What European country next?
 

OK we have been to England, France and Italy. What country would you do next? We love the European culture and are not sure where we want to go. Any help or suggestions would truly be appreciated. Thank you.

Carole,<BR><BR>Spain or Switzerland come to mind - what time of year do you plan on travelling and what exactly do you mean by "European culture": museums, landmarks, food...?<BR><BR>Andre

Albania, it is in europe and has a culture.

Ignoring Jorge's comedic remark, I would suggest you consider a combination of the eastern European countries, with a bit of Germany tossed in for good measure. You can explore the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Austria in a single trip of two weeks or more. Lots of beautiful scenery, beautiful cities, charming villages, and nice people---all easily reached by auto or train. I prefer renting a car for maximum travel flexibility. <BR><BR>If you can fly into and out of different cities, you can construct an efficient itinerary that might also include Munich and Bavaria. I can imagine flying into Munich, making the tour of the eastern countries, and flying out of Vienna.

Has anyone been to Greece(Santorini, Mykonos) in the winter time (December/January)? What's the weather usually like at that time of the year, please?

Southern Germany has the most charming villages that I've seen anywhere in Europe. I also loved Hungary. Budapest and Prague are among the most beautiful cities you'll find. Budapest needs a full week, Prague can be done in 3 days, but there are several day trips that you can do. I found the people in both Budapest and Prague to be very nice and most of the young people can speak English. The older people outside of the cities mostly speak German as a second language.<BR>

I'd go next either to Greece or to Spain (or Spain and Portugal).

Europe has it all! Try southern Spain for its inexpensive food and shopping. I particularly enjoyed the old-world charm of Portugal. People are so nice there. And it is not expensive. I also found the Dutch people extremely friendly and most of them speak English. Good luck in choosing.

I have two favorites...Ireland and The Netherlands. Ireland for its beauty and Holland for its charm and open minded, friendly people.

How about doing Scandinavia next? The countries (Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Norway) are all close to each other, the only one further away is Iceland, and even I have never been there. So traveling to all four can be done in a fairly short period.<BR><BR>Scandinavian countries are known for being very clean and modern, but there's also a lot of history there. Beautiful old churches and castles, also museums with some interesting art and other objects. The cemeteries are usually well taken care of and have nice headstones and lots of flowers. Much prettier than the ones here.<BR><BR>Products made locally are generally of very good quality and last "forever". Not to mention beautiful, both in shape, form and color (i.e. clothing and other textiles, glass, both art and functional, wooden products, jewelry).<BR><BR>The typical food may seem bland at first, but the flavors are interesting and the dishes are well-prepared and nutritious. Seafood is plentiful, but also meat such as lamb, elk, reindeer, bear are served. And of course, international cuisine is always available. <BR><BR>The people usually speak English, and are well-educated in general. The nature is also spectacular and offers a wide variety ranging from huge fields of crop, to thousands of lakes and rivers, to high mountains and fells in the Northern area (called Lapland).<BR><BR>There's a lot more to be said about Scandinavia, but do your own research and I know you'll like what you'll learn. So DO consider it, okay!<BR><BR>Benita

I will also suggest the Czech Republic and Hungary. However, I have to disagree with Art, as I spent 9 days in Prague and made 3 trips outside of Prague, and still did not to get to see everything that I wanted to, and I was in Prague during low season when there weren't any crowds, so I would suggest at least a full 5-6 days in Prague in order to see all that there is to offer.

Get out of Europe. Go to Morocco. (okay so not FAR out of Europe, but it'd be good for you.)

I've not been yet, but I've heard great things about Portugal. And yes, since you haven't been to Spain, go there! Greece is also nice, but not in the wintertime. So Cheyenne, there's your answer. We were in Crete during winter, and it was completely deserted. I can deal with deserted, it's nice and all, but this was a little spooky.

Try the Benelux countries. That would be Belgium Luxembourg and the Netherlands. You can get a Benelux rail pass and hit all three. This way you experience all three cultures. My dad and I did this in 2000. It was a blast. <BR><BR>I love Germany too. Something along the Rhine would be nice. <BR><BR>Compared to France and Italy you will find the culture completly different. More structure. (my own opinion)

seriously I think a mediterranean cruise would be nice for you... the <BR>Greek island and turkey.. <BR>----------<BR>I mentianed Albania before cause I enjoy the out of favor countries. they tend too be more exciting (dangerous) and the stories too be told seem more interesting.. as apposed too telling a story on how I sat on a tour bus and went to the Ifel tower..