Marm's European Adventure!!

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Schoolmarm

Tuesday, March 26, 2002 - 07:52 pm Click here to edit this post
Hey folks, I just got a partial grant to study in SALZBURG, AUSTRIA for a week this summer. I also need to go to MUNICH, GERMANY to do some research.

Here's where you can help. I will probably stay over the "pond" for an additional couple of weeks. WHERE do you think I should go? I'm thinking Paris because I haven't been there except for the airport. Where were your favorite places in Europe to visit?

I will probably be getting a Eurail pass and stay in hostels or zimmers. I travel on the cheap, so I can stay longer.

So, folks, what do you think?

Tess

Tuesday, March 26, 2002 - 08:42 pm Click here to edit this post
Paris!! The Eiffel Tower is beautiful at sunrise. Ask Juju!! :)

Flint

Tuesday, March 26, 2002 - 10:13 pm Click here to edit this post
Too many French people in Paris, and too many croissants. :)

Germany sounds like fun. How about Denmark? No one ever goes to Denmark on vacation. :)

Tess

Wednesday, March 27, 2002 - 12:36 am Click here to edit this post
While you're in Denmark, you may as well hop on over to Belguim and The Netherlands. Flint is right. I completely forgot that Paris would be fairly over-run with French people.

<saunters off to grab a croissant and ponder some more>

Schoolmarm

Wednesday, March 27, 2002 - 02:16 am Click here to edit this post
I should probably tell people where I've been in Europe.

Trip one: ALL over Germany when it was East and West...was there for the currency unification. And Zurich, Switzerland.

Trip two: Studied in Rothenburg, Germany, traveled on bus tours to Munich, Salzburg and Vienna. And another to Rome, Venice, Florence, etc.

Trip three: Studied in Vienna. Did the train pass/hostel thing. Went to Prague, Budapest and Salzburg before the course. Taught in a German school (Braunsweg) after, then went to Norway via Denmark and Sweden and flew home out of Amsterdam. So, yes, Flint, I've been to Denmark. I liked it, especially Copenhagen.

So far, Salzburg is my favorite place because of the scenery and all the music.

I'm still leaning, not toward Pisa, but to Paris because of the magnificent pipe organs in the cathedrals and all the museums.

Where is your favorite place? And why?

Flint

Wednesday, March 27, 2002 - 03:18 am Click here to edit this post
Greece. The old temples, sail around the islands.

Lichtenstein, just so I could say I was there. :)

Micknrc

Wednesday, March 27, 2002 - 04:04 am Click here to edit this post
Ireland--the best people, the most fun. Really cheap B&Bs when I went. Tons of stuff to see and do, great music, horseracing, did I mention the people? And in the evenings--the pub tour!

Cheers, and have fun!

Aussiedeb

Wednesday, March 27, 2002 - 04:46 am Click here to edit this post
Marm, you are so lucky. I have family in Austria, most live in Steiermark. They are up in those lovely mountains not too far from Salzburg.

Its been 20 years now since I have been there, we went for 3 months as a family. My first trip overseas from Australia. My mom is Austrian.

I would love to see Switzerland, as one of my moms old school friends lives there and my mom and dad went there a fair few times when they travelled back there for vacations to Austria.

When my dad died last year the suit mom put him in the coffin was Austrian National dress, even though dad was an Aussie, and sprinkled him with Schnapps. The last thing to pass his lips before he passed away was schapps, so I know he died happy. He loved Austria so much. I think its because of the schapps lol..

My American hubby was stationed in Germany for 2 years and he said the Black Forrest was awesome too.

Have fun travelling. Sure you dont need someone to carry the bags :)

Juju2bigdog

Wednesday, March 27, 2002 - 10:38 am Click here to edit this post
Marm, this will be my first trip to Europe in May. I am just going to do London and Paris for starters.

Twiggyish

Wednesday, March 27, 2002 - 10:44 am Click here to edit this post
While it isn't as romantic, I would choose Scotland and Ireland.

Oregonfire

Wednesday, March 27, 2002 - 11:24 am Click here to edit this post
It sounds to me like Paris is in order, because you've aready hit so many other important, must-see places in Europe, and you really want to go there. Maybe you could also go to Versailles and get out of the city? Sometimes back to back cities can be a drag, no matter how grandiose or famous. All that smog and traffic.

