GTaudiophile
Lifer
APRIL 07, 2009: UPDATED
-------------------------------------------------------------------
My travel history:
Summer 1996: Germany for three weeks (after sophomore year of HS)
Summer 1998: Germany, Austria, and Italy for four weeks
Summer 1999: Germany for six weeks (studied in Düsseldorf)
Summer 2000: Germany for two weeks
Winter 2000: Germany for one week
Summer 2001: Germany for two weeks
Summer 2002: Greece, Italy, Spain, France, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden for six weeks (summer before graduating college)
Summer 2003: Greece and Germany for nine weeks (Lived on a Greek island for most of the summer)
Summer 2004: Greece and Germany for three weeks
Winter 2004: Germany for two weeks
Summer 2005: Germany and Greece for five weeks
Winter 2005: Germany and Austria for two weeks
Summer 2006: Germany and Greece for six weeks
Summer 2007: Germany and Greece for four weeks
Fall 2007: Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany for one week
Winter 2007: New Years in Munich
Summer 2008: Greece
Fall 2008: Vienna, Prague, and Munich (Oktoberfest)
Winter 2008: Paris
Spring 2009: Germany
-------------------------------------------------------------------
My Oktoberfest "Guide" thread.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
My Ibiza "Guide" thread. (Now defunct?)
-------------------------------------------------------------------
When to travel: You can't top Europe in the summer. So much energy and things to do. Weather is usually quite nice. Europeans tend to shed clothes when it hits 80 🙂 I have to recommend going then. There is simply an inexplicable energy when traveling through Europe in the summer. A euphoria in the air as you come across your partners in wanderlust! If you are a big winter sports person, then hanging around the Swiss/Austrian/Italian alps would be awesome too. Christmas in Germany and Austria with all of the Christmas markets and such is also a wonderfully unique experience. No one knows how to get you into the Christmas spirit like the Germans! Then again, going to Paris in early December is amazing as the "City of Lights" adds more Christmas light. January-May and September-Novmeber is "low-season" if there is such a thing, so you could MAYBE save a little cash then. But that's not too likely if the dollar continues to stay weak against the Euro.
So, FIRST decide when and how long you want to be gone.
SECOND, decide what kind of trip you want: 1) Lots of cities/places in a short amount of time, or 2) Fewer cities and more time spent per city visited. Option 1 can be exhausting and is best done in your youth. I did that once to find out which kind of places I prefer to visit such that I could narrow my list of desired destinations in the future. To have a more enjoyable vacation, I prefer option 2. This allows me to better absorb the places I visit. If you only have 7-14 days to take a vacation, then I recommend selecting a maximum of 3-4 destinations. Try to spend at least 3-4 days at each location.
THIRD, decide where you want to go. I have spent a lot of time in Greece, Italy, Austria, France, Spain, Germany, Denmark, and Sweden. Aside from Berlin, I prefer not to go much further north than southern Germany (Bavaria) and prefer to stick around the Alps (southern Germany, Austria, eastern France, northern Italy) or the Mediterranean sea (northern Italy, Spanish islands, Greek islands). I personally tend to stay away from the big cities, though I think some should still be visited at least once in a lifetime (Berlin, Paris, Rome, Florence). I prefer to find the smaller, cozier towns, often on the coast, and settle in for a few days. I avoid large tourist groups if possible.
To get more ideas on where to go, consider going to your local bookstore's travel section and flip through travel books. Or perhaps you've seen a place in a movie you've always wanted to visit? Or perhaps you want to visit all the big car makers in Europe from VW to Ferrari? Or perhaps you want to sit on the best nude beaches in Europe? Or perhaps you want to visit famous WWII battlefields? Or perhaps you want to visit cities famous for their wine or beer? (All of the above have been reasons for me.) Once you've found a handful of cities, do a Google search and investigate further online. Heck, with Google Maps you can practically investigate an entire location before traveling there!
My 2002 Route Map
Once you have a list of cities, I suggest arranging them from north to south or from east to west on a map. Select one of the cities as a starting point. Then find the nearest major airport to that city. Typically, people flying from the US find the best prices and flight options when flying to large European gateway cities like Frankfurt, Paris, Amsterdam, or London. I typically use Frankfurt as my starting point. Unfortunately, cheap plane tickets, especially non-stops, are quite hard to find. Prepare to budget around $1200 for a round-trip, non-stop coach seat between the months of June and August from the US East Coast to Europe. $1400 if flying from the US West Coast. For plane ticket booking, I often use Expedia.com or Kayak.com. Of course, if you use these sites, you're buying into a cheap, inflexible ticket. If you need something with flexibility, then work through a travel agent, but expect to pay a lot more.
