European Vacation: Where to go, what to do?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Pako
  • 32 comments
  • 1,445 views
Pako

Pako

Staff Emeritus
Messages
16,472
United States
NW Montana
Messages
GTP-Pako
Messages
GTP Pako
My wife has wanted to go to Europe for a long, long, time. The thought of going to another country like Europe stresses me out, but never the less....it's would be fun to go. It would be myself, my wife, and our two children ages 3 and 15. Any tips on where to go, what to see, where NOT to go, what NOT to see. Basically....plan our trip. :)

We would like to be gone 10-14 days.

Thanks!
 
This is what I did... now, I'm not saying it's the best tour, but it's a start.

I visited 4 countries: Belgium, Germany, France and UK. I didn't go to Spain or Italy because I had already been there. And frankly, I really didn't feel like visiting Holland at the time.

I was also alone, so I could pretty much do what I damn well wanted. I also spent part of that summer working, in UK, so that took care of itself.

Top recommendations would be Paris, London and Berlin. I also took the chance, since I was in France and it was mid June, to go to Le Mans. There's also a theme park in France called Futuroscope which is pretty nice to go with the family. Keep in mind, except for Paris, most of France is for the French... you'll be lucky to find someone who speaks something else than French.

In Germany I visited Stuttgart and almost dehydrated myself because of the constant drooling. I also stayed with friends, so I didn't really spend much money. Berlin is an awesome city and it's quite a shock to see it, for the historical significance but also for the sheer size of it. I also went to Mannheim and Dortmund, this last one a great place to spend with family. Munich and Frankfurt were also great, and very technologically-inclined, so you can get your fix there.

One thing you might want to see in Paris, if you're there at the time, the Bastille celebration. It takes place on July 14th, and despite being a military parade during the day, at night it's usually a big celebration with fireworks (the best I've seen in my life, and I've seen a lot) around the Eiffel tower and it's a nice time to spend at the Mars camps... in general Paris is a great city.

Amsterdam is great, but more for a non-family visit. The Queen's Day on April 30th is a great celebration, and there's a few places to visit that could be family-inclined, but again, Holland in general is not a place to go with kids as a tourist.

Lastly, there's a town in Belgium called Brugge (translates to Witches), and it's the typical European old town, and they've made an effort to maintain it in the same way. It's a very pretty place. Here's a quick pic of Brugge.

I'd recommend more in UK, but frankly, I only went to London once, stayed in Bristol and went once to Bath and to Wales... I'm sure there's many more members who can speak better of it.

Places not to go to: Eurodisney... no one speaks English and it's practically a clone of other Disney theme parks which are probably more accesible if you go to them in the US. It's also full of Americans :p

I might post a bit mroe about places you should visit, but off the top of my random mind, that's what comes up.
 
To see:
Pretty much the whole of Europe. Also, if you're into that kind of stuff, Amsterdam is definately worth it.
 
Nice to see you going to Europe Pako 👍

Diego made a nice post there, I definitly recommend some places he posted 👍

I really recommend Amsterdam as zoxxy said and if you're close to Belgium, not only Brugge but also Gent is worth to visit. I personally prefer Gent over Brugge because of the beautiful rebuilded churches and the buildings and all that stuff. I also went to Canterbury in England a couple of years ago, nice little place as well 👍

Maybe the renovated "Atomium" in Brussels is worth a look? I don't know if you've heard about it:

400px-Atomium.jpg



Years ago, it was one of the most beautiful buildings with restaurants and everything which had a high "fancy" factor untill it became old and rusty. But not too long ago, it's been renovated and re-opened, looks beautiful as ever 👍


Here are some links to images taken from in Gent:

http://www.toerisme-leiestreek.be/uploadedImages/leiestreekbe/29_Gemeenten/Gent.jpg
http://www.toerisme-leiestreek.be/uploadedImages/leiestreekbe/De_Franse_Leiestreek/Gent1.jpg
http://www.math.unifi.it/caressa/foto/img/gent.jpg
http://www.hotel-heritage.com/Photos/Gent - sint-baafskathedraal.gif


Oh and, if you're going to Belgium, don't forget to taste the legendary Belgian chocolate and Belgian fries! :cheers:
 
GO TO ITALIA. PERIOD.


