GENERAL

What is EuropeTracker?

EuropeTracker can be described in many ways - a trip-builder, an itenerary tool, or a travel planner. Put simply, it will help you
accurately plan costs, time, and routes for the Europe trip you want to take.

To the best of our knowledge, EuropeTracker is the very first of its kind: a Europe trip builder designed solely for the benefit of
independent travellers. There are a handful of "itinerary-builders" out there, but none are nearly as useful and powerful as
EuropeTracker. Also, unlike EuropeTracker, these other systems are almost always offered in affiliation with a traval agency or
other company selling their own tours or similar travel products. There are "no strings attached" with EuropeTracker.

Who should use EuropeTracker?

All independent travellers can benefit from EuropeTracker.

Our travel experiences have revealed two primary types of travellers. There are people who take a passive approach and want
there travels to be planned and coordinated for them. Such travellers are comfortable with organized tour groups and/or
package holidays which require minimal decision making.

Then there are people (independent travellers) that want to actively plan and control nearly every part of their travel experi-
ence. EuropeTracker empowers independent travellers. It takes the guesswork out of travel in Europe and enables anyone with
a desire to travel to plan a customized Europe trip that meets their needs AND fits their budget.

We believe EuropeTracker is especcialy useful for backpackers, people who want to plan an extended and complex, yet
budgeted, route around Europe. Because the system is built and maintained by avid backackers, the backpacking mentality is
an essential aspect of EuropeTracker.

How can EuropeTracker help me with my travels in Europe?

There are numerous specific instances in which EuropeTracker can help. Have you ever asked yourself any of these questions?
• I want to travel Europe but I really don't know where to start. How do I plan such a trip?
• I've decided I want to see these places in Europe: A, B, C, D, and E. What is a realistic cost estimate for this trip?
• I have X amount of time to travel Europe. What is a realistic itinerary for this amount of time?
• I have X amount of money available. How much traveling can I do with this money?
• What are the different ways (and costs) to get from location A to location B?
• Is it possible to get a direct connection from location A to location B?
• How much travel time is required to get from location A to location B?
• I am not sure whether buying a railpass (or bus pass) is worth it for my trip. How can I decide if I should buy one?
• I want to spend X days in location A. What is a realistic cost estimate?
• I need to book a hostel/hotel/sightseeing activity in location A. How can I do that?
• I'm flying into/out of Airport A. How do I get between the airport and the city center?
• I saw a travel package offered for sale for X amount of money. If I planned this trip myself, can I do the same trip for less money?
• I'm in the middle of my trip but plans or circumstances have changed. I only have X amount of money (or time) remaining. What
  can I do?

COST

How much does EuropeTracker cost?

You can get either a free or paid EuropeTracker account, depending on the amount and type of use you need from the system.
The amount of use depends on the number of saved itineraries ("Saved Trips") you need or want:

1. Free Account
Every individual user is entitled to one FREE account allowing 3 Saved Trips to be created and stored.

2. Free Account with Tell-a-Friend
If someone you know might be interested in using EuropeTracker, then by sending a referral during the registration process, you
are entitled to one FREE account allowing a maximum of 5 Saved Trips. The referral must be sent to a valid email address and not
to yourself! Please be honest about obtaining this referral bonus.

3. Paid Account with EuropeTracker planning assistance
If you need maximum flexibility and use of EuropeTracker to plan your personal travels, then you can purchase a PAID annual subscription (20€/year) that entitles you to a maximum of 20 Saved Trips. This will allow you to play with a number of different itinerary combinations at the same time so you can figure out the best travel plan for you.

All paid account holders are also entitled to complimentary trip-planning assistance via email from the EuropeTracker team. We've got loads of Europe travel experience under our belts and we can help you plan a trip to the best places in Europe while helping you maximize your time and your budget. We can promise you that our expertise will be well worth your account membership fee. Plus, you'll receive access to our exclusive members-only newsletter with up-to-date, useful information on the latest techniques and ideas (discount travel cards, airline specials, etc) to save money during your travels in Europe.

