Creating the ultimate European trip...itinerary ideas?

[constanz22]

I didn't love the Louvre either. The Mona Lisa was a big disappointment. It's about 18" big...it always seemed like this huge piece. I was young though, but I wasn't really impressed.

One thing I never did and wish I had was the boat tours around Versailles and some of the canals.

The Bateaux Mouches in Paris is touristy but fun.

The cemetery where Jim Morrison is buried was neat.

To me, Paris just didn't represent "France".

[Deleted]

Constanz I totally agree!

Mont Saint Michel is gorgeous. It's actually in Brittany, so OVER the border from Normandy. IOW, probably too far for you for this trip. It's worth seeing but overnight is tight. DH and I went there overnight, but on a Ducati, many moons ago LOL. 

Pere Lachaise (the cemetery) is towards the outside edge of Paris, not very convenient if you are only spending a day or two. It's in the 11th district, I think. 

I agree with Constanz about the Bateau Mouches. Or, if you are near the Latin Quarter, you can take the other Seine boat service that leaves from Pont Neuf (les Vedettes du Pont Neuf). The boats are smaller. The Bateaux Mouches are expensive if you book a meal on them (and not worth it IMO) but otherwise if you just go on the boat tour they are reasonable and fun. 

If you decide to see more of Paris, you can also do the "Bat-O-Bus" which is the local bus service that runs up and down the seine. It's fun, and cheaper, but probably more time-consuming. 

Again, I'm really curious as to how old your kids are. If they are younger, and your wife or your kids don't want to spend hours in the Louvre, they can hang out in the Jardin des Tuileries, which is a nice park. It has a "fun fair" twice a year, but the rides cost a bomb. 

Otherwise they could easily walk to the Orangerie (which is IN the Jardin des Tuileries) or the Orsay Museum (which is across the Seine). If they walked a bit further (15 min or so) they could go to the Rodin Museum or the Quai Branly.

And in any case you're near the Eiffel Tower, if they wanted to go up that. I haven't done it myself recently but apparently you can buy advance tix online now, because the lines are pretty bad there. If you walk up, the line is short, but you can only walk up to the first floor, and you CANNOT THEN decide to take the elevator higher.

[Deleted]

Munich to Koeln on day 10. That way if there is construction you're not killing yourself.

Give yourself at least a 1/2 day for the Cathedral. Personally I would do a full day. There's a lot to see including the Roman museum down below the Cathedral with beautiful roman mosaics. Most people don't know that the name "Cologne" is from the Latin word for colony when the Romans colonized along the Rhine.  Also the Medieval Jewish Quarter may be open now which is adjacent to the Cathedral. You can do another on-off bus and drink Koelsch!

[Deleted]

@debthaven2 said:

It's actually in Brittany, so OVER the border from Normandy

Oh man, that's BARELY Brittany, LOL!

I think Mont Michel is probably best done as a long weekend for you Ratchets. Do it along with the Normandy beaches and trip to Caen and the Bayeux tapestry. 


ETA: Under the Louvre there's a cool underground museum. I think DH liked that better than anything else.

And Debt you've mentioned a couple of new museums (for me). I think you owe me a personal tour, LOL!

[Deleted]

Oh man, that's BARELY Brittany, LOL!

True, Bonny, but if Normandy is too far, then Mont St Michel is too! 

[Deleted]

Aug 6, 2013 17:36:53 GMT -5 @debthaven2 said:

Oh man, that's BARELY Brittany, LOL!

True, Bonny, but if Normandy is too far, then Mont St Michel is too! 

I totally agree. Driving from one end of Normandy to the other and back is too far! Been there, done that LOL!

[Deleted]

The Louvre was so crowded when we were there. It was not the experience I was anticipating. I'm not sure when and how you might plan so that there are fewer people? Actually everywhere in Paris was like that, hurry up and wait in line, elbow to the front... I found Versailles much more relaxing, beautiful grounds. 

Actually, I did like just walking in Paris... And I loved Notre Dame, although there was a long line. It might have been better if we had skipped the 'must see' as others have said...

[973beachbum]

My idea of a vacation must be really different from everyone else's!  Spending a day in a crowded museum trying to elbow my way up to see something I may not even know what it is and can't understand, or spending the day being "taught" history in a cemetary or gothic cathedral is more like my idea of torture.