For more info, please PM Ozzy*. thank you. :)







* That's me btw.
 
Don't go to Italy, your wife will just really angry as you'll spend most your time eyeing the talent.

UK is worth a look. Rotterdam is great if you don't mind being bottom of the food chain (Trams -> bikes -> cars -> you.), Paris if you don't mind being harassed by dodgy street sellers.

I say you choose 3, maybe 4 tops, locations and divide your days between them. Don't try and do too much and then get stressed rushing to locations.
 
Bram Turismo
Maybe the renovated "Atomium" in Brussels is worth a look? I don't know if you've heard about it:

400px-Atomium.jpg


Oh and, if you're going to Belgium, don't forget to taste the legendary Belgian chocolate and Belgian fries! :cheers:
Click to expand...

When was it renovated? That last time I was there, it wasn't so shiny looking. Hahaha. There's a cool little mini-europe kind of thing around where the Atomium is as well. I don't know if it's still there... it's almost been 10 years since I went there.

But, yeah, the chocolate and the fries are superb. There is also a really awesome greek joint near the Grand'Place, and there is the "wing truck" as I like to call it. My cousin and I always used to walk to the street market and buy the best chicken wings I've ever had. Some guy had a trailer thingy... it was like a blood-drive-mobile, except it facilitated rotisserie chicken wings. If you ever plan on going to a farmer's market or any kind of market-like gather, keep an eye out for the wing truck!
 
I would say ask our members from Europe there opinions of whats' good to see in their countries.
 
Amsterdam has a thriving red light district, and London is full of culture so both are good choices.

However, the must-visit place for me has to be Monaco. It's one of the nicest places I've ever been.
 
Amsterdam, The Netherlands

1. Anne Frank House
2. Museums: Rijksmuseum ; Van Gogh Museum ; Rembrandt House Museum ; Stedelijk Museum
3. The Markets (too many to list which include Cheese, Flower, goods, beer, food, crafts, paintings, etc.)
4. Canals Prinsengracht (Prince's Canal) ; Keizersgracht (Emperor's Canal)
5. Amsterdam Centraal
6. The Food: Indonesian "Rijsttafel" (Rice Table) ; Dutch Cheese ; Patat w/ mayonnaise ; Dutch Herring ; Bami Loempia ; Kroket w/ patat and frikadel (Dutch Sausage) ; Oliebollen ; Automat ; Heineken and others.

It would a tragic mistake to pass up Amsterdam. It has a "Red Light District" with window prostitution and "Coffee Shops" that sell pot. But, it's very easily avoided. "Cafés" sell coffee, and "Coffee Shops" sell pot, so you know.

Canal rides, museums, awesome food, friendly people (who all speak English better than Americans), markets, flowers, windmills, bikes, beer and some of the most beautiful buildings you could every gaze your eyes upon. It's a very family friendly town.

From Amsterdam Centraal, you can go to any other place in Europe. Don't forget Schipol Airport very near Amsterdam is the biggest (busiest) European airport there is that can take you to anywhere in the world.
 
First of all, I have to say that I've been considering the same (there was a tread a while back), but money became sparse, and I'm unable to go this summer...

Anyway, with kids and all, I doubt you're going to be wanting to do much moving, given how the kiddies like to act when going about. If you're spending two weeks-ish, I'd suggest maybe two areas at most, maybe splitting the time in the different locals.

The big thing you're going to need to watch out for, first of all, is chosing the right place to go. In terms of family-friendlyness, I'd venture a guess and say that England wouldn't bee too bad. At least we (as Americans and Britons) share a common language, so if anything was to happen, I doubt there would be much trouble in figuring things out. With England, as I understand it, there is always lots of things to do. London would probably be a best-bet of various activities, be they sight-seeing, sporting events, music festivals, etc. But, that likely depends on what you want to do...

I was looking into spending a week in London, actually across the river from the Tower of London, and it wasn't cheap. It was a pretty high price, but after moving out of downtown London and away from the sights (but within walking distance), the prices dropped pretty significantly. Get out of London, and it gets even cheaper.

