Travelling in Europe

[Godwynn]

If you go to Prague, be wary of the cab drivers.

 

[Riffraff]

Hmm maybe some imput from my travel experiences:

Definately spend loads of your time in Spain. It's simply a beautiful country with fantastic cities - recommend you visit a couple of the medium sized towns (Salamanca, Sevilla, Valencia ...). Spain is also really cheap, you can get a beer with a snack (pincho) for virtually no money (1,5-2&#8364 and it saves you having to get dinner in the evenings!

In Germany you'll definately want to hit Berlin for some days, probably one of the most exciting towns in Europe. Look out for a bar called Dr.Pong!. My hometown Munich is very lovely in Summer, don't come for visiting sites though. Your time would be much better spent lying round in the english garden with a cool drink while watching pretty girls. Remember that in contrast to other places, running around with a bottle of beer at 12 in the afternoon is not considered anti-social but completely acceptable. Make use of this!

Apart from that, avoid the tourist traps in Italy (Venice!) and maybe try going hiking in the alps for a few days if it isn't too hot.

 

[REDY]

My hometown Munich is very lovely in Summer, don't come for visiting sites though. Your time would be much better spent lying round in the english garden with a cool drink while watching pretty girls. Remember that in contrast to other places, running around with a bottle of beer at 12 in the afternoon is not considered anti-social but completely acceptable. Make use of this!

I have made virtual visit of Munich in game Gabriel Knight: The Beast Within recently.

 

[onedreamer]

Well, so far I plan to go to England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Poland, Czech Rep., Slovakia, Hungary, Spain, Portugal, Finland, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey. So it's kinda hard for me to narrow it down.

Just pick any of those countries, I guess, and tell me what there is too see. It's a broad question. There's no need to answer 'go see the Eiffel Tower' or 'Switzerland is nice'. I know that. What largely unknown attractions are their to see that most people wouldn't normally consider seeing? Are there any standout things to do/see in your own country?

First and foremost, don't put all countries on the same level. There are countries that take more time than others to just have barely seen something.
About eastern countries, especially former USSR, be ready to be extorted money in the most curious ways In Russia I would limit my visit to Moscow and St. Petersburg. I know that they aren't unknown, but you really can't afford going into unknownland places in Russia unless you are taken by Russian friends that you can really trust. I found Moscow to be a modern metropolis (modern in the mentality) and St. Petersburg to be still sovietic in this sense. You'll be treated as a rich capitalist no matter what
This said I should speak of Italy of course. Here it really depends on what are you interests, because there's really a lot to see and experience. It depends on the season: summer or winter. It depends if you're interested in visiting cities of art, museums etc, or skiing or trekking on the Alps, eating some local food in a shelter at 2.000m, or spend a week at the beach; or explore geological areas of interest or who knows what... so try to go a bit more into details.

 

[Kosez]

P

France - The Versailles deserves at least a half day. Get there early or you will die lining up. And I mean really early. When I went there at like 8.30, there was already a short queue (25 metres) when I got there. I waited for an hour (combination of Striking French workers and opening time) and the queue shot up to 200 metres. It gets longer in the Afternoon. Chances are, because of the large amounts of people, you will not be able to enjoy it slowly. But its worth the visit. Afterwards, go to the Garden behind. Spend a half day there. Rest on the grass, go (rental) biking in the huge compound. It's worth it. There is also a smaller summer palace in the Gardens that is very beautiful and is not really choked with people. Go there too.

Another way to do it is to go really late, when I was there entrance was free of charge after 5 p.m. and there were no big queues for interior tour.


If you could give us a hint on your preferences (cities/nature, people/buildings, museums/nightlife) I believe we could be of a greater assistance.

 

[Yeekim]

Ukraine - Nothing much here. Like Sqounq said, Lwow and Kiev are only notable places. I was very bored in Ukraine, not to mention political situation is deteriorating.

Well, Crimea is very beautiful and has lots of interesting history. Also, the girls there...
However, I personally would not dare to venture into Russia, Ukraine or Belarus without some knowledge of Russian.

