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eurotrip for 3 wks

lennon

going to europe this summer. it's my first time. i can basically go to anywhere. where would you suggest. (of course, i am expecting multiple options.)

 
May 20, 05 8:35 pm
melivt

what are you interested in?
amsterdam, basel and paris are all equally rich. barcelona has a lot as well. Wien is amazing. Berlin, Madrid...
if your preference is for quaint villages, there are too many to name- you need to be more specific in what you want to study/sketch/observe. I'd recommend getting a bike and riding from Amsterdam to Paris. The rest you can see in magazines. It's about 700 KM and more than easily done in 3 weeks. you'll need a sleeping bag and a sketch book-you'll have the time of your life. oh, and it's relatively flat, so it's not like biking through the alps which just sucks. gute fahrt!

May 21, 05 12:39 am  · 
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cvoogt

3 weeks is a lot of time. I once saw 5 countries in 7 days by train, sleeping on night trains.
Recommended: Paris, Amsterdam, northern Italy (Venice, Florence), Rome. In Switzerland I recommend St.Gallen - a medium town with a great cathedral and baroque library and a waterfall in the city centre. Hanggliding near Interlaken is fun in the summer too. Germany: Munich was underwhelming, though H+dM's football stadium is taking shape. Hear Berlin's amazing.
Budapest and Prague are fantastic. Big cities and good metros, and some amazing structures. In Budapest, the synagogues are my favorite. In Prague, Hradcany castle and the cathedral, and of course the bridge.
Spain is great - good weather, good food, good people.
London - if you have time left over. I plan on going back but want to spend a week or more in England and not just London. The first time it was rather dull and that was *after* the hype over the London Eye and H+dM.

Belgium: Brussels is worth perhaps a day visit and Brugge (Bruges) is worth considering.

In Holland, Amsterdam is good for a couple days depending on what you're there for. Keep in mind this is a small country and you could see Rotterdam during the day and Amsterdam by night quite easily.

Scandinavia? Haven't been, but know people who loved Norway (not Oslo but Trondheim) and Sweden (Goteborg and Stockholm).

And Finland "has it all" according to a Monty Python sketch.

May 21, 05 9:33 am  · 
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polipop

come and visit spain, it´s wonderful. some cities that you cannot miss are barcelona, seville and madrid. there are other ones, but i´d say these are the top three. cvoogt is right about spanish great food.

then you can go easily to paris, visit london, amsterdam, rotterdam, berlin, prague, southern part of germany, and if you still feel with energy you can give it a try to stockholm and helsinki.

once you pass paris, be conscious that you are not going to see a lot of sunlight. europe is a melting pot of cool arch and great things, you will discover them by yourself just walking around wherever you decide to go.

May 21, 05 12:20 pm  · 
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melivt

no sunlight past paris? have you ever BEEN to northern europe?

it doesn't get as much HEAT as spain, granted, but the sun still shines and often. also, the sun stays out LONGER in northern europe, so you can walk around til later than in spain. i lived in belgium for 4 years, and those summer were as hot as some of the summers in my youth in 'bama. normally, it isn't as hot in northern europe as spain, but there is nothing wrong with that. i like being able to walk around during the day and not get drenched in sweat.
anyway, i hated spain, except for parts of seville and alicante and have no desire to ever go back. the rest of it, even barcelona, felt like third world parts of mexico, and the crime i witnessed and STOPPED further reinforced that feeling. i was the only person who went to spain and didn't have anything stolen. and i met a lot of people that went there.

May 21, 05 12:36 pm  · 
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polipop

yes, i´ve lived in germany for 6 months and i couldn´t stand not seeing the sun in maybe two or three weeks time. in spain you do not need to sweat, weather is warm most of the year (it depends on the city of course, in seville you are right, you sweat in summer if you try to keep the american schedule, u just have to know that between 12:00 and 15:00 it´s better not to go out).

regarding the crime, nothing has happened to me in the time i´ve lived here (10 years). and that´s something that happens all around, not especially here. if you are smart enough to take care of your belongings and do not walk around like saying: hey, i wanna be stolen, NOTHING is going to happen to you. being careful, you can travel wherever you want in the world, no matter how your close mind is.

May 21, 05 1:25 pm  · 
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Ms Beary

Spain is great, I loved it, Barcelona was the only place I was at, but will go back for sure, incredible food, atmosphere, shopping, sites, people, entertainment, museums, weather... Nobody in my group experienced crime or got anything stolen, this is more likely to happen in Italy, IMO. Spain is nothing like Mexico.

I greatly dislike Paris because every time I went there (four separate times thru-out a year) it was cloudy, smoggy and dreary. The city is so friggin huge and overwhelming (makes NYC feel small). I really stuck out as a tourist there and everyone was rude cause they knew it. I'd rather be at a place where tourists are welcomed and appreciated. The Parisian men would follow me and get insulted if I didn't take them back to my bedroom with them. One even kissed me without me realizing it and then handed me money. One propositioned my friend telling her in very poor enlgish and a sexy accent that he was offering her the chance of a lifetime, that he'd "you know" if she wanted. Plus the public transport stinks (smells, pee-yoo, get out your perfume).

