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2-3 trip to Europe for two 22 year old guys

We are planning a trip to Europe in Jan. 2010. We are two 22 year college students from the USA that are looking to have a great time while seeing Europe. We have free housing in Brussels which is probably where were are going to start and end the trip. From there we want to travel, experience the nightlife and eat and try many different restraunts for 2-3 weeks. We dont want to go to any museums, however want to see some history while we are over there. My question is where do we want to to go...where do we not want to go and whats the best way to get there and to get around Europe (we will not have a car) for the cheapest. We are willing to sleep in trains and hostels but most of all want to have the time of our lives. Any response would be great!! Thanks!

Posted by
16 posts

hey there..
I think what you guys are doing is great and no matter what places you choose you'll end up having a blast.. that's the great thing about being in our early 20's..

for a start, I'd suggest you read Europe through the back door.. it's a bibble for us first timers.. and since you are not leaving that soon, perhaps you can wait a few weeks and get the 2010 edition.. it's supposed to come out Aug 11th..

have fun planning your trip!!!

Posted by
16 posts

Michael,
do you think that Le'ts Go Europe is a good enough guidebook to take on a Euro trip? I mean.. I want a guidebook that not only covers quite a bit of what to see, but also sort of tells me about what I am seeing too..

thanks!

Posted by
881 posts

Let's go is the absolutely best book for younger travelers. It's written by college kids, for college kids, and in addition to covering local history, culture, and events, it covers night clubs, things for young people to do, and has THE best up to date information on hostels, and budget friendly pensions.

If you questions or want more details on specific places, the Lonely Planet, or Rick's books are good. They go into more depth.

After backpacking through Europe 3 summer for months though, I always fond Lonely Planet's general Europe books to be hopelessly out of date with bad info, prices,and phone numbers.

For you guys, Amsterdam definitely, Berlin, Vienna, Munich, Paris, London all have great night life. Italy and Greece are always a party. Prague is a favorite among the college set.

As students, there are tonnes of discounts you can take advantage of, so do some research. Rail and bus are both cheap. There are also "Party buses" that do a loop around Europe, and I hear are really fun. Someone on here might have some experience.

Let us know if you have more questions.

Posted by
108 posts

Wow. You guys are going to have So. Much. Fun.

I'd highly recommend you go out and get Rick Steves' book "Europe 101" My mom got that for me before my first trip to Europe when I was about your age, and I can't think of a book that has affected my life more. It's easy, fun reading, and gives you a lot of historical background.

You guys getting Eurail passes?

Posted by
4132 posts

Lets Go has some definite strengths, but also weaknesses. It can be terribly uneven. I'd use it to plan a trip, but not exclusively.

Posted by
590 posts

I agree that Let's Go is the best for college aged students. Lonely planet and Rough Guides are good as well. Paris, London, Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, Barcelona and Rome all have great nightlife. I met lots of guys on my travels that say that Krakow, Prague and Bratislava have the greatest clubs and the most beautiful women! Plus there is a lot of history on the streets without having to see it in Museums. You will have a blast there anywhere you go as good nightlife is everywhere, the alcohol is cheap and you can drink almost everywhere! Look at www.hostelworld.com for ideas where to stay. Lots of hostels will have a bar in them so on some nights you don't have to leave. Lots will also organize a pub crawl which is lots of fun and a great way to meet lots of other people. Try to stay in dorms that have 6 or more bunks as you will meet so many more people. When I went backpacking with 2 other friends after university we stayed in some 3 bed dorms and met very few people. THe best times were when we stayed in bigger ones as we all would hang out at night together. Just bring earplugs on the nights that you want to sleep. I am in my thirties and am content going to a pub and going to bed around midnight/1 am, but most people were heading out to the clubs at that time! Most people are very quiet when returning though. I returned the favor when I got up early in the morning.

Posted by
2193 posts

Alex: Yes, in my opinion, Let's Go is the best guidebook for college student travelers. I always recommend visiting your local library branch and checking out several different guidebooks to see which might work best for you. Chances are, you'll glean good information from more than one. I prefer Rick's stuff, but I use Let's Go as well. So many travelers overlook Iceland...check it out during your planning process...Reykjavik has some of the best nightlife and clubs in Europe. And, the natural beauty is unmatched. BTW, Rick doesn't cover Iceland.

Posted by
16 posts

hey guys..
just to make it clear.. I am not with the guy who started the thread..

I am a 39yo guy leaving on a 3 month trip to Europe in a couple of weeks.. not the first time in Europe, but haven't been in 20 years.. so I am pretty much treating it as a first..

a friend gave me the Let's Go Europe.. it looks an ok guidebook and it covers a lot of ground.. I found that I am not that much interested in the accommodation part of it.. since I am not planning on staying at hostels and I was able to find better deals on the internet..

so, my question is if I'd find a better guidebook out there in terms of really covering what to see in a place.. tell me about what I am seeing.. what not to miss.. and perhaps a few good suggestions for what to do on this or that city in 3 or 4 days..

Posted by
12040 posts

Alex... hard to answer your question, since we don't know your itinerary, much less your interests. However, I can summarize the strengths and weaknesses of the various guidebook series for you. First, I'll divide them into "guidebooks" versus "highlight books". Generally, highlight books have more pretty pictures but less pratical information, guidebooks vice-versa.

Most guidebooks contain roughly the same lists of sites (particularly for frequently visited cities), a mixture of practical, historical and cultural information, and recommendations for restaurants and lodgings.

At the top of the list, we have Fodor's and Frommers. These are generally aimed at older, more afluent travelers with more money than sparetime. These are good choices if you want spend your trip in comfort and luxury, or for business travelers. These aren't that good if you want a more warm and fuzzy, or down and dirty, trip.

Next down the budget ladder comes the host of this website, Rick Steves. The biggest advantage of his books are his lodging recommendations, which are usually clean and comfortable with plenty of local flair (even if all the other guests seem to be Americans armed with a copy of his guidebooks). Also, the writing is quite spirited and witty. Disadvantages are that his guidebooks cover only a limited number of destinations in each country, and contain virtually no outdoor activities. Also, the significant differences between winter and summer travel are barely even addressed.

Slightly below Rick Steve's, we have The Rough Guide and Lonely Planet. They seem to address every weakness of Rick's books- they cover virtually the entire country, tourist destination or not, and they have plenty of recommendations for activities, as opposed to just sight-seeing. They also address issues related to winter travel much better than Rick. Disadvantages- Their lodging recommendations include some questionable choices. Their restaurant recommendations (cont)..

Posted by
12040 posts

... also seem to be little more than an abreviated yellow pages, rather than actual recommendations. Finally, the research is sometimes years out of date before it gets updated.

Rounding out the bargain basement, we have Let's Go. As I'm sure you're aware, although they cover the same basic sights, the recommendations are based on saving as much money as possible. Great for college-age travelers trying to stretch their budgets as far as possible, not good if quality is more of a concern.

Finally, here's two "highlight series". In general, these tell you less about a place, but show you nice pictures, and contain far less recommendations for lodging and eating. The Discovery Channel publishes "Insight Guides". Although they are very thorough at providing basic information about various destinations, there's very little practical information. But the pictures are some of the best in any travel series. Eyewitness Travel provides more information, but smaller pictures. They are just as thorough in scope as the Insight Guides. My only beef with Eyewitness Travel is that although their city maps are pretty to look at, they are absolutely terrible for navigating, by foot, car or public transportation. I nominate their maps of Utrecht and Delft as the all-time worst in any travel guide.