Advice for a first time traveller?
 

Hi there! I'm a 20 year old student planning to travel to Europe in Jan-Feb 2014 for a month with a friend, and as it will be my first time travelling without my parents (and being a bit of an organization freak), I hope to get some wisdom and advice on here to make the planning a little clearer and easier for me. I know I'll be asking a lot so it is VERY appreciated for any little or long advice you can give :)

This might get a few rolling of the eyes but the base of the plan is to start on a Contiki tour for no more than 2 weeks then start exploring countries in Europe on our own for the remainder of our trip. I know there are a lot of people who don't see Contiki in a very positive light but as it's our first trip away on our own, I feel with everything being planned and being with a group of people, it'll help us ease into the whole travelling by ourselves thing.

This brings me to the weeks after our Contiki tour where we'll be travelling without a tour group, just ourselves. I honestly have no idea where to start, where to go - where is good to go, how to get to one country to the next (obviously plane, but more of the process of it all?).. basically I'm on a clean state. So please, any advice, tips and recommendations or anything at all would be greatly appreciated :)

If you recommend any places/countries to visit it'll also help determine which Contiki tour we'll want to take seeing as tours don't particularly allow you to fully appreciate the places you get to see due to time limitations.

Looking forward to any replies!

It is a personal decision as to where you want to go. Have you got any idea of where you want to tour? Which continent? Haha

Oh sorry just re-read that, silly me. Have you been to Europe before? Maybe you want to see places you haven't already? :)

Oh sorry just re-read that, silly me. Have you been to Europe before? Maybe you want to see places you haven't already? :)

Oh sorry just re-read that, silly me. Have you been to Europe before? Maybe you want to see places you haven't already? :)

Give us some personal preferences as to what you enjoy most. History, culture, party, beach time, architecture, music, food, hiking, budget, places you have been before and liked/disliked any particular, languages you speak, stuff you are interested in etc. Other than that it'll be nothing else than stating our personal preferences which wouldn't be of any help with regard to the fun your trip should provide to the both of you.

You've listed some countries. Where is your tour taking you? I don't think it's a bad idea at all and will give you confidence. But without knowing where you will have been, how could we suggest other places for you. And as said above, it will be OUR personal likes.
Do you like countryside? Do you like museums and cathedrals? Do you have a smattering of language? What kind of budget?

I think it is a very good idea to do a trip.
I do not know your details, but I can suggest you some of my favorite places:

France - Paris, Cote d'Azur
Italy - Rome, Florence, Venice
Germany - Munich, Berlin, Heidelberg, Cologne
Holland - Amsterdam
Czech Republic - Prague
Poland - Warsaw
Bulgary - Sofia
Hungary - Budapest

Mostly you can travel by train, because Europe is not that big!

Considering the time of year you're planning, I would probably not choose the most northern destinations (Sweden, Netherlands) in your tag line, but that's me. I see that Contiki offers 14-day "Mediterranean Highlights" tours that start/end in Madrid and Rome.

I'm with Jean - in the winter, I'd focus on Italy and Spain. But I hate cold. If you're fine walking around in the cold, that opens up your options (though I might still stay away from Sweden, since the days will be quite short there).

Otherwise, the answers to MaloBalo's questions will be very helpful.

Sine you are going in midwinter you might ay differnt choices than you would in summer. But for us to help you, you need to provide more info:

Where will the Con Tiki tour go?
What are your interests?
Are you going for winter sports? Or do you want to try to find someplace that is less cold for sightseeing?

Suggest you get some guide books and tour brochures and look through them to decide what YOUR must sees are.

also, you need to look at your budget - Switz or Scand is probably almost twice as expensive as Portugal or rural parts of central europe.

One you have done some work yourselves and have more speciic questions people can be more help.

When traveling from one town to another, get the names of a few hotels and ask the hotel where you are staying to call ahead.

If you plan on renting a car, learn how to drive a shift, it will save you hundreds of dollars.

Do not pick up a car and drop off in another, the surcharge will be ridiculous.

When walking around take a backpack and fill with bread, cheeses, wines, desert, chcoolates, fruits that you see during the day and have a feast back in the room. If you are checking in your luggage, put in a knife, fork, spoon, and corkscrew. If you are carrying it on carry plastic utensil and buy a corkscrew once you get there. You will save a lot of money.

I have no idea what Contiki is besides a raft.

