Places to see in Europe

[crumvoc]

I've been to Belgium. Other than the central core/grand plas area, Brussells is nothing special but Brugge is gorgeous. Lovely canals, excellent shopping for the ladies.

Barcelona is simply beautiful. huge long plazas, great shopping, amazing architecture. Lovely climate (on the med.) wonderful beaches. Very cosmopolitan. Superb food. Clean. Generally safe.

Paris is beautiful and HUGE. It is almost overwhelming in size. Lots of things to do/see there. French people would hate this characterization, but there is something almost american about it in some ways. It is a city that is well organized, excellent services/public transportation, Honest/well regulated cabbies. you know what you will be charged for your lunch, as opposed to going into negotiation mode like you do in.....

Rome! Ya, you're going to get ripped off by cabbies. In the ancient city, the food is, uh, bad, in the tourist areas. Shops are expensive. Not the cleanest place. It's full of Italians, so you know it is NOISEY. Traffic is absolutely insane, you will die if you step off a curb at the wrong time. Heck, you may get hit by a car while you are still ON the sidewalk. Hotels are almost as expensive as Paris. And yet...

Rome is, by far, my favorite European city. If you stay in the ancient City, you will be immersed in the foundation of western civilization. The ancient city core is quite small. Rome was not a big city until about 200 years ago. If you stay in the area of Campo de Fiore or Piazza Navona, you can walk in less than 30 minutes to the pantheon, the colosseum, the spanish steps, the Roman Forum, Piazza del Popolo, the Vatican (St Peters and it's amazing museum), Trevi Fountain, Castel San Angelo, the Tiber Bridges. just walking around the corner you may find yourself in front of a Bernini scupture, a Rafael painting just hanging church as decoration, a fabulous fountain, etc. It is a feast of sights sounds and smells. Perhaps the liveliest city in Europe. Take advantage of some of the excellent tour companies. Ask a local where to eat. Stay at a VRBO property. Take the Leonardo Express from FCO airport to downtown Rome (hang on to your wallet... pick pockets.) Take a train to Florence, or Napels / Pompei, or cinco terra. Really good shopping, but expensive. I promise, the kids will never forget their stay in rome.

[grizz]

Great reply !!!!!

Maybe you guys should communicate even more.

The Westfalia camper route is a great idea. And Europe is generally geared toward camper and large group holiday making.

I've been to Belgium. Other than the central core/grand plas area, Brussells is nothing special but Brugge is gorgeous. Lovely canals, excellent shopping for the ladies.

Barcelona is simply beautiful. huge long plazas, great shopping, amazing architecture. Lovely climate (on the med.) wonderful beaches. Very cosmopolitan. Superb food. Clean. Generally safe.

Paris is beautiful and HUGE. It is almost overwhelming in size. Lots of things to do/see there. French people would hate this characterization, but there is something almost american about it in some ways. It is a city that is well organized, excellent services/public transportation, Honest/well regulated cabbies. you know what you will be charged for your lunch, as opposed to going into negotiation mode like you do in.....

Rome! Ya, you're going to get ripped off by cabbies. In the ancient city, the food is, uh, bad, in the tourist areas. Shops are expensive. Not the cleanest place. It's full of Italians, so you know it is NOISEY. Traffic is absolutely insane, you will die if you step off a curb at the wrong time. Heck, you may get hit by a car while you are still ON the sidewalk. Hotels are almost as expensive as Paris. And yet...

Rome is, by far, my favorite European city. If you stay in the ancient City, you will be immersed in the foundation of western civilization. The ancient city core is quite small. Rome was not a big city until about 200 years ago. If you stay in the area of Campo de Fiore or Piazza Navona, you can walk in less than 30 minutes to the pantheon, the colosseum, the spanish steps, the Roman Forum, Piazza del Popolo, the Vatican (St Peters and it's amazing museum), Trevi Fountain, Castel San Angelo, the Tiber Bridges. just walking around the corner you may find yourself in front of a Bernini scupture, a Rafael painting just hanging church as decoration, a fabulous fountain, etc. It is a feast of sights sounds and smells. Perhaps the liveliest city in Europe. Take advantage of some of the excellent tour companies. Ask a local where to eat. Stay at a VRBO property. Take the Leonardo Express from FCO airport to downtown Rome (hang on to your wallet... pick pockets.) Take a train to Florence, or Napels / Pompei, or cinco terra. Really good shopping, but expensive. I promise, the kids will never forget their stay in rome.

[mezmo]

Central Amsterdam is very human scaled and neat.
Go see Mad King Ludwig's castles in Bavaria - Neuschwanstein,
Herrensee etc. and also Munich and Berchesgarten (Sp?) in Bavaria.
Switzerland is just plain gorgeous - I've got to go back there and
visit again.
If you can fit it in your route, Lichtenstein - one of the world's
smallest countries - is on one of the roads going from Switzerland
to Austria. It's sort of neat to be able to say you've been there.

[MeelisV]

Venice in Italy
city built on water

[Engineer Guy]

I've seen a fair bit of Europe on either High Tech Biz Trips, or on our own Nickel. A Dutch Sales Rep Pal and I used to joke about the Tours advertising 'See Europe In 13 Days'! Especially with the Crew you're 'hauling' around, consider setting down in just a few places and - like spokes on a Wheel - take Day Trips out from those locations.

