Eurail Trip

[Conquius]

I've always wanted to do a tour of Europe, especially to Rome, and I'm planning to do it after my senior year of high school. I've looked around, and found that one of the best ways to do it is by the Eurail. To my understanding, how it works is you buy a pass that allows you to ride the trains that connect all across Europe. I'm planning out the trip with some friends, and right now here's our plan:

- Fly into Ireland, stay with family there, shenanigans.

- (up in the air) Fly to the UK, shenanigans, fly back

- Purchase the Select Five Pass from Eurail, giving us almost unlimited travel in five countries.

- Fly/ferry to France, see Eiffel Tower, Louvre, shenanigans.

- (Insert other countries (likely Germany, Spain, or Switzerland) and shenanigans here)

- Ride to Italy, see Rome, Florence, Venice, Prima Porta, shenanigans

- Either ride back through or catch a flight directly from Italy home.

Again, these plans are very vague and are in their early stages, and we're looking to spend anywhere from 2 weeks to a month there. While in these countries, we're looking to use folding bikes to get from place to place when we can't use the rails. I just have a few questions for travel veterans, and I'm very open to travel advice.

In your travels, what are some must see sights in the aforementioned countries?

If you traveled by train, what was your train experience like?

Is a bicycle a good way to get around when travelling like this?

A little specific, but do you know of any good folding bike brands? I've heard Dahon is good.

How sketchy are hostels, and are there other good places to sleep on the cheap?

Any other tips?

[Morrigainz]

Eurail is AWESOME. And it's a high-speed freaking train. Doesn't get much better than that.

 

If you're talking 2 weeks to see some of the biggest and most historical sights of all Europe, you are going to have one hell of a whirlwind tour. My husband and I did the bulk of Austria (with 2 nights in Vienna, 3 nights in Salzburg) and it took us 9 days...all of which were jam-packed with activity.

 

I have limited and dated knowledge on hostels, but last I heard European hostels were not like American hostels - as in, you might actually feel safe in one. You could also try looking under pensions and at airbnb.com for people who might rent out a small room/couch for a night. 

 

As for what to do...this is tough. For myself, I prefer to do my traveling one country at a time. So I did Austria, I did London with a bit of northern England, and I'm planning to go to the Netherlands with perhaps a side trip to Belgium or Berlin somewhere in there. But other people really want to hit the big things, and it sounds like that's what you want to do. So I would write out a list of your must-haves, and then basically do a TON of research. You'll also want to take into account the kind of things you like to do and see, and your travel style. Are you the kind of person who wants to get up and go at 6 am every day, or do you prefer to be a bit more leisurely, perhaps sleeping in and sipping on coffee while you review your plans for the day? Are you into museums? Art? History? Music? Ancient ruins? Major landmarks? Maybe make another list. (I love lists.)

 

You could also buy a travel book. My husband and I like Rick Steves' books because he's not an old greyhead who wants to sit on a bus the whole time. He's got good suggestions and good reviews.

 

The last advice I can think of off the top of my head is that no matter what you want to do, don't try to do too much. You will probably be left wanting more. You will probably be exhausted. Try to plan a day (or 2, or 3 if you're on a long trip) where you don't have anything planned. That way, if you have stuff you didn't see the previous day, you have a chance to do that, or you can just have a leisurely day to catch up on your rest, organize your suitcase, etc. Because as fun as it is, travel is mighty tiring.

 

Have fun!

[Raikas]

The last advice I can think of off the top of my head is that no matter what you want to do, don't try to do too much. You will probably be left wanting more. You will probably be exhausted.

 

Isn't that the point of people doing gap year/post-high school/post-university trips like that? After all, you have the rest of your life to do the single city trips!

 

 

he's not an old greyhead who wants to sit on a bus the whole time.

 

Heh, a spin off of this:  If you want to have a cheap way to see a group of major cities and are already in the UK, look into unsold tickets on bus trips that are aimed at the older crowd - the actual city activities are usually opt-in (and expensive, since that's how those tours make their money), so you can do your own thing once you're there (and they usually spend a couple of days at each spot).

