Travelling around Europe

will369

Just seen some photos of 3 of my mates who went traveling around Europe for a month.

I am really up for this and would like to do it next year.

Anyone done it?

Im really just after some advice as I wouldnt no where to start.

e.g Where would I stay each night?

Money, how much?

Transport? prob the Euro train

& is it easy to do?

rainbow_carnage

Are there any countries in particular where you'd like to go? Europe is a big place. You're not going to see it all in a month. Prices vary hugely. Portugal is cheaper than Sweden.

agrinnall

will369 wrote: »

Just seen some photos of 3 of my mates who went traveling around Europe for a month.

I am really up for this and would like to do it next year.

Anyone done it?

Im really just after some advice as I wouldnt no where to start.

e.g Where would I stay each night?

Money, how much?

Transport? prob the Euro train

& is it easy to do?

The answer to your questions can be found in the highlighted text above.

will369

rainbow_carnage wrote: »

Are there any countries in particular where you'd like to go? Europe is a big place. You're not going to see it all in a month. Prices vary hugely. Portugal is cheaper than Sweden.

Italy, France, Spain, Russia, Switzerland, Sweeden

agrinnall wrote: »

The answer to your questions can be found in the highlighted text above.

They are just random lads on my Facebook, dont really no them

moronic50

Here's my thoughts. get yourself an inter-railing pass that way you can roam europe pretty cheaply and go where ever you fancy.

Very easy to do, just need some planning in terms of itinerary, when you want to go, how much money you have etc. All the palces u want to go to except Russia are easy to visit, just turn up and go. Russia is more problematic due to it's Visa requirements. In order to get into russia you need to have booked a place to stay first. The hotel/hostel will then contact the relevant authorities saying they are inviting you to stay with them and then you will be granted a tourist visa. It's a hold over from the communist era and knowing exactly who is in the country and where!

On the flip side also check to see if you can do it all on budget flights, but you'll be tied by your flight dates. Also remember that if you choose budget flights u need to factor in costs getting to and from the airport.

There's also the bus, great way to get somewhere very cheaply. Personally I would recommend the train option. Make sure what the ticket rules in each country is tho. in some you can simply get on the train with the rail pass and thats that, others you need to show the rail pass at the station and get a ticket for a particular train.

accommodation: google hostel world<= great website for bargain accommodation across the world. Hostel are also an awesome way to meet people on your travels. Also whilst these places tend to be cheaper than hotels some are far far better. Plus the review system the website has is a good way of sussing out the bad from the good since it's done by people who've stayed at the hostel.

Budget: do you want to live it up in style or slum it? It's really up to you. Best way is to stay in a dorm (normally around £20pp) in a hostel. Try to stay somewhere that includes free breakfast and has a kitchen. That way you can load up on free food for the day and then in the evening cook yourself something instead of eating out. That way you have more money for sight seeing and beer.

Travel light(ish) and use the laundrette facilities of the hostel (if they have any). Buy a good set of trainers that will last, have fun. You will spend more money than you think you will, it's the rule of travelling. Avoid buying stacks of souvenirs, it's just more stuff you'll hae to carry around. If you want a memento either post it home after buying it (expensive) or buy something light (like a keyring!).

If you need any more help just ask!

briona

will369 wrote: »

Italy, France, Spain, Russia, Switzerland, Sweeden

Your choice of countries makes interrailing fairly difficult. Starting off in France is fine, but if you head down to Spain you are going to have to double back on yourself or fly out of the country. Same with Italy.

Sweden is ridiculously expensive, and I understand Switzerland is not what you'd call cheap. As someone else has said you need a visa for Russia, which will tie you in to specific dates.

I'd advise getting a copy of Lonely Planet's 'Europe on a Shoestring' (new edition being released in October) and using it to put together a better itinerary.

Re. accommodation, someone mentioned Hostelworld (http://www.hostelworld.com/). I'd also check out Hostel Bookers (http://www.hostelbookers.com/) - they are slightly cheaper than HW due to there being no booking fee.

For information on rail passes, see Rail Europe (http://www.raileurope.co.uk/) and Interrail (http://www.interrailnet.com/). For advice on using trains in each country and links to each country's rail website, have a look at The Man in Seat 61 (http://www.seat61.com/).

Hope that helps!

rainbow_carnage

I'd leave Russia off that list. I've lived in Russia. It's certainly worth visiting. But the visa issues are complex and a huge pain. The easiest way around the problem is to pay an agency to sort it out for you. It's not cheap, though. If you're asking about costs, this is probably over your budget.

See the other countries on your list. Leave Russia for a separate trip.