OT-Traveling in Europe

[steger_3434]

Next June I'll be meeting my wife in Paris when she gets done with a meeting over there (The same thing happened a couple of years ago when I met her in Japan and a lot of you guys had a lot of good ideas on what to do)

No I'll abroad in Paris for about 8 days. I'm not nearly looking as forward to Paris as I was Japan, but I"m sure there is still a lot to see. Since I've never been to Europe before, how easy and close is it to get to other countries. I'd really like to get to Auschwitz, but being a couple countries seperate Poland and France I'm not sure if that's feasible in time and by a budget. Can it be done and what is the best way? Also, what are some other things I should try to fit in?

Wanting to see Auschwitz may be a little strange to some, but after seeing the devastation and the history at the Peace Memorial in Hiroshima, I'd like to get another sense of WW2 history.

[LUKE23]

I was in Europe for five weeks when I was 22 years old. I guess it depends on how long you will be in Europe total before heading to Japan. By far the easiest way to get around (and likely least expensive) is taking the Eurorail. Again, I don't know what kind of packages they have, I think I paid like $625 for a five week unlimited usage pass. Don't know what they have for shorter-term, but train is the way to go.

I would definitely recommend Auschwitz. I've never been to that one specifically, but I did go to Dachau (spelling?) in Germany, and it is a pretty moving experience (I felt similar when I visited the September 11th Memorial in NYC).

If you're in Paris, you need to go to the Louvre (spelling). Even though I'm not an art guy at all, it was very cool mainly because there are a lot of the ORIGINALS of famous pieces there (Mona Lisa original probably being the most famous). You could spend a week in there.

But all in all, how long you going to be in Europe for?

[alvineb15]

If you're only going to one or two other places, flying is actually cheaper. I believe we took Ryanair, but to fly from Brussels, Belgium to Zaragoza, Spain was like $85 roundtrip.

As for places to go, we only went to Spain but my Fiance absolutely loved Venice. Italy is a little pricey but I guess worth it.

[goirish2107]

I really dug Versailles when I was in France. Also, when I was in Holland I believe we visited an old Synagogue that was saved by the Nazi's to be a Jewish museum. I'm sure you could find plenty of things like that closer to Paris/France without having to go all the way to Poland. When I was there I visited France, Belgium, England and Holland, and France was the best for me. Depending on what kind of stuff you're into, the Louvre is great, you can take a river tour down the Seine, or whatever river is in Paris, and plenty of stuff.

[steger_3434]

I'm not there a very long time. I"m thinking 8 days total (I'm not also going to Japan, Luke, I did that a couple of years ago). I plan on the Louve, (sp) and catching either a PSG or Lyon soccer match (if they're in session), but other than that I don't know what else to do. I'd really really like to check Auschwitz out, though, depending on how many days that would take up.

I know there's a ton of "hip" things to do in Paris, but while I was in Japan the history is what really amazed me. Tokyo was great, but Hiroshima and Kyoto were a lot more fun to me being how old and full of history they were. That is why I'd really like to fit Auschwtiz into our plans. After leaving the Peace Memorial in Hiroshima I felt like a different person. It was truely life changing in a good way. We had a 2 hour bullet train ride back to Kyoto and I don't think myself or my wife said one word the whole trip. We just had to soak it all in. I'm assuming seeing a place like Auschwitz would be the same thing.

[uesbc]

I've been to France three times and I'd love to go again. If you are interested in WW2 history, check out Omaha Beach in Normandy. Its a couple hour drive northwest of Paris, but well worth the trip. It is humbling, to say the least. Probably the most beautiful place I've ever seen is Mont San Michele, which is also in Normandy. It is a church/fort built off the shore. Depending on the tide, it is either an island or an isthmus. It's beyond description. Rental cars are relatively cheap, provided you can drive a manual.

[DutchManDanFan]

If you're only 8 days in Europe I don't think it's a good idea to go to Auschwitz. You'll be traveling at least 2 days to be there for an our or 2.
Most famous cities to go to are Rome, Florence, Venice (all Italy), Barcelona (Spain), Berlin (Germany), Prague (Jiri country), Vienna (Austria), London and Amsterdam. It's possible to combine Rome and Florence (i liked Florence a lot, Venice not so). From Paris it's only 3 or 4 hours by train to Amsterdam and you can make a stop in Brussels (half way). If you go to Berlin or Prague it might be possible to go to Auschwitz, but I think it's still a long jerney. If you want to see a soccer game, it's best to go to London. In June the season is a month old though...

[Mike X]

When you get a coffee, more often then not either stand at the bar and drink it or order to go. They'll charge the earth if you sit down at a table.

Not to say you shouldnt do that as what is more quintesential french then sitting outside having a coffee, croissant and cigarette and watching the world go by.

[Dags]

Wow, how can you not be buzzed to be going to Paris? If you're interest in history then Europe is the place to be, Paris is wonderful and really does have some great sites and museums.

Visit the Louvre (you can spend days there, especiially wonderful pieces of art from Roman, Greek, Egyptian times and even before) and then walk down through Place de Concordes and the Champs Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe. Head down to the Eiffel Tower. Spend a half day at Napoleons tomb and the war museum there. Try the Musee d'Orsay, spend some time in Montmarte and see Sacred Coure. Visit Notre Dame and the catacombs. Head out of town to the Palais de Versailles.

So much to do in Paris, you can really spend those 8 days completely busy all the time, if you so choose. But it's too far to go to Poland to visit Auchwitz. Another trip.

[drew881]

Flying is cheap in Europe....but not really to Eastern Europe. I've never flown to Poland, so that may be an exception though. But flying out of paris, you could get a decent deal. Check out the following airlines. Ryan Air, Sterling, EasyJet, etc...Low budget airlines. The website wegolo.com is like the travelocity of budget airlines. You may find a decent deal on there, or simply you can use the site to see which carriers go where.

As far as other places I would recommend. This last summer I went to Iceland, Denmark, Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia and Austria. The highlights of the trip were by far Iceland, Germany and Slovenia.

I think Paris, Germany (Berlin or Munich) and Poland (Warsaw or Krakow) would be feasible in 8 days, but you'll only get 2 days or so in each city. The flights are only hour long, so you won't waste a whole day traveling. Getting from airports to the city in germany by bus was really easy, and only took us about 1.5 hours from touchdown to baggage to the center, and then to our hotel.

Also, as far as Iceland. If you are flying to Europe, Iceland Air offers a "free" stopover in Reykjavik for up to 7 days. You could stop there on the way, or on the way back with your wife. Its expensive as hell, but if you are into natural stuff (waterfalls, glaciers, geysers, etc) and 24 hour sunlight, it may be worth the detour. The nightlife and music scene was pretty good too for such a small city. I would say their rates were pretty good too if you go to the airline's site and spend an hour or two messing around with your dates and travel times, being patient to find the best rate.

[Joana]

If you're only 8 days in Europe I don't think it's a good idea to go to Auschwitz. You'll be traveling at least 2 days to be there for an our or 2.

Agreed. I suppose it's theoretically possible to catch a direct flight from Paris to Krakow and return on the same day, but I'm not sure if you'd time to visit the camp and it's probably very expensive. If you really want to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau probably the best thing to do is to go directly to Warsaw, stay a couple of days in Poland and then move to Paris. But even 8 days is not a lot of time to visit Paris alone...

Most famous cities to go to are Rome, Florence, Venice (all Italy), Barcelona (Spain), Berlin (Germany), Prague (Jiri country), Vienna (Austria), London and Amsterdam. It's possible to combine Rome and Florence (i liked Florence a lot, Venice not so). From Paris it's only 3 or 4 hours by train to Amsterdam and you can make a stop in Brussels (half way).

Yep, if you really want to visit another European city than Paris, Amsterdam is probably a wise choice. The stop in Brussels... yeah, I guess, if you really, really, like mussels, fries, beer and chocolate. There's not a lot of interesting things in Brussels compared to a city like Paris.

My favourite European cities outside of the Iberian Peninsula are Rome and Firenze. I don't know if it makes much sense to divide 8 days between Paris and those cities though. Rome definitely deserves a longer stay; it's easier to understand the awesomeness of Firenze in less time. But again, there are plenty of things to do and see in Paris: 1 day in Le Louvre is not nearly enough unless you just want to take a quick glance at some famous paintings and antiquities, Versailles easily takes a day to visit... anyway, there are plenty of good travel guides for Paris, my main recommendation is always to visit Paris by walk (and subway), take time walking around les quartiers. Also, if you want to take your wife to dinner to a really good restaurant (as you should ), be careful with the reservations, it doesn't hurt to contact them this early asking when can you book.

I want to echo what uesbc said about Normandy, one of my preferred regions in Europe. You can go by car from Paris, you can visit the D Day beaches, beautiful towns like Honfleur, the American Cemetery, Mont St Michel (avoid to visit on a weekend day), sleep in fancy hotels located in outstanding small coastal villages, eat oysters and drink cider everyday. I spent a couple of Summers there, so I'm biased here, but it's a region that I'm always wishing to visit again.

If you want to see a soccer game, it's best to go to London. In June the season is a month old though...

I'm not exactly a soccer fan by any means, but doesn't the season start later, like in August or September? I think that in June is when they play international tournaments, no? Anyway, I agree, attending a soccer game in France isn't the most thrilling experience for sure. British Islands and Mediterranean countries are better places to see a soccer match live. If you're going to be in Paris in early June, you may have a chance of catching the Roland Garros last days. Or maybe a rugby game, they usually play in the Summer. A Six Nations Championship game is certainly funny.

[DutchManDanFan]

If you want to see a soccer game, it's best to go to London. In June the season is a month old though...

I'm not exactly a soccer fan by any means, but doesn't the season start later, like in August or September?

Sorry, I meant the season is over in June (it ends in May).

Florence = Firenze by the way.

