im going to europe for summer
- Thread starter djplayx714
- Start date
i was thinking england, spain, italy, france, and amsterdam. i might go to germany too since i have family there.
I've been to eight central european countries over there over the past couple summers. Are you backpacking and staying in hostels? If so, PM me and I'll give you plenty of advice, places to stay, and things to see...and more importantly not to see or waste your money on.
Definitly get started on your passport process asap.
Definitly get started on your passport process asap.
Hang out with me, I am going on a 3 week European tour this summer with my family. I could use a night out just to chill. 
Sew or get Canadian flag stickers to put on your bags, and tell everyone you meet that you are from Canada.
If you dont have a passport already, you probably wont be getting one in time to go to Europe this summer. Big mistake on your part.
glenn1
Lifer
- Sep 6, 2000
- 25,383
- 1,013
- 126
Won't work. It's still embarassingly easy to pick out Americans when overseas, whether they say they're Canadian or not.
And to the OP, only really two pieces of advice to give. One, include Ireland in your itinerary. Secondly, get prepared for the sticker shock when you see the prices over there, especially when converted to dollars.
GTaudiophile
Lifer
- Oct 24, 2000
- 29,767
- 33
- 81
Where will you be and when?
I'll be in Germany on business from July 10 until July 24, then taking two weeks vacation. If you'll be in Germany, I can suggest a lot.
My favorite locations: northern Europe, Austria, southern Germany, eastern France, and Switzerland. Paradise. If you need a hot island to sun on, think Greek or Spanish islands (Ibiza).
I'll be in Germany on business from July 10 until July 24, then taking two weeks vacation. If you'll be in Germany, I can suggest a lot.
My favorite locations: northern Europe, Austria, southern Germany, eastern France, and Switzerland. Paradise. If you need a hot island to sun on, think Greek or Spanish islands (Ibiza).
keep your passport in your shoe - wallets and backpacks are easy for pitpockets to get into... no one ever tries to steal your shoes
find out where all the us embassy's are in the countries you are staying in, and keep their phone numbers handy and try to get an idea of where they are in location to you
if you are going to countries that use the euro - use your credit card as much as possible - you will get the best exchange rate
most banks will give you a better usd to euro exchange rate then an actual store
take a laptop
take a digital camera
find out where all the us embassy's are in the countries you are staying in, and keep their phone numbers handy and try to get an idea of where they are in location to you
if you are going to countries that use the euro - use your credit card as much as possible - you will get the best exchange rate
most banks will give you a better usd to euro exchange rate then an actual store
take a laptop
take a digital camera
i just decided to go with my gf last night. so im still at square one at figuring what i need to do and what plans i need to make.
GTaudiophile
Lifer
- Oct 24, 2000
- 29,767
- 33
- 81
Well BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW!!!
You have best chances of flying into a Euro hub like Paris or Frankfurt (especially if you can fly Delta).
Be aware that the time you want to go is the highest point of the season...will be very expensive.
GTaudiophile
Lifer
- Oct 24, 2000
- 29,767
- 33
- 81
I'll go ahead and post my travel tips again:
To do it right, set aside at least two months and $3-4K. I think I averaged around $20-30/day during my 2002 trip, not including my free air travel (Delta connections) and half-off on my Eurail Pass (won a discount). As soon as you decide to go, buy your airplane tickets and Eurail pass as far in advance as possible. (I recommend Expedia.com, Orbitz.com, and Travelocity.com for plane tickets. I've used several sites to buy my Eurail Pass, and I always pay about the same. Try railpass.com. If you are under 25, get the Youth pass!)
Consider going over to your local Barnes & Noble and looking through some travel books. I've found that I can do most of my research online, though. Two very essential sites: Die Bahn and Hostels.com. Even though Die Bahn's web site is geared towards Germany, I've found it useful for most Western European rail networks as well. You want to get a Eurail Pass that is valid for at least two months and gives you 10-15 days of flexible, non-consecutive travel.
