Hello.

I know the over broadness of this might seem silly but I need some suggestions to narrow down trip options to Europe. I am flying from the US. To reward long term employees, wife's company is rewarding her with $5000 towards a trip to anywhere in the world, as long as she visits a producing brewerly while she is there. (She works for a brewer).

We know we want to go to Europe but are still narrowing things down from there. Ten years ago we visited southern Germany and Austria for our 15th anniversary. While there, we spent a night in a castle over looking the Rhine, spent several nights in Rottenburg German, and spent several days in a lodge on lake St. Wolfgang, Austria. We also did the Sound of Music tour and visited Salzburg while there, lol.

We love the old cities like when we stayed in Rottenburg, Germany ( the history, the cobblestones, night watchman, etc.)

For this trip, we have no interest in Italy, Spain, or Russia.

We are considering places like Ireland, Scotland, Belgium, France, etc.

I am less of a marble and columns museums type guy and instead a lover of landscape such as mountains (Alps), cliffs, waterfalls and water but we have had our fill of beaches and laying in the sand. I don't particularly enjoy being hot anymore.

I am figuring on probably a two week trip. I know we could start in one country and drive or take train to others. I have also considered a brief cruise while there.

I know this is broad, but your narrow down suggestions will be appreciated.

Thanks

copenhagen has one of the best brewery tours - Carlsberg right in the heart of town - you can find several in Munich and all over Germany.

Are you going by train or car or plane once in Europe? For a wide-ranging trip involving mainly cities the train IMO is the best bet - takes you right to the city centers - but if you want to spend much time in the countryside then a car is better option. But for large cities cars can be a liability - large swathes of city centres are off-limits to private vehicles and parking can cost a fortune - many hotels do not offer parking if they are in the city centres.

If pondering a train trip here are some fantastic sites to help planning - www.ricksteves.com; www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com - download the latter's free and superb IMO European Planning & Rail Guide that has a chapter on each country with rail maps, possible itineraries, etc. If traveling extensively by rail then consider some kind of railpass.

Thank you Palenque.

I do like driving thru the countrysides but presume I can see the same by train. I remember the nightmare of trying to park when I visited Salzburg, so I understand what you are talking about in terms of parking challenges.

I will check out the link you provided.

Thank you again.

Czech beer is some of the best in the world (they have the original - and way better Budweiser - called Budvar I believe)- and Prague is an incredible gem, barely touched in WWII. And there are charming old castles and spas in the countryside. I would head there and pair it with Budapest or Vienna for a really fascinating vacation.

Dublin has Guinness brewery with tours.

Amsterdam has Heineken and the Heineken Experience. Check out the website.
http://www.heinekenexperience.com/

http://www.pilsnerurquell.com/in

Pilsner Urquell and Budvar are both very good beers from the Czech Republic. Love Budvar.

Considering that the wife is using found money, the Scandinavia suggestion makes good sense. It is one of the most expensive places to visit thanks to their taxes and using 5k of free cash on a place you may want to visit but otherwise might not go using your own dough would be a good idea.

If you take the suggestion, your need for landscape beauty would be met in Norway with ease, I'd think.

One of the things I've noticed about beer is that a lot of the best of it seems to come from very flat countries.

Were it me, I would head to Belgium in a flash, but you are not a marble and museums guy but a mountains guy. (By the way, since this is your wife's reward, do her preferences in destination count for something here?)

I would go to Scotland for castles, cobblestones, beautiful landscapes in the Highlands, sweet people.

Zeppole,

Of course my wife's preferences count here. We have been married 25 years, had the same life experiences and travel history. We think pretty much alike when it comes to travel.

Fly to Copenhagen - visit the brewery - take a cruise to Scandinavia and St Petersburg Russia. You would have to come up with some money of your own considering airfare etc. It would be a great trip though.

http://www.princess.com/find/itinera...e=9019&trade=E

Great! Where does she most want to go?

Do either of you care whether the brewery is just a check-off or is the quality of the beer important?

She is up in the air where we will go, thus, this question posted on Fodors to help give us ideas. The brewery is more of a check off at this point.

Given the way you described yourselves, I suggest reading up on a Scandanavian/Norwegian cruise for beautiful scenery (I'd give Russia for its museums a pass), and read up on the beautiful landscapes and charming towns and castles of Scotland. For some of Scotland -- like the isles -- I think you'd want a car.

You don't say when this trip is, but obviously you have weather to consider plus the midnight sun if you head very far north.

Thank you guys for the responses so far. We will probably travel in August or September.

Palenque,

The train and travel information provided in the guide from the link www.budgeteuropetravel.com is very useful.

If you travel to Scotland in August, you have to first read up on "MIDGES." They can be avoided, but if you don't avoid them, they can really make a trip to the highlands in Scotland just awful.

Thank you zeppole. I had never heard of the midges before. I just watched a youtube video of them. I recently decided against a summer fishing trip to Minnesota in the US because of the biting black fly so thank you for the heads up.

"I am a lover of landscape such as mountains (Alps), cliffs, waterfalls and water but we have had our fill of beaches and laying in the sand. I don't particularly enjoy being hot anymore."

Boy, that just shouted out Ireland or Scotland to me. I did Scotland in June: no midges. No problems in Ireland in July. Scandinavia is also an option and BigRuss makes a good point: Scandinavia is expensive and if you have an extra $5K to help defray expenses, it might be a good time to go there. Having lived in Norway for 4 years (some time ago), we used to say that summer took place on a Thursday in July -- I spent one Labor Day sailing trip in long underwear, sweaters, wool-lined jacket and ski cap! You won't be hot there!

I didn't have a problem with midges in September in the highlands, but I also think you have to pick where you go, and August may be more of a problem.

The Guardian newspaper recently did an article on Europe's most scenic drives, which might give you some ideas. (You're probably not going to have a problem parking in Norway, and there are other ways to see these parts of Europe too.)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/201...pe-scenic-road

Here's the Bergen-to-Oslo journey. I think you could probably do this for $5000:

Start At Bergen's ferry port or airport. Take the smaller, more exciting road via Alvik to meet the Oslo road at Eidfjord.

Route (800 miles) Michelin's excellent European road atlases highlight especially scenic roads in green. The 350 miles from Bergen to the outskirts of Oslo is green all the way – meaning many hours of non-stop pointing and gasping. Return along on the coast road via Kristiansand and Stavanger, and swap mountains for pretty coastal towns, rocky islands and car ferry trips.

Look out for Elk. They make a hefty dent in even the toughest 4x4. Gaze at snow-topped mountains, sparkling fjords, deep conifer woods and fairy-tale wooden buildings like stave churches at Rollag and Uvdal. Arendal and Kristiansand are worth exploring for upmarket waterfront shops and restaurants. Norway's southernmost point at Mandal has a cute lighthouse and chic restaurant and, towards the end of the journey, the tiny white cottages next to the sea at Skudeneshavn near Haugesund, once voted Norway's prettiest village.

Where to stay/eat Roald Dahl spent summer holidays at the whitewashed Strand Hotel Fevik (+47 37 25 00 00, doubles from £160 B&B). The elegant 30s hotel stands on a private sandy beach and the seafood here is good, too.

Ends Back at Bergen. Allow time for this world heritage city, especially gabled wooden buildings on the historic waterfront and riding funiculars and cable cars up the mountains.