robdetroit8905

Hello all. My name is Rob from Detroit Michigan and I am about give out a lot of information maybe more than anyone wants to read but figure more is better here this is my first post so hopefully its enough to start.

I have been reading through blogs, forum threads, articles everything i can get hands on and eyes to focus on and wow there is so much information out there it is difficult to put it all together so hopefully you all can help me out.

I am planning to travel to Europe hopefully April/May 2017 is the plan as long as i can get it all together, if not then the fall of 2017 is when id go between August/september/October. I am not very sure on all the places to travel to since everyone says to not focus on seeing 'Europe' but focus on seeing part of Europe a select few places. The plan is for 3-4 weeks to europe with $3500-5000USD American dollars in total for trip, of course I want to do it as cheap as possible for travel to be able to spend more on being able to see, or experience a certain activity while there. Yes i would love to visit every country but I know it is not practical or possible, so I am trying to narrow it down to 3-5 places. I am located in America-Michigan to be specific. My flight will take me from Detroit to New York, to then fly to Europe where I choose to fly into is still undecided, predicated still trying to figure out all the countries to visit The 3 main places I would like to see would be Rome, Italy and see the coliseum, Barcelona Spain, and Amsterdam Netherlands. I know they are far apart so i do realize this may not be possible. have seen posts of people from America just flying into ireland then the UK and ferry/fly over belgium then to france and italy and so on.

So what Im trying to somehow figure out and plan out, which I know all of this most likely cannot be done but the idea would be to spend 2-3 days in one place which i know may not be a good idea and not see enough/experience enough so I am open to staying longer in each location and just not see as many cities/countries and here is an idea probably not the greatest one that everyone will disagree with but I am looking to plan something like this,

Here is the idea, to fly into Ireland from America, travel to the UK and stop in at London, then London to the Netherlands to visit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Netherlands to Belgium, Belgium to Paris, Paris to Barcelona, Barcelona to Rome which would maybe be fly over, take the train or by water across the Tyrrhenian Sea to end up in Rome, Rome to Florence Italy to Venice Italy. So possibly seeing 7 countries/cities in 3-4 weeks. So i understand this is probably not doable, can anyone recommend what could be possible, or if they have attempted something like this and what they did instead.

Or i could/would travel by train and getting an EuRail Pass once in Europe and could take night trains so id spend the days in cities and nights sleeping on the train.

So besides the actual trip being planned, I am still trying to figure out what I MUST DO besides of course see the incredible landmarks such as the Coliseum in Rome and other architectural landmarks. I plan to also just walk about and venture through the cities. I am a health fitness fanatic so i plan to stop off and visit a couple of gyms along the way. Visit the ocean and maybe go cliff jumping if it is nearby enough. Are there any places/hidden gems that are needed to be experienced, or activities or museums that people have been to and recommend that I have to see while being there, or go hang gliding, parasailing, hike a mountain all and every activity possible grabs my attention.

I am also trying to figure out what I need to pack/bring on my trip. Luggage case, and backpack as of right now is the plan but I am not sure of size or if there are specific ones to purchase from a travel store example Arei Outdoor store (it is here in Michigan) To bring 5 days worth of clothing outfits: 5 t-shirts, 3 pairs of shorts, 2-3 pairs of jeans, 5 pairs of socks/underwear, 3 hoodies, 1 spring/summer jacket, pair of good tennis shoes and wear comfortable boots(Timberlands or other recommend pair). iPhone+charger, 1 hat, sunglasses, toothbrush, contacts/glasses, all other daily essentials. Please let me know of anything I would need that everyone forgets or doesn't think of haha.

Would travel by train, bus, ferry, plane. Any way necessary. Is it best to go by train?

Would stay in hostels or AirBnB or if I happen to find cheap enough hotels could stay in the hotels, or if I am train riding I would just sleep on the train.

I think i have covered everything in general for anyone to be able to give me some help. Anyone with any help please let me know what you recommend, and anything else anyone needs to know please feel free to ask.

