Europe suggestions

allychase

FI and I already have our HM booked and are now looking ahead to a summer trip to Europe. It is so overwhelming though and I have no idea where to go. I hate flying so I don't want to fly all the way out there only to be underwhelmed. 

I'm open to ANYWHERE in europe that's SAFE and just a must see.. what places can you ladies recommend? 

Jells2dot0

I have been to several countries in Europe. My favorites thus far have been Germany (Bavaria region), Switzerland, and London. I've also been to France, Belgium, Netherlands, Italy, Luxembourg, Austria, and Liechentstein. However, alot depends on what you want to see or do while there. Each country is quite different from the other. Some countries are more affordable than others as well.

dazyabbey

I absolutely loved London. It was an awesome experience. But in reality I think everyone can give you suggestions on what they love and what they did but you might not like the same things.

Why did you decide to go to Europe? Almost all the countries in Europe are so different from each other and going to one of them versus another will be a completely different experience even though you might just be going the distance between New Jersey and Ohio.

For us the reason we wanted to go to Europe was because we wanted to experience the culture and the history. I love European history specifically in England and France. So those were the two placed we chose. Another place I would love to go is Russia because I am absolutely fascinated by the Czar's and their history.


So overall, since you said you already have it booked where are you flying into/out of and how much time do you have? And what are your interests and why did you choose Europe.

allychase

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_honeymoon_europe-suggestions?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:11Discussion:bc253954-a16a-490a-a39d-48cd2259fea2Post:d14a1c80-f055-46e2-8064-1d59bd85cb82">Re: Europe suggestions</a>:
[QUOTE]I absolutely loved London. It was an awesome experience. But in reality I think everyone can give you suggestions on what they love and what they did but you might not like the same things. Why did you decide to go to Europe? Almost all the countries in Europe are so different from each other and going to one of them versus another will be a completely different experience even though you might just be going the distance between New Jersey and Ohio. For us the reason we wanted to go to Europe was because we wanted to experience the culture and the history. I love European history specifically in England and France. So those were the two placed we chose. Another place I would love to go is Russia because I am absolutely fascinated by the Czar's and their history. <strong>So overall, since you said you already have it booked where are you flying into/out of and how much time do you have? And what are your interests and why did you choose Europe.</strong>
Posted by dazyabbey[/QUOTE]

<div>Sorry I wasn't clear. This isn't our HM, we're going to St Lucia for our HM but are looking ahead to a summer trip to Europe. We definitely want to experience different cultures, and are really interested in sightseeing. We want to go to places that you just don't get to see every day. And we love eating, obviously. Good food is always a plus. We'd be interested in Italy, Ireland, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, or Belgium. I guess it's just so overwhelming to research every country in depth I just don't know where to start!</div>

Jells2dot0

What time of year are you going? Some places will have better weather than others (meaning you don't die of heat!) Some places are also more crowded than others. What is your budget as well?

allychase

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_honeymoon_europe-suggestions?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:11Discussion:bc253954-a16a-490a-a39d-48cd2259fea2Post:8fdfe15b-1fd8-44eb-abc6-f40dc9b20783">Re: Europe suggestions</a>:
[QUOTE]What time of year are you going? Some places will have better weather than others (meaning you don't die of heat!) Some places are also more crowded than others. What is your budget as well?
Posted by Jells2dot0[/QUOTE]

<div>I typed in a few destinations onto Orbitz and have found that in a few places we could stay for 7 days including hotel and airfare for under 2k a person, so our budget is about 4k total. Food and spending money separate. We aren't interested in driving all around, we want to just settle down in one place for a week and "live" there. We can go any time from June to August cause I'll be off classes then.. So preferrably a place that's able to have central AC in the rooms because it'll be HOT. </div><div>
</div><div>We've ruled out France so there's that. lol</div>

Jells2dot0

If you want to really "live" there, then I'd rule our Ireland, as the country is best seen by traveling around. I'd say Switzerland is the same way, though we really enjoyed Zurich. Germany is probably similar, but we really enjoyed traveling around to the small villages and towns in the Bavaria and Rhein regions. Munich is a really nice city, though. It has a nice mix of history and isnt quite as modern as some of the other German cities (but does have modern sections.) I personally would say London would be perfect, but it's going to be more expensive than the others. The Euro has a much better exchange than the Pound Sterling, but London just has so many things to offer, is easy to navigate, and I felt completely at home while we were there. Our room had air as well!

