Trips around Europe

[XanthePandy]

About now, at the point where I have the least money, I am thinking about planning for a trip around Europe in Summer 2010.

I was wondering if anybody had any tips to minimise the cost. So far, I've only looked through tour bus companies. I also live in London so getting to a starting point isn't the trouble, just looking to go to places like Amsterdam, perhaps Italy, and I wanted to see what the ballpark would be for travelling around and paying for hostel accomodation.

I appreciate any help.
Thanks.

[Hellfury]

About now, at the point where I have the least money, I am thinking about planning for a trip around Europe in Summer 2010.

I was wondering if anybody had any tips to minimise the cost. So far, I've only looked through tour bus companies. I also live in London so getting to a starting point isn't the trouble, just looking to go to places like Amsterdam, perhaps Italy, and I wanted to see what the ballpark would be for travelling around and paying for hostel accomodation.

I appreciate any help.
Thanks.

Interrail tickets?

[Zoolander]

Rail passes are expensive.

Ryan Air is the way to travel around for cheap.

[wipers]

I went to Europe a few years ago. Started off in London then went to Wales and finished my trip in Scotland. As far as going to Italy or Amsterdam I would think Italy in the summer would be very fun. But Amsterdam anytime of the year would be great also. If you can I would go to both places.

[Qalbert]

I went to italy. It was pretty awesome until some dude in a hoodie jumped off an awning and stabbed a guy.
Oh and true story, was on a train and an italian guy pulled out a pornomag and started reading it. gogo not being uptight about sex

[aduidarnenye]

Hostels are the way to go if you want cheap. If you want really cheap you can get into rooms with more than just you. The dorm rooms aren't very safe for your stuff (don't take your laptop and iphone and leave them in your room) but most hostels have a safe you can leave stuff in. I stayed in hostels in France and the age range was fantastic, from kids just out of high school to eldery people on retirement trips. Most people are great but you do meet the occasional douchebag who tries to culture whore their way through every country and believe they are becoming part-local by avoiding all the tourist spots and staying in the hostel playing their guitar badly.

Look at hostelworld.com and other websites for more informations on hostels.

I did the train thing in Japan. We had a one week rail pass and it worked out really well, after the initial payout. We had to buy the passes before we entered the country so it's not a last minute decision. I think that the Eurorail passes have some weird country blockouts though, like the UK. You might want to plan your entry point and your exit point according to the dates on your rail pass. When my husband and I travelled through Japan we decided to take the ferry from and to Korea and we lost a day because of travelling from Tokyo to the ferry in Fukoka.

[wipers]

You know what happens to people that stay in hostels. That have to watch the terrible movie of the same name.

[Zoolander]

Staying in Hostels is a no brainer decision for anyone traveling Europe on a budget. You meet people from all over the world and (from someone who has done the hotel and the hostel route) is much more fun and interesting.

I would suggest if you are going to stay in hostels to bring your own sheet. We sowed a sheet into something resembling a sleeping bag just to avoid any risk of touching the sheets/bed of the hostels. Most were clean, but it is an easy thing to do and saves you some worry.

Also, after backpacking Europe for 6 weeks, I would really suggest targeting hostels that have kitchens. Not all of them do, so I would check that out. Cooking for yourself can save you a TON of money and it doesnt mean you can't sample the local cuisine, it just means you don't have to pay so much for it. That is the one thing I will do over next time I go to Europe.

Also, as far as drinking goes...bottles of wine are incredibly cheap almost everywhere. Chilling out with a deck of cards and a bottle of wine in your hostels common area is a great way to meet people and usually a great time.

If you go to Amsterdam and are interested in trying out some weed, shop around. Compare prices and ask to see their goods. Not only does it pretty much guarantee you will get a decent product for the best price around, but it is just fucking cool to check out/smell a bunch of different types of weed from different shops.

Again, Ryanair is the way to go for traveling, especially if you plan in advance. I cannot stress this point enough. How cheap? I flew from Paris to Madrid for free, all I paid was the taxes. And several other inter-european flights were damn near free. The train pass I got was cool, but not at all worth it compared to how cheap the flights were. The sooner you just set some dates, the better as far as plane ticket prices are concerned. Also, that means you can book some hostels. And yes, you should research and book hostels before you go if you want a decent location/price. Places fill up, especially during the the busy summer time. There are a bunch of different hostel web sites, just find a decent one for the city you are checking out and go from there. Of course make sure to compare websites, but at least from what I saw, most were pretty similar in price and selection.

I traveled to Rome and Amsterdam, among several other places and I always love talking about Europe and travel...so shoot away with some more detailed questions regarding...anything lol.

[Faris]

Happy homes - Rome
00930 665002804 its a B&B
nice old jewish lady lives with her 5 dogs and her son. take care she might molest you.

