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Post by Eagle on Oct 7, 2011 13:28:41 GMT -5
mattew225,
Welcome to GFE!
Regarding your question, it's difficult to provide a really precise answer but I'll try to provide a "ballpark figure".
Travel styles differ to a large extent according to individual preferences, and food especially is a big "variable". Some people don't mind dropping €35 per person or more on a meal, while others can't afford to be that extravagant. Most Hotels and Hostels will provide breakfast, so you'll only need to be concerned with lunch and dinner. Having Wine or similar beverages with dinner will of course increase the cost. What type of "dining" are you considering?
The number and type of local tours that you take will also have a bearing on your overall costs. Could you elaborate on what you're planning in that regard?
As you may know, Railpasses DO NOT include the reservation fees that are compulsory on some trains (usually the "fast" trains such as the TGV in France), so you'll need to pay separately for those.
I've just returned from Europe but haven't yet "crunched the numbers" so can't provide any idea on what my daily expenses cost. If there are two of you travelling together, I'd probably allow for at least € / £ 75 per day. You may not spend that much each day, but hopefully that will provide a bit of a "cushion" in case you spend more than expected on one day.
Hopefully the others will have a few comments to add.
Happy travels!
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Post by Eagle on Oct 7, 2011 13:15:58 GMT -5
aureliam,
First of all, welcome to GFE! I have a few comments to start with.
It's great that you're getting an early start to the planning. For a trip of that length, it's a really good idea to have the arrangements well sorted prior to departure!
Spending 2-3 months in Europe for a first trip seems a bit "ambitious". You may find that either your travel funds are depleted before expected, or you may suffer some "travel fatigue" and want to return home a bit earlier than expected.
It would help to know where you're from, as the time frame could be a serious problem if you exceed three months in Europe. Under the terms of the Schengen Accord, those who don't live within the E.U. are limited to three months maximum under a tourist Visa. Those who overstay the limit can be subject to severe fines or other penalties.
It would also help to have further information on where your friend's relatives live in Germany? It's difficult to plan a route without a destination city. Also, how much are you budgeting for this trip? Where is your family located in the south of Italy?
You may find it helpful to read some Guidebooks in order to get more specific details on the places you'll be visiting. As this is your first trip to Europe, I'd highly recommend reading Europe Through The Back Door (if it's available in your area), as that provides lots of good information on "how" to travel well in Europe.
I'm sure the others will have lots of good information to pass along. Good luck with your planning!
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Post by Eagle on Aug 20, 2011 0:54:24 GMT -5
sarahizzle,
Regarding Hostels, they're typically cheaper than a Hotel as you're paying for a bed, not a room. Hostels normally place guests in Dorm rooms, with several beds shared in each room. I've stayed in some Hostels that had four beds in a room, and one that had about 18 beds in the room.
Hostels are usually separated by gender, but I have stayed in some that had co-ed rooms. In my experience, everyone "behaved themselves" but I've heard stories from others about Hostel guests in mixed rooms engaging in "romantic pursuits" in a Dorm room.
It is possible to book private rooms in a Hostel, but these are often about the same cost as a budget Hotel.
If you haven't stayed in Hostels before, there are a few things to be aware of. Post another note if you need further info.
Happy travels!
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Post by Eagle on Aug 20, 2011 0:49:25 GMT -5
I forgot to address your question about Hostelling International. Yes, I've dealt with them and have a current membership. You can obtain the membership online or at one of their affiliated Hostels in your area (I don't know where you're located, so can't offer further suggestions. Check www.hiusa.org/ for all the details (assuming you're in the U.S.?). Click the "Become a Member" link.
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Post by Eagle on Aug 18, 2011 23:56:02 GMT -5
ickiskrumm,
Regarding your most recent Itinerary, my first impression is that you're doing far too much "backtracking". Going from Ireland to Germany, back to Amsterdam, (France & Switzerland are good), then to Croatia, back to Italy and finally to Spain.
This is NOT efficient travel and will increase both your travel times and travel costs.
My preference would be something along these lines:
> Ireland
> Amsterdam (use budget flight - your only option might be RyanAir unless you fly from Belfast - if you have to travel with them, be sure to pack light or you risk getting "nicked" with overweight baggage charges)
> France (train)
> Switzerland (train)
> Germany (train)
> Croatia (train, but may depend on where you'll be in Germany)
> Italy (train or budget flight?)
> Spain (budget flight - check EasyJet for flights from Rome to either Barcelona or Madrid)
I assume you're planning to use open-jaw flights (inbound Dublin, outbound Spain)?
OK, time to get back to the drinking with friends!
Cheers!
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Post by Eagle on Aug 12, 2011 2:27:05 GMT -5
nando1f87,
First of all, welcome to the Boards! I have a few comments to begin with.
