quote:Being an American and female, will I have alot of trouble over there? Obviously, my parents think Im nuts and are quite worried about me being alone over there and I know that I have to be extremely careful.

First time i traveled alone (i went to US), my parents were all the same. My father even tried to bribe me to not go, lol!

Don’t forget to call them often to give them the news.

I can’t really tell about the rest since i haven’t been in Europe yet (i’m planning to go next year so i am in the same boat than you).

You will never be alone, you will meet so many new people on your travels. I have made so many new friends when I travelled by myself, you will meet heaps of people in hostels at night time, which is good when you want to do the ‘nite things’
Barcelona and Prague might be rushing things, I did enjoy Vienna, but there is always mixed reviews about that city.
Remember Europeans celebrate Christmas, so make sure you are prepared for nothing to be open and you are booked somewhere then.
As sourlemonpie suggest, keep in contact, email all the time
have fun

oh yeah, for Paris I stayed at the Hotel Caulaincourt Square www.caulaincourt.com I found it to be clean and comfortable, breakfast is included but worth it to set you up for the day. The metro (Lamarck Caulaincourt) is just around the corner, and only 20 minutes away for the main center. The best part was no screaming kids.

As far as hostels in Paris, what are you looking for? Clean? Party? Good sleep? You usually can’t get all at the same place.

I would try to put Vienna in, though I haven’t been there yet myself. Since you won’t be shoulder to shoulder with a million tourists it would probably be a more enjoyable time to go.

Cinque Terre would also be good, but I’ve only been in the summer. I wouldn’t plan to spend as much time there in the winter as the summer though.

I think you’ll feel safer there than here most of the time. Some of the precautions you would take over here seem silly there.

For the rail pass I would get one of the 10 travel days in a month type ones. Sounds like you’ll be there just over a month and have 11 places to see, which you might want to cut down a little.

How much room do you have on the cc? You’ll probably need $50-$70 on living expenses plus airfare and rail pass. $1000 won’t last too long.

It looks like you’ve got a good plan going, have fun!

No good hostels in Paris
some OK ones
The best hostel site is bugeurope.com
if you want a hotel instead, try eurocheap.com/paris

I stayed at the BVJ Quartier Latin . Ok. Got grossed out by the dorm room so paid 35 euros for a single. For 40 euros you can get a HOTEL! room in Paris. Also checked out the MIJE place. Not impressed.

I’d recommend reading Rick Steves Paris for hints. I also like Let’s Go as a guide book. that was a tour book for Paris and France. Aix in November may not be what you expect.

Also, I’d get out of Brussels as fast as you can and just go to Bruges right away. It’s only an hour train ride. Happy travels

Hey guys!
thanks for all your advice..
I have my airfare covered already with some stays with friends in Brussels, Aix and Bologna.
Hostels wise in Paris – Im looking for somewhere where I can meet genuine travelers but still have the place safe. Cleanliness is not high on my important list as I have probably had the dirtiest dorm room ever in college. I would like to avoid bed bugs though!

Is there anyone out there that has been to europe in the winter? I just hope I dont miss out by going when its cold, but I also know there are perks.
thanks for all your help

I was in the UK in January. Cold and wet but still lots of fun. Things are way less crowded and sometimes cheaper, so it will still be a good trip.

I think you’ll feel pretty safe in any hostel once you get used to it. Still take precautions, but you should be fine. If you want to meet travelers and don’t care about cleanliness go for the 3 Ducks Hostel. I don’t think there is anyplace in the world where its easier to meet people than any hostel with a bar so think about that when you’re looking through the guide book for a place to stay.

brilliant hostel in paris, peace and love hostel in north of the city bout 500 metre walk from gare du nord i think. its busy so book ahead. its run by a woman from america got a good pub though it is slightly expensive.

"brilliant hostel in paris, peace and love hostel in north of the city bout 500 metre walk from gare du nord i think. its busy so book ahead. its run by a woman from america got a good pub though it is slightly expensive."

I’m a 23 year old american first timer too, and have managed to book this place from the 24- 29 of December. I hear a lot of good things about the place, so if your there, hit me up and let me know!!

Between Paris and Aix, you could stop in Dijon, Beaune, Lyon, Orange, Avignon, and Arles.
In December, the weather around Cinque Terre might be cloudy and rainy, so it might not be the best time to be there.
During winter, train stations are cold, since they’re open to the air. If you have long waits for trains, find a cafe and sip something. Enclosed lounges are sometimes available, but are often reserved for first-class passengers.

Avignon wasn’t awesome when i went in May the year i went, i doubt it would be much better if you go

the Papal Palace really isn’t that cool
The mistral was but really i’d recommend not stopping in Avignon.

i’m a 20 year old american studying in paris right now, and i new some people who stayed at hotel caulincourt for a few nights. i went up there to meet up with them and it was in a pretty cool location. it’s on top of montmartre, which is the hill in paris where le sacre coeur is. at the bottom of the hill (less than 10 mins walking) is the moulin rouge. im not sure how it is money wise though.

as for you being by yourself… i think you’ll be fine. ive had some problems just bc the men here looove american women apparently, but ive learned to just ignore them for the most part, and pretend not to speak french or english when necessary! im also going to italy for xmas for 2 weeks by myself, and i’ve heard that it’s not even a big deal, bc it’s so easy to meet people in hostels that you won’t even really be alone.

good luck and have fun!!

Hey all

thanks for all the insight. Leaving on Wednesday and finally getting over the nervousness and replacing it with excitement. When I got my rail pass I didnt realize the Netherlands and Luxembourg were included in the my 5 country pass. Anywho – going to pop down to Leuven to see some friends then get out of Brussels and head straight to Amsterdam. From amsterdam I will go to Bruges then Paris. Heres the new itinerary.

Chicago to Brussels
Leuven to Amsterdam
Bruges
Paris
Aix En Provence
Gimmelwald/Interlaken
Salzburg
Munich
Rome
Florence
Bologna
Back to the USA

Please give me any other advice.. where to stay in Munich? I added it because there is no overnight train to Rome from Salzburg.. and hey whynot – Munich would be a short bus ride.