Where have you been in Europe?

I've never been to Europe, but I'd love to go to Spain some day.

-Jay

 

Having visited several places in Europe, nd living in the UK, I shall give an overview of the places I have viisted. If any of them interest you let me know, and I shall see if I can provide more information.

Since I'm British I'll start with the UK. London is probably the most popular tourist location in Britain, and it has a range of attractions, ranging from Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London and Parliament to Tate Modern, West End theatre and the London Eye. London can be rather expensive; a pint of Guiness can cost around £5 in some places!

Edinburgh is also a popular tourist city, again with various attractions e.g. Edinburgh Castle, the Royal Yacht Britannia and the Edinburgh Vaults. Edinburgh is also reasonably close to St Andrews, and is a good base for travelling up the east coast. If you visit Edinburgh, Glasgow is well worth a vist, again it has a numbe rof interesting things to see, and is a good base for exploring the West Coast and Loch Lomond.

Cornwall and Devon in the south of England are excellent locations for relaxing breaks, they usually get good weather (for Britain). They are what is called the 'English Riviera'. The Lake District is another nice location, the scenery is hilly, and worth seeing. You can go skiing in the north of Scotland in places like Aviemore, or hillwalking or mountain climbing. The Channel Islands are a good choice for a few days of relaxation, they generally have a good climate, and enable you to see another bit of British life. They are the only British territory to have bene captured by the Germans during WWII, and on Jersey you can visit the German underground hospital, which is a very creepy and melancholy place indeed. The Highlands are a good choice if you like to get out into the countryside away from city life, they are sparsely populated, and they have some of the most stunning and beautiful scenery on Earth. There are various shooting or fishing trips you might want to go on whilst in the Highlands, or perhaps you might like to see Loch Ness. If you go further north you can visit the Orkney islands, and see their Viking past.

Ireland is similar to Britain in many ways e.g. language, some cultural aspects, etc. Ireland has anumbe rof places you may wish to visit, including Dublin, Cork and the West Coast. Dublin is a fantastic city, a bit pricey, but worth every penny. There are numerous historical attractions, as well as some lovely shops to explore. There is also the famous Guiness Brewery, but to be honest I didn't find the tour all that interesting apart from the part about Guiness advertising, but that part is interesting and worth going through the rest of the tour. At the end of the tour you get a pint of Guiness in the Sky Bar, which has a superb view over Dublin.

France is another good choice, with a lot of attractions, and excellent food. The South of France is marvellous; the climate is wonderful, the food scrummy, the wine free flowing, and the ambience drips of glamour. You can laze around the pool or beach, or take a boat around the coast to see such places as Villefranche. You could visit (or stay in if you have the money) Monte Carlo, with the famous casino and the Hotel de Paris. If you stay in Nice you may like to stay at the Negresco, but it's a bit too ostentious for my taste. Of course Paris has some of the biggest attractions e.g. the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre (with the Mona Lisa), etc.

Italy is one of my favourite places (I'm part Italian). The food is, in my opinion, the best in the world, and everyone looks fabulous. The north has Venice and Milan, I haven't bene to Venice, but I found the Milan region to be rather humid. Lake Como is very picturesque. Rome is amazing, with sights such as the Colloseum, the Circus Maximus, the Forum, the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, and the Sistine Chapel (yes I know that's in Vatican City). In the south you have the Amalfi Coast, which is one of the most beautiful places on the planet. Sorrento is a lovely little town on the Amalfi Coast, but it is somewhat touristy. Nearby there is Mount Vesuvius, and the ruined city of Pompei. The island of Capri lies just off the coast, and it is very swish indeed. You can see the yachts of the rich and famous moored of Capri, and the island itself is stocked with designer boutiques. No tourists are allowed on Capri in the evening, except those staying on the island obviously.

Spain is very popular with European tourists, mostly British and German tourists, and in parts you can see pubs and German themed resorts. The main tourist areas are on the east coast of Spain, but if you go elsewhere you can see some very beautiful parts of Spain that many may not think to visit. Barcelona has a very good reputation as a tourist destination, and has some stunning architecture. There is of course paella to sample too! Off the coast of Spain are the Baeleric Islands, including the famed Ibiza, which is arguably the clubbing capital of Europe (if not the world). Majorca is another popular island in the chain, and attracts both the average tourist, and the rich and famous. You may also like to visit the Canary Islands, which are part of Spain, but geographically closer to Africa than Europe. They have a wonderful climate, and make for a nice holiday.

Switzerland is a beautiful country, but rather expensive (I seem to recall paying around £5 for a toblerone!). Switzerland is of course one of the top skiing destinations in Europe (and perhaps the world).

Belgium is also worth a visit, I spent a few days in Brussels and I had a rather nice time there. The Centrale Place in Brussels is a great place to sit and have a glass of wine or a beer and do some people watching. The streets are lined with wonderful little restaurants, which serve some rather delish nosh. Having said that, it can be expensive to eat out in Brussels. You can also visit the site of the battle of Waterloo.

Cyprus is a super destination if you're looking for sun, sea, and ... well I'll let you fill in the blank with something of your choosing. Limassol is a popular tourist spot, with an abundance of restaurants, pubs, nightclubs, etc. I believe there is also a rather large waterpark nearby. Cyrpus is rather popular with British tourists, and there are also British troops satationed on the island, and in conjunction with Cyrpus having been a British colony many people speak English. The sea food is jolly good, and well worth a try. Paphos is a little further up the coast, and is a bit quieter and more sedate, but also more chic, with some rather posh hotels. If I remember correctly Paphos is near to the spot where the goddess Venus is said to have arisen from the sea. Aya Napa is another popular Cypriot resort, and is Cyrpus' equivalent of Ibiza. If you go up to the capital, Nicosia, you can see the Green Line, whcih divides the island. Between the South and North there is a no man's land, where no one is allowed to enter. The buildings within the zone have remained untouched for thirty years or so, it's quite eerie to look at actually. From Cyprus you can take a mini-cruise to Rodes and Egypt. The cruise used to go to Israel instead of Rhodes, but that wa sbefore the recent round of troubles began.

If you plan on visiting more than one country then you would be best flying or taking the train, depending on which countries are involved. The train is an excellent way to see the countryside, and, in my opinion at least, is a much more civilised way to travel. Hiring a car may prove expensive if you plan on using it to travel across Europe.

 

Yeah I have never been to Europe either! I just checked out Lufthansa's website and saw a flight from Washington DC to Amsterdam $215 (each way). That's a awesome! Its a 1-day deal so I have to act tonight if I want that sweet price

 

I've been to England, Scotland, Wales, and Spain. Wales was my favorite.

 

Now that you have mentioned Spain.........I'm thinking that I would rather go there instead of Amsterdam! Lufthansa listed $202 from NYC to Madrid. That's dirt cheap. My sister went to Barcelona lasat year and the cheapest flight that she could find was $800. :browani:

 

$202 to Madrid! Wow!! I am spending $400 to go to Nashville tomorrow lol

 

Scotland, England and Wales are all part of the same country, although they are also seperate countries too.

 

I have lived in Paris and Genève; visited much of France and England, Dublin, Barcelona, Italy (Piemonte, Alto-Adige, Napoli and Siracusa), most of Switzerland, a bit of Austria, Liechtenstein and Andorra.

I love Switzerland for its "home" feeling -- it's safe, it's clean, it's compact, it's well-run -- but my favourite has been Barcelona.

One thing to note is that if you can get a cheap flight into Europe, stay a night or two in the city you fly to, then you can fly on things like BMI, Blue1 or easyJet (the Southwest Airlines of Europe) for absurdly cheap prices given sufficient advanced booking. I flew from London to Edinburgh for 99p (plus the taxes, so it came out to be £40 or so, which is about $75), from London to Paris for £6 plus taxes, etc.

Definitely look at renting an apartment by the week if you go; much cheaper than a hotel and allows you to self-cater which in most European cities is cheap(er) and easy.

 

Been to London, Paris, Monte Carlo, Venice, Florence, Rome ... My favorites were Paris and London ..

 

Renting a property for a week probably would be cheaper than staying in a good hotel for a week, but would arguably involve more hassle. A hotel would mean you don't have to cook, which means you wouldn't have to shop for food. A hotel would also mean that you had access to a ready source of local information, and advice. Having said all that, renting somewhere could save you a small fortune, which you could use for spending money.

 

Next time I'm over there I'll just stay with you and save lots of cash!

 

Don't panic too much. Flights between NY and Europe (London, Paris, etc) from Dec through early April are typically this price, $ 425- $500 round trip. Stay over a saturday certainly. Check out Expedia.com or Orbitz.com for deals

 

I can be rather messy I'm afraid so staying with me might be more bother than its worth. Personally I'd go for a hotel, damned fine being able to have food, drink, and cigars brought to you any time of the day or night.

