first time in europe!

This topic was created by groovy girl (a3c10278@bc.sympatico.ca)
[Sun 16 May, 14:35 Tasmanian Standard Time]

and i need some advice please. will be staying (single
female) for just under 3 weeks (19 days) and need some
feedback on what i've got planned so far....
first, how's my travel agenda looking (major cities listed,
but will be going to the teeny one en route):
amsterdam - brussels - luxembourg city - stuttgart -
amsterdam (fly home)
is that way too short? too long? just right? missing
anything major in between? suggestions on where else to go?
second, what's the best way to get around from city to city?
mix of train/bus or just one or the other and approximately
how much would my intended route cost (i'm thinking about
$200-250 CDN, too low? too high?)
third, do i need to bring my own towel or do hostels (where
i'll mainly be staying) usually have them? same question for
linen/sheets or should i buy a sleep-sack? (don't want to
discover when i'm there that i have to drip dry)
lastly, do i need to book in advance for hostels or do only
some require pre-booking? any awesome one to hit (i've just
email the flying pig in amsterdam)
i know i'm missing out on the biggies (paris, london,
prague, berlin, rome) but i don't want to overdose on europe
in one shot and try to do the "30 countries in 36 hours"
deal just to say to all everyone, "yes, i was there!"
any suggestions, comments, and feedback would be very much
appreciated, many th

[There are 13 posts - the latest was added on Tue 25 May, 21:44]

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  1. eastern europe Added by: pisces
    [Timestamp: Mon 17 May, 5:10 Tasmanian Standard Time]

    Amsterdam`s got character, but I don`t know about the
    rest. A city you definitely should try out is Ljublana.
    Try to visit cities that are fairly different from each
    other. By the way stuttgart sucks.



  2. A year in Berlin Added by: katie (katialucia@hotmail.com)
    [Timestamp: Mon 17 May, 11:23 Tasmanian Standard Time]

    I will be spending a year in Berlin on foreign exchange! I
    would like to corrspond with someone who speaks both English
    and German so that I may attempt what little German I do
    know with someone, and use English when necessary to get my
    point acrossed. I would like to know about the country,
    too.



  3. To work or not to work??? Added by: Vanda Ines (q4907883@brampton.cqu.edu.au)
    [Timestamp: Mon 17 May, 16:45 Tasmanian Standard Time]

    Hi there fellow travellers,
    I am thinking of travelling to Portugal for at least 6
    months in the near future, and since I can speak the
    language fluently, I was wondering if anyone could give me
    advice on how to apply for an english teaching job there.
    HELP!!!!



  4. To work or not to work??? Added by: Vanda Ines (q4907883@brampton.cqu.edu.au)
    [Timestamp: Mon 17 May, 16:46 Tasmanian Standard Time]

    Hi there fellow travellers,
    I am thinking of travelling to Portugal for at least 6
    months in the near future, and since I can speak the
    language fluently, I was wondering if anyone could give me
    advice on how to apply for an english teaching job there.
    HELP!!!!



  5. Europe Added by: bongo (bongol62@hotmail.com)
    [Timestamp: Mon 17 May, 17:29 Tasmanian Standard Time]

    Hi groovy girl,
    well to be honest your trip you have planned is not the way
    I would travel Europe first time, some suggestions:
    Amsterdam to start is excellent, definitely one of the most
    beautiful cities in Europe! Try to hire a bike there and go
    the the Van Gogh Museum, and the rest of the time walk and
    hang around you'll love it! Next stop Bruxelles, this is
    not a lovely city not really worth to visit a maximum of
    one day is enough to see the highlights of the city,
    because ther is just one: The market place in the middle of
    the city is one of the most beautiful in Europe, but the
    rest of the city sucks big time. - My suggestion take a
    train from Amsterdam to Paris, pop out in Bruxelles for an
    afternoon, then straight to Paris. Stay there for while,
    most of the people love Paris and it is nice even though I
    think there are much nicer cities in Europe but there ist
    definitely plenty to see. From Paris you can travel to
    Luxemburg which is a lovely pretty city, very small but
    hard to find cheap accomodation. Instead of Stuttgart which
    is not that beautiful I would reckon to travel to
    Strassbourg/France. And if you want to travel Germany I
    would go to Heidelberg instead of Stuttgart, much nicer,
    the evening you can go out in Mannheim. From there back to
    Amsterdam. Well this is the way I would trvel, these are
    not the best places in Europe, however I took your trip and
    tried to complete it with some more interesting spots on
    this route. For my plan 19 days is enough, easy!
    I think train tickets and bus tickets (In Europe more usual
    is Train) you can buy a Eurail pass approximately 450
    Canadian $, where you can drive as much as you want or
    single trips 350$. Towel yes, but one is enough and a small
    one! Sleeping back not necessary. You don't need to book
    hotels in advance. There are plenty Youth hostels which is
    the cheapest way to travel, and you are going to meet
    plenty other travellers.
    Well any more quedtions, don't hesitate to ask!
    bongol62@hotmail.com



