OT: Europe Trip

Mihai · Post #41 » by **Mihai** » Mon Jan 9, 2017 7:22 pm

Forgot to mention Budapest. Just be prepared to climb a lot of stairs...

trwi7 · Post #42 » by **trwi7** » Mon Jan 9, 2017 7:26 pm

haunted · Post #43 » by **haunted** » Mon Jan 9, 2017 9:26 pm

Hey guys!
not a frequent poster here, apparently i lost my account details and i wasn't able to retrieve them so had to create a new profile.. oh well

First, i wanna say i'm Italian and had the chance to travel across Europe and see most of the beautiful places that have been mentioned in this thread. You guys know what you're talking about, thats for sure

From my point of view though, if it's the first time you're going to Europe and you have a limited amount of time available for your trip, there's simply no way you're not going to start from Italy. Keep in mind, i'm not really a homer. I really like to experience new things, see new places and get in touch with people. As i said, i travel a lot, and i've lived abroad. So i kinda get when you say to each his own. Yet, i must say that Italy is simply on a whole another level.
The variety and the number of unreasonably beautiful places you can find here, along with the mix of culture, food, history and beauty is simply unmatched anywhere else. Of course, there's not really a rule to follow, everyone has his own preferences, and i know a lot of people who came here with a lot and expectations and left disappointed. But the vast majority of people that i know who traveled for the first time to Europe and came to Italy were simply overwhelmed by the whole experience.

Problem is, as somebody pointed out, Rome, Florence and Venice are really packed with tourists. Florence, in particular, is nothing less than an American basecamp, which might not really be exciting for a US visitor looking for an immersive experience in a foreign country. But in the end, these 3 cities are stormed by tourists for a reason. Someone could like one more than the other, but the chances you're going to be disappointed are close to 0. Nevertheless, those 3 cities are just the tip of the iceberg.
There are thousand of unbelievable destinations in Italy, mostly unkown to the average tourist, that are breathtaking and well worth the visit. My personal suggestion? Grab a car, drive from north to south through regions, hills, mountains, seaside. explore counties. Italy is a crossroad of hundreds of centuries of history, a microcosm of culinary traditions, heritage, languages all blended in a boot-shaped strip of land. Italians are crazy, welcoming and sometimes lazy, i know. But you won't forget them, that's for sure... oh, and don't even get me started on the food

I just wanna share 5 particular places that i really love in Italy, and that are definitely not on the same usual "where to go" list.

CINQUE TERRE

MATERA

AMALFI COAST

SIENA

POLIGNANO A MARE

each spot from a different region, different language, different food specialties, different lifestyle... as i said, the variety.

oh, and i left out sicily, sardinia, and puglia and all the other seaside destination on purpose... you can check them out for your self.

if you're in for a good tan and a bath in crystal clear water, just google Stintino, or Cala Luna or Mondello or Santa Maria di Leuca

cheers from Italy!

rioeire · Post #44 » by **rioeire** » Mon Jan 9, 2017 9:47 pm

If you dont want hordes of tourist, avoid Mediterranean Spain in Summer. Barcelona is overcrowd with foreigners "guiris" as we call them in Spain, the south is like being in England but with sun. North of Spain is beatiful and not so overcrowded. I am from Galicia in the northwest, we have the best beaches in the world XD
https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2007/feb/16/beach.top10

Home of the best shellfish in Europe

Novocaine · Post #45 » by **Novocaine** » Mon Jan 9, 2017 9:57 pm

Aaron It Out wrote:. Thing is that most of those trips are only 1-2 hours except for Hamburg to Amsterdam so maybe it wouldn't be too bad? Other concern is the cost but other than getting a train pass I don't see how it would be much different than staying in one place.

... Is the Eurail worth it considering you can customize how many countries you want to travel through? Looking briefly and it looks like you still have to pay fees to reserve seats, so not sure which way you come out ahead.

Not too much travel at all IMO. Never done Hamburg to Amsterdam but even if it requires a change, shouldn't take longer than 6/7 hours. Everything else is Thalys, not time consuming and not that expensive if you book in advance.

Eurail isn't worth if for that sort of itinerary. For a 10-15 days trip, Eurail is only worth if if you're going to make some long trips by train and you want to have convenience of leaving your options open in order to be able to hop in whatever train you wish. If you're going to pre-plan your itinerary, book AirBnB houses, etc, as it seems to be the case, then it becomes a lot cheaper to just buy individual tickets in advance. You can buy a Paris-Amsterdam ticket by 35-50 euros on early bird fares while same day purchase will be four times more expensive.

Ryanair and low cost airlines aren't worth it either except for long trips (like that Dublin to Spain trip you mentioned; or Goteborg to Hamburg). Luggage, fees and transfer to and from airports quickly add up in terms of time and money.

