TrickerZ

iTrader: (6)

I'm planning a trip to Europe at the end of the summer. I've never been and want to do it right, so I'm asking for any advice and if you want to go, feel free to join me. It'd also be cool to meet anyone that lives in Europe.

So far, the idea is:
Fly from Charleston, SC to Paris, France
Probably do a 2 week guided tour
Spend another 2 weeks doing other cool stuff
Fly back from Paris

I intend to hit:
Swiss Alps / Interlaken
Amsterdam
Frankfurt
Austria
Rome
Greece
Sicily
Barcelona
Paris
Prague

Some of the things I want to do are drive a Lotus or similar through the Swiss Alps (Top Gear inspired), drink lots and lots of wine and beer, go skydiving or bungee jumping, eat lots of amazing food, go to museums and historic landmarks, and do some backpacking/hiking.

If you've been and have recommendations of places to go, things to see or do, please let me know your experiences.

shuiend

iTrader: (24)

Scotty doesn't know,
That Fionna and me,
Do it in my van every Sunday.

She tells him shes in church,
But she doesn't go,
Still shes on her knees, and...

Scotty doens't know, oh.
Scotty doesn't know-oh.
So don't tell Scotty!
Scotty doesn't know,
Scotty doesn't know.
SO DON'T TELL SCOTTY!

Cspence

iTrader: (11)

Sounds like fun....but expensive! Hit up the red light district!!

neogenesis2004

iTrader: (12)

If its anything like the movie, you'll have fun.

Sentic

iTrader: (1)

Don't miss Venice and Florence in italy, they are quite the tourist hits... my favourite italian towns is Pisa and Milan. Go through the st:gothard pass in switzerland, and through the national park with the glacier (cant remember the name) in austria, the roads there are fantastic! Berlin is also recommended.

To hit greece, sicily, rome, paris and amsterdam... that will take some time, if driving, think in the vicinity of 3 weeks or more. if flying, no problems.

jayc72

iTrader: (14)

Avoid German Brothels. Really, no lie.

Vandersexxx!!

Bond

iTrader: (6)

Who are you going with?

TrickerZ

iTrader: (6)

Thanks for the inputs. I'm going for 4 weeks total, so I need to figure out a plan of attack. I imagine I'll spend close to $10k with everything I want to do. After the new motor goes in, all funds are directed toward the trip and I already have some saved for it now.

TrickerZ

iTrader: (6)

Basically, I'm just going by myself and if other people decide to meet up, that's cool. There's no way I could get any of my friends to go for 4 weeks, so some of them may go for a week or 2 while I'm there. I know if I don't just do it, I'll keep waiting and waiting and never go.

Bond

iTrader: (6)

I wouldn't go to Europe without a drinking buddy.

Befriend an Englishman and take him with you. They are the best mates.

cueball1

iTrader: (13)

Do yourself a huge favor. Buy the book "Europe through the back door". No it isn't about European drifting (AKA buttsex). You don't have to spend anywhere near 10K for a month or two in europe. Travel the way europeans do, use the trains and stay in small places. I hated hostels so I don't reccomend them but staying in Bed and Breakfasts, small hotels and Pensions are a fantastic way to travel affordably. You don't need a tour. It's Europe, not outer Mongolia. You don't need a tour to hold your hand and take you around. You can easily do it on your own and 90% of the people speak english, the other 10% just pretend not to.

My wife and I did a month. Flew into Amsterdam, trained our way to Germany, Austria, France, Italy and Switzerland. Whirlwind trip that took us to maybe 15 cities in 30 days. Great way to do the first time. The next time you go back you can slow down and concentrate on a more specific area at a leisurely pace. Use overnight trains so you save on a hotel plus you don't burn daylight with travel.

Great book. Use it for ideas, as a guideline or follow it to the letter. Worthwhile no matter what you do with the information.

TrickerZ

iTrader: (6)

Awesome info, thanks cueball. I wasn't planning on staying anywhere extravagant. Basically I just wanted a guide who could talk about the history or whatever of places as I went there. I didn't really want to look like the tool from Eurotrip busting out the book everywhere I went. I'll have to check that book out. I have a friend in Frankfurt, but I'm not sure how long he's going to be there. He may be gone before I get there.

I'm curious, how much did it cost you? What were your most expensive charges? What are the things I HAVE to see/do?

KPLAFIN

iTrader: (1)

What Cueball said, if you're planning on spending $10K and are smart over here you could live off of that for 3-4 months with no problem and still feel like you're on an extravagant vacation the whole time. Check into the eurail pass (bahn.de - Ihr Mobilitätsportal für Reisen, Bahn, Urlaub, Hotels, Städtereisen und Mietwagen, switch the site to english then look under deals or something of the sort) basically a pass that lets you ride any train anywhere in Europe (as well as the busses, etc..) for pretty cheap compared to buying all the same tickets separately.

