Euro trip (AKA american going to europe looking for advice)

[codemonkeymike]

Hey guys, I am planning a trip starting early May and lasting 2 weeks to europe. I am starting in Vienna and would take any advice/ideas on where to go from there.

PS The reason I chose to start in Vienna is because I would not do anything if I did not commit to a starting point and buy the one way ticket.

[alh84001]

From vienna go to budapest and then prague.....get hammered every day.......if you live to tell the tale, we'll se where to next

for a little break from it all you can stop at bratislava

[vivalarevolución]

Hey guys, I am planning a trip starting early May and lasting 2 weeks to europe. I am starting in Vienna and would take any advice/ideas on where to go from there.

PS The reason I chose to start in Vienna is because I would not do anything if I did not commit to a starting point and buy the one way ticket.

Admit it. You're a huge fan of the film Before Sunrise. That's why you chose Vienna.

[codemonkeymike]

That movie was before my time . I really wanted to avoid places that people I know have been to. No gimmick tourist trips and nothing which is just New York City of Europe. Lastly easy to get to other unique places cheaply and easily.

Prague and Budapest were on my short list but I've been told they are really similar. My other thought was hit Croatia on the coast or head to Milan. Not sure so many options

[vivalarevolución]

Is this your first trip to Europe? If so, I wouldn't sweat so much over the details and options, I think you will be pleasantly surprised on each stop of your trip, because of what European cities and towns offer compared to the typical American town.

[codemonkeymike]

True true, maybe I should just buy my return ticket in some other place and worry about the details as I go? Yes it is my first time out of North America, and would be first time I go somewhere I don't speak the language.

[alh84001]

Prague and Budapest were on my short list but I've been told they are really similar. My other thought was hit Croatia on the coast or head to Milan. Not sure so many options

I would avoid Croatian coast at least until mid-June. Before that it's mostly deserted, or populated with Austrian retirees. One exception would be towns on the west coast of Istra. A lot will also depend on your mode of transportation. Are you thinking of train hopping or are you gonna get a car?

If you start in Vienna, I would then recommend a trip down south to Zagreb and/or Ljubljana. Zagreb is my home town and it is lovely in that time of the year. Ljubljana is also nice. From there, you could head to Venice, and from there you could make your way to Milan.

Another option from Vienna is to go to Salzburg and then Munich. From there you could go to Prague and/or Krakow, and finally end up north in Berlin.

I already mentioned Bratislava, it's some 40 miles east of Vienna, so you can always do that.
.
If you do decide to visit Croatia, let me know, and I can give you some additional pointers.

[vivalarevolución]

True true, maybe I should just buy my return ticket in some other place and worry about the details as I go? Yes it is my first time out of North America, and would be first time I go somewhere I don't speak the language.

Yes, definitely, buy a departure ticket from a different locale to motivate yourself to explore more territory. You don't want to linger so long in one place that you get bored or be so busy that you cannot enjoy the place you are at. Transportation between cities in Europe is easy enough that you should not have any trouble getting to your final destination. I am sure you have heard about the extensive train network throughout Europe.

http://www.eurail.com/sites/eurail.com/ ... e_2017.pdf

[Darkshado]

Get some local SIM cards with data, this gives you easy access to maps and navigation and translations.
The Field Trip app by Niantic can come in handy for geolocated information.

[Chyros]

If you want to do "Europe", you can't not do Rome and Paris. Fact.

[webwit]

If you want to do "Europe", you can't do it in two weeks just like you can't do "USA" in two weeks. It's true. So I'd just relax and try only two or three main locations, otherwise you see a lot but at the same time nothing. I like Praque in the vicinity.

[Findecanor]

I agree that two weeks is very little and that you should focus on maybe three cities, a fourth one maybe if you can do it a day-trip from a home-base in another city.
In Sep '15, I travelled by EUrail/Interrail in central Europe and crammed seven cities in there into just over two weeks, but to be able to do that I had to plan and book everything in advance ... and a lot of the time was spent on the train.

[Wodan]

If you want to do "Europe", you can't not do Rome and Paris. Fact.

As an American, you pretty much have to see Amsterdam as well.

No clue about train connection but why not go Vienna > Prague > Berlin > Hamburg > Amsterdam > Brussels > Paris > Zurich > Milano > Rome

Maybe add Warsaw and Venice? Maybe skip Hamburg and Brussels?

