Travel EUROPE: Travel Tips & Tricks

[Stronzo]

I've got 36 hours in Sicily this weekend for work, including a drive from Palermo to Syracuse Saturday evening, and an overnight stay there, then a 3 hour drive back to Palermo to meet the Ferry at 21.30 sunday evening.

Anyone spent time there and could recommend?

With that itinerary, I’m not sure there’s much I could help you with. I’ve been along the East coast there as far as Catania, which is a beautiful run down, what used to be type of city. Taormina is a lovely spot, a bit touristy. Along the north coast is Cerfalú, very pretty.

I wanted to go to Syracuse, it looks amazing. So probably don’t spread yourself thin and explore there and Palermo really well. Otherwise you’ll end up driving by around too much.

 

[Drakescoffeecake]

How's your trip coming along drake, hope you recovered.

Just wrapped up a few days ago and already booked the next one. Covid for most of Spain but tried to make the most of it, could so easily live there. A very generous offer from the airline so managed to get 7 hours shut eye on the way home which helped.

 

[Dirty Bird]

If you are looking for the Christmas experience..Salzburg, Prague, Vienna

Berlin for NYE.

I've heard the best place for Christmas is Regensburg

 

[Faz 2000]

Just came back from a quick spin in London. I love that place. My wife had her phone pick-pocketed though, which suuuuuucked! Be careful out there!

I dunno how their liquor licensing laws work, but it's pretty ace that you can buy mulled cider with whiskey in it from street stalls whilst walking around on a cold day.

 

[The Dice Man]

I dunno how their liquor licensing laws work, but it's pretty ace that you can buy mulled cider with whiskey in it from street stalls whilst walking around on a cold day.

Most of Europe don't treat their citizens like children when it comes to alcohol.

 

[Schauermann]

Just came back from a quick spin in London. I love that place. My wife had her phone pick-pocketed though, which suuuuuucked! Be careful out there!

I dunno how their liquor licensing laws work, but it's pretty ace that you can buy mulled cider with whiskey in it from street stalls whilst walking around on a cold day.

Friend of mine got a warning from the cops for drinking beer on the street in London.

Here in Ngermany it is only prohibited in very few places like in public tranport her ein Hamburg. Down south in Bavaria this would even be unthinkable.

 

[revo333]

Most of Europe don't treat their citizens like children when it comes to alcohol.

In Zurich on a Saturday this year and the shops were packed with people buying alcohol and hanging out near the train stations drinking.

 

[Seeds]

Heading to Europe in Dec/Jan for 4-5 weeks. Starting in the UK for a week and returning home via the UAE for 3 days with the rest of the trip tentative.

I’ve never been during winter and would love to hear recommendations/advice on cities/places to visit for around 2-3 weeks. TIA

Do xmas stuff first. Snow second. The snow is coming later and later in the season now. Even in mid Janaury many places in the mountians might not have snow fall.

Before xmas you need to spend some time in germany. Its where all the biggest xmas markets are. Everywhere in europe has them but they arent as good despite all the marketing. Germany is where you need to be if you want to see cmas towns lit up in dmas lights. Some of the biggest german ones are dresden, cologne and stuttgart. But there are lots of great ones in little towns as well.

germany pretty much closes down from xmas eve onwards so for xmas and new years go somewhere else. This can be a good time to be in London or Paris. Great cities all the time but extra special at xmas.

if you plan to go to snow then do this last. And if you want to guarantee snow makesure you spend atleast part of this period high up the mountians to gurantee it. Zermatt and the Engadine area are pretty amazing and will have snow in early January. Going to the snow is also so much cooler in Europe then anywhere else for non skiers because they have lots of non skiing activities.

 

[Spirit Level]

Got a week to kill in the UK in September, already got a couple of days planned in Manchester and have already done London so don't really need to spend a great deal there.

Looking for places in England, already got a week in Ireland and will do Scotland another time.

Any recommendations?

 

[Sttew]

Got a week to kill in the UK in September, already got a couple of days planned in Manchester and have already done London so don't really need to spend a great deal there.

Any recommendations?

Take the Eurostar from London to Lille in France, a 90 minute train trip. It's the first stop in Europe and is a great place to visit for a day or couple of nights. I've done it as a day trip, and also stayed in Lille for 3 nights in 2022. The 'Old Town' is a 10 minute walk from the Eurostar station.

If only looking at UK, Oxford, Cambridge or Winchester, all old lively towns

 

[FreoGirl]

I'm going to Iceland and Greenland in August/September - anybody have tips?

 

[The Dice Man]

I'm going to Iceland and Greenland in August/September - anybody have tips?

Iceland is mostly green and Greenland is mostly icy.

 

[Great8]

I'm going to Iceland and Greenland in August/September - anybody have tips?

Been a few years since either unfortunate but both were truly amazing. Greenland was a bit harder work but rewarding. Iceland I rented a car and drove and reckon I saw far more than any tour could offer. We did the Faroe Islands at the same time and I’d say they were the pick of the bunch.
Just finished a Norway cruise and 6 days on land last week and had a great time too

 

[MrsBlueSky]

I'm going to Iceland and Greenland in August/September - anybody have tips?

Hi FreoGirl, I don't know if you want any advice from a WCEGirl but anyway. If you can get to Iceland and Greenland, you may think about Svalbard. Tours can't guarantee you'll see a polar bear and no tours are specific for them, but there is a chance. That plus the currently active volcano in Iceland would be amazing sights.

 

[Total Power]

Hi FreoGirl, I don't know if you want any advice from a WCEGirl but anyway. If you can get to Iceland and Greenland, you may think about Svalbard. Tours can't guarantee you'll see a polar bear and no tours are specific for them, but there is a chance. That plus the currently active volcano in Iceland would be amazing sights.

Svalbard is awesome. Can catch the northern lights too like i did last year. Was amazing

 

[MrsBlueSky]

Got a week to kill in the UK in September, already got a couple of days planned in Manchester and have already done London so don't really need to spend a great deal there.

Looking for places in England, already got a week in Ireland and will do Scotland another time.

Any recommendations?

People may think I'm crazy, but near Manchester is Leeds. Leeds takes in Bradford and Bradford takes in what was once a great little village called Cottingley famous for having a beck (stream) flow through it where two girls 100 years ago fooled many people in the world including Sherlock Holmes creator Arthur Conan Doyle and his friend Houdini into believing they had taken a series of photos of fairies. You might not be a fairy person, but I am and that's a place I'd recommend you see. And a week in Ireland should be good as well.

 

[Dirty Bird]

I'm going to Iceland and Greenland in August/September - anybody have tips?

Take Greenland to the North America thread.

 

[FreoGirl]

Take Greenland to the North America thread.

it's not in North America..

 

[Total Power]

Greenland is on my go to list. Been to Iceland but never Greenland. Looks and sounds like a mythical place.

 

[revival_mode]

off for 6 weeks starting June yeah i know its peak time - not my doing

• 2 weeks road tripping around Norway's west coast
• Amsterdam then Berlin (probably a week total)
• 1 week haven't organised yet
• two weeks in northern Italy

should go ok

 

[Dirty Bird]

it's not in North America..

Yes and Israel and Kazakhstan aren't in Asia.

 

[raskolnikov]

A couple of mates and I are going to Holland and Germany in October. We are then parting ways in Berlin. They are going to Italy and I am going to do a tour of the Baltics.

 

[Engimal v3]

I'm having a real yearning for Italy at the moment. Easily the best 2 weeks of my life.

My partner and I got engaged and spent the trip eating our way across Puglia. It was a real eye opener for me, in the sense that it was the first time I'd experienced a culture that I preferred to my own.

 

[Freomaniac]

I'm having a real yearning for Italy at the moment. Easily the best 2 weeks of my life.

My partner and I got engaged and spent the trip eating our way across Puglia. It was a real eye opener for me, in the sense that it was the first time I'd experienced a culture that I preferred to my own.

Did you eat some quality food in Italy? If yes, did you take a photo of some beautiful meals?

 

[swingdog]

I'm having a real yearning for Italy at the moment. Easily the best 2 weeks of my life.

My partner and I got engaged and spent the trip eating our way across Puglia. It was a real eye opener for me, in the sense that it was the first time I'd experienced a culture that I preferred to my own.

We had 3 weeks cycling round Sicily last year - would highly recommend.