Once you've landed, you'll rely on your Eurail pass. You'll need to buy such a pass online before departing. And before you can buy one, you need a valid passport that does not expire until at least 6 months AFTER you've returned from Europe. There are several types of passes. Eurail pass: Valid for 15 days, 21 days, 1 month, 2 months, or 3 months of consecutive-day travel. Eurail Flexipass: 10 or 15 days of non-consecutive travel within a 2-month period. Both of these can be used within the "Eurail 17" countries. The Eurail Selectpass is a newer thing. You can buy passes for 5, 6, 8, or 10 days of non-consecutive travel within a 2 month period for any 3, 4, or 5 countries you select. You'll have to know your itinerary before you can decide which pass to buy. Getting the right pass to fit your needs can save you some money. Discounts are available via the Youth pass if you are 26 or younger. In the past, I have bought the Eurail Youth Flexipass with 10 days of travel.
Once you have your Eurail pass, you can use the German web site, http://www.bahn.de (also http://www.voyages-sncf.com, http://www.trenitalia.com, etc.) to view the various train schedules and print out that information before you even leave the US. Once you know which trains to jump on and when, you just get on (after having validated your pass), and show the pass along with your passport to the conductor.
While traveling by train affords one the best cultural (and scenic) experience, unfortunately this method of transportation has gotten more expensive over the years. Often times, discount airlines like Euro Wings, Ryan Air, and Easy Jet offer far more affordable and time-saving alternatives.
So you've gotten to Europe, you're on the train, you've got your pass, and you're bound for some city. Next, you'll need a place to stay. You can use http://www.hostels.com to research and/or book a bed at a hostel. You can do that online with a credit card. I recommend, if you know you're heading to city X, that you book a bed about 48 hours before your arrival at that city. Getting into some hostels can be difficult in the summer. Don't worry, an Internet connection is usually always available somewhere nearby in Europe, but you may have to ask for the nearest Internet cafe. Or go to a public library. Be warned that hostels come in all shapes and sizes. They all typically cost between 20? and 35? per night, but what you get for that money varies drastically. You may get your own hotel-like room with a bathroom. Or you might be put in a tent with 500 beds and communal showers. That's just the luck of the draw sometimes.
Alternatives to hostels and hotels DO exist. For example, I hated one particular hostel in Copenhagen, so I went to the information center at the main train station and found a local woman (grandmother) who was renting out a room in her apartment for hostel-like prices. Going from the hostel to this room was like walking into the Four Seasons.
Will you be traveling alone or with a friend? I have done both. Traveling with a friend is good for one reason only and that is you can use the buddy system to guard each other's stuff while one goes to the bathroom, etc. Otherwise, I prefer going alone. You meet so many cool people through the hostels! I still communicate via e-mail with some of them. Traveling alone also means you have no one with competing interests. You go where and when you want to go. Or perhaps even stay instead of go!
Pack light! Bring 7-14 days worth of underwear and socks. Bring several bathing suits as guys can easily substitute them for shorts, they can get wet, and are very easy to clean in a sink. Bring one nice outfit for clubbing if that is your thing (one nice shirt, one nice pair of pants). Bring one light-weight, water-proof jacket or sweater for the colder situations. I travel with two pairs of COMFORTABLE, BROKEN-IN shoes: one pair of semi-formal Ecco/Tennis shoes and one pair of sandals/Tivas. Most European travelers travel with a backpack. Backpacks are a highly individual thing and you just need to go to a store (REI?) with a large selection and find one that is 1) comfortable for your body size and 2) offers the storage capacity you need. You can of course always try bags at stores and then go order online to save money. While you're at it, buy a nice water bottle. You'll need it! You might also consider a small, portable utensil set for those situations when you're trying to eat on the train or some other tight spot. Plastic Ziploc bags are very useful when packing and you can't have enough of them, and a few extra bungee cords are also good to have around. Since such backpacks are too large to carry on a plane, you will most likely need to check it, but before you can do that, airlines suggest sticking the back into a larger bag without straps. I have a very large duffel bag into which my backpack fits. This is to prevent the backpack straps from getting caught in airport/airline mechanics during transfer.
