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Travel Help

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chapz
Posts: 10182 - Karma: 66
hey guys, so some of my buddies and i are planning on doing a euro trip. so, ive been to france, england and belgium already, but none have my friends have been overseas so they don't know what to expect.

originally, we were planning on island hopping in greece because one of our friends has relatives there, but were not down cause theyre planning on staying for almost a month. so, what do you guys recommend? is it cheaper to fly or take the train once youre there? we plan on partying obviously, but a beach and some sightseeing is also necessary. we would like to travel quite a bit, but not as much as a backpacker would. we would prefer hotels/motels to hostels as well.

so ns, help us plan a trip! ideally, we'd like it to be 10 to 14 days and itll be during summer 2010.
Mar 21 2010 5:34PM
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HowNeatIsThat
Posts: 1191 - Karma: 112
when i went over there, it was cheaper to take the train, even from country to country.

idk if its changed or if it differs from place to place
Mar 21 2010 5:38PM
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feihlination
Posts: 8356 - Karma: 1,084
all you oversea guys have to check out

innsbruck/austria with the golden roof


i walk by there everyday and i cant believe how many guys actually come to this city because of that.

oh wait, heres a pic, i am pretty sure you will go crazy due to the awesomeness
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no serious, if you want seaside kinda cheap, look into croatia. the beaches are pretty lame (no sand), but the rest was kinda good when i was there.
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Mar 21 2010 5:43PM
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Zump.
Posts: 3338 - Karma: 305
i went to Ireland this summer, it was amazing. my parents said they liked it even more than Italy when they went for their honeymoon, but if you were to ask them they would suggest that you go to Italy because theres so much to see there, including Rome. if you could start in Ireland and work south and east to the Mediterranean, that would probably work out for you.

Don't miss the Cliffs of Moher. This picture can't even come close to describing how beautiful it was there.
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Mar 21 2010 5:44PM
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OhMyBosh
Posts: 5056 - Karma: 171
Western Europe is expensive to travel around... i recommend you get a rail pass (something like this: http://www.eurail.com/eurail-select-pass?currency=usd). It really depends on how many places you want to go. You can find flights around Europe for cheap as fuck if you look around and book early, but if you want to go to lots of countries, the rail pass might be a better option.

Go to London, Paris, Rome, Amsterdam, Berlin, and Barcelona if you can. Although 10 - 14 days really isnt enough to do all of that... you should spend a month at least if you want a solid trip around Europe...


So basically, what cities do you want to go to?
Mar 21 2010 5:52PM
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Zump.
Posts: 3338 - Karma: 305
actually, i only got misted on once in ireland. it was really nice. overcast was the worst i saw. i caught a REALLY good break though.

but you probably can save some money staying at a bed and breakfast as opposed to a hotel. i'm not sure, but you should check it out
Mar 21 2010 6:18PM
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OhMyBosh
Posts: 5056 - Karma: 171
i tend to keep my intelligent posts to threads that aren't crap.
Mar 21 2010 6:23PM
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feihlination
Posts: 8356 - Karma: 1,084
or use your alias
Mar 21 2010 6:25PM
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OhMyBosh
Posts: 5056 - Karma: 171
>implying i have an alias.
Mar 21 2010 6:27PM
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Deezy
Posts: 4580 - Karma: 1,004
The trains are very fun. its great to see the landscape. i would defs recommend the train.

I went 1st class, and the price was basically the same, 25 bucks more.
Mar 21 2010 6:28PM
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feihlination
Posts: 8356 - Karma: 1,084
yes i am, and i feel pretty good about it
Mar 21 2010 6:33PM
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OhMyBosh
Posts: 5056 - Karma: 171
I hope you don't think that OHMYB0SH is me... i'd like to think i could make a better alias than that.
Mar 21 2010 6:38PM
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feihlination
Posts: 8356 - Karma: 1,084
actually i would find it pretty hilarious to make an exact copy of an existing account to troll.
Mar 21 2010 7:38PM
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Thenowhereman42
Posts: 5682 - Karma: 65
Ok. You are going to want to travel by train once you get there if you are planning on visiting more than a few cities, which I assume you are if you are going for a month. You get a Euro Rail pass, these are passes that will allow you unlimited rail access for 3 weeks or a month or so. Google it. They are about $300-$400 if I remember correctly, and do NOT exempt you from certain booking fees, so you do sometimes have to pay a $10-$15 booking fee. This pass will NOT work in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, or Wales

You may want to fly in to Ireland, take the ferry across to Wales, then take the Euro Star from London to Paris or Brussels. your rail pass will not cover that train ride and it is quite expensive, but when I went I found that to be the cheapest way. Plus you get to see Ireland which is amazing, and the ferry is like a giant floating casino, its pretty cool.

Do not allow anyone you meet in a train station upon arriving in a town suggest/take you to a hotel. Do not allow taxi's to suggest a hotel either. Often they will make a commission which will be added to your bill, and the place will be shitty. I got lucky doing that in Rome but very unlucky doing it in Amsterdam.

Hostels are much cheaper than hotels, book ahead. For some reason many guide books do not include area codes with the telephone numbers, if you find a number doesn't work, look up the area code for the region in the back of the book or online. Occasionally you can get lucky and book many people into a hotel room for one, but don't bank on it, especially in Italy.

