Going to Europe. Which country to visit?

[Sandra]

I finally have an opportunity to take a vacation in Europe, this August. I have at least three friends up for the experience, but none of us have ever been in Europe.

Any recommendations as far as where to go, what country to visit?

I always wanted to go to Paris but I hear it's very expensive there. I am not interested in expensive places (expensive places are some of the most boring places anyway). So any ideas would be much appreciated.

[Rinaldo]

Prague. Not expensive at all (if you stay clear of the obvious tourist traps in the centre) and gorgeous in late summer. Although being born here, I might be a little biased.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

Since you stated elsewhere that Oregon has no public transportation, cafes or bookstores, you may wish to experience a city that has public transportation, cafes and bookstores. In Europe, that's almost all of them 

Seriously - you may want to refine your question a bit. As it stands, you'll probably get recs for all the standard places to visit. And if you really always wanted to go to Paris, why let money get in the way? How many times in your life will you have the opportunity?

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

Prague. Not expensive at all (if you stay clear of the obvious tourist traps in the centre) and gorgeous in late summer. Although being born here, I might be a little biased.

Also: some of the best musical life in Europe at reasonable cost; best beer to be found anywhere on earth; and some fascinating neighborhoods and sites away from the center.

As well as easy access to other attractions in Bohemia.

[mc ukrneal]

Paris is expensive, but it can also be done on the cheap if one plans well. Much of Europe itself goes on vacation in August, which can complicate things. But things like hostels, dorms, etc. can make for less expensive stays, and provide lots of new adventures. In Paris, for example, you can organize your visit around the days the museums are free (one day every month in Paris if memory serves). Sure, the lines are out the door (way out the door), but it is a cheap way to see some great museums. And some places will be free (most churches across Europe allow full or partial access for free). More expensive may be the transportation - so that is something to consider as well. See if you can get a deal on flights, hotels/hostels, rail, etc. London can be very expensive, but many locations are free entry (and Indian food can be quite reasonable, if you like that).

Cheaper countries will be the east and south - meaning Czech Republic, Croatia, Poland, etc. and Spain, Italy, and Greece. All of these places have wonderful places to visit (as do some I didn't include).

[Lethevich]

France doesn't have to mean Paris either, the south can be a nice place to go, although your French will need to be a bit better - perhaps beginning in Montpellier, then going east by way of Nîmes, across to Genoa and perhaps neighbouring Slovenia or Croatia (as ukrneal suggests).

[Rinaldo]

France doesn't have to mean Paris either, the south can be a nice place to go

Provence is a bliss.

[SonicMan46]

Hi Sandra - how much time will you be there (i.e. Europe) and are you and friends wanting a 'whirlwind' tour of many places (like the capitals) or would you rather concentrate on one country or area(s) in one country?

My first visit was in 1971 & last in 1996 (both of those to Italy) and have made 8-9 trips to Europe; we've usually tried to concentrate on an area, e.g. the Low Countries, parts of France & Italy, Scotland/England, etc.  Also keep in mind that August is a MAJOR vacation month in France, so closures are an issue, but have not been there in a while and this may have changed.

So, let us know about the questions at the top and also your own (and friends) preferences, e.g. art, wine, architecture, expense considerations, climate, water scenes, and so many other considerations - good luck on your selection(s)! 

[rhomboid]

I am not interested in expensive places (expensive places are some of the most boring places anyway). So any ideas would be much appreciated.

Turkey.

[knight66]

I suggest you do some research on temperatures in August. If you are unused to heat, then some places will be out; Turkey and Greece, anywhere away from the coast in Spain. Rome is not easy in August.

Mike

[Brian]

American living in London reporting for duty here! I hope this handy photo thingy of pictures I've taken around Europe will help.

Top row: English countryside in Kent, a canal in the medieval Dutch town of Leiden, Peter Paul Rubens' garden in Antwerp
Bottom row: Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, St Paul's Cathedral in London

NOTE I: The St Paul's picture comes from a private area of the cathedral, no tourists allowed, sorry
NOTE II: It's totally unintentional, I mean really it is, that the top row has flowers in all the pictures and the bottom row has all religious places.
NOTE III: These, aside from Hagia Sophia and Sagrada Familia, aren't really representative of the places you'd be most likely to visit if you were going to the countries they depict - instead they're just the best or most flattering pictures I've taken of each country.
NOTE IV: For food, my favorite country so far is Spain; for scenery, my favorite so far is England; for people, atmosphere, and nightlife, my favorite so far is the Netherlands; for chocolate, the best is Belgium
NOTE V: I still really want to visit Prague, Norway, Amsterdam, Paris, and Italy. I have plans to visit Poland next month. I was supposed to go to Croatia for a Mediterranean weekend recently but the volcanic ash cloud was a pretty serious threat at the time.

[Florestan]

Venice !!!

There is no other city like it in Europe, really.

I second Prague as well.

Obviously, no classical music lover should miss Vienna. 

And if you really want to see Paris, then go for it without hesitation.

[Sergeant Rock]

I agree with Lethe about southern France, an area too few Americans visit but one of my favorite areas in the world. I wouldn't recommend it in August, though. It can be hell: the heat, the crowds.

I notice no one has mentioned my country (not even Brian plans on visiting Germany )  But that's typical. Most tourists ignore Germany, or just use it as a way to get to somewhere else. But that's okay. We don't need a bunch of foreigners cluttering up the place 


Sarge

[Marc]

Visit the Emerald Isle:

Éire.

(No explanation needed.)



And/or visit the Dutch Sheep Isle of Texel, part of the so-called Wadden. And yes: the skies are exactly the same as in those famous Dutch paintings ....

[Hollywood]

I quite agree that if you are a classical music fan then you should visit Vienna, Austria the classical music capital of the universe. 

[The new erato]

I agree with Lethe about southern France, an area too few Americans visit but one of my favorite areas in the world. I wouldn't recommend it in August, though. It can be hell: the heat, the crowds.

I notice no one has mentioned my country (not even Brian plans on visiting Germany )  But that's typical. Most tourists ignore Germany, or just use it as a way to get to somewhere else. But that's okay. We don't need a bunch of foreigners cluttering up the place 


Sarge

I will stay in Halle, Weimar, Iphofen and Rothenburg on my way to Italy this year!

[knight66]

Venice !!!

There is no other city like it in Europe, really.

Yes..... but not in August!

Paris, I agree. There are good reasons that it is popular and expensive, though as pointed out there are ways of seeing it without breaking the bank.

On one trip to Paris we went to a hotel that is simply, with typical French insouciance, called l'hotel. It is on the Rue des Beaux-Arts. The pianist Gorge Bolet was born there and it was there in seeming poverty that Oscar Wilde died. It is exquisite, look up in the entrance hall and you see almost the interior of a stone beehive. I should die in such 'poverty'. He did remark there at one point.......either this wallpaper goes or I go.

We had a meal there in their restaurant. At the next table sat an exceptionally elegant Frenchwoman of a certain age who was clearly hosting the meal for her two American guests. They consisted of a fresh faced man in his middle 20s and a young teen girl. We had not been listening to them, but during a hiatus in our conversation while we were eating, I heard the young man say very confidently, " Well, I don't know why Louis built Versailles, there is just so much to do in Paris." I glanced across at the Frenchwoman. She looked like she had swallowed an apple whole. She stared down at the table and pretended nothing had been said.

So, there you go, Paris has been well advocated as a destination; but again, I wonder about August, much will be closed.

Mike

[Mirror Image]

I finally have an opportunity to take a vacation in Europe, this August. I have at least three friends up for the experience, but none of us have ever been in Europe.

Any recommendations as far as where to go, what country to visit?

I always wanted to go to Paris but I hear it's very expensive there. I am not interested in expensive places (expensive places are some of the most boring places anyway). So any ideas would be much appreciated.

I've never been to Europe either, but since you mentioned Paris, and also since you said its too expensive, which I'm sure it is, why don't you visit another city in France? There's much more to France than Paris. There are plenty of places to see besides Paris, although I would still love to see Paris at some point as I'm so in love with the architecture, culture, and history of this city. Spain would also be on my to visit list after France. I don't have any interest in Germany, but I would love to visit Austria, especially Vienna, and I would like to see Switzerland as well.

[knight66]

Another idea: Helsinki. It is delightful in the summer, the Finns suddenly become an outdoor people. There is lots to see and the warm weather is quite fresh due to the proximity of the Baltic. You can sail from Helsinki 90 minutes to the ancient capital of Estonia, Tallinn. Full of history and old buildings.

There they literally had a singing revolution. When the Communist Block was disintegrating, their own government seemed set to hold onto power. Over a week or so vast crowds came onto the streets and sang traditional songs en-mass for hours on end. The crowds swelled day on day and eventually the Government capitulated. It is a wonderful story.

Mike

[Lethevich]

I notice no one has mentioned my country (not even Brian plans on visiting Germany )  But that's typical. Most tourists ignore Germany, or just use it as a way to get to somewhere else. But that's okay. We don't need a bunch of foreigners cluttering up the place 

From my experience on message boards, when a person is looking to visit "Europe" anything north of France is of limited interest or outright frowned upon

I would prefer to visit somewhere like Copenhagen or Munich, as even Nîmes feels a little touristy - let alone some of the über-tourist traps in Italy - but the lack of anything "classical" may be seen as a black mark depending on what the visitor is searching for.