Where to go in Europe in 9 days?
 

I will be meeting my husband in Paris around the end of Jan to the 1st week in Feb. We would love some great sightseeing places in Europe to go, or how would you spend those 9 days in Europe? We cannot decide...PLEASE HELP US!!! Would you also try to visit Moscow? (we know it will be COLD!!!) <BR>Thanks - Helpless Lynn

I would try to do Paris, London & Berlin. Travel by train.... <BR>Good luck!

Lynn, such an open question as yours doesn't give us much to work on. There are so many great places in Europe. What are your interests? Have you read about things in the past or seen movies that have given you an urge to go somewhere specific? Paris and London might be good suggestions. Since you have several months to prepare, I urge you to get some travel brochures or literature and see what peaks your interest. Then come back with more specific questions and you will get a lot of help here. <BR>Regards, <BR>Art <BR> <BR>

I lived in Europe for some time as a teen ager, my husband has never gone, and I am researching London, & Paris. I was hoping that someone may have gone on a 9-10 day tour of Europe and tell me what they wish they would have and would not have done. I.E. Would you go on a group tour, or travel by yourself exploring only cities of interest, etc. Any suggestions on your favorite spots would be great. My husband truely loves history, and castles and Roman artifacts are of great interest to him. Thanks so much!!! Lynn

Lynn: While 9-10 days may seem a lot in the abstract, in the reality of traveling it's a fairly short period. I wouldn't venture as far as Moscow unless that is a particular grail for you, and if so I'd plan to spend half the trip atleast there. Barring that, I'd stay in France and go to the Loire or Normandy or Champagne or Burgundy or Alsace, or perhaps take a side trip to London using the Eurostar. Really, it's hard to say without knowing more of your interests. But don't think that you can hop around Europe in winter in 9 days from country to country - that's unrealistic.

For 9 days I would stick with two cities with no longer then an overnight train ride away. Contrary to what you may think it probably will not be VERY cold in Moscow, but I would not go there in winter as some of city's natural beauty is better seen during the spring-summer-fall period. <BR>Also, for winter travel I would stick to the larger cities and not try to cover too much. <BR>You plan on visiting Paris and London sounds good. You can also include or (substitute London with) Amsterdam. Including some of the famous Italy sites sounds appealing but I'm not sure how's the weather in Venice/Florence/Rome during that time of the year. Rome is probably the furtherst I would go as it is about 15 hours by overnight train.

Hi Lynn <BR> <BR>France has roman ruins -- Lyon, Nimes, Avignon, etc. Lyon is 2 hours from Paris, Nimes is an hour or two from Lyon (a day trip, I didn't like it enough to stay overnight). Avignon is a nice area to stay overnight (and be close to Nimes too.) Hey, it's not Rome, but it might give your husband enough of a fix. <BR> <BR>Try the Loire Valley for the chateaux (Chenenceau is the best.) We stayed in Tours overnight -- we had set up our chateau tour through Touraine Evasion, I believe. They have a web site. <BR> <BR>You can go to Brussels as a day trip from Paris. <BR> <BR>All these things can be done on your own. Take a look at sncf.com and get your train schedules and fares. Hotels are not difficult to find either, you can check out the cities on the net and they usually direct you to hotels. <BR> <BR>Good luck!

I cannot thank you enough for the ideas!!! I hope they continue to come as I am researching all these wonderful places. <BR> <BR>What can you suggest to see in Brussels or Amsterdam? <BR> <BR>Paris and London I think is where we will most likely stay, possibly venture out to one of these great cities: Normandy, Lyon, Amsterdam, Brussels, and maybe Kort (i think i spelled it correctly it is in Ireland) <BR> <BR>Yes I guess I am a true woman at heart, so many places, not enough time, and I cannot make my mind up. <BR> <BR>If you think of any other web sites to visit, PLEASE let me know!! <BR>Thanks a million!!! <BR>Lynn =)

If your husband loves history and castles, then I would go from Paris through Switzerland to Munich and on to Berlin. You will see your castles and Berlin is the history of the 20th century as well as having an entire ancient ruin in the Pergamon Museum.

Lynn, <BR> <BR>I just got back from a seventeen-day trip, encompassing Vienna, Switzerland, Paris and London. All are familliar to me from previous trips, but four places in this time period was the MAXIMUM I could have enjoyed. For nine days, I would recommend a maxumum of three "home bases," so you don't spend all your time going from hotel to hotel, packing and unpacking, and orienting yourself. <BR> <BR>My interests are the same as your husband's. My choices would be Paris (don't miss Cluny -- medieval on top of ancient Roman,) London, and one other place in France (this is where someone else will have to help) for Roman ruins and a relief from "big city-itis." Day trips are plentiful from London and Paris too. <BR> <BR>There is so much to see and do in London and Paris that I wouldn't try to squeeze in Amsterdam and Brussels, and certainly not Ireland or Russia. <BR> <BR>I've never taken a group tour, but a several-hour guided tour the first morning in a new place can get you oriented for the rest of your stay. <BR> <BR>I'll be happy to answer any other questions if I can. Any friend of history, castles and antiquity is a friend of mine!

Hi again Lynn <BR> <BR>Brussels -- the over-rated Mannekin Pis HAS to be seen (just to prove to yourself it's over-rated), the BD museum (Belgium is the "home" of Tin Tin!), and just walking around is fun. Oooo! And buy chocolate!! I recommend Neuhaus -- much better than Godiva. Day trip from Paris. <BR> <BR>Amsterdam -- you can make it one L-O-N-G day from Paris (4 hours one way by train, I think), but taking the canal tour is the highlight. Of course, the Anne Frank museum, and the Van Gogh museum. <BR> <BR>Lyon is a great city (under-rated, in my opinion, but I live here and am biased), and a good "gateway" to Avignon and Nimes. Good museums, very walkable, full of history. There are several websites for Lyon too. <BR> <BR>Yes, you're trying to get too much in. You're going to run yourselves ragged! But what the heck, you'll see a lot. I understand completely -- I schedule my trips according to times museums are open, location, etc. Rome almost did us in! :-) <BR> <BR>