European Vacation

[beatdrum]

So, I will be travelling to India with a group for a month in January. I want to extend this trip by maybe travelling up to Europe by myself for a week or two. Any suggestions to best maximize my time without completely breaking the bank?

[Pogotheostrich]

If you are looking for something a little less expensive I've heard Eastern Europe or Spain/Portugal is the way to go.

[kimchi_chigae]

If you are in India and looking for a cheap place to travel to, forget Europe and go to Southeast Asia.

[knapplc]

Prague is a gem and often overlooked when people travel around Europe. It gets less tourism than it should so prices aren't crazy high, but my art-loving sisterinlaw just went and she loved every second of it.

[Inukchuk]

If you are in India and looking for a cheap place to travel to, forget Europe and go to Southeast Asia.

That's a great idea (although Spain/Portugal would be amazing, too)... I've heard a lot of stories about Americans visiting (specifically Vietnam) and never leaving. It's that great out there.

[AussieDodger]

Eastern Europe + January/winter = do not want.

Spain = (Have never been there though)

[Tavish]

"Hey look kids, there's Big Ben, and there's Parliament."

[AussieDodger]

"Hey look kids, there's Big Ben, and there's Parliament."

ZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[acsguitar]

I've never been to europe but if I could I'd go to: Prague, Spain, Belgium

[The Artful Dodger]

Honestly, I've never been to Eastern Europe, let alone in the Winter, but from what I've heard, it sounds like the kind of place I don't want to be at that time of year. I have a Ukrainian friend who lived in Odessa until he was 18 and can vouch for how unforgiving the cold can be in that part of the world. I'm with Knapp on Prague. By all accounts, it's a beautiful city and not as costly as it would be if you were visiting Western Europe.

As for Spain, you'll find it a rather diverse place and certain places will/won't be quite your cup of tea. I'm very partial towards Barcelona because it's home to me and it's quite nice there in the Winter time. Barcelona is more of a mixed bag if anything, but I love cities with eclectic character. The nearby Costa Brava is also fantastic. I also like the Basque country, you know, Bilbao and San Sebastian. Then, there's Mallorca and Ibiza if you want to go off the deep end. Madrid is nice, but it's every bit the proper capital city you'd expect it to be. Basically, the city is "what you see is what you get" and so are the people. Probably the best place to go if it's your first time in Spain.

I've been to Portugal, but it was for say two weeks when I was a wee tyke, and so I don't have the best recollections of Portugal. I remember having fond memories of Braga.

If you're really looking for a bargain, take KC's advice and visit Southeast Asia instead. I've never been to Asia (I'd absolutely love to), but I've always wanted to go to Thailand (for the beach resorts and the cheap shopping) and Singapore. My Filipino friends swear by the Philippines and with good reason. It's perhaps cheaper than Thailand/Singapore and while it's a drag to get from Point A to Point B, it's also a beautiful country that's really tourist-friendly. Also, most people there speak English as a second language, which really helps bridge the communication gap.