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A Month Backpackin' Through Western Europe

In and around Europe

We've graduated and now it's time to have a little bit of fun.  A month-long backpacking trip through Western Europe sounds delightful, doesn't it?  We thought so.  So, here we go!  Places to look out for:(in order) London, Oslo, Paris, Zermatt, Interlaken, Venice, Florence, Rome, Nice, Monaco, Barcelona, and Madrid.  Of course some extra day trips will be included - so watch out!

Route taken and entries by Real Traveler TJ and Melissa

  1. 1

    Our First Day

    London, United Kingdom | Jun 04 '07 | Reviews: 2

    Well, we've made it to London!  After a delay in the flight from L.A. to S.F., we made it on time to London in the morning.  We decided t... Continue reading »

     see 6 photos »    see 2 places visited »  
  2. 2

    Day 2 - London

    London, United Kingdom | Jun 05 '07 | Reviews: 2
    Our second day in London.  We're a little recharged now and not so jetlagged so it's time to continue.  Since we caved in yesterday and bo... Continue reading »
     see 5 photos »    see 2 places visited »  
  3. 3

    Days 3-4: London

    London, United Kingdom | Jun 06 '07 | Reviews: 1
    Day 3 On day 3 of our London trip, we decided to do a very thorough tour of the Tower of London.  We joined in on a free guided tour.  Our... Continue reading »
     see 4 photos »    see 1 place visited »  
  4. 4

    Day 5: Oslo

    Oslo, Norway | Jun 08 '07 | Reviews: 1
    Well, we arrived at 11:00 p.m. last night.  THE SUN HADN'T GONE DOWN YET!  Because we took a cheapy airline, it flew us into an Oslo airport... Continue reading »
     see 5 photos »    see 1 place visited »  
  5. 5

    Day 6: Norway in a Nutshell

    Bergen, Norway | Jun 09 '07 | Reviews: 1

    Today, we embarked on our Norway in a Nutshell tour, which we reserved prior to our U.S. departure.  TJ says this is a must when coming to Nor... Continue reading »

     see 8 photos »    see 1 place visited »  
  6. 6

    Day 7: Oslo

    Oslo, Norway | Jun 10 '07 | Reviews: 1
    Today we started off on a bit of a late start since we arrived back from our Norway in a Nutshell trip at about 6:00 a.m. this morning.  We took... Continue reading »
     see 4 photos »    see 1 place visited »  
  7. 7

    Day 8: Oslo

    Oslo, Norway | Jun 11 '07 | Reviews: 2
    Today, we were off to see some sights.  We walked towards Akershus Fortress.  This castle and fortress is situated right along the water.&nb... Continue reading »
     see 3 photos »    see 2 places visited »  
  8. 8

    Days 9 & 10: Paris

    Paris, France | Jun 12 '07 | Reviews: 1
    Day 9:  We got in from Oslo to London oh so very late at night.  We took the National Express, England's bus service, from London Stansted t... Continue reading »
     see 4 photos »    see 1 place visited »  
  9. 9

    Day 11: Versailles

    Versailles, France | Jun 14 '07 | Reviews: 1
    We were off bright and early to go to Versailles, the palace that many of those Louis's ruled from, and of course, Marie Antoinette.  We hopped o... Continue reading »
     see 4 photos »    see 1 place visited »  
  10. 10

    Day 12: Paris

    Paris, France | Jun 15 '07 | Reviews: 0

    Last day in Paris - sad, we know.  We woke up super early today to pack up all of our stuff and check out.  We went downstairs for our la... Continue reading »

     see 5 photos »  
  11. 11

    Day 13: Interlaken

    Interlaken, Switzerland | Jun 16 '07 | Reviews: 1
    We left Paris last night at 7:00 p.m.  That was interesting.  We realized that we hadn't REALLY looked at our train tickets carefully and we... Continue reading »
     see 5 photos »    see 1 place visited »  
  12. 12

    Day 14: Thun

    Thun, Switzerland | Jun 17 '07 | Reviews: 0

    Today, after a much-needed deep sleep, we took the train to Thun, a city (or village) that's on the way to Interlaken from Bern.  It's about a... Continue reading »

     see 5 photos »  
  13. 13

    Day 15 & 16: Zermatt

    Zermatt, Switzerland | Jun 18 '07 | Reviews: 3

    Day 15:   We left Interlaken at around 7:30 a.m.  We arrived at Zermatt at around 11:30 this morning.  Zermatt is wonderful.&nb... Continue reading »

     see 7 photos »    see 3 places visited »  
  14. 14

    Day 17: Dole

    Dole, France | Jun 20 '07 | Reviews: 0

    So, this entry will be really short.  Why, you ask?  Simple.  This whole day we were in transit, and we would have put it as a "dual... Continue reading »

     see 1 photo »  
  15. 15

    Day 18: Venice

    Venice, Italy | Jun 21 '07 | Reviews: 1

    **** A MORE UPDATED VERSION (since our time in the other internet cafe was rushed)

    Our first day in Venice and Italy is off to a great start... Continue reading »

