Travelling in Europe

[KingGheedora]

UPDATE: I'm in Athens now, stopped by for a day on my way to the island of Kefalonia. Here's a sweet pic I took of the Acropolis at night, from the top of my hotel.

Acropolis


I'll be going over there for two weeks in late june. I know a couple people there who I'll meet up with but for at least half the trip I'll be on my own.

Cities to visit?
Paris +
Niece +
Frankfurt *
Amsterdam *
Barcelona
Rome
Munich
Prague

* ones with asterixes, I'll be visiting for sure.
+ Niece and Paris, I will visit at least one of the two for sure, maybe both.

How many cities should I expect to be able to visit? Which cities from this list should I visit, any of them for longer than others? I'm open for anything really, going to bars, coffee shops in amsterdam, visiting museums, old churches, historical sites, going to the beach, and activities like parasailing (not that I particularly want to seek that out, but I can't think of other things). Are there any places I can rent a bike, with bike trips worth taking? Any cities where biking is a good way to get around? Basically I'm there to have a good time so if you have suggestions on any places I should visit, or things I should do while there I want to hear them.

Transportation
Should I just book a flight to and from some european city from the US, and wing the rest of the trip? Or should I plan out how much time to spend in each place as I go. I figure if I plan out the trip in advance it will be relaxing not to have to worry about arranging that kind of stuff as I go. But if I don't plan it out I can decide based on whether or not I like the city from first hand experience how long I should stay.

Lodging - Hotels vs. Hostels
How safe are hostels? I'm more worried about the safety of my belongings. I'll have one big piece of luggage, maybe another smaller bag with me. How exactly are these places arranged? Do you get your own room? Is there any way to lock your stuff up so that it's safe when you are out during the day? I like the idea of hostels because I'll be able to meet people easier that way.

Money
I expect to spend about 200 euro per day. Hopefully less than that but whatever. Budget isn't an issue so much as how should I pay for stuff. I have a Bank of America visa check card. I don't have any credit cards. Can I use ATM's there with this card? If not, how should I plan on getting money? Will euros be good for any city I go to?


Anything else I didn't think of?

 

[jumpr]

1. Pack so that you can carry everything valuable on your back. Perhaps pack a big rucksack and put an empty smaller backpack inside it. Do your sightseeing with the smaller backpack, so you can have your laptop, digital camera, etc. on your back, instead of back at the hostel.
2. BofA will charge you out the ass for ATM fees when in Europe. Get a pre-loaded Visa Travel Card (any Safeway will have these) for $12.95 and load it with whatever amount of money you want. Bonus: if you lose it, I think they'll load the same amount of money onto a new card that's there at the time you report it lost.
3. With that hectic of a travel schedule, you'll want a Eurail pass instead of using air travel (Ryanair). Train is faster and less time-consuming (security, etc.) than plane travel.
4. It's Nice, not Neice.

 

[tontod]

You should add Prague to your must see list. Great city, stuff is generally cheaper (at least alcohol is) than western Europe. I really liked Prague when I went there last year, and that was my 3rd trip to Europe.

 

[jumpr]

Also, re: planning the trip out in advance, I think you're wrong. That would make it more stressful as you have reservations to make, times to arrive, etc. Doing it with minimal ahead-of-time planning might seem stressful before you get there, but once you're in-country, you'll likely appreciate that you didn't plan everything down to the hour.

 

[KingGheedora]

bump

 

[KarenMarie]

Ok, this might sound silly, but...

whenever I traveled alone or with VeggieFrog (when she was young) I always carried a Whistle on my keyring. The louder the better.

If anyone tries to mug you or jump you or anything... well, the sound does draw attention and scares off the bad guys.

 

[Boo Boo]

you can buy a travel CC

and cash is nice

 

[bignateyk]

Originally posted by: KarenMarie
Ok, this might sound silly, but...

whenever I traveled alone or with VeggieFrog (when she was young) I always carried a Whistle on my keyring. The louder the better.

If anyone tries to mug you or jump you or anything... well, the sound does draw attention and scares off the bad guys.

bear mace would also do the trick

 

[Scouzer]

I just got back from Europe and visited many of those places a few days ago.

