First Trip to Europe - 25 days
Jan 8th, 2004, 09:55 AM
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First Trip to Europe - 25 days
HELP
27 years old, female, travelling alone, inexperienced traveller. Can't decide what to do with the limited time. Must stop in London for about three days. My ideas:
- Czech, Austria, Hungary' or,
- Italy, Greece
I love architecture, museums, and food.
Any suggestions or tips would be greatly appreciated.
27 years old, female, travelling alone, inexperienced traveller. Can't decide what to do with the limited time. Must stop in London for about three days. My ideas:
- Czech, Austria, Hungary' or,
- Italy, Greece
I love architecture, museums, and food.
Any suggestions or tips would be greatly appreciated.
Jan 8th, 2004, 10:05 AM
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When are you traveling? since the Olympics are in Greece this year that may be something you have to consider. Also, think a little bit about the time of year you'll be going and the weather. Do you love heat? Hate it? that could help with the Greece/Italy decision.
As far as deciding - get a bunch of travel brochures (airlines, Liberty etc) and just look through them. Make a list of things that you feel you can't do without and start to build an itinerary around that.
With 25 days you have a bunch of options.
As far as deciding - get a bunch of travel brochures (airlines, Liberty etc) and just look through them. Make a list of things that you feel you can't do without and start to build an itinerary around that.
With 25 days you have a bunch of options.
Jan 8th, 2004, 11:19 AM
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Construct yourself three or four possible itineraries. Make sure that Italy is a keystone in all of them. Throw a dart.
Last of all, consider reducing your trip to 18-20 days and put away some money towards a next trip - - sooner rather than later.
Best wishes,
Rex
Last of all, consider reducing your trip to 18-20 days and put away some money towards a next trip - - sooner rather than later.
Best wishes,
Rex
Jan 8th, 2004, 11:27 AM
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you are so lucky to be planning a first trip! If well planned I am sure in a few years you will be corresponding as an "experienced" traveller..I would suggest that you ask yourself a few of the following questions and answer them honestly. Do I want to sample many places (ie an overview) or see one small area in depth? Do I speak another language(s) which might make it fun to visit an area where I can use this skill? Will I be travelling in the "off season" and/or to less travelled places? Once you have answered these questions you may decide on a "tour" (something like Contike in your age group) esp if you want to see a lot quickly. If you are going in the off season or less travelled areas you can "wing it"..ie not prebook except the first night and ahave a very vague itinerary which allows you to stay or travel on as you fall in love with a place or meet interesting people. Again, analize yourself- if you missed a connection or took a wrong train would this freak you out or would you change your itinerary and look on it as an adventure? I think if you answer these questions honestly you can then begin to plan the type of trip that you want. The specifics will follow naturally. Hope this is of some help (by the way I "hitched" around Europe years ago with 2 friends..had so much fun we roomed together the next year and are off to Europe this summer..but "us three midilife ladies" are not bringing our backpacks).
Jan 8th, 2004, 11:28 AM
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Knowing what I know after about a dozen trips to Europe, I would spend 5 days in London, 5 days in Paris and 15 days in Italy starting in Rome, travelling to Florence and the Tuscan countryside and ending in Venice or, if you are going in nice weather, perhaps Rome and the Amalfi coast. However, as others note, it would help to know more about your interests and when you will be going.
Jan 8th, 2004, 11:37 AM
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25 Days, sounds like fun.
Thought I'd throw out an idea for you to consider.
It can't be that difficult to get from London over to Amsterdam. A train or one of the discount airlines would be just fine.
Get to Amsterdam. Do their museums and other things in Amsterdam that might interest you. Spend a few days there. Depending on what kind of fun you enjoy, 3 or 4 days in Amsterdam wouldn't be out of line.
From Amsterdam, take the evening train. I was on a 10:35 train from Amsterdam to Rome.
The train passed through Lucerne Switzerland sometime around 7Am. Get out there and do a few days in Switzerland.
Get back on the train that passes through Switzerland, even possibly the same train at 7AM that goes from Amsterdam to Rome and continue on to Rome.
The train arrives in Rome some time around 2 in the afternoon.Spend some more time in Rome. 4 or 5 days in Rome would probably work fine.
