QuoteIf you have interest in the history, go to Rome. One of my favourite cities (and I'm not really a city person).Originally Posted by Magicme
From topping up so much from Meteor I got the gift of a free flight to a select list of European cities and would like your advice on where I should choose.
Amsterdam - Have been there many times as my Aunt lives in the Hague
Paris - Been 3 times and love it and could possibly use it to explore other parts of France from there.
Milan - Never been to Italy & could also use it to go to South of France
Rome - ditto with the never been to Italy but have no major interest in going to Rome except for the history
Frankfurt - Been to Germany but not Frankfurt - not sure if would be up there on my list of places to go
Berlin - again not been there and would be the more interesting of the German choices I think.
London - heading there with the kids in a few weeks and not sure could be bothered going again
Edinburgh - was there a few months ago and again not sure could be bothered going on my own there
Stockholm - Never been to Sweden and worried if it would be much fun on my own and if it is expensive as am perpetually broke.
Brussels - been there before and wasnt that impressed but only spent a few hours, would it be more interesting if spending longer there?
Krakow - The most interesting of the options but not so sure I would like to go there alone. Probably the cheaper of the options too for accommodation and drinks but for have a nagging feeling that it may not be too save to be female alone there.
Any help or suggestions would be welcome!
If you have interest in the history, go to Rome. One of my favourite cities (and I'm not really a city person).
Milan wouldn't be the liveliest place I've been to,some nice buildings and if you're into going into expensive shops and looking at posers strolling around well then it's the place to go.
I love city breaks Magicme and I was in 3 already this year. All good.
I was in Rome and i would seriously recommend it, but you need to get off the tourist spots and get into what the locals eat and where they eat. Rome is pricey though and be prepared to pay.
I was in 2 other cities not mentioned by you but i think you should consider them:
Munich: absolutely beautiful and one of the nicest cities i've ever been too. I think if I was going back to germany I would go back. Fantastic metro, tram service and relatively cheap too. Beer gardens are great but that is not all that there is to do in munich
Madrid: Pretty good city and easy to get around. was there on a stag weekend but was able to see the sights and enjoy the city. Same about the metro very handy to use
I would recommend that you go somewhere where you haven't been get a map and get lost and try to find your way back. Get used to using the public transport and you'll sometimes be pleasantly suprised with what you'll find. Use what the locals use and eat where they eat. Tourist spots rob you.
Last edited by jinxy lilywhite; 07/08/2009 at 2:31 PM. Reason: more rubbish
Long Live King Kenny
God you sound like me! I love just taking a map and heading where my nose takes me in cities. That said I do love to research the place and have an idea of a few places I want to hit too. Its a pity Munich or Madrid arent on my freebie flight list coz would love either of them.
Am really leaning towards Rome now with what you and Stu have said. Sounds silly but always kinda thought I would dislike Rome coz of its links to the church and feel that its kinda a cliche for Irish to go there. Maybe will use it as a base to explore deeper into Italy. Am the kinda person who loves to just hop on a train and get off somewhere and explore.
although as you say rome has the religious aspect to it but there is also the roman empire aspect too. I am not religious but I did like going to the churches and admiring the structure and the art work.
Yes it is stereo typical that Irish go on pilgrimages to it but the vatican is only a small part of rome. There is a lot more else to it than St. Peters Square.
Pompeii isn't that far outside and I thought was worth checking out. Rome is very hilly too so if you go and are treking bring good footwear.
I have a map at home and I must check it out because i found wee spots that where great.
Long Live King Kenny
Thank you!
Ostia is interesting too; only E1 from the City Centre as it's deemed to be on the underground.
Echo what was said about Milan too; the Duomo's nice, but apart from that, it's quiet enough. I ended up on Como, Piacenza and Bergamo when I was in Milan.
Wouldn't worry about Irish stereotypes - you've the Colosseum, the Circus Maximus, Trajan's Column, the Pantheon (which is a church now, disappointingly), the Vatican (pop in for a bit anyway) and the Shamrock Pub on Via del Colosseo, where you'll probably get a free pint in exchange for a Monaghan United scarf. Just check out who got there before you.
I went for walk around Rome one day, just to see what I'd find. You can hardly go five minutes without finding something interesting.
Rome is the most expensive of all those places to get to, so if it was me, that's where I'd pick (though I haven't been there before).
Milan is nice, but dull. Nothing much going on there, but you could take in a match.
I loved Stockholm. It's not that expensive really tbh, it's around Dublin prices. Friendly people, and they've got a big amusement park!
Brussels is a great city. I've been three times and going back again soon. If you're into your beer it's amazing. Bear in mind though, ye'll get flights to Charleroi for under €10 with Ryanair.
My favourite city from that list though is Madrid. Been loads of times and absolutely love it. Great good and brilliant nightlife. It's not too expensive either. Again, pretty cheap to get to with Ryanair or Aer Lingus.
Can never miss an opportunity to recommend Rome to anyone, it's an absolutely wonderful place. The history there is just amazing, but for me it's mainly about the Imperial, Roman history. I could easily spend the whole day rambling around the Forum, just soaking it all up. The Colosseum is another must, as is the Circus Maximus (kinda wish they'd make more of that though) and the Baths of Caracalla.
For a bit of later history atmosphere-soakage-upage, an afternoon spent relaxing outside a cafe in the Piazza Navona is another must.
The only places that I didn't take to were the Trevy Fountain (worth seeing once, briefly) and the Spanish Steps (not worth it at all) - both the most touristy feeling spots in the city, and not incidentally both full of annoying chancers, and places to keep your hand in your pocket / on your bag.
