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Message
Europe Trip Planning
Posted on 8/18/19 at 2:49 pm
Posted on 8/18/19 at 2:49 pm
My wife and I are planning to take a 2 week trip to Europe next year. We are in the early stages of trip planning at the moment and looking for advice/recommendations from the board.
Some notes:
- Party size - My wife and myself. It'll be her 2nd trip and my first.
- Time of year - May or June. We can be persuaded to choose a different time, but this is our initial plans.
- Countries of interest - For this trip we are focusing on countries such as France, Germany, and Italy. I would like to see Portugal, Spain, and Greece but we are not set in stone with any particular place just yet.
- Budget - TBD. I honestly do not have a clue on what kind of budget to operate with for 2 weeks in Europe.
General Questions:
- What are some must dos for first timers?
- What are some preferred payment methods while overseas (minimal fees)?
- Should we look for advice from a travel agent?
- Any recommendations on lodging in Europe?
- Do you have general tips to keep in mind for planning an overseas trip?
Some notes:
- Party size - My wife and myself. It'll be her 2nd trip and my first.
- Time of year - May or June. We can be persuaded to choose a different time, but this is our initial plans.
- Countries of interest - For this trip we are focusing on countries such as France, Germany, and Italy. I would like to see Portugal, Spain, and Greece but we are not set in stone with any particular place just yet.
- Budget - TBD. I honestly do not have a clue on what kind of budget to operate with for 2 weeks in Europe.
General Questions:
- What are some must dos for first timers?
- What are some preferred payment methods while overseas (minimal fees)?
- Should we look for advice from a travel agent?
- Any recommendations on lodging in Europe?
- Do you have general tips to keep in mind for planning an overseas trip?
12
Posted on 8/18/19 at 3:01 pm to RickAstley
I've only been to Europe once so there are people on here that can give FAAAR more info that I can. With that said my wife and I went on our honeymoon to all 3 countries you mentioned; stuttgart, rome, paris.
-Must dos is impossible to say, it's up to yall and what you like doing. We of course did a lot of touristy stuff that I dont' regret at all (louvre, eiffel tower, coliseum, christmas markets, etc).
-For payment we exchanged for several hundred Euros at the Atl airport before we left to take care of taxis, small purchases, etc. Had some left over. Pretty much everywhere we went took Visa which was our main payment method. Be sure to contact your bank ahead of time and tell them when you're going and EVERY country you'll be in.
-Also call your cell phone provider, I have ATT and they ahve an international passport thing that was like $60 I think which basically let me avoid international charges and roaming fees.
-Get some universal adaptors for your wife's hair dryer if that's something she's taking.
-I wouldn't do a travel agent, I don't think. When we first started planning our honeymoon we looked into one but honestly there was nothing they could do we coudln't ourselves. Aside from the big flight over there and back, we also took smaller airline flights between each country. My wife booked those but I don't think it'd be very difficult to navigate.
-For lodging we stayed in 2 hotels and 1 Air BnB. The Air BNB was awesome, I'd be fine staying in one anywhere in europe as you can likely stay close to where you want to be for cheaper.
-Must dos is impossible to say, it's up to yall and what you like doing. We of course did a lot of touristy stuff that I dont' regret at all (louvre, eiffel tower, coliseum, christmas markets, etc).
-For payment we exchanged for several hundred Euros at the Atl airport before we left to take care of taxis, small purchases, etc. Had some left over. Pretty much everywhere we went took Visa which was our main payment method. Be sure to contact your bank ahead of time and tell them when you're going and EVERY country you'll be in.
-Also call your cell phone provider, I have ATT and they ahve an international passport thing that was like $60 I think which basically let me avoid international charges and roaming fees.
-Get some universal adaptors for your wife's hair dryer if that's something she's taking.
-I wouldn't do a travel agent, I don't think. When we first started planning our honeymoon we looked into one but honestly there was nothing they could do we coudln't ourselves. Aside from the big flight over there and back, we also took smaller airline flights between each country. My wife booked those but I don't think it'd be very difficult to navigate.
