European Travel Preference?

[Wilson L. Deaton]

I am not a world traveler. I've only been to one-half of the states and my only international travel has been driving into Canada. However, my wife and I have talked for years about going to Europe someday. The the other day, I got wondering. If we did plan to go in the next few years what kind of trip would be best?

So what kind of trip would you recommend? (Keep in mind that it is extremely unlikely that we would go more than once.)

A travel package with a set schedule?
An escorted group tour?
A self-directed, customized trip?
Something else?

Wilson

[Roland Hamilton]

That's a really tough question to answer. A couple of questions:

1 - How much time do you have?

2 - What principal areas of Europe are you most interested in (Scandinavia, Mediterranean, etc)?

[Paula Karr]

I am not a world traveler. I've only been to one-half of the states and my only international travel has been driving into Canada. However, my wife and I have talked for years about going to Europe someday. The the other day, I got wondering. If we did plan to go in the next few years what kind of trip would be best?

So what kind of trip would you recommend? (Keep in mind that it is extremely unlikely that we would go more than once.)

A travel package with a set schedule?
An escorted group tour?
A self-directed, customized trip?
Something else?

Wilson

I'm a fairly inexperienced world traveler, having just gotten back from our third visit to London and Paris. Things that probably are worth considering before deciding:

Do you speak any languages well enough to understand/be understood by folks in the countries you're visiting? I had high school French MANY years ago. The best phrase I used in France was "Parlez vous Anglais?" (Do you speak English?) It can be a bit disconcerting to realize you're in a city where it's YOUR obligation to be able to communicate and you don't have the tools you need to do so.

Are you interested in visiting out-of-the way or specialized places? If you're primarily hoping to see standard, famous tourist spots, a guided tour might work fine for you.

Do you want to spend a lot of time and effort to make hotel reservations in places where you don't know the "good" parts of town, etc? How comfortable are you with arranging transportation and/or getting around using mass transit in a strange city?

Would you consider a cruise (e.g., the Mediterranean)? Then you get to visit lots of cool places and sleep in the same bed every night!

On our first trip to Paris, we were on an escorted tour. There were frustrations (we still refer to our jogging tour of The Louvre), but we felt safer because professionals had set everything up, and we had an English-speaking guide nearly the whole time we were there. We did have a free afternoon (most accompanied tours allow free time), and got to see things that weren't part of the escorted trip.

If you have any questions, zip me an e-mail and I'll be happy to fill you in on more of my opinions. I've got a million of them, and they're worth everything I'd charge you for them!

[Wilson L. Deaton]

That's a really tough question to answer. A couple of questions:

1 - How much time do you have?

2 - What principal areas of Europe are you most interested in (Scandinavia, Mediterranean, etc)?

I don't think I'd go for less than 10 days but doubt I could stay 3 weeks so sometime in that range.

Paris is #1 on my wife's list so that is a must. Beyond that I keep changing my mind and making the list too long to be very helpful: Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Switzerland, Great Britian, Germany, etc.

We want to find the balance between not missing something since I'm all the way over there as opposed to trying to squeeze so much we can't enjoy it or remember it.

Wilson

[Wilson L. Deaton]

Thanks, Paula. You've given us much to consider... My initial reaction after reading your post is that I'd lean toward an escorted tour even if it means jogging through the Louvre. :basic03 It sounds like a first (and only) trip to Europe would be a good time to rely on some experts.

Wilson

[Hans Deventer]

Wilson,

I think you need to start distinguish between destinations that "one would need to visit", based on whoever makes those lists, and destinations where you actually want to be. To get those sorted out, it is important to ask the question: what attracts me in Europe? What do I like about it? Old cities? Famous museums? Landscapes? Scenic villages? History? Different cultures?

The better you can answer these questions, the happier you'll be with your trip.

Example: when Hannie and I went to the USA in 2005, we were looking for nature destinations that one would not find in Europe. So we went to see the sequoia's, Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon. You know, we have the Alps and Norway and the Highlands, but none like the above. We had a great time.

Paula mentioned language. Language is an issue in Spain, France, Italy, Portugal and Eastern Europe. It isn't in Greece, for instance, because the Greeks are wise enough to understand that nobody speaks Greek. It's no problem in Northern Europe either, in the Netherlands, Germany, Scandinavia, Finland, people speak English pretty well.

