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-   -   Europe - places to visit (https://britishexpats.com/forum/maple-leaf-98/europe-places-visit-857045/)

BristolUK Apr 24th 2015 7:51 am

Re: Europe - places to visit
 

Originally Posted by Piff Poff (Post 11627836)
Throw some darts at a map and go to those places

And break my computer screen? :rofl:


Originally Posted by foreigngirl (Post 11627897)
Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary

A tad too far out of the way without increasing the length and cost of the trip.

DandNHill Apr 24th 2015 1:10 pm

Re: Europe - places to visit
 
You initially mentioned Greece. I would have suggested Santorini. It's the stereotypical island that has all the blue domed roofs and white washed buildings...definitely a lovely place to while away some time... but staying closer to France... Again, was going to suggest the Orient Express but even that has stopped now...

Having grown up in Eastern France that is where my heart is... you could travel through the Alsace and then pop in to Switzerland before making your way down to Nice? The old mountains in the Vosges are beautiful and there are many lakes there where the water is crystal clear...

caretaker Apr 24th 2015 1:19 pm

Re: Europe - places to visit
 
Find Novo and eat him out of house and home.

scrubbedexpat091 Apr 24th 2015 2:06 pm

Re: Europe - places to visit
 
We are saving for a trip to Europe. Wife want's to go to London, and Austria. Probably wouldn't have enough time, but I'd also like to see Paris (go to the Disney park) Norway, Iceland, Germany, Italy, Greece, and others...

I'd need months....lol

BristolUK Apr 24th 2015 2:52 pm

Re: Europe - places to visit
 

Originally Posted by DandNHill (Post 11628294)
You initially mentioned Greece. I would have suggested Santorini.

That was in the Groceries thread - bizarre as that sounds ;)



Having grown up in Eastern France that is where my heart is... you could travel through the Alsace and then pop in to Switzerland before making your way down to Nice?
That sort of thing probably needs a road trip though.

I had a stop in Colmar once. That was a lovely place.

CFAmovingsoon Apr 24th 2015 7:00 pm

Re: Europe - places to visit
 

Originally Posted by Jsmth321 (Post 11628327)
We are saving for a trip to Europe. Wife want's to go to London, and Austria. Probably wouldn't have enough time, but I'd also like to see Paris (go to the Disney park) Norway, Iceland, Germany, Italy, Greece, and others...

I'd need months....lol

If you fly Icelandair, you can stopover a few days in Iceland for 'free', mind: Iceland's an expensive place. Iceland air offers great prices on these tickets if you book well in advance!
Disney Paris is really not worth the trouble IMHO, I mean, Disney is US, the best version is there if you like that kind of thing. Much more interesting is Legoland Billund. The Danish are mighty friendly!

@BristolUK If you take a TGV from Nice to Paris, you could make stops in Avignon, a really nice place, bit hilly.... Lyon, quite different, good for some French food. Vienna is something completely different, Austrians are quite friendly. Oh and a cottage in the Champagne region that's on my want to do it again list. You'll need a car though.

Stuttgart comes to mind, it's different from France, it has water too, so bound to be able to find a boat ride, it's not your everyone goes there travel destination....

And I get what you say about Amsterdam, think Leiden or Haarlem, they've got canals and the canal houses, they've got museums and are much friendlier places to be in.

scrubbedexpat091 Apr 24th 2015 7:04 pm

Re: Europe - places to visit
 

Originally Posted by CFAmovingsoon (Post 11628392)
If you fly Icelandair, you can stopover a few days in Iceland for 'free', mind: Iceland's an expensive place. Iceland air offers great prices on these tickets if you book well in advance!
Disney Paris is really not worth the trouble IMHO, I mean, Disney is US, the best version is there if you like that kind of thing. Much more interesting is Legoland Billund. The Danish are mighty friendly!

@BristolUK If you take a TGV from Nice to Paris, you could make stops in Avignon, a really nice place, bit hilly.... Lyon, quite different, good for some French food. Vienna is something completely different, Austrians are quite friendly. Oh and a cottage in the Champagne region that's on my want to do it again list. You'll need a car though.

Stuttgart comes to mind, it's different from France, it has water too, so bound to be able to find a boat ride, it's not your everyone goes there travel destination....

