[nmulax]

As the title suggests, I'm trying to decide where to go on my next vacation… likely the week of labor day, and I'll probably spend 4-6 days where-ever I go. Here's the thing… friends are either short on time or money, so I'll likely go alone, or overlap a few days with my family if they're interested in the same place.

Any feedback on these places is definitely appreciated!

[Blue Bottle]

Hit London, lots to see and do in a small area ........

[Nine]

Depends on what you like, beer, shopping, driving, beach, women, cities, art, food, culture, wine, villages, what languages do you speak...etc.

[nmulax]

Already been to London, along with Amsterdam/The Hague, and Paris… so they're not on the list. I actually wasn't a fan of the UK. Just seemed boring to me.

Originally Posted by Nine

Depends on what you like, beer, shopping, driving, beach, women, cities, art, food, culture, wine, villages, what languages do you speak...etc.

Haha… fair point. Looking to do a mix of historical/touristy things and just basically immerse myself in the culture. Not going for a 5 day european nightclub bender. Speak VERY poor and limited French and German… enough to do some of the basics.

[gary88]

Rome, then take the Eurostar to Florence for a day.

[M_Six]

If you don't plan on renting a car and driving, Germany (Munich), Prague, and Budapest are all doable in one trip. They're not that far apart. For instance, Munich to Prague is a couple of hours by train. Most car rental companies won't let you take their cars from Germany to the Czech Republic, though. The auto theft rate there is too high.

If you do Munich, do yourself a favor and plan in a trip to Salzburg, Austria. It's a short drive and an awesome city. Go by way of Berchesgarten and Ramsau. The scenery alone is worth the trip.

[michaelthepsycho]

Depends on what you're after. For the automotive stuff, go to Germany.

For women, go to Prague, Budapest, or Copenhagen.

For sight-seeing, go to Helsinki or Florence.

Obviously, some of it overlaps. Might I recommend the Scandinavian countries as well? Very beautiful.

[ragingclue]

Genf/Geneve/Geneva, then Bern, then Interlaken, Stelvio, etc....

JMO

[KingOfJericho]

Florence is great. I just spent 9 days in Italy and I LOVED it! I would highly suggest renting a car. I stayed in Bologna which is about 90min north of Florence. My wife was there on business so I was on my own during the week and I drove all over the place. I went to Lamborghini for a factory tour (email them ahead of time) which I would highly suggest. Don't waste your time at Ferrari - my local dealer has better cars. I went to Siena which was lovely, Sirmione which was gorgeous but far from Florance, Venice speaks for itself, Milan (skip it), and a few smaller towns. The freedom of being on my own with the rental car was awesome. Most people don't speak English but are more than happy to help you out. The people there are AMAZINGLY friendly. The streets of Florence at night are quite charming and they have a great open-air leather market. I can't wait to go back. I've been to London as well and it has some really cool stuff but I need to see sun on my vacations and London lacks that in a major way. That and the food were my only gripes.

Italy pics:

[SS32]

Well if you've already done Amsterdam, then Prague or Italy would be next on my list. You honestly can't beat Italy for culture, but if you're looking to party then Prague is what you'll want. If you're set on Belgium, hit up Bruges. Munich is a GREAT city too though, and I can't emphasize enough how interesting the Welt is, both for the architecture/engineering as well as the cars.

[TSM330i]

I've been to:
Frankfurt - NO, it's a big industrial city so not what you're looking for.
Munich - perfect for what you're looking for and you can rent a car and visit Neuschwanstein castle for the day in the German Alps.
Brussels - not bad, but not great either
Prague - fantastic! Reminds me of Paris, but cheaper and more fun. If you go, stay at Hotel Rott. It couldn't be a better location!

My recommendation would be Florence. My wife and I L-O-V-E Florence. It's a blend of the Italian culture, Tuscan food and a city that is small enough to walk and see everything. Plus the museums are out of this world (statue of David) and shopping is great too. We rented a car (can be quite expensive, but worth it) and drove to Maranello to visit the Ferrari museum.

[KingOfJericho]

You should have gone to Lambo! I thought the Ferrari museum was the biggest waste of time. The only cool part was seeing an F12 Berlinetta in full camouflage pulling up behind me on the street. Lamborghini has an amazing factory tour (45euro but worth every penny). When I would ask a question about what someone was working on, she would walk over to them and tap them on the shoulder to ask. Every piece of leather in every car is inspected by a single girl and it takes 3 dudes to stretch and muscle the leather onto a seat. It was fascinating to see in person. I also had no idea that they road test every car they build because they don't have a test track.

