So next year, at about this time, I will be graduating from the U of M. While that's great and all, what I'm excited about is my gift to myself:

I'm going to Europe. Or atleast hoping to, assuming I can talk a couple buddies into it. I have about $1,900 in US Savings Bonds that I've left untouched and figure there's not much better to put them towards. Also, my current plan is to open a savings account (this week maybe) to start saving. I'll throw a couple hundred in it; I made some nice money with a temp job on campus. Then I plan on adding $10 a week. Not much at a time, but that adds up to 500 bucks. So I'm hoping to save a nice chunk of money for this.

So, that's where I stand with money. I plan to have about $2,500 for this trip. If I'm lucky the parents or grandparents might chip in a few bucks, but I don't count on it.

So here's the plan:

10ish days. Fly into Paris. Spend a good 3-4 days there, see the sights; Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, l'Arc de Triomphe, etc. Take a train down to either Nice or Marseilles. Enjoy the beautiful South France coast, see the sights, chill on the beaches, hit the casinos at night. Probably 2 days there. Then, train over to either Barcelona or Madrid. Again, sights, museums, and all that jazz.

So, anyone been to France or Spain? Any suggestions? Am I expecting expenses correctly? Would you suggest Germany or Rome instead (although I guy I may go with has been to Rome, so I don't expect to go there, even though I'd love to). What do ya think?!

University of Michigan - Class of 2009
It's Great to be a Michigan Wolverine

I had a great time in the Czech Republic.  Of course the USAF paid my way over there, gotta love Air Shows!

GREAT IDEA.

I've been to Paris, Berlin, Rome, and London.

Hated Paris, don't plan on returning.  I can't say enough bad things about it. 

Loved London and Berlin would go back in a hearbeat.  Rome was nice for a few days but not as cool as the other cities.

You can take the high speed rail to London or Brussels from Paris :)

I've heard great things about Spain but have never been.

The biggest expense when I went was for the hotels.  European hotels are generally pricey and not as nice as you get here in the states.  The key is not spend much time in your room

Phil Callihan
Editor-in-Chief
UMGoBlue.COM

I'm with you Phil on Paris.
 
Loved Prague, loved Interlakin, Switzerland and enjoyed Amsterdam more than I thought I would (weed's not my thing.
 
Sorry, I can't help with Spain.
 
 
When I go back, I want to hit the wine regions of France and Cinque Terre, Italy.

“If we’re not committed 100 percent to everything we do in our lives, we start to fall short of our dreams.”
Mike Barwis

Why was Paris so bad?  And don't say "the people were unfriendly" because a) you knew that going into it, and b) that attitude towards Americans can be found across Europe.  Paris remains one of my favorite European cities.  The people aren't unfriendly if you aren't arrogent.  It doens't mean you have to submit to anything, or bow and kiss their feet, but a little respect towards their culture will go a long way.  Greet people with "bonjour."  It sounds really funny when you say it, but it shows that you're willing to try a little part of their culture.

If you get a chance, get a tour to the beaches of Normandy.  You'll be amazed that the French, aside from the Parisians, are among the friendliest people I've ever met.  Also the catacombs are a must-see.  Going up in the Eiffle tower is ok, but sometimes the lines are super long.  If there are really long lines, it's probably not worth it.  The Arch is cool too, and you can spend days in the Louvre, if that's your thing.

Spend a little bit of time climbing up the hill to Basilique du Sacré-Cœur (pronounced "Sac-re-Cour").   It's a very, very cool area (street artists, cafe's, etc.) and a little way out of the city.  The Basiclica itself is very impressive, and you'll get some great views of the city.

If you can get to London, it is by far and away my favorite city on the planet (that I've been to at least...).  I spent 4 months there while in school, and just recently was back for a week.  Theatre, pubs, art - it's all there.  Make SURE you see the Cabinet War Rooms and Churchill Museum while you're there.  It's a little off the beaten path (to make them hard to find while Nazi's were bombing...), so you really have to look for them. 

Nice is supposed to be beautiful, but I've never been.