I can just imagine the conversation. 

"Kids we are going on a great vacation!" 
"Are we going to fly?" 
"No we are going to drive ten or fifteen hours if traffic is good the first day and four or five each day after that." 
"Are we going to Disneyland paris?"
"NO better, we are going to get to go to a cemetary!"
 
Yeah that would go well in my house.

[Deleted]

Aug 6, 2013 19:18:12 GMT -5 973beachbum said:

My idea of a vacation must be really different from everyone else's!  Spending a day in a crowded museum trying to elbow my way up to see something I may not even know what it is and can't understand, or spending the day being "taught" history in a cemetary or gothic cathedral is more like my idea of torture.


<snip>
"Are we going to Disneyland paris?"
"NO better, we are going to get to go to a cemetary!"
 
Yeah that would go well in my house.

Funny- I agree and disagree.  When we were in Paris last May, Pere Lachaise was one of the highlights, mostly because it had so many interesting sculptures, so many famous people buried in it, and the graves of Jews, Christians, Muslims and Whatevers of various eras all up against each other.  I was on a quest to find the grave of Marie-Sophie Germain, a mathematician who made tremendous progress in proving Fermat's Last Theorem, and was thrilled to find her grave site.  Teenagers would probably love to come home and tell of visiting the grave of Jim Morrison (complete with wine bottle and a Greek inscription that translates "by his own demons", and the grave of Oscar Wilde, which bears lipstick kisses of his many fans (of both sexes). 

The Louvre?  We could have done without it.  Crowded, chaotic, and you couldn't get near the Venus de Milo because of the throngs.  We didn't even try to find the Mona Lisa.  OTOH, we spent a wonderful day at a small museum with a temporary exposition of Slovenian Impressionists (yeah, who knew?). We enjoyed that collection more than the Musee d'Orsay because it was peaceful and we could get up close and see the brushstrokes without fighting a half-dozen tourists taking pictures of everything with their iPad.

When it comes to vacations, one size does not fit all.

[chiver78]

I can't add much, since you ruled out the places I'm familiar with, but if you're in Brussels and get a craving for an amusement park - there is a Six Flags in Wavre. Wavre is at about 4 or 5 o'clock if Brussels is the center point on the clock. French-speaking, and a pretty decent park. I went around Halloween and was somewhat surprised to realize that European guests in a haunted house can come out covered in almost as much "blood" as the spirits!

[Deleted]

I actually asked my kids today if they were interested in going back to Disney. They said no, BTDT. 

[973beachbum]

We go to musuems.  We have a membership at the Philadelphia Musuem of Art.  I have been to the DC Smithsonian ones so many time I could double at a tour guide.  We go to places like that more as a day trip not as a vacation.  And I definitely don't make room in my vacation around a great cemetary like Gettysburg, Arlington or the Holocust musuem.  

Although after ten plus hours locked in a car together driving there I'm sure someone would be ready to be buried by the time we got there.


 

[pinkbow832]

Aug 6, 2013 19:12:43 GMT -5 Ratchets said:

Can't sleep...too excited about the trip  !!  The girls are 10 and 15...meant to say that earlier and forgot.  I already asked if the wanted to go to Disneyland Paris and they said no (fortunately LoL!).  Think we may scratch the Colgne idea and do one day drive from Munich to Mosel area and do some wine tasting/sightseeing there.  Then perhaps all the way back the next day, or something along those lines.  Might use one of the extra days to go to Vienna as well, for a whirlwind tour.  Have to see how far it is from Munich though.

It's funny (ironic) you mention Mount St Mihael...in Cornwall, England there is Saint Michaels Mount.  Who copied who I wonder?  We timed it so we took a boat out to the island, then the tide went out while visiting the castle and we walked back...cool stuff .

Yes, YES go to the Mosel Valley!!  It's so beautiful and doesn't seem to be particularly known outside of Germany.  DH and I were there about 6 years ago in the summer and drove through the valley and stopped at all kinds of little wine festivals and castles.  It's so picture perfect but not so heavily touristed that it's a nightmare.  It's really one of the most beautiful places I've ever been, and I'm not just saying that bc I love the wine

ETA- we went on this trip on a spontaneous whim with a friend, after seeing a picture on a postcard and thinking that it looked amazing.  It easily exceeded all expectations.

