General Trip info
 

Hello everyone,
I'm new to city backpacking and want to plan a trip for this summer. I have some general questions on other peoples trips. Any help would be appreciated.
What is you average budget and time elapsed?
What is your mode of transportation when in Europe? Train, bus, car?
Where do you enjoy most to go?
Where do you least enjoy to go?
Where do you stay? Hotel, hostel, Airbnb?
Would you explore on your own or with a tour?

What is your mode of transportation when in Europe? Train, bus, car?>

Train for me if I'm going to multiple countries far removed from each other or going mainly to cities where cars are more and more useless - being banned from wide swaths of town centers and public transport is so so superb in cities and trains are wonderful - going up to nearly 200 mph in several countries now (put any notions of AMTRAK out of you mind - like comparing horse and buggies to cars)

Night trains I love too - saves on the cost of a hotel and daytime travel time plus I always seem to meet cool locals in the same shared compartment (private compartments are rather pricey)

Trains let you see the Europe in between the big cities - flying you see only airports, tarmacs and big cities.

But if I'm driving around France in more rural areas I drive but I still prefer the train and leave the driving to someone else.

Anyway if planning a trip check out trains - great sources of info - www.budgeteuropetravel.com (check out their free online European Planning & Rail Guide for lots of suggested itineraries all over); www.ricksteves.com and www.seat61.com. I usually am traveling a lot on trains (rail nut) and thus always find a railpass of some type to get a good deal as in most countries it still allows one to hop on virtually any train anytime - for solo travelers trains are a good way to meet others and can be cheaper than a car overall and quicker.

As for your questions they are really too general - how old are you may be needed to see if you would enjoy hostels whose ages are 30-40 or under with lots of noisy school groups in some - hotels can be isolating.

<i> General Trip info
Posted by: packitup2016 on Mar 1, 16 at 1:44pm</i>

That is "general" for sure. Maybe you need to get a guidebook. Try Lonely Planet's "Europe on a Shoestring" for a starter.

Or "Europe Throught the Back Door".

Or Rough Guide's "First Time Europe".

Or might this actually be a disguised survey? (Which is not allowed on this site.)

I have done it many ways.. my first trip without family was when I was 23.. 3 months backpacking all over Europe and Greek islands.
Since then.. ( and that was decades ago ) we still go back often ( now almost every year.. or every other year for sure) and for at least 3-4 weeks at a time( have had a few shorter trips.. most unsatisfying,, lol )
I have gone solo. I have gone solo with one kid ( I have three.. so hubby and I did one on one trips with each kid..I took one , he took one, then I took last one). I have gone with friends, and of course with hubby.
This year we are going with our adult daughter and her bf ( both 26).. then after 3 weeks meeting our other daughter ( aged 19, but turning 20 on her trip) who will have been backpacking around Europe for a 11 weeks before us with her friend.

So.. basic break down.
Trains are way to go for most journeys.. and trips can be cheap if you book WELL in advance( last minute tickets can be full price and that can be pricey) However.. we also use those cheapo airlines to cover longer distances.. have used Easyjet, Vueling, Ryanair, as well as AerLingus, AirBerlin, Tuifly and Air Aegean. ..

I basically decide flight time ( and build in time for airport commute) versus train time. I find trains over 5-6 hours are getting too long for me.. so if its a long train trip I do look at flights. We have FIVE flights booked for this May-June.. London to Mykonos, Mykonos to Barcelona, Barcelona to Mallorca( its an island and ferries are long as just as pricey almost, flight is 35 mintues) Mallorca to Dublin, Dublin to Paris.. and one train the Thalys between Paris and Amsterdam. So you can see by distances ( and oceans) that some train trips are not practical.. depends on your routes.

We pack LIGHT.

Budget we travel cheap to moderate.. that's how we can afford to go more often and for longer periods.. but not insisting on fance 4 star American style hotels..

Budget for hotels varies ALOT by city/town.. for instance we have a beautiful place with balcony and sea view near the beach on the Greek island of Naxos this summer.. 45 euros.. but in London.. we have a small but nice room in a decent area.. 115 GBPS( so a lot more then euros even).. Paris we usually stay in apartments for a week.. but when we do stay in hotels we aim for 90-120 euros a night, have spent a bit more and have spent a bit less. If in Paris my kids found a great place to stay..the reviews are stellar.. not a hostel think they got a triple for 100 euros( awesome price for a triple in such a great area in a pricier city ) but has a kitchen, and a simple breakfast is included( not the norm in Paris ) you can use and rooms are CHEAP and in a great and convenient area.. Hotel Marignan.. you can get a room with bathroom in it.. or cheaper room with just a toilet and share showers.. so your choice.. it books up fast though.
Amsterdam is another expenisive city for us.. we have never found anything decent below 130 -150 euros. .good luck with that .. my daughter and her friend found a hostel there.. and are still paying a lot .. but cheaper then hotel.

