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[d4kine]

Copenhagen , Denmark - Madrid, Spain - Iraklion (Crete), Greece - Bern, Switzerland - Warsaw, Poland - Dublin, Ireland - Berlin, Germany - Barcelona, Spain - Amsterdam, Netherlands -London, United Kingdom - Rome, Italy

So, my buddy and I are planning our first backpacking trip. We both wrote down places we wanted to go and put them together to come up with this list. Obviously we won't be going in that order. I was just hoping that anyone with some backpacking experience could shed some light on our destinations. Good/Bad, don't go there - GO HERE!!!, etc etc. Advice in general is welcomed being we are backpacker n00bs.

This trip is a year or two off. We wanted to start early so we could make sure we cover all the bases prior to taking our first trip. We are planning on being as frugal as possible with travel arrangements and using hostels. Anyway, any tips would be awesome.

*Just remembered - Would love to know a rough estimate of how much dough I would need to make this happen. I have heard anywhere from 50-100$ a day depending on the city.

Thanks -
Jeff
d4kine

[wakingdream]

Barcelona's excellent. Definitely check it out. Loved London, but it's pretty expensive to stay so try and find a hostel. We stayed at the Ace Hostel in Kensington and it was perfect. Close to the metro. Haven't been to Bern in a long time but it was pretty cool back then.

[rbisset]

The Lonely Planet Europe give an example budget for UK as £20-40 ($40-80) per day but I think it's wildly wrong. I actually think it would be impossible for a traveller to live for a day on £20 in London unless they slept on the street and walked everywhere. Factor in £15-30 for a hostel, £5+ for an underground travelcard and it soon mounts up.

I haven't seen many places in Europe (planning to make up for that now!) but I'd recommend looking further than just the main capital cities. For example Interlaken, Switzerland sounds like a backpackers mecca! There is normally a small non-descript town in each country that backpackers make their home Another example would be Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic.

[sianeth]

Definately do Barca, Amsterdam, Rome and London, I would say. And what about Paris?!

With Germany, I haven't been to Berlin, but can testify that some of the Western cities are awesome - love Cologne for example.

And Switzerland - I think there are better places than Bern, try and get up around the lakes - if you want a city then maybe try Geneva.

If you get a chance then check out Croatia - I went there recently and Dubrovnik was amazing

[inasia2008]

The Lonely Planet Europe give an example budget for UK as £20-40 ($40-80) per day but I think it's wildly wrong. I actually think it would be impossible for a traveller to live for a day on £20 in London unless they slept on the street and walked everywhere. Factor in £15-30 for a hostel, £5+ for an underground travelcard and it soon mounts up.

I haven't seen many places in Europe (planning to make up for that now!) but I'd recommend looking further than just the main capital cities. For example Interlaken, Switzerland sounds like a backpackers mecca! There is normally a small non-descript town in each country that backpackers make their home Another example would be Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic.

So far as travelling in London is concerned if you stay for a week or so, get a weekly travel card for the London Undergound, it works out cheaper than buying them each day! Definitely do the historical sites, Tower of London etc. I put a list on the UK forum for sights and stuff that are free in London. Try and get a pic of the famous Abbey Road crossing from the Beatles' days! I also think you would need to budget more than $40-80 per day in London, may be double that depending on where you are going that day, and add a bit more if you go on a longer trip!
Definitely try and add a trip to Czech Rep. if you can also, I agree its worth a visit!

[rbisset]

I went to London last Friday and it was a joke trying to get around without an Oyster card. It was about double the price! I'm going to get one even though I only go there about 4 times a year!

[sianeth]

I went to London last Friday and it was a joke trying to get around without an Oyster card. It was about double the price! I'm going to get one even though I only go there about 4 times a year!

Ha, I've always thought that aswell, maybe I should get one. Then again I don't want to give into it!