alireza_12

I'm backpacking from Paris to Milan (or Spain - Low budget). I want some places in this path to visit and stay specially nice villages. I have 6-7 days for this travel (after I'm going to Milan, Venice, and Rome if I have Italy in my route not Spain) for 4-5 days. I can use train for a part of the route. I don't have any plan for Spain but based on your recommendation I cane change the route to Spain

*Is this a good plan to have this travel in France or it is better to have more time in Italy (or Spain?) for back-packing?

I want have combination of all things as possible like places other tourists going to visit and other places that have beautiful sights (villages, jungles and sea - specially villages). What is your suggestion for best places in France (or Italy, or Spain?) in this route? My budget is near 1200~1500 US Dollar.

+ I want use Airbnb and Couch Surfing

alireza_12

+ I select Italy because EXPO Milano exhibition in Milan. Is is worth or it is better to change the route to Spain?

alireza_12

+ I'm traveling in October-November (1 person-boy).

Blueeyedcod

At that time of year it will be low season in both places. Just go with what interests you more and do some research. Even places like Venice are budget friendly in November - and mercifully free of mass tourism.

nytraveler

Not sure where you are from but I don;t believe there are any jungles in europe. When you say back packing are you talking about hiking? If so you have bitten off way too much territory.

If yo are going by train you wold want to buy discount tickets far in advance.

Not clear how many nights you have altogether.

But to do from Paris to Milan and Venice and Rome with a number of small towns in between is an awful lot if you have only 6 days.

Suggest you start with Let's Go Europe - the standard student travel guide which has a bunch of info and tips for budget traveling for young people.

Alec

This isn't the best forum for budget backpacking trip as most users travel in comfort and stay in good-class hotels. Lonely Planet Thorntree Western Europe is recommended for you.
I can give you some brief help.
As stated, 6 days is too short for a leisurely trip staying in villages. International trains don't stop at villages and to get to smaller places requires transfer to local lines and buses, adding to travel time. If you had 2-3 weeks to do the trip, that would be different. It's getting cooler in October in Northern part of Europe, and it gets wetter in the Southern part, so hiking and outdoor activities will be more limited. Great time for exploring cities and sampling cultural life. Expo may be interesting but remember it will be very crowded, expensive and short of affordable accommodation. For this trip, perhaps you should choose no more than 2 intermediate stops in cities and explore. I'd suggest somewhere like Munich and Florence if heading for Italy, and Avignon/Toulouse and Barcelona for Spain.

alireza_12

Thank you for answers. With this budget what is your best plan for me? I'm staying in Paris for 5 days (In apartment of one of my colleagues - only I should pay for food and transportation + tickets for places i want visit). After that what is your best route with this budget?

I can use train, bus or other transportation system. How much time I can have travel with this budget in October-November? and which country?

Thanks.

bvlenci

The Expo ends on October 31st, and I would expect the last week to be among the most crowded. It is very expensive, and hotels in Milan have greatly increased their prices because of the Expo. Maybe with Air B&B you can find something affordable. I would be wary of Couchsurfing. I've read some reports of unpleasant experiences.

If I understood you, you want to spend 4 or 5 days visiting Milan, Venice, and Rome, and then you'll have another 6 to 7 days for wandering around smaller towns and villages. Unfortunately, you really can't visit these three cities in 4 or 5 days, first of all. You could possibly visit the Expo and Milan and spend a day also in Venice. Rome is a long trip from either Milan or Venice, and it's not worth the trip if you can spend only one day there. It's a big city and unless you're willing to skip the big tourist attractions, you'd mostly just spend your time among other tourists if you had only a day or two.

There are some nice smaller cities and towns near Milan, where life would be cheaper, although there may be few Air B&B hosts. Bergamo and Lodi are two small cities that come to mind. We once spent several days in the town of Abbiategrasso, where we rented bikes and explored on the canal bike paths. There are trains from Milan to Lodi, Bergamo, and Abbiategrasso.

There are also some nice small cities and towns not far from Venice. The town of Chioggia, across the lagoon from Venice, was at one time the more powerful of the two cities (or so I was told by several natives of the town). It's a pleasant and laid-back city, with an active fishing industry.

Comacchio is a nice little town with colorful houses, several canals and a lovely bridge. You can have a gondola ride in Comacchio for a fraction of the cost of a gondola ride in Venice. Our gondolier wore a white undershirt and he didn't sing anything. He gave us a souvenir at the end of the ride: a clamshell with "Souvenir di Comacchio" written on it in pink nail polish. There's a very interesting museum in Comacchio, devoted to a Roman ship that was found in the town. It's also famous for its eels, but eels are a taste I haven't acquired.

Ravenna and Ferrara are other nice small cities in the area.

Christina

The only jungles in Spain are in Tenerife, in the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa, you need a tropical climate. Plenty of forests or woods, though. I know there are mountains on the east side of Spain near Granada (Parque Nacional de Sierra Nevada), as they even go skiing there in the winter. Of course, I think you may want the Pyrenees in the north for real mountains.