...One thing to keep in mind about the UK, however, is the strength of the Pound against the Dollar at the moment. I believe last week the Pound officially became worth about $2, so thats going to make basic stuff more expensive than it already would have been in America. But that being said, it isn't as though the Euro would be any better...

Outside of jolly-ol' England, I'd have to venture a guess and say that Germany would be the second-best choice you could make. Southern Germany (Bravaria, etc) is awesome, and should pack-in a lot of family-friendly places and activities, and there should be enough to keep everyone happy. I've always been told that it is best to avoid Berlin and just head south, but it likely depends on what you want to see. The Autostadt in Wolfsburg is supposed to be pretty awesome, but Lower Saxony isn't always the most-popular tourist area.

You could go see that Polar Bear. I have no idea what its all about, but I'm sure the wife and kids would love it... Plus, there are quite a few Castles and other fanciful little things scattered about in Germany, and I know everyone would probably find that to be pretty cool.

The good news is that Germany is cheap. I was looking into flying into Frankfurt and doing some traveling, and I believe there was more than a $700 price difference (per person) between Deutschland and the UK. Plus, with the Euro and Dollar comparisons a bit more 'even' (I believe the Euro is worth about $1.20 as of now), things aren't going to be that much more expensive than what they would be here. Plus, if you rent a car in Germany, you don't have to re-learn how to drive, since everything is nearly the same...

[/my two cents]
 
Omnis
When was it renovated?
Click to expand...

If I'm correct, it was finished last year or 2 years ago. Kikkie could confirm this but I haven't seen him in a while...
 
Pako
The thought of going to another country like Europe ...
Click to expand...
:lol:



Being the historian that I am, I'd recommend the old stuff. Rome and Athens.

I'd say France and Poland are worth a look too for the WWI and WWII landmarks. And a trip around the Nurburgring would be high on my list too.

And London.

👍
 
What NOT to see in Belgium:

Antwerp, that city is full of streethookers...
 
Bram Turismo
What NOT to see in Belgium:

Antwerp, that city is full of streethookers...
Click to expand...

*packs bags and books next available flight to antwerp......*

In all seriousness though i think that anybody looking to travel around Europe in 10-14 days should narrow it down to maybe 4 desinations otherwise you tend to miss things or maybe dont take in everything properly. Having lived in london for the first 11 years of my life the novelty has kind of worn off and to be honest i think there are greater sights had by travelling around the countryside in england anyway. If you really want to go to london then i would suggest for at least a day or two hiring a car and travelling around southern england. You can literally stuble upon castles, stunning views and historic villages everywhere and it also makes for quite an adventure. The same can be said about most rural places in england to be fair and if you travelled north instead then the lake district is a place you shouldnt miss.

Im hearing alot of talk about the naughtys of amsterdam but i have to disagree, ive been to amsterdam a few times now and i must say it is incredibly easy to miss the red light district and see what is a very beautifull city. There is always something going on in amsterdam and its always very entertaining in a, given its reputation, surprisingly tastefull manner. I also reccomend the canal boat tours as they are pretty fun and you get to see alot of the city for very little money too, was about 10 euros for a 45 min boat trip. If you needed any help with avoiding the red light district id be happy to modify a map of amsterdam with roads you should avoid and send it across to yourself.

Spec....
 
Well, I suggested he avoid Amsterdam since most of the attractions suggested deal with prositution and weed... two things you'd really want to avoid if you're trying to look like the mature adult and carrying a 15 year old as well.
 
Pako, what type of holliday are you after, a tour? A relaxing holliday somewhere but where you can go off and do things some of the time? England is great to include in a tour, but if your after a relaxing holliday in the sun and on he sand I'd probably reccomend Tenerife.
 
Dave A
Pako, what type of holliday are you after, a tour? A relaxing holliday somewhere but where you can go off and do things some of the time? England is great to include in a tour, but if your after a relaxing holliday in the sun and on he sand I'd probably reccomend Tenerife.
Click to expand...

tee hee

and the South of Gran Canaria, eh Dave?
 
Pako
My wife has wanted to go to Europe for a long, long, time. The thought of going to another country like Europe stresses me out, but never the less....it's would be fun to go. It would be myself, my wife, and our two children ages 3 and 15. Any tips on where to go, what to see, where NOT to go, what NOT to see. Basically....plan our trip. :)

We would like to be gone 10-14 days.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

You need to come to Edinburgh. You must owe me several beers by now and it would be churlish of you not to pay up. Plus it's lovely here, and you can use it as a base for a series of Scottish excursions.

I won't ask what your kids are interested in, because your 15-year-old will probably want to play Nintendo the whole time, and your 3-year-old will be into Disney Princesses, which are in short supply in Europe generally. But if your 15-year-old is studying European or World history, you should find out what in particular, and see if you can tie that in somehow. What's your wife interested in?

You're going to find all of Europe very expensive, but particularly the UK, and particularly London.

I would disagree with the previous comments made about France. As long as you make an effort to speak French, you'll get along just fine, and when I say "make an effort", it should only take you a couple of hours of audio books, and to have a dictionary with you. Whereas, in Paris you will find that your inability to speak the language is more annoying to the locals. If you stay (get a gite, from somewhere like Just France) somewhere quiet, such as the Champagne region, there's plenty to do and you'll have a nice relaxing time and enjoying the food.

Sorrento in Italy is worth a visit. It's an easy place to be: quite touristy, but Naples, Vesuvius, Pompeii and Capri are all nearby (like less than an hour away).

Remember that we don't really do straight roads in Europe, so getting around will take longer than you expect. Try to have no more than 3 "bases" of operation, from which you can plan day-trips. Expect to cancel a day trip at a moment's notice, and don't get stressed by this.

Don't bother with traveller's checks. They're not exchangeable as cash here like they are (or at least were) in the US. You will be able to withdraw cash from ATMs in Europe, so bring around $300 in euro (Germany, France, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Greece, Belgium, Holland and others use euros, and you can use these notes and coins in any country of the eurozone) or sterling cash, and use ATM withdrawals plus credit card payments for the rest of your money requirements. Make sure you have travel insurance, and make sure both you and your wife have a credit card, in case you get split up.

A Class C hire car (Vauxhall Astra, Ford Focus etc) hire car will not be big enough.

But, yeah, tell us what your wife wants to do.
 
I recommend the spinnaker tower and as you would be in Portsmouth you could also see the HMS Victory.

There is loads to see around Europe. You might be best sticking to one part. Ie, North, West, East or South, but it's up to you. Depends on what type of holiday you are looking at, if you want beauty you can't go wrong with the mighty Emerald Isle. When we went to France we went to a place called moustiers
which was a stunning place.
 
Thank you everyone for all the great information! As appealing as Amsterdam sounds, the thought of hanging out there with my family seems a little....oh shall we say, risky. ;)

I'll have a look through all your posts with great diligence and share this information with my wife as well. With my Scottish, English, and Irish heritage and her Austrian and German heritage, there are some key places that we want to see. For all the beers I owe Giles, I might have to come up a couple days early to get all the drinking out of the way..... :)

I definitely agree that it would be in our best interest to not try and fit in EVERYTHING, but instead to concentrate and key points of interest. I know my wife would like to see some of the architecture, art, and culture of Europe. I just want to hang out and relax. Maybe take a boat ride and cruse the country side. I'll be back to visit any more suggestions as well to get feedback on a possible itinerary.

:cheers:
 
Pako
I definitely agree that it would be in our best interest to not try and fit in EVERYTHING, but instead to concentrate and key points of interest. I know my wife would like to see some of the architecture, art, and culture of Europe. I just want to hang out and relax. Maybe take a boat ride and cruse the country side. I'll be back to visit any more suggestions as well to get feedback on a possible itinerary.
Click to expand...

If it's largely unspoilt architecture you are after, you can do no better than Paris IMO. Don't get me wrong, London, Rome, Venice etc, etc have some great stuff too - it's just that Paris has little of the crappy stuff to contend with that all the others have in abundance. Florence probably runs it a close second with the previously mentioned Brugge a worthy, if condensed in relative size, 3rd. Paris also has art and culture coming out of it's ears.

All i would say is to try to not cramb too much into your itinerary, there's so much to see that if you attempted to see it all you'd end up spending most of your vacation travelling - not relaxing at all.
 
