March Europe Trip

Patrick - I think Ireland would be a great idea for a one week (spring break?) trip. It is a short flight from the US and you could focus on a small part of the country to get a feel for some of it. Dublin is a very young feeling city and Ireland itself is one of the "youngest" in Europe. I would think a few days in Dublin and then make a choice as to whether to go North or South. I haven't been to Northern Ireland but I've heard it's great. We wanted to see the Giant's Causeway on our last trip but didn't get there. You may not need to plan very much if your friend is already there as he might have an idea of where to go.

Otherwise when you ask where else to go - almost any great European city would be wonderful for a 19 year old. My daughter & friends loved Rome & Venice. Had other college friends who did Zurich, Paris, Vienna & Munich for spring break this year. Pick two cities and fly into one and out the other.

I'm sure others will give you advice about Cinque Terra as I have not been there. It's great that you're starting to think about this now. Check out the postings on this site, maybe get the Rick Steves Best of Europe book which will hit all the major European cities and start reading and see what catches your attention. And if you have friends who are going abroad for school this year, keep in touch with them and consider visiting them (it's nice to have a temporary local to show you around) or asking where else they have traveled.

Patrick, as I love Ireland and have spent 7 days there a couple of times, I think it would be a great (if damp) choice. I guess my biggest piece of advice is to think about time to get somewhere. To go to the Cinque Terre would be warmer, but would also take 2 days of your time to get there and back. If you don't mind sacrificing your vacation days on a train and only having 5 days there, then the Cinque Terre will be a "florida" vacation as opposed to an Oregon vacation weather wise. Ireland in March will be rainy, but there is so much to do in Dublin and surrounding areas and the rain is just a part of life. The city tour alone gives you tons of choices of museums, Guinness factory, Old Jameson (whiskey) Distillery, Kilmainham Gaol (jail), Trinity college and the book of Kells, and much, much more, then evenings at Temple Bar will satisfy your desire for a good time. Being from Austin you may not be a big skier, but Austria and Switzerland will still be skiing if that is an interest, but you need to watch out for the travel time to those also. Another favorite in March is the So. of France. Again, think Florida. The people I know didn't go there for the museums/cuture though.

Thanks for the responces... The other thing is I would be going to Ireland during the entire St. Patricks Day Celebration, which could be a major bonus. If there was a lot to do in Ireland before this would make it just that much better.

Because of the festival that would leave me two days to get out of Dublin and visit other spots, and suggestions?

Hi Patrick,
If Ireland doesn't work out you should consider Berlin as a destination. Lots to do--especially museums and historical sites, easy to get around--great transportation system plus, it's inexpensive and fun. We were there this past March (spring break) with our nephew and he had a great time. The weather is a little brisk, weather-wise at that time of year but it's a great city to visit!
Sharon

St. Patrick's Day in Dublin is a lot of fun. But if you only have a few days to get out of the city, I'd recommend Northern Ireland. Belfast or Derry if you want a city experience with terrific nightlife - also, because you like history, you might really enjoy walking through the Catholic and Protestant neighborhoods to learn about The Troubles. The Antrim Coast is incredible - Giant's Causeway definitely a top sight.

This past March, the town of Portrush in Northern Ireland held the Portrush Open surfing championships. Ireland & Northern Ireland has some great surfing (yes, even in March...) along the coastline.

If you want to hike the Alps... March is not a good time. If the trails are not covered in snow, they'll be muddy with snow run-off. But if you like to ski, the Alps are a paradise.

In mid March : go to ITALY. I was at the Cinque Terre in mid March (not this year): the weather there was perfect. In Florence there was a chilly wind one night, but it was very pleasant during the day. Any country in Europe could have rain in March, but Italy is likely to have much less rain than Ireland.

It will generally be dryer and warmer South of the Alps in March.

Remember the more North you go, the more you will notice the change in daylight. In the Summer, days are noticably longer in the North, in the Winter, they can be really short especially on dreary days (think dark by 5pm).

As a general rule, Italy, Greece, Spain, Portugal and the South of France are good choices in March.

The other option is to go North to the Alps and make it a ski trip. The snow should be decent in March.

Ireland will be wet. The up side is Ireland is often wet but it will be relatively tourist free.