My wife would like to take a trip to Europe. She's always wanted to go back (she went in high school, I've never been), but now her favorite band (The Stray Cats) is having a farewell tour with no US dates announced. I told her I'm not flying to Europe just to see a concert. If we go, I'd like to see a few things. I doubt I'll go to Europe more than once, so why not make the most of it. So, I'm thinking I'd like to see Rome (the Parthenon, the Vatican, the collisium), Paris (the Louire museum, the Palace at Versailes, the Eiffel tower), maybe check out a couple castles. Maybe the Pyramids. Maybe that place with the hookers in the windows. My wife would like to see Mozart's birthplace. I know a lot of people on this forum are European. What would you recommend? Are these various attractions too spread out to see in one trip? What would you recommend someone see on a trip to Europe? How much time should we spend there? Would we need to rent a car, or is the public transportation so good I wouldn't need that? Finally, will MadAnthonyWayne be welcome in Europe?
mad, i would LOVE to tour Irland, and do the winery's in france Have fun over therePlease Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
Except that the pyramids are in Africa I think you've picked good places to visit. I'd suggest the UK too, but then it'd would be too wide. How many weeks do you plan to spend in Europe any way? So far, it seems, you plan to see 6 European countries + maybe Egypt. I don't think you'll need to rent a car, European flights are cheap, railroad network is really good and buses and trams will take you everywhere within cities. Yes, I don't see why not, as long as you're polite.
hookers in windows sounds like amsterdamn. the european rail network is superb is what i heard from a friend who has been to 7 or 8 countries over there.
That might require a trip to Athens.Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! I hope you don't mean the Egyptian ones, you know, in Egypt, that country in Africa Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Presumably that's Amsterdam, or possibly Essex. Don't drink the water. Not really, if you leave yourself enough time and plan carefully you should get to see everything you want. Depends what you like I guess, for natural beauty or skiing there's the Swiss Alps, or former countries from the USSR like Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia. For historical sites the places you've mentioned are good plus Stonehenge and a lot of Britain and Ireland, not to mention the Kremlin and Neuschwanstein castle. Major cities are usually pretty impressive like Barcalona, Berlin, Vienna, Prague. I guess you have to decide what you want to see. You might need a couple weeks, as I say it depends on your plans. A car would be useful but main transport routes between major cities are good, except in the UK.
My cousin has made repeated trips to Finland and the UK in the past ten years. Though she has never had to face anyone who disliked Americans, she has met more than a few who were quite free in expressing a dislike for President Bush. She would basically end the conversation by saying that she did not vote for him. I'd avoid any discussions that even began to hint at becoming political if I were you.
Oh yes, Europeans aren't shy on that, I don't know anyone that likes Bush or US foreign policy over here, though I also don't know anyone hostile to Americans, just keep the politics out of conversations.
True, it's probably not worth it for a couple days alone, it's probably a better idea to visit Russia for the Trans-Siberian railway aswel.
Mmm, American public education, rock on!!! Your question is too broad and your interest is most likely different then ours, so we really can not give you a specific answer. How much money and time are you planning to spend? here is a cheap idea: go to Vegas. In one town you can see the pyramid, Paris, the Eiffel tower, Italy. P.S.: ...or you could go to the Epcot center... Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! P.S.S.: If you really want to go to Europe, practice Canadian or Irish accent.Except the Polish, nobody likes Americans anymore...
Most cities can meet any interests, be it art galleries, museums, music venues or hookers. Though Amsterdam is the hooker capital of Europe!
I always went there, after eating my fill of free cheeze, crackers and beer at the Heinikins palnt just out side of the town, but you are about a year too late. The hookers still work their trade, but that red-light district has been "up graded" so I have read. now is respectible stores. God - I hate "progeress" :bawl:Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! By the way, when you get time, take a look at my post: http://www.sciforums.com/showpost.php?p=1772438&postcount=6 some things there even an eye doctor may not know about the eyes and vision. I have been to EU (only before it was EU) at least a dozen times. Usually with a month Eurorail pass. The best train ride is from Lausan (North side of lake genevia) up slowing thru the swiss mountains in summer with the train windows open - hear the cow bells, smell the flowers etc. and it comes down in Interlocken, as I recall. The swiss lake boats are included in the pass as is the KD line boats on the Rhine. Once got off and went up the Mossel also. Trip will keep you busy with your camera and nice to have large deck to walk on. If you are cheap, as I was, good plan is to sleep alternate nites on long train ride. the best of these is the viena-vence trip. It last the night and only stops once with any jerking - in town called Klagenforth, which I never saw as it was middle of the night. I often would spend day in Venis next day in Viena, next day in Venis again but that is two nights on the train. If there are four of you and in Norther EU, the 2nd class sleeper may be better than the first class one as has four beds, not three to the compartment. Don't go second class in Southern Europe. The farry from itally (forget the town name,just now)* to greece is nice way to get there and also included in Euro rail. My favoarte town in Grece is Bible's Thesalonica - a port city where Greeces bends towards Turkey. There are many poorly taken care of ruins everywhere from all three of the western world's ancient civilizations and 1000 different types of olives to taste in the main market. Perhaps I like it a lot as I bunked in with two interesting and pretty girls from South Africa I met on the train ride up from athens. They were low on cash so we split the cost of the one small cheap room. - We went our separate way during the day, but they cooked dinner in the room after dark and I supplied the wine for all. I was in greece about two weeks total that trip, but in that short time I grew to like that strange cheap rosin-laced wine they drink. The first year Hungary became part of Euro rail - I had an verison of the pass that I could pause - I spent about three weeks there, mainly in BudaPest. but went up the Danube and out to the largest lake in western Europe (Balitoni- I think it is called) - It was that trip I meet and talked economics with the Russian girl (I have posted about) who understood well the problems of centrally directed economic system -from first hand experience. Enjoy, but go my Eurorail train, not rented car or tour group. You have zero ticket hassle, arrive in the town centers, get off at any little "whisle stop" that looks interesting. I got off once about an hour south of Barcelonia as I could see the ocean and wanted a swim in it. I traveled very light - a small "rucksack" back pack for a month! Separately took both my daughters with me, just before they became 12 (still half fare.) wife was Norwegian - was in Oslo ten times and Bergan several, but usually left her with her mother while I traveled for my month in the summers. ----------------- *by edit Brindesi, I think.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCN9KevQFiA http://red-light-district-amsterdam.com/ http://www.amsterdam.info/red-light-district/
Geez, give me a break. I know Egypt is in Africa. But Europe is pretty close to Egypt, at least compared to Fort Wayne, Indiana. And the pyramids are something I've always wanted to see. This trip is in the very early planning stages. You know, the stage where everything is on the table. I'm thinking probably two weeks. I have a budget in mind (based on almost nothing) of about 10 grand, wouldn't surprise me if it went to twenty. Been there. Loved it. Been there. Didn't really like it. That I wouldn't do. If they really don't want Americans there, fuck 'em. I can always go back to Vegas! Really, that's part of what I'm trying to gauge here. Is anti-American sentiment high in Europe? Are Europeans violent? Would an admission of having voted for Bush (twice) result in a bar-room brawl?
Not that I know, but then - I'm not an American. Just don't talk politics. Saying that you're American, from my experience, is completely okay, but saying that you've voted for Bush twice and that you're proud of it might get you into a bar room brawl, or make an impact on your service. But why would anyone want to talk politics on a vacation is beyond me. So relax and enjoy your stay. It's really quite simple, when in an Arab country (Egypt) don't speak foul of Allah and Muhhamed, when in India don't order cow, and in Europe don't boast how you think US foreign policy is great. Respect local customs and traditions, that goes for every traveler anywhere.
I went on a tour package deal last year and for 2,000.00 everything was included. 8 countries, hotels, flight to and from Europe and bus to take me everywhere. One problem is that you don't stay long enough in each city you visit to really enjoy it. In and out, very fast, only 14 days to see 8 countries. It is better, IMO, to find one place like France and just travel within it for a week or two. You'll see a great deal more and not be rushed like I was. There are tours just like that available so check into them. A beg problem is that the Euro is now worth more than $1.50 US, which makes for very high prices anywhere in Europe to buy stuff.
