<p>anyone with experience doing this? </p>
<p>i'm just starting out my plans, so advice on length, when to go, places to visit, things to do, things to prepare for or watch out for, what to bring, handy foreign phrases (?), any other tips would be appreciated.</p>
<p>I was 11 when I backpacked through europe in 2001 with my parents... best f'ing experience ever.. and it doesnt cost too much either [ if you stay at youth hostels]. You should go in july and start off in one place to see if you can hack it.. if you are fine.. then go ahead. I recommed getting the eurail pass.. you can hop onto whichever train. Plan ahead [ like how many days to spend in what area] it makes life easier. Dont plan so much like what you will do in the places.... just know when you are going, what train, what time, and where to sleep. Dont pack too much. Take the backpackers backpack with you. I recommend youth hostels because they are cheaper and you meet other backpackers too.. As for the quality of the hostels.. never go to a hostel in greece [ no ac or fan] or brussels [ bed bugs.. gross!]. The best hostel was in roskilde overlooking a fjord in a small town in denmark. You should know some italian [ because they refuse to speak english]. Honestly communication is no barrier... i met up with this croatian girl and we hung out.. she didnt know an ounce of english and i didnt know any dutch/german/whatever she could speak. But we had the best time and iono how we communicated.. but it just happened i guess. Oh yeah.. go to croatia... best f'ing place... Bring medicines for emergencies. Lots of water. Money [ although the euros in place.. check out which places dont have them]. have a resting place [ like if you have family in finland... have that as a resting place] Go with friends.. its more fun. If you know any native people... then find out the non-touristy places... those are the best. Have fun!!!! I swear.. even as an 11 year old.. it was the best thing i have ever done in my life.</p>
<p>Have you seen the exchange rates these days? I hope your filthy freaking rich!</p>
<p>Take lots of money... I took too little and was basically -- no exactly -- homeless for about 2 weeks begging for food and money. It sounds horrible, but it was actually pretty cool.</p>
<p>Definitely a GREAT experience - I recommend that everyone does this at least once in their lives.</p>
<p>A three week backpacking trip costs roughly $2500-$3000 (with plane tickets, eurail passes, and hostel prices included). Get used to not having homecooked meals; you'll be eating whatever's the most accessible and cheap. You can find cheap bakeries EVERYWHERE and you'll be able to buy a big baguette for 0.40 Euros. A lot of walking, but there are metros and buses pretty much everywhere. If you have one day in the city, I recommend getting day-passes. These usually cost 4 euros and you can use them an unlimited number of times all day. I was in Nice, France and bought a one day pass in the morning and rode the bus along the riviera and into Monaco/Monte Carlo and I must say it was the best 4 euros I spent on public transportation. If you're traveling in a group, chances are you won't be able to split checks at restaurants. Be ready for that. During the day, see the sites and absorb the culture. Go to the beach, go to the parks. At night, party and enjoy the nightlife. Talk to the natives because they will show you the best restaurants, sites, and other tid bits. Bring a digital camera (duh!) because you'll be taking plenty of pictures. iPod for eurail ride. No Europe trip is complete until you visit Barcelona. See the soccer matches. Visit Park Guell (absolutely gorgeous - quite a lengthy walk though) and the Sagrada Familia. The nightlife is great. The hostel is hotel in quality. Visit Paris (St. Michel and Montmatre). Visit Roma. In the hostels, get to know the other travelers. Chances are they're a similar age and its always nice to meet new people. Metros stop running after a certain time (I think its 2:00 AM) so keep that in mind. Take it one day at a time; don't overplan anything. Don't sleep in - you're in Europe to enjoy it not to sleep it away.</p>
<p>But, most importantly, have fun.</p>
<p>Ya i did it around 2 summers ago. My friend and I backpacked from England to Germany for roughly 3000 dollars each. We used public transit as much as possible. Frankly traveling Europe by backpacking is the best way to go. Tours and guides are more efficient, yet are more touristy and detract from the experience as a whole. Try to become decent in one of the languages, it really helps to connect with the people there and they appreciate you for it. Safety wise, I would be cautious with a woman traveling alone or even in a pair. But all in all large European cities are just as dangerous as American.</p>
<p>Some European cities are more dangerous than American cities. I feel much safer walking in NY alone than in Dublin or London. But having said that as always make safety a priority but don't worry too much . If you are in Ireland or UK there will be plenty of drink related violence so at night it is always wise to take a taxi but the worst crime you would probably experience would be a mugging (not saying that it should be taken lightly) but I don't want people thinking they will be shot or anything.lol!</p>
<p>Be ready to discover the myth the is the Eurail Pass, and the reality that is reservation fees and severely limited travel options for holders of Eurail passes.</p>
<p>It is a great experience and something I would recommend for anyone. The last time I went was during the summer of 2002 for 30 days. It's a lot cheaper to stay at hostels throughout Europe but I find them extremely uncomfortable and dirty so I stay at hotels. For two people, we spent about $18,000 on lodging, rail, and food, not including airfare because my parents picked up that tab. </p>
<p>I'm going again next summer as part of a group of 4. The one thing I would recommend is a trip on the Orient Express.</p>
<p>I went to Italy a slice of Pizza, just 1 slice was $80 USD.</p>
<p>Il pass.</p>
<p>Saw Hostel and Hostel 2 and now I definitely don't want to go. I like my limbs.</p>
<p>what cities are you refering to as dangerous? I went to a bunch of cities and felt threatened in non of them except northern paris( and that was during the riots).Berlin was fine,london fine,brussels fine,Rome was for the most part fine.The only exception I could see to being more dangerous is somewhere in the poorer areas of Eastern Europe. Oh I am pretty sure pre and post hurricane New Orleans along with Detroit are more dangerous then any European city. Good luck not getting shanked if you walk off Bourbon or Canal.</p>
<p>god i wanna go to amsterdam, although i hear u should go there last on a eurotrip, as you can end up staying there the whole time lol.</p>
<p>a good plan is to combine this with a semester/quarter abroad and go after the school term ends. You'll already be there so you're not forking out a lot of airfare just for the trip. And you'll meet other kids in your program so you'll have buddies to travel with plus gets lots of info from your fellow students on places they recommend, travel tips, etc. </p>
<p>Weekend trips during the term would also be something you could do with the people you meet, and taking a 2-3 day trip and then returning to familiar surroundings can be a pleasant alternative to constantly being on the go (although when the term is over you'll still want to head out for a few weeks or more).</p>