In Spain there are a lot of different cultures all packed into one country.  I would recommend Barcelona over Madrid, but either way you're getting good stuff.  Madrid is a little more "westernized" in that it's the business center of Spain - a country in which business truly takes a back seat.  To get a better look at Spanish culture without the commercialization, go to Barcelona.  Also - if you can get down into the Andalucia (sp?) region, it's really cool down there.  South Spain.  Don't, no matter the temptation, go to Morocco.  It's dirty and dangerous.

PM me if you're thinking of any other places.  I've been all over Europe in a variety of capacities.

GO BLUE

http://theonlygamethatmatters.blogspot.com

Why was Paris so bad? 

It's not that it was "so bad," as much as it was by far my least favorite stop (London, Paris, Interlakin, Munich, Prague, and Amsterdam). I left sooner than I had initially planned because of the vibe I got from the second I got there. So, maybe I didn't give it a fair shake, but so many people I've talked to, said I was smart for not sticking around.

I was annoyed by the Louvre (hot, crowded, and the Mona Lisa was the size of a postage stamp after walking through 11 miles of museum), I thought the Eifel Tower was cool for .06 seconds. I expected the city to be cleaner ( I don't know why I thought it would), but it was gross, as was the subway. And as much as I was warned about the people, they lived up, or down, to their reputation. It was more difficult to communicate there for me than in Prague.  

It was 7 years ago, but buying a round in for a group of friends I'd met on the train, and some locals for under $4.00 was worth the trip to Prague. Dinner was around $3.00 WITH TIP! I also did all of my laundry there, washed and folded for $1.75. Beautiful girls there too!
 
I just looked, hotels still starting out at $12 a night!
http://travel.yahoo.com/p-hotel-191501726-prague_hotels-i-sort-lowprice?fromiy=1

“If we’re not committed 100 percent to everything we do in our lives, we start to fall short of our dreams.”
Mike Barwis

Thanks for the info thus far!  I was thinking Nice because I've heard good things about South France coast.  Did some research and it seems that Nice isn't the place to go if you want beaches.  I'm not a huge beach guy, but I think I want at least one day on a beautiful beach.  Any suggestions to where I should go for that?  I'm sure Barcelona would have plenty of beaches, correct?

I did think of Normandy, but my initial plan was to go south to enjoy some non-Michigan weather.  Could I do Normandy in one day?  I'm sure there's easy ways to get from Paris to Normandy, correct?

Paris is the only thing I'm set on.  I didn't spend 3 years learning French to visit Europe and not go to Paris

University of Michigan - Class of 2009
It's Great to be a Michigan Wolverine

I'd test your French at some chateaus in Bordeaux!

“If we’re not committed 100 percent to everything we do in our lives, we start to fall short of our dreams.”
Mike Barwis

I toured Europe with two friends right after I graduated from high school (sadly, 1992 ).  We started in London and spent 62 days seeing as much as we could, including a number of lovely ladies.  We spent about 3 weeks in continental Europe, 3 weeks in the Greek Islands and about a week on trains or ships..

Countries
England - ehh.  My family is from there, but I was unimpressed. 
France - The country was decent, but Paris is my favorite European city by far.
Belgium - Brussels is cool.  We wandered around the city and heard music coming from somewhere.  After several twists, corner and turns we ended up in a square where there was live music and a bunch of people with a great vibe.
Holland - Amsterdam is interesting, but mostly a dump.  The country is very flat and everyone rides bikes.  Women are usually blonde, thin and over six feet tall.  I was pretty messed up my time in Amsterdam.  The Sex Museum is interesting.
Switzerland - Probably the only country besides the US in which I would consider living.  Such a confluence of cultures and languages and very different topography from place to place.  The three of us hooked up with three Swiss ladies and that worked out just fine.  We spent a couple days at the my girl's parents' mountain home in Finhaut.  Such an awesome little town.  She sent me a post card from there and I could pick out her house.
Germany - Munich and Berlin were cool, but most things of historical significance were destroyed in the war. 
Austria - a more refined, cultured version of Germany. 
Italy - Rome was pretty cool, the Vatican was intresting.  Sicily is a dump.
Malta - Island halfway between Sicily and Algeria.  One of my friends' family is from there so we took a freighter from Sicily to Valetta.  Pretty cool place--not quite Italian, not quite Arabic, but somehwere in between and about 99.9% Catholic.
Greece - so much history.  that lasted a couple days, the it was time to hit the islands. 
   -Ios is a mad house.  Drink 'til 7 am, sleep 'til you get booted out of your rooming house at noon, swear you will never drink again at 12:01 and start all over again at 2 pm. 
   -Santorini has black sand beaches, but not nearly the night life of Ios.
   -Piros is more refined.  Lots of nightlife, but behave yourself as the locals take a lot of pride in the island (unlike Ios)
  
That's pretty much it.  It was one of the best experiences of my life and worth every penny of the $6k it cost.  I'm sure you'll have a great time.

