Trip to Europe for 3 months.

[annkatherine91]

So I have absolutely no idea where to begin because all I have is an idea and no execution. My friend and I are going to be traveling through Europe for 3 months next summer 2012 (most likely June-August) We were thinking of going to Ireland, Great Britain, Spain, France, Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy, Greece, Romania, Poland and Sweden (in that order). We've already figured out the exchange rate for each currency but that can change by next year and we know that. Still, we need guidance and we need to know what to prepare for and what the steps are that are needed to be taken before heading for Europe. Thanks for your time.

[phazan]

Before I went on my 5 week trip I was pretty nervous, and I tried to figure everything out before I got there...But honestly I would have been fine just showing up with my train pass, and backpack full of necessities. When I got there I had a few nights in London booked, and a train ticket from London to Brussels booked, so that was helpfull for me because I was pretty clueless. Traveling Europe I think is one of the easiest things I've ever done, even though everyone I talk to it seems like tells me I'm some kind of daredevil for going alone.

But I think I should mention that just showing up and deciding where to go next at the train station is my favorite way to travel...So if that's not your style of travel, maybe I'm not the best person to listen to ;D

[annkatherine91]

To be honest I never thought about doing something like that because it seems rather risky... That's kind of why I signed up for this website to begin with so that I can know what all the means are necessary. You might not see what you've done as a big achievement but I do think that it's brave... I'm not sure about if I want to do that or not but what I do know is that to go without a plan means spending more money and I know that when I go I really do need to go with a "money is not an object"-mentality but the fact is that it is...

[willturner]

Hi friends..................

I want to give surprise to my wife during our third wedding anniversary.I decided to have a romantic travel to Europe for 45 days.So I want to know about Romantic places at Europe where we spend our precious moments together with out any interruption.I also want to know about the honeymoon vacation rental at Europe for stay point of View.We have to travel to Europe in the month of September.Please suggest me some ides and advices about my query

With regards
Will
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[Eagle]

annkatherine91,

First of all, welcome to the Boards! A few comments on your travel plans.....

As this is your first trip to Europe (I assume?), my first suggestion is to pre-read the Guidebook Europe Through The Back Door. That will provide you with a lot of information on how to travel "well" in Europe.

My next suggestion is not to try and fit too many places into your Itinerary. According to your list, you're planning to visit 11 countries in 90 days. That only allows only about eight days per country, with no allowances for travel times. It's likely that you'll want to visit more than one city in each country, so travel times will be important.

Three months may seem like a long time, but your Itinerary covers a lot of ground and getting to all the locations on your list will require both time and money. One very important point to mention is that you must ensure that you don't exceed the 90-day Schengen limit, as severe fines and deportation from the E.U. can result!

Using open-jaw flights will be the most efficient, and I'm assuming that's what you're planning to do?

Don't be too concerned about the currency and exchange rates at this point. This changes daily and in some cases hourly so there's no way to calculate where these will be in a year or more. Using ATM cards in Europe is the most cost effective way to obtain cash, as these provide the best exchange rates. I'd highly recommend that you travel with at least two ATM cards (always good to have a backup) and at least one credit card (for "emergencies").

You might start by preparing a list of cities that you want to visit, and a list of the sights in each city. Once you have a list, use country-specific Guidebooks for more detailed information.

Rail is generally the best method to get around, but you won't be able to determine the best method for getting to each city until you have the list prepared. Don't assume that a Railpass is the best option, as that may or may not be the case. One point to note is that Railpasses do not include the reservation fees that are compulsory on some trains (especially the high speed trains such as the TGV in France). For a trip of that length, it's likely that the best method will be a combination of a Railpass for longer and more expensive trips, and Point-To-Point tickets for shorter legs.

Good luck with your planning!

[laurenc418]

Hi!
Me and my best actually just spent the summer of 2010 in Europe. We were there for two months, backpacking around. Just a few things I hope that you are aware of, During the months in which you are planning on going (which are the exact months we were there) it is going to be extremely hot, I mean, sweat dripping down you every minute of every day. I know temperature doesn't seem like that big of an issue but trust me, walking around all day, in the hot sun, with no A.C. EVER, can really start to wear you down. So make sure you rest enough, I speak from experience. It stinks deciding you'd rather just sleep then go out at night because you ache everywhere. Also Eagle is completely right in time management. We hit 9 countries in 2 months and we definitely didn't get to stay in one place too long. We both comment on how rushed we felt and how on our next trip it'll be a much slower pace so we can truly enjoy out time there.

Now on what countries to start through that's totally your preference. We ended with England and Ireland in late August and it was wonderful simply for the fact that we had been so hot and sweaty for 95% of our trip, that the weather in those two countries were heaven sent and really made traveling around all day such a pleasure. But again, that just worked out best for us. A guide book would definitely be helpful and knowing what sites and cities you absolutely must see will be a definite thing to nail down. I personally didn't worry too much about knowing the transport system beforehand. It's pretty basic, a little confusing at first, but lots of people can at least point you to where you need to be headed

You will have so much fun! It's such a culture shock and will definitely change the way you view things! Goodluck!

P.S. I know it may seem like I'm making a big deal out of some heat but I live in Florida, my summers were/are spent in 100+ degree weather, so I know hot. And the weather I experienced while abroad was broiling!