pa1gey

Hi everyone!

So I have a week at the beginning of February to travel from NYC and I'm considering Europe. I've been to England and Scotland, and I'm looking for somewhere pretty cheap. I'm trying to find flights roundtrip from NYC for around $650-700 if possible, and I'm willing to do a little bit of traveling (by train, bus, etc) while there.

So far I've looked at doing Madrid/Barcelona, or possibly the South of France, but I'm looking to you guys to help me! I'm planning on going alone (I'm a female), staying in hostels, and I don't drink/party much so more sightseeing than clubbing. I'm also under 25, and I know some places charge extra on rental cars. Also, I don't mind cold weather a lot, but I really don't want to be miserable while there (but I don't need to be in a resort or anything!)

Does anyone have any suggestions on places that would be a good fit for me? Thanks in advance for your help!

IMDonehere

Have you researched the price of flights to Europe? For that price you may be able to go to Iceland in winter.

I suggest you pick places in which you might be interested and then do the money calculations first.

Then you can post your interests such as art, architecture, hiking, biking, walking, shopping, etc, so others can guide you in the right direction.

pa1gey

I have looked into flights. Round trip to Paris is around $700. London is around $550. Madrid is around $650. There are decently priced flights. I'm into sightseeing, shopping, and love gorgeous cities. Since I've never been to mainland Europe I'm pretty much open to anything, and that's why I'm here- to see if anyone has anyone has any suggestions.

joannyc

Look Into southern Spain... Seville, Granada and Cordoba will be good for a week. And probably your best weather option. I had to buy shorts to sit on the beach in Malaga the February that I was there!

IMDonehere

Pa1gey, can you please tell us which airlines and what time of year. Thanks, I have not seen fares that low in a long time.

For one week I would limit the number of places to see. Barcelona is an easy week while the southern Spain has completely different history and architecture. But do not do both.

adrienne

Barcelona is a great city but it is not at all cheap. Food and sightseeing are very expensive.

If you want warmish and cheap go to Lisbon. There is plenty to do in the area surrounding Lisbon and almost every place is accessible by train.

Robert2533

There is one flight listed in early Feb 2015 from JFK to CDG through KEF (Reykjavik) at $638, economy fare on Icelandic Air. Everything else is over $1000. The least expensive flight to London comes in at over $700, again on Icelandic Air. Barcelona can be done on Turkish Airlines Inc for under $800 on the same dates, 15+ hours through Istanbul, or for just under $900 flying US Airways/American direct.

Robert2533

Lisbon in February would still be over $900 on several airlines, all with one stop.

traveller1959

It will be winter time and many destinations in Europe will be surprisingly cold. You may also encounter wind and rain.

Where are the chances best to catch decent weather?

1. Côte d'Azur. While Provence will be dominated by gusty, icy winds (especially the Mistral), the region around Cannes and Nice will be mild and pleasant.

2. Andalucia. Madrid will be cold (altitude!) and Barcelona will also be cold and maybe rainy. Andalucia is warmer and has many sightseeing options.

3. Mallorca. The island is a popular destination for February due to its mild climate. The almond trees will be in bloom.

4. Tenerife. In February, seawater is warm enough to swim.

IMDonehere

Thanks Pa1gey for the pricing information.

Gretchen

I would go to Paris. You will LOVE it and it can be cheaper than anywhere. You don't need a car (which is true for any large city). It can be VERY economical to eat and enjoy the sites/sights.

Christina

I think Paris is a possibility, although hotels are more expensive there than in southern Spain (where I just was a few days ago). But if you plan to stay in hostels, I guess that doesn't matter. Other stuff is still more expensive in Paris, though (food, drinks, museums, etc.), but you can see and do a lot from that one location by train. I do not agree that Paris "can be cheaper than anywhere." Just a cup of coffee in a cafe is about twice as much as in southern Spain. Wine costs more, also, which I happen to notice as I really like wine. Museums are only a couple euro in Spain but can be 8-10 euro in Paris. And so on.

Malaga is a pleasant city and it wasn't even "hot" just a few days ago, but pleasant. So I don't know about winter, it is on the ocean. But that isn't enough for one destination, but you could do Sevilla, Malaga and Cordoba, combine with Madrid (which won't be hot, either).

Why are you even talking about renting a car if you are on a tight budget???

kimhe

Good idea from Christina, base yourself in genuine and laid-back Malaga city by the Med. Tons of charm and attractions in itself, and ideal as a base for trips to other great cities such as Sevilla, Cordoba and Granada. And lots of small white villages inland in all of the region, as well as beautiful landscapes. http://www.andalucia.com/cities/malaga/home.htm

And about the best winter climate in Europe. Statistics for the first two weeks in February in Malaga says average highs at 64F, one day with rainfall/week and average 7 hours sun/day. http://www.wetteronline.de/klima-temperatur/malaga

And easy to do on the cheap. You can have an excellent three course set lunch menu with drinks included for some 7-8€ in any local restaurant. Two weeks ago I had a gazpacho (regional tomato/vegetable soup) and a portion of a delicious freshly made paella plus two beers for 8€ in a small restaurant close to the new Carmen Thyssen museum. These places are everywhere.
http://azahartapas.blogspot.no/
http://www.spanish-menu.com/restaura...ta_id=112&sn=5

nytraveler

Europe north of the Alps has true winter. The further south you go - as in southern Spain the warmer it will be - but no lace in europe has beach weather in February. You can get 50s during the day - but even in southern Spain there is skiing in the mountains.

I think you need to

1) determine what you want to do

2) run a zero-based budget - understanding that the cheapest flights are often with one or more stops and can take a significant amount of time from your very short time.

For less expensive places look at Spain (but Madrid and the north have real winter) , Portugal and eastern europe (and these latter can have a very bitter winter).