Can someone give me a great itinerary to really cover europe in 1 month
Mar 6th, 2005, 05:17 AM
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Can someone give me a great itinerary to really cover europe in 1 month
Message: Hi.. I am for the first time going to plan a trip instead of shooting off at the last moment. I was hoping someone could give me some feedback on how long I need to spend in europe to be able to cover it pretty well and the best way to plan and go. I would like to be with others like myself and meet new people... I am originally form NY and live in South Fla now (past 5 years) and I am 33 and have the time now to do soem travelling!!!I am not the best with planned itinerarys.. I have heard that there are people that will plan out your trip for you..and get to know you and what you would like.. I don't have too many budgetary restraints... any ides?
I just got back form Brazil and I was with a friends from Sao Paulo so it was great! went to Rio and Guadraja. I highly recommend brazil for it's beauty.
I am not opposed to part cruise?
I just got back form Brazil and I was with a friends from Sao Paulo so it was great! went to Rio and Guadraja. I highly recommend brazil for it's beauty.
I am not opposed to part cruise?
Mar 17th, 2005, 04:44 PM
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Hi Prilly,
Don't want to plug my book, Solo Traveler (well, not entirely true), but it sounds as if you could use some overall advice. I have so many ideas in there--a whole chapter on planning, one on spas and cruises, lots of info on groups. Your questions will be answered and then some. You are the reader I was aiming at--spunky but needing some guidance. Just click on the icon on fodors.com home page, and you'll get a discounted Amazon price (about $10; delivered in the next couple of days. If I haven't convinced you, I'd get to a travel agent or check out some of the many tour groups already mentioned in these threads. Then you could get a better idea of what you want. Right now you're still unfocused. It's best to know what you want before taking advice.
Also, this Saturday I'll be at the Miami Herald Travel Expo from 11-12 in "The Living Room" at the Coconut Grove Convention center. Come by and we can talk!
Lea
Don't want to plug my book, Solo Traveler (well, not entirely true), but it sounds as if you could use some overall advice. I have so many ideas in there--a whole chapter on planning, one on spas and cruises, lots of info on groups. Your questions will be answered and then some. You are the reader I was aiming at--spunky but needing some guidance. Just click on the icon on fodors.com home page, and you'll get a discounted Amazon price (about $10; delivered in the next couple of days. If I haven't convinced you, I'd get to a travel agent or check out some of the many tour groups already mentioned in these threads. Then you could get a better idea of what you want. Right now you're still unfocused. It's best to know what you want before taking advice.
Also, this Saturday I'll be at the Miami Herald Travel Expo from 11-12 in "The Living Room" at the Coconut Grove Convention center. Come by and we can talk!
Lea
Mar 17th, 2005, 07:09 PM
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It sounds like you might enjoy a Contiki tour...limited to 18 - 35 year olds. I did one in NZ when I was 25.. a perfect answer rather than traveling completely on my own. Very budget-oriented, and you share rooms, but I didn't mind as I was just a few years out of college and used to that sort of travel.
Anne
Anne
Mar 18th, 2005, 06:50 AM
#5
p.s. NO WAY you can "really cover europe in 1 month". You need to pick some highlights of countries or cities that are most important for you to see. Or go with an organized tour as suggested and they'll pick these out for you.
Mar 18th, 2005, 08:03 AM
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Dear Prilly,
Check out statravel.com for links to student and budget tours, packages, fares, etc.
And what did you mean by "cover Europe"? In the bad 'ol days people would take "If it's Tuesday it Must be Belgium," 11- countries-in-17-days whirlwind tours with an hour stop at the Eiffel Tower and then on to the next place. These are overviews, and less popular now.
You might want to consider your favorite region and explore it more fully. When much of your time is spent moving from place to place you start to waste it, and time is most precious when traveling.
Lea
Check out statravel.com for links to student and budget tours, packages, fares, etc.
And what did you mean by "cover Europe"? In the bad 'ol days people would take "If it's Tuesday it Must be Belgium," 11- countries-in-17-days whirlwind tours with an hour stop at the Eiffel Tower and then on to the next place. These are overviews, and less popular now.
You might want to consider your favorite region and explore it more fully. When much of your time is spent moving from place to place you start to waste it, and time is most precious when traveling.
Lea
Mar 21st, 2005, 05:05 AM
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I agree you can't cover Europe in a month. Even though it's important to get off the beaten path, the predictable biggies are on the must-see list for a reason. London, Paris, and Rome absolutely must make the cut, for example.
More generally, when planning an itinerary keep the following in mind.
1. Build in breaks. Every 10 days or so, schedule a 2-day break some place off the beaten path with no museums or cultural obligations. Find a beach or a little hamlet high in the Alps and just relax. Sleep in, read some brain candy, veg out, defy any clock you see. This will let your tourist batteries recharge and then you can get back to tackling the big stuff.
2. Pack light. Holy crap, pack light. The last thing you want to do for a month is to carry around a bunch of luggage crammed with stuff you might only use once or not at all. I limit myself to one carry-on bag (a backpack), no matter how long my trip is.
3. Build in a good mix of big cities and small towns. For example, many travelers go through Italy as if Rome, Florence, and Venice were the only things there. There are lots of great little hill towns to be explored in Italy (and elsewhere). Doing these for 3 or 4 days between big cities will help keep you sane and it will give you a better feel for the real culture of a country.
Those are my 3 best pieces of advice. Everything else is commentary.
More generally, when planning an itinerary keep the following in mind.
1. Build in breaks. Every 10 days or so, schedule a 2-day break some place off the beaten path with no museums or cultural obligations. Find a beach or a little hamlet high in the Alps and just relax. Sleep in, read some brain candy, veg out, defy any clock you see. This will let your tourist batteries recharge and then you can get back to tackling the big stuff.
2. Pack light. Holy crap, pack light. The last thing you want to do for a month is to carry around a bunch of luggage crammed with stuff you might only use once or not at all. I limit myself to one carry-on bag (a backpack), no matter how long my trip is.
3. Build in a good mix of big cities and small towns. For example, many travelers go through Italy as if Rome, Florence, and Venice were the only things there. There are lots of great little hill towns to be explored in Italy (and elsewhere). Doing these for 3 or 4 days between big cities will help keep you sane and it will give you a better feel for the real culture of a country.
Those are my 3 best pieces of advice. Everything else is commentary.
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Mar 21st, 2005, 12:05 PM
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prilly -- You say you are not the best with planned itineraries --- do you mean you don't like planning itineraries, or you like to "wing it", with no planned itinerary? I'll probably get slammed for this, but I think the best book to read for overall Europe planning is Rick Steves' Best of Europe, which has a wealth of good trip planning information. But if you want to "be with others like yourself" some sort of tour might be the way to go. I love the research and planning phases of trips, so reading as much as possible beforehand is definitely my thing. 
