Help? Good idea? Bad idea?
 

I have never been to Europe but here is my trip. I will buy a Eurorail pass (unlimited rides for 3 months) and I will go where my spirit wants for those three months (I will travel at will in the 17 Western European and Scandinavian countries). For example: "7 days in Paris and then....gee...where do I want to go today??...and then get on the rail and go." I will hostel or Bed and Breakfast everywhere I go. <BR><BR>After the first three months, I will stay in Spain and study Spanish at a language school for three months. After three months studying (and traveling) in Spain, I will end in with one month in Italy (Venice, Milan, Florence, Rome, etc) and then one month in France (Paris, Bordeaux, etc.) Good trip? Bad trip? I have 6-9 months to travel and this is what I have come up with. Please help. I am inexperienced and looking for a great..."fly by the seat of my pants" experience. Thankyou for all replies.

Tim -- you've got a very broad question there, so I'll give you a very broad answer: <BR><BR>Your trip sounds like a great adventure. Just remember to read, read, read, before you go. The more research you do, the better prepared you'll be, in terms of using your money and time well, and getting the most out of the experience.<BR><BR>Hope you have a wonderful time!

Sounds wonderful to me, with the exception of the hostels. To have that much time to travel is something most of us have never had, and never will.<BR><BR>About 25 years ago I had a Eurail pass for one month and visited six countries. It was my first trip to Europe. My only regret is that I tried to cover too much territory in a small amount of time. I had room reservations some of the time, but much of the time I arrived in a city and looked for a place to stay. That was in the days of Frommer's "Europe on $15 a Day." Although I didn't stick to the $15-a-day theory, it wasn't too much more.<BR><BR>The fact that you want to stay in one country for a month at a time should give you the opportunity to experience a little of what the cultures are like and not just visit museums and points of historic importance. While in Spain you'll have plenty of opportunities to practice what you're learning.<BR><BR>Have a wonderful time and please post to all of us when you return.

Tim, practically everybody reading your post envies you!<BR>I suggest being prepared for possibly spending a lot of time looking for a place to stay and worrying about where to leave your stuff. If you have some friends or contacts in any European<BR>countries you might want to leave some clothes, books, copies of passport, cards, emergency things with them just in case you have an 'unfortunate experience' somewhere. You could also travel a lot lighter if you could leave half your stuff at some 'home base'. I did a lot of trekking around in my younger years -(I'm assuming you're not middle-aged yet) and two reoccuring questions often dominated my travels: 'Where can I find a good, cheap place to stay and how do I get there?' and 'Why am I lugging all this stuff to the...(Alhambra, British Museum, Eiffel Tower, Pitti Palace, Leidesplein, Neuschwanstein, etc.).<BR><BR> A little bit of planning, such as lists of first choices of places to stay (keep notes by city/country based on what you've read and talks with other travellers), maps and a back-up home base, can prevent lots of headaches while still giving you the freedom we envy.<BR><BR>Remember that many hostels, particularly in cities, can fill up early in the day. In Rome, for example, you can often find a line forming at check-out time in the morning just to get the beds that are being vacated. So it's not a good idea to arrive in a big city on a summer afternoon without a reservation if all you can really afford is a hostel. On the other hand, it's an excellent way to make 'emergency' friends.<BR>BTW, what time of year will you be travelling?

the other thing about hostels is that you cant leave your stuff there during the day, you check out and then check back in...something to think about when you are schlepping stuff around for this type of lengthy trip...

Very good idea. I travelled most of my time that way and as long as you don't mind a few problems, it works fine. As for reading up on countries, you got a number of long train rides in front of you, they will give you the time. And you alwas find a place to leave the luggage. Go for the private hostels, if not too expensive, they don't have the annoying traditions of the international youth hostel association. <BR><BR>You need money, time, tickets and a passport, everything else will find itself. Don't worry and have a great time.