FOT Forum

FOT Community => General Discussion => Topic started by: A.M. Thomas on March 27, 2008, 06:04:37 PM

Title: Attn: People that have been to Europe/European People:
Post by: A.M. Thomas on March 27, 2008, 06:04:37 PM
I'm going in August.  Please provide me with any advice you can.  Where should I go?  What should I do?  What should I see? etc.  I'm getting a Eurorail pass, so I'm pretty much set on transportation.  My destination list looks something like this:

I'm going to London first because I have family there, then;
Brussels;
Amsterdam;
Berlin;
Prague;
Vienna;
Milan;
Florence;
and back to London.

I only have 21 days.  Are nine cities too much for twenty-one days?  Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
N.U.
Title: Re: Attn: People that have been to Europe/European People:
Post by: yesno on March 27, 2008, 07:23:54 PM
Are nine cities too much for twenty-one days?

Yep.  I think you'd be better off spending at least 3 or 4 days in any one of those cities.  Or doing a day or two in the city, and then branching off into nearby places.

Milan is very cool, but very like New York.  I'd consider going to Venice instead, or spending more time in Florence.
Title: Re: Attn: People that have been to Europe/European People:
Post by: Martin on March 27, 2008, 08:32:44 PM
Skip Brussels unless you're a fan of government buildings and EU bureaucracy - it's quite a weird, ugly city.

Prague will be desperately hot in August (July would've been even worse), and there's little escaping the heat in that city. I adore it though, just wouldn't visit in the summer.

yesno is right by the way - way too many destinations for such a short time. I would skip half of them. Also, consider the time it takes going from one place to the next - Europe is pretty small but if you're stuck on slow-moving central European trains it can take forever, especially when you're down in Prague or in Italy.
Title: Re: Attn: People that have been to Europe/European People:
Post by: Beth on March 27, 2008, 08:33:50 PM

Milan is very cool, but very like New York.  I'd consider going to Venice instead, or spending more time in Florence.


I would second that. Venice is amazing, and it's worth spending at least 2 or 3 days there.
Title: Re: Attn: People that have been to Europe/European People:
Post by: bobby. on March 27, 2008, 09:05:07 PM
whoo europe!
Title: Re: Attn: People that have been to Europe/European People:
Post by: Jason on March 27, 2008, 11:36:37 PM
Don't mention the war.
Title: Re: Attn: People that have been to Europe/European People:
Post by: Man Machine on March 27, 2008, 11:41:02 PM
Berlin, especially what was formerly East Berlin, is fantastic. There's a lot to do and see around the Alexanderplatz area. It's a very vibrant city.
Title: Re: Attn: People that have been to Europe/European People:
Post by: Sarah on March 28, 2008, 06:51:45 AM
I lived in Milan for six months almost twenty-five years ago.  I suspect it has changed a bit since then, and when I was there all I did was work, so I don't have much in the way of sightseeing suggestions to offer.  However, if you want to see where I worked, go to via Cino del Duca.  The offices of FMR might still be there.  There's also a bookshop/gallery, which could actually be a hoot to visit.  I think it's on the via Durini.

Helpful, eh?
Title: Re: Attn: People that have been to Europe/European People:
Post by: Fido on March 28, 2008, 02:26:31 PM
I probably visited when you were living there, Sarah.  It would have been a real pleasure to meet you and visit you then.  (For that matter, I think it would also be a pleasure to meet you now.)

I have vivid memories of my visit to Milan, which was really the first Italian city I ever visited (I had previously made a foray into the Italian Alps).  I was advised that it's not the most historically signficant or picturesque city in Italy, and some would probably say it's the least.  But it stole my heart.  *cough, cough*  Seriously though, that visit was unforgettably exciting, in much the same way that my first visit to New York on my own was unforgettable. 

Back to the topic, and sorry for the digression:  my suggestion is that it's not crazy to plan an aggressive itinerary if you build in flexibility, such as the ability to make cancellations and have the information at hand to make different reservations or plans as you travel.  That's a huge advantage to having the Eurail pass, after all, right?  That's always how I travel, and it allows me the flexibility to make it into a fever-pitched trip in which I can see as much as possible in the allotted time, or to slow down and savor, and enjoy the experience of the places I am in during the course of the trip. 

Have you been to Rome and Paris before?  If not, I think those are two places you gotta go sometime, but it doesn't have to be this time.  Just my humble two cents.
Title: Re: Attn: People that have been to Europe/European People:
Post by: Dorvid Barnas on March 28, 2008, 02:31:08 PM
You people all "have what I like to call...  Rich People's Problems.
Who cares?  GET OFF MY PHONE!"

Title: Re: Attn: People that have been to Europe/European People:
Post by: Turf Out on March 28, 2008, 04:07:29 PM
You people all "have what I like to call...  Rich People's Problems.
Who cares?  GET OFF MY PHONE!"



HA! you beat me to that one!
Title: Re: Attn: People that have been to Europe/European People:
Post by: A.M. Thomas on March 28, 2008, 05:08:40 PM
Thanks for the advice everyone.  I'm going to take out Brussels.  I'll probably also replace Venice with Milan.  I'm not sure how I'll treat any anti-Americanism I encounter.  I think it's pretty easy (and pathetic) to be the apologetic American tourist.  Perhaps I'll just say I'm Canadian?

I've been saving up for this for a well while.  I'm far from a rich kid.
Title: Re: Attn: People that have been to Europe/European People:
Post by: folksnake on March 28, 2008, 07:16:12 PM
Don't mention the war.
Jeez! Which one?
Title: Re: Attn: People that have been to Europe/European People:
Post by: Sarah on March 28, 2008, 07:23:17 PM
I probably visited when you were living there, Sarah.  It would have been a real pleasure to meet you and visit you then.  (For that matter, I think it would also be a pleasure to meet you now.)

Aw, Fido.  To quote the master, you're sweet.  Who knows?  Maybe we crossed paths.  If you were ever in the Rivoli coffee bar, I was the one downing double espressos, chain-smoking, and ranting about my horrible job.
Title: Re: Attn: People that have been to Europe/European People:
Post by: Martin on March 28, 2008, 07:50:38 PM
Don't mention the war.
Jeez! Which one?

Duh, The Thirty Years' War (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirty_Years%27_War). Obviously.
Title: Re: Attn: People that have been to Europe/European People:
Post by: Spoony on March 29, 2008, 02:29:17 AM
Whatever. Just do your best to get lost.

But not so lost that you can't ever get back to a train station.

Have fun,

C
Title: Re: Attn: People that have been to Europe/European People:
Post by: Sarah on March 29, 2008, 06:44:57 AM
A piece of advice for the future:  the next time you go on a European jaunt, choose a month other than August.  Parisians, for example, desert their city that month, and it is populated almost entirely by tourists and those who cater to them.  Plus it's really hot.
Title: Re: Attn: People that have been to Europe/European People:
Post by: Spoony on March 29, 2008, 07:24:04 AM
Plus it's really hot.

Hell yeah. French heat-waves have a body count to them.
Title: Re: Attn: People that have been to Europe/European People:
Post by: Beth on March 29, 2008, 01:28:26 PM
Thanks for the advice everyone.  I'm going to take out Brussels.  I'll probably also replace Venice with Milan.  I'm not sure how I'll treat any anti-Americanism I encounter.  I think it's pretty easy (and pathetic) to be the apologetic American tourist.  Perhaps I'll just say I'm Canadian?

I've been saving up for this for a well while.  I'm far from a rich kid.


As far as anti-Americanism in Europe goes, I feel like it's partially exaggerated. Everyone I've met in Europe has been super nice. I feel like as long as you make a small effort to learn a few simple words in their language (like hello, goodbye, how much does this cost, thank you, etc.) it's pretty smooth sailing.


Have fun!
Title: Re: Attn: People that have been to Europe/European People:
Post by: Shaggy 2 Grote on March 30, 2008, 10:50:10 AM
If you get the chance, check out Ljubljana, in Slovenia.  It's 4 hours from Venice by a brand-new high-speed train, and one of the most beautiful places I've ever been, like a nicer, smaller Prague without all of the Americans.

I generally agree re. not overstuffing your itinerary, though.
Title: Re: Attn: People that have been to Europe/European People:
Post by: A.M. Thomas on August 28, 2008, 08:28:55 PM
Bump!

Thanks for the help everyone.  I went many places and had a great time.

(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3278/2801183511_7e2545e717.jpg?v=0)

(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3221/2798628878_bf48db6c53.jpg?v=0)

Title: Re: Attn: People that have been to Europe/European People:
Post by: Steve of Bloomington on August 28, 2008, 08:52:48 PM
They don't really believe in air conditioning there.  I went to Ireland in July once, and I couldn't sleep at night it was so hot.
Title: Re: Attn: People that have been to Europe/European People:
Post by: Gibby on August 28, 2008, 09:58:41 PM
I endorse much of the advice here, particularly 'skip Brussels' and 'see Berlin'. I'd like to venture 'definitely see Barcelona' - though again, the heat might just crush you.
Title: Re: Attn: People that have been to Europe/European People:
Post by: A.M. Thomas on August 28, 2008, 11:05:34 PM
I don't get the whole "Europe is so hot and has no air conditioning" thing.  It seemed pretty comfortable to me, even in Rome.  Maybe I'm just used to living in an attic bedroom without air conditioning during humid New Jersey summers, though.

I definitely recommend going to Prague.  It's such a great city and if you go an hour or so outside its borders you can do things like this:

(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3090/2795546931_78d3e9aa44.jpg?v=0)

(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3074/2795546177_7e8f568584.jpg?v=0)
Title: Re: Attn: People that have been to Europe/European People:
Post by: Emily on August 28, 2008, 11:37:27 PM
Bump!

Thanks for the help everyone.  I went many places and had a great time.

(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3278/2801183511_7e2545e717.jpg?v=0)


Cool. So that's at the Ponte Vecchio? I never thought about the name Old Bridge (NJ) in relation to ponte vecchio before.