First time to Europe [Archive]

Rosebud

12-31-2007, 12:33 AM

I'm going to agree with Leia that France and Italy are great for first-time visitors to Europe. It's very easy for tourists to get around, there's plenty to see, and the locals should be nice/helpful for the most part (of course, as with anywhere you go, that always just depends on who you run into) and there are excellent hotels and restaurants which will give your trip that special/romantic feeling you're looking for.

If there's any possible way to NOT go in August, that would be best. Europeans take their holiday during the month of August, so lots of things in the cities are closed during that time. Of the months you listed, September would really be the most ideal, preferably mid to late September when the heat and crowds start to die down a bit.

How long do you have? A week or two? We can probably throw out some itineraries suitable for first time visitors if that'd be helpful.

KrissyCat7

12-31-2007, 06:08 AM

We will have approx. one week.

BeachBum

12-31-2007, 06:27 AM

I just want to chime in regarding Europe being expensive....We went to Italy last October. At that time the exchange rate cost us about 30%. Additionally, the prices were a bit higher already than what I felt like we paid at home for similar things. What I mean is, if you typically paid $5 for an item at home the price tag might be 7E, or 6.5E. We dine out at nicer places with some frequency, but were a little surprised at how expensive the food was. But it was worth it!! In my (albeit limited) experience I would suggest budgeting about 30% more expensive and then the exchange rate.

For one week, if I were you I would pick a big city to fly into--say Paris, or Rome drive to a small town to make my "base" and day trip around that area for 4 days (like Tuscany or Provence) Then I would go back to the city for the last 3 days.
Everyone has a different travel style, but I prefer to spend at least 3 nights in a location. I've only been to Italy (2x) but my husband has been to Germany as well. He really loved it.
I would suggest you pick up some guide books and see what interests you. That really is the best place to start. Once you narrow down a country then I'm sure more people will help with the itinerary.

j*east

12-31-2007, 06:44 AM

Definitely go in September when it will be cooler and less crowded. I'm a big fan of Switzerland as well as Italy, but I haven't been to France and have spent limited time in Germany. I think you can have a great time anywhere--just depends on what you most want to see/do/eat.

What language are you comfortable with? If you or your DH studied a foreign language, I'd go to that country first (if applicable). It's not necessary to be fluent, but even "please" "thank you" and simple comments/questions will get you far and help you feel more comfortable. If you're open to learning some before you go, your trip will be much more fun.

tlew12778

12-31-2007, 07:21 AM

I agree with the others. I would do one country for one week and I would avoid August at all costs. The Cote D'Azur is beautiful and you could probably do from Nice all the way to St. Tropez in a week.

Alternatively I would do Paris or Rome for a week then do side trips if you are up to it. I don't think I would try to squeeze in two countries. It's a lot better if you're not rushed.

HeatherFL

12-31-2007, 07:45 AM

Are France and Germany your only two choices? I'll tell you I'm not a big Paris fan, and not one friend of mine likes it there either. On the other hand, you will find posters here on CC who love it (Rosebud ;) ). I'd go to the South of France. I have yet to go to Germany, but will be there in March. Can't wait!

Favorites of mine: Ireland, Amsterdam, Barcelona, London (oh how I love it there) and Belgium. I loved it there.

As for Italy, I am in agreement with Tiffany-Rome for a week! And take me in your luggage LOL! I haven't been yet, but was scheduled to go last year. Because of illness in ex-bf's family and other scheduling conflicts we only made it to Spain, but everything about Italy looked so wonderful.

~H.

Rosebud

12-31-2007, 11:14 AM

Heather, LOL! :D

KrissyCat7- If you have one week and it's your first time in Europe, I think you should make it easy on yourself and just do one country, one big city. Either do Rome or Paris the whole time with a day trip (or two) outside the city. Both locations have plenty to do/see that will keep you entertained for that amount of time. That way, you'll really feel relaxed and won't be worrying about unpacking, repacking, train schedules, etc.