In each case above, you are always able to delete one or more of your Saved Trips. For example, if your account allows 5 Saved Trips and you have reached this limit, you can create an additional itinerary by deleting one or more of your Saved Trips.

The type of use is also important. The three account levels just listed are available for individuals planning their personal travel, i.e. non-commercial use. If you are an individual or represent a company (such as a travel agency) that wants to use EuropeTracker on behalf of your clients, then you must register for a Commercial account:

4. Paid Commercial Use
For commercial use, you can purchase a PAID annual subscription (200€/year) that entitles you to a maximum of 50 Saved Trips. Use the power, organization, and convenenience of EuropeTracker to help your clients or employees accurately plan their Europe travel.

To repeat, the maximum number of saved trips refers to what you can have saved at one time. A user with a free account of 3 Saved Trips might build and save a total of, say, 30 itineraries over the course of a year. But only 3 could be saved at any one time.

Can I upgrade my account to a paid account?

We do not currently offer this option now but we plan to add it in the near future. If you have a free account and you want the
paid account, you can sign up for the paid account by using a different email address. If you want to use the same email address,
tell us you want a paid account and we can delete your free account.

CONTENT

What information does EuropeTracker contain?

EuropeTracker contains cost information for 215+ of the most popular locations in Europe. This cost info is expressed as a daily expense estimate (in Euros) for six different budget levels. As EuropeTracker grows with time, there will be 500+ locations included
in the system, allowing virtually ANY trip in Europe to be planned using EuropeTracker.
A unique and powerful component of EuropeTracker is the extensive list of transportation connections between two given locations
in Europe. These connections includes these modes of travel:
• Trains
• Ferries
• Discount Airlines
• Buses (limited in BETA version)
Information for each connection includes:
• From location
• To location
• Mode (Bus, Ferry, Flight, or Train)
• Description
• Cost (€)
• Duration
• Frequency (#/day)
• Overnight?
• Booking or More Info Link
• Notes (with additional information you should know)
Now numbering 10,000+ individual connections, this database will naturally grow larger as more locations are added to EuropeTracker.
Included in this list of connections is transportation information for 85+ major airports in Europe. Now your trip planning can
rightfully include the often overlooked transport between a distant airport and a city center.

Is the information in EuropeTracker accurate and up-to-date?

The EuropeTracker.com team endeavors to keep all information as current as possible. You can expect the transportation
connections data to change every 3-12 months as the companies make periodic or seasonal price/schedule adjustments.
While we strive to provide the most accurate information, the sheer volume of data and the difficulty in collecting specific kinds
of data (typically bus and train fares/schedules in some less economically developed European countries), there will no doubt be
some errors and inaccuracies. Sometimes we have to estimate a transportation cost. In case of a discrepency, we would much appreciate you helping to build EuropeTracker by submitting what we call a "field report". See the next FAQ for more information.
In any event, while we try to provide the most accurate information possible, it is always up to YOU, the individual traveler to verify and confirm the exact details for your journey. EuropeTracker is not liable for any data inaccuracies and all information is issued without warranty.

Where does the information in EuropeTracker come from?

All information in EuropeTracker is carefully researched by the EuropeTracker.com team. Because our research involves hundreds of different sources, human involvement is the only reliable and available method to locate and collect this information.

I have found some incorrect information. What should I do?

You can help us build and perfect EuropeTracker by submitting a simple field report by email. Imagine how powerful EuropeTracker could be if 5000 users actively verified and/or corrected data based on their direct travel experiences in Europe.
We would especially appreciate user field reports in these areas:
• Supplemental charges for certain high-quality trains for travelers that have a railpass (Eurail, Inter Rail, EuroDomino, country
passes, etc.) and who must pay these supplements
• Supplemental charges for night-train couchettes for travelers that have a railpass and who must pay these supplements
• Whether some high-quality trains, night trains, or ferries require a reservation
• Train and bus fares and other info for some routes in countries of Eastern Europe
• Train fares involving a railpass-covered country and a non-covered country (ex. a traveler with a railpass covering Italy and who takes a train from Munich to Venice must pay for the Germany and Austria part of the trip – how much?)
Even if our data is exact, feel free to send a field report telling us that our information is spot on. Some days we might need the confidence boost!

