First time trip to Europe for 2 Months!!!???
 

My best friend and I will be flying into London mid August--and eurorailing/flying around Europe until mid October. Though I've been to Italy with my family (years ago) we're basically at a loss in terms of where to go & how to get there (we dont want to zig zag all over the place)!!

Our main cities that we KNOW we want to hit are Paris, Barcelona, Rome, and the Greek Islands. I'm also very interested in Croatia and some people have suggested the Almalfi coast. We're on a tight budget and will only be there for two months, so we would LOVE SUGGESTIONS!!! any places we should check out while visiting our top "main" destinations?? Is there another place, like Berlin perhaps, that we should for sure add to our list? Also, I'm pretty unsure of the weather conditions.....so if someone knows of a great city to be in during the months we'll be there--PLEASE LET US KNOW!

Helpful Info about us: We're both females in our early 20's, we love to party but also want this to be a cultural experience as well. We'd love to meet new people/fellow travelers so social spots sound great to us!

THANKS IN ADVANCE

I would start in the Greek Islands, as it will be hot and the ferries should be running their summer schedule still. They require a flight no matter when you go, so you could take a flight from London to there when you first get to Europe. Then fly back to the main land when you are done.

Personally with 2 months I would do at least 2 weeks a country/area. So 2 weeks Greek islands, 2 weeks Italy, 1 week Paris, 1 week London, and 2 weeks Spain.

For Italy I would, on a tight budget with 2 weeks, do 4-5 days Rome, 3 days Florence/Pisa, 2-3 days Cinque Terre, 1-2 days Milan and then night train/fly out of there. You could add in Venice instead of something there but it isn't that budget friendly.

If you don't have a guidebook, for young people on a budget, Lonely Planet and Let's Go are good options.

If you really want to save money, I would forgo Spain or Italy or Greece and add in Germany, much cheaper (in my opinion) and Berlin has some great night life. If you planned it right you could also stop by Oktoberfest in Munich (actually in September).

Check out bahn.de for train schedules. Night trains are an option between some of the destinations you want (Rome to Paris for instance). Train from Paris to London. Also train around Italy. Ferry or flights are the best option for the Greek Islands.

I would <b>not</b> start in the Greek Islands in mid-August. It will be hot, crowded, prices at their peak...and you certainly don't want to fly into London, then go straight on to southern Europe from there. Are you also flying home from London, or from another European city? That information would be helpful.

Since you are starting your trip in London, it would make sense to spend some time in the British Isles first while the weather there is good, then on to Paris and anywhere else in France you wish to visit. Rome and the Greek Islands go well together, as they are in the same general region. So far we have Britain, France, Italy, and Greece. Croatia is easy to visit from Italy, not so easy from Greece. If you can time your visit to the Greek Islands for September, that would be the perfect time to go. Hotel prices are much lower than in August, and the weather is perfect. :-)

In wonderful Barcelona, I think you are looking for the medieval El Born area. Tons of history, the beautiful Santa Maria del Mar church, the Picasso museum, great shopping, tapas bars, restaurants, cafés and nightlife. Ten minutes walking to the Barceloneta beach with nightclubs, bars etc. Fabulous time of year to go:
http://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.c...s/el-born.html

I've been very happy staying at basic Hostal Orleans. A double in the high season (August) would be 65€, September would be 51€. Private bathroom and the best location.
http://www.hostalorleans.com/index_eng.htm

To save money, have a picnic in the close by Ciutadella park or do as the locals: have a three-course lunch with drinks included in a local restaurant for some 8-12€. Lunch is the main meal in Spain (1.30-4pm), and you can find some real bargains. A short siesta afterwards and you're up for anything: http://www.eurocheapo.com/blog/barce...nch-spots.html

The Ciutadella park:
http://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.c...en/ciutadella/
http://www.aviewoncities.com/barcelo...ciutadella.htm

Perhaps go shopping for a picnic at the Boquería food market, one of the finest food markets in Europe, 5-10 mins walking from El Born: http://www.barcelona.com/barcelona_d...oqueria_market
http://www.boqueria.info/index.php?lang=en

Budget flights to Barcelona from almost everywhere with Vueling: http://www.vueling.com/EN/

Going in August definitely start in the north (London and Paris) and then head south to miss the worst of the heat - which can be positively hellish in Italy and Greece. Especially if you are doing hostels and super budget hotels it's very unlikely they will have AC - and if temps are in the upper 90s and humid you will be really suffering at night instead of sleeping.

