rissama
Senior Travel Member
"What is hodie Latin for?" "Today." "What's a good way to remember that?" "Ho. Die. Today."
Posts: 78
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Post by rissama on Jul 27, 2007 14:12:12 GMT -5
Austria - Vienna Belgium - Brussels Czech rep.- Prague Denmark - Copenhagen Finland - Helsinki France - Paris, nice, Normandy, Lourdes, Marseilles Germany - Berlin, Munich, Roth, and maybe another Greece - Athens Hungary-  Ireland - Dublin, Cork, Galway Italy - Rome/Vatican City, Milan, Venice, Florence, Sicily, Naples, Pompeii, Pisa, Verona, Parma the Netherlands - Amsterdam and a few others... Haarlem, i think Norway - Oslo Poland - Warsaw, Krakow Portugal - Lisbon, Fatima Romania- Russia - Moscow Slovakia- Spain - Madrid, Pamplona Sweden - Stockholm Switzerland - Zurich, Geneva Turkey- Ukraine - Kiev United Kingdom - London, Edinburgh ~Mar~ |
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Post by greeneyes on Jul 27, 2007 17:31:04 GMT -5
Hi Rissama,
I don't know how much help I can be as I'm planning my first trip to Europe right now .. but I have been picking out what I want to see in each of my destinations so I figured I'd share that information with you incase anything interests you. I'm sure that someone with more experience will be able to help you further, but I'd suggest sharing what you're interests are ... museums, churches, history, scenery, etc for more specific suggestions.
1. Vienna - Hofburg (Imperial Palace); Schonbrunn Palace and Gardens; Schonbrunn Zoo; Stephansdom (St. Stephen's Cathedral); the Prater (fun fair); Vienna Opera House; and just riding around the Ring Boulevard. I'm planning on taking a bike/wine tour through the countryside as well.
2. Prague - Prague Castle; Charles Bridge, Old Town Square and the Jewish Quarter .. there are also tons of old churches and gardens in prague that you may want to research. Day trips to Kutna Hora or Cesky Krumlov seem popular as well.
3. Paris - Louvre; Musee d'Orsay; Champs Elysees; Arc de Triomphe; Cimetiere du Pere Lachaise; Eiffel Tower; Cathedrale de Notre Dame; Sacre Coeur; Montmartre; Moulin Rouge; Ile de la Cite; Latin Quarter; Opera Garnier; Tuileries Gardens; Pompidou Center; Boat ride down the Seine
4. Nice - Old Town; Flower Market; The beaches and tons of daytrip options (Antibes, Monaco, Cannes, etc.)
5. Berlin - Check out the free walking tours, most include everything (Checkpoint Charlie, Berlin Wall, etc).
6. Munich - Daytrips to Dachau Concentration camp and Neuschwanstein Castle (Sleeping Beauty's Castle); and again, look for free walking tours.
7. Rome/Vatican City - Colosseum; Roman Forum; Pantheon; Trevi Fountain; Piazza di Spagna, Spanish Steps and St. Maria del Popolo; St. Peter's Basilica; Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel; Borghese Gallery and Gardens; Circus Maximus, Appia Antica; Trastevere; Catacombs
8. Venice - St. Mark's Square and Basilica; Doge's Palace; Rialto Bridge; Gondola ride; Accademia ... I'm taking a day trip to Verona from Venice (Case di Guilietta; Arena)
9. Florence - Medici Chapels; daytrip to Pisa (La Torre di Pisa) or Siena; Galleria dell'Accademia; Galleria degli Uffizi; Duomo; Boboli Palace and Gardens ... I'm also going to do a bike/wine tour into the countryside
*Look into the Cinque Terre if you're in Italy*
10. Lisbon - Castelo de Sao Jorge; Fado houses; Torre de Belem; Alfama district
11. Madrid - Real Jardin Botanico; Prado museum; daytrip to Toledo or Segovia
12. London - London Eye; Tate Modern; Shakespeare's Globe; Tower of London and Tower Bridge; Westminster Abbey; Trafalgar Square and National Gallery; Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus; Buckingham Palace; Hyde Park and Speaker's Corner
13. Edinburgh - Edinburgh Castle and the Royal Mile
Haha sorry that was so long, but hopefully it helped give you some ideas to research. Happy planning.