[pinkbow832]

And also, if you want to do a day trip from Munich, Salzburg is a lot closer than Vienna and much more do-able in a day.  We went for lunch on a rainy day after visiting the Eagle's Nest, and it was absolutely gorgeous.  We ate at Sternbrau (a beer hall) and had a schnitzel the size of a dinner plate that was probably the best I've ever eaten.

[Apple]

Looking at all that I think I need to see if I can make my 1 month Europe trip a 6 week trip instead...

Sorry I'm no help, I know there are things I want to see myself, but can't seem to come up with specifics on-the-spot either.

[Deleted]

Since you only have 11 days, I am glad you took Italy off the list.  You KNOW I LOVE Italy, but the 2 places you had on the list weren't that amazing to me.  I liked Venice, but there are so many other things I would rather do than go to Venice.  Also, Pisa...you can do Pisa in 2 hours and never have to go back.  The tower is a lot smaller than it looks. 

I think staying on the other side of the Alps is a good idea since you only have 11 days.  Traveling through the Alps IS beautiful, but very time consuming.  I didn't notice when you are going (sorry if you said when...I am on my first cup of coffee), but if it is August, please take note that most of my part of Europe is on holiday in and traffic is a nightmare. 

Hope you have an amazing time.  We are getting ready to leave for Bari in the next couple of days.  We are flying though because the traffic is so bad heading south to the beaches.  Hit me up with an email on FB if you want to discuss your travels.    I can live vicariously through you since I haven't been on the other side of the Alps much.

[Deleted]

imanangel...or anyone, have you been to Sardinia? Recommend? I had a foreign exchange student from there I wouldn't mind seeing...

[973beachbum]

Aug 7, 2013 7:36:16 GMT -5 oped said:

imanangel...or anyone, have you been to Sardinia? Recommend? I had a foreign exchange student from there I wouldn't mind seeing...

My nephew spent a summer traipsing around Europe and he went there.  I know he liked it but now how much.  It may have been a pain to get to for him and not much young people type night life.  He mostly got around by train.

IICR his favorite reagion was the former Yugoslovian republics area.  He said it was very chill and although not immediately friendly in an outward way, everyone was super nice to him and made him feel at home.

Clearly if I had a choice I would pick the island.

[Miss Tequila]

Aug 6, 2013 14:11:14 GMT -5 Ratchets said:

So what would you do, if you had 11 days to spend in Europe?  The highest priority for me is to drink a mahoosive amount of beer in Bavaria, and get one of those bratwurst meals at a beer hall in Munich with like four different kinds of sausage (sometimes known as the "Miss Tequila special").  Other than that, I'm pretty flexible.  When I axed my wife what she wanted to see, she just said "not a lot of stuff we've already seen."  So...time to plan.  Here's the list so far to be adjusted and obviously shortened:

Normandy (WW2 sites and the beach)
Paris sights (seen all this, except a show at the Moulin Rouge)
the Louvre (been there, but only for a short amount of time, would like to spend a whole day)
The Riveira
Berlin sights (seen all this)
Museum Island in Berlin (not been but want to go)
Amsterdam...
Cologne cathedral (been there but wouldn't mind going again)
Munich sights and museums (seen some sights but not much)
the 3 bavarian castles neuschwanstein/Linderhof/Hohenschwangau (been there)
Random Bavarian stuff, like the Eagle's nest
Pisa
Black Forest (open air museum and meeting family)
Venice
stuff in Switzerland (?)
stuff in Austria (?)

Well that's what I could come up with kind of spur of the moment.  But kind of in information overload.  The Black Forest would be cool, because some relatives live there who have done some genealogy, would be nice to meet them and compare what we've both found. 

LMAO on the "miss tequila special"!!!

[Deleted]

Aug 7, 2013 7:36:16 GMT -5 oped said:

imanangel...or anyone, have you been to Sardinia? Recommend? I had a foreign exchange student from there I wouldn't mind seeing...

I have not been there.  It is on my list though.  I know other Americans that have gone, and they liked it.

[Peace77]

When are you planning to go?  If you are planning on going during Oktoberfest, be aware that it starts mid-September and ends mid-October.

Traveling from Munich to the UK is too much for one day.  
I suggest stopping in Baden-Baden (famous for its hot springs) or Heidelberg.  Heidelberg is a very lovely German city and famous for a folk song that translates something like I left my heart in Heidelberg.

