3 week European jaunt in Dec-Jan

[benchia]

Hi everyone, I'm new to this forum and here's my first post!

I'm in my first year of university, and am taking this December break to travel a bit of the great Continent. I've ordered Rick Steves' book (2011 edition) and LP so I'll probably flesh out my itinerary over the next weeks.

My objective is to experience Old World charm and experience the season's festivities. I'm not a museum/gallery boff, but I'll pop into 1 or 2 each place I'm at; I prefer partaking in distinctly local activities. Also, I'm a hungry hungry man.

I've got quite a few questions which I'll try to answer on my own, but if anyone wants to chip in off the tops of their heads, any input would be most welcome!

Travelling: solo (for now, at least)
Experience: backpacked India and Vietnam
Budget: £60/day
Must-sees/must-be-ats: Brussels, Amsterdam, Switzerland

Itinerary
Dec
12: Travel to Brussels from London, arriving before noon; stay the night
13: Brussels
14: Travel to Bruges
15: Bruges
16: Travel to Amsterdam
17: Amsterdam
18: Amsterdam
19: Amsterdam
20: Travel to Berlin
21: Berlin
22: Berlin
23: Travel to Prague
24: Prague
25: Prague
26: Travel to Vienna
27: Vienna
28: Day trip to Bratislava by bus
29: Travel to Switzerland
30: Switzerland
31: Switzerland
Jan
1: Switzerland
2: ...


Questions
1: Term starts again on Jan 10, should I try to fit France or Luxembourg in? (I study Law so there's a mild interest there.) I would ideally like to be back in the UK by Jan 3 or 4 to prepare for exams. I can always do France, Spain, Portugal and North Africa another time.
2: Where's the best place to spend Christmas?
3: And the best place for New Year's?
4: Should I swap out Prague for Munich? Above 2 questions relevant here, I s'pose.
5: Should I give Vienna and Bratislava a miss and stretch my time in the other cities?
6: What's the recommended mode of travel between the cities? Maybe generally, but if anyone could expound specifically that'd be great.
7: Any recommended hostels in these cities? I'm considering couchsurfing/homestays too.
8: I'd like to get my skiing and snowboarding fix in Switzerland, what's the best place for that?

On first glance, I'm pretty sure I'm more than overextending myself. Hoping to reasonably work something out with the help of youse guys, heh. Much appreciated for taking the time to look through this very sketchy plan!

[jessus]

Hi benchia,

It doesn't look to me like you're overextending yourself so far. The days seem reasonable, especially considering that a lot of your days marked as "travel" days would certainly not be the whole day!

My first question: do you have a Switzerland destination?

And the answers to questions I feel I can answer:

1. Term starts again on Jan 10, should I try to fit France or Luxembourg in? (I study Law so there's a mild interest there.)? --> it may be slightly rushed, but I say if you have a couple extra days, use 'em! I'd pick one place close to where you'll be in Switzerland, travel on the 2nd early and stay there the nights of the 2nd and 3rd. Whether that's a city in France or Luxembourg, whatever most strikes your fancy.
... are you in the UK though? I was thinking UK from your reference to pounds, but if not (and your flight is significantly longer), perhaps you may just want to add a day or two at some other city

2: Where's the best place to spend Christmas? --> I'd recommend anything German! Most German-speaking cities have Christkindl Markets during the holiday season, and really seem to get into it. I've never been to Europe during December, but it's been something I've dreamed of doing.

4: Should I swap out Prague for Munich? Above 2 questions relevant here, I s'pose. ---> Hm... Munich: more Bavarian Christmas-y during the time, fun cozy beer halls. Prague: glittering Eastern-y splendour in the cold months. Depends what you're looking for! I did both, but can't really give you a proper critique since I hardly strayed from the Oktoberfest grounds in Munich (I was there at the proper time).


5: Should I give Vienna and Bratislava a miss and stretch my time in the other cities? ---> I wasn't entranced by Vienna, in fact of my trip it might have been my least favourite (but if you're a big pastry, palace, or classical music fan it's worth it). But your timing in the other places seems comfortable enough. If I were doing this trip, I'd do Salzburg instead of Vienna. (But I can't speak for Bratislava, never been there).

