Help Please!! :)

[silvana]

Hi everybody,

My husband and I are going to Europe for 18 days, we know it's a short time but it's all we got for now. We want to visit the following cities:

Dublin, London, Munich (Oktoberfest), Barcelona, Ibiza.

Landing in Dublin and living from Barcelona, unless you suggest leaving straight from Ibiza.
We don't need to see every site and museums. We only would like to relax and drink beer in really old pubs, if possible see a super old castle and lay on the beach.
Please let us know what you think, any help would be appreciated. Also, I don't know if this the right place to ask but should be flight or take the train? Any suggestions??

Thank you in advance!!!

[herrbert]

I presume that you will be going in September/October. (judging from the Oktoberfest mentioning.) Getting a place to sleep in Munich during that period is hard, when you don´t book ahead (far ahead.) and even now mid july, it is already pretty late. So check if you can get some accommodation in Munich during these days.

I would be tempted to leave out Ibiza on this trip. the first reason is that the season there will have ended at the end of september, and the Island goes back to being a normal quiet Island in the sun, until the new season starts. The second reason has to do with the logistics. As you already mentioned you are thinking about planes, and I think you are correct, as trains will take a long time to get from London to Munich, and from Munich to London (and are obviously non excistent between Barcelona and Ibiza.) This means that you will have at least three travel days, leaving only 15 days for your trip. If you then count 3 days for Dublin, 4 for London, 3 or 4 for Barcelona and Munich, you are almost there already.

As with the acc. during Oktoberfest, planes are the cheapest if you book way in advance. (2-3 months is about minimum.)

[silvana]

Thank you so much Herrbert!!! We reconsider our whole trip base on your input. We decided to leave Oktoberfest for next year. We would like to go to Ibiza during the high season so we were thinking end of August (do you think we still can find a place to stay there since it's only 1 month away or are we crazy to consider this as an option?) Ok, so here it goes

Ibiza 3 days
flight to barcelona 3 days
bus to Andorra (just cause it's on the way we would like to stop and have a meal there and maybe just walk around for a few hours) Let's say 1 day.
train to Nice (??) we want to go to the south of france, would like to bike around vineyards or something like that, we are open to suggestions. 4 days.
Bus to Monaco (again, just cause it's on the way, stop and get a meal and look around a bit) 1 day?
Train to Milan (it's on the way, we're not dying to see this city but it would be nice) 2 days.
Train to Zurich, 4 days. Flight home.

I know it sounds like a lot, but several of this places we're stopping kind of just curiosity try a local meal and keep on going kind of thing. We like to enjoy the trip just as much as the destination. We don't need to visit every museum, etc. The only thing we wouldn't miss is something absolutely huge, equivalent to the Eiffel tower in Paris.Any advice and suggestion will be hugely appreciated. It's the first time we're going to more than 1 country at the time in Europe.

Thanks to everybody who give their input in this website, it's awsome and many of us couldn't manage to get this trips together without you.

[Eagle]

silvana,

I'll leave the suggestions on Spain to herrbert (our expert on all things Spanish), but I have some comments on a few of your other stops.

- Monaco: As I recall, the Bus from Nice to Monaco is only €1 (a bargain!). I was there about a month ago. It goes through Villefranche and past Eze. The arrival point in Monaco is at the bottom of the hill where the principality is located. You can either walk up the hill or take another Bus (which will be another €1).

If you want to visit Monte Carlo, it's on the opposite hill from Monaco (the other side of the small bay). While you're there, you might try and see if Lady Moura is docked - truly an impressive yacht!!! In Monaco, the Changing of the Guard is at 11:55 each day, in front of the Palace. You could also visit the Church where Princess Grace is buried or the Jacques Cousteau Oceanographic Museum (lots of fish!). AFAIK there's a dress code to enter the Casino, so you won't get too far inside if you're not properly attired.

Be sure not to miss the last Bus back to Nice!!!

-Milano: Depending on what you want to see in Milano, two days should be adequate. A visit to the Duomo is nice but if you want to go to the roof, it's an extra charge. The Galleria Vittoria Emmanuele is interesting and there's a department store there called La Rinascente which is astounding - multiple floors of Gucci, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, etc. and a great restaurant facility on the top floor. Be sure to take your credit cards!

One other possibility while you're in Milano would be a day trip to Lago di Como, specifically the towns of Varenna and / or Bellagio. It's an easy one hour train ride to Varenna and if you have the time it's a great place to explore (Clooney has a Villa on the lake, so it must be nice!). If you return to Milano later in the evening, you can stop for a nice dinner at Albergo Olivedo (which is right next to the Ferry dock).

Cheers!

[silvana]

Thank you so much Eagle!!!! ;D We're even more excited now!! We really appreciate your suggestions, we're definetely going to see the stuff you mentioned, I'm printing your post.

Can't wait to get there!!!!

[herrbert]

I have no idea how the hotel/hostel situation is in Ibiza. Normally I would say that it would be packed during July and August, but I also hear reports that a lot of (British) tourist are not coming to Spain this year, so the crisis might have some bright sides for you. I think that you just have to try to reserve something.

You have now addapted the route, so that it starts on Ibiza, but is it possible to fly into Ibiza, from on an intercontinental flight?

Andorra has a lot of advertisement space at the moment, and for a little country it seems that there is enough to do. As it is the mountains you can go for walks and for ride with a mountainbike (ATB). I have not been there (yet), but it looks that it could be nice. (and let us be honest, it's nice to say that you've been there. )

I have to agree on Milan, but as an extra sight need to add the last supper painting. (for which you need to buy tickets in advance. at least that's what I understood.) It would not be my choice. I would rather opt to spend a few days in the Alps, or at one of the lakes (Como, Maggiore)