Just some random questions

[Boshwok840]

Hello everyone, my name is Greg and I'm planning my first trip to Europe for mid-May into early June. It will be about a 3 week trip. The first week my friend will be with me and after that I will be on my own. We're still debating what we are doing that first week, but once I'm by myself I think I will spend about 8 days in Germany and 4 in Prague before heading back to London.

My first question is this...I'm looking at the prices of train tickets as opposed to flights on easyjet, and it seems like (in many cases) flights are much cheaper. Am I mistaken? Are there a lot of drawbacks to flying? I assume one would be that I won't meet as many people as I would if travelling long distances on train. How much time will I need to spend waiting in airports both before and after the flights?

Next, if I stick with the flying idea for the longer distances, I'd probably get a single-country pass for Germany. I'm not really sure how many days I should get on the pass though, since I'd like to do some day trips and I'm not sure if I should add those days on the pass or pay for them as I go along. I guess the most cost efficient way to handle it is check point-to-point fares for each day trip I'm considering, and see if the cost is less than the $13 "add an additional day" cost. Are there any other options like buses or taxis which I should look into?

Third, it would be great if some of you more experienced travelers can let me know of some must-see places in Germany or around Prague. I plan on hitting Berlin, Frankfurt, and Munich, although that may change. I don't really even have a basic itinerary yet since I keep changing my mind, but any help is appreciated.

Thanks.

Greg

[worldwidemike]

If you can work it out with your schedule, flying on Europe's low cost budget carriers (easyjet, ryan air, air berlin, etc.) IS cheap. Make sure they are including all taxes in the price (that's one great thing about easyjet -- they show the total fare plus total taxes).

Oh, and a word to the wise about easyjet: Nothing you consume on board is free...not soda, not water, not coffee, not pretzels or peanuts. A woman in the seat ahead of me paid 3 pounds sterling for a tea! So, bring your own food and drink on board.

worldwidemike