6: What's the recommended mode of travel between the cities? Maybe generally, but if anyone could expound specifically that'd be great. --> Train! Belgium/Netherlands trains are pretty cheap and fast too; Berlin/Prague/Vienna/Munich are all handy locations to travel between. Even your longer trips I'd recommend train. I'd look into a Eurail pass, but not sure how appropriate it would be for your trip. (I know other members here have a better concept of the Eurail than I do).

7: Any recommended hostels in these cities? I'm considering couchsurfing/homestays too. -->
- Amsterdam: Flying Pig Downtown. A bit pricey (as is most of Amsterdam), but worth it - cozy dining area with a tasty included breakfast set up like a 70's living room, a pillow & lamp filled crash pad, a hostel bar, right in the action
- Prague - Hostel Elf - cozy, home-y, small and really independent feeling

[Eagle]

benchia,

Welcome to the Boards!

Your proposed route looks fairly well sorted, without any backtracking. Be sure to allow adequate travel time between destinations. If you're travelling by rail, one of the longest trips will be Amsterdam-Berlin.

Could you clarify which Rick Steves book you have?

Your budget of £60 per day (about €70) is a bit low IMHO, but if you're careful with daily expenditures it should be adequate.

Is there a reason you chose Vienna to visit. You might also consider Salzburg.

To answer your questions (in the same order presented):

1.) Given your limited budget and the need to prepare for exams, I'd probably leave France and Luxembourg for another time.

2.) If you're in Prague on Dec. 25th, that would probably be the "best place". I haven't spent Christmas in Prague (or anywhere else in Europe) so can't comment on which place might be best. You might do an Internet search of Christmas customs in various countries to see which ones most appeal to you.

3.) Regarding the "best place" to spend New Year's, you didn't specify where you're planning to travel in Switzerland? One very important caveat to note - Switzerland is a very expensive place to travel! For example, when I was there a few months ago, the cost for an order of Fish & Chips and a pint of Guinness was SF$31.50 (I had to order another pint to forget the high cost of the meal)!!! It would be a good idea to check the lodgings in smaller locations as some may be closed on New Year's eve. One town you might check is Murren in the Berner Oberland. Unfortunately, there are only Hotels there which may be above your budget, however you could possibly stay in Lauterbrunnen. You could check out B&B's in Gimmelwald, but unfortunately the famous Mountain Hostel won't be available, as during winter they only rent to groups.

4.) My personal preference would be to swap Prague for Munich on this trip, as it will not only make travel a bit easier (and possibly cheaper) but will eliminate one stage of "currency switching". Munich is a wonderful city and one of my favourites.

5.) IMHO, yes. If you visit Munich instead it will be far easier to get to Salzburg if you want a place to visit in Austria.

6.) Travel by train is the method I tend to prefer. Second class fares will of course be cheaper. As you may be aware, reservations are compulsory on some trains (usually the fast trains such as the Thalys or TGV). If you're using P-P tickets, the reservations will be included in the cost. If you're using an Interrail (or other) Railpass then you'll have to pay the reservation cost separately. One other point to note is that some fares may be slightly cheaper if purchased a few days in advance.

You may get some helpful tips on travel by train by having a look at www.ricksteves.com/rail/rail_menu.htm. If you haven't used the trains much on the continent, you could also have a look at a short video tutorial from Rick at

7.) For Hostels in each city, you might check www.hihostels.com/dba/continent-Europe-EU.en.htm. I tend to prefer HI properties as the facilities are fairly consistent from one location to the next. Having an HI membership (very inexpensive) provides slightly lower prices and preferred booking. I tend to primarily use budget Hotels listed in the RS Guidebooks, with the occasional Hostel. I travel with expensive Camera gear, so Hotels are a more "secure" choice. I'm a bit "older" so can't offer any comments on Couchsurfing.

8.) My skiing days are long past, but the Berner Oberland area (Murren, Lauterbrunnen) suggested earlier would probably be a good place to look for that type of activity. For some interesting opinions on the subject, have a look at www.ski-europe.com/resorts/murren.html, switzerland.europe-mountains.com/bern/murren.aspx or www.j2ski.com/ski_resorts/Switzerland/Murren.html. One other significant point to mention is that for travel in that area you could also stay at www.balmers.com/ in Interlaken (they have a link on their website for skiing / snowboarding).

Hope this helps. Happy travels!