lira_adriana93

Hello! Long post here so please bear with me
My best friend and I are in college planning our graduation trip to Europe. At first we wanted to go to ALL 50 countries, and even though we have around 10 weeks to spare on this trip, we are traveling on a shoestring budget (no more than a couple thousand dollars). So we came up with a list of MUST visit countries, and a list of "Really want to visit for breathtaking scenery, but maybe could live without" countries we could squeeze in our trip if time and money allows. These are the countries:
MUST VISIT: Italy, Vatican City, Greece, Spain, France, Germany, Ireland, UK (England, Scotland, Wales), Switzerland, Netherlands (Holland!), Romania, Turkey, and Russia.
MAYBE visit: Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Rep., Denmark, Hungary, Iceland, Monaco, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Sweden and Ukraine.

We are girls. We are young but tough and adventurous and eager to learn from experiences. We are new at this but we know the world isn't rainbows and sparkles. Bad things happen but I really don't want to have many terrible experiences or deal with bad people, so I could use good advice.
We really want to immerse ourselves in the cultures and take the time to really appreciate the best that each country has to offer. I know I listed 29 countries that we want to visit, which is a rather long list, but I really appreciate all advice you could give me specially things like:
-Which country should we arrive at first, and in which order to follow?
-Very specific, local things to do besides the already well-known touristic spots
-links to actually useful train/bus itineraries (all the ones I've found are outdated/confusing)
-How to stay safe at all times, and avoid getting belonging stolen or have people rip you off, while still enjoying the trip and not being paranoid 24/7.
-Your best memories of each place you visited!
If you would like to send more specific information or would like to chat and exchange awesome traveling stories feel free to email me at [email protected] (don't send spam please!)
Thank you all so much for your time and advice!

Peter_S_Aus

Is it possible?

No!

ruedebuci

Yes if you can just figure out how to time travel back to 1972.

Robert2533

2girls! I think that says is all...

sparkchaser

Is it possible?

No. Hell no.

Europe isn't some third-world country where you can get by for $25/day. Ignoring transportation costs, $25 a day is staying in a crappy hostel and eating bread for every meal. And walking everywhere. EVERYWHERE. Because you won't be able to afford a bus ticket, let alone a train or plane ticket.

<i>-links to actually useful train/bus itineraries (all the ones I've found are outdated/confusing)</i>

http://www.bahn.de/i/view/DEU/en/index.shtml

And download the Öffi Station App for your phone. It is up to date, real-time bus and train schedules for Europe. I use it on a daily basis.



<i>We really want to immerse ourselves in the cultures and take the time to really appreciate the best that each country has to offer.</i>

29 countries in 10 weeks is 3 countries per week or about a country every 2 days once you factor in travel time. That is <b>not</b> immersing yourself in the culture. Not by a longshot.



Here's a final reality check. Here is the price for a ticket for summer ("after graduation") for a New York-Iceland-London-Kiev-New York ticket (presumes you are going to rail/bus/walk from London to your other destinations and finishing in Kiev): $3500.

sparkchaser

<i>2girls! I think that says is all...</i>

Reminds me of 2 Girls, 2 Shirts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bn8B1jKsaGg

WomBatt

'2girls. 1st trip to Europe. 29 countries. 10 weeks. $2k. Is it Possible?' - Whatever country's $, whether this is $2k. each or not - no!

I had no need to read further, but I did. Your post became even more naive. You are badly in need of a great deal of basic research which is certainly available to you in print and on the web.

sparkchaser

<i>I had no need to read further, but I did. Your post became even more naive. You are badly in need of a great deal of basic research which is certainly available to you in print and on the web.</i>

Harsh, but fair.

greg

Excluding the airfare, $2K for 10wks means $28-29/day for two people. This will not even cover hostels or convents or any distance transportation. So it is not possible to travel in a conventional way. One possible way might be to get a sponsor for a travel blog if you can write compelling stories accompanied by captivating photos. But I presume many people like you want to do the same thing, so it may be even harder than trying to get by with $28/day.

sparkchaser

<i>One possible way might be to get a sponsor for a travel blog if you can write compelling stories accompanied by captivating photos. </i>

I don't think that is a realistic scenario in this day and age. Maybe ten years ago but not now.

ribeirasacra

****If you would like to send more specific information or would like to chat and exchange awesome traveling stories feel free to email me [email protected] (don't send spam please!)****

So why post your email on an open forum that is how spammers obtain email addresses. Ask for it's removal.

kleeblatt

My advice is to find a kindly long-haul truck driver who has plenty of room in his truck for two other campers. Promise to teach him English while he's driving you to many destinations.

Or just ask Daddy for more money.

kleeblatt

Iceland might be a tad difficult to fit in.

This isn't the newest Nigerian scam, is it?

millie2112

these are the countries that I would not visit:
Romania, Turkey, and Russia.
Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Hungary, Iceland, Norway, Poland, Sweden and Ukraine.
It would take too long & be too expensive to do Scandinavia. I would give the eastern bloc countries a miss as well.

I think you mean $2000k per person??? I think you need to talk to your parents.

sparkchaser

It was already said out that Russia requires a visa, but I wanted to point out that Belarus does as well.

On a budget of $2k, Eastern bloc countries are all she can afford to see.

I'd sit down and sketch out an itinerary to show utterly unrealistic OP's plan is but I am too slammed with work today.

adrienne

You should spend your time studying geography and math then you could report back and let us know if this is possible. You could call your book "Europe on $14.28 per Day" or "The Adventures of 2 Girls, 2 Months, 2 Thousand Dollars."

You have 2.4 days per country and you want to immerse yourselves in the culture - unbelievable.

sparkchaser

I know that /trv/ could do Europe on $14.28 per day but I doubt OP would be willing to sleep on park benches/train stations/underbridges, walk everywhere, busk for cash, fare evade on public transit, and go for days without a proper shower.

Gretchen

Actually Iceland would be the easiest thing to fit in by traveling Icelandic Airlines.
But c'mon folks, don't feed the troll.

Gretchen

You do notice that the countries not to visit are conveniently alphabetized, as if reading from a list that has been checked off?

Cathinjoetown

Trolling wide and deep.