Dianna

I'm a 20yr old female leaving for 3-4 month backpacking trip late april 2000. Will be travelling with 20yr old female friend. We would like to make the most out of our time and money. We would like to visit Scotland, England, France, Germany and Spain indefinitly, with short stays in Belgium, Holland and who-knows-where else! I would appreciate any suggestions about what to see, where to stay, what to pack, how to travel between countries and anything else that you wish you knew before you left. Any and every reply will be appreciated, <BR>Happy Travels- Dianna

Ben Haines

Fodors <BR> <BR>I have on disc ntes on night rail travel using couchettes, on cheap holidaying in London, and on poub and oither cheap meals in ondon. Shall I copy them to you ? <BR> <BR>Central Europe is half the price of west Europe: you might think of Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia or Hungary. <BR> <BR>I look forward to your note. Welcome to Europe. <BR> <BR>Ben Haines, London <BR> <BR>

Jim

Being young backpackers, your best bet for advise can be found at http://www.eurotrip.com

suzann

Dianna, <BR>You can get a wealth of information on all of your questions at Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door site (www.ricksteves.com). Specifically, check out the Graffiti Wall for suggestions on sleeping, eating, and travelling; check out the tours page for itinerary suggestions; check out the country by country page for specific destination suggestions; check out the tips page for more on all of this. Good luck. <BR>suzann

edie

the last time i went backpacking was in '93, and we used the LET'S GO books...they were our bible. we found a great pensione in rome, venice, interlaken, many places in there. <BR>on what to pack...pack old tshirts and jersey type shirts, you can layer them for warmth and ditch them as you go through your trip, leaving room for souveniers. that is my main piece of advice. and if you dont have a hairstyle that is ok without a hairdryer, pack baseball caps, and several barrettes or headbands. a hairdryer is heavy, even the travel ones. i was there in the summer and found it easier not to have one at all. ( and i admit i am pretty high maintenance and at home never go without makeup or doing my hair) pack light on the makeup too) <BR>definitely avoid the youth hostel in brugge, since you are young you may want to go to the bar they have there, but dont' stay there, it's literally bug and mice infested. no matter what stay at Balmers in interlaken. it is the best of sleepaway camp, freshman dorm and girl scouts rolled into one! i am 28 and when i get back to switzerland i would still stay at balmers! don't miss italy, and i would advise doing italy first b/c if you go in april and spend the summer, italy gets really hot, esp. rome and south of rome. have fun, every minute of it, dragging your bags through train stations, missing trains, fending off european men, all of it. b/c one day you, like me, will not want to sleep in hostels and travel all night on trains, and eat cheese and bread for dinner for a week, and you, like me, will be so glad you did all that when you were younger.

anne

Hi there. try www.backroads.com. They provide biking and hiking tours around the globe and their tour group leaders are available via email and they might lend you some advice/recomendations. Best of luck! and happy new Year