You've listed a lot of places that you're intending to visit, so it will take some time to analyze this and make suggestions. Since the trip won't be taking place until June 2012, there's lots of time.
One suggestion to keep in mind during your planning, is to allow adequate travel time between locations. Generally speaking, each time you move to a new city, you'll require at least half a day. My initial impression is that you have TOO MANY places listed for a 30-day trip.
As this is your first trip to Europe, I'd highly recommend reading Europe Through The Back Door. It will provide you with a LOT of good information on travelling in Europe. Given your location, I'm not sure whether the book will be easily available in your area? The 2012 edition is now available from the publisher, and you may be able to download it as an E-book in the near future (if you have either a dedicated Reader such as a Kindle, or a PC with an E-book Reader).
A few comments on the cities you listed:
> Marseille - is there a particular reason you want to visit here? There are lots of more "pleasant" cities in that area, including Nice.
> Thesalloniki - again, is there a reason you're visiting here rather than Athens? Given the time and cost to get to Greece, you might consider dropping it from this trip, as you have lots of other places to see.
> Swiss Alps - It's not likely that you'll find much snow in June, but since one can never guarantee the weather, there's always a remote possibility. However, most of the ski resorts will have closed for the season, so I'm not sure if Snowboarding will be possible? You could consider Paragliding instead, if your travel budget will allow it.
I'd suggest visiting the Berner Oberland, which is a favourite of many here (including me). The area I'm referring to is the Lauterbrunnen Valley, just outside Interlaken. You could perhaps stay for a day or two at Balmer's in Interlaken, and then move to the legendary Mountain Hostel in Gimmelwald.
I'll be in Belgium and Holland at the end of this month, so will have further comments on those countries later.
I'll address the issue of a Railpass later, after I've had some time to look at your travel plan in more detail.
Hopefully, the others will have a few comments as well.
Good luck with your planning!
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Post by Eagle on Aug 9, 2011 18:37:43 GMT -5
ickiskrumm,Don't bother with Amazon. I don't know where you're located, but this is your best bet to obtain the book: travelstore.ricksteves.com/catalog/index.cfm?fuseaction=product&theParentId=163&id=20You might also check out the country or city-specific Guidebooks on that site. Note that all of the Guidebooks are now available in E-book format, so if you have a Reader you could download one in a few minutes, at lower cost than the paper version. One other point to note is that you can download a FREE Kindle Reader for PC or Mac, and then purchase the book electronically from Amazon. IMO, your budget is a bit "low" for a three month trip. I'd suggest planning on the basis of about US$90 per day. With $6000 you'd have enough for a bit better than two months. One important point to note regarding Railpasses, is that these DO NOT include the reservation fees that are compulsory on some trains. You'll have to pay separately for those. Especially in Italy, DON'T be caught on a train without the appropriate reservations or you'll be fined on the spot and it won't be cheap! As I recall the fines are about €40-50 per person! I hope you're planning to take at least one credit card. I'll post another note if I think of any other comments.
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Post by Eagle on Aug 9, 2011 0:23:36 GMT -5
ickiskrumm,
Welcome to the Boards! I have a few comments to start with.
First of all, as you're going to be travelling in mid-September, it would have really been a good idea to start planning well before now. This doesn't allow much time to get the arrangements in place.
If you haven't been to Europe before, I'd highly recommend reading Europe Through The Back Door before you depart. It provides a LOT of good information on "how" to travel in Europe.
As you're planning to visit OktoberFest, you'll likely have a difficult time finding accommodations. You may have to stay in a nearby town, and take the train in to Munich.
Be sure that your trip doesn't exceed three months, or you could violate the terms of the Schengen Accord, which limits tourist in the member countries to NO MORE than 90-days. Severe fines and other penalties can result!
Could you clarify that statement? Possibly I'm misunderstanding your meaning, but you won't be getting on a "euro train" in Ireland, as it's an island. You'll need to use budget airlines from Ireland to Germany (or elsewhere on the continent).
Have you purchased your air tickets yet? My suggestion would be to use open-jaw flights, flying inbound to Dublin and outbound from your last stop. That avoids "backtracking".
Is the order you listed the cities & countries the same as you'll be travelling? It's a bit inefficient, which will add to your travel costs. I'd have to spend some time with it, but there IS a more efficient order.
Were you planning to buy P-P tickets for rail travel, or use a Railpass?
I'd suggest dropping Greece on this trip, due to the time of the year you'll be travelling. Especially on the Greek Islands, the tourist facilities start to shut down for the season about the middle to end of October. Travel in Greece at that time of year may not be what you expected.
You didn't indicate what type of budget you were working with? Some of the countries you'll be visiting are notoriously expensive (Sweden & Denmark especially), so be sure to keep that in mind when you're planning.
