Europe on a shoestring

The idea of the trip originated when I had saved just enough money to plan a long vacation. Traveling to Europe was a childhood dream, so I decided to inquire with my close friends. 2 of them agreed, and the trip was planned. 2 more friends, who were on an exchange program in Europe also joined in between. Aim was to cover as much as possible in 15 days- started in Paris, and traveled to Bruges, Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Salzburg, Munich and then back to Paris to take the flight back home. Ended up travelling across 6 countries, and used bus, car, train as means of transport, and stayed in hostels.

Few experiences and incidents made the trip unforgettable.

1. This one tops the chart. We almost got involved in a brawl in a dance club in Pigalle- Paris' red light district.The manager at the club wanted to cheat us. He was trying to extort unreasonable amount of money from us for a 'service' he provided without our consent. He used all kinds of techniques to threaten us and make us pay 400 euros. We resisted for long and put up a very brave face. We finally said we were in Paris on a project from French government's invitation, so were on a very official trip. The guy finally subsisted, and we ended up paying him 70 euros in total.

2.This was one in Amsterdam when we mistakenly boarded a long distance train instead of the metro. What followed was ticket check and a narrow escape from a huge fine.

3. We were a bunch of 4 guys, traveling from Amsterdam to Berlin in a euroline Bus. The bus made a 5 minute halt and 2 of our guys actually stepped outside to get some packed food. They got 3-4 minutes late in returning, and the bus driver yelled and chided at the 2 of us left in front of the whole bus, and made comments like "this is not Bombay". I gazed around the whole bus to finally find some sympathetic fellow passengers

4. A night in Prague, when we were of us with booking for only one in the night. There were n't any more beds in the hostel, and we all decided to roam the streets from dusk till dawn. As a result, made a lot of Prague's infamous nightlife stops.

Trip for travelers

1.Do not do a euro trip in a hurry- there is so much to cover, so instead of trying to cover all places, choose and pick the ones you have to, and leave rest for next time.

2. If your are on a tight budget, limit your time in expensive cities like Paris, Zurich, Brussels, Amsterdam etc as they will eat up a lot of your trip's cost. Instead, try venturing to eastern European countries.

3. If you are 4 people, renting a car can be a great option. It give you a lot flexibility, and comes out to be relatively cheaper per head than Europe's public transport. But renting a car comes up with hassles of parking you car too,which can be expensive in certain cities/localities.

4. Hostels are the best place to stay for young travelers. They are comparatively less expensive, give you a chance to socialize and learn from fellow travelers. Also, most hostels have in house kitchens. You can get food from stores, and cook in hostel. Saves up a lot of Euros.

5. Research as much as possible before leaving your home country. Every European city has free city tourist maps. Get hold of them as you reach the place to avoid discovering new places later.

6. Most Important. Take the walking tour in every European City. They are free, and work on a tip basis. Walking tours are generally 3 hours duration, walk you past all important land marks, and tell you what you should about them. They also gives a very good general feel/idea about the city and are a MUST.