Traveling through Europe - Suggestions Needed

I am going to Europe for 3 weeks in May and need suggestions of countries to visit. Pretty sure Dublin is the first stop... then what?

A little tidbit of why and any specifics would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

I was actually thinking about this..so many things I want to do. So my plan was to fly into Dublin as well, since tickets were the cheapest there. Then go through Britain, and probably get a rental car or something silly, and go to Paris, and then move on to the other places.

 

Siena, Italy
Cannes, France
Monaco
Londres

 

in May...

Cannes: film festival
Monaco: F1 race

if you like big crowds and conspicuous consumption, that's the ticket...otherwise, avoid.

 

didn't even know they were in May, thanks for the input.

 

Siena- Ever see Quantum Of Solace?
Or Bregenz, Austria!!

 

So MANY places ................. so little time.

Places I will ALWAYS GO BACK TO .....

Venice, IT
Rome, IT
Prague, CZ
Munich, GE
Heildelberg, GE
Rothenburg, GE (Mid-evil City, VERY Nice.)


Listed in no particular order.

Have a GREAT TIME !!!!!!

 

Paris would be a must if I were going, great culture, nice people, and so much to see!

Good luck on your trip, I'm envious

 

well, it depends on what you prefer to see:
- big cities which represents the country
- culture (historic buildings, castles, museums ....)

I am German and know 20+ European countries better than my trouser pockets. I travelled through Europe over the past 35years and know more hidden places than many locals do

I recommend the following 5 attractive places where to get unforgetable moments:

1. Dublin (Ireland)
is a good starting point due to its charming people and unique atmosphere. Don't miss to spend 3 extra days in the south-west of Ireland (Dublin --> Limerick --> Ring of Kerry --> Cork --> back to Dublin)
http://www.ringofkerrytourism.com/

2. Amsterdam (The Netherlands)
charming city, lots of cannels, great food / nightlife, very USA-friendly
http://www.amsterdam.info/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amsterdam

3. Munich (Germany)
to me, the most interesting city of Germany providing lots of highlights in all aspects, open-minded, excellent food, museums, ancient buildings - not to be missed (no way!)
http://www.muenchen.de/home/60093/Homepage.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munich

4. Vienna (Austria)
check both links and you'll understand why I recommend this city:
http://www.wien.gv.at/english/
http://www.wienkultur.info/page.php?id=103 (lots of pictures .. some engl. text)

5. Rome (Italy)
you can't visit Europe without having been in Rome !!!!
http://www.italyguides.it/us/roma/rome_italy_travel.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rome

from there back to the USA

don't hesitate to contact me privately - I'm happy to be at your service
.
.

 

ITALY!!! (Sorry, I've never been there so I shouldn't speak). IMHO Paris, too, but again I am biased after 8 years of French class

 

this may sound crazy, but we had little time and did a lot of driving:

breakfast in Franfurt, lunch in Strasbourg, France, then off to dinner and spend night in town of Frieburg, Germany
drove thru some of Black Forrest on the way to lunch in Liechtenstein, and then thru Konstanz and Zurich to Sass Fee, Switzerland for dinner and the night.
Lunch the next day at Bellagio, on Lake Como.... then spent 2 hours trying to get into Monza before we finally found the entrance... just to get a chance to walk on the track...
spent the night on Lake Guarda, Italy, and then lunch the next day in Innsbruck, Austria, before having dinner and spending the night in Garmish, Germany...
Next day to Neuschwanstein - (Cindarella's Castle) and on to Stuttgart for tours of the Mercedes and Porsche Museums...
Spent the night at Best Western hotels as well.... beautiful places over there.

Point is, we covered a lot of ground in a short time.... so, with 3 weeks, you can really see a lot.... we also drove the Nurburgring - any street legal vehicle for @ 18 euros... I drove my parents and sister around for 2 laps in a Volvo XC90 SUV.... the crowd loved it....

We also saw quite a few other places...

My desire is to some day drive the coast road from Cadiz, Spain to Croatia.