To be fair it's not that pricey either once you're away from the touristy areas, in fact it can be quite cheap to eat and drink well there, in comparison to here like. Up around the Esquiline hill there are some gorgeous little restaurants that are very, very reasonable, and there's a lovely little corner shop/cafe right across from the impressive Maria Maggiore cathedral that's perfect for sitting outside, drinking beer and nosying as the evening closes in and the ragazzi do their social rounds on their scooters. The food is phenomenal, the beer is gorgeous, the language is relatively straightforward to learn enough to get by as a tourist with, though in actual fact most everyone speaks excellent English anyway, and the pace of life there is spot on. It's pretty good.
Last edited by stann; 07/08/2009 at 7:54 PM.
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I wouldn't recommend Frankfurt, it's a boring place. The city centre's all financial buildings and, as you move out, you head into pretty run-down areas. It's a stark contrast. It's actually a lot like Brussels (well, what I saw of Brussels).
Also, if you choose the Frankfurt flight, it could be to Frankfurt-Hahn airport which is out near the French border and doesn't have a train (the best way to get around Germany) connection to the rest of the country.
EDIT - I should add though, there are some places near Frankfurt that are quite nice. Wiesbaden (an hour west) is great if you're a fan of architecture and Mainz (about 50 minutes west) has a Roman theatre (it even has it's own train station). Also, the Rhine valley vineyards are nearby and the scenery travelling up the Rhine from Wiesbaden towards Koln is brilliant.
Last edited by superfrank; 07/08/2009 at 9:14 PM.
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I think Rome's wonderful and would love to go back, but since everyone else is recommending it, I'll endorse Krakow. You'll have absolutely no problems there at all, it's pretty, quaint, and very cheap. Even though it's the main tourist area in Poland, the food and drink is still around 3 times cheaper than here. Not only that but it has everything from clubs to back alley, underground jazz clubs. If you are in any way into your nightlife, you will have a brilliant time.
Most people go on a day trip from Krakow to the Salt Mines (supposedly spectacular but never went) and the concentration camp at Auschwitch. It's a cliche, but going there will have a profound and moving effect on you. Obviously, if you're going on holiday to get away from everything for a bit, going somewhere like it may not appeal to you, but I firmly believe it is something as many people as possible should see for themselves.
You can also use Krakow as a base to explore Poland or the surrounding countries.
Been to Koln and had a fun time there but mainly due to my german mates and meeting a guy from Monaghan who was the brother of a mate from school!
Would love to go to some of the concentration camps but since am one of these weird people who gets the emotional feelings of the people who were there before in alot of historical places (dizzy spells on staircase in Anne Franks house followed by a month of graphic dreams is one example and legging it from a weird little church/shop in Edinburgh coz of the bad energy being another) am not sure I could cope with one when visiting on my own, think would need someone to ground me after something as intense as Auschwich.
I think am a bit worried about Poland as am not as familiar in my head with it as I am with other European places. When I was in Paris I felt totally at home and wandered for hours on my own feeling comfortable and completely at ease and I guess I worry I wont feel like that in Poland.
I like the Circus Maximus. It's nice to sit back in what's basically a park, and look at the topography of the place and imagine the whole arena, 100,000 people sitting just where I am, watching the horses down the far side of the spina, and all without the madding crowds of the Colosseum or Titan's Arch or what have you. I could spend hours there relaxing and soaking in the history. Great spot.
If you're there again, I'd recommend Philip Matyszak's Ancient Rome on five Denarii a Day. It's a guide book to ancient Rome, and has a section describing the Circus Maximus. Read it on site, and the place comes alive.
Lovely spot alright, for just the reasons you said, but when I was there at least it was pretty shabby looking, mainly used by dog walkers as the 'evidence' was strewn everywhere, along with a load of general rubbish. A real shame. A bit of a tidy up and maybe reconstructing a small section across the track through the spina with a statue or two put back up on it would be nice. Plus make a bit more of those few remaining structures at the far end.
That guide book to ancient Rome sounds good though, will definitely do that next time, and there will be a next time quite soon.
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Amsterdam - Great City but if you've been a lot try somewhere new.
Paris - Like Amsterdam it's a great City but if you've been before try somewhere new. If it's France you're after try somewhere further south, Bordeaux is a nice spot but not sure about a city break.
Milan - Never been but I have a mate with a place in Tuscany and he says Milan is only good for designer Labels & the San Siro..
Rome - Stunning city and well worth a visit, as an Italian alternative I'd also recomend Venice which apart from the cliches is really stunning.
Frankfurt - I've been a couple of times, generally work related and I found it very dull, that said I was working so my time was limited. You could visit Heidleberg though, about an hour from Frankfurt and a really pretty city.
Berlin - I've not been but would agree that it would be the most interesting of the German cities.
London - Great City and you will have a very different experience going with kids and without
Edinburgh - great City but if you've just been why bother??
Stockholm - I have a friend who studied there for a year and loved it, I've never been a Sandinavia fan though
Brussels - Boring; try Brugge if you're really keen on Belguim
Krakow - Never been but I've only heard good things, mainly about cheap vodka though.
Personally I'd recomend Barcelona, my favourite City in mainland Europe, great food, drink, weather, shops, beaches & the Camp Nou, what more would you want
Do, but just keep in mind that it's not a guide book to Ancient Rome as it is now, it's a guide book to Rome for a visitor visiting 1800 years ago. Where to stay, what to eat, how to avoid getting mugged, useful phrases, sights, shopping and what have you.
Ah no, I got that alright!
Actually have the book on order now too, and the Legionary's Manual.
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Yeah, the Legionary's Manual intrigues me. Though I've got eight books at home, which I really should get through before buying any more.
Surprised no one has added vienna to the list, was there with my gf last year and def would recommend it. No particularly famous tourist attractions but a lovely city, very easy to walk around and not too expensive either.
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