Jocelyn

I am trying to plan my first trip to Europe, but I have no idea where to start! Any suggestions? Countries, attractions, anything would help me to plan. Thanks.

k

The first time I went to Europe,I went to London.<BR>At least while everything would be different,I would be able to speak the language<BR>Then I went to France.<BR>Start with a country then we will discuss the city and what you should wear~lol

Rex

I always recommend that you starrt by telling _us_ WHY it is that YOU _think_ you want to go to Europe? Are there visual images that come into your mind? Did you once learn a little about language, history or art - - and want to learn more? Are you drawn by the prospect of foods or wines or fashions that you think you will love, fast cars or music? Are you a city person, or outdoorsy? <BR><BR>What do you already have plenty of? People who live on the coast of California may not be so impressed with Amalfi. If you live near the Tetons or Aspen, maybe you want something different than Switzerland.<BR><BR>Answer these questions and then we will tell you the next place to go, to hone your ideas - - to the library or bookstore where you need to immerse yourself for half a day in big coffee-table sized picture books and find what makes your mouth water.<BR><BR>Your question is about you. It is not about Europe. "We" CAN lead you to water - - but first we need to know if you are a horse - - a Clydesdale or a Shetland pony - - a mouse or a Bengal tiger.<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex<BR>

Lucy

Like k, for my 1st trip to Europe I started with 10 days in London to 'ease' myself into it & then 2 weeks in Italy which was fantastic. LIke Rex said, if you give us an idea of what sort of scenery/culture etc that interests you we'll be able to be more specific in giving advice. Happy researching!

sherise

My first time to Europe. This pass january. It was very cold, to me; comming from CA. I had a great trip. I visit Belgium and Pair; and the country side of France. Two or three hour out side of Pair. My fiancee tak'en me around alot of places, in Europe. He lives there, that made it easier,for me. Becouse I spoke very little french. I injoyed my stay in Belgium, becouse the people was friendly. It's not a fast moving place like Pairs. The people are rued in Pair. Like some, New York and San Francisco people. I had a fantastic trip, I will be, going back. It good to, travil with some one, who knows , the country, and speak the lanuage. It makes your trip much easyer. <BR>Don't wear a banner stating Im from the U.S.A . you don't won't to be a target.<BR><BR><BR>P.S.<BR>Enjoy your trip to Europe, you will have a fantastic time. The Lord will be with you.<BR>

tom

my first trip to europe was paris. spent a little over a week in the city and the surrounding area. as for k who said she went to london first cuz at least she knew the language...when i was in paris i was surprised to find that every single person i spoke to, save 1, knew english very well. so don't let language be something that holds you back from someplace. while it may cause a few problems in small places, you shouldn't have much trouble in larger cities. <BR>have fun

ttt

to the top, for Jocelyn<BR>

BOB THE NAVIGATOR

Set your parameters first--that will determine the feasibility of locations.<BR>WHEN? HOW LONG? BUDGET CONSTRAINTS? CAR OR TRAIN TRAVEL? After 21 trips to Europe I have learned that you pick the location based on macro criteria. And, assume that you will return. Holler if you need more specific help.

wes fowler

There's a "formula" I've found to be fairly valuable in determining where to go, what to do, in Europe. I call it the 5W/1H system. Who, what, when, where, why and how. Answer the following questions and you'll be well on your way in trip planning. Who will be traveling? What are their interests? When will you be traveling? Why have you chosen Europe? What do you hope to accomplish? How will you travel? <BR><BR>Start with answers to these questions and do a text search here on an earlier posting captioned "How do you plan your European trip?" It has prompted a number of interesting and valuable responses.

Steve Mueller

<BR>A good trip to Europe takes awhile to plan, especially if you are only going to be there two or three weeks. This is a good place to get the type of input you need for a succesful visit.<BR><BR>The best piece of advice that I can offer only applies if you are driving. If this is the case, choose all of your hotels so that they are near the main train station, a famous landmark, or the largest cathedral.<BR><BR>The reason for this is that you can literally spend hours looking for your hotel. Driving around an unfamiliar city with signs posted in an unfamiliar language while distracted puts you at a high risk of a traffic accident, not to mention the frustration that you experience. It's advisable to minimize intracity driving as much as possible, particularly when you are tired and have a lot on your mind.<BR><BR>I developed the station/landmark/cathedral strategy by trial and error. There are always signs pointing drivers to the main train station, and this is almost always true for well-known landmarks (historic town halls, palaces, etc.). Follow the signs, and you will end up somewhere near your hotel.<BR><BR>I added the cathedral option on our last trip to Alsace. We stayed in Strasbourg at a hotel across the street from the famous cathedral. I arranged this so we could find the hotel by driving toward the highest steeple in town. The plan worked perfectly. We spotted the spire several miles outside of town and worked our way toward the cathedral.<BR><BR>You don't have to drvie to the exact location of your hotel. Once you are within a few blocks, park the car and find the hotel on foot. The staff will then tell you where you can park closer to the hotel.