I'm working on a Solo trip to Europe this summer. The only threads on Europe are old so I figured i create a no one. Has anyone done this before and if so any suggestions? I heard there are hostels you can stay at where you can meet up with other young people doing the same.

I definitely want to go to Munich, drive on the Nürburgring race track, and besides there would look at Amsterdam, and possibly scoot up to Sweden.

3/22/2013 12:57:13 PM

I really liked London, also I had way more fun in Prague than Amsterdam. It was way easier for me to meet and talk to people in London and Prague. I guess if you smoke a lot then you might enjoy Amsterdam, but the people I met there were mostly young potheads; and young potheads just aren't all that interesting to talk to.

3/22/2013 1:14:39 PM

I do like London too. Have already been there and France twice. Looking to see more of the continent. I have heard Prague was fun but was wondering if it was sketchy at all?

3/22/2013 1:18:10 PM

You have at least read the other threads right? Also keep in mind we can bump threads of any age now (is that premie only?).

How long are you going?

3/22/2013 1:26:24 PM

Last threads were from 2011 and back, figured lots of new opinions since then.

looking at 8-10 days.

3/22/2013 1:28:19 PM

you can still learn a lot by reading those threads...it's not like that advice expires

and as loudryan said, Prague is freaking awesome. I think that and Munich/Nurburing would constitute a good 8-10 day trip.

3/22/2013 2:24:57 PM

I had a blast in Prague and budapest

3/22/2013 2:40:51 PM

prague is not sketchy at all.

1. buy a eurail pass. there are added fees for some trains but you still get a better experience. nevermind only 8-10 days.


2. go on hostelworld.com and book the top rated hostels in each city. i can't underscore the importance of this step great hostels means great stays in the city while a shitty hostel puts the responsibility on you to find a good time. i would not stay at a place under 90%. you'll get a good mix of fun people, staff that know the city, events and tours through the city as well as location.

3/22/2013 2:54:05 PM

What time of year should I go?

Should i do june/july or wait for the cheaper air flights in september?

3/22/2013 7:52:43 PM

September. Summer is hella crowded.

3/22/2013 8:41:51 PM

Quote :

"prague is not sketchy at all."

sarcasm?

Within 2 hours of my arrival, I spotted a guy by the canals shooting up heroin, and there were two shootings within earshot of my hotel in the 3 days I was there.

I still had a great time, but without spending a shitload of money on a really nice hotel, it can definitely be somewhat sketchy.

3/22/2013 8:45:13 PM

I didn't find Prague sketchy at all but I imagine just like any large city there are areas that are sketchier than others. I stayed at the Mosaic House which I would highly recommend if you're going the hostel route. There were a ton of people there and it was really easy to meet and socialize with other tourists...

3/22/2013 9:42:43 PM

^i stayed there as well. i hear gunshots in cary.

3/22/2013 10:18:31 PM

I vote for summer. I spent a month of a summer in Europe about a decade back, and it went swimmingly: the weather was perfect and I didn't find it to be crowded.

I stayed in hostels for a couple weeks, but after that I got sick of it and switched to hotels. In a hostel you're in a room w/ lots of people and have no personal space; you're walking around all day, sweating and wearing dirty clothes, and when you get back you want someplace to kick back and be clean. However, I'm sort of a naturally private person, and like my space...if you're a people person it might be different for you. I had plenty of money (not that I'm rich, but just for this trip I had $$$) so I mostly stayed in hotels.

it is true, though, that at hostels you will run into shitloads of early twenty-somethings, so if you possess any degree of social proficiency (I don't, incidentally) you'll have places to do and people to hang with every night.

My personal favorite cities were London and Berlin (though I think the latter because of my German blood...I felt at home there.) Athens was cheap as fuck, last time I checked (which was about 10 years ago.)

make damn sure you have some quality, durable shoes. I brought some high-end sandals but they weren't practical for walking 4+ miles every day. Bought some Converse All-Stars the first week, and my feet were fine after that.

you'll be doing lots of train-riding, I assume. I guess they have wireless internet on trains, but anyhow, you will spend plenty of time on trains. when you take a shit, it just dumps out through a pipe onto the tracks...they ask you not to take a shit unless the train's moving.

