Random Europe Questions, couch Crashing, Bag Storing, All of it

Have a cool trip.

Don't run afoul of the the 90 day rule (90 days in any 180 in the Schengen area) or your cool trip will become seriously uncool.

Have you bought, or do you intend to buy, a couple of good guide books?

You can meet lots of cool locals since many will approach you asking your help, having you sign petitions, offering discounted souvenirs, or offering to help you purchase various tickets. It would be helpful for you to learn some basic phrases in each language -- please, thank you, excuse me, where are all the cool people -- just the basics.

Happy travels

The cool people can be found in Iceland and northern Canada. So I have heard.

Many of the scammers mentioned by George are not locals in the country in which they work, and many will have better English than the local language. It is almost certain that people appearing to be deaf and speechless are in fact not disabled at all - it is all an act. I've seen it with my own eyes, and been shouted at by some when I didn't give them money.

I don't know if you have a place to stay in Amsterdam, but we stayed on a houseboat, totally different experience! The owner was cool, he took us on a canal tour on an old pontoon, just for fun! It is also right down the street from a brewery, and we hung out with the locals, sitting outside, like a big party. Everyone is super-friendly and most speak English very well. Let me know if you want the name.

Charlotte, why don't you post it for the benefit of everyone?

The OP says he has " an incredibly low budget" so a houseboat sounds too expensive to me.

If this is your first trip to Europe, I'd highly recommend reading Europe Through The Back Door prior to departure, as it has a LOT of good information on "how" to travel well in Europe. You should be able to find a copy in your local Library. After that use the country or city-specific guidebooks to plan sightseeing, accommodations, transportation, etc.

Regarding storage of "luggage and a few important small items", could you leave these with one of your "acquaintances or hookups"? There is a luggage storage at Roma Termini but there will be a cost associated with that so will be a concern for someone with an "incredibly low budget".

As you want to visit the Italian coast and really love nature, you might consider a visit to the Cinque Terre. It's about a four hour train ride from Rome, with at least one change (depending on which train you use). There are Hostels in both Manarola and Corniglia so one of those would be best for someone on a budget.

For travel in Amsterdam and Paris, you might consider getting an inexpensive HI Hostels membership as they will have one or more properties in each of those cities. If staying in Hostels, you'll need to pack along a few additional items, such as a towel, flip-flops and a small but robust Padlock.

For "budget stretching" tips, one of your largest expensive will be meals. Many Hostels and B&B's will provide breakfast, so that's taken care of (not sure about Couch Surfing as I never use those). You can buy Paninis or whatever at small local shops or supermarkets like the Conad store in Roma Termini. Your biggest expensive will be dinner, so you'll have to decide whether you want to pay for a sit-down meal at a small restaurant or go with Panini's again. Italian meals are served in different courses, but it shouldn't be too expensive to get a Primi item and a small salad. If you're desperate, you could always resort to Mickey D's or Burger King, both of which are well represented in Italy.

You'll also need to be aware of many minor but important aspects of travel, such as.....

• financial matters - notifying ATM and credit card firms that you'll be travelling.
• electrical gadgets - if you're travelling with any electrical or electronic gadgets, some important things to know.
• theft issues - there WILL be pickpockets and other scammers operating in Italy. If you appear to them to be a "clueless tourist", your trip may take an unpleasant turn.

Good luck with your planning!

Stewie, why do you you think you need to stash your luggage for weeks at a time? Go like backpackers do: travel light; wash as needed; leave your stuff wherever you're going to sleep or at train station luggage lockers FOR THE DAY if needed. It doesn't make a lot of sense not to just take your stuff with you?

Budget-stetching tips aren't a lot different than at home: eat from the markets; buy alcohol from the market instead of drinking out; find the free sightseeing stuff that appeals to you. Dorm beds at hostels are your best bet for cheapest accommodations but the better of them should be booked ahead during high season.

Europe is a big continent. There are too many bests in all of its countries to begin to suggest, and too many places to meet people. I'd start by doing a lot of reading from guidebooks checked out of the library, and online travel resources (Lonely Planet might be a good start for you).

It might help to know what country you're coming from, and how old you are?

Stewie,
While you are gone, who will run your presidential campaign? Can't let The Donald (ODG) edge you out :)

"Let me know if you want the name."

