck in traffic in Spain, thieves come along on bicycles, motorcycles or on foot, reach in the window and grab people's purses, packs, bags, etc. off the car/taxi seat - even off people's laps!
I had a great time in Europe, and I traveled on my own. But I'm mentioning cautionary stuff to you, because one theft can ruin your trip.
In Rome, I was on a crowded bus (standing in the aisle) that was so packed with people that I literally could not move an inch in any direction. Suddenly I felt a hand caressing my bottom.
Traveling is so wonderful. You'll be able to see plenty in 18 days. After all, you *WILL* be going back. Right?
So, e.g., go to Madrid, south of Spain, Barcelona, whatever, and then Paris. Italy is too big, beautiful and wonderful to be a sideshow.
You need to soak up the flavor of a place, and constantly moving from train station to train station gets in the way of that.
Oh, and also, be flex in your plan. You'll want to be able to pursue an adventure should it present itself.
well the plan changed a little, we are now flying into Madrid and out of Rome to JFK. Looks like Madrid-> Barcelona-> Paris->Bonn-> Vienna-> Zurich -> Venice-> Milan-> Florence -> Piza -> Rome. We are spending 3 days in Madrid, 1 in Barcelona, 3 in Paris, 1 in Bonn, 1 in Vienna, 1 in Zurich, 1 in Venice, 1 in Milan, 1 in Florence, 1 in Pisa, and 3 in Rome.
This is the very optimistic plan and it is entirely flexible.
What should I see in those cities?
Alternate cities in Austria or Switzerland?
As much as i would like to slow down the pace, i think i would rather just see more. After this summer, it'll be years of grad or law school and then a career and family and who knows when i will have another chance to travel like this.
thanks again
Originally posted by cris84
Thanks again for the help
well the plan changed a little, we are now flying into Madrid and out of Rome to JFK. Looks like Madrid-> Barcelona-> Paris->Bonn-> Vienna-> Zurich -> Venice-> Milan-> Florence -> Piza -> Rome. We are spending 3 days in Madrid, 1 in Barcelona, 3 in Paris, 1 in Bonn, 1 in Vienna, 1 in Zurich, 1 in Venice, 1 in Milan, 1 in Florence, 1 in Pisa, and 3 in Rome.
This is the very optimistic plan and it is entirely flexible.
What should I see in those cities?
Alternate cities in Austria or Switzerland?
As much as i would like to slow down the pace, i think i would rather just see more. After this summer, it'll be years of grad or law school and then a career and family and who knows when i will have another chance to travel like this.
thanks again
Dude! Have a fantastic time!
I stongly advise you to miss out on Bonn and Zurich. Once you leave Paris, your schedule is such you won't see anything in the places you're going to! It's a bit like saying "One day in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, Chicago, Cincinnati and Atlanta."
Originally posted by cris84
Alternate cities in [...] Switzerland?
If nightlife is important to you there's only Zurich you can visit. Other cities:
Lucerne: One of the most popular tourist destinations, charming, beautiful, smaller than Zurich.
Interlaken: Mostly Americans go there, very impressive mountains, waterfalls, lakes etc. http://www.bluedanubeholidays.com/pi...Interlaken.jpg
I've done all sorts of Interrail and bicycle tours throughout Europe. I think it's important to realize that visiting as many cities you can and ticking off sights (and countries it seems) isn't really the way to go. Also, the trip will be much more interesting and less repetitive if you do things besides cities. For example, I would highly recommend a trip to Mt. Pilatus (from Lucerne, by steamboat + world's steepest cogwheel railway, spectacular view http://www.pilatus.ch) instead of visiting yet another city (ugly Milano, a few hours on your way to Venice should be more than sufficient), of course only if weather permits. At least make sure to not cross the Alps at night.
Also, I wouldn't go to Vienna this time, it's too far east, combine it with cities like Prague (my favorite), Berlin, Budapest, Krakow, Bratislava etc.
Pisa isn't particularly beautiful, better stay in Florence one more night, day trip to Siena, Pisa, San Gimignano etc.
