aliam

this fall my wife of 22 years and i will be making our only trip to europe. we have 3 weeks to spend and we have to be watch our $$ very carefully.it is not the most enjoyable way to travel but we want to sample as much as possible in such a small time frame. what do you suggest if you only had once chance to see europe. unfair question but...

Apres_Londee

You can do things on the cheap and have a fantastic time so don't worry about that.

Everyone is going to ask you the same questions, and they are things you and you wife should be thinking about- what are your interests? Do you like big cities or prefer rural areas? What would your dream trip look like if you had unlimited time and money? Sounds silly but that can be a place to start to generate some ideas as to what is important to you. Then you can scale back accordingly.

I would advise against approaching this trip as your one and only chance to go to Europe (even if it is). That way of thinking only leads to frustration at what you are missing, instead of focusing on the wonderful things you get to see and experience. So think of this as planning the best possible three week trip for you and your wife "right now" (besides, you might be surprised by what the future has in store- you never know, you might end going back again or even several times)

One way to go about it is to choose three bases to stay, and rent an apartment at each of those three destinations and take a daytrip or two to places in the surrounding area. This can help save on transportation costs, which can add up quickly.

Or, with 3 weeks lots of people do the classic London-Paris-Venice-Florence-Rome itinerary.

The options are obviously limitless and depend on what you like and your comfort threshold for things like language barriers and cultural differences. There must be something you or your wife have always wanted to see, otherwise you wouldn't be wanting to go to Europe in the first place. The Alps? A particular painting? The Eiffel Tower? Pompeii? The Mediterranean?

Start with that and your exact budget and go from there.

elberko

I think your first step is to make a list of the things you've always wanted to see. Everybodys list is going to differ.

THEN you can come back for help in seeing if your list is workable.

~Liz

pja1

Hi,
Your question is very broad and without a hint of what you would like to see or experience. There are many ways to travel if you're watching your $'s. Staying in family owned B&B's and Pensions just outside of major "tourist" cities or in smaller towns and villages is just one example os stretching your $'s. We love the Alps in Bavaria, Austria and the Sud Tirol (Italy). Without more info, it is very hard to give recommendations or advice.

Paul

Aduchamp1

Because of the price of gas and exhange rate, Europe is very expensive this year.

In order to save money, please read guide books which will explain which creature comforts you will be able to afford and what type of restaurants you can expect.

Renting an apartment in a city may be a good alternative to a hotel. Think of how much money you can spend and that will help determine where you go and for how long.

dgassa

Not knowing your budget, it's hard to respond. We did it on $150 a day, not including airfare and car, by staying in B&B's in rural areas. We ate our main meal at lunch and snacked in the room at night. This was in the spring of 2006, so it would cost a little more now. You can read about it here:

http://www.slowtrav.com/tr/tripreport.asp?tripid=1259

carolyn

If I truly could only ever go once, I would want to see London, Paris, Rome, Venice, and somewhere in the Swiss or Austrian alps.

Have you considered a highlights group tour? They are fast moving, but you can get a taste of different places. Then you will know where you would like to go back to in the event you are able to make more trips.

janisj

How much per day can you afford?

Have you bought your plane tickets yet?

As the others - what are your interests? What have you dreamed of seeing/doing?

Europe is a HUGE place so w/o some direction/info from you, no one can give useful advice.

LJ

Places my DH and I are very thankful we took the time to see in Europe: London, Paris, Rome...but everyone will tell you that. The next list is those places that we found and are very special to us: Lanciano, Italy;Salzburg, Austria, Delft, Holland; Noto, Sicily; Brampton, England; Biarritz, France and Lossiemouth, Scotland.

My point is that the BIG list is predictable BECAUSE they are universal favourites. But YOUR trip to Europe will undoubtedly turn up some individual spots that become YOUR favourites, because of a meal, a view, a moment... And money will have little to do with the ultimate success of your trip, if you don't let it!

ira

Hi A,

With 3 weeks, for 1st timers, I suggest

Fly into London, Eurostar to Paris, fly www.myair.com to Venice, train to Florence, fly home from FLR or PSA.