If you take shrooms in Amsterdam DO NOT take the whole dish. They will probably tell you it is a single dose, and it only looks so much because they are fresh (not dried), and you need to eat all of it to trip. I don't know what the fuck they are on but it is wayyyyyyy more shrooms than one person needs. I have confirmed this with a couple other people I know who had similar experiences.

If you are on a tight budget you may not want to go to England, especially London, as it is much more expensive than anywhere else in Europe and the exchange rate will kill you.

European officials are slightly more open to bribery than American ones and you may be able to buy your way on to a train for some extra cash. In some desperate situations that has saved me.

If you are feeling lost and want to have a friendly conversation in English with someone, find an Irish pub. Irish pubs in Europe generally have Irish people behind the bar and it can be a lifesaver if you are in Italy or somewhere with horrendous accents and just can't stand to not have a civilized conversation for another moment haha.

Have fun and be careful. (Western) Europe is generally pretty safe and as long as you keep an eye on your wallet and be smart about it you will have a great time.

Mar 21 2010 9:04PM
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skier_boy26
Posts: 11295 - Karma: 502
Since I'm more into the old shit, I'd recommend staying in the mediterranean, but there are a lot of sweet places regardless. What I would do is pick a start and end destination, book the flights, then fill in the major moves within the itinerary. The summer can be pricey, but you can save a lot by making some good decisions.

First things. The euro can be fucking brutal. It isn't too, too bad right now, but keep in mind that peak season just adds major costs. Countries like britain, switzerland, austria, all of scandinavia, are pretty wicked expensive. I would probably avoid those to save some coin.

If you want to visit a couple of counties that are far enough away (ie italy and greece, italy and spain, etc) I would opt for flying rather than the train. This is especially true if you make the choice way ahead of time, then flights like on easyjet can be dirt cheap and you save tons of time. If you want more spontaneity, which in my experience has been considerably more expensive, a euroail pass is good to have for the expensive trains, but keep in mind you need to ride a few wicked expensive bullet trains to make this worth it. I like to travel where I have major moves planned out to save some money, then fill in regional shit as i please when I'm there, For instance, I will just buy train tickets, get a room or something while I'm in... umbria, but I will have bought plane tickets from lyon to rome a few months in advance. Gives flexibility, but saves cash money for things like better food, drink, party, etc.

As for places to go, I'd probably just hit a couple countries max and actually spend some time in the places. More enjoyable than just moving around for 2 weeks. You mentioned that the Greek islands were of interest, and I would still recommend them. Athens is great for a day. Greece is nice because it is on the Euro, but it isn't as inflated as other Euro countries. You can find some really cheap places to stay, even at the most expensive destinations (Fira on Santorini comes to mind) with little to no inconvenience. It would be nice, however, to stray a bit from the main tourist islands. You can hit up like paros or santorini or something, party through the night and morning, then hit up like falegandros or kalymnos (requires some finess with the ferry schedules greekferries.gr) and let time slow down a bit. Beaches, sun, old world, sick. If you want some of an interesting mix of all shit awesome. Ultimately, island hopping is sick.
I'd also recommend Turkey. There are some beaches if you're interested, but really it is badass wherever you go. Easily linked up with Greece, by air or by boat (samos to kusadasi, kos to bodrum, rhodes to mamaris, etc) Probably among the best mix of the ancient available, and clash of byzantium and ottoman. Istanbul is one hell of a city, where you can hit up the coolest shit (hagia sophia is easily one of the most impressive buildings on earth, especially considering its long and dense context), party hardy, and save a shitload of money. two weeks in greece and turkey could be fucking insane. Add in a little more time and you could start up in rome with a 2 hour flight to athens, as a for instance)

You could stretch money far as well by going to countries like Croatia, Hungary, Czech Rep, which are all fantastic places too. I just went on a tangent with greece and turkey.


Mar 21 2010 9:50PM
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chapz
Posts: 10182 - Karma: 66
wow you guys are extremely helpful. it looks like i have a lots of options!
the greece thing was an option but two of the kids we would be going with are a huge buzzkill and we'd rather not spend 3 weeks there with them. Personally, im down for whatever, whether it's just chilling in france and hitting up bourdeaux and other cities, or even staying in one city, im fine with it. it all depends on my friends. thanks again guys, ill let you know what decisions are made.
Mar 21 2010 11:12PM
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.thedude
Posts: 292 - Karma: 16
i'd suggest that you have nothing on your calender for a couple weeks after when you plan to return so that you can decide to stay longer.
Mar 21 2010 11:28PM
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geteducated
Posts: 6410 - Karma: 86
your friends don't want to go to greece?  they really don't know what they're missing.

they have this day in athens where you buy a plastic club thing and everyone has one and you all go around hitting people.  never forget how i get clubbed in the back of the knee by this grinning little girl in a princess costume. then i knocked a baby tooth out of her mouth thats how hard i hit her back...ya.   nah, i gave her a tap on the nogan.
Mar 22 2010 2:58AM
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BMB
Posts: 3138 - Karma: 232
Click for larger imageand go to Europe, or any sweet raves.
Mar 22 2010 3:16AM
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Ducky.
Posts: 5811 - Karma: 1,420
i would def. go to Austria, such a cool place imo
Mar 22 2010 3:23AM
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Static
Posts: 8575 - Karma: 3,991
Outside of a night in Athens, Greece sucks beyond the beaches. Also Greek people are assholes. Don't give them your money, in fact don't waste any money in Europe. There is nothing special aside from accents over there. Go to Whistler and ski all summer.
Mar 22 2010 3:32AM
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