First Trip To Europe

[phonelady61]

Wow im heading to tuscany next christmas and Im staying with friends while im there in their villa . I will be there for five days and then Im on to rome and then dublin . Im really hoping we can do this as well .

[eastmemphisguy]

If you want to "see" several different places in order to narrow down where you will actually go, I strongly recommend Rick Steve's Europe. It's free on hulu. Each 20 minute episode covers one city or region. Very entertaining, even if you can't make it here or there. There's even a special Christmas in Europe episode. Good luck to you!

[JoeCollege]

Originally Posted by yabadabadooo

Perhaps you could buy an inter-rail pass? For a set price, you can travel on pretty much any rail line in Europe using that ticket. If you have any questions, I'm a travel agent, and one of my special areas is Europe. Ask away. It would be difficult to see all the cities you want to see in a short space of time, but it's definitely doable. I'd recommend starting in London. With a bit of luck, it may snow, and flights there are usually cheapest. London is great in the winter, although it will be very cold. Check out Buckingham Palace, House of Parliament etc. but please note that the Queen is in residence at this time in Buckingham Palace and normally tours aren't available. As troll down the Mall from Buckingham Palace to Trafalgar Square is great. Take some time to see another area of London, after that. Pick and choose - as long as it's on the river and not too Far East or west, there's always loads to do. Consider Southwark, which is personally my favourite. You have the Tate Art Gallery, beautiful architecture, and lots more to do. A map is useful, but you can find free new on your phone. Greenwich is also great. There may be ice in the Thames at this time of year and if not, it's still freezing - don't jump in
After a few days in London, hop on the Eurostar to Paris - it's the most amazing train journey. You can be at your destination in half an hour. It's great! Spend Christmas in Paris if that's what you want. It is beautiful. Take a day sightseeing, but spend others just wandering around, finding yourself in its bohemian backstreets. The Champs d'Elysee is a wonderful walk, again. Consider going up the Eiffel Tower and experiencing breathtaking views there on Christmas Day, since not much else is open in Paris. Take some time to relax; remember to FaceTime/skype your family
After a while in Paris, Lille is another great destination. It's Christmas Markets are the best in the world! That is en route to Brussels and Amsterdam, two more great cities. Rent a bicycle in Amsterdam and visit the many books hops and cafés there. It's canals are beautiful during the winter. In Brussels, there are more museums than you can shake a stick at, as well as beautiful architecture.
From there, you can travel to Switzerland, a gem in Winter. It's ski towns and mountain villages are charming and it's scenery is breathtaking.
From here, Milan and Rome! They're both great, although with very different vibes. The restaurants in Milan are famously great, and the atmosphere in Rome at Epiphany is amazing; there can be snow and the art, history, culture and architecture of this city is beautiful. End your trip here after a few days discovering the intricate tale of this great city.

You sound like the kind of travel agent who has never actually travelled anywhere:

1. You cannot use a Eurorail pass from Great Britain, so you can't use it on a Eurostar train from London to Paris.

2. It takes a little over 2 hours to get from London to Paris via train. Not 30 minutes.

3. Thanks for the insider tips like the Eiffel Tower and Buckingham Palace!

3. You are insane if you think this trip you've outlined can be done in 10 days.

[yabadabadooo]

Originally Posted by JoeCollege

You sound like the kind of travel agent who has never actually travelled anywhere:

1. You cannot use a Eurorail pass from Great Britain, so you can't use it on a Eurostar train from London to Paris.

2. It takes a little over 2 hours to get from London to Paris via train. Not 30 minutes.

3. Thanks for the insider tips like the Eiffel Tower and Buckingham Palace!

3. You are insane if you think this trip you've outlined can be done in 10 days.

You've figured me out! I have actually been to over 50 countries and was born and raised in the UK.

1. Interrail and Eurostar are two different things. When did I say at all that those were the same thing? Never.

2. I meant one and a half, from Ashford in Kent. I apologise for this profusely and regret misleading you okay. That's where a nine hour day will get you!

3. Did I say they were insider tips? No. I said do the touristy stuff and find some little known adventures aswell. As helpful as I'm trying to be, I get paid for finding out the best holidays, so I wouldn't think I'm obligated to help at all.

*4. Believe me you, it can.

[barneyg]

Originally Posted by yabadabadooo

*4. Believe me you, it can.

I'm not going to get into pointless bickering but you've suggested

London ("a few days")
Paris ("Take a day sightseeing, but spend others just wandering around")
Lille
Brussels
Amsterdam
Switzerland
Milan
Rome ("a few days")

in 10 days.

That's great 3-week trip, not 10 days.

[yabadabadooo]

Okay. I tried to accommodate all the areas the OP wanted to go to and suggest a couple of new ones. Maybe it would take a little over 10 days, but what I said is definitely doable. 2 days in London, Paris and Rome leaves one for Lille and Brussels, one for Amsterdam and the train to Switzerland, one day in Geneva or wherever, and a day in Milan. Sure, you won't see everything, but I was trying to include everywhere the OP wanted to go. They can disregard my advice completely if they so wish to. I don't really care.

[Gort2]

It's gonna take you much money if you DIY the journey. I will suggest you to consult with a travel agency and see if they have an economic plan for you. I personally prefer a DIY trip as it gives me more freedom to stop by anywhere I wish and how long I prefer.

[PJSaturn]

Originally Posted by Mama Suze

My sister and I are thinking about a trip to Europe for Christmas of next year. I know it is a while away, but we are both college students and plan to save, save, save. We would like to spend Christmas in Paris which is a dream of ours, but other than that we have no idea where else we could go in the 10 days we will be spending there. There is a chance it will be a 15 day trip, we still haven't figured that out.

We have list of places to visit that include Rome, London, Dublin, Amsterdam and Milan.

Is this reasonable to think we could visit all these places? Has anyone traveled to Europe and visited so many places during one trip? Or will we be on the road too much?

For us it will be a while until we could go to Europe again so we would like to see as much as possible.

I just returned last Saturday from my first trip to Europe. My friends and I had 8 days - 4 nights spent in Brussels and 3 nights in Amsterdam. While in Belgium, we took side trips to Hasselt, Bruges and Ghent. The rail system is great and got us within walking distance of everything we wanted to see. We also took a side trip by train and spent half a day in Aachen, Germany. Awesome! While in the Netherlands, we spent all three days in Amsterdam. There is so much to see in all of these places, I could have spent a week or two in each and never seen it all.

The rail system is so impressive. We originally planned to rent a car for at least one day, but it was not necessary. We bought 3 10-ride rail passes and were able to share them. That was more economical than purchasing separate tickets for each train ride. With the 10-ride pass you simply write in the points of departure and arrival, one for each person in your party. At the end of our trip, we had only 2 slots left on our last pass, so it worked out great.

OP, I wish you the best. Europe was enchanting. I haven't even been back home a week yet, and I'm ready to go again!

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