London is very cool. A bit farther afield, but luckily just across the pond.

I'd also personally want to see Barcelona in Spain.

Fanny

Wednesday, March 27, 2002 - 02:20 pm Click here to edit this post
Jeez, Marm, you should be giving US travel tips!

I loved the Jungfrau area in Switzerland. I went in the spring and so it wasn't too touristy, but I don't know about the summer. But it was gorgeous and you could literally get lost in the Alps or villages if you wanted to. Also northern Italy -- the Lake Como area -- is beautiful. I don't think that those mountaineous areas would be too hot in the summer.

If you did Paris, you could take the chunnel train and do London for a day trip!

I'm so envious.

Schoolmarm

Thursday, March 28, 2002 - 10:08 pm Click here to edit this post
Well, I'm in shock with the airfares right now. If anyone has a tip on getting a sale, let me know. Lowest I could find was on orbitz.com and it was lower than the travel agent. Going to get some kind of a rail pass, and picked up a bunch of travel brouchures for ideas.

I need to spend some time in Germany with friends, and will be flying into Munich. I'm thinking of going to Paris OR Belgium/Netherlands for a week or so. Spain is tempting too, but I will only be there for about 23 days and nine of them are for the class.

Can't find anyone around here to draw an international draft for me in Euros, so I'm calling Thomas Cook in Niagra Falls tomorrow. The post office couldn't send their money orders to Austria for some strange reason.

<Marm is drooling over the travel brochures!>

Juju2bigdog

Friday, March 29, 2002 - 11:15 am Click here to edit this post
Marm, get yourself to a major European city the cheapest way possible and then get to your destination from there via Easyjet. They have really cheap fares once you get to Europe. Just discovered this one the other day, so this is not a personal recommendation but a tip to check it out. www.easyjet.com

Also, I just received today a TON of material from a woman I found at the Fodors site. I'll forward it to you, Marm. There might be a gold nugget in there for you. Let me know if the attachment went through. I think it did.

Schoolmarm

Friday, March 29, 2002 - 12:48 pm Click here to edit this post
JUJU....got your message, but REMEMBER, I have a Mac...couldn't open the attachment. Will try to get someone in the office to open it on their computer. (As long as it isn't like the LAST thing you sent me regarding our new scholarship winner!) <wink>

I'm leaning toward Paris and then going to Haarlem in the Netherlands because they have a big organ festival in July. There is also a once every decade flower festival in Floride near there. These places are close to Amsterdam. Might be fun to see the bulbs blooming.

Anyone spent time in either Paris or the Netherlands?

Juju2bigdog

Friday, March 29, 2002 - 02:24 pm Click here to edit this post
Sorry, Marm. I did forget all about you having a Mac. And the lady I got it from did say you might not be able to open it on a Mac. Rats. I've got to run out for a while. Okay, a long while. But if you'll remind me, I'll go look at what I saved onto diskette and see if I can't copy out some pertinent parts into an e-mail.

Merlin

Friday, March 29, 2002 - 05:32 pm Click here to edit this post
Ummm Marm, wasn't the scholarship winner also a participant in the big organ festival....isn't going to another one a bit redundant?
shadymerl

Oregonfire

Friday, March 29, 2002 - 05:59 pm Click here to edit this post
I went to Paris when I was 17, another lifetime ago. I went with a friend's family and was strictly monitored. I do remember that the Louvre was amazing, and that much sitting in sidewalk cafes is required. A sales lady in the Primetemps deparments store made me cry, but I was an idiot and an American, so I can't say I can blame her as such. If you know a little French, this would be good.

I've never been to Amsterdam, a regret from my Prague days (worked in Prague but skipped the Netherlands), but many friends have said they loved it there, some for the beauty of the city (I saw pictures--it is beautiful), and for some more adventurous souls, the "space cake" cafes and the red light district were well worth the trip. (It's wayyyy more relaxed there in relation to recreational drugs and sex. Just the facts, folks!) That place had got everything for everyone. You can't really go wrong with Amsterdam.

