Europe 1st Time - Where should I go?

F

FriarTuck

25+ Posts
I'm considering going to Europe this summer for the first time. I'd be going with the wife and have around 10 days or so. I see decent deals on Travelocity for various Europe trips (airfare+hotel) so I'd probably go that route.

But, for a first timer, where should I go? London, Paris, Rome, Ireland and Switzerland all sound great. How easy is it to travel by train between, say, London and Paris and other major cities?

Since it will be our first time, I don't mind touristy stuff. What say ye?
 
skip Ireland.

Definitely do London and Paris. With only ten days, i wouldn't try to push it to Rome, but instead go to Amsterdam. It's close to Paris and would be easy to incorporate into a loop if you need to head back from where you started.

Don't get me wrong, Rome is nice. Just a tad far. Depending on the type of traveler you and the wife are, you could do it, but you would spend a day travelling and a day back. The train from Paris to Rome and back wouldn't be terrible, pretty countryside, but it would be roughly 20% of your trip (2 days)

Switzerland is beautiful too, and for me personally, i could spend 10 days in Switzerland driving liesurely through the countryside and Alps, but i wouldn't recommend that for a first timer visitor to Europe.

Train travel between London, Rome, Paris and Amsterdam is a breeze. Heavily travelled, lots of flexibility in the schedules. Which reminds me, you could spend a bit extra, get a sleeper car and take an over night train between Paris and Rome. It's not real luxurious, but lots of younger travelers travel that way.

My $.02
 
Ditto what YoLaDu said. Fly into London. Three days there is plenty time to see the popular sites. Take the chunnel train (about 2.5 hours) to Gare du Nord which is in central Paris. Spend six days seeing the sites then fly back to London then home. Take a half-day trip to Versailles. You could sacrifice a couple days in Paris to get to Amsterdam, a world-class city with many great things to see, but I wouldn't. Paris just has too much to offer. Take your time going on long walks to the great parks, museums, churches, boulevards, and most importantly, leisurely meals and coffee at great restaurants all over the city. Two cities in 10 days will be just the right amount of variety without tiring you out from darting between cities.
 
I would not try to see more than 2 cities in 10 days. Anytime I have tried to see a city in a day it was just OK and not as enjoyable as the times that I have spent several days in a city to get a good feel for it and its culture. Do some research on some of the major cities to see what they offer and see what you like then just go to the 2 that appeal the most to you. Personally in Europe, I have spent extended time in Paris, Amsterdam, Munich, Vienna, Moscow, Kiev. My preference based on experience would be to go to Paris and Amsterdam. Those cities offer many things for a whole range of interests.
 
Definitely London for a few days (perhaps 3 to see the sights) ...but then head directly to Paris. You could spend 7 days in Paris and still have a list for "next time". Its a beautiful city, with incredible culture...amazing architecture....and a vibrant history. Do Versailles, Pere Lachaise Cemetary, Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Isle St Louis, the Catacombs, Napoleons tomb, have a cocktail at the Bar Hemingway in the Ritz Hotel, Sacre Couer and Montmarte, ......and of course wander the shops, bars and bistros of St Germain. Save Rome, Switzerland, etc for following trips.
 
I agree with the recommendations listed here.

The itinerary is sound as both London and Paris are both cornerstones for Western Civilization.

The itinerary also looks good and I also champion the idea of taking the Chunnel Train between London and Paris. See if you can fly into Heathrow and fly out of Charles de Galle direct back to the US. Both the London Underground and the Paris Metro are exceptional and will get you everywhere for cheap.

Put and itinerary together and post it on Hornfans for comments – I think you will find many helpful suggestions. It pays to do your research regarding opening times – especially for the museums. The Louvre stays opn late on either Thursday or Friday – and we took it in at night when it is less crowded and even more scenic.

In Paris, I would also recommend both the Rodin and Picasso museums. Both are in large residential structures which allow for a different experience that the museum.

Books with walking tours and set paths are a great way to see several neighborhoods while getting you off the beaten path.

Regarding dining, I would do some research here as well so you avoid the tourist standards in highly trafficked areas. Often, it seems like the safe play as the unknown is intimidating because of the language barrier and/or trust. Planning where you want to have dinner before you depart can really upgrade your dining for the same money.

Finally, I would stick with the two major towns, with a side trip to Chartres Cathedral for the better part of the day. The split (4 days (including arrival) in London – six in Paris) seems about right.

Post up your plans and feedback will come in.
 
