Backpacking across Europe

I am doing this over 3 weeks in June, mostly travelling by coach and staying in hostels, with a ruckzuck. Rough itinerary so far:

fly from Barcelona post-Primavera to Paris
coach to Bern
Lauterbrunnen (near Interlaken) - maybe go up to Jungfrau
Lucerne and Zurich
Munich (inc going to see the Neuschwenstein castle)
St Johann (Tirol)
Venice
Rome
Florence
Nice - fly back to Paris for a couple of nights then home

i might end up talking to Australians more than Europeans but still, EXCITING

Itinerary sounds pretty great but... coach?! I don't envy that part much.

longest journeys are about 4 hours so shouldn't be too bad

Nice! Although I would still do it by train / inter-rail

did inter-railing two year ago, and while it was a great month NB&S is terrifically OTM in the first post.

still true

guys i may have mentioned but im going solo interrailing in october, starting v likely in lisbon finishing v likely in berlin

im toying with interrailing again but are there better coach options now?

im not afraid of hostels but not rly a hostel ppl person. can i assume that airbnb or the fact i have a budget if needed is a gamechanger from my student backpacking days?

do i need to backpack? the idea of attempting a fortnight travelling uber-light appeals (tech/entertainment/internet now all fits into a pocket vs last time i did this for a start) and opens up the option of cheap flights here and there too

its all a bit freeform yet by all means inspire me

get a private room in a hostel in Lisbon, realise you don't really want to go anywhere else, put yr feet up & eat a lot

if yr railing though, a sturdy wheeled suitcase will be more satisfying to travel with than a backpack ime

I was hoping to hear from you :)

staying somewhere for a month also appeals its free and easy atm

wheeled suitcase is a good idea. off to research sizes/flight limits

Definitely take a suitcase - a backpack feels more romantic but everything in it will be creased and disgusting in no time, especially if you go in the sea with washing everything afterwards.

Don't bother with the coach, especially on Spain or Portugal. Which route were you thinking?

i wasnt yet

im still trying to decide between tying it down tight enough to pick two or three spots and take advantage of early rail booking prices and getting good accommodation in each for a few days

or

sauntering free and easy as whim takes me

leaning former tho

this sounds like an awesome idea dmac

keep us posted during or after your trip

roughly and subject to change

achill lads weekend lisbon
on solo to Madrid for a layover
likewise through barca
lyon, might do a 48hr visit here as never been
thinking straight to brussels or thereabouts

if the above from madrid on can be done in five/six days it leaves me almost a week to then traipse around towards hamburg, whence berlin and meeting up with herself for a few days before home.

any must do/know tips for travel, eating, seeing, staying along the route?

anyone have strong feelings about skipping those stopping points in order to stay in/see a hidden/neglected jewel nearby?

from brussels to hamburg, four or five days, is there much in between to savour or is a train and taking the extra time in either spot the smart option

aiming to be travelling so light it hurts, notwithstanding the good advice re wheeled baggage above

Everything between Düsseldorf and Hamburg is skippable, unless you're into sooty industrial architecture, and cows.

i kinda am but maybe not on this trip

If it’s possible, add another day or two to your Madrid stop. You’ll be glad you did.

really enjoyed lyon, like a mini paris with almost guaranteed amazing + cheap food wherever you go.

I am sitting in the Madrid airport right now (after flying 13 hours and missing the connection to London due to Iberia fuckery) on my way to Lyon. I lived in Lyon for 5 months, will be there for a week and then Marseille (lavender fields in season), Toulouse, Barcelona and then maybe on through Rioja, San Sebastian (undecided). 48 hours in Lyon is totally enough. You really can do Vieux Lyon, Croix Rousse and most of presque'ile in a day. It's small.

lyon is worth two days. the food is amazing and it has some pretty cool sights too

don’t recommend st etienne tho :/

good hustle everyone thks

madrid great but have done madrid, lisbon through to belgium/netherlands is for flying through while having fun unless somebody spins me right round with a rec

except for lyon i think

I don't know when you are in France but watch out for the train strike days.

worrying about strikes in france like worrying about rain in ireland n'est pas

Yeah, except when it's your main method of transport and there are scheduled days this summer. Why Brussels? I haven't been in a long time, but I kind of have no desire to go again.I really like a lot of the southern part of France, but if you are short on time Lyon is prolly the way to go.

