Where would you spend extra days in Europe?

That depends.

If you do have 4 full days want to spend it in France, then Paris, obviously. Logistically, Paris makes more sense as it is connected to Strasbourg by the TGV, very reliable.

Outside of France, I would choose Berlin or Vienna, squeezing out an extra day by taking the night train. Depends on the time pressure and how desperate you are seeing a city outside of France. Take the night train, you arrive in the morning prior to 9 AM

Paris. (I'd also choose it over Vienna and Berlin) And then carefully plan so you have the experiences most interesting to you.

Fly into Venice—-spend a night (or two, it’s a place that rewards wandering and is full of views), then take the train to Innsbruck, then on to Munich, which makes Salzburg another easy train jump.

If Venice seems too touristy, stay in Verona.

Welcome to the RS forum, hahaha....easy to get the RS's confused. I think I "know" you from the Women of RS FB page?

In spite of the fact you are not a big arts/tourist attraction fan, I'd go to Paris for a few days. What DO you like? Gardens? Art Nouveau architecture? Food? History? You can get all of them in Paris and it's a wonderful place to just "be". A walk with Paris Walks (www.paris-walks.com) is always fun and many enjoy a food tour. Next trip I'm going to do the Julia Child food tour.

It is a very easy train trip out to Strasbourg from Paris as well. Just about 2 hours on the TGV (fast train - goes over 300km/hour). I would plan to go out to Strasbourg the day before your tour starts. There can be train strikes in France and I always want myself in place the day ahead of time. There is plenty to see in Strasbourg that you'll not cover (are you on the barge trip?) or if you want, I'd go to Colmar for the day. The barge itinerary just has you in Colmar for the afternoon and I found enough to keep me busy for 2 full days there although I like museums. It does not look like they are taking you to the Musee Unterlinden if the altarpiece there is something you'd be interested in seeing.

I'll be in Paris for about a week the first part of the month and then another week later in the month. Great time of year to go!

Well, logistically and otherwise Paris is an easy choice. Paris, Rome, London are tourist megacenters for a reason: they’re awesome. They are all, simply put, cities you NEED to see. What gets lost in the discussion about a city like Paris is that it’s not just a collection of museums. Paris is an absolutely beautiful place, seemingly every boulevard is fronted by magnificent facades and gorgeous parks filled with Parisians enjoying life. You could very easily spend a few days in Paris without setting foot in a museum. Walking along the Seine, absorbing the present and past, stopping to browse through the bouquinistes stands… I can’t think of a better afternoon. And observing the French, I love that they have a very specific way of doing almost everything. Whether it’s ordering food, exploring a shop or what have you, it’s a different culture from the rest of Europe. Paris is also a busy, intense multicultural city. It’s compelling to see all of these things come together. There are other great destinations, both in France and the rest of Europe, but none of them are Paris.

Another vote for Paris. The best way to experience Paris, imo, is not the tourist sights and not the museums, it is by walking, wandering, and exploring. Walking all along the river, throughout the wonderful neighborhoods, through the beautiful parks, especially the Luxembourg Gardens. That is the best of Paris in my book.

As Fred said, the easiest route to Strasbourg is a TGV from Paris. I just did it 2 wks ago.

Mahalos! Thank you, thank you, everyone! I had originally thought of Paris, but there seem to be so many places! I have as many days as I want, actually. Since I'm going halfway around the world, and this is my goldilocks period for travel, I want to do more than one place per trip and spend less time just flying.

Pam: Yes, I went on 5 RS trips last year! Loved them all, and really looking forward to the barge trip in Strasbourg.

Hmmm…well, since you’ve got extra days, depending on your budget you could see if a Rick Steves Best of Paris tour lines up with your days prior to Strasbourg, lol.

https://www.ricksteves.com/tours

Although looking at the tour dates they look pretty full.

We wander around Paris and do not go to museums anymore. The Latin Quarter is wonderful to walk around, eat, drink, repeat. This is an easy plan with quick train connections to Strasbourg.
For variety, I also like the Venice idea, one of my fav places--spectacular. And you could train via the Alps to Strasbourg. We prefer trains, but they can be time consuming. A quick flight from Milan or Venice to Zurich or Munich and then train is an option. Paris will have a different vibe than Strasbourg (which has substantial German influence). Venice and Italy are very different. Also, if you can fly out of a different city, you can see even more of Europe if you have time on the end.

Thanks! I'm seriously considering Paris. But it could be a trip all in itself!

No. This is your chance to do the unexpected. Get on a discount airline to a place you never dreamed of: Istanbul, Tirana, Sarajevo, Malta. Forget safe choices, live

I couldn't agree more with those who have said Paris is wonderful for wandering. It is a beautiful city, with everything you could want. Great food, wonderful parks for when you decide to stop wandering a have a rest. I love Paris.

You only have 3-4 days. Paris is your option. The replies above confirm Paris as that. How can you go to France and not visit Paris? Only 3-4 days. And you have to figure travel time in there. Paris has everything, including just wandering as many like to do.

There are nonstop discount flights between Strasbourg and Madrid and Barcelona.