Backpacking through Europe

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boogerpressley

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I am going to start planning a two week backpacking trip through Europe this next fall. I will be starting in Ireland. I really dont want to plan the entire trip out itineray wise per se. I would like to be able to arrive at a train station and then kind of decide where I want to go next. I just wanted to get some input from y'all as to former experiences, where to stay away from, what I should not miss, etc, etc.

Any help is appreciated.
 
go buy Rick Steve's guidebook England & Ireland

that literally is all you need - he will give you all the advice in the world about what to bring & pack

I did this in 2002- used his books for the 3 countries I was going to and had a blast
 
I like the Lonely Planet series. Supposedly each series has a vibe. (I'm gussing)
Lonely Planet - .alt hipster backpackers
Rick Steves - your parents book
Lets Go! - the CDC's #1 STD transmission vector
etc.
 
some of the books are known for targeting the partying set. People hook up at hostels. That is just a fact. Some people go to europe to party and have sex. I think aussie and isreali chicks are known for spreading some germs around. Not that I would know...
 
I spent two summers doing this in the early 80s and they were very cool. Just don't try to go farther than your time allows you to do comfortably. So, if you start in Ireland, don't think you can see many countries on the continent. Good luck!
 
I planned ahead and made hostel and travel reservations. I had fantasies of being more spontaneous and flexible, but making reservations turned out to be a lifesaver, as hostels, trains, and planes filled up at the last minute for other travelers. This also allows you to stay at the better hostels, which is well worth it. Try hostelworld.com.

Also, 2 weeks is not much time. Don't be too aggressive with your planning.

I'm jealous.
 
You should be OK on accomodation here in the fall. In the summertime, if you don't book well in advance you could easily be stuck w/o a place to stay.

PM me if you need help planning the Irish leg of your trip...happy to help.
 
I'm curious-If you only have 2 weeks, why are you starting in Ireland?
confused.gif


I like Ireland. I just came back from there. But I spent 2 weeks there. Just in Ireland, with an evening pubcrawl in Belfast. Dublin is only a train ride away from other locations in Ireland (and N. Ireland). To go anywhere else you need to get to an airport, go through security, wait, fly, get your bags, then figure out where you are going...

Where are you flying INTO and where are you flying OUT OF? (What airline as well?)

There's a lot to be said for NOT rushing from location to location. Rather, just hit a few locations and really explore them. Two weeks is really 12 days (you lose the arrival and departure days). Then you subtract 1/2 to a full day for everytime you change locations. (Packing up, checking out, getting to the train station/airport, travelling, finding where you are staying, & checking in.)

So if you try to hit 4 places, you are really only looking at 8 to 10 days in Europe.

Just some advice.
 
Agree with Napoleon. It's great to WANT to be spontanerous, but if you're travling in the Summer then the accomodations and trains fill up fast. Two weeks just isn't that much time. Considering the amount of money it takes just to get over there, you do NOT want to spend 2 hours waiting in line at the train station looking for reservations that will get you to your next destination.

If you had 6 weeks, being spontaneous would be okay. With only two weeks, I'd look at some guide books now and/or talk to friends who've already been there, figure out 3 or 4 places that you REALLY want to see, and then make your reservations for trains and accomodations in advance. You can also save money on train fare if you plan ahead, because single trains might end up being cheaper than a pass, and if you don't plan ahead you'll probably end up buying a pass with more days than you really need for traveling.

If you're traveling in Winter, Spring, or late Fall, then it won't be as crowded and you'll have more leeway. But if you're travling in the Summer, I'd bite the bullet and plan ahead.

Good luck, and have fun. We're all jealous!
 
agreed - don't spread yourself too thin.
i spent two rushed weeks in barcelona, venice, florence, and rome.
tons of planning, and rome can't be done in four days.

you're better off probably sticking to four cities.
if you can do either, i recommend barcelona and florence.
 
definitely plan in advance. plot a route that you'd like to take and go ahead and make hostel reservations. it's cool to just spontaneously travel (i did it a lot while living in munich for a few months), but on a short amount of time you should have your trip planned.

after i finished an internship in munich, i had about 12 days to travel before i flew out of amsterdam... a friend flew in and we were able to hit munich, prague, rome, florence, lucerne, and amsterdam. granted, it was a grueling trip--having to see everything in each city in two days and having to spend a night or two on trains, but it wasn't too horrible because i'd booked hostels and train reservations a month in advance.

are you getting a eurorail pass? it may not even be worth your while since most (all?) of the UK doesn't use them. honestly, in the amount of time you have, i would do ireland, scotland, london, and then try to hit a close city like amsterdam or paris.

if traveling long distances, my best advice would be to pay the extra 20 or so euro to get a sleeper car for the train. it saves a lot of time (and money versus the cost of a hostel) to go to bed on a train at 11pm and wake up at your destination at 7am.

i'm planning a 20-day trip for july, and though i still haven't seen scadinavia, spain, or ireland/scotland, i will probably spend my trip on the mainland continent because i can cover the most ground during my time.
 
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