Been pretty much everywhere. It's really hard to go wrong. Paris and Normandy are both great.
Europe travel questions
- Thread starter OrlandNole
- Start date
We love Italy and have been there three times. Went everywhere by train, or subway or walked. Go in the shoulder months of April May or Sept October when the European tourists are not traveling as heavily. We always went for two weeks. Less would be too rushed. Rome is 3-4 days minimum. Tuscany would be a whole trip but Florence and San Gimignano are 3 days. See Michelangelo’s David in Florence. Get your Museum tickets in advance rather than waiting in line.
San Gimignano - Wikipedia
Cinque Terre - Wikipedia
South of France is also very cool. We did this between Avignon to Usés to Arles to San Remy. Incredible.
France Bike Tours & Guided Cycling Trips | Backroads
France biking tours cruise past Loire Valley fairytale castles and through lavender fields in Provence. Bike with us on French adventure vacations fit for wine enthusiasts & history buffs alike.
We enjoyed London even more that Paris. Theres an exact replica of the Globe Theater in London. Book tickets in advance and you can see a ShakespearIan play.
Don’t go to Paris unless you’re willing to learn some very basic French. If your go-to is “do you speak English”, you’ll be poorly received. Anywhere you go you need to stumble with their language and they will step in w their superior English skills. So much to see!
Last edited:
agree with others that suggest not trying to squeeze in too many countries or places you will be staying. For 10 days consider two spots to call home and you can branch out on day trips between the two major hubs you choose.
I would also suggest looking into separate locations for your arrival and departure. Amsterdam was always a good option to fly into and depending where you end up you could fly out of there versus the obligation of returning to the city where you arrived. Perhaps fly into Amsterdam and travel down the Rhine and depart from Munich or Zurich.
I've spent a good amount of time in Europe although its admittedly been 10 years since my last visit and 23 years since I spent five months backpacking through Europe. also spent a semester in London during college, love that town. Personally I would avoid Denmark and Copenhagen, thought the city itself was very underwhelming. Same goes for Ireland, nothing wrong with it per say but if this is your first trip overseas and you only have 10 days to do it, Ireland would be pretty far down my list. Austria was my favorite country, spent a good amount of time in a small village just outside of Innsbruck. Prague is another favorite destination. It would be hard to beat Paris as well if this is your first trip to Europe.
If this is a surprise trip for your wife, try to plan it for her and not yourself. What towns or countries has she spoken of fondly over the years? Is she enamored with the thought and imagery of Paris or any other European cities? A boat trip down the Rhine would a great way to spend a day or two. London and Paris are separated by only 4hrs by train, so perhaps use London and Paris as your two home bases and you can do a lot of day trips by train or bus while staying in those two major cities. You could spend a month in Paris or London and still only scratch the surface of both locations, so avoid being Clark Griswold and trying to do everything in one trip. Use this trip to get a taste for what Europe has to offer then look to return down the road after you get your first taste.
London/Scotland or London/Paris would seem like a pretty good option for your first trip overseas. If you are a bit more adventurous and the language barrier doesn't scare you (it shouldn't most Europeans speak multiple languages including English, especially people under the age of 30), perhaps consider Prague, Munich, Vienna or Budapest. I guess it depends on what you and your wife prefer. Personally, as someone that likes to hike and ski and has lived in the rocky mountain region for 25 years, I'm itching to get back to the French, Italian and Swiss Alps while also visiting Slovenia and Slovakia.
good luck, have fun and congrats on your 25th
Some solid info.We love Italy and have been there three times. Went everywhere by train, or subway or walked. Go in the shoulder months of April May or Sept October when the European tourists are not traveling as heavily. We always went for two weeks. Less would be too rushed. Rome is 3-4 days minimum. Tuscany would be a whole trip but Florence and San Gimignano are 3 days. See Michelangelo’s David in Florence. Get your Museum tickets in advance rather than waiting in line.
