Well here are my questions...
1) I will be traveling from the U.S to Paris. After Paris we will go to Italy by train...well we will end up in Italy in the end most likely. So how do I get a round trip ticket if I will be traveling to Paris first then end up in Italy?
2) Eurorail from Paris to Italy...how does that work?Should I order tickets online for them,or just wait til we get to the train station to purchase the tickets?
3) Will I be able to use a carry on (larger backpack) and also have a smaller backpack on the plane that I would keep on my lap?
4)Money! How does the money work? Should I get money for Paris in the U.S? Or should I go over there and use an ATM? For Italy, should I also get the money here in the U.S?
5)Hotels or hostel? Im not a big fan of sharing a place with people, I'm a bit weird and sketchy with stuff like that. Are there cheap hotels that are available for long stays??
6) How much should I spend each day? How much do you think 3 or 4 weeks will be? I'm not planning on getting any souveniers.I just plan on taking TONS of photos which is a good enough souvenier for me.
Sorry for so many questions!! I'm reallyyy excited and very curious as to how it works.Stories of your expierence are greatly appreciated as well : )Traveling to Europe on a budget...lots of questions!?
With respect to your air ticket, you can get an open jaw ticket. That's a ticket that has you flying from one city to another and then returning from a different city. You could also go back to Paris for a round trip, but that limits the travel you can do while you're here.
You may not want a Eurail ticket. It depends on how much train travel you will actually be doing. For just a train from Paris to Rome, Florence, or Venice, it would be cheaper just to get individual tickets from the national railroads. This is a good source for rail travel here: http://www.seat61.com/ Generally with a Eurail pass, you would still need reservations and have to pay a supplement on most high speed, international, and night trains. See: http://www.eurail.com/eurail-reservation鈥?/a> , http://www.eurail.com/eurail-reservation鈥?/a> , http://www.eurail.com/eurail-reservation鈥?/a> . There are night trains from Paris to Venice or to Florence and Rome that are a good travel option. You can save on the fare by buying tickets in advance to take advantage of discount fares. You can sleep on the train through the night and won't have to pay for a hotel or hostel for the night.
You can have a carry-on and a personal item, but you may have to check the larger backpack depending on it's size and you would have to put your personal item under the seat in front of you on the plane.
You can withdraw euro from an ATM and get the best rates. If you want some euro before you go, then your best bet is a main branch of the bank where you have an account.
Many people stay in hostels. You'll have to decide for yourself whether that's for you or not. If you want hotels instead, this is the site I use here in Italy and other places in Europe. It will allow you to select an area in a city and to sort by price. http://www.venere.com/ You might also consider a monastery/convent stay sometimes that can be a bargain. http://www.monasterystays.com/
You need to set your daily budget and stick to it. However, I usually count on 25 to 50 euro for a meal when I'm out exploring. You can eat well for less than that though. A pizza is 8 to 13 euro. You can get a panino, wrap or pizza by the slice for 4 to 6 euro. For comparison, a McDonalds value meal is around 7 to 8 euro depending on where it is. You can generally get better and cheaper food if you eat somewhere away from the immediate area of the tourist attractions. Entry fees depend on where you go.Traveling to Europe on a budget...lots of questions!?
Just to add to Conley's explanation, Italy and France use the same currency, the Euro, and you can use French Euro in Italy and vice versa. But if you plan a quick trip to Switzerland they still have their own currency, the Swiss Francs.
No comments:
Post a Comment