In your situation, I think an organized tour is a great idea. Have fun! After that, the train will likely be your best mode of transport. There are particularly good deals available to those under 26, so check out your options for Eurail passes or other discounted tickets.

Wow, thanks so much to everyone who has replied!

TravelBound96: Nope, have never been to Europe before! What are you favourite countries to visit? :)

Frankman: Thanks so much! I'll definitely keep those saved and start Googling them. And is Europe really not that big?! I've always just seen it as overwhelmingly big. Shows how much I know, ha. Also thanks for the link! Very helpful.

Jean & jent103: Ooh thank you both, that makes it easier for me to narrow down the countries. To be honest, I'm not much a fan of the cold either but I'll go through anything if it means to experience something beautiful! I wish I was able to go during Summer but it's just not a good time for me - life schedule wise (if that even makes sense lol) .. but yes, the "Mediterranean Highlights" is definitely one of the tours I was considering but unfortunately it doesn't run in January so it doesn't fit into our time schedule :(

BigAleinsten: Great advice! Thanks so much :) ..I think I'll be sticking to public transport though I'll probably get anxiety from driving in a different country lol. And haha, Contiki is basically a company that runs tours for 18-35 year olds! (and has a bit of a reputation for party animals)

msteacher: I figured the train would be our best friend :P thank you for letting me know about the Eurail passes and discounted tickets!

MaloBolo, Gretchen, nytraveler: Sorry about the lack of info, I'm new on Fodors so I had no idea how to approach myself and my questions on here! I'll try to be as detailed as I can.

- Budget wise, I'm planning to save around $8,000-$9000 AUD
- To be a little more specific on the dates, we're planning to go last week of January to the 3rd week of February
- Unfortunately can only speak English, however I do know a bit of Italian
- Big fan of food so would love to visit places that will please that side of me hah!
- Culture and architecture would definitely be another one on the list
- Also would like to do some winter sports, I figured Swiss Alps, but is that the goto place for winter sports?
- Being from Australia I've only visited Asian countries (Hong Kong, Macau, Philippines, Malaysia) as it's not a long trip, but the one thing I loved most when visiting these places is, as cliche as it sounds, just seeing sights that take my breath away. I suppose that means I'm looking for recommendations to sight see. But with that being said, I would even be happy just to wander around small streets with old buildings and cafes or markets.

I guess what I'm looking for in this trip (after the Contiki tour) is to just be able to slow down and enjoy beautiful sights, eat a lot of food and dwell in new cultures, as I've read many Contiki tour reviews and a majority of them had said there wasn't much time given to truly appreciate the sights they saw so I'm hoping to make up for that in the weeks after the tour.

As for the Contiki tour I'm considering: http://www.contiki.com/destinations/...scovery-winter which goes to Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Italy, Vatican City, Switzerland and France in 12 days. The tour will end in London so we'll start there for our trip alone and because of that we would like to stay a couple days in London and Ireland and we definitely would like to visit Spain - other than that we're honestly open to anything/anywhere. The Contiki tour covers a lot of countries already but if we feel like we really loved a country but didn't get to spend enough time there, there's probably a high chance of us going back.

Like Jean and jent103 suggested, since we're going in the Winter, Italy and Spain are good choices.. are there any other particular countries you could recommend during this season?

And nytraveler, thanks for the advice, will have to go and do some research but with yours and everyone elses advice at least now I know where to begin and how to begin with that research!

I think if anything we're mostly clueless on what to see or to do. But I guess that's when the guidebooks and research will come into play. Hope my reply was detailed enough to give a good basis on recommendations. Again thank you everyone for the replies I really appreciate it!

Your contiki tour is 'way too much in too short a time, even for a tour. Sorry about that. You have virtually NO time to see anything but a bus window on that trip. It is insane. And remember, I was the first to be in favor of a tour for you.
You will find that London is expensive I think. And yes, if you do that tour, you will want to retrace your steps some. Have you looked at other tours--Rick Steves?
How much is this tour? I'm not sure it really IS the best thing to do now.
You are going to have to settle on an itinerary because you may want to book an open jaw flight--arrive one place and leave from another, probably far away from the arrival.

Don't even think of driving. Even if a company would rent to a 20 y.o., there would be an expensive "young driver" surcharge.

I feel like you are talking a mile a minute. Rushed, out of breath, a chicken without a head kind of thing. SLOW DOWN.

First, while Europe is small in area it is probably the densest place in the world in terms of things of interest to tourists. You could say there is something of interest around almost every single corner. So what does that tell you?

