My partner and I are planning on going back to Europe in May / June of 2023 for a two-week vacation. We’ve both been backpacking through Europe while in college. That was . . . . damn, 20 plus years ago though.
We’ve each been to:
Iceland, Ireland, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Italy, Denmark, and Finland.
My partner has also been to Poland, Austria, and the Czech Republic.
We’re looking to go to 2-3 areas that are connected by the rail system. What I’m looking for is recommendations for can’t miss areas. We’d use your recommendations to help us refine our research and trip planning. They don’t have to be architecturally themed, but it would be nice. We're both the type of people who like to move around / experience things rather than sit by a beach and drink.
So, what say your locals or recent travelers. If you were to travel in Europe for two weeks where would you like to go (or not go)?
Bench
Oct 31, 22 3:10 pm
Riga was always my most under-rated city that i've visited. It still feels like a living transition away from the soviet era into a westernized country. Also, very cheap. My fever dream trip would be to train from St Petersburg to Kalinengrad while knocking off the main sites along the way, but that's clearly not happening for a while (fortunately i've seen most of that trip already).
From your previous visiting list though, it looks like you have a big gap in southern Spain, and especially Portugal. Excellent train access across both, easy flights to Porto/Lisbon/Faro from parts of the US, and you can add a short trip to Gibraltar or Morocco if desired.
Chad Miller
Oct 31, 22 3:26 pm
Thanks!
justavisual
Oct 31, 22 3:35 pm
go to portugal, or go to slovenia, or go to benelux, or to denmark. some of these best w car though unless you just want to see cities (the landscape and smaller towns usually proving as, if not more, interesting than the big cities).
Chad Miller
Oct 31, 22 3:46 pm
I agree about the landscapes. We're not going to be renting a car unless we absolutely have to. The trip will be more urban.
LiveLoveLife
Jan 28, 23 7:31 am
Lisbon or Porto is great option.
RJ87
Oct 31, 22 4:12 pm
I've long said that on my next trip back I wanted to start in Spain, say Valencia or Barcelona (I've been to Barcelona but not Valencia), and make my way towards Monaco. You could stop in Marseille or Nice en route. I've only been to northern & central France so the south still excites me. If your time in France has already taken you to those places you could always stay in Spain for a nice two week stint in Madrid, Valencia & Barcelona.
RJ87
Oct 31, 22 4:21 pm
In regards to the northern gap your missing, Norway & Sweden: I went to Stockholm & Oslo when I was in college and I personally wouldn't go back. There just wasn't a lot to do unless your truly into the outdoors, which you may be. I was traveling solo after studying abroad & didn't have the money to do excursion type events because I'd blown through it by that point in the trip. Having already been to Iceland, Denmark & Finland I think you got a lot of similar experiences as you would in those two places as well.
Chad Miller
Oct 31, 22 4:26 pm
Just to be clear - we're both fine with visiting a country that we've already been to.
JLC-1
Oct 31, 22 4:34 pm
Anywhere in this map, (except for north africa)
Chad Miller
Oct 31, 22 4:40 pm
What about all the blue stuff?
JLC-1
Oct 31, 22 5:37 pm
if you have a yatch, that must be a sweet spot - also lots of commercial lines go through there.
Chad Miller
Oct 31, 22 5:59 pm
If I had a yacht I wouldn't be an architect.
archanonymous
Nov 1, 22 7:19 am
If I had an architect I wouldn't be a yacht.
citizen
Jan 29, 23 4:27 pm
.
whistler
Oct 31, 22 8:43 pm
I am headed to Croatia / Dubrovnik / Montenegro in June, that will be a flight to Munich then over to Croatia and train or rail from there. After that thinking about going to west coast of Italy ( Amalfi Coast or Portofino ) Over a two week period I need a few days of walking to clear my head first and then settle into one area then the second week I can travel else where. Too much bouncing around is not relaxing. Alternatively the second week we have considered Dolomites but that may be a separate trip in the fall.
proto
Oct 31, 22 9:39 pm
something i've always wanted to do: 4 or 5 day catered hut to hut in the alps...still take a backpack, but just a daypack between huts
Chad Miller
Nov 1, 22 12:21 pm
Oh that would be so cool.
mszczere
Nov 1, 22 2:11 am
I can highly recommend Switzerland
Chad Miller
Nov 2, 22 11:33 am
Any specific areas you'd say are a 'can't miss' when visiting?
archanonymous
Nov 1, 22 7:20 am
Sicilia. Great train service all over the island, small enough but also big enough. Great food. Greek, Roman, Spanish, Moorish ruins. A volcano. Wine. What more could you want?
Chad Miller
Nov 1, 22 12:21 pm
Dang! That sounds cool! Thanks!
x-jla
Nov 2, 22 12:20 pm
The food in Calabria and Sicily is the best in the world imo.
x-jla
Nov 2, 22 12:21 pm
And the beaches are like the Caribbean of Europe
Chad Miller
Nov 2, 22 12:30 pm
Too bad exposing my 'beach body' would be considered a crime against humanity. ;)
x-jla
Nov 2, 22 12:36 pm
It’s common for 80yo men to walk around in speedos in Italy, so I’m sure you’ll be fine :)
Chad Miller
Nov 2, 22 12:43 pm
I'm scared yet intrigued . . .
Wood Guy
Jan 29, 23 12:00 pm
Cool. My wife is part Sicilian and we are starting to plan an extended vacation there for her 50th birthday in a couple of years.
Chad Miller
Jan 30, 23 8:53 am
So we've decided!
