Where to travel in Europe during December/January?
Nov 7th, 2016, 05:48 PM
#1
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Where to travel in Europe during December/January?
Currently planning a week+ trip with a friend of mine post-College graduation. I am very much a traveling novice and I don't even know where to begin planning. Any European recommendations for someone without much travel international abroad experience (plenty of trips to NYC + other international trips tied to programs) and good for travel (+ ease getting around) during the month of either December or January? Thinking about going for about a week/7 days.
Looking for the usual. I.e. culture, sightseeing and food
Throwing around ideas like
- Brussels + Bruges + Paris
- Copenhagen + Stockholm
- Prague + Berlin
- Prague + Vienna + Budapest
Any other recommendations or suggestions are welcomed.
Looking for the usual. I.e. culture, sightseeing and food
Throwing around ideas like
- Brussels + Bruges + Paris
- Copenhagen + Stockholm
- Prague + Berlin
- Prague + Vienna + Budapest
Any other recommendations or suggestions are welcomed.
Nov 7th, 2016, 07:57 PM
#3
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The numbers don't add up.
Assuming one week = 7 days starting from the U.S.
Implying 6 calendar days from touch down to departure in Europe.
Implying 5 nights
Implying 4 full days
With these assumption, if you stay in one city, you have 4 full days.
Three cities mean fraction of a day in two and one full day in another.
There is little left for culture and sightseeing.
Use www.bahn.com to come up with realistic travel times if using train.
Add time to get to/from the stations.
What is left is what you have to eat and do sightseeing.
Assuming one week = 7 days starting from the U.S.
Implying 6 calendar days from touch down to departure in Europe.
Implying 5 nights
Implying 4 full days
With these assumption, if you stay in one city, you have 4 full days.
Three cities mean fraction of a day in two and one full day in another.
There is little left for culture and sightseeing.
Use www.bahn.com to come up with realistic travel times if using train.
Add time to get to/from the stations.
What is left is what you have to eat and do sightseeing.
Nov 7th, 2016, 08:15 PM
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With a week, choose one or at most two places - best if the two places are in reasonable geographic proximity.
Begin your planning by deciding what interests you, and plan around that.
Remember that days will be short at that time of the year, and the weather will be cold.
Begin your planning by deciding what interests you, and plan around that.
Remember that days will be short at that time of the year, and the weather will be cold.
Nov 7th, 2016, 09:27 PM
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With Bruxelles and Paris being 1 h 30 min apart from each other's one can easily do Paris Bruxelles with a day trip to Brugge.
Thalys train run daily every hour or so and 2 per hour in rush hours. First leaves around 7 13 in the morning and arrives at 8 30 at Gare du Nord Paris.
(Some days see trains leave at 6 43 but it is an ungodly hour for me).
Trains have best fares 3 months in advance. See thalys.com or train line.
Same trains go to Amsterdam or koeln.
Praha + Berlin works well too - I'd make a stop at Dresden in between. See Deutsche bahn site.
Please note days are short but these cities are beautiful in the dark - and cold.
This morning it was freezing in Bruxelles for example.
Thalys train run daily every hour or so and 2 per hour in rush hours. First leaves around 7 13 in the morning and arrives at 8 30 at Gare du Nord Paris.
(Some days see trains leave at 6 43 but it is an ungodly hour for me).
Trains have best fares 3 months in advance. See thalys.com or train line.
Same trains go to Amsterdam or koeln.
Praha + Berlin works well too - I'd make a stop at Dresden in between. See Deutsche bahn site.
Please note days are short but these cities are beautiful in the dark - and cold.
This morning it was freezing in Bruxelles for example.
Nov 7th, 2016, 10:05 PM
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Implying 6 or 7 nights from touchdown. For this time of year though, you think the Paris bundle or Berlin bundles are most ideal (adding in your recommendations) than somewhere like Copenhagen?
Nov 8th, 2016, 12:15 AM
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I think all of your options are perfectly possible and are all good combinations. I don't think any are more ideal than others, it will be cold and getting dark early everywhere. However some places do cold & dark better than others.
Brussels+Bruges+Paris is a good option
Stockholm + Copenhagen is also a good option, English is widely spoken. I would not dismiss these cities, esp Stockholm which is beautiful in the snow.
I would limit to 2 cities max out of Berlin+Prague or Vienna+Budapest or any combination of these.
Brussels+Bruges+Paris is a good option
Stockholm + Copenhagen is also a good option, English is widely spoken. I would not dismiss these cities, esp Stockholm which is beautiful in the snow.
