My "dream" itinerary. Please HELP!! (UPDATED)

[allsf]

I've just decided to make a long time dream come true and I am planning a last minute trip to Europe.. I am flexible as when to leave (late July/early August) and how long to travel for.. but I'd like to travel for as long as my dollar allows me to..

I am a bit overwhelmed by all the planning.. knowing me and the way I do things, I usually go for well planned trips so I am a bit freaked out - and excited! - trying to put all this together last minute..

I'd say my main concern is money (isn't that everybody's concern?).. considering all I want to see and do I still have to do what's best for my budget, right? I initially thought I'd be willing to spend about U$10,000 for the whole trip (not including the airfare from the USA since I'll be using my miles).. but then I realized some sort of train pass or air fares would eat a good chunk out of it, right? is that budget even realistic at all? is that enough money to see about 20 cities in like 3 or 4 months??

I am not searching for five stars hotels but I do have some concerns about hostels (I've never stayed in one!).. mainly I'd like this trip to be fun and adventurous.. with lots of sightseeing, museums, parks, and some sort of entertainment and nightlife too.. I am not a party guy, but I do enjoy a drink or two every once in a while..

I know my itinerary looks a bit ambitious, so I'll need to be careful with my expenses in order to stretch my dollar and see as much as I can for as long as I can..time is not the issue here.. money may be.

I understand July and August are not the best times to go to Europe so I think I want to do the northern countries first so I can escape the hot weather and crowds of the most southern places. I can get a good deal with my miles to fly to Amsterdam or London.. not Paris, nor Oslo, nor Copenhagen, nor Prague, nor Berlin though..

again, I know this is VERY AMBITIOUS.. PLEASE feel free to critique.. it's all in planning still so nothing is set in stone.. I am more than open to nix or add places.. how much time should I allow to these places? things to do/ places to see/ any gay inputs?

Amsterdam/ Copenhagen/ Oslo/ Stockholm/ Berlin/ Prague/ Bratislava/ Budapest/ Bucharest/ Istanbul/ Athens/ Rome/ Venice/ Nice/ Barcelona/ Morocco/ Johannesburg/ Madrid/ Lisbon/ Porto/ Paris/ London/ Dublin/ Glasgow/ Amsterdam

am I wasting time going to any of these places? am I missing something amazing along the way?

also, what would be the best option for my main transportation? a 3 month train pass? unlimited? HELP? I don't think I want to do a super planned trip with all in the paper.. I would like to have some flexibility as for staying longer in a place I love and less days in a place I don't care for.. how do I do this regarding accommodations?

any questions/ concerns/ comments/ suggestions will be super welcomed.. anybody into meeting up along the way?

THANKS BUNCHES!!!!

[WillTravel]

allsf, how have you set up your plane ticket? I know it's on miles, but you can sometimes arrange stopovers and open-jaws that will help you save intra-Europe traveling time. If you want to visit several continents, like you do, it's quite possible a round the world ticket is best, although I haven't had occasion to get one. However - the main problem is that it's difficult to get a ticket with the lowest amount of miles when you are getting it last minute, although who knows this year may be an exception due to the economy. I recommend looking at flyertalk.com and www.bootsnall.com.

Personally I wouldn't get a train pass. Thus far, I've found it better to look for the cheapest deals and buy the tickets in advance. Some sites are www.bahn.de and www.renfe.es and www.trenitalia.com and www.tgv-europe.com and voyages-sncf.com. However, in many cases the cheapest time to buy the tickets is about 3 months in advance. Many people have reported that with the cost of reservations nowadays, train passes are often not a great deal. If you absolutely do not want to plan your itinerary, it might be best to get a pass, at least for part of your trip.

A couple other sites that list both hostels and other budget accommodations:
www.hostelworld.com
www.hostelbookers.com

With a $100 USD daily budget (about 70 Euros), you will be hardpressed to have private rooms most places in western Europe. However, in Berlin I think it should be possible to get a 30-Euro hotel room, and in some other parts of central and eastern Europe. For London, look at www.lsevacations.co.uk - you can get cheap student rooms.

