Hi Guys,

I know probably thousands of people as this on a regular basis just looking for some info and ideas.

I've been wanting to travel since I can remember now 26 and in a position where I currently have no job (gave up my own business when spilt with boyfriend, no long term accommodation due to us splitting up. I am now in a blessing of a situation that all these things have happend together and I feel the time is now to go travelling I could hold back a little longer and get some more money but I am scared of falling back into old ways of becoming comrfortable.

So here is the scoop

I have £5,000 and as much time as I can afford, I know going now just before winter isn't ideal but I also like the idea of it not being as busy but still with solo travellers like myself.
I have no time to do much planning and wish to take in culture, meeting new people, maybe finish off with some work to fund the trip longer.

My trouble is I am overwhelmed with how much planning some people do.... I basically wanna pick a city, go there get the feel for it and see where it takes me.

I have family in Hamburg and my main countires of choice to visit on this trip are Holland, Germany (take alot in such as Munich to Hamburg and round again!) Belguim (Bruges), Czech, Poland, Austria.

Any and I mean any info/ideas are welcome

Kathryn

I find planning to be part of the fun of a trip - it gets me excited to go. But many people go with few plans and you can take off without doing a lot of planning. Buy a few guide books and go to the TIs when you arrive. I would book 1 night's lodging so you don't arrive tired and have to start looking for a place to stay.

Before you leave I would prioritize the list of places to visit so in case you run out of money and need to return home you have seen the top sights. Poland and Czech Republic are very inexpensive. You can find small pensions for about $25 to $50 USD per night. Hostels run about $25 Euro per night.

At a guess, I'd say you could stay for a couple of months if you are careful with your money and don't eat in restaurants too often. You could settle into a city for a week and rent an apartment and save by buying food in the supermarket.

Try to get copies of Let's Go guidebooks which are great for people with limited money and lots of time. There are lots of recommendations for inexpensive cafeterias/restaurants and places to stay. Get together a list of pensions and hostels so you can book a bit ahead and not arrive someplace and try to find a bed.

I would not wait - go now. You have the money and the time.

Best of luck with your trip!

Hey thanks for the reply,

I aim to go aournd start of November I am helping out a friend until 28th Oct and will manage to get anouther £800 saved.

Yeah thought about a couple nights in a city to get a feel and maybe meet some others, this brings me to my other questions,

Is Amsterdam/Berlin too familiar to go to first? Or beccause it may feel not too far out of the norm as say London it may be a good starting point?

You are the in the shoulder season, so generally (exclude festivals and messe) rooms should be easy to get. The cheapo airlines are still running and the train system works everywhere so planning should be a minor issue. I'd grab Rough Guide Europe and just curl up with it for a few hours.

If you want to meet people on trips then you should either 1) stay in hostels or 2) do courses such as language or art. If not you can end up in B&Bs but not meeting people. Alternativley its trawling night clubs...

Thorntree may be a better site for this sort of trip.

I'd book the first night as well, using booking.com (say the morning of your travel) it means you get a good deal and the first night is easy.

£5k can go a long way in the southern countries like Portugal and Spain as well as Hungary, Czech, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece.

Amsterdam would be a great place to start, though for all that the alien city of Brighton might be worth a try

Also meant to add things that are right up my street are Christmas Markets, been to London on my own to theirs ok i'm only from Aberdeen but was great and great time to see Germany/Bruges/Czech Markets.

The books i've already got are from years previously:

- Lonely Planet, Europe on a shoestring
- Micheal Palin, New Europe
- Rough Guide, First Time Europe
- City Spots, Munich
- AA Key Guide, Germany
- Rough Guide, Women Travel
- Insight Guides, Bruges

Also meant to say I don't mind doing some solo travel during Xmas/New Year.

So anywhere that would be good for a female solo traveller during this celebrations would be greatly appreciated. I would probably quite like church services, street parties, that sort of thing. Failing that I could go to Hamburg to visit my relatives.

Whether plan or not depends on your personality and what is about the trip you place value on. If you are content with whatever you happen to encounter, why bother planning. For those who have limited vacation time, have specific things to do, and have to travel hours to get to Europe, would be more likely to want to get more things done.

Suppose you are traveling by train. You find out there is a delay or cancellation in the early leg of the trip that would cause you to miss the connection. If you don't have any specific time you need to get to the destination,then you really don't need to plan ahead. Just take whatever next train that comes along that get you to the destination. I had this just happened to me, but I had all the alternatives planned since I needed to get to the destination by certain time. I knew what different routing would get me to the destination earlier than just waiting for the next train that runs the same route.

