Which are the Best Cities to Visit in Europe?

[TatianaSummer]

Any recommendation on which cities are the best to visit in Europe?
Madrid, London, Berlin, Amsterdam, Rome, Dublin, Vienna?
I also love panoramic scenes, culture, architecture, points of interests, things like that. all info will be great! thanks!

[Abartig]

Prague is a very nice city to visit

[runningdownthatdream]

Krakow, Poland - For the history, for the food, for the Castle and the Cathedral, and not least the sexy women. Is a bit conservative and Poles are not a very welcoming people to outsiders although you being American might experience it differently as they tend to worship yanks.

Budapest, Hungary - For much the same reasons above except the city is far more vibrant. You can grab a cruise of the Danube from here which is supposed to be spectacular but which I didnt have time to do.

[TatianaSummer]

Prague is a very nice city to visit

wow GREAT city! I took a look at google images and looks beautiful. Thanks for the info!

[MrBest]

guimaraes, portugal

[mrbig]

wow GREAT city! I took a look at google images and looks beautiful. Thanks for the info!

What info?

A stranger merely naming a city without mentioning anything whatsoever as to why he finds it a "nice" city to visit. Worthless.

[TatianaSummer]

Krakow, Poland - For the history, for the food, for the Castle and the Cathedral, and not least the sexy women. Is a bit conservative and Poles are not a very welcoming people to outsiders although you being American might experience it differently as they tend to worship yanks.

Budapest, Hungary - For much the same reasons above except the city is far more vibrant. You can grab a cruise of the Danube from here which is supposed to be spectacular but which I didnt have time to do.

Ohhh wow, super nice!! I LOVE castles and one I am NOT going to miss is Neuschwanstein Castle in southern Germany. I heard that Budapest and Instanbul are very nice!!

[TatianaSummer]

What info?

A stranger merely naming a city without mentioning anything whatsoever as to why he finds it a "nice" city to visit. Worthless.

Just by naming a city means that it has some kind of good recommendation, I dont expect the person to do a research for me. Thats why we have the internet daaaaaawwwwww.... LOL :)

[runningdownthatdream]

Ohhh wow, super nice!! I LOVE castles and one I am NOT going to miss is Neuschwanstein Castle in southern Germany. I heard that Budapest and Instanbul are very nice!!

Haven't been to Istanbul but its on my list. I really enjoyed my few days in Budapest. Part of that was due to the taking the overnight train there from Bucharest, Romania (which I wouldn't recommend a novice traveler to visit) in a first class cabin with a lovely lady friend of mine - unforgettable night!

[TatianaSummer]

It would be nice to do a Castle hunting trip in Europe and visit as many castles as I can.

[Schimmel]

What info?

A stranger merely naming a city without mentioning anything whatsoever as to why he finds it a "nice" city to visit. Worthless.
Haha, funny post.

I say.... Paris of course.

[TatianaSummer]

Haha, funny post.

I say.... Paris of course.

Been to Paris already and it was ok.

[envivision]

Just go to Quebec City.... All the charm of Europe w/o dealing with the Eurotrash.... And only couple of hours from the States.

[robertlouis]

You like castles, Tatiana?

Go to Scotland and see Edinburgh and Stirling Castles. I'll come up and be your guide to the beauties and glories of my homeland.

I'll even throw in a picture of Loch Lomond to whet your appetite even further. I grew up just ten minutes from that view.

And if you get cold, we can always drink some good single malt whisky. :dancing:

[Tristan2005]

From personal experience, I really loved Rome due to the huge amount of culture, art, and architecture, not to mention the food!

However, if you're interested in seeing castles, you can do a lot worse than Scotland. In my week there I saw about 5 different ones. Also, the people were very friendly and who doesn't love a fun accent! :)

[magus13]

Barcelona and Amsterdam

[robertlouis]

I'd also have to add York, where I now live. Unofficial capital of the north of England, medieval walls intact, a glorious cathedral, charming architecture, great pubs and history in every cobblestone. It's also very compact and flat, so easily walkable. I love it.

[Stavros]

Tatiana you might want to think about cost and whether the larger cities are going to be your priority. The main cities in the western zone are expensive, although you can usually get a good deal on Hotels online depending on how much you need a good hotel (and what you intend to do in it!). Also, in a city like Prague, if you choose to eat in the central area you may be paying double what you would pay if you move just outside it. Similarly there are parts of central London like Covent Garden which are overcrowded with tourists and you pay more for a coffee there than if you walk a few streets away -the Piazza San Marco in Venice is notorious for its prices.

