|
|
Post by don on Jan 13, 2024 17:09:01 GMT
I got my passport, now I want to go to Europe. I am thinking a 30 day, or so, trip to England, France, Spain (maybe Portugal), and Italy. Airfare is "freeish" DD works for a major airline. I am thinking most of my expenses will be accommodations, meals, entertainment and transportation. I hope to keep costs under 10k.
I talked to a travel agent over the phone (does anybody work anymore?). They do bookings online and charge close to $500 for a city, and more per added cities. My concern about an agency booking, are the bookings, I am not particularly good at following directions. Sometimes, I have a different idea, or something pops up.
I'm pretty sure some of you have "done" Europe, and can offer suggestions to a newbie. Or maybe I'll just buy the videos and call it good, and stay out of trouble.
|
|
|
|
Post by littlemama on Jan 13, 2024 17:18:21 GMT
Look into tours, cadoodlebug has gone on a couple and might have some advice. AAA and Costco both do travel as well. |
|
|
|
Post by ntsf on Jan 13, 2024 17:21:35 GMT
I would look at ricksteves website.. consider maybe taking a tour for part of your visits.. england would be easier to do on your own. his guidebooks are good.. for the middle cost traveler. think about what two or three things you would want to see in any one city.. you can't see it all. I think the travel agent is over what I would pay. there are agents still working in offices.
|
|
bethany102399
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,859 
|
Post by bethany102399 on Jan 13, 2024 17:22:22 GMT
We have used and like Costco's travel. When now DH worked for an airline, when we were dating, using his travel benefits meant flying standby. Make sure this is not the case and you don't get trapped. I clearly remember calling my parents and saying we couldn't get out of somewhere we'd flown to and having to sit and sit in the airport to see if we'd be on the flight or not.
Go for the guidebooks, book the tours you want to go to and go for it!
|
|
|
|
Post by Delta Dawn on Jan 13, 2024 17:23:01 GMT
I have done big tours and they take care of anything. We used Insight and went on 2 tours of Spain and one of Italy. They take care of everything. If you get sick or lose your luggage or anything your tour director is your best resource. If you want to ask for a specific guide ask for Maria Dias for Spain and Portugal and Belinda Richardson for Italy. You can request your guide be specific people. i am friends with Maria.
|
|
wellway
Prolific Pea
Posts: 9,203
Jun 25, 2014 20:50:09 GMT
|
Post by wellway on Jan 13, 2024 17:33:07 GMT
I see you might want some freedom to follow your own ideas, maybe a mix of a tour and extra days for you. What to you want to see and do in each country? Capital cities, churches, art galleries, particular exhibitions, food, sport, history. Give us some clues and we can make some suitable suggestions. Can you thinking this summer? Remember the Olympics are in France this year, making accommodation scarce and probably more expensive. This links to sports events in 2024, not all in Europe. But there are some big competitions happening and if they don't interest you then adjusting your schedule to arrive before or after will help you get a hotel room etc at better prices www.bbc.co.uk/sport/67592570Consider travelling by train in Europe, leaving from one city centre to another. Easier than getting out to airport's that tend to be in the outskirts. Look up the itineraries of some travel/tour companies and note where they go and how long they stay in each place. |
|
|
|
Post by grammadee on Jan 13, 2024 17:51:30 GMT
My favourite way to travel is by cruise ship. You don't need to keep packing your bags cuz your "hotel" moves with you. Of course the ocean liners can only get you to the places near the ports. But a river cruise might be an option to see the interior of France and Germany. And you could land in England and take a train through to France before starting your cruise.
|
|
wellway
Prolific Pea
Posts: 9,203
Jun 25, 2014 20:50:09 GMT
|
Post by wellway on Jan 13, 2024 18:28:14 GMT
Something else to consider, when Europeans take their holidays, summer school holidays has families travelling all over. There will be a big difference between travelling mid August and mid September. By mid September, the children are back in school, the weather should be pleasant rather than sticky hot and popular museums, tourists places etc will be less crowded.
