Thinking about visiting the UK or mainland Europe next year - need some advice

[SoVeryTired]

While you're in the West Midlands to get that beer, there's plenty to see in Stratford and Warwick (with a pretty serious bass shop in the latter).

[BawanaRik]

First don't travel in August. Half of Paris is shut down and most Europeans are on vacation.

Check out Amsterdam. It's flat, friendly and has a cool system of mass transit in the surface trams. If you've spent a half an hour climbing through a NYC SubWay station to get to your platform you'll love the physicallity of this system. And on the way south to Belgium or France you can stop at Rotterdam and get the best frites I've eaten at a stand front and left of Rotterdam CS. And if you really want to do something different you can go to DelftsHaven and check out the Pilgrims Vater's Kerk. And get a beer at the bar located next door. I can't help thinking that the Pilgrims got a couple of beers before thet headed out from DeftsHaven to the New World.

Rome is great for old building. The Collesium is still there. You can see a building that is thousands of years old. I dig the heck out of that.

I would suggest getting a EurRail pass. They are now available for second class and do save money. Get individual passes. Food is killer expensive but available in supermarkets for a bit cheaper. Make sandwiches for lunch but go to a decent place for diner with the money you've saved. Buy bottled water at a kiosk because not every restaurant will give you free water. In fact if you tell the waiter water it will be bottled water and you will be charged. But wine and beer seem to be a bargain. So live it up.

Read up on tipping. It's not like the US. An employer pays a better wage of jobs like that. Which means you pay since service is part of the check. Don't pay twice.

And if you can hit Paris on the first day of summer do that. It's a major party and my first memories of Paris. If you can't hit the first day of summer still do Paris. But the food in Brussles or Antwerpten is better.

And talk to people. Look. Learn. I have never driven a car in Europe but have always gotten where I am going. If is do get flush again I plan on renting a Porsche for the blast down the AutoBahn. Take note of the VAT and the price of gas. Also keep a note book of what things cost like Tylenol.

Guided Tours are a great way to meet people. And rather than spend lots doing your wash at the hotel look for a laundromat.

And have fun. Talk to people. see the sights. Walking around with a map from the hotel is free and a great way to have fun.

[knumbskull]

Berlin is absolutely great to visit, if you have time! Food/drink/nightlife/culture/history....

[D.A.R.K.]

Just got back from UK/ western europe.
One consideration to think about is that your $ will go much further in countries that use the euro as opposed to the pound. UK is awesome, but very expensive....
I'd skip it and go to france, germany, belgium, netherlands, italy, etc. etc.
There are deals on euro rail that can get you around pretty reasonably, did that with the wife a couple years ago and it worked out great.

[SoVeryTired]

And for mainland Europe I'd have to put a vote in for Barcelona. Probably my favourite city to date.

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Originally Posted by Tat2dHeart

The language barrier will be less than you think. Most folks from Europe that I've encountered are polyglots and enjoy the chance to practice their English.

It's true for places where tourists are more common/larger cities. If you go into more rural areas it can become a real challenge.

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Originally Posted by SoVeryTired

If going to Scotland, head further north into the Highlands. Given limited time, stick to the west side, heading through Glencoe to Fort William - I'd spend weeks around that area alone! Lots of history to be found on the way.

Cairngorm National Park is worth a visit, as is Speyside.

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Originally Posted by BawanaRik

I would suggest getting a EurRail pass. They are now available for second class and do save money. Get individual passes. Food is killer expensive but available in supermarkets for a bit cheaper. Make sandwiches for lunch but go to a decent place for diner with the money you've saved. Buy bottled water at a kiosk because not every restaurant will give you free water. In fact if you tell the waiter water it will be bottled water and you will be charged. But wine and beer seem to be a bargain. So live it up.

Read up on tipping. It's not like the US. An employer pays a better wage of jobs like that. Which means you pay since service is part of the check. Don't pay twice.

Wouldn't recommend taking your own water to the restaurant. If you ask for water, just make sure to ask for tap water.

Yep, tipping is for good service in Europe, not obligatory.

[Tituscrow]

Originally Posted by i_got_a_mohawk

Wouldn't recommend taking your own water to the restaurant. If you ask for water, just make sure to ask for tap water.

Yep, tipping is for good service in Europe, not obligatory.

10% of the bill, if you're happy with the service. Many places, certainly in England, have collective tip jars that are shared between all the staff at the end of the shift, as opposed to the individual keeping the cash.

