Trip to Europe for Someone Who Has Never Been Abroad
 

My husband and I are trying to plan a European vacation this September. My husband has grown up in the Midwest and has never been abroad. I am looking for a trip to someplace that won't scare him out of future trips to Europe. He's heard horror stories from friends about horrible hotels and bad experiences. Any advice on an easy European primer?

I think the Rick Steves books are a good starting point for those who've never been to Europe before. They have specific information on how to get around, what makes a reasonable itinerary, what cultural differences to expect and advice re how to embrace them rather than being frustrated by them.

His hotel picks have gotten broader, but those at the low end of the budget spectrum tend to be pretty spartan. I use Fodors (see Rants & Raves on this site), Frommers, Sandra Gustafson's "Great Sleeps" series, and sometimes the Karen Brown guides, combined with text searching here ("hotel AND rome", for example) to find accomodations.

You'll need to decide on your destination(s) before you can begin much planning. Does anyplace in particular speak to you? Many people advise a first trip to the UK, since there is no language barrier to contend with.

I suggest spending some time at the library and/or the bookstore, taking a good look at the many guidebooks available and getting a feel for which suit your style and budget.

Bon voyage!

London and the British Isles would be a good place to start. You are beginning your planning a little late for September. You better decide quickly and start booking hotels.

Paris isn't that difficult and it is fun to take the fast train to Paris from London. Amsterdam is another easy one as is Brussels (Brugge).

England (or the UK) is a good first time trip because they speak English! The fact that you are computer literate & have found this forum will give you an advantage in avoiding horrible hotels & hopefully bad experiences. In addition to getting advice here, use tripadvisor.com and epinions.com to check user reviews for hotels.

Decide where you want to go & for how long. Take your interests & preference for city vs countryside into consideration. (I think many people make the mistake of going to a big city in a strange country for an entire vacation, when they live in a small town & would find a big city in the US daunting!) If you're from a small town, spend just a few days in London & then travel the countryside which is beautiful in September. While tour packages are appealing for first timers, they often use less desirable hotels that wouldn't otherwise get filled.

My other piece of advice is don't go for too long for a first trip. Get just enough so you're anxious to go back.

Hello iorioj.

It is true that while change can be fun, sometimes we want it in small doses. Perhaps you could try booking at least half of your hotels in 'chain hotel' type establishments that, while admittedly not full of character, rarely deliver any surprises. Mercure and Novotel, both part of the Accor chain, are usually solid and reliable, although not the cheapest available. Try, though, to book the odd BandB or smaller hotel, so as to 'dip your toe' into new experiences - you may be pleasantly surprised.

Others here will have lots of ideas - but first, what 'bad experiences' are you concerned about?

This is not exactly what you asked for but...find something that he is really good at and ask him to help in the planning. For example, I plan most of the trip but I am not good at reading maps and directions. My husband is good with maps so he is "in charge" of getting us around on our trip. He gets a "travel thrill" out of getting us where we want to go. After our first trip together we both enjoy yearly trips back to Europe and I can always plan on his help to get us around. Have fun and good luck!

Just to extend on Sue's answer, if you try B&B here in England, I would opt for the 'deluxe' or 'highly commended' rating which is usually displayed prominently, or written next to the name of the B&B (like star ratings). I have stayed at some quite embarrassingly bad places. But the deluxe and highly commended ones are tastefully decorated, clean, with nice amemities. One particular place in Derbyshire had a gorgeous four poster bed and the owner used to bring us fresh tea and homemade cake when she saw us coming back after a day out :)

I agree..we need to get those horror stories out in the open so we can dispel or confirm them and tell you how to AVOID it, as necessary.
Although I agree somewhat with the "language barrier" issue raised in some of the above posts, depending on where you travel, speaking only English isn't nearly the liability it was a few years ago. The Netherlands is one example of a country where most everyone is conversant, and happily so.
In terms of the so-called "chain" properties that some here seem to dislike so much (sometimes because they don't wish to pay the money)...a LOT of hotels in Europe belong to some sort of chain or another..some well-known to us and some not so much so. You'' hear a lot of people talking about "charm" when, and if, you start asking about hotels..but make certain WHAT amenities you expect and don't want to live without when you start booking..and STICK to it when you can regardless of the "charm" factor.
I also agree with the Rick Steves recommendation..a great way to start and you might also go to the Rick Steves website for some ideas.
Have a wonderful trip!