What is the geographic coverage of EuropeTracker?

EuropeTracker includes nearly every major city in Europe to a certain extent into Eastern Europe. Currently, the most easterly cities are Helsinki, St. Petersburg, Tallinn, Riga, Warsaw, Krakow, Bratislava, Budapest, Zagreb, Sarajevo, and Athens. In the near future, we plan to cover all of Europe, east to Moscow, Kiev, Sofia, Bucharest, Belgrade, and of course Istanbul!

What are the largest cities in Europe not included in the EuropeTracker data?

Within our current geographic coverage, our most notable missing cities are Geneva, Lyon, Hamburg, Basel, and Genoa. These
will be added into EuropeTracker soon.

What discount airlines are included in EuropeTracker?

We currently list flights for Ryanair, easyJet, Germanwings, Hapag-Lloyd Express, Wizz Air, flyBe, SkyEurope, and Smart Wings, provided that both the arrival and departure locations are included in the EuropeTracker location data. As we add more locations to the system, then related flights from these airlines will also be added.
We also plan to add another 5-10 discount airlines (Air Berlin, Air Baltic, Transavia, etc.) in the near future.

Does EuropeTracker contain (bus, ferry, flight, train) timetables?

No, we feel that timetables are valuable but contain far too much detailed information to be included in EuropeTracker. While timetables are not included, we do express a general frequency (#/per day) for every transportation connection. We also provide
a direct link to the website of the company providing the transportation so you can check the schedules yourself. In cases where
there is one or fewer (ex. 3 per week) connections per day, we try to communicate to you the time of this departure so you can
make general plans for this connection. For example, if the only train per day leaves at 06:30, that is going to significantly affect
your location planning compared to one leaving at 17:00. Similary, if you want to leave a town by ferry on Friday, but the ferry only departs Monday and Thursday, that is surely important information to know.

BUILDING A TRIP

How do I build a trip itinerary with EuropeTracker?

Using EuropeTracker is very easy. In general, here's what you do:

1. Name your trip (for future reference)

2. Estimate the fixed costs (airfare to get to/from Europe, rail or bus passes, passport/visas, travel gear, insurance, etc.) you need

   to get started on your trip (everything you will need to reach your starting location on Day 1 of your trip ready to travel)

3. Select your general expense level (explained below) for the trip

4. Select a start date and start location (i.e. location A)

5. Build your daily itinerary:

a. Select the number of days you want to spend in location A
b. Select where you want to go next (location B)
(only locations that have a Bus, Ferry, Flight, and/or Train connection from location A will be shown, and once you select one of
those locations you will see a list of all the transportation connections that are possible from location A to location B)
c. Select the specific connection you want to take and confirm
(now you haved moved to location B)
d. Select the number of days you want to spend in location B
e. and so on, continuing the Location/Connection process until you reach your final location

6. Click Finish to go to a summary page
During the Location/Connection process, EuropeTracker will show you certain internet links to help you with your trip planning:
Location-related links:
• More Info (i.e. city guides)
• Hostels (planning and booking assistance)
• Budget Hotels (planning and booking assistance)
• Activities/Sightseeing (planning and booking assistance)
Connection-related links:
• More Info (planning and booking assistance)
If this sounds complicated, it is not. Once you use EuropeTracker for 5 minutes, you will probably have no problems.

How do I select my cost level (my "travel style)?

Because travel styles are unique to every individual, the exact same Europe travel itinerary may require two vastly different
amounts of money for different people. One person may want to travel the route with a certain budget level in mind, while
another person may want more comfort and convenience from their travels. EuropeTracker therefore builds six different cost
levels into the system in order to cover just about every traveler from the most frugal backpacker to the most luxury-minded tourist.