I would limit to 2 cities max out of Berlin+Prague or Vienna+Budapest or any combination of these.
Nov 8th, 2016, 03:11 AM
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You are college graduates; are you looking to meet other young people, or go out? My kids tell me Berlin is the top spot for clubs. Amsterdam is great too, and a good place to visit in winter. In Belgium, perhaps substitute Gent for Brugge.
Fly into one city and back home from another; check the airline schedules and fares first, before deciding on your itinerary. I suspect that January will be cheaper than December - but December is a nicer time to visit.
I would also stick to 2 places for a week.
Fly into one city and back home from another; check the airline schedules and fares first, before deciding on your itinerary. I suspect that January will be cheaper than December - but December is a nicer time to visit.
I would also stick to 2 places for a week.
Nov 8th, 2016, 06:49 AM
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If you're looking for clubs, then Barcelona. But that doesn't seem to be your focus.
Prague and Budapest w/o Vienna is a good option and far different from any of the others on your list because those two were under the Communist yoke (Budapest more so) during the Cold War. I'd take Amsterdam > Brussels if you're going to Paris-and-____ because it's a more interesting city and doesn't have all the monuments to King Leopold the Builder, who seemingly is revered by the Belgians despite what he did as the owner of the largest slave plantation in the world (the erroneously named Congo Free State).
Prague and Budapest w/o Vienna is a good option and far different from any of the others on your list because those two were under the Communist yoke (Budapest more so) during the Cold War. I'd take Amsterdam > Brussels if you're going to Paris-and-____ because it's a more interesting city and doesn't have all the monuments to King Leopold the Builder, who seemingly is revered by the Belgians despite what he did as the owner of the largest slave plantation in the world (the erroneously named Congo Free State).
Nov 8th, 2016, 08:43 AM
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I like our good king Leopold the first.
And he left some slaves alive, didn't sell them to make cotton overseas in a country where the first locals had been largely exterminated by then.
The slaves still have their country nowadays after all. Not all colonized countries can say the same.
You don't like the Cinquantenaire ? A pity.
And he left some slaves alive, didn't sell them to make cotton overseas in a country where the first locals had been largely exterminated by then.
The slaves still have their country nowadays after all. Not all colonized countries can say the same.
You don't like the Cinquantenaire ? A pity.
Nov 8th, 2016, 09:17 AM
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Regarding your Copenhagen Stockholm option:
I stayed a week in N. Germany at Christmas time. At its daily high point, the sun barely cleared the roofs of buildings and dark came at about 3pm. The weather was cold, foggy and wet. Does that make a difference to you? Didn't to me as there were definite things I wanted to see.
I stayed a week in N. Germany at Christmas time. At its daily high point, the sun barely cleared the roofs of buildings and dark came at about 3pm. The weather was cold, foggy and wet. Does that make a difference to you? Didn't to me as there were definite things I wanted to see.
Nov 8th, 2016, 09:55 AM
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Thank you all for the suggestions! Still not sure exactly which I should combo, but I'll keep doing the research. Not too into clubs, but it getting dark seems like a deal breaker for certain cities. Like wouldn't that defeat the purpose of going to places like Copenhagen and Stockholm?
Nov 8th, 2016, 10:40 AM
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Unless you have something specific you want to see in either city, do a trip to wonderful Copenhagen and lovely Stockholm at another time of year.
as thursdaysd said
"Why are you looking at northern Europe in the middle of winter?"
At the time of year you're planning to travel, Rome for the whole 7 days would be my choice. I often went to Rome at Christmas. Sunny and just chilly enough to be good weather for walking.
I think many people don"t realize how dark N. Europe is in the winter
as thursdaysd said
"Why are you looking at northern Europe in the middle of winter?"
At the time of year you're planning to travel, Rome for the whole 7 days would be my choice. I often went to Rome at Christmas. Sunny and just chilly enough to be good weather for walking.
I think many people don"t realize how dark N. Europe is in the winter
Nov 8th, 2016, 11:47 AM
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How about Paris and London- two cities with lots of indoor attractions and neither is bitterly cold either (though it snowed a bit in the Paris area yesterday!)- fly into Paris and out of London or vice versa and take the Channel train between the two-see some of the lovely French and English countryside to boot. Just a few hours between them via this high-speed Eurostar train link.
For train info in general (early booking can yield deep discounts -easy to do yourself online - www.seat61.com; www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com (check their free online European Planning & Rail Guide for lots on other places to go.
For train info in general (early booking can yield deep discounts -easy to do yourself online - www.seat61.com; www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com (check their free online European Planning & Rail Guide for lots on other places to go.