     see 3 photos »    see 1 place visited »  
  16. 16

    Day 19: Venice

    Venice, Italy | Jun 22 '07 | Reviews: 1

    Today was definitely a day of exploring.  We pretty much got rid of our maps for today and decided to just get lost in Venice.  Our hotel... Continue reading »

     see 3 photos »    see 1 place visited »  
  17. 17

    Day 20: Venice/Florence

    Florence, Italy | Jun 23 '07 | Reviews: 1

    Today, we decided to take it easy since we were leaving mid-afternoon for Florence.  We woke up and decided to go back to... of course... Piaz... Continue reading »

     see 3 photos »    see 1 place visited »  
  18. 18

    Day 21: Florence

    Florence, Italy | Jun 24 '07 | Reviews: 2

    It was quite hard to wake up this morning.. we think the toll of the trip is finally getting to us.  We finally woke ourselves up at around 9:... Continue reading »

     see 3 photos »    see 2 places visited »  
  19. 19

    Day 22: Florence

    Florence, Italy | Jun 25 '07 | Reviews: 2

    Today, we made SURE we woke up early.  We were unable to get reservations for the Uffizi and the Accademia so we knew we were going to face LO... Continue reading »

     see 4 photos »    see 2 places visited »  
  20. 20

    Day 23: Vatican City/Rome

    Vatican City, Italy | Jun 26 '07 | Reviews: 2

    We woke up in Florence and had to hurry to check out as our train left at around 9:30 a.m.  Thankfully our hotel is only a few minutes away fr... Continue reading »

     see 7 photos »    see 2 places visited »  
  21. 21

    Day 24 & 25: Rome

    Rome, Italy | Jun 27 '07 | Reviews: 0

    Day 24:     Today, we woke up early so that we could head to the Colosseum to do a bit of our own exploring.  When we... Continue reading »

     see 5 photos »  
  22. 22

    Day 26: Nice

    Nice, France | Jun 29 '07 | Reviews: 1
    We left on an overnight train last night from Rome.  By far one of the worst nights we've had.  Instead of a couchette, which is actually qu... Continue reading »
     see 4 photos »    see 1 place visited »  
  23. 23

    Day 27: Monaco

    Monte Carlo, Monaco | Jun 30 '07 | Reviews: 0
    We lazily woke up this morning and decided that we would try to make it to not only Monaco, but another coastal French city as well.  We decided... Continue reading »
     see 3 photos »  
  24. 24

    Day 28: Villefranche-Sur-Mer

    Villefranche-Sur-Mer, France | Jul 01 '07 | Reviews: 0

    Yup, that´s right, we made it out to Villefranche-Sur-Mer.  We decided to get on up  a bit early and since we had lots of time until our... Continue reading »

     see 3 photos »  
  25. 25

    Day 29 & 30: Barcelona

    Barcelona, Spain | Jul 02 '07 | Reviews: 2

    Day 29:     We hopped on our overnight train last night in Nice and were extremely pleased that we were wrong as to what a real... Continue reading »

     see 10 photos »    see 2 places visited »  
  26. 26

    Day 31: Madrid

    Madrid, Spain | Jul 04 '07 | Reviews: 2

    We checked out of our Barcelona hotel this morning at what seemed like the crack of dawn.  We hurried on over to the train station since our t... Continue reading »

     see 2 places visited »  
  27. 27

    Day 32 & 33: Madrid

    Madrid, Spain | Jul 05 '07 | Reviews: 1

    Day 32:     Well, Melissa´s ankle isn´t much better, but she decided to be a trooper and we decided to do the second half of ou... Continue reading »

