JPF Home Page Forums General Messages Brian Austin Whitney Blog Monday, April 30th, 2007

Hi Folks,

Only 2 weeks until our 7 month long multi state multi country multi continent roadtrip begins. We spend the last 6 hours watching Rick Steves tourist videos we bought as a box set for Europe. We're trying to decide which countries to visit. We've changed back and forth between a thorough UK tour and also visiting Athens and Cairo or skipping all those and doing a more thorough visit through Europe.

So if you had 45 days in Europe to tour and you're not sure if you'll ever get a chance to go back, where would you spend the 45 days?

We're currently thinking:

Paris, France
Geneva, Switzerland
Nice, France
Monaco
Pisa, Italy
Florence, Italy
Rome, Italy
Naples, Italy
Pompeii, Italy
Athens, Greece
Cairo, Egypt
Venice, Italy
Vienna, Austria
Prague, Czech Republic
Salzburg, Austria
Innsbruck, Austria
Zurich, Switzerland
Strasbourgh, Germany
Luxembourg
Brussels, Belgium
Amsterdam, Holland
New Castle, England
Edinburgh, Scotland
Glasgow, Scotland
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Dublin, Ireland
Liverpool, England
Stonehenge
London, England
then back to Paris for our flight home.

That was our latest thinking. BUT.. the more we looked at all the things we wanted to do in Greece and Egypt, we're thinking we may want to risk coming back to spend a few weeks there and use that time in mainland Europe. And we're also now thinking the 11 days in the UK may not be enough.. so perhaps we should also risk a future 3 week trip there and use THOSE days in mainland Europe as well.

So many things to see, so little time. Yeah, I know, most folks don't get to go to Europe for nearly 7 weeks. But we'll be working as well as touring and we've been talking about this trip for 7 years.

Your thoughts?

Brian

Are you planning to have a Travel Agency schedule your trip or do it piecemeal. As I understand it you have to maintain a somewhat strict schedule with an Agency. You may want to check that out in advance.

Too many options, too many decisions. One place you may come across in France is the city of Lyon and the story of the famous Peace Rose.

Good hunting!

We're likely going to schedule it all on our own. But we're getting great tips from Rick Steves, PBS's travel guy. His website and DVD set has really appealed to us. He looks for the same things as we do and has done a great job educating people and telling the good with the bad, but not in a sarcastic or judgemental way. We've already learned of several places we want to add to the trip we didn't know about and have lost some interest in others. Of course we still have many to watch so we may change all our ideas by that time.

Brian

No Norway?

I wanted to get up there actually.. but it's just too much driving.. we thought about getting there via Poland to Russia to Finland to Sweden to Norway and then back down through Denmark and then Amsterdam, but we'd need another 20-25 days to do that loop with any time to actually see things. We've already talked about doing it on a future visit if we're lucking enough to get there again.

Brian

Strasbourg Germany is just OK. Not tons to see there. There's a cool church with an old clock...but I'd skip it in favor of a bigger city.

Amsterdam is a great intro to Europe for Americans since most Netherlanders speak English. Great city. Beautiful. Lots to do. Don't miss the Van Gogh Museum!

I think Rome. Florence and Pompeii are must sees too. You might also want to do Venice before it sinks.

Zurich is great...spent 3 months there once. It's a pricey city, but I loved it. Geneva is more beautiful, but Zurich is friendlier.

I recommend, for your Austria trip that you save some time for just driving a bit through the Alps. You won't regret it. Stop for a meal, or a night, in a tiny mountain town somewhere. They all have little rooms for rent, usually cheap. Paul and I did this on a break between tours one time and it's a favorite memory of Europe. Salzburg is a super city. Check out Mozart's house. If you have to choose, pick Salzburg over Vienna.

I've never been, but always wanted to see Prague. Apparently, it's still got alot of old world charm and is comparatively affordable

Have a great time!

Christine

Hi Brian,

My recommendation would be to plan a separate trip to the UK. I spent 3 weeks there which was nowhere NEAR enough so you can bet that 11 days will be more frustrating than anything. This is supposed to be a vacation. Don't try to make it as frenzied and frenetic as your life back home by trying to do everything in one trip. If you overplan it then you become prisoner to your plans and reservations and can't feel free to just explore something that spontaneously appeals to you. Do the continental Europe experience this trip...and then plan to go back for the other places!! I just hope you both enjoy every moment of this trip.

