Which countries to visit on first trip?
 

We have never been to Europe, and would like to go this summer. Will have 2 weeks. What countries / cities should we see for a first trip? Thanks!

Um well, what have you always wanted to see/do? Cathedrals, people-watching, world famous icons, museums (and if so, what type - Impressionism/Expressionism/Art Noveau/Art Deco/Fauvism/Modernism?), restaurants, bistros, brasseries, famous peoples resting places, fashion, nude beaches, clothing-optional beaches? Do you have a problem with the language barriers? If so, go to England/Ireland/Scotland/Wales. If not, take a choice? Do you want to see some of the countries from where your ancestors derive? I'm not sure. Give us more input. Tell us what you're looking for, what countries interest you, what you DON'T like, what you expect, etc., etc., and people will be more than happy to respond with her/his expertise/non-expertise. Please give us at least SOME guidelines, parameters to go by.

I could tell you what my first trip to Europe was- I have always wanted to go to England ,so when the opportunity came-we went to London ,then after that,we went to Paris, then on to Italy,and so on and so on...Anon said it best, you sort of have to have some kind of feeling about it yourself,that will guide you some..Isn't there somewhere that you have dreamt of going someday?

Sorry, I should have given more details as to what we are looking for. <BR>We're not into museums or art. We're interested in beautiful scenery, quaint towns, pretty architecture, mountains. We only speak English.<BR>Don't care for big crowds or big cities.<BR>Thanks for any advice!

First time to Europe? I would like to say that Rhine valley in Germany couldn't be missed. It's a delight! Swartzwald (the Black Forrest) mountains in South of Germany offer plenty of scenery. Once there go to Colmar (France) to see an open-air museum because the entire old town is like a museum. West of Austria (Salzburg, Innsbruck) is worthy to visit the same Prague, Budapest and don't miss the town of Sibiu in Transylvania.

I reckon Scotland's north-west coast and mountains are among the best scenery in Europe (I am English if it matters) if you want an English speaking area. You would not have any language problems in Norway which is amazingly beautiful and where an astonishing number of people speak English. I am also something of a Spain addict and Sicily is stunning. I would be doubtful about France, great as it is, unless you are prepared to speak at least a little bit of french. When you have decided on an area I may be able to help more as I have formed the habit of making a folder of notes on the computer after a holiday.

Learn four Italian phrases (words): Hello, Good-bye, Thank you and Your Welcome and go to Italy.<BR>I would try either Lake Como(Como, Bellagio, etc) or Sorrento(Capri, Amalfi coast, Positano, Ravello, etc).<BR>I think you'll have a problem as far as not liking crowds. Would you go into an empty restaurant? I would rather go to a restaurant that is full of people.<BR>My opinion.<BR>

Switzerland

Linda, I think that any place you visit will probably have it's charms. I just did two weeks in Italy - Rome, Tuscany and Florence. I had a wonderful time. I found the planning pretty easy and there's lots of info from questions and trip report on this site. The people were friendly, the food delicious and the sites incredible. It's a hard but wonderful decision to have to make. Have great time.

Maybe if you want to stay within an English speaking atmosphere-the English countryside.Great in the summer..I would go to Cornwall if able to go in the summer..taking a train from London then renting a car in Devon,driving wherever I wanted to go.Rent a cottage.Or Scotland, fly into Edinburgh,stay there a couple of days then travel on to one of the islands..So many places to go, so little time~

Since you only speak English and it's your first time abroad, I would suggest England, Scotland & Wales. <BR><BR>Fly into London and spend a day or two there recuperating from your jet lag. London is a big city, but it's spread out so that it doesn't feel like a big city.<BR><BR>Then head for one of the villages in the Cotswolds. "Quaint village" is the reason that the Cotswolds exist. From the Cotswolds you can make a few day trips: Stonehenge/Bath, Stratford-Upon-Avon, etc.<BR><BR>After a few days in the Cotswolds, head for Edinburgh Scotland. Edinburgh has a beautiful castle as well as the Palace of Holyroodhouse. You can also take a drive to Glamis Castle, the fictional setting of the play Macbeth and the birthplace of the Queen Mother. <BR><BR>Further north, Scotland has some beautiful areas, especially if you go into the Highlands.<BR><BR>You may also want to dip into Wales and see some of their great scenery.<BR><BR>

Linda<BR><BR>I just brought up a thread discussing the virtues between Ireland & Scotland. This might help you.<BR><BR>I think you have a lot of great suggestions here: UK area, Germany (the Germans are known to speak EXCELLENT English - but it's best if you try to speak a few phrases of German - not difficult at all), Italy, Switzerland. All these places have wonderful scenery.

