Europe trip

[Lynetteapo]

Hello. I am plannign to go to Europe for a week in August and need some help/advice. I want to go to Paris, a friend wants to go to Ireland, and the third friend (aka financial backer) has to go to Amsterdam. Other than that, our days are free.

Where should we go? What should we do?

What would a reasonable budget be?

What is the best airline? What is the best country to fly into?

So confused and so much planning to do! Thanks in advance.

 

[fun_friend]

I'm going to Europe in June!!! I'm going with an organized tour though so all the excursions and itenerary are planned for me. I guess you'll be landing in Amsterdam, since your financial backer must go there. It is very common to land in Amsterdam when embarking on a continental tour. Amsterdam would be a neat place to visit. Have you read Girl with a Pearl Earring? It takes place in the Netherlands. I'm sure there are museums and such to visit. I went as a child. I remember the extraordinary number of people on bicycles. Amsterdam has a reputation as a libertine's paradise because you can legally use marijuana in official marijuana bars. It also has a notorious redlight district. Surely there is more to Amsterdam than these two well-known aspects!!! I'm thinking of windmills, tulips, wooden shoes, chocolate, and the land reclaimed from the sea! (I used to teach European geography as a social studies teacher.)

Of course Paris is a great place to visit. The whole city has beautiful architecture and sculpture to feast your eyes upon. The Louvre is a great museum where you can see all the art you studied in Art class back in college. There are other great museums too--one devoted to impressionism that I've always wanted to tour. Everyone wants to visit the Eiffel Tower and it is fun. You can visit Napolean's tomb and the Opera House and Notre Dame. If you can get there, Versailles is a neat tour--so beautiful. I've toured Normandy including Chartres (I love this cathedral!!!) and the beaches and museum associated with D-Day and the Normandy Invasion (very moving experience). France is just a beautiful country.

Great Britain--specifically London--would be a great tour stop too. It's neat to hear English spoken again after you have been in a foreign land. I love St. Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abby. I didn't get to visit that many places in London when I was there, but you are sure to find whatever it is you love in London. It's neat to visit Shakespeare's birthplace at Stratford-upon-Avon or Stonehenge.

I'm going to Switzerland, Germany and France on our trip. We will get to go to a concentration camp--Dachau. After having read so many stories about the experiences of people in these places I am looking forward (with reverence) to actually visiting one--I think it will be a powerful and memorable experience. I can't wait to see the Alps and the city of Berlin.

 

[NCteacher]

You are going to love it!

Ireland is probably one of my favorite places on Earth to visit. I haven't been to Paris, so I can't say which is better to fly into. Ireland is very easy to get around in. I went with a friend and we rented a car and got "lost" and drove all over. Neither one of us is into shopping or the metro areas, so we spent all of our time out in the rural areas- mostly in the pubs! (not just for drinking- they are a great place to get cheap food).

I flew into Shannon, and started North. I really enjoyed Ennis, Sligo and Donnegal. We were invited to a wedding reception and retirement party by perfect strangers who turned into lifelong friends. I have not been since the EU was formed and the Euro became the currency....it was fun to go to Ennis, then to Donnegal in Northern Ireland and get to use English money. I hope you have as wonderful a time as I did - I am going back sometime in the next year or so- I hope!

 

[NCteacher]

You are going to love it!

Ireland is probably one of my favorite places on Earth to visit. I haven't been to Paris, so I can't say which is better to fly into. Ireland is very easy to get around in. I went with a friend and we rented a car and got "lost" and drove all over. Neither one of us is into shopping or the metro areas, so we spent all of our time out in the rural areas- mostly in the pubs! (not just for drinking- they are a great place to get cheap food).

I flew into Shannon, and started North. I really enjoyed Ennis, Sligo and Donnegal. We were invited to a wedding reception and retirement party by perfect strangers who turned into lifelong friends. I have not been since the EU was formed and the Euro became the currency....it was fun to go to Ennis, then to Donnegal in Northern Ireland and get to use English money. I hope you have as wonderful a time as I did - I am going back sometime in the next year or so- I hope!

 

[wilmart77]

Europe

Fortunately, I have the privilege of living in Europe. Specifically, Germany. If you have only a week, fly into Amsterdam and then take advantage of seeing the Van Gogh museum, Anne Frank's house, and the windmills just outside Amsterdam. The tulips will be in full bloom in April, so you probably won't see the beautiful fields in August. Look into a Eurail Pass, and take the night train to Paris. There's so much to see and do in Paris. The Louvre, the Orsay are two wonderful museums. Both will be crowded in August, but if you get up and into the museums at a reasonably early time, you can see the items you're interested in, (like the Mona Lisa). Depending where you fly out of, back to the States, it's my opinion that 2 countries is plenty in a week.

If we were to be in Germany, we'd offer up our extra room...but, alas, we summer vacation in the U.S.A. all summer long!

Save your money...the Euro is hovering at around $.82 to the dollar. Have a great time planning, but an even better time visiting Europe. There' so much to see!

MH

 

[Sleezstak]

Europe

I just checked on fares from Eindhoven, just south of Amsterdam, and you can fly to Dublin for 25 Euro roundtrip and or pay 15 Euro one way and then fly to Paris from Dublin. www.Ryanair.com this airline is the world's best low cost carrier and will take you all over Europe for pennies, sometimes for free. Let me know if you have questions and are interested in learning more. I lived in Germany for 5 years and traveled everywhere.