Go here for tons of tips and suggestions.
I suggest traveling with your driver's license, passport, ATM/debit card (best exchange rate, forget traveler's checks), and one widely-accepted credit card (MasterCard or Visa). Be sure to make photocopies of all of these important documents before you leave the US (passport, Eurail pass, airplane tickets, credit cards, etc.). Leave one set of copies at home and pack the other set in your backpack. Be sure to take the contact information of your CC/ATM companies in case you need to call to report a stolen card. Never carry these important items in your back pockets. Use your front pockets. Leave your bulky wallet at home. Think stealth and slim! I personally find money belts to be necessary only for the 50+ crowd. In other words, they look (and function) weird.
[Note on Banks/CC Companies: It is best to inform them BEFORE you leave that you are taking plastic outside of the country. Otherwise, your bank or CC company may think your card has been stollen and may red-flag it.]
Remember that not all European Union nations are members of the Euro Currency Zone. The EU consists of 27 member nations at the moment. Only 16 of these are members of the Euro currency zone. So, while traveling in those 16 countries, you only need one type of currency, and this makes things quite easy. The buying power of said Euro can change from country to country. As of today, $1.00 USD buys you only ?0.75 EUR cents.
You'll want to take a digital camera. Make sure you take some batteries or have some method of charging the batteries overseas. Also be sure you have a large enough memory card! I recommend taking a digital camera that uses a LION battery. Take the charger with you and just use a US-to-European plug adapter and you're set. Beats having to find and pay for AA batteries all the time. Most chargers these days can automatically switch from 110 to 220. But should you need an extra battery or another memory card, it's usually not hard to find such accessories overseas. You just might need to pay more than newegg prices.
You'll want to take a list of addresses for postcards if you like to write those. Be sure to take a small journal in which to write your thoughts as you go. I have actually not done this but regret not having done so! Take a few pens as you'll always lose one or two. You want to be able to write down the e-mail address of that hawt Italian girl you just met. Take a music player of sorts (mp3 players are easiest). Don't take any massive novels or books aside from SMALL travel guides, SMALL travel dictionaries, SMALL paperbacks etc. They can weigh you down. There is ALWAYS too much to see and observe, even during seemingly boring moments, that you don't need to have your head buried in a book. Of course, if you forget something, it's not like Europe is a third-world country. You'll be able to buy all sorts of familiar products, if not better ones, in European stores. (Above paragraph was written pre-iPhone days. I suppose a gadget like an iPhone can substitute for a note taking device, music player, etc. But of course it is NO substitute for a camera in my opinion.)
Another note on phones: Certain triband and quadband GSM phones can be used overseas if your provider offers an international calling option. T-Mobile calls this "International Roaming". Turning on the option is "free" but of course using it in Europe is super expensive! If you have an unlocked GSM phone, you can of course use other SIM cards, making local (European) calls cheaper. The best way to call back to the USA is via an internet cafe or the use of a telephone card. I also suggest you iPhone/Crackberry/Data phone users turn OFF all data (3G) roaming features unless you want a MASSIVE bill when you get home. Using WiFi can be just as "free" as it is in the USA if you find it.
When you get to your hostel, grab the hostel's business card so that you can show it to a cab driver if you get lost. Be smart as you walk around. Don't walk alone in places you think you'll be unsafe.
It is probably a good idea to drop friends/family a line every so often, otherwise they may get worried and send the cops looking for you or something. The cheapest way to update people is via forums like ATOT or via e-mail. In fact, daily e-mails can act as a trip diary if you save them in an outbox. Internet cafes with Internet access are always readily available. Expect to pay around 3? per hour. I would say that WiFi is not as ubiquitous in Europe as it is in the USA on average.
Western Europe is about half the size of the Unites States. It's not a huge place; it's just foreign. And many of those foreigners were not too happy with Mr. Bush, but are happier that Obama is in the White House. Then again, they also blame the USA for the latest financial crisis, tend to hate American-style capitalism and globalization in general, and of course "Anti-Americanism" has been brewing in Europe for the past decade. So do your best not to look like an arrogant, obnoxious American. Don't wear the American flag everywhere you go. Don't stitch it into your backpack. (If you're a Canadian, go ahead and wear your colors!) Do NOT approach everyone assuming they speak English! If you can, take a small travel dictionary and attempt to ask, "Excuse me, but do you speak English?" in the native tongue of that country. Only after they say yes, then proceed in English. Be mindful that Europeans are typically quieter in public and appreciate more personal space. Don't be too loud on the train!
