Help with First Solo Europe Itinerary

You said your budget is student plus.
Big cities are, inherently and unavoidably, expensive: London, Paris, and Amsterdam.

I vote for #2. London-Paris-Amsterdam are in the top tier of must-see cities in Europe, IMHO. But if Venice is what you really want, go for L-P-V. But please, get some of the guidebooks to help plan. You'll figure out the evenings when you get there.

I would also go with London/Paris/Amsterdam. Dublin just didn't do much for me and I have no idea why as I was looking forward to it! Your mileage may vary, of course and you may enjoy the pubs/drinking/folk music.

I would also cost it out and see what you come up with for a London/Venice or London/Paris/Venice Combo. I did an EasyJet flight from Paris to Venice (make sure you read ALL the fine print and be well informed of their guidelines before you book!) that was less than the Eurostar/Thalys train fare from London to Amsterdam.

My feeling, like someone upthread, is that if you are dying to go to Venice, go to Venice! Really, in my opinion, Amsterdam is in no way like Venice...except for some canals. Amsterdam actually has streets, traffic, trams whereas in Venice ~everything~ is via boat, not just transportation but garbage, deliveries, ambulances, everything! Very different in my view.

I love the London Walks which is an interesting way to be with a group for a couple of hours. They also do day trips which might interest you as well. The theater in London is great and you can probably get some sort of reasonable tickets at the same day ticket booth.

Hi & welcome to the forum!

I'll choose a modification of #2. If you want to go to Venice, then let's help you get there. London (3.5)/ Paris (4)/ Venice (3.5)Check out www.rome2rio.com, and you will see that you can fly from Paris to Venice in 1.5 hours of flight time which could end up being less time than trying to go to Amsterdam.

For one of your days in Venice, I would recommend a day-trip to Verona which is very tourist-friendly and fun. Verona has some nice piazzas, Romeo & Juliet, a Roman arena, etc. It's easy to catch a train from Venice (Venezia Santa Lucia to Verona Porta Nuova) - just make sure on your return trip that you're not getting off at Venezia Mestre instead of Venezia Santa Lucia. : )

Since you're on a student budget, think about picking up lunch at the grocery stores. We eat very cheaply for lunch and like that we're not spending a lot of time sitting during the middle of the day.

Eating dinner in Europe can be an event for the evening, so check out restaurant options near your hotel through Google maps, etc. Also, the Louvre is open in Paris one evening a week.

Tour ideas - check out tours that are "doing something" along with the usual site-seeing tours. We did a cooking class in Rome and loved it! Great experience, plus it enabled us to meet people and talk with others from USA & England during the cooking & eating.

I've traveled once to Paris by myself. The metros are great - just to be safe, stay someplace that's closer to the center of Paris, so you're not getting off at the last stop of a metro. I've heard of possibly free walking tours in Paris; don't know details, but you might want to check into it.

Enjoy planning your trip! : )

Some thoughts:

Do you really want to visit three cities in the time you have? How about just London and Paris? Or Paris and Amsterdam? Nothing against Dublin (I haven't been) but getting in and out of there would be more complicated and take longer than the other cities, which have easy train connections. You'll save money by not moving around too much, and there's plenty to fill your time in all those cities.

There's another thread nearby comparing LHR and CDG for arrivals and departures, the consensus seems to be that it's easier to fly into CDG than out from it. Amsterdam's airport is also a very easy one if you want to make that your entry or exit point.

The fast trains between London and Paris, and Paris and Amsterdam, are least expensive when tickets first go on sale 90 days beforehand, and they cost more as time passes. So for a student-plus budget it would be good to nail those down early. But no changes, you're committed to that schedule.

English is widely spoken in Paris and Amsterdam, at least in the tourist industry and among people your age, but if you don't have French or Dutch you might want to start in London where everyone speaks something resembling English as we know it. And it's always a good idea to learn at least a few basic phrases in the language of wherever you are.

London Walks and Paris Walks are excellent, affordable introductions to various parts of those cities with other people. No reservations needed, just show up and pay first. We've had nothing but good experiences with them. This company offers Amsterdam walking tours, I haven't used them and Google shows some others as well. (The "free" tours involve tipping the guide at the end.)

