Need ideas for two week trip

Maybe you should try thinking out of the box a little. How about you fly into Sofia, Bulgaria spend a week touring the country (I can make suggestions if this is the least bit interesting), then on to Romania for another week and finally Budapest where you can kick back in the sidewalk cafes and compare notes at all the beautiful and marvelous things that you have seen that 99.99% of the rest of the world doesn't even imagine exists. Go here http://budapestflat.shutterfly.com/ and go to the top of the page for links to some photos of the region. Bp is Budapest, HU is Hungary, BU is Bulgaria, RO is Romania. You might also want to look at Slovakia (SK). We are just starting to peal that one back, but what we have found on our first few trips has been unexpectedly beautiful. This is really the time to see the less traveled destinations before they get homogenized into the rest of Europe and buried under tourists. And September and October is a pretty prime time to travel to Central and Eastern Europe. The weather is about as perfect as it gets, there are few tourists and the prices are discounted. Oh, did I mention that this part of the world is going to cost considerably less than Western Europe.

>"3) Germany. Big and important country -- seems like we should visit it at some point, but honestly not sure if it fits our interests except good food and beer. We're mostly interested in pre-20th century history." And Germany can't offer that? Just because most people prefer to visit only the Nazi sites and the kitschy 19th century fantasies of a mad king it doesn't mean such places don't exist. How about the towns of the Hanseatic League, which are World Heritage Sites (WHS). How about the Harz region, the heart of Early Medieval Germany? The area is full of towns with thousands of half-timbered houses, many Romanesque churches (some of the towns and churches are WHS) and the burial place of Henry the Fowler, Germanys first king (†936). How about the resting place of Charlemagne, the father of Europe? Also a WHS. Many places connected to Luther and the Protestant Reformation are also preserved... and WHS. There are beautiful preserved towns full of pre-20th century buildings all over the country, not just Rothenburg odT. You can visit the parks and gardens of Prussia, the vast riches of Saxony, the former free imperial cities of Southwestern Germany etc.. Have a look at these galleries. All pre-20th century. Some Saxony: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1512349 http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=869852 Harz region: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=933418 Baltic coast: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=866406
Thuringia: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=986977

Hello Eric. You said you are interested in art. People who appreciate old oil paintings are interested in the art galleries in Munich in Germany. Germany is easy to like. It has very good public transportation in railroad trains, old castles, atmospheric old towns and cities, pleasant farm land to see while riding in trains. And German people are great ! I think any American person who likes traveling in Europe would like being in Germany. I recommend : This year go to GERMANY. In your fourth trip to Europe, go to Spain (Seville, ...).
In your fifth trip to Europe, go to Denmark and Norway and Sweden. Try to be there in any of the months May - August. And bring much money.

This also depends on your budget. Germany is by far the cheapest of the options you've mentioned with Spain being a close second. Switzerland is very expensive, so is Scandanavia. If you can afford it, great, but food/lodging prices in those places are about twice what you'd pay for similar stuff in most of Germany. With just two weeks I wouldn't try to visit too many countries, either. I would go with Spain or Germany. Spain's lacking on the beer side of things, but good food and wine. Obviously German beer is quite famous, and if you're seriously into beer you should consider doing Bavaria and maybe a bit of north Austria - hitting Bamberg (famous smoked beer), the monestaries with good and VERY OLD beer south of Munich, Munich itself of course, Salzberg. Should deliever pretty well on the art and architecture side of things too. The art museums in Munich are world-class. Or if you're seriously interested in pre-20th century history, Western Germany along the Rhine is riddled with castles, half-timbered towns, Roman sites, and of course, the start of the Holy Roman Empire. You could also hit Benelux from there. But I would do one (southern Germany) or the other (Western Germany + Benelux) with only two weeks, ideally. Germany is a breeze to get around via train, and very cost effective too. Scandanavia is wonderful, with great history too, you just have to be prepared to pay for it.