Which direction do you want to travel e.g. Fly into London, take the train to Paris, onwards to Barcelona( because as a crafter I think you will love all the art). Fly out of the last city you visit.
|
|
|
|
Post by cadoodlebug on Jan 13, 2024 18:50:22 GMT
We go on tours through GoAhead that are arranged by a friend of ours who has done this for 30 years. It's a lot of the same people, usually 25-32 people. It's all land tours and we've been to Spain, Italy, Ireland, Croatia, Slovenia and back to Italy a second time. We're heading to Scandinavia in May with a 3-day stop in Iceland. Some people book their own flights but we let GoAhead do everything. It's awesome. There is usually free time in each city to explore on your own. There are many companies that do the same thing. Don't hesitate, go for it!! We finally started in 2018 and wish we had started earlier but with DH being in real estate, it was hard to leave for 2 weeks at a time.
|
|
|
|
Post by psoccer on Jan 13, 2024 19:12:10 GMT
I have no advice but I wanted to say how happy I am that you are traveling.
|
|
|
|
Post by scrapmaven on Jan 13, 2024 19:17:28 GMT
My bff and his husband moved to Lisbon a year ago and they are so happy. It's beautiful, safe, tons of stuff to do, lots of outdoor cafes open at night and it's on the gorgeous water. Everyone I know how has been to Spain and Lisbon loves it.
I'm glad that you're gonna travel. Go. Have. Fun.
|
|
|
|
Post by mollycoddle on Jan 13, 2024 19:36:26 GMT
Look into tours, cadoodlebug has gone on a couple and might have some advice. AAA and Costco both do travel as well. This. I think that it would really simplify your trip. |
|
|
|
Post by mollycoddle on Jan 13, 2024 19:40:48 GMT
I would look at ricksteves website.. consider maybe taking a tour for part of your visits.. england would be easier to do on your own. his guidebooks are good.. for the middle cost traveler. think about what two or three things you would want to see in any one city.. you can't see it all. I think the travel agent is over what I would pay. there are agents still working in offices. There are also suggestion for what to pack for the weather, which is useful. There are tips on how to best travel, avoiding pick pockets, etc. www.ricksteves.com/ |
|
pilcas
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,748
|
Post by pilcas on Jan 13, 2024 19:41:02 GMT
Most travel agents don’t charge that much. They get commission from the service providers. Look into tours. I love Globusjourneys.com They have been around for years and I have used them often.
|
|
|
|
Post by librarylady on Jan 13, 2024 19:49:33 GMT
Looking back I think, "How did I do that?" But, in 1992 I planned a 3 week trip in Europe for my sisters and I. I managed to get our hotels etc. This was before the internet was being used by everyone. A tour makes things much easier as your luggage is handled for you, reservations are made etc.
Anyway, Europeans travel by train. 99% of the trains will go where you want to go, with many arrival/departures available each day. There is a series called "Let's go __" with different countries/cities in that blank space.
Those books told where to find inexpensive hotels and how to do walking tours of a city etc. I used them for a lot of my planning. The directions in that book were very concise and said such things as "from the train station, turn left, walk 2 blocks, look on your right and see__." We visited Switzerland, Germany (the Munich area) and France.
(Paris and the Loire Valley).
I think a good plan is to check your library or online for the Rick Steves travel information.
Going to the UK will ensure that there will not be a language barrier. (Switzerland posts all information signs in French, English, German and Romanish. You can navigate Switzerland easily.) I speak a very tiny bit of French and was able to limp through all those countries OK. Most Europeans who deal with the tourists speak English. Now, with a smart phone, you can use Google translate to help with any language problems.
For a stunning train trip, take the Glacier Express in Switzerland. It runs along the top of the Alps. I just saw that it has some discounts for 2024. Our trip was in June, before the tourist season was at its peak, so we did not find crowds to be a problem. It goes from Zermatt to St. Moritz. We paid extra for the Glacier Express, but a person could make the same route aboard the train (saving $$ on the ticket). The difference is that you would have to get your own meals and could get off at any stop that caught your eye.
