Europe Trip

[liv2bike]

If you do rent a car...make sure it either comes with a the requisite vignette or make sure you buy one. Hefty fines are imposed on those drivers that do not have one affixed to the windshield of their car...even if you are a tourist. Ask me...I know all about the hefty fine. No way to weasel out of it either. The authorities in Switzerland, or maybe it was Austria, held my passport while they ran my credit card to process my fine. I then had to buy the decal in the service station where we had pulled over for some coffee. Turned out to be expensive coffee. Mind you they were very polite about the whole ordeal. My wife...not so much. Don't let this happen to you.

Diesel will cost you 4-5 euro/liter, typically. Get a small diesel. They are efficient. I have driven all over Europe on a number of occasions and depending on the exact time of year you go, some of the high Swiss and Dolomiti passes may be closed to cars. To cross some passes, we had to put our car on a train and take the train over the pass. Not free. You have to pay for this service.

Like some others have suggested, if you want to live like the locals, you will need to spend some time in some places. We always rent a small flat and settle into specific locations longer than others. This way you can shop at local markets and cook, do laundry etc.

About Monaco...like I said, the French Riviera is really beautiful. Monaco was just not our cup of tea. It was cool tooling around on the Monaco F1 course though. Some really beautiful roads down there.

cheers

[lukasz]

I'm going to go against what most people said and tell you it's OK to spend 2 nights/3 days in a place and move on. You can decide for yourself where you'd like to return, or just stay longer. You can't live like the locals unless you're getting a job somewhere and decidedly not living an idle imaginary life while on vacation.

There's a big difference between 1 or 2 months. If you're getting the full 2 months, sketch a rough route, then lay out like 10 days worth of bookings and then just plan out the rest as you go. Get on Couchsurfing. Call hostels rather than booking online (Sometimes there is accommodation when the website says it is full. Sometimes it is cheaper). There won't be much camping in metropolitan areas but there are probably a few exceptions. Camping Michelangelo in Florence is pretty cool. Autoeurope.com is great for car rentals.

Cities that are fun for tourists and you didn't mention: Barcelona, Munich, Copenhagen, Krakow, Venice (expensive, find lodging like NOW). I haven't spent much time in Naples but I think I'd like it, and the Amalfi coast nearby is beautiful. The Northern French coast is charming (thinking St. Malo / MontSaint-Michel) and a place where you can get some fresh air while still supported by reliable public transportation. I think the museums in Madrid are a couple out of the small number that is worth visiting on the whole damn continent. I'd skip visiting the Balkans on this trip and focus on Western/Central Europe because trains are the best way to travel and it'll be a stretch to enjoyably cover anything there (or focus solely on Eastern Europe and the Balkans).

[Britishbane]

Cities that are fun for tourists and you didn't mention: Barcelona, Munich, Copenhagen, Krakow, Venice (expensive, find lodging like NOW). I haven't spent much time in Naples but I think I'd like it, and the Amalfi coast nearby is beautiful. The Northern French coast is charming (thinking St. Malo / MontSaint-Michel) and a place where you can get some fresh air while still supported by reliable public transportation. I think the museums in Madrid are a couple out of the small number that is worth visiting on the whole damn continent. I'd skip visiting the Balkans on this trip and focus on Western/Central Europe because trains are the best way to travel and it'll be a stretch to enjoyably cover anything there (or focus solely on Eastern Europe and the Balkans).

I'll take Cinque Terre over the French Riviera every damn time.

[BrandonC]

The Northern French coast is charming (thinking St. Malo / MontSaint-Michel) and a place where you can get some fresh air while still supported by reliable public transportation.

Wasn't there a TT of this year's Tour with Mont Saint-Michel as the backdrop? I remember being blown away by it and vowing to visit in person. Thanks for putting it back on my radar.

Here's another question for the European transplants: What does it take for an American to land a job in Europe? Part of the reason why I want to do this trip is to apply for jobs and see if I could picture myself settling there, specifically Germany or Italy since I have a rudimentary grasp of those languages. My field is in mechanical engineering, and both of those countries boast great engineering industries. My fear is that they prefer not to hire immigrants, rather to preserve and sustain their own country's workforce. Am I wrong in this assumption?

Thanks for all of the advice. I'm taking every suggestion into consideration.

[lukasz]

Amalfi coast is south of Cinque Terre. I've never been to the latter but have been trying to make time to go for like the past half decade. A few years ago someone gave me a poem about it that matches the windows in the old train tunnels there in rhythm, or something like that.

Yeah there was a TDF TT at Mont Saint-Michel. Find out when it gets disconnected from the coast by water. That'd be a cool time to go. The only time I ever visited was late March so there was barely anyone there and it was properly windy, cold, and cloudy. I bet with a million tourists in July it wouldn't have had the same effect. Having said that, there are definitely many upsides to traveling around Europe when it isn't tourist season but the problem is everything will be under construction/renovation in landmarks you may want to see then.

About jobs: Italy (and France, and Spain, and...) is tanking economically and everyone is trying to get into Germany to work. It will depend on your specific field and whether the company is willing to support you. There are probably far more Europeans that want to come to the USA to work than there are Americans that want to go work in Europe (I'm probably one of the Americans that wants to work in Europe, too, except I'm not sure if I'm from here or there).

[busdriver1959]

This is one of those "do as I say, not as I do" things. Get a credit or debit card with a chip in it (I still haven't done this). You can do ok without one but life is better with one. Many things like train ticket machines don't take american credit/debit cards. I'm not sure which banks offer chipped cards but I've heard that Bank of America has them.