Food costs can vary by tastes.. we cheap out by eating street food.. you know, buying from carts and kiosks.. or check out bakeries and grocers.. many sell easy to eat snacks and sandwiches..then we splurge on a few nice meals out.. that for us means anything over 30-50 euros per person without booze.. a night.. but you can eat cheaper for sure, ,never eat anywhere with a view of a major tourist site.. it will be more expensive as you are paying for the view too.

Find out transport options in each place you visit.. many cities have passes that can save you money.

Trips are more affordable.. and usually more fun if you are willing to invest the research equity into them.. you can always find somewhere to sleep.. but at the price you want , and the area you want, with decent reviews.. that takes some research. Hostels can vary from super nice and clean.. to dingy booze flop houses ..lol Check out reviews on by looking at Hostelling websites. .HI ( Hostelling International to start ) but there are several.
Check out the forum on the Lonely Planet website..called Thorntree.. they cater to travelers on a budget.. young and old. ( but lets face it,,mostly younger folks)

And finally re itineraries.. don't try to cram too much in.. a two night stay in a place is only one full day.. so if a place is only worth one full day maybe its a place you can skip if your plan is packed with places you want to visit.
The more you move the more you pay ( train or planes aren't free after all )

And its always nice to mix up city visits with some beach time ( ok,, maybe that's just us.. ) Like on this trip we have city visits to London, Paris, Dublin and Amsterdam.. with a nice break in the Greek and Spanish islands.. one can get overwhelmed with museums and cathederals .

I will tell you , when I did my young trip.. our favorite places were Switzerland ( its so beautiful but oh so painfully pricey) and Greece.. oh so cheap and laid back.. two completely different places.

Let's HOPE it's not a survey!

Ah Fodorgarchs are a sinister bunch - does this look like a survey or someone who has never traveled to Europe and trying to get a fix on it all - surveys are composed to be easily scored - tick the box type things.

One thing for sure you cannot be sure it is a survey in disguise.

$100usd/day
3 weeks
train
Venice, Paris, Amsterdam
nowhere
hotel
on my own

A survey, saints preserve us!!
:-D

Let's Go Europe is to me the best guide for backpackers - especially on low-budget hostels, hotels, etc. A guidebook in any large library or at amazon.com or in the few remaining bricks and mortar bookstores.

No budget/ I look for good value and generally stay in moderate /budget places but would like one nicer accommodation in the mix. Also like a couple nice meals mixed in with cheaper meals.

2-3 weeks

Train, bus, plane and car. Had a very good experience with the buses on recent trip- flix bus and student agency. There buses were much cheaper than the train, travel time was approximately the same. In the future the bus is an alternative to travel that I will certainly consider. We also flew from Berlin to Munich - $70 one way and saved 1/2 day travel time. This was worth it to us as we have more money than time.

Place I enjoy the most- I kinda prefer countryside over city but it's like comparing apples to oranges. Europe has so many special places I couldnt choose a single location as a favorite.

Enjoy the least - crowded, expensive places. I prefer traveling off or shoulder season.

Hotel and Airbnb

I do both - explore on my own and take tours like walking tours, or tours offered by the site I'm visiting including audio guides.

You are going to get a bunch of different answers here And I suspect that most of the people are quite a bit older than I suspect you are and have more flexible budgets.

For a quick overview you have to check on flights from your specific city (we have no ides) but expect it to cost more than $1000. For daily expenses (on a hostel/picnic budget) allow yourself an absolute minimum of $80 - and that will mean not seeing some of the more expensive major sights. And that does not include train to bus fare between cities.

You need to start with:

1) an idea of your budget
2) how much time that will allow you
3) what are YOUR most important sights

I would start with reading Let's Go Europe to give you a flavor of what this type of trvael is like and what it will cost. (My 19 year old DD went 2 summers ago with a couple of friends and it cost her about $8K for a little less than 6 weeks - but you can do it cheaper if you are willing to go without some things that are standard here - private bath, AC, etc).

What's the deal with a survey?

If it is a survey it is the worst constructed one I've seen to tally anyway - having to wade thru voluminous posts like mine.