To the orig poster - too vague of question. Europe has so much to offer you can hardly go wrong, just depends on your tastes and interests. I'd say mix it up a bit - experience more than the tourist's sites and find some interesting places to stay - like someone's home. I did this in Germany - the family cooked me breakfast every morning and let me sleep in their kid's room (who had grown up and left). Try to meet some locals and they will take you to the most interesting places, be careful though, always have a buddy. I made many friends-for-a-day, Europeans are usually very proud of their city/place and love to show you their part. (exception: Parisians want to show you their "parts". sorry if that offends anyone, I couldn't resist)

Get a good travel guide or catch a couple of Rick Steve's shows on IPTV between now and then.

Personally, my next European trip will be either Ireland and/or Scandanavia.

By the way, learn to read timetables for trains and busses and get used to some major B.O. - especially in summer.

Has anyone ever toured Croatia? Sounds like a place to try out.

May 21, 05 1:37 pm  · 
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vado retro

took the train down to athens
and i slept in a fountain
some swiss junkie in turin
ripped me off for my cash

sold my plasma in amsterdam
spent it all in one night
buying drinks at the melk weg
for a soldier in drag

go find yerself a euro-trash gurl

May 21, 05 4:32 pm  · 
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dillup.

as you can see from these posts, there are generally 2 strategies for a first trip to Europe-

1) pick one area you are especially interested in and just stay and let it all sink in. explore the untouristed areas and meet a few locals.

2) do the hyper-tour, sample everything. you won't end up with the most accurate depictions of life in each city but you will have an idea of where you might want to return to.

each has its own advantages. #2 is the more typical one for americans, and europeans think we're crazy for it. they don't understand it, and consider it to be ADD behavior. but it is a nice way to get a very basic intro to europe, especially if you think you might return later.

italy is fantastic, but was my least favorite part because of the ridiculous amount of obnoxious tourists everywhere (worst in july-september).

personally, i think europe should be explored in the off-seasons, March-April, September-October. though scandinavia does make a lot of sense to explore over the summer, if you can afford it.

May 21, 05 5:51 pm  · 
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brian buchalski

avoid the hyper-tour, three weeks isn't really that much time if you are trying to see everything. rather, pick a place (or two) and try to understand how the way of life is different there.

personally, i am partial to scandinavia but you can try anything you might be interested in.

and if you do elect for the hyper-tour, i heartily recommend taking a cruise between stockholm and helsinki. the viking line runs overnight voyages between these two lovely cities. pick up a bottle of vodka from the duty free on board, enjoy the unforgettable "fun club," pass out and the next thing you know you are stepping off the ship in another beautiful city...much more pleasant than the overnight train rides.

May 21, 05 9:33 pm  · 
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archit84

amsterdamn for three weeks straight will change your life forever.
for the better or the worse is yet to be determined.
u can't ask for a better trip than that.

May 21, 05 10:56 pm  · 
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rutger

If it's tuesday this must be Belgium.

May 22, 05 8:59 am  · 
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ds

If in Spain you can take a trip to Portugal and visit Lisbon and maybe Oporto.

May 22, 05 12:40 pm  · 
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WonderK

I did 12 countries in 12 weeks.....I went to Belgium, and Spain, and Paris, and Germany and I liked it all. Some highlights and tips:

-Amsterdam is great, as is Rotterdam, and I would strongly suggest a trip to Holland for all designers. The Dutch have a way of doing things that is unique and very utilitarian that will influence the way you look at buildings. You can bank 3 days for that.

-I wouldn't miss Paris. Be prepared for that attitude that everyone warns you about if you are going at the height of tourist season and you can't speak a lick of French. However, don't even bother trying to do it all, you won't. I was there for a week and didn't even see half the stuff I wanted to. Give it 4 days.

-I loved Barcelona. One of my top 3 European cities (along with Edinburgh and Prague). I heard about the crime but didn't experience any of it. I highly recommend it and all of Spain, but that's a lot of time and out of the way. 3 days maybe?

-Go to Berlin, it's awesome, but skip Munich until you have more time.

-In Italy, go to Venice. Florence, then Siena, then Rome if you have time.

-Depending on your budget, it might be useful for you to use the low-cost airlines to get around rather than the rail....a little quicker than going Italy to Britain by land, if you see what I mean. Have a look:
http://www.easyjet.com/
http://www.ryanair.com

I could go on for 8 more paragraphs but I'm already getting bored with myself so I won't.

May 23, 05 1:18 am  · 
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stompbx

I did the huge mega-trip see everything trip in 3 weeks thing. Something I think everyone should do once, but never again! Too much of a whirlwind... I had a much better time hanging around in one place for an extended period of time. Like everyone says, pick your interests, do some research, and go off the beaten path. My personal pick is definitely Lisbon. have a great trip... im jealous!

