trvlndance

The first time I went to Europe I was 20 and taking part in a summer abroad program in Paris. I was able to visit London and areas in Brittany and Normandy. I have to say its an experience that changed my life. I had never had a desire to visit europe before that point and from that day forward I can't wait to go back. I only wish I had more money to go back more often.

atp2007

P.S. Forgot to mention that there were no American TV shows on the tellie, mainly billiards competitions and sheep dog trials (which I really miss), so my East Coast accent was considered strange and amusing. I was often asked if I had come to work in the North Sea oilfields, the only reason Americans were there, which was the last time the Pound was so high against the Dollar.

Finally50

After dreaming about it for many years, I finally made it to Europe when I turned 50! I spent 2 weeks in Italy- starting and ending in Rome, but covering a lot of country in between.

When in high school, several girlfriends promised ourselves that "if we ever turn 50......" never dreaming how quickly that day would come. Thanks to the film, Under the Tuscan Sun", our dream started to take shape and in September of 2007, when we all turned 50, 2 of us were able to coordinate, work, school, family and all the demands of life and fly off.

The dream grew from the Tuscany region and we eventually covered a lot of Italy, from Rome to Sienna, Florence, Milan, Vienna, Florence again, Naples, Sorento(side trip to Pompeii and Herculeneum), Capri and finally back to Rome.

It was everything I dreamed and more. We are now planning another trip, just the girls, for 2009 and hope to keep at it as long as we can. Hopefully as the demands of kids and family ease up a bit, we might be able to make it an annual event.

Florida1

I first went to Europe at 15.

I went to England-specifically Windsor, to stay with a friend. She had been in my 4th grade class - her father was teaching for a year at the local university. We kept in touch for all the years after they moved back and I finally got to visit her between my sophomore and junior years of high school.

We saw all the London and Windsor sights and rode bikes around Windsor, met her friends and had a grand time!

llamalady

I was 19 - took a bus from the west coast to Boston.....that alone was
worth the price of admission for an
innocent not-yet-abroad! Then a
freighter to England. Stayed for just over a year - hitched all over
the continent. And survived.

zelphiacat

1. Age 24

2. Flew into Munich then spent a week in Innsbruck (stayed at the Europa Hotel) and made a side trip through the Dolomites/Cortina and on to Venice.

3. Familiarization Trip for work

Have been to Europe since, 10 times.

Suspaul

1. 41 years old

2. Flew into Hamburg, Germany via
Frankfurt from Houston, Texas,
picked up in Hamburg and
driven to Stade, Germany

3. Company sent husband to Stade
for a 13 month assignment


Prior we had traveled mainly throughout the Caribbean and Mexico, our goal was to visit all of the islands, however the assignment in Germany changed that. It was so easy to travel around Europe, we made the most of it on the company dime and have continued, usually traveling to Europe 2-3 times per year. We are spoiled.

dickensdad

1. Age: 20

2. Countries visited: England, Scotland, France, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, and Italy

3. Circumstances: Studying in England.

Next visit to Europe: age 51 (visited daughter who was studying in Rome).

Additional visit in 2005 (Florence, Italy)

Next trip: Rome and Sorrento (March 2008)

lukehead

1) 15
2) Amsterdam
3) Exchange student that didn't get exchanged. Host family mother had a heart attack 2 weeks before my arrival. Program couldn't find a replacement in time so I spent 4 months bunking in the hotel managed by the European director of housing for the exchange program. He and his family felt so badly for me (and 2 others in similar situations) that they made sure we had a fabulous experience although we never went to school. The year was 1958 and exchange programs weren't nearly as sophisticated as they are now. Much advance paperwork was necessary to get us into schools. Although we spent most of the time living in a hotel, they made sure we spent time with families and young people. We traveled on our own by train to Germany, France and Switzerland and visited much more than the normal tourist sites. It was the beginning of my love affair with the Netherlands - I've made 10 return visits - and my world adventures which now include Mongolia (chaperoning 8 14-year-olds) and Budapest right after the collapse of communism and China in 3 different decades. Can't stop - next trip is to Czech Republic in October. If possible I'll get a weekend in A'dam this spring.

Our world is full of wonder, how I love it!

lolfn

age 19

junior year abroad in brighton, england.

traveled all over europe during that year.

