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I am planning on backpacking through Europe this summer. The countries I'm planning on visiting are:
Netherlands (Amsterdam)
Spain (Madrid, Barcelona, Ibiza)
Italy (Rome, Venice, Milan and Florence)
Croatia (Split) or Greece (Athens)
My question is; with the economic situation in Ireland and Portugal, as well as Spain. Will my Summer trip be affected (July)? If so, how?
It seems that the biggest risk in your case would be strikes that affect transport and other basic services (like fuel deliveries), but the risk is mitigated in your case since you are backpacking. Sometimes even intercontinental flights and international train routes are affected, but the risk is less than in the case of domestic transport.
Shake off any nationalism and act like a normal, humble, sympathetic human being, and in the majority of cases people will reciprocate. Try to learn as much of the local languages as you can, at least the polite phrases like please and thank you.
By the way, for tourism purposes skip Milan in Italy and Athens in Greece, use that time instead to explore more in depth some of the other places on your list or visit other places, like Thessaloniki in Greece rather than Athens.
The other risk is the EUR/USD exchange rate (assuming you do accounting in USD), but the less you plan on spending, the less it really matters. Both the US and several eurozone governments are de facto bankrupt so we're all in the same boat. They'll just keep printing money until living standards and expectations are toned down and this could go gradually, over the next 20-30 years, give or take a few. Venice is sinking into the Adriatic Sea, but that too is a gradual process, maybe another 500 years or so, so you'll have a chance to see it in plenty time.
Therefore, it doesn't really matter too much, pay less attention to mass media and don't let it bother you. Chances are you won't starve to death. Just stay away from any street protests that you may come across to avoid any random violence, like a wanton molotov cocktail or arson.
If I were you, I would avoid these destinations in summertime:
- italian cities : herds of tourists (just millions of them), air pollution
- athens : the same plus 95° F heat
- Barcelona : 90% chancesof being mugged
- Madrid : searing hot too
- go to Ibiza only if you're a party freak
That leaves in my book only Amsterdam and Split (but in Amsterdam beware of the Moroccan youths who want to sell you dope in the center of A'Dam)
Thank you for your responses bale002 and pegeonhole.
@Bale002:
I am backing in a sense of... I have a big backpack and ill be using hostels. So I am still planning on using trains as my main source of transport between cities. Also short flights for distances too long for trains.
What would you recommend in terms of exchange rates? Do you think the Euro will be significantly weaker (to a US travelers benefit). Economics are not one of my strong points.
No Athens or Milan? How come? Any other recommendations then maybe? Thanks for all your help.
@Pigeonhole:
I thank you for your warnings, however I do not want to change most of my itinerary. I backpacked last year, to 4 different cities and Amsterdam. It will be my third time in Amsterdam.
The heat is fine, annoying but I live in LA and even though its not as humid, I've still dealt with it fine over my last two trips.
Is theft really that bad in Barcelona? If you have any more bits of information like you did in your post above, please share. And any more recommendations would be great, thank you.
I am planning on backpacking through Europe this summer. The countries I'm planning on visiting are:
Netherlands (Amsterdam)
Spain (Madrid, Barcelona, Ibiza)
Italy (Rome, Venice, Milan and Florence)
Croatia (Split) or Greece (Athens)
My question is; with the economic situation in Ireland and Portugal, as well as Spain. Will my Summer trip be affected (July)? If so, how?
I think your biggest concern will be the exchange rate, and since you are not coming here until July a lot could happen between now and then. At the present time the euro has dropped a few cents, but it is still a whopping $1.36 to buy a euro, and the U.S. has decided to print money like it was going out of style as one effort to keep the value of the US$ down. But a couple more bail-outs and the euro could take a nosedive. So, where things will be on your personal D-Day can't be predicted.
Barcelona, lovely - especially if you are an architecture buff. Pickpocketing and the like is bad in the Gothic quarter and the Ramblas, but outside of these areas my impression is that it is no worse than any other big city.
I have been through Athens a few times, usually on my way further east. It was a thrill to see the Acropolis and the visit the museums the first time, but other than that I did not care for the city. If the choice had been mine, my first visit would have been my only visit.
What would you recommend in terms of exchange rates? Do you think the Euro will be significantly weaker (to a US travelers benefit).
No Athens or Milan? How come? Any other recommendations then maybe? Thanks for all your help.
As for exchange rates, as kevxu mentions, since late 2004, the pivot-point for EUR/USD has been around €1.36 per $, though it has fluctuated in a 1.18-1.60 range. Again, as mentioned, both the US and EU are printing money to maintain the illusion of the classical post-WWII period, so where in the 1.18-1.60 range the EUR/USD will be in July is a roulette game based on whose situation foreign exchange traders deem more dire at the moment.
As mentioned, many Italian cities, especially Milan, are hot and polluted in the June-August period, peaking in July. Furthermore, Milan is more of a business destination than a tourist one: you can see whatever is worthwhile there in one day. Rome, Venice and Florence, on the other hand, roughly in that order, are worth it if you think that this will be your only trip to Italy.
As for Athens, again as mentioned, the only thing worth seeing is the Acropolis. Otherwise contemporary Athens is only useful for work, business, and politics, besides being polluted and very hot in the summer.
I like the idea of exploring more in-depth the eastern Adriatic coast (i.e. Croatia to Montenegro to Albania, even down to Greece as far as Corfu, even Patras), you could probably find ferry trips from Venice.
@ Maksud : "is theft bad in Barcelona"? well, it's the only place where I got mugged 2 times (and I don't go there often).
Most important : don't hire a car, because leased cars are systematically "visited" by thugs. It happened to me 2 summers ago (car was parked on a public parking lot near a beach on the outskirts of Barcelona). Everyting was stolen save my purse & personals that I had on me , and what I was wearing (short, trunks, tongs).
And don't visit the Barrio Chino (behind the Ramblas) after sunset (I was mugged there too).
Never been to Madrid, Ibiza nor Greece but visited all other places you mentioned and I liked them all. Yes, these are big cities with some crime but I personally didn’t experience any, and with some normal precautions you will be fine.
If you’ll end up coming to Croatia, getting from Italy to Split is easy with cross-Adriatic ferries (slower) or speedboats, departing from Ancona. In my opinion, if you’ll stop by here it would be a shame to see just Split, perhaps some nearby islands like Hvar or other Dalmatian towns like Zadar or Dubrovnik could be interesting.
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