Recommend me cities!

[fearlessly]

So I am planning a huge (massive, really) backpacking trip around mostly all of Europe in two years for about three months, and am really looking for ideas on which cities to go to for the soon-to-be-mentioned countries. As for what I'm into.. a little bit of everything... partying, art, bold cultures, busy cities, village-atmosphere... I love it all (but certainly don't expect/want all of these in each city). Anyways, if anyone wants to help - even if it's just suggestions for a few countries, be my guest! I love to learn and really want this trip to be fantastic.



-Portugal
I'll be arriving in Coimbra and then going to Lisbon, spending probably three nights in each city. Any strong suggestions to go elsewhere here?

-Spain
Definitely spending at least a few days in Madrid, would like to visit a few other cities (as well as get in a daytrip to Andorra if possible).

-France
Nothing in the top half (I'll be visiting Paris towards the end of my trip). Is Lyon or Bordeaux worth stopping at?

-Switzerland
Geneva or Bern? Or somewhere else?

-Italy
Rome? Venice? Florence? Naples? I HAVE NO IDEA.

-Albania
Up to two days/nights, any suggestions?

-Macedonia
Probably just going to hop off a train for a few hours to take in this city and spend the evening/night en route to Greece. Where should I get off and spend the afternoon?

-Greece
Anything worth seeing other than Athens? Maybe spend four days in Greece in all.

-Turkey
(I think I'm only interested in Istanbul unless somebody can sway me otherwise. Don't want to leave Europe.)

-Bulgaria
Open to a suggestion for a night or two.

-Serbia
See above

-Montenegro
See above

-Bosnia
See above

-Croatia
See above

-Slovenia
Want to see Ljublijana. Any other ideas?

-Austria
Definitely need to visit Vienna for a few days at least. Any suggestions for other cities in Austria?

-Czech Republic
Definitely going to visit Prague for a few days. Any other suggestions?

-Poland
Pretty open to anywhere in here for a few days.

-Slovakia
Absolutely going to Brakaslava for several days. Not sure I'm interested outside of Brakaslave. What do we think?

-Hungary
Budapest probably. Yes? No? Better ideas?

-Romania
Open for anything. I would probably prefer somewhere more north.

-Ukraine
I hear good things of Lviv and Kiev. Opinions/suggestions?

-Belarus
Is Minsk the only exciting place around? :-P

-Lithuania
Open to anything.

-Latvia
Open to anything.

-Estonia
Open to anything.

-Russia
Looking towards Moscow and St. Petersburg. Comments? Any other suggestions? I understand that it's sort of ridiculously difficult to even get into Russia, though. Should it be scrapped?

-Finland
Just interested in Helsinki.

-Sweden
Would love to go from Helsinki to Stockholm. Any other ideas?

-Norway
Oslo seems like a good spot. Any other ideas?

-Denmark
Definitely want to see Copenhagen for a couple nights. Anywhere else good?

-Germany
Pretty open to anywhere. If Munich is highly suggested, I'd probably go there after Switzerland and then go south into Italy.

-Netherlands
Must spend several nights in Amsterdam. I hear a lot of great things all over this country, where else is worth my time?

-Belgium
Brussels? I would also like to take a day trip into Luxembourg, or go there before Paris.

-Paris! (not a country, but it might as well be in my eyes! haha)

-UK
Need to stop in London, but I'm open to anywhere else in the area.

-Ireland
I've already done a lot of touristy things here, and have been to Co. Galway. Wouldn't mind returning, but I'd also love to see Dublin or Limerick... what do you think?

And then I'm heading home!


I'm fascinated by Eastern Europe, but there are a lot of smallish countries that just don't really pop out in my mind (Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Slovenia...). Would you recommend I still go at least for a day or so? I really want to experience all of Europe, but might that be a bit excessive?

[pointofnoreturn]

I don't think you can really fit in all of Europe in 3 months. Some cities are worth a week's stay....

