screen_name_taken

Not meaning to offend anyone, but since when is Turkey considered a european country? I know, Turkey was "admitted" into the EC, but my old geography lessons tell me Turkey is part of Asia. Then again, my geography lessons took place about 40 years ago! and not in the US ...

as for the OP's question - Paris and Rome. No question. IMHO, of course

danon

"Turkey (Turkish: Türkiye), known officially as the Republic of Turkey (About this sound Türkiye Cumhuriyeti (help·info)), is a Eurasian country that stretches across the Anatolian peninsula in western Asia and Thrace in the Balkan region of southeastern Europe"

danon

"97 percent of its area occupies Anatolia, the peninsula of land that lies between the Black Sea on the northern coast of the country, and the Mediterranean to the south, where the continents of Asia and Europe meet. The remaining 3 percent of the country is in Thrace, a region in the southeastern Balkan peninsula."
Yes, most of its territory is in Asia.
It not yet the member of EU .

walkinaround

i didn't mean to start a boring debate about whether turkey is in europe (as said, the vast majority is geographically not). everyone has their opinion on this and with the EU debate, we've heard them all already. even if turkey was in the eu, it's not really culturally aligned with europe and therefore is a bizarre choice to recommend as a destination for a 'first and only' visit to europe. why not also recommend morocco, which has great food, loose cultural ties with europe and also has applied in the past to join the european community? why not morocco AND turkey in the 14 days? i'm sure the OP would go home with a real feeling that he experienced europe in his first and only visit!

spaarne

walkinaround:
<i>even if turkey was in the eu, it's not really culturally aligned with europe and therefore is a bizarre choice to recommend as a destination for a 'first and only' visit to europe.</i>
I agree 100%. But please don't die before you go to Istanbul for at least a week. Istanbul is in Europe geographically but in another world culturally. The food and the people are wonderful.

kleeblatt

Honestly, I found your inquiry was written in a snobby and condescending style, which provoked me to reply in the same essence. You basically like and and want to see everything, which makes any reply difficult.

If I were to advise one of my American cousins on what to see here in Europe, I'd say:

1. London - to get used to Europe but it's all still in the English language. Do hop on/off bus - 3 nights

2. Paris- Do hop on/off bus - 3 nights

3. Rome: The history is remarkable and the inner city fabulous - do walking tour of the city and colesseum and definitely do Vatican museum tour (preferably w/ guide)
- 3 nights

4. Venice: Dying beauty that needs to be seen. Don't forget to visit Burano and Torcello - 3 nights (w/ possible daytrip to Verona)

colduphere

Ean drop in at Schuler's place for a night so you two can work out your issues. She is on my proposed Paris to Rome route.

mamcalice

If you could add a few days, I would agree with Schuler with one exception. Much as I love Venice, I would recommend London, Paris, Rome and Florence, since you told us that EATING is what you enjoy most of all. The food in Florence, as well as the rest of Tuscany, is fabulous. However, with only 14 days, I suggest London and Paris or Italy (Venice, Florence and Rome). In either case, you could add a trip into the countryside to visit a small town or two. I think Paris and Rome are the "must sees" of Europe with London and Florence as close seconds.

kleeblatt

Hi Cold,

When you get here, we'll rent bikes and go up to Goeschenen and ride down to Fluelen, jump on the boat to Weggis, get on the cable car up to Rigi Kaltbad, go on a hike, stopping in at a few mountain huts to get tipsy on Cafe Zwetchgen and then end the evening in the sauna. How's that?

colduphere

Oh my. I feel like I'm in a sauna already.

danon

"Much as I love Venice, I would recommend London, Paris, Rome and Florence, since you told us that EATING is what you enjoy most of all. The food in Florence, as well as the rest of Tuscany, is fabulous."


Some restaurants (serving Italian or French food) in New York are better than many in Rome /Paris.

StCirq

The point is, Venice is not known for its food.

Iowa_Redhead

StCirq, no, it really isn't! It's gorgeous and fun, but definitely not a top food destination.

However you can still get good food (and with research and/or luck can even get great food) so I think I would still suggest it as a "must see" destination, even for a foodie.

TDudette

ean1879, welcome to Fodors! As you can see, we are a diverse and fun-loving, albeit opinionated, group of travelers.

Even though it may not seem so, you HAVE come to the right place for travel advice.

My husband (DH) and I "did" the Rome, Florence and Venice described in a tour book in 11 days. We vowed to return to see what we'd missed in all three.

Paris, London and Rome have earned the right to be "must see's" so I would read about them (and Istanbul) and concentrate on one. Day trips are good options but you must decide what calls out to you the most. Since you are with a sweetheart, Paris seems a logical choice.

I'll be curious to hear what you decide.

danon

"The point is, Venice is not known for its food."


Is EATING really an essential factor in selecting a travel destination when visiting a country or a continent for the first(or any) time ?

And how much food can one consume in 10-14 days?

tejana

Everyone should see Paris at least once in their life - it should be a law. Beyond that, the best mix of food and culture (for me), and what I would recommend for a first timer, is a classic Rome-Venice-Florence tour. If you figure 7-10 days in Italy, plus a 4-day weekend in Paris at either the front or back end, you have a perfect holiday.

StCirq

<<Is EATING really an essential factor in selecting a travel destination when visiting a country or a continent for the first(or any) time ?

And how much food can one consume in 10-14 days?>>

Hell if I know. That's what the OP said, though. I'm just responding.

danon

"Hell if I know. That's what the OP said, though. I'm just responding."

OP said some confusing things to start with..
As much as I like a good meal, I cannot imagine "eating my way through..." as a focus of a trip.
Perhaps living in a city with a number of excellent restaurants makes a difference.
On the other hand, to each their own.

alihutch

To be honest, it doesn't really matter where you go. All the countries are so different from each other, and from the USA that you will see things that will be new and wonderful.

Wekiva

In 1999 we spent 2 weeks going from London, Paris, Wengen, Florence and Rome. It was a GREAT introductory visit to Europe and we had a blast. Some here will say that's too much to do in 2 weeks...but we loved it. In fact we're going just about the same trip next spring with our children (2 families with kids ranging in age from 8 to 14). We dropped Florence and will now do London, Paris, Murren and Rome in 2 weeks. That would be my recommendation for a great, first trip to Europe for people who don't mind moving around and don't want to settle down in one or two spots. For both trips we did it on our own with trains and didn't use a tour.