bb

Dianna- <BR> <BR>I spent a year studying in England and backpacking around Europe and it was one of the best years of my life. It was a while ago so I'm sure I've forgotten some stuff, but what I do remember I'll share with you: <BR> <BR>The most important piece of advice I can think of is PACK LIGHT! Then be sure to find hostels with laundry rooms. <BR> <BR>Layering, mentioned by an earlier poster, is key. Specifically, for outerwear I would suggest a fleece pullover and a very water-repellent but breathable outer shell with a decent hood. <BR> <BR>As for other clothes, pick two or three colors so that any combo will coordinate to whatever degree you find pleasing. Two pairs of pants (one at least somewhat nice, even if that means black jeans), one skirt or dress, two sweaters, one long sleeved shirt, one short sleeved shirt and one pair of pjs or nightgown should do it. Depending on how far north or what altitude you go you could include a pair of silk long johns (so thin you won't know they're there). If you can afford it, make at least one of the sweaters cashmere so it's more warmth, less weight. I had about a weeks worth of socks and underwear, but I know people who have taken less and either washed them out in the sink in between laundry or turned them inside out. I believe that's a personal call. A bathing suit takes up little room and there's a very good chance you'll be glad you had it. It can even be an extra days worth of underwear and bra. <BR> <BR>For shoes, take one pair of waterproof hiking boots that you can wear every day if necessary. Those should be your main - and the only bulky - footwear item. (You may prefer a pair of sneakers, but they aren't as good in inclement weather.) In addition, I would recommend a pair of "chinese slippers" or a similar style of shoe, basically a rubber sole with some fabric, which you could wear to dinner at a nicer restaurant but which collapse totally when packed. And finally, some cheapo flip flops for the shower and just lounging around the hostel. These are a must-have, as you'll see when you come in contact with your first hostel floor. <BR> <BR>There are some towels out there that are smaller and super absorbant. They may not cover your body but they'll take up less space in your luggage. <BR> <BR>Plastic bags, especially ziploc types, come in very handy for dirty laundry, wet towels, or toiletries (protection in case of spills). <BR> <BR>I second the recommendation for "Let's Go." Fodor's has the UpClose series, also for budget travelers, and then there's Lonely Planet and the Rough Guides, but I have no experience with any of them. Many people say you should xerox or rip out only the pages you need, but I say take the whole book because what if the urge strikes to head to Warsaw instead of Vienna? Improvisation is a big part of any backpacking trip. <BR> <BR>Get those little padlocks for the zippers on your pack. They're enough to deter all but the most dedicated (and knife-wielding) thief, and they'll provide some peace of mind. At least, they did for me. <BR> <BR>Next, get one of those YHA "sleepsacks" before starting off. You can rent them at the hostels, but it's so much nicer having one that only you have used. <BR> <BR>As for places to go, I think you've got some great ideas but I would also say you should add Ireland to the list. Great for budget travel. Hitchiking is safe and it's beautiful and cheap and the people are friendly. Northern Wales is another standout. While in England, you may want to make Bristol your base for a few days because the hostel there is really good and it's easy to day trip to Wells, Glastonbury, Stonehenge, Bath, Cardiff, etc. from there. In London I liked the Oxford St. Hostel. My favorite hostel ever was in Florence, but you don't list Italy (which you might want to rethink, but that's your call). In Scotland, try to get to at least one of the islands (Arran, Skye, etc.). In France, budget a week (or more) for Paris. In Spain, do your best to make it down to Seville and Granada. In Germany, my favorite stop was Munich. Other places I really, really recommend and think you do have time to visit would be Prague and Stockholm. Two of the most beautiful cities in the world. I haven't been to Poland but have heard great things about it, and I have also heard a lot about that Interlaken hostel which seems to be legendary. <BR> <BR>For cheap eating in the British Isles you can't go wrong getting a "ploughman's lunch" at a pub (basically bread and cheese and a relishy condiment called "pickle"). You'll be legal there, so wash it down with a lager or cider. One chain I often patronized, which I hope is still all over the place, was called "Spud You Like." Baked -there called "jacket"- potatoes with a wide range of fillings. Very cheap, healthy if you want it to be, and filling. A great "fast food" alternative. And in any place, another good bet is the local farmer's market, bakeries, or even a supermarket where you can get decently priced fixin's for a picnic. Keep a bottle of water with you during the day to rehydrate. <BR> <BR>No matter where you are, for better or for worse if it's a medium- to big-sized city there will be a McDonalds and it will have clean, free bathrooms. <BR> <BR>Night trains are a godsend, particularly in the remarkably huge country of Spain, but you may have to "sleep" sitting up with the lights on and tons of people around. Trust me, at your age it's worth it and when you get to your destination and start sightseeing your energy will return. I happened to have one of those wide, stretchy headbands, a circle of cloth, which I wore over my eyes on the night trains when the lights were on, and that helped a little. <BR> <BR>For reading material, if you want it, check out secondhand book shops where you can get books at amazingly cheap prices and when you're done with the book, leave it at the hostel for a future guest. <BR> <BR>If I think of anything else, I'll post it. Have a great trip! <BR>

Dianna

Thank you soooooo much everyone, the info is awesome and it's making me more confident about my upcoming trip!!!Keep it coming and don't hesitate about what to write; anything and everything is appreciated <BR> Thanks Again Dianna

Sheila

Dianna <BR> <BR>I don't do back packing any more (My Back Packed in!) but I do walk in Scotland and I'm a magazine junkie so I have to hand lots of addresses for hostels, bunkhouses and bothies. If you know where you want to go, or advise on where to go, let me know and I'll try to help. <BR> <BR>Bon Voyage

LORIE

DIANNA, TRY OUT THE FROMMERS COMPLETE HOSTEL GUIDE TO ENGLAND , WALES AND SCOTLAND. I DONT KNOW IF YOU HAVE HEARD OF THIS WONDERFUL THING OR NOT.. HOSTEL ARE PLACES TO STAY FOR AS LITTLE AS 10.00 A NIGHT.

Dee

Dianna, <BR>I'm a 22 y/o with experience backpacking through Europe. I went solo in '96 and '98 and I'm going back (solo again!) in May and staying 3-4 mos. The best advice is to check out www.eurotrip.com. It is the best site for information for young backpackers. I have tons of advice on what to see, do, stay, etc. too much to write here, but you can e-mail me if you want &lt;&lt;[email protected]&gt;&gt; or post a question on eurotrip.com, I'm DEE. Have a