Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Which cities would you consider as good for walking

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Which cities would you consider as good for walking

We are looking at visiting one city for a week. The city must meet three criteria: It must be interesting enough to spend a week in (with possible short daytrips outside the city); it must be easy to get around in (preferrably by foot or by good public transportation); and it must have areas we can stay in that are themselves quaint (we don't want to stay at an airport hotel and shuttle in, we want to be in the thick of things). I think Paris fits this description very well BUT we've been to Paris 2x in the last 3 years and want to try something else. London comes to mind, but it is expensive and did not enjoy it as much as Paris. Amsterdam could qualify. I haven't been to Rome but, reading between the lines, it sounds like it is a nice place to visit for a day or three and then to get out. I have searched for this information, and I have reviewed the thread re: your favorite cities (of which this may be kind of a subset). Thanks.

How about Prague? We spent 5 days there and took one day trip and could've stayed longer as there were a few other day trips that we would've liked to have taken. We also spent 5 days in Amsterdam which worked out well. There's a lot to do there and a lot nearby for daytrips. I could easily spend a week in Rome! There sooo much to see there!

Hi Jeff Venice jumps instantly to mind. No cars at all makes it the most walkable city anywhere, and the whole city is more than charming. The water buses are lots of fun. Tons to do in the city. For day trips, try Torcello, Padua, Treviso, Vicenza. Vienna is also very walkable, with a comact city center,super public transportation, and planty of day trip possibilities - Melk, Duernstein, Eisenstadt - some people even see Budapest on a day trip. I will say, though, that most cities in Europe are quite walkable. You'll have a good time wherever you go.

Jeff, I'm sure you'll get lots of good suggestions, and your biggest problem will be trying to decide between them. My choice would be Montreux, Switzerland. It's my favorite European destination, probably because it marries French culture (architecture, food) with the beauty of the alps and Swiss order. Here's what you can do there: Spend a morning walking along the 11km flowered lakeside promenade from Clarins to Villeneuve, passing the Chateau Chillon along the way; there are plenty of cafes to stop and have a coffee & snack along the way to replenish your strength. Top it off with a wonderful pizza & beer lunch at a lakeside café in Villeneuve, then take the ferry back to Montreux (I think the ferry stops in late Sep/Oct). Spend the morning in Vevey hunting down the antiques shops in the old town. Then have lunch at the Hostellerie de Geneve on the Pl. Marche. Take the train from Vevey to Puidoux/Chexbres, then spend a morning walking the vineyards down to the lake, hitting Rivaz & St. Saphorin. For lunch, find the Auberge du Rivaz with a terrace lake view or see if any of the cellars are having a cheese/wine tasting. Cully (esp. the Auberge du Raisin) and Lutry's well-posted tour of ancient sites are worth a trip as well. Spend a day in the mountains, taking the train to the jet-set resort of Gstaad. On the way back, stop at Chateaux d'Oex, where the only successful round-the-world-by-hot-air-balloon trip was launched. Or stop at Glion for lunch at the Hotel Victoria with its panoramic views of the lake; then walk the rest of the way down to Montreux on a stair-step path through the forest (or take the train or the funicular to Territet). Spend an afternoon in the medieval village of Gruyeres, making sure to sample the berries in creme-double. Spend an afteroon in Nyon at the Roman museum and the Caesar's columns nearby. Then go up to Ste Cergue, supposedly the last residence (and resting place) of actor Richard Burton. Spend a morning walking up to Montreux's old city & the museum & the old church. Fantastic views from the old church (can't remember the name -- but it's prominent in the old city). Have lunch at the restaurant at the museum. Here are the websites: www.montreux.ch (find their photo gallery) www.vevey.ch www.lake-geneva-region.ch www.gruyeres.ch www.nyon.ch www. lutry.ch www.concierge.com (type in "Switzerland" as a destination, then go to "Lausanne & the Alps"). www.myswitzerland.com E-mail me if I can help with other information -- s

Paige: Prague is an interesting suggestion. I'll look into it. I am not very familiar with Eastern Europe. Rob: Good suggestions. I have this (perhaps unsupported) feeling that Venice and Vienna are very expensive. Your thoughts on this? (For a framework, we found London more expensive than Paris, Amsterdam or various German cities).

I think Venice has a reputation for being expensive, but the lire is trading VERY low lately, so everything in Italy seems like a huge bargain. Same with the schilling, but I never thought of Vienna as being particularly expensive. Even when the exchange rate was less favorable for Americans, Vienna and Venice seemed less expensive than London. You'll be able to find plenty of perfectly charming, well-located hotels with bathrooms in the rooms for $100 a night. God knows what you'd end up with for the same price in London. Never been to Paris, but I would imagine it's way more expensive than either Venice or Vienna. I liked the Riva in Venice and the Christina in Vienna, but there are many to choose from. Also, consider the fact that you won't need to rent a car and gas it up. All your day trips are easy by train or, in the case of Torcello, boat.

