Connie

Help! I have never left the southeastern part of the United States and my husband has presented me with a trip to Europe. The dates are open, but I would prefer to go next September. (I have a 6 month old I will feel comfortable leaving at this time).<BR><BR>I have no idea where to go or what to see. Please give me suggestions on this.... We plan to spend 3 weeks in and around, Ireland, UK, France, Germany, Norway, and Sweden. We land in Iceland and then go from there to our destinations. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. <BR>Thanks-

Tom

I'll try , but will be making assumptions as to your likes and dislikes. Also have never been to Iceland, Norway or Sweden.<BR><BR>Even with three weeks you will have some hard choices to make. I'd limit my travels to only three countries, England, France and Germany. Anything more and you will get a whirlwind tour and be worn out from changing hotels, trains and planes far too often.<BR><BR>For example, my wife and I visited London and stayed for 10 days, we also did the same for Paris.<BR><BR>I would suggest the following itenerary:<BR><BR>1. London (7 days)<BR>visit the Tower, the Tate Museum (modern art), The British Museum (everything the Brits stole (borrowed) from around the world including Rosetta Stone and Eglin mables), Covent garden, Whitehall, westminster Abbey , harrods, Whitehall, etal<BR><BR>Day trips to Canterbury, Bath and York<BR><BR>2. Paris (7 days)<BR><BR>the Louvre (Mona Lisa (disappointing), Winged victory (impressive), Venus de milo (no big deal)...the Muse d' Orsay (magnificent particularly if you like impressionist paintings of Monet, Manet, Degas etal), Hotel Invallides (Napoleans tomb), Sacre Coure and Montemart, Notre Dame, Eifel tower, walk the Seine, St. Germain, Rodin museum (magnificent),etc<BR><BR>Day trip to Versailles<BR><BR>3. Germany (4 days)<BR><BR>Munich 3 days, one in munich and daytrip to Salzburg Austria and day trip<BR>Fussen to see Ludwig's fairy tale castle<BR><BR>4. take Romantic strasse to rothenburg for one day and then head back to England for return.<BR><BR>Hope this helps some.

Tom

Connie,<BR><BR>If any of that made sense you can e-mail us and we'll be glad to offer any assistance. We've been to europe over 20 times and the first trip can be a bit unnerving.<BR><BR>Besides us sotuherners need to stick together, let us know if we can be of any help. there are a few shortcuts to eliminate some of the pain.<BR><BR>tom

elaine

Hi Connie<BR>Congratulations on your first trip.<BR>As suggested, you need to narrow down some interests. By the way, in my experience,<BR>any day spent traveling from one place to another, even if it's a short jaunt by plane, is a day pretty much "lost" to sightseeing, unless you are driving in scenic countryside on purpose.<BR>Please say what interests you:<BR>art museums? historical sights?<BR>cities vs countryside? gardens?<BR>shopping? great food?<BR>Also, what are your and your husband's top three to five "dream" sites:<BR>The Eiffel Tower? The Louvre? <BR>The Tower of London? Grandparents' home town? etc.<BR>Thinking about this will help you narrow things down a bit, IF you want to narow it down.<BR>I have files on London and Paris, and on general trip planning; if you'd like to see them, email me.

wes fowler

Every journalism student learns the formula 5W/1H: who, what, why, where, when and how. The formula works excellently in European trip planning as well. Who will be going? What are their interests and what do they hope to experience? Why do they choose a particular place to visit? Where will they satisfy their interests and reap the most pleasure from the experience? When will they go? How will they travel?<BR><BR>Who?: You and who else? Husband? Regardless of "who else", get each traveler actively involved in the planning process. It's a rewarding experience to spread maps and guidebooks on the kitchen table and engage each traveler in the planning experience. It's critical to try and satisfy the interests of each traveler in the planning process.<BR><BR>What?: What are the travelers interests and what places in Europe will best satisfy those interests? <BR>Why?: Answering "Why?" will satisfy the question "What?" as well. Discussing the pros and cons of Great Britain versus Germany or Switzerland, for example, will educate you in what each country has to offer and which offers the most to satisfy your interests.<BR><BR>Where?: Where is the ideal place or places in Europe to satisfy the "What?s" and "Why?s"?. This is where research comes to the fore: national, regional and local tourist office brochures and maps, guidebooks internet research.<BR><BR>When?: When do you plan to travel and for how long a period? When you travel can dictate the cost of travel (high season vs. low season) both for airfare and accommodations. When you travel can also expose you to unique seasonal festivals and special events that don't occur year round. The number of days you'll be traveling dictates how much you can expect to see and experience.<BR><BR>How?" How has two aspects. First, how will you travel upon arrival in Europe? By tour bus, public transportation or rented auto? Secondly, how much money are you prepared to budget? <BR><BR>For many travelers, myself included, the planning process can be as enjoyable and rewarding as the trip itself. In eighteen trips to Europe, I've gotten as much enjoyment from the planning process as the trip itself. It's one of the reasons I enjoy assisting travelers as they go through the planning process. Diligent, thoughtful planning can eliminate a lot of the concerns and fears that may affect the first time traveler to Europe. Diligent planning does not mean planning "overkill" with every minute accounted for by things to do, places to go. Filling every minute of your travel day leads to exhaustion, frustration and frayed nerves. Better to plan on a half day's activities and leave time for simply sitting back and smelling the roses at a cafe, village square or park. Allow time for the delights of Europe to "sink in".<BR><BR><BR>