Rate your favorite European City?

Hope you aren't too disappointed when no one takes up your challenge to name and prioritize 25 cities and then name 125 attractions for them.

What you need is a travel agent. Tell the agent how many travel days you have, what kinds of things you would like to see and do in Europe, and what your total budget is. Then ask for an itinerary that meets your requirements.

If you don't like that itinerary, figure out why, and what you would prefer. Then talk to the agent again - or try out your preferences on a second travel agent.

Russ, you're assuming he's looking for travel advice. Maybe he's doing a book or article and is looking for some free research.

If not a travel agent, then a Europe-wide travel guide. Most guides list the top sights for each city or country . . . or provide some sort of organizing principle to help you understand what is out there.

what does coolest mean to you, i have no idea what is cool, and why just stick to cities.

No favorites. Each city is unique in its own way and for the most part, we like each for what it has to offer. Plenty of small towns that we like as much as the larger cities.

The OP certainly seems to be planning a first trip to Europe. It's a case of way too many places spread over too many miles within too few days. He may be trying to pare down the itinerary. The original thread can be consulted here: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/general-europe/mega-europe-trip-itinerary

Maybe he's doing a book or article and is looking for some free research.

Is this question in regards to your "Mega Europe Trip Itinerary?" Do you want advice on the cities you mention in that "mega itinerary" (your term):

trip to Europe, can anyone advice or guide me our itinerary is feasible as we are going to discover Europe by train on eurail global pass 15 consecutive days, our journey start from Rome via Istanbul Flight, than Venice, day trip than Milan and Than vie Benrina Express Tirano to St Moritz, than spend 3 days in Alps luzerne, interlanken to Zurich. than move to Vienna via Salzburd, than move to berlin via budapast, prauge, than move to hamburg next day via train journey to Kopenhengen than move to oslo , than stockolm, datyed 2 days there, then journey to helsienki via ferry, than again by feirry move to tallin in baltic, than after two days move to riga styed there, than journey to Velnious than journey to warsaw. than vienna and by high speed train move to rome than return to home ....

Focusing on favorites (rather than feasibility, which is the feedback you're getting on your other thread) there are lots of "favorites" in there for me - Budapest, Vienna - as well as several that I missed out on amongst my 2020 travels.

And favorites come in all sizes: Tirano (the town where you catch the Bernina Express to St Moritz) is a tiny but fun little town to explore if you venture beyond the town center, past the old medieval gate and wander out among the vineyards and the homes built in the old wall.

Sigh....this looks too much like homework.

Maybe this is an exercise that the forum members should give to gh.mujtaba ;-).
It may help to slow down his break neck speed of travel :-)
There so many cities with so many differences that it's hard to choose just one.
It just depends on what you are looking for as a traveler/tourist.
It's more sensible to focus on what you want to see and not what's a "favourite" city or a "cool" attraction.

Here’s my top 15. Numbers 16-25 get into the smaller towns that are special to me because of my hobbies or festivals I’ve attended. “The 5 coolest attractions” to the general public can be found by looking up each city on TripAdvisor.
1. Venice
2. Paris
3. London
4. Copenhagen
5. Rome
6. Nice
7. Amsterdam
8. Wengen, Switzerland
9. Sevilla, Spain
10. Siena, Italy
11. Torino
12. Lyon
13. Salzburg
14. Munich
15. Angers, France

I don’t mind listing favourite cities/towns but places to see in each are very personal. I love exploring a different neighbourhood each day and enjoying specific sights and restaurants in the neighbourhood which gives a bit of structure to the day. My list:
Paris
London
Florence
Rome
Stockholm
Prague
Vienna
Padua
Naples
Antwerp
Amsterdam
Positano

Are you going to pay me for your request? If not then I have neither the time nor the inclination to undertake such a task. If, however, you want specific advice that I can answer then fire away.

hi

frequent travelers can share their good and bad experience, as other can plan accordingly, what is the harm if u travelers will rate top destination in europe not only i but also other can get benefit from list. as for as rick's guide is concern he is solo traveler and here i am trying to gather experience from many travelers, who are real travelers, not professionals. rate ur cities as much as u can share not necessarily rate all 25, and also hotels, places and other worth important items. my post not only provide me idea to plan my trip but also other reader can get idea to figure out their trip. as we are the travelers. trying to expolore the secrets of world which are unseen and hide from our sights miles away.

regards.

what is the harm if u travelers will rate top destination in europe not only i but also other can get benefit from list.

So you prefer real traveler input over expert input, right? Here's the thing... Information from "real travelers" is already available to you and anyone with online access. The sort of research you are requesting from us has already been done. Here's what I found in a few minutes' time:

"From can’t-miss iconic cities to new surprises, these are the spots that travelers raved about most on Tripadvisor this year."

"U.S. News considered the highlights of each destination – as well as user votes and expert opinions..."