At the heart of these cost levels is the concept of expenses (in Euros) per day.

1. First, you need to determine which type of traveler you are from two broad categories. Our travel experiences have revealed
that a traveler's choice of luggage provides an excellent correlation to their general daily expenses. A person carrying a backpack
no doubt has a different kind of travel experience compared to a person using a suitcase (or three).

Thus, the first question you must ask yourself is whether you are a Backpacker or a Tourist (for lack of a better term). Your choice
puts your itinerary into a certain average daily cost range within EuropeTracker:

• Backpackers: generally 35-75€ per day
• Tourists: generally 75-200€ per day

2. The second and final step is to determine a more exact cost level within your category: High, Medium, or Low.

Your selection in step 2 is primarily affected by your personal comfort, convenience, and activity levels that you need or want
during your trip. These tolerances will affect the various decisions you must make every day on your trip and, therefore, determine how much money you will spend each day. For example:

1. Comfort: Should I stay in that budget hotel or the hostel (for a Backpacker)? Should I stay in a 5-star hotel or a 3-star hotel (for
  a Tourist)? Should I get lunch from the grocery store or from this nice-looking restaurant?
2. Convenience: Should I walk 20 minutes to get there or should I take a taxi (or the subway)?
3. Activity: Should I pay to go into that museum? Should I go to the bars/clubs tonight and have a few drinks?

The sum total of the decisions you usually make in situations like these results in a more specific daily cost level:

• Backpacker Low (avg. 35-45€ per day)
• Backpacker Medium (avg. 50-60€ per day)
• Backpacker High (avg. 65-75€ per day)
• Tourist Low (avg. 75-100€ per day)
• Tourist Medium (avg. 125-150€ per day)
• Tourist High (avg. 175-200€ per day)

Now that you have determined your specific travel style, EuropeTracker uses that to set an estimated daily expense cost for each location based
on the general cost level of a location. Thus, a Backpacker Medium traveler would likely spend about 60€ per day in London, about 55€ per day in Berlin, and about 45€ per day in Prague.

I am building a trip and I want to go from (ex. Barcelona) to (ex. Vienna), but EuropeTracker does not show any connections
between these two locations? Why not?

It is important to note that EuropeTracker only uses direct connections between locations. If, in real life, you can't take a single connection between two places, then it won't be shown in EuropeTracker. Thus you need to use an intermediate city such as (ex. Zurich or Paris) to bridge this gap. This method mirrors the route you would actually take on such a journey, i.e. having to catch another connection in an intermediate city. Planning your journey one transportation segment at a time is an important part of the itinerary-building process.

I want to fly from (ex. London) to (ex. Budapest) but I don't see this connection. Why not?

To take a flight, you must get to an airport! Because, EuropeTracker incorporates connections links between cities and nearby airports, you need to add a connection from a city to the airport you need. In this case, you can go from (ex. London) to (ex.
London Stansted) and from there you will see flight connections. In a similar method for the arrival city, you will fly into the airport
and then need to add a connection to the city center. Again, this method mirrors your real life journey and helps you to plan your
cost and time requirements between airports and city centers.

I started building a trip using an airport as my Start Location. I'm confused, and what should I do now?

EuropeTracker contains both airport and city locations, and therefore the connections between them. So if you start your trip at,
for example, London (Heathrow Airport), your next step will be to take a connection to London (the city center). If you choose to spend 3 days at London (Heathrow Airport) instead of London, you are not using EuropeTracker correctly. Do you really want to
spend 3 days at an airport hotel rather than in the city? Of course you don't, so take a connection to the city. EuropeTracker helps
you connect airports with city centers, and these locations are not the same even though they may be in the same city.

I have built a trip using EuropeTracker and the total estimated cost is (ex. 2452€). How much can I trust this estimate?

Of course, it is impossible to predict with 100% certainty how much a specific itinerary will cost. But if you follow the itinerary AND
stick to your selected expense level, we are confident that the EuropeTracker estimate will be within +/- 5-10%. If you find
inaccurate data, you can always help improve EuropeTracker by submitting a field report (login required).

