First time going to Europe. Flying into Dublin...
Jun 11th, 2013, 05:24 PM
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First time going to Europe. Flying into Dublin...
Ok, it's my first time going abroad. I found pretty cheap roundtrip tickets into dublin, so that was my main reason for choosing that destination. My itinerary is loose, and I'm basically "flying by the seat of my pants" on this trip in regards to my travel route. I have 2 months in Europe, september and october. I'm just wondering if dublin is a good place to start and if it's gonna be a pain in the ass to get back to Ireland to return home at the end of my trip. Also any suggestions on smart/inexpensive destinations upon leaving Ireland would be greatly appreciated. Any insight and suggestions at all would be great! Thanks! (Sorry, it's my first time ;] )
Jun 12th, 2013, 01:02 AM
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Peet, a few points to get you going with planning:
Returning to Dublin for flight out - I'd recommend returning the night before your flight, just to make sure you have no last-minute panic-inducing delays, so book accommodation for that night. Many cities in Europe have flights to/from Dublin, it's a popular hub, so you should be fine to get back to Dublin for your return flight.
Planning a route - you could even consider flying from Dublin to a point in Europe to start with, ie as soon as you arrive, then work your way back to the UK and then Ireland.
Suggestions - I'm sure everyone here will be more than happy to suggest destinations for you, but you'll have to give us a little more information, such as what your interests are, what you don't like, anywhere you really want to see (aka the "must see" list) and a budget (if you have one). I'm not sure of your age, but am guessing you're late 20s-early 30s? It will help if we know that too so we can give relevant information.
September and October are still busy in Europe, so booking accommodation ahead will be a good thing for you in many places. This will obviously be determined by the route you choose, but know that places like Munich will already be busy/expensive if you're looking to go there for Oktoberfest, but you may get lucky with accommodation (The Tent starts taking bookings soon, but it's not for everyone).
Get back to us with more details and you'll get plenty of suggestions.
Returning to Dublin for flight out - I'd recommend returning the night before your flight, just to make sure you have no last-minute panic-inducing delays, so book accommodation for that night. Many cities in Europe have flights to/from Dublin, it's a popular hub, so you should be fine to get back to Dublin for your return flight.
Planning a route - you could even consider flying from Dublin to a point in Europe to start with, ie as soon as you arrive, then work your way back to the UK and then Ireland.
Suggestions - I'm sure everyone here will be more than happy to suggest destinations for you, but you'll have to give us a little more information, such as what your interests are, what you don't like, anywhere you really want to see (aka the "must see" list) and a budget (if you have one). I'm not sure of your age, but am guessing you're late 20s-early 30s? It will help if we know that too so we can give relevant information.
September and October are still busy in Europe, so booking accommodation ahead will be a good thing for you in many places. This will obviously be determined by the route you choose, but know that places like Munich will already be busy/expensive if you're looking to go there for Oktoberfest, but you may get lucky with accommodation (The Tent starts taking bookings soon, but it's not for everyone).
Get back to us with more details and you'll get plenty of suggestions.
Jun 12th, 2013, 01:04 AM
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I agree with the above, I would land in Dublin and immediately head out your first destination...leaving Dublin for last so you dont need to stress about your flight home. At least get back to Dublin the day before your flight home just in case.
Jun 12th, 2013, 06:33 AM
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Two months being Eight weeks could be Four Countries. Ireland being one (two actually on one island) UK being another (three on one island) Then the choice of another two (or three if you discount Britain) Decide your countries and then ask questions on the individual forums on here and other forum sites.
Point to remember is the Baggage allowances on the most restrictive Regional Airlines will be the baggage limit of your whole trip.
Point to remember is the Baggage allowances on the most restrictive Regional Airlines will be the baggage limit of your whole trip.
Jun 12th, 2013, 12:09 PM
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Hey! Thanks for the responses everyone! Well, let's see. For starters I am thirty years old and I am a musician/artist. So music and art are a huge part of what I'de like to get culturally anywhere I go. I also work at a micro brewery in Illinois, so breweries, beer and spirits are another huge interest for me educationally as well as socially. I AM interested in the world famous "must see" attractions in the the major cities but NOT as much as I am interested in meeting the people and hooking up with other like minded travelers who have less of an agenda and more open minded to a "what should I do next" mentality. I hope this doesn't come off as ignorant. But I am, so that's why I am here. I want to travel smart and affordable. But, I also want to experience as much as possible without rushing through everywhere. Contradictory, I know.
In MY mind, I'de love to see Amsterdam, Bruxelles, Paris, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Rome, Athens, Bern, Barcelona and parts of the UK... So, major cities I could then possibly branch out from...? I know that probably sounds improbable. But for me to narrow it down is difficult without any experience of where I will want to stay for longer periods of time than others. I can, and obviously WILL narrow it down as I learn more through this and other forums. I am curious wether Amsterdam would be a good starting off point...? Budget between 5-8,000USD
Once again, thanks for any insight/suggestions, and please be patient with me here.