Are you using Guidebooks to plan your sightseeing? If so, which ones?
Hopefully the others will have some comments as well.
Good luck with your planning!
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Post by Eagle on Jul 26, 2011 1:27:17 GMT -5
elle116,
It's difficult to add anything to the excellent advice you've been given so far. However, I do have a few comments and questions.
Your Itinerary looks very well organized, and the order is logical. I'd suggest keeping Rome in the Itinerary as there's LOTS to see and so much history. It's also an easy trip from there to Barcelona.
Is there a particular part of your Itinerary that you're having difficulty with?
Regarding your flights from Munich to Rome and Rome to Barcelona, I'd highly recommend booking those as soon as possible. Which airlines are you using? Many of the airlines operate on a "sliding scale", so the prices will increase as the flight books up. Of equal importance, be sure to check the Terms & Conditions of the airlines, as they often have very strict baggage limits. In some cases, only ONE carry-on item of the approved size and weight is allowed. It's also a good idea to consider factors such as airport locations. Some of the "budgets" use very much out-of-the-way airports, which require time and money to travel to and from.
Upon arrival in Rome (assuming you're arriving at FCO), have you planned how to get from the airport to the city? The Leonardo Express is the quickest and easiest method, but DON'T forget to validate your ticket or the ride may be considerably more expensive than you planned!
What websites are you using to plan your rail trips? September is not far away, so it would be prudent to get all the arrangements completed as soon as possible.
Have you stayed in Hostels before? Be sure to pack a Towel, soap and a small-to-medium size Padlock for the Lockers (don't use the cheap TSA Locks, as they are NOT secure enough).
Have you got accommodations booked in all locations? I can suggest a great Hostel in Rome (it's very popular, so may be too late to get a reservation).
BTW, I'll also be making the trip by train from Amsterdam to Berlin sometime in September.
Good luck with your planning and Happy travels!
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Post by Eagle on Jul 14, 2011 2:52:36 GMT -5
nicolewright,
First of all, welcome to the Boards! I have a few comments to begin with.
Based on the numbers you provided, you're proposing to travel for approximately 75-days on a budget of US$3000. That's equivalent to about $40 per day or €28 per day for two people. Even with Couch Surfing and WOOFing, I'm not sure that's realistically possible.
One important point to note with Railpasses is that these DO NOT include the reservation fees that are compulsory with some trains (usually the "fast" trains such as the TGV in France). You'll have to pay separately for those "out of pocket", so be sure to allow extra room in your budget. Especially in Italy, if you're caught without a valid reservation specific to the train you're riding on, you'll be fined ON THE SPOT and it WON'T be cheap (as I recall, the fine is about €40 per person).
As you're planning to stay in a few Hostels, you may find it worthwhile to take out a membership with HI Hostels. The membership provides better prices and preferred booking. I've found that Hostels range from €25-35 per night for Dorm rooms.
I'm assuming this is your first trip to Europe, so my first suggestion is to read the Guidebook Europe Through The Back Door. That will answer a lot of questions and provide you with some good information to plan your trip. I'd also suggest having a look at country-specific Guidebooks to plan your touring in each of the cities you'll be visiting.
Good luck with your planning!
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Post by Eagle on Jul 14, 2011 2:40:06 GMT -5
katejing,
I agree with the comments made by MadamTrashHeap. It would really be helpful to have a concise list of the cities you plan to visit, and the order of visits. I also feel that you're trying to fit too many stops into a short one-month time frame, which will be difficult to achieve.
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Post by Eagle on Jul 13, 2011 1:08:54 GMT -5
katejing,
I'm not clear on what you're planning for the first part of your trip. Could you provide further information? What are you referring to with "MU airport"?
For the trip from Lucerne to Venice, you might also consider travel by train. With the current schedules, there's a direct train departing Lucerne at 08:18, arriving Venezia Santa Lucia at 15:10 (time 6H:52M, no changes, reservations compulsory). I doubt that flying will be any faster, by the time you get to Basel and the airport, security, waiting, and then getting from the airport into Venice. Travel by train will be a much more pleasant trip, with no worries about luggage limits or extra charges.
