Malika Fantasy 144625 Report post Posted June 14, 2013 Well...I think everyone by now, know that I have the travel bug. I was in Japan less than two months ago and I am already going back to Europe in September. I will be in Europe from Sept 5 to Oct 4th. I have some engagements in Berlin until Sept 15 and then some starting in London on Sept 27 So I have 12 "free" days to travel. I would be leaving from Berlin, Germany or Malmo, Sweden...and most likely going West. For people that have travelled, backpack-ish style...What country and cities do you recommend? Taking in consideration that my budget is about 100$/day and that I will be going as a single young woman. I do know some people in a fair amount of cities in Europe, so accomodation, depending where is most likely cover. Any help is appreciated :D Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhantomKnight 7914 Report post Posted June 14, 2013 Amsterdam. Berlin. Paris. Traveling while in Europe is fairly cheap. Hostels are pretty safe in all of those places. Despite living in Europe for 10 years. I did a lot or back packing. You can't go wrong. Check out Italy. You'll be sorry if you don't! If you're tired of hostels and what not. Check out Airbnb for cheap and safe places to rent! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bridgette 10998 Report post Posted June 14, 2013 Good luck traveling on $100/day in Sweden or really any of Scandinavia! If you have someone to stay with and are cool with not eating out often, you can certainly do it and I would really recommend it. I visited Stockholm and Uppsala and really enjoyed both. Berlin is also wonderful, so much to see and do there. You could probably easily spend most of your free days there and not get bored! How are you planning on getting around? Both flying and taking the train can be done for cheap, though generally the further in advance you book the cheaper. The train might make more sense if you'll be backpacking with a huge pack, as cheap flights generally mean no checked luggage and strict limits on carry-on. You can of course pay for checked luggage, but the train may end up cheaper. As for cities west of Germany/Sweden... Amsterdam is always a good time, though more fun if you're traveling with or visiting someone than alone. I really like Bruges in Belgium, very lovely medieval town. Lyon, France is a bit south but truly lovely. Paris is expensive and accommodation can be hard to find, so if you have someone to stay with, it's worth a visit. If you catch a ferry into England, the south is great - Bristol especially. As for places that aren't quite on the way between Malmo/Berlin and London but could be worth popping into: anywhere in Norway. I am in love with this country, though it's also quite expensive. Edinburgh is just fantastic. Prague/Krakow are both beautiful and cheap and well worth a visit if you don't mind going even more out of your way. You will be fine as a single young woman pretty much anywhere in western Europe. I never encountered any problems or felt unsafe, though of course, always be aware of your surroundings and be smart. If you want to visit a particular city and don't know anyone there, I recommend checking out couchsurfing.org. You can use it to find a free place to stay or even just find people to meet up with. Nice way to see the city through a local's eyes or even find a fellow travel buddy to explore with. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
loopie 15358 Report post Posted June 15, 2013 I agree with Bridgette, Scandinavia can be quite expensive. $100 a day won't get you much. I would definately recommend Copenhagen though. It's an awesome party city right across the bridge from Malmo. There's lots to see if you like history and lots of partying to do. I had a great time there, but met very few Danes! It always seemed to be wealthy Russians who would fly in from St. Petersburg to party or other foreigners who worken in Copenhagen in international companies or NGOs etc. I realize Stockholm is east of Malmo and you said you were heading west, but it's actually my favourite city in the world. I was there for a few months last year. It wasn't the first or the last time I will go there. I just love it! If you ever get a chance to spend a few days there it is wonderful. As for Germany, my family is German and so I have spent a lot of time in Germany. You can definitely travel a little cheaper there than in Scandinavia, but German culture is very diverse and very regional. The way of life in the south (particularly Bavaria/Bayern) is very different from what you will see up north. My family is northern and so I speak German with an accent that is considered snobby in Germany and most northern Germans look down on the south like they are a bunch of hicks, but I love Bavarian culture and find it really cute! I find all that traditional folksy stuff really charming! I find Munich to be my favourite city in Germany. It has endless things to do and see and people are very warm and festive. If you have any more specific questions, I would be happy to help. I have travelled a lot in Europe and always enjoy talking about travelling and different cultures. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brad 49548 Report post Posted June 15, 2013 I'm so jealous! I loved my time in Europe and can't wait to get back there. I'm sure no matter what you do you'll have a great experience and you'll come home with a lot of stories and memories. Depending on whether you want to rough it backpack style or leisurely explore (and both are fair option!), have you considered looking into a cruise? There are both northern European and Mediterranean ones. Planning this far in advance you could shop around and probably snag a terrific deal that may make it the least expensive way to get around but one in comfort. Your schedule of course is determined by the ship, but it's an easy way to meet people from all over and quickly explore a lot of cities/countries without having to worry about food or accommodation. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Carrie Moon 68826 Report post Posted June 16, 2013 I have been to sweden, holland, denmark etc in the north and my family is from holland so I enjoyed that.. but I absolutely love spain and greece.. barcelona for sure.. and ibiza. I enjoyed Milan also and didn't really get to see much else in Italy at that time as I was on a limited budget backpacking etc and there was a train strike at that time.. but if you can get yourself to some of the greek islands.. do so! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tsukiyo_Chevalier 3242 Report post Posted June 16, 2013 i would say France is nice with things to see. also depending on the time of year Venice is nice to visit also, along with Rome for the history. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest thi**** Report post Posted June 16, 2013 I would agree with Bridgette, travelling in Scandinavia is quite expensive. I also visited Brugges and thought it was an amazing city the Venice of the north. You could also try Luxembourg which is also an interesting place to visit. In order to cut costs you could look to stay in University residences as European Universities do not start back until late September early October. You could visit the west coast of France, before crossing the Channel to England. Once you get to England there is a plethora of places to visit, places to go and things to do. Enjoy your trip :icon_biggrin: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Angelic 423 Report post Posted June 16, 2013 If u have a chance good to visit Stockholm very beautiful city, very safe for a single girl traveler, and u can use http://www.norwegian.no to travel around who is good cheap airline. Stockholm is expensive city. But much more nicer and beautiful compare to Oslo or Helsinki I live between Stockholm and another EU country for the last 5 years and really love stockholm. Malmo is nice as well. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VedaSloan 119179 Report post Posted June 16, 2013 BELGIUM! Brugges is beautiful! I also recommend couchsurfing--you don't pay for accommodation and you get to hang out with cool locals (who also often feed you). http://www.couchsurfing.org Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oldblueeyez 15475 Report post Posted June 19, 2013 Sweden. Friday or Saturday overnight cruise to Helsinki (party your ass off when half the people on the ship are drunk and then crash in your cabin, hopefully with somebody you can get off with). Finland. Go to the train station and take a train to Saint Petersburg (don't mind the scary borderguards with Kalishnikovs). Russians know how to party better than anyone. Anyone. Every man looks like a gangster and every woman a model; it's just their style. A beautiful city with beautiful people and a simmering underground which suggests you could get yourself into deep trouble rather quickly should you so desire. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
eastcoast125 110 Report post Posted June 19, 2013 You've plenty of choices. Paris would be a great end as you can take the Eurostar to London. It's also an amazing city. Festival La Merce in Barcelona is one of the greatest travel experiences ever. It runs from September 21-27th in 2013. More than 600 free events -concerts all over the city, parades, cultural events. If you can find accommodation you're all set. You can grab food and wine on the go and mingle with thousands of happy people. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
blondi33 200 Report post Posted June 19, 2013 I would recommend Ireland.Stunningly beautiful countryside.Best places to visit in my opinion are Dublin,Cork(with Blarney castle),Co Kerry,and Co Donegal. Scotland is gorgeous too.Edinburgh is top spot for sightseeing.Glasgow has good nightlife. Norway is most expensive country in Europe,but If you ever go there,I advise to check western part of the country.Bergen is way nicer than Oslo.That's also a gateway to fiords. Poland is pretty reasonable option.Best town to visit is Krakow,with places of interest like Auschwitz camp,and salt mine called Wieliczka.Route from Krakow to Zakopane is most picturesque in the country. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
