suze

sparkchaser, I'm pretty darn sure you could buy and keep milk, juice, or yogurt in a refrigerator, or nuke some restaurant leftovers for lunch... if you wanted to.

sparkchaser

See, I knew we were talking about different things.

I am aware that when I am in Germany I can buy milk and muesli but instead I am going to go to the bakery and enjoy a sandwich or some sliced wurst and cheese and a coffee. I could eat a tuna sammich for lunch that I made earlier that day but no, I am going to get me some Leberkase in a roll.

I think you see my point. I can drink milk and eat yogurt at home. And in fact, I do. But when I am traveling, I am making it a point to ferret out what is the local grub and eat it (and one day it will literally be grubs and I am gonna try it).

MadisonHarper999

Thanks again everyone for all of these great responses! London and Spain seem to be two places that some tell me to skip, others tell me to see. I'd love to find a way to stretch my budget to spend two months there, but don't think it will happen. Right now, I'm thinking definitely a few days in Paris, would also love to see the lavender fields of south France, definitely Italy (though nothing pinned down yet) and certainly Germany/Austria region (though Prague and Budapest also seem tempting). I would also love to visit a gorgeous Mediterranean beach somewhere. Undecided if I will have the time or funds to visit the Greek Isles, though they look so gorgeous online!

MadisonHarper999

Just curious...trying to decide between the beginning of September or beginning of October to go. Any suggestions? (My apologies, I am a newbie to international travel)

sparkchaser

Well, if you are thinking September or October then you won't be seeing lavender fields a bloom.

You really need to decide what is most important for you to see then go from there. You wants are all over the place and that's fine but if you have limited time or budget, you are going to have to make some cuts.

Do you want to see as many capitals as possible? Or do you want to see the "top ten things to see"? Or do you just want to hop from city to city until the money runs out? Or something else?

London is great, but can get very expensive quickly. Spain is beautiful and (relatively) inexpensive.

suze

OK, so you've got 1 month = 30 days max. to travel to:
London - maybe
Spain - maybe
Paris - a few days
Italy - definitely
German - certainly
Austria - certainly
Prague - tempting
Budapest - tempting
Mediterranean beach - love to visit
Greek islands - undecided

You say for sure YES to: Paris, Germany, Austria, and Italy. One city and three entire countries, that's MORE than enough for a month's trip, without adding all the maybes and temptings and undecided.

Also I strongly encourage you to listen less to what other people did or did not like (Paris, London, Spain) and do a little research for what appeals to YOU.

bilboburgler

October tends to be wetter in the southern states and probably cooler in the north. I'd go in September

cilburke

September is a great month to go to Europe the weather is usually perfect. My favorite trip ever was Paris for 6 nights (quickly became my favorite city in the world and I didn't find it overly crowded), then we took the TGV fast train to Aix en Provence, stayed there 5 days and rented a car to explore Provence, then on to Nice for the beautiful Mediterranean. We spent two weeks doing that, you could easily then add on Italy.

FHurdle

Concerning hostels, a lot of hostels offer private rooms, including singles. Obviously these cost substantially more than a bunk in a room full of beds.

These hotels tend to be very nice, with clean shared facilities. They are likely to be much nicer and cleaner than a similarly priced hotel.

RTtravelstories

Go to fabulous Prague. It is less expensive and more interesting than most European cities, and the Czech Republic usually makes the list of top ten safest countries. You can get a very nice airbandb apartment for less than 60 USD/night, well-located for exploring the city (which is both pedestrian-friendly in the center and served by efficient public transportation). If you like music, every day you can find a variety of inexpensive concerts in churches, galleries,museums,etc. Prague is also wonderful if you are interested in architecture, history, art, or simply vibrant street life. From Prague, take a comfortable Student Agency bus (not just for students!) to Cesky Krumlov, a beautiful small town. Look it up! It's delightful, and you really don't want to spend all your time in big cities. From there, you can go with CK Shuttle (asked for shared, not private) to Salzburg--easiest way to get there, and in my opinion Salzburg is way more engaging than Vienna. From Salzburg, you can take the train toward those German castles. I'd focus on the Rhine between Mainz and Koblenz, and also the Mosel (side trip from Koblenz). You could stay in an inexpensive hotel in one place, and I'd recommend Bacharach, and take day trips by cheap local train to several castle towns. You'll see a lot in a manageable area, and it's quite beautiful. There are also great bicycling and hiking trails connecting many of the towns. There's a lovely forested walk to the castle Burg Eltz from a village on the Mosel. Maybe spend a night in Trier up the Mosel, with its Roman ruins and wonderful public spaces. Easy to visit the cathedral at Koln (Cologne) as a day trip from Bacharach. I also love the Danube stretches between Krems & Melk (Austria) & between Vac & Esztergom (Hungary). It is best to explore those areas slowly, eg by bicycle. Incredibly interesting both culturally and environmentally. If you head that direction, Budapest is great--but it is a bit more labor-intensive to explore that city than to explore Prague. If you go there, stop briefly in Bratislava en route. I am not going to recommend anything in the more-traveled countries of England, France & Spain, but of course you could have wonderful experiences there too. I am just a huge fan of central Europe.

MadisonHarper999

Thank you!!!!

VGF

Paris has Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, Sacre Coeur, and very nearby Versailles - one of the most amazing palaces on earth, in no small part due to the incredible grounds spreading over a square mile, with fountains and sculptures. Don't forget to see Luxembourg Gardens. Beautiful! A picnic on the giant lawn in front of the Eiffel Tower, known as the Champs de Mars, just around sunset, is really cool. And you can bring your own wine bottle(s). A chilled out scene with lots of happy people eating, drinking. and talking.

thursdaysd

If you travel in September and start in London you can stay in one of the LSE student dorms:

http://www.lsevacations.co.uk/Home.aspx

You get 15% off if you stay at least four days.

If you pick up a sandwich at somewhere like Pret a Manger and take it out you save the VAT (tax).