If I have something I really want to see requiring prebooking, I would make reservations. If you have no such activities in your itinerary, again, no planning is needed.

When I went two weeks camping in peak district (UK) last October everything was planned down to a T,absolutely everything, although great to get the most out of the 2 week holiday it did feel restrictive. This trip because I am doing it solo I wan't to be more spontaneous and just see what happens with plans for some must see culture and perhaps a band in Berlin. It's not a rushed trip away in the sense my boyfriend and I have split and I want a last min get out, I have spoke about doing this for years and have put it off and off again but this time it feels right.

I am willing to scripm to get the most out of the trip, but also wan't to treat myself at points of the trip.

My main concenrs of not planning is conncections and such like for trains, but am guessing it like in this country easy enough to find out how to get about.

Will you a have any kind of working smart-phone with you? If you can go online whenever you want you will have the solution to many of your concerns (literally) at your fingertips. My daughter (22 years old back then, still a Senior in College) spent last October and November "backpackinish" through several European cities (Prague, Munich, Berlin, Budapest, Bruges, several Italian cities and finally a few cities in Israel)and although paying for the iPhone bill was a real pain (guess who had to "chip in"?) I feel that she was able to "improvise" a lot more or making inform last minute decisions thanks to it. Hope this helps and good luck!

Sometimes the only planning I do is to check what days museums and sites I want to visit are open so I don't miss them.

Ursulina, Thank you very much for your reply, did your daughter take all those places in during 2 months? I aim to do roughly the same. How did she find the weather/temp, did she find it easy to meet people? Where was her starting point?

Happy Trvlr thanks for your info, love to be able to do it that way! Need to take the step and book my first flight out of Aberdeen

Mrs Bilbo, who is careful with money only uses her smart phone for data within wifi zones (which you get in a lot of European tourist centres), as a result zero costs.

I am planning on temporary disconnecting my orange monthly phone contract to go PAYG and will only use the wifi hotspots.

Hi MissGronky, yes she did visit all these cities (and a few more!) she left in early October and came back in early December. The weather was mostly mild (except in Germany for some reason) but take into consideration that we live in Boston, so it is difficult to scare us!

If it were me, and if it were November, I would do this: head for big cities, and if not in big cities, then concentrate on smaller cities in Bavaria (for the Xmas markets and all). Priorities would be Berlin and Prague (separated by a short fight or by a train taking a few hours). Enjoy the action, and the decent prices for accommodation. Then think about a Bavaria component (Munich, Nuernberg, Bamberg if you drink beer, maybe Rothenburg o.d.t.). Research smaller cities or towns, but know that most smaller places are going to be dark and virtually deadsville this time of year. Vienna might be pleasant, Bruges/Ghent/Brussels could be enjoyable - - but go for big & bright, and go for action, because you will need it that time of year (I know nothing about Poland).

@ DFOURH

- You've pretty much hit the nail on the head with my travel plans, I wan't to spend alot of time with the Chirstmas markets.

I have now booked my first flight to Prague arriving on 5th Novemeber, I have booked my hostel for the first two nights and will take things from there, more than likely booking for longer or trying another hostel. I realsie the Christmas markets in Prague don't begin until the end of November so I am too early for this one but I hear it is fantastice.

With my itinerary below I am willing to take out Italy (could always save for a nice two week holiday here) and Croatia I am again not 100% on having to go there,

Czech Republic - Prague and Olomouc.
Poland - Warsaw and Krakow.
Hungary - Budapest,
Croatia - Zagrewilling to take out if needed)
Italy - Venice, Pisa, Florence, Bologna,(willing to take out and do a tour of Italy at later date)
Germany - Munich, (Bavaria) Heidelberg, Cologne, Hamburg, Berlin.
Holland - Amsterdam
Belgium - Bruges, Brussels


so really my main focus will be on Czech, Poland, Germany (my relatives are from Hamburg and I shall try get to them for Christmas) I wan't Germany to be the main event, I speak a little German and understand it better than I speak! Holland and Belguim I am willing to keep last depending on money and time. If it was cheap enough and I enjoyed it I would even go back to Prague for the amazing Christmas markets.

Kathryn

Dfourh....

How expensive is travel within Germany itself

Say I arrived from Zagreb to Munich

From there Munich - Regensburg (Big Beer Drinker!!) - Nurnberg - Bamberg - Heidelberg - Berlin - then Hamburg (Cuxhaven) for roughly 23rd December with relatives)

Rougly from 30th Nov - 23rd December how much is this gonna eat into my budget. Staying in hostels again.