Have fun !

 

nurburgring

Barcelona is a very nice city if you like to look at building and things... (I dont, so i don't really notice it even though i've lived here for a year already!). Circuit de Catalunya is very nice and if you're lucky you might just be able to squeeze a track day in. Unfortunately the last bit of testing is in march, no more further till later on in the season IIRC.

Amsterdam as been said, although holland itself is rather dull if you ask me.

I think the most fun is to be had in and around italy. If you can rent something like a lotus don't forget to drive the stelvio pass!

 

How old are you? What are you looking to do?

When I was in college I spent a year abroad for studies/travel/drinking/women... I went to almost every major city on the continent so I could give you some suggestions.

 

Great info! I'll definitely be contacting you.

 

Its me and a few friends, after graduation, with that same agenda minus the studies. Fire away with the suggestions.

 

Hi

......you wanna visit a number of German cities one day?

......and you wanna know how they look like in advance?

oki doki, then check this page:

http://www.panorama-cities.net/city/german_cities.html

click on the town's name, and when you're in that special section, click through the menu items !!

my personal fave towns: ERFURT, DRESDEN, NUREMBERG, MUNIC ... (pl. check them out, they'll enrich your mind !!)

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If you wanna visit Germany one day avoiding big cities for a couple of days, come and see the beauty of my area.

Nearby cities and distances from where I live:

Cochem (11km) - Koblenz (50km) - Bonn (85km) - Trier (90km) - Köln/Cologne (110km) - Luxembourg/LUX (135km) - Mainz (140km) - Frankfurt (160km) - Maastricht/NL (190km) - Metz/France (195km) - Liège/Belgium (210km)

The scenic river valleys of MOSEL, RHINE and AHR, a huuuge number of beautiful castles, historic buildings, market places, old villages in rural countrysides of EIFEL and HUNSRÜCK

KOBLENZ:
Situated in the picturesque landscape of the Rhine and Mosel and surrounded by four low mountain ranges is the 2000-year-old town of KOBLENZ. Its abundance of cultural monuments and historic buildings, its cosy lanes and narrow alleyways, the relaxed atmosphere of its squares and river promenades make Koblenz a friendly town where its guests feel right at home. The view from Ehrenbreitstein Fortress high above the Rhine (118 metres) across the river down to “Deutsches Eck” with its equestrian statue of Emperor William I is spectacular. Koblenz is a meeting point for visitors from all over the world and an excellent starting point for trips into the fascinating landscape along the Rhine and the Mosel. The point where the Mosel flows into the Rhine is called Germany’s most beautiful corner..
http://www.panorama-cities.net/koblenz/koblenz_germany.html
(click on pics and all the menu items!)

MAYEN:
Mayen is often called ‘The Gateway to the Eifel’. Even in Roman times, Mayen was an important economic centre. From the end of the 3rd Century up until the Middle Ages, potteries were established here, whose products made their way across Central Europe. Nowadays Mayen is a nice charming town of about 19,200 and has lots of things to offer: An attractive town centre with a large pedestrian precinct, castle Genovevaburg from the 13th Century with the Eifel Museum and the Slate Mining Museum housed inside, Volcanic Information Station in the Vulkanpark (Volcanic Park), Nearby in the Nette Valley: Schloss Bürresheim, which appears as Castle Grunewald in 'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade'. There are 3 popular events to be mentioned: Lukasmarkt: yearly fair in October with rides and amusements for a week, as well as two days where there is a livestock market (for which the fair was originally established). Burgfestspiele (Castle Festival Show): for several weeks in late spring, the courtyard of the castle is transformed into an open-air theatre, which is then used for various productions. Stein- und Burgfest (Stone and Castle Festival); a chance for local craftsmen and guilds to showcase their trade. Usually for two days towards in September...
http://www.mayen.de