 

There isn't anything intrinsic to a rented apartment that says you HAVE to cook, only that you CAN cook if the mood strikes you... you can still go out to a restaurant just like in a hotel... and if you're flying a $425 r/t to London you aren't going to be staying (I assume) in the kind of hotel where you'd want to eat the room service food.

I dunno. I get a better sense of a city when I "live" there. That said, I'm staying in a hotel in China next week.

 

I live in Germany

Other than Germany, I've also been to London (lived there for 2 years as well), Italy, Austria, the Netherlands, France, Switzerland and a few more spots.

 

I know what you mean old boy, just that a house is a tad more effort. There's nothing wrong with renting, it's a jolly good idea if it can save one money and the old buget is a bit on the skinny side. In fact if one has a good look around one can find a beezer of a place to rent, and I suppose it would allow one to immerse one's self in the locality a bit more.

I suppose it also depends upon where one is renting though. I can't imagine renting in London would be much cheaper, if it is cheaper at all, than staying in a hotel. In smaller cities renting could be a very attractive option, especially if one is somewhere like Tuscany or the South of France. There are places there that one would run a mile in tight shoes for.

Out of interest old man, where did you rent, and what was it like?

 

I've been to the Frankfort airport browani and Tuscany, Italy (Luca, Artimino, and Florence.) I would highly recommend seeing Italy. It was great!

 

Hey I have been to Frankfurt Airport also.... .

Seriously, in Uk & Europe I have been to London, Central & South Ireland, Paris, Netherlands & Belgium, Milan, Venis, & Trento (at the foothills of the Dolomites) Central & South Spain, Central & South Portugal, Athens & Santorini. Some on vacation and some for work.

Some of my favorites are:
Trento, Italy - great food, beautiful scenary, wonderful people.

Granada, Spain-great history, (maybe a little bloody), great food & people.

Portugal - great food & people and beautiful beaches and blue skies.

Santorini - absolutely beautiful island.

Ireland-great friendly people with my kind of sense of humor, my family actually has had a long history with Ireland (too hard to explain in writing), wonderful pub music.

I can honestly say that I have enjoyed every place I have visited, some more than others maybe, but I would be hard pressed to choose from them.

PS: In Madrid we stayed for a week at an apartment, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, kitchen, and LR, across the street from the Prado Museum. We cooked breakfast everyday but had all other meals outside, it did work out well in that situation.

 

If you are going to take advantage of the cheaper winter fares to one of the major cities of Europe (and stay in that city), it is definitely worthwhile to visit London, Paris, Amsterdam, Madrid, Barcelona, Florence or Prague. In each of these, there are a multitude of things to see and do, for every taste, even if the weather doesn't cooperate. Remember, fares are lower in the winter for a reason - the weather, at least in Northern Europe, can be dreary.

Of these, Paris is definitely my favorite, but I also know it the best. The one I most want to go back to is Barcelona, although another visit is unlikely since my wife hated it. We're going to London in a few weeks, just for a few days. I haven't been there in 6 years - she hasn't been there in.... well let's say over 20 years.

Anyway, if you are going to any of the above places, I (and I'm sure others here) can give you some recommendations. Of course it partly depends on what you like to do: museums, churches and other historical stuff, shopping, clubbing, or just hanging out in cafes and pubs. Let us know what kinds of things you would like to do and we can be more helpful.

If traveling to Europe between April and October, I'd recommend a different strategy - renting a car and mixing visits to larger cities and small towns. We've done this in parts of Spain, France and Italy. We mostly like to stay in Bed & Breakfasts in the countryside, spend a few days in each place, and take day trips to the local sights. Renting a car is more expensive in Europe than in the US, but it's not difficult, and the B&Bs outside the main tourist centers can be a great value.

scotsboyuk's recommendation to take the train if traveling across country borders is a good one - I've taken the overnight train from Paris to Barcelona, and the train from Warsaw to Prague. However, within a country, and to see the small towns and villages that have much of Europe's charm, a car is a must.


SW

 

I haven't rented in London, but I rented in Paris and Barcelona, and it was much, much cheaper than a hotel. In Paris we rented near where I used to live in the 2è; in Barcelona we actually stayed kind of out of things, out near the Selva de Mar metro stop. It was great -- cheap as dirt (€500/$635/£335 week) and easy to self-cater with a produce market and an Alcampo (Auchan) nearby, but in 5 minutes on the metro you were in El Born or La Rambla or Passeig de Gràcia.

