With just a few more projects, papers, and exams separating you from the warmth and adventure of summer vacation, now is the ideal time for the world travelers among us to get a jump on those summer plans. If jetting off to Europe is on your mind, I talked to some ladies who are experts on everything from where to stay, to how to travel and what to eat. Best of all, each chose to explore Europe in a totally different way. What girl doesn’t love having options? Read on for some inspiration, then start planning your own adventure!
The Independent Explorer: Kelly Quinlan, Harvard University
Refusing to be tied down by the itineraries of fellow travelers, Kelly spent three weeks traveling solo through six cities in four countries. “I was able to see whatever I wanted, eat wherever I wanted, [and] sleep as late or wake up as early as I felt like it,” she says. Kelly’s tour started in London, where she met up with a friend who was studying abroad. The two girls flew to Berlin together to celebrate New Year’s Eve, where they stayed in a hostel and met tons of other travelers. After three days in Berlin, Kelly was ready to venture out alone.
After three days in Paris, Kelly learned that even a language barrier couldn’t stop her from soaking up every bit of culture the city had to offer. Next, she boarded a train to Nice, on the southern coast of France, and spent the day wandering the streets and exploring the galleries.
Two days later, it was time for a new country again. Kelly traveled by train to Milan, exploring what the street markets had to offer and feeling the sticker shock of the city’s high-end shopping. Just two days later, Florence was calling her name. In Kelly’s words, Florence and Paris are tied for the award of “most amazing city.”
“It’s a fantastic place to just explore by yourself,” she says. “And the gelato… no words.”
After three nights and two days in Rome, Kelly was ready to go home. “Nothing makes you appreciate home like seeing the whole world,” she says.
Behind the scenes:Kelly started by booking a flight from the U.S. to London and from Rome to back home. She made reservations at hostels and hotels for her first three cities, but decided against buying train or plane tickets ahead of time, with the exception of the flight from London to Berlin. “I wanted to be able to figure it out as I went along,” she says. “Sometimes this was challenging, but it always worked out.”
Romantic, Relaxing, and Slightly Spontaneous: Windsor Hanger, Harvard University
With college graduation fast approaching, Windsor and her boyfriend started planning their Italian adventure. Though the plane tickets were a graduation gift, every other detail was up to them. “We needed a place where we could get around without speaking the language,” says Windsor. Since neither of them has been to Italy before, hitting the big cities (Venice, Florence and Rome) is an absolute must.
Wasting no time at all, the couple is flying out of Boston just two days after graduation. The plan is to spend two days in Venice, two days in Florence and three in Rome. Windsor’s only requirement is that one of those days be spent at the Vatican. Also on the list of must-see spots and activities are the Colosseum in Rome and a Gondola ride through Venice. “Other than that, we’re planning on each bringing a travel guide and planning during our meals to be a little spontaneous,” Windsor says.
The biggest challenge in planning this type of vacation was staying within a budget. After a terrible experience with lice and bed bugs in a budget hotel in Paris last summer, Windsor decided it was more important to spend a bit more on a nice hotel this time around. For that reason, they budgeted $200 a night for hotels, $50 a day for food, and $200 total for admission to museums and other activities. That meant a few months of serious saving, but Windsor knew that the reward would be well worth it.
Windsor’s Best Budget Planning Tips: Head to Eurail.com and buy a discounted youth ticket for train travel throughout the entire European Union or just one country. Windsor decided to buy a three-day ticket, which lets her pick any three days to travel throughout Italy at a much cheaper price than individual tickets. Save even more by booking hotels that have breakfast included. It’s one less meal you have to worry about. Finally, Windsor learned that, while discount travel sites like Travelocity an Expedia advertise the best deals, this isn’t always the case. She found the best price on her airline’s own page, so make sure to do your research.
The Study Abroad Side-Tripper: Lia Calabro
Right before college, Lia and a friend jetted off to Amsterdam before spending some time with Lia’s family in Italy. They then traveled to Greece with no set plans and wound up taking a last-minute boat ride through the Greek Islands. To finish off their adventure, the two girls ventured to Madrid and Morocco. That sense of adventure was renewed when Lia arrived in London to study abroad.
While the typical college student celebrates the end of the weekend by going to parties and sleeping until noon, Lia decided to make the most of her weekends abroad in England by leaving the country for a few days. “I wasn’t sure if I’d have that type of opportunity again,” she says. “I wanted to see as much as I could and go to as many countries as I could.” Lia and her friends made the decision to rely on last-minute decisions for their weekend trips, but Lia was no stranger to traveling around Europe. She spent one weekend in Venice and another in Amsterdam, trying to be as spontaneous as possible. After her time in London was over, Lia wasn’t ready to go home. She found a cheap flight to Nice and traveled by train for awhile before returning to New Jersey.
“The only downside of being spontaneous is that you miss out on a lot because you don’t do research beforehand,” says Lia. It’s also important to know when being organized is an absolute must, like checking train or bus times and making sure there are hostels nearby. That said, Lia has no regrets about her method of travel, knowing that there are some experiences she’d never have with a more planned out adventure.
A smart girl’s guide to spontaneity: When Lia left London, she always brought a list of all the hostels in the area, complete with addresses and phone numbers. When she arrived, she found the nearest Internet cafe and did some basic research on the area. Once that basic planning is done, it’s time to figure things out as you go. Lia’s favorite way to explore a new city was talking with other travelers staying in hostels. “It’s more interesting that way,” she says.
Ted Friedli, owner of the travel agency, Excel Travel, gave a checklist of what you should go over before jetting off to Europe:
- What are the requirements for passport or visa validity? Some countries won’t accept a passport that expires within a certain amount of time. Double check so you don’t have any hold-ups at the airport. Do this now because it can sometimes take up to eight weeks to get a new passport.
- Does your hotel have any representation in the U.S.? While you may feel completely safe leaving the country, a connection to home is always a good idea. It’s easier to confirm that the place where you’re staying has a good reputation.
- Will your credit card company charge extra fees if you use the card abroad? This is a surefire way to ruin an otherwise relaxing vacation. Also check your ATM card policy. With exchange rates constantly changing and added charges everywhere, you don’t want to get charged as much as you take out.
- What is your health insurance coverage overseas? While no one wants to assume the worst, this is still an important question.
- Will your cell phone or laptop work where you’re going? You may have to switch your phone to an international plan or get a prepaid phone and calling card when you arrive. Otherwise, long distance charges can really add up (if your phone works at all).
But before I send you on your way to plan that amazing summer trip, here are a few more of Friedli’s tips for taking the hassle out of the planning process.
- Understand the risks of booking your trip online or booking directly through websites without U.S. representation.
- Don’t be misled by discount offers. 50 percent is not necessarily the lowest price.
- Don’t skimp on the research or just read reviews online. Talk to people who have been there, ideally a travel agent.
Sources
Ted Friedli, owner Excel Travel
Kelly Quinlan, Harvard University
Windsor Hanger, Harvard University
Lia Calabro, Syracuse University
Photo Sources
http://www.visitedeurope.com/articlelist.asp?vt=Archives&aMonth=3&aYear=2008
http://www.european.travel/images/european_travel/european_travel_250x251.jpg