Linda--<BR>From what you have said are your interests, my best suggestion for a summer trip is to spend it traveling across the Alps, preferably from west to east, then back again if you need to return from where you landed. Ideally, you could land in Zurich, for instance, and depart from Munich. Otherwise, make up a looped itinerary that travels outward from Munich or Zurich and returns there via a different route. Why do I suggest this? Because the Alps of Switzerland, France, Austria, Italy, and Germany offer incredible scenery, lots of charming villages, some beautiful larger cities, and lovely lakes. Learn about 10 to 15 basic words in each of German, French, and Italian, and you won't need to worry about your English. Besides, you will always be able to find someone who speaks English no matter where you are. Rent a car in Munich; it's the lowest cost, and drive through a route of your choosing. Don't worry that you haven't done it before; just make sure that some of the words you learn are those that you are likely to see on road signs. And be sure to get an autobahn pass for driving on autobahns in Switzerland and Austria; you can buy the pass at any tobacco shop and at all border crossings. And now that the euro is official, you won't need to worry about keeping several different kinds of money. Send me a direct e-mail message if you would like some specific recommendations on the route, the towns, the scenery, and places to stay overnight on the way. Good luck.

Linda,<BR>Where to go depends entirely upon what your interests and those of your fellow travelers are. Most of the suggestions you've received so far are the subjective responses of travelers who have suggested locations that met their interests. Only you can decide where to go and what to see.<BR><BR>To begin, determine what you hope to achieve from your trip. Visit your library and local bookstores to scan through travel guides to see what piques your interest and that of your companions. Invest time and effort in contacting the various national tourist offices for free brochures (all have websites; any good travel guide will have addresses, phone and fax numbers of national tourist offices in your country).<BR><BR>To help in your planning do a text search here on "How do you plan your European trip?" You'll get some excellent ideas about how to go about planning to maximize your European experience.<BR><BR>Finally; don't be overly ambitious. Don't try to see all of Europe in two weeks time. Europe isn't going anywhere; what you don't see on your initial trip will be available to you on future journeys.<BR><BR>If you'd like specific help in your planning, feel free to Email me directly. I'd be more than happy to offer ideas and suggestions that may be of interest and help to you. I'm not a commercial travel agent; my planning advice is free.

Linda, I think Wes's offer is most generous. I consider myself to be an experienced European traveler. But, Wes has helped me sharpen my planning more than once. <BR>

I recently went on my first trip to Europe, and I went to Greece. It was AMAZING. Practically everyone I had contact with spoke English. Went went to Athens (only spend a day, 3 was too much), Mykonos & Santorini. Santorini was my favorite, the scenery is just unbelievably beautiful. My next trip to Greece I plan to go to the Ionian islands, which are closer to Italy. You may want to do a week in 1 or 2 of the Ionian islands and then go to Italy for a week.

Linda, we spent 2 wonderful weeks this October in Germany and Italy. We started in Munich, and then visited many little towns south including Oberammergau where we stayed for 5 days after Munich.We stayed at the Alte Poste Hotel which was excellent. Thanks to Wes' wonderful day trip itineraries saw many things we might have missed including the Weischurch a marvel.We drove into Austria to Innsbruck and Garmisch and Reutte and it was all delightful. You don't need a car in Munich. It is a wonderful city for getting around on public transport and there is so much to see. we stayed near Leopoldestrasse in Schwabing and it was a great location. we were lucky enough to get a room in the main inn of the Englischer Garten hotel . We picked up an Opel at the train station in Munich when we were ready to travel on and drove over the Brenner pass into Italy. It was spectacular and the autobahn was excellent . we just stayed out of the left lane and let those big guys go by in a blur of fast kilometers!!<BR>We only went as far south as Verona where we had 3 days but wished we'd had more.. it too is a terrific walking around city with history at every turn.<BR>So take Wes up on his generous offer of the itineraries and enjoy.<BR>

Wes makes an excellent point. Do some research to see what interests you. A good first travel guide are the "Europe for Dummies" series. Sounds like you would be interested in touring the countryside. The places were English is widely spoken are England and Switzerland. I have not been to Europe but my sister and nephew have and they have given me good advice. If you are going to stay away from major cities and don't plan to learn a language I would stick to the UK or Switzerland. My sister says in other countries most of the English speakers tend to be in urban areas.

Topped with how do you plan your trip?

Our first European trip was a Trafalgar Bus trip...sounds awful but it gave us a great overview of Europe with the highlights. The guide was good - giving us some local histories. We then kind of picked out the regions we really liked and wanted to return to have a more indepth visit. <BR>Certainly a bus tour isn't for anyone but we found it a good intro to Europe.