How about Southern Germany and Austria? The area is very easy to travel through, very historic and have many travel sights. Music's great and a bohemian social scene is great for young couples. And you have fantastic palaces and a royal lifestyle of the past to explore. And the Austrian Alps are so close, and absolutely incredible scenery.
Lastly, they're reasonably priced places to visit.

David has a good idea. Not that these two would fit together transportation wise, but Chamonix/Mt. Blanc is a way of seeing Alps possibly without the expense of Switz.. Or....what about Cinque Terre? Almost forgot, Milan/Lake Como/Varrenna?

I'd suggest Germany and Belgium for the history/art/beer/food pleasures you seek. For possible destinations ook into Brussels, Bruges, Namur, Dinant, Maastricht (NL), Aachen, Cologne, Middle Rhine Valley, Mosel Valley and Trier - you'll achieve good variety and a fairly tight travel area that will keep transportation expenses down.

Hi, Two weeks in the autumn? How about going to eastern and northern Germany with some of these cities, not more than three, to be visited...Hamburg, Lübeck, Bremen, Schwerin, Kiel, Greifswald, Leipzig, Naumburg an der Saale, Dresden, Stralsund, Berlin. Most of these cities, culturally and historically, are served by the IC, ICE, EC trains.

I thought of Spain even before I saw it as a possible choice, especially since Barcelona isn't really "Spain" (it is Catalunya, very different). Two weeks is a perfect amount of time to experience Madrid (plus Toledo), and Andalusia (Sevilla, Granada, Cordoba, the white hill towns, maybe the coast). The weather should be very nice in late September. We visit Europe almost every year and have spent a lot of time in Switzerland, Italy, Paris, London, and Norway/Denmark. Two years ago we went to Spain and it knocked our socks off. The food and wine are wonderful, the people warm and welcoming, the architecture and history are amazing, and the prices are better than anything we have found in Europe so far (I'll admit we cannot compare to Germany, as our first visit there will be this fall). The Spanish train system is excellent for what it does---link the towns of Madrid, Sevilla, Cordoba and Valencia, and Malaga by fast modern high-speed rail. You can also get to Granada by train but it is a slower one, equal in time of travel to the bus. The Spanish train site Renfe offers great Promo fares on the fast AVE trains is you my in advance, like 36 to 40 euros for Madrid to Sevilla. Plus therre is lots of fun nightlife on offer for people your age. WE could never stay up late enough for that!

"So much of Germany is a reconstruction that I haven't been able to get motivated to see it. But people who do go seem to really enjoy it. The German temperament is also 180 degrees opposite mine which also dissuades me." Certainly Dresden and other heavily-bombed cities are mostly reconstructed. But if you do visit Germany someday, James, you will probably be surprised by the vast number of towns that were not targeted in WW II and which have retained many structures from centuries past - Hannoversch Münden, for example, with its 700 half-timbered homes. And Eric, your brief 2-week visit to Germany will perhaps provide you some preliminary insights into the German character, if there is such a thing - more insights, in any case, than if you had never bothered to set foot in the country.

If your looking for great food consider this open jaw trip to Spain and Portugal San Sebastian - Roja - Leon – Santiago – Porto – Sedtra - Lisbon You can see our pictues of this trip at personal blog at gadtravel.com

Eric, If you want to look for cities that have that unmistakeable hideous 1960s reconstruction look, you can certainly find them...Kiel, Duisburg, Dortmund, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Hamm, Essen, Hannover, etc. Now, on the other hand, if you're looking for towns/cities that escaped the ravages of the war by way of strategic bombing or were raked by artillery fire, those can be found too...Halle an der Saale, Weimar, Celle, Heidelberg, Meißen, Lüneburg, Dresden-Neustadt. For two weeks choose three cities in northern and eastern Germany that do fit your interests, both culturally and in cuisine.