My personal opinion is that I would feel terribly rushed and overwhelmed with a 90-day trip and all those diverse destinations. Everyone is different, though. I'd also want to allow some time to visit smaller cities and towns.

I'd also consider skipping Scandinavia due to cost reasons. I'm not saying it's not worth it, but when on a budget, it's hard to justify going somewhere that's twice as expensive as another destination. I even feel a little bad posting this, because I don't want to slight Scandinavia, but really it's expensive.

You should also consider plane travel between cities - www.whichbudget.com . Be sure to consider luggage costs and all other fees, and figure out the cost and methods for getting to and from the airports, before purchasing a ticket.

It's hard for me not to suggest South America, particularly if you get a round the world ticket, but I know your time is already limited. But it can certainly be budget friendly.

[Eagle]

allsf,

Your proposed list of destinations is FAR too ambitious, even for a three month trip. Adding Johannesburg and Morocco is certainly feasible but keep in mind that you need to get there from Europe and will be limited by your $10K budget.

As WT mentioned, the "general rule" for a daily budget in Europe is about US$100 per day, which at today's exchange rate is about €71. IMO that's a bare minimum for lodgings, food and daily expenses. Some countries and cities will require more than this amount, espcially London and the Scandinavian countries. You'll probably be able to get by nicely with this amount in some of the eastern European countries.

Rather than Glasgow, you might consider Edinburgh instead. Rather than using Amsterdam for both inbound and outbound flights, I'd highly recommend using open-jaw flights.

You won't be able to accurately determine the best Rail Pass until you have a more-or-less definite Itinerary and order you'll be visiting each city. When you have this worked out, type the details into www.railsaver.com and the site will "suggest" the best combination of Rail Pass and P-P tickets. One thing to keep in mind is that a Rail Pass doesn't include the reservation fees which are compulsory on some trains, usually the fast trains such as the TGV in France.

I always pre-book lodgings and that's the approach I recommend. I don't like wandering around aimlessly in a new city looking for a place to sleep wearing a 50 lb. Backpack. If you don't pre-book, you may have to take whatever you can find which may be in a "dodgy" part of the city or the cost might be far more than you budgeted (in those circumstances, "beggars can't be choosers"!). This is especially critical in July and August, which is PEAK travel time in Europe.

Good luck with your planning!

[madamtrashheap]

allsf, I just answered your Post in the Pre-Travel section and asked for details on your city "wish list" as well as interests, etc, so some of those questions are answered by you in this Post so let's keep all of our notes and suggestions on your trip in this Thread to save any confusion.

Now you have listed you cities, that's a big part of the planning process. I've listed the number of full days (not nights) that are a good amount of time to spend in each city, but of course this always depends on interests, accommodation available, etc. IF time is no object once you've worked out your budget, then feel free to add more to places you think you might want to spend more time in.

Amsterdam - 3 (could do day trip to Den Haag, Groningen, etc but only if you're interested in them)
Copenhagen - 2
Oslo - 3
Stockholm - 3 (for Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm, there are other trips you can take from the cities - to islands, etc - and herrbert might suggest more/less time in each place, so see what he has to say next time he's online).
Berlin - 4
Prague - 4 (or 5 if you plan to visit Cesky Krumlov for a day, or a day trip to Kutna Hora)
Bratislava - 1, or even substitute it for Vienna and stay there for 3 days, with a hovercraft trip along the Danube to visit Bratislava for a few hours before continuing on).
Budapest - 2-3
Bucharest - 1, I'd also consider seeing more of the countryside in Romania, and even make the trek north to Brasov.
Istanbul - 3
Athens - 2, and I'd suggest adding some islands in to your itinerary as they are well worth the visit. Even if it's just Mykonos and Santorini this time around. Don't forget, the island season pretty much wraps up by the end of September, so don't plan to visit after this time (or before May)
Rome - 4, and also consider 2 days in Sorrento or Positano on the Amalfi Coast. You can visit Pompei from here, as well as lie in the sun and visit Capri if you're interested.
Venice - 2 (I notice no Florence or Cinque Terre on your itinerary - have you considered them?)
Nice - 2
Barcelona - 3
Morocco - depends where you wanted to travel in Morocco, but the country deserves more than just an overnight trip.
Johannesburg - might seem close on a map, but J'burg is about a 7hr flight from Spain...might want to reconsider it and place it in the "Africa" folder of your next trip.
Madrid - 4. This will allow for day trips
Lisbon - 2
Porto - 2
Paris - 5-6 if you intend to make a half-day trip to Versailles or a full day trip to other places near Paris.
London - 5
Dublin - 2
Glasgow - 2, although I'd like to recommend Edinburgh as well as Glasgow, great city.
Amsterdam - if you can fliy in to Amsterdam and out of Dublin or London (will mean altering your order slightly), then do so. No need to back track, unless you want more time here.

