If I wanted to spend two weeks in Europe... (rental, hotel, Paris)
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1. How much money would I need to be able to enjoy myself? Mainly doing touristy things -- taking pictures of famous places and cool things on the way, having a few drinks at neighborhood pubs, meeting lots of people on the way?
2. Has anyone ever done this solo? I'd be going solo, which I think would be incredible, but I'm curious to hear from others who have done this and their experiences.
3. I'm a 26 year old guy who's never been outside of the country, but is REALLY wanting to see more of this world and take it all in. Europe is obviously quite a big area... any suggestions as to where to travel to? The only place that I want to be positive to visit is Amsterdam. I've had several friends go there, and friends live there for a couple years, and that's the one that always stood out.
I'd be going sometime in mid to late January. Any general advice at all would be awesome. Thanks!
I have alwasy felt that on your first visit to an area, you should go to as many countries as you comfortably can, and then you will know where you want to go back to in the future. Too many people go to a single destination, find it fascinating,and then keep on going back there, when there might be better places. For Europe, I'd try to get to all three culture zones---Germanic, Latin, Slavic. A nice cirle trip would include Germany, Czech, and France/Italy, plus whatever lies in your path in between.
It's empowering and just plain fun to go solo. I think it opens you up more to new experiences. I've done it twice, once as a 20-something, another time as a 50-something, and enjoyed it quite a bit.
If you stay at hostels, you'll meet lots of friendly people and get plenty of current word of mouth travel info, too.
If staying at hostels or one/two star hotels, you can expect to spend a minimum of between $70-$100 a day (this is strictly a guestimate, it really depends on where you stay, what you eat/drink, and what kind of transportation you use.) You might want to consider Couchsurfing.
I agree that as a first-time traveler, you might like to cover as much ground as you can so that you'll have a better idea of where to return on your next trip.
If you could purchase an open jaw ticket, you could fly into Amsterdam and out of, let's say, Rome. But a loop back to Amsterdam would still allow for a nice taste of Europe. You might want to consider getting a Eurail pass, but it might not be worth it for just two weeks.
Traveling in mid-January, you might find some places closed or with reduced hours, OTOH it won't be so crowded or touristy--and maybe less expensive.
I think a first-timer should try to see Rome, London and Paris, they are exciting and impressive and famous for very good reason.
However, the smaller towns and villages are not only a change of pace from the hustle and bustle of urbanity, they are often very pretty, and offer the tranquility and intimacy that only a smaller town can.
I am excited for you and I bet you'll have a great trip.
Price really depends on where you're going. A lot. For example, in January, it will probably be more expensive to go to some areas of Germany, Switzerland, and Austria because it is ski season. Hostels are a good bet! You can find some very very nice hostels, but don't expect too much since you won't be paying a whole lot.
If you go to Rome, I can suggest an awesome hostel - but whatever you do, do not fly into Ciampino Airport! Also, make sure you check flights all over because the difference in price from say (this is hypothetical) Chicago to Barcelona could be hundreds of dollars different from Chicago to Rome, or vice versa. So just make sure you search extensively to find the cheapest flight, that way you have more to spend on the fun stuff. My suggestions would be Rome, definitely, and Inverness, Scotland, and Bangor, Wales (in the middle of the Snowdon Mountains), are gorgeous too, but somewhat out of the way. Dublin is also great - if you go there, make sure you visit the Temple Bar district. There is also a bar called O'Shea's near the Globetrotters Hostel (very nice). There is much to see in London, though we didn't visit any pubs while we were there. I can suggest hostels for Rome, Cardiff, Inverness, Dublin, and Galway, if you like.
If you want to make it cheap, forget atleast Switzerland, Austria, Norway, Sweden and Finland. Eastern and southern Europe are much cheaper. You mentioned pubs, so go see Dublin in Ireland. Roma is another classic and the Alps offer the best landscapes in Europe. Spain is good for sunshine and Paris is an absolute must-see. I would not want to miss Venice in Italy either. What else, well depends on what you want to see. Have you tried this destination finder? It is quite simple, just mark the things you want and see where you can find them in Europe.
1. How much money would I need to be able to enjoy myself? Mainly doing touristy things -- taking pictures of famous places and cool things on the way, having a few drinks at neighborhood pubs, meeting lots of people on the way?
