File :-(, x, )
Anonymous
first time I stumbled upon /trv/ tbqh, but I am planning a backpacking trip this winter in Europe. Any tips/suggestions for this endeavor? This is the tentative list of places I was to go, and the general order. Is 2 months enough time? Sorry if im a noob

London
Paris
Brussels/Brugge
Amsterdam
Berlin/Desden
Prague
Munich
(Frankfurt)
Salzburg
Vienna
?Budapest
?Croatia (Pltivice Natl Park, Hvar-island, Dubrovnik)
Venice
Comment too long. Clickhereto view the full text.
>> Anonymous
planning on leaving Feb 1st.
>> Anonymous
If you go from Salzburg to Venice I think you'll have to stop in Innsbruck. Could you check and see if my camera is still on Platform 1 at the lost and found? It was a Sanyo something or other. It's a very nice point and shoot, if a little old now...

Also Paris is nice, get some shawarma with fries in it and your taste buds will orgasm.

Oh, and DO take the hike at Cinque Terre but wear clothing for a rough experience. Some parts of the hike were downright treacherous when I went- not appropriate for sandals. Also bring a camera.
>> Anonymous
Oh also, I can sort of give you a quick review of the cities I visited in that list...

Paris is great if you know what you're doing. You could visit the "main" places in 2 days, so spend 4 or 5 there and enjoy yourself.

Salzburg gets old after about 2 days of heavy touring. There's a castle there that you should visit and that's more or less the highlight of the city. But DAMN, what a highlight.

Vienna is great, but can be overwhelming. If you're changing your schedule around, I suggest ensuring that this doesn't start off your trip unless you know the language. That way when you arrive you'll be "a little hardened" and you'll be more comfortable in the long run. Stay at the Wombat Hostel or whatever it's called. I've been told that I lucked out in getting a bed there since it's so popular.

Venice is beautiful. Bring a camera and spare time to lose. You could spend a full day in St. Mark's Square without even realizing that you've wasted 10 Euros on bird feed over a few hours.

Cinque Terre might be awkward if you're not with a girlfriend or just a friend who can appreciate nice scenery. The southernmost town's beach is hell, the northernmost is heaven, and everything in between is quaint towns stacked on the sides of hills.

Spend some time in Florence. Something about this place was special because I still remember much of the city's layout even to this day. Also you'll need a miracle to get into the Uffizi Gallery, so plan ahead.

Spend at least a week in Rome if you can. The metro makes it inviting to edge into "living there" as a tourist, so get a good hostel and get comfortable. You can get the tourist stuff out of the way in 4-5 days if you wake up early and stay out late, so everything from that point on will be "absorbing the culture".

>USA
What?
>> Anonymous
>>80878
USA is returning home 8(

How hard is it to find a little grandma to stay with and make me amazing italian food in cinque terre?
I will definitely have a camera and note pad.
Since im going in the winter will it still be hard to get into uffizie?
Thanks
>> Anonymous
bump for more sick info
>> Anonymous
no spain?
>> Anonymous
Amsterdam: 3 days at a minimum. It may not be the biggest city or what but it has lots of beautiful and interesting places to go, if you don't mind the dirt (I'm German, maybe that's why I found Amsterdam so dirty).

Berlin should get more attention than Frankfurt whoch is kinda boring if you don't like drugs and €.

Prague: Go to one of the Black Theatres if you're into something like that. Don't go to the brothels (go to the ones in Amsterdam if you must).

Also: Zürich and Basel.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
>>80879
I don't know what it's like looking for an old lady to stay with. Most of the hostels in Cinque Terre seem to be run by old ladies anyway. The place is small. I mean it's literally so small that not a single one of the towns qualifies as a town on its own, so they refer to them all as "Cinque Terre", or "5 lands".

That's not to say that it's not a beautiful place to go. For all the smallness, it was easily the most beautiful natural scenery I've seen in Italy condensed into a single stretch of coast. And walking into a town and being greeted by something like this picture is just beyond words.

It was difficult to get into the Uffizi Gallery in the Summer, but I think you should be fine in the Winter. I've even been told that getting into the Vatican is REALLY painless during the Winter. Basically I've heard that it's better to go in the Winter for a variety of reasons.

You can call them in advance, but I doubt you'll need to. Worst case scenario you can wait in line for a few hours. They might have tour guides to expedite you though.

That's another thing. Places are going to have tourists, and if your time is really valuable to you, you can pay a tour group something like 10-20 Euros to get you past the standard line and into a tour where they talk about the historical significance of the place you're touring with them. I've had no problems with it, and many of the tourists would just wait until they were past security, give the guy their listening device, and wander around on their own.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
Also here's a really bad panoramic from the easy part of the hike at Cinque Terre.

I can't stress enough how difficult this hike is going to be. Leave very early, take a backpack, money, and water, and dress to hike for a good 5+ hours.

And the worst part is that the first leg, from Riomaggiore to... Manarola, I think, is deceptive. It's like 10 minutes, level, and well-paved.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
>>80963
Oh, and on a general note, if you're into music or anything like that, do look into concerts just for the hell of it. I was stuck in Paris for a few days and saw this poster and to this day I still greatly lament that I didn't find a way to stick around and attend this concert. I don't even really know of any of the performers, but the temptation to go to a concert like this in another country was almost overwhelming.
>> Anonymous
>>80965
Rocke en Seine is a festival, not a concert.
>> Anonymous
>>80966
Whatever, a public music event featuring a ton of artists. I think if I had a hotel room to return to (and not a shared hostel room) or had gone with a couple of friends, just going for something like that festival would have made the trip mostly worth it.