[Eagle]

fearlessly, Welcome! To begin with I certainly agree with PONR in that your proposed Itinerary is at best very "ambitious", but possibly not realistic or achievable (even for a trip of 3 months). Keep in mind there will be some long travel days to work in there as well. This many destinations would best be done in two (or more) trips. I can provide a good example from my own experience - in Fall 2006 I travelled in Germany, Italy, Switzerland and France for two months. Even with another month, there's NO WAY I would have been able to fit the number of cities in that you're suggesting.

In the meantime, here are a few suggestions of places you might consider in each country:

> Portugal - Salema (Algarve)

> Spain - definitely Barcelona (I'll wait for herrbert's comments, as he's the expert on Spain)

> France - any interest in the history in Normandy?

> Switzerland - the small village of Gimmelwald (Berner Oberland region but not to be confused with the more touristy Grindelwald) is a big favourite here. Check their website.

> Italy - the four cities you listed are a good start. You might also consider the Cinque Terre which is another big favourite, Siena, Orvieto or Positano or Sorrento on the beautiful Amalfi Coast.

> Greece - plan to spend only one or two days in Athens and then head to the islands (Crete, Santorini, etc.)

> Austria - you might consider Salzburg or Hallstatt. I was in both recently. Hallstatt is a very small town, but is 7000 years old so has a lot of history. It's also one of the most beautiful towns in the Salzkammergut lakes district.

> Poland - the two cities that come to mind are Warsaw and Krakow (especially if you're interested in the history of Auschwitz).

> Russia - be sure to check into the Visa requirements carefully - I believe an "invitation" is required. Also be aware that Moscow is one of the most expensive cities on earth!

> Germany - Berlin would be good but Munich is definitely recommended! While there you could also tour the "Mad King's" Castles in Fussen and/or Dachau.

> Belgium - Bruges is usually preferable over Brussels, but both are nice.

> U.K. - definitely London! There's so much to see and do! However, be prepared as it is an expensive city, even though admission to a lot of the Museums and so on is free. So many other places to suggest also - Edinburgh, York, Lakes District, Liverpool (which is having somewhat of a resurgence at the moment), Bath, the Cotswolds, etc.

> Ireland - definitely Dublin! The Temple Bar area is incredible, especially on weekends. Depending on your time and budget you might also consider Dingle, Kinsale, Galway or points in Northern Ireland such as Belfast, London/Derry, Portrush (having 16 year old single Malt Bushmills for lunch is a nice treat!) or the Aran Islands (Inishmore is good for a day trip). I especially enjoyed the atmosphere in Dingle (and of course having a pint or two in the local establishments).

Try to minimize one night stops in your planning, as they get very tiring! In the larger cities (London, Paris, Rome) it's a good idea to plan at least five days in each of those as there is so much to do and so much history in those locations. Also, try to plan a somewhat logical route so that you're not "backtracking". Using open-jaw flights is usually the most efficient method for reaching Europe. Finally, don't worry about working out transportation or Rail Pass details until you have somewhat of a "finalized" route plan.

I'm sure the others here will have some suggestions for you as well.

Cheers!

[pointofnoreturn]

Another thing...

Rather by giving us COUNTRIES, tell us what cities that appeal to you. That would enable you to narrow down a better itinerary and we can give you an idea of you could do in the time allocated.

[crystal]

Wow what a huge list. I suppose you can start big and cut down.

Here is my two pen'th worth on a couple of points

I can suggest Varna in Bulgaria really nice city along with all the Black Sea coast although the
capital Sofia is also nice. The Black Sea area is majorly touristy.

Romania one of the more 'developing' countries in Europe so you may have difficulties with internal travel here (or not - never been just hear say). The same could be said for Albania.

For Croatia the coast down through Spilt and Dubrovnik is nice. I have heard Zagreb is worth the visit as well.

Serbia - a day trip to Mostar to see the bridge

Rome is a must.

Poland - Krakow. You can do trips to the salt mines from here and Auchwitz if that is something that interests you.

I think IMO you need to decide if this is a western European trip or an Eastern European trip. You definatly have enough for two or more separate trips here. You seem more interested in exploring the Eastern side but have more ideas about actual cities over countries for the Western side.

