January 2007 Solo Euro Adventure

[Billy Vegas]

Well everyone, I've been here before talking about my alledged 2007 Sumemr trip, but it has turned into a January 2007 Solo Trip... 75% Excited, 25% concerned.

I feel, since I'll be graduating in December, that it's time for me to explore the world some; must be the Pisces in me so I hear, but the decision has been made for Europe. I've opted out of selling my soul to the corporate world for now, and decided to explore the world as I feel I should.

I have found tickets for mid January to Mid February, Newark, NJ - Cologne, Germany for $250 round trip. Can't beat that. So, with this is mind, here's my initial list of questions... many have been addressed before I'm sure, but let's see what happens....

1) I'll be needing a backpack... Luckily, I found KingCrazyLegs uber-thread on how to buy a pack, which I will be reading soon enough.

2) Eurail Pass. Best way to go about this?

3) Hostel Arrangements, to be made in advance, or can I wing it?

4) How rough is it to tour Europe by yourself, being an American, who had minimal knowledge of foreign languages?

5) Money. A Natural concern, but approximately, how much? Obviously this can vary greatly, but we're talking estimates. I don't mind cooking in hostels and making friends, I am a pretty good chef and pretty social... so hopefully most of the Hostels I stay in will have the means to have me utilize these skills.

6) My girlfriend. She'll be here in America working, and I'll be touring Europe in a post-graduate state of mind. How does one ease her natural concerns? She backs my decision to go, but c'mon ladies, where's the inside info to ease her pending tension I'm sure will surface?

7) Where to go? I have so many places I want to visit, but I'm sure I want to make my visits quality visits, instead of just hitting as many locaitons as possible. Photography is key here, I love good views, so where do you suggest? Primarially, I'd like to visit Germany, Amsterdam, France, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Greece; but I'm not opposed to Sweden, Ireland, UK, or even prague which I hear is nice.

Input as much as you can please... your input will greatly shape my trip!



Ah yes, the facts.

4 Weeks is what Im looking at spending there. That should help some.



//No ability to edit posts? What gives?

-bv

Ah yes, the facts.

4 Weeks is what Im looking at spending there. That should help some.


-bv

Excuse me while I try to figur eout how to edit posts and add new material while taking extra lines out...

=P

[tumblezweedz]

Congrats on both graduation and your upcoming trip. Can't help you on all counts, but here are a few suggestions:

1) You're set.

2) Check out the details on the different Eurail passes here and in the various guidebooks. Just in your "must sees" you've listed places in 6 different countries, and in different regions, so you'll be looking at one of the all-inclusive type tickets, rather than regional ones, for the most convenience. Probably one of the x# days travel in 30 days is your best bet, since you won't want to be hitting the rails every day, if you want any chance of enjoying yourself!

3) Biggest thing about hostels in the winter, is that some may not be open in the off-season. That being said, most that are are not at all crowded, so you could probably wing it for the most part, maybe just contact them a day ahead when you've decided where you want to go next. But by all means, do the research before you go to eliminate any that are going to be closed. You don't want to be depending on one that's shut down the week you're in town!

4) Not rough at all. Try to learn a few key phrases - politeness is very handy when you can't speak the language - yes, no, thank you, please, help, how much?, where?, train station, platform, toilet can cover a remarkable number of situations when it comes right down to it. By all means, take along a little phrase book if you feel concerned, but you'll find English widely spoken in the places you most want to visit, and if you start with the local language apologizing for your inability to speak it, most people are quite happy to switch to English - even in France, which sometimes gets a bad rap in this regard (Parisians can still be a bit huffy, but it's luck of the draw.)

5) I'm going to leave this to those who've done the budget trip more recently than I have.

6) Hopefully you've got enough trust in your relationship to weather a month of not seeing each other. Send her emails, call from time to time, and just for the fun of it, send her real live old fashioned post cards saying "Wish you were here!" Invite her to come out to meet you for a week or so, even if she can't, knowing that you want her around would help.

7) It can be pretty tough trying to plan a shorter trip, since there simply isn't enough time to fully explore everything. A good rule of thumb is to plan on spending a minimum of 3 days in each city, with the flexibility to stay longer if you love it, or leave early if you don't. You should also take a look at the actual time involved in moving from place to place. We North Americans tend to think of European countries as small, and assume that it's just an hour or two from place to place. This can often be true, but then again, there are major mountain ranges to cross and some countries are still quite large (Germany, France and Spain for example) or stretched out, like Italy, and some of the distances are substantial. You can conserve sightseeing time by traveling on overnight trains on longer journeys, but you probably won't want to do this all the time.