So, in France I'd suggest spending the whole time in Paris with a day trip out to see Versailles and possibly another to Chartres (to see the Cathedral) or to the Loire Valley (to see a few chateaux).

In Italy, spend the whole time in Rome, with a day trip out to Pompeii or other villas/ruins near Rome. All these day trips should be easily arranged by the concierge at your hotel, so you can be picked up at your hotel and won't have to worry about a thing.

j*east

12-31-2007, 01:07 PM

I think your plans really depend on what you like. If you like cities, definitely go for that. If you don't, there are plenty of more mellow choices. I think foreign cities can be really overwhelming (though still fun), but I'm not much of a city person. :)

scarlett

12-31-2007, 01:35 PM

I would recommend a cruise. We did one for our honeymoon and got to visit Barcelona, Corsica, Nice/Monoco, Rome, Florence, Pompeii (Naples/Capri), Malta, and 3 Greek islands (Santorini, Mykonos, Corfu). You can find a bunch of different itineraries though.

It was my first time to Europe, and I loved being able to sample a little of a bunch of places, all without having to worry about travel, accomodations, language barriers, etc. You don't really get to see or experience any one place in depth when on a cruise, but I think it's a great way to see some highlights and what's there and get an idea of what you want to do on your next trip :)

thompso2

12-31-2007, 03:15 PM

Well, I'd recommend Paris, but then I used to live there! You could easily spend a week there, with daytrips to Versailles and perhaps Chartres (as Rosebud suggested) or Giverny (Monet's home). If you wanted to do 2-3 days outside of Paris, there are tons of options -- the Loire valley, Dijon (it has a great museum and easy access to the vineyards of Burgundy) or the Champagne region are all an easy train-ride away.

I think London's another great city. There's tons to do and see, and you can take daytrips to Windsor, Greenwich or other nearby towns. If you wanted to get out of the city for a bit, I'd recommend 2-3 nights in the Cotswolds (you can visit Oxford, Stratford-upon-Avon or tons of other charming villages. My DH and I spent a week in London a couple years ago (my 4th trip there, I think). You can read more about it here (http://www.jeremiahblatz.com/personal/pics/iceland-london-2005/london-index.html), if you're interested.

meatpie

01-07-2008, 02:16 PM

My first time abroad was to London for a few days. Really great trip. My first trip to Europe we did a cruise - started in Portugal and ended in Rome. Then we spent some time in Italy.

If you do Italy for a week you could do two cities liek Rome and Florence, but the suggestion of day trips and one city is also a good one. I LOVE Rome, Paris (Heather am I not considered a friend?;), Florence, London, and the South of France as well.

Great suggestions on the time of year - we went in October and it was wonderful. I would also suggest September. I would also suggest trying to extend the trip to 10 days if possible. It's a long way to fly for a week, IMHO. We recently did Paris and Avignon (South of France) in 9 days and I wish I could have had 1-2 more in Paris.

So if I could do my first trip to Europe over again I think I would do Italy and do Rome and Florence.

Gatsby

01-07-2008, 02:27 PM

Of all the places I've ever been, Berlin is by far my favorite. Of course, I'm a huge history buff, so I was in heaven. But, there's a lot to do there. It's a very "new" city, despite it's age. Very open, accepting, progressive, and modern. I can't wait to go back! The train system is so easy, too, so you could easily add another city in Germany, or even Amsterdam (5 hrs by train, IIRC), for a few days.

What kinds of things do you like to do? That might help...

HeatherFL

01-07-2008, 02:31 PM

Heather am I not considered a friend?

Okay, okay! Jo, you know I love you...So ONE of my in real life friends likes Paris. ;) But is pretty damn cool and smart, so you should listen to her!

