Summer trip to Europe... Any advice???

[KingSmono]

My best-friend/roommate and I are flying into Amsterdam on July 21st... and we'll be flying back home (out of Amsterdam) on August 10th. So, we'll be there for a total of 3 weeks. We're getting so excited... it's only 7 weeks away!

We're planning on buying a Eurail pass to get around over there. It includes pretty much unlimited train access to 18 countries... Click here for a map of all countries included.

We don't have too much specifically planned out... and we kind of want to play it by ear. One thing that should be mentioned is our main goal of this trip... it's not to go see all the museums, and touristy stuff... it's to experience different cultures and lifestyles than what we're used to here in America! We want to eat the foods that the locals eat... drink the beers that the locals drink... etc! We plan on sleeping in Hostels, and kind of "drifting" while we're over there... ending up wherever we end up!

But we've never done this... we're new to this whole traveling thing... so ANY advice and/or tips from people who have either traveled to Europe, or even better, LIVE in Europe, would be GREATLY appreciated!!!!!!! Who knows... maybe I'd even get the opportunity to meet up with a fellow CPFer who lives over there!!! I'd love that!!

Thanks in advance for your help! (man I love this place... you guys are the best)

-Allen

PS... about the only thing that we are DEFINITELY going to make a point of doing... is attending the Bierfestival in Berlin, from August 3rd through August 5th. 240 breweries from 80 countries present 1,750 different brands of beer along the "beer mile," which is the longest beer garden in the world... doesn't get any better than that does it??!?!

 

[wykeite]

As you seem to have an interest in beer Belgium would be worth a visit, they have some of the finest beers in my opinion. Duval, Chemay and Hoegaarten among some of the better known ones, though possibly not the best. I haven't tried them all yet:drunk:.

 

[StefanFS]

So much to see and do. Just pick a general direction and take hints from people you meet about what is worth seeing over the horizon. Unless you are big city people, avoid the biggest cities. Denmark is really nice with friendly people, and it's not far from Amsterdam. Finland has a very nice Archipelago where really strange things can happen if you're in the mood. Southern France, Spain and so on. It could be an experience of a lifetime. Just keep an eye out for pickpockets and "bad" people. Gambling in the streets is a big no no. As is buying illegal copies of bags or watches etc. in the street, that could land you in jail in some countries(Italy?).

 

[bitslammer]

Wow! I'm jealous. I've done a good deal of traveling but most of that was work related and certainly not as much fun as it sounds you'll be having.

I've done a good deal in Germany and Italy since I worked 5 years for a German company and my aunt & uncle live 1 hour north of Rome by train. Don't be too put off by the "touristy" stuff though. Yes those places crowded and chocked full tourists, but there's a real kick to standing in the Roman forum knowing that's where all that history took place. [SIZE=-1]Neuschwanstein, Prince Ludwig's castle south of Munich, is also a stunning place to see and well worth putting up with a few tourists.

It sounds like you have the right plan. Get a train pass and go. You'll find amazing things wherever you are from my experience.
[/SIZE]

 

[KingSmono]

As you seem to have an interest in beer Belgium would be worth a visit, they have some of the finest beers in my opinion. Duval, Chemay and Hoegaarten among some of the better known ones, though possibly not the best. I haven't tried them all yet:drunk:.

Yes, we certainly have an interest in beer... We'll definitely be making a stop in Belgium, thanks for the tip.

So much to see and do. Just pick a general direction and take hints from people you meet about what is worth seeing over the horizon. Unless you are big city people, avoid the biggest cities. Denmark is really nice with friendly people, and it's not far from Amsterdam. Finland has a very nice Archipelago where really strange things can happen if you're in the mood. Southern France, Spain and so on. It could be an experience of a lifetime. Just keep an eye out for pickpockets and "bad" people. Gambling in the streets is a big no no. As is buying illegal copies of bags or watches etc. in the street, that could land you in jail in some countries(Italy?).

Hmm, we hadn't really thought about Denmark, but it's worth looking in to! The main problem, as you mentioned... is there's SO much to see and do! Even though 3 weeks sounds like a long time... I'm sure we'll feel very rushed to get *everything* in...

A very very very rough idea of my vision of the trip is outlined in the following picture. I'm 100% positive it will change though... (to include Denmark/Sweden, or something else...) I really don't know how long it will take to travel via train... so it's kind of hard for me to guesstimate how to approximate 3 weeks... the only stipulation is we want to end up in Berlin from August 3-5. I read that a train-trip from Paris to Madrid can take around 15 hours! I don't necessarily want to spend 30 hours on a train, just to see one city, when there is so much else to be seen close by...

Thanks for the advice on buying illegal bags/watches in the cities. I can't imagine getting held up in a foreign jail... not being able to speak the language. Ahh!

 

[KingSmono]

Wow! I'm jealous. I've done a good deal of traveling but most of that was work related and certainly not as much fun as it sounds you'll be having.

I've done a good deal in Germany and Italy since I worked 5 years for a German company and my aunt & uncle live 1 hour north of Rome by train. Don't be too put off by the "touristy" stuff though. Yes those places crowded and chocked full tourists, but there's a real kick to standing in the Roman forum knowing that's where all that history took place. [SIZE=-1]Neuschwanstein, Prince Ludwig's castle south of Munich, is also a stunning place to see and well worth putting up with a few tourists.

It sounds like you have the right plan. Get a train pass and go. You'll find amazing things wherever you are from my experience.
[/SIZE]

Thanks! I'm sure we'll end up doing a few of the touristy things... but that's not our main objective... We won't be *disappointed* if we don't get to hit up all the museums, etc...

One thing I'm worried about with our "go-with-the-flow" approach to this trip, is that since it's peak tourist season (summertime) over there... that we will have a hard time just walking in, and finding a hostel... :shrug:

 

[JanCPF]

I would definitely include Barcelona. It's a wonderful city at the seafront with broad boulevards, nice restaurants, an excellent metro system and of course the main attraction of Gaudi's fantastic works.

Jan

 

[barkingmad]

No plans to come over to the UK...? :wave:

3 weeks is not a long time but why not try and add London and Prague?

 

[Bravo25]

I would recomend that you do make an itenarary, and then remain flexible. For most people it would be the chance of a life time, and you probably don't want to spend a lot of you day figuring out where it is you are going to go. So preapare in advance, and then play it by ear when you get there.

We are taking 2 weeks in Florida this December, and I have the motels all lined out. We are starting at Key West, and Driving to Orlando for a stay at DW, and ending with a cruise. Had I of not done some research I may have well started out with the cruise. Now we after all the running around we can end the vacation with a relaxing cruise. So while I have all the stops planned out, I have no idea of what we will do when we get to each one. That part we will play by ear.

JMO, YMMV

Have fun, and take lots of pictures.

 

[KingSmono]

I would definitely include Barcelona. It's a wonderful city at the seafront with broad boulevards, nice restaurants, an excellent metro system and of course the main attraction of Gaudi's fantastic works.

Jan

Oh man, I forgot about Barcelona... I wonder how far of a train-ride it would be from Paris to Barcelona... If I remember correctly, it's a good bit closer to the border of France than Madrid.

No plans to come over to the UK...? :wave:

3 weeks is not a long time but why not try and add London and Prague?

I'd love to go to the UK... but I think that'll be for another trip. Unfortunately, for some reason the UK isn't included in the Eurail Pass... Also, when I go over there, I want to stop by Scotland since that's where my heritage is from... and I'll want to do all stuff like look up my ancestors, etc. So, I'm going to try and come back sometime (maybe with family) and do the whole UK tour.

 

[LED BriCK]

Big +1 on the Belgian beer- in my opinion, it's some of the best in the world! Also suggest the Berliner Weisse with cherry syrup in Berlin. If you get to Lithuania, I highly recommend a beer that translates to "Lighthouse." I don't know what it's called in Lithuanian, but I'm sure someone there would be able to help you. I spent 6 weeks in Budapest and loved that- if you get there, try the somloi (not sure of the spelling- it's pronounced SHOM-loy), which is a really good chocolate pie that kind of reminds me of tiramisu, and the Tokaji (toke-EYE), a white dessert wine that they're famous for. I don't remember any Hungarian beers, I mostly drank Stella Artois while I was there.
Have fun!:buddies:

 

[KingSmono]

I would recomend that you do make an itenarary, and then remain flexible. For most people it would be the chance of a life time, and you probably don't want to spend a lot of you day figuring out where it is you are going to go. So preapare in advance, and then play it by ear when you get there.