London is expensive, I think. England in general is expensive. I found the English to be far snobbier than the French...the French were quite nice, on the whole.

Pretty much all big cities are the same, except for their specific sites/points of attraction. Venice is an exception: it's cool as fuck, you should definitely check it out if it's not too far out of your way. I was somehow disappointed by Rome...I went there subconsciously expecting a bunch of ruins and the Senate and everything, but it's just another big city, although there are ruins and the Vatican and whatnot.

I found the best food to be in Italy, but the best sweets were in Berlin. That's just taste, though.

3/23/2013 12:07:49 AM

Munich is really nice. It shouldn't be too crowded in summer... compared to September/October (Octoberfest). I would recommend renting a car for a 4-5 days and going from Nurenburg to South Germany and driving the autobahn in south of germany past Lake Chiemsee outside of Munich and south into the Alps. (I am assuming you like driving cars since the second thing you mention is the Nurenburg Ring.. )

Munich - Alps was my best day trip.

And I pretty much agree with the hostel thing, look for high rated ones and read reviews with a critical eye. Some negative reviews have nothing to do with the hostel itself...
http://www.hihostels.com/web/membership.en.htm

[Edited on March 23, 2013 at 12:43 PM. Reason : .]

3/23/2013 12:34:50 PM

I'm also traveling to Europe solo this summer. Im slowing booking my trip. Since im flying to credit card miles, im waiting to book my flight home.

Here's the plans so far:
6/21: Leave for Spain
6/22-25: Valencia
6:25-29: Madrid
6:29-?: Barcelona (and surrounding towns)
I also think im going to Paris to meet up with a few friends who are also traveling through Europe and will be there in Paris.

Pretty open ended after the 29th

3/23/2013 6:25:55 PM

I am also looking into the possibility of heading out there with a few friends this summer. Traveling solo is awesome too. Meet some great people along the way from some awesome places. Amsterdam is always fun. If you find yourself there alone def. sign up for the bar crawl around Rembrandt Square. Free drinks and lots of beautiful women! If I end up going, Spain will be the first destination, if I have friends with me we will go to Paris and Amsterdam. I want to go back to Bruges (it is freaking awesome). Head over to Munich and Berlin (at least one of those), and Istanbul. Might fit in Copenhagen if there is time/money.

3/24/2013 10:17:45 AM

I strongly recommend Prague and Budapest

in Budapest I strongly recommend Carpe Noctem hostel https://www.facebook.com/carpenoctem.hostel?ref=br_tf

its run by some rowdy British expats that host regular pub crawls
say hello to Suze for me - my buddy and I were guests during their first few months of operation back in '08 - but now they are in the Best Of


if you're feeling very adventurous check out Belgrade, Serbia
you can stay at Three Black Cats - it is a good place to meet rad people but don't expect luxury
from there you can head to the Croatian coast - I hear Split is gorgeous
or you can head towards Istanbul


[Edited on March 24, 2013 at 1:51 PM. Reason : -]

3/24/2013 1:47:38 PM

Hostels are great to stay when you're traveling by yourself. Take a lock with you; many hostels have lockers where you can store your gear when you're out during the day.

When I've traveled I booked RyanAir flights instead of taking rail when traveling between countries. It was actually cheaper to do it that way than to take the rail if booked far enough in advance. I did Dublin -> London -> Pisa -> Florence -> Rome -> Berlin over about 16 days.

I traveled in August and found that to be a bad time to do Italy (not sure if the same would apply to other Mediterranean areas) but all of the locals took their holiday then so many of the good, hole-in-the wall places that the locals go to were closed. September might have been better.

I went everywhere with the Let's Go series of travel books. They're great for solo/budget travels.

3/24/2013 2:04:12 PM

I'm going to be in Vienna for the summer. Hitting Prague one weekend. Going to try and hit Budapest.

Anyone have any experience with Bratislava, Slovakia? It's not huge, but it's close to Vienna and I figured it'd be cool to see a bit of another country.

3/24/2013 5:31:20 PM

ryanair is much cheaper but a terrible experience that has you far away from city centers. train rides are an essential part of the european experience imo.