I did enjoy Chantilly, France-about 30-40 minutes outside Paris. :D Does that count? ;)

designer

01-07-2008, 03:02 PM

I agree with meatpie
You could easily do Rome and Florence in a week. We spent about 3 days in Rome and saw all the big attractions that we wanted to see - I think a week, would be too long for me (but everyone is different) The train ride from Rome to Florence is really quick and easy and we really liked Florence, a bit smaller and cleaner than Rome was......
That's my 2 cents!

jajacobsen

01-07-2008, 03:11 PM

I would do Rome/Florence or Rome/Venice for the following reasons:

I thin Italy is one of the easiest countries for Americans, especialy American men, to travel in. Believe me, I DO NOT come off as a "YAY, I love Gerge and America is 100% right" when I travel. Neither does DH. I rarely get attitude, largely because I think Europeaners are still politer to women. But DH has. Which really hurts his feelings as he is SO NICE. But he looks so American - tall, blond, very midwestern. This never happened before the situation in Iraq, but it did happen in France, Germany and Belgium in the last few years.

However, we had brilliant trips to Russia, Spain, Greece and Italy. Of these, Italy would be my choice if I only had 7 days, because flying in to Rome is easy and no additional days are wasted with travel.

I would also go in September for all the reasons stated. Like late September.

KrissyCat7

01-07-2008, 03:28 PM

HeatherFL

01-07-2008, 03:30 PM

If I could figure out how to get to my journal, I could post my England/London recap so you could get ideas. All I can write is that I can't write enough good things about it. There is SO MUCH to do and see. The people are wonderful, and it is an English-speaking country. :)

~H.

zayt

01-07-2008, 03:39 PM

You have some great advice here. I second (third? fourth?) the suggestion of one major city and a couple of day trips. You could maybe do 2 different cities - such as Rome and Florence, or Rome and Venice - but that really leaves no room for daytrips and you spend precious time travelling between the two. Italy is probably the best country to do 2 cities in, otherwise I would stick with one city - Paris (absolutely fantastic!) or Berlin (I was there for the first time last year and it is now one of my fav cities, as someone else said historical yet sooo progressive).

I also really love Austria you could do Vienna and Salzburg to experience 2 truly different 'feels'.

Since this is your first time and you want it to be special I would stick to the continent, as you then have the cultural and language differences to experience and enjoy (the differences are less pronounced obviously in the UK). *In my experience* there are also more US travellers in Italy, so think about if you want that security of familiar accents around you, or would you like to get away from home and try a whole new experience :)

designer

01-07-2008, 04:12 PM

Is you're leaning toward France...I would do Paris with some day trips and I would definitely take the time to go to Normandy and the D-day beaches - they have an awesome museum there that I thought was really interesting!

bug

01-07-2008, 07:09 PM

If you are leaning toward London/France, then I would recommend staying in London
(we stayed in a hotel right next to the London Eye and were able to walk to a lot of places or easily take the tube). Hotel wasn't the Ritz, but for location and price it was fine. If your schedule is only 1 week and you are considering France and London, then I would recommend flying in to London, hitting the major touristy places and then taking the Chunnel train to stay in Paris for 2 nights and fly out of Paris. If you want to experience more of one culture, I would suggest London with trips to Bath, Stonehenge, Windsor, as day or small trips so that you could see more than just the city but also still things that are interesting to tourists. The only reason I suggest London over France is the language barrier. If this is a first trip overseas, it's one less thing to adjust to, but really, almost everyone speaks English and like a PP stated, if you make an effort, people are usually helpful.

Oh, and definitely avoid August if at all possible.
Now, Venice is fabulous and Rome is too, so I'd vote for Italy as well.
Oh, I'm jealous. I need to plan a trip!

Rosebud

01-07-2008, 07:14 PM

I haven't been to London recently enough to give you sightseeing advice, but can give you tips on Paris. I'm sure you've seen the ginormous France & Paris travel thread (http://www.constantchatter.com/forum/showthread.php?t=680) which has all sorts of advice and hotel recommendations-- but to give you some really condensed advice, here's just one example of a week's itinerary in Paris. I've tried to group sights by sections of the city (arrondissements) so you can see many things in one area in a single day.

