I decided to purchase tickets to Europe, as my Wife has been dying to see Colon Cathedral. I purchased tickets on Cyber Monday, and saved about $500.00 total, flying into Paris.
I've looked into "Eurorail," passes and they charge by number of countries (approximately $500.00 for the two of us.). AAA, has car rentals for approximately $400.00 for two weeks, but I worry about fuel costs. I'd like to see more than four countries in 15 days, and was wondering if anyone had any tips.
I was in Europe on pleasure, thirty years ago & was looking for some advice with planning, although it seems the internet has a plethora of resources. We are attracted to areas with a limited number of foreigners. And I've heard lots about Bruges.
Thanks again for your time and help BBI!
I went to Europe once for approximately 20 days. It was great... but at first my friends and I were trying to cram too much in. Go, go, go to try to see as much as we could in the time allotted.
At some point, we slowed down and took a side route to the Cinque Terre (sp?) on the Italian Riviera. Were originally only going to go for a day... ended up spending 3. Best part of the trip.
Don't feel like enough of an expert to give more advice than that. Good luck to you, and have a great time.
i would second what the poster above said about fewer countries/destinations: otherwise you spend most days traveling
to be honest, i would just play it by ear; overplanning can kill a trip and force you to leave a place too early that you really like. I did that this summer with Oslo. It was supposed to be a "meh" city so I only booked two nights and locked myself into a train ride to Bergen. Got to Oslo and loved it. I could have spent two weeks
I'd agree with most people though. Spend more time in each place. I usually try to stay in each city I've visited in Europe for at least three days and I think it's about right. Some cities deserve more but just generally speaking, 3 days work, at least 2 nights. I've been to Europe 11 different times and the trips I've enjoyed the most were the ones I spent visiting less cities.
Pick out what you'd like to see and do the math on renting a car/Eurorail pass/just buying individual tickets but I've found that airfare in Europe is often cheapest.. just remember to factor in the to and from of the airport travel.
The dome in Cologne is marvellous, good choice. Since you're already planning to go to Germany, I'm also partial to Berlin because of its history and culture. Some people swear by the German christmas markets but the best ones are to be found in smaller cities (Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Nuremberg).
Places that are a must-see in Europe IMO:
Venice, Florence, Barcelona, Vienna, Prague, Paris - but of course all of these are well-known tourist destinations (except maybe Venice this time of year).
If you're interested in nature, I'd suggest visiting Zermatt (near the Matterhorn), a well known ski ressort (could be rather expensive in December/January). Luzern in Siwitzerland is also a really beautiful place. The French Riviera is fantastic (especially Antibes and Grasse) but those are places that I would only go to during summer.
In regards to train/car: It really depends on what you want to do. If you plan on visiting the countryside, you'll need a car. If you think about touring the cities, I'd rather stick to trains and rent the occasional car when necessary. All of Europe is well connected by train (and busses for that matter). But it's a matter of money. A regular train ticket from Cologne to Berlin (4 hour ride) costs around 120 Euro per person. Busses are much cheaper.
Oone other alternative: Fly from country to country. Airlines like Easyjet have often great rates within Europe. A flight from Berlin to Barcelona currently costs between 40 and 70 Euro per person one way.