May 24, 05 1:44 am  · 
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cvoogt

forgot to mention ... Sicily / Malta / Tunisia could be interesting. Malta has great diving and you can go to Sicily from there by boat or plane

May 24, 05 4:57 am  · 
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A

My vote goes to Scandanavia and eastern europe. Prauge and Budapest are a must see and your money should last longer there. I'm also a fan of Finland and Sweden as they too are somewhat off the beaten path of most tourists with plenty to see. I'd skip on places like London, Paris, Madrid, Rome, etc. they are all swamped with tourists and you can always take a return trip to visit them when you've only got a week or two to spare. Berlin is the one major city I think is worth seeing just because it has been changing so rapidly over the past 15 years. Does anyone know if the InfoBox is still up? It's also close to Prauge. Another country that is very unique is Ireland. RyanAir makes it cheap to get there and Dublin can be a very good time. Just be prepared to take a bus or rent a car in Ireland.

May 24, 05 11:30 am  · 
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morningbell1101

go to marseille, france and visit the calanques. you can sea kyak to and through them, or hike to them (ask locals sbout the trail). they are the most beautiful natural water parks/coves ever. most tourists don't know about them so you won't be visiting another disneyland-like attraction.

and if you want to par-tay marseille has a fun nightscene by the port.

May 24, 05 3:42 pm  · 
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A

good call morningbell, I concur.

Also in Marseille (mar-say) is that concrete bunker by Corbu - unite de habatation. The big public beach has pea gravel instead of sand. Wasn't the most comfortable day on the beach for me. The people there are nice, very nice, compared to the French in Paris.

May 25, 05 8:57 am  · 
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trigirl

yeah, berlin is worth the entire three weeks alone. it's a fascinating city that has been rapidly changing for the last 60 years really. its scars seem more visible than other european cities, and i think that makes it interesting. the culture is unlike the rest of germany too, which is a great country to check out - so different in the different regions. as A mentioned it's only about 4 hours by train to prague (another awesome city and cheaper still). unfortunately, the info box is gone, but the eisenman memorial has just been completed. i'm always a sucker for paris. it's so beautiful, but i would agree with the above postings. this time of year it would be unbearable with all of the tourists. save it for some spring or christmas trip.

May 25, 05 10:19 am  · 
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trigirl

greece is cool too - and very cheap. ooo, but i haven't been there since it joined the eu. is it still super affordable now that it's gone to the euro? athens is worth a few days to see the essential sites, but only a few days. the cyclades are the classic greek islands to check out, but there are probably very beautiful and less touristed islands as well. renting scooters is an awesome way to tour the islands. it's cheap and fast and you can see much more than by public transport. the islands aren't big, so it's easy to get around that way. either way, it's gorgeous, but for better or worse there will be a ton of young backpackers. stay away from the pink palace. http://www.thepinkpalace.com/main.asp

May 25, 05 10:26 am  · 
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trigirl

one more thing. this place is a dream.
http://www.gryon.com/
check the links too. it's got good suggestions for hostels.
really, all of europe is cool. each place for different reasons. i would prefer to go somewhere a little cooler and less touristy this time of year. but if you want to meet loads of young people, maybe you'd prefer that.
ahh, the party boat from stockholm to helsinki cannot be missed.
casinos, dancing ladies, discos, english pubs, beer and wine on tap.
but i guess i should mention it took me over a year to experience all of this.

May 25, 05 10:35 am  · 
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nonarchitect

Fly to London, it will be the cheapest way, spend a few days there, visit Manchester then take the high speed train to Paris, spend a week there, with a weekend in Nice, and then go see Berlin ( you can fly Ryan air ), and see the former "East Bloc", don't stray too far... and then take train back west to Amsterdam, and then you can take the train back to London ( via Brussels ). This trip will highlight the new face of European cities...

May 25, 05 10:44 am  · 
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ease

I only can backup trigirl there.
Berlin is worth it. Check out:

- New National Gallery (Mies) - Hamburger Station (now a museum) - Berlinische Galerie - close to Jewish Museum - KunstWerke (in Mitte around tons of other galleries) - Museums Island - Potsdam (a little versailles)
then get a bike and just cycle and explore... just a good experience

ckeck also old archinect postings about berlin

May 26, 05 6:07 am  · 
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chinoXL63

don't forget barcelona...gaudi, mies, calatrava, meier, nouvel, herzog, and more gaudi...

i won't even get into the sun, the beaches, the food, and the culture...

and if you time it right...SONAR

May 26, 05 11:37 am  · 
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Ok first of all, you don't want to be running through the sites of each country like tourists with their asses on fire. I am a firm believer that if you really want to experience a country, then you at least stay for a couple of weeks or else you won't remember any of it, and it will just be a bunch of polariods in the back of the dresser collecting dust. Trust me, if you want to go to europe for 3 weeks spend one week in 3 cities, by far the best way to go. Then you take your time and see the things you want to see and sing the songs you want sing. If you want suggestions as to where to go, my favorites are amsterdam, rome, and praha.

Later

May 27, 05 7:05 pm  · 
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