AshCat

Hi everyone!

I am an American women in my early 20s planning to travel to Europe for the first time this April. But I am so overwhelmed by all the possibilities! I don't want to miss more than a week of work so I'm looking at about 5 nights in Europe and 2-3 destinations.

I've never traveled on my own and never been to Europe. I've been looking between either a trip around Amsterdam, Cologne, and Belgium, or maybe the UK and Ireland...any thoughts? I feel so overwhelmed.

Money is something to keep in mind but I don't have a set budget yet. Any advice or suggestions are very much appreciated!

Thank you!

ldsant

Welcome to FT! I would highly suggest that you select one country to explore on your first trip to Europe. Otherwise, you won't remember what you saw and will be trying to cram everything in in a relatively short time. Or select one "large" country e.g., France and then take the train to another country e.g., Belgium. Copenhagen is very expensive. Have a wonderful time and enjoy your trip! Remember. . .Europe isn't "going anywhere." Pick a place and enjoy yourself.

RTW1

That's a city trip.... not traveling in Europe :-).

Just pick one destination to fly to and maybe supplement it with one (day) trips to another destination. Otherwise with all the traveling you won't see a thing.

And since most countries are quite different from each other advice on which one to visit is kinda personal. I wouldn't go to the UK/Ireland since I feel that an English speaking country is too similar from where you are coming from. But that can also be an advantage....

I would probably go somewhere a bit warm like Madrid/Barcelona or Lisbon.

SkiAdcock

If the OP is feeling a bit overwhelmed by her first trip overseas, I actually would recommend a place like traveling to London. They have a similar language so the OP would feel comfortable, but there's enough different about it compared to the US. Plus she could do a day trip out to Oxford or Cambridge or Windsor. Most of the airlines fly there, so flights are plentiful & there's a wide variety of housing price points.

Alternatively, Amsterdam could be a good choice because the Dutch speak really good English so it's not overwhelming & yet it's still European. Again, most of the airlines fly there so flights are plentiful & again, wide range of housing prices. Plus she could do some day trips.

Cheers.

shippeb

Well, spend some time thinking about why you want to visit Europe. Is there an aspect of Europe that interests you most -- Templar castles? Indie rock bands? Roman ruins? Alternative substances? Cathedrals? Once you know why you want to go, then you can figure out where you want to go.

And language competence is a big thing in some countries. How comfortable do you feel navigating in a strange city, jetlagged, while speaking the local language as best you can?

I agree with previous posters, though, pick one or two cities and stay there, don't try to "see Europe" in 5 days. It can be done, but you'll hate it.

And please, I'm not trying to be snarky in the above guidance, these are steps I use to figure out where I want to go and what I want to do there.

Redhead

Very good advice.

I backpacked for weeks around Europe at that age and highly recommend that for such a short trip you pick a city and then maybe daytrips around.

First - what are your interests? This will help narrow down the trip
Second - Consider the points above - language, comfort in navigation, etc.

Personally, I adore London and it is easy to spend a week there.
Take a couple of days in London itself and then a day trip to either Oxford, Cambridge or maybe Bath

Another favourite is Paris. You could spend days just exploring the city, then a day trip to the Loire Valley, another to Versailles.

Barcelona is also great, but as much as I love it (and I lived in Spain for several years), I don't see it as a full week and to really explore outside you'll want a car. But if you want to party, then this is a great city!

Philatravelgirl

Congrats on first solo trip! First thing is get a budget idea as that will direct you, then decide why you want to go away - what do you want to see? do? do you want to meet others? What is driving force of trip?
5 days limits you to one city IMO as you need to factor in jet lag if you are not used to it. London is great first time international trip with a plethora of options outside of city and the comforts of English. you can walk everywhere or use public transit. lots of flexibility, lots of choice

CDTraveler

If you only have 1 week, are unfamiliar with international travel and don't speak a second language (do you?), then go to London. You'll get a chance to deal with a foreign currency, new ways of doing everyday things (why do the British eat nearly raw bacon?) and see lots of amazing sites without being stressed by a language issue. Not to mention amazing museums, shops and more shops. Really, London in April has something for about every taste except downhill skiers. Kew Gardens should be gorgeous then.