Prague, Budapest, and Vienna!
JLC-1
Jan 30, 23 11:40 am
watch out for those chocolate factories in vienna.
Chad Miller
Jan 30, 23 12:38 pm
I plan on diving into a pool of warm chocolate. I won't eat much though. I could go from type 1 diabetes to 'super diabetes'.
citizen
Jan 30, 23 1:47 pm
Sounds like a great trip, Chad. I loved Prague, and several folks we chatted with there said that Budapest is even better.
Watch out for sudden, pouring rainstorms that seem to come out of nowhere. They last less than an hour, then are gone just as suddenly. (Not sure if they occur when you'll be there, but during the summer for certain. Quite an exciting addition to almost every day of urban wandering.)
Chad Miller
Jan 30, 23 2:43 pm
Thanks for the tip about the weather!
We'll be going in early May.
Yup. It’s time for a vacation to Europe!
My partner and I are planning on going back to Europe in May / June of 2023 for a two-week vacation. We’ve both been backpacking through Europe while in college. That was . . . . damn, 20 plus years ago though.
We’ve each been to:
Iceland, Ireland, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Italy, Denmark, and Finland.
My partner has also been to Poland, Austria, and the Czech Republic.
We’re looking to go to 2-3 areas that are connected by the rail system. What I’m looking for is recommendations for can’t miss areas. We’d use your recommendations to help us refine our research and trip planning. They don’t have to be architecturally themed, but it would be nice. We're both the type of people who like to move around / experience things rather than sit by a beach and drink.
So, what say your locals or recent travelers. If you were to travel in Europe for two weeks where would you like to go (or not go)?
Riga was always my most under-rated city that i've visited. It still feels like a living transition away from the soviet era into a westernized country. Also, very cheap. My fever dream trip would be to train from St Petersburg to Kalinengrad while knocking off the main sites along the way, but that's clearly not happening for a while (fortunately i've seen most of that trip already).
From your previous visiting list though, it looks like you have a big gap in southern Spain, and especially Portugal. Excellent train access across both, easy flights to Porto/Lisbon/Faro from parts of the US, and you can add a short trip to Gibraltar or Morocco if desired.
Thanks!
go to portugal, or go to slovenia, or go to benelux, or to denmark. some of these best w car though unless you just want to see cities (the landscape and smaller towns usually proving as, if not more, interesting than the big cities).
I agree about the landscapes. We're not going to be renting a car unless we absolutely have to. The trip will be more urban.
Lisbon or Porto is great option.
I've long said that on my next trip back I wanted to start in Spain, say Valencia or Barcelona (I've been to Barcelona but not Valencia), and make my way towards Monaco. You could stop in Marseille or Nice en route. I've only been to northern & central France so the south still excites me. If your time in France has already taken you to those places you could always stay in Spain for a nice two week stint in Madrid, Valencia & Barcelona.
In regards to the northern gap your missing, Norway & Sweden: I went to Stockholm & Oslo when I was in college and I personally wouldn't go back. There just wasn't a lot to do unless your truly into the outdoors, which you may be. I was traveling solo after studying abroad & didn't have the money to do excursion type events because I'd blown through it by that point in the trip. Having already been to Iceland, Denmark & Finland I think you got a lot of similar experiences as you would in those two places as well.
Just to be clear - we're both fine with visiting a country that we've already been to.
Anywhere in this map, (except for north africa)
What about all the blue stuff?
if you have a yatch, that must be a sweet spot - also lots of commercial lines go through there.
If I had a yacht I wouldn't be an architect.
If I had an architect I wouldn't be a yacht.
.
I am headed to Croatia / Dubrovnik / Montenegro in June, that will be a flight to Munich then over to Croatia and train or rail from there. After that thinking about going to west coast of Italy ( Amalfi Coast or Portofino ) Over a two week period I need a few days of walking to clear my head first and then settle into one area then the second week I can travel else where. Too much bouncing around is not relaxing. Alternatively the second week we have considered Dolomites but that may be a separate trip in the fall.
something i've always wanted to do: 4 or 5 day catered hut to hut in the alps...still take a backpack, but just a daypack between huts
Oh that would be so cool.
I can highly recommend Switzerland
Any specific areas you'd say are a 'can't miss' when visiting?
Sicilia. Great train service all over the island, small enough but also big enough. Great food. Greek, Roman, Spanish, Moorish ruins. A volcano. Wine. What more could you want?
Dang! That sounds cool! Thanks!
The food in Calabria and Sicily is the best in the world imo.
And the beaches are like the Caribbean of Europe
Too bad exposing my 'beach body' would be considered a crime against humanity. ;)
It’s common for 80yo men to walk around in speedos in Italy, so I’m sure you’ll be fine :)
I'm scared yet intrigued . . .
Cool. My wife is part Sicilian and we are starting to plan an extended vacation there for her 50th birthday in a couple of years.
So we've decided!
Prague, Budapest, and Vienna!
watch out for those chocolate factories in vienna.
I plan on diving into a pool of warm chocolate. I won't eat much though. I could go from type 1 diabetes to 'super diabetes'.
Sounds like a great trip, Chad. I loved Prague, and several folks we chatted with there said that Budapest is even better.
Watch out for sudden, pouring rainstorms that seem to come out of nowhere. They last less than an hour, then are gone just as suddenly. (Not sure if they occur when you'll be there, but during the summer for certain. Quite an exciting addition to almost every day of urban wandering.)
Thanks for the tip about the weather! We'll be going in early May.