Traveling to Europe is not as daunting as it seems. I've been traveling alone through Europe since I was 15, and I can get around easier than I can here in the US. Just relax and use your head. Develop those street smarts! Speaking of streets, it is always recommended to buy a small pocket street/metro map once you arrive at a city. Stuff like that is often found in the main train station.
In terms of a budget, plan on spending $100 per day (minimum) in a Western European country. This basically includes a normally-priced hostel, basic meals, local transport costs, museum fees, etc. This does not include start-up costs like your backpack, plane ticket, Eurail pass, buying drinks for the friends you meet, etc. You can cut food costs by buying at supermarkets. Buy some bread, deli meats, cheese, crackers, wine, etc. You can build a DAMN fine meal. But be sure to always sample the local cuisine/treat yourself to a nice dinner in every city you visit.
My favorite cities: Berlin, Paris, Interlaken (Switzerland), Cinque Terre (Italy), Bellagio on Lake Como (Italy), Ibiza (Spanish island), Naxos, and Santorini (Greek islands). The western Italian coast and southern coast of France (French Riviera) are both insanely gorgeous. Greece, as photogenic as it is, is out of the way for most travelers. Typically, the further south (Greece) or east (Estonia) you go, the cheaper things get. The opposite is true the further north (Scandinavia) you go. Be prepared to face extremely high prices in Switzerland, London, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. Germany, Italy, France, and the BENELUX states are in the middle-to-high range in terms of being expensive. Southern Italy, Greece, Spain, and Portugal are less expensive on average. The "Hot Deals" of Europe are sure to be found in the Eastern European countries like Poland, etc. (But not Prague.)
Good luck and enjoy! Be prepared to go out there, grow up a little, learn some more street smarts, expand your horizons, learn about the world from new perspectives, make new friends, and simply have the best time of your life!
Feel free to PM me if you have any additional questions!
-------------------------------------------------------------------
My travel history:
Summer 1996: Germany for three weeks (after sophomore year of HS)
Summer 1998: Germany, Austria, and Italy for four weeks
Summer 1999: Germany for six weeks (studied in Düsseldorf)
Summer 2000: Germany for two weeks
Winter 2000: Germany for one week
Summer 2001: Germany for two weeks
Summer 2002: Greece, Italy, Spain, France, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden for six weeks (summer before graduating college)
Summer 2003: Greece and Germany for nine weeks (Lived on a Greek island for most of the summer)
Summer 2004: Greece and Germany for three weeks
Winter 2004: Germany for two weeks
Summer 2005: Germany and Greece for five weeks
Winter 2005: Germany and Austria for two weeks
Summer 2006: Germany and Greece for six weeks
Summer 2007: Germany and Greece for four weeks
Fall 2007: Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany for one week
Winter 2007: New Years in Munich
Summer 2008: Greece
Fall 2008: Vienna, Prague, and Munich (Oktoberfest)
Winter 2008: Paris
Spring 2009: Germany
-------------------------------------------------------------------
My Oktoberfest "Guide" thread.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
My Ibiza "Guide" thread. (Now defunct?)
-------------------------------------------------------------------
When to travel: You can't top Europe in the summer. So much energy and things to do. Weather is usually quite nice. Europeans tend to shed clothes when it hits 80 🙂 I have to recommend going then. There is simply an inexplicable energy when traveling through Europe in the summer. A euphoria in the air as you come across your partners in wanderlust! If you are a big winter sports person, then hanging around the Swiss/Austrian/Italian alps would be awesome too. Christmas in Germany and Austria with all of the Christmas markets and such is also a wonderfully unique experience. No one knows how to get you into the Christmas spirit like the Germans! Then again, going to Paris in early December is amazing as the "City of Lights" adds more Christmas light. January-May and September-Novmeber is "low-season" if there is such a thing, so you could MAYBE save a little cash then. But that's not too likely if the dollar continues to stay weak against the Euro.
So, FIRST decide when and how long you want to be gone.