We are taking 2 weeks in Florida this December, and I have the motels all lined out. We are starting at Key West, and Driving to Orlando for a stay at DW, and ending with a cruise. Had I of not done some research I may have well started out with the cruise. Now we after all the running around we can end the vacation with a relaxing cruise. So while I have all the stops planned out, I have no idea of what we will do when we get to each one. That part we will play by ear.

JMO, YMMV

Have fun, and take lots of pictures.

Oh wow, sounds like fun. Kind of ironic, since I've lived here in Florida (Orlando) my whole life... and I "leave" the tourism capitol of the world to go on vacation.

Thanks for the advice. One thing I've been stressing out about is the camera situation... I have a great DSLR that I'd LOVE to bring to Europe, but I think I'm going to leave it home. For one, since we're going to be carrying everything we own on our backs, everywhere we go... storage space is at a premium, and my camera rig simply takes up too much space. But, even if I managed to squeeze it into my pack somehow, I think I'd be too worried about it getting banged up, or lost/stolen... not to mention, it's heavy, and I don't really want to deal with lugging it all around Europe. So... I've about decided that I'm going to pick up a nice little point and shoot, just to carry around in my pocket while we're over there... with a couple gigs of memory. Sure the pictures won't be *as* good... but it'll be so much easier to deal with, and I just won't have to worry about it!

 

[KingSmono]

Big +1 on the Belgian beer- in my opinion, it's some of the best in the world! Also suggest the Berliner Weisse with cherry syrup in Berlin. If you get to Lithuania, I highly recommend a beer that translates to "Lighthouse." I don't know what it's called in Lithuanian, but I'm sure someone there would be able to help you. I spent 6 weeks in Budapest and loved that- if you get there, try the somloi (not sure of the spelling- it's pronounced SHOM-loy), which is a really good chocolate pie that kind of reminds me of tiramisu, and the Tokaji (toke-EYE), a white dessert wine that they're famous for. I don't remember any Hungarian beers, I mostly drank Stella Artois while I was there.
Have fun!:buddies:

Oh man, that's what I'm talking about... you're making the wait almost unbearable! :nana:

 

[barkingmad]

When you do come to the UK - on your way up to Scotland (assuming you go by train) perhaps go via the Lake District (in Cumbria, NW England) - beautiful place!

+1 for Barcelona as well.

To be honest there is SO much to do - you could spend 3 weeks zooming around just 1-2 countries and hardly see anything. Perhaps you should reduce the number of countries and go for quality not quantity!

... but keep your itinerary flexible if possible!

 

[StefanFS]

Barcelona is a must see if you get the chance, I haven't been there myself but a lot of friends and relatives have, and they have all been wanting to move there after visiting! Going by train, isn't the idea to go a bit and then get off the train to sightsee/do stuff, and then get going again? Before you know it you've reached the Mediterranean!

 

[nerdgineer]

Some of the touristy stuff is worth it. Go see the Bernini statues in the Borghese gallery in Rome, and make sure you have some gelato while you're there.

 

[Erasmus]

Let me know when you're coming to Belgium. If you want I can guide you wherever you want and offer you some of our world-famous beers! Let me know in advance because my summer schedule is getting quite full. I'm a member of couchsurfing (.com) so if you want you can surf my couch.

 

[kelmo]

3 weeks will be gone before you know it. Don't try to cover too much ground. If the beer thingy in Munich is your goal, travel in that direction. You might want to reconsider getting a Eurail Pass, they are expensive and buying individual legs of your trip will most likely be cheaper. Especially if you find a place you like and hang out. Public toilets usually come with a fee, always have small change. Call your bank/credit card company and inform them of your travel plans so they won't see charges in Europe and cut you off. Take the night trains, you won't need a room and you save precious daylight. A lot of people wait at the train stations to rent out rooms in their homes. This is a great way to "go native" and get a ride into town. If your staying at a hostel do the dorm thing. Its a great way to meet other travellers and get great ideas. To make a call home get a local phone card, they are cheap ($10-20). The country code for the US is 01, so dial 01+area code+phone number. I tell you this because most guide books tell you how to make a call from the US to where your travelling, not the other way around. Watch where the locals eat, chances are it is good and inexpensive. European table wine is good! Get a bungy chord and clothes pins so you can do your laundry in the sink. Get laundry soap over there, they got stuff formulated for this kind of thing. Silk shirts dry fast. Internet cafes are everyway so you can keep in touch and scope out your next destination. Beware of pick pockets! You don't need travelers checks, you'll get killed on the exchange rate. ATMs are the best for withdrawing cash. Buy a travel towel. If your going to get a digital camera the newer charging systems have built in inverters (check before purchasing). Then all you'll need is an adapter for the wall plug. Waiting in line is a concept in Europe, not a practice. So be quick or don't get mad if your cut off. Personal space is non-existent also. You will get bumped, jostled, and hip checked. No big deal. There is no such thing as a quick meal so don't be surprised if your waiter doesn't bring your check right away. 2 hour meals are great! And finally learn to say hello, please, thank you, and good by in the local language. You will be surprised how much good will that will get you!

