In 2011 we spent three weeks in Paris. In 2010, it was London. We were doing home exchanges, which are nice for getting the local feel. But they also tend to lock you into one location if you want to get the most from the cost savings (with an occasional day trip to somewhere nearby). My question is this: What cities are worth spending three weeks in (aside from Paris and London, which we are considering repeating)? We love history and old world charm. Beaches and mountains don't excite us because we already live there. We like to get out and go.
Posted by
Myrtle Beach, USA
12313 posts
It's not a fair question because I'm happy to spend three weeks anywhere. In terms of being in one place Rome probably tops the list, Vienna and Berlin might be others. The other idea is to be in a hub that offers lots of day trip choices, Amsterdam, Munich, Madrid, Milan, Dublin, Copenhagen - I'm stretching a little to try to give you some places to think about.
Posted by
Boston, MA, United States
1806 posts
Rome has enough to keep you busy in a big city urban area for 3 weeks. Are you going to rent a car? For a place that is central to taking lots of different day trips for hiking, boating, surfing, biking & general exploring of the surrounding castles & countryside, Galway Ireland makes a nice small city base for 3 weeks, better still if you can get an exchange in the summer when the Galway Arts Festival takes place for 2 weeks so you can mix in some opportunities to see some theater, dance or music troupes perform. I'd also consider parts of Spain where I could be close enough to catch a ferry to Morocco for a few days.
Posted by
OP
Hermosa Beach, CA, USA
277 posts
The previous exchanges have included cars, so we're fine with day trips. I was sure not to drive any closer to the city center than where we were staying. The middle of London would have been a challenge. Paris seemed more driveable, but we loved the public transportation and Velib bikes. Rome sounds interesting, as have the others. We'll look into them.
Posted by
Gettysburg, PA
1589 posts
Have you considered Belgium? Great transportation.
Posted by
Frankfurt, Germany
9211 posts
There is a good reason why Frankfurt is such a hub for planes and trains, it is right in the middle of everything, making it easy to visit lots of different places in just an hour or so. Look for a home exchange in one of the smaller towns around here, like Hofheim, Bad Homburg, Oberursel, Königstein, or Kronberg. What is close to Frankfurt?
Heidelberg, Würzburg, Bad Homburg, Mainz, Wiesbaden, Idstein, Büdingen, Seligenstadt, Marburg, Michelstadt, Gelnhausen, Aschaffenburg, Steinau, and the whole Rhine river area.
Posted by
OP
Hermosa Beach, CA, USA
277 posts
We would probably enjoy anywhere for three weeks, too. Our problem is at age 63 we're in a position to travel which we never were before. But we don't know how long our health is going to allow that. And since we're on the west coast, trips to Europe are a big deal, physically as well as financially. So we want to be choosey. It's kind of a "bucket list" decision. All of these are good ideas, though, and will get us doing our homework. Thanks.