It would be nice to get some feedback from Eric on what they are thinking at this point. Lots of suggestions for Germany, but they didn't seem all that interested, more like it was a duty to visit sometime. Two suggestions for Spain/Portugal, whichnImwill " third" at least for Spain ( never been to Portugal). So much history, going back so far, Moorish sites, links to North America, great food and wine( Spainnwas the birthplace of the über-modern molecular cuisine, although El Bullinis no longer open other restaurants practice the art). In fact, Spain is a foodie's paradise.

My two cents weather will be more reliable in Spain than northern Europe that time of year (but we'll be in northern France, so what do we know?). Lots of pre-20th history in all the places you mentioned. James of Frisco is a persuasive missionary for central Europe, especially Budapest. Eric's question is broad enough to draw many responses from many of us. My question: What is the UK, chopped liver? Shouldn't it be at least on the list for history, art, even food? (OK, maybe not chopped liver!)

>"For two weeks choose three cities in northern and eastern Germany that do fit your interests, both culturally and in cuisine." In two weeks he could also travel from north to south to experience the diversity of the country. Lübeck (Wismar, Schwerin, (Stralsund)) stopover Celle Wernigerode (Quedlinburg, Goslar) stopover Duderstadt Erfurt (Weimar, Eisenach(Wartburg castle)) stopover Coburg
Nuremberg (Bamberg, Dinkelsbühl, (Regensburg)) This itinerary is like a endless Romantic Road, one cute preserved town after another. No 20th century, no kisch, but many World Heritage Sites. Only Nuremberg doesn't really fit in, but the city simply is the best base in this region.

"For pre-20th century history I think most of the major cities in German are going to be a little overly restored given the condition they were in by the end of WWII;" But there's hundreds, possibly well over a thousand, small cities and towns that weren't touched by WWII. With a few exceptions (Düsseldorf, Mannheim, Hannover, Berlin, etc.), I generally find German cities about as modern as the European average.

Thanks everyone for so many suggestions! I had no idea that Germany would have so many enthusiastic supporters. I always pictured Germany as the uptight financial engine of Europerich and modern, but cold and industrial. I didn't know it has old small towns, good art and interesting history (beyond the WWII era, which I'm less interested). I guess the softer side doesn't come across when I read about Germany in the newspapers. And since everyone says Germany is cheaper and has good public transportation, I think that would put it on the top of the list. I think Spain would be next on the list; it's a place we will definitely visit, but maybe not this time. Thanks for the suggestions for the UK and Bulgaria/Romania. We will eventually visit those places, but they're further down the list. To me (again, this is an uninformed opinion), the UK seems too culturally close to the US for me to put it high on the listI'm sure it'll be interesting, but I don't feel an urge to visit. It's also an English speaking country, which makes it very easy to visit so I always feel like I can visit any time. If anything, I think we would enjoy Ireland and Wales more than England. As for eastern European countries, I think we would start visiting after we've hit other places higher on the list. In reading the responses, it seems like there is a divide between southern Germany (Munich area) and eastern/northern Germany (bordering Benelux). You guys seem to advise that we shouldn't visit both areas in two weeks (say 16 days). Can anyone generally outline the differences between/what's good in the two regions? I like Belgium beer, so I feel like I should visit the monasteries since I'm so close. On the other hand, I will also like Munich because I might be able to go during Oktoberfest. Thanks again everyone!
Eric

Sixteen days allow enough time to see some of both northern and southern Germany. The country is not that large, geographically, so travel times are not great. You may have trouble finding accommodations in Munich during Oktoberfest at this late date, however. You could start a new discussion to get some specific help with a Germany trip.

If you like Belgian beer, and great art, then you definitely need to go to Belgium. Brussels/Bruges...whatever fits your itinerary. I'd suggest both, actually, with emphasis on Bruges. You can pretty much forget the monasteries, though - they aren't like visiting wineries; most aren't open to the public, and you'd need a car to reach the majority of the ones you're looking for. You should really click on the 'TV' tab at the top of this page to watch some of Rick Steves' programs on those little (& big!) German towns...plus all of the other destinations.