COCHEM:
The holiday land of Cochem is not without good reason one of the most well known and well loved holiday destinations in Germany. The historical, medieval old town, the unique Mosel countryside with its picturesque wine-growers' villages, numerous festivals and markets, a varied gastronomy and a whole wealth of leisure activities make your stay here a true experience. See the world famous Cochem Castle, symbol of the whole region, numerous historical buildings and lots of other sights of interest
http://www.cochem-tourist.de/starten.htm

BERNKASTEL - KUES:
the market square of that charming little town is considered to be the perfect example of German town architecture, and is one of the classic tourist destinations of the Mosel

TRABEN - TRARBACH:
Art Nouveau buildings characterise the river front of the town, which prospered on the wine trade at the end of the 19th century. The Trarbach Bridge Gate of 1898, a romantic pastiche of the great age of castle building, also has elements of Art Nouveau

TRIER
is the oldest town in Germany with the most substantial surviving city gate of the ancient Roman empire, the "Porta Nigra" or "Black Gate". Trier has many attractions to offer from Roman and mediaeval times, and the time of the Electors, the Kurfürsten
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trier
http://www.panorama-cities.net/trier/trier_germany.html
(click on pics and all the menu items!)

NURBURGRING: the famous race track which is the most spectacular and longest circuit in the world (22,8 km). There is much to see at the "Ring" also during the week. Unfortunately the start/finish area is currently a huuuge heavy work but all the rest is fine.

ADENAU:
The 1000-year-old small town of Adenau is the center of the Union of Settlements Adenau. It lies in a side-valley of the upper part of the river Ahr, within the largest continuous forest area of the Eifel. The picturesque half-timbered houses ftom the 17th century form the characteristic background of the remodelled market place. The two museums of the town are worth avisit. The Heimat- und Zunftmuseum (Museum of local history, culture and guilds) presents the guilds of Adenau (tanners, hammermakers and woolweavers) as well as an interesting collection concerning the history of the Knights of St. John/Malta. The Farmhouse Museum provides insight into the housing of the farmers in history, with furniture, utensils, tools and machines. The famous Nurburgring race track is just 7km from Adeanau (10min by car)

Holiday Region HOCHEIFEL:
A multitude of hiking paths lead through lovely wide valleys and up to the peaks of the mountains with their magnificent views. A network of more than 900 km of paths is at the disposal of the hiker. Various topical hiking paths, e.g. "On the trail of the green hell", "On the trail of the knight orders", or "On the trail of old mills" allow insights into the history and the prehistoric evolution of our volcanic region. A visit to the ruins of the castle Nürburg, which was once the mightiest of the castles in the Eifel, can be combined with a hike. In the autumn of 2003, the Nordic Fitness Course Hocheifel-Nürburgring, the talk of the town for its diversity and breath-taking scenic views, was opened. At an overall length of 22.7 km the course offers independent courses of 4.4 km, 5.2 km, 5.8 km and 7.3 km length. In the Union of Settlements Adenau and at the Nürburgring there is simply something to discover for everybody - be it on foot, on a bicycle in a car or riding a motorbike. For mountain bike fans, the approximately 30-km-long course along the"Green Hell" is certainly the right challenge. More leisurely cycling is offered by the paths along the river Ahr. The volcano cycling route Eifel with a length of approx. 65 km joins the valley of the Ahr with the river Mosel

LUXEMBOURG:
City of the European Parliament, nice scenic country with charming warm-hearted people
http://www.lcto.lu/

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My area is situated in the triangle of three airports (Luxembourg, Köln/Bonn and Frankfurt), each of it just about 1,5 hours drive by car). If you need my expert knowledge (arranging something, providing usefull website links, contacting people ....) - just send me a personal note to keep this thread clean.

Best time of the year is from May 15 - Oct 15

 

what..? how come nobody mentioned P A R I S ?

 

Adding to the Nurburgring, Stelvio Pass in Italy.

 

Just want to thank everybody for all of your great input. I had an amazing time and wish I was still there. See my thread about my experience in Maranello: http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=246912

 

get a eurail pass and take the train.

 

Italian Riviera! so beautiful!!