Okay, I'm flying to Barcelona this Tuesday and I plan to trek around southern Europe headed eastward. Does anybody know the ***CHEAPEST*** way to travel (besides just walking)?
Also, does anybody know a eurail pass for buses instead of trains?
Thanks in advance, F.
Reply to this I'd say train and possibly flying if you can score a really good deal with ryanair or easyjet. With all the backpackers I know and have met, I don't know of anyone that took the buses to get between countries.
If you're looking to go cheaply, dont cover as much ground and self-cater your meals (try to find a lot of grocery stores wherever you go).
Reply to this As i know, there are no busses between countries like between the states in the US. Around here you have to book a holiday to travel by bus. The cheapest way would be the train, or if this is not a option, follow the GR routes throu Spain - France - Belgium, the Netherlands, greece, ec.... Across these routes you have plenty of gîtes and grocery stores in the villages. Remember to take always extra food and water for in case of overnight camping on the long routes... see http://www.grfive.com/general/Gr5_description.htm http://www.groteroutepaden.be/grlf/ http://www.gr-infos.com/gr-ho.htm
Reply to this hello! have been reading so much abt this great site. anyway, i will be doing a 2weeks backpacking from london to paris, rome, venice, madrid & barcelona (not in any order). i was wondering as well whether it will be more worth it in terms of price and convenience to travel by budget airlines or by train (buying the eurail youth pass for 3 countries). any one could advice me on this?
Reply to this I would advise against buying the Eurail pass. When I have travelled in Europe I have found it cheaper to buy train tickets there and then than buying the Eurail. Also, I think that buses are an excellent way to get around. Local ones are often aprticularly cheap and connect various cities. There are also coaches connecting different countries (I was in Bratislava a few days ago and saw a coach on its way to London!). Some info is available on www.attitudetravel.com/coach/ and I'm sure there are many more websites out there too. Finally, if you are looking to plan lots of train journies, use the Man in Seat 61 http://www.seat61.com/
Reply to this Buses are going to be the cheapest option within a given country - though they're typically less comfortable than the train. Train costs vary from one country to the next, but in most cases - Spain and Italy, for example - they're cheap enough to make the Eurail pass pretty useless. You'll usually have to work hard to make that pass pay for itself. The one caveat is that, for long, cross-border train trips, the price of a train ticket can rise dramatically. With the countless options for cheap flights around Europe, though, you're better off flying from country to country anyway.
As for #4: I'd reeeeaaally urge you to rethink your plan. Drastically. There's no way to do all those cities justice in two weeks. Counting travel times, you'd have less than two days per city - in some of Europe's most interesting places! Cut that itinerary in half. With three cities, you can at least have a good four days or so to explore in each. Not enough to do more than scratch the surface in a place like London or Rome, but you'll get a far better taste than if you try to squeeze in all six. Trust me on this one.
Chris
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