Going to Europe. What to do?

[dtzitko]

I'm leaving for Europe for 16 days in a couple weeks. I'm planning on going to these cities, but nothing is set in stone. I'm staying in hostels and taking the train everywhere.

Munich
Prague
Vienna
Venice
Zurich

I might go over to Cannes (the film festival will be going on while I'm there). While I'm that way I might go through Monte Carlo just for a day as well. But the cities listed above are pretty much guaranteed. Any recommended places to go? Any recommended places to stay? Parts of the city to avoid?

Some other possible places are Milan, Torino, and Interlaken as well as random small towns on the way to the bigger cities.

Also, anyone who lives in any of these cities and is willing to let me use their couch/show me around/meet up for a drink or coffee, PM me.

 

[c.cloudwalker]

Well, I would cut out at least half of the cities on your list. If you intend to see something, it might be a good idea to spend more than 2-3 days in one city.

 

[LaFoto]

Well, the centre of Prague and all of Venice are ONE big photo opportunity. There isn't ONE place that needs a special recommendation in those towns, the whole is photo op after photo op.

It's been too long ago, and my time spent there was too short, for me to remember the "hot spots" in Vienna, but I believe that again the centre is one big photo op, Stefansdom in particular, Hofburg (city castle) and the Castle precincts of Schönbrunn. But my memory is vague, plus I was travelling with a 2-year old, so it is also tinted.

I know very little about Munich, although it is in my country. But I've only been twice, and it's a long time ago, too, and on both occasions I was sort of aimless...

I've never been to Zurich. But I hear it's got a pretty centre, too. The centres of town are always the oldest and prettiest parts.

And unfortunately you're only going to travel the south, so I can't offer you a bed in my house. If you had decided to visit the NORTH of Germany, though... Hamburg, Bremen...

 

[dtzitko]

Well, the centre of Prague and all of Venice are ONE big photo opportunity. There isn't ONE place that needs a special recommendation in those towns, the whole is photo op after photo op.

It's been too long ago, and my time spent there was too short, for me to remember the "hot spots" in Vienna, but I believe that again the centre is one big photo op, Stefansdom in particular, Hofburg (city castle) and the Castle precincts of Schönbrunn. But my memory is vague, plus I was travelling with a 2-year old, so it is also tinted.

I know very little about Munich, although it is in my country. But I've only been twice, and it's a long time ago, too, and on both occasions I was sort of aimless...

I've never been to Zurich. But I hear it's got a pretty centre, too. The centres of town are always the oldest and prettiest parts.

And unfortunately you're only going to travel the south, so I can't offer you a bed in my house. If you had decided to visit the NORTH of Germany, though... Hamburg, Bremen...

Thanks, and I fully intend to see more of Germany one day. Here's a question for you though, I took German classes in high school, but am trying to do some refreshing before I go. How easy/hard is it to get around with a light background in German and only being fluent in English? I've found I'm remembering a lot of what I learned in high school pretty quickly, but I know I will only remember some phrases. I'm sure I won't be able to hold a conversation.

 

[Dallmeyer]

The BMW museum in Munich
BMW Museum

 

[LaFoto]

No worries about not knowing any German. You will get by with English only. Shouldn't be too much of a problem. I hear by JeremyZ (member of TPF) that in the outskirts of Prague you no longer find people who speak English, but in the touristy areas it should be possible to make yourself understood in Prague, too.

 

[Dmitri]

The best advice you will ever get: Ask the locals what to do and what to see.

Do that and you will see some amazing stuff that the typical tourist never even knows exists.

 

[dtzitko]

The best advice you will ever get: Ask the locals what to do and what to see.

Do that and you will see some amazing stuff that the typical tourist never even knows exists.

Thanks, that was kind of the direction I was going take. I was just planning on wandering around and getting myself lost. I'm not really interested in seeing "tourist" sites really. I don't want to stand in some line at a museum, or buy crap at gift shops. I want to experience the culture and the people. But of course, I do want to see landmarks and stuff, it's just not a huge priority.

 

[Dallmeyer]

I do appologise i thought the BMW museum would appeal. Understand the difference between culture and lifestyle. It is necessary to understand language of a place to get culture. Culture is idiom, a book, a song, how people think. lifestyle is all the other stuff and its becoming more and more generic.

 

[dtzitko]

I do appologise i thought the BMW museum would appeal. Understand the difference between culture and lifestyle. It is necessary to understand language of a place to get culture. Culture is idiom, a book, a song, how people think. lifestyle is all the other stuff and its becoming more and more generic.

No, the BMW museum is definitely appealing. I must have missed your post. Sorry, I guess I didn't word my post above right. I'm more interested in just wandering the streets and just kind of seeing whatever comes up, eating the food, meeting the people, etc. I do plan on making my way to a couple things like the BMW museum and other things. I'm just not hellbent on it.

 

[Dallmeyer]

That's excatly what i would too. Havea few random conversations in bars/cafes. A bit of synchronicity, getting lost in the city and realising everything happens for a reason YMMV!