Day 0
Arrive in Paris- Get settled in hotel, have dinner, wander around the neighborhood. Just relax and don't try to do too much because you'll be tired. Stay up as late as you can to get yourself adapted to local time.

Day 1 (around 7th arrondissement)
Eiffel Tower (the line to go up the tower can be very long, so allow time for this... get there on the early side and make this the first stop of your day)
Invalides (no need to tour it unless you want to, but the golden dome makes for a pretty photo)
Rue Cler (a small market street nearby)
Musee Rodin (you can skip the museum and just relax in the sculpture garden for 2 euro)

Day 2 (around 4th arrondissement)
Notre Dame
Ste. Chappelle
Walk along river/bridges
Night: Take a boat cruise down the Seine

Day 3 (1st & 8th arrondissement)
Louvre (to avoid lines, get there early and go straight to the Denon wing where all the really famous artwork is, including Mona Lisa. Don't spend your whole day here-- you can't possibly see the whole museum and will just get burned out.)
Jardin des Tuileries
Place de la Concorde
Walk down the Champs d'Elysees (stop in at Laduree for macaroons and tea)
Arc du Triomphe (climb to the top for an amazing view of Paris)
--this is the longest day, so you can always spread some of this stuff into another day if you don't get to it all--

Day 4 (7/6/5 arrondissement)
Musee d'Orsay
Picnic in Luxembourg Gardens
Ste. Sulpice
Walk through the Latin Quarter, check out shops, etc.

Day 5 (DAY TRIP)
Versailles?
Normandy?
Loire?
(just depends on what you'd prefer)

Day 6 (18th arrondissement)
Sacre Coeur
Montmartre
Night: Go to the Paris Opera

Day 7
Leave Paris

thompso2

01-07-2008, 08:59 PM

If you can stretch your trip to 9-10 days, you could do a bit of both Paris and London. I've taken the Eurostar (http://www.eurostar.com/UK/us/leisure/destinations.jsp) through the tunnel and it's quick (3-3.5 hours) and comfortable.

For Paris, I like Rosebud's itinerary -- though I'd probably combine days 4 and 6 into one. There's a great pastry shop in Montmatre, at the bottom of the stairs that lead up to Sacre Coeur. When I was a student in Paris, I liked Polidor (http://www.eurostar.com/UK/us/leisure/destinations.jsp) for the unpretentious food and the fabulous lemon tart.

In London, our top spots were (1) the Tower of London (http://www.historicroyalpalaces.org/webcode/tower_home.asp) and St. Paul's Cathedral (http://www.stpauls.co.uk/page.aspx?theLang=001lngdef&pointerid=169345dwprEOVViTRLd8xXbHBDHGbzge), (2) the London Eye (http://www.londoneye.com/), (3) a performance at Shakespeare's Globe Theater (http://www.shakespeares-globe.org/) (and dinner at the Real Greek (http://www.therealgreek.co.uk/souvlaki/bankside/)) and (4) the British Museum (http://www.britishmuseum.org/default.aspx). (We also loved the London Zoo (http://www.zsl.org/london-zoo/), but we're zoo people. ;)) We found the London Pass (http://www.londonpass.com/index.asp) to be a great way to skip lines and just pop into a museum for a bit without feeling like we were wasting time or money (the Globe and the Eye were the only things not covered). We had a fabulous dinner at a Hungarian restaurant, the Gay Hussar (http://www.toptable.co.uk/details.cfm/qs/rid%7C712/), near Covent Garden.

tenofcups

01-07-2008, 09:18 PM

Rosebud's advice is great--I won't try to add to that, except that I personally would probably take two day trips -- one to Versailles and one to the Loire Valley.

