alexmattocks

I'll look into it thanks for the suggestion!

JohnEnglish1

Hey same thing here. I'm 18... Should be in Germany by April to join a ship as a seaman in transit... Was so confused about this Schengen thing because I'm applying for my UK Right of Abode..

Hope u do have a nice trip

FrenchMystiqueTours

I made my first trip to Europe in 1994 and backpacked for two months. I don't know what the rules are for the various rail passes nowadays but back then they were loose and either there were no rules about advance booking of some trains (like TGV) or they weren't enforced or perhaps I just ignored them. None of the conductors that checked my Eurail pass ever seemed to care. At any rate I would advise you to leave flexibility in your schedule. On more than a few occasions I was invited to stay at the houses of other backpackers I met who lived in Europe. Unlike you, I did absolutely no research before I left. My whole "plan" consisted of landing in Amsterdam and that was it. I had a Let's Go Europe book (that I never read until I was on the plane to Amsterdam) and got all my info from that. Aside from when I was staying with people I met I don't think I spent more than 2-3 days maximum in any city I visited and I moved all around Europe. When I was done visiting a city I just showed up at the train station, looked at the departing train schedule and got on the next train to wherever seemed interesting. When I showed up in a new city I looked in my Let's Go book for the addresses of a few hostels, bought a map of the city and then showed up at whatever hostel to book my accommodation. My list of visits went something like Amsterdam, Dresden, Hamburg, Copenhagen, Berlin, Munich, Krakow, Prague, Budapest, Zagreb, Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Gimmelwald/Interlakken, Milan, Cinque Terre, Genoa, Barcelona, Mallorca, Seville, Paris, Dublin, Galway and then to Italy to live there for 6 months. I'm sure I'm probably forgetting a couple of places but I just wanted to illustrate that your list is doable.

Basically what I'm saying is your plan seems fine to me but don't book all (or even most) of your hostels/hotels in advance and only book in advance those trains that require advance booking. Again, I'm sure the rules for rail passes are different now so do research that part of your trip but other than that leave a lot of room for flexibility and spontaneity. You'll learn from other travelers as you move around. Looking back on my trip I'm glad I did it the way I did it and I wouldn't change a thing.

suze

I think you can still travel like that if you want to. Onelittle thing that is different from 1994

<When I showed up in a new city I looked in my Let's Go book for the addresses of a few hostels>

is I know you can now make a hostel reservation at your next upcoming city, online in advance, right from the hostel you are currently staying at. That would save walking around trying to find a place to sleep each night at every new city.

suze

For me 3 months would be a lot to be on the move all the time. I'd consider building in a few 'rest stops' (like you have with Ireland and Switzerland).

Maybe you could reserve inexpensive apartments in advance for a few different weeks out of your trip? Like for Paris or Switzerland or Florence. For me I know I'd appreciate a vacation from my vacation (taking trains every few days) to stay put in a studio apartment for a week and do my exploring from a home base for a change of pace.

PalenQ

Taking overnight trains can save money on hostels and travel time - especially I use them when the scenery in between ain't nothing to write home about - zillions of overnight trains and with a pass you have to pay for the at times optional sleeping supplement - but still for a couchette or reclining seat much less than a typical hostel even.

alexmattocks

Thanks JohnEnglish1!

You're trip sounds amazing FrenchMystiqueTours! I'll definitely make sure to be flexible and open to spontaneity. I like the idea of having an itinerary because I recently went on a road trip to California with a friend and we had an itinerary before leaving that was really nice to have. We changed our plans multiple times which was always really great but it was still nice to have something to go off of when we weren't sure where to go next. This is why I'm not concerned with my itinerary taking away my flexibility because nothing is set in stone and I can really do whatever I want once I'm over there!

I like you're idea suze of taking long breaks throughout my trip. I've tweaked my original itinerary so that it's even slower than before and I was thinking of using something like airbnb for when I want to relax. I don't think I can afford to rent an apartment. I'll probably choose my breaks once I get there when I really like a place. Also I've heard that it's hard to find hostels in some cities so I'll most likely be booking them before I get there so I don't waste time wondering around looking for a place to stay, thanks for the tip!

Overnight trains is another good idea PalenQ. Do you ever have to change trains on an overnighter?

alexmattocks

This is my new itinerary (how many nights in each place):

London - 5
Amsterdam - 6
Prague - 6
Vienna - 6
Munich - 6
Venice - 5
Rome - 6
Orvieto - 3 (should I bother stopping here or go straight to Siena?)
Siena - 7 (as home base for other towns)
Cinque Terre - 3
Appenzell - 3
Lucerne - 3
Lauterbrunnen - 5
Bern - 3 (should I omit Lucerne and add it on to my time in Bern?)
Colmar - 3
Paris - 6
Glendalough - 5
Kinsale or Killarney - 5 (which one?!)
Galway or Westport - 5 (which one!?)
Derry or Belfast - 4 (which one!?)
Dublin - 4

Also I can't thank you guys enough for the help!!

dulciusexasperis

Some comments re the comments on Switzerland.