Be well!
In MY mind, I'de love to see Amsterdam, Bruxelles, Paris, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Rome, Athens, Bern, Barcelona and parts of the UK... So, major cities I could then possibly branch out from...? I know that probably sounds improbable. But for me to narrow it down is difficult without any experience of where I will want to stay for longer periods of time than others. I can, and obviously WILL narrow it down as I learn more through this and other forums. I am curious wether Amsterdam would be a good starting off point...? Budget between 5-8,000USD
Once again, thanks for any insight/suggestions, and please be patient with me here.
Be well!
Jun 12th, 2013, 12:35 PM
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For flights out of Dublin look at Aer Lingus and RyanAir. Ryan Air is a budget airline and sometimes offers VERY low fares (though much of the cost can be taxes) particularly if you book in advance. My Mom lives in Dublin so I've used them a lot. If the price is the same always go with Aer Lingus (better service) but Ryan Air flies to alot more destinations and many smaller airports. One thing to bear in mind is that Ryan Air is a really tacky operation and they will do anything to make more money out of you, this is the guy that suggested paying for the onboard toilet! You have to play by their rules, check in ages before, don't go over on the weight for your bags etc.
Have a look at the route map herehttp://www.ryanair.com/en/cheap-flight-destinations
Have you considered buying a train pass for the European section? Train tickets vary enormously in price and are often expensive at the last minute a pass might be a good deal for you but I think you need to buy it BEFORE you leave the US.
if you're interested in beer I think you'd like the beer halls in Prague, also the further east and south you go the cheaper it gets which could be good!
If you're looking for advice on smart affordable travel I'd also consider the Thorntree forum over at Lonely Planet.
Have a look at the route map herehttp://www.ryanair.com/en/cheap-flight-destinations
Have you considered buying a train pass for the European section? Train tickets vary enormously in price and are often expensive at the last minute a pass might be a good deal for you but I think you need to buy it BEFORE you leave the US.
if you're interested in beer I think you'd like the beer halls in Prague, also the further east and south you go the cheaper it gets which could be good!
If you're looking for advice on smart affordable travel I'd also consider the Thorntree forum over at Lonely Planet.
Jun 12th, 2013, 08:10 PM
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We recently came back from a two month trip to europe. Most of the time we were based in Paris. From Paris we took Easy Jet to Prague. Prague was a terrific desination and it sounds like you have an interest in beer ;-)
Though train travel sounds more appealing, Easy Jet was exceptionally inexpensive. Also, from Paris Aer Lingus flies into Cork so you could visit Soutwest Ireland. We took the train from Cork to Dublin for our return flight to the States. The train was very convenient and inexpensive especially if you book it a few days out.
These are just thoughts based on our most recent trip. As you say, Amsterdam has great appeal and is a wonderful city to visit.
Enjoy the planning. You certainly came to a good site!
Though train travel sounds more appealing, Easy Jet was exceptionally inexpensive. Also, from Paris Aer Lingus flies into Cork so you could visit Soutwest Ireland. We took the train from Cork to Dublin for our return flight to the States. The train was very convenient and inexpensive especially if you book it a few days out.
These are just thoughts based on our most recent trip. As you say, Amsterdam has great appeal and is a wonderful city to visit.
Enjoy the planning. You certainly came to a good site!
Jun 13th, 2013, 12:55 AM
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Thanks for advising that information Peet - glad I was close with the age! 
The first thing that caught my eye was the beer thing, the next was the music thing, so I'm going to insist you have Berlin, Prague and Brussels (and Belgium) in your itinerary...and you already have them on your list so that's a start.
Transport - Tony2phones' advise on luggage restrictions is well worth remembering (esp for RyanAir), and the suggestions of Aer Lingus and EasyJet from the others are spot on, so keep them in mind when planning flights out of and back in to Dublin. You'll see below there are budget flight options and train options as a sample, so the better method of travel between destinations will depend on your final route.
As jamikins and I have both noted, getting to Dublin then flying straight out to your first "official" destination might suit best. So as an example, you could fly from Dublin to
Brussels (check Aer Lingus) and stay for a few days, along with a train out to Brugge/Bruges (1hour) and stay there a few days as a base to visit WWI battlefields (if you're interested). There are breweries scattered around Belgium, so I'll let you work out which ones you might like to visit, otherwise the Beer Museum in Brussels used to have a beer with your ticket (!), and the Bier Circus and Celtica both have many many beers on tap to try, so you won't have to search very far.
Then, and the details below are only a suggested route, just to get you started. Plot them out on a map and you'll likely find other places you want to visit so you can mix and match...
