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Author
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Topic: Your dream vacation to Europe
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Arssante
Member
Member # 116
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posted 05-03-2001 11:19 PM
    
Greeting all… I have just found myself the victim of another dot.bomb, the bleeding edge company I was working for decided to lay off over 50% of its workforce…I now have much more time than money, and would love to turn this into a positive! So this brings me to several questions that I could use your input… 1) How do I see Europe on the cheap?
2) What sights are a must see (arms, armour and castles)?
3) What would your dream “Cheap” vacation include? I will need to leave in the near future, so any input you have would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again,
Mark- -------------------- Revenge is a dish best served cold… with a light vinaigrette sauce and a sprig of parsley
Registered: Jan 2001 | IP: Logged
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Sir Dan
Member
Member # 138
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posted 05-04-2001 12:06 AM
Hi Mark,1) I would not try to see "Europe". Pick one country and stick with that unless you have a few months to spend over there. Two weeks is a minimum IMO to see one country. My wife and I went to Germany for our honey moon. We were over there for 12 days and it was barely enough to do anything. By the time you drive to places, get chekced in to hotels, get acclimated to the jet lag, etc, it's time to come home it seems like. We were going to go to 4 countries for like 3 days apiece. My uncle convinced us not to. I am soglad we listened to him. 2) we were on our honeymoon and although we saw a couple castles, we did not stop at any armour museums. My wife was a great sport in that she had never flown anywherebefore, and also the castles were mostly for me. We did not see as much of stuff she wanted to see so I didn't push it. 3) Too bad you can't wait till around September or November. Fares are
much, muchcheaper. Go to
Onetravel homepage
After your fares come up, scroll to the bottom of the screen. There will be a link you can click on called farebeater. It will get the lowest fares out there. I found tickets for my wife and I for:
round trip to Germany in September for $690.00. That's not a typo. That price is for bothtickets. Of course it's more money during peak season, but... Hope this helps some.
Cheers,
Dan
Registered: Mar 2001 | IP: Logged
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Arssante
Member
Member # 116
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posted 05-04-2001 03:47 AM
Thank for the input… I think you are correct about choosing one country, and as I am not a seasoned traveler.. I think I will stick to England.What about staying in the hostels in order to save on lodging costs and extend my stays duration? I am hoping to stay for three to four weeks. And the rail pass is a great idea; someone mentioned that I should spend a day or three in Amsterdam. And what in England would you say would be the “don’t leave without seeing” list?
Keep it coming guys/gals you are defiantly helping!!!! Mark- -------------------- Revenge is a dish best served cold… with a light vinaigrette sauce and a sprig of parsley
Registered: Jan 2001 | IP: Logged
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Fire Stryker
Admin & Advocatus Diaboli
Member # 2
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posted 05-04-2001 07:57 AM
Sorry to hear about the job situation.  Check Air Fares and see about flying into the UK but not into Heathrow and take the rail everywhere or use your feet. Usually you can obtain a better fare without the hassel. This comes from one of our members who is a seasoned European traveler. We'll have to see if Gen d'Arme has any suggestions as to where to go and what to see.  I was watching a show on travel and they were discussing the Youth and Senior hostels. Though I have not experienced it, most who went to them enjoyed their experience but then again most of them we traveling with a group of 2-6 friends vs. traveling alone. They would carrying everything in their backpacks (Sheets, pillow, toiletries, etc...). It is something that might be fun, but I would research it first to get an idea of what to expect and the costs. If you are into armour and you are in England, then I would say not to leave without stopping by the Royal Armoury in Leeds. What are you interested in seeing: armour, castles, taverns, art museums? One of the things we would probably end up doing is making the trek to Bosworth and Tewkesbury battlefields. I am sure we would end up in Wales at some point as it has always been on Bob's favorite list. I would like to visit the Highlands. Then there is Dijon and Bruges. Too much to see and no time. *sigh* -------------------- ad finem fidelis