-For lodging we stayed in 2 hotels and 1 Air BnB. The Air BNB was awesome, I'd be fine staying in one anywhere in europe as you can likely stay close to where you want to be for cheaper.
Posted on 8/18/19 at 3:29 pm to RickAstley
Figure out what you are interested in seeing and/or which cities you want to go to. For a 2 week trip I would limit it to 4 cities max. Resist the temptation to try and see everything on one trip.
Book your flight as "Open Jaw". For instance, say you want to go to Florence, Munich and Paris. Fly into Florence and back home from Paris so you won't have to waste time back tracking. Its usually not much extra to do this. You will probably get better flight deals in May than in June when peak travel season starts and places will be less crowded with tourists. The weather may be a little cooler and wetter though.
For payment, a CC is what we use. Make sure you have a CC that doesn't charge international transaction fees. Also, try to get you CC company to give you a pin # for your CC. They use pin #s rather than signatures over there although they will allow you to sign but if you are at an unmanned train ticket kiosk you can't use your CC without a pin #. We usually don't get cash until we get over there and just use an ATM at the airport. Make sure you alert your bank you will be over there. Uber is in most cities and that's what we use 99% of the time so no need for cash.
As for budget, that depends on your desire for poshness. We usually budget $150/day for lodging and $100/day food/alcohol, misc. and we stay within that easily unless we go to London or Scandinavia which are crazy expensive. We stay in airbnbs 99% of the time and always have had good luck with them. Read the reviews and don't book anything with no reviews or even less than 10 reviews. However, some cities are starting to ban airbnbs, Amsterdam is one of them, so we may have to stay in a hotel there next time we go over.
I've been to Europe over 10 times and never thought about using a travel agent. Booking flights is easy so you just need to do your research on what you want to see. Rick Steves has great books on many European destinations with lots of great tips on everything from sightseeing to food to lodging and general tips on traveling in europe.
Book your flight as "Open Jaw". For instance, say you want to go to Florence, Munich and Paris. Fly into Florence and back home from Paris so you won't have to waste time back tracking. Its usually not much extra to do this. You will probably get better flight deals in May than in June when peak travel season starts and places will be less crowded with tourists. The weather may be a little cooler and wetter though.
For payment, a CC is what we use. Make sure you have a CC that doesn't charge international transaction fees. Also, try to get you CC company to give you a pin # for your CC. They use pin #s rather than signatures over there although they will allow you to sign but if you are at an unmanned train ticket kiosk you can't use your CC without a pin #. We usually don't get cash until we get over there and just use an ATM at the airport. Make sure you alert your bank you will be over there. Uber is in most cities and that's what we use 99% of the time so no need for cash.
As for budget, that depends on your desire for poshness. We usually budget $150/day for lodging and $100/day food/alcohol, misc. and we stay within that easily unless we go to London or Scandinavia which are crazy expensive. We stay in airbnbs 99% of the time and always have had good luck with them. Read the reviews and don't book anything with no reviews or even less than 10 reviews. However, some cities are starting to ban airbnbs, Amsterdam is one of them, so we may have to stay in a hotel there next time we go over.
I've been to Europe over 10 times and never thought about using a travel agent. Booking flights is easy so you just need to do your research on what you want to see. Rick Steves has great books on many European destinations with lots of great tips on everything from sightseeing to food to lodging and general tips on traveling in europe.
Posted on 8/18/19 at 3:31 pm to RickAstley
Sounds exciting! There are a lot of great trip reviews linked above so definitely read those. It's a daunting task trying to figure this stuff out.
April and May are good times. June gets into tourist season, so it increase the crowds and costs in popular areas. We've been multiple times in April, but also loved our time in October, November and even early December. Less tourists, less costs. Personal preference.
Budget? Hard to say based upon how long, which country, your preferences etc. Airfare is the most expensive part, so that requires some research. Some don't mind coach others would rather upgrade. For two of us, we budget probably $6-$8k for a two week or so trip. You can do it cheaper and you do it more expensive.
I love Tripmasters for a site to plan and estimate costs. Check it out.