To be honest, if you're fitting Paris, you might want to consider just two or three places at the most, if you're still planning on the 14 day stay, since Paris takes about 6 hard core days to see it all... if you're taking your time and relaxing, it might take as long as 10 days. The Louvre museum alone takes 4! And no, I'm not an art freak, but if you're in Paris and don't see the Louvre you're in for some flaming.

Even if you just go in to see the main attractions: Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, Gaugin, etc.

Oh, another place NOT to visit (in Paris): Museum Georges Pompidou. It's supposed to be a modern art museum, and maybe the fact that when I went the largest floor was closed for renovations has something to do with it, but what I saw made me feel like I'd been robbed. The art was too modern and not really artsy...

oh, and in Paris, a place you have to go, but beware a bit, is Sacre Coeur (sp?), it's more or less like Holy Heart. Very imrpessive views, I'l see if I can post a pic later. But the area around it has become lately a haven for all the Moroccans and North Africans, and although I don't want to sound racist, they tend to crap up the area and make it less nice.
 
Puerto banus in the costa del sol

EXOTIC CARS FTW!
 
-Diego-
Well, I suggested he avoid Amsterdam since most of the attractions suggested deal with prositution and weed... two things you'd really want to avoid if you're trying to look like the mature adult and carrying a 15 year old as well.
Click to expand...

And this is the kind of crap that scares off tourists.

I've LIVED in Amsterdam. My grandfather on my father side lived there. We'd visit him and even stayed a couple of days often going all over Amsterdam for food, goods and doing the "tourist" thing. Not once in all my years did I ever see a prostitute (they aren't allowed to walk the streets), a drugged-out person (they aren't allowed to walk the streets), drugs being consumed, somebody being arrested for any crime, etc.

Again, the part of Amsterdam where the window prostitutes and drug dens and "coffee shops" are in is a small part of Amsterdam. Police there can be found nearly on every corner. This section of Amsterdam is relatively small and EASILY avoided. This kind of activity is not allowed or tolerated in other parts of Amsterdam.


Pako, I'd never try to trick anyone to go to a city I myself wouldn't send my own kids. It's not as bad as you or others might think. It's too bad the negative stuff is the only thing people think of about Amsterdam.

At any case, Holland is a fantastic country and shouldn't be missed. If you still don't like the idea of Amsterdam, there is Rotterdam, The Hague, Delft, Alkmaar and the best city next to Amsterdam that will never show up on a travel guide, Nijmegen which is very near Germany if you happen to be going there.
 
Pako
I definitely agree that it would be in our best interest to not try and fit in EVERYTHING, but instead to concentrate and key points of interest. I know my wife would like to see some of the architecture, art, and culture of Europe. I just want to hang out and relax. Maybe take a boat ride and cruse the country side. I'll be back to visit any more suggestions as well to get feedback on a possible itinerary.

:cheers:
Click to expand...

Shameless plug time, but Yorkshire is great for Scenery.

I'm so lonely up here...

2772646-Yorkshire_Dales-North_Yorkshire.jpg

AW_Yorkshire_dales43.jpg
 
If you want to do the Effiel Tower, it'll take half a day, just like that. I was in Paris a few weeks ago and we queued for >2 hours to get in (although 1 of the 4 legs was closed) - then another half hour on the 2nd floor to get to the top.

If you go to Paris, get a carnet (pronouced car-nay) of tickets for the Metro - 10 tickets for something like €16. Paris is quite small - about 20 miles across - so if your journey is 2 Metro stops or less, then walk; it's be faster.

You do get women asking "Can you speak English?" around the touristy bits; if you say yes, they'll produce a little card with "I am from Bosnia and I'm a long way from my family. Please give me money" or some such. Just say "Non" to them and ignore them.

All the Parisian police carry guns; the military police patrol the main tourist hotspots with automatic weaponary. This was a suprise to me, having never seen an armed policeman before, but may be less unusual to you as an American.

In my experience, the Parisians drive like loonies. If it's flat, it's a car park.

If you come to the UK, remember we drive on the left - it sounds obvious, but remember this when crossing the road; the traffic will be coming from an unexpected direction.
 
Back