Where in Europe?

[purbeast0]

July isn't really a great time to go in Europe. The flight prices and hotel prices will be sky-high, the tourists will be everywhere, you really aren't experiencing Europe instead you are experiencing long lines, and much of Europe is hot. April/May and September/October is much better in my opinion. Only if you are going far north is it worth considering July.

I had heard that both July and August were bad months to go to Europe, but I was in Spain and France this past August for 2 weeks and it was great. Sure some restaurants were closed, but when I was at the Eiffel Tower compared to pictures I've seen, it was virtually empty there when I was there.

I definitely agree with you about not following Scorpio's map and to enjoy your time. When I was there for 13 days we went to 4 cities and it was very tiresome taking the train every few days to go somewhere else. It was a neat experience but I'm glad the last place we went was Valencia because it was a great place to just relax for a few days and eat good food.

 

[AznAnarchy99]

Depends on what you're trying to do. My next party trip will be Barcelona, Ibiza, Mallorca for about 10 days.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

Keep in mind that Europe is *dense*, much moreso than most of the US where you can drive for 3 hours from one shitty little gas station town to another shitty little gas station town. 3hrs in Europe gets you from Paris to Ramstein. There's a lot to soak in, you'd do well to pick a general location and find stuff around there.

If I were picking something in my comfort zone, I'd head to Kaiserslautern and use it as a 'home base'. Largest population of US citizens outside the US, and like 95% of the population of that city speaks english, although it's still very German. Good place to get your foot in the water if you've never been over there. From there, just pick a destination and head out down the autobauhns for day trips or something. You can see a large percentage of Germany (and a few other countries) within a few hours driving from that city.

More options are available than you'll get in this thread, that's just my suggestion.

 

[MrSquished]

Wherever you go pick up the Rough Guide guidebook for that country. I think they are a little better than Lonely Planet. That was my experience in Morocco and my ex who travels overseas a lot more than me said that she preferred the Rough Guide.

 

[Murloc]

I had heard that both July and August were bad months to go to Europe, but I was in Spain and France this past August for 2 weeks and it was great. Sure some restaurants were closed, but when I was at the Eiffel Tower compared to pictures I've seen, it was virtually empty there when I was there.

The thing about July and August is not true if you stay away from the main tourist cities but it otherwise is, visiting museums in Florence and stuff is probably a much worse experience.

It's a fact that unless you're heat-sensitive (AC is not a given if you stay in small charming hotels you encounter during road trips and you may have to sleep with 28°C or something if that happens) Europe is beautiful in the summer and the weather is more likely to be enjoyable outdoors, also in the evening (if it's a period of warm and sunny weather, there's no need for more clothes than shorts and t-shirt even in the evening), the chance of protracted rains is also lower at least in central Europe because the weather is more unstable.

North-western France can have rainy weather in the summer too and it's not warm, but it's also never crowded because of this reason.

If I were picking something in my comfort zone, I'd head to Kaiserslautern and use it as a 'home base'. Largest population of US citizens outside the US, and like 95% of the population of that city speaks english, although it's still very German. Good place to get your foot in the water if you've never been over there. From there, just pick a destination and head out down the autobauhns for day trips or something. You can see a large percentage of Germany (and a few other countries) within a few hours driving from that city.

More options are available than you'll get in this thread, that's just my suggestion.

unless there is something special about that city I don't agree with this modus operandi, not being to understand the locals can be a pain but it can be managed if you're flexible with your food and can keep calm.
The hotel is the place where you have the least of problems with the language usually so he'd have to struggle anyway during day trips.

You have to also account for rush hour traffic that can make such a proposition a pain if he wants to visit big cities. Even skirting paris in august (when it's supposed to be dead) because the freeways connected in that region was a PITA.
The beautiful areas of the big cities are mostly in the not-so-big historical centers (notable exception Berlin) so the car is a burden if he wants to visit big cities.