I can't help you re the evenings, we're seldom out after 8:00! :-)

First, think in terms of nights rather than days. One night is one night, but is s half-day only a couple of hours? Travel time and changing locations eats up your days pretty quickly.

Second, consider staying at a hostel if you can get a private room - you will meet others who want to go out at night, too. If you don't like that option, make sure you go out to see the city at night anyway, even if it's just to a cafe or restaurant near where you are staying.

Finally, if you want Venice, go there! Fly into Venice and out of your last city (Amsterdam has the best airport of the three in your post).

I would just do 2 cities in the time you have. Why break it up in the middle with a train ride or flight, and all the hassle of getting to the airport or the train station and getting situated, which will take up most of one day? I would do London and Paris. Both are great places for a woman by herself, and I've done them several times this way. But they are expensive, for sure. I think you will do so much walking during the day that you might not be up to doing much in the evening, but you will find pubs, bars, cafes, evening concerts, plays -- lots of happenings at both places.

The Seine boat cruise at night it lovely.
I did a fun Pub Walk from London Walks one evening a couple of years ago that was great. Both cities offer all kinds of guided walks.
Dublin and London could be an interesting combination. Dublin to me is a smaller, grittier version of London --not a really great city like London or Paris, but it has many wonderful, though tourist-oriented, pubs at Temple Bar -- with Irish music and friendly people. (it helps if you like Guinness). The Guinness Brewery, Kilmainham Gaol are very interesting and moving sights there. Is there a reason you mentioned Dublin - do you have an interest in it? From there you could fly to London. Heathrow Airport is huge, but they have 2 good trains that take you from the airport into town.
There is so much that can be said about the cities you are considering, it would help to know your interests. But as a woman I think Paris should be your #1 choice.

Thank you all for the informative responses, and the kind welcome!

As far as sightseeing, I’d like to:
London -- Harry Potter Walking tour (oops my nerd is showing) the Tower, Big Ben and Buckingham Palace, Borough Market, Charing Cross Road, Shakespeare’s Globe, and maybe some theatre
Paris -- Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Notre-Dame Cathedral or Basilica of Sacre-Coeur , the Louvre (won’t be there on Wednesday for late nights, sad), Versailles, Bastille Market // I'm thinking of doing this tour
and/or Dublin -- Cliffs of Moher and possibly this tour
and/or Amsterdam -- Anne Frank house and Van Gough museum, boat tour, maybe some biking around aimlessly (really not interested in the famous “cafes” or red light district) wondering if this is the right city for me.

I really like visitacity.com for ideas. Has anyone used this site?

Any tips for looking up open jaw tickets? London seems to have the best flight deals from Toronto (at least right now, booking 6 mos ahead). I don't necessarily want to backtrack, but I can't find a good website for multicity airfare. I've been using sky scanner, but two one way tickets always works out to hundreds more than a round trip to London.

@ Rick – thanks for the tip about the trains from LHR or LGW. I’m thinking of taking easybus for only £4 vs £18 of the train. Debating if an hour is worth £14. Ever tried it?

@ Jean -- Grocery store lunches are a great tip, thanks! And I’d love to do a cooking class in Paris! I'd love to do this one but 130E is a little steep...

Basically I'm looking for some fun/ interesting things to do in a slightly foreign place/culture but nothing drastic. I speak a little rusty college French but that's it. I'm not super worried about a language barrier. I do prefer not to jump head first into total culture shock for the sake of 10 days. I like food (duh) and whiskey & wine, no beer... I loooove literature (my only souvenirs will probably be books shipped home!), appreciate history and museums, though I could take or leave staring at paintings and sculptures. Definitely staying in hostels to keep in budget... and maybe meet a few other travelers, thought I'm not that great at being social.

Also looking at:
eatfeastly.com or eatwith.com
guidedbyalocal.com or vayable.com
if anyone has any experience with these... I'd appreciate some insight.

I loved Dublin, so much fun. But it does mean flying to London. Flying takes more time than a train because the airports are far from the city centers (where the train stations are - and everything else), and you have to arrive early to check in, security, etc., and then wait for your luggage at the other end. It also adds the costs of getting to/from the airport.

So, while I'd urge you to stick with London-Paris, I do understand the idea of whirlwind and seeing something different, so choose Amsterdam. To save lots of money, buy the train tickets (Eurostar to Paris, Thalys to Amsterdam) when they go on sale 120 days in advance. You will save lots (60%) - but you lock into that train.

