Amsterdam!
They’re all beautiful places i’ve been to greece, ayia napa, spain - barcelona, madrid and also to ibiza and majorca and they’re all really beutiful places. Good for sight seeing and relaxing, last two are great for partyin.
Just don’t expectg to get laid, one things i’ve noticed about meditaranean chicks is that they hate big guys, they prefer more noraml looking guys. tbh they won’t find someone like you attractive at all - over-muscled and pale, no offence man, but just that Id let you know before hand, chicks in that region are very shallow like that.
[quote]Yolked Up wrote:
They’re all beautiful places i’ve been to greece, ayia napa, spain - barcelona, madrid and also to ibiza and majorca and they’re all really beutiful places. Good for sight seeing and relaxing, last two are great for partyin.
Just don’t expectg to get laid, one things i’ve noticed about meditaranean chicks is that they hate big guys, they prefer more noraml looking guys. tbh they won’t find someone like you attractive at all - over-muscled and pale, no offence man, but just that Id let you know before hand, chicks in that region are very shallow like that.[/quote]
I don’t acknowledge the existence of people who wear adjustable Yankee caps.
[quote]bushidobadboy wrote:
BONEZ217 wrote:
Alright with all this talk about pick pockets I just have to ask
Whats the deal with throwing one of them a beating? I never ever get into fights at home and have never started one in my life. I know it is a terrible idea to have a run in with the law in a foreign country though. Is that reason enough to not break one of their fingers if I catch one trying to rob me? I cant imagine what my reaction would be if I catch someone trying to reach into my pocket. I would hope he/she would just run away because that would make it simple to just go about my day, but if I grab someones wrist while their hand in my pocket instincts tend to take over. How common is it that petty thieves carry weapons? That’s something I would not be interested in getting involved with lol.
Personally I might consider breaking a finger of a pickpocket, but you have to consider that maybe their families rely on what they steal to eat.
BBB
[/quote]
Well I’m hoping the situation doesn’t present itself.
[quote]MaximusB wrote:
I think you are seeing too many cities for the amount of time you are going on vacation. Some cities require more time than others. Spending 2 days in Rome is worthless, you could be spend a few weeks there to discover all it’s beauty. But since you are making your own schedule, make sure to get a map and “map out” your routes of all the attractions you want to see. Also make sure to check the times of any museums or exhibits, I went to Paris and the day I planned to see the Louvre it was closed. So do some homework on your part, and if you can, do your best to get a hotel near the center of everything. You will minimize walking and maximize your time.
Most of all
ENJOY YOURSELF. Have fun. Eat some foods you won’t find here. Get out of the tourist districts and go to where the locals hang out. Take pics, and have the time of your life. [/quote]
You aren’t the first person I’ve heard this from. But I am going to be ambitious and try to make the most of it. We are going to be in Europe for 14 days (traveling for 16) and know we wont be able to see absolutely everything.
Just do the best you can, and have a great time. BTW European woman have no issues with guys with muscle. If anything, they love American men since most European men are dorky.
Try lots of different restaurants – some are good, some not so good.
[quote]MaximusB wrote:
Just do the best you can, and have a great time. BTW European woman have no issues with guys with muscle. If anything, they love American men since most European men are dorky. [/quote]
What do you mean by dorky?
Most Europeans just view americans as greedy war mongerers.
Oh and like everyone else said, hold on to your wallet, esp since you’re probably too slow to catch them if they do grab and run.
[quote]Tatsu wrote:
Stay away form Italy - Venice, too touristy in my opinion.
And as said before, eat and drink where the locals eat. Stay away from places with pictures, the food served there will never look as delicious as illustrated.
Barcelona in Spain is pretty cool.[/quote]
Venice, Tuscany is just mass tourism. My favourite regions in Italy are Le Marche ( Adriatic coast ) and Umbria, which is land locked between Tuscany and Le Marche. These 2 regions are much less chaotic then Venice and Tuscany. Visit the small towns and villages, and the locals will make you really feel at home. When in Umbria, taking a trek to the Siblini mountains is a must. Awesome scenery! Perugia and Spoleto are great places to visit in Umbria as well. As for Le Marche, you have 180km of coastline and some very nice beaches.
[quote]Yolked Up wrote:
Just don’t expectg to get laid, one things i’ve noticed about meditaranean chicks is that they hate big guys, they prefer more noraml looking guys. tbh they won’t find someone like you attractive at all - over-muscled and pale, no offence man, but just that Id let you know before hand, chicks in that region are very shallow like that.[/quote]
Unless you hang out where all the other tourists are, like a pub in Spain where all the Norwegian chicks party. They get real slutty once they drink (especially when they’re) down there “because it doesn’t count”.