Rick Steves' offers lots of good tips. Pack light! No more than two bags. I'd take one large hiking backpack and one, smaller backpack for day trips. Packing a few bathing suits is a good idea. They double as underwear and are easy to clean. Since you are traveling north of Switzerland, I would recommend some light but decent cold-weather gear. It got very cold up in Denmark and Sweden especially, even in July. This summer was hot for Europe, though, so you never know.
Of course, consider taking a friend with you, though I prefer traveling alone. It frees me to meet local people and blend in more. I also recommend spending at least 3-4 days at each major destination. Going rapidly from city to city, hostel to hostel REALLY takes its toll over time.
As far as money is concerned, forget about travelers' checks. Just use an ATM card. You'll get the best exchange rates possible. Try to start with $50-100 and around 200 Euros. You won't spend the American currency, but it's good to have just in case. Buy a money belt before you go. Make sure your passport is valid well after you return. Make photo copies of all important documents: passports, Eurail Pass, plane tickets, ATM/CC cards. Leave one set of copies at home and keep the other set with you in a location separate from the original documents. Buy a phone card when you get over to Europe. Also, the further east (Prague for example) and south (Greece for example) you go, the cheaper things will be. The opposite is true for the further west and north you go, especially Switzerland and Denmark.
I've spent lots of time in Greece, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Spain, France, Denmark, and Sweden. In my opinion, the "Circle of Paradise" as I call it includes northern Italy, Austria, southern Germany, most of France, and Switzerland. If you love the heat/beach scene, I highly recommend the Greek and Spanish islands, Ibiza especially. The best 3-4 days of my trip occurred on Ibiza!
I also highly recommend you take a journal to write down your experiences and keep track of the names and e-mail addresses of the people you meet. You can make friends that will last a lifetime, and having friends in Europe NEVER hurts.
Don't forget that the majority of Europe does not like Americans at the moment. They are not violent, but they aren't always nice. You MUST try your best to learn a little bit of the language in each country you visit. Never assume that someone speaks English. Be polite and ask if they do before asking other questions. Besides, learning other languages is fun and adds a lot to the experience.
Take a decent camera. If it doesn't take AA batteries, don't forget to buy your electrical converter kits BEFORE you leave North America! Film and batteries tend to be cheaper on this side of the pond. In 2002, I used a 35mm and hated it. I got MUCH better results taking my Canon PowerShot G2 this summer. Also, when packing such things as electronics, little ZipLock bags with a real zipper can do a world of good! A small alarm clock is a good idea too. Don't want to miss that train!
Lastly: A note on food. Drink only bottled water. To keep costs down, load up on food stuffs from local supermarkets, but go out to eat at least twice at each destination to taste the local specialties. Traveling with aspirin is a must. Cold medicine is also good, along with baby-wipes for hand cleaning when soap/sink is not available. Imodium is good for your stomach in case you eat something bad. Earplugs and a eye mask are also good ideas.
---
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
Summer 2004: Germany, France...?!?
To do it right, set aside at least two months and $3-4K. I think I averaged around $20-30/day during my 2002 trip, not including my free air travel (Delta connections) and half-off on my Eurail Pass (won a discount). As soon as you decide to go, buy your airplane tickets and Eurail pass as far in advance as possible. (I recommend Expedia.com, Orbitz.com, and Travelocity.com for plane tickets. I've used several sites to buy my Eurail Pass, and I always pay about the same. Try railpass.com. If you are under 25, get the Youth pass!)
Consider going over to your local Barnes & Noble and looking through some travel books. I've found that I can do most of my research online, though. Two very essential sites: Die Bahn and Hostels.com. Even though Die Bahn's web site is geared towards Germany, I've found it useful for most Western European rail networks as well. You want to get a Eurail Pass that is valid for at least two months and gives you 10-15 days of flexible, non-consecutive travel.