Hugs,
Bobbie

Actually we are leaning to sticking on mainland Europe. We really want to see Egypt.. but after looking into Athens a bit more, we're not chomping at the bits quite as much to see that anymore. The UK is certainly something suited for a 3 week trip perhaps in 2008 or 2009 should the opportunity arise. Now we just have to decide how much of Eastern Europe we want to see wit the extra time. We've also been turned off to Naples, but must go down that way because I have to see Pompeii, the #1 thing I've wanted to see in Europe since I was a little kid. I know it doesn't live up to the best, but it's always been hanging there in my mind and so I have to see it. I've been the the Alps via Switzerland and France but I agree with Christine that we want some time to spend there casually. We're now thinking of spending a lot of time going up the Rhine to see the castles along the way. Everyone always says FLORENCE is the best city.. so what is it exactly about Florence that makes it so?

Brian

I would suggest a couple days to visit at least one concentration camp. I personally visited Dachau in Germany but I'll visit Aushwitz in Poland when I go back. I would also visit the various beaches where the Allied invasion occurred, and the cemetaries.

You should DEFINATELY visit the Neuschwanstein castle(built by mad king Ludwig and looks like Cinderella's) in Bavaria and take a boat trip down the Rhein river in Germany.

I would also reconsider the trip to Norway. I took a train from Germany, through Denmark to Sweden. They actually pull the train onto a boat that takes you over to Sweden.

Jake,

ps, hi Bobbie, where you been? I've been trying to track you down.

If anyone wants to foot the bill for a few airline tickets to Liverpool/London, England, I'll do my best to play and sing my best Paul like song "Too Little Time" for my brothers and sisters, the Brits! (Just read where it might be in 2008 or 09, so I'll start saving the dollars starting NOW! We want to get to England anyway,,,,,Cindy is tired of me talking about it all the time...)"I know John,,,,you were last there in 1959 and The Beatles were already together as teens and playing near to where you were. YES,,,,I know,,,,we have to go there so you can show me where mom lived and how the street and houses there are just like how they are on this 5th ave, and even the house where you grew up here is in the same position as the one in England."

Ha!!!!
One can dream can't they?
Yeah,,,and maybe Sir Paul will drop by in either Liverpool or London! Hey,,,,bring Sir Martin around too!

Oh man,,,,,I have to get a life sometime,,,,but it has to be as great as this one! Or I'm not leaving.


John

Having toured England and Wales for 6 weeks with a band, I can give one piece of advice - stay clear of the road food! It's terrible, unless you consider cold meat pies one of your fave dinners. Ha! Have fun!

Florence has the Uffizi gallery, among other things... the biggest & best collection of renaissance art in the world. If you're looking for art, you won't beat Florence. As a city in itself, though, it's not what it was 20 years ago... not the cleanest place, traffic is getting worse every year (I know it looks bad in the other cities, but it generally moves along fast enough) and it's just not as friendy as, say, Rome or any of the smaller towns you'll see on the way.

But like said, it's got art, which is hard to argue with. My town has a mural of a donkey painted on a Mexican restaurant.

Last but not least I suggest you do some surfing the Internet for places you are considering. By typing in a place such as Paris France you should get a lot of links of places to visit.

I took a train trip once, Brian, along the Rhine from Holland to Berlin. Fabulous! Every turn of the river brings a new incredible view of mountains with another old castle at the top.

If you're reconsidering German destinations - Think Cologne (Koln)!!!!!! It's a big music town. There's a major school there. Every street corner has an incredible musician playing on it and the Cathedral is not to be missed. It's a pretty city too. One of my favorite cities in Germany...and I spent over 7 months there total, in a different city every couple of nights most times.

I agree with Jake that Neuschwanstein is a fun sight. That crazy king sure built a fairytale castle. The Disney castles are based on it.

We really have NO destinations locked in.. we're wide open still. A lot will have to do with how I hold up on the 2 US Roadtrips. The first is 3 weeks in my neck of the woods (relatively speaking) and then the second is a bit farther to travel. If I physically hold up through both of those, I will be ready for Europe. If I have trouble, we may have to plan accordingly. (I.e. spend a lot more time in less cities.. perhaps sign up for an organized tour rather than going freestyle etc.) We've mulled over things as extreme as doing Egypt and Athens to doing Eastern Block countries.. to a big loop up through Russia, Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmkark to a big UK circle to just spending it all in central Europe.

Brian