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Post by csworrell on May 1, 2007 16:21:57 GMT -5
Hello everyone,
I am about to take my first trip to Europe.. and i am 17 years... i have about 1200 euros right now.. and i am going to Germany for about 21 days.. i will be sleeping on the train every night till i get to my destination... and i am wondering if 1200 Euros for good and a little sight seeing is ok..
I plan on being super conservative with my money.. that means cheap meals and such...
I need help determing how much i need... and how i cant be as conservative with my money as possible... also i stay at hotels maybe every 2 days
thanks
chris
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Post by WillTravel on May 1, 2007 16:29:31 GMT -5
Do you have your airplane tickets and railpass? Most people find they can't sleep on overnight trains every night, particularly without reserving a bunk (which doesn't save much if anything over a hostel). With 1200 Euros, you have about 57 Euros per day (assuming air and train are paid), which is possible even with a hostel bed every night, in Germany. Here's one example of a very good deal - 99 Euros total for one week in a Berlin hostel, with breakfasts and dinners included every day. www.st-christophers.co.uk/specials/hostel-specials/7-night-berlin-hostel-special
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Post by csworrell on May 1, 2007 16:42:23 GMT -5
yes airfare and rail pass is already paid.... but i also staying with a friend in romaina for 1 month im living in his house... how much would i need for that? is food and living costs are paid for ... is romaina cheap or poor?
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Post by WillTravel on May 1, 2007 17:33:15 GMT -5
You're going to get to Romania before me! I'm there briefly in August. From what I can tell, Romania is a quite poor country, but that doesn't mean that food is cheap, particularly for any sort of restaurant. Getting to spend a month there sounds like a very interesting experience - I hope you report back on it. You might like to look for the download PDF of Bucharest in Your Pocket - it's freely available on the web. I don't know if you are going to Bucharest or not.
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Post by csworrell on May 1, 2007 18:11:21 GMT -5
yes im going to bucharest............. but also is it a unsafe country?
and i have a question about the euro rail pass
does 21 days mean
you ride anywhere in germany during the 24 hours or every city you go to costs a ticket?
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Post by WillTravel on May 1, 2007 18:57:37 GMT -5
Are you talking about the consecutive 21-day pass? If so, you can just use it whenever, but you will have to pay for reservations in certain instances. There may be surcharges for night trains.
For Bucharest, I'm trying to figure out the safety issue as best as possible. Hopefully someone who's been there can comment. It seems like pickpocketing is not uncommon, and I have read of "swarmings" also, but the main thing is to be alert and consider ways to keep your valuables safe, like concealed moneybelts. If you are at your friend's house, just leave your valuables there, would be my guess. And of course definitely do not take unlicensed taxis - that seems like a rather scary option.
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Post by csworrell on May 1, 2007 19:06:59 GMT -5
ill probably do 21 days in 2 months but how much are the night surcharges?
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Post by MuvverRussia on May 2, 2007 4:01:27 GMT -5
If it's a consecutive day pass then it starts on day 1 and ends on day 21, regardless of how you use it, so the longest you can get out of it is 3 weeks. There are other, more flexible, passes available though.
Romania wise, it's pretty poor and pretty dodgy. That said, it's worth a visit. Just don't be stupid whilst you're over there and you should be fine.
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Post by Eagle on May 2, 2007 22:38:27 GMT -5
csworrell, welcome! I have a few additional comments to add to the others.
Regarding your plans to travel at 17 years of age, something that's been mentioned before is that you might have to get a "letter" or whatever from your parents, stating that you're allowed to travel on your own. Hopefully some of our European members can provide some information on what the legal requirements might be in the E.U.?
> Rail Passes - there are many different types of Rail Passes. It's important that you choose the most appropriate one for your trip. As the others have mentioned, a 21-day Consecutive Pass may not be the most appropriate? A Flex Pass would probably work better, however you'll have to finalize your Itinerary to some extent before choosing the best Rail pass. You qualify for a Youth Pass, so that will save some money.
