First timer, one month, 2016 solo Euro trip

Fencer90,

just some thoughts/comments.

i think you have a lot of homework to do in order to figure out if 1. you are going to actually "hike" and #2 what you will need to bring and not but that will depend on your definition on "hiking". There are wight limits even for international fights.

also, have you actually done any "hikes" with the pack you are planning to bring with the equipment you want to bring?

I'm sure others will chime in too.

good luck and happy trails.

My first time trip to Europe was in 2012, and my sister and I traveled from Norway (gorgeous hiking), through Copenhagen, Amsterdam (Van Gogh museum here is amazing!), Germany, France, Italy, and Austria with backpacks. My advice when carrying everything in a backpack is to REALLY pack minimally. I brought way more than I would have liked, and ended up ditching a lot of things along the way to make room for souvenirs.

Haven't been to Scotland or Spain. In England, if you visit London museums are free. We rented a car from London one day and drove around to the Cotswolds, Oxford, and to see stone circles in the area. There is also good transportation to Bath (with the Roman Baths, and just a beautiful city in general. If you are a Jane Austen fan you can visit her previous residence). From London you can get to Paris via train in just about 3 hours now. A good route to get into France.

Cinque Terre in Italy is amazing. There is a trail that connects the towns, could be good for hiking. From there we went to Florence and surrounding Tuscany, which I would highly recommend.
Good luck planning and happy travels!

Sounds like a great plan, in general. A month for that much distance isn't very long, though; without a more compelling reason to visit Spain, you might consider saving that for another trip. That woul give you another day or two in other countries. To get from France to Italy in six days or so, you will spend a lot of time in transit. I like the rome2rio.com site to plan routes and get an idea of possible means of transportation and travel times.

Hostels will probably be your best choice for accommodations.

If you can lock yourself into travel dates, you can get great super-economy train tickets in some countries. You may want to consider low-cost airlines for some of your longer trips.

One thing I would do is go to the south of France, the area around Nimes has lots of ancient sites, and you can raft down the river under the Pont du Gard.

I would probably fly into London or Edinburgh and fly out of Rome.

Keep posting as your itinerary firms up, definitely read Europe through the Back Door. You can get the e-version to minimize packing weight/bulk.

You're really taking on an aggressive itinerary for the time allowed. Let me just suggest the highlights:
I would suggest you fly direct into Edinburgh.
Take a train down to London.
Use the Eurostar to get to Paris area--2 1/2 hr. trip.
Fly from Paris deGaulle Airport to Italy on EasyJet inexpensively. See if you can fly into Venice first.
Travel from city to city in Italy by fast trains (reservations required.)
Visit Florence and Rome at a minimum. If time allowed, visit the Cinque Terre--via LaSpezia, NW of Pisa.
Rome is the best airport to fly out of in Italy. The city is worthy of a full week's time with so many tourists sights. Italy will easily overdose you with history, art, culture and great food.
What to pack? We travel in 21" rolling bags with as little as possible.
Travel insurance? We are covered worldwide on our healthcare insurance so we do not purchase travel insurance. If your medical coverage is not good in Europe, you'll at least want to purchase travel insurance slanted toward healthcare.
You should save Spain for a future trip. It's a much larger country than many travelers realize--and a trip to itself.

Thanks everyone! I'll definitely be taking a lot of your advice into consideration.

@Ray - I probably should have clarified, I will probably be looking at day hikes, something I can pack a few sandwiches for and be back by the end of the day. And yes, I have used this pack before.

@Lucy - Cinque Terre sounds perfect for what I was thinking! Will definitely look into it.

@Zoe - Between what you and David said, I might actually cut out a country, maybe Spain but possibly France, though your suggestion on Nimes and Pont du Gard have me intrigued.

@David - Thanks for the highlights. I (probably) won't have any of my own regular insurance, as I'll be 26 at the time of my trip, and since I won't be working and living in Japan, I won't be paying for health insurance there either.

@ 90,

If you have used your pack as stated, then i dont see any issue other than size/weight. If you wan to do "carry on" vs "checked" then it could cause an issue.

in my opinion, day hikes are not an issue, but i dont do them, but i do some "day trips" every so often.