I am sitting in the Madrid airport right now (after flying 13 hours and missing the connection to London due to Iberia fuckery) on my way to Lyon. I lived in Lyon for 5 months, will be there for a week and then Marseille (lavender fields in season), Toulouse, Barcelona and then maybe on through Rioja, San Sebastian (undecided). 48 hours in Lyon is totally enough. You really can do Vieux Lyon, Croix Rousse and most of presque'ile in a day. It's small.

― Yerac, Monday, June 25, 2018 10:23 AM (thirty minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

If you have half a chance do not miss out on San Sebastian. It's a fantastic city with arguably Europe's finest beach.

And museums, and pintxos, and and and. My two months stay there last year is documented on ilx somewhere, including restaurant and sight seeing tips etc

Brussels purely for an anchor and excellent transport links, its a soft pin on the map for now.

Great! Albert Broccoli was also talking it up. Our last week was supposed to be in Copenhagen (canceled) so we have about 7 days to wing it from Barcelona (having to end in Paris). I figured Rioja, San Sebastian and fly out of Bilbao to make our Paris flight home. I'll look up the thread on it. I wasn't that excited about it but everyone seems to love it.

I'd include San Sebastian on that list as well, Lyon is lovely as well.

Why on earth you're bothering with Brussels is a mystery. To go from Lyon to Germany and not take the train through Switzerland is just plain wasteful - that and Austria are the most spectacular train journeys you can do through Europe.

In your shoes I'd stop off in either Lausanne or Zurich, not because the cities are especially interesting but because the lakes are completely stunning. Go up via Munich towards Berlin, maybe stopping somewhere in the Black Forest on the way.

Yeah, I was trying not to ding Brussels, I figured maybe darraghmac was a huge World Bank fan or something.

also deems be in touch if u like when you come to the lowlands obv

I’ve come to like Brussels for its beer, chocolate, and waffles (I always follow my gut). The Magritte museum is excellent and the Sablon quartier is worth a stroll.

I’m assuming you are on a rail pass, in which case going from Lyon through Switzerland and up to Germany is a must. I’d go Lyon-Geneva-Montreaux-Speiz-Interlaken-Lucerne-Zurich-Germany (possible side trip or divert by Gruyere).

Alternate longer route Lyon-Chamonix-Martigny-Brig-Andermatt-Chur-Bregenz/Konstans-Germany

Lots of beautiful lakes and mountains and an opportunity to take a boat on Lake Geneva, Thunnersee, Zurichsee or Lake Konstans.

Once you are in Germany you can whip up to hamburg or Berlin from Munich on the ICE.

ive done interrailing through switzerland but never done the low countries, which tbh is an area it seems comfortable but not too interesting to mooch around (which is somewhat the tenor for the week thats in it)

if opposition continues vociferous i can amend

all decisions in context of:

1) ive been lots of places before!

2) dont want to conprehensively do anywhere new that is a likely future couple trip (so essentially everything north of lisbon all the way around to the Pyrenees is parked

also deems be in touch if u like when you come to the lowlands obv

― lbi's life of limitless european glamour (Le Bateau Ivre), Monday, 25 June 2018 09:34 (fifty minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

hows ur plumbing

anyone have any experience of the new coach travel craze, yr flixbus and what-have-you

plumbings a-running xp

2) dont want to conprehensively do anywhere new that is a likely future couple trip (so essentially everything north of lisbon all the way around to the Pyrenees is parked

― under a mand'rin tsar (darraghmac), Monday, 25 June 2018 8:25 PM (eight minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

This contains some of the most amazing countryside anywhere in the world so we’ll worth dedicating some of your time and saving for doing with your partner.

thats the thought alright

Koln is the usual rail interchange if you're coming from Belgium and is worth wandering around for a day or so. I assume you've been to Bruges and Ghent before but if not would go for either over Brussels.

anyone have any experience of the new coach travel craze, yr flixbus and what-have-you

If you are on a budget and cool with all the obvious flaws or risks of coach travel compared to rail these are fine, comfy enough etc. Recently took a Flixbus within France and they tend to take breaks at services even on journeys less than 3 hours (worth trying to confirm with the driver if they're stopping as I wouldn't bet on the coach toilet being available).

xp good info, not tied to brussels as long as the alternative does waffles, fries with mayo and beer

nashwan- thanks. i was hoping reports that the coach game had changed up meant comfort/chance of sleep on an overnight coach would be equivalent of sleeper train but much cheaper. not the case?