Countries? OMG where you could go. Our favorite by far is actually Slovenia, followed by Czechia, then Austria, so look into those as well if you're open. Croatia was fun too. Point being Eastern European countries are unique, beautiful and generally far cheaper.
Italy's incredible. Obviously for your first trip you'd do Florence, but again it can get crowded. Plan ahead. Buy tickets online for popular attractions. Tour Tuscany region. Sienna. Our favorite town was Orvieto (in between Florence and Rome generally and an easy train ride).
Germany is huge and you could spend years visiting it. Of the places we went, Rothenburg was our favorite. If you're in Germany, it'd be worth also going to Belgium just to see Bruges, the "Venice of The North" Google both of them!
Bunch of people here will weigh in on this topic, so it'll be fun to see the responses.
April and May are good times. June gets into tourist season, so it increase the crowds and costs in popular areas. We've been multiple times in April, but also loved our time in October, November and even early December. Less tourists, less costs. Personal preference.
Budget? Hard to say based upon how long, which country, your preferences etc. Airfare is the most expensive part, so that requires some research. Some don't mind coach others would rather upgrade. For two of us, we budget probably $6-$8k for a two week or so trip. You can do it cheaper and you do it more expensive.
I love Tripmasters for a site to plan and estimate costs. Check it out.
Countries? OMG where you could go. Our favorite by far is actually Slovenia, followed by Czechia, then Austria, so look into those as well if you're open. Croatia was fun too. Point being Eastern European countries are unique, beautiful and generally far cheaper.
Italy's incredible. Obviously for your first trip you'd do Florence, but again it can get crowded. Plan ahead. Buy tickets online for popular attractions. Tour Tuscany region. Sienna. Our favorite town was Orvieto (in between Florence and Rome generally and an easy train ride).
Germany is huge and you could spend years visiting it. Of the places we went, Rothenburg was our favorite. If you're in Germany, it'd be worth also going to Belgium just to see Bruges, the "Venice of The North" Google both of them!
Bunch of people here will weigh in on this topic, so it'll be fun to see the responses.
This post was edited on 8/18/19 at 3:47 pm
Posted on 8/18/19 at 3:34 pm to RickAstley
Payment methods:
Visa and Mastercard will be fine just about everywhere you go. Make sure your card has a chip and has no foreign transaction fees. For cash, just go to ATM at your arrival airport. Notify your bank you're traveling.
Time of year:
I suggest May. It'll be before the summer crowds and cool enough to where you shouldn't need to make sure your place had A/C.
Countries:
I'm partial to the various regions of France. Most will disagree, but I'd even suggest to skip Paris! So it all depends on your personal preferences. For France/Germany area, the Alsace region is a great combo of both counties, and Strasbourg is a great city to make a home base.
I suggest you pick up a Rick Steves France and RS Germany book, peruse them, see what jumps out at you.
Lodging:
Try a couple different things. Split the trip between city and counrty: find a VRBO or airbb for the city stay, and find a nice bed & breakfast for the country. See what you like better.
General tip:
Try not to move too much. Don't go from stop to stop just to check a box, take a pic with dozens of others tourists, and move on. Stay in a region for several days, and take the time to experience the place. Don't schedule too much in one day so the everything is a rush. Some of my favorite experiences in Europe have been leisurely picnics while riding bikes through vineyards, or enjoying a glass of wine at a cafe on a street corner.
Visa and Mastercard will be fine just about everywhere you go. Make sure your card has a chip and has no foreign transaction fees. For cash, just go to ATM at your arrival airport. Notify your bank you're traveling.
Time of year:
I suggest May. It'll be before the summer crowds and cool enough to where you shouldn't need to make sure your place had A/C.
Countries:
I'm partial to the various regions of France. Most will disagree, but I'd even suggest to skip Paris! So it all depends on your personal preferences. For France/Germany area, the Alsace region is a great combo of both counties, and Strasbourg is a great city to make a home base.
I suggest you pick up a Rick Steves France and RS Germany book, peruse them, see what jumps out at you.
Lodging:
Try a couple different things. Split the trip between city and counrty: find a VRBO or airbb for the city stay, and find a nice bed & breakfast for the country. See what you like better.