I have been searching train trips around the UK. You can focus on just Ireland or just Scotland if that appeals to you.
I am happy you are going to make a trip. I hope someone will travel with you, just for the joy of sharing the trip.
|
|
|
|
Post by mom on Jan 13, 2024 20:11:11 GMT
I am so happy to see you wanting to get out and travel! Have you traveled much in the past? If not, I would think starting with a smaller trip (even overseas) could be a good idea, just to make sure that you wont mind being gone that long. My dad and his wife went on a 30 day trip when they got married and Dad was miserable after about two weeks. He thought he'd love going but turns out, he would rather take shorter trips.
Just something to think about.
|
|
|
|
Post by littlemama on Jan 13, 2024 20:29:58 GMT
Travel agents do not charge customers. They are paid by the places they arrange travel to. If your travel agent is charging you, run the other way
|
|
pilcas
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,748
|
Post by pilcas on Jan 13, 2024 21:30:16 GMT
Travel agents do not charge customers. They are paid by the places they arrange travel to. If your travel agent is charging you, run the other way Absolutely agree! |
|
blemon
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,758
|
Post by blemon on Jan 13, 2024 21:33:35 GMT
So so so happy for you!
My suggestion is to get a big travel book to Europe, one with lots of photos. I buy DK Eyewitness guides used from Better World Books (a b-corp). Nothing in Europe has changed in a while so use the pictures to figure out where you want to go. Don't use books for train times or accommodations. Or buy one for each country you want to visit.
Choose where you want to go.
Buy the flight where you land in one country and leave from another so you don't have to deal with getting back to the original place. But it seems you might have some flexibility so maybe don't even book your return flight if you don't have to.
There is an app that lets you buy train tickets all over Europe right on your phone. Super easy. Tag me if you want me to figure out the one we used this summer. I can't remember but it's still on my phone in the other room.
It's so easy to book hotels online. You really don't need to do it in advance. My guess is if all the hotels in a city are booked, you probably don't want to be going there right then. Go somewhere else for a week first and then head that way.
When I was 22 I got on a plane (first in my family with a passport or to go to europe). I bought a train pass and a Let's Go guide and took off. I had a loose idea of where I wanted to go based on my Janson art history text book (still have it).
Best 6 weeks of my life. If I had that kind of time, I would totally do it again. I just would stay in nicer places.
The trains in Europe are super easy to navigate.
Good luck! Again, I'm so happy for you.
|
|
|
|
Post by cadoodlebug on Jan 13, 2024 21:42:56 GMT
Most Europeans who deal with the tourists speak English. When we were in Slovenia, we were amazed at everyone speaking English. Our day guide said that everyone is required to take English as a second language. One of our guides spoke 5 languages fluently. Just so you know, flights to Europe are really high right now. We booked our May tour a year ago and it is crazy how much they have gone up. Once we paid our deposit, the prices were set and couldn't go up. Also, we stay in 4-star hotels that serve unbelievable buffet breakfasts. Spain was the best. |
|
|
|
Post by KiwiJo on Jan 13, 2024 21:46:59 GMT
My recommendation is contrary to some others in this thread - I suggest doing your own thing, not being part of a tour group. Almost everyone in the tourism and transport based things in Europe speak English, so language isn’t really a problem. Trains go pretty well everywhere you are likely to go to, and are relatively inexpensive and easy to use. But the biggest reason is that you can go exactly where you want to go, and stay as long (or as little) as you want to. You don’t have to meet back at a set time and risk missing out things you wanted to see or experience. I love going to the little cafes that locals use, not the ones frequented by the tourism operators, and just people-watching. I love being able to quickly see some big iconic thing then spending more time at other things that interests me. I make sure to pack light, so that I can easily manage my luggage - and of course when you’re travelling on your own you don’t need so many clothes because no-one else is ever going to know how often you wore the same outfit.  