Let's see who's lurking...

[auntiejo]

How about a fun little roll call... almost... see who's out there...

When are you planning your trip for?
For how long?
Are you all planned... still planning...?
What cities do you plan on seeing?
If you are a veteran and are not planning a trip anytime soon, when do you hope for your next trip and what is the ONE most key word of advice you would give to some of us virgin packers?

I'll start:

I leave March 12/06 and go to London. I will stay with friends there, so I will see London for a few days, then we will all go to Paris for the weekend together (4 of us). Then back to London for another couple of days.
March 23/06 - I leave for India, where I do a one month yoga retreat. Lots of touring in India with retreat... just letting it happen.
April 26/06 - start travelling by myself throughout India - pretty sure I'm just gonna want to hang out in Pondicherry for awhile (beach)... then up to Delhi for my trip back to London on May 15th.
London - well, there is a boy there... that I am staying with who knows that I am just travelling by myself, he used to live here in Ontario, he is my best friend's cousin... so he is going to tag along with me and do some travelling... not sure where we will go yet, but I'm pretty stoked. He's been all over and knows the ropes.
I plan to come back to Canada on June 15th.
I hope to see Paris, Rome, (and now Toreno as mentioned here on the boards I think), maybe Barcelona... but where ever I go, I will be happy to just be there.
No advice... I'm still a virgin!

Jo

[rchua]

When are you planning your trip for? our trip is planned for may 9th and our first stop is paris.

For how long? we'll be going for about 2 weeks

Are you all planned... still planning...? so far we've gotten most of the planning done but a few specifics need to be addressed

What cities do you plan on seeing? we plan on seeing paris (5 nights), interlaken (3 nights), and rome (5 nights)

If you are a veteran and are not planning a trip anytime soon, when do you hope for your next trip and what is the ONE most key word of advice you would give to some of us virgin packers?

this will be my first time traveling to europe :-)

[ashleyg]

When are you planning your trip for? Not until the beginning of July... I'm jealous of every one leaving sooner!

For how long? 6 weeks

Are you all planned... still planning...? Just starting to plan. The idea that I could actually do this trip after years of wanting to just occured to me a few weeks ago!

What cities do you plan on seeing? Mainly going to be in the UK, and definitely spending a few days in Madrid with a friend, but other than that I haven't really decided yet... might make a trip to Prague to meet up with relatives....hiking in Switzerland sounds nice.... beer in Bavaria.... so many options!

[gougeAway]

No trip to Europe planned for me right now. I've got a few trips I would like to do though. I'd like to see the Greek Islands and Egypt at some point, and want to visit the U.K as well. Spain and Portugal are also on my list, as is Eastern Europe/Russia.

This year I think I'll stick with North America - I'm visiting Washington in July and hoping to visit Chicago, New York City, or San Francisco as well. Maybe even all three.

[morgan23]

I'm planning a trip for this August.

Rough idea of my route:
Paris
Gimmelwald
Munich w/ biking trip to Fussen
Venice
Florence
Cinque Terre
Rome via Pisa
Short flight to Barcelona
Short flight back to Paris.

What do you think?

[dougj]

I'm not planning a european trip any time in the near future. if and when I do another big trip it'll be africa or asia....but that will be when my son is old enough to come (out of diapers). this year we're staying on the east coast of canada.

one piece of advice:
always keep your wits about you and use your common sense.

[Jules80]

i'm tentatively planning a trip to the UK for this summer or fall... very very hazy at the moment... perhaps just 3 weeks. although i'm also debating working there, too. have to figure out how to go about getting my social security number etc... muvver maybe you can tell me how i get one? i'm a british citizen.

if its a 3 week thing it'll be london, possibly warwick, north wales (never been looks beautiful), stoke (grandmother), durham (friend), edinburgh (family), and then i'd like to maybe do a haggis tour. anyone ever done one of those?

my advice? i guess would be to have fun and stay safe!

Jules

[Twizzla]

When are you planning your trip for?
At the moment I'm looking at leaving on July 25th Can't wait!

For how long?
8 - 10 weeks

Are you all planned... still planning...?
Still a lot of planning going on... but that's half the fun!

What cities do you plan on seeing?
Back to Scandinavia, visiting friends in Finland, Baltic States, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and whipping through Germany (friends) to see friends in England.

Tips... I could give many, but can't think of where to start so.. keep safe

[Eagle]

I may as well add my comments:

When are you planning your trip for?

If my plans work out the way I'm hoping (and my leg heals well enough to allow me to haul a Backpack again), I'll be heading to Europe at the beginning of September (I'm getting close to retirement so hopefully I'll be able to travel on a regular basis soon).