Depending on the kind of thing you like to photograph, there are lots of different options. Obviously for scenery, Switzerland can be stunning, although considering the weather in Europe in Jan/Feb, chances are pretty good that you'll climb to the top of an alp to be presented by a breathtaking blanket of cloud. That would be typical throughout most of northern Europe, last year in Germany it got cloudy in November and stayed grey through May ( ), though of course there is the odd sunny day once in a while.

Further south, you're bound to get better days, and there are some remarkable vistas in Tuscany, Spain's south coast and Greece, to name but a few.

If you enjoy architectural subjects, there are a myriad places, and you aren't quite so hamstrung by the gloomy weather. Cologne itself has some dramatic sights, notably the Cathedral (Dom) which dominates the view as you emerge from the main train station. Not far from Cologne - about 2 1/2 to 3 hours depending on which train you catch - is Trier, which has some wonderful Roman era architecture - the Porta Negra is probably the most famous, but I like the atmospheric baths (Kaisertherme) myself. All along the Mosel and Kyll river valleys, through which that train route winds, you will see picturesque half-timbered houses and villages with castles or ruins, you can always hop off in one, poke around for a bit and then continue your journey...or spend a night or two.

Normandy has a lot to offer - we recently visited the D-Day beaches, which are nothing spectacular in and of themselves for the most part (particularly when the hovering grey sky meets the slate grey ocean in a misty blur), but the history is sensational and there are again some great opportunities for atmospheric shots. The cliffs between Omaha and Utah beaches are quite dramatic. Further south, Mt. St. Michel is stunning.

Italy - Venice is awesome for photography, and particularly in winter floodwaters. Rome, amazing, Pompeii, too - you could spend a whole month in Italy alone (true of most every country, really), so it's more a matter of picking your favourites, you can't be disappointed.

Switzerland, as I mentioned, can be a disappointment from the scenic angle on a yucky day, but if it's clear, breathtaking. It's also interesting how different the land is in Ticino and the southern (Swiss Italian) cantons than in the rest of the country. I don't know if it's as obvious in winter as it was in April when we drove through, but it struck us as quite dramatic.

Most of my experience of Spain is along the south (Atlantic) coast around Cadiz. Sevilla is a beautiful city, and the Andalusian landscape is dramatic.

In Greece, we mostly stayed in Nafplio, on the Peloponnesian peninsula. It's very strikingly situated, with the Palamidi Fortress as a backdrop and another little island fortress just off the coast. Great sheer cliffs covered with prickly pears and agaves dropping straight into the sea, again, I'm not sure what the weather will be like that time of year - we went in March and it was not particularly warm - maybe in the 10 C range - on the cloudy days, but pleasant in the sun. From there we took a day trip to Epidavros, which was very cool and there's an ongoing archaeological dig/reconstruction going on which would fill any need you have to photograph Grecian ruins. Of course the Acropolis is stunning, and hopefully not too crowded that time of year. If you go on Sunday, it's free, though that's when all the locals go to, so it's perhaps more crowded than usual that day. Still worthwhile, though.

[Billy Vegas]

Thanks tumblezweedz, lots of good info there...

Still assesing the situation and thinking of other places I want to go... I'm thinking Morocco and South Africa... While Morocco seems somewhat doable in this 4 week stint in Europe, South Africa sounds like a whole different trip unless there happens to be a tain that runs from Morocco to the end of the continent... and I decide the day long trip is worth it... Perhaps South Africa and even Morocco will have to wait.

I'll have to check into the Hostels, what's the best way to look into these? Is there any good, reliable review sites, besides the obvious TravelPunk boards?

A 3 day minimum in each city sounds like something I was thinking about, and its good to hear that confirmed by others... Definitely looking to roughly outline my trip on a map, with seperate sheets with hostel locations in each city I plan on visiting, and just kinda floating along as I feel.

Photographs I think will come whereever I am... I can always find some scenery that is great for shooting. I'm contemplating bringing my laptop along for the trip, but I suppose I'll be deciding this later in the planning stage, perhaps after I get my pack. My laptop is fairly small and light, 12" screen at about 5-6lbs... I think it would allow me to easily dump my photos of the day onto it, keep me in touch with others, look up languages and locations, and just generally be more technically adapt in the area.

Also, since this will be winter... any suggestions on clothing from anyone? I'll be all around, so I'm sure I'll want some ridiculous warm gear and some average cargo gear... I don't generally get cold alot, and I love winter... so I think I'll be able to find some longjohns or something if and when it gets frostbite cold out.