SECOND, decide what kind of trip you want: 1) Lots of cities/places in a short amount of time, or 2) Fewer cities and more time spent per city visited. Option 1 can be exhausting and is best done in your youth. I did that once to find out which kind of places I prefer to visit such that I could narrow my list of desired destinations in the future. To have a more enjoyable vacation, I prefer option 2. This allows me to better absorb the places I visit. If you only have 7-14 days to take a vacation, then I recommend selecting a maximum of 3-4 destinations. Try to spend at least 3-4 days at each location.
THIRD, decide where you want to go. I have spent a lot of time in Greece, Italy, Austria, France, Spain, Germany, Denmark, and Sweden. Aside from Berlin, I prefer not to go much further north than southern Germany (Bavaria) and prefer to stick around the Alps (southern Germany, Austria, eastern France, northern Italy) or the Mediterranean sea (northern Italy, Spanish islands, Greek islands). I personally tend to stay away from the big cities, though I think some should still be visited at least once in a lifetime (Berlin, Paris, Rome, Florence). I prefer to find the smaller, cozier towns, often on the coast, and settle in for a few days. I avoid large tourist groups if possible.
To get more ideas on where to go, consider going to your local bookstore's travel section and flip through travel books. Or perhaps you've seen a place in a movie you've always wanted to visit? Or perhaps you want to visit all the big car makers in Europe from VW to Ferrari? Or perhaps you want to sit on the best nude beaches in Europe? Or perhaps you want to visit famous WWII battlefields? Or perhaps you want to visit cities famous for their wine or beer? (All of the above have been reasons for me.) Once you've found a handful of cities, do a Google search and investigate further online. Heck, with Google Maps you can practically investigate an entire location before traveling there!
My 2002 Route Map
Once you have a list of cities, I suggest arranging them from north to south or from east to west on a map. Select one of the cities as a starting point. Then find the nearest major airport to that city. Typically, people flying from the US find the best prices and flight options when flying to large European gateway cities like Frankfurt, Paris, Amsterdam, or London. I typically use Frankfurt as my starting point. Unfortunately, cheap plane tickets, especially non-stops, are quite hard to find. Prepare to budget around $1200 for a round-trip, non-stop coach seat between the months of June and August from the US East Coast to Europe. $1400 if flying from the US West Coast. For plane ticket booking, I often use Expedia.com or Kayak.com. Of course, if you use these sites, you're buying into a cheap, inflexible ticket. If you need something with flexibility, then work through a travel agent, but expect to pay a lot more.
Once you've landed, you'll rely on your Eurail pass. You'll need to buy such a pass online before departing. And before you can buy one, you need a valid passport that does not expire until at least 6 months AFTER you've returned from Europe. There are several types of passes. Eurail pass: Valid for 15 days, 21 days, 1 month, 2 months, or 3 months of consecutive-day travel. Eurail Flexipass: 10 or 15 days of non-consecutive travel within a 2-month period. Both of these can be used within the "Eurail 17" countries. The Eurail Selectpass is a newer thing. You can buy passes for 5, 6, 8, or 10 days of non-consecutive travel within a 2 month period for any 3, 4, or 5 countries you select. You'll have to know your itinerary before you can decide which pass to buy. Getting the right pass to fit your needs can save you some money. Discounts are available via the Youth pass if you are 26 or younger. In the past, I have bought the Eurail Youth Flexipass with 10 days of travel.
Once you have your Eurail pass, you can use the German web site, http://www.bahn.de (also http://www.voyages-sncf.com, http://www.trenitalia.com, etc.) to view the various train schedules and print out that information before you even leave the US. Once you know which trains to jump on and when, you just get on (after having validated your pass), and show the pass along with your passport to the conductor.
While traveling by train affords one the best cultural (and scenic) experience, unfortunately this method of transportation has gotten more expensive over the years. Often times, discount airlines like Euro Wings, Ryan Air, and Easy Jet offer far more affordable and time-saving alternatives.
So you've gotten to Europe, you're on the train, you've got your pass, and you're bound for some city. Next, you'll need a place to stay. You can use http://www.hostels.com to research and/or book a bed at a hostel. You can do that online with a credit card. I recommend, if you know you're heading to city X, that you book a bed about 48 hours before your arrival at that city. Getting into some hostels can be difficult in the summer. Don't worry, an Internet connection is usually always available somewhere nearby in Europe, but you may have to ask for the nearest Internet cafe. Or go to a public library. Be warned that hostels come in all shapes and sizes. They all typically cost between 20? and 35? per night, but what you get for that money varies drastically. You may get your own hotel-like room with a bathroom. Or you might be put in a tent with 500 beds and communal showers. That's just the luck of the draw sometimes.