Gail

Friday, March 29, 2002 - 06:26 pm Click here to edit this post
I spent time in both Paris and the Netherlands. I went to Holland twice - once when I was around 10 and then again when I was around 30. I will talk about when I was older. IF you go on a "structured" tour, you will probably have a pretty terrific time. Mine took us to the Tulip fields, the wooden shoe factory, the cheese factory (where I discovered one of my favorite snacks - smoked gouda cheese and raspberry wine). I also went to a beach on the North Sea, the miniature city (I saw that when I was younger too and loved it!) and I also went to Amsterdam. I don't remember a lot about Amsterdam. We went to an indian restaurant that was pretty good and I remember walking through the red light district abit. Is Anne Frank's house there? I can't remember.

Okay, Paris. I lived in France for 3 years when I was 8 - 10 - We had to leave when Charles DeGaul kicked the Americans out in the mid 60's. I didn't get to go to Paris then but later while I was stationed in Germany, I spent a whole week there - I caught a train and I had hotel reservations. After spending time in London with their subway system (The Tube?) handling Paris's metro system was a cakewalk. If you get the hand of the metro, you are home free. I saw the louvre, Varsailles, the Eifel Tower and a ton of other things. Possibly I may have seen more on a tour but I am not sure. I was pretty good at getting around in Europe - I spoke and understood enough French and German to ask directions and read menus.

I guess part of it depends on the time of year and if you are on a tour or not. Me personally, I loved both places but have a lot more memories of Paris and if given a choice Paris is where I would go back again. I loved Paris. There is so much history and the food and wine are incredible. The french bakeries are unequalled. If you are not on a tour, one thing to consider when making hotel reservations is to make sure you get a room that has a toilet and shower in the room.

Gail

Friday, March 29, 2002 - 06:28 pm Click here to edit this post
Germany is also incredible - especially around Garmish and Munich - if you like castles and stuff like that. In the summer, there are a lot of nice little wine and beer fests in the villages.

Schoolmarm

Friday, March 29, 2002 - 06:32 pm Click here to edit this post
Oh, yeah, Oregon? My first time through Amsterdam was hideous....only because I had been on a 36-hour "back-packer" special (only 2nd class) train from Norway through Sweden and was exhausted when I got there. THEN had to stand in line for four or five hours to get a room. At that point I just said...near the airport with a TV...I was SO exhausted after no sleep on the train.

I'm thinking that Haarlem for the organ festival and the Floriade horticulture festival are more my speed than the red light district. I really want to see the Van Gogh museum and the other sites there. I'm starting to get really pumped for this trip.

Maybe I really AM turning into a schoolmarm!

I LOVED Prague...you are lucky that you got to stay there for so long, Oregon!

And, Merlin, about those organ jokes....well...<Marm just sighs>

What about Belgium?

Schoolmarm

Sunday, March 31, 2002 - 05:56 am Click here to edit this post
Tours or no tours....that is the question!

I've done Europe both ways, and I enjoyed both kinds. The best was my tour of Munich, Vienna and Salzburg because they let you have half or whole days on your own or you could "buy" a guided tour portion for that time. That's when I visited all the composer museums and the music store and all the things that I wanted to do that the average tourist wouldn't want to do.

The worst was my Italian cities tour because we were on the bus for WAY too long. I had a day left on my Eurail pass so I actually left the tour for a day in Venice and took the fast train back to Rome (instead of the LONG SLOW bus ride).The tour had just whizzed through all of the Roman sites and I wanted to spend more time at the Vatican. Met another American on the train and we went touring...that was great. One of the best parts was in the crypt of St. Peters (actually went there so I could escape from the heat, and he wanted to see the Shrine of Guadelupe and take pics of it for his family). Quite a museum down there.

Has anyone ever just gone somewhere and baught a local day tour? I'm not sure I want to tie myself down to a "bus tour" again, but I love all the added info and out of the way places that you go on tours.

Great info, Gail! Thanks. I love the Bavarian area of Germany, too! The only bad thing is that they don't let people over 27 or 28 in the hostels, so housing is higher than I usually go for. I'm really hoping that my friends still have their apartment in Munich! Looking forward to a good dunkle at the Hofbrauhaus.

Juju2bigdog

Sunday, March 31, 2002 - 08:25 am Click here to edit this post
Marm, did I mention www.go-today.com as a place to go to look for airfare? It is a place that offers packages at very economical prices, so you might get airfare over there, a few nights hotels, and a tour or two for cheaper than airfare alone. You can usually extend your stay without penalty. I have not been on a Go-Today package, but I have some world traveler friends who swear by them, and I have never seen a bad review or Letter to the Editor about them at Frommers.