Unless he wants a completely rural/small town/driving around holiday (which is a good idea in Europe if you go to the right regions, this also avoids the tourist crowds in the summer, but it also turns in a specialized holiday), this needs to be planned carefully.

I haven't done this but in Switzerland there are trains all over the alps, some lines especially catering to tourism, so if the holiday is going to be without a car I'm sure he can find plenty of help on the internet on how to plan such a trip (seeing smaller cities like Lucerne and then the alps by train).

 

[Carson Dyle]

Totally depends on what you want to see and do. I'd go to Switzerland, Austria or the Dolomites (northern Italy) for the mountains and hiking.

 

[Exterous]

July isn't really a great time to go in Europe. The flight prices and hotel prices will be sky-high, the tourists will be everywhere, you really aren't experiencing Europe instead you are experiencing long lines, and much of Europe is hot. April/May and September/October is much better in my opinion. Only if you are going far north is it worth considering July.

The abnormally cheap airfares of this past summer are now extending into next summer. I've see plenty of sub $500 airfares to various European cities for June and July. We're booked to Stockholm for $450 in July but we had other city options in the same range. Hotel prices are down too.

Europe tends to be less humid than the US so the heat may not be as big a deal. Heck we did Spain in August and had a great time despite 95 degree days in Madrid.

 

[agent00f]

If you were flying to Europe for 7-10 days where would you go?

Totally up for traveling once there.
Willing to stay in hostels.

Never been.

There's two contrasting approaches to travel, slow vs fast. I prefer the latter but most experienced/expert traveler recommend the former for good reason. Traveling fast (meaning 3 + places in that span) effectively requires meticulous planning; personally I schedule it out to the hour and stick to the plan. Otherwise you're going to be vulnerable to many potential time sinks. Deciding this first will help scope the planning process.

Otherwise you're looking at maybe 2 locations and 3-4 days at each. If this your first time in a region there'll be plenty to fill that space. Deciding places to visit is entirely a matter of personal preference, in particular what you hope to accomplish. For example I don't fancy tourist traps where you feel like the commodity being sold, and thus look for places just slightly out of the way but still offer the full cultural experience. But if you fancy visiting "famous" entities there's just no way around it, so try to plan for the off-season in that case.

A value recommendation if this is your first taste of europe is the Prague/Vienna/Budapest route. They're conveniently located in a line for transportation, meaning you can stop halfway if something catches your fancy or it becomes overwhelming, and relatively unmolested by tourism for what they have to offer. What they offer is the romantic europe of relative yore less marred by modernity than many of the other cosmopolitans, at a very agreeable price.

 

[purbeast0]

There's two contrasting approaches to travel, slow vs fast. I prefer the latter but most experienced/expert traveler recommend the former for good reason. Traveling fast (meaning 3 + places in that span) effectively requires meticulous planning; personally I schedule it out to the hour and stick to the plan. Otherwise you're going to be vulnerable to many potential time sinks. Deciding this first will help scope the planning process.

Holy crap that sounds awful.

 

[agent00f]

Holy crap that sounds awful.

It's necessary to make all required connections, attraction hours and whatnot on time. There's relatively little room for error if you're in a city for 2 days incl travel/hospitality and want to see much as possible.

 

[purbeast0]

It's necessary to make all required connections, attraction hours and whatnot on time. There's relatively little room for error if you're in a city for 2 days incl travel/hospitality and want to see much as possible.

Eh, I was in Europe in August for 13 days and did Barcelona -> Paris -> San Sebastian -> Madrid -> Barcelona and didn't have anything planed to the hour (other than catching trains of course) and did just fine. I also didn't even have my hotels booked other than Barcelona before I got to Spain, I just booked them while I was in the previous city before I went to the next city. Having a strict schedule to the hour for an entire trip sounds terribly not fun.

 

[soulcougher73]

Croatia, Slovania, Italy

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Unless I missed it (and I haven't skimmed the whole thread), you really haven't told us what you're interested in and that's important to make recommendations. Are you interested in ancient history? Medieval history? Art? Culture? Cities? Food? I think Italy probably has the best overall combination of all of those. For a first-time trip, I'd also recommend Paris and it is very easy to get around in via cabs, subway, buses, etc. Ireland is another gem that I can't recommend enough. Here are a few of the cities I've been to in Europe and some recommendations, in no particular order:

1. Paris - Fabulous city. If you plan to stay an entire trip there, I'd recommend looking at the Paris Pass to save money on museums and attractions. I could probably spend a lifetime in the Lourve. Also, for sidetrips, check our Versailles (IIRC, entry is covered by the Paris Pass EXCEPT the admission to the gardens) and maybe do 2-3 nights in Normandy, with tours of the D-Day landing beaches. Bayeux is an excellent home base in this area and is also home of the medieval Bayeux tapestry, which I found really cool. Bayeux also has a really awesome cathedral built by contemporaries of William the Conqueror.
2. Barcelona - Fabulous architecture, food, and a beautiful city. Watch out for pickpockets though, as Barcelona is notorious for it.
3. Rome - Probably my favorite city of them all, Rome has an incredible mixture of ancient and medieval artifacts and sites, along with great food, friendly people, and a compact center which is easy to get around in. I'd recommend the Roman Forum, the Vatican museum, and ample time to walk around at night as Rome is really a cool city at night. Rome is also notorious for pickpockets, so be careful there too.
4. Florence - Florence is a couple of hours from Rome by train and is a fabulous city which just feels medieval. Check out the Uffizi, the Accademia Gallery, and make sure you have time to walk around and enjoy the city.
5. Munich - We went to Germany a couple of years ago in the fall and happened upon Munich during Oktoberfest. We went to Oktoberfest on the closing weekend and it was absolutely crazy, but at least we can say we've gone once. I personally wasn't a fan of Munich the city - it might have been due to the crowds and I'll give it another chance later. Not far is the town of Fussen, which is a nice little town which is a great home base to see Neushwanstein, Hohenschwangau, and Linderhof castles/palaces. Be advised that GPS will likely route you through Austria to get to Linderhof and it is an incredible drive through the Alps - be forewarned, though, that you need to stop at a gas station in Germany (PRIOR to crossing the border) and purchase the permit for driving in Austria and stick the sticker on your window. The Austrian cops sit at the border and pull people over who don't have this and it is a pretty stiff fine. I'd definitely recommend getting a car though - a pro tip to save money is that you don't want to pick up a rental car at an airport or train station, as IIRC, there is an insane surcharge (30% or something like that) associated with it. When we went, we flew into Frankfurt, took a train to Cologne to visit friends, and then picked up a car at a rental place in downtown Cologne. We then returned it in downtown Munich and took a train to Salzburg and continued our adventures.
6. Cologne - Cologne is a nice town with a famous cathedral, a unique beer (Kolsch), and a scenic walk along the Rhine. We only stayed here one or two nights and then grabbed a car and started our trip through Germany. I highly recommend going to a town like Baccarach and taking a short cruise up to St. Goar and back, as you'll see a ton of cool castles along the way. We then went to Rothenburg, which is a medieval walled city and one of my favorites.
7. Vienna - I'd say Vienna reminded me a lot of a smaller version of Paris. Great food, interesting sites, and lots of free musical performances to listen to.
8. Salzburg - Gorgeous city and one of my favorites. There is a huge fortress overlooking the city (Hohensalzburg Castle) which is cool to visit and lots of interesting sites. The Sound of Music tours originate here and take you through some incredible mountain scenery, which is worth it alone IMO even if you don't care about the movie.
9. Dublin - I'll be honest - I didn't care for Dublin (or Belfast). The key to Ireland is the small towns and rural areas. I normally don't recommend spending entire vacations on a tour (day tours are fine though), but we used Vagabond tours (small, 12-15 people tours) and saw the entire island. It was worth every single penny IMO


You also just missed a ton of great deals on airfare (some might be going on still for all I know). For example, we're going to London in March ($550 round trip from Chicago and that, unfortunately was booked BEFORE the great deals came), Barcelona in May ($400 round trip from Indy), and Rome in October ($420 round trip from Indy). I told a buddy about them and he got round trip airfare from Denver to Madrid for around $400 and it went up to $932 literally hours later.

 

[rcpratt]

It was rainy and miserable when we were in Salzburg Still seemed like a great city though.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

It was rainy and miserable when we were in Salzburg Still seemed like a great city though.

We were at the Cliffs of Moher in July - the entire area was blanketed in fog and you could only see about 20 ft in front of you. Grrrr.....

 

[dullard]

There's two contrasting approaches to travel, slow vs fast. I prefer the latter but most experienced/expert traveler recommend the former for good reason. Traveling fast (meaning 3 + places in that span) effectively requires meticulous planning; personally I schedule it out to the hour and stick to the plan..Otherwise you're looking at maybe 2 locations and 3-4 days at each.

Going fast means you don't have time to:
* chat with locals in a pub,
* stop into a grocery store to see what insane disgusting items are on sale,
* stroll the romantic winding narrow streets when the cruise-ship throngs have left,
* linger over a 5-course meal,
* hike up to the mountain top to see the beauty of the scenery,
* haggle with the bakery owner over a 5 cent giant pastry since she won't accept your massive $1 bill.
* etc.

I could go on and on of things you miss out when you have to rush to your next appointment then sit on the train for 12 hours.

Spending 3-4 days at each stop is just so, so much more enjoyable than the fast travelling route. Yes, you think you can cover a lot just doing a city/country for a day or two but you never really get to experience it. Spending 20 hours a day travelling and just a few hours at a stop constantly looking at your watch to see if it is time to get back on the bus/train/plane is just lacking in so many ways.

Plus, what do you do next time, you've already seen the entire world in your 7-day whirlwind?

 

[DT4K]

We were at the Cliffs of Moher in July - the entire area was blanketed in fog and you could only see about 20 ft in front of you. Grrrr.....

I was there a couple years ago in May. When I got there, I had great views of everything and managed to get some good pics. About 30 minutes after I had arrived, the fog rolled in and you couldn't see anything at all. I felt bad for the people showing up when I was leaving.

 

[rumpleforeskin]

The next question is... what airlines are recommended?
- Would prefer to purchase all tickets through mileage. Have 270k UR points.

Not familiar with UR points but if you are looking at staying in hostels I presume you are looking at budget airlines, here are some that serve many of the popular tourist destinations

Ryanair
EasyJet
Wizz
BlueAir


If you are flying from the US Norwegian fly quite cheap to Europe providing you book well in advance.

 

[Fingolfin269]

Spend time between Southern Scotland and London.

London
York
Durham/Newcastle
Edinburgh
Etc.

10 Days is enough for that. Might be able to fit in some time in Paris and northern France as well. If you go to Paris get real bang for your buck on UR points by transferring to Hyatt and staying at the Park Hyatt Vendome in Paris. As I recall it's about 30k points per night and rooms go for $700-$1000/night.

 

[FelixDeCat]

lol

 

[agent00f]

Plus, what do you do next time, you've already seen the entire world in your 7-day whirlwind?

You'll know which places to spend more time in next round.

Eh, I was in Europe in August for 13 days and did Barcelona -> Paris -> San Sebastian -> Madrid -> Barcelona and didn't have anything planed to the hour (other than catching trains of course) and did just fine. I also didn't even have my hotels booked other than Barcelona before I got to Spain, I just booked them while I was in the previous city before I went to the next city. Having a strict schedule to the hour for an entire trip sounds terribly not fun.

That's entirely a matter of expectations. Eg. if you want to hit 3 attractions efficiently on a day planning is absolutely necessary to make it happen. If you're ok with going to 1 and hope for the best with the rest anything will work.

 

[Cappuccino]

EU? Sweden to stockup on snus, then up to Finland for jul. If I had time after that, Germany.

Snus is not even cheap in Sweden unless you buy the cancer brand