Wow! Thank you all for your replies! Is there a person who can specifically help me plan a trip?

<Is there a person who can specifically help me plan a trip?>

Every poster on this forum can do that. You just need to ask more specific questions.

You need to tell us:

How long do you want to go for?

How much money do you have to spend?

What do you enjoy/want to experience:
Beach
Museums
Architcture
Art
Restaurants
Shopping
Etc.

Which countries. Are you OK with heat.

Are you OK with sleeping in a dorm, sharing a bathroom etc.

Or, even more baic, why do you want to go to Europe - insread of Asia, South America, Africa.

I prefer to travel solo, but you might look at torus with, say, Intrepid, which will also give you an idea of itineraries, provide you slow them down.

>>Is there a person who can specifically help me plan a trip?<<

If you mean is there a Travel Agent or consultant here who will make the arrangements for you -- no.

But what we can do is help you work out your own plan. First you need to decide where you want to visit . . . or even just the TYPES of places you want to visit. Answer the questions thursdaysd asked like how long, how much you have to spend, time of year and so on.

then people on Fodors can give you ideas and help you refine and/or improve your plan.

And how old are you?

what time in summer - all summer?

Some guidance on where you want to go - just saying Europe is too wide-ranging. Britain - France - Italy - Greece- Norway - then some of us can suggest an itinerary, etc.

*Is there a person who can specifically help me plan a trip*

We help you, so you can do it yourself.

<<Is there a person who can specifically help me plan a trip?>>

Sure, but you're not paying a travel agent here, you're relying on the volunteer help of people who've got years (for the most part) of travel experience in Europe under their belts. Are they going to plan an itinerary for you? No. That's up to you.

Can you imagine when many of us travelers started wandering Europe in the 1970s, for example, and had no internet, what we had to do to plan a European trip? Well, think about it. All we had were guidebooks and maps. And we did fine.

You can, too, plus you have the entire internet at your disposal, with every city, town, and village in Europe having its own website, every train company having one, every restaurant and hostel and inn and hotel having one. Can you not imagine how much easier it is for you to do this than it was for most of us?

Go to the library if you can't afford to buy guidebooks. Get out guidebooks and videos and watch them. Go online and explore, explore, explore. Get a full-size paper map of Europe and pin it to your wall and put pushpins in it according to what you want to visit. Use your imagination. Do the math.

Do NOT expect someone to throw this in a bag for you, if you want it to be your trip, not someone else's. If this is too taxing for you, sign up for a Contiki or other canned tour.

How long do you plan to spend on this trip?

A little guidance and as StCirq says above you will get all kind of help - even suggested itineraries - so be specific in your questions after many above gave you lots of info.

and don't over plan either!

Dear PackItUp2016:

We generally planned our European travel, most of which was with our children from the age of 8 to the ages of 18, on "What movie scenery culture were we intrigued by?" or "What art do I REALLY want to see before I die?" or "What food do I REALLY want to taste?" Ergo, we spent a lot of time in France :) when we started out, and then we explored Italy.

But I do go back to the movie idea. So much of our impressions of a country are created by media, and it is SO fun to find out if those impressions were correct or totally wrong.

Now to your questions:

<b>What is your budget?</b>
Alas, I missed out on the backpacking in my youth. My parents, though, took my sister and me to England in 1970 on the book, "England on $5 and $10 a Day"--and spending the $10 was a splurge--so I guess I was brought up on frugal travel. My husband did much the same throughout his travel in his 20s, and when we married, our style was to look for extreme bargains always.

Unfortunately, as my husband and I have aged, we probably are willing to spend more and I am NO help on the current budget for you.

Some cities are far more expensive than others, and I never find those indexes of "Most Expensive Cities" to be accurate. I can tell you that I can do street food in NYC and Paris really cheaply. I can't do the same in Switzerland or even England.

<b>How long to go for?</b>
My first trip as a teen was 21 days. My husband's trips were for around two months.

I always say that for even one country in Europe, I would do 7-10 days as my minimum because that gives you time to explore one big city (Paris/London) plus do one or two side cities. 21 days gives one a lot of wiggle room for transport (transport is what eats up time and money) to other regions and countries.

Sidenote: We HAVE spent less time there when we had Frequent Flyer Miles that we could use frugally in off-season. So yeah, we HAVE done Paris for a long weekend as long as we were not paying for the flight.

<b>What is your mode of transportation when in Europe? Train, bus, car?</b>

In my husband's youth, he and his buddies bought EuRail passes and hopped on and off throughout Europe. Flash forward, that same travel method is no longer the bargain. Some of the rail routes do not accept the passes--or rather, they interpret them differently. So do consult www.seat61.com for pass advice.

