Intro & The Beginnings of My Solo Trip!

[jessus]

Hello everyone!

I just spent a good bit of time browsing the forum, and it seems like it's going to be just lovely for info!

So I'm Jess, and I am at the very rudimentary stages of planning an approximately 2 month trip solo backpacking Europe. I'm excited about the solo part, because it will probably make it easier to chat with new people, and because I have a picky travel style (I know what I like and what I don't like!!)

I'm at the stage where my internet searching is extreme, and the next step is to check out several different travel books from the library... I am also still looking at countries rather than cities, so any assistance in paring down my thoughts is welcome!

So here's what I have so far! What I'd like to see:

- Ireland (I plan to go on the 6-day Shamrocker tour, which starts and ends in Dublin, so I'll be there, and I hope to visit some family in Bunclody, a little town in County Wexford for a couple days... and I have this idea that I want to see at least one "fairy mound". Hm. )

- England (London especially, I have a deep-seated obsession with the Tower. Bath might be of interest especially because of its Jane Austen connections/museum. I'm a Shakespeare buff, but I think seeing the reconstructed Globe would do, and I may not feel the need to visit Stratford-Upon-Avon)

- Germany (Munich both for itself and perhaps for Oktoberfest... Berlin has an endless fascination... and.. er.. I have family that I would LIKE to visit, but the problem is they live on the northernmost tip of Germany by the Danish border. So I'm not sure how I would manage!)

- France (Paris is pretty much the main focus here. Not sure what else I'd be going for...)

- Italy (Rome! ... and Pompeii area perhaps. I wrote a paper on the 79AD eruption of Vesuvius in grade 4 and have been obsessed ever since. And Venice... )

- And though this may be entirely unrealistic: Morocco (very different!! I'd love to see the marketplaces and desert-y conditions), and Spain (I have a love affair from afar with Barcelona. I adore Gaudi and Dali!)

My travel plans involve the cheapest possible everything. Hostels will be living the high life for me. I'm also looking into free accomodation sites like Hospitality Club and Couch Surfers... (any tried these? if you were a young female would you do it?). Rail will probably be my prime mode of travel... I'm looking closer at interrail, since I'm an Irish citizen (along with my Canadian citizenship) , but it seems you have to be a RESIDENT, not just a citizen... hm...

Anyway. If you read through.. thanks! I had a lot to put on the page today!. Am I being unrealistic in different areas? Are there things I'm missing or things I didn't think of?

I would love ANY feedback! (Or just greetings from fellow travellers! )

[me]

greetings, Jess! although, i haven't traveled for a few years due to family obligations.

you can see quite a bit in 2 months. this is especially true if you intersperse those train rides with a few flights to quickly cover longer distances.

but, it's also good to see specific areas more intensely by spending more time there. this is especially true for big cities: Rome, Vienna, Berlin.

[herrbert]

Morocco is not tht unrealistic, there are a lot of cheap flights to places like Marrakesh or Casablanca. If you like to go, take one of those, and don't get tempted to try to see Morocco as a daytrip from Tarifa. This would mean seeing Tangers very briefly. As it is a harbour/bordertown it wouldn't give you a good feel for the country.

If Morocco would turn out to be impossible on this trip, then you could just try to get a little taste of it, and see Granada (and or Sevilla). The Alhambra, was build by the Moorish (Muslim) rulers, that ruled over Andalusia for centuries.

If you family lives near the border with Danmark, than I would suggest taking the train to Hamburg, and then further North. Where do they live? (Flensburg/Lübeck/Kiel?) You could make it as a stop if you incorporate Copenhaven in the trip. There are some pretty good museums, in and around Copenhaven. Check the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art. (just North of Kobenhavn) or the Arken museum of Modern Art (just South of the city)

[jessus]

Thanks to both of your pretty speedy responses already - and for saying it's possible to do a lot in just 2 months! I did also think that seeing some places in a bit more detail (read: time) would be good!

I didn't think much about flights to make things a little more easy... but that would make a lot of sense in certain area! It was definitely Marrakesh and Casablanca I was eyeing in Morocco, so I'll look into flights there perhaps. Although the Moorish areas of Spain could work too.. hm...

And by Copenhaven, I assume that's a different spelling of Copenhagen? That could be a solution to my problem of wanting to visit family up there but it being "so far from anything I wanted to see".. (add things to see up there!). And they live in Kropp, which according to Wikipedia is "a municipality in the district of Schleswig-Flensburg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated approx. 13 km south of Schleswig." (which means very little to me, other than the fact that I also looked up the area it is in! My grasp on German geography isn't that strong )

[herrbert]

In Dänish they say Københaven to Copenhagen. And sometimes I mix up the hagen and the haven.

You can get to Kropp from Hamburg, if you take the train to Owschlag (should take 1.50 hrs on a regional train, although there are train that take longer). Owschlag should be a few kilometers from Kropp, so I presume one familymember could pick you up there. (or you can get there by bus) I am addicted to Google Earth, and found it in no time. I don't know how much desire you have to visit Hamburg, but it could be a possible destination.