As you want to keep some portions of your trip flexible, you'll need to allow for a greater spend on accommodation as you won't be booking ahead so might miss the more budget-friendly options. Perhaps plan the first few weeks of your trip, then once you're underway you'll have a better idea of you funds and travel style and can book ahead a few cities as you go.

Sight-wise, did you want to see museums, architecture, churches, people, views...? There are so many of the above in each city they are too numerous to list here, but once you've settled on an itinerary, do a little Googling, read a little and you'll see what the "big ones" are and can go from there.

There are lots of funky clubs, gorgey cafes and areas to swish through it each city, again too numerous to mention here. But some highlights for you to consider are:

Amsterdam - fab B&B run by two lovely boys called Kamer 01 (or Room 1). Clubs like Escape, Supper Club, Sinners in Heaven and of course Church. Also check out April bar.

Florence - not on your itinerary yet I realise, but the first gay club to open in Italy is still here, called Tabasco.

Mykonos - two words: Super Paradise. Oh, and Pierro's club.

Paris - the Marais district: great places to stay as well as fun cafes and people.

Nice - Subway club , only on certain nights, along with a club on the port whose name I can never recall, but it has a large dark door with a sliding viewer when you knock (!).

Madrid - the Chueca district, great fun.

London - Old Compton street on a Saturday night or Sunday brunch at Balans, just to watch the boys rollerskate by. Other than that, the scene has moved to south London of late, in areas around Battersea and Vauxhall. Islington has some great spots too.

Check the Pink Guide online for info on each city, but that should get you started.

You might find that you either need to skip some areas for the next trip, or add more time to your trip, but this will also mean adding more to your budget. I'd suggest that you take out the Scandinavia portion and even the eastern Europe (Romania, Turkey) portion, as much as it breaks my heart to say so, and also the Morocco/Africa section. This will free up time and money. Once you've come up with a more definitive list of your itinerary, post it here again and we can fill in the blanks.

EDIT: took too long to type and WT and Eagle have also answered. Keep all in mind when you are planning.

[allsf]

will, eagle, madam, google.... THANK YOU.. THANK YOU.. THANK YOU!!!

will,

I still haven't made ANY reservations at all.. I am still digesting all the precious info I'm getting from you guys so I can somehow decide on an itinerary and start working on it.. I just want to make sure I am not making bad decisions I'll regret later or in the middle of my trip..

with that said, I have not set up my plane ticket yet, but that sure is rich information I'll take in consideration.. I am not sure I'd have enough miles for a round the world ticket.. nor do I think this would be the best time to use that as I'd like to really take advantage of it and see the world if I could.

the whole reason I'm posting here is so I can hear from you experienced guys.. also, from the very beginning I've been asking for opinions, suggestions and critiques.. so I can learn from all that.. I had no clue Scandinavia was an expensive place to go to.. so let's nix that from this chapter.. I would rather spend more time in more affordable places..