"More than 600,000 of you have voted for their best European destinations for the eleventh edition of the competition this year."

Keep in mind that Rick Steves has provided his "expert" opinions on the basis of his own very real, very personal travel experiences. You can easily see the personal input he provides in all his videos and writings. It is his personal touch that has made him so popular, IMHO.

Also keep in mind that most of us in this small group of forum users do not have extensive experience in all of Europe's cities. Mathematically speaking, you will get a better picture of of what the great destinations are from a broader input base. Not to disparage any of my fellow forum members... but which will be more reassuring to you (and to others like you who require personal reassurance from experienced travelers...)

• Hundreds of thousands of opinions?
• Opinions from 4 or 5 users on this thread?
  

I understand that a trip like this is a big investment on many levels, and you want to get it "right." Still, travel purchases are inherently more subjective than other purchases - you might be unhappy in destinations that others rave about. But in your case, I think you will probably feel more reassured if you approach this investment like you would a used car.

Most favorite cities:

1. Rome -- Colliseum, Forum, Pantheon, Vatican (especially Sistine Chapel) and Piazza Nouvona.
2. York, England - York Minster, National Railway Museum, Roman Walls, couple of great museum.
3. Florence, Italy, -- Ponte Vecchio, Accademia Museum, Duomo, Uffizi Museum.
4. London, England, -Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Parliament (Westminster), British Museum, St. Pauls.
5. Paris, France- Notre Dame, Versailles, Lourve Museum, Eiffel Tower, Sacre Coeur.
6. Athens, Greece- Acropolis (Parthenon), New Acropolis Museum, Archaeological Museum, Several sites of ancient building around the Agora.
7. Istanbul, Turkey-Hagia Sofia, The Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, Archaeological Museum, in the north near the ancient walls, the Chora Church.
8. Venice, Italy -St. Mark's Cathedral, Doges Palace, Canal ride, Jewish section, Tour of Murano and Burano islands.
9. Munich, Germany
10. Berlin, Germany
11. Amsterdam, Netherlands
12. St. Petersburg, Russia
13. Budapest, Hungary
14. Seville, Spain
15. Porto, Portugal
16. Barcelona, Spain
17. Strasbourg, France 18, Interlakken, Switzerland
18. Dubrovnik, Croatia
19. Edinburgh, Scotland
20. Augsburg, Germany
21. Salzburg, Austria
22. Vienna, Austria
23. Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany
24. Stratford Upon Avon, England

I will only respond to my two favorites that are on your itinerary. My top two are Florence and London, which aren't on your list.
Rome-Vatican Museums, San Clemente Church, Pantheon
Vienna-Sunday morning church service at Augustiner Church in palace complex, Kunhistorisches Museum, the cafe on the palace grounds
Paris-not a top favorite, but concert at Sainte Chapelle, Orsay, day trip to Chartres cathedral(but spending the night to see the light show is better)

Ignoring the 25x5 aspect it is an interesting question not sure I could name them as such. As I am unsure of the exact order. I know my favorite but the others?

Anyway here is my list
London, by far number 1
2,3. Toss up Avignon and Bath. Probably bath.
4 is Paris
5 Nice
6 Monaco
7 Munich
8 Koln

The problem with this list is little towns and regions. How do they fit in?
For example I love the Market area and the walk to the Castle in Windsor
I love the town and views of the castles and mountains in Shwangau (sp?)
I love the area around Tours with all the. Chateau in the area.
The coastline between Monaco and St Tropez is perhaps my favorite location as it is a gorgeous combination of Mountains towns and water. (Sorry never been to Italy south of Ventimiglia)
And the Rhine River and its little towns are amazing but none of them on their own is so great that they rate a top ten but together they would rate a top 5.

So this is an issue.

“ frequent travelers can share their good and bad experience, as other can plan accordingly, what is the harm if u travelers will rate top destination in europe not only i but also other can get benefit from list. as for as rick's guide is concern he is solo traveler and here i am trying to gather experience from many travelers, who are real travelers, not professionals. rate ur cities as much as u can share not necessarily rate all 25, and also hotels, places and other worth important items. my post not only provide me idea to plan my trip but also other reader can get idea to figure out their trip. as we are the travelers. trying to expolore the secrets of world which are unseen and hide from our sights miles away.”

The biggest problem with creating this Ultimate List for everyone is two-fold: 1.) People have different likes & dislikes, different traveling styles. The reason why I like Venice may be the exact same reason someone dislikes it. There will never be one Ultimate List for everyone. 2.) If in fact all of us liked to travel in the same manner, stay at the same type of hotel, that city would quickly become the worst destination to visit due to the impact of the quantity of tourists. Cinque Terre is a prime example.

