Europe trip -- where to go?

[mochiko42]

Ok, so this is very much a first-world problem (but you lovely folks at PS will indulge me, right? )

DH and I are going to Europe this August, and we are still undecided on where to go.

We are flying in and out of Amsterdam, and we will have about 10 days. As well as Amsterdam, we added Brussels to the itinerary because DH loves his craft beer. I think that we will have time to go to a 3rd city, but am still undecided on where to go.

We've ruled out London because we'd like to go somewhere new. Any suggestions on where to go that is within reasonable distance from Amsterdam/Brussels by train or plane?

Here were some of the places we were thinking about, but want to narrow down our choices:

- Lille
- Rouen
- Berlin
- Paris (Peut-être..it's not new for me and I know it gets pretty dead quiet in August when many shops close)
- Hamburg
- Prague
- Vienna
- Barcelona (maaaaybe. it's a bit far and we are planning a Spain / south of France / Italy Amalfi trip at a later date)

We'd just like to add one more city/place to our itinerary. Would love any suggestions.

Things we're interested in: wandering around the city, soaking in the street culture, farmer markets, flea markets, good food & drinks, window shopping, jazz bars, bars (but not nightclubs) etc. I like art museums (love the Met in NYC and Louvre, British Museum etc) but DH does not have much patience for them. We're not really outdoorsy people so no hiking etc (except for beach but we can get better beaches nearer home e.g. Boracay and Bali).

 

[dk168]

How exciting!

I love Florence, been there 3 times, and would gladly return. Not so keen on Milan or Rome.

Of the places you have listed, I would choose Paris, Lille and Barcelona. Been to Lille and Paris more than once, and thoroughly enjoyed myself. Paris is probably my second favourite city after London. Barcelona was nice, and I probably would have enjoyed it more had I been with a different person who would go bar-hopping with me in the evenings (my ex was a bit of a stick in the mud in that respect).

I went to Vienna when I was in my late teens for a language course with my sister one summer, and thought it was ok. Not a city that I would rush to return. Perhaps I was with the wrong person and did not enjoy her company.

As for other cities in UK, how about Bath and Bristol? I like them both.

Enjoy your trip, whatever you decide.

DK

 

[Gypsy]

Skip Paris. It's all churches food and museums that are over crowded. Go to Provence or the French Rivera or French Med. coast. Gio to Nice!

Alternately go to Florence.

 

[mochiko42]

Skip Paris. It's all churches food and museums that are over crowded. Go to Provence or the French Rivera or French Med. coast. Gio to Nice!

Alternately go to Florence.

oh Gypsy, I would love to go to Provence, and Florence. I read Marcel Pagnol's "La gloire de mon père" et "Le château de ma mère" and also Forster's "Room with a View" in high school and wanted to go so badly (also the Loire region because of "Le grand Meaulnes"!). But I am saving it for another trip that DH has promised me (combined with Spain) because we decided Provence, Nice and Florence might be too crowded or hot in August. This trip is more for the more northwest part of Europe.

I started wondering about Copenhagen? It's only 1.5 hr flight from Amsterdam. Not sure how it is in August though.

 

[justginger]

Out of that list, I would choose Prague. I haven't been (yet), but I don't know anyone who has been and not RAVED about it. It sounds like a really lovely place.

 

[missy]

Out of that list, I would choose Prague. I haven't been (yet), but I don't know anyone who has been and not RAVED about it. It sounds like a really lovely place.

Ditto. Many friends and family have visited Prague and all absolutely raved about it just like Ginger said. A definite must visit on my list.

 

[RandG]

Ok, so this is very much a first-world problem (but you lovely folks at PS will indulge me, right? )

DH and I are going to Europe this August, and we are still undecided on where to go.

We are flying in and out of Amsterdam, and we will have about 10 days. As well as Amsterdam, we added Brussels to the itinerary because DH loves his craft beer. I think that we will have time to go to a 3rd city, but am still undecided on where to go.

We've ruled out London because we'd like to go somewhere new. Any suggestions on where to go that is within reasonable distance from Amsterdam/Brussels by train or plane?