[me]

from København (that's how it's listed locally), you can cross the new bridge/tunnel thing to/from Malmö, Sweden. [don't know about now, but at one time some airlines offered cheaper tix to Malmö than to København. Copenhagen Airport is the biggest hub in Scandinavia - prices there can be commensurately higher] this would give you another place in Europe you've visited!

if you're a fan, i know several Beatles followers who've trekked to Hamburg for a pilgrimage at clubs there where John, Paul, George & Ringo had played.

ps: i'd also suggest that you look at some maps to familiarize yourself with the areas you want to visit. it helps with planning if you have an idea where places are in relation to each other. maps.google.com/ works. just enter Kropp de in the search field.

some helpful sites i use:
for trains: www.bahn.de/international/view/en/index.shtml
for planes: www.whichbudget.com/en/

[me]

jessus said:

- France (Paris is pretty much the main focus here. Not sure what else I'd be going for...)

never been to Paris. the stories i've heard about inhospitality, past the point of rudeness, have kept me away. but, it's been suggested that Sarkozy wishes to change this image.

went to Côte d’Azur on a camping trip when i was 20. disaster. the less than pleasant attitudes of people i encountered there didn't help. it's pretty bad when folks in a tourist town treat you like dirt.

however, Strasbourg wasn't bad. it probably helped that i was only there as a day trip from Freiburg, where i studied for a semester.

jessus said:

- Italy (Rome! ... and Pompeii area perhaps. I wrote a paper on the 79AD eruption of Vesuvius in grade 4 and have been obsessed ever since.

odd how Pliny and his death keep coming up!

- d

[pointofnoreturn]

Stratford isn't really worth it. Yes, it's a nice place and Anne Hathaway's cottage is pretty cool but other than that, I don't think it's worth going there. Bath is definitely worthwhile. I didn't get a chance to visit the Jane Austen museum but I saw someone from there dressed in these clothes and leading a group.

[jessus]

I was thinking Stratford may not be the greatest thing to see. But yeah... the more I hear about Bath the more I think that is one of the ones that will make my final list!

I will definitely check out Google Maps (and maybe Google Earth could help me out too!) . I knew I was going to have to look at a proper map at SOME point in the planning, (I've already googled such things as "map, germany", but having a specific place to find maps will help!)

Thanks for the info about the Owschlag train. That could be my best bet then. I hadn't really thought about Hamburg, but it's a possiblity (and I've got the Let's Go Europe book from the library now which will help!). I enjoy the Beatles, but I'm not as big of a fan to go see all the clubs they played in!

Paris may be inhospitable, but it is a can't miss for me. I do speak moderate French, (along with beginner German), so that should help a bit!

Ah Pliny. (He and his death keep coming up though?)

[me]

jessus said:

Ah Pliny. (He and his death keep coming up though?)

;D just once or twice ;D the eruption of Vesuvius was the 1st known as a "Plinian eruption." because that term was coined via Pliny the Younger's description of it. Pliny the Elder died from that eruption, as i recall. [the Elder being the Younger's uncle]

[Eagle]

Jess, I'm joining the discussion a bit late, but have a few comments......

First, how is your trip planning coming along? Hopefully the details are falling into place. I can really relate to your comments about travelling "solo" and having "a picky travel style", as I'm much the same way. It seems that other people don't like to see the same things I do, so we often end up in a difference of opinion (hopefully I haven't offended anyone I've met along the way - it certainly wasn't my intention!).

IMO it would be wise to be a bit cautious about Couch Surfing and that sort of thing (especially as a single female). I'm an older and somewhat "large" male and there's no way I would use that method for lodgings. Hostels are about the limit of low cost lodgings for me! Also, I like to have some privacy on occasion, so tend to mix Hostels with stays in budget Hotels. Hopefully some of the ladies on the Boards can offer you some useful tips on that topic.

How were you planning on getting from Ireland to England? If using budget airlines, be careful about "packing light" or you'll get nicked with an overweight charge (I know that from experience)!

Let us know how your plans are coming along, as I'm sure there will be more suggestions for each of the cities you plan on visiting.

Cheers!

[jessus]

Wow, what are the odds of you replying just as I was writing my follow-up? Unless you saw me online or something

And ah yes. My travel style is very special. Which I learned from my crankiness in trying to do a whirlwind NYC trip with 2 friends in 4 days last May (there is a LOT to see in New York, and we pretty much visited it all). Plus, I like to look at famous things, but also things that are just famous to.. wel.. maybe me. Ha. Familiar places are good, but I often look at them for unfamiliar reasons!

In regards to how my current travel planning is going, check out my part deux! pretravel.proboards1.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&n=1&thread=3110

Thanks for your opinion on the Couchsurfing... I'm trying to get as many as possible! I'm also lurking around the Couchsurfing boards, and everyone there seems to be find with single females doing it (but.. um.. they may be a bit biased!). I'm still thinking about this one. It WOULD be a nice way to save some money, and perhaps meet some locals to show me their cities!

As for travel between Ireland and England... hm.. I'll keep "packing light" in my head. But transportation is the last step in my mind! (Although I'm STARTING to think about it now).