1. Even if you donīt particularly like London, getting there in the summer ex-US can often cost several hundred dollars less than airfare to just about any other city in Europe, so that it can be cheaper to go there first and travel onwards w/separately-purchased tickets (Eurostar, budget airline or even standard airline flight). www.counciltravel.com and www.statravel.com have student airfares that are often cheaper than published airfares (especially if youīre departing after June 15 when published airfares shoot through the roof). www.tiss.com has a large inventory of consolidator fares, but these often donīt earn miles (if thatīs a consideration, you should ask before you buy). If you want to fly into Paris, I think that lowestfare.com will discount TWA flights by 25% off the lowest published fare.

2. If you plan on staying at a lot of hostels, itīs probably worthwhile to buy the HI European directory (or if you can plan in advance, just go to www.hiayh.org and follow the links to get the same info online). When travelling around Europe, my favorite hostels were the ones just outside the major cities. They often cost a lot less (e.g. one that I stayed at just outside Paris was only $6 a night - in July!),are less crowded, and give you the chance to really experience the local culture. In most countries, the public transit is good enough that getting there isnīt a problem, but in some (e.g. Germany) the high cost of transportation might eliminate any savings.

3. My favorites that arenīt on your list include Florence, Venice, and Monaco (or just about any place on the cote dīazure - that region is breathtakingly beautiful).

One last suggestion - if youīll be following a roughly linear path through the continent, it will likely be cheaper to buy a one-way rail ticket with stops (if youīre under 26 you can save even more w/a BIJ ticket) than a rail pass.

(edited to make hyperlinks work)

[This message has been edited by yonatan (edited 12-22-2000).]