My thoughts:

Paris is a no brainer. You have to go here. It's expensive (but cheap as dirt compared to London) and extremely beautiful. Plan one day if you are in a rush (and not interested in art) but if you like art and cultural things, you'll need 3 days. You need to reserve an entire day to enjoy the Louvre, if not more.

Nice was amazing. The beach is not so nice (its a pebble beach, no sand), but it was very beautiful and relaxing for us. I was glad we spent a day there.

Frankfurt - I've been there, but not for long enough to comment.

Amsterdam - I didn't like it. It's dirty, grungy, and frankly boring compared to the other world class cities of Western Europe. The Red Light District will only occupy you in the evening, and it's not very big at all. There are a couple good museums here though, if you like that kind of thing. But if you don't like to party hard and have sex with hookers or watch hookers have sex on stage, skip Amsterdam.

Barcelona - Never been.

Rome - Amazing history if you are into Roman stuff. Public transit is HORRIBLE, it's CROWDED and HOT and they will try and pick pocket you (they tried on us). It'll be hard to get around for you. Italy in general is also loaded with scammers, thiefs, and obnoxious merchants always trying to heckle you for your money. It really soured my experience of it. If you don't like heat, Italy is tough too. It was HOT there, and it was early May! But it wouldn't be so bad if you are from another hot, humid location.

Munich - Awesome. It doesn't have a lot in the way of landmarks, but it's beer drinking culture is just fun to party with. It doesn't rely on sex and drugs like Amsterdam to be fun, either.

Prague - Haven't been.

If you head to Nice, I'd suggest staying somewhere between Paris & Nice so you can enjoy the Beaujolais Wine Region, visit Avignon, etc. Amazingly beautiful area.

I'd also suggest to wing it. I've been to Europe twice, once was winging it, and this last time was a tour. Winging it allows freedom and is less stressful, but can be abruptly costlier (1AM and you still haven't found a vacant hotel, so the only one you find is a luxury place for 300 euro...what choice do you have in a smaller town?)

Hostels...I only stayed in one. It wasn't a great experience, loud, you'll never know who your room mates are. You'll generally NOT get your own room, either twin or quad share. The one I stayed in had lockers in the rooms so you could lock your stuff in there.

Use a train pass. Trains in Europe are truly a pleasure to use, they are fast, clean & roomy.

MONEY:

Do you have a 4 digit PIN for your debit card? Then it should work. My debit card (Canadian) worked dandy for taking money out of ATM's and paying at merchants. I generally used my CC to pay at merchants though. Less fees.

I was charged $3 everytime I withdraw cash at ATM's. Big deal. Cost me $9 total in bank fees for the trip. My CC (Citibank MC) charged zero for international sales.

 

[GTaudiophile]

Have you looked at this?

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.aspx?catid=38&threadid=2022896

 

[KarenMarie]

Originally posted by: bignateyk

Originally posted by: KarenMarie
Ok, this might sound silly, but...

whenever I traveled alone or with VeggieFrog (when she was young) I always carried a Whistle on my keyring. The louder the better.

If anyone tries to mug you or jump you or anything... well, the sound does draw attention and scares off the bad guys.

bear mace would also do the trick

I was not allowed to take mace on the plane.

I was not allowed to take anything on the plane that I could use to defend myself. The best I could do was take the whistle, in case I needed to draw the attention of a lot of ppl.

 

[GTaudiophile]

How long will you be gone?

 

[RaistlinZ]

I recommend visiting Florence, Italy, Switzerland, and Athens if you get a chance.

 

[KingGheedora]

So i should just plan on using my ATM when in Europe, to withdraw money in the form of the Euro currency? It's just your run of the mill debit card with a 4 digit pin.

So would people recommend hostels as a way of meeting people while i'm there? What's the best beach to go to? I initially thought Nice was good because of the beach but have heard it's all pebbles and if you don't have some kind of mat it's kind of annoying. Staying at hostels, is it okay to just have plain luggage, i will have a laptop and a suitcase with me, will that fit in their lockers? Or would you need one of those backpacks?

