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[papovich]

Greetings fellow travelers.
I'm quite new to traveling (never went abroad before) and I'm planning to have a trip in Europe around August/September.
I have no idea where to start or finish or where I should visit.
My budget would be around the 5000$ and the time i would spend there is not set yet but i think 3-4 weeks should be plenty.
My idea is to buy a flight ticket to Norway and back, spend at least 10 days in Norway (skeeing, sightseeing, partying and visiting someone) And for the rest of the time I plan to rent a car and simply drive around Europe looking for adventures.
I would like some advices from experienced people about any useful details or interesting places i should visit in Norway or the countries in reach (Something that wouldn't take more than 1 day drive).
I would also be glad to hear any comments about this trip idea. Is it a good one or is it bound to fail and leave me disappointed?

[greekcypriot]

Papovich hi, and welcome to TravelPod.
I think the trip you plan to have is fantstic.
Another alternative is to fly to the different European countries that really you want to visit instead of hiring a car. There are budget companies and with few money you can visit Britain, Italy, Spain and many others.
In this way you will have much time to do a nice sight-seeing tour and see in detail the places that interest you and move on to the next destination.
I hope this helps.
Popi

[papovich]

Papovich hi, and welcome to TravelPod.
I think the trip you plan to have is fantstic.
Another alternative is to fly to the different European countries that really you want to visit instead of hiring a car. There are budget companies and with few money you can visit Britain, Italy, Spain and many others.
In this way you will have much time to do a nice sight-seeing tour and see in detail the places that interest you and move on to the next destination.
I hope this helps.
Popi

Thanks for the advice, but I like "drifting myself" around not bound to departure times or schedules. Driving is my life my profession and my passion. While driving around the roads you may sometimes get a better sightseeing than you could have by visiting the common places.
There are few things that bother me though:
Do i need some kind of permit to enter certain countries in Europe? I live in Israel and my knowledge is as minimal as buying a plane ticket and getting on the flight. So i would like to know if i need to do any preparations.
Since i didn't finish planning my route yet (just starting) are there any recommended locations i should strive to visit?
What measures should I take to ensure i keep myself safe from failures (how should I carry all the cash I'm taking for expenses and what should i beware of)

[greekcypriot]

As for the permit to enter a certain country if I were in your shoes I would contact my embassy and get all information from there.
If you are such fun of driving and it is fun for you then go for it. Driving also relaxes me too. You can drive and stop at the most interesting spots.
Avoid carrying important documments as passport on you. Have the passport locked in your suitcase or in a safe box of the hotel you stay and make copies of the documents which you will carry on you. Avoid having much cash on you and you can use the ITM card to get money when you need it.
There are some countries where locals approach you and without noticing they steal from you money, cameras etc. Do have a look on the guides of VirtualTourist and TripAdvisor.