From Rome, you can go anywhere you please. Maybe get up into Salzburg Austria and do that part of Europe with some day tripping into the Berchtesgaden area of Germany.
You might even consider Vienna since you say you are into museums. I did Vienna one year and took the river cruise on the Danube from Vienna to Linz Austria. From there I took a train to Munich. It might make sense to go into Munich for a few days of fun and fly home from there.
I had a blast doing virtully the same trip in 1988.
Travelling alone won't be a problem. You'll do just fine. If you are very uncomfortable being by yourself, stay in some of the youth hostels. There will be plenty of other women travelling by theirselves. You can always find someone to hang out with.
Mark
Thought I'd throw out an idea for you to consider.
It can't be that difficult to get from London over to Amsterdam. A train or one of the discount airlines would be just fine.
Get to Amsterdam. Do their museums and other things in Amsterdam that might interest you. Spend a few days there. Depending on what kind of fun you enjoy, 3 or 4 days in Amsterdam wouldn't be out of line.
From Amsterdam, take the evening train. I was on a 10:35 train from Amsterdam to Rome.
The train passed through Lucerne Switzerland sometime around 7Am. Get out there and do a few days in Switzerland.
Get back on the train that passes through Switzerland, even possibly the same train at 7AM that goes from Amsterdam to Rome and continue on to Rome.
The train arrives in Rome some time around 2 in the afternoon.Spend some more time in Rome. 4 or 5 days in Rome would probably work fine.
From Rome, you can go anywhere you please. Maybe get up into Salzburg Austria and do that part of Europe with some day tripping into the Berchtesgaden area of Germany.
You might even consider Vienna since you say you are into museums. I did Vienna one year and took the river cruise on the Danube from Vienna to Linz Austria. From there I took a train to Munich. It might make sense to go into Munich for a few days of fun and fly home from there.
I had a blast doing virtully the same trip in 1988.
Travelling alone won't be a problem. You'll do just fine. If you are very uncomfortable being by yourself, stay in some of the youth hostels. There will be plenty of other women travelling by theirselves. You can always find someone to hang out with.
Mark
Jan 8th, 2004, 01:21 PM
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Winnepeg - Thanks so much, sounds interesting.
ira - I plan on going in Late March or April. I don't want to have too strict an itinerary as I would like to leave room for the unexpected - good and bad. I would like to have some guideline, though.
ira - I plan on going in Late March or April. I don't want to have too strict an itinerary as I would like to leave room for the unexpected - good and bad. I would like to have some guideline, though.
Jan 8th, 2004, 01:45 PM
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hello! stay away from Greece, with the olympics everything is more $.
I'm a solo female traveler and never
had a problem in Europa or anywhere else,but be alert of eveything and use
common sence don't tell any guy you're alone , tell them your friends are at ....... etc..
Here're some city combinations that work pretty well for me.
Vienna,Prague and Budapest.
London, Amsterdan,Belgium from where
you can take a day trip to Brugges and
Luxenberg.
Paris,St tropez,Nice,Monaco and Milan.
Madrid and the south of Spain: Sevilla,Cadiz, Marbella,Cordoba,granada and back to Madrid and fly to Barcelona and
then Portugal.
London,Sweden,Denmark and Norway.
All this cities are pretty safe.I fly
most of the time between countries because I have discovered that train tickets for solo travelers are the same price,as flying and you save time.
When you get to any city ask for the
tourist cards.London has one an it save
you some money and also time.
Also great help to look up in the internet all the info. you can. that way you'll have some sort of idea of
what to look for.
here are some web.sites
www.aroundprague.com
www.visitprague.com
www.gotohungary.com
www.visitholland.com
www.visitlondon.com
www.visitbelgium.com
www.paris-touristoffice.com
and so on......
If any question let me know. I love traveling solo you meet tons of people
and you 'll have time to see lots of
things at your own paste.
I'm a solo female traveler and never
had a problem in Europa or anywhere else,but be alert of eveything and use
common sence don't tell any guy you're alone , tell them your friends are at ....... etc..
Here're some city combinations that work pretty well for me.
Vienna,Prague and Budapest.
London, Amsterdan,Belgium from where
you can take a day trip to Brugges and
Luxenberg.