>Sleeping on the train every night - were you planning to rent a Couchette, or just sleep in your seat? There's a charge for renting a Couchette, so you likely wouldn't save much over an inexpensive Hostel. Sleeping in your seat is a bit "risky" in many ways. You might wake up to find your luggage missing OR you might sleep past your stop and end up somewhere you didn't expect. If you're travelling "solo", this is not a really good option.
> Travel budget of €1200 - after reading over your OP and replies, it's not clear what the total duration of your trip is? Are you spending 21 days touring Germany and then 30 days staying with a friend in Romania? Even with the Rail Pass and Air Fare paid, I'm not sure that amount will be adequate to sustain you for 51 days. Although you might have free lodging in some cases, you'll still have to pay for food (unless your friends will be taking care of that completely during your stay in Romania). Also, any attractions you visit, nights out in the Pub, train reservations (mandatory on some routes!) and incidentals will quickly deplete your funds. If you could provide a few more details on your plans, it would be easier to calculate how much you might need for the trip. Having some extra funds (or at least a credit card) to cover "unexpected expenses" would be a really good idea!!!
> Is Romania an unsafe country - I haven't been there yet, however based on the information I have so far it can be a bit "dodgy" at times (as the others have indicated). It's perhaps not the best choice of countries for your first trip to Europe, however I understand your reason for travelling there. The former "eastern-block countries" are just starting to open up to tourism, so the tourist infrastructure is not as well developed as in western Europe. Those countries that join the E.U. will no doubt improve very quickly, but this is going to take time. As WT pointed out, it's still a fairly "poor" country so I'm sure there will be lots of interest in separating unsuspecting tourists from their money or valuables. I imagine the Gypsies will be ubiquitous in that part of Europe. You might find it very educational to check the "Scams" section of the Rick Steves Graffiti Wall, and also to type in "Europe Scams" into Google. That way you can become familiar with some of the tactics being used, including "swarming" as WT mentioned.
As I often mention to others, it would be highly advisable for you to read the Rick Steves book Europe Through The Back Door, before you get too far into your planning. It's an essential "pre-read" before heading to Europe for the first time. Depending on where you're located, it should be available in your local Library or Book stores.
Good luck with your planning! Cheers!!!
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Post by csworrell on May 3, 2007 22:50:46 GMT -5
wow .. thank you for all this great information..... my plane ticket is paid and my father gave me 500 for my train ticket I have 1500-2000 USD to spend in europe
i will be super conservative with it and only buy cheap food
i looking to spend about 15 to 20 euros a day maximum of 40 ..
The situation with my friend in Romania, He is housing me and also paying for my food
I will fly in to london june 30th and take a train to visit a friend in Frankfurt... i want to travel atleast 10 to 20 cities in germany... i was thinking 2 cities near each other day... also i plan on staying one week in berlin 99 Euros a week hostel..
i really dont have time to read a book right now... i would like someone to tell me what best for me by giving you the information that i have givin..........
Soo can someone help me with that?