[shipill]

Rome , Paris

[panicos81]

Originally Posted by KingOfJericho

Florence is great. I just spent 9 days in Italy and I LOVED it! I would highly suggest renting a car. I stayed in Bologna which is about 90min north of Florence. My wife was there on business so I was on my own during the week and I drove all over the place. I went to Lamborghini for a factory tour (email them ahead of time) which I would highly suggest. Don't waste your time at Ferrari - my local dealer has better cars. I went to Siena which was lovely, Sirmione which was gorgeous but far from Florance, Venice speaks for itself, Milan (skip it), and a few smaller towns. The freedom of being on my own with the rental car was awesome. Most people don't speak English but are more than happy to help you out. The people there are AMAZINGLY friendly. The streets of Florence at night are quite charming and they have a great open-air leather market. I can't wait to go back. I've been to London as well and it has some really cool stuff but I need to see sun on my vacations and London lacks that in a major way. That and the food were my only gripes.

Italy pics:

[img]http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7273/6872784352_fc09c66d0e_c.jpg[/img

[img]http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7100/7018769981_674ce1c9ae_c.jpg[/img

[img]http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7197/6872868608_565675fce7_c.jpg[/img

[img]http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7198/7018978225_a3e02d9dde_c.jpg[/img

[img]http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6031/7018989187_f23ffe0b5b_c.jpg[/img

man i was there last week also for 9 days.. what a fantastic trip. went to pisa la spezia genoa milano venice maranello rimini san marino and ended in rome.. rented a car and had a fantastic time.. as fornthe ferrari factory, nothing to see there and the museum is small.. next to it however is a shop where you can rent and drive ferraris.. got me a 458 italia..

go to italy.. you will love it..

me:

[KingOfJericho]

Originally Posted by panicos81

man i was there last week also for 9 days.. what a fantastic trip. went to pisa la spezia genoa milano venice maranello rimini san marino and ended in rome.. rented a car and had a fantastic time.. as fornthe ferrari factory, nothing to see there and the museum is small.. next to it however is a shop where you can rent and drive ferraris.. got me a 458 italia..

go to italy.. you will love it..

me:

Yeah, I loved how they stick a bunch of attractive Italian chicks in the parking lot of Ferrari to solicit people to rent them next door. She looked at me like I called her a c*nt when I said I didn't want to drive one.

[kred]

I say London..but it's not on the list. I was just there for 7 weeks and couldn't see everything!
Saying that, I've heard that Prague is beautiful and everyone I know that has been there loved it. So Prague gets my vote.

[infinitekidM2C]

Go to London, watch football at the pubs, meet up with the local supporters group, fight for your new club and then go back to Harvard

[spanner1751]

Of your list, I've only been to Munich and Florence. Since you're a BMW guy, a stay in Munich with a visit to the BMW Welt should be a must. Most hotels offer day trips, so sightseeing that way around the local area is good, especially try to see Neuschwanstein.
If you're driving, from Munich to Salzburg and to the Austrian lakes district is an awesome drive. Lake Halstatt is beautiful.
We also enjoyed Florence. Lots of culture and great gelato there. Again, if you aren't driving, day trips from the hotel to cultural sites like Sienna and the Tuscan countryside are a must.
We drove in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland during the GFs ED, and the driving in those countries is easy, but we haven't driven in Italy, so can't advise you there.
If you don't want to drive in Italy, or anywhere in Europe, take the train. Lots of hotels within walking distance of the train stations, and unlike the U.S., European train stations are well equipped with shopping, food, farmer's markets, etc.

[Cdnrockies]

Prague is the most beautiful city that I've ever been too.

They throw one heck of a party too.....was in Wencelas Square for New Year's Eve 92/93....the night that Czechoslovakia split officially.

[fatgrandma]

I personally think that Budapest is the most beautiful city in Europe. And it has some nice spots to party.

[Robin_NL]

Florence. And Siena.(most beautiful small city I've ever been.)

Take a bus to Rome. That's it. We did that two years ago(we went by car to Florence/Siena via Belgium and back via CH/D)

And you've already been to Paris, London, Amsterdam etc.

So Just try Tuscany, it's the most beautiful part of the civilized world imo, and I've travelled a lot worldwide.


Or visit Barcelona. Also excellent. I was there last year.

Cheers
Robin

[KingOfJericho]

Barcelona (and the rest of southern Spain) is next on my list. Flights are quite pricey from here. I flew to Bologna for $900 but anywhere in Spain is a solid $500 more per ticket.