When I see this, I take it to mean that the person is happy to share the info, but can't access it right away (at work, for example), will have to invest some time and/or effort in finding it, etc. I'm always happy to help someone with accommodations, restaurant recs, etc., but I'm not going to invest an hour or more searching for my info on them just on the wild chance the OP or someone else reading my post will actually care ;-) Express an interest, and I'll go dig through my boxes of travel stuff for you. stewie can always score a good deal on a houseboat at the last minute, and/or by splitting the cost with some other peep(s).

DO pay attention to the Schengen Visa limits!

Stewie.. go on Lonely Planets forum.. it has a lot of posters who can help with budget travel... This is a great forum..but most.. but not all of us.. are a bit past budget travel that type of which you are describing..

Have a fun trip.. in Paris there are luggage lockers in many main train stations.. but I second the advice to travel light enough to not need them. I did three months in Europe when I was young.. and we carried everything with us.. you could too..

Nancy, the houseboat I stayed on was The Lucky Piper. http://www.luckypiper.com/

Rick's sleeping and eating tips at http://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/sleeping-eating focus on budget strategies, since those two items make up a large part of your trip expense. While food is normally cheapest at the supermarket, lunch specials and other budget options may sometimes fit your plan.

To cover longer distances, budget flights can also fit into most budgets, but the cheapest tickets may not be available at the last minute: http://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/budget-flights.

It sounds like a very fun trip! Do you also have people to stay with in the other cities, or only Rome? How "incredibly low" is your budget? In which places will you have a car or no car? How old are you? I ask many questions to maybe answer you better.

Of course everywhere it is easier to get around the major cities and cheaper with public transport, especially places like Amsterdam where parking is expensive or impossible.

Rome has a limited traffic zone that operates in certain hours I think, but more parking than Amsterdam at least.

It is helpful to know where you will or won't have a car or a ride. With a car, campgrounds outside of major cities are a great way to save money, but many of these campgrounds also have bus stops or trains nearby too. It is a nice perspective for someone who enjoys nature.

A city like Amsterdam is expensive at this time of year you are coming (how long do you stay?), and hostels get full, especially for the weekends very quickly. The whole city really gets full, even hotels, on the weekends so it is important to book things early sometimes. A hostel is probably your best option, or a place where you rent a room in a shared apartment. Air B&B has a few options that are very cheap, and I feel it is a little more safer than craigslist. At some times of year it can be very easy to find accommodations on craigslist too though. Here is a link to a list with some campsite info near Amsterdam, and as you can see, it is a very low priced option! But you must consider the cost of going back and forth to the city: http://www.iamsterdam.com/en/visiting/plan-your-trip/where-to-stay/campsites

This one is easy to get to I know: http://www.campingamsterdam.com/en/route

A hostel many people know for its lively social atmosphere is the Flying Pig and there are 2 within the city and also the beach hostel: http://www.beachhostel.nl/ The beach is the cheapest, but still easy to come and see the city, very good for meeting many traveling people and partying, and a more natural setting. Also it is usually less booked than the others. I hear a mix of opinions about the downtown flying Pig. Some say it is not clean, some say it is, but I know many who say it is where the party is for young travelers. Myself, I have been in the Bulldog hostel (with friends, or at parties so I am familiar with the hostel rooms) and am impressed by how clean they keep it.

Our city parks are beautiful too, like the Vondelpark.

For small items it is easy to store at the Centraal Station, but there are also some independent businesses too. I do not know how they work with weekly rates or if they have a limit on time you can leave things. I might be wrong but I think the airport has a time limit to leave luggage. The problem is the pricing! Maybe the place where you stay can watch your things for you if they are not so big until you come back?

I have heard positive things about here from guests to the city, but I have not used them myself: http://dropandgo.nl/ If I am correct they have different prices for longer periods, so I think they will work with you.

Another place looks a lot cheaper, but again, I have not used them or know anyone who has, but here is the link: http://www.allsafe.nl/english

It is a friendly, lively, open city, with many foreigners and travelers speaking all languages so you will have no trouble meeting people to have fun with. The atmosphere in the hostels and the campgrounds is enough of a social one that you can be surprised at the connections you make. The coffeeshops too, if that is a thing that interests you. Sometimes if I sit in one I will leave with many "new friends." Some of these have become real friends and even come back to visit me or host me in their home city. In my neighborhood it can be common to see people having street parties on weekends, or make friends in the bars (I stay in the Jordaan area).
-to be continued-

