Expert advice needed - daughter studying abroad and wants to travel

I don't think a cruise would be the best way for a college student to see europe. You only spend part of the day on dry land and much of that time is spent traveling from the boat to she sites. Also she would be in the minority on a cruise ship. My husband and I went on a Greek cruise when we were 26, and we were by far one of the youngest couples on the boat.
I would advise her to look at what cities she wants to see. Plan on spending 3 nights per city, and take a train from point to point. Or since she is in England, she could start in England, take the chunnel to Paris and then work her way East. Once they get figure out what thier last city is, they can take a cheap one way flight (Ryan air, Myair, etc.) back to England. Oh and one city I recomend for a college age person to see is Prague.

Cruises aren't a bad value but she will only see a handful of places and then only for about an eight hour stint. Cruise ships travel about 30 mph. Imagine how far you could get in a car only traveling 30 mph. She can see more by staying on the ground (train or car) and setting her own schedule and priorities.

I took a cruise right after college, just a quickie to the Bahamas, and I was bored out of my skull. And the prices don't include everything, like drinks and tips, that'll add a couple of hundred to the bill.

Have her get a good guidebook. She can probably get Rick's book over there, or the Let's Go would be good since it caters more for college kids. Once she has an idea of where she wants to go, then she can look online for fares on flights or trains. She'll want to check prices on buying point-to-point tickets and compare that with a rail pass.

I agree with the others. The train is the way to go.

For those of us who are over 26, railpasses aren't the bargain they once were. However, the Selectpass Youth - 2nd class - For ISIC Cardholders would be a good deal for your daughter. She gets a double discount: one for being under 26 and one for having an ISIC card. If she orders the pass by August 31, she can get 10 days for the price of 8. Click on the Railpasses tab at the top of the page for more information.

A budget airline is a good choice for long routes or for getting from the UK to the Continent, but a person needs to book well in advance to get the best fare. For example, your daughter could begin her trip by flying from Newcastle to Amsterdam on Flybe for around 15 GBP. Or she could fly from Newcastle to Paris on easyJet for around 25 GBP.

In addition to Let's Go guidebooks, the Lonely Planet guidebooks would be good resources for your daughter and her friends.

If it were me, I'd write all the cities I want to go to, and then start with the farthest and work my way back toward "home". She can probably see places closer to home on 3-4 day breaks, which I'm assuming she'll have throughout the year.

Have her check out Thorntree , its the forum for Lonenly Planet,, ( guide books).. it really caters to budget and young, or young at heart travellers.

A cruise from UK in November,, yech, water rough, weather cold. Unless she flys to Eygpt or something.. and I assume she doesn't have that kind of money to spend. Plus ,, as noted, most of those type of cruises have older folks on them. the fun younger type cruises that hit Greek Isles for instance are likely not going in November as it is not summer even there at that time of year.

She only has two weeks, tell her to choose two or three cities,, book some hostels , and go.. The Eurostar to Paris is dirt cheap if booked ahead,, and from there she can train, or take the cheap flights to a few other places,, Rome,, Munich.. etc..

Inter-Europe flights that time of year can be really cheap. I'd suggest a combo of Discount flights and point-to-point train. Grabbing a flight off the island and back would be an especially good time/money saver.

Rail passes are great - but only for very specific itineraries. Even with student discounts, I never found them cheaper than point to point. (And there can be a lot of extra fees - night trains, reservations, fast trains, etc).

Cruise - great way to see the inside of a cruise ship. =|

PS - Let's Go probably has the best guide books for people in that age group - written by college students, for college students. Worth the $20.

Thanks for the feedback. I tried telling my daughter that a cruise isn't the best option. I'm not sure why she thinks it would be - she's been on a cruise before and wasn't that thrilled with it. Way too much time on the ship indoors. She's got 2 months before her 2 week long break so she has some time to plan. Thanks again.

Your daughter might be smarter than you give her credit. Without knowing the specifics of her proposed cruise it is difficult to judge if it is appropriate for her or not. Cruises are not generic and a cruise to the Bahamas doesn't compare to the Med. Cruising is just another way to travel with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. No better or worse than any other method but for some reason cruising seems to generate negative comments from people who have never cruised.

A cruise can be a very economical and a convenient way to see a lot of Europe in a hurry. We all have responded to postings where someone is planning to see five countries and 7 cities in ten days. Our common response is too much time wasted in trains and checking in and out of hotels. A cruise solves that problem in a big way. A cruise is very efficient at controlling costs. You know exactly what you transportation costs, meals, lodging costs will be and not subject to currency changes. That is a big time saver when wanting to see a lot with limited time.

Someone comment that your time in port is limited. That can be true but it is also a very intense time in port. You can totally concentrate on sightseeing during that eight to twelve hours that you are there because you don't need to worry about catching the next train or finding a hotel or some places to eat.

Most of the great cities of Europe are located on waterways and accessible from the sea because that is how they got started. She cannot see all of Europe in a one or two week period anyway but she could see a lot with the right cruise. Mom, so don't toss it off as not the best or cheapest way to see Europe without looking at the details. For her, at that time, it just might be the best and cheapest way.