Taking my UK-biased blinkers off, I'd recommend Amsterdam, Brussels, Copenhagen and, even though its off the beaten track, Reykjavik. Beautiful city, but expensive.

[spindoc]

Originally Posted by bassybill

Liverpool is kind of the opposite - it used to be a glorious city, but is now very sadly in decline. Liverpool is the UK's version of Detroit in that sense (even though it was a port). Grim place these days, but worth a visit for the football if you're a fan.

But isn't it worth a visit for a Beatles fan?

[Tituscrow]

Originally Posted by spindoc

But isn't it worth a visit for a Beatles fan?

The whole Beatles Experience is a must. It's down the road from me - relatively speaking - and I do the whole thing probably twice a year. There is always something new to see and fresh exhibits are constantly being added.

[jrthebassguy]

Originally Posted by Tituscrow

The whole Beatles Experience is a must. It's down the road from me - relatively speaking - and I do the whole thing probably twice a year. There is always something new to see and fresh exhibits are constantly being added.

Hmm, I may have to stop in Liverpool for that alone.

I saw ol' Sir Paul about a month ago.

[carlos840]

Originally Posted by bassybill

Knowing what I know and bearing in mind the fact that you don't mind driving, I would do this:

London 2 nights
Birmingham 1 night to get those beers
Friend in Wales (North or South? You didn't say) 1 or 2 nights
Scotland (but not Glasgow or Edinburgh - meh, they're not great cities to visit) 2 or 3 nights
Back to Birmingham 1 night
London 2 nights
Paris 2 nights
Belgium (say, Bruges) 2 nights
Home

Then you've covered the a chunk of the UK and a couple of cool places in mainland Europe.

As a Belgian i really do not understand why the world is fascinated with Bruges!
Nothing much to do there...
If you really want to go to Belgium, go to bruxelles!

[Tituscrow]

Originally Posted by jrthebassguy

Hmm, I may have to stop in Liverpool for that alone.

I saw ol' Sir Paul about a month ago.

It's a truly humbling, almost spiritual experience, seeing all the old flyers for gigs, the photos, the instruments etc. Just be prepared to muscle your way through the hordes of Japanese tourists with telephoto lenses the size of small cannons

[caligula]

My 2 cents regarding Germany/mainland Europe.
Summer here in Germany is usually very nice, not as hot as Spain or Italy of course, and definitely not as hot as Texas. I was in Texas in the mid of August a couple of years ago...puh...baking hot.
Public transport here is really good.
In bigger cities most people know at least a bit English.
If you're interested in historical stuff, Rome is awesome, been there myself many times. Unfortunately, it's usually overcrowded with thousands of tourists.
There's a lot of stuff from Roman and medieval times in Germany, especially on the Rhine; castles, museums, etc.
If you happen to come to North-West Germany, get in touch with me.
Not quite sure if I'm a good tourist guide, but I could try.

[Marlat]

My tps for a first visit to Europe (for someone who wants to see cities rather than the country side):

1. London (2-3 full days tops). I probably wouldn't bother with anywhere else in England unless you have time to spare. Its really nice, but for a first trip I'd only visit London and anywhere you have to go (eg your friend in Wales).

2. Paris (3-4 days). Probably the best city in Europe to visit, beautiful and a lot of stuff to explore. You need the extra days if you want to visit museaums / Eiffel Tower as you will spend time queing.

3. Rome & Vatican (3-4 days). If Paris isn't the best city, Rome is. As others have mentioned, the oldness of the city is mindblowing and there is a lot to see, eat and drink.

4. Barcelona (2-3 days). A very different vide than the other cities, much more chilled and some nice beaches not too far out of town. Food is amazing and the old town is cool to explore.

5. Prague (2 days). A really nice old "Eastern European" city for a different tempo than the others. A bit touristy now, but still worth a trip.

6. Budepest (2 days). A less touristy bet than Prague and still very "Eastern" by comparison. Its a great place and defintely worth visiting.

7. Brussels (2 days). Its very small and easy to see in a day or so. The beers very good and its really easy to access from Paris and London. In fact, if I was planning a trip I'd proably start and finish in London for that reason.

8. Dubrovnik Croatia (2 days) - if you want to see something a little different this old walled city in Croztia is really nice and there is a lot of history there.