I don't necessarily agree with all the advice to stick to an English speaking country. I think it might be good to choose something quite different from home and just make sure that you plan carefully so that you know your hotels will be comfortable and friendly and the experience will be incredibly memorable (thereby ensuring future trips!)

Obviously, you know your husband's interests and curiosities, as well as your budget. But I might start with Lyon, staying at Cour de Loges in Vieux Lyon. (comfortable property, wonderful food, interesting area with helpful, friendly French people - dispelling the "arrogant French" myths) Or go even further out - Dubrovnik, staying at the Hotel Villa Argentina. Absolutely nobody can fail to be impressed and won over to European travel.

Good luck!

I think an ideal first trip would be to split your time between London and Paris, arriving first in London to get your European "sea legs" while speaking a common language (more or less), then chunnel to Paris.

I'd leave driving for another trip unless your husband really wants to try the right-hand thing.

You can get lots of good recs here for hotels once you have your budget set.

London is a great starting point, BUT how does your husband feel about really big cities - The fact that London(or paris for that matter) is a huge bustling metropolis may scare aaway some people. I love big cities, but being from the midwest

Sorry - hit reply on accident!!

London is a great starting point, BUT how does your husband feel about really big cities - The fact that London(or paris for that matter) is a huge bustling metropolis may scare aaway some people. I love big cities, but being from the midwest(assuming not from Chicago since you said "From the midwest") You may want to start somewhere smaller - like Amsterdam(holland) - or scotland,or ireland

Hi,

Am I correct that you are starting to plan for a trip to Europe *this* September?

If so, you will have to start booking hotels and airlines yesterday.

My advice would be not to try to go to alot of different places in too short a time.

To me, the potential for a "melt-down" comes in rushing around (every move - pack, check out of your hotel, taxi to train, train to new place, taxi to hotel, check in new hotel, possibly hate new hotel, unpack, etc.).

Depending on what interests your husband I would simply pick 7-10 days in Paris, or Venice, or Amsterdam. Fly directly in, stay put, see what you can on foot and public transportation.

And pick a nice normal but European hotel (not an American chain and not a B&B) in a pretty & central location of the city.

Many, many years ago... I was like your husband. But MY husband wanted to travel.(again) So.. first trip was to England: there is so much to see and do in England and Wales. Just do research.
Second trip was to Scandinavia ( my "Homeland"). Third trip was to Italy. As they say: the rest is history. -:)

I would go to the library and get some travel videos as well as guide books. That's a good way to get started.

Also, have you considered a tour? I myself am not a tour-type person, but for a first timer it is a very low stress way to approach European travel. Most airlines offer tour packages that can offer a surprising amount of freedom. We considered Alitalia's tours before deciding to go solo. They offer packages, for example, that include the airfare, hotel for a certain amount of nights, and train or car transportation. There are no tour groups to join, so your leisure time is strictly your own. It does, however, give some structure to your trip.

I would get moving, though. Time really isn't on your side for a September trip!

Out of curiousity, has your husband also heard positive stories from friends about wonderful hotels and great experiences? Reason I ask is that, while it's great to hear positive things about Europe from people here, or from travel writers like Rick Steves, the opinions of friends can matter a lot to some people.

I would suggest that you try a country other than England because part of the real European experience is to have to deal with another language part of the time. That said, many people in prime tourist locales do speak English. My second suggestion would be to choose two major metropolitan areas that are connected by good train service, like Paris and Strasbourg for example. That way you could get a feel for 2 different cities and also have the opportunity to take day trips out of the cities to smaller interesting locales so that you do not feel overwhelmed by being in big cities all of the time. Frankly, we find that much of the charm of Europe is found in the smaller towns rather than the large well-known cities so be sure to make them a parat of your itinerary. Third, I would stick to one country so that you are only dealing with one new language. Get some language tapes now and start practicing because every little bit helps and you will feel so much more confident if you at least know how to count and ask where the bathrooms are. Or, if either of you ever studeied a foreign language, choose a country where that language is spoken. Finally, do not rent a car on your first trip. We rent tham all of the time, but it would probably cause for some major marital stress trying to navigate, figure out European traffic signs and a different language all of the time. Also, if you will be taking the train, travel light.