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Post by pointofnoreturn on Jul 27, 2007 17:49:35 GMT -5
I'm not going to list any places because there are far too many but if you're in Rome for 5 days or about so, you really need to check out Villa Gregoriana in Tivoli. It's absolutely beautiful and the waterfalls are gorgeous. Admission is 4 euros and bus tickets are 1.20-1.60 each way I think! (Rome to Tivoli). It was one of the highlights of my trip.
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Post by Eagle on Jul 27, 2007 18:30:56 GMT -5
rissama, it's diifficult to provide any advice on "must sees" without having some idea on what your interests are? Do you mostly want to see art, Museums and/or historic sites? How many days do you plan to be in each of the cities you listed? Also, it would help to know your "home country" as visits to Russia and Ukraine are a bit different than travelling in other parts of Europe.
Cheers!!!
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Post by pointofnoreturn on Jul 27, 2007 19:34:02 GMT -5
Another thing, might be useful to look in a bunch of guidebooks, do your research and decide what you REALLY want to see or what interests you. People's interests are different from each other and everyone here in this forum might not have the same interests as you do.
You can make a list like: "Must See", "Would Like to See", "May See if Time Permits" and categorize the sights according to these and figure out a plan from there.
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Post by jennifer on Jul 28, 2007 0:44:40 GMT -5
Just a quick note to say that in Hungary I'd really see Budapest. IT's a great city.
As for Slovakia, it is very nice but if you have other places to go, maybe skip it until you can really discover it deeply.
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Post by herrbert on Jul 28, 2007 14:40:35 GMT -5
Hi Rissama,
If you make a trip like that, it would be a shame, to leave out Granada in Spain. I think that the Alhambra is really a must see when you are in Spain. (and Barcelona, and Sevilla, and a lot of other places.)
When you are in Madrid, the Plaza Mayor is a must see, as is the park Retiro (I would skip the Botanical Gardens), Also a must see is Atocha Station. (Designed by Gustav Eifel, and indoor you will find a garden), Also you need to taste all kinds of things. For a menu order a couple of 'ranciones', like patatas bravas, croquettes jamon, and combine your own lunch/dinner. Also around 10.30/11.00 try to eat some 'churros' with a cup of Coffee of Hot Chocolate. And indeed Toledo and Segovia are worth a daytrip.
Never been to Pamplona, as I feel the only thing to be seen is the running of the bulls, but I don't like the bullfighting tradation, so most likely I won't go there.
In Vienna, the Belvedere is a must see, as it is a beautiful palace. The architecture is much more beautiful than the more common Schloss Schönbrunn. That said, Schönbrunn is worth a visit, as all the palaces in Europe, look alike from the inside, you could skip the tour, and discover the gardens on your own. From the Gloriette you have a beautiful panorama. The best panorama however can be found on top of the Kahlenberg (you can reach it by bus, this is the furthest North you can go on you public transport pass for 24/48/72 hours). You can consider to walk down the hill, and take a tram back into the center. Also in Vienna you need to go and see Prater (try a visit in the evening/night as all the lights makes it extra pretty). And maybe it sounds weird, but if you have time, take a look at the Zentrallfriedhof, with over 2.000.000 burials of of the largest cementaries in Europe.
Copenhagen: For me the Ny Carlsberg Gleptotek was a highlight, a quick boatride would be enough to see all the (overrated) sights (Mermaid/Nyhavn). The Marmorkirke is worth a quick visit. And for some fun (and people watching) go for an evening in Tivoli.
Helsinki is sooooo beautiful. (and clean). You shouldn't miss going to Suomenlinna (if I wrote that correct), also visit the Russian Orthodox Church. (near the harbour). I also think that you should take a look inside the 'church under the rock.' I also had a good time at the open air museum, at Seurisaari. Also try if you can make a daytrip (or a couple). You can go to Porvoo (it would be nice to do that by boat), Türkü (castle/cathedral) and Tampere are all worth going to see. Also if you plan ahead you can make the crossing by boat to Talinn (Estonia) as a daytrip. A big DON't is staying at the Stadium Hostel.