For how long?

This trip will be about 7 weeks.

Are you all planned... still planning...?

My Itinerary for this trip has been planned with "military precision" (which is typically the way I do things) and is mostly completed (might be a bit of minor "tweaking" to do yet, but nothing significant). I always learn from previous trips, so it gets easier to plan each time. What I'm a bit uncertain of at this point is home & pet care details. I won't know until about July whether my Son and daughter-law will be here, and not sure what the alternatives will be if they're not here? Also, I haven't arranged time off work yet, but don't believe that will be a problem.

What cities do you plan on seeing?

This trip -- Rothenburg, Munich, Lago di Como (and area), Venice, Florence, Siena, Orvieto, Rome (perhaps day trip to Sorrento & Pompeii), Cinque Terre, Locarno, Gimmelwald, Paris and Normandy. It sounds like a lot but I believe I'll be able to cover those areas in a somewhat "relaxed" way.

If you are a veteran and are not planning a trip anytime soon, when do you hope for your next trip and what is the ONE most key word of advice you would give to some of us virgin packers?

Actually, I have TWO pieces of advice:

1.) Do your "homework" (especially first time travellers), so that you have some concept of the environment & culture you'll be travelling in!
2.) PACK LIGHT!

Hopefully my plans work out the way I'm hoping?

[Jocelyne]

When are you planning your trip for?
I fly out of ottawa to london May 6th

For how long?
2 months
May6th-June 29th

Are you all planned... still planning...?
All my hostels are booking and planes.....still making lists of things to do and places to see

What cities do you plan on seeing?
Cork
Dublin
Edinburgh
Amsterdam
Cologne
Prague
Rome
Florence
Barcelona
Paris
London

[sarahray85]

When are you planning your trip for?
I'm leaving June 18 and I'm coming back in early January!

For how long?
A little less than seven months.

Are you all planned... still planning...?
There are still some variables. Come to think of it, I'm not even close to all planned. My main concern is finding someone reliable to watch my cat. When I went on my last trip which was only three weeks, the person watching my cat didn't take him to the vet and he really needed to go. When I cam home he was really sick! He had an upper respiratory infection that could have easily turned into pneumonia. So this time I'm going to pay someone. That way they will feel more responsible. I;m also going to leave them $500 for possible vet bills.

What cities do you plan on seeing?
Dublin
Berlin
Madrid
Toledo
Granada
Cordoba
Seville
some city in Morocco (I'm unsure because the travel study program has not yet announced it)
Barcelona
Nice
Florence
Venice
Vienna
Prague
Copenhagen
Malmo
Lund (where I will be between September and December)
maybe some others before coming home...

If you are a veteran and are not planning a trip anytime soon, when do you hope for your next trip and what is the ONE most key word of advice you would give to some of us virgin packers?
I'm not a real veteran but my best piece of advice it would be pack light but don't forget to bring an open mind.

[Shmemily]

When are you planning your trip for?

Well I'm currently sort of ON my trip (living in Scotland at the moment) but I head out for some backpacking start of May.

For how long?

Until all my hard earned pounds run out. Probably two months and then moving to England somewhere.

Are you all planned... still planning...?

Just started planning.... such excitement!

What cities do you plan on seeing?

Not sure yet - I have about 3 times as many as I should on my list. For sure a week in Athens and the Islands. Hopefully Paris, Prague, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Rome, Florence, and quite a bit of Germany as I have people to stay with there.

If you are a veteran and are not planning a trip anytime soon, when do you hope for your next trip and what is the ONE most key word of advice you would give to some of us virgin packers?

Not so much a veteran but from what little travelling I've done I'd say just be aware of your surroudings. Don't stand in the middle of the street with a map - that's just asking for trouble.

[me]

right now, don't have a trip planned.

my trips are mostly at least 6 weeks

things are constantly swirling through my head

i'd like to see more of italy, but i'd also like to go to Finland, the Baltic countries, Poland, Slovakia & Slovenia

best advice comes from Douglas Adams: Don't Panic! and always know where your towel is

- d

[Cat]

When are you planning your trip for?
I am leaving for the USA on July 14

For how long?
Sadly, only two weeks.

Are you all planned... still planning...?
Was planned, am now re-planning.

What cities do you plan on seeing?
Dallas (visiting friends)
Houston (with friends)
Tuscon and the rest of Arizona (visiting friend)

Tips:
Don't feel uneasy when you don't speak the language. Most Europeans can manage in English and are happy to help you out. Still, if you pick up and use some basic sentences in the national language (there is a topic about this somewhere... ) it is mightily appreciated.