Anyone have experience with planning a trip to Europe?
By dustinm06
@dustinm06 (42)
United States
February 10, 2009 11:46am CST
My university is offering an eleven day trip to Europe (includes London, Paris, Rome and Vatican City). I costs $1800 which includes hotels, a few meals, and intercontinential travel between cities via railways. I also have to pay for airfare however to Europe and back to the US which adds another ~$1300. Is this a good deal money wise or am I better off planning my own trip? I have no experience traveling there so I thought maybe a tour guided trip would work best. But what do you guys think??
3 responses
@cornyman (1128)
• Germany
10 Feb 09
Hello dustinm06,
there are special offers for students or persons below 27 for traveling with the trains in Europe. I think you should look out for such offers, too. Sure, it will take a lot of time to travel by train but usually you have to be at the airport one or two hours earlier,too, because of the security checks and the baggage. In the end there is not much difference in "time wasting".
Just look for the best price you could get for flights within Europe.
You can use this price comparison page for a quick flight calculation
http://www.checkfelix.com
it cover the low-cost-airlines, too!
11 days are a short time to visit all these cities because you will travel many hours from France to Italy and i think from the USA to Europe it will be also 10 hours or more.
In each of these cities are too many things to watch. The time frame should be around 3 full days for each city (usually the cities offer special passports with discount prices on the sight-seeings/public transportation for such a period for visitors). Try to use these offers, they are worth the money or use a guided bus tour through the city and in the end decide what you want to watch more closely.
If the price is combined 3.100$ it's too expensive, you can get the meals cheaper around the "street" and choose the hotels on your own (on the mentioned page also available)
Have a great time in myLot and good luck with traveling in good old Europe
!
Just look for the best price you could get for flights within Europe.
You can use this price comparison page for a quick flight calculation
http://www.checkfelix.com
it cover the low-cost-airlines, too!
11 days are a short time to visit all these cities because you will travel many hours from France to Italy and i think from the USA to Europe it will be also 10 hours or more.
In each of these cities are too many things to watch. The time frame should be around 3 full days for each city (usually the cities offer special passports with discount prices on the sight-seeings/public transportation for such a period for visitors). Try to use these offers, they are worth the money or use a guided bus tour through the city and in the end decide what you want to watch more closely.
If the price is combined 3.100$ it's too expensive, you can get the meals cheaper around the "street" and choose the hotels on your own (on the mentioned page also available)
Have a great time in myLot and good luck with traveling in good old Europe!@dustinm06 (42)
• United States
10 Feb 09
Thanks for the website. I will look into the city passport thing for discounts too. I hadn't really thought about it. I think your right about sticking to train. Airports bum me out because of the waiting and security etc.
@ShepherdSpy (8544)
• Omagh, Northern Ireland
10 Feb 09
www.eurail.com is one website offering rail passes for non-Europeans..taking a brief look,they have a 15 day pass for $449..depends on how you plan on travelling! If you're going to stay in hotels wherever you go,your figures look quite reasonable with travel,accommodation,and some meals covered-would that be breakfast only,or would evening meals be included? You might be able to get it cheaper by backpacking around and staying in Hostels..tour guides (group travel?) would push the budget up,and mean less independence..I haven't done any round Europe travel..At various times,I've worked in Germany,and visited France and Switzerland..Good luck with the trip!
@dustinm06 (42)
• United States
10 Feb 09
Thanks for the great website. For hotels I think the price is a pretty good deal from what I've seen but I am just beginning my research. Thanks for the insight!