Train to Amsterdam (try not to loose 2 weeks here!) and stay for 4 nights (recover from jetlag, see the sights)
fly (Transavia) to Berlin (4-5 nights, this will allow time to enjoy Berlin, visit Potsdam/Sanssouci Palace, etc)
Train to Dresden (1 night or if you're not super interested in the galleries and sights, just spend a few hours)
Train to Prague (I'm going to suggest you spend 4-5 nights here - time to see Prague plus a day trip to Plzen/Pilsen)
Bus to Cesky Krumlov (1 night; stunning town you should see)
Bus to Vienna (3-4 nights; there are a few shuttle bus services to Vienna to choose from, all should take around 3ish hours)
train to Budapest (just under 3hrs, you could also throw Bratislava in as a stop if it interests you)
fly to Athens (check Aegean Air as they have a few flights each week along with Lufthansa; you can also fly direct to Mykonos or Santorini but late September is the last time you can go to the islands while everything is still open, otherwise I'd skip the islands)
from Athens fly to Rome (stay 5 nights and you can also do a long day trip by train to Pompeii if interested)
train to Florence (3 nights)
train to Venice (3 nights)
train to Innsbruck or Salzburg (2 nights in Innsbruck if you want to explore the Tirol) - NOTE: you could drive from Innsbruck to Munich via Fuessen and Neuschwanstein castle if you're interested and want to see a little more of the area.
train (or drive, see above) to Munich (3-4 nights; check info on Andechs Monastery as they brew on premises)
NOTE: check the dates you'll be in Munich as if they coincide with Oktoberfest you'll find accommodation difficult/expensive. As noted before, if you want to go to Oktoberfest, get on to accommodation now.
fly to Zurich (check EasyJet and Veuling) then train to Bern, or train Munich to Bern (5ish hours)
then train down to somewhere in the Bernese Oberland like Lauterbrunnen or Interlaken.
Train to Geneva then fly to Barcelona(3-4 nights)
fly to Paris (5 nights)
Eurostar to London (4 nights)
Not sure where in the UK interests you - possibilities are endless, but you can make your way back towards Ireland and either fly back or ferry over.
Yikes! Long post, but as you can see, lots of possibilities, and I haven't even added up the days yet (may have gone over). Hopefully the above doesn't daunt you, just take your time plotting it out and researching what you'd like to see. If you can work out the must see places and start with them, you'll find the rest fall around them in some order. And you won't be able to see everything...that's what return trips are for!
Not to steer you away from Fodors, but you could also check on sites like GuideforEurope or Thorntree (if you haven't already) for additional ideas.
The first thing that caught my eye was the beer thing, the next was the music thing, so I'm going to insist you have Berlin, Prague and Brussels (and Belgium) in your itinerary...and you already have them on your list so that's a start.
Transport - Tony2phones' advise on luggage restrictions is well worth remembering (esp for RyanAir), and the suggestions of Aer Lingus and EasyJet from the others are spot on, so keep them in mind when planning flights out of and back in to Dublin. You'll see below there are budget flight options and train options as a sample, so the better method of travel between destinations will depend on your final route.
As jamikins and I have both noted, getting to Dublin then flying straight out to your first "official" destination might suit best. So as an example, you could fly from Dublin to
Brussels (check Aer Lingus) and stay for a few days, along with a train out to Brugge/Bruges (1hour) and stay there a few days as a base to visit WWI battlefields (if you're interested). There are breweries scattered around Belgium, so I'll let you work out which ones you might like to visit, otherwise the Beer Museum in Brussels used to have a beer with your ticket (!), and the Bier Circus and Celtica both have many many beers on tap to try, so you won't have to search very far.
Then, and the details below are only a suggested route, just to get you started. Plot them out on a map and you'll likely find other places you want to visit so you can mix and match...
Train to Amsterdam (try not to loose 2 weeks here!) and stay for 4 nights (recover from jetlag, see the sights)
fly (Transavia) to Berlin (4-5 nights, this will allow time to enjoy Berlin, visit Potsdam/Sanssouci Palace, etc)
Train to Dresden (1 night or if you're not super interested in the galleries and sights, just spend a few hours)
Train to Prague (I'm going to suggest you spend 4-5 nights here - time to see Prague plus a day trip to Plzen/Pilsen)
Bus to Cesky Krumlov (1 night; stunning town you should see)
Bus to Vienna (3-4 nights; there are a few shuttle bus services to Vienna to choose from, all should take around 3ish hours)
train to Budapest (just under 3hrs, you could also throw Bratislava in as a stop if it interests you)
fly to Athens (check Aegean Air as they have a few flights each week along with Lufthansa; you can also fly direct to Mykonos or Santorini but late September is the last time you can go to the islands while everything is still open, otherwise I'd skip the islands)
from Athens fly to Rome (stay 5 nights and you can also do a long day trip by train to Pompeii if interested)
train to Florence (3 nights)
train to Venice (3 nights)
train to Innsbruck or Salzburg (2 nights in Innsbruck if you want to explore the Tirol) - NOTE: you could drive from Innsbruck to Munich via Fuessen and Neuschwanstein castle if you're interested and want to see a little more of the area.