3/24/2013 5:57:09 PM

Every few months I have the overwhelming urge to take a few thousand from savings and spend three weeks alone in Europe. But the sensible side of me always wins out and tells me that I need to be responsible.

3/24/2013 7:26:53 PM

How long are you going again??

If 10 days...then the max is three places. If two weeks...then do four.

If you're doing Munich...then you could definitely add Prague and Budapest. Going down the Croatian coast MIGHT be a stretch timewise...because you'd probably have to go back up to get a flight out of Zagreb. I went right after the tourist season and couldn't find a flight out of Split or Dubrovnik. Had to take some sketchy ass buses and cabs to get to Greece.

If you're active, I would definitely recommend Switzerland (Interlakken is a blast). You could do Munich, Vienna, and Interlakken. You could also hit up Venice. Venice gets mixed reviews, but I thought it was awesome.

You could also go West and hit up Amsterdam and some Belgium cities. Not at a bad idea if you want it to be a little more laid back (Belgium...not Amsterdam obviously) and want to drink a ton of delicious beer.

Lots of option, just have to pick what exactly you want to do. I wouldn't spend less than three days in each place. Hostels are definitely the best places to meet fellow young travellers. Grab a guidebook and see what they recommend and then research them online. You want to first look for location (close to city center or places you want to see) and then see if they have bars or organize shit for their guests to do together. Lots of them will have bars inside (a plus for meeting people) and will arrange guided tours and such.

[Edited on March 26, 2013 at 11:39 AM. Reason : .]

3/26/2013 11:37:06 AM

How much ass did you get on your trip over there? Curious if all the stories I've heard about Eastern European women are true or mainly bullshit...

3/26/2013 11:46:44 AM

Not as much as you would think...for several reasons, IMO.

For starters...you're backpacking on a budget. It's not like you're out balling at clubs and bars, running into cool Europeans all the time. You're mostly going out with fellow travelers that you meet in the hostels...so mostly Americans and Australians. You're also going out in wrinkled t-shirts and jeans you haven't washed in a couple weeks.

Then there's also the perception of Americans in Europe. I went immediately after the Bush years. You're looked at as being stupid and ignorant to pretty much everyone. You're pretty much batting with two strikes with every girl you talk to.

That being said, I got lucky in Greece and Spain...but that's it for Europeans. I either got shot down or didn't even get to bat in most places. When you're backpacking, you're fucking Australians, French-Canadians, and chicks from California. At least that's what my hit-list looked like.

3/26/2013 12:12:52 PM

what are y'all opinions of Spain? I'll spend about 2 weeks over there this summer, Valencia, Madrid and Barcelona. Madrid and Valencia i'm staying with friends that live there, Barcelona is a solo thing. Any hostels you recommend?

3/26/2013 12:33:23 PM

I only did Barcelona and I fucking loved it. One of the coolest cities I've ever been to. I'm a big fan of Spanish food and wine...and it definitely didn't disappoint. The Gaudi architecture was amazing and the city just has a really funky vibe.

Can't remember the name of the hostel I stayed in, but it was in a great location off of Las Ramblas. Only about $30 a night if IIRC.

3/26/2013 12:39:45 PM

You might want to consider 'couch surfing'. I have a friend that just did about 60 days of it in thailand and new zealand. She loved it. And I will admit, while it is not how I want to travel, if you are considering hostels, it is going to be loads cooler and likely even cheaper.

3/26/2013 2:21:27 PM

Quote :

" And I will admit, while it is not how I want to travel, if you are considering hostels, it is going to be loads cooler and likely even cheaper."

Define "loads cooler".

Not saying couch surfing isn't a good option, but I don't know why you would think its loads cooler. I mean, if you get lucky and stay with some really cool people, then that would be great...but I think you're rolling the dice.

And hostels are cheap to begin with. So you're going to get more security (door locks, lockers, etc) and access to a lot more people that you could meet and hang out with...as opposed to the only person whose house you're staying at.

If your goal is to meet people, then I'd go with a hostel. If you're broke as fuck and trying to save every cent possible, then go with couch surfing.

