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It is going to be my first trip to Europe, and I am going to go through Spain->France->Germany->Denmark->Sweden.
But I haven't got a clue what exactly I am going to do. I am probably going to travel alone, but would like to know what can I do in those countries that can make my trip more enjoyable in the month of March 2008.
I can sleep anywhere in a motel, not really looking for expensive lunches and dinners.
Trains? Rent a car? Want to do all in a max of 21 days.
PS have a good time!
A quick look at my favourite flight checker shows the following (including all taxes):
Madrid (MAD) to Paris (CDG) from US$23 with easyJet
Paris (ORY) to Munich (MUC) from US$40 with Air Berlin
Munich (MUC) to Copenhagen (CPH) from US$70 with Air Berlin (this flight is the least flexible on price so look at this first)
Copenhagen (CPH) to Stockholm (ARN) from US42 with FlyNordic
I would consider a trip to London between the German and Danish leg of your journey if flights are costly/inconvenient between MUN&CPN (London is a major hub - having said that a train is a distinct possibility between Germany and Denmark as they are neighbours).
e.g. Munich (MUC) to London Stansted (STN) from US$42 with easyJet
London Stansted (STN to Copenhagen (CPN) from US$50 with easyJet
I'm not sure about the trains on mainland Europe, if they are anything like the UK they will be late, expensive, grotty and inconvenient. Having said that about British trains I will speak up for the quality of the Dutch train system, it's everything that UK trains aren't. I think there is a Europe-wide train pass, you'll have to look that up though.
It's worth doing the research now, if you wait you until the last minute you will pay much more for your flights (the flip side is that booking hotels early can be expensive - generally leave that until 1-2 weeks beforehand if there isn't a major event on, remember that sporting events can cause prices to go up dramatically as away fans travel in large numbers in Europe). If you don't mind taking a chance there are some good bargains to be had with late booking of hotel, but another thing to consider is that this only works for big cities, if you visit any small places then make sure you have somewhere to stay.
That said, if you're going from Spain to France, then you might want to consider starting in the south and working your way North. Cordoba, Seville, and Granada were highlights for sights and stuffing our faces with great food and wine, although Granada was a bit touristy, but a few of the restaurants made up for it, although some of the others were tourist traps- so do your research. Granada is all about the Alhambra. Just watch out for the gypsies, don't accept anything from them- I saw some tourists getting harassed by them. I regret not having visited Valencia.
Barcelona had decent food (nowhere near as good as San Francisco though, and more expensive than better food elsewhere in Spain) but visually/architecturally I found it boring compared to the rest of Spain I had visited. Aside from cool Gaudi buildings and parks, visually Barcelona resembles boxes with TV aerials, quite disappointing, not as enchanting as the other parts of Spain I visited.
Las Ramblas, in Barcelona, is a filthy tourist trap with cheesy street performers, although I had some good Galician food there, and the indoor market(Mercat Boqueria) was cool. Two days is enough to do the Gaudi and Picasso tour then jump off to France.
Spain
Fliy to Madrid and take the high speed train to Seville (>200Mph). Spend two days each in Seville, Cordoba and Grenade; walk in the old town center and visit cathedrals and other big churchs, Mezquita, Alhambra and so on.
(You can fly from Grenade to Rome, Paris or London -around 60$-)
France
Nothing more than Paris. Four days.
One full day in the Louvre, another for Eiffel Tower and Champs Elysees. The third for Notre Dame and "le quartier latin". The fourth to see, at your election, some other museums or to walk in some flavorous streets.
Italy = Rome
Three days. 1.- Classic Rome 2.- Vatican 3.- Fontana di Trevi, Piazza d'Espagna and other old streets
London
Four days
1.- London Tower and St.Paul cathedral
2.- British museum
3.- River boat trip, parliament and Westminster abbey
4.- Tranfalgar Square and some other streets: Canion Street, Whitehall, Picadilly Circus or take a taxi and go to Abbey Road (Let it be cover) or Nothing Hill
I still must to visit Greece. Sorry.
a) This is a very tourist oriented travel but you will have a good idea about how complex Europe actually is.
b) Insert one day in your plans to move from one city to another (except in Spain, those are really near each other).
c) Fly everywhere. There is always a direct and cheap flight between every medium or big city and a public service (train or bus) from the airport to the city's center.
[edited by: Lexur at 10:09 am (utc) on Dec. 18, 2007]
i'm sure you know that english isn't the first language in these countries so i hope you have some language skills.
>>I can sleep anywhere in a motel, not really looking for expensive lunches and dinners.
we don't have motels in the same way that you do in america, personally i think you need to plan your accomodation more in advance in europe
>>Trains? Rent a car? Want to do all in a max of 21 days.
car rental and gas is expensive all over europe, trains are a cool way to travel, but flying is very cheap.
i hope you have a wonderful time.
How old/adventurous are you and what is your budget?
Spain in particular is a wonderful country. Rich history, generally friendly people and much culture and history. France is also a beautiful country. I haven't been to Sweden or Denmark and don't know much about Germany. Berlin and Hamburg are generally recommend though.
Unlike the UK, most European trains journeys are a much nicer experience and are a great way to see a country. A few years ago I spent a couple of weeks simply hopping on and off trains at small Spanish towns and wandering around them (although a good guidebook is useful, I like Lonely Planet). They used to have about 7 different classes of travel. It all depends on how quickly you need to travel. Flying can indeed be cheap, but I only flew for main journeys.
I love Barcelona and Madrid. They both can be touristy, but still worth going to. And if you go there during one of their festivals you have struck gold. In fact, they have a lot of festivals in Spain and they often last for days. Tarragona was also interesting to pass through. Toledo is a must imho. More history there than you can shake a stick at.