You do not need to travel distances to find something new every day. In terms of your time (1 month) it isn't even enough to cover one country in any depth.

There is an old saying which at your age you probably haven't heard before. 'If this is Thursday it must be Belgium'. It is referring to the typical 'European Tour' where you change countries almost every day and it all goes by in such a blur that you cannot remember any of it. You can only look at your itinerary and say, 'If this is Thursday...............

Here is the soundtrack to the original movie which was a spoof on 'European Tours'. Maybe it will appeal to you as a 'Youtube' generation member. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bR1YKcO3Qg

Any European bus tour, not just Contiki is not about spending time IN places. They often spend as much time if not more in BETWEEN places. What they are all about is ticking off the boxes, as in 'been there, done that' bragging rights and nothing else.

If you want to get the most out of your month then forget Contiki. Yes it might be a good party but here's a tip they don't tell you. You are as likely (if not more so) to get some real jerks on your bus as you are fair members of the opposite sex with an uncontrollable urge to meet you and become physically close with you.

You can achieve the same thing (party, meeting people) with more control by staying in hostels known for their party atmosphere and possibly for less money. At least if you don't meet the right people you can leave and go somewhere else!!!

With a month I would check some guidebooks and narrow down your choices based on interests and weather. If you want to go clubbing I hear Munich is hot year round. If you want scenery and skiing then Switzerland, France, Austria and Italy would be your best choices.

Put together a FEW interests and then pick a few places to go for them. Where will you fly into and out of? If flying into London then a week in London makes some sense. Then by train to say Switzerland for skiing followed by a train down to Rome for sightseeing and finally a week in Barcelona perhaps before heading home. That's a relaxed month in Europe. You can't see it all no matter what you do. Better to see a lot of a little rather than trying to see a little of a lot and ending up singing, 'If this is Thursday, this must be Belgium...........

Holy cow. I travel pretty fast compared to many here, but that Contiki tour is nuts. I don't mind the idea of a tour, but a slower one would let you actually see things and not feel like you have to go back to every single place your tour went!

London doesn't have to be expensive. It is expensive compared to Greece or Portugal, but you can do it inexpensively. Most of the museums are free. You can eat cheaply.

The middle of the winter is not the best time to see Ireland. The biggest attraction is the countryside, and winter is a terrible time to see that. Plus Ireland is far off from everything else.

If you can't find a tour, think about...

- start in London, spend 4-5 days there (you can do lots of day trips if you get bored of the city)
- take the Eurostar to Paris, 4-5 days there (same, maybe one less day than London if you feel the need to speed up, since you'll be over jet lag)
- maybe visit the south of France en route to Spain; I haven't been anywhere in France but Paris and Bayeux, so can't help much there
- Barcelona - ~3 days
- Seville - 2-3 days
- Madrid - ~3 days
- fly somewhere in Italy, let's say Venice
- Venice, ~3 days
- Florence, ~3 days with several possible day trips (lots of threads here with info)
- Rome, ~4 days

That's more or less your whole month. It's a lot of cities, but in the winter the countrysides are less appealing. The cold weather won't matter as much in London and Paris because the main sights are indoors.

Now, that may not be what YOU want to see (maybe you're dying to see Amsterdam), but it's a place to start.

Contiki-Tour, almost as quick en-route as Pep's tiki-taka... I'm a young cowbowy and as well like speeding things up at times but the tour is nuts and a total waste of money and time. In your shoes, I'd go for three or four must-see / must-do things. If you definately want to ski in the Alpes, it's one of them. If London is a must, that's no. 2. Food, culture and beautiful ancient architecture smells like Rome as no. 3. An since you mentioned Spain, Madrid seems a legit option, too. So, taking jent103's plan as a good start, I'd modify it a bit here and there:

London (5) - keep the jetlag in mind
Paris (3-4) - by Eurostar
Alpe d'Huez for skiing (5-6) - good resort w/ decent parties, great pistes and definately a lot cheaper than Switzerland/Austria
Venice (2)
Rome (4)
Madrid (4)

That itinerary will leave you with about five days for extravaganzas in either direction. Visiting London, Paris, Rome and Madrid gives you probably the best mix of things Western Europe has to offer these days taking into consideration your limited time.