Awesome. The replies have reflected what I assumed. First time = London and Paris. I'll put something together and get feedback before we go.

Thanks everyone
 
I've found Rick Steves' books to be very good resources for travel to Europe. He has new 2009 editions for Paris and London and I also recommend Europe through the Back Door since this is your first trip to Europe. They're available from Amazon or ricksteves.com plus virtually any bookstore. He emphasizes how to enjoy Europe without following the all-too-well-traveled tourist routes. I've stayed at many of the hotels he's recommended and eaten at many of the restaurants he's recommended and found them to be great local choices. The only problem is his books are so popular that the hotels tend to book well in advance as a result. Oddly enough, I met him in a Chinese restaurant in London that he had recommended. I was there enjoying the recommendation and he was there checking it out again for the new edition. Nice guy.
 
if you have to see rome you can do an overnight train from paris, sleeper, then spend the day in rome, and take a sleeper back to paris

I traveled by train overnight several times. not awesome, but not so bad if you want to get there overnight.

you don't get to see the countryside obviously too.
 
Do NOT go to Rome!

I'm not saying EVER, just not on this trip. I love Rome. Maybe more than Paris, but it is not Venice. (Which is to say, it is NOT a "one day sidetrip".)

Rome is a week unto itself if you can afford it. It deserves vast amounts of research with particular attention paid to the 50BC-320AD time period. To do Rome in a day is blasphemous and I won't stand for it!
rant.gif
 
I don't disagree in principle, just that I went about 10 years ago and wasn't sure I'd get back. I may not get back. I had to see Rome.

I'm glad I did the 'day' trip.(including 2 night trains) Although in some ways it was a beating to do that it was worth it overall.

I did get to spend time walking through:
* the collosseum, (spent a few hours there listening to tours, soaking in the history)
* checking out the arch of constantine,(unfortunately it was being dressed up for the pope's 2000 celebration)
* vatican city (I missed the sistine chapel cause I got there too late because it closes early afternoon),
* walking up paletine hill was very cool. I wish I would have spent more time there.
* the pantheon was worth the trip by itself if you consider the age of the thing.
* trajan's column was smaller than I thought, although cool to see after reading about it in class at UT.
Those were the highlights I remember.

There is a ton I didn't get to see of course. But I did see some.
The worst part of the trip was that there was a ton of grafiti, nearly everywhere, disgusting.

Some people might never get back to europe. you have to make your decisions based on that. For me the trip was worth it but I also want to go back to check out Rome again and the surrounding areas herculaneum, pompeii , etc.

maybe we, I have a family now, will get to go back.
 
In London right now... let me know if you need an inexpensive hotel suggestion (heading back home today)

Agree on the Chartres suggestion - much calmer and less touristy than Versailles. Also, rather than taking a day trip to Amsterdam, I would suggest a day trip to Brussels. The high speed train will get you there in 1 1/2 hours and you can enjoy some amazing food (better than France) and take in the city center.

In reply to:
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If you go to London and Buckingham Palace is open, go take a look. It looks crappy on the outside but pretty darned fancy on the inside. There is a reason why commoners were not allowed in there for hundreds of years. The royals did not want the regular folks to see what their money was being pissed away on.
 
Here's a tip that I pass along for Paris. You can get a museum pass BEFORE you go that will cover the Orsay and the Louvre and some others - don't think you could get it on the ground in Paris at the time of our trip. The key is that one day during the week, the Louvre is closed - probably Monday. On that day, the line for the Orsay will wrap the entire building with many unhappy looking tourists. We thought about patiently standing in that line but I hate lines so I decided to check at the front entry to see if we could get to the gift shoppe and maybe come back later. We showed our Museum Pass and they passed us right through into the museum. Hell of a memory since we probably wouldn't have wanted to spend 4 hours of prime Paris time waiting on that line.

Have fun.

Also, I'll echo the "do London (Stonehenge is something we missed on our trip here that is calling me back along with the fact that I now know that I'm genealogically from Shropshire so now I have to see Home) / Paris / Versailles Itinerary".
 
My best travel advice is to not force yourself to do what's expected of tourists. If you don't want to see the Eiffel Tower or the Colosseum, don't. A vacation is about YOU, and what YOU want to do. I spent a month in Florence and never saw the "David" because it didn't really interest me. I had more fun walking the streets of Florence, watching streets performers, and eating. If you set an aggressive itinerary you're going to end up tired and frustrated pushing yourself to keep up.
 
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