If I were to do that Hamburg/Amsterdam/Brussels/Paris trip.. well, I'd probably drop Brussels. Underwhelming city, unless you're really keen on chocolate I guess (but in that case, I'd rather go to Zurich and Cologne, visit the factories and museums; Brussels only has the high end artisan boutiques but Paris have those too). To visit a city in Belgium, I'd definitely pick Bruges first and Antwerp second. Although Bruges might be overcrowded in August but it's not much better the rest of the year anyway.

Anyway, if I had 12 full days and wanted to see those cities:

- Spend a couple of days in Hamburg, chill in the harbour, maybe take a day trip.
- Leave to Cologne by train in the early morning. That's probably a 3 or 4 hours trip. Leave the baggage in one of lockers at the train station. The cathedral is right there, climb up to see the sights, then have Kolsch and a walk by the Rhine or walk around the old city centre or do some shopping in the train station mall. Almost everything worth visiting in Cologne is at walking distance from the train station, a few hours are enough. You'll be able to get in a train to Amsterdam and be there in time to have supper and enjoy the night life
- Spend a couple of days in Amsterdam
- Leave to Bruges early morning. Maybe stay for dinner, there are lots of great restaurants in and around Bruges if you have the funds and most tourists start leaving mid afternoon. The next day leave to Brussels, maybe visit a brewery to play up the Wisconsinite stereotype, then do the same you did in Cologne - leave baggage in the station, check a couple of landmarks at walking distance, have lunch, then get in a train to Paris.
- Spend a couple of days in Paris. Keep in mind that Paris during Summer is hell if you want to be at the famous spots though.

This way you'd concentrate all the travelling in 3 days but also see 3 different cities in those days (Cologne, Bruges, Brussels) while keeping 9 days to divide between Hamburg, Amsterdam and Paris as you see fit.

Maybe include a day trip from one of those spots (Versailles or one of the cute postcard towns near Hamburg - Lüneburg, Celle, Luebeck, etc or maybe The Hague or maybe do some biking by the North Sea or through Lelden... it only depends on what are your preferences). You can also juggle things around and change the order by which you visit cities - if you want to catch a party, a music festival or an exhibition somewhere. Just keep in mind that planning and booking ahead is very cost efficient. Also, all those cities have train stations pretty much in the middle of the city - keep that in mind while booking lodging and try to avoid spending time dragging your bags across cities because you wanted to save a few dollars on lodging.

Personally, my favourite cities are Roma, Barcelona, Lisboa, Napoli, Nice. In August I'd divide the two weeks between Lisboa and Napoli, as Roma and Barcelona aren't much better than Paris crowds wise. But the crowding thing is a trade-off you'll have to negotiate - those places are crowded by tourists because they're worth visiting. Easier to say you'd skip Rome or Paris when you've already been there.

stellation · Post #46 » by **stellation** » Tue Jan 10, 2017 7:36 am

Berlin is great.*

*I am a hipster wanker, so...

Jez2983 · Post #47 » by **Jez2983** » Tue Jan 10, 2017 9:40 am

stellation wrote:Berlin is great.*

*I am a hipster wanker, so...

*can vouch, has long hair and drinks beer that smells like wet socks.

HKPackFan · Post #48 » by **HKPackFan** » Tue Jan 10, 2017 9:51 am

Watch out for this guy. And some really weird drunk twins.

stellation · Post #49 » by **stellation** » Tue Jan 10, 2017 10:52 am

Jez2983 wrote:
stellation wrote:Berlin is great.*

*I am a hipster wanker, so...

*can vouch, has long hair and drinks beer that smells like wet socks.

Had some pork chops I picked up at a farmer's market for dinner tonight, baked in a local cider. I had quinoa at lunch. I like the Bucks, which has to be an ironic thing.

JESUS!

Jez2983 · Post #50 » by **Jez2983** » Tue Jan 10, 2017 11:12 am

stellation wrote:
Jez2983 wrote:
stellation wrote:Berlin is great.*

*I am a hipster wanker, so...

*can vouch, has long hair and drinks beer that smells like wet socks.

Had some pork chops I picked up at a farmer's market for dinner tonight, baked in a local cider. I had quinoa at lunch. I like the Bucks, which has to be an ironic thing.

JESUS!

Not one mention of organic. You've changed man.

har13 · Post #51 » by **har13** » Tue Jan 10, 2017 12:30 pm

haunted wrote:Hey guys!
not a frequent poster here, apparently i lost my account details and i wasn't able to retrieve them so had to create a new profile.. oh well

First, i wanna say i'm Italian and had the chance to travel across Europe and see most of the beautiful places that have been mentioned in this thread. You guys know what you're talking about, thats for sure

CINQUE TERRE

MATERA

AMALFI COAST

SIENA

POLIGNANO A MARE

each spot from a different region, different language, different food specialties, different lifestyle... as i said, the variety.

oh, and i left out sicily, sardinia, and puglia and all the other seaside destination on purpose... you can check them out for your self.

if you're in for a good tan and a bath in crystal clear water, just google Stintino, or Cala Luna or Mondello or Santa Maria di Leuca

cheers from Italy!

