Destination Advice
 

Hi!
Planning a surprise trip for my girls (29/18) for June. Trying to decide on 2 European cities to visit. Plan to stay about 2 weeks. This will be our first trip to Europe. Girls like shopping, art history, food!
Thanks in advance!

First stop: Your local library or bookstore!

Paris
Venice

shopping, art history, food = all of Europe.
If the interest is this general, then it really does not matter where you go.

Sorry -- called away mid-thought...

What a wonderful gift, and it's great that you are planning for just 2 cities in that time!

As greg has said, your options are nearly endless. In no particular order: Paris, Florence, Rome, London, Madrid, Amsterdam, Vienna, Munich, Madrid, Naples, etc., etc., etc. ... SO many options!

That's why I said to start with your local library or bookstore, to start your research with some good guidebooks.

With daughters that age, you might want to let them in on the surprise earlier rather than later, as they might already have ideas about where they might want to go. And they could then take an active part in deciding on which cities and what to do once there.

To the extent that you have any latitude, earlier in June might be better than later -- once schools are out in the US and Europe, crowds begin to appear and costs go up. Just something to consider....

Have fun exploring your options!

Food. Scrap UK.
Avoid Poland Germany and Romania.
(You can find good food but it is not refined and be expensive)
Scrap NL (karnemelk and triangle sandwiches).
So : france Italy Belgium Spain are the Mecca's of food.
History too.

Paris and Venice would indeed be lively and lovely. Or Barcelona and nice. Or Rome and Sevilla.
Or Bruxelles gent Brugge and Lille.
Or
Or
Or
But I would do Paris in all configurations. Plus one Italian. Venice or Firenze. With some day trips. Like Versailles and Siena.

>>Food. Scrap UK. <<

That is totally 100% ridiculous.

You must have been reading that troll thread . . .


KarenLac: >>Girls like shopping, art history, food!<<

For a first trip London and Paris is always a good option. There are easy to travel between (2+ hours by train city center to city center. Open jaw in to London, home from Paris. And a day trip from each city -- Oxford or Bath from London, Chartres or Giverny from Paris.

Great food in both cities, some of the world's best art museum/galleries in both cities and the shopping is great -- especially now with the £ so depressed vs. the US$

London and Paris are my suggestions, and that of our 15 year old daughter, as well.

Skip Vienna. Yes, there is art, but the shopping only consists of high-end international retailers and lower-end mall stores, with absurdly expensive boutiques sprinkled between. And, while the Viennese dining scene has greatly improved, it isn't a city I would place in my personal list of top dining destinations.

Happy Planning!

Actually, it doesn't sound as though you are "planning" at all. Time to get out the guidebooks and maps and get on the internet and do some serious research. It's an entire continent. Your choices are endless. Shopping and art history and food are in every corner, so that really doesn't narrow down the field much.

Food. Scrap UK. >>

you're at it again, WoinP.

My DD has always loved shopping in the little places you find in France and Italy; IMO London is not over-endowed with those and has too many chains. I would pick Paris and Rome.

uk is not known for a history of great food.
You can eat well but it is not as culturally ingrained as in france Spain or Italy.
But I would be a taker if some good advice - in all honesty and trying to not sound provocative nor arrogant (not a small feat for me) I have never eaten on average as well in London as in Paris.
Without breaking the bank and without going to exotic places.

The opposite for me, WoinParis; more disappointing dinners in Paris than in London. And though you can eat well in Belgium, its mostly the same food everywhere.

Who cares about food history; it's what you get on your plate today what matters. You clearly have a very outdated view on eating out in the Netherlands too.

Karen: for 2 weeks, first trip, I would stick to Paris and London, starting in London, leaving from Paris - more nights for London than Paris as it's a lot bigger.

Two cities is a great idea. My favorite cities in Europe are (in order):

Paris
Lucerne
Venice
London
Florence
Rome
Nice

Of course I am outdated in NL.
What belgian wants to eat there ?

And I had bad food last time in London (2014) and Amsterdam (2015) and worse in 2005 or so in Emmen where all restaurants were closed at 6 38 pm.

But I am on slippery ground .... I realize that !

I had a great couscous yesterday in france.

France and Italy
Paris and Florence, Fly into Paris and out of Florence or Rome, easy travel between Florence and Rome via train.