Lodging:

As mentioned you may want to look into Hostels. I dont care for them since others snoring in the same room would keep me up and I'm sure my snoring would do the same. I fly solo and try to keep my lodging < 100 USD/night if possible, but some places its not that easy. one other thing you can look into in terms of lodging are dorm room. I have used them in London and they are clean, in expensive (for me) and usually where i want them. Sometimes breakfast is included too. If i remember correctly there are dorm room available in Spain (which cities?) but cant remember which cities.

Packing:

If you have a backpack, i would assume you've done some traveling before? Its not that much difference unless you're talking about "camping" back packing vs Traveling. You will still need your clothes and such. You may want to think about bring an extra pair of COMFORTABLE shoes. i use Rick books and check the average daily temps for the month of where I'm going so i can get an idea on temperatures. Not that mother nature can throw a curve ball in your trip. But i try to pack accordingly. I have a medium weight jacket with hood i take on all of my trips and an can pack it into a 2 Liter stuff sack and it can go smaller too. I also have a lightweight rain jacket with hood that packs into its own pocket. That also goes along with me everywhere.

Travel plug adapter. You will need something for that. Im sure you will be connected.

Consumables/toiletries. I buy my stuff overthere so i dont have to deal with TSA on the liquids/pastes and such.

Ziplock Bags. I bring about 6 or so of medium and large size bags. they come in handy for storing things and to keep things dry.

there are others, but i will let other give their 0.02

Scotland: I was only in Edinburgh and did a day tour to Loch Ness. There are some cool museums in Edinburgh. If you're into human anatomy and how we try to kill each other, theres a "surgery museum" in Edinburgh.

in London, there are many museums. just pick your poison.

the only places I've bent to in France have been the Normandy WWII area, Paris and Calais. the WWII places is self explanatory. Paris there are many museums and places to see and more importantly FOOD. again more poison to choose.

happy trails.

England - hiking - Lake District! Some of the best hiking in England and great day hikes! My favorites are Haystacks, Skiddaw, Helvellyn, Langdale Pikes, Walla Crag.
France - hiking - Pyrenees! Gorgeous mountains reminiscent of the alps without the crowds.
Italy - hiking - the Dolomites! In my opinion they're the best mountains in Europe. Dramatic peaks, mountain meadows, stunning views, and both German and Italian food. You really can't beat it. Staying in mountain refugios is one of my favorite things to do. Here's my favorite...Langkofelhutte. Hiking hut to hut is one of the great experiences in the Alps but the Dolomites portion of the Alps beats all!
If you're on a budget check out airbnb - set the slider at the top for under $50 in the places you want to visit and you'll be surprised at the options you'll find.
Couchsurfing is a great way to meet people and best of all it's free!
Make sure to schedule a laundry 1/2 day into your itinerary every week or so.

Also look at this thread, if you haven't already https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/general-europe/5-week-solo-trip-to-europe-may-june-15
He's planning something similar and there's a lot of advice and tips there that can help you too.

@Ray - Thanks. I think the pack itself is too long for carry on, so I will have to "check it."

@Anita - Thank you! I had considered couch surfing as an option. Seems really interesting. Thank you for the reminder about laundry.

@Chani - Hey, that guy has the same name as me!

Too bad he's going this year and you next year. Otherwise you could team up.

I think you would need at least 2 full weeks for just italy, as it is the longest country in your Plan and there is so much to see. 12 days for France, 12 days for Spain, 5 -days in Scotland, 6 days in England (London, Costwalds, Cornwall and Lake district, York, Cambridge or Oxford) (i prefer Cambridge). Northern Scotland is beautiful. Glasgow is also very interesting.
Also look for my other posts, you might find other information, there too.

Another thing, climate is very different in Italy and England and Scotland (where you will find a mere 20 degree celsius in Summer whereas in Italy you will experience a temperature between 27 degrees celsius in the north and 40 degrees in Southern Italy or Sicily.
Enjoy your trip.

