Does anyone have any travel tips for Europe?

[Adamgray]

I am a regular American planning a trip to Europe with my brother. It will probably be a two week affair. I am looking for any tips that people might have onwhat to bring and how to "backpack" across europe as well as places to stay and monetary advice. I am a college student with limited cash flow and any advice on how to skrimp and save would be great, as well as locations that would be good to travel to.

[backpack]

Europe is a big place, where do you want to go and at what time of the year?

Traveling as a student on a budget means taking trains, trams and buses and use hostels for logging.

Most if not all European Union countries have student discount for train travel, local public transportation, visit to museums, etc...

[cinnagirl]

Hey Adamgray, since you're a college student, check out your local Hostelling International office - you most likely have one on or near your campus. As to where to go on a budget, I'd suggest pretty much anywhere in Eastern Europe - it's cheaper than say France and Germany, and it's a pretty hot travel destination right now. You may also want to check out Contiki Tours (contiki.com) they do group tours all over the world, and they have a range of tours that may fit your budget. I haven't been myself, but I know a lot of people who've travelled with them, and just loved the tours.
Happy Travelling!

[Peregrine]

My advice would be to think about where you would like to go, and plan how to get there cheaply. There are a lot of options including railpasses, hostels, etc that you can look into, but you need to know your rough itinerary to start nailing those down.

[Carolina]

Go to the Travel Helpline section of www.ricksteves.com

Also, pick up one of his tavel books. They are the best.

[Frank II]

Besides the Rick Steves website, I'd also suggest checking out the following:

http://www.lonelyplanet.com

http://www.letsgo.com

[Just]

places to stay

https://www.hostelworld.com

[PM4HIRE]

Checkout the forums on Lonely Planet,
lots of info there.

[jostber]

The best forum I have seen for these kind of tips is Slowtrav:

http://slowtalk.com/groupee/forums/a/frm/f/862600685

For places to go this book might give you some great alternatives:

http://www.amazon.com/Off-Tourist-Trail-Unexpected-Alternatives/dp/0756653991/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1291801542&sr=8-1

It is a bit dependent of season where to go, but try to find an area you would be interested in and check out places areound there. If you go to Italy this route would take you to some great places:

Rome - Spoleto - Perugia - Arezzo - Montalcino - Orvieto - Rome.

All these places are easily reachable by train and bus, and you can eat cheaply by going to local trattorias and osterias. I might recommend the first time to check out several places and see what you prefer for a longer stay the second time. Learn a bit of the language before you go, makes the trip much more interesting. Travel slow and eat local food.

A Western Flyer or a Smart Alec will keep you covered for 2 weeks if you pack smartly.

[helder_jb]

Rick Steves and Lonely Planet (already suggested) helped me the most when I went to Europe earlier this year.

If you don't want to buy their books (which are great), their websites are full of useful information!

Good luck.

[maverick]

+1 for the lonely planet guides. i found the ones for paris and amsterdam rather useful.

[jostber]

The Lonely Planet guides are fine for overview of sights and places, as well as giving information on some budget options for hotels and restaurants, as are the Rough Guides. The latter also have several good maps, especially for cities like Rome and London.

These sites might also give some useful input:

Step-by-Step Tips for a First European Vacation
Travel Tips: 10 ways to travel Europe for under $1000 | EuroCheapo
Rick Steves on Back Door Travel in Europe
Home - The Backpackers' Ultimate Guide to Europe
Enjoy-Europe.com

[Frank II]

Oh, I forgot something that most people overlook.

Every country and most cities and towns have visitor's bureaus. Many are now online. They are there to help you have a better trip. Utilize them both on the web and once you get there.

In fact, local tourist information offices are great places to find cheap accommodations if you don't plan them in advance. They can also help you get tickets to things, have maps, and can answer any questions you have about the area.

[flitcraft]

Here are a couple more ideas: there's a website called www.couchsurfing.org that matches up people willing to put up travelers with travelers willing to "couch surf." Me, I wouldn't dream of it, but my twenty-something year old daughter assures me that she knows lots of friends who have done it and lived to tell the tale.

If you are headed to Eastern Europe--and given how much cheaper it is, you ought to consider it--the In Your Pocket free PDFs for lots of cities are a great resource.

[moriond]

+1 for the lonely planet guides. i found the ones for paris and amsterdam rather useful.

The Lonely Planet Guide iPhone apps for 13 cities are currently free (through December 23) as an aid to travelers stranded by winter weather in airports in various locations. Here's the Dealmac link to the description. (Paris and Amsterdam are included).

moriond