I can see that travelling alone wouldn’t be for everyone - I guess extroverts might not enjoy it, but for introverts like me it’s ideal. A couple of miscellaneous tips - It isn’t compulsory to see the main iconic things if they don’t particularly interest you, or other things interest you more. For example, I don’t go to many museums or monuments at all, and I very rarely go to any stores, I would far rather spend my time among the locals than surrounded by other tourists. Any yes, I’m aware of the irony in that, given that I’m a tourist myself.  Dont spend all your time taking pictures - lots of people seem to only view their travels through a camera lens. Instead, focus your attention on what you’re seeing, and when you’ve seen your fill then take a couple of pictures to remind yourself what you experienced. One exception to the ‘don’t go on tours’ thing is a river cruise. I’ve done a few in Europe now and they are marvellous. You often stop in smaller towns and cities, and the ship usually moors right in the centre of town so you can go on one of the shore excursions or do your own thing, or both. On most of the cruise lines, excursions at are included in the price of the trip, and there are also extra ones that you can pay for. The food on board to fantastic, with beer and wine during a meal included in the trip’s cost. There are only 100-150 guests on board, so it’s easy to make friends during the trip. There is always something to see, on both sides of the ship, because you’re on a river, not in a vast sea….. |
|
|
|
Post by Crack-a-lackin on Jan 13, 2024 22:01:33 GMT
Are you able to go to Rick Steves travel store in downtown Edmonds? The people there are so friendly and helpful. You can book one of their tours or just get ideas on particular areas. They have lots of books and travel gear.
|
|
luckyjune
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,788
Location: In the rainy, rainy WA
|
Post by luckyjune on Jan 13, 2024 22:16:10 GMT
Rick Steves has a tour whereby you get yourself to the starting city, they plan transportation and lodging for four cities, and you do whatever you wish in between times. No "required" tours, no meeting others for meals (unless you want to!) A tour guide does go along to offer suggestions in each city, but you "choose your own adventure"! A friend and her wife traveled this tour in Austria and loved it. DH and I are looking at this tour in Spain for next October.
|
|
|
|
Post by birukitty on Jan 13, 2024 23:06:03 GMT
My recommendation is contrary to some others in this thread - I suggest doing your own thing, not being part of a tour group. Almost everyone in the tourism and transport based things in Europe speak English, so language isn’t really a problem. Trains go pretty well everywhere you are likely to go to, and are relatively inexpensive and easy to use. But the biggest reason is that you can go exactly where you want to go, and stay as long (or as little) as you want to. You don’t have to meet back at a set time and risk missing out things you wanted to see or experience. I love going to the little cafes that locals use, not the ones frequented by the tourism operators, and just people-watching. I love being able to quickly see some big iconic thing then spending more time at other things that interests me. I make sure to pack light, so that I can easily manage my luggage - and of course when you’re travelling on your own you don’t need so many clothes because no-one else is ever going to know how often you wore the same outfit. I can see that travelling alone wouldn’t be for everyone - I guess extroverts might not enjoy it, but for introverts like me it’s ideal. A couple of miscellaneous tips - It isn’t compulsory to see the main iconic things if they don’t particularly interest you, or other things interest you more. For example, I don’t go to many museums or monuments at all, and I very rarely go to any stores, I would far rather spend my time among the locals than surrounded by other tourists. Any yes, I’m aware of the irony in that, given that I’m a tourist myself. Dont spend all your time taking pictures - lots of people seem to only view their travels through a camera lens. Instead, focus your attention on what you’re seeing, and when you’ve seen your fill then take a