I know i said a lot and gave out a lot of info i think so thank you all so much for taking the time to help me here!

bilboburgler

Ok, generally you'll find the likes of Ryanair/Easyjet better for the long distance bits so Ireland to London. Train London to Amsterdam or ferry or possibly flight. Basically booking flights early on you get silly low prices. Useful for the Barcelona to Rome trip by flight too. Use skyscanner as the main tool and rome2rio to get ideas in your mind (they have errors on r2r so take care).

Trains read seat61.com to explain how to do use them easily.

Stuff you might like https://www.via-ferrata-dolomites.com/

Try and avoid the July August period as prices go crazy. You can also sometimes stay in monestries.

Your total cash is a bit limiting but you might take advantage of ethnic restaurants, vegetarian meals (always cheaper than meat based) eating the main meal at lunchtime M-F with workers. Euro 12-14 gets you a lot of food and wine. Don't drink or eat international branded food as it gets expensive (so no coke).

Ireland and UK is a good place to start as the langauge is close to our own, followed by the Netherlands where everyone speaks it. But you'll spot the differences pretty fast.

I'd get the Rough Guide to Europe out of your local library to see some options.

Good luck

elberko

Your budget is small for your plans, and you need lots of basic info.

My best suggestion is to read this book:
https://store.ricksteves.com/shop/p/...-the-back-door

Any of your questions that are not answered there, come back here and ask.

Have fun planning!

Holly_uncasdewar

I'm not going to address your entire post, just want to point out that you can fly direct from Detroit to Amsterdam non-stop, and back from Barcelona to Detroit with a plane change in Paris or Amsterdam. I just plugged in some random dates for mid-May, return 3+ weeks later, and got some $1,350 flights. That's not too bad - they may go up, they may go down before then. Does your $3,500-5000 budget include plane fare, or is that separate? That will affect the responses you get re budget for while you're on the ground.

Pegontheroad

I agree 100% with Elberko, especially in regard to budget. Also, read Rick Steves' book.

Remember that the more moves you make, the more the trip will cost.

And--as Rick Steves has said--assume you'll be back. You don't have to see everything you want to see.

Be aware of weather concerns. I'd never go to Rome in August or September, for instance.

PalenQ

Or i could/would travel by train and getting an EuRail Pass once in Europe and could take night trains so id spend the days in cities and nights sleeping on the train.>

Buy any Eurail Pass before Europe as Europeans can't use them not generally sold in Europe- any way for lots on European trains check www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.ricksteves.com and www.seat61.com.

StCirq

Night trains in Europe are being phased out fast in favor of the new high-speed trains everywhere, so don't assume you can take a lot of night trains.

Instead of reading blogs and forums, buy a few guidebooks and read them for basic information. Look at maps so you have a sense of how Europe is organized.

You can't buy a Eurrail Pass once you're in Europe, and don't assume that a pass is going to be the cheapest way to travel. If you study the national railway sites of the countries you want to visit, you will learn how to buy the cheapest point-to-point tickets. And then there are the really low-cost airlines (EasyJet, RyanAir, Vueling, etc.)

For transatlantic flights, look at open-jaw tickets, into your first destination and out of your last, so as to avoid the time and expense of backtracking. These are not two one-way tickets, they are called open-jaw or multi-destination tickets.

tom_mn

Don't involve any east coast cities, fly direct from DTW to Europe if possible or maybe use Toronto. It's very 1980s to fly to the east coast first.

I wouldn't buy a backpack or special clothes if money is tight.

It's good timing with current currency rates.

Skipping the U.K. will stretch your money father.

Sleeping on trains as a solo traveler maybe not a good idea.

PalenQ

Yes there are a declining number of overnight trains and many of those remaining are hotel trains with no seated 'free' cars -but couchettes cost about $25-30 per berth and some have reclining 'Pullman' seats at a few euros.