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Post by Eagle on Jul 4, 2011 0:41:24 GMT -5
katejing,Regarding your last note.... Using budget flights for all routes is NOT a good idea. You'd need to consider the time and expense to get to and from airports, as well as the usual "hassles" such as security, waiting times, etc. I generally only consider a budget flight if the train travel is over about seven hours. Using overnight trains is also not always the best idea. If you're going to stay in a Couchette, there's an additional cost for that. Also, if the train has numerous changes during the night, you WON'T be getting much sleep. It will be easier to make specific suggestions on transportation once you have an Itinerary worked-out.You could certainly spend a week in each of the countries you mentioned, however be sure to allow for adequate travel times each time you change locations. What that means is something I can't answer until September, as I'll be in Prague then. I suspect it means that Prague is a vibrant city with lots of great Beer! The Czech Pilseners and other Beer are reportedly excellent, and there are many different types. Given your home location, I suspect that wouldn't be a big attraction for you. I'd suggest checking your local Libraries or larger book stores to have a look at some Guidebooks. That will help you to decide sightseeing options in each location. If you haven't travelled in Europe before, reading Europe Through The Back Door would be a good idea, although I don't know if you'll be able to find a copy of that in Sheffield. Regarding rail travel in Europe, you may find it helpful to have a look at a short video - click www.youtube.com/watch?v=moLGxdId9uU (the video is a few years old, but it will give you an idea). There are other videos from the same author, including some that describe the areas you want to visit. It would help to have a list of the cities you want to visit within each country. It's difficult to work out transportation details unless the cities are known. Cheers!
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Post by Eagle on Jul 2, 2011 23:48:47 GMT -5
katejing,
I agree with MTH concerning your proposed travel route. It's a bit convoluted and not very efficient. Could you clarify which parts of Switzerland you want to visit?
The route I'd suggest is:
Manchester - Switzerland - Milan - Rome - Athens - Madrid - Paris - Amsterdam - Berlin (fly back to Manchester from Berlin?).
Use budget flights for the longer routes and rail for the rest. On the Rome - Athens route, EasyJet is a good option. I travelled that route last year and it was a very pleasant flight. I'd have to research the other air and rail trips.
Are you residents of the U.K.? If so, I'm sure you'll be familiar with travel by train, so I won't elaborate on that.
Good luck with your planning!
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Post by Eagle on Jul 2, 2011 23:31:00 GMT -5
tamillahh,I agree with all of the points mentioned by MTH (of course). However I have a few specific suggestions relating to "battle grounds". Could you clarify what type of battle grounds you're most interested in - WW-I, WW-II, Napoleonic War, 100-years War, etc. You mentioned Caen so I assume WW-II sites are at least part of your interest. If that's the case, I'd suggest staying in Bayeux rather than Caen. Not only is it a much nicer small town, but staying there presents better options for touring. For a start, you can see the Bayeux Tapestry which depicts a much earlier battle. There's also an excellent WW-II Museum in Bayeux, and the Gun Batteries at Longues sur Mer are only a short distance outside town (however, I don't know if there are any Buses that go there - I had a rental car). For the absolute best tours of D-Day sites, I'd highly recommend one of the excellent tours in that area. Some are full-day tours and others can be booked for a half-day. At first glance, they may seem a bit expensive, but I feel they're very good value. Taking one of the tours is by far the best way to get to the most important sites in a reasonable amount of time. Keep in mind that the battle front covered a distance of about 50-miles and extended some distance inland. The Guides know where the most obscure sites are located, so this avoids wasting a lot of travel time. Also, I've found that a tour provides a much more interesting and rewarding look at the history. I'm glad to hear that you've ordered a copy of Europe Through The Back Door. It will answer a lot of your questions and provide good information to help your trip go well. As you're travelling this fall, you'll need to get the details sorted fairly quickly. It's a bit unfortunate that you have to fly into and out of London, as that means you'll require both time and money to return there. I agree that it would be a good idea to skip Greece this time (and possibly also Albania and Croatia, unless you have friends there). Greece is somewhat "distant" from your other stops, which means it would cost both time and money to get there and back. As you're on a tight budget, keep in mind that each change of location will require both time and money. In addition to the Berner Oberland in Switzerland (which is outside Interlaken in the Lauterbrunnen Valley), you might also consider Lucerne. It's a beautiful smaller city with some nice Pubs and restaurants along the river. If you decide to stay in Gimmelwald, the best option for accommodations would be the famous Mountain Hostel (it's a great place!). As MTH mentioned, Switzerland can be expensive so you'll need to budget accordingly! For a route, you might consider London - Berlin - Prague - Vienna - Munich (Oktoberfest) - Spain (Barcelona, Madrid, etc.) - Switzerland - Paris - back to London via EuroStar. You might also consider adding Salzburg to the list as there are some good "battle sites" in that area, in addition to one of the most beautiful, scenic and historic places I've seen in Europe, Hallstatt (the town is older than Rome because of the Salt Mines there, and they can be toured). From Salzburg you can take a day trip to Berchtesgaden and visit the Dokumentation Centre and Bunkers and perhaps the Eagle's Nest (if it isn't snowed in). The best method to get from Munich to Spain and Spain to Switzerland is via budget flights. It will be easier to make more specific suggestions once you get your route somewhat "roughed out". You might also have a look at some country or city-specific Guidebooks, in order to plan your sightseeing, accommodations, etc. in each of the places you'll be visiting. Good luck with your planning!
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