Registered: May 2000 | IP: Logged
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James Byngham
Member
Member # 88
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posted 05-04-2001 12:08 PM
While visiting England for the first time, I would highly recommend that you go to Leeds (cause I'm an armour geek, and that's where the most armour is!), and York. York and Leeds are about 45 minutes or so apart by commuter train. The train between the two was fairly cheap as I remember it. (perhaps 5 or 6 pounds).The Royal Armouries is located in Leeds, which is the only reason I recommend going there. If you're not interested in spending a day looking at armour, then Leeds probably can be scratched off your list. York is a completely different story. York has a much more medieval feel to it. The city walls still exist for the most part, and they have them open for pedestrians, which was a really incredible experience! The whole town still has a feel that it never really outgrew it's medieval roots-- really quite impressive. As Mitake and I wondered the city, you constantly run across bits of their medieval history (the walls, the tower on the hill, the Roman fortress, it's just everywhere) The bookstore (giftshop) in Jorvik is excellent, even if the main attraction is best used as a destination for 5th grade field trips. The city museum is excellent, and Barley Hall sounds great. --James-- -------------------- --James--
James Byngham
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Buran
Member
Member # 37
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posted 05-04-2001 12:38 PM
Here's the Europe Through the Back Door site: http://www.ricksteves.com/ Go for the hostel experience... Get your membership here: http://www.hiayh.org/home.shtml You'll probably fly in to London, might as well see it. Tower of London is overrated (most of the armour is in Leeds), but the British Museum is great: http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/ We went to Stonehenge and Avebury, the second was more "vaut le voyage". Also in Sussex, we saw and appreciated the Weald and Downland Open Air Museum, a collection of fine medieval buildings. Why don't they have a RenFaire there? http://www.wealddown.co.uk/ If you like gardens, the Kew Gardens in London is legendary: http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/ Eating well and cheaply is a problem. Shop in the grocery stores for lunch, find a pub for dinner, and go Indian if you find you can't stand English food. Make time to relax. And bring home lots of pictures!!!! Didn't see Leeds or York; next time for sure  -------------------- http://groups.yahoo.com/group/California_Viking_Age
Registered: Jun 2000 | IP: Logged
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Kent
Member
Member # 161
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posted 05-05-2001 10:00 AM
Mark --
I agree with all that has been said about England as a first-time destination, even a second and third time destination, as the whole country is absolutely crawling with history, covering a range of thousands of years -- as are most countries of the "old world". I would also add, maybe for others who are castle aficionados and who are looking toward a trip to Europe, a visit to this site:
swisscastles
You'll need to understand French -- and in some cases German -- to read the text, but the photos are universal!
Europe is really pretty compact, by American standards, so if you don't mind some travel, a hop across the border from a neighboring country is an easy part of your plans. Like, if you're going to northern Italy, eastern France, southern Germany, Western Austria, etc., it's easy to add a loop into Switzerland. The Swiss are used to, and friendly towards, tourists -- since Roman times -- though their country can be pretty expensive. The castles are worth it, though, as many of them have existed for centuries as homes, and have not been torn down or rebuilt very much -- quite differnt from most of the rest of Europe. Enjoy!
-- Kent
Registered: Apr 2001 | IP: Logged
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Kent
Member
Member # 161
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posted 05-07-2001 09:50 AM
A cautionary note here: many of the "castles" in the above-mentioned site are really rococco palaces , or ruins. There are still, though, LOTS of true medieval castles. Some of my favorites are Grandson, Vaulruz, Colombier, Berthoud, Thoun, and Kybourg. These are the French spellings, the German listings would be a little different for some (Thun, Kyburg, Bergdorf, etc.)
Enjoy!
