medic1126

Hey everybody! First time international traveler here, looking for some help planning my trip to Europe this summer. The main goal of this trip was to run with the Bulls in Pamplona. However, since I'm going to be in Europe, I thought I'd see as much as I can. Let me tell you what I have so far.

I leave out of JFK on July 4th, 2016, for an overnight flight into Barcelona. From there, I am taking the train from Barcelona to Pamplona. My accommodations in Pamplona are a very reasonably priced campsite that I booked through a third party, which includes shuttles into the city for the San Fermin festivities. I will be in Pamplona until 7/10, and then taking the train back to Barcelona to stay there in a hostel for three days. Everything up to this point is booked and paid for.

I am looking for routes, suggestions, travel tips and itineraries for the rest of the trip. I have to be back in the USA by 8/4/16. I'd like to get to Paris, London, Ireland, and Rome. It doesn't have to be in this particular order. I'd like to do it the easiest and cheapest way possible, and am open to all suggestions. Thanks in advance!

nytraveler

OK the easiest way and the cheapest way are usually not the same. From Barcelona I would take a discount airline (get tickets far in advance) to Rome, then later one fro Rome to Paris and finally the Eurostar train Paris to London.

All of these can be much cheaper bought far in advance - often 120 days.

For the cheapest there are some europen bus lines for students. I know nothing about routes - but just that the trips would be interminable and you would be sleeping on the bus at times.

JulieEC

I agree with NYtraveller. Just one warning. The discount airlines have tight carryon allowances, and unlike some airlines do police them.

No worries. Just buy any extra baggage with the ticket. First, it's cheaper that way. Second, it will give you a more accurate price comparison.

And avoid RyanAir into Paris if the flight lands other than CDG or Orly.

KTtravel

Check out the discount airline Easyjet. They have many flights in and out of London and Barcelona.
Skyscanner.com and WhichAirline.com are good websites to check out other budget airlines, as well.

medic1126

Thanks everyone, some awesome help and ideas so far!

Blueeyedcod

The Running of the Bulls is just part of the San Fermin Festival so stick around. Why not walk part of the Camino Frances - Pamplona is on its route. If you have a backpack and some decent shoes you can easily walk the stretch from Pamplona to Puente la Reina or beyond. You don't need to be a 'proper hiker' to do this walk and you don't need hiking boots. More information is here

http://www.caminoadventures.com/camino-frances/

Robert2533

"My accommodations in Pamplona are a very reasonably priced campsite that I booked through a third party, which includes shuttles into the city for the San Fermin festivities."

Good luck with that one. The nearest camp site, Camping Ezcaba, is several miles north of the city outside of Eusa - Oricain, about an hour by bus. I stayed there the first time I attended the fiesta. Thankfully it has improved greatly since then.

The schedule for the train from Barcelona to Pamplona will not be available until around the first week of June. You need to buy your ticket as soon as they become available, otherwise there will not be any seats available on the 5th or 6th. This is a very popular route during Sanfermines.

PalenQ

I'd like to get to Paris, London, Ireland, and Rome. It doesn't have to be in this particular order. I'd like to do it the easiest and cheapest way possible, and am open to all suggestions>

Barcelona to Rome, fly or take a day and night long cruise by boat between Barcelona and Italy;

Go via Florence to Venice by train - www.trenitalia.com - discounted tickets available if you book early enough to get those limited in number ducats;

Venice take overnight train to Paris - cheapest and most time-savings option - skip the cost of an accommodation and save daytime travel time even over flying - www.thello.com has discounted tickets for as low as about 49 euros if you book far enough in advance.

Paris to London via Eurostar trains - www.eurostar.com - same deal on discounted tickets and need to buy ASAP.

London - Ireland fly on Ryan Air or other cheapo airline or take train to Holyhead and boat to Dublin area.

For lots on trains check www.seat61.com - great info on discounted tickets; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com. You are not traveling enough on trains to consider any railpass.

PVR340PLA

I really enjoyed the overnight Paris to Venice train. I am so glad I did it. It was a great experience. So much better than just another flight.

PalenQ

Overnight trains are not for everyone - light sleepers as there is always noise of some type from inside the train and more from outside - PA announcements in stations - noise of trains braking, etc. That said I have take zillions of overnight trains without problem and really love them. But they are not for everyone but if you can get a good night's sleep it can be kind of an adventure - bring whatever food or drink on board you wish.

PalenQ

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...eper-train.cfm

Here is Man in Seat 61's take on the 'new'(in 2013) Thello Venice-Paris v.v. train.

medic1126

Thank you everybody for all of the help and suggestions, it has really helped! I am putting together an itinerary that I will post soon. I would love it if people could help me critique it and possibly help price things such as taxi rides.

PalenQ

Bring it on!

medic1126

So here is a very basic, bare bones outline I have put together. I am still looking over some pre-planned itineraries online to put together a day-to-day guide. I have included a few subheadings of things that I would like to see and do. I am all ears for suggestions, and very appreciate of all help. Thanks!