Here were some of the places we were thinking about, but want to narrow down our choices:

- Lille
- Rouen
- Berlin
- Paris (Peut-être..it's not new for me and I know it gets pretty dead quiet in August when many shops close)
- Hamburg
- Prague
- Vienna
- Barcelona (maaaaybe. it's a bit far and we are planning a Spain / south of France / Italy Amalfi trip at a later date)

We'd just like to add one more city/place to our itinerary. Would love any suggestions.

Things we're interested in: wandering around the city, soaking in the street culture, farmer markets, flea markets, good food & drinks, window shopping, jazz bars, bars (but not nightclubs) etc. I like art museums (love the Met in NYC and Louvre, British Museum etc) but DH does not have much patience for them. We're not really outdoorsy people so no hiking etc (except for beach but we can get better beaches nearer home e.g. Boracay and Bali).

Because you are doing Amsterdam and Brussels first (If you love shoes, make sure you visit Noe shoes in Brussels) I would go for Prague. Can be done in 1-3 days, 100% walkable, excellent food, with great live concerts in the old city square, and not expensive to enjoy.

Paris should be enjoyed on its own...

Have fun-- what a great adventure!!!

 

[zoebartlett]

I haven't been to the others in your list, Mochiko, but Prague is beautiful, and I'd love to go back someday. It's very walkable, and the Old Town Hall Tower, astronomical clock, and Prague Castle are must-sees.

 

[dk168]

Prague is high on the list of European cities that I would like to visit, however, I would not want to go there on my own.

DK .

 

[Snowdrop13]

Copenhagen is lovely, very compact with lots to see, Tivoli, canals, great bars (with beer, though probably very expensive!), palaces, Little Mermaid etc etc. The restaurants are very diverse too. Should think the weather will be OK in August, that's pretty much their high summer.

 

[Snowdrop13]

PS many Dutch cities well worth a visit, I really enjoyed Delft, The Hague and Leiden. Lots of art treasures and the people are SO nice, everyone speaks English and their politeness is legendary.......

 

[Sky56]

I recommend Vienna and Prague. It's been a while since I've been in Europe: 1995 and before that, 1972.

Gypsy is right, I'd rather avoid Paris and go south instead - places such as Bordeaux and the Sud-Ouest (Aquitaine area instead)

I enjoyed Germany and Switzerland.

 

[kama_s]

Why don't you add a few more Belgian cities, such as Brugges? I think you have enough to see and do for 10 days in just the Netherlands and Belgium. If I were to add a third, it would probably be somewhere in Germany, but not as far out as Munich. I would try and stay close enough to take the train.

I would not add on Provence. We spent two weeks just in Provence last summer and doing an obligatory 2-3 days is not at all sufficient. Nice this time of the year is also very touristy and crowded.

 

[rosetta]

I've just come back from bordeaux: lovely place for a few days.

Paris needs at least a week on its own.

 

[Sky56]

I've never been to Belgium or Bruges, but I had a family friend who couldn't stop talking about Bruges. He went back many times. We used to kid him about it, he was so nuts about it! So, the idea of adding Bruges to your itinerary sounds good!

 

[alexah]

Copenhagen is lovely, very compact with lots to see, Tivoli, canals, great bars (with beer, though probably very expensive!), palaces, Little Mermaid etc etc. The restaurants are very diverse too. Should think the weather will be OK in August, that's pretty much their high summer.

Ditto this - love Denmark. It felt young, fresh & fun to me - but I haven't been in several years.

 

[rosetta]

I've been to both Bruges and Copenhagen recently. Lot more to see in Copenhagen, but be warned it is very expensive!

 

[SB621]

Ohhhhhh you're coming to my neck of the woods!!!!!! I didn't read everyone's responses so sorry if these are repeat suggestions.

Are you trying to hit all these places in 10 days? Also will you have a home base and travel out each day or are you going to be moving about?

When in NL you can get all day train ticket for I think around 17Euro. Brussels is beautiful but honestly unless you are going to be in museums it is not an all day event, at least for me. I could however spend weeks in Bruge. It is known as the Northern Europe version of Venice. Romantic and full of history.

Also I would choose either Hamburg or Berlin. And add Budapest to your list if you can swing it. Check out Ryanair, Condor and German wings for cheap tickets. Or of course you could travel via rail.