Agree with Suze, as she makes valid points (IMO), and with LVsue on NOT driving...talk about marital stress! As many have stated here on Fodor's, so much of what you get out of the experience depends on YOUR attitude. Have an open mind, go with the flow (or bumps), and have a wonderful time! And it's never too late to travel...I'd jump on a plane tomorrow sans reservations and all if I could!

I would feel more confident for iorioj if she had said that her husband has always wanted to visit Europe but has heard . . . etc., etc. If he and his peers are of a critical mindset to begin with and expect European travel to be exactly like home and he is lukewarm about the whole idea, well then she should leave him behind and go to Europe with several of her friends. I'd hate to see her invest all that emotional effort dragging him around, not to mention having to listen to negative comments the whole time.

Alternatively, maybe they should try a short hop -- like a one-week spectacular tour in one spot, w/o a care in the world, to give him a taste and see how it strikes him. Budget permitting, of course. I don't think folks, who are not just out of college and who are used to a certain comfort/convenience level, need to apologize for making a packaged tour their introduction to European travel. Then they can return again and again on their own. IMHO. J.

There are a ton of suggestions here on where to go, but my thought would be to go where YOU want to go... That way, in the unlikely event your husband says he doesn't want to go back, at least you've seen the place you've always wanted to!! Good luck...

P.S.... I don't think you're too late to start booking hotels. I am going in mid-August, and I just booked our hotels last month. There were plenty of rooms available at great prices. Definitely try tripadvisor.com, and for reservations, I ended up using venere.com for many of the hotels...

Herrz has a VERY good point there. And I too would like to hear about the "bad experiences" and "horrible hotels".
The most important thing I've always thought is to have an open mind. If you go to another country expecting it to be "just like home", and are disappointed/angry that it isn't, then probably best to stay at home.

London is pretty manic. Assuming you may have to fly thru there anyway, I wd say stop a couple of nights just to see the icons - taking an open top bus tour would do - then go to just one other place - say Cambridge (preferrably by bus) and then return to London and fly to one other European destination. The advice to not try doing too much is spot on - take it easy; just wander. I would go, I think, to Venice because it is just so beautiful (and walkable) and accomm covers all budgets.
If u wanted to be brave, book nothing other than yr English stops - and then if u want to go further, book a flight from England to wherever. It doesn't sound as if u are on a budget so if u decide to go to Rome or Paris - or Granada or the Greek Islands - you won't mind paying top whack for a last minute booking.

Oh - and best of luck.

ionioj, how long is your trip to be and have you, not your husband, been to Europe before?

A good country to consider for first timers is Austria. Venice is magnificent, and most of the shopkeepers and many of the residents speak English. The old city has lots of charm, and is clean and safe. The countryside is beautiful, and there are countless small b&b's and inns (many at vinyards) scattered throughout the country. There is wonderful bicycling along the Danube, and well marked hiking trails throughout the country. A very 'user friendly' but scenic country.

Eyyow ! I meant Vienna! Venice is also wonderful however, and is a short hop from Austria.

Our first Europe trip many years ago started in Vienna. It's lovely, very navigable and has a small airport so as not to seem overwhelming. If your heritage is German and your husband has some acquaintance with their food, customs, etc. Austria and Germany would make a very comfortable beginning.
Otherwise consider his heritage and build around that==the kind of things that will provide some familiarity.

