JameJamerz

I was looking into a study abroad program with my school but a semester would be $15,000 and a summer would be $5,000. I figure I could use the same amount of money and see more of Europe than just one country. I would like to travel to Dublin, London, Munich, and Rome to start. Looking at hotel prices, there is nothing between a hostel ($30-$50 average a night) and a hotel (over $100 average a night). It would be me and possibly one other person. Maybe I am just leery about hostels because I wouldn't want people going through my stuff when I sleep but there must be a something else. Does anyone know where I would even start with a trip like this??? Hoping to go summer of 2009.

JameJamerz

ttt

Sunnyshine

I'm not an expert by any means, and needed to state that upfront. However, there certainly are budget ways of seeing the country. I know hostels are all over Europe, and often the choice of those with low budgets. You'd just have to plan to take your most important stuff with you at all times (ie waterproof baggies for passport, money, ID, etc in the shower).

We met a young couple at the Eiffel Tower who were really roughing it. They had a tent, set up camp somewhere in the countryside outside Paris, took the train to town each day. Even found themselves jobs, worked for a few weeks, saw the sights, and moved on to another area of Europe. Definitely I wouldn't want to travel this way, nor would I recommend it, but it can be done.

Get yourself some guidebooks of the area you wish to see, check out bed and breakfasts and hostels. Narrowing down areas is first, then guidebooks - they often have tips for accomodations. Bring a friend along, you'll enjoy yourself more. Oh, ricksteves (ricksteves.com) sells these silk bags for people sleeping at hostels (hostels often require sleep sacks or your own bedding).

Best of luck planning!!!

global_guy

As someone who's traveled extensively and worked at a youth hostel, I would suggest that you look into hostels a bit more before dismissing them completely. Many decent hostels will often offer lockers (like you'd have had in highschool) where you can secure your bags and other belongings. I would be very reluctant to leave my passport and money etc. on the bed while hitting the shower, but assuming your room includes a locker you really ought to be safe.
Also, keep in mind that if you are sharing a room with a stranger, that they are going out on a limb by trusting you as much as you are by trusting them.
If you are traveling with a friend, you may consider booking private rooms in hostels (believe it or not many have them), in which case only you and your travel companion would have access to the room.
I'm not sure where you live, but Hosteling International www.hihostels.com has lots of locations around the world. If you happen to live near one, you could call and see if they have any "Backpacking Europe" info sessions scheduled. Those talks usually include some info on what to expect, how to budget, and how to plan.
Likewise you could drop into a local hostel to get an idea of what the experience would be like.
Hosteling International's hostels conform to a fairly high standard and you might be surprised to see how well situated and well appointed they can be.
Finally, I know that there are certainly other options around, but if you're somewhat leery, you would probably feel more secure at an HI property rather than an independently run one. It's my feeling that independent ones can have more character and be excellent too, but that the character can sometimes be a bit rougher around the edges since they aren't subject to the same standards as a chain.

Cowboy1968

For hostal chains in Germany and neighboring countries, you can check out:
www.aohostels.com
www.meininger-hostels.com

Keep in mind that many hostels nowadys don't only have dorms, but also private double rooms, often in the same building. Beds start at €10-15, rooms are around €30-40, depending on availability and season.

Since I assume that you are somewhat in the 18-25yo age group, it might also be a good idea to check online resources like Lonely Planet's thorn tree.
The destinations you picked are somewhat pricey, e.g. Munich is a bit more costly than Berlin, and the latter is more popular with younger travellers (cheap eateries, cheap clubs/bars etc.).

Since all your destination are located in West/Central Europe, it might also be interesting to add or trade some of those for an East/Central city like Budapest.

Many of your European peers will hit the Southern beaches in summer:
Ibiza for non-stop partying, Tarifa in Southern Spain for windsurfing, Costa Brava/ Barcelona (a great way to mix a cool city and the beaches) and many other places -- if you should travel between May and October.

JameJamerz

A question about hostels: If I arrived at one at say 2 in the afternoon, could I leave my luggage there and still sight see? Also, if I decided to stay in the same hostel for 2-3 nights, can I leave my luggage there? There is no way I am going to carry around 3 weeks worth of clothes, etc. all day while sightseeing.

yorkshire

Of course you will be stowing your luggage while you sight see.
You won't pack that much clothing--you will do laundry from time to time.
You really need to buy a Lonely Planet or Let's Go or some such guide to get a sense of what it's all about.

ira

Hi JJ,

The Thorntree Forum at www.lonelyplanet.com will have a lot more people your age and budget.

>I would like to travel to Dublin, London, Munich, and Rome to start.

That's one place too many to finish.

You have 50 years to visit Europe. It will still be there when you return.

isabel

There are bargains to be had but it does take a lot of looking. But for example, last summer I stayed at a hostel in Edinburgh that had single, lockable rooms (6 rooms shared a full kitchen and two bathrooms, the flat was locked, and then you could also lock your own room). It was £18 a night. It's only available in the summer, the rest of the year it's student housing.But that was a very economical way to see a very expensive country (especially since it included a kitchen so I could eat in). This summer I am going to Budapest and staying at a B&B that sounds great for €25 for a single. A double is only about €40, and you can store food in their fridg. Of course you can't find great places like these everywhere but there are certainly plenty of economy hotels for around €50 for a double - often requires you to share a bathroom, but your room itself is private/lockable. And often includes breakfast. In London EasyJet has a hotel chain now with bare bones rooms (some don't even have windows) but they are private and safe and quite cheap.

You picked some pretty expensive cities though - Dublin and London and Rome are among the most expensive places I've been. Would you consider less expensive places - Paris, Madrid, Lisbon, etc. How flexible are you.

Londonres

When I was a student, I used the HI hostels and found them to be safe, secure, friendly and clean. Some of my friends still use them. London has several YHA hostels (YHA is part of HI). The Oxford Street hostel has mainly twin or triple rooms.

http://www.yha.org.uk/

As in Edinburgh, university accommodation can be booked during summer holidays (and sometimes at Easter). For example:

www.city.ac.uk/ems/accomm/accomm.html

http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/vacations/

http://www.ucl.ac.uk/residences/

For Dublin:

http://www.goireland.com/dublin/camp...unty-page1.htm

Also look at the Let's Go travel guides which are aimed at young budget travellers.

Ceidleh

If you stay in hostels, note that the first poster who told you to bring your own sleeping bag or sleep sack might not realize many hostels provide all bedding and do not want guests using their own (for fear of bed bug infestation). If they don't offer free bedding, you can rent it for a reasonable fee and avoid the hassle of lugging it all over Europe.

Definitely don't write off hostels. If you aren't comfortable sharing your room with strangers, you can get a single (or double) private room.

Check hostel reviews online at sites like BUG and Hostelworld.com - you can see how a specific hostel stacks up regarding cleanliness or security.

University lodging (as mentioned by other poster) is also a great option. I stayed at Trinity College in Dublin, Queen's University in Belfast and London School of Economics - all have great options for single or double rooms (many with your own bathroom) and have great perks like laundry/internet facilities, daily maid service and free breakfast. They cost about the same as a private room in a hostel, but much less than a hotel.

The Rough Guide series of books are great as far as guidebooks go for offering accommodation at all budget levels (especially options that fall between hostel and hotel).

You might also look into possible home stays with a local family (I think Servas is an organization that might be able to help you there), or other alternative lodging (many religious organizations offer cheap, basic rooms for tourists - convents, monasteries, etc.).