[JoB]

The Italian engineers I know work in Copenhagen, building the new subway loop there. If you think the economy is tough, and politicians are nuts, in the US, try southern Europe. Holy cow.

Easiest way is probably to go there for a US based company. Were I to choose a place to work in Europe, it'd be Germany or Scandinavia (Denmark).

Wasn't there a TT of this year's Tour with Mont Saint-Michel as the backdrop? I remember being blown away by it and vowing to visit in person. Thanks for putting it back on my radar.

Here's another question for the European transplants: What does it take for an American to land a job in Europe? Part of the reason why I want to do this trip is to apply for jobs and see if I could picture myself settling there, specifically Germany or Italy since I have a rudimentary grasp of those languages. My field is in mechanical engineering, and both of those countries boast great engineering industries. My fear is that they prefer not to hire immigrants, rather to preserve and sustain their own country's workforce. Am I wrong in this assumption?

Thanks for all of the advice. I'm taking every suggestion into consideration.

[liv2bike]

With respect to working over there...begin your search with some of the bigs...CH2M HILL, Fluor, Bechtel, KBR, Parsons, B&V, URS, Shaw, Jacobs (my firm). We are obviously multi-national with numerous opportunities on every continent. Just look around these organizations websites. If you know someone, all the better. We are always looking for talent, esp. talent willing to travel. I have done work in Italy, government contracts. The GOV is another option...but they are shutting themselves down...

The contracts I have been involved with were primarily engineering support contracts. Most of the actual work is done by locals whereas we provide project management, design and oversight. Some implementation is involved but contracts can be structured so that the Italians, or wherever you are, do the actual work. It has its pros and cons. But if you are single and willing to travel, it is a great experience.

[j44ke]

An acquaintance of mine rents out a small house in Vitiana, Lucca, Italy. It is in the mountains above Lucca, which is where the men's World Championship road race started. Her rents are usually very reasonable, but while it might still be outside a student budget, perhaps there are family members or friends who would think it is cool to meet you in Italy and split the cost. You or they can fly into Pisa pretty reasonably, lots of open air markets in the area, Lucca is a great little city, the coast is an hour in one direction and Florence is an hour and forty-five minutes in the other. Trains to Bagni-di-Lucca, a somewhat medicinal (i.e. not luxurious) spa town down the hill.

Museums - in Florence at least, the number of visitors to the museum each day are controlled (to limit the damage to paintings from accumulated moisture from people breathing!) So you have to reserve in advance to see the museums. Sometimes as much as 3 months. There will be people who go and just get in, but you can't depend on that. So if you want to see the art, you have to plan ahead. Plenty to do without visiting the Uffizi of course, so not getting tickets wouldn't be a reason to skip Florence. But check other cities as well to make sure similar constraints aren't part of the deal.

Hard to get a professional-level job in Europe as an American these days, unless you can get a job with a US company in the states who then sends you over to Europe to work for a branch office or something. But with the value of the Euro vs. the dollar and given the cost of living in Europe, that doesn't make much sense because you become expensive relative to other American employees stateside. Even an American company is more likely to hire Europeans so the hire doesn't disrupt the pay scale back home.

That being said, there are often opportunities to get hired as a teacher in one of the affiliated international schools. Or simply as an English language instructor through some sort of educational service. The latter can be variable because there really isn't any certification or licensing. Use due diligence so you don't sign up for something that leaves you high and dry in Sofia or something.

edit: I see now my job advice is redundant except for the teaching part.

[lukasz]

This is one of those "do as I say, not as I do" things. Get a credit or debit card with a chip in it (I still haven't done this). You can do ok without one but life is better with one. Many things like train ticket machines don't take american credit/debit cards. I'm not sure which banks offer chipped cards but I've heard that Bank of America has them.

This isn't necessarily the case any more. It was for a few years but I haven't run across it much lately. I got a chip card two or three years ago and have never activated it (once I do, I'll be paying a monthly fee. Ah, the joys of Euro banking).

[turkish]

Diesel is way cheaper than 4 € / l.

[abbeyQ]

Watching a F1 race at one of the classic euro tracks would be near the top of my list on a trip that long. Belgium GP at Spa would be my top choice, but any of them are worth going to.

I spent a week in Merano Italy earlier this year, it was a little touristy but if you got away from the plaza it was fine. Great scenery and some pretty great ridding as well. Supposedly the Giro comes through more often than not as the stelvio isn't to far away.

[deboat]

My tips are to choose if this is a holiday or a trip to find work. If you are on a budget Berlin is cheap and very cool. But there are no jobs there. If you use the trains then when possible book trains that go to the eastern part of EU because they are cheaper. The Berlin wall is still there, you just can not see it!!

If you have an engineering degree and like learning German then KTM in Austria is a growing company but you need a big passion for motorbikes. And like orange!
Salzburg is expenisve but is a hidden jem when it comes to bike riding. If you work for money then this is not for you but if you work for lifestyle then it can be great.

PM me if you need more info on Salzburg or Berlin.

tchüss

[alexis]

If you end up in Munich, my sister rents out a room in their place on airbnb - https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/76997. You will get your wish of living like a local...locals with three young boys :).

I was a big fan of the train for getting around Europe (I can only speak for Germany, Austria, Belgium, Netherlands), as you had ultimate flexibility. If we were going from point A to point B, and decided to stop in another town along the way, we just got off at that stop. We used the pass that you pick the countries and number of travel days, then you can travel as much as you want with those limiters.

[BrandonC]

Thanks deboat and alexis. I am visiting Berlin for sure, so I'll get in touch as summer gets closer. Alexis, if I decide to stop in Munich, I will definitely try to rent out your sister's basement, it'll be nice to have an American-born host. Thanks for the recommendation.