The only thing that was odd about Barcelona to me was that while most everyone spoke both Catalan and Spanish, all the menus and the daily-special placards outside the restaurants were in Catalan only. Fortunately I can parse Catalan, and even speak it a little, but there were a lot of "I think I just ordered fish, let's see what comes out" moments.

Steve -- what did your wife hate about Barça? For Americans, it can be hard to adjust to Spanish time, where lunch is from 2-4 PM and restaurants often don't even open for dinner until 9 or 9.30 PM... that's what killed it for friends of ours, they couldn't adjust to the rhythm so they kept eating snacks and tapes and never really enjoyed themselves.

 

Go to a British resort in Spain and you won't have to adjust! Seriously though, the Med culture tends to be more relaxed, and it looks jolly nice I have to say. Interestingly enough, the Med peoples also don't seem to drink as much as northern Europeans, but they do enjoy a good glass of wine, or perhaps a tasty liquer, such as limoncello. After dinner, in Italy, the older people will sit at the table, sipping their drinks, and smoking, whilst the younger generation stroll around the town, more often than not with ice creams. They don't call it La Dolce Vita for nothing! I suddenly feel like going back to Italy now ...

 

I think primarily because Barcelona didn't meet her (admittedly high) expectations. She had read that Las Ramblas was among the most beautiful streets in Europe. She found it dirty and smelly. We both like architecture, but Barcelona up close didn't really move her. We had also just come from Paris, and she had been to Italy previously - Barcelona just didn't measure up.

I reacted differently - I didn't think much of the Ramblas but I thought the residential/ business areas away from there were actually more interesting. I loved the Gaudi architecture, and riding the elevators up into the spires of the Sagrada Familia. And I loved the Miro museum and the "teleferic" views of the harbor.

There were other more personal issues. It was our first European vacation together and we hadn't really worked out the togetherness/independence thing. She claims now that I didn't let her shop because I just had to see another Gaudi apartment block, and she never got that leather jacket she was looking for. These days on our vacations, I am often in some cathedral or just taking pictures on the street, while she is shopping. And there is no shortage of leather jackets.

Well it should be said at this point that my wife is European - she grew up in Warsaw and had been all over Europe before I went for the first time. We don't have trouble with eating late. If anyone has trouble with restaurant schedules in Europe it's me. I know it seems incredibly petty to complain about such things, when we are lucky enough to be able to travel the world in comfort, but here goes.

I just don't like that fact that in between lunch and dinner there is virtually nothing to eat - a 3-5 hour period where all reasonable restaurants are closed. So if you have had a nice breakfast and driven to a beautiful village in the morning, by the time you get to the next village, if it is 11:30 you have to decide if you are buying some bread and cheese for lunch (always a good option) or eating out. If it is 12:30 or 1:00, the bakeries are of course closed, so you better get into that restaurant. If I don't, by 2:30 I am starving - bread and cheese no longer seems sufficient and no restaurants are open again until 6 or 7. In Spain, as you say, all of this is shifted by 2 hours or so.

You make some important points. For those going to Spain for the first time (I remember what this thread is about ), please note that Barcelona is in Catalonia - a part of Spain where the culture and language are different than in the rest of Spain. I think you're right that in Barcelona they make less effort to cater to English speakers, since they already have to put up with those pesky Spanish

Unlike you, my high school Spanish is barely enough to communicate in, and my Catalan is nonexistent. Of course, those just going to Europe for the first time shouldn't worry. It's perfectly possible to go just about anywhere without speaking the language. Staff of hotels, restaurants, even B&Bs catering to tourists will all speak enough English that you can get by. We don't speak French or Italian and we've driven for weeks through the countryside of both countries.


SW

 

Do what the locals do, take a siesta! The one thing I tend not to like about continetal eating habits is breakfast. I prefer a fry up, or at least a bowl of porridge, and some toast. I am all for continental breakfasts, but not every day.

I remember cruising in the eastern Med, and most of the passengers were non-British. Breakfast time consisted of large tables stocked with cold meats, cheeses, sour kraut, etc. Then there was the table with fried sausages, eggs, bacon, etc. A handful of British and American passengers would gather round filling their plates with unhealthy food.

 

I was born and raised in Germany so I have been all over Germany. I have family that lives in Switzerland and Italy so I have been all over those two countries as well. We used to have a beach-house in Spain when we lived in Germany so I have travelled throughout Spain and France. I have been to Austria, Luxembourg, Belgium, England, Poland, Greece, Ireland, Lichtenstein, Portugal...and I'm sure there's some I missed. My favorites are probably Switzerland, France, Spain and Italy.