as for your South America comment.. I am originally from Brazil.. I've traveled some around my continent and I always feel like it would be an easier place to go to considering it all been close to my hometown.. indeed it's a much cheaper place to go and visit.. in fact, I spent last summer traveling within Brazil and a few weeks in Buenos Aires.. definitely a must place in South America.. and so cheap too!!

eagle,

thanks for being so blunt in calling my attention.. that's the whole reason I am here on this board. I don't want settle for feasible. I want the best I can get for the means I have available.. anything is feasible really.. but I want to experience the world out there.. not rush through places and miss things.. I like 'feeling' the places I go to.. seating down and watch people.. going to the supermarket and parks.. seeing how people have different habits of my own... to me that's as important in a trip as going to a museum..

let's forget Scandinavia.. and Johannesburg all together.. Morocco too (that one hurts though!).. also Slovakia, Romania and Turkey.. oh, and you are not the only one to suggest Edinburgh instead of Glasgow.. so that's changed too. I'll also work on getting an open-jaw ticket so I wouldn't have to back track.. which Eastern European countries would you think would be great/cheap places to go to and explore more? I am very flexible as where to go to.. some places that are a must though are Paris, Amsterdam and Rome (have been to them already.. ought to come back!)

I agree with you that pre-booking transportation and lodging would save me some great money.. but in order to do that wouldn't I need to stick to a firm route? there are so many decisions to make.. and endless questions.. how am I gonna get all this together in a month? am I rushing through things and risking ending up broke and frustrated? :-(

madam,

thanks for taking the time to work on my itinerary.. I only saw these postings after replying to that another thread, so let's try to keep this one as the main one to save everybody's time..

it looks like Scandinavia was a poor and rushed made decision.. so I'm skipping it.. also I'm skipping Johannesburg, Morocco, Slovakia, Romania and Turkey altogether.. I am going to follow your guys suggestions and concentrate my time and money in more affordable (and closer to go to) places..

as for your questions..

- YES, definitely interested in day trips.. particularly from places I could get a cheap hotel room and have it as my headquarter.. I'd love to learn more about day trips from the main cities I'll be staying in.. not even sure where to go to or how to get there.. costs? would that break my budget?

- Greece.. am I being too unrealistic keeping it in that itinerary? perhaps I could find some good deals from Italy?? definitely interested in the islands as I am a BIG SUCKER for beaches and could take a break from all the crazy traveling if I found an affordable place to stay.. in Greece or any other places I wouldn't spoil my budget

- Italy.. I've been to Rome, Pisa and Firenze.. not opposed to coming back to Firenze as it was one of the most beautiful places I've been to.. I definitely would trade that to go to Capri or another place I haven't been to though..

- Paris.. been to Versailles.. would go back on a half day trip or to another places..

you are right about what I want to see.. museums (don't want to be overwhelmed by them though), places, things, people, lifestyle above all.. all that. thanks for the 'gay tips' too.. I wasn't really expecting them, but they are all much appreciated. I am not as concerned about that right now as I feel like there are much more important decisions I need to make now and I can always look into that after I have worked out the details of my itinerary, transportation and accommodations.. which are my biggest concerns right now..

by the way, places I've been to in my previous trip.. just to clarify some doubts you guys may have.. Madrid, Barcelona, Toledo, Nice, Monaco, Pisa, Florence, Rome, Vaticano City, Venice, Innsbruck, Munich, Basel, Lucerne, Bern, Paris, Versailles, Cologne, Amsterdam and London.. I think that's all.. I did all that in a little over a month and it all worked out really well without making me feeling overwhelmed nor anything.. however, I don't have the same energy anymore to be rushing through places so I'd rather 'savor' a place instead of 'passing through' it..

I guess this is what my updated itinerary is as now.. does it look more doable and rational (taking in consideration time AND budget)? I'll have to check into an open-jaw ticket though..

