Going to Europe. Which country to visit?

[The new erato]

All we have up here is things like this:

[Mirror Image]

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

It's not that I wouldn't like to visit Germany, it's just that I have no interest in the country, though Berlin might be an interesting visit. I'm not saying you did this or implied this, but people can't fault others for not taking an interest in their country. I can understand why many wouldn't want to visit the United States. It's crowded. The people here, for the most part, are rude as hell. I remember going to New Orleans one time and I was treated like a second-rate citizen. I'm treated like a second-rate citizen in my own town!

[springrite]

Where are the smog and traffic jams? What about ATMs at every block? Such a backward place!



Just kidding. If I were to make my next trip to Europe, I'd certainly visit mostly smaller places, not major cities. I'd go to small towns and countrysides in Germany, Holland and the Czech republic, maybe Finland, and only stop by Vienna and Amsterdam for a concert. Oh, and London for an Arsenal match.

[Mirror Image]

All we have up here is things like this:

Beautiful erato! Love those fjords! Norway seems like a beautiful place to me. I wouldn't mind visiting all of the Scandinavian countries.

[Lethevich]

I can understand why many wouldn't want to visit the United States. It's crowded.

The amount of square miles per person that the US has I would envy...

[Mirror Image]

The amount of square miles per person that the US has I would envy...

No comment.

[Marc]

[....] I wouldn't mind visiting all of the Scandinavian countries.

Exactly.

Leave them stinking cities aside.

Get yer nose fresh &
Go wild in the country!

(And, just for one day, visit Stockholm's Gamla Stan.)

[Opus106]

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.

What?!

[Mirror Image]

Exactly.

Leave them stinking cities aside.

Get yer nose fresh &
Go wild in the country!

(And, just for one day, visit Stockholm's Gamla Stan.)

[Lethevich]

What?!

I mean rotting Greek columns and such.

[Opus106]

I mean rotting Greek columns and such.

Oh. Sorry about that.

[knight66]

http://www.historvius.com/features/roman-ruins-germany/

Mike

[MDL]

For me, the must-do places in Europe in no particular order are:

London (greatest city in the world along with New York, and I'm from Manchester, so I'm being a traitor)
Berlin (utterly fascinating city)
Barcelona (amazing architecture, great vibe)
Amsterdam (beautiful, laid back, although Muslim gangs are a problem these days)
Granada (stunning setting)
Venice (but not in August)
Rome (but not in August)
Prague (Europe's most beautiful city)
St Petersburg (unless you're squeamish about including Russia)

Second tier:

Brussels (seriously underrated)
Paris (very pretty, but my least-favourite major city)
Bruges (gorgeous)
Madrid (not a patch on Barcelona)
Ljubljana (tiny, but lovely; much nicer than Zagreb)
Copenhagen (probably the cheapest and most approachable capital in the Baltic area)
Helsinki (funky and vibrant)
Stockholm (beautiful, but expensive and forbidding)


Now, I've never been to Austria, Poland, Albania, Switzerland or Bulgaria, so I'm not dissing those countries. They may be fabulous; I can only talk about places I've been to.

[Florestan]

Europe's most beautiful city

IMO, the honor should go to Seville.

[Sergeant Rock]

I mean rotting Greek columns and such.

There are two Roman villas within a twenty minute drive from my house. The city of Trier (on the Mosel) was founded by the Romans and has Roman buildings, monuments, walls and antiquities, including two monstrous baths



a coliseum and of course the famous Porta Nigra





Sarge

[MDL]

IMO, the honor should go to Seville.

Seville is gorgeous, but the most beautiful? Prague, Venice, Barcelona, Granada and Bruges (and quite a few others) beat it, IMHO.

But a lot of my friends love Seville, so maybe I missed something.

Oh, forgot to mention Lisbon, which is wonderful.

[Sergeant Rock]

It's not that I wouldn't like to visit Germany, it's just that I have no interest in the country, though Berlin might be an interesting visit. I'm not saying you did this or implied this, but people can't fault others for not taking an interest in their country.

I don't fault them. In fact I'm glad Germany doesn't have a tourist problem. Even the well-known places that attract some interest (like Rothenburg or Neuschwanstein or the Romantic Rhine) are seldom overrun to the extent of tourist traps in Paris and Rome and Venice. Even Berlin feels almost small town in comparison.

Sarge

[Sergeant Rock]

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

See! Proves my point. You're just passing through on the way to somewhere else 

Sarge

[listener]

Questions that can help us:
Does anyone speak a second language?
How much walking would you want to do?
What is /are the arrival/deoarture airports?
What's the museum and cathedral tolerance?
Want to do concerts or opera? Shopping important?
There will be lots of guidebooks at Powells in Portland, Michelin Green Guides are great as are the red (one for each country, for hotel and restaurant guides)

Amiens is a useful stop in France,   You can get into Paris in about 45 min by rail (the time it used to take me to get downtown by city bus), over to Rouen, Lille, and even Amsterdam I think on a fast train, or to/from London.
Pictures: Le Puy en Velay, Paris

[SonicMan46]

Well all,Sandra needs to come back online to this thread and express some of her own desires and also answers to several questions that I mentioned, now a while ago.  There are just too many suggestions (and granted excellent ones) for her to take in on her first trip - so need some input from the OP!  Dave