To get a better feel of the city, try to stay in a bed and breakfast where you can talk to people instead of at an anonymous chain hotel. Often the B&B staff can give you great suggestions of places to eat in the area. The London tourist bureau website has info on B&B's.

If you want to explore a bit outside of the city, take guided bus trips to Stonehenge, Bath, Oxford, etc. or if you feel confident, take day trips on your own via train.

Whatever you do, don't try to visit 3 places in a week. You'll see nothing but the inside of trains or buses, be constantly schlepping your bag around and not get a sense of the character of any one place.

MSPeconomist

Copenhagen is also interesting, easy, and almost everyone speaks English well.

Paris and Barcelona are also great, but they're a bit more challenging. Barcelona will be relatively warm and pleasant at this time of year.

cargo13

If you are a 1st timer to Europe and traveling solo, you may want to tour with an organized group. Dont think that its old folks on a bus tour, my travel agent set me up with G Adventures which caters to the younger traveler, has down time/free time to explore on your own, and well over half our tour was solo travelers from around the world (mostly from Canada and Australia--English speakers). We toured Asia with G Adventures and loved it but G Adventures has tours in Europe as well.

Check G Adventures and if you want value add of a travel agent to make recommendations, try Kathy Doyle ([email protected]) or tel: 1-800-322-7720 ext. 6207

fleedc

I agree that for your first solo trip to Europe, somewhere like London might be best. They speak English, but there's still enough "foreign" experiences to where you feel like you're in a new place. Once you've taken your first solo trip, it's likely you'll have the confidence to go other places alone, even places where you don't know the language.

With that said, my first solo trip (which was also my first trip outside of the US) was to Spain, and although I didn't know much Spanish when I arrived I was still able to manage just fine. So, if there's a particular destination you've always dreamed of visiting, go for it, even if it's someplace where you don't speak the language.

Also, another thing - you mention taking a week off of work and having five days for your vacation. Assuming you work a 8-5, M-F kind of job, if you leave after work on Friday and don't return until the following Sunday, then you'll actually have seven full days to enjoy (eight nights), with a day on either side for traveling. I think you could do two different destinations with that time if you wanted (3 days in one place, 4 in another).

Consultette

I would highly recommend Amsterdam - it ended up being one of my favorite places I have ever visited. Spent all of my time there alone when not at work. Everyone speaks English and is more than willing to demonstrate their skills (plus, all the tall gorgeous men had me in a constant state of awe). Renting a bike gave me a lot of "freedom" and I would recommend that over trying to get around the city via public transit.

I would also recommend London, however did not find it as enjoyable as Amsterdam. Very easy to get around, public transit makes most of the city accessible (although don't rely too heavily on the timetable - nothing ever seems to run on time there). If you haven't been to New York, I would definitely recommend checking it out. Otherwise seeing the tourist sights will probably be enough of "seeing" the city.

One thing you can consider is flying into either London or Amsterdam, transiting to the other via train (the Eurostar) and departing from the second city. Via the Eurostar you will have a stop in Brussels where you can transit to the city for a bit of time. You can then continue on your way to either Amsterdam or London.

I have noticed that there is no difference in flights price-wise between "LAX->LHR->LAX" and "LAX->LHR, AMS -> LAX" itineraries (i.e. there may not be a fare difference for your route if you book a trip like that vs. a true round-trip).

One thing to keep in mind, London prices make New York look affordable and the USD/GBP FX rate (currently about 1.7) makes it even worse. I would make sure you have enough saved to enjoy any time in the UK. The USD/Euro FX rate is about 1.3 and the prices ended up being fairly consistent with what I pay back home when I was in Amsterdam.

High-level example which would really apply to pretty much anything - Chipotle at home in LA: $8.48, Chipotle in New York: $10.50, Chipotle in London: $14.50 USD equivalent, California Burrito Company (Chipotle alternative) in Amsterdam: $10 USD equivalent