I agree with the last poster about Germany, Austria or Switzerland for a beginner. There's less big-city dirt, most people will attempt to speak English if necessary, and in most parts of Swtz. and Austria, the alpine/lake scenery alone will inspire your husband to want to head back to Europe over and over. The more well-planned your trip is, the better. I'm taking my 34 year old sis to Europe for the first time this Christmas, and am not going to follow my own advice: we're heading to England because she loves everything British, -always has. Even though we're of German heritage, and we'll miss the loevly holiday markets, I am going to the UK because she will feel better there.

iorioj... My Hoosier born husband had not traveled across the sea before he suggested out first trip in 2000. We went Amsterdam, Scotland and Ireland. These are places his people "may" be from. I planned the route, but not every moment, bus, hotel etc. 2 years later HE is the one to suggest the trip. It took about a nanosecond for me to start making reservations! WE are now on a European trip every 2 years plan. I hope your husband enjoys the adventure as well!

I wouldn't recommend making England a starter trip. I loved York and all of the rest of England and Wales we visited, but driving was very challenging, and I also wasn't crazy about London.

I'd start with France. For my first trip abroad, we flew into Paris, took the train to Rouen, where we picked up our rental car and then drove via a circuitous route to Honfleur, then to the D-Day beaches and Normandy, down through Normandy to the Loire and all the wonderful chateaus, and back up to Paris, where we returned our car and spent the last three days.

Driving in the country in France was a fabulous, fund experience. Language was never a serious problem.

I'm a fan of Ireland (we're all especially fond of someplace or another) but I liked Herrz suggestion best. At least you know someone's going to enjoy themselves and if you're being on the positive, well then, it may even rub off.

I don't agree that going to an English speaking country isn't a real European experience though. Can't quite wrap my thought process around that concept.
An english speaking country visit could be a good "toe in the water" and driving on the left really only takes a few minutes to get the hang of if outside the city. And you don't need a car in London or Dublin.

Over the last 15 years my husband & I have traveled all over Europe. Each place we go is an adventure. The food-the people the cobblestone streets. I'd say Greece is on tops. We were there in September the first time & you still have lovely weather. On the Greek web site you can get a travel agent to make all your arrangements. Don't try to do too much on a first trip. Savor each city & make a mental not to come back.Bon Voyage Chris

Since we have not heard a word from the original poster I guess this whole thing may have been nothing more than some sort of Troll...interesting comments, though and a very clever way to keep traffic on the board pumped up....hmmmmm...with some of the spam I've started to get I'm beginning to wonder who might be behind some of these...DISPEL my suspicions, Iorioj!!!!

Hey, even without the original poster it was a nice thread.

Intrepid, you missed the other thread where iorioj thanked everyone for responding and said they decided on England.

Yes, Intrepid et al. Sorry for not utilizing the proper message board ettiquette! :-) We have decided to do a combination of London/Scotland or London/Paris! Thank you all for sharing your thoughts and experiences with me.

Intrepid, we must have been on the same wavelength. When I saw the title again, I was wondering what the original poster thought of all this. Thanks for popping in, Jorioj.

All is not lost by the original poster not checking back in. I will be a first timer to Europe, and your comments are very useful to me. I don't have a date set, but I am arming myself so that when I get a green light, I will be ready! At that time, I can just update myself instead of not having ample time to gather all the info. Thanks for all the input from all of you.

There is probably not an answer to this, but I'll ask anyway. I am always surprised, especially after I often hear London as a great starting point, when I hear someone say they didn't like London (first-timers to Europe usually). If they were whiney, close-minded people I would expect it, but these people were not. They didn't really even have huge expectations. However, I find that many don't do that much pre-trip research, and just go off of a lifetime of heresay then are jilted by the nitty-gritty of it all. I guess you should have expectations of some aspects of the trip and be open about others.

RLA,
If you are still checking this thread, what didn't they like about London?

Having read through this thread it becomes apparent that there are lots of different reasons why people travel, with a wide range of expectations to fulfill. If I were picking my first holiday again, I would try and include some personal reason for going, such as researching family history, exploring personal hobbies or interests, or else visiting different cultures and countries/locations which have always facinated me. My own needs when travelling now must combine a mixture of Art, History, people and food, with as little connection with my own home culture as possible.