 

Yes, you'll be the 18-year-old (or however old you'll be at the time) on a bus full of retirees in between cities (although that can be entertaining in and of itself!), but it's an affordable way to book the distance travel and lodging all at once.  Some friends and I did a Paris-Florence-Venice-Rome trip like that the summer after finishing university, and it was brilliant - and we made friends with lots of retired Australians who were willing to put us up when visiting their parts of the world later, so that was good too!

 

That said, the trains are a good option too - and certainly can be more flexible!  Plus you get more of the local colour!  But more room for error, of course.

 

ETA:  On the folding bikes - are you looking to get around within cities on them, or between cities?  Within major cities, you probably don't need one (the cities are usually very walkable and/or have decent public transport). The only times I've thought it might be good to have one is visiting the suburbs, but that's always for visiting friends/family (and they usually have cars).  Site-seeing and night life if usually central (and I assume that if you're visiting suburbs in Ireland that your family will drive you, no?).

 

And between cities (especially if you end up in Southern France, Spain or Italy) you'd probably be better off renting a road bike once you get there.

[bloom]

I did a circle around continental Europe with a EURail pass last September. Hit France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and then back to France. If you've never been to Paris before, hit all the usual attractions and also check out the catacombs. If you've never heard of the catacombs, look it up now.

 

Austria was my favorite country but not on your list. Best combination of old world history and charm. I love palaces, so Schonbrunn and Hofburg Palaces in Vienna were a treat to me. I loved Switzerland and didn't spend enough time there. I went to Switzerland for the alps, not the cities, and it was the most laid-back "enjoy the scenery" part of the trip.

 

Read up on all the country restrictions regarding EURail and plot out your trip beforehand if you can. France does not play nice with EURail regarding their high-speed rail lines (TGV); they require a reservation and only have a limited number of seats reserved for EURail. France does have a slower intercity rail line though that you can catch for less and with less worry about available seats. I remember reading that Italy also does something wonky with EURail, but I can't recall the details as I didn't go there as part of my trip.

 

Once you get out of France, you can hop on/off most country's trains without a problem. Berlin lets you ride their city trains for free on the pass (but not the subway), which I thought was a cool bonus.

 

Hostels... Read the reviews on hostels.com and hostelbookers.com to get a sense of their typical clientele. And look at the pictures! That will give you an idea of the ones that are aging, dirty, or tightly packed. They didn't lead me astray at all and I had a good time at the majority of them (felt too old for one or two perhaps).

[Preiselbeer]

If you’re planning on doing lots of rail travel, Eurrail seems the best way to go. And rail travel is the easiest and most convenient option for getting around Europe. I haven’t tried Eurrail myself, but I spent a year in Germany after graduating from college, and train prices add up quickly without some sort of deal on your tickets.

I can recommend tons of places to go, big and small, but if you’re not going to have lots of time then you will probably decide you want to hit the big ones. I really liked London, Bath, Dublin, Galway, Kiel, Hamburg,

Berlin, Strasbourg, Munich, Paris, and Amsterdam. More options, if you happen to be passing through, would be places like Mainz, Regensburg, Hannover, Cologne, Tuebingen, Muenster, Bremen, Toulouse, the Loire Valley as a whole
(lots of castles), and the Lake District in England. If you’re thinking of any of these places or something strikes your fancy, let me know and I can give you more specific recommendations!

A couple of big tips before I give a few specific recommendations:  

1. I don’t think you’ll need a bike—if you’re thinking of using it to get around cities, most of them have deals on one or two-day tickets for public transport, and carrying your bike on a train that may already be very full, with luggage,
will be a pain in the butt. Even if you have a folding bike, my prediction is that it will still be a pain in the butt. I’ve traveled with lots of luggage on a fair number of trains—I think you’ll prefer having ‘packed light’, so to speak.

