Do you think this is too ambitious? (Europe travel)?

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baja annie

I think a trip to Europe after graduation is a great idea. Just have it well planned out in advance and start saving your money.

3-weeks isn't a lot of time, but it is more than a lot of people have. You can actually see quite a lot in 21-days, but it would be rather rushed. You need to decide if you want to see a couple of cities in depth and really get to know the sights and attractions or visit a lot of different places (like you mention) and just get a taste. A great itinerary that you might want to check out is http://tours.ricksteves.com/tours06/EUR/itin.cfm/rurl/code/EUR/

One thing you will want to do is to build in some rest time as staying in a different place every night gets tiring. Spend 2 or 3 nights in the bigger cities like London, Paris, Rome and choose a location to just relax like the Italian Riviera or Cinque Terre.

Difinitely look at the rail passes. SInce you are young and traveling with a group of people you will qualify for a Youth pass. It looks like the 21 day Eurail Pass youth would be your best deal if you are going to be doing as much travel as you mention above. http://www.raileurope.com/us/index.htm

Hostels - I traveled in Europe for 3-months and never had a problem finding a bed and we never reserved in advance. Check out http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/tips/1198hostels.htm for some good info on hostels.

Good luck and have fun!

mikeshinodaaa

not at all, i went with my friends to europe and we covered london paris and brussels absolutely thoroughlt in 12 days. so for your trip 3 weeks will be sufficient.
and make reservartions because you probably wont get rooms otherwise.

Spot!

It possible, certainly. But keep in mind the most exhausting part of traveling is getting yourself from the train station to the hostel and back. It's stressful to find it, you've got your luggage, it's hot... Tiring! And traveling days tend to be lost days--you wait for the train, you ride for a while, you get to your destination...and you've lost most of the day.
I'd prefer to go to fewer countries and see more. Stay in one place for a few days and use it for a base from which to make day trips. I could happily spend three weeks exploring just the Basque region of Spain. Part of the joy of Europe is just sitting at a cafe, reading, people watching and drinking coffee. You won't have much time for that if you are traveling every other day.
Also, I'd avoid going from one major city to the next; they all start to look the same after a while.

Lisa

Its physically possible, but you may not get to see as much of the countries as you like.
I've been to Europe twice (combined time of 3 months) and have only seen 6 countries.

Dont bother booking ahead. Not all these countris have an abundance of hostels. There are tons of independant posadas that are less expensive than hostels. Spain has a lot of these. Lonely Planet Guide Books are great for finding places to stay.

Have fun.

poppet

Well, that is alot to see in 3 weeks. I'm assuming you will get a Eurorail pass? For that much train time that's the only way to go. In alot of European train stations they will have an accomodation bureau, that will help you find a local hotel, hostel or b&b. You might make a reservation for your first night in advance, but I wouldn't for the rest--for one thing, then you have a set schedule that you have to keep, and you just might find out you want to spend and extra day in Barcelona or somewhere. And most of the small places won't have online booking anyway.

I know when I have traveled this way I slept some nights on the train, which helped save $$ on accomodations.
Try to travel VERY light, as most European hotels have lots an lots of stairs...

Ike-2807

No, not at all. I went to Europe after I finished high school, but i stayed for three months.

stickan8

no, that is enough time to see all those countries. I am from Sweden and i have travelled through Europe by train. One good idea is to take night trains. you get on at night, get a sleeping cart, and wake up the next day in a new country. You save money that way. If you have any more questions, just contact me.
Have fun!

The One and Only

if you're just seeing parts it's not too ambitious, but I couldn't say about the hostels

HOPEFUL

I think you will be ok time wise, but everytime I go I wish I could spend more! I recomend a book called LETS GO EUROPE. In it you will find all kinds of great info--hostel phone numbers, prices, maps, dining suggestions, and attractions. I would make a reservation at a hostel for your first and last night. That way you don't have to worry about missing your plane home. Have fun and stay close to your friends!!

Martina

You could start in Spain and travel north trough France, to the Benelux countries (both Belgium and the Netherlands are small) take a turn "east" to Germany, go South through either Austria or Switzerland and finish off your trip in Italy... It's quite a lot to see, but all depends on how "deep" you wanna go in each country... If you just want to get a "general overview" I think it should be fine... even though you will spend quite some time on the train (but they're generally rather nice)...

Â©

No as long as you are organised and don't try to see everything everywhere, it's not too ambitious at all. Trains in Europe are very good. Get a railpass. Good luck, have fun!

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