The time I have quoted is the minimum time I would spend and I do mean "full days", ie you'd need to add arrival and departure times. Train in Europe is a good option. There is a lot to see an explore so I wouldn't try and do everything. Think about what you reall want to see and experience (ie scenery, hiking, cities, culture etc) and focus on what you like. I would personally forget about smaller / regional city visits unless its important to you (eg liverpool, york etc) because as nice as they are, they will force you to spend more time in a single country and won't necessarily add to the experience unless you are trying to imerse yourself in a particular country / culture.

FWIW

[bassybill]

Originally Posted by carlos840

As a Belgian i really do not understand why the world is fascinated with Bruges!
Nothing much to do there...
If you really want to go to Belgium, go to bruxelles!

I really love Bruges, it's one of the nicest places I've ever visited, for all sorts of reasons. But then again I like everywhere I've been in Belgium (including Brussels). It's my favourite country in continental Europe and I've been to a good number of them.

[bassybill]

Originally Posted by Tituscrow

Bill comes from the most miserable region in the UK. It's called the Black Country for good reason. And he is one of the chirpier Brummies you'll ever meet.

Manchester and Liverpool suck.

I thought you'd be a bit more fond of the place that invented industry - and also metal, given your musical tastes.

I fixed the last sentence. Although I will say that the Beatles thing is kinda cool.

As far as Scotland goes, I'd agree with the comment about skipping straight past the middle section and heading for the Highlands for anyone who has the time. It's the most beautiful part of the whole UK. Glencoe is just scarily awesome in the most literal sense of the word.

[bmc]

Originally Posted by Marlat

My tps for a first visit to Europe (for someone who wants to see cities rather than the country side):

1. London (2-3 full days tops). I probably wouldn't bother with anywhere else in England unless you have time to spare. Its really nice, but for a first trip I'd only visit London and anywhere you have to go (eg your friend in Wales).

2. Paris (3-4 days). Probably the best city in Europe to visit, beautiful and a lot of stuff to explore. You need the extra days if you want to visit museaums / Eiffel Tower as you will spend time queing.

3. Rome & Vatican (3-4 days). If Paris isn't the best city, Rome is. As others have mentioned, the oldness of the city is mindblowing and there is a lot to see, eat and drink.

4. Barcelona (2-3 days). A very different vide than the other cities, much more chilled and some nice beaches not too far out of town. Food is amazing and the old town is cool to explore.

5. Prague (2 days). A really nice old "Eastern European" city for a different tempo than the others. A bit touristy now, but still worth a trip.

6. Budepest (2 days). A less touristy bet than Prague and still very "Eastern" by comparison. Its a great place and defintely worth visiting.

7. Brussels (2 days). Its very small and easy to see in a day or so. The beers very good and its really easy to access from Paris and London. In fact, if I was planning a trip I'd proably start and finish in London for that reason.

8. Dubrovnik Croatia (2 days) - if you want to see something a little different this old walled city in Croztia is really nice and there is a lot of history there.

The time I have quoted is the minimum time I would spend and I do mean "full days", ie you'd need to add arrival and departure times. Train in Europe is a good option. There is a lot to see an explore so I wouldn't try and do everything. Think about what you reall want to see and experience (ie scenery, hiking, cities, culture etc) and focus on what you like. I would personally forget about smaller / regional city visits unless its important to you (eg liverpool, york etc) because as nice as they are, they will force you to spend more time in a single country and won't necessarily add to the experience unless you are trying to imerse yourself in a particular country / culture.

FWIW

Excellent advice. I could not say it better.

[jrthebassguy]

I truly appreciate all the responses I've received - I didn't think I'd get this much input, and I'm quite grateful. Thanks all!

I still have a lot of thinking to do about this. Last night I was dead set on UK immersion but now Latimour has gone and turned me around. Damn you, Mark! Either way I'll avoid Eastern Europe this go around I think.

The Scottish Highlands look stunning in photos - I imagine it's better in person though. And the whisky distilleries sound delicious to this single malt lover. I should have clarified, by "ending in Glasgow or Edinburgh" I meant fly home from there, not necessarily cease traveling north. I would definitely visit there if I go that way, I love whisky too much. That, and one of my favorite albums ever was inspired by/recorded in the highlands (link)

From a tourist's perspective, is there much difference between Glasgow and Edinburgh? If time is an issue I may forgo Glasgow since Edinburgh seems more...touristy.

Is York worth visiting?