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I've never been to any parts of Europe before. I need lots of suggestions/advice! It will be with wife & extended family, everyone is an adult, money is not really an issue
First of all - where do you recommend? Europe is big. I am planning for a 7-10 day trip. I don't want to visit just 1 city/country (unless it's a must), and don't want to spend like an entire day traveling to another place. Preferably places are close to each other so I can limit travel and spend more time enjoying the cities
I know the answer to above question may be "it depends on what you like". Well I like all of the above! I'm not looking for anything specific. Since it's my first time in Europe, I wouldn't mind going to all the stereotypical touristy places
Next - I hate to admit it, but I do like travel tours. I don't want my trip to 100% be on a tour focused, but I wouldn't mind spending like 1 entire day on a guided tour for a specific city. Any recommendations would be great. This is not a requirement
Lastly, any advice from experience would be appreciated too!
What time of year are you planning to go? That might help narrow our suggestions down a bit.
For such a short trip, I'd recommend picking only two places; that could be either two major cities, or a city plus a a more rural/scenic destination for a bit of contrast.
How about the Netherlands? Amsterdam is a delightful city, and easy for English-speakers to navigate, and the spring tulip display at Keukenhof Gardens is breathtaking (Home - Keukenhof). And there's easy train service between Amsterdam and Paris (if you want a second iconic large city in your itinerary). The charming Belgium city of Bruges is also an easy train trip away,.
Have any of the other people going on this trip expressed any preferences?
I second the Netherlands and Belgium. We went this summer for 2 weeks and had a great time. We previously went to Amsterdam for 9 days during the winter and still had tons of fun. Everything is close together. I think our longest train ride was about 3 hours. You could fly into Brussels or Amsterdam depending on prices...we've flown into both.
Our itinerary was Amsterdam, The Hague, Antwerp (skip this one...), Bruges, Ghent, Mechelen and Brussels. I'd say that Amsterdam, Bruges and Ghent are musts if you go, The Hague was really cool if you're into government. Mechelen is a cute little town and we liked spending a night there.
If you do go to Amsterdam buy Anne Frank house tickets before you go. It can be extremely crowded. We spent 3 nights there this time and it was our second trip to Amsterdam yet we felt like we could have stayed longer. There is a lot more to Amsterdam than the partying that it's known for.
Into London- short hop across the water and out to Amsterdam. (There's typically about a $80-$100 savings on plane tickets instead of going Amsterdam-London because of how the UK puts large taxes on long haul flights leaving most airports in the country) Book as an open jaw-'Multi-city' ticket for the two transatlantic legs rather than two one way tickets. If you need to check bags, a one way flight(London-Amsterdam) to close the jaw on BA is probably going to be cheaper all-in because they're more reasonable about bag fees than low cost carriers like easy jet.
The touristy stuff in London is pretty spread out, so there's no reason to get caught up in booking a hotel or condo rental 'in the dead center of things'. Just pick something near a Tube stop in transit zones 1 or 2 that will keep travel time reasonable.
The Hop On- Hop Off tourist buses are typically pretty nice because they let you relax and just see the city.
My vote for a first European trip of 7 to 10 days will always be Italy - that stretch from the Amalfi coast, up to Rome, to Florence and Tuscany. You don't want to travel further than this geographical area, and there is a heck of a lot to see in 8 days without spending a lot of time in a train or plane. It's more iconic for a Europen vacation, for good reason. You have history (both ancient and modern), art, food, and geographical beauty.
Amsterdam you will get bored after about 3 days, the surrounding countriyside over to Belgium and Germany border has some interest but not for a first time traveler, and it's almost too easy that navigate that it doesn't seem typical European. Maybe because I've been so many times (to many to count) I get bored with the city. It just can't recommend it for a first time traveler.
The only thing - crowds in the summer. But you will get that in any tourist spot in Europe.
And travel tours - to each his own but you do not need it in Europe at all unless you enjoy visiting cheap carpet and souveneer shops with senior citizens.
7-10 days may sound like a lot, but day 1 you'll be arriving/dealing w/ jet lag and day Last you'll be preoccupied w/ getting to the airport.
I'd opt for getting an open jaw ticket: fly to Barcelona, then see some countryside by taking rail to, say, Paris and flying back from there. Or arrive in BCN, then fly to London.
I think anything more than 2 cities would be stressful and time-consuming (getting to/from train stations/airports).
First of all - where do you recommend? Europe is big. I am planning for a 7-10 day trip. I don't want to visit just 1 city/country (unless it's a must), and don't want to spend like an entire day traveling to another place. Preferably places are close to each other so I can limit travel and spend more time enjoying the cities
I recommend London and Paris. These are the first 2 cities that you should visit in Europe, as they are the heavy hitters.
However, it can easily take you 5-7 days to see either city properly. Paris especially takes a many days to see well. So, stick with London for maybe 5 days and take a trip to some other popular attractions like Stonehenge or Windsor Castle for the remaining.
You can try to do London 5 days, Paris 5 days. But I guarantee you that it will be overwhelming.
Start learning more about Europe now - YouTube, travel books, documentaries - and narrow down your destinations to the two which seem most interesting. Once that's done, check out connections between the two, and also look into daytrips to nearby attractions in the surrounding countryside.
As have others, I'd suggest London as a good starting place. You will have jetlag no matter where you arrive, but you won't have a language barrier (at least, not much of a language barrier). Find a decent hotel which does not cater to tourists but to natives for a more genuinely British experience. Get a city map. Look at the Tube (the London Underground). Mark the places you most want to see and circle the ones which are in walking distance.
You can include Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Westminster Hall and Palace, the Houses of Parliament, Number Ten Downing Street, the National Portrait Gallery, St. Martins in the Fields, and Trafalgar Square all in one walk once you arrive in the general area. You can grab a quick lunch nearby, sit on a bench to refuel, then continue your day of exploring central London.
Consider taking a bus tour of London by night when you first arrive - if you can find one which includes dinner, all the better. It will help you get your bearings and provide a great introduction to this remarkable city.
You can easily visit Bath, Stratford, Oxford, etc. from London by train. There are daytrip bus tours to Windsor Castle and other nearby attractions. I am not sure if the BritainShrinker tours are still around, but if they are - they used to be great, combining trains and buses to get you outside the city fast.
Sorry, can't offer similar info re Paris - need to go there someday before it's too late - but there are very affordable daytrips via the Chunnel from London that will include the highlights, but probably leave you hungry for more. Brush up on your basic French or whatever other language is spoken wherever you eventually plan to visit so you can navigate more comfortably.
Pack coordinating layers of clothing, and if you're going to England (or Scotland or Ireland), leave room for some beautiful sweaters or other woolen goods. Take small packs of Woollite or similar detergent for hand-washing. A collapsible drinking cup is handy as there will be fewer public drinking fountains than in the U.S. Try the local treats, especially baked goods outside of London. Check out the pubs, too.
Have fun!
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