Tips on getting around for a 4-5 week Europe tour????

Posted by Steve (New Boston) on 08/01/08 03:33 PM

I plan to travel as I go...Like get off my train and book for my departure the next day (like 3 days in advance), should I book sooner if a lot of my trips are country to country??

The trip would go something like Ireland, England, Netherlands, Germany, France, Switzerland, Italy, Greece...in that kind of order.

What about the City to City travel too. If I arrive in Cork Ireland, and want to leave from Dublin 3 days later then will it be easy to get a train ticket???

Once in the cities what should I do for travel...Taxi, Car rental, bicycles, subway...I assume it depends on the city also...where do I get that info??

Please help

Posted by JB

Redding, CA, USA

08/01/08 05:44 PM

1568 posts

We made our seat reservations for our departure when we entered a city. Had no problems. The only time 1st class was full was from Zurich to Salzburg.

Posted by Adam

Boston

08/01/08 05:56 PM

4132 posts

Your plan is practical--and betrays a flexible attitude that will serve you well.

However, there are exceptions. If it would ruin your trip to be shut out of a particular train, you should reserve as far in advance as you can. Also, there are some special fares that are only available in advance.

Most travelers should not worry about any of that most of the time.

Have a great trip!

Posted by carl

dallas, tx, usa

08/02/08 07:28 AM

1358 posts

You can get by planning a day or two in advance. I always buy my RR ticket as soon as I arrive in a town even tho I am using it 3 days later. If you need to make reservations, it will work out.

Buy point2point tickets for inter-city travel and avoid the RR pass. In the towns, ride the bus or underground. Learning how is easy and economical.

And you can always ask fellow passengers for advice.

Investigate the 3-day or 5-day bus pass. Sometimes they are cheaper; half the time they are not. While renting a car was once recommended, today renting a car is a thing of the past.

Dont rent a car because you wont need one and you will find parking in EVERY town impossible and too costly if you find it.

Besides, why pay for a car when it will be sitting on a parking lot.

When you read comments from travelers on this page you will see that using a car in European cities is hardly ever recommended.

Posted by Steve OP

New Boston

08/02/08 08:52 PM

2 posts

Thank you for your advice, I was also thinking of buying a cheap bicycle there or taking it over and leaving it...i don't know whats cheaper yet...but what types of towns would a bicycle be of use to me??

I wouldn't want to ride more than say 10 miles a day tops..would a bike even be worth it?? To me a bikes usefulness might just be circumstantial...you know?

Posted by Ms. Jo

Frankfurt, Germany

08/04/08 09:49 PM

9145 posts

Car rental is the most expensive as gas costs about $9.00 a gallon here in Germany and I am pretty sure it is similar in price all over Europe. Taxis are the next most expensive. Public transportation all over the continent is pretty darn good. Most big cities have bike rental. In Frankfurt it is about 5 euros per day. I have seen a lot of people with folding bikes too, but don't know how comfy they are to ride. Check out each city you want to go to and see what they have.