YOU LUCKY DOGS!!!

Sorry for the long winded post, I like to travel...

kelmo

 

[KingSmono]

Perhaps you should reduce the number of countries and go for quality not quantity!

Ahh, the conundrum that is haunting us... in depth perspective of a FEW countries... or tip-of-the-iceberg look at MANY countries...

Barcelona is a must see if you get the chance, I haven't been there myself but a lot of friends and relatives have, and they have all been wanting to move there after visiting! Going by train, isn't the idea to go a bit and then get off the train to sightsee/do stuff, and then get going again? Before you know it you've reached the Mediterranean!

Yes, I guess it depends on how far off our *roughly* sketched path it is... but if we're in the area, I'll definitely make it a point to spend a day there!

Some of the touristy stuff is worth it. Go see the Bernini statues in the Borghese gallery in Rome, and make sure you have some gelato while you're there.

True, I'm sure we'll end up doing *some* touristy things... I mean, we're already going to look the part with our huge packs on our backs...

Let me know when you're coming to Belgium. If you want I can guide you wherever you want and offer you some of our world-famous beers! Let me know in advance because my summer schedule is getting quite full. I'm a member of couchsurfing (.com) so if you want you can surf my couch.

Oh wow, that's awesome!! Thanks for the offer!!!! We're landing in Amsterdam on the morning of July 22nd.... we'll be spending a few days there, so we'd probably be in Belgium around July 25th-ish? What's your calendar looking like then? I'm having problems loading the couchsurfing website... it must be undergoing surgery similar to CPF's...

 

[KingSmono]

3 weeks will be gone before you know it. Don't try to cover too much ground. If the beer thingy in Munich is your goal, travel in that direction. You might want to reconsider getting a Eurail Pass, they are expensive and buying individual legs of your trip will most likely be cheaper. Especially if you find a place you like and hang out. Public toilets usually come with a fee, always have small change. Call your bank/credit card company and inform them of your travel plans so they won't see charges in Europe and cut you off. Take the night trains, you won't need a room and you save precious daylight. A lot of people wait at the train stations to rent out rooms in their homes. This is a great way to "go native" and get a ride into town. If your staying at a hostel do the dorm thing. Its a great way to meet other travellers and get great ideas. To make a call home get a local phone card, they are cheap ($10-20). The country code for the US is 01, so dial 01+area code+phone number. I tell you this because most guide books tell you how to make a call from the US to where your travelling, not the other way around. Watch where the locals eat, chances are it is good and inexpensive. European table wine is good! Get a bungy chord and clothes pins so you can do yorur laundry in the sink. Get laundry soap over there, they got stuff formulated for this kind of thing. Silk shirts dry fast. Internet cafes are everyway so you can keep in touch and scope out your next destination. Beware of pick pockets! You don't need travelers checks, you'll get killed on the exchange rate. ATMs are the best for withdrawing cash. Buy a travel towel. If your going to get a digital camera the newer charging systems have built in inverters (check before purchasing). Then all you'll need is an adapter for the wall plug. Waiting in line is a concept in Europe, not a practice. So be quick or don't get mad if your cut off. Personal space is non-existent also. You will get bumped, jostled, and hip checked. No big deal. There is no such thing as a quick meal so don't be surprised if your waiter doesn't bring your check right away. 2 hour meals are great! And finally learn to say hello, please, thank you, and good by in the local language. You will be surprised how much good will that will get you!

YOU LUCKY DOGS!!!

Sorry for the long winded post, I like to travel...

kelmo

Jackpot! What a wealth of information! You outta go into the travel-guide book writing field. Thanks for the tips!!