I'm plannin on traveling mostly through Western Europe with my husband this summer. We're planning on going to London, Paris, Spain, Portugal, and Italy. Flying in London, out Italy. We are 30, and plan to travel for a month. Here are my questions. 1. Do you think 1 month is enough to visit 5 countries? How do I figure out how long to stay in each country? We would like to visit all the touristy places, but want to mix in some countryside sightseeing. 2. Confused about Eurorail pass, which one to buy? What does 5 country in 15 days in 2 months mean? 3. We're 30, do we still qualify for hostels? Should I make reservations ahead of time since we are traveling during high season - summer? What happens when there's a change in schedule, and I arrive at a place w/out reservation, how likely am I to find a room w/out reservation? 4.Sleeper trains. So even though w/a 1st class railpass, we still have to pay extra for a sleeper? How does night train work
Other - Europe - 3 Answers
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1 :
That's a big question! To really see a city I think you need 3 days, 2 nights. You'll need to add in travel time from country to country and city to city. High season in the touristy places you should make a reservation, not positive about the age cut-off, I think it is different in each country. Check the International Youth Hostel website. As for the Eurorail pass, it's a good deal. It means within 2 months, you get 15 traveling days to 5 countries. Be sure they are the countries you want to visit! You may have to buy 1st class because of your age... Also, if you are traveling in August you may want to book any LONG train rides in advance, they can sell out. You just make a reservation online or call when you are there. If you have a month, enjoy a month. Don't worry about if it is enough. You can always return to a place you loved and stay longer another time. I didn't do a sleeper when I took the night train, we just tied the doors shut with our shoelaces and curled up on the bench seats in our compartment! But sleepers are good too. Put your valuables (money, cr.cards, Passport, eurorail pass in your sleeping bag with you or in a waist pack under your clothes. Above all, be open, have fun, talk to people, try new things!
2 :
1. That's alot to take in in one month, but it's not too bad. As far as how long in each, that's up to you. You could spend a whole month in Paris alone, so you'll have to be choosy about your destinations. I prefer to have certain must-sees, and leave the rest to chance. Often times you'll meet people along the way who've just come back from this great little spot you've never heard of, and they tell you it's awesome. Definitely save some extra time for things like that--for me, half the fun is the in the spontaniety. 2. Make sure you buy your Eurail pass stateside, as last time I checked you couldn't get it over there (that could've changed). I believe that the pass you mentioned is 15 days of travel through a predetermined 5 countries, to be used within 2 months. That might work for you, since hopefully you won't be moving every 2 days. Next time I go I'm getting the unlimited usage for 1or 2 months, because I really like to leave things up in the air. Also if I get on the wrong train, I can simply switch at the next stop and not get docked. 3. Y'all shouldn't be turned down at many hostels; very few impose age limits now. As far as booking in advance, you'll have to be sure of your arrival date. In 2001 I went during the summer, never booked in advance, and never had a problem finding one. Of course if you want to stay in a specific hostel, give them a call. Otherwise you should be fine. **But, if I knew I was getting in to a city after dark, I'd call beforehand (even the same day) to reserve a room so I wouldn't be wandering the streets at night without a place to stay--I learned that lesson very quickly! 4. You usually have to pay extra for a sleeper. Sometimes you can get a private sleeper, sometimes you may have to share it with a couple others. I guess it depends on the train and how much you're willing to shell out. Sleepers can be a good idea, since you're saving on a hostel. I've been known to rough it in coach to really save on money (the seats are relatively spacious). Oh yeah, and if you don't have a travel book like Lonely Planet, Let's Go, or the like, be sure to get one soon. They're chock full of useful info and will be indispensible. Man, I'm envious! Buon viaggio!!
3 :
Wow. That's a big question! I'll try to help with answers. 1. One month is not enough time to "visit all the touristy places" in those 5 counties. It's not even enough time to visit them all in one country. But, you can visit those 5 countries and have a good time. What you want to do is get some guidebooks (check them out of the library so you can read several without having to buy them all.) Read about the countries and start making notes on what really sounds interesting. You'll have to pick and choose what to see. You don't need a firm itinerary, but you will want to have some idea of the sites to help you decide how long to stay in each place. 2. Eurail passes work like this..."5 countries in 15 days in 2 months" doesn't quite make sense. Is it 15 travel days in two months. They generally work like this...The pass is good in certain countries. Some Eurail passes limit the countries you can travel in because they are broken into "zones". If your pass is 15 days in 2 months then you are buying 15 days of rail travel and you have 2 months from your first travel date to finish using your 15 travel days. Also, be aware that Eurail passes are not accepted in Great Britian, so don't consider that part of the trip when deciding how many days to buy. 3. Hostels--You will mostly be okay in hostels. A few have age limits but it's often 35 anyway. However, you should be aware that many hostels have segregated dorms so you and your husband will be sleeping in seperate rooms--him with the guys you with the ladies. Some hostels have double rooms or mixed dorms. If you want a double room in a hostel you should probably book ahead of time. They tend to get booked up. If you arrive in a city without a reservation you can probably find somewhere to sleep, but if you are picky about places or on a really tight budget it's best to book ahead, at least by a few days. Last minute arrivals can mean that you either end up in a cheap or gross room somewhere or that you pay a lot of money. Try this website for hostels and also for cheap guesthouses that offer double rooms if you don't like the segregated dorm idea. www.hostelz.com 4. Sleeper trains--If you want a sleeper you pay extra, even with a first class ticket. You don't have to buy a sleeper because you can sit up in your seat and sleep there, but it's not very comfy if the trains are full. You will also want to buy a seat reservation on long distance trains. Having a Eurail pass does not guarantee you a seat, just a ride. You might end up in the aisle sitting on your luggage without a reservation. Also, many long distance trains require a reservations and a supplement with Eurail. In other words, you buy the Eurail but you may have to pay extra to ride certain trains. The train station and/or tourist office can help you sort out which trains don't require supplements. Generally the fastest ones do. A couple of other thoughts...It's a very long way from London to Portugal. You might consider taking the train for some parts of the trip and flying for other parts. I love to travel by train and it's always my preference, but Paris to Lisbon can take forever, and then coming out of Lisbon, across Spain to Italy...I'd suggest you at least look into a bit of flying. You arrive in London--London to Paris is no problem. The Eurostar is a great trip and only takes about 3 hours (book it ahead of time. You can get cheaper deals on these trains by booking ahead.) http://www.eurostar.com/dynamic/_SvBoAvailabilityTravelCriteriaTerm?_TMS=1169943404943&_DLG=SvBoAvailabilityTravelCriteriaTerm&_LANG=UK&_AGENCY=ESTAR You might consider finding a flight from Paris to Lisbon and then, after seeing Portugal, taking the train back across Spain stopping where you want to go. You might also consider taking a flight from Madrid or Barcelona into Italy. It is a long train journey...Easyjet does Paris-Lisbon flights and I believe they do Madrid to Rome. They are a no-frills European airline and worth considering. Also, Ryanair does Paris to Porto (north Portugal) and Madrid to Rome flights. They are another low-cost carrier. The train is wonderful, but you would save probably 3 days of riding trains by adding those two flights. http://www.easyjet.com/en/book/index.asp http://www.ryanair.com/site/EN/ I haven't flown with them myself. I know some people who have and they've generally been pleased considering the price they paid. Happy travels!