You can rent bikes easily in Amsterdam and even in Paris.

When you look for flights, don't look at one-way fares. There is always an option for "advanced search" or "multi-destination" or something similar. Besides the search engines, try the airline websites too - sometimes they are cheaper.

Nikki,

You've received lots of good suggestions so far, and I have a few thoughts as well.

It appears that you have 11 days to work with. Does that include your flight days as well? Even from Toronto, you'll generally arrive in the Europe the day after you depart, and the final day will be your flight home.

I agree with the others that with such a short time frame, sticking to two countries would be a good idea, and my suggestion would be London and Paris (with day trips). You'll need to do some "homework" and decide which part of each city you want to stay in. Most of us here have a preference, and I prefer to stay in the 7th Arr. close to the Eiffel Tower. It may be a bit touristy, but it's a very nice area along Rue Cler and has convenient Metro access so easy to get anywhere in the city.

For travel from London to Paris, the EuroStar is about the easiest method (London St. Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord). You can save a lot of money by purchasing tickets well in advance, but note that the cheapest tickets are non-refundable and non-changeable. Have a look at the excellent Man In Seat 61 website for details on how to book.

Given the fact you're on a "college budget", Hostels would be a good choice. Not only will that be the cheapest accommodation in some expensive cities, but you'll meet others there that may want to go out to clubs in the evening or whatever, so that you don't have to wander around alone. The Hostel staff are usually exceptional in terms of knowing all the "hot" spots in each city. You might have a look at the HI Hostels website. They have properties in many cities worldwide (sometimes several in each city), and I've found they're well run and not "party palaces". Having an HI membership will provide cheaper rates and preferred booking over non-members. For Hostel stays, you'll need to pack along a towel (Microfibre works well), a medium size Padlock for lockers and flip-flops if they have a shared washroom.

For ideas on what to see in the cities you're visiting, you might stop by your local Library or book store and have a look at some guidebooks. The Rick Steves guidebooks are very nicely arranged and updated every year, and I'd recommend having a look at those first. You could also pack along the Pocket London and Pocket Paris books, as they would be excellent resources to have on hand when you're actually in the country.

Regarding your question on airports, I find LGW much easier to use. It's a smaller airport than LHR and therefore much easier to navigate (LHR is VERY large).

For the cheapest flights, have a look at Air Transat. As I recall, they have flights to LGW and from CDG, so that would work well (I've flown that route with them in the past, but didn't check to see if anything has changed). The only problem could be that they only offer flights on some routes one day per week, but if you could fit your schedule to their flights, that might be a way to save some money. Premium Economy seats will provide a more comfortable flight experience (although for a flight of about 7.5 hours, you should be fine in Economy). I would not recommend booking Air Canada since they only fly into LHR. I haven't checked on other flight options out of YYZ.

You may enjoy have a look at the RS London video and RS Paris video, as they might give you some ideas on sightseeing.

Good luck with your planning!

I think you will find that if you stay in hostels with a good reputation you will find like minded people to go have dinner with or even to go to special events or just to walk around the city.

Going on walking tours and bike tours isn't cheesy at all, it is the best way to learn about the city as well as making new friends. Look for recommendations in the RS guidebooks and on Trip Advisor. In the cities you are planning to visit, you will find all kinds of themed tours and most of them only cost about 10-12 €. Avoid the "free" ones.

As to Vayable, this is a bit like Viator as in it is a tour consolidator and they are earning a commission from the tours they book. Tours by Locals can be good, though because they are private tours and more expensive, they don't seem quite as popular as just going on the regular tours that are on offer in most cities.

I like the London, Paris, Amsterdam option. It lets you see 3 countries with varied cultures, languages, and history. Amsterdam has so much more to offer than coffee shops and the red light district. Please don't let the fact that those 2 things exist there put you off visiting.

I don't think anyone commented on your last question about open jaw booking. You would NOT book 2 one ways, look at the multi-city or multi-destination tab on your airline search page. I don't use skyscanner, so I am not sure what your choices are there.

