Tour-Free Travel
May 22nd, 2013, 12:51 PM
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Tour-Free Travel
I'm trying to plan a trip to Europe, but I want to travel to Paris, Berlin, London, and Dublin. Tour packages I've looked up don't include all of those cities in one tour. So what I want to do is make my own plans without the help of a touring company. But I am uninformed. How can I get around? Where should I stay? How much will it cost? How can I make it as cheap as possible? These are the questions I need answered. Thanks!
May 22nd, 2013, 01:11 PM
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Are you going by yourself? Are you going to mainly main cities like you indicate? If so then consider using the wonderful rail system to get around - cars are useless in many European cities these days but trains will take you city center to city center - trains going up to nearly 3200 mph going everywhere all the time.
To get a fix on the European train system check out these fine IMO sources- www.seat61.com; www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com - download the latter's free and superb IMO online European Planning & Rail Guide a it is a great primer to understanding European trains and has many suggested rail itineraries (http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/id2.html).
Lots of your questions are very general and thus hard to answer - costs for example depend greatly on how you travel - do you want to eat in nice restaurants every night or picnic and eat supermarket food in your room (lots of nice take-out deli fare from ubiquitous European supermarkets) - whether you want to sip coffee at sidewalk cafes - neat to do but about $4-5 a cup sometimes - and where you go - Switzerland and Scandinavia are among the most expensive countries in the world.
and time of year can make a HUGE difference in costs - air fares along can be much cheaper in off-season and hotels can be much cheaper and cheaper hotels much more readily available, etc.
For instance I usually travel in winter to Italy and in Florence and Rome I can get rooms in OK hotels for 40 euros or so - with breakfast or in B&Bs - but those same rooms cost triple that in peak season.
To get a fix on the European train system check out these fine IMO sources- www.seat61.com; www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com - download the latter's free and superb IMO online European Planning & Rail Guide a it is a great primer to understanding European trains and has many suggested rail itineraries (http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/id2.html).
Lots of your questions are very general and thus hard to answer - costs for example depend greatly on how you travel - do you want to eat in nice restaurants every night or picnic and eat supermarket food in your room (lots of nice take-out deli fare from ubiquitous European supermarkets) - whether you want to sip coffee at sidewalk cafes - neat to do but about $4-5 a cup sometimes - and where you go - Switzerland and Scandinavia are among the most expensive countries in the world.
and time of year can make a HUGE difference in costs - air fares along can be much cheaper in off-season and hotels can be much cheaper and cheaper hotels much more readily available, etc.
For instance I usually travel in winter to Italy and in Florence and Rome I can get rooms in OK hotels for 40 euros or so - with breakfast or in B&Bs - but those same rooms cost triple that in peak season.
May 22nd, 2013, 01:15 PM
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For UK & Ireland it's easier to fly due to pesky seas between each other and the rest of Europe - though between Paris and London Eurostar is normally recommended
Consider a multi-city ticket - flying into one country and out of another so you don't have to retrace your steps.
For internal flights within Europe look at www.skyscanner.net BUT then check the "normal" European airlines. Also take into account the costs of getting to/from airports especially if early or late in the day when public transport may not be running.
Consider a multi-city ticket - flying into one country and out of another so you don't have to retrace your steps.
For internal flights within Europe look at www.skyscanner.net BUT then check the "normal" European airlines. Also take into account the costs of getting to/from airports especially if early or late in the day when public transport may not be running.
May 22nd, 2013, 03:33 PM
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How much time do you have kelli? I only ask because your desired destinations have some distance between them and will involve some logistics, time, and money getting from one to the next. If your time or budget is limited, you might want to pare down the list.
I understand you want to visit Germany for Holocaust-related sites. You could try an open jaw flight into Berlin and out of Dublin, visiting Paris and London in between. A mix of train and possibly continental flights would make this possible. If your destinations are the major cities, I agree with PalenQ that a car rental shouldn't be necessary.
I wouldn't worry too much about the touring companies. Within each of these cities, you will find plenty of tour options for the day if you want something more guided, from an hour or so to longer.
I understand you want to visit Germany for Holocaust-related sites. You could try an open jaw flight into Berlin and out of Dublin, visiting Paris and London in between. A mix of train and possibly continental flights would make this possible. If your destinations are the major cities, I agree with PalenQ that a car rental shouldn't be necessary.
I wouldn't worry too much about the touring companies. Within each of these cities, you will find plenty of tour options for the day if you want something more guided, from an hour or so to longer.
May 22nd, 2013, 04:28 PM
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REALLY???? Trains with speeds up to 3200 mph?>
Well yeh if trains went that fast but they do not - they do not even go 320 mp h if that is what you meant - top speed on most of the route to Berlin would be way below the 195 m p h top German trains which do not run between Amsterdam and Berlin - that said it is now only about 5 hours and there are overnight trains between Amsterdam and Berlin and many cities and Berlin - you may actually save money on a hotel night to boot!
Well yeh if trains went that fast but they do not - they do not even go 320 mp h if that is what you meant - top speed on most of the route to Berlin would be way below the 195 m p h top German trains which do not run between Amsterdam and Berlin - that said it is now only about 5 hours and there are overnight trains between Amsterdam and Berlin and many cities and Berlin - you may actually save money on a hotel night to boot!