Jeff From personal experience I would make 2 suggestions:- 1. Edinburgh. Great city, masses to do, good public transport, day trips plentiful, history, art, architecture, culture, food...I could go on. 2. Barcelona. All of the above plus a beach. (But it's not in Scotland)

Jeff - You might consider renting an apartment in Venice for a week. Some can be found for very reasonable rates, especially if you're traveling at a non-peak time. Venice Rentals has gotten rave reviews, and their deposit/reservation policy is quite reasonable.

Jeff, I agree with Venice as a great walker's city, but have to add Florence and Salzburg Austria which are IMO the most "walker friendly".

Prague is a beautiful city with lots to do. The bus day trips end on October 31 of each year. The Charles Bridge at night is most romantic. The symphony hall was redone & prices are most inexpensive. The astronomical clock with the 12 apostles is nice; good shopping for crystal, garnets, puppets; architecture great as not bombed in WWII. Berlin is one of my favorite cities & fits your criteria very well--much to see and do just in Berlin & Potsdam. Dresden is just 2 hours by train & Prague just 2 1/2 hours south of Dresden. There are other day trips you can rent a car and drive. Berlin is the history of the 20th century from Brandenburg Gate to Reichstag to Checkpoint Charlie Museum and Templehof Airfield, Olympic Stadium, museums (1 with ancient ruin), symphony, opera. People are nice, good shopping at KaDeWe Department store & Kurfustendam Strasse.

I would have to suggest Florence. WE had a lovely time and with a few day trips I think it would be perfect, and I just adore Italy!

You all are great! I try to contribute to this board when I have some info to share. It is really nice to be the recipient of the board's collective intelligence.

Hi, Jeff, What time of year? Most of the good ideas are already here but let me second (or third, whatever) the recommendations for Amsterdam, Edinburgh, Barcelona, and Prague (although I might find a week in Prague a little long, but that's just personal taste.) Let me also add Seville and Copenhagen to the list. Both wonderfully walkable, great excusrion possibilities, including Sweden by bridge(!) or Cordova or Granada. One bonus factor is the dollar's value in Spain.

Why not London? Every time we go there I lose 5 pounds walking. It is safe and scenic, loaded with Quaint and history, lots of hidden surprises (we were walking about last Jan and happened on the "John Soames" museum. Can stay in the middle of the city, near the "tubes" and get anywhere you want. We often go off season, when the weather can be chancy, but so good all around.

I second the nomination of Salzburg and Copenhagen as good walking cities. Lausanne is fine as long as you stay lakeside, but if you walk up and down the hills, you will need good leg muscles. Lausanne girls are said to have the best legs in Switzerland.

I would certainly add Rome to the list, and would also second the nominations for Florence, Venice, and Amsterdam. Rome needs at least 5 days (but 6 or 7 would be better -- I'm not sure where you got the idea it would only be good for only "a day or three"!). Florence, Venice, and Amsterdam are all smaller and can be seen well in 3-4 days but I do believe a week could be spent in each.

You might want to reconsider London, it's a great walking city I think and has marvelous parks as well. We've been many times and enjoy walking the different areas. For a day trip to a place that you could also walk about easily I'd recommend York. Two hours by high speed train, the city center is just a short walk from the train station and the center itself is mostly a pedestrian area. Very quaint old city with lots of history and a great place for a day trip for someone who enjoys walking about too. (Bath is also a great walking around in city). I'd also suggest London because you can take a boat trip on the Thames to Greenwich (and walk around there as well) if you are so inclined. There are lots of smaller towns around London that make great day trips and are good for someone who enjoys walking about. I just read that Salisbury was transforming their town center into a pedestrian area only (when we were there it was not) so that's another option. Madrid is another beautiful city, plenty to see and nice areas to walk about in as well.

Munich, Vienna, Florence, Venice, Brugges, Salzburg, Prague, Budapest, Edinburgh, York, Bath, Canterbury, Krakow, Amsterdam,

All of the suggestions above are good. One of my personal favorates is Budapest. You can go anywhere in the city and surronding areas by foot/Metro. You can easily spend a week there. I spent 7 days last year and did not even come close to seeing everything. It is very inexpensive and full of history. I also spent 6 days in Prague with plenty to do. Art

I would echo the votes for Barcelona It is a compact city, and where you dont want to walk has very user friendly local transport. It has PLENTY to see for a week, and if you add on short day trips you have well over a weeks worth to choose from... It has some lovely areas to stay in, you can stay in the heart of the gothic quarter or on La Ramblas, or perhaps up in Montjuic overlooking the city but within the park areas, or in the new more modern parts of the city... I wrote a trip report when I got back, you could search for it for a list of only a few of the things you could do in Barcelona... Kavey