If it's between Paris and London, I would strongly recommend Paris over London. I do like London, but it feels very much like New York to me and definitely not as "foreign" or "exotic" as the capital cities on the continent.

Personally, I'd go for Rome over Paris -- I love love love the ancient history in Rome, it's very walkable, food is great, and I find it just plain comfortable. Paris is also easy to get around and comfortable for me -- and there's more than enough to do -- but I don't get quite the same feeling there.

HeatherFL

01-07-2008, 09:46 PM

I do like London, but it feels very much like New York to me and definitely not as "foreign" or "exotic" as the capital cities on the continent.

I'm going to respectfully disagree. I'm NOT a fan of NYC, and I love London and find it much different.

However, I do agree that you won't really get too much "foreign" and "exotic" there since it is also an English speaking country.

And the wine in France is to die for. I mean really. It is.

~H.

tenofcups

01-07-2008, 10:06 PM

I'm going to respectfully disagree. I'm NOT a fan of NYC, and I love London and find it much different.

That's why it's so hard to give travel advice -- we all have different opinions and impressions. :)

jajacobsen

01-08-2008, 09:10 AM

Thank you for all of your feedback. I am leaning towards France...but would also consider London.

We haven't done a trip like this. We are usually beach people so this will be something new for us.

We love just wandering, seeing the sites, and eating and drinking. We don't usually follow an itinerary when we travel, we just go with the flow.If anyone has any additional suggestions for the Paris area or London, Id appreciate it.

I just want to address the line I bolded. If you only have seven days (which is really ten days of vacation time off work since travel to Europe kills two days - overnight flight - and you lose one day - one day flight - on the return) I hate to say it but you probably will need to have a focused agenda.

Or accept that you will cover a much smaller area than the posters are describing here and will see less (but may enjoy it more). It's not like US beach vacations where you already know where a lot of stuff is and can just get in your car and drive there or are happy to just vwalk around and relax. You'll feel like you missed out!

I think Rosebud has provided some very good trips and ideas. But they're all pretty schedule intensive with a lot of pre-plannign as to understanding transport, trains, tubes,e tc.

Pleaes don't think I'm being critical, I'm not, just pointing out a major differnce in the type of trip. DH and I take a week on Amelia Island, Fla evry year. We rent a house, don't schedule a lot, bum around, drop in on art galleries, roam the beach, etc. It's very relaxing.

However, I would never approach a European vacation that way, and I have lived and travelled extensively through Europe (12 or 13 countries, with over a week or more in each). I am just afraid if you go there with no real plan, you'll have a very expensive experience and feel you missed out. And that would be a huge shame.

trestlegirl

01-08-2008, 09:38 PM

If you only have seven days (which is really ten days of vacation time off work since travel to Europe kills two days - overnight flight - and you lose one day - one day flight - on the return) I hate to say it but you probably will need to have a focused agenda.

I have to totally disagree with this! I am a "go with the flow" kind of traveller too, and have had an awesome time on many vacations in Europe and elsewhere. I do always have a major goal for the day (like, "see the Forum and Coliseum" in Rome), but I get much more enjoyment with finding the unexpected around the next corner than planning everything down to the last minute. It's so much more fun if you have a few things you want to see, but otherwise can just fall into the groove of the city. My last trip, a week in Japan, was VERY focused, and totally stressed me out!

That said, here are my thoughts:
London is a fantastic city. I've lived in Britain and spent a lot of time in London, and I absolutely love it there, but to me it's not really Europe. For a first trip to Europe, I'd definitely recommend the continent. Also, unless you want to eat fish&chips and curries for a week, the food sucks! :D (Okay, I exagerate a bit, there are some great restaurants in London...but it's not France.)

