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Raileurope.com: See Europe by train
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Old 01-15-2006, 09:28 AM   #1
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Hey everyone, I am really stressng out right now. I have so much stuff on my plate and I'm afraid I won't get my Euro trip planned for this summer. I'm balancing a job, trying to get my eagle scout, and youth group. I'm stressing out because I have an idea of where I want to go, just don't have the dates of when I want to stay there. I plan on being in Europe from June 16th-August 3rd, but want to be able to plan my trip around the running of the bulls in Spain. I really have no clue where to fly in/out of, should they be the same airport or different countries. Since my trip s sort of cut short and train travel takes a while, should I travel through Europe on jets like RyanAir? Does anyone know of any good holiday inn hotels (I'm staying in Hotels...sadly). I have many more questions, I just don't want to bombard you with them all at once.

My Itenirary looks something like this: (Not in any order, just listed)

Greece
Spain
Czech Rep.
Ireland
Germany
Netherlands
Italy

I'm going to be in Europe for a total of 49 days. How many days do you suggest I spend in each country?(Some countries can be seen faster)

*****Keep in mind, I want to be in Spain for the Running of the Bulls*****

Thank you all,

Mike
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Old 01-15-2006, 10:48 AM   #2
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Why do you have to stay in hotels?
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Old 01-15-2006, 10:50 AM   #3
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Long story, short. My friends mom won't let him stay in hostels. But, she has connections and can get us free hotels, so oh well.
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Old 01-15-2006, 11:32 AM   #4
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Congrats wphsmike on going for your Eagle. I'm an Eagle Scout as well (has helped land me more than a few jobs!)

I'm doing a trip in April for just about the same length as yours. I have just figured out what to do in Greece. The thing I'm starting to realize is that there is way too much to see and I just need to pick a few of my favorites. I'd recommend going to your local library and checking out travel videos on the places your going. My library has a ton of them, they're all free (stuff like Rick Steves and Fodor's Travel). In any case, I decided for Greece I'm doing 2 days in Athens, a day or two in Meteora (this place looks like something out of Lord of the Rings) and a day in Corfu before I catch the ferry to Italy.

A couple of other tips: don't plan to rigidly, you'll hear of places that you want to see that weren't on your original agenda. Allow youself to go see them. Also, check the number of places you want to see. My trip is 6 1/2 weeks and I'm only seeing 4 countries (Greece:Italy:France:England. I scratched Germany and Ireland from my trip) as I've heard if you try and do it all, it just becomes a blur of train stations and museums.

Anyways hope that helps.
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Old 01-15-2006, 01:13 PM   #5
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Thanks for the information man. Yeah, I went to the library and checked out some videos and books.

Mike
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Old 01-15-2006, 04:12 PM   #6
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Get this book (the 2004 or 2005 edition would work)! Rick outlines a whole 60 day itinerary. He tells you exactly what to see, so its a great base to give you ideas. Also get his videos (I know you told me your VCR wasn't hooked up, but its not that hard to do )/DVDs from your library.

Get Globe Trekker (they may be under the name Lonely Planet or Pilot Guides) videos/DVDs as well. I love these!
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Old 01-15-2006, 07:48 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally posted by wphsmike+Jan 16 2006, 03:28 AM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(wphsmike @ Jan 16 2006, 03:28 AM)</div>
Quote:
My Itenirary looks something like this: (Not in any order, just listed)

Greece
Spain
Czech Rep.
Ireland
Germany
Netherlands
Italy

I'm going to be in Europe for a total of 49 days.* How many days do you suggest I spend in each country?(Some countries can be seen faster)*


Mike
[snapback]98714[/snapback]
[/b]
you gotta choose the places you want to see within the country first.. before you can work out how many days to spend in each country

<!--QuoteBegin-wphsmike
@Jan 16 2006, 04:50 AM
Long story, short.* My friends mom won't let him stay in hostels.*
[snapback]98722[/snapback]
how come?
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Old 01-16-2006, 02:46 AM   #8
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I'm going to break with tradition and see this as a positive.

You've got free accommodation at hotels, don't scoff at that! You can still meet plenty of people round about.

Since it sounds like you'll be staying at the Holiday Inn chain, go down to your local one and pick up a copy of their international hotel listing. That'll give you an idea of where they are located, and you can narrow down your options from there. Try to pick somewhere fairly central, and close to a train station so that you can easily make train day trips to places you won't be staying.

Usually when we travel now, we pick a random spot that's in the middle of several places we want to visit, leave our gear there for a couple of days, and just daytrip out to those places every day. It beats lugging a bag around every day, and if you're close to the train, you can get a good amount of time at the place you want to visit, and you know you have a bed at the end of the day. Also, trains run pretty late into most major cities here, so even if you want to go out for dinner at your day-trip place, you can still get "home" after that.

If you can stay at Holiday Inn Resorts, try to book into one in Greece or Spain, maybe in the middle of your trip, and give yourself a couple of lazy days on the beach - or possibly in the mountains in the Netherlands. (Yes, that was a joke.)

Do ensure that the place you're staying is near a train station though, I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express in Osaka, and had to drag three kids and a backpack three kms through dark back streets one rainy night looking for it. Then I had to drag them back again a couple of rainy days later, to go to Kyoto.

Anyway, don't let the fact that you "have to" stay in a reasonably comfortable international chain (for free) ruin an otherwise perfectly good adventure. You'll just have to work a little harder to make it so.

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Old 01-16-2006, 02:38 PM   #9
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Wow guys, thanks for all the tips. I'll update this post tomorrow with where I want to travel in each country and how many days I want to be in each city. I have it written down at my friends house.


Mike
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Old 01-16-2006, 09:33 PM   #10
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Hey man, i will be other there as well. July 11th thru Aug 4th. I will be blitzing all over from

london
amsterdam
brugges
pairs
barcelona
day trips in spain
rome
interlakn
munich
fly home out of frankfurt

Went over the Europe last summer too and went to Greece. I would advise to do athens and then a string of the greek islands. Corfu is far from athens but u could hit it up before or after if u take the ferry from italy. I went to Mykonos and it was amazing. Remember that it takes awhile to get to the islands though and ferry runs from athens are at set times. It is very helpful to try to find a schedule of the ferry times before u plan it all out. Try all the greek sites, like superfastferries.gk i think it is, and flyingdolphins.gk...

Let me know if u have more questions or want to meet up.

cya...lilchappy
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