I'm also not sure about Bonn. Strasbourg, Mulhouse or Colmar (Alsace = superb food and wine) come to mind, they seem to be better options on your way to Venice IMO. If you absolutely must have been to a German city, visit Freiburg or... don't know Heidelberg. If you can't do without crossing Belgium, go to Aachen or Cologne instead of Bonn.
That always requires compromise on the itinerary.
I had four weeks in Europe. Tried to spend at least 3 days in each major place. So my schedule was:
- * London, with side trip to Oxford/Blenheim Palace.
hahaha. I'm *pretty* sure I flew. 
The two flights really enabled me to cram in more places; and since I had my student card (graduate student), I got student rates which were incredibly good, though the student flight from Rome to Athens left at 2am, or something like that. But that was part of the fun.* Paris
* train to Zurich
* train to Rome
* student flight to Athens
* ferry to the Greek island of Hydra
* student flight from Athens to Copenhagen
* ferry train to Berlin
* over-night train to Munich. Side trip to Black Forest and that famous castle that the Disneyland castle was modeled on...name escapes me, but it was definitely cool! Extremely glad I went there.
* over-night train to Amsterdam
* can't remember how I got back to London from Amsterdam
* London to Los Angeles
I'm glad I saw all those places, and I *DO* understand your wish to see as many cities as possible...especially if you foresee being tied down for many years to come.
Anyway, listen to people's advice about which cities to see. Read Bill Bryson's book about travels in Europe - funny and informative. The person who said Prague is his favorite is probably giving you really good advice. I've heard cities like that are much more like 'Old Europe', and would probably be fascinating to Americans.
What Europeans may not understand is that the European city names you want to visit are like magic to us. That we've been longing most of our lives to at least 'see' them, however briefly.
I feel that way about England. It's magic to me - everything about it, all its history and historic buildings. How houses in London have paint on their windowsills older than the United States of America.
Where I live, in the Amerian west, if a building is 30 years old, it's torn down as an eyesore, and expensive new construction is put up in its place. We have a few treasured 'old' buildings that are 100 years old.
So, Cris, don't feel bad if you decide to do the whirlwind tour. Of course that's not the best way to see Europe; but it's what you have available.
PS - back to my previous cautions. I had money stolen from my purse (which I had tried to conceal in a friend's car while we walked in a Berlin park). Fortunately, I had all German money, so they didn't think to look for a passport.
In Amsterdam a friend and I went to the police station to report my passport stolen. It turned up wedged down between the bucket seats of his car.
Originally posted by Carol A
Side trip to Black Forest and that famous castle that the Disneyland castle was modeled on...name escapes me, but it was definitely cool! Extremely glad I went there.
Neuschwanstein. Typical tourist attractions are also Rothenburg ob der Tauber and Heidelberg. Probably much more appealing to a US citizen than Bonn.
Originally posted by GSpotter
Neuschwanstein. Typical tourist attractions are also Rothenburg ob der Tauber and Heidelberg. Probably much more appealing to a US citizen than Bonn.
Wow. It's SO pretty ('stunning' is the word!). Thanks for the link.
The more i research this trip, the more i have to agree that cramming in cities is just going to leave us tired and unsatisfied. The places I most want to see are Spain, Paris, and Italy.
We have to start in Madrid and then move to Barcelona; what can we see in between? Then I up to Paris, then one city in Germany, then down to those beautiful castles and lakes in Switzerland. I guess we can skip Austria.
I would like a nice mix of fast paced cities and nice calm country side.
After Switzerland then we can spend the rest of the time in Italy.
Bonus! Some friends have decided to meet us in New York for a weekend before heading back to Los Angeles.
Originally posted by Carol A
[B]I've heard cities like that are much more like 'Old Europe', and would probably be fascinating to Americans.
I met some Americans in Krakow, they didn't like 'Old Europe' at all ("run down"), so they headed straight back to Munich the same day they arrived, that's at least >12 hours one way. Incidentally, I enjoyed my stay very much, I actually don't know anyone else who didn't like the city.
About the belt: I usually leave the passport at the hotel, I hide it in a chair or somewhere else I think nobody would look. I'm convinced that this is actually safer than carrying it around all the time, maybe I've just been lucky though.
I second the suggestion that you trim down the itenerary. Maybe two cities in Spain, a week in Rome and a week in Paris?
Have fun!