General tip:
Try not to move too much. Don't go from stop to stop just to check a box, take a pic with dozens of others tourists, and move on. Stay in a region for several days, and take the time to experience the place. Don't schedule too much in one day so the everything is a rush. Some of my favorite experiences in Europe have been leisurely picnics while riding bikes through vineyards, or enjoying a glass of wine at a cafe on a street corner.
Posted on 8/18/19 at 3:42 pm to LSUJuice
Another tip: if your trip is open ended, let a flight deal make decisions for you. Block out (mentally and with your work) a time like early-mid May. Then wait til early March and see what kind of flight deals show up. There's almost always something if you're flexible with dates and locations. Either set an alert or become really familiar with Google flights map search and toggle the dates.
Posted on 8/18/19 at 3:59 pm to RickAstley
quote:
- What are some preferred payment methods while overseas (minimal fees)?
Let your bank know to expect charges coming in from those countries, especially your bank where your ATM card is.
Posted on 8/18/19 at 4:10 pm to Nole Man
quote:
Point being Eastern European countries are unique, beautiful and generally far cheaper.
Beat me to it. Can't emphasize this enough. Budapest, Warsaw, Prague, etc.
This may sound like a dumb question, but what do you want to do? Museums? Walk around the beautiful architecture of hundreds of years old towns and cities? Explore the beautiful scenery of mountains and rivers? Castles? Coastal areas?
Great food? How you answer that would determine where in Europe you should go.
I'm not a museum guy, so my list would include the following....**places I've actually been...and the others would be where I want to go.
**Drive down the Rhine, see the castles and vineyards.
**"The Romantic Road" of Germany...check out Rothenburg and Dinkelsbuhl especially
**Neuschwanstein castle
Prague...on my bucket list
**Budapest
**Bertchtesgaden and Salzburg
The Cinque Terre of Italy...also on my bucket list
Many people here would say to visit Paris. I wouldn't, but that's just me. Again, it depends on your interests and what you like. I'm not into museums or night life..
Posted on 8/18/19 at 4:40 pm to RickAstley
You should 100% travel in May instead of June if you can. You'll find cheaper flights, and the crowds will not be nearly as bad.
Right now, the dollar is strong, so you'll pay less money for most things in Europe than you would pay for comparable things in the US (in countries that use the Euro, which includes all the countries you listed). Portugal is particularly inexpensive (and generally undertouristed by Americans).
Flights inside Europe are absurdly cheap. If you want to split your trip up, it's easy to buy a cheap flight to another location.
Since you are not set on seeing a particular location, I absolutely agree with the advice to look for a flight deal and go where that deal is. Google Flights is a great resource.
European cities are nightmares for cars, but if you were thinking about driving through little towns in Tuscany or Provence or something, you should know that it's hard to rent cars with automatic transmissions -- everyone drives a stick. On your first trip to Europe, you might want to stick to planes, trains, and public transportation.
Right now, the dollar is strong, so you'll pay less money for most things in Europe than you would pay for comparable things in the US (in countries that use the Euro, which includes all the countries you listed). Portugal is particularly inexpensive (and generally undertouristed by Americans).
Flights inside Europe are absurdly cheap. If you want to split your trip up, it's easy to buy a cheap flight to another location.
Since you are not set on seeing a particular location, I absolutely agree with the advice to look for a flight deal and go where that deal is. Google Flights is a great resource.
European cities are nightmares for cars, but if you were thinking about driving through little towns in Tuscany or Provence or something, you should know that it's hard to rent cars with automatic transmissions -- everyone drives a stick. On your first trip to Europe, you might want to stick to planes, trains, and public transportation.
Posted on 8/18/19 at 5:44 pm to RickAstley
You’re asking good questions.
—May, as early as possible, will offer better prices and lighter crowds. Spring weather is great for touring.
—two weeks may seem incredibly long to you, but imagine trying to cover the highlights of the USA in just 2 weeks. You will likely enjoy your trip more if you can narrow down the things/places most important to you. Don’t be the people who scurried through three countries to check off sights on someone else’s list. Do be the people who allow for downtime, relaxation, wandering, and serendipity.
—I’ve never used a travel agent, ever, and I’m middled aged and have been to Europe at least a dozen times. Maybe if you were booking a cruise, there would be an advantage. But things like Google Flights will easily help you find a suitable flight, and various travel review sites online are more informative than an agent who likely hasn’t traveled recently to the places you want to see,
Agree that you should fly open jaw. Pick a starting point and an end point, and fly into say Rome and out of Munich, and plan your trip along a route between the two places. I would try to resist the urge to do France AND Germany AND Italy on one trip. Pick two, and plan an itinerary that includes both city and countryside along a convenient route between your arrival and departure cities.
Americans often look at Europe as compact and easy to “pop over” to the next country, but do you really want to spend days and days of a 2 week vacation merely in transit to the “next” place? I don’t. I want to stay 3-4 nights, settle in, find a coffee shop I like, check out the neighborhood open air market or grocery store, find a bar where locals drink, and “feel” a place rather than rush around taking photos or being herded on guided tours.
You & spouse should make independent Top 5 and Top 10 lists.....see what each of you wants out of the trip (food, wine, outdoors, scenery, beer, soccer, art, architecture, history, museums, music....). Then get a few general guidebooks for the cities and countries you’d most like to see....these are often useless for food/lodging recs, but good for suggested itineraries and highlights and focal points. Public library usually has a good selection of European guides, as e-books too.
—May, as early as possible, will offer better prices and lighter crowds. Spring weather is great for touring.
—two weeks may seem incredibly long to you, but imagine trying to cover the highlights of the USA in just 2 weeks. You will likely enjoy your trip more if you can narrow down the things/places most important to you. Don’t be the people who scurried through three countries to check off sights on someone else’s list. Do be the people who allow for downtime, relaxation, wandering, and serendipity.
—I’ve never used a travel agent, ever, and I’m middled aged and have been to Europe at least a dozen times. Maybe if you were booking a cruise, there would be an advantage. But things like Google Flights will easily help you find a suitable flight, and various travel review sites online are more informative than an agent who likely hasn’t traveled recently to the places you want to see,
Agree that you should fly open jaw. Pick a starting point and an end point, and fly into say Rome and out of Munich, and plan your trip along a route between the two places. I would try to resist the urge to do France AND Germany AND Italy on one trip. Pick two, and plan an itinerary that includes both city and countryside along a convenient route between your arrival and departure cities.
Americans often look at Europe as compact and easy to “pop over” to the next country, but do you really want to spend days and days of a 2 week vacation merely in transit to the “next” place? I don’t. I want to stay 3-4 nights, settle in, find a coffee shop I like, check out the neighborhood open air market or grocery store, find a bar where locals drink, and “feel” a place rather than rush around taking photos or being herded on guided tours.
You & spouse should make independent Top 5 and Top 10 lists.....see what each of you wants out of the trip (food, wine, outdoors, scenery, beer, soccer, art, architecture, history, museums, music....). Then get a few general guidebooks for the cities and countries you’d most like to see....these are often useless for food/lodging recs, but good for suggested itineraries and highlights and focal points. Public library usually has a good selection of European guides, as e-books too.
Posted on 8/18/19 at 5:45 pm to RickAstley
Choose a City rent an apt., from Home Away, live like a local. Then take weekend trips with an overnight bag. Airfare in Europe is inexpensive, trains are a nice option. 
Posted on 8/19/19 at 8:16 am to RickAstley
Going in the shoulder season can get you some great deals. We always try to do Euro trips in April-early May if possible. Just start looking at flights and see if something sticks out.
Get a credit card with no international fees if you don't already have one. There are very few places in Europe where you will have trouble with a CC. For cash, get money from an ATM after arrival. Let your bank and CC company know about your travel ahead of time.
Switzerland is my tops, just from the pure natural beauty of it, but there's so many options. Really love Prague as well. If you pick multiple destinations, try to pick ones that aren't going to take a long day and ton of effort to travel between them. A long travel day in the middle of your trip could be a downer.
