Travel dilemna. Could you help me plz?

Question

Backpacking europe soon. It's my first time. But I am not decided where to go. I have two plans. Gotta pick one.
Plan A (classical) : London, Paris, Rome, Berlin...
Plan B (off the beaten path): Salzburg, Krakow, Sarajevo, Copenhaguen...
I asked some opinion,s but they were more confusing than helpful.
Those I tell them I'm going to Paris, Berlin, Rome ask me why I am so classical and why I didn't choose smthg more original?
Those I tell them I'm going to Krakow, Sarajevo... ask me what the hell I am going to do here?

Should I choose "Classical" or "off the beaten path"?

Answer 1

Id say choose classical.See the things you always wanted to see. And if you ever come again then see the off the beaten path. Don't worry what other people say its your money and your holiday.Paris and Berlin and Rome has got great things to see.I am sure the others also...but I don't think those places have running water yet... (joke) Id say choose classical.You know that is what you want too.

Answer 2

I hate to say it, but Salzburg, Krakow, Sarajevo, and Copenhagen aren't actually "off the beaten path" where tourists are concerned--Sarajevo's probably the closest one of those to being "off the beaten path" in terms of tourists. More visit London/Paris/Rome/Berlin, true, but you'll find plenty of tourists in those other places too, especially at the height of the tourist season.

That said, I'd still recommend seeing any of those places. I've never been to Copenhagen, Rome, or Sarajevo--but I've been to the others and they all have their own unique things to offer. Don't listen to naysayers when you tell them you want to visit places in the east like Krakow, Sarajevo, or other places like Bratislava, Budapest, Ljubljana, etc. In fact, if you tell someone you're going to Bratislava or anyplace else in eastern Europe, and the first thing they do is widen their eyes and say "But--haven't you seen Hostel??", just walk the hell away; they're an idiot for saying something as moronic as that without having thought first. Find out about the places that interest you, and plan a route. Europe's big enough that you'll never be able to see all of it, no matter how much you travel there; so make the most of your trip and see what YOU want to see. Have fun!

Answer 3

Like what Brandon has said, these cities are not really "off the beaten path", and are also not cheaper, especially not Salzburg (which I consider a city for old people) or Copenhagen (which is wonderful, but one of the most expensive places in the world; but here is a guide for cheap Copenhagen: Copenhagen on a Budget:
http://myeyesonline.blogspot.com/2006/12/copenhagen-on-shoestring.html ).

You can mix the two. As you can guess, I would definitely not miss Berlin (which is also not expensive); You can go like that:
(Brussels? Paris? London?) - Amsterdam - Copenhagen - Berlin - Krakow - Prague (also aufully touristy, but interesting nevertheless) - Budapest - Bukarest (now, that's off the beaten path!) - Istanbul (just remember the "MIdnight Express" story).

Two cities in your classical list are awfully expensive (Paris and London) and although I would kill to get there, London is not much fun when you don't have any money. It is not like Berlin or Amsterdam, where you can find many Squat-hotels and cheap alternative places to stay.

Now, I haven't checked (hey, it's a free answer, not something a travel agent worked for!), if there are any free flights between these places. There are definitely cheap flights between Berlin and all of these points (so perhaps you can use Berlin as your base), you can check for budget flights at:
www.whichbudget.com

Answer 4

Well...it depends.
Plan A would be good if you enjoy museums and have lots of money - Western Europe is very, very expensive!
Plan B has some good elements but is a bit disorganized. It's a long way from Salzburg to Sarajevo! Also, Austria and Denmark are quite expensive too.
I would recommend changing it a bit and going to Krakow, Prague or Bratislava, Budapest and Sarajevo. These are beautiful cities that have almost as much to offer culturally as your classical route, with the added benefits of being much less expensive and a lot more fun for young people. Going out to bars and clubs in the West is outrageous but Central/eastern Europe is very reasonable. Also people there are much friendlier than in the West. Either way, good luck!

Answer 5

I would do more of a mix-n-match.
If you can actually afford Plan A, you should be able to add Krakow and Sarajevo into the mix without expanding your budget too much.
But if you like Plan B better (and I think it does sound cooler), I'd at least add Berlin to it (and maybe take out Copenhagen).

You really should do like me and move to Switzerland though--makes it so much easier! (Though I still haven't been to all those places.)

Answer 6

First of all, you will have to tell us what you like: museums, galleries, architectures ... How long you will stay in Europe?
London, Paris, Roma are great cities! Salzburg is beautiful!!!
Sarajevo is something you will not find anywhere else!
Do not run from city to city, take your time to get to know the city. Thank come again. :)
As I'm from Croatia, I would recomend you Dubrovnik, Korcula, Rovinj ... so many places.
I have being in all cities you have mentioned but you didn't meniton Prague.
I would recomend you to search google or yahoo to get as much informations as you can, to look in "images" too and that decide.

What ever places you chose, I wish you all the best and to keep beautiful memories from Europe.

Expensive or cheap is relative! :)

Sorry for my bad English as it is not my first language but the intention was good. :)

Good luck and take care :)

Answer 7

Off the beaten path do classical when your older and can't do off the beaten path. Don't forget Romania what backpacking Europe without a trip to Bran Castle (Dracula's Castle) we have tons of cool stuff here in Brasov including old castles, amazing hikes, wonderful food, nice people, and 2.67 per US dollar. I am American living here and I love it.

Answer 8

Oh, you will go to a place you are a total stranger! I think you might as well come here in the Philippines. That is if you are a nature lover :) There are lots of scenic spots here. You better surf WOWPhilippines and see for yourself :)
If you need assistance, do not hesitate to get in touch with me 3 or 4 weeks from your desired date of arrival so that I can manage to adjust my schedules.
I hope you won't get mad at me by trying to disregard your first plan of travel :) Have a nice day and GOD BLESS YOUR TRIP!

Answer 9

off the beaten path! prettier and more exciting:)