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Where in Europe should I go to for a trip?

I'm saving for a trip across europe. Where should I go and how can I make this inexpensive?

  • So, I'm 17. I'm off to college in the fall and my college costs are covered from financial aid and scholarships.I've gotten a few scholarships and I will be fully funded for everything as well as living expenses and travel tickets ect and have money left over. Doing really well in high school really pays off lol. I want to go to Europe sometime during college. I'm thinking my 3rd yr summer. I've looked at the schools travel programs and there not to my liking. I'm saving money now from working and from extra student aid money. I'm not an immature teenager who has no idea about how much things cost. I know money is hard to come by. I understand that and so I'm trying to plan this trip so I can go the cheap way but still hit all the amazing places. If I go there I need to stop by Northern Ireland area. I have a penpal that lives there. I'd also like to go to switzerland. I understand theres youth hostels and such things. Any advice? Any estimate costs? I've looked up plane tickeets and there so expensive! Any advice on getting a cheap flight over to europe?

  • Answer:

    The costs depend on exactly when you visit, where you visit, where you're coming from, how long you stay, how you get around, rather you stay in hotels, hostels or have other arrangements, and what you see/do/eat. Generally an inexpensive trip right now would be on the order of $100 per day plus airfare. The least expensive options will involve travel during the off peak seasons rather than during the summer. When I go back to the US from Italy, the cheapest airfares are generally in the February timeframe. Here are some resources that can help you plan and check prices: http://www.skyscanner.it/ - budget flights especially good within Europe. For longer trips, this can be a better option than the trains. http://www.seat61.com/ . For transportation, you'll want to look into whether a rail pass is better than individual train tickets for getting around. The site explains how to determine whether a pass is worth the money to you and if so which option to get. There are links to the national train sites where you can find schedules and prices of individual tickets. One of the best sites for planning schedules throughout most of Europe is the German train site: http://www.bahn.de/i/view/USA/en/index.s%E2%80%A6 It is almost always cheaper to buy individual tickets for the trains here in Italy rather than trying to use a railpass. This site will also have information on supplements for the trains when using a railpass. http://www.venere.com/ - hotels - probably not useful for what you want, but there are some cheap hotels. http://www.hostelbookers.com/ - hostels. http://www.monasterystays.com/ - monasterys & convents that offer accommodations http://www.whatsonwhen.com/sisp/index.ht%E2%80%A6 - festivals, exhibitions and events http://www.backpackeurope.com/ - information & advice Check the websites for entrance fees for the museums & galleries you're interested in. I spend anywhere between nothing and 40 euro a day depending on exactly what I go to see when out exploring. I often spend 25 to 50 euro for a meal, but I like to try the local specialties and some of the better restaurants. You can eat well for much less. Here in Italy, a pizza is 8 to 13 euro and a panino or wrap is around 3 to 6.50 euro in many places. You can also shop in the markets and put some meals together for yourself.

Elisabet... at Yahoo! Answers Visit the source

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Hi Elizabeth, I think it is a great idea to spend some time in Europe and experience another continent. Europe on the cheap however does not exist anymore. As you know it starts with the airfare. There are NO cheap airfares from the U.S. to Europe anymore, these days are over. Also, summer is the peak season in Europe when the airfares are the highest and everything else as well. You mentioned that you wanna go to Switzerland. It is a beautiful country but also among the three most expensive in Europe. I have been to Switzerland many times (last time in January) and I tell you, it is EXPENSIVE. For example, I had a venti regular coffee at Starbucks which cost me $ 5.00, something I pay $ 2.00 in the U.S. There are a lot of youth hostels in Europe which are a lot cheaper than hotels, however, they are not that cheap. A room in a dorm will cost you usually $ 20.00/night or more depending on the country, location, etc. You can check hostel rates through Europe on www.hostelbookers.com for example. Travel within Europe by train (the preferred mode of travel) can be very inexpensive though, however, you need to know how the system works because it can be quite complicated to get the lowest train fare when you are not familiar with the system. Also, there are cheap intra European flights available, for example with Ryanair, which is the largest low budget airline in Europe based in Ireland. www.ryanair.com Food can be expensive or inexpensive in Europe. When you go where the locals go and avoid the tourist traps, food will cost you about the same as in the U.S., with the exception of Switzerland, Norway, Luxembourg, and some other high priced countries. At this time the U.S. Dollar is very weak to the Euro and it is super expensive for Americans to go to Europe, however, by the time you go it might have changed. I hope that these things won't discourage you from going to Europe, but I rather give you the real story then making something up. Since you have a few years left before you wanna go, there's plenty of time to save up some money. Anyway, I am pretty sure you will find a way to make a decent amount of money and will go to Europe. I am orignally from Germany and have travelled throughout Europe. Presently I live in Southern California.

Norbert G

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