Europe in 2015...where to start?

[dr.girlfriend]

Sorry for such a vague question...I'm trying to look back through old threads but am feeling a bit overwhelmed.  The husband and I have long spoken of a trip to Europe, but keep putting it off for various reasons.  We've decided to try to pull the trigger for next year, probably in October.  The grandparents will have the kiddo if all goes well, so it'll just be the two of us. 

I've been all around Europe as a kid, but nothing more recent than Spain/Portugal more than 10 years ago.  DH has done London a few times for work and a friend's wedding.  He definitely wants to hit Paris, but otherwise we're both open.  We're thinking of aiming for a two-week trip.  Where do we start planning?  What is a reasonable rough budget for nice-but-not-luxe accommodations?  I think we'll want to travel by train as much as possible, although I can drive if needed.  We both like cities more than scenery probably, but maybe mid-size cities would be more our speed (I remember not liking Rome as a kid, but then again I was a kid and just on the lookout for the nearest McDonald's).

Any suggestions, pointers, resources, or stories you want to share would be welcome!

[lolo]

First off, why only travel by train? The usual way that I figured out where to go in Europe was to type in a date and then use skyscanner to help me find the cheapest places to go (by plane). If nothing else, it can help you realize that you actually do have preferences.

Some questions to help narrow your thinking:
- is it important to hit more than one country?
- how long of a drive, train ride or flight are you comfortable with?
- how important is staying in the city center?
- what does a mid-size city mean to you?

I would suggest considering Strasbourg, Heidelberg and the Black Forest as one possible extension from Paris.

[marytini]

In terms of cities, I felt like London was massive, Amsterdam was much smaller than I expected and therefore I found it very quaint, and Paris was a nice size. We did all 3 cities in 1 trip over 12 days. We took an overnight ferry from the Netherlands to England, then Eurostar from London to Paris. But for you, if you want to do Paris, I'd add Amsterdam, maybe Belgium in the middle, but I've never been there. Easily connected via train though. I think 2 weeks would give you enough time to see a bit of those 2-3 places.
PP suggestion of Strasbourg with bits of Germany is a good one too.

[maddiepaddy]

I've been looking at Europe itineraries and have been surprised to find that flying can be equal or even less expensive than traveling by train. Plus, it's usually faster. Just something to consider.

I second PPs about Paris and Amsterdam. I'd consider adding somewhere in Belgium or western Germany.

As far as budget goes for hotels, I usually plan on $200-$250 a night for nice, but not amazing. This will be more easily done in some cities than others. 

[babsbunny]

I agree with Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam as a nice, round trip. The train ride is about 3 hours from Amsterdam to Paris. I remember at our train stop in Brussels there was an announcement to keep an eye on your bags, but still a bit more relaxing than airport security and liquid restrictions. I only did two days in Brussels and felt satisfied. The driving in downtown Brussels was much more hectic (lack of signals, people ignoring them) then the Netherlands (lots of stop lights, even green right turn lights).

My favorites
Paris
- Eiffel Tower (did not go up, yes I'm insane)
- Arc de Triomphe (to the top)
- Louvre
- Sacre-Coeur (up to the dome for great views)
- Notre-Dame (did not go in)
- Catacombs
- Versailles (all day and your feet will hurt afterwards)
- Canal cruise

Amsterdam
- Anne Frank house
- Canal cruise
- Day trip to Delft Pottery
- Keukenhof Gardens (where all the tulips are, but might not be open in October)
- Muiderslot Castle (nice for me as I haven't seen many castles)
- Nationaal Park de Hoge Veluwe (Park with wide range of environments where you can ride free white bikes for a few hours)

Brussels
- Whatever their main square is called (I totally admit I didn't do a lot of research on what I was seeing. It was part of a work trip.)
- Chocolate Museum (touristy and overpriced, but cute)
- Castle de Haar (on the way to Amsterdam, one English tour a week)
- The Lion's Mound (where Napoleon was defeated - great hike up!)
- Mini Europe (was just something for us to do, but a bit touristy)

And I will admit that I enjoyed my one day at Disneyland Paris. It was fun to see what was left in English and what was translated to French, like the ride Indiana Jones et le Temple du Peril.