If you have a railpass and board an overnight train after 7pm the next day is your unlimited travel day -you get 7pm to midnight gratis -means you could cover lots of ground on only one day on a flexipass - like night train Vienna to Hamburg and go onto Copenhagen the next day - all using only one day on your pass.

MinnBeef

Wow, too much to try and answer in one post, but let me share some general thoughts after reading through your post.

1. My guess is you are a young man in your 20s or perhaps early 30s. Like an earlier poster mentioned, assume you will be go back. If I'm correct, you have MANY good years of more travel ahead of you, so don't worry about trying to knock off all of Europe in one trip.

2. Again like others have noted, investigate flights that take you directly form Detroit to Europe. Like here in Minneapolis, you are a Delta hub and should have direct options, I'd assume to London, Paris and perhaps Rome. I always like to fly direct and land early in the morning. Even though I'm horribly jet lagged, I'd rather be jet lagged for one day in Europe vs. wasting 4-8 hours sitting in LaGuardia waiting for a connecting flight.

3. Get and use a good under your shirt money belt or money pouch. Italy is pickpocket central in Europe. I tell you this not to alarm you but to prepare you. I've used my under-shirt money pouch to travel throughout Turkey (twice), Greece, Spain and Morocco and it was wonderful peace of mind.

4. You need to do more research and determine what you most want to experience on your trip. That, in turn, will guide you as to where you want to go. If you want ancient ruins, then Italy or Greece is your place. Fabulous museums, food and wine? France, duh? Want an easier first trip to avoid language challenges? England and Ireland obviously. Amsterdam too. The Dutch speak better English than we do! (PS, I don't believe you said whether or not you speak any language other than English, but English will get you almost all the way in Europe. Just learn a few useful phrases in each country you will visit)

In short, narrow down your desires a bit and then come back to us with a preliminary agenda and shortened list of questions. I wish you a wonderful trip.

janisj

tom_mm: >>Skipping the U.K. will stretch your money father. <<

Not really -- flights into the UK can be very cheap . . . and the £ is at near historic lows so travel to the UK is a bargain at present.

robdetroit8905: I didn't read through your entire OP, but did see the wish list, budget and the 2 or 3 days per city bits.

Reality check - the more you move the more expensive it gets. Whether you do point-to-point train tix, a rail pass, or discount flights, or a combo -- all that transport will eat up a pretty large % of your budget. You lose more than half a day every time you move, sometimes a full day, so not only does it add expense it eats up a large % of your time.

Airfare alone will be in the $1000 range -- a little more or a little less - but again a BIG part of your budget.

To simplify things and save $$$, cut back the number of places you visit

kja

IMO, you are wise to focus on seeing a few select places. That said, I would say that with three to four weeks, I think you could actually spend nearly all your time in Rome, Barcelona, and Amsterdam, with day trip or two from each, or maybe adding a FEW more "major" destinations. More on this question below....

Don’t PLAN on going through NY – let the open-jaw flight options dictate your route once you decide on starting and ending points

You have already received some wonderful advice. I’ll throw in my 2 cents – and will note, in advance, that I’m out of sync with most Fodorites on some of these things!

- Jeans are not a good travel option – too heavy! And if you get caught in rain, they take too long to dry!

- Personally, I don’t like staying in apartments. I like starting my day with a breakfast buffet that someone else prepared.

- I second the recommendation for the <i>Rough Guide</i>, and would say that the <i>Lonely Planet</i> and probably <i>Let's Go</i> should also prove useful. BUY at least one – the cost will be nugatory in comparison to the cost of your trip, and the chance to mark it up, earmark pages, etc. as you learn about your options (and about money saving tips, local norms, etc) will be priceless. I am NOT a fan of the Rick Steves books, though many are.