Even if you're not particularly into the music, part of the appeal in traveling is that you can sort of waste a day trying out new tastes that you'd never bother to try back home. If you hate the scene then you can go back to the hostel/hotel and nobody will know that you spent a day at a festival.
>> Anonymous
>Brussels/Brugge

I take it you'll do one of those two. As a Belgianfag, I recommend Bruges (Brugge) more. Smaller but nicer, it even still has those old gates around the city, giving it a bit of a Medieval atmosphere.
>> Anonymous
>>80980
awesome thanks
>>80965
I know what you mean, Ill start doing some research on possible stuff like that
>>80963
is this hike hard to find? really looking forward to it now, and I like the idea of sneaking in with the touristy crowd, seems like it might pay off
>> Anonymous
>>80980

i dont know if this is a dumb question or not but is there still amazing beer in brugge?
>> Anonymous
go in the summer idiot
>> Anonymous
Not OP but,

how long should a trip like this last? I was thinking about it after i grad college
>> Anonymous
>>81081
There's amazing beer in all of Belgium. Favourites are Duvel, heavy but good, and Leffe.
>> Anonymous
>>81175

also interested in time frame
>> Anonymous
2 weeks
>> Anonymous
Forget Frankfurt, Budapest, Croatia, Athens and add Hamburg between Amsterdam and Berlin.

During the first quarter of the year, Greece and croatia suck ass.
>> Anonymous
>>81298

care to explain why
>> Anonymous
If you're going to spend some time in England before you go back, try and hit some more classic places. Oxford, maybe. Or some of the South... Devon or someplace for a real seaside feel.
>> Anonymous
go to Interlaken and see Jungfrau.. its epic, I can only imagine how beautiful it will be in febuary - march - april
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
Visit Cracow in Central Europe. It's famous for it's parties, crazy tours and wonderful arts in museums.
http://www.cracow-life.com/
>> Anonymous
more info prz
>> Anonymous
London
Paris
Brussels/Brugge
Amsterdam

I went to these four within a week. Wish I would have had more time in London and Paris and not went to Brussels at all.
>> Anonymous
skip greece
>> Anonymous
buy pointy shoes and try not to look like a dork
>> Anonymous
>>81324
As a Polefag studying in Cracov I will second this. Actually one of 2-3 places in Poland worth seeing.
>> Anonymous
>>81609

Oh, another polfag studying in Cracov, browsing /b/. Nice to meet you, zi?.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
Venice may be my all time favorite European city so far, I spent only one day there, and the feeling of the city is just so different from any place in the world, no cars, no bikes, the city probably looks EXACTLY as it did hundreds of years ago its amazing. and I only really spent one day there.

There is SO much to do in amsterdam. but if you like your drugs, staying more than 2 nights may kill you.

London overwhelemed the shit out of me, theres a historic landmark on every fucking corner!

at LEAST 3 days for Paris there are so many MUST-SEES, I wore myself out silly trying to see everything. I spent 5 hours in the Lourve, and felt like I saw almost none of it. I dont recommend going to the top of the Eiffel tower for one reason none of the pictures you take of the amazing view will have the eiffel tower in them! I went to the top of notre dame instead, and although the climb almost killed me, it gave me a sense of acomplshment, i could see the tower in the backround of my pics, it's cheaper, and you get to see the amazing gargoyles up close and personal. (pic related)

Rome, alot to see didnt like it as much as venice or Sicily, but glad to say I've been (epic pub crawls)

Munich. Must go to hofbrau haus, and see the glockenspeil go off (worlds biggest cuckoo clock thingie.) the food in Bavaria is beyond reproach, as is the beer, but im sure you know that.

Ireland make sure you get out into the country-side, once you get outside of town the whole place is like a beautiful fucking post card, what with the green rolling hills, the dilapidated castles, low hanging fog, and of course... sheep
>> Anonymous
>>81298
>>81302
croatia is in summer veeeeeeeeeeeeryy goood , glassclear water , always sun , warm , hot bitches ,nice ppl
especially hvar and dubrovnik , also very good for partys
but winter?
no dont go in winter to croatia, cause this are places u visit in the summer , not the winter

keep it for a summer
>> Anonymous
>>81628

sounds amazing, thanks for the input, hopefully I can find a companion for the epic pub crawls. Ill take your advise on notre dame too, thanks.

>>81642
Will march or april still be a bad time for croatia? Ive heard so many wonderful things.
>> Anonymous
Sup zi??s.

Yes come to Cracow, it's full of win
>> Anonymous
>>81654

sounds fkng cold
>> Anonymous
go to outdoor markets. experience the culture
>> Anonymous
>>81648
well
the climate in hvar in march and april is as in november
not very warm means around 14°C - 17°C

in dubrovnik the same

you can try it, but in summer it you'd have much more fun (more sun , warm sea , more hot girlz , more comfortable )

also march&april much more rain
>> Anonymous
Ditch Dresden, go to Hamburg instead.
>> Anonymous
>>80965
Arcade Fire? Jarvis Cocker? The Shins? Kings of Leon? You definitely missed out my friend.
>> Anonymous
2 months would sound very rushed man , id have picked 4 months for that myself the order seems very out too

ireland england and france are all grouped pretty close would it not be easyer to just start at sat ireland , go to england , then france and just follow direct routes to all the following?
>> Anonymous
>>82118
Also anywhere other than Dublin in ireland is gonna be pretty boring
>> Anonymous
Come visit Estonia, and be amazed by the sheer amount of hot chicks
protip: visit during summer!