I haven't been to Germany yet so I can't comment. I spent a few days in Zurich and recommend skipping it for the above places. I did 5 days in Rome and loved all the ancient sites to see, but I suggest saving a visit to Rome for when you can spend a week or two just on Italian cities. I regret that we did not have time to do a day trip from Paris to Normandy (essential for history buffs). The only hotel I personally paid for (i.e. not a work trip) was the Holiday Inn de la Repulique in Paris. Good price and rode the metro everywhere (not sure if it's still there).

Happy planning!

[agnes]

Is there anything specific you'd like to see or do? Besides Paris are there any other cities you would like to go to?

Depending on where you want to go will have an impact on the kind of budget you'll have.

I'm sure you saw my Europe budget post, but we spent 8k on everything for a 2 week trip to Paris, Stuttgart, and Prague. Our other option was going to be 10k for London, Cardiff, and Paris.

[dulcemariamar]

I would to a trip around Switzerland especially if you are interested in train travel. Since there is a German/French/Italian parts of the country, you can experience different food and culture. Most of the cities there are midsize and the scenery to get from one place to another is breathtaking. You can also spend a few days in Northern Italy because I think Milan is only a hour away from Lugano which is one of the most gorgeous cities that I have been to.

Another favorite trip of mine to do in Europe are cruises. It is a good way to see a lot places. I think they are great for visiting Northern Europe/Greek Islands.

[rupertpenny]

If you really want to do Paris I would probably try to do Paris plus Benelux. Train travel is more expensive than air travel for a lot of Europe now, train travel is SO much easier. And I think if you are staying in a small-ish area the cost won't be too bad.

If you are looking for something further afield I love Hungary and Slovenia.

I have had very good luck with booking apartments in Europe, mostly through VRBO. We've done that in Madrid, Lisbon, Rome, and Florence and never paid more than about $125 a night (we didn't go in high season though, September in Iberia and December in Italy).

[dutchgirl678]

I live in the Netherlands right now. There are so many cool places to visit in a 2-week span. I would try to pick 2-3 locations and spend time at each of them.

If you go to Paris, you should also add Musee d'Orsay to your list. I love the impressionist paintings there from van Gogh, Monet, etc. We also found some really cool streets with lovely restaurants just north of Centre Pompidou when I recently went there on a business trip. I also love La Maison Rose for dinner at Montmartre and Le Refuge des Fondue in Montmartre serves up red wine in baby bottles to get around a tax on stemmed glass. The food tasted great too .

If you go to Belgium, I would pick Brugge (Brugues) over Brussels. I love Amsterdam and if you spend a while there you can also take some day trips to the countryside to see windmills, quaint little villages, traditional clothing etc. The Zuiderzee Museum in Enkhuizen is particularly cool but also Haarlem, Alkmaar, Volendam/Marken are neat places to visit.

Though October is also a great time of year to go to the Mediterranean. We went on our HM in Greece in October. If you want more recommendations for that direction, let me know, I can offer up some more things.

[sent]

Dec 5, 2014 11:51:12 GMT -5 dr.girlfriend said:

Any suggestions, pointers, resources, or stories you want to share would be welcome!

I agre with dutchgirl678 and visit Brugge instead of Brussels. I thought Brussels felt like Albany. It's somewhere important but you really could skip it and not miss anything. Though Albany doesn't have anything like the Grand Palace but it's not worth 2 days to see that.  

I would do Paris/Amsterdam, and then take a flight and do either a few places in Spain or Salzburg/Vienna/Prague.

[tacokick]

Dec 13, 2014 23:58:01 GMT -5 sent said:

Dec 5, 2014 11:51:12 GMT -5 dr.girlfriend said:

Any suggestions, pointers, resources, or stories you want to share would be welcome!

I agre with dutchgirl678 and visit Brugge instead of Brussels. I thought Brussels felt like Albany. It's somewhere important but you really could skip it and not miss anything. Though Albany doesn't have anything like the Grand Palace but it's not worth 2 days to see that.  

I would do Paris/Amsterdam, and then take a flight and do either a few places in Spain or Salzburg/Vienna/Prague.

We loved Brussels and hated Brugge. It was so touristy!