WHAT!?! I’m letting go of all the ‘what ifs’, the ‘I can’ts’, and ‘but I have toos’, to finally do something I’ve been dreaming about since middle school. Backpacking has been an adventure I’ve wanted to partake, and now that I’m in a voided zone of my life I figure now is the best time to accomplish it.
WHEN!?! This time roughly next year, that being May of 2009. As to how long, until the end of September; unless of course something happens and the trip is shortened.
WHERE!?! Europe’s high season.
WHY!?! Like I said, I’m in a voided zone. I’m a twenty year old girl still not at all sure as to what she wants to do with the rest of her life. Having graduated high school with honours and merit grades, its not that I can’t get into a post-secondary institution, it’s the fact that I don’t want to go into something, blow thousands of dollars only to find out halfway through that this is something I don’t actually want. Plus, like hello, I spent twelve years of my life in school already, why on earth do I want to go back so soon?
Questions ::
.1. What do you think of my itinerary?
I know I’m going at the busiest time of year, and I’m prepared for that. My itinerary is done up in the order for which I will be travelling, now is there possibly a better sort of combination for going about my travels or does it look half decent? Keeping in mind that as this is going to be major culture shock, I’d much rather start in the UK and Ireland due to the fact I’ll probably be more comfortable.
.2. What are your Hostel suggestions?
Some as you can see for certain cities, I’ve left blank. Simply because I’m having troubles with finding accommodation so far in advance. For ones I’ve suggested, are they decent? I know that a lot of things can change within a year, so what one person says in a review could be the complete opposite of what another says. Also, if there are suggestions that aren’t necessarily within the city but outside of it, let me know anyway!
The Intinerary;;
May 6/May 7 :: Depart from Edmonton/Arrive in London, England
May 7 to May 9 :: Sites of London and surrounding area
Possible Hostel(s) :: Palmers Lodge, Generator
May 10 and May 11 :: Sites of Edinburgh, Scotland and surrounding area
Possible Hostel(s) :: High Street Hostel
May 12 to May 14 :: Inverness and the Highlands of Scotland
Possible Hostel(s) ::
May 15 :: Glasgow
Possible Hostel(s) :: Globetrotters
May 16 :: Chester
Possible Hostel(s) :: Chester Backpackers
Morning of May 17, head from Chester to Holyhead to catch a ferry over to Dublin. Estimated sea time is two hours.
May 17 and May 18 :: Dublin, Ireland
Possible Hostel(s) :: Abigail’s House/Ashfield House
May 19 and May 20 :: Galaway
Possible Hostel(s) :: Sleepzone
May 21 :: Killarney
Possible Hostel(s) :: Paddy’s Palace
May 22 :: Cork
Possible Hostel(s) :: Sheilas House
May 23 :: Wexford
Possible Hostel(s) :: Kirwan House
Morning of May 24, head into Rosslare to catch a ferry over to Pembroke. Estimated time of sea time is four hours. Then make way for Cardiff.
May 24 :: Cardiff, Wales
Possible Hostel(s) :: Riverhouse Backpacker’s
May 25 and May 26 :: Bath, England
Possible Hostel(s) :: St. Christopher’s
Morning of May 27 make way to Portsmouth. Catch night cruise over to Caen. Estimated sea time is eight hours.
May 28 to June 31 :: Paris, France
Possible Hostel(s) :: Aloha Hostel
* day trips to Versailles, Chartres, and Giverny
June 1 and June 2 :: Bordeaux
Possible Hostel(s) :: Barbey Hostel/Studio
June 3 to June 7 :: Madrid
Possible Hostel(s) :: Barbieri/Albergue Municipal
* day trips to Toledo, El Escorial, and Segovia
June 8 and June 9 :: Lisboa, Portugal
Possible Hostel(s) ::
June 10 and June 11 :: Lagos
Possible Hostel(s) :: Rising Cock
June 12 and June 13 :: Sevilla, Spain
Possible Hostel(s) :: Samay
June 14 and June 15 :: Alacant
Possible Hostel(s) ::
*For the 15 may possibly head to Ibiza
June 16 and June 17 :: Barcelona
Possible Hostel(s) ::Kabul
June 18 :: Toulouse, France
Possible Hostel(s) ::
June 19 :: Marseille
Possible Hostel(s) :: Bonneveine
June 20 :: Lyon
Possible Hostel(s) ::
June 21 and June 22 :: Interlaken , Switzerland
Possible Hostel(s) :: Backpacker’s Villa Sonnenhof, Balmers Herberge
June 23 :: Zurich
Possible Hostel(s) :: City Backpacker
June 24 :: Milan, Italy
Possible Hostel(s) :: La Cordata Casa Scout, Piero Rotta
June 25 and 26 :: Florence
Possible Hostel(s) :: Santa Monaca, Foresteria Valdese, Archi Rossi Hostel
June 27 and June 28 :: Rome
Possible Hostel(s) :: Alessandro Palace, Colors
June 29 :: Naples
Possible Hostel(s) :: Le Sirene
June 30 to July 1 :: Venice
Possible Hostel(s) :: Domus Civica, Foresteria Valdese, Ostello Santa Fosca
July 2 and July 3 :: Austria
Possible Hostel(s) ::
July 4 and July 5 :: Vienna
Possible Hostel(s) :: Hostel Ruthensteiner, Westend City, Wombats
July 6 to July 9 :: Prague, Czech Republic
Possible Hostel(s) :: Sir Toby’s, Clown and Bard
July 10 to July 13 :: Budapest, Hungary
Possible Hostel(s) ::Vamhaz, Back Pack Guesthouse, Yellow Submarine
July 14 and July 15 :: Belgrade, Serbia
Possible Hostel(s) :: 3 Black Cats
July 16, leave for Nafplio. Simple travel day.
