grad08

I am graduating from college this spring and my graduation gift is airfare and $1500 to travel anywhere in Europe and Asia. (Aren't my parents the best.) I've never been anywhere and naturally I want to see it all so I have no idea where I should choose. I will be travelling alone, in either may or august, and need to keep it relatively budget priced. Time isn't really a constriction either, besides the fact that more time = more money. Where should I go?

SeaUrchin

What are your interests? What place have you seen pictures of and was intrigued? What place have friends told you about and you got excited to see it?

If you went to the travel section of a bookstore, which books would you be the most interested in thumbing through?

Any childhood dreams of any places? Any teenage dreams of any place?
Any famous person you would like to learn more about by visiting their area?

thursdaysd

If you really have no idea where you want to go, I'd suggest visiting your nearest Barnes & Noble or Borders, buying a cup of coffee, and sitting down with a pile of picture books from the travel section to see what excites you.

I would also recommend reading Rick Steves' "Europe Through the Back Door" and Hasbrouck's "Practical Nomad" and either Lonely Planet's "Read This First" or Rough Guides' "First Time" books on Europe and Asia. Traveling in Europe will be less culture shock, traveling in Asia will be cheaper. Are you willing to stay in hostels? That will get your accommodation costs way down.

If you have a hobby or particular interest, or want to hike or kayak or lounge on a beach, that would help to narrow it down. And all kudos to your parents for being willing to let you go alone!

suze

Your money would go further in Asia, but Europe would be less culture shock and an easier first trip, is my guess.

What kind of places are your drawn to? Do you have a 'thing' for Asia? Any particular countries in Europe that attract you? Do you have a 2nd language (and if yes, which)?

Travel destinations aren't a right or wrong answer and people have their own personal views (I compare it to falling in love, it doesn't always make sense but it is a very strong feeling).

You might checkout a pile of guidebooks from your local library and see what captures your imagination.

Also begin on a general air prices website and see what your RT ticket is going to cost from your home to various places.

toedtoes

I agree with the suggestion to go hit the bookstore travel sections. Look at the photo books. You might also look at the book "1000 Places to See Before You Die" - there aren't photos, but it's a good breakdown of different areas, etc.

KL467

Paris and/or London

cheryllj

My first thought would be London, Paris, Rome -- there is a reason those cities are the most popular with tourists and they offer more to see and do than almost anywhere else.

BUT -- they are also super pricey and not really a "budget priced" option. With a tight budget (and $1500 is pretty tight if you are talking a week or two in Europe), Asia would probably be a much better bet.

If you have your heart set on Europe, look at Portugal and Greece, which are less expensive than UK, France and Italy. Or the smaller towns in Germany and Switzerland, taking trains through the beautiful Alps scenery.

KL467

Grad08, Have you decided where to go yet? You are lucky!

grad08

Ok so by now I've done a ton of research and I'm thinking Paris, Switzerland, Munich, Venice, Florence and Rome. I will be traveling in May and backpacking/staying in hostels. Any recomendations for must sees/dos in any of these cities. Also, I really want go hiking in the Alps and I'm not sure where the best place would be to stay but still easily accessible. I was looking at either Interlaken or Lauterbrunnen.

thursdaysd

Congratulations on the research. Those are all great places to visit! But.... Switzerland and Venice are two of the priciest places in Europe outside London and Scandinavia. With the current state of the dollar your budget will only buy you around 1,000 euro. You need to figure your per day average costs, and divide that into 1,000 to figure out how many days you have. You may need to drop some places, because there's no point in getting somewhere and then moving on to the next place too quickly.

If you want to hike you could consider Austria or the Dolomites, both of which will be cheaper than the Swiss Alps (look at Zell-am-See and/or Hallstat in Austria). I picked Murren (and a B&B) over both Interlaken and Lauterbrunnen. I'd pick Lauterbrunnen over Interlaken, but you could also try the youth hostel in Gimmelwald (see Rick Steves' books).

For a first trip to these places there's more than enough in the guidebooks to keep you happy. Plus you can also contact the tourist offices for brochures (do a web search).

suze

For Switzerland I can recommend The Riviera Lodge, right on Lac Leman, in Vevey. It's an hour outside Geneva so very accessible. Montreux and Gruyeres are nearby. It's absolutely gorgeous there.

How long do you have? One month in May? I ask because you mention 6 places total. That will use up a lot of your money moving around so much, more so than if you spent a little more time in a fewer places.