do at 5 - 7 day tour of Europe...what would I have to see...
Is it better to do a cruise ...what countries are a must...help
Do I make my own way around or do a group tour?

Mr & Mrs Mdiver. abierman, huey grrr ...where are u

London, Paris, Prague, Vienna, Rome, Athens (Greek Islands).

PanthaGirl said:

Tour or make my own way ...is it doable in 5 to 7 nights

oh and I think I would want to do via vegas on the way home to Aussie..any other must do's?

ocean said:

Wow okay in 7 nights you can still cover 2 cities for sure like London and Paris, or do a cruise of the Greek Islands, Ionian or Aegean islands are equally beautiful, then fly to the states on your way home. If you could expand your time there to 14 days you could cover a few incredible cities.

PanthaGirl said:

Well I think we would want to be away for a total of about 14 nights ...2 - 3 nights in blackpool for a dance comp (which is the reason for going) ..a couple of nights in vegas on the return and I guess no more than 9 nights on some sort of tour....of europe..but im not sure if I should join a tour/cruise or make our own way ....england doesn't really appeal to me but would love to see rome, greek islands, paris ...and any other area that is highly recommended....

7 days in my bed would suit you right.....yaya!

abierman said:

is there a tour guide? The highlights are? Any extras provided? Cost?

ocean said:

I'll be the tour guide on that ride, expect it to be one big highlight! How much extra can you handle???

abierman said:

That sounds like alot of extra bonuses ..... now what to do with the 15 year old and husband..... ...

ocean said:

send them out shopping or something.....

abierman said:

ocean said:

Blackpool isn't great so don't expect too much from it!!

You should def do Paris and Rome if that's what you fancy - you might regret coming so far and not seeing them. Couple of other great places I love in Europe are Edinburgh and Prague - 1 or 2 days in each of those would be fine but you'd probably want longer in Paris and Rome to see stuff. Berlin is meant to be fantastic too. And then there's Barcelona, Madrid, Venice, Stockholm.....

ocean said:

do a contiki tour, it's for 14 days and you go to different countries/cities in a group. Most of it is rushed, but you get to spend the longest time in Italy and France.
[Edited 6/14/09 9:15am]

In this order from Blackpool. Barcelona. Paris. Venice. Salzburg. Vienna to Vegas.
Spend 2 nights in each! Get Europasses & train it from one city 2 the next. the trains in Europe are really good and very fast! Then wander around on your own or pick up a local tour!

ocean said:

skip vegas, stay an extra 2 days in europe

5-7 days, you won't see much but the inside of your bus
vienna, amsterdam, barcelona, paris most definitely - don't try and do so many places!

ZombieKitten said:

She's a Quenslander!!!! They're attracted 2 bright flashing things!

Amaxx said:

You have a very short time span for this, you won't reasonable be able to see more than 2-3 cities within 7 days. Even three is pushing it if 2 of them are within the same country. You won't see very much of anything and will spend all of your time on travel and sorting out logistics once you arrive to your destination, let alone even get a feel for the place you're visiting.

I depending on what type of vacation you prefer (rest&relax vs. active site seeing), you should go ahead and do the cruise so that you can get in 9 days with a good amount of stops and you don't have to worry about travel logistics. Otherwise, for this trip I would recommend spending your 7 days in Italy and France, period. You need 3 days to work in all feeling and the landmarks of the place, it's worth it.

The remaining for days should be spent in Italy, choosing one large city then taking a day trip or 2 to an outlying area on either side of the city so you can relish how breathtaking the landscape is, it brings tears to the eyes. Avoid Milano at all costs. Nothing to see there, although it is just a stone's throw from the ridiculously beautiful Alps and lakes, Venice is close,asare other picturesque towns. Rome is amazing for sightseeing, but the pulse of the city is maddening, the layout of the city confusing (because of all the ancient relics breaking up the city's layout) and the pickpockets are FAST .Florence is just dripping in art and slightly[i] slower in place, but gorgeous all the same. From either city take a day trip to Tuscany by train, it'll cost less than 20 bucks. In Italy you have the option to spend your time being in love with the land or taking in the sea...it really depends what type of locale you want to be in (posh cosmopolitan or rustic, on the land or by the sea?) , what kind of pace you desire; do you want to pound around town visiting churches and relics, or do you want to sit in a relaxing chair with a bit of wine watching Alps or the water, or acres of vineyards and olive groves....? Ideally fly into Rome, base yourself there or in Firenze, then have a look at the areas immdiately surrounding them that only take an hour or less by train for a day trip. The time you need to soak it allin is worth it,you'll have good memories...

ZombieKitten said:

exactly, leave Vegas for another trip!

abierman said:

Wow I agree with you for once .

Serious said:

abierman said:

ocean said:

As you are an Aussie i am gonna assume you want to go to Europe for the culture and history rather than the sun and beach

In which case i would recommend London, Rome and possibly Athens.

Also the South of France has a great vibe to it, stay in Nice, to your right is Monte Carlo and to your left is Cannes (might be the other way round can't remeber now ) that whole coast line is amazing, just get on the train that follows the coast line

Italy's Amalfi coast is beautiful as well and if your going there you may as well hire a yacht and tour around Corsica and Sardinia

Damn i wanna go back to all those places

5-7 days is WAAAYYY too short for a tour of Europe.

You should go at least 2 weeks and not do:

London, Brussels, Madrid and Berlin

but

Paris, Amsterdam, Rome and Prague instead

omg u lot....plane, train, boat...lots of countries ..only a couple.... I'm more confused than ever

Ottensen said:

Girl, you KNOW I'ma have to enlist your assistance for my two week car tour. You're chock full o' good info.

endymion said:

It's also the most expensive part of Italy.....but yes, very beautiful!

abierman said:

and in summer the prices triple, july and august are the months for the high rollers to hang out there , but absolutely breathtaking and the limoncello is yummy
[Edited 6/16/09 21:51pm]