I'm stationed in Germany, not far from Frankfurt. Out of the major cities in Germany Frankfurt would be last on my list of recommendations for you to visit. I'd much rather spend time in Berlin, Stuttgart (Porsche and Mercedes Museums!!), or Munich (BMW museum and the best beer) for sure. I'd be happy to meet up somewhere for a beer or two one weekend as well depending on what I've got going on during the time you get here, just look me up when it gets closer to you leaving.

Also, add Bastogne (Belgium) and Luxembourg to your itinerary, even if you're not a military/history buff the memorials are a site to see and something every American would really appreciate given the chance to visit IMO.

cueball1

iTrader: (13)

Tricker,

Europe Through the back Door is by Rick Steves. He's got a show on public TV and radio. They do offer guided tours. It is nice to have the info you can get with a guide. If you don't go on a complete tour there are always guided tours available at the most popular tourist destinations for an hour to a day. Rick Steves Europe Through the Back Door

Kplafin is dead on with the Eurrail train pass. One price and you can travel just about anywhere, first class, in the majority of the countries.

I personally loved Austria and Switzerland but there wasn't anywhere on our trip I would have cut out. With a month to travel I would consider hitting the major western non english speaking european destinations. Rome, Paris, Venice for examples but throw in a bunch of smaller towns and cities too.

Study some art and church history for the destinations you have in mind. You will appreciate what you are seeing much more if you have some knowledge of it. It's really easy to get burned out just going to museums and churches all the time. "Oh great, just what I needed to see, another damn Rembrandt".

Don't spend every single day rushing here and there to see it all. Plan now and then to just relax in a streetside cafe, have a picnic in a park, people watch, take a deep breath and enjoy where you are.

The nice thing traveling light and using the rail system is your schedule doesn't have to be set in stone. Like a town? Met some people you'd like to hang with a day or two? No problem. You'll catch the same train you had planned the next day instead. Most of the cities we traveled to we didn't book a room until we got there.

BIG ADVICE! DON"T GO AT THE END OF SUMMER! That's when all the europeans take their vacations. It'll be hard to find rooms, expensive and a lot of places will be closed. Most Europeans don't take a week here or a week there. They take a month off. Most in August and September. August is worse. Ideally travel on a shoulder season. May, late September would be great. Travelling when kids are in school is much easier than the summer when they are out.

Will be watching the thread and help as I can. I'm certainly no expert but have traveled more than the average American (that's not saying much) Europe & Eastern Africa a couple times, China, Thailand, most of central America repeatedly, etc. Western Africa, Panama and Puerto Rico are on the agenda for this year.

TrickerZ

iTrader: (6)

Yeah, I'm only really going to Frankfurt to visit my friend. If he's no longer there, I may decide to go somewhere else instead. Berlin and Munich are on my list list now. This is my plan so far:

Paris
Amsterdam
Berlin
Prague
Frankfurt - if my friend's there
Munich
maybe Stuttgart
Swiss Alps / Interlaken - St. Gothard Pass
Austria - National Park with glacier
Milan, Venice, Florence, Piza, Rome, Sicily - ~1000mi
Greece
Barcelona

Plane from Sicily to Greece and again to Barcelona. Everything else will probably be rail. I'm curious how much it'll cost to rent a Lotus for a day. I would think it'd be fairly cheap there since it's not a real expensive car. It sucks I just turned 26 since they had a discount for younger rail travelers up to 25.

turotufas

iTrader: (7)

Get a ride on the "ring taxi" at the Nürburgring! You'll regret it if you don't. I know people that do. If you go film that **** and post it.

KPLAFIN

iTrader: (1)

On my "to do" list for spring . Will film and post.

EDIT: Sounds like you already found it BUT here's the link anyway:

http://www.bahn.de/i/view/USA/en/pri...ail_pass.shtml

Definitely don't miss out on some brewery tours while you're here there pretty fun as well.

kociol

You can also look for some discount cards for young people (like EURO 26) and get some restaurants and hostels a bit cheaper. Also, when looking for a flight check the cheap European airlines (Germanwings, Wizzair, EasyJet, ect.).
When you are near Stuttgart you shoul also visit the Sinsheim museum - you will have a possibility to see the Concorde and its Russian brother TU-144.

timk

I love Cinque Terre in Italy. I took this pic while I was there:

Sentic

iTrader: (1)

Oh yeah, this is the "national park with glacier" Aktuelles aus dem Nationalpark

About the nürburgring, check out the various "rent a racecar" -companies around it, you will want to drive some laps

Filming at the ring is forbidden at public driving days, may be a problem in the ring taxi (if driving yourself, just be discrete).

Here's two pics from st:gothard (northern side if i rememper correctly)



And here is one from the rings parking lot. Californias are huge!