I'm sure some things have changed in 16 years (shudder), but the basics should be the same. 

London, Paris, Rome, Vienna and Athens are musts from a cultural perspective.

I would avoid the south in August as that is when the rest of Europe vacations there. 

Excuse my crazy formatting.  The new UMGoBlue and Safari just don't jibe.

Tom - as a matter of fact, I just returned from a whirlwind trip to Dublin and Amsterdam! I spent 2 days in Dublin and 4 in Amsterdam. I happened to enjoy AMS. If you are into history (and I'm guessing you are) the Anne Frank House is an absolute must-see. Its one of the best places I've been to in Europe. Keep in mind that the further north on the continent you go, the more expensive it will be.
Sounds like you want to spend $$ on sight-seeing and entertainment. In that case, f you don't mind sharing dorm-style rooms, I would stay in hostels. I just did 4 nights in AMS for $200. My hotel (which was one of the cheapest I'd found) was $400. For that kind of savings, I'll stay in hostels! (I'm Scots - therefore I'm cheap!) That being said, Paris isn't know for any decent hostels. None that I've found anyway! There are some small hotels in the 7th on Rue Cler - Hotel Leveque. Sounds like I'm in the minority though - I happened to LOVE Paris. I did go in Feb. when it wasn't touristy though. Things to see in Paris - The Eiffel Tower - there's nothing else like it! Hotel Invalides - Napoleon's tomb is there. It was much cooler than I thought. The Louvre - since you're in the neighborhood you might as well see the Mona Lisa - she's only about 11x14. She was in a new area - cordoned off and everything. Do yourself a favor and read the Da Vinci Code and see the movie before you go. Notre Dame (not that forsaken place in Indiana). Take a guided tour - I believe they were free. If you like art and love Impressionism, you must go go the Musee d'Orsay. Its in an old converted train station - the building itself is really cool, and I love the art inside as well. If you like Monet, the Musee d'la Orangerie is FINALLY open. It was closed for years for renovations, but opened in the last 6 months or so. It has a 360 degree Waterlily scene. Go to the Arc d'Triomphe - but go to the top. Take the lift and walk the last 40ish stairs to the top. The views of the city are absolutely amazing!
 
A few websites to get information:
http://www.eurotrip.com
http://www.ricksteves.com
http://www.hostelworld.com
http://www.tripadvisor.com
http://www.travelpod.com
http://www.packinglight.net
http://www.budgettravel.com
http://www.budgettravel.com/bt-dyn/content/article/2007/02/21/AR2007022101283.html
The Smart Traveler's Passport - its a fantastic book with 399 travel tips from readers. I have a copy and read it before every vacation.
 
I would also consider London - its an outstanding city. One of my favorites, I could go over and over and over and over again! Though the dollar to the pound is terrible!
 
Feel free to ask any other questions!
 
Oh - one more thing. Scan your passport and send it to your email as a jpeg (hotmail, yahoo, gmail - something easily accessible). Keep it in a folder - call it what you want, and you'll have a copy of it in the event you lose it.
 
 
 

Regarding our military: "If you can't stand behind them, stand in front of them."
RIP Bo. You were an amazing man; it is because of you, I am the Michigan fan I am today.

Thanks for the tips!  I've read/seen DaVinci, so got that covered.  Didn't know you could go to the top of the Arc!!  That's awesome.

I'm now condidering starting the trip in London, then Paris.  Still unsure on third location.  If my best friend comes we'll probably go somewhere in Spain.  He's got Spanish blood and wants to go there.

Thanks  for the hostel link.  That's definitly the way I'll go!

University of Michigan - Class of 2009
It's Great to be a Michigan Wolverine

Why was Paris so bad?  And don't say "the people were unfriendly" because a) you knew that going into it, and b) that attitude towards Americans can be found across Europe.