 

[TheLastOne36]

Well, Crimea is very beautiful and has lots of interesting history. Also, the girls there...
However, I personally would not dare to venture into Russia, Ukraine or Belarus without some knowledge of Russian.

Oh speaking of Ukraine, 1 other city you can visit is Odessa, it ain't anything special, but it is nicer than most of Ukraine.

 

[Yoda Power]

Ok here are my tips.

My favourite places in Europe are:

Andalucia (not the coast line though, it's nothing but beaches and tourists). But Granada, Seville, Ronda and so on are just great.

London. The rest of England sucks, but London is a great city, MUCH better than Paris in my opinion.

The Alps Region. Bavaria (especially Munich), Vienna, Northern Italy are amazing too.

These places were a bit disappointing to me.

The Netherlands. Not that interesting to be honest. Too dense, boring nature and boring architecture.

Ireland. Nice landscape, but if I want to go to a Celtic country I'd rather choose Scotland.

Greece. The weather is good and so is the food. Nice historic buildings, but they don't do much to preserve the stuff, compared to Italy.

IF YOU ARE GOING TO DENMARK:

Most go and see Copenhagen, which is a nice and safe city (don't be afraid of the cab drivers in Denmark), but there are actually other nice places in Denmark too.

Roskilde have a lot of Viking stuff and some nice buildings.

Aarhus (Århus) is the second biggest city and the capital of Jutland. Right in the center of the city we have a huge open air museum for buildings, that's right, not old clothes or stupid paintings, but actual buildings that have been moved here to create a very large open air museum called The Old Town. There are real shops in some of the buildings, where you can still buy old stuff, it's pretty cool.

We also have some other cool museums (both historic and art), a huge forest along the beach, a nice shopping street, a large memorial park, the biggest cathedral in Denmark and a cool festival in september.

Spoiler :

 

[Squonk]

London better than Paris? Are you kidding?

 

[Atticus]

Would you, coming from a differing perspective, recommend Tallinn as opposed to Helsinki?

Definitely. There's nothing special in Helsinki. Don't get me wrong, it's great town, but not in any way that Tallinn, Stockholm, Paris or Madrid wouldn't be. During a brief stay you probably wouldn't even notice what's worth of noticing in Finnish culture (plainness, no need for endless blabbering etc).

Tallinn on the other hand is much older and has some real history. So to traveler it's certainly better place to go. Cheaper too.

You can cross the gulf in something like 2 hours and for 20 euros, so no matter which you choose, you can easily visit the other one.

 

[Yoda Power]

London better than Paris? Are you kidding?

Not at all. Paris is a cool city, but London is awesome.

 

[Kyriakos]

I wouldnt share your enthousiasm for London im afraid Some other cities i have visited were far prettier/more interesting. However i did spend the most time in London, so perhaps it became boring for me. Stockholm must have been the prettiest city i have ever seen, but possibly i only remained in the absolute center. Being protected from modern wars kept its historic character intact i guess.

Also London is nice only in the center. Whatever you do, dont go to east London, everything beyond Waterloo seems to be a slum there.

 

[REDY]

So Paris has to be realy horrible, I havent been there

 

[aronnax]

So Paris has to be realy horrible, I havent been there

It is horrible. It is full of French people.

 

[Arwon]

Camikaze, being Australian, would probably find London quite similar to the environs he's leaving. Large chunks of it essentially look like Surry Hills or Darlinghurst. This is cool, but why travel halfway around the world to spend all your time in an anglophone country with a broadly similar culture (says Arwon, as he posts from Leeds)?

 

[Neonanocyborgasm]

I thought it would be good to ask CFC:

1. What's the best general travel tip that you have?
2. What, country specific or in general, are things to be wary of in Europe?
3. What are some good ways of saving money in Europe while budget travelling?
4. What are the best places to visit in Europe and why?

