Going to europe

elimc

Newcomer
I'm going to visit England, France, and Holland this September. I hope to see a soccer game in England. I also want to go to Holland to see where the paratroopers dropped in Operation Market Garden which I have studied quite a bit. Other than that, I don't know what I'm going to do. What other activities are interesting, tourist or otherwise?
 
How long do you plan to go? Basically all of Italy is nice (except maybe the south). Rome, Florence, Venice, the landscape/villages of Tuscany.

To be honest there is so much to see everywhere in most of Europe that i wouldn't know where to start anyway. Depends what you're interested in. Architecture, history, art, technology, clubs, culture, fishing, drinking?
 
thop said:
How long do you plan to go? Basically all of Italy is nice (except maybe the south). Rome, Florence, Venice, the landscape/villages of Tuscany.

To be honest there is so much to see everywhere in most of Europe that i wouldn't know where to start anyway. Depends what you're interested in. Architecture, history, art, technology, clubs, culture, fishing, drinking?

Sicily is probably one of the most enchanting places you can visit in Europe, but I know it's got a "bad name", sadly...
 
elimc said:
I'm going to visit England, France, and Holland this September. I hope to see a soccer game in England. I also want to go to Holland to see where the paratroopers dropped in Operation Market Garden which I have studied quite a bit. Other than that, I don't know what I'm going to do. What other activities are interesting, tourist or otherwise?

Try visiting Vienna ;) O.K. I am mot very objective, since I live here. But it is a very nice city with loads of sights, nice nightlife, etc. By train (1 night) travelling from Holland is at 30 Euros currently. Plus you could crash at my place if your budget is tight...
 
London, Arnhem, Nijmagen, and probably Paris are on the list. I have never been out of the country before, so I really don't know what other countries are like and what to do in Europe. What do people do for fun? I'm 20 years old, would I find tourist sites interesting or boring? I'm going with my dad who doesn't drink.

edit-I'm interested in technology theme parks I guess. Fishing? Where can you do that, and what can you catch? Are tourists allowed to do this? Sorry for asking so many questions. I am pretty excited and this will probably be one of the major things I remember my dad by as I get older.
 
elimc said:
London, Arnhem, Nijmagen, and probably Paris are on the list. I have never been out of the country before, so I really don't know what other countries are like and what to do in Europe. What do people do for fun? I'm 20 years old, would I find tourist sites interesting or boring? I'm going with my dad who doesn't drink.

edit-I'm interested in technology theme parks I guess. Fishing? Where can you do that, and what can you catch? Are tourists allowed to do this? Sorry for asking so many questions. I am pretty excited and this will probably be one of the major things I remember my dad by as I get older.

For fishiing I suggest anything along the danube, especially in the former communist countries (cheaper and nicer places). In the danube sidearms in hungary you can catch some pretty big catfish (up to 90 kg; length over 2m) if you're lucky.

Wether you would find tourists sites boring or not depends on your own interests. Just elaborate more on what you find interesting...
 
Vienna is very nice, i love it. Anyway best place for fishing is norway. I have only the best memories of fishing there in some of the clearest lakes/rivers i ever saw. You need a temporary permit, which can be bought at any post office IIRC for a few bucks.

But that's not exaclty on your route, so probably next time ;) I think England/Netherlands is a good start.
 
Spain all the way!!!

You can't go to Europe and not visit the country with more history.

If you want I can post some photos for you (I live in Spain)
 
Venice is an absolute must, for the sheer 'differentness' of the city.

Additionally, basing yourself in Rome for a week or so will allow you to take day trips to Florence (about 1-2 hour train ride away), or Naples/Pompeii (a few hours away). There's also tour busses that go to Pompeii for the day. (though Sorrento & the Amalfi coast deserve more than that) A bike down the 'antique road' in Rome (toward Brindisi) allows you to stop and see quite a few historical sites, plus its very pretty. I wouldn't recommend the catacombes in Rome (small and not nearly as interesting as Paris), and when we visited a few weeks ago, the Crypts of the Capucin Monks had been closed for renovations since December.

If in Paris, I highly recommend seeing the catacombes. Eurodisney if you're feeling kitschy.

If you're not planning on spending at least a week in Greece, don't bother going. Its a long journey to get to Athens by ferry.

Geneve, and the lake right by it are spectacular, and there's a hostel in Gruyere (above Montreaux) that is a ski lodge in the winter and has fantastic views.

Anyways, thats my meandering recommendations.
 
Unfortunately, I'm not going to Italy, even though I've heard it's fantastic. I will be going to England, Holland, France, and maybe Spain. We will probably spend a week in England to watch soccer and see the sights. Then we will travel to Paris, and then Arnhem.

Why Birmingham?
 
Birmingham is nice (as is Manchester), but neither comes close to London IMHO.

If you go to Spain and have to pick, Barcelona and the Costa Brava region are much more beautiful than Madrid and the food there is wonderful. Las Caracoles, just off the rambla in Barcelona is superb if you like paella.

Been to France about a zillion times, but always on business and have never seen a thing - always too eager to get home to my family. Same with the Netherlands where they drink beer in really tiny glasses as opposed to France where beer is shunned and great wine is absurdly inexpensive :)
 
Are you catholic? You might want to check out Lourdes, the place Madonna named her kid after. It's near the French/Spain border. Only recommended for religious folks though ;)

If you're interested in beer i'd try Germany (preferably south).
 
The Loire valley is great if you're into castles and such. You can even bike between them, if I'm not mistaken.
 
The only sentence that I've ever seen the words "Birmingham" and "nice" together was "It was nice to leave Birmingham forever...".
 
Neeyik said:
The only sentence that I've ever seen the words "Birmingham" and "nice" together was "It was nice to leave Birmingham forever...".

Birmingham has improved considerably in the last ten years and there are some truly great suburb areas. The last time I was there (about 1.5 years ago) I stayed at Moor Hall out in Sutton Coldfield and it was wonderful.

Not exactly a tourist town like London, but 'taint that bad!
 
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