Happy Planning

[herrbert]

hmmm: are you trying to hit every country, are are you really want to see and experience these countries? Only a country like VaticanCity, San Marino, Monaco and Andorra can be seen in a few days. In the bigger countries culture changes between regions, so more time is need to really see a country. Also I think you will be finding that you are getting very tired after a couple of weeks to be on the move constantly, and you'll be also be spending a lot of money, as some destinations don't have easy access (yet) - I ripped you post to add my things:

-Portugal
I'll be arriving in Coimbra and then going to Lisbon, spending probably three nights in each city. Any strong suggestions to go elsewhere here? =Lagos in the South? and Porto.=

-Spain
Definitely spending at least a few days in Madrid, would like to visit a few other cities (as well as get in a daytrip to Andorra if possible). =take daytrips to Toledo and Segovia from Madrid, other cities, you can add are Cordoba, Sevilla and Granada in Andalucía, Valencía and Barcelona in the East, and Santiago de Compostela and San Sebastian to the North. a quick trip to Andorra is not that quick, and not really worth the visit, unless you are shopping for a Rolex or other pricy stuff. =

-France
Nothing in the top half (I'll be visiting Paris towards the end of my trip). Is Lyon or Bordeaux worth stopping at? = If something is worth stopping for is up to your interests, so nearly impossible to answer =

-Switzerland
Geneva or Bern? Or somewhere else? = depends on what you want, don't expect party cities. If you want to see something of the Alps, don't stick to the major cities, rather opt for Interlaken or Zermatt=

-Italy
Rome? Venice? Florence? Naples? I HAVE NO IDEA. =All except for Naples, rather choose nearby Sorrento, also think about Cinque Terre, and the lakes in Northern Italy, and if you like to add another country don't skip San Marino=

-Albania
Up to two days/nights, any suggestions? =no=

-Macedonia
Probably just going to hop off a train for a few hours to take in this city and spend the evening/night en route to Greece. Where should I get off and spend the afternoon? =train are not that well connected in the southern part of the Balkan and Greece=

-Greece
Anything worth seeing other than Athens? Maybe spend four days in Greece in all. =3 days you will need for Athens, so i guess you won't have more time, if you want to invest some extra days and visit one of the Islands=

-Turkey
(I think I'm only interested in Istanbul unless somebody can sway me otherwise. Don't want to leave Europe.) = Places like Antalya and Izmir are hugely popular, but for history freaks, there a lot of old Greek ruins on the in the Asian part of Turkey. Don't expect a short ride between Athens and Istanbul either=

-Bulgaria
Open to a suggestion for a night or two. = Varna or Burgass =

-Serbia
See above =Belgrad=

-Montenegro
See above = Kotor =

-Bosnia
See above = Mostar / Sarajevo =

-Croatia
See above = Dubrovnik, Split, Pula, Zagreb =

-Slovenia
Want to see Ljublijana. Any other ideas? = Bled =

-Austria
Definitely need to visit Vienna for a few days at least. Any suggestions for other cities in Austria? = 3 or 4 days are OK for Vienna, other cities: Innsbruck and Salzburg (from Salzburg a trip to Werfen and Eisriesenwelt are a good choice)=

-Czech Republic
Definitely going to visit Prague for a few days. Any other suggestions? = Cesky Krumlow=

-Poland
Pretty open to anywhere in here for a few days. = Krakow=

-Slovakia
Absolutely going to Brakaslava for several days. Not sure I'm interested outside of Brakaslave. What do we think? = take a trip from Vienna to Bratislava and back as a daytrip =

-Hungary
Budapest probably. Yes? No? Better ideas? = Yes, 3 days minimum =

-Romania
Open for anything. I would probably prefer somewhere more north.

-Ukraine
I hear good things of Lviv and Kiev. Opinions/suggestions?

-Belarus
Is Minsk the only exciting place around? :-P =You'll need a visa, if you don't have one, it's off limits =

-Lithuania
Open to anything.

-Latvia
Open to anything.

