Visiting Europe for a month this summer

[Arnfinn Madsen]

TheUsher,
I think it is mainly a question about how you travel. If you do what you feel like, go where you want you often end up paying much for hotel rooms, rental cars etc., but whereas if you plan as TheMetetron it is much cheaper. I would think the "no plan"-way costs at least twice as much, if you arrive in a city late in the night or over a dinner decide to stay there, many places the hostels are already closed and many cheap hotels booked up. It is also hard to orientate wrt prices for different alternatives some places (try to make a 55 year old grumpy woman who speaks only Polish explain you how you can get a discount [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]) so to avoid hassle you end up taking the first thing that looks good regardless of price. It is priceless though [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img].

[TheMetetron]

Madsen said what I was going to. I've done things both ways. I just got back from Chile and had absolutely no plan. I intend to go back there for 3 weeks next year and just wander around doing whatever looks fun, but that certainly isn't for all. I also have way more time than most people to do as a please.

With my brother coming along, it makes so much more sense to plan things out. He knows a lot of things that he really wants to see and would be upset if he didn't. He also makes only $50k per year and doesn't have an asston of money to be throwing around. Hence, some planning is required.

Also, I've lived in some of the most expensive European countries in the past, trust me I'm aware of what things cost. The key to big cities is not get tourist ripped off by paying tourist prices for meals and other things. Learning to read menus in languages other than English is a hugely +EV play for eating cheaply in Europe.

[TheMetetron]

Also, you are getting ripped off at hostels if you are paying double what I am. All of the hostels I'm staying at are at least 80%+ on hostelbookers and have gotten a ton of positive reviews.

[EmpireMaker2]

skip berlin go to munich, skip madrid go to barcelona, skip milan go to florence or rome, unless ur really into fashion.

[steel108]

Sorry to bump, but TR??????????? I'm going to Europe for 30 days in December and would like to hear your reviews.

[TheMetetron]

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Sorry to bump, but TR??????????? I'm going to Europe for 30 days in December and would like to hear your reviews.

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It should be in the travel forum sometime this week.

[steel108]

A lot of people are saying that a plan isn't good for traveling in Europe, but in order to save money on airfare within Europe, you have to buy tickets early. How do I reconcile the two?

[AMT]

[ QUOTE ]
A lot of people are saying that a plan isn't good for traveling in Europe, but in order to save money on airfare within Europe, you have to buy tickets early. How do I reconcile the two?

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get the sure things down (France, Amsterdam, somewhere in italy im sure, london, etc...) and plan convenient train rides to neighboring countries (cheap and convenient; also generally cheap to travel within europe)

[cwsiggy]

Is there a reason you aren't even considering Prague?? (don'tknow if that airline travels there though)

Skip Berlin and go to Prague.

[TheMetetron]

[ QUOTE ]
Is there a reason you aren't even considering Prague?? (don'tknow if that airline travels there though)

Skip Berlin and go to Prague.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm not sure who this is meant to be for, but Berlin was by far one of the coolest cities I visited in Europe. I'd be very upset if I skipped it. Of all the cities I visited London & Amsterdam would've been the first 2 to go. Rome is 3rd except it is pretty cool to visit once... I just don't see anything to see there after you visit once.