 

Ah, whereas we kept finding great architecture round every bend... I thought it was much more interesting than Paris. The Ramblas, though -- yeesh. Keep one hand in your pocket at all times. We were there this year for Sant Jordi and the entire stretch was decked out in yellow and red, with booksellers and rose sellers everywhere. It was wonderful.

I have to agree that it takes some getting used to. When we road-trip, I like to drive a tank of gas at a time, then do gas-piss-food-map all at once, whereas my wife likes to stop every hour and a half or so. In Europe, I'll go exploring in the morning since I'm an early riser, and bring her back breakfast. It did take us a few fights to get used to this.

This was much more of a problem in Spain than in France or Northern Italy. We hadn't quite adjusted -- fortunately the grocery stores don't close for siesta, so we could always get a snack if we needed it. What was weird in Barcelona was the idea of dessert BEFORE dinner -- people would walk about at 6 PM, and stop and get an ice cream (mmmmm, Farggi), or txurres i chocolat, or horxata and a pastry, and have a snack... then go "de tapes" around 8 PM or 8.30 PM, and eat dinner at 10 PM. It look a couple of days to get used to this.

Victor Alexandre, one of the shining lights of Catalan literature, wrote an essay called "Jo no soc espanyol", which pretty much sums up the feeling in Catalunya. During the repression years under Franco, Catalan language and culture were prohibited and zillions of Andaluces moved to Barcelona, so Castilian (a.k.a. "Spanish") is widely spoken -- but now that they're an autonomous region, Catalan is heavily promoted.

The Generalitat de Catalunya (which is the autonomous government headquartered in the Plaça Jaume I) has a great translator for restaurants: http://www.gencat.net/ctc/llengua/eines_per_a_lempresa/barrest.pdf

No es necesari parlar català en la Barça, però vostès rebreu un servei millor en els restaurants si sapigueu unes paraules o frases. Sempre podeu canviar al castellà o al anglès si caleu.

 

LOL

Yes, I should have said "those pesky Castilians", earlier.

Thanks, this looks really useful. Its basically a free version of a book I bought in Siena, which I also recommend:

Eating Out in Five Languages by Simon Collin (Editor), Cecile Giunard (Translator)

I don't mind traveling in countries where I don't speak the language, just as long as I can read the menus. I'm pretty good at the names of basic foods in Spanish, French and Italian, but the cooking methods and sauces still trip me up sometimes. Most of the time they have an English translation on the menu, but sometimes a book like this is invaluable.


SW

 

Come on Steve, where is your sense of adventure...... . Considering most of my work related travel takes me to pretty remote areas in many of the countries, I would starve to death waiting for an English translation. I rememberng all the gestures I had to resort to to describe "eggs over easy" in Melayu, on my first trip to Malayasia...

 

As I had said before, we actually prefer to stay in B&Bs in the smaller towns. In the cities we have stayed in hotels on my accumulated frequent traveler points (I rack up a lot of Hilton points through my business trips). We also used Priceline for our upcoming trip to London. To do this successfully you need to know which neighborhood you want to stay in. Bidding on Priceline is an art in itself.

We have rented apartments in Warsaw and Prague. This worked out well. We ususally ate breakfast in the apartment and then other meals out. It's nice to have a fridge so you can always have some cold water handy, and my wife likes to buy some fresh vegetables or fruit in the markets and have those around for snacks.

When we were in Spain, after a night of eating salty tapas, we learned to buy "agua mineral con gas para take away" on our way back to the hotel.
"To go" wasn't in their vocabulary, but the British "take away" was. Go figure.


SW

 

That's funny. I have no point of reference for Asian or South Asian languagues, so the only food words I know in those are what's on menus in the US. And of course those are transliterations from some alphabet that I can't read. A menu phrase book wouldn't really help with that.

Your comment reminded me of being in a nice little restaurant in Florence. It was our last night in Tuscany and I had been planning all week to try the famous "bistecca alla Fiorentina". As I ordered it, I realized that I didn't know how to say "medium rare", and I didn't have my book with me!! So I said loudly and slowly "Medium rare. Not medium, not rare, medium rare". The waiter dutifully repeated this in English and gave me a look that said either "Of course I know what you mean, I'm not an idiot" or perhaps "Say whatever you want, you'll get it the way the chef cooks it". I was sure it was going to come out overcooked.

When my steak arrived it was perfect. Later, with the help of my book I found that "cooked medium rare" is "cotto al punto" or "al puntino". These are important things to know!!


SW