- I <b>never</b> assume I will go back to ANY place. I’m too much of an existentialist for that! I know I’m unusual in this perspective, but when planning a trip, I always start by assuming this trip will be my very last trip. What do I <b>most</b> want to see or experience? If it’s Rome’s Colloseum (to take one of your “must-sees” as an example), then what else do I want to see in Rome? Are there things nearby that I also want to see? I remain mindful that moving around is costly in terms of both money and time, and so I get “more for my buck” by focusing on just a few areas – and I certainly don’t want to spend a huge chunk of my very limited travel time and money sitting in an airport awaiting a flight! I’ve also realized, over the years, that the LAST thing that I am likely to want to do on a subsequent trip is to spend my time revisiting places to finally see the things I skipped the first time. In fact, I might end up <b>not</b> returning specifically because it would mean wasting so much time going from place to place! I’ve been very fortunate – I’m planning my 19th trip abroad, almost all of which have been for 3 to 4 weeks – and I have never regretted planning as though I will never return. It may force me to make some difficult decisions as I think about my priorities, but it helps me avoid doubts, specifically because I really think about my priorities. (And of course, one CAN probably return, if it is a high enough priority.)

- I’ll second MinnBeef’s recommendation to get a very good under-clothing passport / money pouch. Essential!

- Before you go, copy all your key documents (e.g., passport, credit card info) and mail those copies to an e-mail account that you will be able to access while abroad.

- Although you can travel without knowing foreign languages, try to at least learn the basic civilities (hello, thank you, etc.) – they go a LONG way.

- Whatever else you take, be sure to pack your sense of humor.

Hope that helps!

MarinaR

I don't know if this would be helpful since myself is planning a Europe trip in 2017. I also read alot of articles and blogs for my planning and i havent read all the replies on here so Im not sure if anybody said anything like this, but what I learned from my research is to buy tickets 6 months ahead, because they are cheaper. So planning to go in April/May might be a little more pricey than October. I already bought flight tickets to Greece for June 2017 and I bought one way tickets which made it more cheaper. One way to Greece, Athens I bought for apprx $300 and back to USA from Spain, Madrid for $300 as well. (However these flights have long layovers but I look on it as a positive side because the layovers are in London and Sweden for a whole day in each place so that means I get to explore both places as well . Also a few other things. July and August are the most expensive tickets no matter when you buy them. Best time to be in Italy is June.
Still doing a bunch of research and have many questions myself, if I find something useful I'll share.

kja

One-way tickets are rarely a good deal -- and can create some problems in today's security conscious world. As a rule, "open jaw" -- into one city and out of another -- are worth considering. IME, it's best to wait until you know where you want to be -- otherwise, you'll spend time and money getting to your airports, and the ultimate cost (in money and lost opportunities because your time is committed) can be substantially greater than if you had waited until you had a better sense of your itinerary. Fodorites spend a LOT of time giving advice to people who booked their flights before they planned their trips -- and then have to spend a lot of money, or lose a lot of time, or both -- trying to "make do" with the consequences.

What time of year is "best" for any area depends on one's interests. As a rule, I prefer to travel in "shoulder" season -- before or after the majority of travelers hit the roads, which generally depends on school schedules. So, for Europe, I generally like May or Sept./Oct. BUT it also depends on climate, sunset/sunrise times, special events (festivals or concert series or whatever), etc. Almost any good guidebook will have a section on "when to go" -- consult it. Consult timeanddate.com for sunrise/sunset times. Consult wunderground.com or other sites (there are many!) for historical climate data. Check the "calendar" and "holiday" sections of any decent guidebook for special events, including things you might want to see and things you definitely want to avoid.

And whatever the price of flights in shoulder season, room rates are generally lower then, so even if the flight it a bit more, it is generally less costly overall to travel during shoulder season than high season.

And whatever else, remember that there are no hard and fast rules! What works for one person for one trip to whatever areas might or might not work for a different person, with different interests, going to different areas.

PalenQ

You can't buy a Eurrail Pass once you're in Europe>

Well you can if when you get there you decide you need one but at a very very few Eurail Aid offices in a few main train stations in Europe - really meant to sell replacement railpasses to folks who lose their pass but to anyway qualifying but also at 15-20% last I knew above the U.S. price.

