Hey everyone,

Two girl friends of mine are moving to London in September and I've told them I want to go visit in 2009 - Around April I'm hoping, by then they'll be settled and be able to tell me some awesome places to go, free accomodation too (I hope ;) )

Anyhow I'll have finished university by this stage and have accumulated long service leave...definately time to celebrate!

So I'm making it a trip of a lifetime, in case I never have the opportunity to do it ever again.

Where would you recommend I visit and how should I get there?

I'm your typical 'Definately going to Holland' type :D But other places in that neck of the woods that interest me include Paris, and Italy, Germany and Spain in general.

I know zero languages besides English, how would a English-only speaker go in these areas without a tour?

I'm looking at being minimalistic, I need to talk to my friends about this as some friends of mine have done this themselves, things like sleeping on trains and saving on accomodation and waking up someplace worth visiting.

I want to take half a weeks worth of clothes over, buy another half weeks worth, a video camera and the essential stuff.

Fill me with ideas!

You'll survive, but you're going to difficult countries if you only speak english. Except for the Netherlands, most people speak english there.

I suggest travelling by train and getting a euro pass.

The places to visit are limitless, I'm not bothering to write out a list again. You could fill your entire vacation by just walking around in the Louvre without seeing the whole collection, you could wander around Paris, Berlin or Rome for a month without getting bored.

You didn't even list how long you're going, what your interests are or what cities you want to go, except Paris.

You didn't even list how long you're going, what your interests are or what cities you want to go, except Paris.

I dunno how long I'm going for yet, at least a month or two (has to fit in with work, I'd take a year IF I could but I can't)

I don't really care about my interests, I want to leave them at the airport and open my eyes up to new things instead. I like the party scene, I want to go to Amsterdam and at least one proper euro house rave. They are the only real things on my list to do.

The Leeds festival sounds wicked but it depends on when it is on and when I can get over there.

I want to go where the 'action' is so I'll probably stick to capital and major cities and I guess anywhere of interest enroute.

I would love to go to Finland (I have for ages, don't ask me why :confused: ). Is it much of a stretch to get here, I mean out of the way/difficult? I imagine my English there will be a downfall.

No shortage in clubs in Amsterdam, you could even try to go to a big event like, Masters of Hardcore, Sensations or something like that. People all over the world come here for that shit. :)

But if you're more into rock/metal you could go to one of the big metalfestivals, but it'll make your vacation pretty expensive.There are a metric buttload of festivals to go to if you want. I'm going to Lowlands (which has a mix of everything) and Wâldrock (metal) this summer.

About Finland, it's probably one of the most boring countries, unless you're all about nature, then it's good. But the cities are small and there's nothing to do. Also expensive as hell and big fucking detour from the countries you have listed.