Sorry can't write more but you will love Europe. We moved here in the winter and have adored traveling around!

 

[Ally T]

Prague. I have visited twice & I think it would be everything you are looking for!

 

[ecf8503]

We took a trip to Venice and the surrounding areas in April - wonderful trip!

 

[canuk-gal]

Ok, so this is very much a first-world problem (but you lovely folks at PS will indulge me, right? )

DH and I are going to Europe this August, and we are still undecided on where to go.

We are flying in and out of Amsterdam, and we will have about 10 days. As well as Amsterdam, we added Brussels to the itinerary because DH loves his craft beer. I think that we will have time to go to a 3rd city, but am still undecided on where to go.

We've ruled out London because we'd like to go somewhere new. Any suggestions on where to go that is within reasonable distance from Amsterdam/Brussels by train or plane?

Here were some of the places we were thinking about, but want to narrow down our choices:

- Lille
- Rouen
- Berlin
- Paris (Peut-être..it's not new for me and I know it gets pretty dead quiet in August when many shops close)
- Hamburg
- Prague
- Vienna
- Barcelona (maaaaybe. it's a bit far and we are planning a Spain / south of France / Italy Amalfi trip at a later date)

We'd just like to add one more city/place to our itinerary. Would love any suggestions.

Things we're interested in: wandering around the city, soaking in the street culture, farmer markets, flea markets, good food & drinks, window shopping, jazz bars, bars (but not nightclubs) etc. I like art museums (love the Met in NYC and Louvre, British Museum etc) but DH does not have much patience for them. We're not really outdoorsy people so no hiking etc (except for beach but we can get better beaches nearer home e.g. Boracay and Bali).

Because you are doing Amsterdam and Brussels first (If you love shoes, make sure you visit Noe shoes in Brussels) I would go for Prague. Can be done in 1-3 days, 100% walkable, excellent food, with great live concerts in the old city square, and not expensive to enjoy.

Paris should be enjoyed on its own...

Have fun-- what a great adventure!!!

This. And this.

 

[mochiko42]

Thank you all for the suggestions August can't come soon enough.

I think we've narrowed down our choice of third city to Prague or Copenhagen.

...

SB621, thanks so much for your suggestions about Brussels vs Bruges, that's interesting to hear.

We've only booked the international flight at this point and still deciding on the exact dates for hotels, regional flights etc so anything is possible

PS I would love to go to Budapest again. I spent a week there for work several years ago and fell in love with the lake Balaton region.

 

[AprilBaby]

Berlin has more than you can see in a week! I also love Vienna!

 

[SB621]

Thank you all for the suggestions August can't come soon enough.

I think we've narrowed down our choice of third city to Prague or Copenhagen.

...

SB621, thanks so much for your suggestions about Brussels vs Bruges, that's interesting to hear.

We've only booked the international flight at this point and still deciding on the exact dates for hotels, regional flights etc so anything is possible

PS I would love to go to Budapest again. I spent a week there for work several years ago and fell in love with the lake Balaton region.

Coppenhagen is further so you would really need to fly there as the train would take too long pending where you are coming from.

Have fun planning!

 

[MishB]

You can't go to Belgium and miss Bruges. It is becoming very, very crowded however.

If your husband loves beer make sure you visit T'Arendsnest in Amsterdam, Delerium in Brussels and T'Brugs Beertje in Bruges.

Prague is delightful, but is not really close to Brussels, it's on the other side of Germany so you'd have to allow a day to get there and back.

 

[mochiko42]

Thanks so much for the beer tips, MishB! Also yes Prague is quite far from Belgium and Netherlands.... Decision, decisions!

 

[kama_s]

Thanks so much for the beer tips, MishB! Also yes Prague is quite far from Belgium and Netherlands.... Decision, decisions!

Seriously, you have plenty to see in just these two countries!

Amsterdam: 3-4 days
Hague: 1 day
Rotterdam: 1-2 days
Brussels: 2-3 days
Ghent: 1 days
Bruges: 2 days
Ghent: 1 day

Instead of flying around and spending time in transit, why not take it a little slow and enjoy the feel of these two countries? Your interests seem very aligned to myself and my husband's. The best part of a city is to walk around, take in the culture, eat and drink and sit around people watch. Add in a few historic sights, museums and shopping. I know plenty of people want to maximize their vacations, but checking off cities is hardly fun. I know many who do Provence, for instance, in 2-3 days. We spent just over two weeks and we still had much more to see and do. But we definitely did have a great understanding of life in that part of the world.

