Hey all, I've been in Spain since January and when my current trimester ends at the end of May, I'll be traveling around. I will be hitting Marrakesh in Morocco and Biarritz and Lyon in France in June and then will be meeting up with my parents to hit Istanbul, Budapest, Vienna and Prague in that order. My parents will be leaving me in Prague and July 8 and I already have to start planning what I'll be doing, at least a general itinerary. I will be traveling from July 8 until the end of September because my next and final trimester starts back in Salamanca on Oct. 1 so I've got quite a bit of time to fill.

My question is, what places in Europe would you recommend me to visit? I'm interested in all sorts of stuff but I'd prefer a place that is, if not friendly, then tolerant towards tourists. Also, relatively cheap places so that I can minimize my costs and stay in hostels and stuff like that. I'm also interested in trying "extreme sports" for reasonable prices. I've heard that a couple of places in Slovenia and Lithuania (Tal?) offer these, so I'm looking into it. Travel tips would be appreciated as well. I'd love to meet any SP'er should I get the chance to arrive in their city or town. If you guys offer to put me up for a night or 2 that would be awesome, but even if just to meet for a beer or coffee or something, I'd love to be able to put faces on a few of the avatars that I've been communicating with on these boards over the year.

Anyway, keep the suggestions coming guys. As I mentioned, my jump-off point is going to be Prague.

There are quite a few sporting locations in Slovenia, yes, but if you're looking for a cheap stay, Slovenia most likely won't fit the bill. We've had a nation-wide price hike going on for over a year now and everything is much more expensive than it used to be. But then again, it's all relative, depending on which countries you're looking at. This website (http://www.slovenia.info/?lng=2) should have some good info to begin with.

and Lyon in France

I hope you'll enjoy your stay, I've been living in this city for ten years now, it's nice, not too big but big enough (if you see what I mean). Many buildings are classified and can't be altered to preserve the atmosphere of the city. Make sure you visit the Vieux Lyon (the old quarters) and Bellecour.

Where in Spain are you? If you've not visited Andalucia, that's a must-see. Sevilla, Granada, Cordoba and Malaga are all must-see destinations. Barcelona's a great city as well.

The last 2 cities I visited were Amsterdam and Berlin. Both are unique and very much worth seeing. Amsterdam's center is very beautiful, though if you go I recommend doing so in the middle of the week - the center's full of dodgy people on weekend nights, although the same places are surprisingly more relaxed and friendly mid-week. Berlin has a very special vibe about it and has a great nightlife - very diverse but not as mad or dangerous as most other cities I've seen.

I want to go clubbing around Berlin. It's something I need to do soon. Usually when you go clubbing abroad with an English accent, it's pull central!

In Spain, I'm afraid I've only been to Barcelona and a few other major tourist spots, so probably nothing new to you. If you haven't done the tour of the Nou Camp though, do it. It's amazing.

I'm based in Salamanca in Spain and I love it. Though I've also hit Barcelona, San Sebastian, Madrid, Torremolinos, Valencia, Sevilla, Granada and Alicante. This weekend I'm heading to Malaga by myself and hoping to find people to hang with.

@Caradhras

In Lyon I'll be staying with a local friend of mine so I'll be fine. But if you're in that area right now, it would be awesome if we could somehow meet up.

@Tal

My apologies, I'll definitely check the site out, but for some reason I always thought you were from Lithuania.

@Barmy

Yes, I've definitely heard from many quarters that Berlin was the place to visit so I'll definitely check it out. Hope to run into a number of SP'ers as well while I'm in Germany if possible, like Fabius or Ragusa. Definitely going to hit Helsinki as a good friend of mine lives there so I think I'll probably run into iku as well. Likr I said, while I'm here I'd love to meet as many SP'ers as possible. After I go back home, chances are I'll never get this chance or something similar ever again.

In Lyon I'll be staying with a local friend of mine so I'll be fine. But if you're in that area right now, it would be awesome if we could somehow meet up.

I live and work in Lyon so let me know when you get here and I'll be happy to buy you a pint to celebrate. :beer:

By the way, looking at the trips you've planned, I'd say you more than live up to your pseudonym. ;)

@Enagonios: Should be interesting enough, just announce the date well ahead so I can take few days off from work :thumb: