Cities to visit in Europe??

[babylon_times]

Me and a few friends will be spending 3 weeks in Europe Early next summer.... Has anyone here been over there? What are a few things "We shouldn't miss"?

[Ann Archy]

I’ve been to Venice 3 times in 18 months...it’s NOT filthy and it doesn’t smell....and it’s fabulous even at night!!

[NYer]

What are a few things "We shouldn't miss"?

The answer depends on your personal interests. I have traveled frequently to Italy, France, Denmark and Great Britain. Each country offers a plethora of sights that appeal to different tastes. Italy is my favorite. Foodies can experience the amazing differences in cuisine from risotto served in the colder northern climes to pasta, served up in the warm, sunny climate of the south. Art connoisseurs will relish the breathtaking works of Michelangelo in Florence and Rome. Historians enjoy visiting the Colosseum, the catacombs, the restored cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Naturalists revel in the awesome vistas along the Amalfi Coast and Cinque Terre. Travel over to the Adriatic side and you find Alberobello ..

... a small town and comune in the province of Bari, in Puglia, Italy. It has about 11,000 inhabitants and is famous for its unique trulli constructions. The Trulli of Alberobello are part of the UNESCO World Heritage sites list since 1996.

Here is a tip that applies regardless of where you travel in Europe. August is when most europeans go on vacation. As a result, popular tourist attractions offer limited access. It is also helpful if you or another member of the group, has some foreign language training. No need to be fluent - just making an effort to speak their language will go a long way. Happy planning and enjoy the trip!

[Ann Archy]

Buy a Rail Pass and just GO! I wouldn't spend more than 2 days in any one city......get up early, go to bed late and you'll be surprised at what you can see and do in a short time.

Don't immerse yourself in one place, there's SO MUCH to see in Europe. Get a Rick Steves book and follow his advice...he also has shows on PBS that are great.

Do your homework and planning BEFORE you go.

oops...forgot about London.....I lived there for a year, but you can see a ton in 2 days.

[Ann Archy]

You’re a NEWBIE!!

[smoky415]

I would recommend seeing Germany’s Bavarian castles. Neuschwanstein Castle along with the Palace of Herrenchiemsee are quite something to see.

Also, if you rent a car and drive on the Autobahn, do not stay in the far left lane very long. I was once driving along at about 130mph and while passing a truck saw blinking high beams in my rear view mirror. He must have been going close to 200mph when he passed me.

[353FMG]

Go to the countries in Eastern Europe — Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, etc.

Take a boat trip on the Danube.

[Ann Archy]

I said Aix, when I meant Eze, France!

[EDINVA]

Several decades ago, when much of Europe (i.e., its East) wasn’t allowable travel for Americans, a friend and I took our first 3-week European trip, and chose to do what was then the “heartland tour.”

We flew into Paris, stayed there a few days, picked up a car and drove to Brussels, Amsterdam, Heidelberg, Zurich, Geneva, Dijon, back to Paris. You could easily expand that into Italy. Europe is really very small. Tho we drove, I’d recommend trains as the way to travel in Europe.

You can take ‘specialized’ trips later, once you’ve gotten the overview that the heartland tour offers.

[rbg81]

Belgium: Bruge
Norway: Oslo
Germany: Munich, Wiesbaden, Baden Baden, Heidelburg
Austria: Salzburg
CZ: Prague
Netherlands: Amsterdam
Italy: Venice, Naples, Rome
Spain: Barcelona

Cities to avoid: Berlin, Frankfurt, London, Madrid

Toss up: Paris, Zurich

[Ax]

Rent a car and drive north on the highway that runs north/south down Italy’s spine. If you’re not in a hurry, you can visit Assisi, Perugia, Firenza, Siena, Vicenza and points north. in addition to the medieval cities, the countryside itself is beautiful. The further north one goes, it gets even better as you approach the Lake District.

[Gay State Conservative]

I'm not even close to having seen the entire continent but I can highly recommend:

London...fascinating but expensive

Liverpool...if you're a Beatles fan

Munich...a very interesting city

Rome...incredible,incredible,INCREDIBLE

Naples and surrounding areas...beautiful beyond description

The Isle of Capri...beyond incredible

My biggest disappointment,Ireland (the land of my ancestors).I can easily see why the decided to leave.

[I am Richard Brandon]

What you need to understand is the DENSITY of good stuff to see anywhere in Europe. One street - The Via Dei Fori Imperiali in Rome - must have more amazing things to see than the average American city. Good Luck with your ‘Europe in 3 weeks’ tour, but many tourists will claim to have done it successfully; just try and minimize travel - or do it at night.

[aomagrat]

Valletta, Malta

[Cboldt]

Take a ride on the Centovalley rail line. Stay a couple days in Locarno. Totally agree with Italy”! Sestri Levanti. In Switzerland, Zug, south of Zurich. Bergamo, Italy is nice, and close to Lake Como, etc.

[Gay State Conservative]

Cities to avoid: Berlin...

Really? I found Berlin to be fascinating...but I haven't been there since reunification.The "garrison" mentality of the city (*West* Berlin,that is) added to the intrigue for me.Without that maybe I'd find it boring (or worse).

[Cementjungle]

Well, he said “cities”... otherwise I would also recommend the countryside sights in several places too.

[Da Coyote]

Try the ones without Muslims.

(If there are any left.)

[rbg81]

Yes, I went post reunification. Was really looking forward to it, but was disappointed. It’s big, relatively dirty (compared to the rest of GE).

The Berlin Wall remains were not that exciting. Beyond that, there just wasn’t a lot to see.

Was also disappointed with Athens.

[longtermmemmory]

Athens has always been fun. In particular the night life.

[Charles Henrickson]

I’ve spent a lot of time in Denmark and Sweden. Copenhagen and Stockholm are great places to visit. Gothenburg is good, too. If you’re interested, I can tell you all about these places.