Lodging - You can find some amazing AirBnB deals all over Europe. If you're not already an AirBnb user or don't feel comfortable with it yet, just read reviews and only pick one with many reviews and a great rating. I've never had an issue and you can often stay in a better location for cheap.
The planning part should be fun. At least it is for me. Try not to cram too much stuff in and leave some time to add things as you go.
Rental car can be great, depending on the trip, but just know that trains in Europe are a great way to travel.
Get a credit card with no international fees if you don't already have one. There are very few places in Europe where you will have trouble with a CC. For cash, get money from an ATM after arrival. Let your bank and CC company know about your travel ahead of time.
Switzerland is my tops, just from the pure natural beauty of it, but there's so many options. Really love Prague as well. If you pick multiple destinations, try to pick ones that aren't going to take a long day and ton of effort to travel between them. A long travel day in the middle of your trip could be a downer.
Lodging - You can find some amazing AirBnB deals all over Europe. If you're not already an AirBnb user or don't feel comfortable with it yet, just read reviews and only pick one with many reviews and a great rating. I've never had an issue and you can often stay in a better location for cheap.
quote:
Do you have general tips to keep in mind for planning an overseas trip?
The planning part should be fun. At least it is for me. Try not to cram too much stuff in and leave some time to add things as you go.
Rental car can be great, depending on the trip, but just know that trains in Europe are a great way to travel.
Posted on 8/19/19 at 8:51 am to RickAstley
Lot's of great advice already given so anything I say will likely have already been said.
My biggest advice would be to try not to cram to much into your trip - assume that you'll be back. My wife and I went to Italy for our honeymoon and we crammed as much as we could see in the time we were there. We have great pictures of a lot of different sites, but we hardly had time to enjoy it because we had to rush to the next site.
It's going to be hard to resist that urge, but you'll be glad that you did. On our next trip to Europe we slowed down and had a much better experience.
As far as deciding on where to go - you and your wife should do your research independently of each other and then decide from there. There's not wrong answer on where you should go.
Preferred payment methods - Definitely a credit card wherever you can. I'm not sure of your situation, but if you don't have a "travel" credit card that has no international fee's I'd look into getting one. No fee's plus you can build points from plain tickets, eating out, etc. My wife and I have the Chase Sapphire Preferred.
You can get currency from an ATM in Europe or from your local bank. My wife and I got ours from a local bank just so we'd have it in hand when we landed, but I believe the better rates are in Europe. Just make sure you use an ATM and not a currency exchange store.
Between France, Germany, and Italy my wife and I did not have trouble using CC's in the majority of places - Austria is the only country we've been to where we had to use cash the majority of the time.
Travel Agent - You could use a travel agent, but there is so much information on the internet that it's not something you have to do.
Lodging - We've done a mix of AirBNB's and hotels. No different than in the States - read the reviews and make sure it's in a decent location. We've never had any issues.
General Tips - Talk with your phone provider and get whatever overseas plan they offer. It's worth it, I believe we paid $10/day to use the plan that we have in the States.
GoogleMaps works great in Europe.
You'll need an adapter to plug in your phone/laptop.
Buy a good portable phone charger - I believe my wife paid $40-50 on the one that we brought and it was a life saver. We used our phone a lot getting around and it was nice to not worry about finding a place to charge our phone.
My biggest advice would be to try not to cram to much into your trip - assume that you'll be back. My wife and I went to Italy for our honeymoon and we crammed as much as we could see in the time we were there. We have great pictures of a lot of different sites, but we hardly had time to enjoy it because we had to rush to the next site.
It's going to be hard to resist that urge, but you'll be glad that you did. On our next trip to Europe we slowed down and had a much better experience.
As far as deciding on where to go - you and your wife should do your research independently of each other and then decide from there. There's not wrong answer on where you should go.
Preferred payment methods - Definitely a credit card wherever you can. I'm not sure of your situation, but if you don't have a "travel" credit card that has no international fee's I'd look into getting one. No fee's plus you can build points from plain tickets, eating out, etc. My wife and I have the Chase Sapphire Preferred.
