1. You run very little risk of not finding anyplace to stay. You risk 1) spending more time and energy than you’d like traipsing around looking for a place 2) not getting in at the popular place you wanted to stay. Book 1st night in advance (so you don’t arrive jet-lagged, sleep-deprived, culture-shocked AND homeless) and book last night at least a week in advance so you can work out plans A and B for getting to the airport to catch your (usually early morning) flight home. After that, you can either “wing it” or try to book a few days to a week in advance by internet or phone. If you arrive in a city by mid-afternoon the tourist information or hotel booking kiosk in the train station will find you someplace to stay.
2. Read the stickys and some old posts on the “cheap flights” forum.
3.

Don’t try to visit too many places. If you want to do history, night-life and experience the culture you’ll want to spend at least 3 days in each city — 4 or more in places like Rome, Paris, London.
4. Staying in hostels. Spending time in parks, non-tourist pubs and cafes. Buying food in local shops.
5. Swiss Army knife and small pen-light flashlight
6. Can’t take the Swiss Army knife in carry-on, but if you can fit all your stuff in a pack that meets the carry-on requirements, then go for it . You can carry 3 ounces of any liquid as long as all liquids, gels, etc. are in a 1 quart, clear zip-loc bag. Either transfer your solution to a less than 3 oz bottle, buy a “travel kit” or ask your eye care professional for a “starter kit” as those usually have 2 or 3 oz bottles. You can buy contact lens solution in Europe, but if you have to have a specific brand it’s best to take it with you as it might be hard to find your brand.

There are exceptions, but generally a round-trip (or even an open-mouth, where you arrive in one place but return from another) costs far less than two one-way tickets, and when you arrive they are more comfortable at immigration control if you have proof that you are returning.

I was told years ago that Europeans consider a wash cloth a personal item, like a toothbrush, so often lodgings don’t provide one. My wife and I always carry one, but haven’t needed it in recent years.

European electricity differs from ours, so anything you take that runs on electricity should either be battery powered, or be wired for 100-200, 50 and 60 cycles. Chargers and plugs are labeled to show this.

We do extensive research before each trip, then decide how much time to spend in each location. I plan vacant days, to allow flexibility. Have a list of absolutely everything you might want to see in each location, and when they are open. Have more on your list than you can see, and pick your visits after you arrive; anticipate that you will not be able to see them all.

Most new travelers don’t realize how long they will spend getting from site to site and checking in and out, so they cram too much into their plan and end up tired and grumpy. Its more pleasant to take your time; you can always add items from your list if you have extra time (the list is so you don’t have to spend time looking up what to see, as you will already have that information).

1. If being really flexible and resourceful freaks you out, then you should book most, if not all, hostels in advance—esp. if you want to stay i popular hostels. With good planning, knowing your alternatives, and the ability to keep a good attitude if you take a chance and can’t get available beds, you should be fine. If you want to wing it, then know your options. I think it’s a good idea to at least book the first couple of nights in each must see location.

2. You need to be able to show proof of onward travel within 90 days of arrival to Schengen border, and within 180 days of arrival in UK. A flight receipt is the normal and customary proof. Check at top of our cheap flights forum for “nifty visa checking tool” link to find details on your entry requirements.

Let the start and end date of your trip be the bookends, and everything inbetween can be as flexible as you can tolerate.

3. Good planning. The popular travel guides such as Let’s Go, Lonely Planet, Rick Steves, etc. can fill you in. Your nearest library or bookstore has all or some of these. There are even some travel guide vids online, such as the Rick Steves channel on Hulu.

4. Hostels.

5. Dryer sheets.

6. Check it. Take a smaller carryon for valuables and contact solution. Bottles max 3.4 oz. / 100 cl are fine, albeit TSA reportedly have not been enforcing liquid rules in recent months.

You know, I’ve HEARD this before, but I have never been asked to physically show anyone proof that I’m going to be moving along; if anything, they just ask how many days I’ll be staying…

Feicht, check the visa checking tool link on cheap flights. Member countries have some discretion in their interpretation, but generally, this be ‘da rules, and the penalties can be harsh. As long as you don’t look like a tramp and have enough baggage that they think you’re probably relocating, you should be fine in most cases… but that’s no guarantee. For someone who really wants to enter on a one-way ticket, I think it’s better to book a very cheap one-way Ryanair flight out within the allowed days. It might cost you $10, but having this Ryanair receipt on you could help avoid a lot of hassles. There’s still risk after that, of course.

That’s interesting… What if I brought my documents for my residency permit in Salzburg? That’s still just weird to me though. I mean, I know that technically you need to verify you’ll be leaving at some point, it’s just the most I have ever been asked is how long I planned on staying, which is usually “3 days” or something, and it’s just left at that…

But anyway, what about like a receipt for the boat from Oslo to Copenhagen? Would that work instead of buying a plane ticket I don’t need?

DK and NO are Schengen, so that doesn’t show proof of leaving Schengen border. I’m guessing your school told you to just show up with something like a notarized birth certificate + passport + school confirmation letter, and present it to the local police dept? Amirite? In your case, the plan is clear and can be easily verified, so I don’t think you’d have much to worry about. However, if your school advised you to get your visa ahead of time, then of course you should do that.

Nah, we don’t need visas if we’re staying more than 6 months, apparently. We just have to apply for the residence permit in Salzburg once we get there. But yeah, we are to bring like a police report, several copies of birth certificate, etc.

Do it according to yourselves, not according to “what most people do”. There is no statistics what people prefer, anyway. Pros: might be cheaper, will not sell out. Cons: if you decide to stay a bit longer, you’ve wasted your money.

Move to Europe, live there for a couple of years, make new acquaintances, learn the language, blend into some local collective. You’ll become a local and you’ll know exactly what tourists miss

Start talking to them on trains or in pubs.

If I’d never think of it, how do you expect me to list it?

Backpack, into the cargo. Contact lenses and their liquid, into the cabin. I’m sure there is a volume limit, yes, but I don’t think they will forbid to take the contact lens liquid onboard. If they do, don’t worry, believe me, every town in Europe sells contact lens liquids.