AMSTERDAM/ BERLIN/ PRAGUE/ VIENNA/ VENICE/ ROME/ ?ATHENS?/ ?NICE?/ BARCELONA/ MADRID/ LISBON/ PORTO/ PARIS/ LONDON/ EDINBURGH/ DUBLIN

* I feel like I could do a city between Rome and Barcelona.. not necessarily Nice.. Marseille? also in between Porto/Lisbon and Paris.. any suggestions?? before I work on days for each city.. am I making great choices here? I mean.. I feel like I can't go wrong really.. but are there any other places I should go instead of these ones at this time and point? am I missing some fabulous sites along the way??? again, I am open to your wonderful suggestions..

** also, I could do without the Great Britain.. if you guys think I am still being unrealistic about it..

*** still another big question remains.. what would be my best (cheapest) transportation for this itinerary?

**** a bit out of topic, but how would I work on my upcoming reservations as I go.. would I be better off taking my laptop with me?

bless you all!
Alex

[allsf]

a quick update..

I've spent all day playing with my itinerary trying to pay attention to all the great tips I've gotten here.. I've found that I could still do a great trip in a little over two months instead of three and perhaps have more room to breath within my budget.. I'd still keep my original U$10,000 budget but that would have to include all the transportation too.. except for the main airfare.. I am pretty sure I can get that with my miles.. also, with that, perhaps I could 'upgrade' my stay from the hostels?

I've broken down my "dream itinerary" in tentative days.. I've nixed Nice in order to spend more time in one of the Greek Islands.. perhaps Mikonos and/or Lesvos? it would be sort of a nice break in the sun right in the middle of my trip - doable? affordable?

Amsterdam - 5 nights - so I can rest up from the long flight

Berlin - 4 nights

Prague - 4 nights

Vienna - 4 nights

Venice - 2 nights

Rome - 5 nights

Greek Islands - 6 nights - I would love to spend sometime in the sun somewhere!!!

Barcelona - 4 nights

Madrid - 5 nights

Lisbon - 3 nights

Porto - 3 nights

Paris - 6 nights

London - 5 nights

Edinburgh - 3 nights

Dublin - 3 nights


note that this is still a work in progress.. I would spend more time in the more affordable places (which are they anyway?) and less time in the most expensive ones.. I'm totally open to day trips if I can figure anything about them.. also, I realize I still have to figure out my transportation in between cities in order to adjust all that timing..

thanks!

[Eagle]

allsf,

The Itinerary in your last Post looks a lot more realistic. A few brief comments...

- Amsterdam: I'd suggest perhaps three but no more than four nights (including the day you'll lose in flight times). I'm sure herrbert will have some suggestions on that point.

- DON'T forget to factor in the travel times between each of your destinations.

- For the destinations you have listed, transportation will likely be a combination of rail and budget airlines. If travelling via budget airlines (especially RyanAir!) be sure to pack light or you'll PAY. Also, usually only ONE carry-on allowed. Budget airlines usually operate on a "sliding scale" - the tickets increase in cost as the flight fills up. Also, tickets are usually non-refundable and non-changeable when booked.

- For lodgings you might look at budget Hotels as well as Hostels. The price is often not that much different between the two. Have a look at some Guidebooks for suggestions with lodgings.

Cheers!

[allsf]

some updating on my plans.. PLEASE COMENT!!

I've made air reservations and was able to get an open-jaw tickets with my miles.. I'm flying in to London on July 22nd and out of Lisbon on September 26th.

with that, here is my tentative itinerary..

SFO to London on Monday 07/21 - arrive London 07/22 - 11:15am

London - 5 nights - Tuesday 07/22 to Monday 07/27

Edinburgh - 3 nights - Monday 07/27 to Thursday 07/30

Dublin - 3 nights - Thursday 07/30 to Monday 08/03

* what's cheapest transportation options to do London/Edinburgh/Dublin or London/Dublin/ Edinburgh? then fly to Paris from one or the other??.. whichever route works best..