Alternatives to hostels and hotels DO exist. For example, I hated one particular hostel in Copenhagen, so I went to the information center at the main train station and found a local woman (grandmother) who was renting out a room in her apartment for hostel-like prices. Going from the hostel to this room was like walking into the Four Seasons.
Will you be traveling alone or with a friend? I have done both. Traveling with a friend is good for one reason only and that is you can use the buddy system to guard each other's stuff while one goes to the bathroom, etc. Otherwise, I prefer going alone. You meet so many cool people through the hostels! I still communicate via e-mail with some of them. Traveling alone also means you have no one with competing interests. You go where and when you want to go. Or perhaps even stay instead of go!
Pack light! Bring 7-14 days worth of underwear and socks. Bring several bathing suits as guys can easily substitute them for shorts, they can get wet, and are very easy to clean in a sink. Bring one nice outfit for clubbing if that is your thing (one nice shirt, one nice pair of pants). Bring one light-weight, water-proof jacket or sweater for the colder situations. I travel with two pairs of COMFORTABLE, BROKEN-IN shoes: one pair of semi-formal Ecco/Tennis shoes and one pair of sandals/Tivas. Most European travelers travel with a backpack. Backpacks are a highly individual thing and you just need to go to a store (REI?) with a large selection and find one that is 1) comfortable for your body size and 2) offers the storage capacity you need. You can of course always try bags at stores and then go order online to save money. While you're at it, buy a nice water bottle. You'll need it! You might also consider a small, portable utensil set for those situations when you're trying to eat on the train or some other tight spot. Plastic Ziploc bags are very useful when packing and you can't have enough of them, and a few extra bungee cords are also good to have around. Since such backpacks are too large to carry on a plane, you will most likely need to check it, but before you can do that, airlines suggest sticking the back into a larger bag without straps. I have a very large duffel bag into which my backpack fits. This is to prevent the backpack straps from getting caught in airport/airline mechanics during transfer.
Go here for tons of tips and suggestions.
I suggest traveling with your driver's license, passport, ATM/debit card (best exchange rate, forget traveler's checks), and one widely-accepted credit card (MasterCard or Visa). Be sure to make photocopies of all of these important documents before you leave the US (passport, Eurail pass, airplane tickets, credit cards, etc.). Leave one set of copies at home and pack the other set in your backpack. Be sure to take the contact information of your CC/ATM companies in case you need to call to report a stolen card. Never carry these important items in your back pockets. Use your front pockets. Leave your bulky wallet at home. Think stealth and slim! I personally find money belts to be necessary only for the 50+ crowd. In other words, they look (and function) weird.
[Note on Banks/CC Companies: It is best to inform them BEFORE you leave that you are taking plastic outside of the country. Otherwise, your bank or CC company may think your card has been stollen and may red-flag it.]
Remember that not all European Union nations are members of the Euro Currency Zone. The EU consists of 27 member nations at the moment. Only 16 of these are members of the Euro currency zone. So, while traveling in those 16 countries, you only need one type of currency, and this makes things quite easy. The buying power of said Euro can change from country to country. As of today, $1.00 USD buys you only ?0.75 EUR cents.
You'll want to take a digital camera. Make sure you take some batteries or have some method of charging the batteries overseas. Also be sure you have a large enough memory card! I recommend taking a digital camera that uses a LION battery. Take the charger with you and just use a US-to-European plug adapter and you're set. Beats having to find and pay for AA batteries all the time. Most chargers these days can automatically switch from 110 to 220. But should you need an extra battery or another memory card, it's usually not hard to find such accessories overseas. You just might need to pay more than newegg prices.