Another thing, climate is very different in Italy and England and Scotland (where you will find a mere 20 degree celsius in Summer whereas in Italy you will experience a temperature between 27 degrees celsius in the north and 40 degrees in Southern Italy or Sicily.
Enjoy your trip.

@Chani - Too bad indeed.

@Florence - That sounds like a lovely itinerary, but I will be heavily limited by funds. I don't think I could afford a seven week trip in Europe. Thanks for the heads up about the weather!

I don't know what your budget is but there are definitely ways to spend less. Look at hostelworld.com for good hostels - there are descriptions (you'll be able to tell which are the "party" ones) and ratings too. Many (most?) hostels have coin-op washers and dryers, low-cost meals and snacks, some cooking facilities (maybe just microwave and hot water) and communal fridge, free wifi, and various other perks. The larger the dorm room, the cheaper the beds.

Lots of options, but here's a bit of practical suggestions:

Ray mentioned electrical adapter plugs. The UK uses 3-pronged plugs that are quite different from the 2-prong plugs used in France, Italy, Spain, and the rest of Continental Europe, so you'll need both kinds, and maybe more than one of each, depending on how many electronic gizmos you bring. Buy them from Rick's Website, or the hardware or travel store.

Scotland gets rain about every other day throughout the year, so dress accordingly. Your rain jacket could come in handy in the other countries in April, too! Umbrellas are cheap over there, so pick one up as well, if needed.

Do you know just what part of Scotland your ancestors hailed from? Some regions may take more time and money to reach, if not in the city you fly in to.

We've taken the train between Edinburgh and London before and it works very well, between 4 and 5 hours. You have the option of going partway (like to York) then continuing onward. However, on our trip this past August, where we flew into London but went directly to Scotland, we flew a cheap Virgin Air flight from London to Edinburgh, so you might look into flying within Europe - could be faster and maybe cheaper than train or bus. Other budget airlines include easyJet and Vueling Air.

France and Spain are both geographically large, and without several weeks, our trips have just focused on one portion of the country. If you're not just looking at Paris and Madrid or Barcelona, consider limiting your trip this time to just the northern, or central, or southern part of France and Spain.

The highlands of Scotland offer endless hiking opportunities, but even the cities can give you a workout. Edinburgh has Arthur's Seat, a summit right at the southern end of the Royal Mile. Heven't done any hiking/country walking in England, but it appears that, after soccer and cricket, walking the countryside may be the national sport, and there are limitless possibilities throughout England! France has great hikes in Provence in the south, and the country is laced with Grand Randonee hiking trails. Spain has the renowned pilgrimmage route in the north to Santiago de Campostela, hiked by many each year (so you'd be in good company), and the hills around Segovia, west of Madrid offer hiking. So does Andalusia in southern Spain. Happy plannng, and have a great trip!

EDIT: Arthurs's seat is at the southeast end of the Royal Mile

There's lots of good travel skills and destination advice on this web site to get you started, but at some point, a regular guidebook will be better for filling in the details. When you say France for museums, to me that means taking the Eurostar train from London to Paris, but then skipping over the south of France. Flights from Paris to Madrid or Barcelona and from there to Italy can be quite affordable; see www.skyscanner.com. If you need a rail pass, such as a BritRail pass note that youth discounts are available if you can activate the pass before your 26th birthday. Eurostar train tickets are separate, sold several months ahead for the best prices, and youth discounts are based on your age on the date of travel.

@Chani - I was thinking of around $3,000 for my budget after airfare to and from Europe. I wasn't sure if this was too low of a budget to consider. Will definitely be staying at hostels and couch surfing.

@Cyn - Thank you! According to a website I found, my ancestors are from the southern Lowlands and eastern Highlands.
After some consideration, I was thinking about visiting two cities (and the surrounding areas) in each country for three days and nights(ish) per city (giving a half day or so between each for travel). Seems like a better plan than trying to visit one city and two or three towns for each.
Flying does seem to be more convenient (and around the same price, or at least within my range) than trains, though I still may take a train or between closer destinations.
Thanks for the hiking suggestions!

@Laura - Everyone seems to agree on getting a guide, so I guess I'll add that to my birthday wish list! Unfortunately, I will be 26 before I leave Japan, so it doesn't seem like I'll be able to activate it before 26.