3/26/2013 2:30:13 PM

Quote :

"If your goal is to meet people, then I'd go with a hostel. If you're broke as fuck and trying to save every cent possible, then go with couch surfing."

yea i feel like im definitely both of these things. hmmm

3/26/2013 3:22:01 PM

Hostels are still cheap. I rarely paid over $30 a night unless I was in an expensive Western European city. Paris, Amsterdam, Barcelona, and Munich were all $30-$40...but most stayed in the low 30s. Venice was like that too, but I found a great hole-in-the-wall hostel (wasn't listed in any book...its apparently a secret hostel that only the Asians knew about). But the further east you go, the cheaper it is. I stayed in plenty of cool spots for less than 20 bucks.

3/26/2013 3:39:38 PM

I went to Italy last year in early July. I only thought the crowds were that bad in the Vatican museums and to a lesser extent the Colosseum. Most of the tourists get off the bus, hit one or two stops and leave. I was in Venice, Florence, Rome, and Montepulciano. You can buy tickets in advance online and skip the lines at major attractions (Duomo, Uffizi, etc.). There is a price difference though.

3/26/2013 6:12:10 PM

Prague is the best city in Europe. Period. It's in the EU but not on the Euro so it's a ton cheaper, beer is cheap, and the food is amazing. If pot is your thing, it is basically legal there and you can buy it at certain bars (Chapeau Rouge, U Sudu) and most places will let you smoke it there if you ask. It's not sold over the counter like Amsterdam, but there's always a guy near the bathrooms that sells it. You can meet people by doing the bar crawl since it's basically all Americans and it's hosted by Americans that live there (go to old town square - staromestka).

Amsterdam is fun and the dutch are very friendly (but blunt) but it's easy to get burnt out if you stay too long. The novelty of smoking 1,000 different types of weed wears out fast and the food is very underwhelming compared to the rest of Europe.

Barcelona is a lot of fun. I went in the early spring and had fun but I couldn't imagine how great it would be in the summer when the beaches are populated. Also enjoyed Rome but it is on the expensive side. Paris is nice and the food is great, but the locals hate tourists. Brussels is not worth going to imo - once you've seen the Atomium and the Gran Plas there's nothing left to see. Bruge is supposed to be great though. London is cool, but it is extremely expensive. You can get your ass kicked a whole lot quicker in the UK too I feel like, especially in Ireland.

If you're on a budget, I would highly recommend Eastern Europe. Start in Munich if you want (although getting connections from there is expensive) and go to Prague, Budapest, Talin, Dubrovnik, Spilit, etc. EE is very underrated but it is cheap, has beautiful beaches and women, and lots of historic sites.

I've never couch surfed but my friends who are well traveled said they had their best experiences doing that because their hosts would take them out to party with locals.

3/28/2013 10:32:47 AM

Quote :

"Prague is the best city in Europe. Period."

Quote :

"Barcelona is a lot of fun."

Quote :

"I would highly recommend Eastern Europe."

Quote :

"I've never couch surfed but my friends who are well traveled said they had their best experiences doing that because their hosts would take them out to party with locals."

I couch surfed a few times in Western Europe with great results

3/28/2013 12:46:02 PM

Has anyone gone to the Nurburgring? I want to visit the track on the way to Amsterdam. Thought i'd spend the night in a smaller Germany town in the area (will be driving from Stuttgart after spending several nights in Munich). Any recommendations?

5/17/2013 8:26:09 AM

So I finalized my trip itinerary-

June 21st: Leave for Spain
June 22nd – 25th: Valencia, Spain
June 25th – 28th: Madrid, Spain
June 28th – July 4th- Barcelona, Spain
July 5th – 7th: Tampere, Finland
July 7th-9th: Helsinki, Finland
July 10th: Home sweet home.

Yes, probably too many cities for such a short amount of time. But that's just how it worked out (im crashing on friend's couches for half the time).

i'll be updating my blog while i'm there http://cheapdavid.com

[Edited on May 17, 2013 at 2:09 PM. Reason : ]

5/17/2013 2:08:58 PM

Quote :

" (im crashing on friend's couches for half the time)"

about to say, that's a random two countries to pick otherwise

5/17/2013 2:54:42 PM

haha yea, the most common reaction I get when I tell people where im going is 'wtf, where?'