For my connection from (ex. Munich) to (ex. Vienna), I plan to purchase a (ex. 2nd class train ticket). EuropeTracker says this costs
(ex. 51€). Can I be sure that this amount is what I will pay when I purchase the ticket?

Almost. While we strive for our data on tranportation costs to be as exact as possible, you should expect the actual price of a
ticket to vary slightly. Most prices will in fact be exact but some may vary by 5-10% higher or lower. If you get a different price at a ticket window and tell the clerk "But EuropeTracker says this...?" you might get a funny look! Also, if you do find a price that differs from our data, please submit a field report (login required) to us so the data will be exact for the next user. Please also be aware
that our price data usually comes from the actual suppliers (bus, ferry, flight, train operating companies), therefore a ticket
purchased from a 3rd-party source (such as some travel websites and travel agencies, and EVEN some national railways websites) instead of an on-site ticket window will probably result in a higher price than our data due to markups. You can usually save money
by buying your tickets directly from the operating companies. For your benefit, EuropeTracker usually provides direct links for each transportation connection you build during your trip.

What currency is EuropeTracker cost data in, and can I change it to my currency?

All EuropeTracker is expressed in (surprise) Euros. When you finish building a trip, you can quickly convert your total estimated trip cost in Euros to any of 20+ other world currencies.

I have finished building an itinerary. Can I print this out for myself or email it to somebody?

Yes, you can both print and email your Saved Trips (completed itineraries). Of course, these Saved Trips will be stored in your
personal account until you delete them.

BOOKINGS

Can I book travel products from EuropeTracker?

EuropeTracker is not a travel agency or travel supplier. We help you plan the time, expense, and geographic route of the trip you want to take. Thus, if you create an itinerary that produces a total estimated cost of, say, 1853€, we are in no position to sell you
that trip for that price (or any price). As an independent traveler, you are responsible for your individual bookings.

During the trip-building process, EuropeTracker does provide convenient direct booking links for hostels, budget and tourist hotels, sightseeing activities, and bus/ferry/flight/train bookings. If you click these links, you will be taken to EuropeTracker recommended sites to book your travel products.

In the case of transportation bookings, we state again that you will probably pay more for an advance, online booking that a ticket purchased on-site at a ticket window (on which EuropeTracker data is based). We recommend to buy tickets as you go unless this
is not possible or sensible.

For your convenience, we also maintain location-based (accommodations and sightseeing) links on the lower portion of the EuropeTracker home page.

MISCELLANEOUS

I am overwhelmed by planning a trip to Europe. Do you have any suggestions?

Very simple! Play around with EuropeTracker a bit and see what kind of itineraries you create. In no time at all, you will start to identify the trip that is right for you. If you need expert assistance, you should consider signing up for a paid account that includes
in-depth planning assistance for your trip from our well-traveled EuropeTracker team.

I have questions about traveling in Europe. Can you help me?

The EuropeTracker team is always willing to help independent travelers who might have some questions. Feel free to contact us
with your questions, but please understand that we need to focus most of our time and attention on our members that have paid
for an account level that includes our expert, in-depth trip planning assistance.

When will EuropeTracker be complete?

EuropeTracker will never be complete. It will always require periodic updates to the data, especially with regard to transportation price changes. Furthermore, we plan to continually add more and more (smaller) cities so that, hopefully, most locations from
Portugal to Russia that might be of interest to a traveler are included in EuropeTracker.

What is the meaning of "BETA" version?

During the initial launch of EuropeTracker, a BETA version will be used. This means some system bugs will occur and be identified through user activity. We will also be making minor appearance or performance improvements to the site. Please be patient during this period as we seek to launch EuropeTracker. If you encounter something that does not seem to look right or work correctly,
please let us know so we can fix it.

I have encountered a programming bug. What should I do?

While we hope that all programming errors have been corrected before launch, we expect to uncover a few during the BETA period. Please tell us about it by using our contact form.