planning to visit Europe... (cost, Paris, hostel, Amsterdam)
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Hello all--I have decided to finally take the plunge and travel to Europe. I would like to visit the following countries--Ireland (Dublin), Germany (Munich), Italy, Greece and London. I was wondering how I should go about doing this. I would like to do it cheaply as possible (if there is such a thing). I would be traveling solo and plan to stay in hostels the entire time. And plan to stay in each country no longer than 90 days --the trip totaling a month to avoid visa headache.
I am concerned how I would fly out to which country first and then how I would travel within the Europe to the other destinations (cheaply)? What time of year should I go? etc.
Hello all--I have decided to finally take the plunge and travel to Europe. I would like to visit the following countries--Ireland (Dublin), Germany (Munich), Italy, Greece and London. I was wondering how I should go about doing this. I would like to do it cheaply as possible (if there is such a thing). I would be traveling solo and plan to stay in hostels the entire time. And plan to stay in each country no longer than 90 days --the trip totaling a month to avoid visa headache.
I am concerned how I would fly out to which country first and then how I would travel within the Europe to the other destinations (cheaply)? What time of year should I go? etc.
Thank you so much!
ramsey
Generally, the cheapest European cities to fly into are Dublin, London, Frankfurt and Amsterdam. However, prices will also depend on where you are flying from in the USA (I assume it is the USA).
You also need to consider how you want to get around Europe. There are plenty of options for cheap flights. However, using trains can also be an option and a Eurail pass might be worth doing. You would need to do a comparative cost calculation. Also, be aware that Greece is quite a long way from the other countries. London to Athens is a 3 hour flight.
Time of year makes a difference to prices. I would suggest either the Spring (March - May) or the Fall (September-October). Avoid the summer (crowds and expensive) and the winter (cold).
I would suggest the following:
1. Decide what your European entry point is.
2. Decide best time of year
3. Develop a preferred itinerary
4. Compare costs of flying between itinerary points to the cost of rail (don't forget to factor in transport to/from airports, baggage charges, etc.). You can use Expedia for some flights but Ryanair and Easyjet are not on Expedia so you would need to use their web sites.
I say definitely go the Eurrail pass route. Take the train! I found it the most wonderful experience for actually meeting and having the time to actually talk the the Europeans.
The trouble with Eurrail is that it's only good for Europe, not for Ireland or the U.K. If I were you I'd research the different rail passes carefully and consider your itinerary before buying. It's often cheaper to just buy a rail ticket when you need it.
I presume you meant 9 days per country, not 90.
As for the places you want to visit, they are pretty far apart--you're going to be doing a lot of travelling, and not much time enjoying where you are. You might consider dropping one of the far-flung places, like Greece or Ireland, and concentrate on places closer to each other. I love Greece and Italy, but I wouldn't want to be there in July or August, either, so the time of year makes a difference. I'd rather be in Ireland at that time of year. If you're travelling in the spring or fall, then Italy and Greece would be wonderful.
As for getting from place to place, if you did decide to go from, say, Greece to London, I'd look into the cheap local airlines like Ryanair. You would spend a whole lot less time travelling, and they are at times cheaper than rail.
WhichBudget can help with inter-European cheap flights.
One aspect to consider for what time of year to travel is to think about comfort. It's not that big a deal, but I would rather be in a non-airconditioned hostel in October rather than August.
Of course, as Jaggy says, the time of year can also effect cost. When you are sight-seeing in different places, the hours might be shorter in winter, but sometimes so the lines are, too.
For what it's worth, late spring is my favorite time of year to go to Europe, but that's not to say I haven't enjoyed the beach in Greece during June, and the Christmas markets in France in December.
Thank you all for your wonderful responses and advice. I am new to traveling abroad thus I guess I was and am a bit ambitious. That being said--maybe I will just narrow it down to Ireland, London, Paris and Germany. Out of the four--I would have three weeks total during the trip, which of those should i definitely do instead of the others? I REALLY want to hit up Ireland.
Check "off high season" pricing for the best deals.
A couple years ago, I managed a cheap ticket to Dublin by booking in the off season time period. Enjoy!
I think Europe is an all weather tourist spot, where tourists flock year-round. Traveling via train would offer you an opportunity to discover Europe's beauty in a better way. Check out this website for further details: Rail Europe | European train tickets, Eurostar and InterRail passes
Thank you all for your wonderful responses and advice. I am new to traveling abroad thus I guess I was and am a bit ambitious. That being said--maybe I will just narrow it down to Ireland, London, Paris and Germany. Out of the four--I would have three weeks total during the trip, which of those should i definitely do instead of the others? I REALLY want to hit up Ireland.
Ireland is really beautiful and well worth visiting. Dublin is nice but not on a par with London or Paris. Also, the weather can be very temperamental. I would suggest either the month of June (very long days and decent weather) or the month of September (generally decent weather).
In London and Paris, being big cities with a lot to do, the weather is less of a factor in getting the most out of your visit.
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