You could substitute Rome for Venice and Florence.

A less expensive 3 weeks would be fly into Venice - 4 nights, train to Florence - 5 nights, train to Rome - 5 nights - train to the the Amalfi Coast - 6 nights, fly home from Naples.



Or do the trip in reverse.

twk

I know some will object, but I would suggest that you look at Rick Steeves books. I think his Europe overview would probably have an itinerary that would fit your requirements. I woudln't rely on his hotel or restaurant reccommendations (you'll get better specific reccommendations here) to any great degree, but he can give you a feel for what type of budget you will require. Steeves is very opinionated, and doesn't offer a comprehensive overview, but if you want concrete suggestions for a budget traveller, he'll give you his idea of what you should see and how you should do it.

Aduchamp1

The last person I would trust with a possible once in a lifetime vacation is Rick Steeve's.

He is simplistic, uneducated, and often wrong.

aliam

thank you very much for your words that were both wise and encouraging.
i have been finding planing the trip to be an overwheling process. with your suggested
process i feel more confident that i can put together a trip of a lifetime. have a great day

Michel_Paris

I think that I agree with others. The first question should be: tour or independent? Once you answer that, then you drill down based on your choice.

Either way, it's not a bad idea to at least have a look at what a 3 week tour would cover. If you decide to plan your own trip, you'll have an idea of what to see. Note that tous would move at a faster pace than an independent tour would (should?) move at.

As others have said....ideas of interests, budget (minus airfare), drive or not, country/city, museums or not,etc...Any places you've always dreamt of seeing? Any things you would like to do (swim in the Mediterranean, climb the Alps, see Stonehenge,place where ancestors came from,etc...)

suze

Are you considering an organized tour? It's not something I usually recommend, but for a one time only trip, to cover as many places as possible, in a short time frame, and for people who have never been to Europe before... I think it might be worth looking into.

dfr4848

Besides what everyone else has said, and with which I agree, I would consider a mix of the "usual" large cities and also plan on some of the smaller or less urban places to really enjoy Europe. Someone mentioned the Alps, and I would certainly include parts of Switzerland, Austria (the Saltzgammergut) or Germany (southern Bavaria) in your plans. Even near large cities, there are some wonderful places that would not be out of the way (like Bruges near Brussels if Brussels ends up on your list; or Ceske Krumlov near Prague - just to give a couple of examples)

Give us some more details about what you enjoy, and we'll be glad to provide some more thoughts.

pja1

I actually like Rick Steves. I don't always agree with his suggestions, but overall, I like his books.

Paul

janisj

&quot;<i>I actually like Rick Steves.</i>&quot; We have that debate on here about every 3 weeks. Let's not derail this thread off into the usual &quot;Love him/Hate him/Change your clothes Rick&quot; ditch.

Michel_Paris

A tour will &quot;cram&quot; in many cities and countries, see the highlites in each place, and be simple...since ~all you need to do is show up: transportation, hotels, some meals, etc are all taken care of.

But if you really wanted to go at your own pace, or adjust the city/countryside time, or see particular places that are not covered by a tour...

Another possibility is to combine a tour with a stay. Let's say you do a 2 week tour, which will acclimatize you to European travel. At the end, you spend the last week in one (maybe two) locations. My first ever visit to Europe was a tour leaving from London. I arrived a couple of days early and was able to explore and settle (get rid of jet lag, figure out currencies,etc.) before heading off.

Myownheroine

Get Rick Steve's Europe Through the Back Door. He recommends money-saving strategies, and lays out a 3-week Europe trip.

Here's what he recommends for three weeks:

5 days: Paris, Swiss Alps

7 days, add: London

10 days, add: Rome

14 days, add: Rhine, Amst/Haarlem

17 days, add: Venice, Florence

21 days, add: Cinque Terre, Rothenburg/Bavaria