Going to Europe, any must see places?
 

I will be in Europe for a month starting Sept 10th. I will be staying in some hotels/hostels and using Eurorail.

This being my first time traveling over there I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for hostels, clubs, pubs, sites to see, sites not worth the time.

I am planning on going to Paris, Amersterdam, Prague, Coppenhagen, Ireland, England, Germany, Scotland, and where ever my heart wanders.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

If you get sick of the organized sightseeing in Paris - treat yourself to a lazy looooonng lunch in a nice café in Montmartre.

One of the slightly lesser known attractions in central London is the <a href="http://www.iwm.org.uk/cabinet/">Cabinet War Rooms </a>, great if you're a history buff. In Dublin, you MUST have a pint of Guinness. Exported Guinness often has to be pasteurized so it NEVER tastes as good as it does in Dublin.

The Tower of London really isn't compulsory, it's up to you.

The Beer in Prague is goood..

Enjoy..

if your in london there are better places to go for a night out than the west end. Go to old street/brick lane area and have some fun. Oh and if your into clubbing you then go to fabric.

Best places I saw in Europe - the Vatican (Sistene Chapel St Peter's Basilica) and Versailles. If you like art museums see the Louvre.

If you have find yourself in Vienna at any point, I _highly_ suggest Stephensdom (St. Stephen's Cathedral, be sure to check out the catacombs there too) and Shoenbrun Palace.

When in Amersterdam
 

be sure to smoke yourself silly

Definately go to Prague. I spent five weeks on the rail in Europe a few years ago and Prague was my favorite city. It is beautiful and cheap. I hear that it further east is even better, but I didn't get to do that. The most fun I had was visiting family I barely knew I had in Italy. They were so happy to have us, and fed us silly. Be careful of books like lets go, unless you want to hang out with americans everywhere you go. Although the books always warned of having reservations, we had no problem finding hostels and cheap hotels everywhere we went. There were two of us, and it was often just as much for a two bed hotel room as it was for a 20 bed hostel room. We did both, depending on how social we were feeling. Have a great time!

I really loved York; Glascow is much more of a party town than Edinburgh.

Ahh wish I was going with you! I Just picked up this book on Amsterdam the other day and read about their sex museum, they have 2 7 foot high penis chairs u can pose on. :) Have fun with whatever you do. I'm sure it'll be a trip to remember

Its been a while since I was over there, but I really enjoyed Vienna - architecture and palace tours, etc. Back then, maybe still, it was more "foreign" - meaning hardly any signs in english and just everything was a little more different than the rest of W.Europe.

I also like Amsterdam, and Munich was fun. Venice was cool to see, but way too touristy. If you have the time, the Greek Islands sure can be fun - but more of a separate one or two week trip. Have fun

IRISH BARS. AND JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING IN PARIS. PARIS ROCKS.

I'll second that comment on visiting the Cabinet War Rooms in London. You'll really enjoy it if you're into history stuff at all.

Get me something when you're in Paris, I've always wanted to go. ;)

the lake district in nortern england is just awesome

Amsterdam is a great city, well worth spending some time there. Edinburgh is also a beautiful city, my favorite city in Scotland by far. In England York is worth visiting, but avoid Liverpool, Birmingham & Manchester. Newcastle can be fun, dangerous but fun.

To bad you don't have more time than a month. I wouldn't cram too many cities into your holiday, you'll probably enjoy seeing more of one place than a couple of days in all sorts of places.
Quality, not quantity.

:) I can see it from my window...I can vouch for the beauty of it :)

Southern Germany, between Augsburg and Nuremburg there is this little stop along the way that is absolutely incredible: It is an old, walled village named Ellingen. Go there. Take the tour if they still offer one- you will fall all over yourself in amazement.
Also- Ibiza, Spain; Malaga-Toromolinas, Spain; Palma De Majorca; Gaeta, Italy; and if you can possibly make it, go to Crete. Anywhere on Crete. It is the single, most beautiful place I have ever seen. And believe me, I have seen a lot of them.

Always been very intrigued by the very open cultute in Amsterdam, have not yet been able to visit though.

Is Liverpool a really bad spot?
Me being the Beatles junkie that I am, I was considering that one of the spots, you know Abby road and stuff. Yes I admit it I am cheesey!

weimar, germany

I couldn't agree more -- Prague is one of my favorite cities. Not only is it a beautiful city, filled with beautiful people but there is a ton of things to do there.

abbey road is in london, mate. Right by st. johns wood station.

Venice was beautiful. Just don't get sucked in by the touristy spots. Take a walking tour on your own, and appreciate the old town.

Spain. By far the most interesting (to me) of the European countries I have been to. Check out Madrid, Salamanca, Toledo, valle de los caidos, Granada, etc. The Cathedral in Toledo is fantastic, as is the Alhambra in Granada. Both a bit touristy, but good. Go off on your own and check out some tapas bars. The Prado in Madrid is another must see (if you like art).

if you have the chance to drive through Italy, visit Sorrento. Its a beautiful little village on the southern coast right along the ocean. Its very relaxing

[/QUOTE]Is Liverpool a really bad spot? [/QUOTE]

Yep it is - Not much to see, can be violent at times, and some of the highest crime rates in England.