Of the smaller cities, Copenhagen has its attractions; it is expensive, but it has a charming provincial profile, very liberal social attitudes, and some outstanding restaurants. There is a small LGBT community there which means you would, if you wanted to, become quite well known. If you want a mixture of old world charm and modern amenities, Trier in the Rhineland is one of the nicest cities in Germany, it doesn't have the breadth of interest of Berlin or Munich, but it is a pleasant stay for a day or two and if you journey down the Rhine to Coblenz where the Rhine meets the Moselle at the Deutsches Eck (German Corner), you will see the famous gorges one of which inspired the Lorelei legend. I would not really recommend Cologne, Dusseldorf or Bonn unless you are seriously interested in Germany.
In Italy, I think Genoa is an undiscovered gem of a place, it looks -or used to look- a bit shabby, but the location on the Gulf of Genoa is fabulous, and the food like most in Italy is simple, but fresh, bursting with flavour, and can be had at a cheap price too. If you travel west from Genoa you could base yourself in Nice, which has its problems but is useful because it has enough spread of hotels to get a bargain, it has an airport which links all over Europe, and you can travel at short notice to Monte Carlo, St Tropez, Antibes, Cannes or inland to Grasse, which is the centre of the French perfume industry. Further north, Aix-en-Provence is one of the most seductive places in France, if not Europe.

[TatianaSummer]

Tatiana you might want to think about cost and whether the larger cities are going to be your priority. The main cities in the western zone are expensive, although you can usually get a good deal on Hotels online depending on how much you need a good hotel (and what you intend to do in it!). Also, in a city like Prague, if you choose to eat in the central area you may be paying double what you would pay if you move just outside it. Similarly there are parts of central London like Covent Garden which are overcrowded with tourists and you pay more for a coffee there than if you walk a few streets away -the Piazza San Marco in Venice is notorious for its prices.

Of the smaller cities, Copenhagen has its attractions; it is expensive, but it has a charming provincial profile, very liberal social attitudes, and some outstanding restaurants. There is a small LGBT community there which means you would, if you wanted to, become quite well known. If you want a mixture of old world charm and modern amenities, Trier in the Rhineland is one of the nicest cities in Germany, it doesn't have the breadth of interest of Berlin or Munich, but it is a pleasant stay for a day or two and if you journey down the Rhine to Coblenz where the Rhine meets the Moselle at the Deutsches Eck (German Corner), you will see the famous gorges one of which inspired the Lorelei legend. I would not really recommend Cologne, Dusseldorf or Bonn unless you are seriously interested in Germany.
In Italy, I think Genoa is an undiscovered gem of a place, it looks -or used to look- a bit shabby, but the location on the Gulf of Genoa is fabulous, and the food like most in Italy is simple, but fresh, bursting with flavour, and can be had at a cheap price too. If you travel west from Genoa you could base yourself in Nice, which has its problems but is useful because it has enough spread of hotels to get a bargain, it has an airport which links all over Europe, and you can travel at short notice to Monte Carlo, St Tropez, Antibes, Cannes or inland to Grasse, which is the centre of the French perfume industry. Further north, Aix-en-Provence is one of the most seductive places in France, if not Europe.

Excellent! I will definitely take a look at this and see what is the best options I can squeeze in with my budget for this trip. I will definitely try to go out of tourists areas as I want to flavor the places as if I was a local, or at least try.
Thanks again

[Prospero]

I'd vote for Barcelona and, in the summer, for Stockholm, a magical place thrown out over a huge number of islands.

[Stavros]

Prospero do you know Bilbao? I thought of going a year or so ago, still thinking of it.

[Avenged01]

Krakow, Poland - For the history, for the food, for the Castle and the Cathedral, and not least the sexy women. Is a bit conservative and Poles are not a very welcoming people to outsiders although you being American might experience it differently as they tend to worship yanks.

Budapest, Hungary - For much the same reasons above except the city is far more vibrant. You can grab a cruise of the Danube from here which is supposed to be spectacular but which I didnt have time to do.

Have to agree about Budapest. It's a wonderful City. I recommend a visit to the public thermal baths and check out all the quirky ruin pubs in 7th District for friendly and fun nightlife.

[Prospero]

Bilbao. No... it is on what they call "my bucket list' but I'm not sure what there is there apart from the Guggenheim. I love Gehry but....

[SammiValentine]

If you want castles. North Wales is epic. bit cold though, and wet etc. I love castles to :-)

[Prospero]

Sammi is right. I spent a blissful ten days in North Wales in the autumn some years back seeing wonderful castles. Special ones for me were Beaumaris and a wonderful set of craggy ruins on a mountain top called Dinas Bron. But other magical castles include Conway, Rhuddlan and Harlech.

[SammiValentine]

Sammi is right. I spent a blissful ten days in North Wales in the autumn some years back seeing wonderful castles. Special ones for me were Beaumaris and a wonderful set of craggy ruins on a mountain top called Dinas Bron. But other magical castles include Conway, Rhuddlan and Harlech.

+ caernarfon and the ruins at criccieth are tiny but kinda cool up on that mad hill.:)

[Prospero]

I thought Caernafon was too built up. And i had forgotten Criccieth. There are plenty more too - and while out there if you choose Wales you should also go to see Portmeiron. A weird fairytale little town (used to film The Prisoner).

