Need suggestions for Euro vacation stops to complement Munich and Prague
October 20, 2015 10:01 AM Subscribe
My husband and I are planning a trip to Europe for early next September. We're estimating about two weeks for the trip, and are targeting three destinations. Prague and Munich appeal to both of us--what would be a good third place to stay/visit? I'm overwhelmed by the options! More details inside.
We are in our early 30's; this will be his first trip to Europe and my second.* We would be flying in from the U.S. We are fit and don't mind doing a lot of walking; we both like eating (no food restrictions), drinking (beer for him, beer and wine for me), parks, libraries and bookstores, zoos, museums, and hiking.
We know we want a Germany because our research tells us it's beautiful and the good beer is flowing (among other reasons), which is why we've tentatively settled on Munich (PRE-Oktoberfest). I love all things art nouveau, so Prague has always been at the top of my must-go list; we also heard the food is great there, it's relatively cheaper than a lot of other European cities (?), and also that it has a good zoo.
So now we are stuck trying to come up with a third destination to spend 3-4 days in, preferably in the "Central Europe" area but we could be willing to make an exception. (Also, not 100% wedded to Munich and Prague, so again, willing to trade one for something more awesome). Some things we've considered but aren't sure about:
- Vienna and Budapest are both on our list of considerations, but seem like they may be too similar to where we are already going. How valid is this assumption?
- Both of us would LOVE to go to Switzerland for the natural beauty, but we heard the prices are astronomical. Price isn't the top concern for us (this won't be a backpacking trip where we're staying in hostels) but I wouldn't want to spend half the cost of the trip in one place. Thoughts?
- Amsterdam and Copenhagen sound very cool and are beloved by the friends we know that have been. As for means of travel, it would be great if we could stick to trains between destinations (only flying into the first city and out of the last) but did you love these places enough that'd they'd be worth flying to?
- A few results yielded by our initial search were Trieste and Ravenna in Italy and Riga in Latvia. I know virtually nothing about them and don't know anyone that's been there. Any of you have any experience there?
- *As a data point, among the various places I went on my first trip: I did not like London and Rome as they were too big and chaotic for me. I very much liked Florence and Dubrovnik as the food was good, they were prettier/slower, and I generally felt safer. That said, we are very much open to smaller places we may not have heard of as Americans.
I'm tempted to throw out more criteria, but in the interest of staying open-minded, I'll stop there and let the suggestions start! Let me know if you need more detail. Thanks in advance!
We are in our early 30's; this will be his first trip to Europe and my second.* We would be flying in from the U.S. We are fit and don't mind doing a lot of walking; we both like eating (no food restrictions), drinking (beer for him, beer and wine for me), parks, libraries and bookstores, zoos, museums, and hiking.
We know we want a Germany because our research tells us it's beautiful and the good beer is flowing (among other reasons), which is why we've tentatively settled on Munich (PRE-Oktoberfest). I love all things art nouveau, so Prague has always been at the top of my must-go list; we also heard the food is great there, it's relatively cheaper than a lot of other European cities (?), and also that it has a good zoo.
So now we are stuck trying to come up with a third destination to spend 3-4 days in, preferably in the "Central Europe" area but we could be willing to make an exception. (Also, not 100% wedded to Munich and Prague, so again, willing to trade one for something more awesome). Some things we've considered but aren't sure about:
- Vienna and Budapest are both on our list of considerations, but seem like they may be too similar to where we are already going. How valid is this assumption?
- Both of us would LOVE to go to Switzerland for the natural beauty, but we heard the prices are astronomical. Price isn't the top concern for us (this won't be a backpacking trip where we're staying in hostels) but I wouldn't want to spend half the cost of the trip in one place. Thoughts?
- Amsterdam and Copenhagen sound very cool and are beloved by the friends we know that have been. As for means of travel, it would be great if we could stick to trains between destinations (only flying into the first city and out of the last) but did you love these places enough that'd they'd be worth flying to?
- A few results yielded by our initial search were Trieste and Ravenna in Italy and Riga in Latvia. I know virtually nothing about them and don't know anyone that's been there. Any of you have any experience there?
