Clueless Needing Help...

[Jaimie7777]

Hi Guys, I am so glad I found this site. you all seem really nice!!
I am a 24 yr old Female traveling to Europe next year, May- August, all by myself.
I want to visit as many countries as possible on a cheap budget.
I am clueless, I am not even sure where to find out where certain places are and where they are located. How I can get there, train or flights, hostels, local transportation, that sort of thing. What I need to pack and if I can take a suitcase, (don't laugh).
Anyone who can tell me where to start and what to do will have my undying affection.
Thanks so much.

Jaimie

[Sijuki]

Jaimie (a new spelling of the name... seen jaime and jamie but never jaimie. )

Anyways, first off, welcome to the site... glad you found us.

If you are going to be doing a lot of walking, it might be easier to have a backpack. But we all have to deal with what we can afford and are willing to deal with. Backpacks usually allow you to carry a lot more then a suitcase.

As far as what to bring with you, well the list can differ slightly from person to person, but here are some links to help you out with that...

What do you Carry in Your pack? The essentials
Backpacks & Moneybelts
Packing List

Eastern Europe is cheaper then Western Europe. Depending on what you want to see is really where you should go. I guess it really depends on what you want to do. If you want sceneary, well I think most of Europe is full of it. Historic sites are a plenty everywhere also. Party hubs seem to be London, Madrid, I am told Zagreb, Croatia and a few others.

As far as getting around. The rail passes are good if you plan on traveling by train often. If you happen to fly into London you can get to your destination pretty cheap by using Ryan Air as they have cheap flights to many spots in Europe. As long as you book it 2 weeks in advance.

A bus pass may be another option although it will take a little longer to travel and may be less comfortable. Can't say I have heard much about the busses, but its an option.

Hostels in Europe

London and Switzerland are probably the two most expensive places in Europe. Scandinavia is also quite expensive. So if you are on a tight budget I would avoid those places for anything but necesarry travel. Venice in Italy is also quite expensive. I believe Paris is expensive in some way but you can sometimes find cheap rooms there. You can stay away from the big cities and get away a little cheaper but you will have to travel from your place to the city to see the sites. Prague is supposed to have cheap drinks and room.

In the summer months Spain, Italy, Greece will probably be packed and more expensive cause of the warm weather, which I hear can get quite hot. If you want more info I would suggest checking out a Lonely planet book from your library or browsing through one at a book store (i.e. Borders where you can practically read a book and never buy it.)

Hope this helps

[kingcrazylegs]

First of all...Welcome to TravelPunk!!!

As far as your questions...you can get around Europe pretty well on the trains, may check into getting a Euro-pass depending on how long you will be there and such. If you ask more specific questions I am sure you will get lots of help!

Happy Trails

[voyd]

Originally posted by Sijuki@Nov 15 2004, 09:23 PM
A bus pass may be another option although it will take a little longer to travel and may be less comfortable.* Can't say I have heard much about the busses, but its an option.

Or a bus tour. They are decent deals particularly if you're cramped for time and want to see a lot (like I was) on both my trips to the EU.

Read about STRAY and Busabout HERE.

You're actually at a good age to travel as well because usually anyone up to 26 can qualify for student travel discounts, too.

Anyways, there's really too much to summarize in just one post, but you definitely came to THE RIGHT PLACE here. Just be sure to read all the articles and search thru the forums here. Welcome aboard! Happy trails!

[faith2]

I'd say once you get a general idea of where you're going and you're there ask other travellers for suggestins of places to go to and hostels to stay in. SOme people like arriving at a place and finding a hostel, I liked booking them a few days ahead, and even then in summer months many are full. I found such a difference between hostels that people had recommended and ones I found myself on the internet. There is a reason people recommend places!

[simply_angelic]

In the summer months Spain, Italy, Greece will probably be packed and more expensive cause of the warm weather,

very true.....but also bear in mind when you're travelling which countries shut down for the month of august. When travelling, think about which countries you wish to explore the most in depth, for their commercialized areas. (if you get what I mean by that). Basically, you dont want to plan on travelling to a place, such a paris to see their fabulous clothes, and try their delectible food at a certain restaurant, only to find out that they are all closed for the holidays.

[chandy]

Hey I am a newbie too. My husband and I are going to Europe in Jan. I can't offer you much except read the message boards (Which as helped me a great deal) and The guide book that has been the best for me is Europe for Dummies. It talks about rail passes and other forms of traveling through all of the countries. There are some great websites. The way I found Travel Punk was through Eurotrip.com
Good Luck. Oh and it lists hostels as well.

Chandy