But having in mind that Jan-Feb are probably the coldest months over here, you might as well try Eastern Europe if London is not a must. One idea would be seing places saving time in transit due to their proximaty:

Berlin (3) - Dresden (1) - Prague (3-4) - Wroclaw (1) - Krakow (2) - Bratislava (2) - Vienna (3) - Salzburg (2)+Skiing someplace near (4-5) - Munich (3) + 5 days for whatever else you desire.

I am fully aware that travelling to Europe for the first time makes it a lot more likely that jent103's initial itinerary is the best choice for you. However, keep in mind it's twice the distance to leave behind.

Contiki trips are fine IMO - better if you are guys because the many Contiki groups I have seen are largely female!

Afterwards take the train around as zillions of folks your age will be doing - many using various Youth Railpasses - zillions to chose from from one country to 2, 3, 4 and 5 and all countries (Global Erauil; except not in the UK.

For lots of great info on European trains and planning such a trip I always spotlight these fine IMO sites - www.budgeteuropetravel.com (download their free and superb IMO European Planning & Rail Guide (http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/id2.html); www.seat61.com (great info on discounted train tickets which however have to booked in stone months in advance to get as they are sold in limited numbers) and www.ricksteves.com.

I'm not sure why do the Contiki tour, if you are then going to travel on your own. An organized tour isn't going to help you develop your own travel skills because everything is done for you.

You could take that exact itinerary as a guidline: Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Italy, Vatican City, Switzerland and France... would be a good (yet still fast-paced) itinerary for a 4 week trip.

I have traveled independently and also gone on many tours with three different tour companies. However, I recommend you not travel with Contiki on this extremely fast-paced tour. I can highly recommend Rick Steves tours and somewhat recommend Gate1 tours. I feel that your money could be better spent on something different that you would enjoy so much more.

You have received a lot of good advice on this forum. I do feel that you might benefit from taking a tour, but not this particular trip with Contiki.

You have some good advice here. Do you really want to sit on a bus half the day? Do they have people out drinking at night then you have to be on the bus at 6:30 AM? That is how some fast paced tours work - ask them about that.

If you can make it to Venice at the end, the Carnivale is in late February next year. Its a pretty fun party.

4 weeks - 12 day(Contiki) = 16 days
Climate prefers southen Spain. http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/c...=ES&name=Spain
One example:
London 3 /just after Contiki
Madrid 3 /may include 1 day in Toledo
Sevilla 2
Cordoba 2
Granada 3 /1 day ski in Sierra Nevada
Barcelona 3 /go back to Au
Make your own with http://www.spain.info/

A slightly random list -
Berlin and Munich are the most fun places in Germany, plenty of clubbing etc. as well as loads of cultural things such as museums, art galleries and very different architecture to Oz. Berlin is a bit cheaper but definitely colder than Munich (minus temperatures most of the time in Jan-Feb).

Plenty of under 25s travel on overnight trains which saves the price of a night's accommodation - definitely get a Eurail pass, you'll see a lot more travelling that way than flying. And definitely stay in hostels where you can, they're a whole lot cheaper and you'll meet other people also travelling. That also applies to London, where hotels are really expensive. The idea of getting your hotel to call the next one to stay in is pretty irrelevant these days. All hostels have PCs, quite a few have free wifi.

Lonely Planet and Rough Guide are the best series of guide books for the kind of trip you seem to be planning. Lonely Planet was started in Oz, Rough Guide in the UK. They cover pretty much the same countries but I find that Lonely Planet are still stronger on travel in Asia, Rough Guide in Europe, but not a lot to choose between them. When it comes to a particular country or region, pick whichever publisher has the more recent guide as the info will be more up to date. These kind of guides give you plenty of tips on travelling solo and with groups, recommendations on accommodation, food, etc.

Skiing/snowboarding for just one day doesn't make sense if you've not done either sport before, you really need at least 5 days. There are plenty of inclusive trips from London (easier for you, the group will be English speakers, likewise the ski/snowboard instructor, accommodation will be more hostel style, as part of a group your costs will be lower, and someone else is making sure that everything runs smoothly/takes care of possible problems). Switzerland is very expensive, France and Austria a fair bit cheaper and about the same price, with French resorts tend towards modern architecture, Austrian more "chocolate box" type wooden or wooden faced buildings.

The point made above about shorter daylight hours the further north you go is very relevant. In Stockholm for example, there are only 6-7 hours of daylight in January, whereas in London/Paris there are about 7-8, in Barcelona around 9-10.