And I get what you say about Amsterdam, think Leiden or Haarlem, they've got canals and the canal houses, they've got museums and are much friendlier places to be in.

Iceland Air is actually who we would take for that stop over in Iceland... I only want a couple days in Iceland, nothing long.

London and Austria would be the main places we would visit.

It's several years away, gotta save up for it....

quiltman Apr 24th 2015 8:25 pm

Re: Europe - places to visit
 
Paris to Geneva on TGV, takes 3 hours, Geneva to Munich - takes most of the day but superb scenery, goes via austria, Munich to stuttgart, stuttgart to amsterdam, amsterdam to Paris, Paris back to Nice. go look here for info on continental trains The Man in Seat Sixty-One - the train travel guide... a brilliant site. I used to travel all over Europe and used trains 85% of the time. Lovely way to travel, quite cheap if booked in advance or interail , not bad food.

Shard Apr 24th 2015 8:58 pm

Re: Europe - places to visit
 

Originally Posted by quiltman (Post 11628424)
Paris to Geneva on TGV, takes 3 hours, Geneva to Munich - takes most of the day but superb scenery, goes via austria, Munich to stuttgart, stuttgart to amsterdam, amsterdam to Paris, Paris back to Nice. go look here for info on continental trains The Man in Seat Sixty-One - the train travel guide... a brilliant site. I used to travel all over Europe and used trains 85% of the time. Lovely way to travel, quite cheap if booked in advance or interail , not bad food.

Wow, that's a superb site!

quiltman Apr 24th 2015 9:08 pm

Re: Europe - places to visit
 
Yes, and it's kept fairly well updated too. Just remember that certain travel concessions are only available if you book them OUTSIDE Europe. so investigate carefully when you've built an itinerary to ensure you get the best deal before leaving Canada.
I used to work for Canadian companies and my bosses all loved travelling by train in europe. Less security and no problem with luggage - or silly carry on liquids rules!

quiltman Apr 24th 2015 9:09 pm

Re: Europe - places to visit
 
Oh, and don't forget you can do a side trip to London on eurostar from Paris in 2 hours - so a day trip is quite feasible.

scrubbedexpat091 Apr 24th 2015 9:59 pm

Re: Europe - places to visit
 
I was on one booking site and they were asking 2nd class and 1st class, is 2nd just a different term for coach? I assume that it is, but not fully sure.

Shard Apr 24th 2015 10:03 pm

Re: Europe - places to visit
 

Originally Posted by Jsmth321 (Post 11628467)
I was on one booking site and they were asking 2nd class and 1st class, is 2nd just a different term for coach? I assume that it is, but not fully sure.

Yes.

And "coach" means bus.

scrubbedexpat091 Apr 24th 2015 10:09 pm

Re: Europe - places to visit
 

Originally Posted by Shard (Post 11628471)
Yes.

And "coach" means bus.

When the time comes, I'll have to make a list of terms that mean different things over there, I am sure there are a few more, don't want to get confused when booking hotels and such...

BristolUK Apr 24th 2015 11:39 pm

Re: Europe - places to visit
 

Originally Posted by CFAmovingsoon (Post 11628392)
@BristolUK...
And I get what you say about Amsterdam, think Leiden or Haarlem, they've got canals and the canal houses, they've got museums and are much friendlier places to be in.

Went to Leiden a few times. It was a transfer point from the train to bus for Katwijk aan zee :) Delft is nice too.


Originally Posted by quiltman (Post 11628424)
...go look here for info on continental trains The Man in Seat Sixty-One - the train travel guide... a brilliant site. ...

Will do, thanks.


Originally Posted by quiltman (Post 11628452)
Oh, and don't forget you can do a side trip to London on eurostar from Paris in 2 hours - so a day trip is quite feasible.

I've never been that keen on single days in London. It would seem weird to take the 'kids' and mother in law to Europe and not "call in" on England but if I did that you can be sure I'd be expected to go to Bristol and that would just take too much out of the time or require more time and money for the rest.

Years ago the original plan was to make an extended visit to the UK, stay in Bristol and do a series of things from there, like a few days in Paris or other 'city break' style, a Swiss/Austrian trip, a week in Greece or Spain...

But then my wife's health made that impossible :(


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