EDIT- I have spent time in Amsterdam and Bruges (Belgium) as well. Both would be nice, but I would not spend a week flat in Bruges. Maybe 2-3 nights. You can take a train there from Brussels, though. So, I'd say Amsterdam or London. I felt safer and more relaxed in London, but didn't feel in any way really unsafe in Amsterdam.

Jager1219

I would put in a vote for Southern Spain, but you probably won't find air conditioning.  However, it is easy to travel around via trains & if you wanted to see Seville, Granda, Cordoba, and Marbea it's about a 2 hour drive from Sevilla is you based yourself there.  Or just go from place to place.  Hotels & food are relatively cheap (although in Aug. it may be different because that's when everyone is on vaca.

dazyabbey

Lots of good advice. If you want to stay somewhere for a week I would aim at major cities that have a lot to do. London, Paris, Rome etc. I think you could stay a month in London and still find things to do. It is a little more expensive but if you know how to then you can find deals and cheap things. We found this website (CLICKY) that has buy one get one free admission into many things across London. It includes major tourist attractions like The Tower of London and events across London. Also I love that all of the London museums are free. Makes it so much easier and cheaper. In the tourist areas there are lots of restaurants and food places that have specials and deals. They  might not have the best food but it is good. Also lots of restaurants have people standing outside that try and convince you to go in. Ask them about specials and other things. We ended up getting our drinks at local grocery stores for 1/3 the price they were selling them in other places. About $1 for a can of pop and $1.50 for a bottle, less for water. 

We absolutely loved London and did take a day trip outside to see Windsor, Bath and Stonehenge which was a lot of fun. But in the city there is so much to do too. We were there for 6 full days and didn't have a problem filling up the time.  

Swazzle

I absolutely loved Berlin. It wasn't actually on my list of cities to visit but I won a trip through a local newspaper. It's now one of my favorite cities in the world. The people were so friendly and helpful, the food was great, there's beer everywhere, and the history is astounding. 

It's a little cheesy but FI and I did a segway tour of Berlin while we were there and it was so.much.fun. We saw so much that we wouldn't have seen otherwise. 

We also took a day trip/tour of a concentration camp not too far from the city and that was very powerful. 

hz80408

How long is your trip for?

We loved Amsterdam, but only spent 3 nights there and that was plenty.

Have you traveled outside of the US? Do you speak foriegn languages?  If you only want to stay in one city and are nervous about feeling safe/communicating, I would say that London is an easy choice.

If you want more variety and are willing to visit two cities; London and Paris is a popular trip because you can take the chunnel easily between the two.

Like Jells said, I'd rule out Ireland. That's a country that you really should travel across to capture all of it's beauty.

JoanE2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_honeymoon_europe-suggestions?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:11Discussion:bc253954-a16a-490a-a39d-48cd2259fea2Post:ba8789b4-809e-4fd3-af06-a052d1f045d5">Europe suggestions</a>:
[QUOTE]FI and I already have our HM booked and are now looking ahead to a summer trip to Europe. It is so overwhelming though and I have no idea where to go. I hate flying so I don't want to fly all the way out there only to be underwhelmed.  I'm open to ANYWHERE in europe that's SAFE and just a must see.. what places can you ladies recommend? 
Posted by allychase[/QUOTE]

One of my favorite vacations was Southern Spain.  We stayed in Costa del Sol right along the beach.  We had tons of restaurants and little shops within walking distance.  We took day trips to Morocco, Gibraltar, Seville, etc.  Highly recommend!

