4 weeks in Europe

[Pibs]

Husband is eligible for his first sabbatical in November and has 2 years to use the time off.  He can take up to 8 weeks off, plus 4 weeks of his usual vacation.  I am pretty fresh outta school, and getting 4 weeks off of work will take an absolute fucking miracle and more than likely require that I quit my job (which I'm not necessarily opposed to) and find something new once we're back. 

So if you were limited to 4 weeks in Europe, where would you go?  What would you do?  Any must sees or things that overrated?  What time of year is best in your opinion?  Bonus points for activities and places to go if you're a beer snob and love food because we do.    Ignore travel time to and from Europe -- doesn't matter for husband, and if I'm going to fight for 4 weeks off I'll fight for the extra couple of days travel time to hit interesting places (as in glass igloos in Finland for Northern Lights and such).

What if you were splurging and could spend 8 weeks?

Oh, I haven't been anywhere in Europe.  I think he's been to Paris? 

I promise to update as things get planned and my work drama unfolds. 

[tres3]

We go to Europe every December and try to do time with DH's family in England and then a family trip for 5-7 days in the middle of our visit.

We did Finland and loved it. We stayed here. www.muotkanmaja.fi/. They don't have the glass igloos but their sister site does. It was an amazing experience. We did the 5 day package and then spent a few days in Helsinki which I loved as well. I would highly recommend doing the Arctic. Before Christmas there are a lot of package "Santa Claus" tours out of Gatwick.

I also really enjoy Edinburgh for edinburghshogmanay.com/.

Other places I would include would be Denmark, Germany and Austria. All have Christmas villages but are just magical in the winter depending which part you go.

We did Cyprus one December which I liked but it was a very quiet time of year there and a lot of the touristy stuff shuts down. I was more about the archeology than beaches though.

One warning that time of year it gets dark really early.

I've never done it but I'd be tempted to be a bit of a nomad if I didn't have kids and had all that time and just look for cheap last minute fares and hotels/vrbos and hop location to location depending on price and availability.

[mich1]

A friend of mine just did 4 weeks in Europe with her son last June. Her son was really into WWII history, so they hit a lot of the sites of historical significance too. Her son was in school, so they had to go during peak travel time. I prefer not to travel during the summer months when I go, I find it too much of a zoo. IMO, optimal month is September. Weather is still good, but it's shoulder season and the prices (and crowds) are down a bit.

Where you go really depends upon your interests. 8 weeks is really a long time to be traveling, and IMO you can easily get on overload. We spent a month in Turkey (and could have easily used another 2 weeks) and by the end of the month, I wanted my own bed and different clothes (and an American breakfast!).

[osumelissa]

I think you will also have to decide if you want to hit a lot of places/cities/countries, or if you want to really focus on just a couple of places and really immerse yourself. Different people have different travel styles and priorities. Myself, I pick a few places to minimize time traveling around and because I know I will go back to Europe.

I really enjoyed Spain and the 12 days we spent there a few years ago wasn't enough time. This year we went to Prague, Dresden and Berlin for 12 days. With more time, I would have done something like Vienna, Prague, Dresden, Berlin, Munich...maybe one more place depending. Last summer I spent three weeks in just the UK (Scotland, York, London) traveling solo and easily could have done another few weeks to see more.

[GilliC]

Seeing the northern lights will require going fall through spring. Most likely September to April. That's not necessarily a bad thing, since summer is generally peak season. Keep in mind that this is a HUGE gamble. I know plenty of people who have gone up north for long weekends and never seen a thing. Our last trip had clear skies and great conditions, but all we got was a faint green haze on a 1-minute exposure tripod photo!

If you're beer snobs, I'd include Belgium. There's so much variety! I want to go back just for a few days of sampling beers and chocolates. Brugge (aka Bruges) has become quite touristy in the last five years, but for good reason. It's charming and adorable. There's a fantastic beer bar called 't Brugs Beertje that we loved. When we were there, they had a huge menu and extremely helpful and knowledgeable staff. As for the chocolate, I loved Dumon, right off the Markt. Delicious, and the building is oh so cute. But it's hard to go wrong with any of the chocolatiers!

For food, you're bound to find amazing stuff anywhere. Honestly, I love most of the cheap authentic local foods, because I love to try the original versions of things I may have had elsewhere. If you're more into haute cuisine, there's always France with its deluge of Michelin-starred restaurants or Denmark where Noma in Copenhagen which was named Best Restaurant in the World for four years straight (and only this year fell to 2nd). Or if you're on a budget, someplace like Budapest has top-notch restaurants for a fraction of the price of London or Paris.

Beyond that, it really depends on your interests:
History? Which era?
Outdoor activities? What kinds?
Nature? Mountains, beaches, caves...?
Art? Classic or contemporary?
Theater? Drama, opera, musicals?
Fashion or shopping?

I wouldn't say that Europe as a whole has any must-sees, because it depends on what you're after. I've been all over Europe, and honestly I can't think of anywhere that I wouldn't recommend. ...At least for a day. Even the middle of nowhere is interesting for a day just to see what it's like.