Paris,St tropez,Nice,Monaco and Milan.
Madrid and the south of Spain: Sevilla,Cadiz, Marbella,Cordoba,granada and back to Madrid and fly to Barcelona and
then Portugal.
London,Sweden,Denmark and Norway.
All this cities are pretty safe.I fly
most of the time between countries because I have discovered that train tickets for solo travelers are the same price,as flying and you save time.
When you get to any city ask for the
tourist cards.London has one an it save
you some money and also time.
Also great help to look up in the internet all the info. you can. that way you'll have some sort of idea of
what to look for.
here are some web.sites
www.aroundprague.com
www.visitprague.com
www.gotohungary.com
www.visitholland.com
www.visitlondon.com
www.visitbelgium.com
www.paris-touristoffice.com
and so on......
If any question let me know. I love traveling solo you meet tons of people
and you 'll have time to see lots of
things at your own paste.
Jan 8th, 2004, 01:59 PM
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Sorry, for my reply it seemed long and
kind of crazy but I came back from Paris yesterday and I think I'm jetlaged if you can use that term.
Paris is great!!!!!!! sales are out of these world. !!!!! and now I'm broke.
lol!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
kind of crazy but I came back from Paris yesterday and I think I'm jetlaged if you can use that term.
Paris is great!!!!!!! sales are out of these world. !!!!! and now I'm broke.
lol!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Feb 5th, 2004, 06:29 AM
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On my first trip to Europe, I spent 18 days and did not stay for more than 2 (maybe 3 nights) in none of the cities. I slept on trains 3 nights and that saved me quite some time.
I preferred to get a quick idea of the countries and cultures, and now I am going back, with more time, to the ones that I really enjoyed!
I already went back to Germany, England and visited Scotland. This year I am going back to Spain and will get to know Portugal. Italy and France will be the next stops and maybe Germany again for the World Cup 2006. (Last time we went to the Ocktoberfest.. Very nice and beautiful country).
I preferred to get a quick idea of the countries and cultures, and now I am going back, with more time, to the ones that I really enjoyed!
I already went back to Germany, England and visited Scotland. This year I am going back to Spain and will get to know Portugal. Italy and France will be the next stops and maybe Germany again for the World Cup 2006. (Last time we went to the Ocktoberfest.. Very nice and beautiful country).
Feb 5th, 2004, 08:56 PM
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Rex, I'm curious. I've seen a couple postings where you suggested "consider reducing your trip to 18-20 days." Do you have a reason for this?
Our first trip to France years ago was a month long camping trip. We usually go for four to six weeks unless it's a hop to a city for a week or so, e.g. Paris, Rome, etc.
I think long trips are lovely. You have time to really look around each place and sort of get a feel for it. It also helps you get an idea of where you might like to spend more time on a subsequent trip.
You can budget before and then budget afterwards for the next trip . . . and we really are budget travelers and have been even more so in the past. Do you just not like to be away from home for long stretches?
Just curious. Please feel free to ignore me if you think the question is impertinent. Thanks.
Our first trip to France years ago was a month long camping trip. We usually go for four to six weeks unless it's a hop to a city for a week or so, e.g. Paris, Rome, etc.
I think long trips are lovely. You have time to really look around each place and sort of get a feel for it. It also helps you get an idea of where you might like to spend more time on a subsequent trip.
You can budget before and then budget afterwards for the next trip . . . and we really are budget travelers and have been even more so in the past. Do you just not like to be away from home for long stretches?
Just curious. Please feel free to ignore me if you think the question is impertinent. Thanks.
Feb 6th, 2004, 03:44 AM
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I think this is paternalism in me, coming out. I know it's the advice I would give our daughters (they are now well beyond first-time travelers), or their various friends, not to mention their two-dozen-plus (first) cousins - - roughly a 50:50 split of "never-beens" and "been-befores".
My thinking is mostly, but not entirely, financial. In many cases, the posts I read here sound like a young person who has managed to get $5000 into his/her pocket, and doesn't want or need any other major purchases in life right now - - or alternatively, figures that career and earning power are going pretty well, and it's time for a little self-reward, not to mention horizons expanding - - so, maybe this is the amount of debt, credit card (quel horreur!) or otherwise that he/she is willing to take on. In either scenario, it's a sizable figure for most under-30's, measured in time to save it up or pay it off.