France, I only know Paris and, despite being reaaaally expensive, is worth passing through. It is a special kind of city.
As for places to stay, it all depends on your budget. France and Spain both have good campsites, but I'm not sure about the weather in March. Spain will have many cheap hostels and 'pensions'. Obviously, we do also have hotels in Europe. ;)
Have a great trip.
[edited by: bouncybunny at 10:55 am (utc) on Dec. 18, 2007]
Personally I wouldn't try to cram too much in. Avoid the "Today's Thursday, so this must be Brussels" syndrome.
And another personal preference would be give the tourist attractions a miss. I lived in London for about twenty years and never felt the need to see the Tower of London or Windsor Palace. Far more interesting to see a London pub or a street market or the British Museum. Someone suggested Notting Hill, presumably because of the films about it, but it's really just an expensive and trendy suburb.
As Glengara said, it can be very cold in March in northern Europe. What about Italy instead?
[edited by: lawman at 10:07 am (utc) on Dec. 19, 2007]
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I think the other guys here are right, you can't expect to see all the best bits of Europe in 21 days, it's a big place!
As for travel, I spent a couple of years holidaying and using public transport. Now I always rent a car. I know it's a bit more expensive but it's just so much easier to get around it's definately worth it. Take a decent SatNav too and it'll be even easier!
Personally I take the 'week at a time' approach, fly between cities and rent cars from the airport. If you book in advance you can get flights and cars very cheap.
As for sights, I've not seen that much of Europe, ironic as I live in the UK! But if you go to Barcelona you must see the Sagrada Familia and Parc Guell, 2 architectural accomplishments by Antonio Gaudi.
If you end up in Paris definately take the train to London, I think it's only about 2 hours now. Once there you won't need a car to get anywhere. Go to the west end and see a show, you can get cheap tickets from <snip> and be back in Paris by dinner time to eat dead snails.
[edited by: lawman at 10:06 am (utc) on Dec. 19, 2007]
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Car is probably not a good idea, as its been said, with fuel prices plus it will take a long time, you'll be on the road for most of the time.
I would take trains in europe, trains in Germany are excellent, flights are now quite cheap.
Cant really help you out with what to go and see, but have fun anyway!
:)
But as it's March, it might be worth considering the cities that would be full of tourists in the summer, but would be off-season then. Places like Venice, Rome, or Paris for instance.
But seriously, I've been all over Europe with no more vocabulary than "two beers please". If you have a phrase-book and make a bit of effort, most people are really helpful. But yes, it can be a lot of work sometimes. And it's true, few Spanish people speak English, even in large cities.
Nothing more than Paris. Four days.
Really?! What about the Loire Valley, the Bordeaux region, castles the mountains etc.
I agree with some of what has been said, and if I were you I would choose one country and do that well rather than try to cram too much into a small period.
Really?! What about the Loire Valley, the Bordeaux region, castles the mountains etc.
Because the OP is asking about a 21 days tour in Europe. If you spend two days in those places you will have only one or one and a half day to visit Paris and then, you could say you've been in France but you will miss at least one of these three:
- Edison and Eiffel talking in the top of the tower
- Mona Lissa and the Hammurabi's Code in the Louvre
- the bell in the tower and the incredible panoramic view from Notre Dame
...and it is like not to be in France.
From the beguining of the cheap flights in Europe, I'm specialized in three/four days trips on specifics targets and, If, before you fly, you read a lot online and do your walks with Google Earth a hundred times, you will really enjoy your trip.
Welcome to Europe and have a nice holiday!
Mona Lissa and the Hammurabi's Code in the Louvre
I would actually recommend missing the Mona Lisa altogether, and see the Louvre from the outside, unless it is a high priority which I would not give it on a short trip to Paris.
You may consider traveling by trains. The high-speed French train (called TGV) now goes to Spain, UK, Belgium, Germany and Italia, but they are somehow expensive. Well, if you would like to travel by train, go for an INTERRAIL pass ticket, with this pass you can travel on any of the days during this 22-day or 1-month period in more than 20 european countries. Do a search, have a close look and compare prices with low-cost flight and car rental.
Don't know about Spain, Germany..
Went to London recently to see the Frida Khalo exhibition at Tate (it was also during the bomb blast - what a nightmare when taking the Eurostar), as said above forget the London Eye and other tourist places... Someone said Paris is expensive, then try London, it is so so expensive.
I am French (but live in Kenya), Paris is a must-see city... Go down the "Champs Elysée" and enjoy the splendid view from "La Defense" to "Le Louvre". France is a great country for tourists as long as there is not a national strike (don't forget that French are good at it, you don't want to be stuck one month in Paris).
Then, as suggested above, if you look for cheaper and as nice, then try eastern Europe, it is cheaper and there is also a lot to see.
Enjoy your trip.
I miss Europe...
I will use all to make the trip a success, and also trying to actually get it fit to the budget I have right now. I will also consider taking a countr(ies) off from the list too.
Thanks everyone.
Someone here also told me not to forget this famous saying:
On packing: Lay out all your clothes and all your money. Then, take half the clothes and twice the money.
Both Swedes and Danes have excellent english skills and we're friendly and will usually go an arms length to help a tourist. I'm in Copenhagen, so gimme a buzz if you come here and we'll have a beer :)
Europe is nice in the summer, even op North - enjoy your trip :)
[edited by: Rumbas at 3:36 pm (utc) on Dec. 19, 2007]
Five countries in three weeks may be too much. You'll be worrying about missing your train or plane most of the time. Also, flying may be cheap, but standing in line for hours at the security gate is not my idea of spending a holiday.
I'd try to avoid Czech and Polish cities in the weekends, as the low budget beer (and ladies, I hear) attracts thousands of low budget Brits ;)