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Post by Eagle on May 4, 2007 14:02:27 GMT -5
csworrell, a few more comments, based on your last Post. Again, it would help to have more specific information on your Itinerary and the cities you want to visit? That would certainly be a big help in understanding whether your travel budget will be sufficient. It's very difficult to consider which rail passes will be most appropriate and cost effective, without knowing your Itinerary. It's unfortunate that you've already purchased your air tickets, as it probably would have been more efficient (and perhaps less expensive overall?) to fly directly to Frankfurt, since that will be your first destination. There are usually lots of cheap flights available to Frankfurt, as it's a major hub. However, I'm not sure what flight options are available from your area? That would have saved the cost of rail fare from London to Frankfurt (the EuroStar is a bit "pricey", especially for someone travelling on a "limited budget", however there is a price reduction possible for those with a Rail Pass). It might be necessary for your Father to provide some extra funds for rail fares? A few more questions for you: > Again, what is the total duration of your trip?> How many days will you spend in Germany, and how many in Romania??? > You will be starting your trip on 30 June, but when will you return home, and from which airport? If you have to return to London for your flight home, you will have to allow for that as well. > How were you plannng to access your travel funds - ATM, Travellers's Cheques? > Have you considered the costs of currency exchange in your planning. For example, using a "median value" of US$1750.00 (based on your budgeted amount of US$1500-2000) equates to €1287.48 (at today's exchange rates - these could be better or worse at the time of your trip). Even at a VERY MINIMUM rate of €50.00 per day for Hostel, food and incidentals, this will only allow you to travel for about 25 days. Your 21-day stay in Germany will likely use the greater portion of your travel funds. You'll also have to allow for "extra" transportation expenses such as the EuroStar and reservations fees, so your overall travel budget will be reduced further. > Have you included the cost of medical insurance in your travel budget? It's unfortunate that you won't have time to at least check over some of the information in Europe Through The Back Door, as this would make the "learning curve" much easier (even the chapter on "Rail Skills" would be worthwhile). There are some significant but "subtle" differences between life in Europe as compared to North America (aside from the language issues), so it's important to have some knowledge of these before travelling there (especially for the first time). If you could provide some more specific details on your trip, it would sure help. Hopefully, some of the others here will have some comments and suggestions as well. Cheers!!!
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Post by csworrell on May 4, 2007 15:52:11 GMT -5
it was actually 300 dollars cheaper to fly to london versus frankfurt am main.... well i do not plan on staying in a hostel every night.. i plan on over trains and also some friends i have in the country.. i was probably thinking a hostel every other day... i have a book called Let's Go Germany Edition and it says hostels are as cheap as 9 Euro a night and food is as cheap as 5 euros for a hole in the wall restaurant like a taquaria is here in the US .. and public transportation is about 3-5 dollars for a day pass. Also i already know German soo language wont be a problem for me. The countries i will visit are , UK,Netherlands,Germany,Prague, and maybe Poland to see auschwitz..... and also it looks like my friend has backed out of me comming to stay with him in romania =( ... but i have a friend in Iseabal Turkey , and St Peterberg Russia.... where i can stay a month with my friend. soo maybe some advise for those places. also my dad plans on wiring me 100 to 200 dollors every 2 weeks .. soo in all im guessing about 2300 USD... but im probably guessing the 2 month eurorail soo i can go to all the cities i want to see with out worring about time..
Is there any advise of what i can see in london and also how to get to the Netherlander from the UK ?
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Post by herrbert on May 4, 2007 18:01:56 GMT -5
Hostels that charge 9 euros, are usualy not the best ones, or not in big cities, or in Eastern European Countries. I think a 15-20 for a dorm room is a more realistec figure. Meals are important when traveling, and yes sometimes you just need to be happy with junkfood, but remember that a trip takes are lot of energy (a lot of walking around), it is best to replace the energy with good food, as it makes you feel better, if you have a decent meal. A good way to do this, and to save money is to see if you can book a hostel with kitchen facilities, this way you can go to the supermarket to buy stuff, and make a good meal in a cheap way. The same tactics, you can use for the things, you want to eat during the day. Go to a supermarket, for some supplies, or walk into a backery. (always good for some local 'healthy' snacks. Remember that taking overnight trains require reservations, which will cost a fee, and if you want a bed on the train, that would also take a fee. So sleeping on a nighttrain, might not be the best way to save money. But if you can sleep on them, it's a good way of getting around. For flights from the UK (London, I presume) to the Netherlands, check this site: revolutionmusic.eu/flightassistent/countries/uk/londonall.html (scroll down for Netherlands). Also a good site to see which airline is flying which routes in Europe) For London, check this one: www.golondon.com/
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Post by csworrell on May 4, 2007 18:12:43 GMT -5
How much are the night trains usally?
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Post by herrbert on May 4, 2007 18:16:56 GMT -5
How much are the night trains usally? I never take them, as I am not able to sleep on them, but from what I know from others, the additional costs (not covered ont he pass) are about the same as what you would spend in a hostel (so somewhere between 10-20 euros). But I am pretty sure it would also depends on in which country you are.
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