European trip, no idea where to even start

[Radbird]

I will primarily be reading and taking notes as we plan the beginning of our retirement travel next year. We’ve enjoyed staying at small places like a serviced apartment in the Kensington area of London or a B&B in the 7th arrondissement of Paris - which was a block off Rue Cler, a market street full of produce, fish and meat stands and shops. Close to Eiffel Tower and Musée de l'Armée but has a small town feel to it.

I spent a day touring Prague during a business trip and it’s definitely on our list.

[lukethedrifter]

In France, it is absolutely rude not to greet the proprietor of a shop when you enter.

Google it if you don’t believe me.


33, did you get to visit w polizia?

[33anda3rd]

In France, it is absolutely rude not to greet the proprietor of a shop when you enter.

Google it if you don’t believe me.


33, did you get to visit w polizia?

I did not, I'm relating that from what was related to me before I went by someone who they like threatened with the police, and my friends thought that it was maybe like 49.9% BS but 50.1% real, so they paid.

Also re the above. Near our apartment in Paris there was "du pain et des idees," a bakery run by a woman who was very nice after my first two visits.

Visit one.

Her: bonjour!

Me: bonjour! Um...uh...un baguette, sil vous plait.

Her: une? baguette? (like really laid into the ooooo-nuh)

Me: (sheepishly) oui.

Visit two, my wife says bring back a croissant too please.

Her: bonjour!

Me: bonjour! Um....uh...um...[expletive]...une baguette, et une croissant sil vous plait?

Her: un? croissant? (like, really laid into the croissant and short and sharp on the "un")

After that we were good.

[lukethedrifter]

Jesus you heathen. Ette makes it fem, words ending in consonant usu masc. Croissante would be fem.

[G. Keenan]

Ok gang we've decided that next year we are headed to Europe. Here's the thing. We have no idea where to even begin with getting accomedations or anything like that. We have 14 days. We would prefer not to break the bank but we aren't afraid to spend more if we need to. We want to see Rome, Paris, Normandy, maybe Venice and Switzerland. Also open to other ideas. Help! Lol

I'll echo others and advise that you limit your destination to two countries, max, so that you don't spend 25% of your vacation in transit. In truth you could easily spend the whole time in one country as each will have great variation from region to region in terms of food, history, culture, even language/dialect. If this is your first trip to Europe you will probably want to visit the biggies like Rome, Florence, Venice, Paris, Barcelona, etc. Yes, they are crowded with tourists, but there is good reason for that -- they are packed with beautiful treasures that everyone wants to see, as well as being easy to reach via major airports, cruise ports, travel infrastructure, etc.

What kind of things are you looking to do beyond museum and monument sightseeing, i.e., do the two of you enjoy certain kinds of activities or have hobbies that like you'd to explore? What time of year are looking to go?

What's the closest airport where you live?

[IMADreamer]

Ok gang we've decided that next year we are headed to Europe. Here's the thing. We have no idea where to even begin with getting accomedations or anything like that. We have 14 days. We would prefer not to break the bank but we aren't afraid to spend more if we need to. We want to see Rome, Paris, Normandy, maybe Venice and Switzerland. Also open to other ideas. Help! Lol

I'll echo others and advise that you limit your destination to two countries, max, so that you don't spend 25% of your vacation in transit. In truth you could easily spend the whole time in one country as each will have great variation from region to region in terms of food, history, culture, even language/dialect. If this is your first trip to Europe you will probably want to visit the biggies like Rome, Florence, Venice, Paris, Barcelona, etc. Yes, they are crowded with tourists, but there is good reason for that -- they are packed with beautiful treasures that everyone wants to see, as well as being easy to reach via major airports, cruise ports, travel infrastructure, etc.

What kind of things are you looking to do beyond museum and monument sightseeing, i.e., do the two of you enjoy certain kinds of activities or have hobbies that like you'd to explore? What time of year are looking to go?

What's the closest airport where you live?

St. Louis is my closest airport, which Chicago not out of reach really.

[Popeye_Card]

I recommend driving a bit further to Chicago to save yourself an extra leg to your flight and extra layover. Just plan on getting a hotel when you return for one night. Coming back I always find exhausting. You tack an extra 6-7 hours on your day with the time change, and I can never sleep much on that flight.

[greenback44]

Unless TWA is resurrected, you'll probably want to fly out of ORD.

Italians, I mean, they're hostile in that way where they smile at a tourist while robbing him blind in a restaurant.

That depends. I remember talking to some northern Italians who thought southern Italy was the way you described. They basically regarded northern Italy as Switzerland, and southern Italy as some third world hell hole.

Also, Greece is similar to southern Italy.

[Popeye_Card]

You just have to avoid the tourist restaurants in Italy wherever you go, where they pull that crap. Which is harder in Venice and certain parts of Rome.

I’ve generally preferred the smaller towns. And I’ve had great luck in some restaurants just telling them to serve me whatever is fresh. Six courses and a couple of bottles of wine later, still coming in around 100 euros for my wife and I.

[33anda3rd]

Good points re north/south of Italy, had zero problems in Piedmont (Turin and the surrounding are gorgeous) or Milan.