First time travellers to Europe
 

My partner and I plan to go to Europe next year and we have never been before. We will have at least 6 weeks to spend there and have no idea where to start and how to do it. I have done lots of research and getting myself more and more confused as there are too many places to see. As this will be our first trip can anybody recommend the best countries we should cover, bearing in mind we probably won't cover them all as it would be too rushed. We are both in our early 50's and are reasonably fit so don't mind doing a bit of walking etc. Would an organised tour be the best for the first trip or should we tackle it ourselves. We don't want to rush through too many countries and miss things, a more leisurely pace would suit us best I think as we will probably go again in the future. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

What do you enjoy doing? Do you speak any foreign languages? Are there any Must Sees already on your list?

You won't be able to see it all so focus on a few cities and some smaller towns so you can have an in-depth experience. This is much better than running around trying to fit it all in and returning home with all the sights blurred together.

In 6 weeks you can choose a variety of locations. You'll probably get people responding with their favorites so there's no guarantee that we won't add to the confusion! :)

Most organized tours run you around so it's best to do your own planning.

For a first pass:

- Paris (with a few day trips outside the city) and at least one other location in France, perhaps the Alps or Provence.
- Italy - Rome, Florence, Venice and then a few smaller cities or a countryside for a week with a rental car (Tuscany and Umbria are popular).
- Amsterdam for a flavor of the Netherlands.
- Then something different. One of my very favorite cities is Krakow. It's historic with lots of varied sightseeing and the people are so friendly to tourists. I'm assuming you might be American and not many Americans visit Poland unless their heritage is from there but it's a wonderful country.
- You can combine Krakow with Prague or Berlin or Vienna with another week in the Czech, German, or Austrian countryside.

That would cover your 6 weeks.

You have tagged your thread fort the UK - but no others. So which country(s) are you considering. >>I have done lots of research<< . . . so . . . what sorts of things have you discovered or decided you want to visit?

No one really can give useful advice w/o knowing at least a bit more -- what sorts of things do you enjoy/want to see? Are any places 'musts'? What time of year are you traveling? Presumably you have looked at some guide books.

Good catch, janis. I didn't notice as the OP had originally tagged on to a very old thread with no country tag. I've asked the editors to remove the UK tag as it will inhibit participation from people knowledgeable about other places.

BTW - you can always connect with local walking tours or private guides to get expert knowledge of an area.

Ah - now I see it :)

Welcome to Fodors Soulch: Trust us - it will get easier (I mean posting). Don't let these little snafus bother you. There is a TON of help here on Fodors. But you need to help us out a bit. What country(s) have you considered?

You may want to consider flying into one country and out of another so you don't have to backtrack. This is called booking an "open jaw" flight.

I think starting in the UK is a nice way to begin European travel as it is quite different than the US but you won't be struggling with the language. London has a great deal to offer. You could start there for a week and then do another week or so visiting places in the countryside.

Paris is easy to visit from London as you can take the Eurostar train directly there. 5-7 days there would be lovely. You could then travel to other areas in France for a week or two: Provence, the Chateau country, the Dordogne...

I love Italy -- Rome, Florence and Venice are my "must sees." You might consider 5 days in Rome, 3-4 in Florence, 3-4 in Venice.

These are just some thoughts to get you started. Other countries and places may appeal to you more but I think the UK, France and Italy would give you a good feel for some of the variety and wonderful places Europe has to offer.

Happy planning!

Thanks everyone so far for your input, the countries that most interest us are France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany for a start.

I would allocate more time to France and Italy than Germany and Switzerland for a first trip.

So 2 weeks France, 2 weeks Italy, and one week each Germany and Switzerland.

"...the countries that most interest us are France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany for a start."

That corner of the planet where France, Germany and Switzerland meet up is particularly interesting for visitors. A visit there would allow you to sample all three countries without traveling huge distances and to see/do more with your feet on the ground.

Check out the many options, all within 2 hours of Basel, Switzerland (an interesting city itself, especially for those interested in art)

Switzerland: Interlaken, Bern, Lucerne, Zürich (but check costs in Switzerland before making big plans - very pricey.)

France: Colmar, Strasbourg (which is only 2.3 hours from Paris)

Germany: Freiburg, Black Forest villages like the old walled town of Gengenbach: http://www.stadthotel-gengenbach.de/...innenstadt.jpg

Italy will also be pricey in major destinations, especially so in summer.

I wouldn't try to tell you how much time to spend where until you've explored your options some more - that's something you'll probably figure out on your own based on your interests.

did not see whether you are going by train or car or bike or foot, etc but trains make the most sense if going to the tourist magnet cities you've been dreaming about all your life - cars are a complete hassle in places like Paris, Italian cities, etc - for a lot of great info on European trains check out these IMO superb sites for planning such a trip: www.ricksteves.com; www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com - download the latter's free and excellent IMO European Planning & Rail Guide for lots of rail-oriented itineraries in each country.

If traveling more than a handful of days on the train look at some kind of Eurailpass or country passes - like in Switzerland a Swiss Pass covers much more than a Eurailpass does - mountain trains, etc. www.swisstravelsystem.com has lots of great info on Swiss trains, passes, etc.

If cities is all you plan to focus on, I'd definitely travel by train. On the other hand, for a trip that long, I'd want to mix up cities with seeing some of the beautiful countryside. The logistics of train travel mixed with car rentals can be a bit daunting, though, so I'd keep that in mind when planning.

The big three are London, Paris and Rome. Consider starting your planning around those three then add you next level of favorites as time permits. My next level would include, Venice, Amsterdam, Munich, Swiss alps, Salzburg, and Vienna. I am sure everyone has their favorites and will be happy to add to the list.

Venice would be at the very top of my list - totally unique city that to me is the most beautiful city in the world I have visited and I've seen most of the biggies.