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You win best answer Aeryn Send a noteboard - 14/04/2014 05:30:57 PM

View original postSo do I, constantly. Not that I've ever been there...


View original postI don't know what your Italy trip includes, but Florence is a must, and a few days more for other places in Tuscany (Siena, arguably Pisa, some of the lovely villages like San Gimignano, Monteriggioni etc. ) would be good too.

Unfortunately, aside from 2 days in Florence, none of those places are on our Italy itinerary. With only 10 days, we had to choose, so we're doing 4 days in Rome and 2 each in Florence, Verona, and Bologna. But I know about those places and they do sound lovely. I guess there's nothing stopping me from going there on my own afterwards.


View original postAs mentioned above, there's lots to be seen and done in France while still avoiding the snotty Parisians. I would also recommend Belgium and the Netherlands, but I might be biased. Still, Amsterdam would rank high on most tourists' lists, I'd think, and Belgium does have great food and art/history (and not just in Bruges, either). Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Maastricht, Antwerp (in which I'd be happy to show you around), Ghent, Brussels and Bruges are all definitely worth at least 1-2 days. Though it'll depend on your personal preferences which ones of those you like best.



View original postIn Germany, Berlin is very much a hot spot for tourists again - world class museums as well as a world class nightlife and supposedly (haven't been there in fifteen years) a really nice atmosphere. Munich's also supposed to be good, and there are plenty of lesser-known/smaller cities which are nice. Among the ones that I've seen, I'd recommend Freiburg im Breisgau, near the Swiss and French borders, and also near the big Black Forest, and also Aachen, near the Dutch and Belgian borders (known as the capital of the empire of Charlemagne way back in the 9th century AD).

The fact that this paragraph is full of names I've never heard of makes me very happy. I'm definitely going to look into it further. On Saturday night, after a lot of vodka and some beers, I actually fell into a conversation in German with a friend, completely surprising myself. Maybe I want to visit Germany more than I admit it to myself.


View original postI can't say much about most other countries, except to recommend Wroclaw in Poland if you're in that region, as well as Krakow (which unlike Wroclaw I haven't personally visited, but it's relatively nearby, and much better known). Lisbon in Portugal, but that might be a bit out of your way. Then of course Edinburgh and Glasgow in Scotland - Ben is being modest, between the pair of them they are well worth a visit, especially if you add some hiking in the Highlands (which I haven't done yet myself). And last but not least Istanbul - also way out of your way, but a global city that can easily take up a week on its own.

Honestly I have no idea. Maybe I'll get tired of sleeping in hostels 2 weeks in. Maybe I don't know how to do things cheaply and I'll blow through my budget in a month. I can't look ahead. I'm leaving for Peru tomorrow, and there's a million things I need to do. I guess it's always like that, very stressful right before the trip, but then the vacation itself makes it all worth it.

I'm going to come back and post on the MB once I'm doing stuff, when I'm closer to making the next decision. I'd certainly love to intersect with folks from here, and having a local show you around is always a treat.

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Alright, how about a serious suggestion? *NM* - 11/04/2014 05:47:05 AM 427 Views
That was serious. But if that doesn't interest you... - 11/04/2014 07:00:37 PM 563 Views
You've already seen lots of Spain, right? Then Italy and France are obvious choices. - 09/04/2014 11:48:27 PM 602 Views
You win best answer - 14/04/2014 05:30:57 PM 887 Views

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