couple of pictures to remind yourself what you experienced. One exception to the ‘don’t go on tours’ thing is a river cruise. I’ve done a few in Europe now and they are marvellous. You often stop in smaller towns and cities, and the ship usually moors right in the centre of town so you can go on one of the shore excursions or do your own thing, or both. On most of the cruise lines, excursions at are included in the price of the trip, and there are also extra ones that you can pay for. The food on board to fantastic, with beer and wine during a meal included in the trip’s cost. There are only 100-150 guests on board, so it’s easy to make friends during the trip. There is always something to see, on both sides of the ship, because you’re on a river, not in a vast sea….. I agree 100%! I hate tours. I much prefer doing my own research and planning my own trip deciding where I want to go and spending as much time as I wish at each stop. Most tours spend a day or less in each city-that's much too rushed for me. I prefer at least 2 nights in each city and even that's too quick for a lot of folks. If you are going to Europe you can easily plan your own vacation using guide books and the internet. I especially love Rick Steves guide book (he is wonderful about step by step directions) but he does tend to leave out cities he doesn't like so I round it out with a Frommer's guide. Then I join Facebook groups for whatever country I am planning to go to, for instance DH and I are planning a trip to Germany in May this year and I'm a member of Travel Germany on Facebook. Another group I dearly love is Solo in Style: Women over 50 Traveling Solo & Loving It! 5 years ago I did a solo trip to Germany for 2 weeks and it was the best trip of my life. This May I'll take DH with me (his first time there and I can't wait to show him the country of my birth), then he flies home for work and I'll stay an additional 3 weeks in Germany solo. I did consider going to lots of other countries since I'll be so close and did a ton of research, but in the end decided I wanted to explore more of Germany. All in all it'll be 5 weeks of travel for me. That's another thing. Maybe consider not trying to fit in so many countries in one trip, but it's your trip so you decide. For 30 days if it were me I'd concentrate on 2 countries instead of 4. My advice: go to your local library, get a lot of travel guides and see what interests you. Check out what sounds interesting on Youtube. A lot of Americans seem to automatically rent a car but personally I prefer to take advantage of the amazing public transportation Europe offers especially their train system. Here's a great site for you seat61.com It's an incredible site full of everything you'd ever want to know about train travel in Europe. I booked all of our hotel rooms on booking.com making sure to book ones that offered free cancellation. Let me know if I can offer you any advice. I've been to England, Spain and Italy-but I was 4 years old that last time I was in Spain and Italy  Also, I've never been to London. I flew to Birmingham to visit my penpal years ago and she and her husband took me on a trip to North Wales instead of London for sightseeing. They gave me a choice. N. Wales was their favorite so that's what I chose. Happy planning and I hope you have an amazing, incredible trip! |
|
snyder
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,493
Location: Colorado
|
Post by snyder on Jan 14, 2024 1:39:11 GMT
I hope you can find the perfect solution for your trip. Europe is a lovely place to visit.
I would take a few days in Switzerland!
I found Frace the most difficult. Even the employees in the Help Desk area wouldn't speak English.
Then I sat my camera on top of the pay phone, looked down to get a phone number out of my purse, looke up and the camea was gone. That was some slick thief as I didn't even feel a body presence behind/near me. I lost weight while there as I didn't find the food apetizing, but couldn't button my pants after visitng Germany.
I would start of and list the countries you want to visit.
Then under each of those list 2-4 things you want to see/do.
Once that is complete, plot the city/towns of the places you want to see and do thing in onto a map.
That will give you a good visual to start here and end here with the least amount of double tracking.
Also will aid if you plan to do the trip on your own or a great help to a travel agent.