If there could be more than one Driver for multiple RVs [req'd, I assume], the two us rented a Euro-sized Class C RV out of Greenock, Scotland. For $75/day, we had mobility AND a place to stay. We stayed at Campgrounds w/Showers, but used the RV Propane and Batteries to kinda Boondock. Campgrounds had remote 'Pitches' [Sites] where we could jockey the huge Window around to the N. Sea, and get views to die for. We stocked up at local Stores or at Safeway Stores [everywhere], and saved money on Food. Mandatory Vehicle Insurance is always included. We'd drive no more than ~50 miles/day. No point. See what is around you and avoid the stress once you pick areas of interest re: Geneology.

To get a crowd of 9 around Italy a few years ago, we rented an Airport Shuttle-style Van with 3 or 4 rows of Bench Seats.

Fixed Single Wide Trailers, called 'Caravans', or neat lil Cabins are easily rented in spots where there might be 4 or 10 such Caravans set up in scenic locations. They are very cost-effective. Some of the modest Cabins can sleep 10 Persons. RV/Campgrounds often have multiple levels of Accommodations: Cabins; Caravans; and Family-sized Tents that are quite comfy [like Hunting Tents].

One some Trips, we combine various modes of Transportation and Lodging: Ferries; Buses; Trains; and a rented Car. We've rented an RV for a week, and then stayed in B&Bs and small Town, simple Hotels.

We always bought Eurail Train Passes in the U.S. prior to travel. They're ~1/2 the cost of buying Tickets there. You can buy, say, 7 or 14 days worth or Travel to be used within a month. You must have the Train Station Attendant ink in your first Travel day BEFORE boarding your first Train. Otherwise, you can get fined. The nice thing about Trains, and why we used them on Biz more than Airports, is that you go from City Centre to City Centre. This is huge, in my Mind. You're RIGHT there to tour, say, the former Berlin Wall. Also, Eurail Passes are good on Boats on, say, Lake Geneve, and on the local Cog Trains going up into the Alps. Public Transportation is typically fabulous and cheap, even to remote Villages. Buses are timed to be there when the Ferries dock.

We love Switzerland. Scotland. Germany. Holland. Italy. Also, the Ferries are their Interstate System. We would get an overnight Berth to go between Rotterdam, Holland - a MASSIVE Port [for Shell Oil, too] and Hull, United Kingdom. However, they also have first come - first serve Seats for cheap, or Reserved Seats for more [as on an Airplane]. Everyone is up half the night anyway. There's Entertainment in several places on board, and Duty Free Shopping. Ferries and Trains are a great way to meet Locals.

In places like Rome, Pickpockets are a very real problem, so Money Belts and other cautions avoid problems. Scammers come up and offer to 'help' you buy an automated machine Train Ticket to earn a 'tip', or to try to snatch your Credit Card. A Gal Pal's Mom had her Purse taken from the first Italian Rest Stop they stopped at. I'm not ranking on any Country, but you won't be in Kansas anymore. Out of the big Cities, we let our Hair down as one might in Rural America.

I always use a 'PLUS System' ATM Card. The ATMS are EVERYWHERE. Meanwhile, you don't have a lot of Cash on you. Also, you get the favorable 'spot' Exchange Rate to the U.S. Dollar vs. Traveler's Checks [where the Rates are less favorable]. I use a VISA Card for about all purchases in Shops or Grocery Stores. You then have recourse against Fraud or strange, unexpected over-charges when using a VISA Card vs. a Bank Debit Card [which do not have such protections per U.S. Banking Laws]. Photocopy and carry info on all Passports and Credit Cards. Tell your Credit Card Company you'll be Overseas. Otherwise, they'll see 'odd' Int'l spending patterns and shut off your Card. Been there, experienced that when trying to pay a Biz-related $3,000 Hotel Bill outside Tokyo.

Taking along a few Manila Envelopes to keep Receipts and Documents in. Doing a bit of Accounting as you travel can get you refunds on all the Value Added Tax [VAT] you pay out. Getting VAT back can be significant $$$.

Rick Steves On VAT Refunds

Ferry Lines

Eurail Passes

[aggie79]

+1 about what Engineer Guy says about pickpockets. I'd say the pickpockets in Barcelona can out do the ones in Rome any day. Instead of worrying about them we make it a game. We put fake paper money in our pockets and the real cash - don't carry much, ATM as you need it - is either in money belts or in backpacks with carabiners or small combination locks.

Instead of carrying paper copies of passports, tickets, credit cards, etc. we scan them and keep the scans on encrypted thumb drives.

EG was correct about the hub and spoke method especially with a large group. Day trips are easy to do and you won't have to spend time checking in and out of lodging.

Another trick if you're going to cover a large area consider flying into one airport, such as London or Paris and flying out of different one such as Rome or Madrid.

I know that for the US Raileurope is the exclusive Eurail ticket agent even though I have purchased some high speed rail tickets on the rail websites. Being Canadian, you may be able to take advantage of other rail passes that are not offered to Americans.

[droid_ca]

Wow lots of great tips guys please keep them comming

[grizz]

At this rate you will need to relocate.

[droid_ca]

The Disneyland thing is starting to sound very appealing to the kids that's for sure but might have to drag them around and let them soak up some culture

[Engineer Guy]

We've hit 4 outta 5 D Lands Worldwide [except the Hong Kong one]. We went to the French one on their 'old' pricing schedule, and it was one stunningly-expensive day. This was not long after it opened. Due to lack of attendance, they dropped Ticket prices thereafter. Here's a Link. Perhaps you can price things out in advance for your Clan and/or get a good combo deal on a Hotel there.

Probably not for the Kiddies, but we toured 'The Catacombs Of Paris'. As Paris expanded, Bodies were moved to this underground 'Complex'. Pretty surreal.

The Catacombs Of Paris

D Land Paris