-continuing-

The major areas in Amsterdam for the bars and clubs are Rembrandtplein and Leidseplein, but I prefer the bars more in the area I stay in and other places because they are less full of tourists. Not always cheaper (sometimes) but better to meet real Amsterdam people at times.
It is easy to meet many people at parties, and most every weekend it's not too hard to find one happening. A lot of the really crazy ones that last for a few days are a short distance outside the city, but always easy to get to, places like Sloterdijk, etc. The NDSM Werf is an exciting place to go for events (these are not happening all the time) and to enjoy a different side of the city: https://www.likealocalguide.com/amsterdam/ndsm-werf

Rome is a much bigger city than Amsterdam, a city that I would like very much to go back to, but my first trip was recent and traveling solo, and it was also friendly, lively, and very easy to meet people and have experiences. August is a much cheaper time to go than after the first week of September-until the end of October, so if you have to pay for accommodation some nights you will find deals in the city center that would be crazy at another time of year. Hostels again are always the way to travel on a budget, and Air BnB, and Craigslist. Apartment rentals in Rome in July and August are sometimes having such discounts that I think maybe I will travel back before summer is over if I am lucky!

There is a nice campground outside the city center that is very easy to get to with bus directly to the metro, but they are very busy until after the first week of September. In September you might save a lot of money there and traveling in to the city maybe: http://www.ecvacanze.it/en/camping/camping-village/fabulous-camping-village/ It is nice for if you like nature and maybe the weekend nights when the city becomes full?

Rome has a huge green park in the center, the Villa Borghese, which is beautiful and the park is free, so perfect for your budget! Gianicolo hill also has that natural feeling, but in the center, and the best view of the whole city. It is in the Trastevere neighborhood, and that is a good area to eat and drink for not too much money and meet many locals and young traveling people. Stopping in bars that offer aperitivo is a good way to eat at a snack buffet for not too much (you pay 1 or 2 euros more than the price of your drink and get to eat at the buffet-some are really nice, some are not worth mentioning, but it is easy to see) and I saved some money doing this. Trip Advisor is full of many great free suggestions in Rome, so many that I think I could spend one month and not do everything.

For the bags, if you can't leave them with your family or friends (?), I think the Termini station will hold them for as long as you need, but I did not actually use their service when I was there. I was recommended a service on the internet that made me very happy, and their weekly pricing was much like the other services I saw, and it was no problem to extend the time I needed to leave my things. I think they are quite new but I was impressed with their organization and friendly service, and also they were helpful: http://www.stowyourbags.com/ They recommended things to do and see and had some good advice and were right in the center of the city where I could walk to everything.

I hope this long answer gives you a better idea of some things, but please tell us some more about your trip so we can be better help! Also so we can suggest more places you might like to go!

I wonder if Stewie is even still around . . .

He has left the building and gone to the Land of Cool People.

Not yet in the land of the cool people, but I hope to be soon and learning how to ask for cool people in many languages might be just what I need :) Thanks so much for all of these detailed answers and taking the time to give them to me! I'm happy I asked the internet for help and surprised at all the input since I only check this sometimes. My plans are kind of foggy and not set in stone yet and I can say the same for my Italian hosts and their plans. It's possible I'll get into town before they get back, and this is true for a few of my crash spots/they may leave and I might be in Rome or whatever other city for a couple days on my own. It's just cool to know my options and all. Thanks too for the title of that guidebook because I'm ordering a copy. The houseboat is a bit pricey for me but WOW, what an awesome idea that I didn't even consider! Maybe if my group of friends can all get it together to meet and rent a place for a few nights that would be one of those experiences that's just worth spending money on. Hostels have seemed like the main thing to look into and campgrounds are a thing I didn't think about and should look into more. That one in Amsterdam looks really nice and so does the one near Rome and the beach, and I'm interested in the Flying Pig beach hostel too. I'm not yet sure about where I'll have a car or not, but it's fair to say at least part of my adventure, mainly the Italian part, and specifically the last week or 2 of August on and off through most of September. I'm from Oregon and in my early 20s if that helps, not antisocial at all, a heavy sleeper, not afraid to camp, and pretty open to anything so craigslist is another thing I'll look into.

Thanks again for all the advice, I feel like my mind has been opened to possibilities!

I suggest planning some of the train rides, ie, which can be done by night train. Luckily, the Amsterdam-Munich night train is still running, if you're going to Munich, same as Munich to Berlin (I took that night train this time). Plan on using bus companies along with trains, and staying in hostels. Some of the private, independent hostels (no curfew) are located near the main train station, such as in Paris, ca. 15 mins from Gard du Nord., Vintage Hostel.