[anna7602]

Sept 23, 2015 11:55:30 GMT -5 GilliC said:

Brugge (aka Bruges) has become quite touristy in the last five years, but for good reason. It's charming and adorable. There's a fantastic beer bar called 't Brugs Beertje that we loved. When we were there, they had a huge menu and extremely helpful and knowledgeable staff. 

I also loved Brugs Beertje. It is seriously one of the coziest places I've ever had the pleasure of drinking a beer! 

And ditto pp with being able to see a lot or a little in 4 weeks. I spent 4 weeks in Europe this summer and only hit Paris and London. But on a previous trip, I combined Rome, Florence, Naples, Paris, Moscow and St. Petersburg in just a little over that same time frame.  

Once you've flown from the U.S., 4 weeks seriously opens up anything for you. Cheap flights are abundant on the continent and train connections are great. 

[Pibs]

We've been talking about Europe for years, but without anything specific in mind. And now that it's a very tiny possibility that I'll be able to get 4 weeks off, we're just getting ideas. Brugs Beertje is definitely on the list! No kids for us at this point -- just furry ones that will already have arrangements made.

We're really pretty much up for anything that anyone has suggested so far, except maybe opera. We like being outdoors in all fashions (hiking, winter stuff, laying on a beach with fruity beverages and a book), art and museums, as well as fancy things and shopping. Rural areas and cities both have their pros and cons, and we like both though whenever we travel we tend to stay away from chain, less authentic places. This is a trip where we get to see a lot of things without running ourselves ragged seeing all the things. Also to get an idea of where we'd like to go back to again sometime down the road to really immerse ourselves. Husband's sabbatical program changed recently so he can keep on with 8 weeks every 8 years, or do 4 weeks every 4 years so we can do something more broad this time and more focused next.

Thanks for all of the ideas so far!

[alleinesein]

Croatia- spend a few days hiking at Plitvice and Krka National Parks.

You really do need to put together a rough list of places you want to see. It will make planning much easier. I could easily spend a month in Croatia and still not see all of the country. Same goes for Germany.

[Pibs]

Sept 23, 2015 14:03:14 GMT -5 alleinesein said:

Croatia- spend a few days hiking at Plitvice and Krka National Parks.

You really do need to put together a rough list of places you want to see. It will make planning much easier. I could easily spend a month in Croatia and still not see all of the country. Same goes for Germany.

Well, I've just decided I'd like to see more than one country for this particular trip.  I feel like if we're trying to get a broad overview of some of Europe we should branch out and see more than one country.    We really do want to see it all, which is why it's hard to decide where to start.

If we're sticking to mainland Europe I'd personally be more interested in Spain, Portugal, Austria, Germany, Belgium, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland.  Probably the Czech Republic & maybe Poland.  Morocco, even though I just remembered it's not Europe.  I don't know as much about the other countries (other than Greece) hadn't even considered someplace like Croatia yet.  Not that I wouldn't go there, but they're just not places that have really been on my radar so not likely to be where we'd go on this round. 

The Mediterranean would also be awesome with Greece & its islands, Cyprus, Turkey, etc and possibly Italy?

We'd also love to do something like Ireland, Scotland, and England, too, but I think they'd be their own separate trip.  Which could be this trip, too, all things considered.    

[Mushe]

Really cool! MH has a similar sabbatical, and I have a similar work situation. We took our first one with 4 weeks in Europe, focusing on Spain, because we'd done big trips together to France, Italy, and Croatia. Also, we brought our 20ish month old, and didn't want to go crazy. We did Spain (Barcelona, Madrid, Marbella), then Morocco for a few days, then finished out with about 5 days in London.

We absolutely adored Croatia, so if you're interested in it, I would 100% encourage you to go there. We did 10 days there for our honeymoon, and it was fantastic. With several weeks, you could really enjoy yourself and pretend you're a local. Hvar was probably our favorite. I would get an apartment and stay there for a week. There's just so much to see there, and it's really very varied. We started in Dubrovnik and worked our way up. You wouldn't want to miss Plitvice Lakes - truly gorgeous! We drove all around, and it was really just wonderful. We ended by taking a ferry to Venice and staying a few days there before flying home.

[Pibs]

@sfgal530, I'd love your itinerary when you get a chance.

We've taken international trips together before, but nothing this long and just Canada or Mexico. Love wine tasting, but husband gets headaches from wine. We tend to like more local quiet places to eat, but wouldn't say no to one of the top restaurants in the world, either.

Just e-mailing back and forth today we're leaning more toward Ireland/England/Scottland OR beachy European. And then going back for the other and again for a more historic type trip at some point. I've been looking at Croatia today after people were mentioning it and it looks incredible, so it's definitely on the list of possibilities!

[GilliC]

Personally, I would skip beachy European. There are so many better beaches in the world, and most Europeans tend to go a bit further afield for a really nice beach vacation.

Of the places I've been in Europe (since I can't comment on the places I've not visited), my favorites have been:
Belgium for beer and chocolate.
Norway for nature (backpacking, cross-country, northern lights, and dramatic scenery).
Italy for Renaissance art and Roman history.
Slovenia for caves and Medieval history.
Budapest for 18-19th century history and inexpensive luxury.
Iceland for glaciers, waterfalls, and geothermal activity.
Scotland for a great road trip.
Luxembourg for wine.