WoinParis, hit the Wagamama on your next trip to London. I hit them up in every city for the Korean bbq ribs. I first discovered them in Portsmouth and now you can find them in Dublin, Belfast and Boston but London has tons of them. The Tiger beer isn't bad with the meal.

I think the obvious is London and then Paris, London is an easy first fisit, we speak the language but more cosmipoliton than most US cities.

Then move onto Paris, which is so close but yet so far.

WoinParis, I too have spent the past 40 years fearing that I would have to eat in Belgium or the Netherlands after a childhood that included too many poor restaurants in those countries.

Then, 4 years ago I had a good meal in the Netherlands and then amazingly some good cake and it was like the sun had lifted from behind the clouds and all meals were at least better than average.
This summer in Belgium, the drought of poor food but great beer continued, in fact I longed to leap into Germany where at least the quality may be average but it seldom drops down. I think Belgians should keep doing what they do best Beer and buy in their Mussels from France :-)

I love the fries and waffles in Belgian. Love being able to get a pint of Trappist ale that cheap. It is over 8 a bottle at the liquor store here in Fl. I don't really remember eating a memorable meal in Belgium. Sorry!!

I don't really remember eating a memorable meal in Belgium. Sorry!!>>

Really? we've always eaten very well in Belgium. I wonder what it is that we are all looking for that is so different ? [or perhaps we're looking for the same things but we just managed to find it?]

I have always thought Belgium had some of the finest food in all of Europe. And no, I'm not talking about waffles, or frites with mayonnaise, or beer.

Belgium does have good food, but Belgian people are not very adventurous in their tastes. Fine if you're a tourist and are happy with mussels/fries/steak. But we get bored seeing pretty much the same menu in 90% of the restaurants here. I much prefer eating out in London. Or Amsterdam.

Anyway, getting off track here.

For 2 weeks of art, history, food, shopping on a first trip to Europe, I still say London/Paris.

Thank you all for the input. I will start researching Paris/London/Italy!

Ohmigosh! I should probably just quit randomly clicking on threads because I read just such headspinning statements, and I feel compelled to say something.

Beligium is one of the most wonderful dining destinations in Europe -- especially if you like adventurous cuisine! It has an overload of Michelin restaurants -- maybe more than any other European country I can think of. It has an multi-faceted immigrant culture too, and if you eat Kosher, head to Belgium.

I'm sorry if people living in Belgium don't take advantage of all there is on offer in terms of variety -- I could spend weeks just trying different chocolate, beers and pastries -- but it's a terrific foodie destination if you like adventure in dining.

In Italy, I wouldn't consider either Florence or Venice to be the best destination for food. For art, Florence is probably the best. For shopping, Milan is best, and Rome is probably a close second. It really depends on what you're hoping to buy. For excellent everyday food, anywhere in Emilia Romagna or Le Marche is good. For stellar restaurants, Milan and Rome are best.

If you want one destination in Italy that ticks all those boxes, it's probably Rome, or Milan would be a close second. Milan doesn't have as many great art museums as Rome, but the Brera Gallery itself goes a long way to make up for that, and there are usually good art shows at the Palazzo Reale.

Frencharmoire, we were in Belgium’s Wallonia region so could be the reason for not remembering much of what I ate. We traced my Dad's unit and there were small villages and Bastogne didn't have a lot of choices at the time. I know our dining options were not that great and can't even remember a pastry shop.

I loved the food in Florence and my cooking class helped with exploring the markets first for the ingredients.

bvl - I think we must be on the same page tonight. For me it would be Rome all the way - so many little streets and shops to mooch about it, so many museums and galleries to enjoy [most of which a virtually deserted] so many marvellous cafes, bars and restaurants to explore. Heaven!

Hi, You mention Art history, Florence is pretty amazing. London would be easy with English language (not sure where you are from), great museums, Tower of London/royal crown room...also Venice. ..an amazing place. There are good and bad restaurants in every country, I'd focus on other interests, such as history interests. I also love Vienna (Bellvedere Palace/ Klimpt paintings) Spanish Riding School/Lippizanaer Stallions with the Hapsburg Palace, great food I think, interesting shopping, Vienna Opera House (ticket on Internet for both Riding School/and Opera). Great coffee houses in Vienna. So many wonderful cities. I'd go in one city like London and leave from another such as Vienna or Amsterdam (another great city) canals, Rijks Museum and Van Gogh museum, Resisitance museum...Have fun planning. Sue