[Abartig]

Ohhh wow, super nice!! I LOVE castles and one I am NOT going to miss is Neuschwanstein Castle in southern Germany. I heard that Budapest and Instanbul are very nice!!

Germany is a great base for castle hopping, in Germany itself and along the edge countries. A rail pass for Germany can work out great in seeing all that Germany has to offer and as I mentioned visiting the edge countries, just pay for the ticket from the border into the neighboring cities you want to visit. Just a few examples would be Prague (http://tinyurl.com/kpyvc8b) in the Czech Republic, Salzburg (http://tinyurl.com/mecq9ru) in Austria, Strasbourg (http://tinyurl.com/visit-strasbourg) in France. Just take a look along the German borders and you will see plenty to visit. Of course it has been a while since I priced out train passes but at the time I traveled a German rail pass (+ tickets to cities across the border) was still cheaper then a full European rail pass. If you can procure any documentation showing you are a student you can save even more.

For scenery overload river cruises can be awesome. Wurzburg (http://tinyurl.com/visit-wurzburg) in Germany is a very nice small city to visit for a day (or less) if you get in the neighborhood along the Main (pronounced "mine") river.

I took the train from Germany, through Prague, Budapest (http://tinyurl.com/k6pg8s5), Bucharest and Sofia and into Istanbul (http://tinyurl.com/visit-istanbul) and ended up living in Turkey for 2 years I loved it so much. Istanbul is a magnificent city to visit and if you are into ancient historical sights Turkey is a very interesting country to spend some time in.

Remember to check what festivals are happening in the countries you are visiting and research them to see if they interest you. There are great festivals throughout the year all over Europe.

[SammiValentine]

I thought Caernafon was too built up. And i had forgotten Criccieth. There are plenty more too - and while out there if you choose Wales you should also go to see Portmeiron. A weird fairytale little town (used to film The Prisoner).

Yea ive been pretty much every castle :) love north wales in general but kinda forced on me I guess with a grandad from round there and every holiday until I was 17 with my parents round there. Drummed into me....:D

[rbiller]

Don't limit yourself to just big cities. Get on a tour and visit the small towns as well.

[Prospero]

rbiller is right... but of course the riches suggested by various folk here would require you to tour europe for at least three months. Want a travel guide?

[Sauron81]

Stockholm, amazing city in the summer with all the water and different islands. The archipelago with thousands if islands sourounding Stockholm is so nice.

There is lots of things to do like art museums, visit the castle were the king and queen lives, visit old town and the wasa museum to name a few things.

[EZWind]

My favorite has to be Amsterdam
Vienna...also great
Venice....fantastic. You can't take a bad picture. Drop your camera and it goes off in your bag...you still get a prizewinner every time
Bellagio on Lake Como in northern Italy...very nice
...if you like medieval towns and castles, there's a whole string of em in southern Germany from Salzburg (also nice) up to Frankfurt when we went thru there...we enjoyed visiting Nordlingen and Rothenburg ob der Tauber

[JordanNite]

London no doubt. Amazing city.

[Prospero]

Yeah. Should have plugged London, my home town. Finest city on the planet

[robertlouis]

Yea ive been pretty much every castle :) love north wales in general but kinda forced on me I guess with a grandad from round there and every holiday until I was 17 with my parents round there. Drummed into me....:D

Conwy is well worth a visit too, for the castle, the quaint town and the glorious setting on the bay. Visited all Edward 1's Welsh castles when I was studying history as a student. Great trip, lovely people, great beer too.

[robertlouis]

who doesn't love a fun accent! :)

D'yous waant the shape o' yir fizzog rearranged, pal?

[Prospero]

Oh the wit and charm of the Scots..

[robertlouis]

Oh the wit and charm of the Scots..

You're next pal. :whistle:

[SammiValentine]

Conwy is well worth a visit too, for the castle, the quaint town and the glorious setting on the bay. Visited all Edward 1's Welsh castles when I was studying history as a student. Great trip, lovely people, great beer too.

boss little chippy to :D

[LibertyHarkness]

Prauge
Venice

[robertlouis]

boss little chippy to :D

Which one and where is it please Sammi?

Who knows, I might just treat you to a fish supper on the ramparts..... :dancing:

[bi-smooth]

what about the canary island????any good?

[bte]

I used to go to Roma, Italy a lot. Always a nice city to go and unwind, but I haven't been back in years.

A lot of people like Barcelona, but I actually prefer a city that is some miles from Barcelona called Tarragona (think I am spelling it correctly). Nice little city with some great restaurants.

I also love Lisboa Portugal, awesome city and Dublin Ireland was pretty cool too. If I remember correctly, one street is just filled with bars. Nice street if you want to get your drink on.

Varna Bulgaria had some nice art and architecture

[bte]

what about the canary island????any good?

Canary Islands are pretty cool. Went there a couple of times. I don't really anything that majorly stood out for me, but it wasn't a bad experience.