How To Decide Destinations?

[Minty]

Hello Folks   

I have never even left the country. But, i am seriously entertaining the thought of a month or so of summer travel.

I'm gonna do Europe  I suppose, but here is my question: I want to go to more than one country, and how do i know which country to go to first? What makes sense in terms of geography/direction, money-saving, and other aspects? This feels like my biggest hurdle right now, so any advice would be appreciated.

Also-- when it comes down to travelling, what are some of the top things that really end up being rewarding?

Peace! And thanks in advance for your input.

Minty

[Greg]

Hey Minty,

Saving money in Europe is the trick, with the Euro/dollar being so bad, it can be a challenge but its still possible.

First, book your flight into a major hub like London, Paris, or even Dublin because there is more volume and it is cheaper.  From there, you can get around much cheaper by booking budget airlines like RyanAir, AerLingus, EasyJet, etc...I've got some tips and a list of budget airlines here: http://www.startbackpacking.com/tickets-7.html
Trains are nice, and used to be the first choice, but you'll find that EuroRail passes are NOT cheap, and it might be cheaper just to fly or even rideshare with people where you split petrol.

Sleeping is the next big expense, so couchsurf when you can with locals (www.couchsurfing.com)...not only will it save you money and give you the perfect guide to local culture, it provides the option for a kitchen where you can cook some groceries to save cash on eating out.

Sounds like you have the right idea. If you just go snap pictures of the Eiffel tower and Big Ben, you'll come home disappointed. The people make a place special, so meet locals! Talk to everyone that you can, especially in pubs, and find the hidden corners of their culture that doesn't make the guidebooks.

Europe is huge and there are so many places to see, don't plan on zooming through even 25% of it. Depends on how much time you have, but pick 2 or 3 countries that you really crave to visit and see them more thoroughly rather than doing the Contiki equivalent of drinking 2 nights in each town and then moving on.

I'll help however I can, good luck with your trip!

Cheers,
Greg

[Joel]

I agree with Greg on every point. I might add that Eastern Europe is generally less expensive, or so I have heard. I might also throw in Amsterdam in the list of cheap airports, and I definitely agree that a Eurorail pass is generally not worth the price.

I first began traveling at the age of twenty. I sold my car at the time, at a terrible loss, took what meager savings I had and set off for a month in Europe. I had no camera, very little money, and traveled almost exclusively by hitchhiking. Granted, I did not eat terribly well, and usually slept in the great out-of-doors, wherever I could find a spot (fields, park benches...I am not advocating this style of travel by the way), only occasionally taking a room in a hostel, and a simple hotel for two nights in Paris.

I found hitchhiking to be a wonderful way to meet people. I traveled from England to France and onto Italy, Switzerland, and Belgium, then back to England. It was a bit of a whirlwind trip, but I was driven at the time, and even managed to squeeze in a great many museums and other sites. Bear in mind that this was a terribly ascetic method of travel, but also quite rewarding.

I recall a great many incidents of generosity and good will. My first ride was with two young French guys,  both drunk, who gave me a rather warm beer (which spewed all over when I opened it). An English truck driver let me sleep in the car he was pulling and then shared his breakfast of coffee and ginger snaps with me. A Swiss family was just closing up their restaurant in Geneva when I happened by and they invited me in, fed me a wonderful meal, and supplied me with a bag full of chocolate, cheese and bread, all gratis. I was hitchhiking with a fellow from Slovenia once and an older Italian gentleman picked us up. He dropped off my fellow traveler first, then took me to his home in Asti, where his wife cooked me a meal and I had a wonderful conversation with his college age daughter and her boyfriend. An American photographer living in Geneva bought me a hamburger once, and advised me not to sleep on the street. 

And who can forget being dropped off at 2 A.M. by a French truck driver in the middle of Paris, and having no idea where I was?...

Also, please bear in mind that this was back in 1994.