I say, scale back... and don't make it necessary to wait 5, or even 10 years until you can go again. I suppose I aspire to turn more (young) people into _lifelong_ repeat intenational travelers, and lifelong "world-perspective citizens" (boy, that sounds awfully lofty, doesn't it?)
I think that "life on the road", living out of a suitcase, especially solo can be longer, harder and lonelier, after two or three weeks than most novices anticipate. This COULD lead to bad decisions, or perhaps less crucial (but still not trivial), bad "value" decisions.
In my own situation - - and maybe I am still trying to teach our children this... time is money. I am essentially self-employed; I get no "paid vacations" (I would argue that nobody really gets paid vacations - - their employers just withhold pay to maintain an cash-flow of salary during worker absence - - but that's another story). So for me - - but to a lesser degree, for our daughters also - - 20 days traveling means only 10 income-producing days that month; 18 means 12, etc.
These are all very personal opinions, based on value systems that work for me and my family. I try to always offer these perspectives with verbs like "you should consider".
My thinking is mostly, but not entirely, financial. In many cases, the posts I read here sound like a young person who has managed to get $5000 into his/her pocket, and doesn't want or need any other major purchases in life right now - - or alternatively, figures that career and earning power are going pretty well, and it's time for a little self-reward, not to mention horizons expanding - - so, maybe this is the amount of debt, credit card (quel horreur!) or otherwise that he/she is willing to take on. In either scenario, it's a sizable figure for most under-30's, measured in time to save it up or pay it off.
I say, scale back... and don't make it necessary to wait 5, or even 10 years until you can go again. I suppose I aspire to turn more (young) people into _lifelong_ repeat intenational travelers, and lifelong "world-perspective citizens" (boy, that sounds awfully lofty, doesn't it?)
I think that "life on the road", living out of a suitcase, especially solo can be longer, harder and lonelier, after two or three weeks than most novices anticipate. This COULD lead to bad decisions, or perhaps less crucial (but still not trivial), bad "value" decisions.
In my own situation - - and maybe I am still trying to teach our children this... time is money. I am essentially self-employed; I get no "paid vacations" (I would argue that nobody really gets paid vacations - - their employers just withhold pay to maintain an cash-flow of salary during worker absence - - but that's another story). So for me - - but to a lesser degree, for our daughters also - - 20 days traveling means only 10 income-producing days that month; 18 means 12, etc.
These are all very personal opinions, based on value systems that work for me and my family. I try to always offer these perspectives with verbs like "you should consider".
Feb 6th, 2004, 04:38 AM
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Rex, I see your point and totally agree with that..
In my case, after 3 weeks, no matter if I am in the most comfortable hotel or at my mom's house, I just want to go home.. I miss my bed and I get tired of having my clothes on luggage..
I definitely prefer 2 trips of 15 days (or 15 and 10) rather than a 25.
But like said before, that is a very personal opinion.
Alyt, just try to find what is more convenient for you and have a nice trip! Europe is GREAT!!
In my case, after 3 weeks, no matter if I am in the most comfortable hotel or at my mom's house, I just want to go home.. I miss my bed and I get tired of having my clothes on luggage..
I definitely prefer 2 trips of 15 days (or 15 and 10) rather than a 25.
But like said before, that is a very personal opinion.
Alyt, just try to find what is more convenient for you and have a nice trip! Europe is GREAT!!
Feb 6th, 2004, 04:55 AM
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Well, I have to laugh... even though this post - - http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34467233 - - is a few weeks old, it just got topped up.
Read the first few sentences. I'm not making this stuff up. I wonder how the perspectives might have been different with two days "break-in" in Verona, and then 3-4 days each in (any) two of the "big three".
And you know, if I am not mistaken, Rome is one of the leading places (maybe Paris too?) that come up on threads that start out "Places I'd like to try again..." (i.e., give a second chance).
Read the first few sentences. I'm not making this stuff up. I wonder how the perspectives might have been different with two days "break-in" in Verona, and then 3-4 days each in (any) two of the "big three".