There are probably at least a years worth of "must see" spots in Europe. Prioritize what you want to see based on your interests and what opportunities pop up.

If it were me, I would try to get a mix of must see historical spots along with cultural experiences and natural beauty. As for the history, try to see some of the ancient stuff from the Roman or Greek empires as well as medieval and rennaisance and baroque peoriods. Examples would be the Tower of London, Versailles, Venice, and Rome has it all. (I was only in Rome for one day...talk about frustrating). Try to see some of the French Riviera. Consider some more out of the way places like Istanbul, or Scandinavia or St Petersburg. You will probably want to save those for other trips.

One word, nudebeaches

hmm, i'm not too far from there, i'll have too look into that.

esp. since my mom's coming to visit in dec/jan.

:)

If you're in Ireland, be sure to spend at least a few days in Limerick.
A popular activity in that town is getting stabbed.
The fun never ceases on the Isle of Saints and Scholars! :D

If you make it to western Ireland, goto the Slieve League cliffs in Donegal. They are supposedly the the highest marine cliffs in Europe. It's a 300 metre drop straight down into the Atlantic (and not much in terms of fences). I went last December. There were really strong winds and it was raining. It was awesome!

When I went to Europe with my high school orchestra, we stayed primarily in Austria. It was, in my opinion, the most incredible place I"ve ever been. There are hundreds of sites to see, and Vienna is one of the cleanist and friendliest cities ever. Be sure to check out anywhere in Austria if you get the chance.
I also got to spend a day in Venic, Italy, and I highly suggest going there as well. :)
Enjoy yout trip!

That's weird... I got the opposite impression.

My tips:

Do the Trossachs Trail in Southern Scotland. You'll get to see beautiful sites, including Loch Kathrine (there's an island there where I think Rob Roy stashed his stolen sheep). Also, to echo a few previous sentiments, drink Guinness in Dublin (it IS better and cheap as hell) and visit the western coast of Ireland. I thoroughly checked out the Kerry region (where the Irish side of my family is from) and was blown away. The Ring of Kerry is a scenic route that skirts the ocean and leads you to the Cliffs of Moher, which is one of the best views I've ever seen. Back to Dublin, if you stay overnight, choose the Temple Bar District, for pretty self-explanatory reasons.

Prague is amazing. If you're there there's one castle like up on a hill in the middle of town. Beautiful to go up there and just walk around.
Rome is also a must if you're into history.
The three fingers of Greece are amazing, but get as far away from Athens as you can. Further away you get the clearer the water is.

This site has more info on Amsterdam than you could ever think to ask:
http://www.ignatzmice.com/Adam/framed.htm

Take some time and visit Vatican city and the Vatican museum. Whether you're religious or not, it's a breathtaking place that is filled with amazing sights. From there it's easy to vist Rome and you could spend days there and not see everything. I would suggest walking/training around the city and looking at the fountains - they're amazing.

I would see Holland...Amsterdam is an awesome place to be..its got a good night life and its just a good vibe

Re: Going to Europe, any must see places?
 

Spend some time in the countryside, away from larger cities.

If in France, take a train out to Bayeux for the day and see the tapestry and the Normandy beaches. If you have the time, head out to Mont St. Micheal and see the monestary.

I would skip Amsterdam, unless you are into pot and cheap hookers.

Budget a few days for Prague, you will be stunned at how much there is to see. If you have the time I recommend Bratislava and Budapest as well.

Of course when in Copenhagen you must see Tivoli.

If I were you, I would spend some time on the Med. The Cinque Terra is a Mecca for backpackers, be sure to reserve your room ahead of time (try Eva's Rooms in Vernazza - 0187 821134 or masseva@tin.it).

Take a ferry to Greece, your Eurorail pass is good there (www.superfast.com).

Check out Spain as well, Barcelona is fantastic, and you can spend days in Bilbao.

When in England, check out some of the lesser known sites.

Avesbury is the most impressive stone circle I have every seen, skip Stonehenge and see it instead.

If you can, rent a car in Scotland and get out onto the islands, you will never feel more at home...


Have fun!

A little late to the game here, seeing as the trip started Sept. 10th.
But anywhen, I'd say if you are a Beatles junkie you should check out Liverpool. Take the tour(s), all that. You'll have been happy you did. Go see Strawberry Fields and all that.
As far as it being a risky city, well, I think you just have to have a good head on your shoulders. I was born there, though raised in Montreal, but I've been back often. Keep your wits about you. It's exciting!
Oh, and do try to be white if you're going into the city centre. Being white goes a long way. Sad but true. And don't hang yer camera 'round yer neck like a tourist/target. Act like you know where you're going...
Besides that, heh heh, it's a great city, with "characters" up the wazoo; worth talking to the locals. They've got a charm all their own.