-- Kent
Registered: Apr 2001 | IP: Logged
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Arssante
Member
Member # 116
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posted 05-08-2001 12:28 AM
You folks are great.... I have been looking into every location suggestion that has been made. It looks like I will have 20-30 days to play overseas, and I'm thinking about 15 days spent in England and 5-10 spent in Germany or Switzerland. I think I'll get one of those electronic translators that you can speak into and it translates for you... etiquette may be a little tricky with this kind of device, so I'll have to be sure that the person I am conversing with is comfortable and that I am tactful...Dose anyone know of a central source that I could check out what historic recreation events and other such goings-on, will be happening in my trips timeline? I absolutely love the history of Switzerland, but I have no idea if the language barrier will be impassable…. Dose anyone have in sight on this subject? Thanks again all…. And keep it coming… I will need all the advice I can get. Regards,
Mark. -------------------- Revenge is a dish best served cold… with a light vinaigrette sauce and a sprig of parsley
Registered: Jan 2001 | IP: Logged
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Fire Stryker
Admin & Advocatus Diaboli
Member # 2
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posted 05-08-2001 07:35 AM
I think generally with language if you are making an honest attempt to communicate in the native tongue of the country you are traveling in they may be more inclined to help if you state that you do not speak the language well or at all and then ask if they speak English. You might be surprised. It is considered the language of business, though that still doesn't mean everybody speaks it or is willing to. It all depends on approach and delivery.  Sure it might be frustrating if they don't but might be a fun experience too.Many countries have a tourist website that you can go to and find out what is happening during the time of visit. Hit some of the travel websites and see what info they can offer. The Richard III site http://www.r3.org might have some info on Ricardian things of interest or the happenings in specific areas especially York. Perhaps Dave Key may have some ideas as to what to do and where to go, after all he lives in the UK. Oh, one thing to keep in mind... "Foot in Mouth Disease". This is causing quite a stir. You want to check ahead of time to make sure that anything you are planning on seeing hasn't fallen under any kind of quarantine. Just a travel precaution. A couple of friends of ours have spent a great deal of time in Germany (living) and Switzerland (one has family). Might be helpful to know what parts you are planning to go to and when. Cheers,
Jenn -------------------- ad finem fidelis
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James Byngham
Member
Member # 88
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posted 05-08-2001 09:19 AM
When Mitake and I were in Switzerland, we were amazed with the way people would communicate with us.For example, when we had to buy train tickets-- the gal working the counter initially started speaking one language, and when we looked confused and didn't reply to her, she paused for a split second (while she looked at us as if pondering what language we looked like we might speak) and then started speaking another language. In sort order, each person we had to do business with would get to English, and we were fine. I would still recommend having some rudimentary skill with another language, but we managed to get along without it. Mitake and I were only in Switzerland for a few hours (we actually flew into Zurich on our way to northern Italy.... long story, don't ask), so I don't know how well you will be able to communicate with the people you see, but our experience was amazing. --James-- quote:
Originally posted by Arssante:
I absolutely love the history of Switzerland, but I have no idea if the language barrier will be impassable…. Dose anyone have in sight on this subject?
Registered: Nov 2000 | IP: Logged
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Arssante
Member
Member # 116
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posted 05-14-2001 07:01 PM
Once again, thank you all for your input.. Dave in answer to your question, my primary love is arms and armour but I will be spending about a month in the UK, so I would like to hit a few different attractions- say a town or two that has not lost it’s medieval charm, all the best armories/museums, a couple cathedrals, a couple of castles reconstructed and ruinous, etc. I prefer the medieval period above the renaissance, but I do not wish to simply pass by a wonderful part of history-based apron my preference. I think that my plan will be to see the best of the best of each attraction or I may find myself looking at some magnificent example of medieval history with a passing (burnt out) wave of the hand… and a, “oh that’s nice” as I wonder to the nearest pub for a relief from my travels… Well here is all I have so far, a flight into Heathrow on the 6th of June and return from Heathrow on the 26th, a Britrail pass, a British heritage pass to get me into the museums and other attractions, a membership to Hostels International and a general thought that I should ride the rail to Scotland on my first day, to sleep off the jet lag and to get me to the top end of the UK and start my travels southward… beyond this, I am VERY open to suggestions. Thanks again and regards,
Mark-
-------------------- Revenge is a dish best served cold… with a light vinaigrette sauce and a sprig of parsley
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Dave Key
Member
Member # 17
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posted 05-15-2001 05:14 AM
I'm going to have to think hard about this, but I think using the train to aclimatise isn't bad. If you go to Scotland by train, from memory there are some splendid steam train 'tourist' routes which will take you through Glen Coe up to Fort William and then on to Inverness. Inverness has some nice boat trips down Loch Ness to Urquart Castle (ruinous) and an impressive c18th Fort to the East, plus the odd one or two Distilleries!