You can get currency from an ATM in Europe or from your local bank. My wife and I got ours from a local bank just so we'd have it in hand when we landed, but I believe the better rates are in Europe. Just make sure you use an ATM and not a currency exchange store.
Between France, Germany, and Italy my wife and I did not have trouble using CC's in the majority of places - Austria is the only country we've been to where we had to use cash the majority of the time.
Travel Agent - You could use a travel agent, but there is so much information on the internet that it's not something you have to do.
Lodging - We've done a mix of AirBNB's and hotels. No different than in the States - read the reviews and make sure it's in a decent location. We've never had any issues.
General Tips - Talk with your phone provider and get whatever overseas plan they offer. It's worth it, I believe we paid $10/day to use the plan that we have in the States.
GoogleMaps works great in Europe.
You'll need an adapter to plug in your phone/laptop.
Buy a good portable phone charger - I believe my wife paid $40-50 on the one that we brought and it was a life saver. We used our phone a lot getting around and it was nice to not worry about finding a place to charge our phone.
Posted on 8/19/19 at 9:18 am to RickAstley
As others have said, my worst trips were the ones where I tried to do too much, went to too many places, stayed in too many hotels, etc etc.
On the flipside, my best trips have been the one where we went to just a few places, and had time to relax and truly engage a city or country. Had time to sit in cafes or stroll through a museum at a relaxed pace.
Give yourself some time. Assume you'll be back. PREPARE in advance for what you'll be doing and what you need to know so you're not winging it country.
Don't try to do too much. Assume you will be back and can do it on another trip.
May would be preferable to June.
On the flipside, my best trips have been the one where we went to just a few places, and had time to relax and truly engage a city or country. Had time to sit in cafes or stroll through a museum at a relaxed pace.
Give yourself some time. Assume you'll be back. PREPARE in advance for what you'll be doing and what you need to know so you're not winging it country.
Don't try to do too much. Assume you will be back and can do it on another trip.
May would be preferable to June.
Posted on 8/19/19 at 2:04 pm to Fun Bunch
quote:
On the flipside, my best trips have been the one where we went to just a few places, and had time to relax and truly engage a city or country. Had time to sit in cafes or stroll through a museum at a relaxed pace.
Give yourself some time. Assume you'll be back. PREPARE in advance for what you'll be doing and what you need to know so you're not winging it country.
This, all day every day. It's a vacation, not a business trip. Resist the urge to jam-pack every minute of every day with a planned event/destination. Be flexible enough and well-researched enough to have options according to weather, mood, health, energy level. To me, there's nothing worth than feeling a little under the weather and being dragged to Activity/Attraction X just because it's on the schedule. Eff the schedule. Turn off your FOMO, relax, and slow your roll.
RE: research, yes, please. Invest the time to read about the history, culture, politics, food, music, art (whichever of those really interest you) of a place before you arrive. Watch a few movies filmed on location, find some playlists with old and new music from a particular place. Do this, and you can skip the generic guided tours most ppl need because they won't do their homework. You will already know the basic outlines & can then actually enjoy/soak up/directly experience a place without someone telling you where to look.
Learn to look--and really see--taking pics, making sketches, or just using your mind's eye to fix the impressions. You can then go home and read 1,000 pages about the construction of the Pantheon, rather than spend your time there being herded around the building with a sluggish group of others, listening to facts you could have easily gathered on your own.
Use the vacation as a reason to broaden your mind, both before departure and upon return.
Posted on 8/19/19 at 3:00 pm to hungryone
I've done a bit of research and found a lot of info on this board in particular. I guess this is a good as place as any to get some ideas for a first time European traveler:
We are looking at going over Mardi Gras break- Feb 21 - Feb 29/March 1. It will be my wife and I traveling. I spent a couple of months in Northern Germany 15 years ago, made a couple of small trips but nothing on this scale. Will be my wife's first time.
We are looking at Paris and Rome. I guess those are the biggies and since we have 7-8 days we are looking at 3-4 in each. Probably a RyanAir flight around the midpoint of the trip. I will look at AirBnB's as well as open jawed flights. I also gleaned that the 6th arr. in Paris is a good place for us. I have no idea about Rome.