2.  Many big cities have the hop on/hop off buses for tourists. If you have a short time in a city, this is a great solution because you can ‘do a loop’ to see major attractions, landmarks, sites, etc. from the bus, hear all about them, and then
decide where you want to start getting off on the next loop around. You can pay for a day-ticket and ride them all day. OF COURSE, walking around and experiencing the city that way is another fantastic approach, but you should
know your options.

3.     www.hostelworld.com is a great resource, as is www.couchsurfing.org. The latter I haven’t tried, but a number of my friends have and it’s a great solution if you’re pretty easygoing about meeting new people and on a budget. I
initially thought it sounded a little sketchy but I think they’re pretty careful about making sure each new person offering accommodation has been vouched for by a current member.

Here are a few recommendations to start you off for some of
the ‘big ones’:

Paris: as someone already suggested, the catacombs are really, really cool. You’ll probably have to wait in line for a while, but it’s worth it, and you can trade off with a friend and take turns exploring the local neighborhood and grabbing lunch, which is lots of fun. Otherwise I’d recommend all of the classics: Eiffel Tower, Champs-Elysees, Louvre, Musee d’Orsay, Notre Dame, Ile de la Cite, etc. Versailles is a bit of a hike but also totally crazy (in a good way), and the gardens are often free to check out and walk around, which are a crazy experience in and of themselves. Make sure to try true macarons while you’re in France!

Berlin: I stayed at Check In Hostel for about 8 Euro a night, and it was perfectly fine, clean, etc. and is located near Checkpoint Charlie. Big places to see include the East Side Gallery, Reichstag, Museuminsel, Checkpoint Charlie, Brandenburger Tor, Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe (which is very powerful and also one of the most interesting things I’ve seen, design-wise), Alexanderplatz, and Potsdamer Platz. I can also highly recommend the DDR Museum, which is very interactive and not large—you can do it in about 60-90 minutes. A number of these things are easily walkable, and the same is true for Munich...
 

Munich: I’ve been several times and really love the city. If you like museums, the Alte and Neue Pinakotheke are great, and there are others over near them as well. (Side note, close by is a famous gelato shop (Balla Beni, I believe). Make sure to see the Glockenspiel in Marienplatz that plays at least twice per day, if not more, and the Viktualienmarkt nearby. The Englischer Garten are beautiful and you should stop by to watch the surfers at the Standing Wave. The Nymphenburger Schloss and associated gardens are also stunning, and if you’re at all considering it, it’s amusing to stop in and take a peek at the Hofbraeuhaus. I’d also recommend trying a very (old) traditional Bavarian breakfast while you’re there—Weisswurst with delicious mustard, beer, and pretzels. Also while in southern Germany, you should sample Spaetzle and Butterbrezeln. And as a slightly unrelated side note, sandwiches you purchasein German train stations are actually pretty delicious. 

Dublin: Sandeman’s New Dublin Tours are phenomenal (and free! Though tips at the end are voluntary and encouraged). I learned loads about the history of Ireland and Dublin (as did my friend who grew up just outside of the city) and saw most of the key historical and cultural sites. The Guinness Storehouse is a great experience that I also highly recommend (if you’re at all interested in Guinness, beer production, or history)—it’s self-guided but so well designed and informative, and just really nicely put together. Finally, if you’re at all interested in archaeology or prehistory, Newgrange is a must-see. We took this one http://www.newgrangetours.com/, which brought us to both Newgrange and the Hill of Tara. The tour guide is extremely knowledgeable, the timing was good, and the price can’t be beat when you factor in how much you’d pay in transportation alone to get out there some other way. I’m an archaeologist, so I may be biased, but my non-archaeologist friends also loved it and the quality of the tour was really just great. Plus Newgrange is pretty astounding, especially inside (which is hard to organize if you’re not part of a tour group, I believe). 

 

Hope this is somewhat helpful--if you have more questions, especially specific ones, just let me know!