train (or drive, see above) to Munich (3-4 nights; check info on Andechs Monastery as they brew on premises)
NOTE: check the dates you'll be in Munich as if they coincide with Oktoberfest you'll find accommodation difficult/expensive. As noted before, if you want to go to Oktoberfest, get on to accommodation now.
fly to Zurich (check EasyJet and Veuling) then train to Bern, or train Munich to Bern (5ish hours)
then train down to somewhere in the Bernese Oberland like Lauterbrunnen or Interlaken.
Train to Geneva then fly to Barcelona(3-4 nights)
fly to Paris (5 nights)
Eurostar to London (4 nights)
Not sure where in the UK interests you - possibilities are endless, but you can make your way back towards Ireland and either fly back or ferry over.
Yikes! Long post, but as you can see, lots of possibilities, and I haven't even added up the days yet (may have gone over). Hopefully the above doesn't daunt you, just take your time plotting it out and researching what you'd like to see. If you can work out the must see places and start with them, you'll find the rest fall around them in some order. And you won't be able to see everything...that's what return trips are for!
Not to steer you away from Fodors, but you could also check on sites like GuideforEurope or Thorntree (if you haven't already) for additional ideas.
Jun 13th, 2013, 02:33 AM
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Let me start at the end. Last year we flew back from Dublin to the US and went through US customs in Dublin, so we had to be at the airport at least three hours before the flight.
For art Paris, London, and the major museums of Madrid plus the current art of Berlin. The art in Barcelona is in the streets in its modernisme architecture. And Italy is just a stunning country from an historical and art persepective.
The last country I would visit in terms of art and music is Switzerland.
Prague has an overly serious American jazz scene played by Europeans. Since jazz was not theirs originally there is this odd sense of solemnity.
I found the Tate Modern disappointing but the Pompidou Centre is always engaging. And I am not a big fan of Impressionism or Romanticism but Musée d'Orsay has an excellent collection and it is a spectacular example of a public renovation.
One of the quirkiest towns for its topography and art is Cuenca about 2 hours from Madrid by train. It is built on the side of a gorge and has a abstract art museum that began when Franco was in power.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuenca,_Spain
For guide books The Michelin Greens are the best for sights and brief histories. Rick Steves knows nothing of art and is proud of it. And Lonely Planet, Time Out, and Rough Guides are for the traveler on the budget who likes an edgy opinion.
For art Paris, London, and the major museums of Madrid plus the current art of Berlin. The art in Barcelona is in the streets in its modernisme architecture. And Italy is just a stunning country from an historical and art persepective.
The last country I would visit in terms of art and music is Switzerland.
Prague has an overly serious American jazz scene played by Europeans. Since jazz was not theirs originally there is this odd sense of solemnity.
I found the Tate Modern disappointing but the Pompidou Centre is always engaging. And I am not a big fan of Impressionism or Romanticism but Musée d'Orsay has an excellent collection and it is a spectacular example of a public renovation.
One of the quirkiest towns for its topography and art is Cuenca about 2 hours from Madrid by train. It is built on the side of a gorge and has a abstract art museum that began when Franco was in power.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuenca,_Spain
For guide books The Michelin Greens are the best for sights and brief histories. Rick Steves knows nothing of art and is proud of it. And Lonely Planet, Time Out, and Rough Guides are for the traveler on the budget who likes an edgy opinion.
Jun 13th, 2013, 02:53 AM
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hint - look for low cost apartments in big cities .... most will have a washer/dryer, cutting down on the amount of clothing you have to carry.... for example www.rentparis.com
Jun 18th, 2013, 03:46 PM
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Thank you to everyone here who replied! I am blessed and amazed and deeply appreciative for all the feedback. Especially madamtrashheap, thank YOU for taking the time for that lengthy (and seriously helpful) reply! Any and all other advice or tips are still greatly appreciated and wanted!
Jun 19th, 2013, 09:01 PM
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I'm glad someone brought up Cuenca (www.cuenca.es), but the trip takes only 51 minutes now, not 2 hours. The high speed line opened a little over three years ago, and Cuenca has become a great place to go for lunch; Figon del Huécar (www.figondelhuecar.es) or Las Rejas (restaurantearsnatura.com), and visiting "El Museo de Arte Abstracto Español de Cuenca" and the Catedral de Cuenca is a pleasure.