And you know, if I am not mistaken, Rome is one of the leading places (maybe Paris too?) that come up on threads that start out "Places I'd like to try again..." (i.e., give a second chance).
Feb 6th, 2004, 01:20 PM
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Thanks, Rex. That makes perfect sense.
My husband's view is that if you spend the money to get over to Europe (we fly from LA), it makes sense to spend quite a bit of time there. I guess these are two different views. I'll travel anywhere anytime and keep going forever and I realize that except for our daughters, I'm a bit strange in that regard. We just love "going."
We used to schedule a European trip every other year with a U.S. vacation in between. Now that we're retired (hooray!), we seem to have gotten into a twice-a-year-to-Europe mode.
We have a very good friend who travels alone and he also loves long trips, often renting or borrowing houses. It must be a personality thing. I have discovered that you tend to meet people more easily when you are alone.
One thing that has surprised me on these forums is the fact that many people seem to regard a trip to Europe as a "once in a lifetime" affair. We also have had many friends tell us they couldn't afford to travel to Europe but they'll drop twice as much money on a trip to Las Vegas. That makes no sense to us, but, again, it's a very personal decision.
I wouldn't worry about making decisions based on being lonely. Anyone who is 27 and still single has come to terms with doing things by herself and probably picking up friends right and left as she wanders through life. I'm sure she also has a scheme for avoiding people who might want to take advantage of her and is able to spot them a mile away. Singles today are much more savy than I was at that age.
Thanks for your answer. I appreciate your time and thought.
My husband's view is that if you spend the money to get over to Europe (we fly from LA), it makes sense to spend quite a bit of time there. I guess these are two different views. I'll travel anywhere anytime and keep going forever and I realize that except for our daughters, I'm a bit strange in that regard. We just love "going."
We used to schedule a European trip every other year with a U.S. vacation in between. Now that we're retired (hooray!), we seem to have gotten into a twice-a-year-to-Europe mode.
We have a very good friend who travels alone and he also loves long trips, often renting or borrowing houses. It must be a personality thing. I have discovered that you tend to meet people more easily when you are alone.
One thing that has surprised me on these forums is the fact that many people seem to regard a trip to Europe as a "once in a lifetime" affair. We also have had many friends tell us they couldn't afford to travel to Europe but they'll drop twice as much money on a trip to Las Vegas. That makes no sense to us, but, again, it's a very personal decision.
I wouldn't worry about making decisions based on being lonely. Anyone who is 27 and still single has come to terms with doing things by herself and probably picking up friends right and left as she wanders through life. I'm sure she also has a scheme for avoiding people who might want to take advantage of her and is able to spot them a mile away. Singles today are much more savy than I was at that age.
Thanks for your answer. I appreciate your time and thought.
Feb 6th, 2004, 01:39 PM
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I actually start to feel a little idle and like I need work to do after some time traveling. If I could travel while working a few hours per day in an office wherever I went, that would probably be perfect. Or maybe taking a class for a few hours would work. So from that point of view, I can understand the suggestion of taking a shorter trip.
I have done lots of paid writing, and so could quite possibly do writing while traveling, but that doesn't quite seem to fit the bill. I'm not idle when traveling - quite the contrary as I am walking around from morning to night - but I do miss working. I wonder if anyone else feels the same way?
(Of course this is moot for me anyway, because I'm married with kids, and usually travel either by myself or with one of the kids. Thus, I only want to go for two or at most three weeks anyway.)
One argument for longer trips is that you can amortize the airfare costs over a longer period. Spending $600 on airfare for a 3-day trip is a lot different than spending $600 for a 30-day trip, if you are a low-budget traveler.
I have done lots of paid writing, and so could quite possibly do writing while traveling, but that doesn't quite seem to fit the bill. I'm not idle when traveling - quite the contrary as I am walking around from morning to night - but I do miss working. I wonder if anyone else feels the same way?
(Of course this is moot for me anyway, because I'm married with kids, and usually travel either by myself or with one of the kids. Thus, I only want to go for two or at most three weeks anyway.)
One argument for longer trips is that you can amortize the airfare costs over a longer period. Spending $600 on airfare for a 3-day trip is a lot different than spending $600 for a 30-day trip, if you are a low-budget traveler.
