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Just want to chime in and thank everyone for all of the useful information, I'm planning on backpacking Europe from June-November in 2011 and really appreciate all of the information and views in this thread. Good work, goons!
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Oct 2, 2010 00:54
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| # ¿ May 3, 2024 04:00 |
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I'm going to be in Europe from June to November, roughly, backpacking in and out of different places. I'm really looking for places with natural beauty. Scottish highlands, for example. Or the Alps. Or the Ring of Kerry (which I've done before, just brilliant). I've been living in China the past 17 months and am hoping to spend some time away from billions of Chinese people spitting near me and gawking at me. Anyone want to offer their favorite natural beauty places in Europe? I've just started doing research on where I want to go and how I want to get around, so I'm happy for absolutely any input or suggestions!
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Apr 18, 2011 13:24
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Thanks for all the information, guys. Some really great stuff here. I'll start here when working on my itinerary. You all rock!
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Apr 19, 2011 15:00
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Question for those that have done Europe in the summer: How important would it be to book hostels in advance? I don't mean like one or two days in advance, I mean like weeks in advance. I'm not planning on like showing up in Ibiza in July without a room, but I'm talking like Madrid or Paris, or smaller areas like Luxembourg or a place in Croatia. Is it really necessary to book months in advance, or is it a week by week thing? Any suggestions or ideas?
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Apr 21, 2011 23:34
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On page 24, I asked about your favorite places of natural beauty in Europe for my 5 month trek and got some really great responses from y'all. Slovakia, Croatia, all those areas. I'm now asking about small, hidden towns or gems of areas that are not touristy and that can really offer a quaint feel. Again, this comes from living in a large city in China the past 18 months. I know this might seem a little broad, but what are some of your favorite places to visit in Spain, France, Germany that are NOT big cities and NOT touristy? I have really no desire to go to Paris for more than 24 hours, but I wouldn't mind stopping somewhere in France for a while if it looked like that town from the Disney version of "Beauty and the Beast". Maybe it is too much to ask, but if I get just one response of a place that is totally awesome, it will mean a lot. Only three more weeks and I'm out of here for five months...sooooo close.
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May 30, 2011 23:44
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I'll definitely be in Freiburg in September in Germany, so I'm excited to hear about this suggestion. As for having a car, I'm definitely old enough to rent, haven't decided yet though. If you wouldn't mind posting them anyway or at least a few of them, I could see what it looked like on traveling and the like. Just simple town names or areas would work, you don't have to go into too much detail. Thanks so much 
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Jun 1, 2011 06:54
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I got my plane ticket yesterday!! Five months on the road in Europe. I'm flying from Beijing to Madrid, Spain to Lisbon, Portugal on June 22nd. I want to spend a week in Portugal, maybe 8 days, who knows. Does anyone have any suggestions between heading north to Porto and heading south to The Algarve? I'd really like to avoid HUGE amounts of crowds, and if being in The Algarve in late June is going to be a ton of people, I'd like to avoid that. Any suggestions? I'll probably be frequenting this thread over the next few months asking for advice, so thanks in advance to anyone who has done these areas and knows their poo poo.
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Jun 6, 2011 03:41
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Thanks for the great write up! I'll probably just head north to stay away from the crowds. I tell you, living in China for 18 months, I don't really need to be around crowds these days. Appreciate all of the great stuff, EC.
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Jun 10, 2011 10:01
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Romana posted:I'm living in Porto right now. It's a great city to come see. So do. Theres a few nearby cities that are amazing to see like Braga, Coimbra, Aveiro and Guimaraes. (lacking accent marks sorry) Will you be using Couchsurfing or staying in hotels or hostels? I can show you around Porto if you would like. Do you get PMs?
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Jun 10, 2011 19:57
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What is the general consensus on Ryanair? I saw a 15 Euro flight from Porto to Madrid. Is there a catch here or is it really just that cheap?
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Jun 12, 2011 03:52
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Haha holy poo poo, that looks like a disaster. I have four and a half months, I guess I'll stick to buses and trains. Probably more enjoyable that way anyway. Thanks for that great write up!
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Jun 12, 2011 05:01
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Maybe this is a ridiculous question, and I apologize if so, but I changed some money over from Chinese RMB to Euros and got a 500 Euro bill. Is that going to be a bitch to get rid of? Will I have to go to a bank to get it broken down, or will the hostel/restaurant/store that I go to take a 500 Euro bill? Thanks in advance.
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Jun 18, 2011 09:05
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Alright, this was the denomination that the bank would give it in here in China, so I'll have to do that as soon as I get in. It's annoying, but they wouldn't break it down for me any more. Hope it isn't too much of a problem, thanks for the heads up guys.
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Jun 18, 2011 10:12
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Does anyone know if the civil service strikes in the UK are affecting the airports in Scotland? I'm flying into Edinburgh tonight and got an email from EasyJet saying there might be delays. Does anyone know anything about this or have a pulse on the situation?
