Planning a trip to Europe - Any Advice?

[clairenichols]

Hi,

I have never been to Europe and will be travelling there next September. I would like to potter around for 3-4 weeks.
It is my intention to fly business return from Sydney and to stay 4/5 star. It is technically a belated honeymoon but I would love to focus on art, culture, architecture, history and wine/food.
If you have any suggestions for an itinerary to follow or how to do it semi-cost effectively I am all ears! I have no idea. Flight Centre and Harvey World are doing quotes for me but I don't want to just go with what they say or pay too much.

Thanks heaps!

 

[ozmille]

Re: Help with planning a trip to Europe

Soo many options

A good way of getting around Europe would be the Eurail pass as the train takes you from city center to city center. If you happen to pass Belgium I would say Bruges, Ghent and Brussels

 

[Maca44]

Re: Help with planning a trip to Europe

Soo many options

A good way of getting around Europe would be the Eurail pass as the train takes you from city center to city center. If you happen to pass Belgium I would say Bruges, Ghent and Brussels

I agree. Bruges is a great place, and would use train over rental cars as it is extremely difficult to get parking in some of the cities whereas as ozmille suggests the trains arrive in the centre of the city where most of the hotels and attractions are located.

 

[Sprucegoose]

Re: Help with planning a trip to Europe

Start with a specialist agent, we have one in Canberra even though we don't live there.

PM me if you would like the contact.

 

[burmans]

Re: Help with planning a trip to Europe

I agree. Bruges is a great place, and would use train over rental cars as it is extremely difficult to get parking in some of the cities whereas as ozmille suggests the trains arrive in the centre of the city where most of the hotels and attractions are located.

Trains are great for the cities but for me the countryside and villages and meandering through these on back roads is one of the great delights of Europe. Have you ever watched the Tour De France and thought of the villages/toens they go thorugh that you would love to do that. Well you can't (largely) by train! So I'd be doing a combination, trains for the long distance then hire a car to do trips into the country. Choose a hire outlet on the outskirts of cities if possible as getting out of town can be difficult and if you get a car do get a GPS.

Personally my favourites in Europe are France and Spain, all the former Yougoslavia countries also great.

 

[Berlin]

Re: Help with planning a trip to Europe

I would recommend renting a car which gives you much more flexibility in my eyes. We've done Spain last year which was a great country to drive through, monstrous brand new 3-laned motorways financed by the richer European countries with hardly anyone on them, absolute bliss! Plus friendly (mostly unemployed) people everywhere, good food and lots of fun. Same goes for my home town Berlin in Germany- hardly anyone has a job so everyone is fun and usually consuming lots of alcohol (only to be recommended during Summer).

I'd also add Paris and maybe even some country towns in France to the agenda, even if it's just for the food. Benelux is always nice as well, as is Budapest in Hungary. So much to see, really!

 

[opusman]

Re: Help with planning a trip to Europe

I would recommend renting a car

For three weeks or more, leasing a brand new Peugeot (also maybe Renault?) in France is a much more cost effective way of renting a car. You get a brand new car, don't have to worry about damage or insurance, and there are lots of drop-off spots (you can even drop it off outside of France if you want). E.g. Peugeot Car Leasing in Europe - Vehicle Leasing | DriveAway Holidays

 

[ozmille]

Re: Help with planning a trip to Europe

Same goes for my home town Berlin in Germany- hardly anyone has a job so everyone is fun and usually consuming lots of alcohol (only to be recommended during Summer).

I'll be in Berlin for a night next month to catch up with a friend, already regretting the decision to go freeze but they should have some nice Christmas markets going with lots of mulled wine...

 

[nickykim]

Re: Help with planning a trip to Europe

If you do the new car lease thing be aware that they have different number plates so you are easily identified as a tourist. Thus if doing this never leave valuables in the car and watch for con artists. At the time I travelled in SW France, northern Spain was apparently a hotspot for fake police officers asking to see passports, the demanding $ for their return.

I rented a small car locally in Toulouse so didn't experience this.

Have you thought about doing some connection via canal / barge?

 

[Berlin]

Re: Help with planning a trip to Europe

I'll be in Berlin for a night next month to catch up with a friend, already regretting the decision to go freeze but they should have some nice Christmas markets going with lots of mulled wine...

I've given up on trips over Christmas- just can't handle the cold anymore! But mulled wine, yes- that brings back very fond memories!

 

[dajop]

I'm going to go against the consensus here and suggest using a combination of rail and car rental - not necessarily renting one for the whole time depending on the portion of time you want to spend in cities ( such as Rome, Paris etc) vs countryside. If for example you want 4 or 5 days in Paris, not worth having a car for that time.

With your declared interests, it's hard to overlook Italy as one country to include on your itinerary. Certainly packs a decent punch in terms of historical and cultural factors.

Also, if you are relatively independent ( prefer making your own bookings) I have always found booking.com has a good range of options fairly priced with reasonable user reviews.

 

[Berlin]

Re: Help with planning a trip to Europe

Oh- and one tip in case you're renting a car: Sixt for some reason is always by far the cheapest option if you're intending to drive one way from one country to another. In most cases half or even a third of what all the other big companies charge. They seem to be the only ones who have arrived in the 21st century and offer a special "Europe Explorer" rate or something similar (can't remember the exact name but it just comes up as the normal rate if you search for a one way) while all the others (Avis, Hertz, Europcar and the likes) charge you a monstrous One-way fee.

 

[kiwitripper64]

Re: Help with planning a trip to Europe

If you rent a car don't go large as many of the town streets are very small. Get a GPS. Don't try to fit so much in that you are constantly moving. We prefer to stay somewhere 2-4 nights as a base, then move on.
Have you also looked at trip advisor for regional forum ideas and accommodation?

 

[AaronBradford]

Re: Help with planning a trip to Europe

Another over-ground option for seeing the small towns and getting out of the city is to experience a river cruise. You also get the added bonus of not having to lug around heavy bags for a while while still being on the move. They are generally quite expensive to purchase in Australia however I believe they are much cheaper to purchase in Europe (if you have any friends with European addresses).

I went on one from Paris to Prague (the cruise itself being Remich to Nuremberg) with AMA Waterways last October and the experience was truly five-star. Highly recommended!