Paris - 6 nights - Monday 08/03 to Monday 08/10

Brussels - 3 nights - Monday 08/10 to Thursday 08/13

Amsterdam - 4 nights - Thursday 08/13 to Monday 08/17

Berlin - 4 nights - Monday 08/17 to Friday 08/21

Prague - 5 nights - Friday 08/21 to Wednesday 08/26

Vienna - 4 nights - Wednesday 08/26 to Sunday 08/30

Venice - 2 nights - Sunday 08/30 to Tuesday 09/01

Florence - 2 nights - Tuesday 09/01 to Thursday 09/03

Rome - 4 nights - Thursday 09/03 to Monday 09/07

Sorrento or some other city - 2 nights - Monday 09/07 to Wednesday 09/09

Greek Islands - 6 nights - Wednesday 09/09 to Tuesday 09/15

** then fly from Athens to Barcelona?

Barcelona - 3 nights - Tuesday 09/15 to Friday 09/18

Madrid - 4 nights - Friday 09/18 to Tuesday 09/22

Lisbon - 4 nights - Tuesday 09/22 to Saturday 09/26

Lisbon to SFO on Saturday 09/26 @ 10:30am

** a friend might join me in Lisbon on 09/18 for the last leg of my trip.. if she confirms I'd plan that last week in Portugal with her..

what do you guys think? too long in some cities? too short in others? I feel like I'd like to explore more Italy, Spain and Portugal.. perhaps nix Brussels in order to free some time up? day trips?? I tried to keep the weekends in the main cities for some of the social/gay scenes.. ;-)

my main thing now is the transportation.. I've tried so many sites already and can't figure anything out.. a 2 month/15 days Eurail Global Pass seems a good solution, but it's pricey and adding all the extra reservation fees won't help.. any lights???

I guess once I sort the itinerary and transportation I can start work on accommodations.. geez!!! :-)

[Plym]

We will be in Berlin at the same time!

Just a quick comment on the UK (where I live). The cheapest mode of transport is MegaBus where you can get cheap as chips deals from all the majors cities.
It would take a good few hours and you would be on a bus but trains are quite expensive here.

[allsf]

Plym,

thanks for the reply
someone suggested that I try and fly to and from London, Edinburgh and Dublin.. since trains could be pricey over there.. then get me a one month Eurail Pass to start it in Paris and end it in Greece.. than try cheap flights or individual train fares for the rest of my trip..

does that sound like one of my best options for my main trasportation??

[WillTravel]

Allsf, here are my transport suggestions:

London - 5 nights - Tuesday 07/22 to Monday 07/27
train - at www.nationalrailco.uk - if anything cheap is available
next, check flights at www.whichbudget.com and www.skyscanner.net
Last - Megabus.co.uk or NationalExpress.com (bus companies)
Cheap trains and flights may be sold out at this late date.

Edinburgh - 3 nights - Monday 07/27 to Thursday 07/30
Same as above.

Dublin - 3 nights - Thursday 07/30 to Monday 08/03
Bus is probably too long to Paris. So a flight, even if expensive.

* what's cheapest transportation options to do London/Edinburgh/Dublin or London/Dublin/ Edinburgh? then fly to Paris from one or the other??.. whichever route works best..

Paris - 6 nights - Monday 08/03 to Monday 08/10
Check
voyages-sncf.com for a cheap train fare (if still available).
Or tgv-europe.com .
I personally would only do this if I could do a self-print ticket (which you can usually do if you select France as your country and proceed to buy the ticket in French, but experiment).


Brussels - 3 nights - Monday 08/10 to Thursday 08/13
Try
tgv-europe.com
thalys.com (I'd personally only want self-print, although I guess pickup at the station would work too)


Amsterdam - 4 nights - Thursday 08/13 to Monday 08/17
www.bahn.de for train - I wouldn't do a mailed ticket at this point, just a self-print
Flight sites above

Berlin - 4 nights - Monday 08/17 to Friday 08/21
I think this is an instance where you can get a relatively cheap train ticket even not in advance, but look it up. Again, try www.bahn.de

Prague - 5 nights - Friday 08/21 to Wednesday 08/26
Probably cheap train ticket on the spot. Some might say you should shorten here and add elsewhere, but up to you.

