Hi - This site was recommended to me by a friend. I'm travelling to Europe and leaving in August and ending in December. I'm doing the trip most young people do, and young I am not. My itinerary is Turkey, Greece, Italy, Morrocco, Spain, Portugal, France, Belgium, Germany and ending in Holland. What advice can you give a single traveller. Places to stay, those to avoid. You know the sort. Suggestions will be greatfully accepted.

Most young people do not take four-month trips! (Most have to work or go to school, or at least have to earn a lot of money before taking a costly trip.)

It would be best if you re-post, with separate threads (and specific thread titles that reflect what you're asking) for each of your questions, in specific geographic areas, for example, dangerous places to avoid in Amsterdam, places to stay in Cappadocia with certain specifications, concerns for a single traveller in Morocco, etc.

P.S. For questions about Morocoo, you should post on the Africa and Middle East forum.

You'll probably get a lot more responses if it is evident that you've already done at least some basic research on your own.

Your itinerary is, right now in my opinion, far too vague..we could spend years talking about all the <b>possible</b> destinations in just one of those countries you are planning to visit.

I suggest you ask about specific places within specific countries.

What most young people do has to do with your specific question I cannot comment upon.

Good luck

Besides needing to give us more to work w/ - your itinerary seems &quot;upside down&quot; to me.

You are starting in the hottest possible countries in August and ending in the cold north in Dec.

Since you mention young people, are you planning on doing a backpack-style trip? Staying in hostels?

To be helpful we'd also need some idea of the budget you have for the trip. Are you looking for a single 3-star hotel room in the $100 range, or want a bunk bed in a dorm in the $30 range... for example.

Do you have transportation figured out on how you will travel between these countries? Or need advice about trains, planes, and bus options?

Fodor's is a fantastic source of information, but the more specific the question, the more helpful we can be.

Search, book store, library! Try, Bill Bryson's books about travel about Europe.
Buy a large scale map of Europe; locate the places you decide to visit. Connect them in the order you plan to visit them. Next; determine your means to travel. Air, train, bus, car, bike or foot!

Hi JT,

You are leaving THIS August?

I wonder if the itinerary order is driven by the possibility that this person is traveling west from Australia?????

You need to do some research; get a copy of Lonely Planet or Rough Guide for Turkey and get your plane reservations in hand...and then figure out where you will stay in Istanbul after you arrive. And have a general idea of where in Turkey you would like to go. The rest will work itself out...you will be arriving in Europe at a good time, after the crowds have gone.....you will meet lots of fellow travelers and get advice on how to make your way to your next destination, Greece in the first instance. Give us an idea of your budget and perhaps some can recommend hostels or hotels...you need to reserve in advance for Istanbul, as I said before.. I have traveled extensively throughout Asia, Africa and Europe, once for a year's stretch and often solo, with little or no advance planning. It can be done..don't let the worriers here get to you!

Hi JT ~

Welcome to Fodors.

I have 'been here' for over four years and have found this site to be extremely helpful in researching our travels and it has enhanced each journey in many different, wonderful ways.

A good place to begin is to give as much information as possible when posting a question and narrow your post to only a couple questions.

Before I post a question, I always do a text search. Just type in say 'Rome hotels&quot; in the text search box at the top of your screen if you plan to visit Rome while in Italy, etc. and many posts from previous Fodorites will pop up in the left hand column. You can spend hours reading, and it is a lot of fun.

There is a wealth of information here, and even a board for solo travelers.

Have fun, look around, and by all means, please remember to post a trip report about your journey when you return!

Safe travels, Tiff