July 17 to July 19 :: Nafplio, Greece
Possible Hostel(s) ::
July 20 to July 22 :: Athens
Possible Hostel(s) :: Hostel Aphrodite, Athens Backpackers
July 23 :: Meteora and Kalambaka
Possible Hostel(s) :: Plakias
July 24 :: Thessaloniki
Possible Hostel(s) ::
July 25 and July 26 :: Sofia, Bulgaria
Possible Hostel(s) :: Sofia Guesthouse, Orient Express Hostel, Kervan Hostel
July 27 :: Veliko Turnovo
Possible Hostel(s) :: Hikers Hostel, Hostel Mostel
July 28 and July 29 :: Bucharest, Romania
Possible Hostel(s) :: Villa Helga, Villa 11
July 30 and July 31 :: Brasov
Possible Hostel(s) :: Rolling Stone, Villa Kismet Dao
August 1 to August 4 :: Kyiv, Ukraine
Possible Hostel(s) ::
August 5 to August 7 :: L’viv
Possible Hostel(s) ::
August 8 to August 10 :: Krakow, Poland
Possible Hostel(s) :: Mama’s, Nathan’s Villa, Gardenhouse
August 11 and August 12 :: Wroclaw
Possible Hostel(s) :: Mleczarnia, Nathan’s Villa, Stranger
August 13 to August 15 :: Warsaw
Possible Hostel(s) :: Nathan’s Villa, Oki Doki, Tamka
Take night train from Warsaw to Moscow.
August 16 to August 19 :: Moscow, Russia
Possible Hostel(s) :: Godzillas, Lenin, Moscow Home
August 20 to August 24 :: St. Petersburg
Possible Hostel(s) :: Sleep Cheap, Nord, Cuba
August 25 to August 27 :: Helsinki, Finland
Possible Hostel(s) ::
* with day trip over to Tallin Estonia
August 28 and August 29 :: Turku
Possible Hostel(s) :: Linnasmaki, Hostel Turku
August 30 to September 1 :: Stockholm, Sweden
Possible Hostel(s) :: City Lodge, Af Chapman
September 2 and September 3 :: Ostersund
Possible Hostel(s) :: Jamtli, Fornborgen Youth
September 4 and September 5 :: Trondheim, Norway
Possible Hostel(s) ::
September 6 and September 7 :: Oslo
Possible Hostel(s) :: Anker
September 8 to September 9 :: Kristiansand
Possible Hostel(s) ::
Ferry from Kritiansand to Hirtshals then train/bus to Arthus.
September 10 :: Arthus, Denmark
Possible Hostel(s) :: Danhostel Arthus, Arthus City Sleep-In
September 11 :: Odense
Possible Hostel(s) :: Danhostel Odense City
September 12 and September 13 :: Copenhagen
Possible Hostel(s) :: City Public, Danhostel Copenhagen City
September 14 and September 15 :: Hamburg, Germany
Possible Hostel(s) :: Instant Sleep, Schanzenstern
September 16 and September 17 :: Frankfurt
Possible Hostel(s) :: Frankfurt Hostel, Haus der Jugend
September 18 and September 19 :: Munich
Possible Hostel(s) :: Wombat’s, Easy Palace, A&O
September 20 and September 21 :: Berlin
Possible Hostel(s) :: The Circus, City Stay, BaxPax
September 22 to September 24 :: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Possible Hostel(s) :: Bob’s Youth Hostel, Bulldog, Flying Pig
September 25 to September 27 :: Brussels, Belgium
Possible Hostel(s) :: 2Go4, Sleep Well, Le Center Vincent Van Gogh
September 28 to September 30 :: London, UK
Possible Hostel(s) :: Palmers Lodge/Generator
** chill out and then head home.
Well, there you have it. Any help and encouragement would be muchly appreciated!
Kimmy
Itinerary;; Europe 2009
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