Respectfully, I think the intention and purpose of this forum may be something you want to review.

ive only been to 30 countries

my top 5 cities
london
bangkok/mexico city -- i cant decide which order to put those 2 in
rome
sienna

top 5 countries
italy
thailand
spain
mexico
egypt

My top two favourites above all others....Paris and Berlin...always return to both.

The others on a list of 25 are the following: Vienna, London, Potsdam (Ger), Luneburg (Ger), Lübeck (Ger), Amiens (Fr.)

Strasbourg (Fr.), Munich (Ger), Dresden (Ger), Gdansk (Pl), Fontainebleau (Fr), Kiel (Ger). Salzburg (AT), Weimar (Ger), Krakow

thanks indeed.

some of travelers share so informative information .

I like are museums, although I'm not much of a fan of abstract modern art. So if I were planning your trip for myself I would narrow my focus down to which cities have the best public collectios of old paintings or sculpture. Your interests may be different. I have not traveled extensively yet. I have been to art museums in London, England; Florence, Rome, and Naples in Italy; Brussels and Antwerp in Belgium; the Hague, Harlem, and Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

Just pick the type of sites you want and focus on which cities have the best or most well preserved examples: castles, medieval old towns, archeology sites, and so on.

London, London, London.

For the first time visitor “ must sees “ are and these recommendations are based on pre Covid travel.
Uncertain what new rules and guidelines are now established so research, research, research.

1.) Parliament and Elizabeth’s Tower with the Big Ben Bell. Book a tour of Parliament where you can see and visit the Commons and House of Lords chambers as well as the impressive Westminster Hall.
2.) Buckingham Palace
3.) Churchill War Rooms
4.) Greenwich ( Old Royal Naval Academy’s Painted Hall and the Observatory)
5.) Tower of London
Coupled with visits to these museums ( most of which have free admission)
Museum of London
London Transport Museum
British Museum
Natural History Museum
Science Museum
Imperial War Museum
Guildhall Art Gallery and Roman Amphitheatre
Horniman Museum
Alexander Fleming Museum

Or meander:
Walking along the canals of Little Venice
Brick Lane
A Thames River Cruise to Kew Gardens
Have lunch in a pub
Visit Leadenhall Market the last glass covered market in London. Appreciate the dichotomy between it and the adjacent Lloyd’s Of London as well as nearby Fenchurch ( the Walkie Talkie Bldg and 2 St Mary’s Axe ( the Pickle) ) Old and new architecture can be viewed throughout London.

Spitafields Market ( the vinyl market (LP’s and 45’s) is on the 1st and 3rd Friday’s. A music lovers dream.
Mercado Mayfair
The graffiti tunnel by Waterloo Station
See theatre ( use the 1/2 price ticket booth to purchase same day tickets)
Walk about Hyde Park
Follow the Thames Path
Watching rowing events
Visit the artist enclave on Eel Pie Island
Shop at The Royal Exchange or at Liberty (pricey but both buildings are architectural gems)

As I said, London, London, London.
You will never be bored.

I believe this is a scam - not a real RS contributor.

I’m answering because I’m bored and it sounds fun. Top 10 cities, top attraction in each, personal opinion only.

1. Rome. Pantheon.
2. Granada. Alhambra
3. Seville. Cathedral
4. Palermo. Monreale Cathedral or street food
5. London. British Museum
6. Venice. St. Marks Cathedral abc wandering back streets
7. Athens. Parthenon
8. Nafplio. Side trip to Mycenae.
9. Barcelona. Santa Maria Del Mar
10. Iceland which isn’t a city b/c I mean the nature areas. Waterfalls along southern coast.

All of this is going to appear on a blog post or in a book in Arabic in the very near future. Everyone should be credited for their contributions.

Jeez, I feel like this is a fast track to a new “personal blog” site.. sorry , but such a vague yet definitely outlined request seems weird. Not so much asking for information help., but information...period. I do not see any way that I could detail my travel experience in a way that would help, although, I don’t remember what I had for lunch, never mind 25 x 5 separate responses.

Your favorite city in Europe will depend on what you take the time to experience there. Morning strolls along the back streets in Paris on the hunt for the best croissants. Evening strolls in Venice along the canals. Biking along the river in Salzburg.

Some people love big, bustling cities. Others love small, quaint villages. Everybody is different. I LOVE Venice, it’s so unique. I also love medieval walled towns, and Rothenburg is a great example. I typically don’t like big cities, but I could go back to Paris many more times.

Figure out what appeals to YOU, and what you want to DO (hiking/museums/castles). That will guide where you spend your time. Then sleep in each place for at least 3 nights so you have 2 full days to EXPERIENCE each place (5 nights min for Rome, Paris or London.

I feel like the smart kid in school who is being asked by the cool kid sitting next to me for my test answers ... I'll tell you the book to read, you figure out what you need to know and later we can discuss any questions you may have ... now, if you were the cute girl sitting next to me batting her baby blue eyes, all bets are off ...