Hi guys, stumbled upon this website while I was looking for places to go in Europe. I'm from the Philippines and I wanted to try backpacking next year. My work will only allow me to leave for a month so I wanted to know which ones I need to visit. Can you suggest an itinerary? How much should I budget?
Is May a good time? I read that June-September is the peak season but coming from a tropical country, I know that I need to travel close to summer so it wouldn't be to cold for me.
Reply to this Hi Aileen,
Welcome to TravelBlog.
Can you give us an idea of what you're interested in - Europe has a bit of everything so you definitely won't be short of places to go and things to see.
You'll probaly find it more expensive in Europe than at home, but you're starting to plan well ahead which is a good move and will help save money.
Reply to this On the information you gave, I can answer one of your questions. I think May is an excellent time to travel to Europe - prices are cheaper than summer and it is less crowded. Even June is a good time to travel, but summer holidays commence in July and it is not as enjoyable. If you are concerned with the cold, stay in Portugal, France (more of the south) and Italy and the weather will be most pleasant. Realistically, by June most of Europe will have decent weather. Europe doesn't have the humidity of Philippines, but its absence doesn't mean you will feel the cold.
Reply to this Hi Jo and Shane, thanks for your replies.
I just want to see a bit of everything. Culture, architecture, scenery and food 😊 Yes, it would be expensive for me since a euro is equal to 56 Philippine peso. That's why I want to plan ahead. How much do you reckon is the budget per day for food transpo and other fees?
If we are going to Portugal, Spain, France and Italy, is it still possible to go to Berlin, Prague, Vienna and Budapest? Will it be too far?
Reply to this Of your list above, I've only been to France and Vienna. Accomodation is likely to be your biggest expense.
Are you happy enough in a hostel dorm, or do you prefer a private room?
Personally I think eight destinations in four weeks is spreading yourself too thin - you could easily spend a whole month in each of the first four! You'll spend more time travelling between destinations than actually seeing each one. It will also make the trip less economical overall.
This will be something you need to weigh up - a quick peek at more places, or a bit of time in a lesser number.
[Edited: 2012 Jan 23 19:01 - Jo Trouble:16935 ]
Reply to this I've been to them all and I agree with Jo, you are trying to cram too much into four weeks. Remember that travelling to many cities is more expensive then spending longer in fewer places due to transport costs. Perhaps a 3, 4 or 5 country Eurail Select Pass that allows between 5-10 days of travel in 2 months is a good method, but bus might be cheaper.
You have two good itineraries here, but they are really for two trips. In my opinion, the Portugal, Spain, France and Italy tour is the best in Europe, but since you could easily spend an month in each of the last three countries, you will need to carefully pick what you see. Avoid the coastal resort areas and your costs will reduce.
The triangle of Vienna, Prague and Budapest is easy to see as they are all close, but you would need a least a week (I'd recommend 10 days) to see of all those. Getting to Berlin is possible from this part of Europe. The scenery in Austria is wonderful and if you decide on this trip, try to see a bit of the countryside - why not add Salzburg, the birthplace of Mozart.
Also, if you fly with an airline that has multiple destinations in Europe, then you should be able to fly into one city (i.e. Madrid) and out of another (i.e. Rome) for no extra cost, which saves you a lot on transport.
As for costs, this is really hard since not only are countries different in price (even between Portugal and Spain) but bigger cities are more expensive. Accommodation costs are a killer, but search some accommodation websites and see what you can find. Travel agents generally charge more. Go for pensions, small places without the frills and all the staff - I remember the Venere website having a few of them when I stayed in Europe back in 2008.
Reply to this why not add Salzburg, the birthplace of Mozart.
Good idea - I loved Salzburg!
Reply to this If you only have four weeks I would spend all of it in Italy.
Reply to this May is one of the best months to come to Europe!
You can include on your list Barcelona which is 2 hours from France and you will get to see wonderfull places around between beaches and mountains.
Make sure to do your research about the <snip> around each city that you might be interested to see and reserve in advance.
Good luck! 😊
[Edited: 2012 Mar 27 06:10 - The Travel Camel:11053 - No dropping commerical links on this forum, thanks.]
Reply to this Hey!!!
We would recommend you to check out this webpage: <snip> Young people use Interrail to travel around Europe for a month. It's something common in Europe!
About if you would have time, it depends on how many cities you want to visit in each place. If you only want to visit the capital, then probably you'll have time. We agree with Shane!
[Edited: 2012 Jul 06 11:40 - The Travel Camel:11053 - No dropping commerical links on this forum, thanks!]
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