May 22nd, 2013, 04:41 PM
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He was quoting you, Pal: <<trains going up to nearly 3200 mph going everywhere all the time.>>
And assuming that was a typo and you meant 320, you're now contradicting yourself: <<they do not even go 320 mp h if that is what you meant - top speed on most of the route to Berlin would be way below the 195 m p h top German trains which do not run between Amsterdam and Berlin>>
For the OP: The best way to keep your costs low is not to spend too much time in transit from one place to another and not to pick destinations that are far from each other (like Berlin in this case - it's a bit out of the way from your other destinations).
For inexpensive accommodation, check out airbnb.com. To keep food costs down, get sandwiches and snacks and fruit at supermarkets and never drink sodas! And if you do want a full meal, have it at lunch, not at dinner. Check out the availability of free or cheap entry into local sites for students or young people. Go to the Lonely Planet website to find out how other young folks on a budget plan their trips.
Enjoy the planning!
And assuming that was a typo and you meant 320, you're now contradicting yourself: <<they do not even go 320 mp h if that is what you meant - top speed on most of the route to Berlin would be way below the 195 m p h top German trains which do not run between Amsterdam and Berlin>>
For the OP: The best way to keep your costs low is not to spend too much time in transit from one place to another and not to pick destinations that are far from each other (like Berlin in this case - it's a bit out of the way from your other destinations).
For inexpensive accommodation, check out airbnb.com. To keep food costs down, get sandwiches and snacks and fruit at supermarkets and never drink sodas! And if you do want a full meal, have it at lunch, not at dinner. Check out the availability of free or cheap entry into local sites for students or young people. Go to the Lonely Planet website to find out how other young folks on a budget plan their trips.
Enjoy the planning!
May 22nd, 2013, 04:59 PM
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It would help us advise you if you gave us an idea of how much time you have - 10 days or 6 weeks or???
Also - if you give us an idea of a budget it willmake things easier. Do you have airfare (have you checked that out) plus $2K - or $5K or how much.
We can help you determine how many places you can get to - and some options. but then you will have to do a lot of work on details (lodgings, transit and budgeting as well as sights you want to see) to org the trip. Not difficult - but time-consuming - and IMHO a lot of the fun is planning.
Also - if you give us an idea of a budget it willmake things easier. Do you have airfare (have you checked that out) plus $2K - or $5K or how much.
We can help you determine how many places you can get to - and some options. but then you will have to do a lot of work on details (lodgings, transit and budgeting as well as sights you want to see) to org the trip. Not difficult - but time-consuming - and IMHO a lot of the fun is planning.
May 23rd, 2013, 06:49 AM
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He was quoting you, Pal: <<trains going up to nearly 3200 mph going everywhere all the time.>>
And assuming that was a typo and you meant 320, you're now contradicting yourself: <<they do not even go 320 mp h if that is what you meant - top speed on most of the route to Berlin would be way below the 195 m p h top German trains which do not run between Amsterdam and Berlin>>>
Oh now I see said the blind man - I missed that completely - sorry john.
No the typo was the 3 being there - trains going up to nearly 200 mph is what it should have been - not contradicting myself - you were the one that said trains go up to 320 m p h, pas moi.
And assuming that was a typo and you meant 320, you're now contradicting yourself: <<they do not even go 320 mp h if that is what you meant - top speed on most of the route to Berlin would be way below the 195 m p h top German trains which do not run between Amsterdam and Berlin>>>
Oh now I see said the blind man - I missed that completely - sorry john.
No the typo was the 3 being there - trains going up to nearly 200 mph is what it should have been - not contradicting myself - you were the one that said trains go up to 320 m p h, pas moi.
May 23rd, 2013, 07:59 AM
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<<I want to travel to Paris, Berlin, London, and Dublin. >>
Define why. Why those cities, why that combination.
That will help you determine what, how, when, etc.
Having been to three of the four, Dublin's just worth a day or two and is a bit of an outlier. It's not on par with Paris or London. It's not close. And Edinburgh > Dublin.
Your best bet, if coming from the US, is to fly east and do your trip west. If you're really stuck on Berlin, fly there first, then fly to Paris (they're not close to each other - Berlin is in NE Germany, basically completely across the country from the French border), then Eurostar to London. To do any of those three cities even minimal justice, you need 4 days - and that will be a surface scratcher.
Do not underestimate the size of any of your destination choices. London's population is as large as New York City's. Berlin and Paris are in the LA range and the Paris metro area is physically larger and more populous than London's (this is due to how the various metropolitan administrations define their urban areas). Dublin is smaller - its population is barely over 500K in the city.
Define why. Why those cities, why that combination.
That will help you determine what, how, when, etc.
Having been to three of the four, Dublin's just worth a day or two and is a bit of an outlier. It's not on par with Paris or London. It's not close. And Edinburgh > Dublin.
Your best bet, if coming from the US, is to fly east and do your trip west. If you're really stuck on Berlin, fly there first, then fly to Paris (they're not close to each other - Berlin is in NE Germany, basically completely across the country from the French border), then Eurostar to London. To do any of those three cities even minimal justice, you need 4 days - and that will be a surface scratcher.
Do not underestimate the size of any of your destination choices. London's population is as large as New York City's. Berlin and Paris are in the LA range and the Paris metro area is physically larger and more populous than London's (this is due to how the various metropolitan administrations define their urban areas). Dublin is smaller - its population is barely over 500K in the city.
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