Depart JFK on 7/4/16
Outgoing flight booked and paid

-Arrive Barcelona on 7/5/16

-Barcelona to Pamplona (train)
-Taxi Pamplona train station to camp ($30?)

-Pamplona 7/5/16-7/10/16
Camp and one balcony booked and paid for
Opening ceremony balcony

-Pamplona to Barcelona 7/10/16
-Taxi camp to train station ($30?)

-Barcelona 7/10/16-7/13/16

-Barcelona to Rome 7/13/16
-Flight

-Rome 7/13/16-7/18/16

-Rome to Venice 7/18/16
-Train

-Venice 7/18/16-7/20/16
-Half day trip to Pisa

-Venice to Paris 7/20/16
-Flight?

-Paris 7/20/16-7/25/16
-Normandy day tour

-Paris to London 7/25/16
-Train?

-London 7/25/16-7/30/16
-Abby Road
-Stonehenge day tour

-London to Ireland 7/30/16
?

-Ireland 7/30/16-8/5/16

-Ireland to JFK 8/5/16

medic1126

I made one small change, and added an extra day in Paris, thus pushing everything ahead one day. I want to do two day trips while in Paris, Normandy and a day at Disneyland, and want to make sure I still have time to see all that Paris has to offer.

-Depart JFK on 7/4/16
Outgoing flight booked and paid

-Arrive Barcelona on 7/5/16

-Barcelona to Pamplona (train)
-Taxi Pamplona train station to camp ($30?)

-Pamplona 7/5/16-7/10/16
Camp and one balcony booked and paid for
Opening ceremony balcony

-Pamplona to Barcelona 7/10/16
-Taxi camp to train station ($30?)

-Barcelona 7/10/16-7/13/16

-Barcelona to Rome 7/13/16
-Flight

-Rome 7/13/16-7/18/16

-Rome to Venice 7/18/16
-Train

-Venice 7/18/16-7/20/16
-Half day trip to Pisa

-Venice to Paris 7/20/16
-Flight?

-Paris 7/20/16-7/26/16
-Normandy day tour
-Disneyland

-Paris to London 7/26/16
-Train?

-London 7/26/16-7/31/16
-Abby Road
-Stonehenge day tour

-London to Ireland 7/31/16
?

-Ireland 7/31/16-8/6/16

-Ireland to JFK 8/6/16

-Off 8/7/16

-Return to work on 8/8/16


Sent from my iPhone

sheila

You could stay for a year in Paris and not see all it has to offer. What are your priorities? Same question for London.

Do Easyjet or Ryanair to Ireland. Again, what are your priorities? Dublin and the bright lights, or Galway and the Burren (I give these as examples, you understand, not definitive choices)

Tony2phones

You can fly London to any Irish Airport and whilst Dublin is probably the widest choice of options if you consider Shannon or Cork as the incoming airport (assuming Dublin departure?) then you can see some of the west coast in contrast to the City of Dublin.

5 days for Ireland and 2 for Dublin isn't a lot of time on the ground so you need to detail and then prioritise what you want to see and do.

It would help me to help you if you asked a separate question for the Irish section giving a little information on what you want to get from your time over here.

annhig

medic - a word of warning - at the moment you're using american style dates [month/day/year] instead of european ones [day/month/year]

can I suggest that you start using the European ones when doing your trip planning - when you put dates into european websites, they will be using the date/month/year method. Otherwise if you book a flight for 10/7/16 you'll end up with one for 7th October, not 10th July.

medic1126

Thank you all for the advice and help so far! When it comes to things I want to see, I have some ideas, but am not 100% yet as I only know what I do from research online. I would definitely like to see the "tourist places", i.e.

London: Big Ben, Tower of London, London Eye, Buckingham Palace, Abby Road, Stonehenge

Rome:The Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, The Vatican

Paris:Eiffel Tower, Moulan Rouge, The Louvre, Normandy, Disney

Venice: Gondola ride, Doge's Palace, half-day trip to Pisa (Tower of Pisa)

Ireland: Cliffs of Mohrer, Blarney Castle/Stone, Galway, Dublin

These are just some things that come to mind. Again, as I have never been to any of these places, and frankly don't know much about them, I am open to any and all suggestions on places/things to add to the list, and how I might effectively get to do as much as I can. Thanks!

Tony2phones

Standard 7 day itinerary for Ireland given a flight into Cork.

Land Cork Night 1 Cork, Blarney is a bus ride out from the city no need to pay for a tour.

Day 2, Bus to Killarney see Killarney local options, National Park, Muckross house/gardens Gap of Dunloe Jaunting cart ride Cathedral lots of options

Day 3, Ring of Kerry or Dingle tour.

Day 4, early bus to Galway, see Galway

Day 5, Tour from Galway, Cliffs of Moher and Burren, or Connemara with either Kylemore Abbey or Cong, or Inis Mor Aran Isle tour.

Day 6, early express bus to Dublin, hop on/off Bus tour

Day 7, More Dublin or a tour, either Newgrange and Boyne to the North or Glendalough and Wicklow mountains to the South

Day 8 Departure.

By car you can add points more remote than bus tours or take a more logistical route.