 

[FreshPrince]

barcelona is awesome, make sure you stay at the grand marina

skip amsterdam and add madrid instead...unless you need the sex...but wait, so many hawt women in Madrid...you can get sex0rz there too!

skip frankfurt and add ljubljana, you will not be disappointed by the sights, put another check mark for hawt womenz

 

[screw3d]

Originally posted by: KingGheedora
So i should just plan on using my ATM when in Europe, to withdraw money in the form of the Euro currency? It's just your run of the mill debit card with a 4 digit pin.

So would people recommend hostels as a way of meeting people while i'm there? What's the best beach to go to? I initially thought Nice was good because of the beach but have heard it's all pebbles and if you don't have some kind of mat it's kind of annoying. Staying at hostels, is it okay to just have plain luggage, i will have a laptop and a suitcase with me, will that fit in their lockers? Or would you need one of those backpacks?

Pack light - really light. I'd leave the laptop at home where it belongs There are cybercafes everywhere in Europe. Suitcases are hard to lug around from the train station to hostels. Just get a cheap backpack from REI or something..

BTW Cinque Terre in Italy is one of the most beautiful places I've been in my life but you have to book your hostel way in advance.

 

[ed21x]

make sure your backpack is locked, and your passport is tucked away safely in a money bag under your shirt. As a matter of fact, keep most of your money in that money bag, and make sure to use a chain wallet straped to a belt loop.

 

[IamBusby]

No Love for London on your list?

Yes it can be expensive but only if you let it. Trust me, I live here and many a weekend I'm skint but still manage to do tons of stuff with Free museums, gallery's and exhibitions.

Only a short eurostar ride from France too so you could easily see loads in a day and go back to France the day after.

 

[GTaudiophile]

NM

 

[royaldank]

If you know the dates you're going and it's far enough out, you can often times fly to different cities cheaper than a train. ryanair and easyjet are 2 of the 3 or 4 budget airlines over there. Rates increase with each ticket sold. I believe I paid $30 (dollars, not pounds) roundtrip from London to Cork 1.5 years ago.

Also, just about all credit cards have an internation surcharge on purchases now. This has come about over the last 2-5 years. Generally around 3% of the purchase. So, you'll save money if you just use it as an ATM card and get cash out. Most ATMs there don't charge withdrawal fees (and neither does my bank).

 

[dugweb]

I liked amsterdam a lot, and you won't have trouble finding a bike to rent there ;p I was concerned if I would like it b/c while waiting for the train to go there, the crowd did seem fairly stereotypical of some that would be headed to Amsterdam, but I found the city to be pretty clean and laid back. Lots of pretty things to see. Also Rembrandt's work is up there if you're into that sort of thing.

Don't let Scouzer deter you from Italy. Italy was far and away my favorite part of Europe I've been to (of the 8 or so western countries I've travelled). Rome is amazing, there is just so many jaw dropping things to see you have to go there. But don't leave Italy until you've spent an evening in Florence, and gotten away to some of the smaller cities. (I recommend Certaldo, such a beautiful little city built on a hill) And you can't miss the Cinque Terre.

Barcelona has such an amazing beach. I loved it. Lots more naked people than we're used to here in the states, but it was so relaxing. I didn't spend too long in Barcelona (probably 24 hours) but it seemed like enough. Was able to relax on the beach, and see most of Guadi's architecture.

Hostel's vs. Hotels: I only stayed in a hotel 3 nights of my trip, the rest we're either camping or hostels (mostly hostels). I deffinately enjoyed the hotel the most. It was in Paris, and was only 40 euro a night But I was happy with Hostels, they are a fun way to meet other people traveling. I didn't take anything valuable so I wasn't so worried about people stealing from me. Typically I'm so tired from walking around all day it doesn't matter how loud the hostel might be. But for the most part, your room mates are very considerate. But you will have the occasional experience where you can't figure out who's bag that is on the bed next to you, until 4 am when he wanders in drunk, takes a leak in the waste basket by the door, then just decides to lye down on the floor