 
Smelly, crowded, and yes, the people were rude- I don't need your permission to offer up my opinion. 
 
Having traveled throughout Europe Paris was the *only* city we ran into rude treatment.  If anything I was shocked at how nice people were to us everywhere except Paris. 
 
While in Berlin we happened into a demonstration protesting US involvement in the balkans and people came up and apologized for the rude banners.  The protest was directed at the US government not Americans.
 
My wife passed out while we were walking in Paris (combination of the heat and flu) and no one was in too much of a hurry to help us find a medical assistance.  Luckily we ducked into an American Express office and they were able to help us out.

Phil Callihan
Editor-in-Chief
UMGoBlue.COM

Phil, of course you're allowed to have your opinion.  I've just talked to so many people who got back from Paris ranting about how the people were unfriendly when they knew that people would be unfriendly going into it.  You know what to expect, and if meeting nice people is higher on your list than the Eiffel tower, Louvre, etc. then don't go to Paris.

Tom - yes, you can go do Normandy in one day.  The tour I went on (it was 10 years ago, and I don't remember what it was called) picked us up from our hotel on a minibus, and shuttled us out to Normandy.  On the way we stopped at a small village and ate lunch in what had been the Priory centuries ago.  Then we stopped at a museum, and had coffee at the first house "liberated" by Allied troops during the war.  The proprietor of the house is/was (don't know if she's still living) a little girl when the Allies came into the house looking for her parents, who were part of the resistance.  She told us all about the English (which she - not knowing the situation - thought was funny), and her parent's reaction to the allied troops as they marched across the bridge into France.  Then we went to the beaches, where German bunkers and gun stations are still standing.  It's a pretty surreal experience.  The tour guide was great (he spoke 6 languages!), and the only other couple we were with (me and a buddy) was an elderly Hungarian couple who were both jewish, and had been to camps, etc.  I would have paid the amount of the tour just to sit and talk with this couple for a few hours.  They were great people, and had no problem telling us the atrocities that they had faced and answering all our questions because, in their words, "If we don't tell you, who will?"  So yes - Normandy is a must.

Another tour we went on was a castle tour of Chenonceau, Chamborg, and DaVinci's home.  An excellent tour as well, lunch provided, etc.

GO BLUE

http://theonlygamethatmatters.blogspot.com

Question about the hostels.  If we go out during the day, what about our luggage?  If we're in a room with 4 other people, how do we safely keep our luggage without toting it around everywhere?  Are their luggage checks at the desk or something?

University of Michigan - Class of 2009
It's Great to be a Michigan Wolverine

Every place had safe deposit boxes you could rent out, but for the most part, my luggage was in my room and thankfully, no one messed with it. I had a hip pack type thing that I kept around my waist, and inside my shorts the entire time, even when I slept. It had my ID, credit card and $.
 
I heard that the trains were dangerous as far as theft goes, but I didn't have any problems.

“If we’re not committed 100 percent to everything we do in our lives, we start to fall short of our dreams.”
Mike Barwis

Most hostels have lockers in the room you can put your luggage. I carry a key lock with me when traveling - they don't provide locks. I put the key in my neck moneybelt and keep it with me. Theft happens, but I've never been on the receiving end. It could happen in a hotel as well, so it doesn't matter where you stay.
 
I've heard the same things about the trains. The key is to be a smart traveller - keep your money in a money belt - hidden, stay aware of your surroundings. As tempting as it is to go and party every night, it can also put you into situations you wouldn't want to be in! A few drinks are fine - I've never been hammered overseas (unless I'm with my friends/family) because I don't want to get myself into a situation I can't extract myself from. I usually travel alone - so I need to be smart!

Regarding our military: "If you can't stand behind them, stand in front of them."
RIP Bo. You were an amazing man; it is because of you, I am the Michigan fan I am today.

I can't say enough good things about Germany.  I went in the summer of '06 and had an absolute blast.  Plenty of history but still very modern.  It's also very cool to see cities in the east (ie. Erfurt) rebound after the gray years of the DDR.  Austria is very nice as well.  Don't miss out on the "Summer Luge."
 
Fantastic idea.  PM me if you want any more input.