AndyFZ

So I have been saving and trying to plan to this trip to Europe. I know one place I want to go for sure is Amsterdam. Germany would be nice as well. I plan on going for two weeks and was hoping to have saved 5000 by June.

What trip plan to you recommend I take for 2 weeks? How many places should I go? How much money should I have? Planning on staying in hostels? Anything I should know?? Help me out! I don't know where to start

AndyFZ

Also I'll probably be traveling alone and I am Female.

alihutch

Suggest you try this forum http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/index.jspa and this website http://www.roughguides.com/

You'll have a great time and be fine travelling on your own..

j_thomas428

I am doing my first euro-trip currently. What I can tell you is that Amsterdam is amazing. Stay in a hostel or couch surf. they are less expensive and if you are Couch Surfing you will probably meet someone that wants to show you around the city. A hostel that I would Suggest is St. Christopher's. it has a great atmosphere and is more like a hotel than a hostel. flight hopping is great if you only want to spend a couple of days in different places. www.momondo.com is a great website for cheap flights. Plan on spending about $100 per day. Also the earlier you book your flight the better. Oh, and earlier in the summer is better also. Europeans go on vacation in late July and August. Hopefully this isn't overwhelming and good luck!

nytraveler

IMHO for a female to coussurf is close to madness. You have no idea who thee people are - not does anyone know where you are.

I'm by far the opposite of overprotective - but this is something that makes no sense. Stick to hostels and do your research to find reliable ones (some are full of drunks and drugs, with theft common). Hosteling International hostels are usually reliable - but do a LOT of research in the sources listed above for the latest info.

Does your $5000 include air fare? Have you researched what airfare is from your location to Amsterdam and from whatever the last place you end up is? Paris?

In two weeks I would stay in 3 places - so you can get a feel for each - perhaps do a day trip. Get to meet people and understand a little about the culture - as well as see the basic sights.

We've taken our daughters to europe several times - and they have since gone on their own with boyfriend/fiance - or girlfriends. they have enjoyed spending time in one place, meeting people there, seeing it through the eyes of locals - not possible if you spend 1 or 2 days in a place. And of all the places they've been they still both like Paris the best (partly I think since it let them practice their French, they felt more self-sufficient and connected to the city).

daveesl

First, good for you. Have a great time.

Next, with $5,000 you can do LOTS of stuff in two weeks, even if that includes airfare. Say your air is $1,000, that leave $2,000 per week. I just sent my son and daughter to Paris and London for 2 weeks. They had an apt. in the 2nd in Paris for 9 days, took the Eurostar to London and stayed at St. Christopher's London Bridge Village hostel for the rest of the trip. That trip didn't cost anywhere near 5 grand. Yes, it was February, but they still did and saw a lot.

Last year my daughter did a week trip by herself to Copenhagen and Stockholm. Including air, she said she spent about $1,300, staying in hostels.

dave

daveesl

Oh, and as far as being a 20 year old female traveling alone. Daughter has done 4 solo trips, beginning at 19. These included Tokyo, Paris, Rome, Copenhagen/Stockholm.

HAVE FUN, YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE

dave

KayF

I'd also suggest checking out the ThornTree forum on Lonely Planet. It's more geared to your age group and backpacking etc. If it was me, I'd try and cover a fairly small area. As an example, fly into Amsterdam and stay there for 4 nights. Then train to Brussels and spend about 3 nights in either Brussels or Brugge (gorgeous with buckets of character) or Ghent. All these small Belgian places are about 30 mins by train from Brussels. Then train to Paris from Brussels and spend about 5 nights there, flying home from Paris.

I'd suggest hostels too but definitely a good idea to research before you go. You'll get suggestions of good places to stay, or places to avoid, at each hostel anyway. It's the travellers network

With this plan, or a similar plan, you avoid flights within Europe which all take time, you still get to visit 3 different countries and people in this region often speak good English or a bit of English which is helpful.

If you have any big bookstores near you, go in and pick up a few on Europe, like Lonely Planet guides, Rough Guides, Frommer's, Let's Go etc and leaf through them, making a note of anywhere you read about that sounds appealing. You won't be able to visit them all on this trip but it will give you more ideas of what you'd like to see and do. In Amsterdam they have guided bike rides which could be fun and in Paris, you can do guided walks though the youth hostels probably have more exciting things than that for younger people.

The more research you do now, the better off you will be but try and have a bit of flexibility in your plans.

Kay