Get a tan though. 
Italy:
Like said, Rome and Florence are awesome and if you only can pick two places go there. Too bad it might be a bit early (your trip), otherwise I would have said Sienne for the palio (opening scene in the last james bond with the horse race around the central square of the city).
Once again eat local, its pretty cheap. Eat ice creams !! I remember my first time in Rome falling for a store with 80+ flavours… Arrgh :c.
Avoid venice, it’s a sewer, too expensive and definitely not worth it.
Spain:
Don’t know much apart from Barcelona, sleep in the afternoon yes. Really lively city. And avoid the gay street except if you’re into it lol (they will most likely be all over you ^^').
I never went to Greece yet, so I got no idea on that one.
In case your plans are not completely made yet, I would suggest a small tour East of France (Strasbourg, Paris is overrated :p) → Luxembourg → Netherlands (if more than one day in Amsterdam, move away from the city center to find the best places) → Germany, it’s all pretty close and should not be an issue to travel from one to the other.
As far as pickpockets go, only had one issue in 22 years living there… Again stay careful, but they are usually more going for women and elderly folks.
And as far as ryanair is concerned, its indeed the cheapest thing ever (got a trip from paris to letonia for 17â?¬ once xD), but be warry as they only allow around 15-20kg of luggages.
Finally, take pictures and post some of them here, it might motivate other people to travel a bit and show that European aren’t that bad ;-).
[quote]BONEZ217 wrote:
Alright with all this talk about pick pockets I just have to ask
Whats the deal with throwing one of them a beating? I never ever get into fights at home and have never started one in my life. I know it is a terrible idea to have a run in with the law in a foreign country though. Is that reason enough to not break one of their fingers if I catch one trying to rob me? I cant imagine what my reaction would be if I catch someone trying to reach into my pocket. I would hope he/she would just run away because that would make it simple to just go about my day, but if I grab someones wrist while their hand in my pocket instincts tend to take over. How common is it that petty thieves carry weapons? That’s something I would not be interested in getting involved with lol. [/quote]
Believe me, you wouldn’t catch them. If you hide your wallet in spots that you’d be able to tell when they are trying to steal it, they won’t go for it unless maybe you have hundreds stickin out the top.
Someone may have already covered this earlier, but it worth mentioning again. Stay well clear of gypsies when in Italy, or Spain for that matter. I found that even the slightest bit of eye contact, was enough to have them harass you endlessly for money. The is more prevelant in the larger Italian cities, and less so in the smaller towns.
Athens is one of the coolest places I’ve been. Take the train to a beach (called astir in Greece) and spend the day at the beach. If you’re going to Santorini you may get enough beach, though.
Greek food is the best. Like the others have said, find a local place and chow down.
You can get student discounts at the tourist sites and if you go the Acropolis (you will) the ticket will allow access to all Athens’ historical sites. BTW, directions to the Acropolis are: walk uphill. You’ll see, it is true.
Don’t go to Luxembourg. It’s the armpit of Europe. Seriously.
And of course don’t mess with gypsies. I don’t want to be racist about this, but they’re very aggressive panhandlers. My dad was beat up by gypsies when he was a kid.
What’s with all the gypsy bashing? >_<
[quote]AlexD wrote:
Paris is overrated 
[/quote]
Paris is a really beautiful city. Pity that it’s full of Parisians.
Gypsies have had a hard time. When they’re not being put in concentration camps, they’re rounded up and put in housing projects. You get heavy unemployment, alcoholism, and crime.
On the other hand, of course, they invented some of the best music in the world. Want to make a gypsy musician happy? Ask if he knows “Ciocarlia.” He will.
Gypsies are known thieves and opportunists, I would stay away if you can. While at a beach in Ibiza, some Morrocan gypsy tried to steal me and my buddy’s stuff. Too bad for him my boy is LAPD, we ran his ass down on the sand and beat the shit out of him. He had our wallets on him, that fucker.
Paris is the shit, very beautiful city and the food is ridiculous good. Parisians are cool, you just know how to deal with them. All this talk of Europe reminds me of how much I want to go back now.
Actually my family has always stayed in the gay neighborhoods when we travel. That’s the way to get the best ratio of price to quality hotels/restaurants. (Doesn’t apply to the OP since he’s staying in hostels, and doesn’t apply in Paris, since the Marais has crazy prices, but it’s a good rule of thumb. Enjoy the occasional pride parade.)