Backpacking in europe

[bruggink]

Besides those usual "suspects", I'll recommend France's Strasbourg..

It was one of the stops for my honeymoon trip. I can only say it was love at first sight! Very comfy, relaxed town with plenty of cafes/restaurants/souvenir shops, etc..

Not too sure when your trip will be but I would say the best time to visit Strasbourg will be autumn-winter period (to catch the Xmas market).

 

[Shen siung]

now that im there...i can tell u this. just go to the train station and buy direct. its cheaper.

also check out ryanair, myair, etc buget airlines to see if there is cheap tickets.

So how's your trip so far? train ticket you bought is from where to where? Or you get a pass?

 

[wildsoyabean]

So how's your trip so far? train ticket you bought is from where to where? Or you get a pass?

its gd...
been flying mostly. only thing bad abt airlines is they might change the flight timing.
suppose to spend 6 days in greece, 3 days in rome ended up spending 3 days in greece, 6 days in rome!

bought only a train ticket from from bari to rome thats all.

well if you seriously count the timing for travel and u travelling to many places e.g 2days 1 place, train is cheaper and more easy to plan. Flights require more pre-planning in advance

 

[psmeraldi]

One popular destination among american backpackers in Italy are the "Cinque Terre", five small villages in the Italian Riviera.

They can only be reached by train, and they are on the railway from genova to Pisa. So basically you will reach them if you are coming from Milan or France to Genova and fromt there you go to Rome or Florence.

Here is Riomaggiore

View photo in gallery

The Cinque Terre are; Manarola, Riomaggiore, Corniglia, Vernazza, Monterosso. It is possibile to see Manarola, Riomaggiore and Vernazza in one day.

Paolo

http://photos.paolosmeraldi.com

 

[crapex]

anyone can advice a lil on touring greatbritan/england (omg i still dunno the diff)? I might have a chance to extend my visit to london for about a week, any recommendations on where to tour from london? I need to start and end at london airport tho!

I was thinking going down to old trafford to watch a manu match or something, any advice on the mode of transport? and also accomodation?

Where else in england is worth going?

thank you very much!!

 

[night86mare]

anyone can advice a lil on touring greatbritan/england (omg i still dunno the diff)? I might have a chance to extend my visit to london for about a week, any recommendations on where to tour from london? I need to start and end at london airport tho!

I was thinking going down to old trafford to watch a manu match or something, any advice on the mode of transport? and also accomodation?

Where else in england is worth going?

thank you very much!!

for a week, you should try places like

1) dorset

2) new forest

3) lake district

just pick up a car from london airport, throw your luggage in, make sure there is gps, know where you're going, have a backup rough map, and go. it is easy as easy can be.

for stays, just decide on the area first, and google for bed and breakfast offerings in the area, usually 20-25 pounds per night inclusive breakfast and very comfy.

to be honest, the scenery in such places are unbeatable, and i don't know, driving on the uk highway is one of the best things i have done in my life. especially when you're leaving dreary grey london, and the skies ahead are blue.

i have a uk gallery here, you can check it out if it helps. alternatively, adam burton is amazing.

 

[crapex]

thanks lots night86mare! did you find car rental there or did it in sg before going? any rental companies to recommend? or shld i ask around when i'm there.. gosh this is so exciting! lol.. any recommendations on how to settle accomdation? do i book online in advance?

i googled a lil those places are beautiful!! thankss!!

 

[archlover]

i tumpang this thread hor

i'm backpacking around 4 countries in europe late sept - mid oct,
looking for travel kaki especially in barcelona ( 30 sept - 5 oct ) & paris ( 5 oct - 10 oct )
anyone will be in that area at those time?

 

[night86mare]

thanks lots night86mare! did you find car rental there or did it in sg before going? any rental companies to recommend? or shld i ask around when i'm there.. gosh this is so exciting! lol.. any recommendations on how to settle accomdation? do i book online in advance?

i googled a lil those places are beautiful!! thankss!!

i study in london.

i recommend this company called sixt, you can get off at er, hatton cross it is across the road from the exit.. or you can take a courtesy ride from the airport.. just call them at the phone there based on instructions. sixt long period can go down to 20-30 pounds (with gps) per day, for vw golf auto.

my advice is not to use all the small companies, they do not provide gps. sixt is very cheap if you book early and for a longer period of time. believe me, YOU WANT GPS, ask for it.

like i said, google b&b + area you are going to, should be great, along with reviews.

i have not had a bad experience for b&b in uk.. in fact if you are going around nonpeakperiod you can just don't book and brave it.. but it is always nice to know that you have some end point to go to, rather than driving around aimlessly like a lost sheep.

if you need help with the areas i've been to, feel free to ask. otherwise, you would have to do quite a bit of research by yourself, really.

other than these, there is still CORNWALL, WALES, all of which have breathtaking landscapes, if you're into that sort of thing. it is really.. a unique experience that i recommend everyone go through, road tripping in the uk. i do hope you have at least 2 people though, else it is quite sian to navigate + drive at the same time, plus need to absorb entire car rental cost yourself.

hope this helps.