Since your time is limited, consider only two cities -- perhaps London and Paris since it is easy to go between the two. Going from place A to place B almost always eats up more time than anticipated. Having said that, if your heart is set on Venice, then go for it!! It is truly one of the great, most unique places in Europe. Since your budget is "student plus" consider eating your big main meal at lunch and go lighter at dinner. We've spent a good bit of time in Paris and Venice so let me know if you need specifics. TC

It seems like the consensus is Amsterdam over Dublin. And that maybe LGW is easier to fly into and Amsterdam is easier to get out of than CDG. I reached out to you guys for exactly what you gave me: some general tips but also your opinions on how enjoyable the one city might be over the other (subjective, I know), given my timeline and circumstances. I really appreciate how much everyone is willing to share your experience and knowledge!

@ Ken - I did include my travel days. I wanted 18 days, but won't get the time off approved. I plan to fly out of Toronto on Thurs Sept 3 night, arriving in either London or Dublin the next morning. I'll be leaving after 4 pm Mon Sept 14. This is why I say a half day at the beginning and end. I will definitely be tired and a little jet lagged, but I will have the entire afternoon/evening, even after landing and checking in.

@ Pam and Jean … You have given me food for thought as far as discount airlines and the opportunity cost of not seeing where I'd really love to. I know Ryanair and the like are cheap ($50??) for this flight.
Although, @ Chani – avoiding airports is exactly why I was thinking of Amsterdam (train station are usually in city centre vs airport on the outskirts… and less time wasted in lines). Dublin got thrown in the mix because yes, I do want to see Ireland, and there are some great airfare deals from Toronto. And cliffs and castles, who wouldn’t want to see those? Haha. I do enjoy the whole Celtic atmosphere (my parents are Newfie!), but I think more so when I’m with a group… Sitting alone at a pub seems weirder than sitting alone at a café or restaurant, maybe that's just me.

@ Dick, BG – “Do you really want to visit three cities in the time you have?” Yes, I want to do 3 cities. I originally planned 8 in 18 days. That’s too much, I know. And I relized I won’t be digging deep into any of the places I visit. But I’d like this trip to just give me some general ideas for longer trips later.

@ Ms. Jo, Zoe, Ken – Hostels. Definitely the way to go!

@TC - thank you, I might pick your brain later if the tide turns to Venice.

I have also discovered London & Paris Walks, Man In Seat 61, and the RS citiy videos on Youtube just because of your recommendations. Thanks!

Hello NikkiBear. I recommend : go to two cities. I suggest London and Paris. Day trips from each city. At London, I suggest going to the Museum of London (walking through it takes 90 minutes), and do a day trip to Windsor castle (a palace of the royal family) with a stroll through the town Windsor. In an other trip, in a future year, you might go to Ireland. I suggest : when you go to Ireland, be there for a minimum of four whole days, for you to have time for travel to two regions in Ireland.

Nikki

For London, look at the YHA - Youth Hostel Association - yha.org.uk. Good place to meet people. The universities such as LSE rent out rooms and this will still be holiday time. Schools will be back after the summer holiday.

Borough Market is closed on a Sunday as are most theatres. You can but theatre tickets on the day of the performance discounted at the ticket booth in Leicester Square for up to half price tickets.

Charing Cross Road - don't bother it has few attractions! If you like canals, go to Little Venice which is just north of Paddington Station and then go to Camden Market - hideously busy on the weekend but great food selection in addition to the clothes etc.

Hi Nikki,

I have another thought that may sway you. I find airplane tickets to Dublin are frequently cheaper than to London simply because the airport taxes are much lower there. I know you're home airport would be Toronto, but you should check into Boston as well (and just adding the Toronto to Boston leg, obviously). Aer Lingus can usually be a good value if Air Canada or other airline don't have good rates.

Then you land in Dublin, stay 2 nights, then fly either to London or Amsterdam, then train to Paris and fly home from there (or, fly to Amsterdam or Paris, train to London and fly home from there). Again, check what the airline tickets prices are with various options.

Since you're on a budget, I would look at what makes the most sense in terms of budget right now. You are only in your 20s and you have plenty of time to go to Europe again in a few years. Yes, you want to see it all, but assume you'll be back.

Also, often there are walking tours that are free or low-cost in most big cities, so be on the lookout for those.

Can't wait to hear what you decide.

Enjoy!