Been to Europe many times. Things I noticed:

* The best form of transportation within Europe is train. It's cheaper and more convenient than air travel, and you can buy tickets at a moment's notice.
* Considering nearly all of Europe is integrated into the EU, there's not much to be wary of. I would avoid certain countries that are troublesome, such as Georgia, Belarus, and Serbia.
* Don't go out all the time to eat. There are lots of small cafes, delis, and other eateries that will sell you meals far cheaper. This seemed especially true to me in Italy.
* Accomodations are expensive. Try to stay in cheaper hotels. Some have advocated youth hostels, which I find to have poor conditions, and would not recommend.
* Places to visit are widespread and extensive. It makes more sense to say where not to go. In my opinion, Slovakia has little of interest. Much of the Balkans is not completely opened to tourism, and except perhaps for the riviera along the Adriatic, not worth visiting. I did recently visit Albania and had a great time, so that may be worth your time. I have also heard that Belgium is very bland and boring, and not worth a look.

Have fun!

 

[TheLastOne36]

Been to Europe many times. Things I noticed:

* The best form of transportation within Europe is train. It's cheaper and more convenient than air travel, and you can buy tickets at a moment's notice.
* Considering nearly all of Europe is integrated into the EU, there's not much to be wary of. I would avoid certain countries that are troublesome, such as Georgia, Belarus, and Serbia.
* Don't go out all the time to eat. There are lots of small cafes, delis, and other eateries that will sell you meals far cheaper. This seemed especially true to me in Italy.
* Accomodations are expensive. Try to stay in cheaper hotels. Some have advocated youth hostels, which I find to have poor conditions, and would not recommend.
* Places to visit are widespread and extensive. It makes more sense to say where not to go. In my opinion, Slovakia has little of interest. Much of the Balkans is not completely opened to tourism, and except perhaps for the riviera along the Adriatic, not worth visiting. I did recently visit Albania and had a great time, so that may be worth your time. I have also heard that Belgium is very bland and boring, and not worth a look.

Have fun!

I actually disagree with you here.

Belgrade is an Amazing city!

 

[Riffraff]

You wouldn't recommend youth hostels?!?

You can sleep in a hostel for something like 10€/night on average compared to >>50€ for a hotel and are sure to meet loads of people.

 

[onedreamer]

* Don't go out all the time to eat. There are lots of small cafes, delis, and other eateries that will sell you meals far cheaper. This seemed especially true to me in Italy.

But the difference in quality is noticable. Also, such places are only available at lunch. But you can find places that will sell take-away pizza or kebab and similar for about 6€ at worse a dinner (drink apart).

 

[Mirc]

I actually disagree with you here.

Belgrade is an Amazing city!

I completely and entirely agree with that. It's really an awesome place.

The 19th-century center is intact and well kept, with many pedestrian areas that make for great walks.
The castle/fortress on the Danube is beautiful (I can't believe I forgot its name again, last time I was there I swore I would remember it - Kalemegdan or something like that).
There is a place to have fun everywhere, most people are extraordinarily open-minded and very friendly towards foreigners too, and the girls are probably the best I've ever seen.
I really liked the various churches and cathedrals they have over there, among which the Saint Sava, the biggest orthodox church in the world.
There are lots of hidden gems that you might not hear of, like the Bohemian Street, which has such an unique atmosphere and is easily accessible from the center.




Also, I find it a huge mistake to say that the Balkans are something you would rather not go to:

- Bulgaria has got amazing mountains, beaches and old towns (like Veliko Tarnovo, which is a MUST SEE):

Spoiler :

- Croatia has some of the most beautiful coastlines you can possibly imagine, with islands, palm trees, mountains rising up from the sea and old Roman and Byzantine ruins adding color to pretty much every town and city.
- Greece has a lot to be seen, most of it has been already mentioned here though
- Istanbul is a world of its own, one cannot say they have travelled around the world if they haven't seen this tiny little town.


Also, I completely endorse the suggestion with the hostels - they are by far the best accommodation a traveller can hope for. Great people, always interesting stories and people going out every night, discovering the places they are in, lots of things to do and experiences to share, and very, very, very cheap!



@Camikaze:
If you need advice about what to see in Bucharest or in Romania, on your way there, tell me - I'd be glad to provide some more info.