Oh pack as light as possible and take an empty suitcase for souvenirs! lol Swiss chocolate!
|
|
|
|
Post by ntsf on Jan 14, 2024 3:45:49 GMT
I did not find travel on trains in germany obvious. I got no advice from help desk or others about the requirement for a seat reservation on a train. so I sat on the floor.. train packed at some school holiday time. people were helpful.. esp when I had to switch from a train to bus since trains were under repair. no notices.. and I went to a town where most did not speak english.. the younger people did but many did not.
so if you are used to travel, it can seem easy, but there are lots of norms that you don't know about. just a heads up (I have traveled a lot in asia, not so much in europe.)
|
|
|
|
Post by librarylady on Jan 14, 2024 3:55:47 GMT
We had Eurail pass/tickets. It was several days before we read the explanation that groups of 3 or more were bumped to first class, so we got 1st class compartment on the train. German train monitor wanted to boot us out--opened our compartment door and snooty told us "This is for 1st class only." We were excited to tell her we were 1st class. We enjoyed our compartment, but had enjoyed the people contact in the regular seats.
|
|
|
|
Post by originalvanillabean on Jan 14, 2024 4:02:27 GMT
One exception to the ‘don’t go on tours’ thing is a river cruise. I’ve done a few in Europe now and they are marvellous. You often stop in smaller towns and cities, and the ship usually moors right in the centre of town so you can go on one of the shore excursions or do your own thing, or both. On most of the cruise lines, excursions at are included in the price of the trip, and there are also extra ones that you can pay for. The food on board to fantastic, with beer and wine during a meal included in the trip’s cost. There are only 100-150 guests on board, so it’s easy to make friends during the trip. There is always something to see, on both sides of the ship, because you’re on a river, not in a vast sea….. I second this. We did an AMA Waterways river cruise 2 years ago and are going back in a couple months. Everything is taken care of. (flights, transfers at airport, all meals, daily tours). Each stop you can do a walking tour, a hiking tour or a biking tour. (included). If you decide to go out on your own - no problem. We were on the AmaLea which only contained 78 cabins so it was a nice small group. Good for you to make it happen and we look forward to your update! |
|
|
|
Post by smasonnc on Jan 14, 2024 12:49:17 GMT
I'm so excited for you and envious that you have discounted airfare. I'm not sure I'd ever come home. My recommendation is contrary to some others in this thread - I suggest doing your own thing, not being part of a tour group. I'm in this camp. We travel at lot and do things in lots of different ways. We did a Mediterranean cruise and it was lovely, but racing on and off a ship, taking the photo, buying a trinket, and racing back to the ship is not a good way to get the feel of a place. It's a good way to see a lot in a small amount of time with someone else taking care of the details. We did a Trafalgar land tour of Ireland & Scotland last year and it was perfect for anyone who wants everything for them on a plate, but the things we did had to accommodate a large group. Our usual way requires a lot more planning and making arrangements, but the anticipation is half the fun. Start with Rome to Rio's trip planner. You can keep adding cities and figure out the most efficient way to travel from place to place. From London to Paris there is a high-speed train. You'll a need flight to Spain. Next, there are a zillion blogs about travel. Sort out which ones appeal to you is time-consuming, but fun at the same time. I started a Pinterest page for all my trip planning, but there are lots of them. Pinterest-To the Ends of the EarthSome tips: 1. You will get lost or have problems along the way, but you will be fine in the end. It's all part of the adventure. Mentally move into the idea that things go wrong and don't let frustration ruin your trip. 2. Pack lightly. A small suitcase full of things that wash easily in the sink is a lot easier to lug up the stairs of a metro. Nobody cares what you wear so be very stingy. Rick Steves' website has a lot of good packing tips because his staff is only allowed to travel with a backpack. We did a month with just a carry-on and it was wonderful. Adventure is waiting! |
|
|
|
Post by Bridget in MD on Jan 14, 2024 15:07:30 GMT
My DD and I did a Rick Steves tour in Italy - the days are full but there is always free time. I highly recommend. He has a tour of Europe too, or you can look at individual countries. It's great to have someone book all the hotels, tickets to high demand attractions (ie Vatican), plus they do have times where you can tack on exurcions, etc and then you join the group later. LMK if you have any specific questions!
|
|
_on_the_beach.jpg)
Also, I've never been to London. I flew to Birmingham to visit my penpal years ago and she and her husband took me on a trip to North Wales instead of London for sightseeing. They gave me a choice. N. Wales was their favorite so that's what I chose. 
