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Raileurope.com: See Europe by train
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Old 10-12-2003, 06:20 PM   #1
randomme
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So I am traveling to Europe for the first time this summer. (with two friends. so altogether, 3 girls two 18yrolds and one 20 year old. We are traveling through. France, Germany, Austria, and Italy. I have a whole bunch of family and friends in Europe so i shouldn't have to worry about shelter. EXCEPT. Italy and France. Is there any hostels we should stay away from in Paris? What scares me so much is the fact that we think we have thought about everything. I have a lot of family and friends who have been to europe before, yet think we are crazy . . . damn them all *curses* We were going to stay in a hostel in london (where we will land) but after reading all these posts, maybe staying a few extra days at my friends aunts house would be smarter? Any good camping places along the way? and how did you all budget your days? approx. how does the euro translatet to US dollars? ok wow. i didn't mean to write this much.
any help would really. . . well . . . help.
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Old 10-13-2003, 07:45 AM   #2
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WELCOME</span> to the boards randomme!!!!!!!

Congrats on planning your first trip to Europe!!!! I am sure you will have the time of your life!!!

To answer some of your questions...

100$ US will get you in the area of 85.00E, so the Euro is a bit more than the US dollar. here is a link to check <a href=\'http://www.xe.net/\' rel="nofollow" target=\'_blank\'>Currency convertion</a>

As for Hostels vs staying with family....there are pro's and cons for both...
If you stay at a hostel you will meet people from all over the world who are trav'lin just like you and your friends, you will learn what its like to kinda rough it out there and it can prepare you for when you travel to other countries that you do not have fam,ily in.

Staying with Family is a HUGE cost saveing teqnique, not paying for ladging will leave you some extra $$$ to spend or allow you to travel with less. No family memer will ever let you go hungry, so you can almost for sure expect food to be at the families house at no cost to you, but since there are 3 of you togeather you might wanna chip in. So thats another cost saving perk, the next thing on the list is transport from place to place,, but if you go with a <a href=\'http://www.raileurope.com/us/index.htm\' rel="nofollow" target=\'_blank\'>Rail Pass</a>, then that expence is sone before you leave for your trip. You will be really well off.

So either way, it looks like you win, jus one will cost more than the other. I would stay with the family, I am a personable guy and can meet people almost anywhere I go so I do not need a hostel to do that.

Here are 2 of the top hostels in London according to Hostelworld.com customers

<a href=\'http://www.reservations.bookhostels.com/travelpunk.com/hostel.php?HostelNumber=510\' rel="nofollow" target=\'_blank\'>Generator</a>

<a href=\'http://www.reservations.bookhostels.com/travelpunk.com/noavailability.php?PHPSESSID=983070750b38f4e344be7 2d5e3a33b56&HostelNumber=2441\' rel="nofollow" target=\'_blank\'><span style=\'color:red\'>Piccadilly Backpackers Hotel, London, England
</a>

I am a little confused at what you said here:

Quote:
We were going to stay in a hostel in london (where we will land) but after reading all these posts, maybe staying a few extra days at my friends aunts house would be smarter?
Have you gotten a bad impression on what its like to stay in a hostel??? Youth Hostels are great, but like any industry there are bad seeds...when you see a hostel you think you like, mention it in the forum and wait for some feed back...Don't let negative press turn you away from ALL hostels, just the ones who don't treat a budget trav'la the way they deserve to be treated!!!

I hope this has been of some help to ya!!! B)
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Old 01-26-2004, 11:08 AM   #3
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1st- trust me. you have NOT thought of everything. It's just not possible. But not to worry! That is all part of the adventure

If you go to Rome, steer clear of the M&J Place hostel near Termini station. Why? Well let's just say that on one particularly hot summer night some other kids and I kept ourselves entertained by throwing popcorn to the rats on the ground below our eating area!!

I've heard a lot of bad things about the Three Ducks hostel in Paris. I stayed at Culaincort hotel in Montmartre. It's one of the nicer areas of Paris and I'd recommend checking it out.

I stayed with family a couple of times while I was in Europe. On one particular occassion I stayed with an aunt in Turin, italy. Her place was absolutely, indescribably gorgeous! Blue marble floors! Bath towels the size of bed sheets! and all I could think was "god, someone get me the hell out of here!" I just didn't feel the freedom I felt staying at hostels. After one day I just left the city altogether.

I found it impossible to budget by day (but that's just me) so I just budgeted about $1000 a month and usually came up under-budget.

And props to the Generator!
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