-Billy Vegas

[tumblezweedz]

Don't have a lot of time just now, so I'll just address the clothing for now.

Most of Europe (certainly the northern bits you're thinking about) are in the Continental zone, which means generally grey, damp and hovering right around freezing in Jan/Feb. The dampness is the thing that really throws people who are accustomed to a mid-western/prairie type winter involving bitter cold but bright blue skies. It's amazing how cold -5 C and damp feels, even when you're accustomed to -15 C (or less) and dry. I don't know where you're from, so don't know what your experience of winter is, but that's something I've observed living in Europe and northern Japan and meeting a fair number of people from central US and Canada. Being from Vancouver myself, I'm somewhat familiar with damp, so that is less of an issue for me than from my Kansan husband. The southern areas can be chilly - especially at elevation, but won't be downright freezing unless there's a freak storm or something.

Best bet for backpacking is to invest in some high quality but lightweight long underwear. Silk is great because it is lightweight, warm, dries fast, and packs into nothing, but there are some excellent synthetics as well. I have Cuddleduds for general wear and Damart for more serious cold (we lived in Lithuania for two years, the stuff kept me from being impossibly miserable at -30C for weeks at a time.) We bought some other brand at REI for our kids, they were thin but quite toasty, so there are lots of options, and the people at the camping gear stores know their stuff in that regard.

Layers are important, because you'll be going in and out of buildings, from cold to warm and back again and you'll want to be able to shed some excess warmth when you're indoors. A really good wool sweater is excellent for warmth, but may be a bit bulky on the road. Fleece is almost as warm and a lot lighter, more compact and faster drying, so that makes an excellent option too.

Jeans can be uncomfortable when it's damp and cold, unless you have either long underwear or get a pair that are flannel or fleece lined. That was our Lithuania option and it worked well. We also got flannel lined chinos which are comfortable most of the winter, except during really cold spells, and a little more formal than jeans, if you want a dressier option.

Waterproof, comfortable shoes are a must. My husband wore his Doc Marten's all winter long - they had a good tread for slippery streets and kept his feet dry through all the slush and winter grunge. With toasty warm wool or thermal socks, he was set.

Waterproof jacket - doesn't have to be heavy, provided you've got a warm sweater or two along, but it's good to have something to keep you dry and sheltered from the wind. Again, my husband has a Columbia shell with a zip-out fleece lining which he wears year round, adding the fleece as necessary. It's a lot more compact than a walloping great parka, and more versatile.

Hat, gloves, scarf. Do I sound like your mother? Because with four kids walking to school in -20C, I got into a bit of a routine... But seriously, the amount of heat you lose through head, neck and hands is colossal, and just putting a hat on you stay significantly warmer. If you don't have a good winter hat, you can buy them in little street stalls in markets in any European town, so that makes a fun souvenir, too.

[mowark]

Money depends on your choices. If you don' drink ever, and I mean ever, you always eat out of markets and always stay in hostels, and you limit your museums, attractions, etc to cheap or free ones.....you can EASILY get away with 50 euros a day in Western Europe and around 20 euros in Eastern. However, if you drink 2 or 3 times a day and eat in a restaurant/cafe 5 or 6 times a week, you are looking at around 80 euros a day in Western and 30-40 in Eastern.

Important: These are rough ideas. Your habits can change this a lot, and it won't hold true everyday. Some days much more, and some days much less.

As far as places to go, I would recommend really thinking about places you just have to see. Narrow that list down and try to stay in a region. For example, it isn't too time effecient to see Amsterdam, Budapest and Barcelona. But you could definitely see a lot of The Netherlands, Germany, and Italy.

My personal recommendation is stick more to Central/Eastern Europe. It's cheaper and it's amazing. The tourist factor isn't relevant in January, but From Cologne you could hit Berlin; Krakow, Poland; Prague, Czech Republic; Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic; Budapest, Hungary and Lubjiana, Slovenia. All amazing cities and very doable in 4 weeks. It is kinda a worldwind tour, but since it's your first time you probably want to see a lot. That's just my opinion, and I am biased because I live in Budapest, but Eastern Europe Rocks!

Have Fun!

[ryandl]

As far as places to visit, I would definitely agree with Mowark. I just recently got back from 5 month trip around ALL of Europe and like Eastern Europe a little more. I understand that this is a judgement call, but most people that I have talked to and that have travelled throughout Europe would agree, especially if your budget is a concern.