Traveling Europe 2009 need help!
 

We are leaving in the Spring of 2009, will be arriving in Dusseldorf, Germany. Will be gone for a month and will have the eurail pass also. Can you give us some suggestions as to where we should go. I have been several times but my traveling companion has never been. We would like to see Germany, France, Monaco, Italy, Austria, Capri, and Zurich. I want to see Munchen for sure and Roma. All help would be appreciated.

Since you've already decided which <b>countries</b> you want to visit as well as Munich, it would be a <b>lot</b> easier to advise you (other than the usual &quot;you are doing too much&quot; &quot;anser&quot; you'll undoubtedly get from some folks) if you mentioned some of your interests such as castles/palaces/museums/outstanding scenery, etc.

Dukey: You may be right about doing to much. I would like to hit the high spots and some charming quaint places. My companion likes to go to out of the way (reach by train) places. We need help with reasonable hotels, our transportation will be train and airfare is no problem. Like I say I have been several times and don't really care what we see, since I have seen most already, but I really want them to get a flavor of everything. I thought traveling by train we could see a lot since we won't have to put up with traffic. I have always loved Europe and we both like to walk. Thank you

Take a look at Rick Steves, Trafalger or some of the other tour operators and see what they highlight on their longer tours and see what interests you.

Thanks AisleSeat. I have several reference books already. But can't find Rick Steves any place.

That's odd. Many of us have trouble avoiding him.

www.ricksteves.com

There are lots of great itineraries on his website.

I will try Borders and Barnes and Nobel again. Can you tell of some of your experiences also?

St. Cirq, that is funny

jenblase
Thanks for the website address. I will check it out. Do you have any marvelous places that you would suggest we try?

If you are going as far as south as Capri, I hope you will include Pompeii.

I suggest you drop the idea of stopping in Monaco entirely.

Consider stopping in Lugano.

Check into the cost/possibility of an overnight ferry to Napoli or Roma from preferably Marseilles, but also Nice or Genova.

If you and your traveling companion would like to get a feel for Europe, try to avoid the destinations where the local population is heavily dominated by foreigners, day-tripping non-locals, and ex-pats. This would include Monaco, Capri (go to Procida or an island off Roma instead), Venezia, Firenze and no doubt others can name other places outside Italy.

I generally am fascinated everyplace I go -- except tourist destinations. I sometimes think, however, that a lot of people would be happier with their grand, sprawling sightseeing tours -- especially with a companion - if at least one of you picked a focus or theme, such as:

places you have always dreamed of seeing

places that have been the settings of your favorite books or movies

a certain kind of architecture, antique or modern

a certain period of history

a hedonistic pleasure (water activities, cheese tasting, clothes shopping, stargazing, pastry eating)

a personal passion (motorcycles, jewelrymaking, ceramics, summit climbing, music)

you'll see a great more, but it might stand out in sharper relief if you're not just wandering through cities with a &quot;must-see&quot; list. Bring your own understanding of life to these places. See how people do what you like to do in a different culture.

Hi Zeppole:
You are opening my eyes a great deal. Capri was mentioned for the Blue Grotto. Roma of course for the Vatican. However, I am open to everything. We love art and plan on going to museums as much as possible.

The Blue Grotto is really not a great reason to go to Capri, especially in Spring, when rough waters might cancel all trips into it.

Capri is so far south -- it's your southernmost location at this point -- that you really should stop at Roma in Italia and turn around and start heading north again.

Are you focusing on the Vatican for a specific reason? Does the antiquity of Roma interest you? (Doesn't have to.) But if you like museums, you should go to Roma's Galleria Borghese. You should spend at least 3 days in Roma.

Many museums require reservations.
The best museums in Italia are in Roma, Venezia, Verona, Perugia and Pisa, Tarquinia, and for unusual museums, one goes to Torino, but the single greatest town for art museums in Italis is Firenze (Florence). You might want to go there.

You plan on visiting 5 countries in 30 days. That's six days apiece. Not a lot of time for all the geography you plan to cover, because you'll be on trains a good deal of the time.

Why do you want to go to Zurich?

You are so kind to help me out this way. It doesn't have to be Zurich, maybe I should have said Switzerland. I have never been to Switzerland and would like to see it. I am Catholic, hense Roma. I am a big people watcher and enjoy walking. Munich is to see the WWII ruins where the games were played in 1972 and the Deutscher Museum I believe would be an interest to my companion. Anymore suggestions?

&gt;&gt;My companion likes to go to out of the way (reach by train) places&lt;&lt;

&gt;&gt;I would like to hit the high spots and some charming quaint places.&lt;&lt;

I can only really advise you about Italy, and it's not possible to figure out how you should proceed there until you know where you are coming from and where you want to go after Italy. Since you are arriving in Dusseldorf, you'll either be coming to Italia by way of Austria or by way of France. Do you know yet which one?

But since you know you are going to Roma, I will say at this point that you might try to find inexpensive lodgings in Trastevere. (A convent there is one cheap possibility.) That will put you in a good position to spend time at the Vatican, people watch and have something of a village-feel in Roma.

The Swiss train system is very good, so you can see the countryside using them, which is harder in Italy, but not impossible.

My original plan, which is not cast in concert, was to head south from Dusseldorf to Trier, Paris, and south to Monaco. Then we were going to head for Roma with a side one day trip to Capri. From Roma head north again through Austria. This is all temporary. I am open for suggestions.

Okay! So now we know you are probably coming into Italy on the Med, headed toward Genova, bound for Roma, then out by way of train lines that take you toward Venezia.

Presumably you're going to want to hook up with new friends, do spur of the moment things, etc., so let me just offer some general observations about that route, given your interests and budget, and the fact you are traveling in Spring.

There is little reason to linger along the Mediterranean in early Spring. You might want to keep moving toward Roma at a fairly fast clip.

I see very little reason for you to stop in Monaco, an expensive town filled with modern condos and rich old people. If on your way to Genova, you have to stop out of sheer exhauastion, some nice places to do it along the train line are Menton, Cervo and Albenga.

You probably don't want to stop in Genova, which is expensive and confusing in layout.

Beyond Genova, if you want to stop, le Cinque Terre is touristy but pretty and a lot of backpackers are there to trade notes with. If you would rather not deal with other foreigners, some cheap and pretty towns between Genova and Pisa then Bogliasco, Sori or Sestri Levante might work for you.

Pisa is actually not a bad town to stay in so long as you get beyond the immediate area of the Leaning Tower.

I advise you not to go beyond Roma on this trip. A day trip to Capri requires great timing, perfect weather, and it's expensive.

For Roma, I do recommend finding lodgings in the quarter known as Trastevere.

Going in or out of Roma, the town of Orvieto has an astonishing cathedral.

Both Bologna and Ferrara on the train line between Roma and Venezia have a lot to offer.

If your boyfriend wants to avoid Venezia, staying in Padova or Treviso might be what he's looking for.

In general, you can't go too wrong just taking a chance on getting off the train and finding out what an Italian town or city has to offer. If your boyfriend wants to steer clear of the big ticket destinations, it can still work out. Most Italian towns are stuffed with great art work, although the best museums are in the cities.

http://downloads.raileurope.com/map_...ope/italy.html


have fun!

Thank you for your help.