     see 1 place visited »  
K & K avatar K & K on Jan. 22, 2007 @ 07:05AM said
What was the name of the hostel you guys stayed in London? There are so many to choose from! I'm looking for a cheap one that is pretty much close to everything and one with a clean bathroom! I've been reading reviews.. Did yours have a clean bathroom?
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TJ and Melissa avatar TJ and Melissa on Jan. 22, 2007 @ 07:05AM said
Ok... I know it sounds really weird, but we actually stayed at the YMCA Indian Student Hostel. No, neither of us are Indian, but we found it extremely affordable, clean, centrally located, and spacious. Most hotel rooms in London are EXTREMELY small...before you discount this hostel, just check out their website. There were other travelers there (not Indian). Yes, most people there are Indian, but you don't need to be a student or Indian to stay here. It's safe, in a great neighborhood, and it's really clean! http://www.indianymca.org/
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K & K avatar K & K on Jan. 22, 2007 @ 07:05AM said
Oh wow. This is great. A million thanks again.
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TJ and Melissa avatar TJ and Melissa on Jan. 22, 2007 @ 07:05AM said
No problem! I actually love planning vacations!! I do everything by Microsoft Excel... I keep track of finances there, make charts for train travel, etc. Just so you know, check out this website: http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en?newrequest=yes&protocol=http:& This website has ALL the train schedules so that you can plan when you leave a certain city and can figure out what pit stops you have to or want to make. For example, on our way from Switzerland to Italy, most trains went through Austria. Unfortunately, our Eurail pass only covered 4 countries (we chose France, Switzerland, Italy & Spain). So, we found another route (yes, slightly longer but didn't have to pay extra) by taking a train from Switzerland to Dole, France and then we waited there at the train station for like 4 hours for the train that went to Venice. So, although it took us slightly longer, it saved us huge bucks. That's why that train schedule website is a lifesaver!!!!! Ask me anything else... I love planning travel trips! lol
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K & K avatar K & K on Jan. 22, 2007 @ 07:05AM said
Hi! It's me again. I'm leaving for Europe next week and my first destination is London. I was just wondering since I have to budget well, did you buy an oyster card (I'm not sure if you're familiar with this but it's like a pre-paid pass for the tube)? or did you just pay as you go? Thanks again for your help.
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Dr. Seuss' avatar Dr. Seuss' on Jan. 22, 2007 @ 07:05AM said
I feel like I am on your trip with you. I know you will come home with great memories about your adventures. Enjoy and have fun, and come home with great pictures...Here follows a Seuss-ism: ON GOING PLACES.."The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go. I can Read with My Eyes Shut!"
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K & K avatar K & K on Jan. 22, 2007 @ 07:05AM said
I'm so glad I stumbled upon your site; you've been very informative and helpful. I will definitely consider the big backpacks in exchange for luggages. Btw, you were right, I'm a first time traveler to Europe as is my sister. That's why I have all these questions that my travel agent couldn't really answer as well as you can. I've also been googling stuff to get more information so that there won't be any (bad) surprises once we're there. If I have any more questions that pop into my head, hope you don't mind if I ask you in the future. Thanks again!
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TJ and Melissa avatar TJ and Melissa on Jan. 22, 2007 @ 07:05AM said
K&K: I'm so glad you liked our blog! We decided to keep it because our memories aren't the best so we needed a way to keep track of all the wonderful places we went! Anyways, I'm a huge planner... I know many people who didn't book ahead of time and for some it worked, but if you're going during the summer, I'd advise booking everything ahead of time. At least your hotels and hostels. See, I did a lot of research and knew pretty much which trains we'd take ahead of time and put it in our itinerary. We bought a Eurail pass ahead of time and then just double-checked the train times when we got there and boarded the train (since no additional ticket is needed). So, we didn't buy our train tickets ahead of time, but we did plan as to what train rides we'd take (so we also didn't go over our 10 day Eurail pass). We had a few mishaps in terms of missing the train we wanted to go on originally, but it all worked out in the end! Lemme know if you need more help!!
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K & K avatar K & K on Jan. 22, 2007 @ 07:05AM said
Yeah, your blog made me more excited about our trip and lessened my worriness of being in a different country. Oh, so a Eurail pass is different from a train ticket then? Also, was the London tube and buses accommodating to luggages bigger than a backpack? Also, where/when did you exchange currencies? Thanks for all your help!
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Dr. Seuss' avatar Dr. Seuss' on Jan. 22, 2007 @ 07:05AM said
Hi
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TJ and Melissa avatar TJ and Melissa on Jan. 22, 2007 @ 07:05AM said
I definitely did not pay as I went...we were only there for 4 days this time around so we just bought the 3-day ticket (not the oyster). If you're going to be there significantly longer than 3-4 days.. definitely get the oyster card. If you're only there 3-4 days like we were, just buy the unlimited 3 day pass!! have fun!! (i'm so jealous!)
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K & K avatar K & K on Jan. 22, 2007 @ 07:05AM said
I happened to came upon your site while searching for the best way to transfer from Londons stansted to a chunnel terminal...Anyways, I enjoyed reading you guys' blog. I can't wait 'til my sis and I go this summer. Just want to know if you guys booked your hostels/hotels and train tickets ahead of time before leaving the US?
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TJ and Melissa avatar TJ and Melissa on Jan. 22, 2007 @ 07:05AM said
K&K....I'm excited for you! It sounds like you're a first-timer! My boyfriend, TJ, was a first-time Europe visiter as well and it was so exciting! Anyways, google Eurail... there are loads of different types of Eurail passes that are specifically for tourists. If you are planning to travel a lot either within a country or out of the country.. buy a Eurail..although the Eurail isn't valid in England (but will get you a discount on the Chunnel to France). The London tube and buses are just how you'd imagine any regular bus or subway... but on the upside.. many people travel using them so you won't be the only ones with luggage. Speaking of luggages.. I've been to Europe many times and the biggest piece of advice I can give you... GET A LARGE BACKPACK(one of those backpacking crazy huge ones)... not luggage. Only bring luggage if you're traveling by planes everywhere and aren't traveling by trains, subways, etc. My best friend took luggage when we went to Europe a few years ago and it was just the biggest mistake... it's bulky, you can't take it anywhere, people stare at you funny if you do major traveling along train lines.. It's just a mess. I exchanged my $$ when I got there, however, the dollar is very weak right now, so I'd recommend buying some Euro here in the States (enough so that you can get around on your first day) and then go exchange it at the bank or somewhere. Don't exchange it at the airport (it's a big rip-off). Also, be careful because right now the dollar is so weak that in some smaller European cities they aren't exchanging dollars for Euros unless it's at the central bank... so exchange wisely!
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