 

[Paul-Antwerp]

Thanks so much for the beer tips, MishB! Also yes Prague is quite far from Belgium and Netherlands.... Decision, decisions!

Seriously, you have plenty to see in just these two countries!

Amsterdam: 3-4 days
Hague: 1 day
Rotterdam: 1-2 days
Brussels: 2-3 days
Ghent: 1 days
Bruges: 2 days
Ghent: 1 day

Instead of flying around and spending time in transit, why not take it a little slow and enjoy the feel of these two countries? Your interests seem very aligned to myself and my husband's. The best part of a city is to walk around, take in the culture, eat and drink and sit around people watch. Add in a few historic sights, museums and shopping. I know plenty of people want to maximize their vacations, but checking off cities is hardly fun. I know many who do Provence, for instance, in 2-3 days. We spent just over two weeks and we still had much more to see and do. But we definitely did have a great understanding of life in that part of the world.

As a local, I am with Kama on this, but would slightly adapt recommendations.

Skip Brussels, or keep it to 1 day, and although I know Americans and Asians love Bruges, I regard it as an overrated tourist-spot. You have to visit, but 1 day will probably do.

Instead, add Ypres (nearby) for a 1-day-visit, and experience 100 years after the start of World-War I, the misery of war and the revival afterwards. Then, add Lille, as a French major city with Flemish history. You will enjoy.

Finally, this is a diamond-forum, isn't it? And nobody realizing that Antwerp is smack in the middle of all these cities, and definitely worth a 1 or 2-day-visit, at least?

Live long,

 

[mochiko42]

Thanks so much for the beer tips, MishB! Also yes Prague is quite far from Belgium and Netherlands.... Decision, decisions!

Seriously, you have plenty to see in just these two countries!

Amsterdam: 3-4 days
Hague: 1 day
Rotterdam: 1-2 days
Brussels: 2-3 days
Ghent: 1 days
Bruges: 2 days
Ghent: 1 day

Instead of flying around and spending time in transit, why not take it a little slow and enjoy the feel of these two countries? Your interests seem very aligned to myself and my husband's. The best part of a city is to walk around, take in the culture, eat and drink and sit around people watch. Add in a few historic sights, museums and shopping. I know plenty of people want to maximize their vacations, but checking off cities is hardly fun. I know many who do Provence, for instance, in 2-3 days. We spent just over two weeks and we still had much more to see and do. But we definitely did have a great understanding of life in that part of the world.

As a local, I am with Kama on this, but would slightly adapt recommendations.

Skip Brussels, or keep it to 1 day, and although I know Americans and Asians love Bruges, I regard it as an overrated tourist-spot. You have to visit, but 1 day will probably do.

Instead, add Ypres (nearby) for a 1-day-visit, and experience 100 years after the start of World-War I, the misery of war and the revival afterwards. Then, add Lille, as a French major city with Flemish history. You will enjoy.

Finally, this is a diamond-forum, isn't it? And nobody realizing that Antwerp is smack in the middle of all these cities, and definitely worth a 1 or 2-day-visit, at least?

Live long,

Thank you so much for the suggestions. I had been interested in Lille so I will keep it on the shortlist. We will probably shorten our Brussels/Bruges stay and may either wander around the north of France or else spend a few days as a side trip in Copenhagen.

As for diamond shopping in Antwerp, is it actually any good for the retail consumer? I live in Hong Kong which is a regional jewelry hub however the retail choices are not that great (and I am planning to go to the trade show in September anyway); I figured Antwerp and Amsterdam would be tourist traps in terms of retail. If I were to look at diamonds I would be looking at OEC or vintage cuts anyway, it seems at least from online shops that the US is better for that. (caveat: I am normally a CS person so my knowledge/experience of buying diamonds is somewhat limited.)

 

[arkieb1]

If you decide to go somewhere else I also vote for Berlin, I really enjoyed it and pretty well most of Italy which hopefully you will get to do on another trip!!!