I don't like to disagree with Matt DC, but no way is Bruges more interesting than Brussels. I think Brussels is fantastic, good eating good drinking and surprisingly good wandering; Bruges, while pretty, is a bit of a tourist trap fossil IMO. Ghent's pretty good, a bit more alive. Antwerp, like Ghent, is a good mix of medieval doings and lively good stuff.

On a similar route we once stopped off in Aachen; the town's not much of much but the cathedral is worth basing a whole trip on.

I didn't much go for Cologne, but people seem to really like it. We found a great bar or two and were happy enough (the endless 1 euro beer thimbles is a cool trick) but didn't really think it was somewhere to bother going back to.

Jesus is from Goa is a ridic good tiny spot of a restaurant in Lisbon. I was so into it that I went back to Lisbon a day early (from Porto) to eat there again. And then booked a flight to India to visit Goa proper.

I guess the proper name is Jesus e Goes with some accent marks thrown in, but you get the picture.

What would you like to eat in Lyon? Do you know what days of the week you will be there?

I have spent the equivalent of 7-8 months total in Lyon in the last 2 years so ask away about restaurants or where to go.

will do, ta

q1 does anyone really eat andouillette?

Unasked-for and fully ignorable personal top brick expressionist architecture sights from the German portion of your journey:

1. Cologne: St. Engelberts (didn't get inside this one but it looked fab enough from outdoors. Good excuse to use the tram from the entre of town)
2. Bremen: Böttcherstraße (aforementioned alley featuring the hobbity-medievalist end of brick expressionism, has an excellent little museum dedicated to Paula Modersohn-Becker who I hadn't heard of before we went but whose work I loved).
3. Hamburg: Chilehaus (probably my favourite brick expressionist building outside Amsterdam or Vienna, the sharp modernist end of expressionism, also contains a fancy shop which is good if you want to look at classy garden supplies or lovely stationery, as all civilised people must)
4. Hamburg: the rest of the Kantorhaus viertel (several handsome buildings of the type, all get a bit overshadowed by the Chilehaus but still good wandering)
5. Berlin: Kirche am Hohenzollernplatz (absolute classic masterpiece, I still can't quite believe it's from the 30s, conveniently close to a U-bahn and open most of the time due to art exhibitions in there)
6: Berlin: Hufeisenseidlung (Horseshoe estate) (OK not so bricky and maybe more modernist than expressionist but this is a must-see for any social-housing based trip and a surprisingly pleasant spot).

one of the best things I ate in lyon was self assembled from the produce at the local food markets along the river: some soft creamy cheese with fresh figs and top class french baguette

the paul bocuse food halls are class (if a little bougie)

go eat huîtres (with a little glass of white) by the saône

there’s an amazing little place to view the sunset at the top of croix rousse where all the local youths assemble to chug beers and canoodle

the gallo-roman museum is unmissable for the building itself

cheers cheers

Yeah, I was about to say unless you have a hankering for something specific restaurant wise in Lyon, like dying to go to a bouchon, I would hit the St Antoine marche on the Saone (open all days until 1pm (not Monday because, Monday ya know) although nearer the weekend has more prepared foods, Croix Rousse marche on Saturday and there is an evening marche with some prepared foods on the Rhone on the Part Dieu side near the big outdoor pool. Get some poulet roti, mmmmm. There are beer barges over on the part dieu side right over Pont Wilson too if the weather is nice. I would completely skip Bocuse Les Halles, it's out of the way and expensive, although pretty if you just want to take pics or want an expensive seafood tower. There's a pretty good pizza place near Perrache and inexpensive conveyer belt sushi that is actually decent for France (with discount on The Fork, La Fourchette) if you are feeling it. I really like Parc Tete D'or but it's a little out of the way (but they have a free zoo in the middle). I also think you should walk up to the ruins and basilica and see some of the traboules. This one in Croix Rousse is popular and is pretty cool for pics. https://travelguide.michelin.com/europe/france/rhone-alpes/rhone/lyon/cour-des-voraces

hey that's great stuff, thanks. lyon def gonna be a wandery day or two

(tho i think i will do a bouchon too over the two days)

I would do lunch for a bouchon, it will be less crowded, the set menu noticeably cheaper and you will have more hours to digest all the heavy food. You are a beer person ( I could be wrong) but Brasserie Georges is a cool spot (oldest brasserie in the city and it's huge) and they have their own beer, you can just drink at the bar and not have to dine in.