 

[crapex]

wow you must know the place well! i've checked sixt its alot cheaper than those i googled! thanks!! Erm jus one concern, parking wise is it easy to find a places to stop and park?

I probably have only a week start/end at london.. i was thinking of stopping over at manchester for a day or two.. anywhere along the way worth stopping by? more of sightseeing places maybe..? there are like so many museums everywhere lol!

Could you also share some places you've been? Its my first time there i feel so lost!! I dont travel much normally but since i get the chance to go there dun wan to waste it

 

[Celebring]

I used to study in London and was just in London in June. Frankly, I think one week isn't enough to cover London, let alone much of the UK. If you really like museums, you need one day per museum. The collections are huge, Singapore museum collections are small in comparison. Outside of central London, Greenwich and Hampstead are pretty decent.

Since you're keen on visiting Manchester, the Lake District National Park is sort of nearby to the north and worth visiting. Chances are that you'll see nicer things if you have time to leave the car and walk around. Most people say Windemere is nice. I was at Ullswater around the town of Glenridding and can definitely recommend that area. On the way from London to Manchester, Oxford may be convenient for a stop-over.

It really depends on what you're interested in. Different parts of the UK can be quite different in terms of landscape and architecture.

 

[Shen siung]

I just like Stonehenge! maybe some CSer might think too touristic... It is about 30 min drive away from Salisbury, and Salisbury is about 1 hour 45 min from London Waterloo train station

 

[crapex]

thanks alot guys!! time to do my research lol! i'll definitely check out stonehenge be it overrated or not! haha.. dont wan to regret not going

think i'll go from london - salisbury - stonehenge - warwick castle - manchester - nottingham - london..

kinda a rush to cover in a week huh?? ehh.........

 

[petetherock]

Sounds typically Singaporean bro...
Rush rush rush like a Chan Bros refugee....
You may wish to slow down. Personally I do not like waking up in a different hotel every morning...

Cheers

think i'll go from london - salisbury - stonehenge - warwick castle - manchester - nottingham - london..

kinda a rush to cover in a week huh?? ehh.........

 

[crapex]

haha i agree its kinda rush.. but u know la airfare is kinda expensive and everything, not everyday you get to go that far for a week.. if its bali or batam can go many times.. uk for a week i was hoping can do more while i'm there.. who knows whens the next time or will there even be

 

[petetherock]

Since you have made up your mind, no sense in asking a question in which you have found the answer?
Even if you rush so hectically, you better make sure there are no holidays and your car has petrol for such a road trip. Some station may not open on Sundays, esp in the counties.

You sound rather young, I am sure you will have enough money in future to return.

Good luck

haha i agree its kinda rush.. but u know la airfare is kinda expensive and everything, not everyday you get to go that far for a week.. if its bali or batam can go many times.. uk for a week i was hoping can do more while i'm there.. who knows whens the next time or will there even be

 

[Shen siung]

Sounds typically Singaporean bro...
Rush rush rush like a Chan Bros refugee....
You may wish to slow down. Personally I do not like waking up in a different hotel every morning...

Cheers

I must say it all depends on individual. Not everyone got the money and time to return to Uk every 2 or 3 years. So, sometimes have to maximize the place of visit in a relatively short time.

And the rushing thing, sometimes is depends. Some people find it is fulfilling to wake up in 7 am everyday and start day trip at 8, and only return to hotel at 10 pm, while others will see this as super tired.

some people just feel 2 night in London is too much, Some say 1 week is not enough. So, it all depends on individual.

 

[Alpc]

Well... I spent 5 days in Lake District... Still not enough time!!!!

 

[crapex]

haha that is so true! actually i'm only in my early twenties.. i "hope" i'll get the chance to return and tour europe someday.. well first time while still young rush abit ok la nxt re-visit shall be much much slower paced! lol.. anyway i'll be trying to get my return ticket changed to manchester airport hopefully they can get it done that way i wont have to rush back to london.. which means i need to replan again! haha!

anyway THANKS ALOT for the input guys!! u guys are great! lol.. i'll ask more when i hav queries

 

[Shen siung]

haha that is so true! actually i'm only in my early twenties.. i "hope" i'll get the chance to return and tour europe someday.. well first time while still young rush abit ok la nxt re-visit shall be much much slower paced! lol.. anyway i'll be trying to get my return ticket changed to manchester airport hopefully they can get it done that way i wont have to rush back to london.. which means i need to replan again! haha!

anyway THANKS ALOT for the input guys!! u guys are great! lol.. i'll ask more when i hav queries

If the flight cannot be changed, you may try to book a domestic budget flight from Manchester to London. Ryanair / easyJet / Thomson should have. But the drawback is these flight usually touch down at other London Airport beside Heathrow.

alternatively, you can take a train from Manchester to London Waterloo or London Paddington, the latter offer a fast airport train to Heathorw, at a costly price (16.5 pound if not wrong)

For train in UK, try to book at least about 6 week ahead. You will get cheaper rate. You can book online using credit card.