Advice for Gap Summer: Roadtrip!

Sadly, my family is not big on the idea of a gap year, and I guess I sort of understand, but I would like to do something fun (but inexpensive) between secondary and uni (summer 2006).

So my plan is some sort of roadtrip with a few friends, starting in Denmark, and heading southeast, or in a circle around Europe. I have somewhere between six and ten weeks to travel. Any suggestions for fun, reasonably priced places for a group of 18-year-olds along the way? If you've gone on a roadtrip, what did you do? Good experiences, bad experiences?

Reply 1

Wise One

11

IF you are trundling through Eastern Europe, try to get to Krakow - awesome city, just got back from a college trip there (and am planning to go back over the summer). Also, it is phenomenally cheap, with shops staying open late, and pubs and bars open til the wee small hours. :smile:

Reply 2

emma bradstock

I know it probably sounds like the last thing you'd want to do, but have you thought about touring the UK? What with all the cheap flights abroad and everything people seem to be seeing everywhere else in the world except our own unique part of it...and quite honestly, there is so much out there that you would never believe could be part of Great Britain!
I did a quick tour with a company called carryontours.com and had the best time ever, I made tons of friends both english and from all over the world (who have invited me to visit their countries now!) and its really helped me get on track with my history degree too! I strongly recommend before you start doing the world in your gap year, see a bit of your own part of the planet, otherwise what are you going to tell all those travellers that come here and want to know where to go and what to do!?

Reply 3

Splenda620

OP

7

Thanks Emma, that sounds interesting. Actually, I know suprisingly little about the UK- I've only been there once. (England isn't home for me like most people on this site- I'm from Boston and I live south of Copenhagen). But isn't England a really expensive place to be a tourist?

As for Krakow, Wise One, that sounds great! I like inexpensive and I like pubs open late.. :smile:

I'll check it out.

Reply 4

Ynox

11

krakow is awesome.

If you go down that way I'd be inclined to denmark to germany (berlin) to poland (krakow) to prague (czech republic), to cesky krumlov (czech republic), vienna (austria), munich (germany), interlaken (switzerland), milan (italy), marseille (france), perpignan (france), barcelona (spain), bordeaux (france), Tours (france- loire valley, nice area), paris (france), brussels (belgium), amsterdam (netherlands), Hamburg (germany).

Most of these are an easy days drive between each other and this can be done pretty nicely in 6 weeks. If you wanted to make it longer you could either go down to rome (well worth the trip) or go further into spain.

Also- i've got pics of krakow in www.loopymongo.com/spgm (the first few pics are of krakow).

Reply 5

kingslaw

14

Splenda620

Sadly, my family is not big on the idea of a gap year, and I guess I sort of understand, but I would like to do something fun (but inexpensive) between secondary and uni (summer 2006).

So my plan is some sort of roadtrip with a few friends, starting in Denmark, and heading southeast, or in a circle around Europe. I have somewhere between six and ten weeks to travel. Any suggestions for fun, reasonably priced places for a group of 18-year-olds along the way? If you've gone on a roadtrip, what did you do? Good experiences, bad experiences?

That's one hell of a long way to drive. Who's gonna do all the driving :eek:

.

I personally would have thought the Interrail ticket would not only be a much cheaper option, but also it would put you guys under less stress maybe, as no-one will have to drive. This could avoid any arguments/tiredness.

Reply 6

Splenda620

OP

7

Ynox

krakow is awesome.

If you go down that way I'd be inclined to denmark to germany (berlin) to poland (krakow) to prague (czech republic), to cesky krumlov (czech republic), vienna (austria), munich (germany), interlaken (switzerland), milan (italy), marseille (france), perpignan (france), barcelona (spain), bordeaux (france), Tours (france- loire valley, nice area), paris (france), brussels (belgium), amsterdam (netherlands), Hamburg (germany).

Most of these are an easy days drive between each other and this can be done pretty nicely in 6 weeks. If you wanted to make it longer you could either go down to rome (well worth the trip) or go further into spain.

Also- i've got pics of krakow in www.loopymongo.com/spgm (the first few pics are of krakow).

Those all sound like awsome places (plus that route gives me good oppertunity to use my french :rolleyes:

). Can I get to all of those places with Interrail? How much does that cost?

Also, I was thinking that with so many cities to visit, we wouldn't get to spend much time in any one place. Is it best to keep moving or to stick around a couple places for a week?

Oh and as for staying places, is a youth hostel the most reasonable way to board? Are there some cities europe where staying at a youth hostel isn't a great idea?

Reply 7

Ynox

11

most of those places are doable on interrail, think you may end up covering 3 zones though which will really add up to the cost :frown:

Only places i'd advise not staying in a hostel is amsterdam- heard some bad things about the hostels there (people getting their bags done over etc). Mind you, this happens everywhere- when I was in prague last summer a few people in the hostel I was in got their bags nicked.

Reply 8

Splenda620

OP

7

Maybe it would be smartest to stick to an area in Europe to cut down on travel time and costs. My friend who I’m planning to travel with suggested travelling around the Mediterranean. So we’d start by taking a cheap flight someplace in south eastern Europe and work our way west, over northern Italy, southern France, and Spain… maybe ending up in Ibiza or Barcelona? Is Ibiza really as great as everyone says it is? Is there a better, lesser known place in south eastern Spain?

Reply 9

Cheeky_Lickle_H

well luckily my best friend has a house in mauritius which her parents sed as long as i look after it and clean it etc. i can stay there for my gap year if i decide to take one so i jst gta pay flights and spendin money lol but my grandpa left me money before he died for the purpose of a gap year so, im ok money wise