bjl
Junior Travel Member
Posts: 1
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Post by bjl on May 24, 2009 16:03:19 GMT -5
Hey everyone, I am a seventeen year old high school student, and I am starting to plan a backpacking trip to Europe as sort of a graduation celebration/vacation sort of thing. This trip is at least a year away, so there is not a whole lot of hurry, just some really preliminary stuff. Here's what I know so far - -I plan on going alone -I want to go during early summer (late May to June) -I plan on going to north-central Europe since I will be going with my senior class to western Europe (England, France, Italy) on a spring break trip (I'm getting sponsored so I get to go for dirt cheap  ). Here is a very preliminary list of places I would like to see- Iceland Reykjavik Bláa Lónið (Blue Lagoon) Netherlands Amsterdam Ultrecht? Germany Berlin Munich Denmark Copenhagen Sweden Stockholm Any advice on where to go from here in the planning stages would be much appreciated |
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Post by Eagle on May 25, 2009 0:36:50 GMT -5
bji,
First of all, welcome to the Boards! I have a few thoughts to get the discussion started.
It's quite likely that your spring break trip with your senior class will be somewhat "condensed", so you'll only be seeing a few of the main sights in England, France & Italy. If you're interested in seeing these in more depth and more importantly enjoying the sights that you're most interested in, you might plan to return to some of the same places when you're on your own.
Be sure that you budget adequately, as Europe can be expensive, especially the U.K. and the Scandinavian countries.
The most important suggestion I'd like to make at this point, is that it would be a really good idea to pick up a copy of Europe Through The Back Door. There's a tremendous amount of information there on travelling in Europe, including Itinerary planning. You should be able to find this at larger book stores in your area or the Library. Note that this is updated every year, so having a copy of the 2009 edition will provide the most current information.
The time frame of your trip (May/June) is perfect! Although that's the spring shoulder season and could be busy, it's much easier than travelling in July and especially August.
There are some destinations not on your list that are favourites of many of the group here, so you may want to look at those as well. Some examples are the Cinque Terre (Italy) and Gimmelwald (Switzerland).
Good luck with your planning!
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Post by madamtrashheap on May 25, 2009 1:55:50 GMT -5
bjl, good to see you're getting a jump on planning your trip for next year! To add to Eagle's suggestions, I have a few notes/questions: Did you plan to be in Scandi for the Midnight Sun? I ask because that will alter the order in which you visit places. Iceland is a great country, can't recommend it enough! Depending on how long you're planning to stay, I'd suggest you stay in Reykjavik (there are HI properties around the country, as well as Guesthouses/B&Bs) as a base if you only want to spend 2 days, then you can take a day to see the Blue Lagoon, Gullfoss and the Geysir (it's the one that gives all other geysers their name!) or even add a day to go out to Vatnajökull (the largest glacier). There are also Icelandic pony treks you can take as well as a visit to Hekla volcano, depending on what it's doing on the day (ie spitting fire or just gurgling). If you do decide to spend more than a few days in Iceland, you can stay in other cities other than Reykjavik for a night or so, depending on your interests. Netherlands - 3 nights in Amsterdam will be fine, or add another night if you want to do day trips to Utrecht, Den Haag, Groningen or Delft. Germany - Berlin and Munich are good starts, it depends on your eventual route (eg if you include Prague/CZ in the mix, you could take the train from Berlin to Prague via Dresden) as to where else you could consider. At the very least, look at 3 full days in Munich so you have time for a visit to Dachau and also a day to visit the castles (Neuschwanstein, Hohenschwangau, etc). Denmark - again, as per Germany, it will depend on the route you take and what your interests are. Ditto for Sweden. I'm sure herrbert will have some further suggestions. What are the other countries you're considering? If there are more to follow, they will have a bearing on the direction to travel and methods of travel for each route. Do you have an idea of the number of weeks/days you plan to travel? That will also have a bearing on what you can fit into the time you have. It will be tempting to try to see as much as possible, but picking a list of "must-sees" will help you, then you'll have placed to visit on the next trip (there will be more, welcome to the travel club!  ). Great that you will get a taste of some countries on your Spring Break (how long is the trip?), but as Eagle noted, you may find places on that trip that you want to revisit on your own trip. Happy further planning!
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Post by herrbert on May 31, 2009 4:20:16 GMT -5
I agree that late May and June are good times to travel in Europe, although for the very very North it can still be a bit cold around that time. I can't see how many time you want to spend in total. If you mean from late May and the entire month of June, you have about 5 weeks.
If you fancy Iceland because of the landscape, you need to get out of the towns. Although it might be expensive you need to calculate enough time to see the Island.
If it is the nature you like for Iceland, than maybe Norway will be more of you taste than Sweden. But a visit to Stockholm (at the moment your only destination in Sweden) is always worth it. Check for the Vasaa museum.
How were you planning to do the flight? Cross over to Iceland, and than to Europe, and returning with a direct flight? If you do than check Iceland Express for some cheaper tickets (although not as cheap as other airlines, on other destinations)
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Post by Eagle on Jun 22, 2009 1:09:20 GMT -5
ddddyyyy,
A friendly reminder that commercial activities are prohibited here on the Boards.
Your signature line could be considered "commercial activity", so you might consider changing this in order to prevent your posts from being deleted.
Cheers!
*EDIT - June 22
The link to Shangai Escorts is definitely not allowed on the Boards, so the Post has been removed.
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Post by WillTravel on Jun 22, 2009 1:12:32 GMT -5
Eagle, I agree with you, and I especially don't like the advertising of Shanghai prostitutes.
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Post by herrbert on Jun 22, 2009 3:25:05 GMT -5
I agree.
can the links be removed as well?
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Post by madamtrashheap on Jun 22, 2009 8:31:13 GMT -5
I would remove it! ddddyyyyobviously has no interest in being helpful as all s/he has written is "I agree with bjl", when bjl is acutally look for answers to questions. Nothing like some sharp observation skills!  Snip, snip! |
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).
). Great that you will get a taste of some countries on your Spring Break (how long is the trip?), but as Eagle noted, you may find places on that trip that you want to revisit on your own trip.
Snip, snip!