I managed to spend just over 50 euro a day (not including lodging) but that includes a nice meal at a restaurant every night (9-12 euro) I just made sure to buy lots of bottle water (it's like 30 cents for a liter ) and treats to munch on from the grocery store. I think you need to buy a Eurail pass. I'm almost positive they come in 2 week tickets, and that way you have so much more freedom on what you do. I never would plan more than a day or two ahead (and all my plans would be is wanting to be in such-an-such city by thursday ;p

Good luck, and have fun, I can't wait till I can go again

 

[Scouzer]

Originally posted by: royaldank
If you know the dates you're going and it's far enough out, you can often times fly to different cities cheaper than a train. ryanair and easyjet are 2 of the 3 or 4 budget airlines over there. Rates increase with each ticket sold. I believe I paid $30 (dollars, not pounds) roundtrip from London to Cork 1.5 years ago.

Also, just about all credit cards have an internation surcharge on purchases now. This has come about over the last 2-5 years. Generally around 3% of the purchase. So, you'll save money if you just use it as an ATM card and get cash out. Most ATMs there don't charge withdrawal fees (and neither does my bank).

Again, it depends on the bank. My experience was the opposite:

Bank of Montreal charged for ATM withdrawls. It was $3 each time. It worked on all the ATM's I tried.
Using my debit card to purchase with was fee-less, though. I can not attest to it's reliability though...only did it once.

My Citi Mastercard charged zero fees for international purchases. I did not use it for cash advances, so I'm not sure what charges incur there.

The moral of this story? Check with your bank and CC companies before you leave. That's the only way to know the best choice. Avoid using currency exchanges as much as possible!!! Bad rates.

As for safety in carrying money... I used a money belt where I kept my passport and most of my money. Then I had a wallet with 'muggers money'. I kept about 60 Euro, a credit card and some other stuff to make it convincing that it was my only storage place. Fortunately, I didn't have to test out this system.

Like others said, pack light. Don't bring your laptop, it's a bad idea especially in hostels. A locker is not hard to break into if someone knows you have $2000 worth of stuff in there. Internet cafes are abundant and cheap... the most expensive I saw was 5 Euro an hour, usually around 3 Euro an hour.

Next time I go, I think I'm going to try and do the backpack thing. I read an interesting piece of advice recently on travelling light: Pack what you need in the BEST CASE SCENARIO. Do not pack umbrellas, warm clothing (beyond a spring jacket), etc. and in the event something strange happens, Europe has all the stores from home with not that different prices. You can buy a new sweater or whatnot, and it's a souvenier when you get home anyway.

I'm really uncomfortable carrying a suitcase on the train. They are not setup where you can sit with your luggage, and I don't like being away from my suitcase. It's quite stressful for me. I usually end up standing beside the door so I can stand with my suitcase, which sucks.

 

[hdeck]

don't stay at the hostels in slovakia

 

[KingGheedora]

UPDATE: I'm in Chantilly, France right now. I got sick right before coming here so I've been stuck inside my hotel the two days I've been here so far. Sleeping and reading the first 28 volumes of the Berserk manga (for the first time), and Hemmingway's "For Whom the Bell Tolls", and ordering room service... not so bad, other than physically being miserable from the cold.

Anyways. I had to extend my stay in this hotel for another day because I haven't gotten to spend any time in Paris yet (other than taking the train there from London, and then immediately from Paris to Chantilly).

I think I'm gonna try going to Chateaux Chantilly today, and then go to the L'Ouvre (spelling?) museum in Paris. Anything else I should see in Paris while I'm there? I basically have one day there due to having caught the cold.

Still not sure where I will go next. I have to be in Frankfurt to visit a friend on Friday, and will leave there on Sunday night or Monday morning. So I need something to do for thursday + first half of Friday. Prague I think. Would have liked to spend time at a beach during this first week, but it looks like that's not happening.

 

[EvilYoda]

A single day in Paris? That sucks, since the pace of life there (like much of the rest of Europe) is much slower and takes time to be enjoyed. As cliche as the major tourist attractions are, I still think that the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Sacre Couer, etc, are worth seeing. It's a lot of walking or taking the Metro, so if at all possible (especially with your time constraint), I'd rent a bike somewhere just so I can travel quicker.

I miss Paris...enjoy! Have a crepe (or 8) for me.