Back down in the lowlands start from Edinburgh but don't limit yourself ... there are there some very nice Castles as you go up the coast towards Dundee and Aberdeen ... and to the east at North Berwick.
Down from Edinburugh there are the Scots-English border Castles like Alnwick, but Hardrian's wall at Housesteads is worth a visit if you like Roman.
A must visit is York ... as already mentioned, but check on whether Barley Hall is open. But even without it it is a lovely city, as Leeds is a day trip down the road.
In the midlands, Warwick. The castle is impressive and has a C15th display. However the town is nice as well ... and just down the road is Stratford Upon Avon (Shakespere).
About 1hr south of Warwick is Oxford (Ashmolean Museum, Dreaming Spires etc. etc.)and 1hr south of Oxford is Winchester (my home town). Winchester is worth a visit and you can do a day trip to Portsmouth to see the Naval Dockyards ... sounds fascinating I hear you say ... but although still home to part of the Royal Navy it is also home to HMS Victory (Nelson's ship at Trafalgar 1805) HMS Warrior (c1860 first Iron Warship) and the Mary Rose (Henry VIII's flagship ... and the museum ... don't miss this). It's a full day but worth it.
Winchester is a relax and amble place ... a few relaxing hours to visit St Cross (the oldest Charitable house in England which still gives the Pilgrim's dole for the Winchester to Canterbury pilgrimage), Winchester College and Cathedral Wolvsey Castle. I'm rambling ... back to London (1hr from Wnchester) ... personally it's not my favourite place ... but the Museum of London looks dire but is fantastic (it's stuck in a horrible modern building) ... and there an infinite number of places to see from all periods.
Then there's the V&A (Victoria & Albert Museum ... the Devonshire Tapestries alone are worth the visit), the National Gallery (see the Donne Tryptich for real ... just don't headbutt the safety glass like I did trying to get a closer look!), the British Museum etc. Several places ... Edinburgh, York London also do historically based night tours ... good bit of fun usually and they often end up in the pub! Hope that helps ... Cheers
Dave [ 05-15-2001: Message edited by: Dave Key ]
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chef de chambre
Admin & Advocatus Diaboli
Member # 4
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posted 05-18-2001 10:53 AM
...In Munchien ist eine Hoffbrau hause, einze, zwie, guzzuffa.... (as I butcher yet another language - isn't that the English custom Pieter? Speak English loud enough and slow enough and the natives will eventually understand - nicht war?) Puts me in mind of that letter in the Stoner papers where the fellow got into a scuffle in Friesland looking for breakfast and demanding 'eggis', which the poor Frieslander didn't understand the meaning of.After the Munich trip, you can wake up mit eine katzenjammer! Tee Hee ! -------------------- Bob R.
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Fire Stryker
Admin & Advocatus Diaboli
Member # 2
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posted 05-18-2001 11:34 AM
I don't think Mark can wait until September to go to Oktober fest. He has the free time on his hands now so he has to avail himself of the opportunity that his company so "graciously" afforded him.Any info that he could use now would be good. I think Mark already has reservations for June 6-26. Jenn -------------------- ad finem fidelis
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UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
posted 05-18-2001 09:25 AM