My first time to Europe was London, Paris, Edinburgh & some of the surrounding areas. Edinburgh has great views. When I took my wife for the first time to Europe, it was Paris & Munich, & into Austria. Some of the best scenerey I have ever seen was in southern Germany & going into Salzburg. <BR>When I took my oldest son for his first trip to Europe, it was Paris & London. When I took my youngest son the first time it was London. If worried about language, Britain is the easiest to manuver for first timers. Scenery for me was best in southern Germany. But Scandinavia has its share of scenery also, & the large cities are actually big-little cities, Oslo has a population of a few hundred thousand people, Stockholm, & Copenhagen were also eay to navigate. It also depends upon how indepth you want to travel in an area. Two weeks including travel days & jet lag recovery, would be good for Britain, Scotland, & Wales, with plenty of time to see surrounding areas. Or a few less days in Scotand or Wales or England & you could include an introductory 3 or 4 days in Paris.

It depends on how adventurous you think you are. If you are not sure how comforatable you will be (and there is no reason to be uncomfortable anywhere over there), I would suggest the Brit Islands, since the language factor makes it easier. Signs, legends in museums, etc. Also, it is a little easier to relate to some of the historical aspects.<BR><BR>If you are not concerned about that, Paris or Rome. I love the countryside and small towns of several countries, but for the first timer, I would go to the biggies.<BR><BR>True they are crowded, but the reason that they get so many tourists is that there is just so much really great stuff to see and do.<BR><BR>Don't try to go to a lot of places. Two or three cities, and relax. If you are nervous, you can buy an extra ticket and take me along as a guide/luggage carrier/or anything else.

I have visited most of the countries in Europe and I have loved all of them. I think that the English countryside would be very good for a first trip. There are many lovely places to visit and the guidebooks can help you decide. In 98 my friend and I took a train from London to Hever and walked from the train station through woods and fields on a marked trail to Hever Castle the childhood home of Anne Boleyn. This walk is described in a small book called "Short Walks in Britain". We walked by a country tavern and stopped for lunch. It was one of the nicest things that I have done in Europe. I hope you have a great trip. Europe is wonderful!

Wow, thanks to everyone!<BR>Great tips! So helpful!<BR>Sincerely,<BR>Linda

Three words: Paris, Amsterdam, Rome. You won't be sorry. Four days in one, five each in the other two. Enjoy.

Thanks again to everyone for all the great information! So helpful! Everyone is so kind!<BR>Linda

So Linda,<BR><BR>What itinerary have you planned? I'm sure everyone here is curious to know.<BR><BR>Or just give us your trip report when you return. You could title it Linda's trip report & remind everyone of their contributions to your post.<BR><BR>In any case, have a lovely trip!!

Depends how many more times you want to go back to Europe. I would suggest starting from the least favourite choice and going to a "better" country each new year.We started with Italy and every country paled in comparison after!

Fly to London - rent a car drive to Cornwall continue driving around Cornwall seeing many quaint villages, , St. Ives see lands end. Drive to the Cotswolds for really quaint villages thatched roofs, the whole bit-tourists yes but except for Broadway you won't notice that many.<BR>Driving may take up some of your time and with only two weeks you may wish to do a train car combination. Wales is the place for wild countryside beauty but that may be another trip for you. Good Luck

Dear Mary and everyone who has so graciously offered advice:<BR>We have narrowed it down to Germany's Bavaria, Austria, and if we have time,<BR>a little of France and Italy. So much to choose from! Wes Fowler is planning our itinerary for us! He's wonderful.<BR>Thanks again for EVERYONE'S help!<BR>Sincerely,<BR>Linda

please make western ireland part of your itinerary. it has everything you are looking for per your second posting.

I have a slightly different take on your inquiry. One of my very first trips to Europe was the "If it's Tuesday, it must be Belgium" kind. I personally felt that was a good way to go (get a Eurail pass and check out several countries). That trip gave me the lay of the land and believe me it will end up with you wanting to go back for more.<BR><BR>On that initial trip, I found places I really wanted to go back to and some where I just wasn't all that excited about. Now when I go on trips, I concentrate on one area. And in fact I often go on trips where I stay in one city (London, Paris, Rome) for a week and just absorb the culture of that one city.

<BR>On our first trip to Europe, my wife and I flew into London and out of Paris. After four days in London, we took the Chunnel Train (Eurostar) to Brussels and spent a week visiting Amsterdam, Brugge, etc. as day trips. We then spent the last five days in Paris.<BR><BR>Starting the trip in London got the trip off to a smooth start because the language barrier was minimal (although I wouldn't say non-existent). In Belgium and Holland, the language barrier was only slightly higher because so many Dutch and Belgians speak fluent English. Only in France did we finally encountered a significant language barrier. Typically, the hotel or restaurant manager spoke recognizable English, but clerks, waiters, etc. either didn't speak it at all, or so poorly that I couldn't understand them.<BR><BR>Another advantage of that trip, was that we didn't spend a lot of time on a train or bus, or in a car. London, Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam are relatively close to one another, so we didn't spend a lot of time looking at each country through a window. Also, since we explored Belgium and Holland as daytrips from Brussels, we only stayed in three hotels (London, Brussels & Paris), which minimized transfer hassles and confusion.