You'll want to take a list of addresses for postcards if you like to write those. Be sure to take a small journal in which to write your thoughts as you go. I have actually not done this but regret not having done so! Take a few pens as you'll always lose one or two. You want to be able to write down the e-mail address of that hawt Italian girl you just met. Take a music player of sorts (mp3 players are easiest). Don't take any massive novels or books aside from SMALL travel guides, SMALL travel dictionaries, SMALL paperbacks etc. They can weigh you down. There is ALWAYS too much to see and observe, even during seemingly boring moments, that you don't need to have your head buried in a book. Of course, if you forget something, it's not like Europe is a third-world country. You'll be able to buy all sorts of familiar products, if not better ones, in European stores. (Above paragraph was written pre-iPhone days. I suppose a gadget like an iPhone can substitute for a note taking device, music player, etc. But of course it is NO substitute for a camera in my opinion.)
Another note on phones: Certain triband and quadband GSM phones can be used overseas if your provider offers an international calling option. T-Mobile calls this "International Roaming". Turning on the option is "free" but of course using it in Europe is super expensive! If you have an unlocked GSM phone, you can of course use other SIM cards, making local (European) calls cheaper. The best way to call back to the USA is via an internet cafe or the use of a telephone card. I also suggest you iPhone/Crackberry/Data phone users turn OFF all data (3G) roaming features unless you want a MASSIVE bill when you get home. Using WiFi can be just as "free" as it is in the USA if you find it.
When you get to your hostel, grab the hostel's business card so that you can show it to a cab driver if you get lost. Be smart as you walk around. Don't walk alone in places you think you'll be unsafe.
It is probably a good idea to drop friends/family a line every so often, otherwise they may get worried and send the cops looking for you or something. The cheapest way to update people is via forums like ATOT or via e-mail. In fact, daily e-mails can act as a trip diary if you save them in an outbox. Internet cafes with Internet access are always readily available. Expect to pay around 3? per hour. I would say that WiFi is not as ubiquitous in Europe as it is in the USA on average.
Western Europe is about half the size of the Unites States. It's not a huge place; it's just foreign. And many of those foreigners were not too happy with Mr. Bush, but are happier that Obama is in the White House. Then again, they also blame the USA for the latest financial crisis, tend to hate American-style capitalism and globalization in general, and of course "Anti-Americanism" has been brewing in Europe for the past decade. So do your best not to look like an arrogant, obnoxious American. Don't wear the American flag everywhere you go. Don't stitch it into your backpack. (If you're a Canadian, go ahead and wear your colors!) Do NOT approach everyone assuming they speak English! If you can, take a small travel dictionary and attempt to ask, "Excuse me, but do you speak English?" in the native tongue of that country. Only after they say yes, then proceed in English. Be mindful that Europeans are typically quieter in public and appreciate more personal space. Don't be too loud on the train!
Traveling to Europe is not as daunting as it seems. I've been traveling alone through Europe since I was 15, and I can get around easier than I can here in the US. Just relax and use your head. Develop those street smarts! Speaking of streets, it is always recommended to buy a small pocket street/metro map once you arrive at a city. Stuff like that is often found in the main train station.
In terms of a budget, plan on spending $100 per day (minimum) in a Western European country. This basically includes a normally-priced hostel, basic meals, local transport costs, museum fees, etc. This does not include start-up costs like your backpack, plane ticket, Eurail pass, buying drinks for the friends you meet, etc. You can cut food costs by buying at supermarkets. Buy some bread, deli meats, cheese, crackers, wine, etc. You can build a DAMN fine meal. But be sure to always sample the local cuisine/treat yourself to a nice dinner in every city you visit.
My favorite cities: Berlin, Paris, Interlaken (Switzerland), Cinque Terre (Italy), Bellagio on Lake Como (Italy), Ibiza (Spanish island), Naxos, and Santorini (Greek islands). The western Italian coast and southern coast of France (French Riviera) are both insanely gorgeous. Greece, as photogenic as it is, is out of the way for most travelers. Typically, the further south (Greece) or east (Estonia) you go, the cheaper things get. The opposite is true the further north (Scandinavia) you go. Be prepared to face extremely high prices in Switzerland, London, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. Germany, Italy, France, and the BENELUX states are in the middle-to-high range in terms of being expensive. Southern Italy, Greece, Spain, and Portugal are less expensive on average. The "Hot Deals" of Europe are sure to be found in the Eastern European countries like Poland, etc. (But not Prague.)
Good luck and enjoy! Be prepared to go out there, grow up a little, learn some more street smarts, expand your horizons, learn about the world from new perspectives, make new friends, and simply have the best time of your life!
Feel free to PM me if you have any additional questions!
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