First for those suggesting less time, it's the OP's trip, not yours. If the OP has an interest in the country then I don't think anyone should be saying, 'I'd spend less time there' What YOU would do is irrelevant.

Second, re costs. Switzerland is no more expensive than other parts of Europe such as the UK or the Scandinavian countries. What may have been true 30 years ago simply no longer applies but the comments that it does persist.

I personally have spent a LOT of time in Switzerland and do NOT find it more expensive. Received wisdom on other Travel Forums (particularly Lonely Planet's Thorntree) is that a 'backpacker' can travel throughout Western Europe on 50E per day. That is for a hostel bed, supermarket food and the odd beer or museum entry but does not include transportation costs. Since the OP will use a rail pass then he can expect to manage on that budget IF he is willing to get by in the way a backpacker would. So get off the 'expensive' line. That dog won't hunt.

I agree with PalenQ re Gimmelwald alex. Not likely to be your best choice for a base. I suggest for the areas you are not so sure of where and for how long (Ireland and Switzerland) that you mention, that you start separate posts asking specifically about them. I also suggest that you visit other travel forums as well. Fodor's is primarily the 'average tourist' kind of forum. For budget backpacking travel it that is more applicable to you, the Thorntree is a better bet for you to get info more relevant to your needs.

dulciusexasperis

Sorry alex, should have written 'she' of course. My granddaughter's name is Alexandra, you'd think I wouldn't make that male assumption for the name 'alex'.

PalenQ

50 euro a night for Switzerland is possible but only if you never go to a restaurant, a cafe for a coffee, buy stamps for postcards to the States - do nothing except sleep and eat supermarket food that is carefully selected - bread and cheese but sticker shock can easily set in on many things.


I strongly disagree with dulciusexasperis that Switzerland is not more expensive than other countries - I've seen pirce indexes where along with Norway it is the most expensive country in Europe if not the world.

that said not everything is expensive across the board - some supermarket food is only about twice what you'd pay at home and a lot depends on the current exchange rate - right now getting worse vis-a-vis the dollar a bit.

Hostels and youth hotels in Interlaken, Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen are bargain priced for the country.

joannyc

I spent 17 nights in Switzerland. It was not too much.

Any interest in Montreux and/or Gruyere? Gruyere and Broc can be a day trip from Montreux.

Chateau Chillon is walkable along the lake from Montreux. Or there is a bus, too.

Also, Yvoire, France along Lake Geneva is a beautiful, charming, medieval town.

joannyc

Don't omit Lucerne!!!

dulciusexasperis

My point is that Switzerland is AFFORDABLE on any budget. Price is NEVER a reason to add or omit a country in my opinion. If that were the case why would anyone ever go to any country other than the cheapest in the world.

A traveller should go where they are interested in going as their first priority. While cost does matter all it does is determine the maximum amount of time your trip can last.

Which brings me to another point. I would far rather enjoy 2 months than survive for 3 months. I'm not suggesting that alex live on an absolute bare bones budget all the time. But if she gets some time at 40E and some at 60E the average overall works out the same. If she happens to get offered a job in a hostel for a week that adds time without cost.

My advice is to plan all you want alex in the places YOU want to go and ignore other people's choices. When you get on the plane, throw your plane out the window (figuratively speaking).

Travel is about the freedom to get up each morning and decide what you want to do. Go for a stroll, pack up and leave, whatever you want. There is no 'right' amount of time to spend in a place. I've gone to places thinking they would hold my interest for several days and been ready to leave within a few hours. I've gone to other places and stayed for far longer periods of time. It isn't how many places you visit that matters, it is what you get out of each day that is important. If that means you get to place 3 and stay there 2 months, so be it.

I am 100% against booking anything ahead. Again travel is about freedom to make choices. All kinds of things can happen when you are on the road for an extended period of time. It is not like a 1 or 2 week vacation. You meet people, they suggest things.

I've had offers to share transportation to places I would never even have thought of. I've had offers of jobs. I've had offers to join the crew of a sailboat. The possibilities are endless and there is no way to know ahead of time what you will run into.

What you don't want is to say as I once heard a guy say, 'Oh wow, I would love to do that with you but I have a hostel reservation in Rome and a flight to catch to Istanbul next Friday. I can't go.' Note that 'can't go'. It was self-imposed.

All that is FIXED is a maximum amount of time available and a maximum amount of money available. Anything else you self-impose.

joannyc

While in Switzerland, try to see the "moo-ving of the cows and sheep" from the lower pastures to the upper pastures for the spring/summer. All the animals have their big, ole bells on and flowers on their heads as they are paraded through town. So cute! Quite an enjoyable time!