[Findecanor]

Amsterdam, Paris, Rome, and even Berlin are all quite far from each other and from Vienna. You could maybe choose one of them as the your last city, visiting other cities in-between. The big cities in Germany, especially Hamburg and Berlin are both quite a bit like Europe's New York-ish, urban and modern.
I have heard that tourists tend to like Bamberg because it is a picturesque, old-fashioned German town that wasn't bombed during WWII. It is about halfway between Munich and Berlin.

There are many American tourists in Amsterdam... Many who think that it is a very hedonistic place to party in, but that aspect is overrated. The city is picturesque though and the Rijksmuseum is a must if you like that sort of thing.

I don't think that there is any fast train connection from Hamburg to Amsterdam. The route would be at least five hours by train, and I think it is even faster by car... You would have to change in one of the cities in the Ruhr area. You could perhaps get the HKX (Hamburg-Köln Express) to Cologne ("Köln" in German), see the cathedral next to the train station and then continue.

Some other travel times from my itineraries:
Vienna-Prague: 4 hours (Railjet). Brno is about half-way on this stretch.
Prague-Berlin: 5 hours (Eurocity)
Berlin-Hamburg: 2 hours (ICE, but ICE requires seat-reservation. Don't know otherwise)
These might seem much compared to planes but remember that these are from city centre to city centre - no going to and from the airport, no checkin line etc. I use the rule of thumb that if it is less than five hours by train, the train is faster.

BTW, there are also night-trains from/to Austria, many which go through Vienna: Nightjet. Only a few years ago, these were operated by the German train company DB as "City Night Line" and there were more routes that have since been closed down. Only the trains through Austria remain.

[adhoc]

Hey guys, I am planning a trip starting early May and lasting 2 weeks to europe. I am starting in Vienna and would take any advice/ideas on where to go from there.

PS The reason I chose to start in Vienna is because I would not do anything if I did not commit to a starting point and buy the one way ticket.

I'd honestly go to Brno for 2 weeks and get hammered every day with eastern european cuties. Beer is cheaper than water there. No joke.

Start the day with vajceny liker instead of washing your teeth. Works better I think.

[7bit]

If you want to do "Europe", you can't not do Rome and Paris. Fact.

As an American, you pretty much have to see Amsterdam as well.

No clue about train connection but why not go Vienna > Prague > Berlin > Hamburg > Amsterdam > Brussels > Paris > Zurich > Milano > Rome

Maybe add Warsaw and Venice? Maybe skip Hamburg and Brussels?

I would skip Berlin and Hamburg and add Budapest, Venezia, Antwerpen and if you want to see nature, some place in the Alpes, like Dolomiti etc.


Or just visit places around Vienna, like Pargue, Budapest, Venezia etc. to avoid too much travel.

[7bit]

...
I have heard that tourists tend to like Bamberg because it is a picturesque, old-fashioned German town that wasn't bombed during WWII. It is about halfway between Munich and Berlin.
...

Yes, Bamberg is quite nice! I can give you advice for a 2 weeks travel through that area!


You will see a lot of castles (2 a day if you like!) and old monasteries, churches and what not.

nikon_d90_047816_1280.jpg (275.72 KiB) Viewed 5070 times

[vivalarevolución]

Hey guys, I am planning a trip starting early May and lasting 2 weeks to europe. I am starting in Vienna and would take any advice/ideas on where to go from there.

PS The reason I chose to start in Vienna is because I would not do anything if I did not commit to a starting point and buy the one way ticket.

I'd honestly go to Brno for 2 weeks and get hammered every day with eastern european cuties. Beer is cheaper than water there. No joke.

Start the day with vajceny liker instead of washing your teeth. Works better I think.

This is the best idea put forth so far.

[fruitalgorithm]

Vienna is a great destination to start from. You can easily spend a couple of days there.

Vienna is truly in the center of Europe. It's a great place to start. So to get a good idea of different areas go south through Slovenia and spend a little time in the wonderful mountains. Then go to Croatia and hang out at the beach for a day while checking out ancient buildings and towns like Pula. Then go to Northern Italy. Venice is nice but crowded. Go to Verona instead. Then go north through the Alps. Look at some extremely beautiful mountains in the Dolomites. Then North to Munich. If you have time on the way take a detour to Neuschwanstein Castle or a nice lake in southern Bavaria. Once in Munich visit the Deutsches Museum one of the best museums for technology I've seen. From Munich you can get back to Vienna easily.