I adore Paris and I'd move there in a heartbeat if I could, and most people I know have had a great time there. (People I know who didn't like it don't speak any French and have somewhat inappropriate, IMHO, expectations of how to behave/dress in a foreign country.) Rosebud gave some great suggestions, although if it were me I'd cut that list in half and spend more time walking around without an itinerary...and save some time for shopping!!!

But as others have said, I think Rome would be a great place for a first trip. You can see most of the major sites easily in a week, and you can have a great time wandering through the city while you're getting from place to place. The history, architecture, random bits of ruined sculpture in alleyways, it's all fantastic. The Italians love Americans too, so even if you speak not a word of Italian beyond spaghetti and espresso, you'll be fine!

HeatherFL

01-08-2008, 10:10 PM

People I know who didn't like it don't speak any French and have somewhat inappropriate, IMHO, expectations of how to behave/dress in a foreign country.)
I am not meaning to argue, but I am in disagreement here based on my own experience, and those of my friends. I'm a fluent Spanish speaker, so it helps me to do okay in French (not that I am great by any means, but I can communicate.) I had a very good idea of what to expect, and know how to conduct myself and dress in a foreign country just fine. Most people actually ask what country in Europe I am from, because they don't realize I'm American. I am very well-traveled as are most of my friends. Two of my close friends are beautiful French speakers, (one lived in Paris) and neither of them like it. All my other friends, but Jo Jo ;) don't care for it either. Jo is a brilliant woman, so there must be something to it, but not everyone who doesn't like Paris is clueless on how to act while traveling.

Belgian cuisine is MUCH better, in my humble opinion. French food, honestly, I wasn't impressed (nor have most of my friends been impressed.) Wine, awesome. Cheese and bread-great. The food. Eh. I found far superior dining in London, way beyond fish and chips. I don't even eat curry. ;) There are parts of Paris I like, but it's just not somewhere I'd choose to go back to. Also I find the people there are just not very friendly.

As for London not being European enough, I just can't understand that. They don't have to speak a foreign language to be "European." The history is absolutely amazing there (I get the history in France is amazing too.) The people are sooo friendly! But, as already written...it just depends on each individual's take on things.

Also, some people feel more comfortable going to an English speaking country first before branching out into other parts of Europe. It just depends on the people.

As for itineraries, I go with an idea in mind of what I'd like to do. I have an itinerary for two or three days when I go out on day trips. Then I fit in the rest when I can, and discover new things along the way.

~H.

ETA: Krissy, if you do go to Paris, I hope you have a WONDERFUL time, and it's a different experience for you. :)

trestlegirl

01-09-2008, 11:51 AM

I am not meaning to argue, but I am in disagreement here based on my own experience, and those of my friends.

Er, I said people *I* know....YMMV :)

KrissyCat7

01-09-2008, 01:03 PM

I appreciate all of your advice. I think we will do Paris. Im not sure when we are going to plan for but I really do appreciate all of your tips and help. Ill be sure to update once we have our itinerary.

HeatherFL

01-09-2008, 02:06 PM

Er, I said people *I* know....YMMV :)

And I wrote the same, based on my own experiences and those of my friends. :) Sorry if it didn't come out right.

LOL what is YMMV? eta: Nevermind...I figured it out. ;)

Anna Low

01-10-2008, 10:11 AM

Good choice about Paris. I adore Paris. To me, it is a magical city. There is just so much to see and do - Rosebud gave a great itinerary. (I love the Louvre and could spend days there - it would pain me to not spend a lot of time there!) Dining in Paris can be as good (or as bad) as you choose to make it. Our rule of thumb is to avoid any place that is recommended in a guidebook and to seek out what the locals eat. So far, we have been quite pleased. One thing I would add is the Pere Lachaise (sp?) cemetery. It was very interesting and reminds me of Recoletta in Buenos Aires.

Normandy would be a nice day trip if you wanted to take a break from the city. And don't forget to include some shopping! I'm not all that inclined to buy clothing there unless I'm certain I can't buy it here, but I always stock up on cosmetics.