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Quick Advice on Europe Travel!

*Update about my Europe 2008!*

Yes people! My flight with SIA is confirmed. I still can’t believe I am going! It was all so last minute. What others took 6 months to a year to plan, I only have 2 weeks to flesh it all out. So stressed! Time is running out. As of today, 5 MORE DAYS!!!

Just thought I’ll pop by with some quick advice.
(Note that these are just my own opinions and advice. There may be better ways to go about this – do share! )

Want to backpack through Europe? Here goes!

1) Grab an Europe map online and be informed of which are the countries that are neighbours with each other (this makes for cheaper, and easier train/flight/bus travels from country to country).

2) DO NOT plunge right into the Internet for information. Don’t. You will be led to everywhere around the virtual corners of the cyber world and feel very depressed because of the SHEER (and often conflicting) information available. So don’t do like I did and regret like I do.

3) DO head straight to the bookstore/library (Singapore’s library is very well-stocked, no need to spend an average of $40 for a brand new travel book). Look for information on the country that you intend to visit. Not sure? Read up on the ones you are interested in and start from there. Forums are a big NO NO until the later stages. But websites like http://www.ricksteves.com/ and http://www.frommers.com/ are great one way information! =)

4) Time for specifics. Once you have mapped out your route across Europe, slowly start to decide which are the cities you’ll like to visit. Identify what’s a must see in each country and start to allocate the number of days you’ll need in each city. This is about time to start searching for third-party information online. There is a MASSIVE AVALACHE of information online about anything you can possibly imagine. From the cockroach someone saw in a B&B to the great experience atop the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Everything. So spend a lot of time, have a lot of patience, be thorough and take notes!

Sounds easy right? Yea right. Up to point 4 would have you occupied for a good couple of months and very likely even more already. So, still hanging there?

5) Always be on the lookout for cheap airfare offers to Europe! So far the cheapest is $850 by KLM and Thai Airways (non-direct and excludes taxes and other surcharges). Once you have confirmed the amount of time you have to spare in Europe, compare this with what you have established in point 4 and be realistic about your itinerary. It’s more important to take time to enjoy and dwell in the pleasure of travelling than it is to conquer many cities in a short time. Once that’s settled, we move on to taking more definitive steps!

6) Hotels? Hostels? B&Bs? Sleep on the streets?! Yes. ACCOMODATION. The extremely frustrating, but all important. Here are some sites that I found useful:

http://www.venere.com/ – Reviews are no-nonsence. Make sure to pick B&Bs with pictures only. You never know dingy till you sleep in a dark hole in Venice.
http://www.hostelworld.com/ – Good for backpackers!

6) Time to sort out how to travel between each city. There are many options to choose from, especially so in Europe where all the countries are just next to each other. Here are some sites which you will find useful:

Rail
http://www.trenitalia.it/ – shows train schedules, prices and bookings for TGV (intercountry train)
http://www.railpass.com/ – one of the many, MANY websites selling eurorail passes. I vote this one for the site’s user friendliness!
STATravel.com.sg – after all the massive information online in all different languages about the europasses, I found this sg site to be a fresh alternative. Look out for extra surcharges.

Air
http://www.ryanair.com/ – cheap budget airline (cheaper if you book way in advance)
http://www.flybmi.com/ – flights from Birmingham to Rome are ultra cheap!
http://www.easyjet.com/ – cheap flights from (inaccessible) Gatwick London airport to Rome

Bus
http://www.nationalexpress.com/ – intercity bus. Shows schedules, routes and fares.

We’re almost there now. Be as detailed as possible when comparing alternative modes of transport. Search online or go back to your travel books for help if you need advice. It may be cheaper to fly but if you’ll land in an inaccesible airport, you will have to foot out extra to make your way back to town, so keep all that in mind.

When finally all that is done, many months would have passed by now and you will be ready to confirm ALL bookings! Do it and relish in being happy about coming so far!

7) Read up read up read up! Prior to leaving, read up on the background of the history of the places and some basic information. This will help to keep you from being a very lost lamb in countries rich with architecture, history, art and more. I have since fallen asleep thrice trying to finish 6 pages worth of summarised history on Rome.

It’s also time to pick up some local languages (if the country speaks a foreign language)!

8) Check weather and start to pack accordingly. Perhaps I can blog more about this when I am back and experienced. But from all the forums I read online, everyone advised to pack light – carrying your entire wardrobe on your back throughout your trip is no joke, not even in the name of fashion.

Alrighty. I am very badly behind time for my trip and I am doing all 8 points above at the same time. Wish me luck. I hope VERY LITTLE goes wrong!

=)

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