Wachupita

Hey i am planing a trip to Europe for me and a friend, we are planing to spend about 4 nights and each place, so far the places that we want to go is AMSTERDAM, FRANCE, BARCELONA AND ITALY. We are leaving from the JFK airport, so far we thinking leaving on May 8th to Amsterdam. spend 4 nights there, from there take a train to Barcelona again 4 nights there then France , and finally Italy. ( move from place to place in trains!!!!)

I was looking at different hotels close to the center of the cities. i never been to Europe so i don't really know what to do. Im looking for any recommendations and also know if is a good idea to just spend 4 nights in each place and if its enough. we are two young guys my friend is 24 im 18 so pretty much we looking to have fun and enjoy the city.

The hotels, we are not looking for anything expensive just a nice place to spend the night and maybe grab some breakfast there. our budget is not define yet since we don't know exactly where are we going.


If have any recommendations or ideas, it would be a pleasure to hear them:

>Hotels
>Where to go
>Where to stay
>What to do
>Trains

Sidny

OK, I get it, you're young and haven't been to Europe before. I mean this in the nicest possible way, but you need to look at a map! ;-) At the very least, you need to reorder your stops so that you start in Amsterdam or Paris (I'm assuming you mean Paris when you say France). Then fly down to Barcelona and either fly or train up to Italy (which city are you thinking, Rome maybe)? You should plan to book an "open jaw" plane ticket that will arrive in your first city and depart from your last city so you don't waste time backtracking just to catch the flight home. You can do the Europe flights on one of the low cost European airlines.

Good luck, you obviously have much planning yet to do. Might want to check out Lonely Planets forums too.

Wachupita

Thanks Sidny.

Yes im planing to start in Amsterdam and then Barcelona, after that Paris and finally Italy. Yes im definitely coming back from Italy.

What you think would be better take trains or plane? and do you have any idea on where to stay, and do you know around how much would this cost?

kybourbon

How many days/hotel nights do you have?

You should look at some of the budget airlines between your cities. You can fly Easy Jet from Paris Orly to Rome cheaper than the train usually. Sometimes you will find prices for about 35€.
www.skyscanner.net
www.whichbudget.com
www.easyjet.com

Wachupita

in total 16 hotels nights so far.

Wachupita

Thanks alot for the website they really help>

adrienne

If you want to spend 4 nights in each location (although Italy is a country, not 1 city), and only have 16 nights then you will have to fly from place to place and you won't have 4 complete days - probably 3.5 days in each city.

I would change the order to: Amsterdam, Paris, Barcelona, and then wherever in Italy. It will cost less and take less time to work north to south rather than north/south/north/south.

How much will it cost? No one can put a price on travel. People spend very varied amounts on vacation. If you have a budget you should reveal it and then ask for advice on how to stay within your budget.

If you're thinking of a very low budget trip then plan on staying in hostels and look at the Thorn Tree forum as well as there are more young folks there.

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/index.jspa

A good guide book series is Let's Go, intended for budget travelers (I'm assuming since you ask how much the trip will cost that you have limited money).

suze

You need a guidebook

Seriously. The internet is great for finalizing details but overwhelming when you are starting from scratch for a first trip.

Pick up the Europe book from Let's Go, Lonely Planet, Rough Guides, or Rick Steves and read thru that to start making your plan.

I also like to have a big map to work with (pin it up on the wall) so you can see the relationship of one place to the next.

When you say you want to see "France" and "Italy" each in 4 nights... you gotta narrow it down (lol!) since obviously you can't see an entire country in only a few days.

This can be a GREAT trip, but you've got a lot of planning and research ahead of you. OR you can go seat-of-the-pants and just purchase a plane ticket and head over with guidebook in hand!

Wachupita

Im not thinking to stay exactly 16 days, In Italy i want to stay 4 nights in Rome.. im not really limited of money but i would like to know an average.

Yes i was looking at hostels, it would safe a lot of money.

Wachupita

i want to stay in Paris... and Rome

adrienne

<< but i would like to know an average >>

There is no average. Some people spend $500+ per night for a hotel. I'm not one of those people and I guess you're not either. Hostels are about E25 per night; a modest hotel is about E100 to E150 per night for a double.

The rest depends on sightseeing admissions, transportation, and food. In France and Italy the cheapest food and drink is standing up at a bar, the next expensive is sitting at an indoor table, and the most expensive is sitting at an outdoor table. You can buy paninis from a truck for a couple of Euro. All food will be cheaper if you avoid the areas around popular tourist sights. Don't drink soda and refill your water bottle at the hostel before you leave in the morning.

You need to look at some guide books because your trip will be better if you're prepared.

Wachupita

Im going to look for some book this week im trying to plan everything by the end of next month so i can do all the reservations. I seriously want to have a great time in Europe and visit alot of places. I dont need any expensive hotels i just need a nice and comfortable place, close to the center of the city.

suze

<I dont need any expensive hotels i just need a nice and comfortable place, close to the center of the city.>

Sorry but that still doesn't narrow it down. There are literally hundreds of hotels that fit that description in cities like Rome, Paris, Amsterdam, and Barcelona.

It's not difficult to plan a great time and visit alot of places. You just need to get started somewhere. You can read thru threads here on Fodor's about hotels, and read the reviews of them over at Trip Advisor, besides what you'll find in guidebooks.

Wachupita

i will do that i kind of have an idea of price, i was looking at hotels and i found some with good reviews, around US$80 a night.

Sidny

Glad you're getting a guidebook, that will help your plans gel. I just want to make sure you understand what I, and a few others, were trying to indicate about your travel route. Adrienne said it best, you don't want to go north/south/north/south, you'll waste too much time. Fly into Paris or Amsterdam, whichever has the best deals from your home city, and do the two cities one after the other (only about 4 hours by train between the two, I believe). Then fly to your furthest point south, Barcelona, and fly or train back to Rome. For example, train from Paris to Barcelona is about 9 hours during the day or 12 hours overnight (I'm looking at an old timetable). If you love train travel, go for it, especially if you have the time. But if you need to conserve time, consider one of the discount carriers listed above.

You'll find great recommendations for inexpensive hotels in any guidebook, and shouldn't have trouble getting a reservation in early May. Have fun planning!

Wachupita

i was also thinking going some where else in Spain, Should it be a good idea?