Another option is to head towards the Mosel  river and stop at Idar-Oberstein on the way.  It is a undiscovered gem of Europe because it is a bit out of the way.  It is famous for semi-precious stones that are mined locally and made into jewelry.  You can buy polished stones and make your own jewelry, if preferred.

[973beachbum]

That sucks!  What happens in the military if you get to the point where it is use it or lose it and your dept is still too busy? 

[Spellbound454]

Like Switzerland myself.....It looks just like it does on the museli packet.
I like forests, mountains and lakes....forget museums........there are museums everywhere.

[Deleted]

I agree it sucks.

Can you get approval in smaller chunks? You could do the Normandy thing over 3 or 4 days. Ditto some other stuff on that amazing list.

[pinkbow832]

Aug 7, 2013 7:36:16 GMT -5 oped said:

imanangel...or anyone, have you been to Sardinia? Recommend? I had a foreign exchange student from there I wouldn't mind seeing...

 I found a cheap flight to Sardinia when I was studying abroad and went for a long weekend with some friends.  It was January, so too cold for beaches, but we did drive around a lot of the northern part of the island and it was really beautiful.  I think there's an area that's really resort-y, but the parts of the island we saw didn't seem too touristy.  It would probably be a really nice place to visit someone and get a tour from someone who knows all of the good local spots.

[pinkbow832]

I'm sorry about your trip, Ratchets   I'm always excited to hear about everyone's trip planning.

[Deleted]

Sorry about your vacation, Ratchets. Glad to see you've already started on a new plan! 

[Deleted]

Ratchet,
We are running into the same problem you are with Goose getting leave.  We usually can only get 4 days at a time...

He is being allowed to take 2 weeks at the end of August because it is use or lose.  Unfortunately my kids are back in school at that time and I might be working so we really can't plan anything.  Awesome timing.

[Deleted]

Aug 8, 2013 2:05:51 GMT -5 Ratchets said:

It's all good now - had to put things into perspective that there are people out there who had a lot worse days I'm sure.

Actually doing that Normandy trip in 3-4 days sounds like a really good idea  !  When we were talking at lunch, I was running down the list of sights in Normandy, and there is quite a bit to see/do there.  We'd already agreed to cut the day in Austria from the trip - Vienna would be too far to drive and already been to Innsbruck - and spend two days in Normandy instead.

Three would have been even better though.  The youngest daughter really enjoys going to beaches, so I try to work that into trips as much as possible.  I think with even two days there we would have left wishing we had more time to see stuff in the area, especially with spending a couple hours at the beach each day.

We'll get down there sometime - maybe best to do that area by itself like you suggested too.

Well you're not that far away and you can do a Ferry trip too. What's not to like?

DH's cousin said during our last trip ( April 2012) that a bunch of property in her local area, Nehou, is being snatched up by the English as holiday houses since England's seaside towns have gotten too expensive. You might pop over to Apple's thread in Travel in EE and get some more ideas for Normandy.

ETA While it would be two days off from work, you could link it with a weekend to get a 4 day "mini-vacation". Say leave on a Thursday afternoon and return to work on Tuesday?

Have fun!

[Deleted]

Aug 9, 2013 12:14:54 GMT -5 Ratchets said:

Aug 8, 2013 7:30:46 GMT -5 imanangel said:

Ratchet,
We are running into the same problem you are with Goose getting leave.  We usually can only get 4 days at a time...

He is being allowed to take 2 weeks at the end of August because it is use or lose.  Unfortunately my kids are back in school at that time and I might be working so we really can't plan anything.  Awesome timing.

That's too bad Angel, especially with his deployments and all.  It looks like you guys are having a great time in Bari this weekend though  !  I think it's really cool how well you've "assimilated" into the local culture...always think people who go overseas and don't get off the base are really missing out on a great opportunity.  And the majority of folks you meet overseas really get a kick out of telling you about the history of their local area, and good tips on travelling/etc if you show a little interest in it.  Think I'm going to start a thread like yours just because it seems so many people enjoy talking about this stuff...I may even steal your title, hope it wasn't copyrighted or anything LoL  !!

Ratchet,

I would love to read about your adventures in Europe! We enjoyed our three years in Germany but we're also really glad to be back 'home'.