Rick Steves' offers lots of good tips. Pack light! No more than two bags. I'd take one large hiking backpack and one, smaller backpack for day trips. Packing a few bathing suits is a good idea. They double as underwear and are easy to clean. Since you are traveling north of Switzerland, I would recommend some light but decent cold-weather gear. It got very cold up in Denmark and Sweden especially, even in July. This summer was hot for Europe, though, so you never know.
Of course, consider taking a friend with you, though I prefer traveling alone. It frees me to meet local people and blend in more. I also recommend spending at least 3-4 days at each major destination. Going rapidly from city to city, hostel to hostel REALLY takes its toll over time.
As far as money is concerned, forget about travelers' checks. Just use an ATM card. You'll get the best exchange rates possible. Try to start with $50-100 and around 200 Euros. You won't spend the American currency, but it's good to have just in case. Buy a money belt before you go. Make sure your passport is valid well after you return. Make photo copies of all important documents: passports, Eurail Pass, plane tickets, ATM/CC cards. Leave one set of copies at home and keep the other set with you in a location separate from the original documents. Buy a phone card when you get over to Europe. Also, the further east (Prague for example) and south (Greece for example) you go, the cheaper things will be. The opposite is true for the further west and north you go, especially Switzerland and Denmark.
I've spent lots of time in Greece, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Spain, France, Denmark, and Sweden. In my opinion, the "Circle of Paradise" as I call it includes northern Italy, Austria, southern Germany, most of France, and Switzerland. If you love the heat/beach scene, I highly recommend the Greek and Spanish islands, Ibiza especially. The best 3-4 days of my trip occurred on Ibiza!
I also highly recommend you take a journal to write down your experiences and keep track of the names and e-mail addresses of the people you meet. You can make friends that will last a lifetime, and having friends in Europe NEVER hurts.
Don't forget that the majority of Europe does not like Americans at the moment. They are not violent, but they aren't always nice. You MUST try your best to learn a little bit of the language in each country you visit. Never assume that someone speaks English. Be polite and ask if they do before asking other questions. Besides, learning other languages is fun and adds a lot to the experience.
Take a decent camera. If it doesn't take AA batteries, don't forget to buy your electrical converter kits BEFORE you leave North America! Film and batteries tend to be cheaper on this side of the pond. In 2002, I used a 35mm and hated it. I got MUCH better results taking my Canon PowerShot G2 this summer. Also, when packing such things as electronics, little ZipLock bags with a real zipper can do a world of good! A small alarm clock is a good idea too. Don't want to miss that train!
Lastly: A note on food. Drink only bottled water. To keep costs down, load up on food stuffs from local supermarkets, but go out to eat at least twice at each destination to taste the local specialties. Traveling with aspirin is a must. Cold medicine is also good, along with baby-wipes for hand cleaning when soap/sink is not available. Imodium is good for your stomach in case you eat something bad. Earplugs and a eye mask are also good ideas.
---
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
Summer 2004: Germany, France...?!?
How much money, not including airfare, should i expect to spend a week if i backpack and stay at hostels?
I read somewhere, Maxim or stuff or FHM something like that. That you can get a passport really fast, like a week? maybe ovenight? but it costs lots of $$$ more for emergency use i think, but it is still do-able
GTaudiophile
Lifer
- Oct 24, 2000
- 29,767
- 33
- 81
wow it took me a while to get through all that but thats a lot of good info.
i guess a good question for me to ask is since im a first timer to europe what places should i see and where should i eat? i might go for 1.5 to 2 weeks considering how much i have at my disposal.
i guess a good question for me to ask is since im a first timer to europe what places should i see and where should i eat? i might go for 1.5 to 2 weeks considering how much i have at my disposal.
GTaudiophile
Lifer
- Oct 24, 2000
- 29,767
- 33
- 81
Budget around 20 Euro/night per person for your average hostel. 15 Euro can buy enough supermarket food for two people for at least a day, if not longer. Of course without a fridge, keeping stuff fresh is hard. So, at a minimum you're talking 35 Euro per day person, minus average transportation costs, the cost of nice restaurants, gifts, and any other random items you might need.
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