Need Advice for Backpacking/Traveling through Europe

rkt89 · Post by **rkt89** » March 26th, 2013, 8:09 pm

Hey there,

I'm new to the forum, and I've posted in the introduce yourself thread.

Basically I'm interested in traveling to Europe to see what it has to offer. Both for it's culture, scenery and women. =)

So I plan on getting Eurail pass and would like some recommendations on what countries to fly to first? I'm afraid of getting lost or not being able to find a place to stay since I will be traveling alone throughout the country.

Also which countries would you say is most beneficial for an Asian-American male to go to? What were your experiences like? How did you fair going out to the club/bars alone?

Stories are welcomed!

Twobrains · Post by **Twobrains** » March 27th, 2013, 10:45 am

Welcome

Have you booked your flight to Europe yet? You may find it cheaper to get a flight to Amsterdam or Paris rather than London because the UK has very high airport taxes. If you're worried about language difficulties then you may find Amsterdam better than Paris for your first stop because most Dutch speak very good English, whereas the French can be awkward. Do you speak any foreign languages?

As for where to go, how long have you got? The great thing about Europe is that so many different cultures are packed into a pretty small area, but that also means there's a LOT to see. If you could give us some idea of your tastes wrt culture, entertainment etc. then we could steer you better.

momopi · Post by **momopi** » March 27th, 2013, 3:00 pm

http://www.backpackeurope.com/tips/index.html

rkt89 · Post by **rkt89** » March 27th, 2013, 5:34 pm

Aside from English, I know a little spanish and cantonese lol.

I've got about 2 weeks. Particularly Amsterdam, Germany and France are my top hot spots. What particular cities would you recommend within Germany and France? Also is Prague worth seeing?

Thanks!

Twobrains · Post by **Twobrains** » March 30th, 2013, 1:07 pm

Paris is wonderful, especially Versailles. Apart from the capital, the highlights of France are mostly its countryside and many picture-perfect villages, which may not interest you so much. Google Les Plus Beau Villages de France.

Germany has many nice cities. I particularly like Freiburg, near the border with France. I haven't been, but Munich is liked by many. I also don't know much about the northern cities - lots of industry in the Ruhr valley though.

Prague is beautiful, or so I'm told. But 2 weeks is not long. You could easily spend 2 weeks in France alone and barely scratch the surface.

Nathanm · Post by **Nathanm** » May 30th, 2013, 8:16 am

Hi there, Amsterdam is a great great city, lived there for 7 years (originally from Wales) and the great thing is there is something there for everyone. I had friends over who wanted to do all the coffee shops and sleazy side of it but had others that wanted to have good nights out eating and drinking and others who wanted a more cultural view of the city, and its easy to please all of them I found. Amsterdam in my own experience is an easy place to go out alone too. Depends on your age I think with that one, the older you get the less easy it is. Your nationality wont matter though I dont think.

2 weeks is not long but you could probably do a few days in Amsterdam, I would be tempted to see Berlin too as thats supposedly one of the best cities to live in in Europe these days and there is a lot going on there too. Great night life and parties if you like that sort of thing. Also Paris has to be a must. I would stick to those three countries if you only have 2 weeks. Depends what you like doing though. Some great country side in france I think so thats maybe worth exploring options there.

Adama · Post by **Adama** » May 30th, 2013, 9:37 am

Check out hostelworld.com and hostellinginternational .com. Those will give you some real cheap places to stay. You can choose private rooms, if you dont want to share. Spending $20 or $30 a night at a hostel is a lot better than spending $80 to $120 per night at a three star hotel. Plus in hostels you will meet other travelers and you may become friends with a couple of them. There are many nationalities that stay in hostels.

I would also avoid Britain, Ireland, Scotland, Wales. Stay on continental EU.

If it were me, I would start in Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Rep, etc. The Western EU experience will always be there for later. The east has the foreign women.

Jackal · Post by **Jackal** » June 5th, 2013, 10:33 am

Aside from English, I know a little spanish and cantonese lol.[/quote]
Spanish could help you a bit in Romania, since they speak a Latin-based language.

Sighisoara is an interesting old town in Transylvania in Romania if you like old stuff.

rkt89 wrote: I've got about 2 weeks. Particularly Amsterdam, Germany and France are my top hot spots. What particular cities would you recommend within Germany and France? Also is Prague worth seeing?

Prague is worth seeing for a day or two. It's very pretty, but also it's very touristy and is becoming more expenisive all the time.

The nicest castle I ever saw in the Czech Republic was KřivoklÃ¡t Castle. It's a day trip from Prague is on top of a big hill.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_R ... hemia.html

But it's said that people in the eastern part of the Czech Republic (Moravia) are more friendly. I had a very nice Czech teacher who was from Olomouc, but I've never been in Moravia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moravia