Euro Tour '06

Hello all,

After many years of saying that I will, after school and work and money restrictions and other commitments shit all over the idea, I am finally heading over to Europe for a grand tour extravaganza. The preliminary stages of planning are now in motion, with the concrete itinirary hopefully in place by the end of this year. As of right now, we will be across the sea from late March/early April-ish until sometime in August.

The only definite plans we have so far are Germany for the World Cup from the beginning of June to the beginning of July, followed probably right after by a week or so in Italy where my girlfriend's parents would like to meet us. Other than that, it's pretty much open range.

I have taken the liberty of making a map of our ideal trip:

So as you can see, we fly in to London, travel around the UK, down to Belgium, Holland, up to Denmark, all around Scandinavia, over to Moscow (or Volgograd, I really want to see the Stalingrad museum), Latvia to Poland, to Hungary, through Austria and the Czech Republic in to Germany, down to Italy, over to Croatia's coast, Greece, Cyprus, then all the way over to Portugal, through Spain, up to France and then back home. Easy.

This is basically a big trip with friends to escape the boringness of where we live right now. Kind of a combination of lame sightseeing, relaxation, and a 5 month long drug/alcohol binge. Of course, this is all subject to travel tickets, accomodation, money, unforeseen problems, but really, what fun is a trip if it goes completely to plan?

Anyway, the point of this thread is somewhat varied. There are a number of questions that I want to ask. Who has done something like this before? I know TT Boy and Ink Lunatic are frequent visitors. Any tips for this kind of adventure? Are hostel passes worth it? Is there any kind of hostel/cheap hotel/timeshare companies that are worth looking in to? Where/what would you recommend seeing, pretty much anywhere we're going? Anywhere you suggest avoiding like the plague??

Of course, I would be honoured, nay, priveleged to meet many of you Euro 12oz members. Pinup, fuck hiking in Norway, come and get drunk with me in Paris. Anybody willing to show us around/put us up for a couple days? Also, if anyone else on here is planning a trip next year, I wouldn't mind meeting up should our destinations be the same. So if any of you are planning it, you can use this thread to ask questions too.

So yeah, that's about it. I'll think of more specific questinos depending on if anyone replies, as well as when our plans get more concrete. I just thought I'd start this thread now so if anyone has any advice or suggestions or whatever, it's better to hear them now than a month before we leave.

So yeah, thanks in advance, and maybe I'll see some of you there....

Cheers,

Dr. Dazzle

PS - We will most likely be stopping in Toronto on our way back, since my girlfriend is going to be a bridesmaid at one of her good friend's wedding. RumPuncher and Weapon X, I expect nothing short of the grand tour....

I should probably say, that we are also willing to work under the counter for money. If anybody knows anybody that could help us with work/accomodation, your help would be greatly appreciated....

I'd rather be stuck in Vernon then go to europe

dont misss barcelona. seriously.

he knows hed have fun, thats why hes jaded.

Sounds like a great plan, wish I could go too.

Oh, and I got all the Copenhagen info you'll want.

Amsterdam?

your actually going ahead and doing this??

wow!

Originally posted by T.T Boy@Oct 18 2005, 12:55 AM

dont misss barcelona. seriously.

Quoted post

agreed.

I might be in Germany round the same time as you dazzle.

Dude, you're totally missing out on Bulgaria.

Oi don`t be coming down South u Northern monkey

Oh I gots money if ur bird lets out ;)

You dont have an approximate time of when you'll be in london?

glad to see you've included portugal and prague on your trip. i plan on going on a trip similar to this after i graduate college.

sheesh, that might be a long way from now.

edit: HAH, i wont be graduating with grammar like that!

Oh man, you've given me a goal to shoot for. I was sorta sold when you said "Stalingrad Museum". I was planning on going to India next year, but instead that has been pushed back to '07.

Oh, wait - my bro gets married early June. I have to be there for that.

Gotta get to Bruxelles...join the infamous Gare Du Nord Spotters!

Originally posted by Weapon X@Oct 18 2005, 09:32 AM

Oh man, you've given me a goal to shoot for. I was sorta sold when you said "Stalingrad Museum". I was planning on going to India next year, but instead that has been pushed back to '07.

 

Oh, wait - my bro gets married early June. I have to be there for that.

Quoted post

Well we'll be in Germany for pretty much all of June. If that map goes to plan then Russia would be sometime in May. We probably wouldn't be there for very long, I just really want to see that museum. Auschwitz and Normandy are also big priorities on the list. Come on over, man, I could do with another World War II nerd with me!