Sorry ca;t give a lot of budget tips - that isn;t our price point. I would suggest having a look at the student - Let's Go travel guides as well as the Thorn Tree section of the Lonely Planet web site - which will have a huge amount of information on traveling on a shoestring.

ONLY 2 months?

that's actually quite a long time.

my advice - have a look at a map. work out where you want to go from London, and if you are going to work your way south, or fly to the other end of your route, and work your way back? - given the season that you are travelling in, probably working away from London would be best.

Have you thought about going up to Scotland from London on the train? there is a lot to see and do in Edinburgh; though it can be busy in August with the festival you might enjoy that a lot. from there you could go to Amsterdam, and if the weather is good, over to the belgian coast. if not, that might be the time to head south to Spain or Italy.

the whole point of having an interrail card is to be able to be flexible and not planning too much, but you need to do your research before you set off.

I agree with starting your trip in the UK and working your way east. There is much more to the UK than London - and much more to France than Paris. Perhaps take in the Lake District and the West Country (Devon and Cornwall) as well as Scotland as has already been suggested. In France there is an excellent rail network and it would be easy to get down to the South of France from Paris - also the Dordogne, Loire Valley and the Alps are well worth visits if you have the time. Spain has some wonderful cities beyond Barcelona and beautiful coastal areas. Toledo, Madrid, Seville and Segovia are all beautiful. In Italy, you should try to include Rome, Florence and Venice. Tuscany is wonderful - as is the area around Naples, with Vesuvius, Pompeii, Sorrento and Capri. I've never been to Greece (first visit coming up!), but the islands would make a lovely, relaxed end to your trip.
Lots to choose from - lots of happy planning ahead! Hope you have a fabulous time!

You really need to decide if you want to spend most of your time partying in large cities and seeing the sites there, or do you also want to see the countries you are suggesting visiting? Time in London, Rome, Paris, Barcelona would be fabulous, but you wouldn't get a real feel for any of the countries you'd be visiting just by visiting those places. You could EASILY spend a month alone in UK, France, Spain, or Italy. As other posters mentioned, these are some of the most expensive places in Europe, and by doing more reading you will probably find more places that are cheaper, offer what you're looking for, and just as interesting. Look into Germany, Budapest, and Portugal. I would also agree with the suggestion to hit northern Europe first. Italy is best after the summer is over.

Eurocheapo.com great site for you

Seat61.com regional trains or Eurolines.com bus pass very cheapest

Personally would start in the North AMS LON and Paris

Train south hopping on and off as weather cools to Athens

Personally love Venice www.hotelpausania.com Amalfi www.hoteldelfino.com

Santorini.com Cave houses at Oia overlooking the caldera.

Otel.com

Pass cost poor value for almost all due to high pass cost per day and surcharges

Review seat61.com for details

My daughter stayed in hostels in several different cities in Europe and found them very cheap and a great way to meet other young travelers. She was studying in London and Cambridge and took many cheap flights from there on Ryan Air and Easy Jet which can both have great fares. The drawbacks of the inexpensive flights can sometimes be high fees for luggage (travel light!) and they sometimes fly to smaller airports that are more remote than the major ones. There are many other budget airlines as well - try www.whichbudget.com.

As far as places to visit, I would highly recommend going to your local library or bookstore to help choose the destinations that are most interesting to you. Eyewitness guidebooks have great pictures which can give you a quick impression of some of the major spots. Since you are landing in London, I would highly recommend staying there for at least a few days while you get over jetlag as there is much to do and see there. I would wait to head towards Italy, Greece or Spain until the weather cools a bit.