-Estonia
Open to anything. = Tallinn=

-Russia
Looking towards Moscow and St. Petersburg. Comments? Any other suggestions? I understand that it's sort of ridiculously difficult to even get into Russia, though. Should it be scrapped? =You'll need a visa=

-Finland
Just interested in Helsinki. = The northern part of Finland is beautiful, Kuusamo, Rovaniemi, Oulo, Tornio (at the Swedish border, can't remember if the town is Swedish or Finnish, the lake district (a rather other one than the English) is beautilful aswell, also think of towns like Türkü and Tampere, both only two hours by train from Helsinki, so possible as daytrips. In Helsinki avoid the Stadium Hostel=

-Sweden
Would love to go from Helsinki to Stockholm. Any other ideas? =Uppsala=

-Norway
Oslo seems like a good spot. Any other ideas? =Bergen, Trondheim, Stavanger =

-Denmark
Definitely want to see Copenhagen for a couple nights. Anywhere else good? =Roskilde, Mon=

-Germany
Pretty open to anywhere. If Munich is highly suggested, I'd probably go there after Switzerland and then go south into Italy. = Berlin for about 4 days is a good bet=

-Netherlands
Must spend several nights in Amsterdam. I hear a lot of great things all over this country, where else is worth my time? =Haarlem, Delft, Groningen, Maastricht =

-Belgium
Brussels? I would also like to take a day trip into Luxembourg, or go there before Paris. =No, Brugge, Gent, Leuven, Antwerp, are all better, Luxembourg City (uuhmm) is not much, rather check on Vianden=

-Paris! (not a country, but it might as well be in my eyes! haha)

-UK
Need to stop in London, but I'm open to anywhere else in the area.

-Ireland
I've already done a lot of touristy things here, and have been to Co. Galway. Wouldn't mind returning, but I'd also love to see Dublin or Limerick... what do you think?

[zsoulan00]

wow, thats a huge list. You can probably see those countries in about a years time (in order to do it RIGHT)

[tre]

I would advise to be extremely careful in going to Serbia/Montenegro, Russia, Belarus because I think you need visas for those places (I don't think the Union of Serbia, Russia and Belarus still exists, but even if it did, I would check for three different visas) and also...I'm going to assume that you are a westerner and probably North American, like myself, and I don't think we'd really be welcomed in those places.

I also heard/read that EU nations won't let you enter their borders from Belarus, due to their particularly nasty tactics as of late.

[etherashe]

In Romania you can get to Oradea, just across the Hungarian border, via a 3 hour shuttle-bus ride from Budapest. The downtown has some nice architecture, a lively club scene, and there is a hostel (summer season only I think) a few blocks from the main square. It's worth a day stopover.

Next, Cluj would be a good stop. It's an easy train ride there, through a lovely section of the Carpathian mountains. It's a large, college dominated city, a lot of young people and active night life. Perhaps worth a few days.

Continue west on the train and you can make it to Sighisoara or Brasov (something like 8 hours total on the train from Oradea, so maybe 5 hours or so from Cluj). Sighisoara has some hostels, but be careful in Brasov, cause it can get pricey.

If you want, you can go further south to Sibiu, which is a great little city (European culture capital 2007), and really is the epitome of Romanian paradox: shabby dirt roads on the outskirts of town, amazing, recently restored architecture in the square, on top of the hill, youthful exuberance mixed with aged, agrarian apathy.

Trains are the way to go in Romania, and there are some new, high-speed routes as nice an anything you will find in Germany, France, etc. But there are also the cheaper, old-school, rural trains - which stop at nearly every village, and sometimes in the middle of fields where there is no sign of civilization. Depends on how you like to travel.

It is still pretty easy to go native, especially in the country, and in villages, but also easy to find modern conveniences in some of the cities. Most everybody under 30-years-old speaks excellent English, so you can get around fairly easily without Romanian language skills.

I wouldn't recommend getting sick or hurt while there though: Romanian public hospitals are generally a nightmare, though many doctors have nice facilities in their private offices.