Vienna - 4 nights - Wednesday 08/26 to Sunday 08/30
At least 12 hours by train, so either a night train or a flight.

Venice - 2 nights - Sunday 08/30 to Tuesday 09/01
Buy a ticket when you get to Italy.

Florence - 2 nights - Tuesday 09/01 to Thursday 09/03
Buy a ticket when you get to Italy.

Rome - 4 nights - Thursday 09/03 to Monday 09/07
Some combination of bus and train.
Sorrento or some other city - 2 nights - Monday 09/07 to Wednesday 09/09
Fly.

Greek Islands - 6 nights - Wednesday 09/09 to Tuesday 09/15

** then fly from Athens to Barcelona?
Fly.

Barcelona - 3 nights - Tuesday 09/15 to Friday 09/18
High-speed train - www.renfe.es

Madrid - 4 nights - Friday 09/18 to Tuesday 09/22
Not sure. Fly?

Lisbon - 4 nights - Tuesday 09/22 to Saturday 09/26

Excellent - you got an open jaw ticket.
Lisbon to SFO on Saturday 09/26 @ 10:30am

I did the itinerary without thinking of passes, but of course a pass could be good for some or all of this. Passes are not generally useful particularly in Italy, given the cheap cost of tickets and the need for reservations even if you have a pass.

Passes are also not generally useful in the Czech Republic.

If I were to guess, I'd say a pass covering France and the Benelux and maybe Germany might be useful, particularly as you have likely missed cheap train tickets.

[herrbert]

If you want to explore more in Spain, than I would not fly from Madrid to Lisbon, but take the train (or bus) to Caceres, to see the old city there, and after that head to Portugal.

From Madrid it´s easy to make daytrips to Toledo and Segovia. If you have the time, it would be good to head to Granada and Sevilla from Barcelona (flight.) before going to Madrid.

[allsf]

will and herrbert,

thanks for the replies..
as I was getting too overwhelmed with all the planning I realized that leaving on the 22nd was only like five business away and I was not very comfortable with it.. also, I am still a bit concerned about getting to Europe in the middle of the peak season and paying higher prices for everything.. so I was able to get a later flight for Aug 5th.. it's only a two weeks move.. but hopefully will give me a bit more flexibility and availability for my bookings..

also, I am seriously in doubt wether I should spend 3 nights in Dublin and 3 nights in Edinburgh.. I know Scotland and Ireland are beautiful places and worth going for weeks.. is it worth going for such a little period of time or just I just nix them and make my dollar stretch somewhere else, perhaps Eastern Europe or Morocco? is Morocco too expensive of a place? I've always wanted to go there..

any thoughts? thanks!!!!!

[WillTravel]

allsf, I think the Edinburgh festivals in August are just amazing, and that was one of my favourite places to visit. But accommodation, particularly private accommodation, will be very hard to get for a reasonable price. We stayed at Edinburgh Metro Hostel, which *only* has single, private rooms, and it was such a good value and so reasonably located. I think they may be more expensive now, but take a look. There may also be student rooms.
www.syha.org.uk/hostels/central/edinburgh_metro.aspx
www.travelstay.com

Personally I'd probably only do London and Edinburgh, and leave off Dublin. There will be more than enough to see in that time and you will make things cheaper and easier. That said, it's true the UK is more expensive than elsewhere, but I wouldn't want to miss it.

For staying in London in private rooms, try this:
www.lsevacations.co.uk/

[allsf]

will,
bless your heart!!!

I'll definitely look into that..
I don't mind hostels at all as far as I could get a single room I think.. so any other suggestions you may have of cheap/affordable single rooms elsewhere would be welcomed..

also, since you guys have been my mentor.. hehe.. would it be a worth trip going to Krakow and Budapest for a few nights on each place? or should I just use that extra time (I also expanded my trip to 2 1/2 months - 75 nights instead of 67..) and explore more Italy, Spain or Portugal? would I get a better stretch of my dollar on those places?

thanks!