[Alisa Stoll]

It's also important to understand distances - you don't want to spend most of your holiday getting from one famous city to another.

For our 15th anniversary we did a land tour of southern Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. There was a lot of driving but most was scenic. Unfortunately most of the stops were way too short to see much. Our favorite places were the ones that had overnight stays so we could see more.

for our 20th we did a cruise of the North Sea - staying in the same bed was nice and got to see more at each stop than the land tour.

for our kids' high school graduation we met them in Paris, took trains/ferry to Spain and Italy and back to Paris. We arranged everything ourselves so we set the pace. Language was not a problem as we visited major cities.

I felt Paris was nice and glad I visited but don't care if I make it back. I've been to Rome twice and would jump at a chance to visit it again. Unfortunately - go back to my first statement about understanding distances - it's a long train ride from Rome to Paris.

Any questions, I'd be glad to answer.

Alisa

[Paula Karr]

I felt Paris was nice and glad I visited but don't care if I make it back.

My sentiments exactly. If I ever did go back to Paris, I'd want to go in the "off-season" (if there is one). The French people were all lovely to us, but I got SOOOOO weary of rude tourists -- and found that North Americans (Americans and Canadians) were the most polite people we encountered.

However, Wilson, if you do get to Paris, DO NOT MISS Sacre Coeur Basilica on Montmartre. I love visiting old churches, and it is the most beautiful I've ever seen -- IMHO, even more lovely than Notre Dame, Westminster Abbey, or St. Paul's. Can't explain why -- I just loved it.

Paula

[Wayne Paul]

While making a list of countries to visit, don't overlook Ireland. We visited the West last summer and plan to return next spring.

Our trip was organized by the musical group "Men of Worth (http://www.menofworth.com)." It included a lot of traditional Irish music.

[Jon Twitchell]

(No significant European experience here... just some travel thoughts and questions that might help!)

1) Do you prefer to spend time in one place and see it in detail, or see a lot of places on the surface? I think this is a travelling personality question-- some people like to pack their suitcases every day and head out for a new place... others would rather stay in the same room and get to know one small part of the world.

2) Do you care about learning the culture and about the people who live there, or are you more interested in "the sights"? Some places have a pretty good "tourist-facade," where you never really get to see the real place that contain those well-known sites.

3) Are you going to be fretting about money the whole time? There's something about all-inclusive packages that can make travelling less stressful. You save up for the trip, give yourself a little extra spending cash for souvenirs and snacks, and you're done. We did Disney World with a travel/lodging/meal package last year--and while I might have saved a few bucks by doing it "on my own," saving the stress of not counting dollar bills the whole trip was well worth it.

4) Do you like navigating in unknown places? Some people enjoy this--some don't! :) If you simply hate getting lost in traffic in unfamiliar places... well... a vacation should be restful!

5) Do you hate being told what to do and keeping someone else's schedule? This is really the flip-side of question 4. I've travelled with large groups (a bus tour of the Rockies/Grand Canyon, and college choirs), and it's always frustrating to not be able to see something you really wanted to see because you have to keep the group schedule.

There's some questions to consider-- hope they help! :)

[Jon Twitchell]

Wayne,

Do you remember where that picture was taken?

[Wayne Paul]

Wayne,

Do you remember where that picture was taken?

Yes, the picture was taken at the Clonmacnoise monastery (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clonmacnoise) on the banks of the Shannon River.

[LoraineStanton]

How about some of each? For example a week tour and a week on your own? Or perhaps a one or two day tour of several cities with free time in between? www.aaa.com has virtual tours of several European destinations, as well as good "know before you go" info for international destinations. Virtual tours are listed in the blue column to the left of the page at http://www.autoclubgroup.com/michigan/travel/index.aspx Info can be accessed here http://www.aaa.com/eurotourbook/blank.html Just remember to allow for jet lag :basic05

[Jim Franklin]

I could only wish. As a Geographer I can only study from books, pictures and listening to and communicating with my missionary friends and those who have had the privilege of travel to other world areas.