Originally posted by se_FOUR@Oct 18 2005, 06:35 AM

Oi don`t be coming down South u Northern monkey

Quoted post

Like I'd want to see your Burberry wearing, yid army, cockney wanker ass anyway ;)

bring back as many bottles of absinthe as you can!

Originally posted by fatbastard@Oct 18 2005, 06:55 AM

You dont have an approximate time of when you'll be in london?

Quoted post

Not right at this moment, no. It would most likely be in April. England, Ireland, Scotland etc. is probably the first place we'll be going around. We'll probably be there in August for a few days as the very last thing, also. Are you planning on going there?

Originally posted by saraday@Oct 18 2005, 11:39 AM

bring back as many bottles of absinthe as you can!

Quoted post

Hahaha funny you mention that. My brother is an absinth conneisseur. He has the expensive glasses, the spoons, the water tap and everything. He literally has thousands of dollars worth of absinthe in his room as we speak. Every time we get visitors coming from Europe, he pays them like $1000 to smuggle in the illegal shit that he can't get anywhere else.....

i only drank it once, and dear lord.. i was intoxicated after a few shots.

I'm your connection for Athens no doubt.

While your plans are fresh and since it will be summer

seriously concider some greek islands.

Originally posted by saraday@Oct 18 2005, 02:39 PM

bring back as many bottles of absinthe as you can!

Quoted post

i found a few spots that will ship to the US. i was thinking of ordering some, i'll let you know how it goes.

that trip sounds like it would be a sick time. i wish i could do something like that for even a month.

I'm thinking about going to Europe next year...

Originally posted by Tesseract@Oct 18 2005, 05:40 PM

I'm your connection for Athens no doubt.

While your plans are fresh and since it will be summer

seriously concider some greek islands.

Quoted post

You really think I'd go to Europe and not see the famous Perveract??

Would Cyprus be worth going to? Is it really any different from Greece? Whereabouts would you reccommend in that whole area, Athens obviously, but some where else not so touristy and cliche?

Originally posted by Locofanclub@Oct 18 2005, 05:34 PM

Gotta get to Bruxelles...join the infamous Gare Du Nord Spotters!

Quoted post

whoa.. i was @ platform 6 gar du nord probably a month and a half ago.

I also caught a big ol perve hand.. USA perve or no?

a few of my friends just got back from europe. They said when they were strapped for cash and want to get out of some city (either in germany or france I can't remember which) they just tried to board a train out of there and when questioned by transit authorities caused a big scene yelling in angry australian accents.

Apparently it worked. So if you get stranded...you know what to do.

Originally posted by Dr. Dazzle+Oct 19 2005, 01:55 AM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Dr. Dazzle - Oct 19 2005, 01:55 AM)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteBegin-Tesseract@Oct 18 2005, 05:40 PM

I'm your connection for Athens no doubt.

While your plans are fresh and since it will be summer

seriously concider some greek islands.

Quoted post

You really think I'd go to Europe and not see the famous Perveract??

Would Cyprus be worth going to? Is it really any different from Greece? Whereabouts would you reccommend in that whole area, Athens obviously, but some where else not so touristy and cliche?

[/b]

Word homie, Cyprus isnt all that recomended, all the greek islands are closer/better than Cyprus. Athens (like any big city) has all the cliche/touristic shit but lots of other awesome shit if you have some local to show you around (me in the particular case). I propose Athens as the only greek city worthy to see a nice selection of islands and an adventurous attitude.

Also, you should skip the trip through Albania as i see it in your map, major risk.

Originally posted by Tesseract@Oct 19 2005, 11:35 AM

Also, you should skip the trip through Albania as i see it in your map, major risk.

Quoted post

Hahaha that map isn't very detailed, it's kind of a plane/train route so some of the places that it looks like we're going we actually aren't.

Thanks for your help, too G. I'll drop you an email once everything gets sorted out

That's a lot to see in 5 months. you'll always be rushed to get somewhere before you find the gems methinks.

in Budapest, stay at The Backpack Guesthouse on the Buda side. then thank me later.

there's a wine tasting where you pay like 15 bucks and get let loose in a wine cellar to sample hungarian wines. find that, and bring a backpack full of empty water jugs and some foreign ho's looking for some dazzle. In Aug. the sziget festival is a week long 'woodstock' on an island that treated me super well plus, it allowed me to campout for a week and spend hardly anything at all. i found situations like these much appreciated as my bank roll fizzed out from cities like London. finding a freebed is a good score.