We are looking to dip our toes in Europe on this trip, and plan on making return trips in the future as our kids get older. I want to return to Germany, as well as Eastern Europe. The wife wants Tuscany & Greece, so those are on our radar for the future.
Thanks for all the info, I hope OP doesn't mind me piggybacking, but any tips/ideas/recs for Paris and Rome are appreciated.
We are looking at going over Mardi Gras break- Feb 21 - Feb 29/March 1. It will be my wife and I traveling. I spent a couple of months in Northern Germany 15 years ago, made a couple of small trips but nothing on this scale. Will be my wife's first time.
We are looking at Paris and Rome. I guess those are the biggies and since we have 7-8 days we are looking at 3-4 in each. Probably a RyanAir flight around the midpoint of the trip. I will look at AirBnB's as well as open jawed flights. I also gleaned that the 6th arr. in Paris is a good place for us. I have no idea about Rome.
We are looking to dip our toes in Europe on this trip, and plan on making return trips in the future as our kids get older. I want to return to Germany, as well as Eastern Europe. The wife wants Tuscany & Greece, so those are on our radar for the future.
Thanks for all the info, I hope OP doesn't mind me piggybacking, but any tips/ideas/recs for Paris and Rome are appreciated.
Posted on 8/19/19 at 3:19 pm to slinger1317
quote:
but any tips/ideas/recs for Paris and Rome are appreciated.
Start a sep thread for Rome.
There have been several recent good ones on Paris.
Posted on 8/19/19 at 3:23 pm to slinger1317
quote:
We are looking at Paris and Rome. I guess those are the biggies and since we have 7-8 days we are looking at 3-4 in each. Probably a RyanAir flight around the midpoint of the trip. I will look at AirBnB's as well as open jawed flights. I also gleaned that the 6th arr. in Paris is a good place for us. I have no idea about Rome.
Paris and Rome is an odd combo to me, very odd and not what I would reccomend. I PERSONALLY wouldn't do both, I'd pick one or the other, and side trips to places nearby. Paris/French countryside (or even London if you just really MUST see another big city). On another trip I'd do Rome/Italy.
Since your wife wants Tuscany and Greece, why not do Rome for 2-3 days (tops) and then go to Florence and Tuscany?
But if you MUST do Paris/Rome...
I would START in Rome. Spend 2-3 days there, then the rest (bulk) of your trip in Paris.
I know there are people that like Rome on here, but even they will admit that Rome can be extremely chaotic and it is in no way relaxing. I would start there, and then in Paris enjoy a more leisurely pace and end your vacation in a more relaxing mode.
Anywhere in the inner Arr.s (1-6) in Paris is fine, I like St Germaine personally, its really great.
In Rome I would stay in Trastevere (that would be what I would highly recommend) or near the Pantheon.
Posted on 8/19/19 at 3:41 pm to slinger1317
quote:
going over Mardi Gras break- Feb 21 - Feb 29/March 1
Do a little research on the weather. For instance, the historical avg for Paris on March 1 is 48 hi and 36 lo and a good chance of light rain. That time of year would be great for Spain, Italy or Croatia.
Posted on 8/19/19 at 3:57 pm to Zappas Stache
quote:
Do a little research on the weather. For instance, the historical avg for Paris on March 1 is 48 hi and 36 lo and a good chance of light rain. That time of year would be great for Spain, Italy or Croatia.
Yes, it might be cold & rainy. Buy an insulated raincoat, or triclimate rainshell w/insulated liner. Get waterproof shoes. Go outside anyway, and enjoy the lighter crowds and cool temps. A scarf, hat, and a brisk pace will keep you warm. Have been everywhere from Dublin to Palermo over MG break....if it rains, it rains. Go anyway. Places are still fascinating and scenic in the rain (especially Paris, which is super atmospheric in a drizzle). Wet is just an excuse to linger in a wine bar, over a kir in a cafe, or to stay longer inside a museum or gallery.
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