Alternating travel with a group and striking out on your own makes sense for first-time travellers on a longish trip, particularly if you don't have any European language skills apart from English. I wouldn't knock Contiki but I would check out what other companies are offering similar trips in Jan/Feb. Probably not many, but you may find something that suits you better once you've done some more research and decided on the places you want to visit.
And you don't have to return to stick with the group to the very end of the trip. For example you might decide to go skiing in Austria, then instead of travelling with the group back to London you split up with them in Innsbruck and catch the train to Vienna (also a great city) to explore there and Budapest, which isn't that far away. That might save you a fair bit of time and money.

And finally, don't forget check if there is anything you can do/see/visit that is particularly relevant to your studies on your travels. Have fun and good luck.

No one has said that Madrid can be really cold in winter. Colder than Amsterdam. Don't assume Italy and Spain will be warm.
You should not be put off by winter. Places will be less crowded, though some sites, particularly in more touristy areas of southern Europe could be closed.
Museums are always warm, as are pubs, cafés and nightclubs.
Think hard about what you really want to see. Don't try to see it all, there will be other trips for you. Once you have a list of what you really want to see/do then start planning how to do it, and cross off things you can't manage this trip.
Enjoy yourself, both in planning and on the trip.
Just remember it is a vacation, not a death march.

Plenty of under 25s travel on overnight trains which saves the price of a night's accommodation - definitely get a Eurail pass>

Yes lot of overnight trains - relocate practically from one end of Europe to the other and save a night;s accommodation cost to boot. If going to Greece Eurailpasses - including Youth Eurailpasses give free deck passage from several Italian ports to Corfu (young person's mecca for snorkeling, swimming, partying, etc) and Patras for buses or trains to Athens.

If buying a flexipass keep in mind the 7 pm rule for overnight trains.

After seeing that Con Tiki tour I reco VERY strongly against it. You will be spending endless hours sitting on a bus with a stop for an hour to see a sight and another stop for an hour for lunch - and some "shopping: that will be a waste of time. You are generally required to be on the bus by 7:30 am - with packed bags outside yoor door by 7 am - and will pull into your hotel for the night at about 7 pm - time to stretch your legs for a few minutes before dinner. And hotels are likely to be at the end of hell and gone - so difficult to get to areas with any activity for after dinner. I think you .will find it a major waste of time and money.

Much better to either do it yourself - or pick another tour which is active - although not just for under 35s - with a slower pace that means yuo have actually time to see something of the cities you ave "covered".

Suggest you look at Let;s Go Student Guides for info from people in your age group and budget category.

I once considered taking the Venice Simplon Orient Express from Paris to Venice. I scrapped the idea when I discovered it was an overnight train that crossed the Alps in the dark. What would be the point of that?

While the sleepers were not a problem, not seeing the scenery, which is all a train really has to offer the traveller after all, would be pointless.

Taking an overnight train to save money at the expense of missing the scenery may not matter if crossing the plains of N. America but missing the scenery in many parts of Europe is a whole other matter.

Yes, that tour is insane. I would suggest a week in each of London, Paris, Rome and Barcelona/Madrid. You can do daytrips from each of those cities and save money by renting an apartment.

The only reason why I would not spend a week in London and Paris is the cost. If they could afford it great.

One the other hand, they are young and will return to Europe and to learn the different charms of Spain is a more than wonderful way for a first trip to Europe.

Most tourists do not spend enough time in the different regions of Spain to savor the variety. This would be an excellent chance to learn about a country in depth rather than a cursory glance.

The two commonest mistakes travellers make are packing too much and trying to see/do too much in too little time BigAl. That's never going to change.

Most don't spend enough time anywhere, not just in Spain. But we are talking to a 20 year old here, not someone into 'slow travel' and immersing himself into local culture. I'm sure the primary motivation is to have fun. If a little knowledge is absorbed along the way that's fine but it isn't the primary goal. It is the OP's trip and the OP's motivation is what should drive it, not what you or I think would be better use of time.

You can lead a horse to water.................

Understood Improviser and I agree. In real life and here I rarely offer advice unless asked. Here the point is for people to ask and others to answer. Here people can also benefit from the experience and opinions of others and as in real life they can listen or not.

There are many here who are well-travelled and many gracious nationals who generously give of their time and knowledge. There are also those make a career out of one two week visit. Part of being successful at anything is filtering out the good advice from the bad.

First time travellers usually have a combination of excitement and trepidation and that often overwhelms rational advice.

