Dissenting Opinions

Most experienced travelers to Europe agree that packing light is a good idea...

and Kent, don't forget to add Paris to your Rome/London list as cites that you wouldn't want to drive a car in!

I think that we would be hard pressed to find someone on these forums who thinks that Europe is not worth travelling to.

Other than that, perhaps that an Italian rail pass isn't worth it? I have not yet found one person who would argue against that.

I do agree with you that everything is subjective. Sometimes we over-plan things and want to know every last detail. In reality, you may find out the best answer only by experiencing it.

GREAT point, Frank. But how about this? Rome, London and Paris are the three great cities of Europe that anyone with an interest in Europe simply CANNOT miss?

We probably have about 99% agreement here on these:1) Don't buy a huge amount of euros in the US, use ATMs in Europe for your daily cash requirements.2) Don't drive a car into the city center of Rome, London or Paris.3) Don't drive a car into the historical center of Florence because of the ZTLs.I said 99%.

My personality is such that I have everything planned out in advance. For a trip my wife and I are taking in two weeks, I have been planning since August. Dozens of books, websites, blogs, Rick Steves travel classes. My wife is much more laid back and would like to relax while we're in Europe. She is interested in the historical sites and museums, but would much prefer taking a relaxed stroll down a quiet street.

I believe our different personalities balance each other. I can make sure that we are able to see everything within a reasonable amount of time, and can share facts about each site we're visiting. She can help me simmer down and truly savor everything we're seeing. Ironically, my experience tells me that long-term memories are formed more often by people I meet than the museums I visit. So it's great to share that balance with my travel partner.

Here's subjective for you- people that know me can't believe I've been to Europe so many times, but never to Spain or Italy. I haven't conscioussly avoided either, but I don't think there's anything strange about that.

I'm pretty sure everyone agrees it's hot and crowded in Rome in July.