travel advice & savings
 
RAIL PASSES — GUARANTEED LOWEST PRICES at RAILPASS.COM — Click Here
2 replies
nightlife in the cities that I am going to....
Tue, 01/17/2006 - 16:20
ndsind1
ndsind1's profile picture
New Member
New Member
Eurotrip Points: 11
Member: 3821
Joined: 01/03/2007
User offline. Last seen 18 years 46 weeks ago.

Hey everyone

I am 18 and will be going to Europe this June with some friends. I’ve done a studied for a semester in Cadiz, Spain, but other than that, I’m a first timer traveling in Europe. I am probably going to go to the following cities (in order or in reverse order) and wanted opinions from experienced travelers: Madrid, Barcelona, Paris, Geneva, Rome, Athens.

A friend of mine told me that I shouldn’t go to Athens and I would be better off going to Austria or Germany instead. What do you guys think? It seems like a long train ride from Rome to Berlin. Is it worth it?

I also wanted to know where are the best (and cheapest) hostels, clubs, and restaurants in these cities. Thanks!

Wed, 01/18/2006 - 16:33
#1
delfrio
delfrio's profile picture
Eurotripper
EurotripperEurotripperEurotripperEurotripperEurotripper
Eurotrip Points: 1053
Member: 816
Joined: 01/03/2007
User offline. Last seen 11 years 31 weeks ago.

Haven’t been to Athens, but I’ve heard the same thing you have. As for Geneva, not sure what you’re expecting from there, but 2 days is plenty. You’re best bet would be to sub in smaller towns along the track you’re taking. Every country you’ve mentioned has good places along the way.

Thu, 01/19/2006 - 13:10
#2
nomad
nomad's profile picture
Member
MemberMember
Eurotrip Points: 113
Member: 2520
Joined: 01/03/2007
User offline. Last seen 14 years 33 weeks ago.

Hey ndsind1!!!

Sound like you’ve got a great trip planned….been to most of those spots, so hopefully I can be of some help.

Athens really seems to get a bad rap (sometimes rightly so). Been there a number of times on my way to the Greek islands. Not a bad place for a couple nights – enough time to see the Parthenon/Acroplois, Olympic sites, etc. A great place to stay in Madrid is Cat’s Hostel, which only opened a couple years back. Clean, safe, and helpful staff. Also very central – can be booked on hostelworld.com. For Barcelona, SeaPoint Hostel is my choice. It’s right on the beach/next to the marina. There is a great cafe/restaurant on the beach about a 5 minute walk from the hostel, which has great specials (around 5 euros for a pint of beer, chicken and chips). There is a fantastic pub crawl in Barcelona – should be brochures in the hostel. You’ll meet tons of fellow travellers but make sure you don’t have a flight out the next morning like I did!!!!
If you decide to go to Berlin, there are cheap flights on Easyjet from Athens and Rome(often much cheaper than train, and only a 2 hour flight). Have seen prices of 34 euros + tax o/w from Rome to berlin. And a train ride between those two place would take minimum 17 hours!!! Lastly Berlin, one of my favourite cities. Fantastic walking tour (www.insidertour.com) packs a ton of history into 3 or 4 hours. They also offer a great pub crawl. Can easily spend 5 or 6 nights in Berlin and not even see a fraction of the city!!! Great place to stay is A&O Hostel am Zoo (right next to Zoologishcer Garten Rail Station – Zoo for short). Very handy location-wise. A good tip for travellers to Berlin is to get a trasit pass, and take the 100 Bus (double decker) which leaves right from Zoo Station every few minutes. It goes by many of the most important historical sites in the city (Brandenburg Gate, Reichstag, etc.) and you can hop on and off at will – saves the cost of a tour!!!

Hope that helps – maybe I’ll see you over there!!

Greg