andrewking47

You train-traveling adventures will all depend on where you want to go and how long you want to stay in each of your destinations. If you plan to stay a weeks in a city and then jet off to another, it may be cheaper to book individual tickets as you go (especially for the Mediterranean countries, where train tickets are much cheaper than those in Northern Europe... though the setback is that these Mediterranean trains don't seem to know what "on schedule" means:) Check out the coolest train site ever, http://www.raileurope.com/us/rail/fares_schedules/index.htm for individual route prices. However, if you plan to hop around quite often, a train pass is defo'so' recommended. Check out Eurail.com for the variety of passes available (while traveling under the age of 26, I used the uber-awesome Global 3-month pass, traveled over 13 countries, and visited over 50 towns/cities). Hope this helps again!

I read your message again and forgot to mention... booking early or the day you arrive are the same price... at least it was when I was traveling. It may save you money (just a few euros)to book early to get the beds you want, instead of waiting and getting the more expensive beds. It will definitely be a lot cheaper to book the rooms with 10 to 16 people instead of the rooms with 4 to 6 people, but that's up to you and your girlfriend and the amount of privacy you two want.

For the time you'll be traveling, it won't be necessary to book too far in advance. I booked my hostels one to two weeks ahead of time while traveling in late winter to early spring, without any problems. This should be the same case for your travels, though you should reserve beds earlier for cheap accommodations in the bigger cities (Paris, Berlin). Finding a hostel the day you arrive is part of the European adventure and allows a very flexible schedule(I remember spending a few frustrating hours hunting down a bed during a holiday weekend in San Sebastian), but having your beds booked before you arrive will guarantee you the room of your choice (you and your girlfriend may prefer to book the smaller, more private rooms instead of sharing with lots of party people) and the security and comfort of a place to sleep once you're off of a long train ride. Hope this helps!

Hmmm... Europe in October through December, focusing on the Mediterranean. What would you like to know in particular? October will still be pleasant climate-wise, in any of the Romance-language-speaking countries that you visit. Provence and Nice are musts, as is the Cinque Terre in Italy. I believe the ferries in Greece don't run that often during the fall, so it may take a bit longer to get to particular islands (as a traveling couple, you MUST stay in Oia on the island of Santorini). Amsterdam is fun all year round... and it looks like a EurailPass will be beneficial for the number of countries you want to visit... I've got loads of info on hostels and particular sites in particular cities, so feel free to ask any other questions. Glad you enjoyed the pics!

that's wonderful I can't wait.