Need Advice on Traveling to Europe

I'm in my mid-20s and still haven't been to Europe. Many my age have been, and I know I'm missing out on a lot! I'm just looking for general advice on anything Europe including:

- Traveling alone vs. going with a friend or group of people. A lot of my friends either don't want to spend the money or time going (many of them have been already as well, so it's probably not that important to them). I've know there are people who travel alone, but personally, I like the idea of being able to share the experience with someone. Thoughts?

- Cost and planning. One of the big things that stresses me out is the cost of the trip as well as extensive planning. I looked at some flights in the future to get an estimate, and many of them were $850+. Also, any advice on housing? I hear European hostels are better than the ones here in the US. Personally, I don't like the idea of shared bathrooms and common areas.

- Must-see countries. Due to work (and trying to keep costs down), I want to focus on visiting one country over the course of one week, maybe 9-10 days. I know you can't possibly see everything within that time span, but it's what would work best for my schedule, especially if I traveled with a friend. I really want to go to Italy...that is probably my number one choice; however, I was advised by someone that this is probably not the best choice for first time Europe travelers due to the language barrier. Honestly, it doesn't bother me at all. London is expensive. I've also thought about Germany and Spain as possibilities.

Any advice would be helpful. Thanks!

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Updated On: 9/1/13 at 08:36 PM

Millie...go on a tour. It is cheaper hotel wise and transportation to everything is included. When you want to be by yourself you can be and then when you want to be with a group you can be. There are all ages on a tour. There are tour companies that specialize in younger people. Trafalgar has a great Italy tour as part of their Winter breaks package. (Simply Italy) This package generally runs through end of March to beginning of April. If you don't mind sharing a room, you can get by even cheaper. If there is not another single female then you get the room all by yourself without paying the single supplement. Gate 1 is another tour company I use, which is quite inexpensive. I have done the Netherlands trip without a tour. Your base is Amsterdam and you can make day trips by train to Brussells, Cologne, Brugge, Luxembouge and even Paris. I personally would not recommend a female going by yourself the first time.

Updated On: 9/1/13 at 09:19 PM

Can anyone recommend a good tour company that includes airfare?

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I'm 28 and I have travelled through out Europe 4 times during my 20's. I never did one of the tours, but the first two times I went to Europe I stayed in Hostels only and it was the best option. If you go alone you will be able to make many friends, and even if you go with friends you will still make some others every hostel you stay at.

Another option I personally have never tried, but I have had many friends who have is volunteer to work on farms for free room and boarding. You work a couple hours a day or a couple days a week and get to spend the rest of the time exploring the country (I remember a GQ article on this a couple of years back).

If you plan on visiting multiple places in one Country, I would recommend traveling with a giant hiking Backpack over suitcases on wheels, etc. They become the worst part of traveling (for myself personally), especially when dealing with trains and pedestrian traffic when getting to where you are staying.

I also recommend Italy as a great country to visit. Florence is a great town for shopping, amazing food, great night life, and over all nice people. Verona is wonderful as well and you can check out an Opera or Shakespearian play at the Verona Outdoor Arena. The town of Sirmione on Lake Garda is one of the most gorgeous cities I have ever been to. Great food, nice beaches, and a view of the the mountains is breathtaking. I also recommend Sienna. Milan is to industrial, Rome has disgusting food, the people are rude, and it gets old after a day. I would not spend more than 2 days in Rome. Spend one day visiting the Vatican for the amazing art, and the other visiting the city, then leave. I think Florence is the place you'd want to stay at for the longest duration. Venice is also over rated, smells bad, and is WAY too expensive, but it is still something you want to see. Barcelona and the South of France aren't far and too expensive to get to from Italy as well.

I know you said you only wanted to do one country, but if you chose England as your Country, you could visit London, but then take a cheap 30 minute plane ride to Amsterdam (One of the most gorgeous countries I have ever been to, the 420 is a definite perk as well). You can also get to Ireland and Scotland very easily as well. When I went to England I ended up taking trips to Scotland, Ireland, Amsterdam, and Germany. I had friends that also went to Greece, but I stayed in London because I had tickets to Billy Elliot (with the original cast).

If you chose England, I found flights into Manchester were the Cheapest every time I've gone. The first time I flew into Manchester for $420 (ha!) roundtrip with no lay overs! That was back in 2005 and that was unheard of even then, but somehow I found those cheap flights on Kayak.com 3 weeks before I left. I would fly into Manchester and take the train to Liverpool and then a bus into London and it was cheaper than flights straight into London.

Remember the currency exchange. After a while you start forgetting and wonder where all your money went, especially when dealing with Pounds in the UK.

and Enjoy. I have never regretted spending money traveling to Europe. It is definitely something you want to experience, and your mid-twenties are the perfect time to do so!

Updated On: 9/1/13 at 10:25 PM

My friend Rob is one of those, "Hell, I am traveling alone!" dudes. He LOVES it. I envy him. He's currently in Barcelona. Yesterday he posted pictures from a barbeque that he was attending with some locals. He's done the middle East, Beijing and most of Europe alone and wouldn't change it for the world. You can have a fantastic time. I just don't have the cajones or the single thing going on.

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Another endorsement for the Rick Steves' guidebooks.

Two years ago we spent about the same amount of time you're considering and using his books as a guide, covered London > Paris > Stuttgart, Germany > Braubach, Germany > Amsterdam. Obviously didn't cover everything in any country, but also being in my late 20s at that point and never having been to Europe, I wanted to cover a lot of ground before finding a country to come back to and invest more time.

From that itinerary, London left us feeling underwhelmed. Paris was wonderful, a bustling metropolis with great bits of history all around. In three days we were able to see some of the standards (Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre, and the Catacombs, as well as some hidden gems like the Music Museum at the Paris Conservatory and Rodin's sculpture garden.

By far the biggest pleasant surprise was Germany. We hit Stuttgart during the Canstatter Wasen, the second largest beer festival in Germany, after Oktoberfest in Munich, which was tons of fun. The juxtaposition of Germany is fascinating - after being in a modern city like Stuttgart, we went to Braubach on the Rhine, which looks like a page out of a fairy tale village, complete with Marksburg Castle towering over the town.

Amsterdam was a bit of a let down compared to Paris and Germany. It was ok, but not amazing.

If you can swing it, I'd recommend going the B&B route. I used TripAdvisor to scout the different places, but had great experiences at each stop along the way. They tend to be cheaper than a full service hotel, but a good bit more than hostels.

Good luck!

Sorry double post

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Updated On: 9/2/13 at 12:02 PM

Rick Steves also offers tours.

I would also look at the tour websites because they list their itineraries and can help with the question "What are the most important things to see?" Also tour websites like Cosmos and Globus list the hotels that they book so that could be a reference point as to what hotel websites you might want to look into just to see if they offer any type of discounts or travel deals.

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If you decide to visit Hamburg, Germany, (and I highly recommend coming here) just drop me a line and I'll give you some advice...
I could also show you around if you're interested!
:)

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I second the motion to put Paris and Rome at the very top of your list. In 9-10 days you can easily do both, and even include a 1 day stopover in Florence en route. It's ok to spend just 3 or 4 days in each. Promise yourself that this is just a first trip and you'll return to your favorites.

Right after those I'd put Venice, Barcelona, Prague, Vienna, Stockholm, Amsterdam and Istanbul.

England has great offerings (and of course the West End theaters to enjoy), but it's not that huge a cultural leap from America for me, and that's what I'd crave in a first European trip.

Whatever you do, I'd try to see 2 different countries in different climates. Many folks are instantly drawn to one culture or another-- you should give yourself a range of experiences. And take Rick Steve's suggestions to see the charms of a rural town amidst all your major capitals-- a day in Sienna, or even to Versailles, will give you a fuller experience.

Let us know where you go! You're just beginning an adventure that will last you your whole life!

Updated On: 9/2/13 at 05:59 PM

I can affirm that yes, a woman travelling alone in Paris might get unwanted male attention. I'm just really not sure how that's different from New York, except language-wise. Oh, and in Paris at least I wasn't trapped on a bus with the dude. Don't let it put you off. And if your friends don't share your level of interest in going to Europe, why should that stop you?

Hey everyone...just bumping up this thread because I booked a trip to Italy for next month!

I will be in Venice, Florence and Rome for 3 nights each.

Any suggestions for the "must sees" would be appreciated. So far here is what is on my list...I realize for each city there is MUCH more, but this is just a start:

Venice - St. Mark's Square, Murano (and the other islands)

Florence - The Duomo, Piazza del Duomo, Accademia Gallery & Statue of David, Uffizi Gallery, Basilica of Santa Maria Novella, wine tour in Chianti

Rome - Colosseum & other ruins, Vatican, Piazza Navona, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain

Like I said, I know I have so many gaps. Just wanted to get your guy's recommendations. Anything on this list not worth it?

Also, any other general advice - this is my first trip to Europe.

Thanks!

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Although, Galleria Borghese is a must see, it's kind of far from the main sights. You have only three days in Rome. I would suggest doing your sightseeing by area. The Colosseum (do a tour) and the Roman Forum are right next to each other. That alone is a half of day. Are you going to St Peter? If you combine that with the Vatican, that is almost a full day. If you can get to the Vatican when it first opens (crowds are huge) go directly to the Michaelangelo. We were in there by ourselves for a good ten minutes before the crowds came. You can appreciate it alot better. Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain are not that time consuming. But do them if you are in the area visiting other sights. BTW you can go to the top of St Peter's for some great views. In Venice, I have not done the other islands. There are many palaces to go in at St Mark's Place, that I would recommend more. In Florence, you can go to the top of certain Main buildings for great views and pictures. The train to Venice used to be six hours one way. That may eat up some of your time. The first time I went to Rome, we had an extra day on our rail pass. We went to Venice just for the day, just to walk around for a couple of hours. Then some years later, I made a more proper visit. Also in Florence, you must walk across the Ponte Vechio, "old bridge". Hundreds of years old.

Updated On: 1/7/14 at 03:35 PM