This is already a lot for two weeks. It gives you a lot, but short travel distances. You can also easily cut out some of the steps. Like go Vienna -> Pula -> Dolomites and spend more time in each place.

Things to put on your list: large city, small ancient town, castles, alps, mediterranean, at least two countries. Take in some nature for hiking or sailing besides all the cities.

[fruitalgorithm]

Oh and it's in the summer! Find some festivals of the kind of music you like and spend a weekend on one.

Some more great places to see: Krakow in Poland, Gdansk/Danzig on the baltic sea, Barcelona, Porto, Geneva, Rothenburg, Tübingen, Strassbourg, Kopenhagen, Masurs lake area in Poland, Massif Central mountains in France, Transsilvania, Greece!, Florence, Genova, Bruges, Cologne, canoeing on little islands near Stockholm, ....

[Wodan]

Just reconsidered ... the man is asking for EU travel tips in a keyboard enthusiast forum!

First trip should be to Tipro in Grosuplje, from there to to Auerbach to visit Cherry and GMK right around the corner in Wernberg Köblitz!

You can then move on to BSP in Hørsholm, Denmark and from there you can visit the CM Europe HQ in Eindhoven, Netherlands.

Maybe cross the Channel to visit Pexon in the UK?

[webwit]

Hey man, once you're bored of Vienna, just hop over to Amsterdam. Set your alarm clock to one day before departure, as some lose track of time. And don't forget, on your entrance, please buy one of those wooly hats with pigtails and wear this everywhere. This is used by the Amsterdammers to easily distinguish the American tourist.

[7bit]

BTW, if you want to visit Hamburg, there is a port hole somewhere in the Prater which connects to some place at the Reeperbahn.

[fruitalgorithm]

Don't forget to go to raid the warehouse and look for the last Novatouch keyboards.
Cooler Master BV
Lodewijkstraat 1B
5652 AC Eindhoven
The Netherlands

[Chyros]

Don't forget to go to raid the warehouse and look for the last Novatouch keyboards.
Cooler Master BV
Lodewijkstraat 1B
5652 AC Eindhoven
The Netherlands

They got given away/auctioned off two days ago :p .

[adhoc]

3 recommendations for Slovenia already...seriously? How? How do you guys even know we exist? Fine, I'll be that guy and say you should probably see Bled (although I prefer Bohinj, but that would be very untouristy of you).



And yes, that is a church. On a tiny island. In the middle of a lake. Nuts, I tell you.

[Darkshado]

Just reconsidered ... the man is asking for EU travel tips in a keyboard enthusiast forum!

First trip should be to Tipro in Grosuplje, from there to to Auerbach to visit Cherry and GMK right around the corner in Wernberg Köblitz!

You can then move on to BSP in Hørsholm, Denmark and from there you can visit the CM Europe HQ in Eindhoven, Netherlands.

Maybe cross the Channel to visit Pexon in the UK?

Do any of those offer factory tours?

Also, based on experience, touristic industrial visits often require advance reservations and possibly background checks, allow time for that.

[stuplarosa]

If you make it as far South as Spain, I would highly recommend Granada.

[davkol]

I'd honestly go to Brno for 2 weeks and get hammered every day with eastern european cuties. Beer is cheaper than water there. No joke.

WE'RE NOT EASTERN EUROPE!!!1!

Or do you mean the Slovaks?

[vivalarevolución]

Just reconsidered ... the man is asking for EU travel tips in a keyboard enthusiast forum!

First trip should be to Tipro in Grosuplje, from there to to Auerbach to visit Cherry and GMK right around the corner in Wernberg Köblitz!

You can then move on to BSP in Hørsholm, Denmark and from there you can visit the CM Europe HQ in Eindhoven, Netherlands.

Maybe cross the Channel to visit Pexon in the UK?

Do any of those offer factory tours?

Also, based on experience, touristic industrial visits often require advance reservations and possibly background checks, allow time for that.

Or some good undercover disguises.

I'd honestly go to Brno for 2 weeks and get hammered every day with eastern european cuties. Beer is cheaper than water there. No joke.

WE'RE NOT EASTERN EUROPE!!!1!

Or do you mean the Slovaks?

So is calling someone eastern European like an insult? Similar to calling someone a redneck?