And as others have said, check out the cheapie European air flights. My youngest daughter found that she could do most of her travel her year abroad in Paris cheaper by plane than by train. She just made sure she always compared fares.

We old folk still travel to Europe frequently and we go out of our way NOT to use a car. Trying to avoid a car mean that we learned that Ireland is EASILY explored by bus, that Paris bus and Metro system is efficient and pretty darn cheap, and that the Riviera is a snap to explore by bus and train.

Heck, one time we were stumped as to how to get from Point A to B. We went to the tourist office and they found us a driver for less than a day's car rental.

<b>Where do you enjoy most to go?</b>
Hard to say. Anywhere in Ireland (four trips--and I'm trying for the 5th), Paris (17 trips?), the rest of France, Italy, and now I'm really into Spain. I'd go back to Slovenia in a heartbeat. I'd also go back to Switzerland in a heartbeat when I win the PowerBall.

<b>Where do you least enjoy to go?</b>
Anywhere around cruise ships. They have really ruined the experiences in Istanbul, Barcelona, Venice, cities that I otherwise really enjoy. I don't like to be anywhere where all the tourists ask, "Do you have senior citizen discounts?"

And yeah, I AM a senior citizen.

<b>Where do you stay? Hotel, hostel, Airbnb?</b>
My daughters always did hostels in their years abroad. I am thinking that just a few years later they'd be doing Airnb.

As an older person now, I admit to becoming too bathroom-centric to be flexible. Depending on the country, we usually stay in 3* hotels. I know I could stay in a no-star in Switzerland and be just fine. I tend to look for a 4* in Italy.

<b>Would you explore on your own or with a tour? </b>
We DO use tour services when we take cycling vacations. Part of that is that I am the trip planner for the family; I can't be the trip mechanic and EMT too. Otherwise, we do all of our own planning and routing.

However, I often look at tours to see how they are routed. Then I make sure I add a lot more time to the route!!!!

And often, I will engage a day tour in a city. We do a lot of walking tours from guidebooks, but it's nice to do really good ones in some of the major cities.

There are some free services out there, too. Check with the tourist office where you go. Trieste, for example, offered a free walking tour with a transport pass. Some museums even offer free tours.

Good luck planning!
AZ

Sorry - we are not travel agents and can't make an entire trip for you - all we can do is advise. (If you want a travel agent you will have to pay for one and it won't be cheap - they have to earn a living too.)

But more important - if you haven't put the trip together yourself (yes, with a lot of help from people here) - what will you do when things do wrong? And, yes, they will go wrong. I have yet to go on any trips (more than 100 trips to europe) when something didn't go wrong. Usually something small and easily fixable but a couple of times a little tricky.

Only if you put it together yourself will you know enough to be able to easily fix the problem - or who to go to for help.

Yes travel can at times be travail and to me that is a great learning experience - better be a traveler than a tourist carted around and everything done for you - I like the learning experience of traveling abroad and facing unexpected turns of events - like train strikes, metro strikes, etc.

Don't over think all this - Europe is set up for easy traveling and with smart phones or tablets everything is at your fingertips.

What is you average budget and time elapsed?
Less than 1000 € per day, 5 weeks
What is your mode of transportation when in Europe? Train, bus, car?
Car (my own)
Where do you enjoy most to go?
Southern France
Where do you least enjoy to go?
Hometown
Where do you stay? Hotel, hostel, Airbnb?
House
Would you explore on your own or with a tour?
My own.

So did it help you ?

If you are under 26 and taking several long-distance trains the Eurail Youthpasses may well be better than a series of discounted tickets (which are often train-specific and non-changeable nor refundable and since they are issued in limited numbers must be booked weeks/months in advance to guarantee availability.

Eurailpasses still let you hop on any train just about in Europe save in a handful of countries where you must get a mandated seat reservation before boarding (Italy, Spain and TGV trains in France mainly) - so do investigate that and it could keep your travel expenses to a fixed amount - passes must be bought outside of Europe however as Europeans can't use them (they have their own Inter-Rail Passes).

Op has not come back. Guess they dont want help but were looking for a travel agent.

>>Op has not come back. Guess they dont want help but were looking for a travel agent.<<

Its only been since yesterday morning -- he may be back . . .

good point.. always seems longer.

Well he packed it up a bit early, having got all his answers and moving on to Europe- please give us a trip report or survey summary.