If you go to Brussels, check out the Délirium Café - over 2000 types of beer. It's in the Guinness Book. Cool place.

Well, it may not be all that sexy, but why not go to England? My husband and I were there last summer for the first time on our sixth trip to Europe. It was great! The history really hit home, there are wonderful sights to see, London offers so many experiences - old and new -, and you will have more interaction with the "locals" since, amazingly, they speak English. Two weeks would be jam packed with E ticket experiences. London, Bath, Stonehenge, Glastonbury, Cotswolds, York. Then to Scotland - Edinburg -OK, countryside for scotch tasting; St. Andrews the mecca of golf and a lovely city. I think you would have a "lovely" holiday.

Well, it may not be all that sexy, but why not go to England? England is totally sexy, in an understated way. :)

"Can anyone generally outline the differences between/what's good in the two regions? I like Belgium beer, so I feel like I should visit the monasteries since I'm so close. On the other hand, I will also like Munich because I might be able to go during Oktoberfest." As Eileen mentioned, you can't visit any of the Trappist monasteries or their breweries. I think all of them at least operate a brasserie or reception center, where you can eat a meal or purchase some of the monasteries products (cheese, beer, ham, pate, bread, etc). You can visit the abbey of Maredsous (Benedictine, not Trappist), however, they license an outside brewery to use their name, so there's no beer produced on site. And also as Eileen wrote, all of the Trappist monasteries are inaccessible without a car. The best place to sample Belgian beer is usually a mid-level restaurant. They usually have larger selections of beer available than most pubs, which serve primarily light lagers and one or two stronger beers. Also in a restaurant, if you're eating at the same time, you won't absorb the high alcohol content of the beer as fast, so you can probably sample a little more in one sitting than you could in a pub. If you decide on Belgium, given your age, and if you want a little more nightlife, I would recommend staying in Ghent or Leuven. Both of these cities have large university populations, and Ghent has sort of a yuppie reputation, so things tend to be a bit more active in the evenings than in, say, Brugge. As to the differences between Germany and Belgium... well, we don't have enough room or time to even scratch the surface!

Glad to hear you've reconsidered Germany. While you can't predict the weather, and we're far less reliably sunny than Spain, September tends to be a really nice month here. If you're interested in the authentic, instead of Oktoberfest why not consider Stuttgart's Volksfest? Stuttgart is on the way between the western stuff (Belgium, Rhine/Mosel, etc) and Bavaria, if you wanted to try to see both regions (which is possible if you're willing to be energetic with your travel style). This region (Swabia) has the best type of German cuisene (there's a reason you find Swabian restaurants all over Germany!) with some French and Italian influences. Volksfest is basically like Oktoberfest, except without the glut of international tourists. It's the second largest beer festival in Germany after Oktoberfest and is a ton of fun. You won't think of Germans as uptight after visiting. Here's a gallery of pictures from the spring version of the festival: https://plus.google.com/photos/104521238765186605359/albums/5734298305086016065?authkey=CML9xszm69yTvQE This year it goes from 27 September to 13 October. And yeah, you'll need to avoid Munich and the immediate area between 21 September and 6 October, as hotel rooms simply won't be available for under $300/night, if at all by this point.