@All - I'm guessing that I shouldn't make a new topic every time I update my plans?

(Three times I've had to type this post. ARGH!)

90,

@Chani - I was thinking of around $3,000 for my budget after airfare to and from Europe. I wasn't sure if this was too low of a budget to consider. Will definitely be staying at hostels and couch surfing.

If you do the math. Since this does not include your Round Trip (R/T) flight look at $3k/30 days, thats $100.00/day. If this includes transportation (plane/train/bus) , lodging, food, activities/entrance fees, souvenirs and ? You may end up short depending on your cost listed.

Once you figure out WHERE you want to go, look into transportation to/from each place. that way you can nail down your transportation cost and subtract that from your 3k budget. Then all you will have is the other stuff. Note that some place buying your train tickets ASAP can save you $$$ just like buying an airline ticket. Even though it locks you into day/time, you will save $$ vs waiting.

look at bahn.com link here for some train info as to duration, stops. they dont do cost for outside of Germany, but you can decide if the time is worth it to you to use a train or plane.

This is another train site thats plug and chug, seat61, link here. i use it a lot for reference as i do bahn.

here is a general reference i use to get an idea on distances and transportation choices. Note that i do not buy tickets from this site, i use it for reference only and its not Gospel, just for reference! Its called Rome2Rio, link here

i didnt read every reply, but some additional comments.

Many museums in London are free.

Most museums in Paris are not.

happy trails.

Instead of working on 30 days, $3000 ($100/day), estimate your transportation costs in Europe (trains, planes, including fares to/from airports) and subtract that. Then you'll have a much better idea of how much you have per day. The more you travel, of course, the higher the cost. This may encourage you to go to fewer places. Don't be dismayed, you'll undoubtedly have many more opportunities to visit new places in the future. It will probably be easier to work on a budget in euros. Euro prices are less likely to fluctuate. If you translate everything into dollars, you may be way off later on when the exchange rate changes - or maybe pleasantly surprised.

@Ray and Chani - Thanks, I'm working on that now.

I think I've more or less figured out that I'm going to visit two cities per country. Trying to nail those cities down. I'm also trying to figure out what country(ies) to cut, still torn between France and Spain.

But the other day, a friend mentioned that I may be trying to see too much by visiting four countries when I was talking about my budget. She suggested sticking to England and Scotland. I see the strengths of that, but that also severely cuts into what I had originally planned.

@ 90,

But the other day, a friend mentioned that I may be trying to see too much by visiting four countries when I was talking about my budget. She suggested sticking to England and Scotland. I see the strengths of that, but that also severely cuts into what I had originally planned.

There is no one correct way to travel. It all depends on several factors and budget is one of them. Everyone starts at 0 and everyone has the "do/see/experience everything in the 1 day" syndrome.

I like to travel to 1 city per country so far. Germany has been the exception since its so large, ive been picking away at it and have tried to include a German city on each of my travels to Europe. It requires PLANNING in advance, not just for next year, but an idea on where you want to go/do/see things.

If this is your first (of many?) trips, you will get an idea if you will like moving around or not. Also, theres no reason you cant mix it up too. Do more moving on either half and the opposite on the other. What it comes down to is to figure out for yourself how you wil like it and about the only way to do that is to just do it.

As mentioned the more you move the more it can cost you in $$ and time, but i dont see any other way to see a different country other than to go there. Its a (-) to the (+) side of things. But as long as you understand the consequences of the action, then go for it and make the decision. I could spend my trips in just one country, but i want to see other places to. So i made the decision to try and see one city per country. The down side is that i will need to go back - again (oh yeah) and again (definitely), maybe not to the same city but sometimes it may happen. When i go back to France, i will stop by Paris for a day or 2 or 3 since i didnt see Versailles. I may see some other things too, but i will use Paris as my starting point and move out and most likely south.

Maybe this will help or not, but so far my approximately 1 month trips including Transportation, lodging and attractions has been around the 200 USD/Day. I try to keep it between 100~200 UDS/Day and more in the 100~150 ish range, but somethings make it more expensive.

happy trails.