Oh, that evening market by Pont Wilson and the beer barges is only Thursday evening.

im not a beer person but if its called for i can do one with the right food.

think my lyon days are tue/wed so market out

Oh, Saint Antoine will be open (before 1pm) early in the week so mostly produce although I am sure you can get some saucisson. I was obsessed with going everyday. But I am obsessed with looking at food. If you need recs for wine instead I have those too.

veuillez s'il vous plait!

Feels like a bit of a waste to be drinking beer rather than wine in Lyon, especially when you will be going to several of the best places for beer in the world later on.

....what if i said brandy

Then knock yourself out, literally.

If you're in Lyon for a short time I'd probably aim to spent more time in the area around the Saône rather than the more modern bits on the other side of the Rhone. Having said that the old town can get pretty hectic but there are some gorgeous squares to sit and drink as you approach it from the river.

top of the montée de la grande côte is the spot at the top of croix rousse where it's nice to sit with a beer (or wine) on a nice day, watching the sun go down - https://goo.gl/maps/nSixkUmN1gs

parc d'or is out the way but worth doing. the modern art gallery is nearby and was decent, though there was a big festival on at the time so may be more variable

one of the best things I did in lyon was go to the opera on a cheap standing ticket (un place debout) then nab an unoccupied seat once the show starts

staying up beside part-dieu but i dont see getting around as being a prob rly so reasonable distances welcomed ta

On a train from Narbonne back to a Paris, very close to Lyon at the moment. But I’ve only spent a couple of days in Lyon ever. I need to go back.

I’ll be in Lisbon in October for a week+, will check out that seafood place. Last time in Lisbon I was quite ill (see some TMI thread for details) and am looking forward to a richer experience this time.

Part Dieu is fine. You can walk from the train station to Vieux Lyon in under 30 minutes.

friday!

Wasnt gonna say anything but glad you did

Safe travels dude

Make sure to keep in mind the important priority of updating this thread on everything you do and see and eat every day

Don't forget updates on the state of your bowels!

these are very strange responses!

POST

YOUR

SHITS

enough shitposting on the board nest pas

Back atcha dmac, come home to yr board nest soon, spaz

Bon Courage!

ooof

overnight (8.30pm through to 1pm next day) lisbon-barca flixbus was an ordeal, mainly because snorer in front, no wifi and eh tbh our driver kept swerving as if he were a lil sleepy himself which kept me on edge.

tbf at 35 quid there's no arguing with value and it was lynchian ito sleep deprived endless road and the odd lowlife interaction at deserted filling stations.

7/10

Overnight buses = sleep drugs or similar

brussels is boring yes

Brussels has the best chocolate, frites, waffles & beer in the world, mon frere.

had a bad waffle earlier with bad chocolate on it.

like a kicked cat now so i am

Were you actually looking for a good place to eat or just whatever was convenient

Brussels has the best chocolate, frites, waffles & beer in the world
no small feat!

Brussels is the equivalent of being happy a boring department store exists because you know that at least you can use a restroom there when you really need it.

I don’t know what you all look for in a city but to me Brussels is great, though my first few times there I didn’t like it much. It’s a grower I guess.

The time I went to Brussels we stayed in a huge noize band vegan squat for a show. My friend tried to leave in the morning to get breakfast and set off all the alarms and the main guy yelled at her. I still think brussels is boring.

Brussels is boring in a very good way IMO

had a good wander today and caught all the buildings and bits that are capturable in a wander

grand but boring is verdict

update

livelier at night but very diffiult to find decent food tbh

They have rly bad beer

koln is really fuckin nice eh

Is it beer garden weather? There's a cracking one by a lake in a park, keep forgetting the name.

the rheinpark foodmarkt with its distribution of 50/20/20/10 wine/beer/boar/everything else was just the job this sunny eve thks