I am taking a short trip planning break, so I'll give you my two-cents worth:

1) Take a short (weekend) trip with your friend before (months) you sign on for the month long trek.
This way you can work out any surprises, issues, habits, etc. before you get on the plane.

2) Discuss social and personal topics. How do you feel about sharing the room with a guy/girl that he/she may bring *home*?
I could care less what your gender is, my two-cents goes for everybody who travels.

3) That said, set some codes/rules/ etc. Agree on these things.

4) It may be a bit late, but have you sat down with your friend and asked him/her where she/he would like to go? Do that and then do it again and again. Travel, travelers, and travel plans are fluid.

5)Get a budget and then double it. Discuss money. This topic, not discussed, can ruin a friendship especially while travelling.

Finally, group travel, as you explain it, does not help you or anyone ease into traveling by yourselves. Does that make sense?

Group travel, be it contiki, trafalgar, globus, etc., will make you want to stab somebody--yourself included.

I know many 20 year olds and younger who took their first trip without their parents at your age. If you feel more comfy this way, then go for it. Just know you have a few firsts going on at the same time with your proposed trip. Taking care of items 1-5 above will help you now and later.

Happy Travels,
Oaktown Traveler

Just a caveat. Everyone (except me, maybe) says Paris is "expensive". YES, it can be, but you can find GREAT budget things there--I think almost more than any other great European (or US) city. So don't be put off, but plan carefully. Same is true for other large cities.

Thank you everyone for their advice and itinieries, it obviously has been really helpful and planning out the trip has become a lot easier and clearer.

For all of you who have said it looks like we're wanting to take on too much, you're definitely right. With travelling for the first time especially all the way on the other side of the world I am obviously guilty of wanting to take on too much in too little time. So I will definitely keep that in mind.

Also, I completely understand where those who have said doing a Contiki tour won't develop any skills or ease you into anything are coming from, but for me it's not necessarily developing any skills, it's more so being able to experience the gist of travelling and being in another country before I do it on my own because I feel like I know absolutely nothing about travelling and no matter how much research I do, when I get there I'll be like a fish out of water and being with a tour group is in a way I suppose a guiding hand (a bit naive of me I know). But... with that being said and with all your recommendations and advice, Contiki/tour groups is not more of an option than it was before - especially with the long bus rides and time challenging itineraries being a negative from the get go. From here on I think that I'll just need to continue to research and as I have overwhelmingly received amazing advice, will take everyones along the way and in mind to see what's best for myself and my friend and come to a good plan. It'll be a long process but hey, good things take time right?

Hi mags... I'm so glad that you've reconsidered that tour. It's more ground than we recently covered in our recent three week trip and our teens were exhausted with the pace.

I first went to Europe with my best friend when I was 22 years old. By the time we got back home, we weren't speaking to each other. I second or third previous posts about going someplace else FIRST and figuring out traveling styles and setting ground rules. I'm much more of a "lingering in a cafe" kind of person, while she was a "sight-collector" ... meaning that neither of us was happy about the pace we were setting.

If you have differing styles, build in time apart so that you can follow your own bliss from time to time... you don't have to be joined at the hip through the entire trip.

Please just reconsider the tour you looked at--it goes everywhere and you see NOTHING. To introduce Europe to you, why not take a limited tour for two places--maybe England and Ireland since you want to do that, although, as English speakers, these could be easier for you to do on your own. BUT my point is, take a week long tour of one of your more remote places, but that will really give you a TOUR of them and you won't have to back track to see more of them. Maybe Italy? THEN go on to touring on your own. I think you will find you are "smarter" than you think you are. And with research about what you want to see, and then asking here, I'll bet you can put together a really memorable trip.

One way to 'get your feet wet' that wouldn't be so overwhelming to self-plan is take a more simple trip since it's your first time. Just go for 2-3 weeks. Just go to 2-3 places.

In my opinion that is how you learn to travel, little by little, you build up your experiences and personal expertise.

If you really want to see a lot at a very fast pace, then I think a tour group IS the way to go. Because they know how to move people around faster than an individual can possibly do on their own. It will get you the experience of seeing some of Europe (in passing) it won't teach you anything about "travel" on your own.

While tours do the moving, you do learn about how things are done, how to get money, etc. A lot of people take a tour for their first trip. it teaches you that you do just what you do in your own country--plan where to go, how to get there, find a place to lay your head. I really think this young person can "learn" and then "do". But have a worthwhile tour!! There really are those available. There is nothing "evil" about them!! LOL