MrsGandthebeag

Not sure if your flights are cheaper out of jersey than they are here in Boston, but flying to Europe in the summer isn't cheap.  When we went on our hm (flew from Boston to Rome and back) in July, our tickets were $1500/each.  That being said, I love everything about Italy and would suggest going there if you haven't before.  My favorite city is Venice but you wouldn't want to stay there for a whole week.

hoffse

I lived in Rome for a month and didn't see everything.  I would think London would take longer than even that, so both of those are good cities if you want to just live there for a week.  You need to be careful to confirm that your hotel has A/C anywhere you go in Europe.  It's hit or miss, and it really doesn't have much to do with the country you are in.

My #1 bucket list place is southern Spain - I'm dying to do the Seville/Cordoba/Granada "triangle."  And while you wouldn't necessarily be in a single spot for a week, you could do seville for most of your time, day trip to Cordoba, and then spend the remainder of your time in Granada.  The Alhambra in Granada is one of my top 5 sites to see on my very long bucket list (the vast majority of which is European).  If you pick Spain or Italy go in June.  I went to Italy in May and it was perfect.  June in either of those places will be warm but not unbearably hot.  Spain is pretty inexpensive compared to other countries, and you can find hotels with A/C there if you just make sure to look for it.

hoffse

Oh and one last thing... if you are underwhelmed by Europe, then I would frankly think there was something wrong with you.  Not saying that people don't have preferences among countries and cities, but in general Europe is incredible.  It's definitely worth reading a guidebook or small history book before you go so that you know what you are looking at and can better appreciate the history of the area.  I think too many Americans go over just to see the tourist traps, and this doesn't really give you a flavor of a country.  Just don't expect it to be completely American.  Recognize that the pace is different, the culture is different, the laws are different, and you will acclimate really quickly. The people I know who disliked Europe were unhappy about completely ridiculous things, like having to walk everywhere or not being able to use their American cell phones (because of course they didn't buy a European card before they went).  I think picking a country first and then reading a guidebook will really help you have a sense of what it is like before you go.   

jessicaw13

My favorite European country is Ireland, but as others have said, you really need to drive around to experience the country.  I also highly enjoyed London.  We were there for 4 jam packed days and we left feeling like we barely got to see anything.  We felt safe the whole time we were there.  We were only approached by a beggar once.  My FI and I are planning a HM to southern Spain but haven't really started planning anything yet.

toribrite

Europe RIver Tours! We are using Viking for our HM. 

JoanE2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_honeymoon_europe-suggestions?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:11Discussion:bc253954-a16a-490a-a39d-48cd2259fea2Post:fb51b0a6-4ff2-4884-b465-bee65478ef0e">Re: Europe suggestions</a>:
[QUOTE]Europe RIver Tours! We are using Viking for our HM. 
Posted by toribrite[/QUOTE]

I don't think the OP will be able to get the river cruise and airfare for under 4k total.  

We are doing a European river cruise later this year....can't wait!  Where does your cruise stop?

Jells2dot0

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_honeymoon_europe-suggestions?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:11Discussion:bc253954-a16a-490a-a39d-48cd2259fea2Post:19cd3ac7-588f-4a38-a30a-cdecbe1ba188">Re: Europe suggestions</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Europe suggestions : I don't think the OP will be able to get the river cruise and airfare for under 4k total.   We are doing a European river cruise later this year....can't wait!  Where does your cruise stop?
Posted by JoanE2012[/QUOTE]

Want to hear more about yours as well! We tossed around the idea for a Christmas Market cruise, but then decided to do something land based. I'm seeing alot more of the cruise options on here, so very curious!

Lechillura

Check out European Destinations.  We are going to Italy for our honeymoon for 12 days to Rome, Florence and Venice and that site helped us out significantly.  (althought we booked independent and save a few hundred bux).  But they have a lot of info on there.