- *As a data point, among the various places I went on my first trip: I did not like London and Rome as they were too big and chaotic for me. I very much liked Florence and Dubrovnik as the food was good, they were prettier/slower, and I generally felt safer. That said, we are very much open to smaller places we may not have heard of as Americans.
I'm tempted to throw out more criteria, but in the interest of staying open-minded, I'll stop there and let the suggestions start! Let me know if you need more detail. Thanks in advance!
Best answer: Salzburg, Austria would also give you the opportunity to see Art Nouveau buildings, as well as many Mozart related places. It is great to walk around and there are street markets with really good food.
We took a train from Munich to Salzburg and we did have to stop at the German border and get on a bus in order to enter Austria, due to changes in border policy. It was actually very easy to do.
[thank you to Mefites for answering my recent question on this!]
Also, stick with Prague! It is a very romantic city with wonderful views from castles, bridges, and riverside.
posted by calgirl at 10:24 AM on October 20, 2015 [1 favorite]
We took a train from Munich to Salzburg and we did have to stop at the German border and get on a bus in order to enter Austria, due to changes in border policy. It was actually very easy to do.
[thank you to Mefites for answering my recent question on this!]
Also, stick with Prague! It is a very romantic city with wonderful views from castles, bridges, and riverside.
posted by calgirl at 10:24 AM on October 20, 2015 [1 favorite]
Don't skip Vienna. It's lovely. Budapest, meh.
posted by qxntpqbbbqxl at 10:27 AM on October 20, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by qxntpqbbbqxl at 10:27 AM on October 20, 2015 [1 favorite]
Came in to suggest Copenhagen. Yes, the plane ride is absolutely worth it!
We found airfare to be cheaper when we purchased tickets while in Europe (our itinerary was from Berlin to Copenhagen, and amounted to ~$60). Copenhagen is VERY expensive - I felt like I was bleeding money there compared to any other city in Europe.
Our trip was a six week-long trip all over Europe, but places of note (other than my faaaa-haaa-vorite Copenhagen) were Krakow, Poland; Lisbon, Portugal (not Central Europe, but perhaps a last stop?); Vienna/Salzberg, Austria (gorgeous!!); Split/ Plitvice Lakes, Croatia.
Of all the German cities I've visited, Munich is my favorite - IMO, it feels more laid-back and... warmer than say, Berlin. Berlin was quite austere and perhaps it was because we absorbed so much history while we were there (including Sachsenhausen) that I found it was slightly depressing. I'd re-visit Munich and Frankfurt, but maybe not Berlin. However, if nightlife is what you're looking for, Berlin is your ultimate late night destination. Frankfurt also has some art nouveau architecture.
If you really want to visit Switzerland, go for it! Prices are astronomical but I'd say there aren't many cities in Europe similar to Geneva or Zurich.
posted by Everydayville at 10:29 AM on October 20, 2015 [1 favorite]
We found airfare to be cheaper when we purchased tickets while in Europe (our itinerary was from Berlin to Copenhagen, and amounted to ~$60). Copenhagen is VERY expensive - I felt like I was bleeding money there compared to any other city in Europe.
Our trip was a six week-long trip all over Europe, but places of note (other than my faaaa-haaa-vorite Copenhagen) were Krakow, Poland; Lisbon, Portugal (not Central Europe, but perhaps a last stop?); Vienna/Salzberg, Austria (gorgeous!!); Split/ Plitvice Lakes, Croatia.
Of all the German cities I've visited, Munich is my favorite - IMO, it feels more laid-back and... warmer than say, Berlin. Berlin was quite austere and perhaps it was because we absorbed so much history while we were there (including Sachsenhausen) that I found it was slightly depressing. I'd re-visit Munich and Frankfurt, but maybe not Berlin. However, if nightlife is what you're looking for, Berlin is your ultimate late night destination. Frankfurt also has some art nouveau architecture.