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[mrsukyankee]

If you are into beer then London is a great place - we have so many breweries here that have opened up recently.

I would come to Europe in early autumn or late spring...best weather usually!

[Pibs]

Thank you all for your suggestions! We're going to sit down this weekend and figure out where we'd both like to go the most, and start to narrow things down a bit.

[dutchgirl678]

I have been to a lot of countries. I am from the Netherlands and live there now. For a 4 week trip and seeing multiple countries, I would space things out so you are not constantly traveling but have 4-5 days in the same place. Northern Europe can be pretty cold and rainy in November, so that should be taken into account. If you have narrowed it down to a few countries I can help with tips for specific sights to see / things to do.

[Pibs]

@32flavors, that's kind of what we've been thinking. Minus the backpacking, because I'm too high maintenance for that these days.

dutchgirl678, you're so cute. I know you IRL, but I forgot I changed names when we all came over here. Our husbands have the same name, but spelled differently. I don't know why I didn't think to ask you for ideas! Is Northern Europe colder and rainier than here in PDX? You should have been here today -- there was the most amazing rainbow this morning that lasted my whole drive into work. Of course it started pouring an hour later and everyone forgot how to drive again.

[GilliC]

Scandinavia and the Nordic countries is only a bit colder in November (typically around 30-40 F) but it's significantly darker. I typically try to travel somewhere in November just to get some daylight. Here in Oslo, the sun is only up from 8:30 to 3:30, and if it's overcast and rainy (which it often is), then it's dark and dull most of the day. Farther north, you'll only get a few hours of low sunlight at mid-day. The continent is a bit better, though.

[dutchgirl678]

@vanti, I totally forgot! I guess I haven't seen connected your screen name to you IRL. I miss PDX so much! Not that we don't have great things here, but PDX is still home to me.

It is not necessarily colder in November than in PDX but it can be as rainy or rainier. It is just very unpredictable. And because we are further north, the sun sets a lot earlier, so it feels like the days are shorter. But with that comes the coziness of hot chocolate, Christmas markets (esp. in Germany) and thick pea soup.

Anyway, send me a PM or FB message and I can help you narrow down your choices if you want

[dreamcrisp1]

I did Europe last year for 4.5 weeks and I went to Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary. I would have loved to do Croatia too. I absolutely loved all the countries I went too and it was an amazing trip.

I am dying now to go to Denmark, Ireland, Scotland, Portugal, and Croatia.

[Pibs]

Sept 27, 2015 8:54:39 GMT -5 dreamcrisp1 said:

I did Europe last year for 4.5 weeks and I went to Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary. I would have loved to do Croatia too. I absolutely loved all the countries I went too and it was an amazing trip.

I am dying now to go to Denmark, Ireland, Scotland, Portugal, and Croatia.

dreamcrisp1, would you mind posting your itinerary if you have it handy? 

We pretty much made it to the whole "I want to see pretty much everything in Europe, how about you?"  "Me too!" stage this weekend, so not much narrowing down yet. 

[gardengal]

What I've been doing lately is getting lonely planet guides from the library. I then look at the "best of" type lists (typically in the front & the photo pages in the middle). Then I put a "pin" on a custom google map. Once you see some clusters of pins, you'll have a better ideaof what kind of trip would make the most sense.

[dreamcrisp1]

Sept 28, 2015 18:55:55 GMT -5 Pibs said:

Sept 27, 2015 8:54:39 GMT -5 dreamcrisp1 said:

I did Europe last year for 4.5 weeks and I went to Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary. I would have loved to do Croatia too. I absolutely loved all the countries I went too and it was an amazing trip.

I am dying now to go to Denmark, Ireland, Scotland, Portugal, and Croatia.

dreamcrisp1, would you mind posting your itinerary if you have it handy? 

We pretty much made it to the whole "I want to see pretty much everything in Europe, how about you?"  "Me too!" stage this weekend, so not much narrowing down yet. 

Absolutely! When I get to the computer, I will post it!

I also did 3 weeks of France, Monaco, and Spain 4 years ago! Haha.

[Pibs]

Sept 28, 2015 19:20:43 GMT -5 gardengal said:

What I've been doing lately is getting lonely planet guides from the library. I then look at the "best of" type lists (typically in the front & the photo pages in the middle). Then I put a "pin" on a custom google map. Once you see some clusters of pins, you'll have a better ideaof what kind of trip would make the most sense.

That's a really good idea -- thanks! 

[Pibs]

Sept 29, 2015 16:56:35 GMT -5 dreamcrisp1 said:

Sept 28, 2015 18:55:55 GMT -5 Pibs said:

dreamcrisp1, would you mind posting your itinerary if you have it handy? 

We pretty much made it to the whole "I want to see pretty much everything in Europe, how about you?"  "Me too!" stage this weekend, so not much narrowing down yet. 

Absolutely! When I get to the computer, I will post it!

I also did 3 weeks of France, Monaco, and Spain 4 years ago! Haha.

I also wouldn't mind that itinerary . . .