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Jun 30, 2011 09:49
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It was only for one day, and there were no delays, in fact it was the quickest customs I have ever been through in my entire life. Of course, who flies into Edinburgh internationally? No one, so I guess that's why.
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Jul 2, 2011 12:31
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Hey y'all. I'm almost a month in on my 5th month trek through eastern and western Europe and I've had a truly wonderful time. Doing a pretty good job staying within budget and really enjoying the time away from China. I have two questions, both which I would assume have been mentioned here in this thread at some point, but I glimpsed through a few pages and couldn't find anything. 1) What is the single easiest/cheapest way to get from London to Paris? Eurolines right now is showing $41 one way. Is that the cheapest I'll get, do you think? I'm looking at about one month from today and I have all the time in the world, so I am not worried about getting there super quickly or not. That is wicked cheap though, so I think I'll book that. Anyone have any experience doing that trek? 2) Does anyone have any suggestions about hostels to stay in in Venice? This is actually not well-planned ahead, so they will probably be booked, but I still thought I'd check here. Just wanted to thank you all again for the tips, suggestions and ideas over the past few months. It has been much appreciated.
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Jul 18, 2011 07:58
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Does anyone have any suggestions about places to stay near Plitvice National Park? It seems kinda difficult to do it from Zagreb or Zadar. Any suggestions?
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Jul 19, 2011 09:15
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Is there a general consensus on WizzAir?
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Jul 27, 2011 08:53
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Greetings from Mostar, Bosnia and Hercegovina guys. Two things. 1) I did not receive a stamp on my passport when I entered BiH from Croatia, though I did receive an outgoing Croatian stamp. Will this be a problem when I try to leave the country? The Korean girl I was traveling with did not receive a stamp either. I guess that is a common thing, after looking into on the internet, but I was wondering if anyone had any experience with that. 2) Someone tell me where to go next? I have not done Sarajevo, but was thinking of heading south to Podgorica and seeing what Montenegro has to offer. I have to fly to the UK on the 7th or 8th of August, so I need to figure out soon what I will be doing. Any suggestions from anyone? Thanks for all the help, I am having a wicked trip!
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Jul 29, 2011 09:12
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International customs question, not really about Europe, but figured I would ask here. Doing eastern Europe, I have found a number of war-related things that are moving, interesting and I want to bring home to my sister, who I have a close relationship with and is really into world history and anthropology. I have a bullet shell from a sniper tower in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Will I have any troubles with this, does anyone know? Should I declare it? Do I soak it for 48 hours and throw it in a cardboard box in a checked bag and hope for the best? It was shot at some point, so there might be residue on it, but it was shot in 1991, or around then, so I do not know about gun residue over that time frame. Anyone have ANY thoughts on this? I am close to just bringing it in my pocket to the check in place, showing the person each time, and asking "Is this ok?"
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Jul 31, 2011 17:15
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If I checked a fired bulletshell, though, do you think that would be a problem?
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Aug 2, 2011 19:10
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Masturbatory Manatee posted:Also, I figure its safe calling the hostel the day I plan on arriving to get a room, is this misguided? Doing that at ANY hostel in Europe in the summer can be a bit dodgy, so make sure you have back-ups. Source: It has happened to me and people I've met a bunch of times the past two months.
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Aug 11, 2011 08:19
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While on the topic of Paris, anyone have hostel recommendations that they personally thought were great there? Gonna be there for a few nights, have considered CSing but will probably hostel it. Any thoughts?
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Aug 16, 2011 11:59
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I had three weeks in the Balkans and there was so much I missed and it was seriously amazing. Thinking of doubling back down there in the next month or so to do more of Croatia. I just wonder how in today's day and age, with the internet, such beautiful places can still be a secret? I went swimming in the Kravice Waterfalls near Mostar and there was just a few people there. No charge to get in, no National Park guide, nothing. You can hike behind those things, through them, under them, in them. We jumped off the top of one of the waterfalls (probably an 8m jump?) a bunch of times and ate at some small restaurant there. Probably my best day so far out of 70 days backpacking.
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Aug 29, 2011 07:39
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Does anyone know if they don't stamp your passport, do they at least scan it? When I took Eurolines from London to Paris, they didn't stamp my passport when I crossed into the Schengen Area. I only ask because I am going to be cutting it really close to 90 days in the specific Area and imagine they are going to be interested in me when I'm leaving (I know it depends, but I saw a dude get pulled off a train in Slovenia leaving to Croatia) and I will have been over here well over 90 days. Should I keep my bus ticket? I get so confused, sometimes they stamp but they don't scan, other times they don't stamp at all and I don't know if they scanned it or not. Seems so hit or miss.
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Sep 9, 2011 07:09
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Did you factor in travel costs as well, or are they included in the daily allowance? Have you looked into CSing with two people? It will not be that easy.