Here's a really basic itinerary I'd consider for your interests: Fly into Frankfurt
Spend 3-4 days in Belgium (Haven't been yet but others have given you good recommendations) Head to Trier via Luxembourg for amazing Roman Empire history, then spend a night or two in a village on the Mosel, and visit Burg Eltz. Take the train to the Rhine and hop on the K-D boat for the "recommended" section via the RS Germany book, maybe staying overnight in Sankt Goar, or else continuing on via train to a charming villiage near Frankfurt, or Heidelberg. (ask Jo or Tom for recs). From there, go to Stuttgart for Volksfest, but you don't even have to stay in town - Esslingen is a beautiful village only 10 minutes by train from the festival grounds, for example. A couple nights there would give you time to visit fest and explore the area - you can do self-guided hikes in the vineyards that surround Esslingen and Stuttgart and eat in traditional wine pubs. Stuttgart's Staatsgallerie has a great collection of art. From there you could head straight to Munich, if it's after October 6th, or you could visit more castles in the Swabian Alb area, or slowly make your way to Munich via Lake Constance and the German Alps (Lindau is where I'd suggest to stay, if the weather is nice). If you like you can explore Bavaria and hit some of the monestaries for beer, you could even head to Salzburg, Austria, then finish up with a few days in Munich and fly out.

Hi, Since you'll be flyimg from Calif., you can connect at LAX with Air Berlin to get a direct flight to Berlin. Plan on visiting two other cities in the east and north.

We just returned from a wonderful two weeks in Spain and Portugal. We took a plane from Lisbon to Madrid (cheap). We took trains throughout Spain, with the exception of a bus from Granada to Cordoba. Here was our itinerary: Lisbon 2 nights w/ side trip to Sintra. Madrid overnight Granada in morning by train for 2 nights Bus to Cordoba 1 night Sevilla 4 nights with renting a tour to Hill Towns one day Toledo one night.
Madrid 2 nights. We had laundry done in Sevilla. Outstanding trip! Have fun.

Eric, given your interests, I recommend that you read a good travel guide book on GERMANY, and a good travel guide book on BELGIUM. Choose the places, in both of those countries, that are of interest to you. And, as Sarah said, you may not want to be at Munich during its Oktoberfest, because of huge crowds, and hotels will not be available. If you experience difficulty planning to go to all the places that you want to go to, in two weeks, plan to go to Germany only.

Eric, Munich is a must see. Yes the beer and food are great and pretty inexpensive, but the is so much history. Don't cheat yourself by missing it.

Well, it sounds like you've settled on Germany. But I would highly encourage you to consider Croatia or Turkey for future trips, especially in the fall. You will see plenty of history and some incredibly beautiful places. With 2-3 weeks in Croatia you can visit Plitvice park; spend a night in Diocletian's Palace in Split; visit the islands of Hvar and Korcula; explore old town Dubrovnik but sleep in the pretty little village of Cavtat; and take day trips to Mostar and the Bay of Kotor in Montenegro. In Turkey, you can visit Istanbul; take a hot air balloon ride in Cappadocia; see a gorgeous coastline and ancient ruins along the western coast (you could walk all or part of the Lycian Way); and visit amazing Ephesus. Right now, you can find really good prices on flights into Istanbul.

Slovenia is beautiful and the people are very friendly. Several years ago, my friends and I got to Llubljana via Croatia. It's been about 8 years, so I'm sure Slovenia has picked up more tourists since then, but I do remember there being much more to see and do than we had time for. If you like outdoor adventures, Slovenia is quite green and has the mountains, caves, and beautiful lakes. It's got such a mix of land and cultures: Alpine areas, but also rather "Venetian" in other areas. (I think I'm talking myself into going back to Slovenia!!) While in Llublana, we stayed in a hotel/hostel in the Metelkova area, a neighborhood for artists. Our hostel used to be a prison and each of the rooms were designed by different artists, so each room is different. There was a beer garden, hookah lounge, and it was easy walking to everything we wanted to see in town. Great stay! I believe we took the overnight ferry from Bari, Italy to Dubrovnik, Croatia, went on to Hvar (and Split); from Split to Llubljana and then on to Czech Republic. I know there are some flooding issues in Czech Republic now, but if you get the chance, Cesky Krumlov is an amazing gem of a small town! If you'd rather start in Northern Italy, I believe it's a very, very short jaunt from Venice, Italy to a town in northern Slovenia (can't pull the name out of my mind right now). Happy Planning--so many places, so little time!