Stockholm. You must see the Vasa-museum. That one is amazing!!! Skansen can be fun. Just roam the tiny streets of the Old City: Gamla Stan, and get lost.
Amsterdam: The two musts for me are the Van Gogh Museum, and 'het Achterhuis' the 'house' of Anne Frank and her Family (now a museum). Haarlem is a nice choice for a day, if you are there on a hot day, you can also get to the beach (also nice on a windy autumn day)
Some cities are pretty obvious. Krakow: you need to see Auschwitz from here. Brussels: the Chocolate museum (although as a city/town I would prefer Brugge). Milan: the last supper (for the rest I am not sure, maybe ask PONR?), For the rest of Italy I would hesitate to go to Naples. (Parma is an interesting choice ... anyone?). And I am not so keen on the Swiss cities, I believe the one thing that make Switzerland stand out are the mountains, so go there, try Interlaken (or/and Gimmelwald)
For London, I just want to add, seeing the Rosetta Stone in the Britsh Museum, if you like the Beatles, maybe a trip to Abbey Road (far up north), and spending some time at the Southbank. Take a blanket, and settle down on the grass, beneath the Eye, and enjoy.
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rissama
Senior Travel Member
"What is hodie Latin for?" "Today." "What's a good way to remember that?" "Ho. Die. Today."
Posts: 78
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Post by rissama on Jul 29, 2007 20:15:38 GMT -5
I'm really interested in history and somewhat in science and technology(like the DaVinci museum) and I'm Roman Catholic, so any good churches, i'm definitely going to Vatican City, Lourdes, and Notre Dame. Any other ideas related to that kinda stuff are greatly appriciated and thanks so far!!!
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Post by WillTravel on Jul 29, 2007 22:55:37 GMT -5
Maybe you would be interested in a papal audience in Rome. www.santasusanna.org/I see you have almost 50 different cities listed, all over Europe. Consider that unless you have about 6 to 9 months to do this, you will have to cut out something, unless you want to be zooming around constantly. |
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Post by herrbert on Jul 30, 2007 3:43:16 GMT -5
I'm really interested in history and somewhat in science and technology(like the DaVinci museum) and I'm Roman Catholic, so any good churches, i'm definitely going to Vatican City, Lourdes, and Notre Dame. Any other ideas related to that kinda stuff are greatly appriciated and thanks so far!!! Santiago de Compostella !!! the Cathedral in Sevilla, with another visit to the Macarena Church in the North of Sevilla (or actualy the Basilica, as the church is on the backside of the basilica) sacred-destinations.blogspot.com/2007/04/april-3-in-seville-la-giralda-to-la_17.htmlthe Dom in Cologne and what about a daytrip to Canterbury from London, although I have heared there will be repears to the Cathedral. (ooo, wait that Anglican, right?) edit, adding link, and changing church to Basilica |
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Post by WillTravel on Jul 30, 2007 11:10:09 GMT -5
I would guess a Catholic might want to see Canterbury Cathedral anyway, as that is where Thomas a Becket was martyred, plus just for architectural reasons.
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Post by me on Jul 30, 2007 11:30:24 GMT -5
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rissama
Senior Travel Member
"What is hodie Latin for?" "Today." "What's a good way to remember that?" "Ho. Die. Today."
Posts: 78
|
Post by rissama on Jul 30, 2007 13:52:51 GMT -5
we might be cutting down on places just a bit. Probably no Moscow, Lisbon, Naples, Nice, or Kiev
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Post by WillTravel on Jul 30, 2007 15:38:37 GMT -5
Still, 45 cities in 60-75 days (based on your other post) is going to mean that you have little time to enjoy each place.
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rissama
Senior Travel Member
"What is hodie Latin for?" "Today." "What's a good way to remember that?" "Ho. Die. Today."
Posts: 78
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Post by rissama on Aug 4, 2007 20:35:12 GMT -5
it's became more like 14 weeks
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