Susan7

1. 1 or 2 years old

2. Kent, England

3. Visiting relatives and family friends.

lauraallais

1. At what age did you first go to Europe? 20, in 1999

2. Where did you visit? Stayed in London. Visited around England, Wales, Ireland, Scotland, Amsterdam and Paris

3. What circumstances took you to Europe? Study abroad program. I definitely caught the bug that semester. In May, I'm taking my fourth Eupropean trip.

mirolex

In '53, my mother & I went to England on a freighter from New Orleans to Liverpool, I think. Had a birthday on the way over; think the ship's chef made a cake. She was a war bride & it was her first trip to see her family in St. Helens (Lancashire then, Merseyside now), between Manchester & L'pool. Next trip in '83 to re-visit family.
90-93 he was civilian RN w/US Army in Wuerzburg, Germany; long weekends great for short trips - Florence once, Switzerland another time. Shopping trips to Karlovy Vary, Pilsen, & Prague, Czechoslavakia.

Each summer we drove to UK & around, trying to see as much as poss. in 2 wks., always the Lake District - gorgeous! Edinburgh once.

2 more trips in '99 & '01; made it to Ireland for 2 days - lovely, must repeat for longer! Always try to spent 4-5 days w/family; great source for day trips.

Would love to go again - today!!

mlgb

1. 19 or 20

2. England, Denmark, Greece, Israel, Sinai Peninsula.

3. To visit family in Israel. My uncle was running a summer camp. My younger brother and I took an odd assortment of charter/student airlines that routed us thru the above countries. We traveled around Greece by train and bus to Corinth, Delphi, Mycenae, Nafplion. In Israel and the occupied Sinai, my uncle's camp took us down the west side of the Red Sea to Sharm El Sheik,(where there was a posted shark watch while we snorkeled, we climbed Masada and Mt. Sinai, and visited the monastery at St. Catherines. Also took the bus up around the sea of Galilee and visited Sfad, Haifa.

frestonia

1) 32 yrs old (back in '03)

2) England (London, Newbury, Oxford, Bath)

3) To meet my hubby's (then boyfriend) family. They live in good ol' Wickham in the Berks. Since then, been going to England every year. My sis joined us last year. It was her 1st time in Europe. She & I embarked on a girlie trip to Paris, Florence & Rome.

LosAngeles90004

My European trip was 11 years ago to England when I was 23. I was dating an older man, now my husband, who took me to the lovely Claridge's Hotel in London and Chewton Glen in the countryside. I can still remember my first Pimms Cup and playing croquet out on the lawns. And I felt quite proud driving all over the place on the "wrong" side of the road.

zooey91

1. 19.

2. Dusseldorf -- Copenhagen -- Munich -- Grindelwald -- Montreux -- Stockholm -- Trondheim -- Molde -- Lilehammer -- Oslo -- Kristiansand -- Odense -- Copenhagen -- Amsterdam (-- Jerusalem -- Tel Aviv --) Amsterdam -- Paris -- Barcelona -- Paris -- Le Havre -- London -- Edinburgh -- Kyle of Lochalsh -- Edinburgh -- Newcastle -- London -- St. Ives -- London

3. I was taking a semester off before transferring schools, and I had two brothers in Israel, the Montreux Jazz Festival was about to start, and a couple of friends were about to drive around Scandinavia. Kind of the archetypical 3 month Eurail Pass sleep on trains and at youth hostels late '70s find yourself trip.

tomassocroccante

StCirq ~ A friend who has a great little house in Italy financed her central heating and other winterizing by negotiating an Oct-April rental to a neighbor (whose own house was none too warm in winter). She had to use her savings for the work, but has replenished it in just a few years.

mari5

Lots of very interesting stories!(skimmed, but want to read thoroughly)

I was 36, husband 39, children ages 7,8, 10. We moved overseas for 5 years...3 in Dakar, Senegal W.Africa, and 2 in Lisbon Portugal.(oil company) (35 yrs. ago ..yikes)!
But such a wonderful and fun 5 years)
One summer we took 5 weeks and spent 2 wks. driving around on our own in Kenya,Tanzania..and then flew to Europe for 3 weeks driving and covering lots of territory.
Moved back to TX when the kids were teenagers and after they were off to college my Husband and I have traveled to Europe once or twice a year,seeing a big part of Europe, mostly by car. Always fascinating.

However...the most thrilling time was the FIRST trip on the way to Dakar.. We stopped in London for 5 days (husbands business) and the thrill, in the 70's , of being in that beautiful city just took my breath away.

joannadee

First traveled to Europe at age 21. Sailed to England, then to Holland, bought a new VW in Kassel, Germany and drove around for 3 months.....Switzerland, Italy, Greece, France, Spain.

A friend and I wanted to do a grand tour and it was wonderful!

Some years later wound up living in Norway, Nigeria and Italy for 6 yrs.