Finland was added to the picture solely because I have a friend there.

5/17/2013 2:59:24 PM

Sounds like a well-timed trip imo. You are bouncing cities in like 3 days but I think thats a decent amount of time when you are staying in the same country and moving on to different cities.

week 1 : spain
week 2 : catalonia
week 3 : Finland

You also gave yourself a week in the best city with the most to see and has a different culture so that is a plus. A week in each country is great.

This will be a difficult trip to pack as you are packing for summer and winter together. GO PACK!



[Edited on May 17, 2013 at 3:14 PM. Reason : go pack]

5/17/2013 3:12:25 PM

Yea I like the way that I have it planned, im excited about it. Im staying with friends in Valencia, Madrid, and all of Finland.

I am really trying to figure out what im doing about packing. I can rent one of those big back-packs from campus rec for $30 for the whole trip. Or I can take my regular backpack and carry-on (gym bag form w/ wheels). I dont really want to take any of luggage since im going to be moving around quite a bit

5/17/2013 5:25:27 PM

My itinerary is looking like

Thursday July 11th: Leave for Munich on the red eye
July 12th-July 16th: Munich
July 16th-July 17th: Stuttgart
July 17th- July 18th: Nurburing & small German town? (This part is still questionable otherwise i'll just spend 2 days in Stuttgart)
July 18th - July 20th: Amstredam
July 21st: Fly back from Amstredam at 11AM.

BTW anyone got any Hostel recommendations for Amstredam? I'm looking at staying at the Euro Youth Hotel in Munich.

[Edited on May 17, 2013 at 8:01 PM. Reason : a]

5/17/2013 7:37:02 PM

Stayed here a few times:

http://www.hostelbookers.com/hostels/netherlands/amsterdam/3582/

5/17/2013 8:30:40 PM

http://www.hostelworld.com/hosteldetails.php/Cocomama/Amsterdam/45658

Probably the best hostel I've ever stayed at out of like 50. Its in a building that used to be an upscale whore house and all of the paintings are still up. They have a spiral staircase leading to the common room that has a nintendo and super nes with all the classic games. they have all sorts of board games too. Basically everything for a stoned/drunken night.

Its right near one of the largest markets (amsterdam has some great markets) and they have a full kitchen. It has a back yard which makes it feel homey and a cat that pretty much owns the place.

The beds are the best I've ever seen. Memory foam matresses at a hostel? luxury verticle slate showers? unheard of in a hostel. 2 bed dorms? wow!

The best thing about the place is the staff. Lovely 18-25 dutch girls that do everything with the guests. Once a week they have their own boat and fill it with booze and go for a cruise through the canals for 10 bucks.

I guess the only reason its only a 93% is that its away from the main toursity area but its like a 10 minute walk from anywhere (amsterdam is small) or a few minutes on the tram.

[Edited on May 17, 2013 at 9:07 PM. Reason : ^wtf recommending a 73%er]

5/17/2013 9:04:31 PM

dbhawley you're going to enjoy Finland the most. I might be biased but it's the best

[Edited on May 18, 2013 at 11:09 AM. Reason : ,]

5/18/2013 11:08:42 AM

I strongly recommend Carpe Noctem and Retox hostels in Budapest

you will be doing some heavy drinking with a dozen good friends you haven't met yet

5/18/2013 3:06:11 PM

ClassicMixup i'm assuming you've been there before? Any suggestions?

5/18/2013 3:57:41 PM

can't believe OmarBadu didn't lock this

by the way, he lived in Australia

5/18/2013 6:12:47 PM

E man thanks for the advice, I might book there. Looks a bit of a distance from the central part of town but i'm sure there is easy public transport.

5/18/2013 7:40:16 PM

Alright new question for those who have been to Germany. Stuttgart or Cologne? I had a realization that the Nurburing would not be practical if i went to Stuttgart but would be if I stayed in Cologne. On the other hand Stuttgart has the porsche and Mercedes museums.

5/18/2013 7:43:46 PM

Cologne is the home of Kolsch beer.

5/20/2013 1:09:43 PM