Cheaply for two weeks - staying in hostels and using public transportation, minimal comforts, you have to skip "drinks at naighborhood pubs", buying fruit and sandwiches to eat at the local markets only - maybe $1,000
Midlevel - staying in private rooms, some taxis or rental car, touristy things and drinks, food at the tourist sites - $2,500 to $3,000
Add another $1,000 to both options to get there and back and maybe more if you plan to travel extensively between countries in Europe.
However, if you ARE planning on going to places near skiing areas, etc., I would get planning & book hostels/other accomodations soon. I booked a hostel in Munich for mid-December (not busy season for Munich) a month ago and got a bed in a 10-bed dorm for 4 nights. When I went to book the same room for my friend yesterday, the 10-bed dorms were already full, so she had to pay more for a smaller room.
I would think, if you book soon and try to stay in off-peak areas, you could maybe get by on $500-600 on hostels for the entire stay, but that's just a guesstimate, and it really depends on where you stay.
1. How much money would I need to be able to enjoy myself? Mainly doing touristy things -- taking pictures of famous places and cool things on the way, having a few drinks at neighborhood pubs, meeting lots of people on the way?
Make a budget and add 25%. Thankfully the dollar is a little better than it was! Like other posters have said, eat from food stalls and local restaurants. Grab a pastry for breakfast and a sandwich for lunch. Forget the tourist eateries. Buy a beer at the local market instead of a pub! Many, but not all places do not have an issue with public consumption. OR take your beer back to the hostel and drink with your hostel mates. Hostels are great for saving money. Who needs a fancy room that you are never in!
2. Has anyone ever done this solo? I'd be going solo, which I think would be incredible, but I'm curious to hear from others who have done this and their experiences.
I have traveled solo numerous times and I always meet people even though I am not real outgoing. Plus you are are on your own schedule and you can do what "you" want to do. By staying at hostels you will meet others and can plan day trips or outings with them or even hook up and travel together a few days.
3. I'm a 26 year old guy who's never been outside of the country, but is REALLY wanting to see more of this world and take it all in. Europe is obviously quite a big area... any suggestions as to where to travel to? The only place that I want to be positive to visit is Amsterdam. I've had several friends go there, and friends live there for a couple years, and that's the one that always stood out.
Great way to approach your trip, it is a big world out there and so different from the US. Amsterdam is a great city! I would also suggest a couple days in Paris as well. London is awesome but expensive! Barcelona is my favorite city in Europe. Prague has the most amazing architecture and ambiance. Since it is your first trip I might skip Germany and head to Italy. If budget is a consideration forget Scandanavia, very expensive. There are several discount airlines serving most of Europe, consider those for your transport needs in addition to the rail.
I'd be going sometime in mid to late January. Any general advice at all would be awesome. Thanks!
Another important tip: Be sure to tell your credit card company that you are traveling outside the country! First trip I made my card was cut off! It was a pain in the a** to reinstate it!
I started in Frankfurt then airlined to Helsinki for a week to visit a college friend. Inside that week we took the ferry to Estonia for two days. After that I airlined back to Frankfurt.
Took the train to Paris to meet friends. Then we took the train to Nice. Stayed there for three nights. Train to Cannes then a boat to just north of Rome. Spent two nights in Rome. Then train to Munich. 3 nights in Munich. Then train to Prague. Stayed there 3 nights. Then train back to Frankfurt to fly home.
It was a crazy time and I loved every second of it! I think I enjoyed Prague and Munich the most though. Next time I go back I am going to focus on one country. Probably something in Eastern Europe since it is so much cheaper.
Anyways, I stayed in hostels the entire time and don't think I paid more than $30 a night. I was booking everything a day before I got there and it was fun doing it last minute. I used hostelworld.com for most of my bookings.
What ever you do stay in hostels! Especially if you are going solo. I was solo for a week or so and always meet people to go out with at night. I would never want to stay in a hotel in Europe. I had a blast with my alone time and I would go solo again. It is so nice to set your own schedule. You want to see stuff you do. You want to take a nap. You do. You don't have to clear it with anybody
Also, pack as light as possible. I had everything in one backpack. Including my laptop my pack weighed around 30lbs. And if you are going to hostel it bring a small lock for the lockers. Although my stuff was hardley locked.
Europe sounds interesting, but personally, I wanna spend a week or two in Canada.
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Also, make sure you check flights all over because the difference in price from say (this is hypothetical) Chicago to Barcelona could be hundreds of dollars different from Chicago to Rome, or vice versa. So just make sure you search extensively to find the cheapest flight, that way you have more to spend on the fun stuff. 