We hiked the trail between the 5 cities of the Cinque TerraSan Gimignano - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
Venice is a gotta do as well.Cinque Terre - Wikipedia
South of France is also very cool. We did this between Avignon to Usés to Arles to San Remy. Incredible.
France Bike Tours & Guided Cycling Trips | Backroads
France biking tours cruise past Loire Valley fairytale castles and through lavender fields in Provence. Bike with us on French adventure vacations fit for wine enthusiasts & history buffs alike.www.backroads.com
We enjoyed London even more that Paris. Theres an exact replica of the Globe Theater in London. Book tickets in advance and you can see a ShakespearIan play.
Don’t go to Paris unless you’re willing to learn some very basic French. If your go-to is “do you speak English”, you’ll be poorly received. Anywhere you go you need to stumble with their language and they will step in w their superior English skills. So much to see!
Cinque terre trail has been closed for a few years due to landslides.
Tuscan wineries are a can’t miss ( if you like wine) vs shortening rome.
We love Italy and have been there three times. Went everywhere by train, or subway or walked. Go in the shoulder months of April May or Sept October when the European tourists are not traveling as heavily. We always went for two weeks. Less would be too rushed. Rome is 3-4 days minimum. Tuscany would be a whole trip but Florence and San Gimignano are 3 days. See Michelangelo’s David in Florence. Get your Museum tickets in advance rather than waiting in line.
We hiked the trail between the 5 cities of the Cinque TerraSan Gimignano - Wikipedia
Venice is a gotta do as well.Cinque Terre - Wikipedia
South of France is also very cool. We did this between Avignon to Usés to Arles to San Remy. Incredible.
France Bike Tours & Guided Cycling Trips | Backroads
France biking tours cruise past Loire Valley fairytale castles and through lavender fields in Provence. Bike with us on French adventure vacations fit for wine enthusiasts & history buffs alike.
We enjoyed London even more that Paris. Theres an exact replica of the Globe Theater in London. Book tickets in advance and you can see a ShakespearIan play.
Don’t go to Paris unless you’re willing to learn some very basic French. If your go-to is “do you speak English”, you’ll be poorly received. Anywhere you go you need to stumble with their language and they will step in w their superior English skills. So much to see!
The myth of the snobby Frenchman is mostly BS. I found the Parisians FAR more friendly and helpful even with my mostly nonexistent French than I did Londoners, the Welsh, NYC Yankees, and on par or friendlier than your average American, Mexican or Englishman. They weren’t as friendly as your average Scotsman, Canadian, Kiwi, Aussie or Southerner but few are.
Honestly after watching so many Brit shows on PBS I think I’d love visiting England. But Italy is pretty dang close. That Stanley Tucci series was fantastic.
Yeah, I always thought they were fine.
In addition, Paris is like New York or London or any other large city around the world. They’re very diverse and it’s not like the stereotypical view many have of French cities.
The only Euro folks I have noticed are the Brits and the Scots.......damn those folks LOVE Americans! They really do!
The French are polite and reserved and hung up on proper ettiquestte but they certainly do not "not like" Americans....they dont appreciate obnoxiousness, loudness, lack of decorum......they don't like Germans......Germans are the Euros answer to Texans.....
The French are polite and reserved and hung up on proper ettiquestte but they certainly do not "not like" Americans....they dont appreciate obnoxiousness, loudness, lack of decorum......they don't like Germans......Germans are the Euros answer to Texans.....
It really depends on what you are looking for. I lived in England from late Sept to Jan and thought it was a miserable place to live. I prefer southern Europe. Greece, Italy, France and Spain are all beautiful.
I took the wife to Paris in 2019 and absolutely loved it. Was told it was dirty and people were rude. They couldn't be more wrong. It was one of the cleanest cities I've been to and everyone was super helpful and friendly.
Paris France is the greatest city in the world. It just is.
Similar threads