[Badgerlander]

I have a friend that is a WW2 buff that has been to most of the battlefields and memorials over there that could give you some pretty solid advice. Lbennett@specialtymuseumgifts.com He sells memorabilia thru his website (shameless plug)
http://www.specialtymuseumgifts.com/index.html

[steger_3434]

Thanks for the ideas guys.

[Mef]

Why not go to Dachau (first concentration camp and model for others) instead of Auschwitz? You could also visit Munich as it's only 20km away from Dachau.
If you're interested in history I would recommend Rome and Athens, a trip like Paris-Munich(Dachau)-Rome-Athens would definitely be feasible in 8 days but it depends on how long you want to stay in those cities and how big your budget is.
Obviously, you would need to go by plane.

[bandini]

Yeah for the football game, it's too bad cause the season is over at the end of may. Maybe you can enjoy Roland Garros 2009 scheduled may 24 - june 7.

Don't be too hard about the metro^^. I was able to visit Washington DC and there is no way to compare both. Paris' Metro, it's simply dirty.

In one week, you can take the TGV (train) for Bruxelles or Amsterdam. Not too long and y'oure not gonna waste your time for the travel and if you take your tickets in advance, could be cheap (around 40euros for a roundtrip).

There's a special day in France. Called "Fete de la Musique" (june 21, first day of summer). Gigs all around the streets everywhere in France. Never attended that in Paris but i'm sure you can watch great things.

But the best in my opinion is just to relax and walking in the streets, take a nap at Montmartre ! If you want more info, don't hesitate i'll try togive you what you want to know (cause i'm french).

[da5thelement]

I have been to Paris and London a few years ago and I just got done taking a tour of Italy this past May and my two favorite cities in Europe are Paris and Venice. I am also really into history so I had a lot of fun in Europe. But going to Venice is a really unique experience, its like a completely different world. And if you can arrange taking a boat tour of Paris at night its the best time to go since the Eiffle tower is all lit up.

[stellation]

When people ask, say you are from Canada.

[St.Nick]

Been living in Europe for six of the past eight years, including four years consecutively. I was a bike tour guide in Paris and Versailles, and have spent at least one night in every country in continental Europe.

If you want my advice on Paris, it would be that you should spend all eight days there if you want to get an honest impression of this great city. People that rush around for just a few days, running through museums, taking quick photos in front of monuments, stressing out about how to get around the city, they are just missing out on what Paris is all about---which is the pleasures of life.

Enjoy the amazing food, enjoy a picnic in the park with a bottle of wine, stroll around the city, take an hour long coffee on the street and just watch the people go by.

Of course, this relaxed, sedentary style will probably make you feel like you are missing out on so much. And there are a ton of things to see in the city-- the Louvre, Pompidou Center, the Musee D Orsay, Les Invalides, the Latin Quarter, Montmarte, the Marais. What I highly recommend is to take a bike tour with my old company, Fat Tire Bike Tours. Its a leisurely paced tour over about 3 hours that gives you a great view of the city. Its also quite fun, with a lot of entertaining historical stories given by young American and Canadian guides.

They also do an all day Versailles bike tour which is brilliant. I used to give these tours twice a week and it was a blast. You stop at the food market, drink wine, cruise around the grounds of Versailles, and picnic on the grand canal. It is far better than merely going to the chateau.

Around Paris you should take a trip to the coast (I only visited Deauville and Trouville, both about 1.5 hours away) as there are some lovely beaches and great seafood. Outside of France, if you are only taking trains, you should visit Belgium. Antwerp and Bruges are far more charming than Brussels, you must trust me on this.

If you are willing to take a plane, then Europe is your oyster. Look at http://www.whichbudget.com and find all kinds of cheap fares to literally everywhere.

My recommendations:

- Prague (where I live)....Gorgeous city, tons of great restaurants and bars, good food, incredibly low prices (beer is $2 a pint), and tons of sights.

- Munich...Fantastic history, lots of big, beautiful parks, huge beers, very clean and upscale style of life while still lots of fun.

- Rome...the most awe-inspiring city in Europe, hands down. You quite simply are walking through 2,000 years of history every second you spend there. And the food...OMG. (Also Bologna, the Amalfi Coast, Tuscany, Cinqueterra and about 1000 other places worth visiting in Italy).

- Krakow...amazing history (Jewish History, WWII History, WWI History, Medieval History, Communist History), beautiful squares, excellent prices, and also nearby Auschwitz...which will ruin your day, btw...but its still interesting.

You could do a flight from Paris to Krakow (http://www.easyjet.com --cost about $30 as of right now), then train back through Prague (six hours) and Munich (another four hours), and then fly back from Munich to your city in the US. If you want a great train schedule website go to http://www.bahn.de. There is an English option, don't worry.

Europe offers endless possibilities. Its a shame you only have eight days, but its a good starting point. If you have any questions I can help with, let me know.

[steger_3434]

Thanks a lot St. Nick. There was a ton of information there. I'm printing this off as we speak.