Forza tifozi italiano.
Io sono Greco.
Ti amo Italia

Post #52 » by **MickeyDavis** » Tue Jan 10, 2017 12:52 pm

It's always the question of quality vs. quantity. Do you want to rush through things just to check them off a list or take your time and really see the cities/countries. A lot depends on if you think you'll ever have another chance to go to Europe.

Post #53 » by **humanrefutation** » Tue Jan 10, 2017 3:23 pm

Question for you experienced travelers out there - has speaking English been a barrier anywhere you've been to in Europe? I'm not just talking about the major touristy stuff, but some of the local things as well.

M-C-G · Post #54 » by **M-C-G** » Tue Jan 10, 2017 3:29 pm

humanrefutation wrote:Question for you experienced travelers out there - has speaking English been a barrier anywhere you've been to in Europe? I'm not just talking about the major touristy stuff, but some of the local things as well.

As in only speaking english? Living in Brussels, it was only really an issue when I wanted to get a hair cut or had questions at a store or restaurant. So you just accept a certain amount of risk with things and hope for the best.

Google translate as a foreign travelers best friend.

Nightfall · Post #55 » by **Nightfall** » Tue Jan 10, 2017 3:37 pm

Italians are not the best english speakers but the younger generation is better. French will speak to you french even if they speak english :lol:

. In Germany the northern you get the better english they speak. Going to the south and to villages it gets worst. Switzerland and Austria major cities are ok. Scandinavia and Holland (more), Belgium (a bit less) almost everybody can communicate in english. Spain and Portugal even if they can't speak well, they will try at least. The same goes for Greece. Cyprus 80% at least speak decent english. Poland, Czechia in the touristic places no issues.

Nightfall · Post #56 » by **Nightfall** » Tue Jan 10, 2017 3:44 pm

M-C-G · Post #57 » by **M-C-G** » Tue Jan 10, 2017 3:53 pm

Nightfall wrote:Italians are not the best english speakers but the younger generation is better. French will speak to you french even if they speak english . In Germany the northern you get the better english they speak. Going to the south and to villages it gets worst. Switzerland and Austria major cities are ok. Scandinavia and Holland (more), Belgium (a bit less) almost everybody can communicate in english. Spain and Portugal even if they can't speak well, they will try at least. The same goes for Greece. Cyprus 80% at least speak decent english. Poland, Czechia in the touristic places no issues.

That is funny, that is the same exact impression I got from France.

Nightfall · Post #58 » by **Nightfall** » Tue Jan 10, 2017 4:00 pm

M-C-G wrote:
Nightfall wrote:Italians are not the best english speakers but the younger generation is better. French will speak to you french even if they speak english . In Germany the northern you get the better english they speak. Going to the south and to villages it gets worst. Switzerland and Austria major cities are ok. Scandinavia and Holland (more), Belgium (a bit less) almost everybody can communicate in english. Spain and Portugal even if they can't speak well, they will try at least. The same goes for Greece. Cyprus 80% at least speak decent english. Poland, Czechia in the touristic places no issues.

That is funny, that is the same exact impression I got from France.

It is like that. French are probably the worst english learners in E.U. Unless you find someone (usually young) who is quite fluent, even if the speak some english they prefer to pretend that they don't speak any english at all.

albydigei · Post #59 » by **albydigei** » Tue Jan 10, 2017 4:05 pm

Nightfall wrote:Italians are not the best english speakers but the younger generation is better. French will speak to you french even if they speak english . In Germany the northern you get the better english they speak. Going to the south and to villages it gets worst. Switzerland and Austria major cities are ok. Scandinavia and Holland (more), Belgium (a bit less) almost everybody can communicate in english. Spain and Portugal even if they can't speak well, they will try at least. The same goes for Greece. Cyprus 80% at least speak decent english. Poland, Czechia in the touristic places no issues.

Here in Italy almost nobody (over 40) knows English well...

I know some american guys that attended one semester in my university that didn't know how to be understood from people outside the university

Nightfall · Post #60 » by **Nightfall** » Tue Jan 10, 2017 4:11 pm

albydigei wrote:
Nightfall wrote:Italians are not the best english speakers but the younger generation is better. French will speak to you french even if they speak english . In Germany the northern you get the better english they speak. Going to the south and to villages it gets worst. Switzerland and Austria major cities are ok. Scandinavia and Holland (more), Belgium (a bit less) almost everybody can communicate in english. Spain and Portugal even if they can't speak well, they will try at least. The same goes for Greece. Cyprus 80% at least speak decent english. Poland, Czechia in the touristic places no issues.

Here in Italy almost nobody (over 40) knows English well... I know some american guys that attended one semester in my university that didn't know how to be understood from people outside the university

I agree. Last time I was in Italy for a longer period (about 3 years ago) I noticed however a good improvement in the younger population (20-35) over the first times I went to Italy (15-20 years ago). Especially in Calabria I had a better chance with greek / local dialect mixture, than english :lol: