Euro Trip Starting April

[inane]

And don't just travel for the sake of just seeing as much as you can. Pick some spots and dive in. Rome is amazing.

[kacholu]

Sweden sucks, don't come here, girls are overrated femi-nazis, Southern Europe is good, stuff is cheap there.

[Pouria]

1. Countries to avoid its a matter of preference, as long as you don't do anything stupid and don't make yourself look like a cocky tourist (being flashy with cash etc etc) you should be fine but check a travel agent first.

2. For cheap tickets go to a travel agent there (found awesome deals)

3. I have traveled around Europe and to most of these places. United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, France ( if you don't know French don't go! They will treat you like crap), Spain, Netherlands, Austria, Sweden, if you love to ski Switzerland so worth it, Belgium, Denmark, Czech Republic and Turkey ( a must if you love buying brand name stuff that is REAL in the backroom so to speak , just to go to the bazaar).

4. Hostels are generally safe, again do your research here.

5. As for packing its common sense, just check the weather during the time period you are going and the amount of time you will be gone for. Also bring some basic first aid supplies in case you may need them to save you the hassle of trying to find a place for such supplies. Real time saver.

6. Pick up travel guides at your local book store/airport and ask a travel agent.

7. Countries listed in answer 3.

8. Eastern Europe is decent but not as safe as the countries mentioned above aside from Czech Republic.

Hope this helps.

[Pouria]

Now that you mentioned it. There isn't much in Sweeden to do right?

[Pouria]

Romania has a unique culture.. I had a friend who was there for two months and now she's in love with anything Romanian

[Pouria]

Visit Mogadishu, Somalia. I know its in africa but its one of the most lavish, exhilerating experiences I ever had.

[Scottish⑦Canuck]

Germany and Italy are my favourite countries in Europe.

When I have time to reply to all of your questions I'll give you a more in depth idea of what I would do. I've got a few things to do tonight so I'll try and reply tomorrow morning. Seems like a lot of these guys know what they're talking about though.

[Dellins]

Thanks everyone! All the information is really helpful and one of my friends said to put up a Canadian flag on my bag or something so people treat me better. Is that true?

I will be going for three months so I think I will come back to the North in June!

[kacholu]

Germany and Italy are my favourite countries in Europe.

When I have time to reply to all of your questions I'll give you a more in depth idea of what I would do. I've got a few things to do tonight so I'll try and reply tomorrow morning. Seems like a lot of these guys know what they're talking about though.

[:D]

Here's a mission. Get a girl pregnent in one of those poor, eastern euro countires then skip out before she finds out.

Then throughout the years, just in passing, think about your europe baby.

[Lockhart]

Here's a mission. Get a girl pregnent in one of those poor, eastern euro countires then skip out before she finds out.

Then throughout the years, just in passing, think about your europe baby.

[Perfect From Now On]

If you're going for a month check out the Eurail passes they have, I think there's one where you can take up to 10 or 15 train rides anywhere within the EU, and you don't have to make bookings in advance so it will leave you some flexibility.

For flights, check travel agents and try out Air Ninja, I had some luck finding cheap flights within Europe a few years ago, and there may be some deals for getting there too. If you're looking for plane tickets online, remember to clear your internet cache and cookies, I've heard that some sites will raise their prices on tickets if you make subsequent visits to the site (who knows if this is true but it couldn't hurt).

For packing, bring less than you think you'll need, that was my experience anyways. Definitely stay in Hostels, most of them have lockers and other means to keep your belongings safe, and you will meet lots of awesome people in hostels from all over the world, probably one of the best parts of travelling. Buy groceries and cook some of your meals in the kitchens that most Hostels have, you'll save a lot of money that way and it's a good chance to meet people staying there if you're shy.

Make sure you have a credit card that is good for travel and use that whenever you can, save your cash, you never know when you wont be able to use a card so its always good to have cash. If you're taking cabs from train stations or airports, go outside of the station and get a cab at a cab stand, the people who approach you inside the station will over charge you by a lot.