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Sep 29, 2011 06:46
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I have been hosting people for two years in China, and here in Europe I was able to get CS lined up in Porto, Portugal and Paris, France...but that is it. With over 20+ references, I either never heard back or was turned down. Obviously, CSing in the summer, when many people are on holiday or busy, is a bit different, and I do not have the patience to try to send hours on CS, trying to find someone...if you've looked into it, you should be fine. I have been getting by on 50 Euros a day, and I am not eating at the supermarket, so 70 a piece should be fine.
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Sep 29, 2011 07:03
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I am pretty freakin' annoyed about the immigration officials here in Europe. I'm going to vent for just a second, as I have had problems with this off and on. I have a trip that is 88 days planned in the Schengen Zone, I just finished my 84th and am doing 4 days in Iceland. It is over the course of 5 months, though, so I am really trying to make sure that everyone can see I am not going over 90 days. When I first left the Schengen Zone, the guy in Lisboa did not stamp it very well and didn't scan me out. This led to a slew of problems on the Slovenian/Croatia border, before they finally stamped me out again. When I took the bus from London to France, they took all of our passports off the bus and didn't stamp mine. I imagine they scanned it, but hell if I know. So I kept my bus ticket, in case there was a problem. Well, I just flew from Madrid today, and the guy didn't stamp it at all, nor scan it. In fact, he barely looked at it, opened it briefly and didn't even make eye contact with me. So I asked him to stamp it, and he said "OOOOOH STAMP" and he proceeded to stamp my endorsements page (which I don't think you are supposed to do) and then tried to throw away my ticket I had from London. I had to ask for it back. It was like he made every possible lazy mistake (in my opinion) that he could have made with me in under 7 seconds. I feel like the adult in a room of children, like I am the one who is trying to make sure that everything is ok and they are just kind of aimlessly deciding what to do whenver they want. Which wouldn't bother me if EVERYONE was like that, but I got taken out of my seat on the Slovenian border because they didn't know how long I had been in the Schengen Zone. On the other hand, every time I come to the UK, they glare at me like I am coming to take their pure, unblemished daughter out for a night of drunken debauchery and proceed to ask me question upon question upon question. Literally four people went through the line to the lady on my left while I was trying to get into Edinburgh today. I am annoyed. And now I am done.
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Oct 11, 2011 15:07
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greazeball posted:Honestly though it's not right for we Americans to complain about immigration officials after some of the stories I've heard about ours so Never thought about looking at it like that, and now I feel like a major rear end.
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Oct 13, 2011 08:59
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I guess.
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The Viper posted:drink the rest of your money. This sounds like an improper way to spend your money. Seconding Slovenia, if you make it down that way. There is also really good hiking in Slovakia.
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Oct 19, 2011 08:51
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mA posted:Could someone clarify passport requirements for traveling to Spain with a US Passport? I'm scheduled to travel to Spain at the end of November for 2 weeks. I'm an idiot and I just realized that my passport expires fairly soon - next March 2012. I've been reading things online that say your passport must have an expiration date either 3 or even 6 months ahead of the departure date. Would I be denied entry after I get there? I would guess it is 6 months...I would just get a new one before you left. Go do it TOMORROW! You can have it in like two weeks...maybe less than that.
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Oct 20, 2011 08:06
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Delirium is awesome, make sure you go there, ideally on the weekend if you can. It is nuts. Obviously in Brussels the Grand Place is really sweet, especially at night. If you have some time, you could head up to Ghent, it is like an hour northwest of Brussels. Wicked nice city, not touristy, beautiful. Have a nice drive, I trained it from Brussels to Bremen and caught some good old farmland along the way, nothing that seemed worthwhile to stop at, though.
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Nov 2, 2011 03:57
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| # ¿ May 3, 2024 04:00 |
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Sepist posted:I'm in the intial stages of planning a europe backpacking trip and could use some advice. I plan to go in late march/early april with a friend - doing flight searches it looks like the cheapest way into europe will be from JFK to London (about half the price of other airports) so I will want to land there, from there I'm not sure where to go. I mean if you just want to eat street food and stay in some hostels, you could probably stay just in the UK doing that. What do you really want? Big cities? Beautiful scenery? Chances to practice new languages? Different cultures? You could EASILY spend 10 days in the UK between London, Cornwall and Scotland. It is really easy to travel anywhere in Europe from London via the air, you could end up doing 4 days in London and 3 in Paris and 3 in Belgium, then heading back. Or you could do 2 days in London, 4 days in Madrid and 3 days in Lisbon before leaving. You need to figure out what you want to do before you start to plan it. Beaches and party nightlife? Cafe culture? Some kick rear end mountains? When I did my 4-5 months over there, I wanted to see every beautiful natural scene I could find. I skipped a few major cities and spent more time in the Alps, the Highlands, Croatia, BiH...what do you REALLY want to see/do while you're there? Once you figure that out, it will be significantly easier to plan, I reckon.
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Nov 2, 2011 16:36
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