  6. Everyone forgot Added by: jamie
    [Timestamp: Mon 17 May, 17:53 Tasmanian Standard Time]

    to tell her that hostels do not provide towels.
    And take a sleeping bag liner or a double sheet. (some
    hostels require them, sometimes the bed will be a bit
    cheaper if you have one.)



  7. too little Added by: TGD
    [Timestamp: Mon 17 May, 22:49 Tasmanian Standard Time]

    I would probably do Amsterdam - Paris - London, with 5 days
    each. Then back to Brussels, Adwerp, Hague, for 1 day to
    each of them, before going back to Amsterdam. And travel on
    a Eurail pass.



  8. Germany Added by: Stuttgarter
    [Timestamp: Tue 18 May, 1:13 Tasmanian Standard Time]

    Why Stuttgart? Not very much to see there (I grew up there,
    i know it). Better go to Munich or Berlin. But if you want
    to avoid the large cities in Germany try the area around
    Nuernberg (Franken). Lots of very nice old cities like
    Bamberg or Wuerzburg and a beautiful landscape.
    Heidelberg is full of tourists, i wouldn't recommend it. If
    you want to see an old university town, better go to
    Tuebingen (south of Stuttgart) or Marburg.



  9. Germany Added by: Stuttgarter
    [Timestamp: Tue 18 May, 1:13 Tasmanian Standard Time]

    Why Stuttgart? Not very much to see there (I grew up there,
    i know it). Munich or Berlin are much more interesting. But
    if you want to avoid the large cities in Germany try the
    area around Nuernberg (Franken). Lots of very nice old
    cities like Bamberg or Wuerzburg, a beautiful landscape and
    it is the area in Germany where the beer and the sausages
    are the best.
    Heidelberg is full of tourists in the summer, i wouldn't
    recommend it. If you want to see an old university town,
    better go to Tuebingen (south of Stuttgart) or Marburg.



  10. i have heard... Added by: catherine (trillion@rocketmail.com)
    [Timestamp: Wed 19 May, 16:47 Tasmanian Standard Time]

    that Brussells is not a very nice city to go to. i
    personally went to Bruges (also in belgium), and it was
    lovely. the belgian chocolate and beer and waffles went
    down a treat, and the character of the place was so
    interesting. nice hostels too.



  11. hey groovy girl... Added by: Pete
    [Timestamp: Thu 20 May, 5:48 Tasmanian Standard Time]

    I guess I'll just sort of repeat everything above:
    1. Skip Stuttgart - there's not much to see and an
    afternoon would be enough. The area around Stuttgart is
    great though, however, it is best explored by car not
    train. If you do go to Germany, hit either Munich or
    Heidelburg.
    2. Brugges in Belgium is great. I showed up here for a day
    and ended up staying for 3. I missed Brussels but have
    heard that it isn't very interesting other than the market
    square.
    3. You HAVE to check out Paris. Expensive and a little
    dirty but incredible anyway.
    4. Luxembourg is kind of a neat place to check out...
    Have fun...



  12. don't forget the chocolate Added by: M & J
    [Timestamp: Thu 20 May, 8:39 Tasmanian Standard Time]

    We loved Bruges. For the best chocolate (yeah, our
    opinion) head towards Maitre Chocolatier Verbeke located
    only a block off the Market Square at Geldmuntstraat 25. I
    think they close on Sunday and Monday----fantastic.



  13. france Added by: pere lachaisse
    [Timestamp: Tue 25 May, 21:44 Tasmanian Standard Time]

    There are usually unadvertised cheap deals from montreal to
    other cities in france such as tolouse, nice, nantes....
    From there you could explore the beaches of western &
    southern france then head into spain or portugal. A few
    years ago I flew to nantes then hitched down the west coast
    into spain. It was the greatest little holiday in my life.




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