Hotel Amarys Simart - Paris
s00331 46068387
1 star hotel run by Algerian brothers; not bad for just sleeping.

[Cadsuane]

My advice, particularly if you're around Portugal or Spain, is to see the cities, enjoy the scenery, but don't spend all your time there because the real party's elsewhere. Like if you're in Portugal, don't miss out on Lisbon, but make sure to hit the smaller towns up north and Porto and Braga on the way. If you're in Spain, go to Madrid and Barcelona, and then... Galicia I guess, I don't know Spain that well really. The cafes aren't as crowded, the people are nicer, and the drinks get alot cheaper the further you get from paths already well-beaten by tourist hooves.

Oh, and don't go to Paris. Nothing to see there.

[Aesctaa]

Don't listen to anyone who says hostels are the obvious choice. If you:

1) Own a Car
2) Have plenty of time

Then i strongly recommend camping as a viable option, just take a cheap 2 person tent. There are tens of thousands of campsites around europe, in all sorts of locations(far more choice than hotels or hostels), plenty are within easy reach of the cities if its only the cities themselves that interest you. You get plenty of privacy, don't have to deal with 'that' annoying Aussie, and the nightly rate is pocket change.

Driving around you see so much more though, all the small interesting things you miss when you fly(and this is coming from an airline pilot.. I'd rather drive whenever i can), from cool historical sites.. castles/forts/memorials/etc.. to local bars and restaurants with tons more character than you will find in 99% of a big city.

Even with plenty of money to pretty much stay wherever i want i still prefer camping when in Europe.

As for locations.. I strongly recommend:

Cities: Sienna, San Gimignano(tuscany), Brugges, Oslo, Paris, Geneva, Trondheim(norway), Monaco, Budapest
Top three scenic areas: 1) Provence(france) around Carpentras. 2) Tuscany(italy), the only area of italy worth seeing but like the whole country.. is an absolute pain to get around.. the roads are appalling. 3) the Alps.. its all wonderful but Geneva and Chamonix are exceptional.

And.. places to avoid:

Pisa(tower is pathetic and the place is a dump), Florence(go to sienna instead), Portofino(its busier than most cities and its the size of a small village.. while far prettier places on the French riviera are deserted), Milan(busier than london and less pretty), whole of Sweden(norway is expensive but far nicer), north-eastern France, Northern Spain.

[Faris]

Oh, and don't go to Paris. Nothing to see there.

errr..... moulin rouge? Louvre? im not very fond of the Eiffel Tower , but its still worth seeing for some. and thats just some of the things to do there.

[Telamond]

Try this out: http://www.couchsurfing.org/

[sephir]

A friend of mine traveled Germany for a week on about $300. He lived in hostels and bought one of those unlimited rail passes (within Germany). He had a blast.

If I were to do a cheap Europe trip I would likely bring my bike and just travel around that way.

[volcanicweather]

Couchsurfing is a great website!

If you do get a rail pass (which I would recommend if you're staying for 2-3 months) you can sleep on the train most nights and you have a ton of control over your journey.

Also if you're going to Amsterdam, I strongly advise going to Copenhagen as well... you can get there for cheap either via rail (takes about 10-11 hours) or flying. It's an amazing city and super easy to get around without a car.

[510Meeze]

Corfu Greece: The Pink Palace
Ios Greece: Francesco's or Far Out
Rimini Italy: Jammin' Party Hostel (Late July through August is when this place jumps off)

[Cadsuane]

errr..... moulin rouge? Louvre? im not very fond of the Eiffel Tower , but its still worth seeing for some. and thats just some of the things to do there.

I can accommodate differences of opinion with regards to France, but I never liked that stupid country or the people that live there by and large.

[AoE]

Was thinking about going to Europe this summer alone so just wanted to say appreciate all the advice in this thread.

[Zoolander]

Well forgot about the Chunnel to go from the UK to mainland Europe if you have a car...shit is pretty expensive though isn't it? Not to mention your ridiculous gas prices and dealing with parking in the cities. Guess it just depends what you wanna see and where you want to spend most of your time. I can't remember ever really thinking that I needed a car during my travels except for traveling around in Germany.

Salzburg, Austria is a pretty nice change of pace if you are doing a bunch of cities. It is really close (like 30 minutes or something) to Munich and there is really nice scenery all around. Would only do a couple days there I think, its a nice little break from big cities though and not far off the beaten trail.

[XanthePandy]

Really helpful advice, everyone. I'm having a look at a few of the places you guys have recommended. Really surprised that travelling by plane doesn't cost a bomb too.

Travelling by car is out the window since I don't have one but still a very helpful suggestion.

Thanks for all the help.