3 month track and field tour of europe - advice needed

[paddyb]

I have nearly 4 months off work this year and am travelling to Europe and going to follow the track and field circuit around. 01 June - 20 September.

Can anyone recommend a good base that would be central, cheap and also have tracks close by. I was thinking of university style accommodation.

For a few of the weeks some local Australian athletes will be coming over to compete in some of the EAP meets.

I would like to be in France as I studied french for 5 years and would like to get back in touch with it.

Any advice appreciated.

[Jon]

Here's a couple of links to the main European Athletics Permit meets for 2009:
http://www.european-athletics.org/index ... Itemid=198

http://www.eap-circuit.org/rubrique.php ... brique=171

The majority seem to be spread between France, Spain Italy and Germany, so maybe you could plan a route between those. The Athletica Geneve meet in Switzerland is a good one if your athletes are looking to set PBs! :wink:

[tandfman]

I think the link you want is this one:

http://www.european-athletics.org/index ... 8&suche=06

That shows June. You can then click on the other months on the menu on the right.

[observer2]

Maybe you could check this:

www.insep.fr

Institut national des sports et de l'éducation physique (INSEP) - Paris
Located east Paris (Bois de Vinsennes)

I´ve been there with groups and if they still welcome foreigners to stay there
for a low cost maybe you can contact them?

[paddyb]

Hey observer2 - thanks for the advice about INSEP. A mate of mine also suggested this which has now resulted in an offer to stay. It's not exactly cheap at 50 euros a night but has great facilities and should make a great base for a couple of weeks and a top experience.

Flight now booked and arrive in Paris 02 June and leave Thessaloniki on 14 September. Should be a great year. Would love to catch up with others on the board at various meets so closer to the dates I'll confirm where I'll be. Plan to be at all Golden Leagues and WC and WAF.

Been writing more articles about local athletes which I am going to keep up while I am away. Good excuse to do something worthwhile whilst I am travelling the world!

http://athleticscapital.ning.com/

Any feedback appreciated... I also publish these on our local athletics website...
http://www.athleticsact.org.au/

[tandfman]

Hey observer2 - thanks for the advice about INSEP. A mate of mine also suggested this which has now resulted in an offer to stay. It's not exactly cheap at 50 euros a night

In Paris, 50 euros a night is pretty cheap.

[paddyb]

Hey observer2 - thanks for the advice about INSEP. A mate of mine also suggested this which has now resulted in an offer to stay. It's not exactly cheap at 50 euros a night

In Paris, 50 euros a night is pretty cheap.

ok - great. thanks for that. honestly didnt really know.

[tandfman]

With the Euro at less than $1.30, Paris isn't quite as costly as it was when it was around $1.60, but in general, I think you'll find it to be a fairly expensive place.

[EPelle]

paddyb, I'd stay in/around London, as scores of very cheap (inexpensive) flights reach continental Europe on a daily basis out of LHR, Stansted, Gatwick, etc. There are a number of short-term self-sustaining apartments available for hire near tourist spots.

[tandfman]

paddyb, I'd stay in/around London, as scores of very cheap (inexpensive) flights reach continental Europe on a daily basis out of LHR, Stansted, Gatwick, etc. There are a number of short-term self-sustaining apartments available for hire near tourist spots.

In his original post, he said he wanted to brush up his French. Paris certainly beats London for that.

[gh]

Paris also beats London on price..... a couple of years back the Beauteous Babs and I took a trip that went through both cities and at the end we remarked that meals cost the same in San Francisco, Paris and London. Except "same" meant the same number was attached to it on the menu, but then you had to do the currency conversion, at a time when the Euro was about 1.5 and the Pound was about 1.9.

Absolutely breaks my heart--thinking ahead to Berlin--to see the Euro down to about 1.25 at the moment.

[EPelle]

paddyb, I'd stay in/around London, as scores of very cheap (inexpensive) flights reach continental Europe on a daily basis out of LHR, Stansted, Gatwick, etc. There are a number of short-term self-sustaining apartments available for hire near tourist spots.

In his original post, he said he wanted to brush up his French. Paris certainly beats London for that.

Alas, foreigners who speak near-perfect French have little to no problem. Those who fall outside of that upper percentile find it more difficult to have folks communicate back with them in French. english? Forgetaboutit.

[gh]

That's the old Paris... I speak decent French so don't have a problem, but I have multiple friends who don't speak a word who visit the city regularly and never report any difficulties anymore. Indeed, I find that I more often than not have trouble speaking French because so many people are eager to work on their English, given that it has become the lingua franca.

[Jack Slocombe]

With the Euro at less than $1.30, Paris isn't quite as costly as it was when it was around $1.60, but in general, I think you'll find it to be a fairly expensive place.

I think Paddy B is an Aussie. Gonna cost him even more as the Aussie buck is about 65% of the American buck.

[paddyb]

Yes - I am an australian and the cost of the trip has basically doubled in 18 months but who cares! Its track and field! I'd pay triple that to spend 3 months following the circuit around.