I really liked Germany, Spain, Belgium and Netherlands (for more than the obvious reasons). I would avoid Athens, it was the ugliest smoggiest city I went to and besides the food and Acropolis, had really nothing to offer. Plus the people were really rude there. I didn't go to Prague, but everyone who I know who has, has told be it's a must see. Switzerland is beautiful, but very expensive, so I would avoid it unless you have a lot of money to burn.

[Mainly Mattias]

lol. just realized i was about to post pretty much exactly the same thing i did in that other thread by warmplate

so in addition to packing LIGHT, buying your HI membership beforehand, packing a travel microfiber towel and a combination lock, and making sure your hostel has lockable lockers...

1. don't bring stuff you'll be sad to get stolen or have to leave behind if you're overweight.

2. upload your photos frequently to avoid losing your shots if your phone/camera DOES get stolen.

3. bring your pack to where you sit on the train so people don't walk off at the next stop with it (and you're 20 feet away with a crowd between you and your bag).

4. be prepared to go with the flow as there'll be other backpackers you'll meet along the way and you may want to do what they're doing.

5. sleep with your moneybelt on

6. pack a set of flipflops to avoid athlete's foot in the showers

7. stay alert. pickpockets can look like the most innocuous people (eg. grandparents)

[Ovech Trick]

Turkey - The PKK(Kurdish Workers Party) Has declared war on the Turkish government, also Syria and Iraq are nearby.

Greece - A neo-Nazi Group called Golden Dawn is extremely popular and they have ganged up on foreigners before, they are also popular among the police and have won 18 seats in Paraliment.

[kacholu]

lol. just realized i was about to post pretty much exactly the same thing i did in that other thread by warmplate

so in addition to packing LIGHT, buying your HI membership beforehand, packing a travel microfiber towel and a combination lock, and making sure your hostel has lockable lockers...

1. don't bring stuff you'll be sad to get stolen or have to leave behind if you're overweight.

2. upload your photos frequently to avoid losing your shots if your phone/camera DOES get stolen.

3. bring your pack to where you sit on the train so people don't walk off at the next stop with it (and you're 20 feet away with a crowd between you and your bag).

4. be prepared to go with the flow as there'll be other backpackers you'll meet along the way and you may want to do what they're doing.

5. sleep with your moneybelt on

6. pack a set of flipflops to avoid athlete's foot in the showers

7. stay alert. pickpockets can look like the most innocuous people (eg. grandparents)

[Mainly Mattias]

What's an HI membership? Will it work everywhere?

Are there a lot of thefts? Should I be alert with my wallet, cell phone, camera at all times?

[thehun]

Cheap flights. Air berlin and easy jet. You can sometimes find flights for 20€ or a bit more.

[Phil_314]

*BUMP*

(Sorry it's not entirely related but still about travelling)

I'm curious about what peoples' thoughts are about travelling alone. Ideally there's others to go with and frankly I'd get bored/ feel kinda lonely pretty easily (which is why I wouldn't go for it by myself), and I'd also feel wary about who I'm with (depending on the place of destination). What positive experiences have you had regarding travelling alone? If you've done it before I'd also like some insights on work vacations, considering doing so in the (probably near) future.

[Svengali]

*BUMP*

(Sorry it's not entirely related but still about travelling)

I'm curious about what peoples' thoughts are about travelling alone. Ideally there's others to go with and frankly I'd get bored/ feel kinda lonely pretty easily (which is why I wouldn't go for it by myself), and I'd also feel wary about who I'm with (depending on the place of destination). What positive experiences have you had regarding travelling alone? If you've done it before I'd also like some insights on work vacations, considering doing so in the (probably near) future.

[Scottish⑦Canuck]

*BUMP*

(Sorry it's not entirely related but still about travelling)

I'm curious about what peoples' thoughts are about travelling alone. Ideally there's others to go with and frankly I'd get bored/ feel kinda lonely pretty easily (which is why I wouldn't go for it by myself), and I'd also feel wary about who I'm with (depending on the place of destination). What positive experiences have you had regarding travelling alone? If you've done it before I'd also like some insights on work vacations, considering doing so in the (probably near) future.