So if doing a Eurailpass buy it in your home country.

WoinParis

Buses can be very cheap. Uncofortable, long but cheap. My daughter goes Bruxelles - Paris for about 10 € per bus (4 hours and some) for example. I take the Thalys - 60 €, 1h and 20 min.

Your ideas are sound, your budget sounds tight. Try couchsurfing (if it means what I think it does) as the days of sleeping at aiports or even under bridges are over.

I spent 1000 $ 30 years ago doing 1 month in the US, spendng half my nights without paying (hence the bridge) and I lost about 5 kgms when I was yet slim.

5000$ for 4 weeks means 1200 € a week or 40 € a day.
You must eat and sleep and drink and pay for internal travel. Tight. Real tight. So plan in advance if not prices will rise. I paid once in a hostel in Paris close to 100 e... and we were supposed to be 4 in the room for that price (I canceled btw).

Since I was booking hotels I did a check fr a random date (14 april) for Paris on Hotels.com and found thes as the cheapest : (Btw the location is great)

Young & Happy Hostel
(Dernière réservation : il y a 1 jour)
80 Rue Mouffetard, Paris, Paris, 75005 France
, 022 008 523 (Belgique) / 800 211 60 (Luxembourg)

Then you have 20 € left to eat and visit. And Travel. I suppose you'll drink tapwater that you'll refill from hostels...

PalenQ

My daughter goes Bruxelles - Paris for about 10 € per bus (4 hours and some) for example. I take the Thalys - 60 €, 1h and 20 min.>

but I booked my son Brussels to Paris on thalys for 29 euro - booking early can save a lot and at 19 euros more than the bus I'd take the train and have arrive about 3 hours earlier. www.thalys.com.

Why do you pay 60 euros? Situation can't book far enough in advance?

WoinParis

Yes PQ,
I cannot book that early.
Half of my booking are done the week before or the same week - makes it 90 €. I managed to book most of my trips to Paris now for january - mostly about 60€/trip.

Btw, budget of OP is ok, 1000 €/7 = 140 € per day, not 40 as I mentioned.

Sleeping in some hostels will make for savings.

tom_mn

<<One-way tickets are rarely a good deal

They certainly can be a good deal. Discount airlines only sell one way tickets (a round trip with them is simply two one ways bought at the same time). I've used two one-ways effectively with different airlines.

scrb11

Not sure the OP will ever come back to read any of the advice but here goes anyways.

You need to research what kinds of things you want to see -- museums, cities with night life, nature, antiquities (like the remains of the Colisseum), etc.

Then come up with an itinerary. Not looking at some blogs and adding places to your list because the blogs said so.

You can get ideas for itineraries from the guide books and the links people have already posted. But another source is to look at travel packages offered by tourist agencies. Not necessarily to buy one of those packages but to get ideas because they will often outline day-to-day itineraries. But they are often very hectic itineraries where you spend a lot of times on buses, so you can take one of these itineraries and pad it out here and there to get a more realistic one.

http://www.go-today.com

You can check other big agencies like Trafalgar or general travel sites like frommers.com even on Fodors.com.

I've never stayed in hostels but you have to be wary about security, leaving your belongings there during the day when you go out to sightsee.

As for getting exercise, you will often walk at least 7-8 miles a day if you're away from the hotel all day. If you specifically want to work out, you may want to look for hotels with gyms. Or for specific activities like hiking or biking, you can search for day tours on sites like viator.com. Or research outdoor activities at various destinations.

I think 3-4 weeks in Europe, especially in the summer or fall, may be hard to do for $5000 unless you each cheap foods and stay in hostels only. Especially with airfare just to Europe and back consuming $1500 or more (in the summer and fall, which are high seasons depending on the city).

Maybe 2-3 weeks, with fewer places (no not as much flight and train travel expenses within Europe) might be more realistic for that amount of money.

Plus you don't know where the exchange rate will be in 6-12 months.