Topic: European tours

[lcw]

Has anyone here ever done a tour of Europe? 


If so how long did you stay and where did you go on your tour. 


I'm thinking of doing one next year.

[Ex-airbalancer]

We were thinking over doing a river cruise in the summer but with the CDN crashing, jobs slowing down, I think that is out
http://www.avalonwaterways.com/Product.aspx?trip=9WAZ&source=AW_Cruises_Rhine

[The Mighty Duck]

What sort of tour are you thinking?  I've done three or four bus tours with Trafalgar and Globus, all were excellent.  The ones I did were about ten days each, but they have longer ones, too.  I've done Italy, France, Britain, and Portugal...  Italy is my favourite, but all of Europe is really gorgeous.

If you're going for a short trip, I would suggest sticking to one country.  The "European samplers" sound great on paper, but you need time to really appreciate each different place you go.  Ten days in a country is a nice amount of time. 

[safristi]

.....WINEY..V.D & ITCHY.............best TOUR EFFER................... ..."DEPENDS" on yer age ..yer BUDGIE....and yer TIME.............

[tpl]

Before one could come up with a suggestion... what are your preferences for a vacation.   Sun & Sea? Cities? Culture? Antiquities?  Food and Wine?  Hiking?  How is your tolerance to buses? trains? driving?  Do you speak any languages apart from English?

What time of year?    Example: The big northern European cities are just fine in winter. Not full of tourists and some deals on accommodation.  But in high summer they are a pain with dubious air conditioning and very crowded.


I'm with Demo on this one country or at the most two per vacation.   Unless you are a family of 4 the cost of the flights is small compared to accommodation.

[SkiBunny]

Some years ago, I did the Contiki multi-week tour of western europe.  Was for 18-25 yr olds only.  They have hotel and dorm versions. Not recommended.  It's basically becomes a drinking and puking party.  Also, they're known as the contiki sleep around tours because that's what happens among a number of the passengers.  Booze and sex.

I dislike bus tours.  I think it's much better to go yourself so you can be where you want when you want for as long as you want.  Though organized tours reduce some hassles, they eliminate spontaneity and many of the best joys of travel.

[safristi]

Geez who'd a thunk "ski bunny"...meant ...............HOT chockolatte...and BED by 8PM!!!!!!! ....I'm PISTE............................wot else is.............

[HeliDriver]

I've never done a commercial tour, but have '"toured" around Europe a few times. I much prefer to have my own transportation (either rental car, train or plane) so I can follow my own schedule.

We get quite a few tourists in this part of the country, a lot of whom are on those commercial bus tours. Seems like a nightmare to me (herded around like cattle), but a lot of people I've spoken with have a plan: They use the tour as a quick scouting mission to discover the places they'd like to come back to and spend more time at - on their own. That sounds like a reasonable plan to me.

[safristi]

"herded around like Cattle???" hey i have no BEEF wif dat.........try tha Veal......I'll be here all weak in Amsterdam..home of tha $10 HOT DAWG......

[MKII]

Get a good guide book and figure out what countries interest you, grab a rail pass and wing it
http://www.raileurope.ca/canada/index.htm
or a fly and drive http://www.autoeurope.ca/

Check out my part of the world  http://hapenet.com/vikingescapades/baltichighlights.htm
http://hapenet.com/vikingescapades/balticadventure.htm
http://hapenet.com/vikingescapades/grandtour.htm

[vdk]

Get a good guide book and figure out what countries interest you, grab a rail pass and wing it

  The European railways are very efficient..

[mar1990]

I've never done a commercial tour, but have '"toured" around Europe a few times. I much prefer to have my own transportation (either rental car, train or plane) so I can follow my own schedule.

Just curious, SRC, what do you do about accommodation?  Did you usually find something when you get there or did you have things booked?

[HeliDriver]

I've never done a commercial tour, but have '"toured" around Europe a few times. I much prefer to have my own transportation (either rental car, train or plane) so I can follow my own schedule.

Just curious, SRC, what do you do about accommodation?  Did you usually find something when you get there or did you have things booked?

Before we go, I spend a bunch of time on the net looking for places and making reservations. We've found a lot of really nice places at good prices that way. While it does limit flexibility a bit (sometimes you have to pre-pay, so are committed to a certain number of days), it's nice to be able to pull into a new town and not have to worry about finding a place to sleep.

We've had lots of pleasant surprises (places nicer than we were expecting), but I can't think of a single time that we thought "OMG, I can't believe we're stuck in this dump." (Well, once in Thailand, but that's for a different thread.  )

[DockMan]

My two cents. All big cities look the much the same, I'd book a full day to check out each major city on your tour for it's nuances and then off to small towns. I agree about one country per trip and your own transport. A rental car will get you everywhere you want, but on your schedule which is nice...the countries really aren't all that big in relationship and their highway system is very efficient. I detest bus trips...too much of a control freak to let someone else drive and too annoyed by being forcibly confined with people other than my family, seems inhumane. Short of that......take the night train. You wake up in a new place fully refreshed and ready to go! We did that from our home base on a number of weekends - leave Friday after work and wake up Saturday morning in Poland (of budapest or whatever...). If you go to France book two day in Riems and visit Fabrice LeCour (sp?). Great tour and great champagne! Have fun.

[PJungnitsch]

Like it's been mentioned, it depends a lot on you and how you like to travel, what you are wanting to see, budget, etc.

I've traveled in Europe a number of different ways, ranging from the trainpass-as-many-countries-as-possible-in-a-month to the stay-in-one-place-and-work-a-job. Longest trip was nine months, shortest was two weeks.

Enjoyed them all, but they were quite different.

This guy is a good source of information:

http://www.ricksteves.com/

His book

http://www.amazon.ca/Rick-Steves-Europe-Through-Back/dp/1598801082/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1225673248&sr=8-2

got me started traveling many years ago and set the basics up pretty well.

[safristi]

..if yer YOUNG (at heart) go with NO preconceptions and plans.............book a flight and wing it as they say.........did that years ago BEST HOLY_DAZE effer...................being locked into a plan is like visiting "Animal Kingdom" in Orlanda and sayin' I seen AFRIKA .... yer such a Kunte Saf......................Kinta help ma'self...................

[DockMan]

I always like to work from a "Home Base" if you will. Swapping houses with a European family may be the ticket!

http://www.4homex.com/homeexchangechildren.htm

[safristi]

...could be a weiner.....as in.....TOUR a tourra LOO....................

[SkiBunny]

All big cities look the much the same, I'd book a full day to check out each major city on your tour for it's nuances and then off to small towns.

Yeah the "real europe" and "real america" is in the small towns.  Sarah Palin was right, lol.

[The Mighty Duck]

My two cents. All big cities look the much the same, I'd book a full day to check out each major city on your tour for it's nuances and then off to small towns./quote]

I think that's only partly true.  In Italy, the highlight of our trip was Assisi, but I still absolutely adore Rome, and could easily have spent many more days there.  I think the big European cities are fantastic destinations in and of themselves.  Depending on your preferences, you could easily take week in any of them.  In Paris, for example, the L'Ouvre requires three days in and of itself (if art and history are you thing).

I agree that the small towns are amazing, but the splendor and magnificence of some of the big European cities cannot be downplayed.