If you really want to visit Switzerland, go for it! Prices are astronomical but I'd say there aren't many cities in Europe similar to Geneva or Zurich.
posted by Everydayville at 10:29 AM on October 20, 2015 [1 favorite]
Best answer: My wife and I really loved Amsterdam; gorgeous, great food, museums all over the place, very walkable, and the best city I've ever been to for riding a bike.
posted by The Card Cheat at 10:52 AM on October 20, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by The Card Cheat at 10:52 AM on October 20, 2015 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Amsterdam is great. It will be very different than the other two cities. I personally love Berlin but if you've already got Munich you might not be interested. However, the East/West history there is amazing and it's less Bavarian than Munich. Brussels has some great art nouveau and some other fun stuff (beer!). Wherever you go I'm sure it'll be amazing, especially Prague.
posted by Brittanie at 11:57 AM on October 20, 2015
posted by Brittanie at 11:57 AM on October 20, 2015
There are lots of great options mentioned above but I just popped in to say don't bother with Trieste.
posted by karbonokapi at 12:16 PM on October 20, 2015
posted by karbonokapi at 12:16 PM on October 20, 2015
Don't go to Switzerland for the cities, go to the mountains and lakes.
posted by biffa at 12:16 PM on October 20, 2015
posted by biffa at 12:16 PM on October 20, 2015
Just came back from two weeks in Budapest. I absolutely loved it. For me it combines some of the slightly shabby post-communist urban nature of cities like Berlin with the gorgeous grandeur of grand boulevards and incredible architecture you'd see in Paris or Rome. It's really gorgeous.
The hot springs alone make it worth a visit, but it's also very affordable, has layers of history dating back to the Romans and an incredible nightlife culture. The food is amazing too. If you decide to go, MeMail me and I'll send you the Maps.Me files I made for the city with cafes, bars, museums and baths we researched.
posted by Happy Dave at 12:16 PM on October 20, 2015
The hot springs alone make it worth a visit, but it's also very affordable, has layers of history dating back to the Romans and an incredible nightlife culture. The food is amazing too. If you decide to go, MeMail me and I'll send you the Maps.Me files I made for the city with cafes, bars, museums and baths we researched.
posted by Happy Dave at 12:16 PM on October 20, 2015
Best answer: For a two week trip, I would suggest picking cities with either geographic or cultural proximity (ideally both), for logistical ease and because it can be especially interesting to explore a particular sphere of historical interaction. Vienna is the obvious choice - lovely and surprisingly inexpensive, with extraordinary museums (the Kunsthistorisches Museum alone is worth the trip), it describes a nice triangle with your other two destinatations and is easily reached by rail. Salzburg is another good choice. I am also partial to Budapest, because I like the baths, the food, the prices, and the ruin pubs, but it leaves a lot of people cold.
Further north, Amsterdam is a great choice, with nice parks, good beer, great museums, and a lot to see and do at all times of the day. Travel to Brussels is easy from Amsterdam, but Brussels can be a bit dull. I'd pick Berlin instead, and explore its neighborhoods. Or a shorter trip to Bruges. I'd try to avoid getting on another plane, but if you do, it would be worth it to go somewhere a bit further afield like Stockholm, another nice port city.
posted by Svejk at 12:31 PM on October 20, 2015 [1 favorite]
Further north, Amsterdam is a great choice, with nice parks, good beer, great museums, and a lot to see and do at all times of the day. Travel to Brussels is easy from Amsterdam, but Brussels can be a bit dull. I'd pick Berlin instead, and explore its neighborhoods. Or a shorter trip to Bruges. I'd try to avoid getting on another plane, but if you do, it would be worth it to go somewhere a bit further afield like Stockholm, another nice port city.
posted by Svejk at 12:31 PM on October 20, 2015 [1 favorite]
I'm a huge fan of minimizing travel time, and also avoid internal flights during a short trip. In my experience they almost always end up being more time consuming than intended. And targeting three cities in two weeks is, to me, the perfect pace.
Venice is 6 1/2 hours by train from Munich. And Venice is absolutely stunning; give it some serious thought. With a bit of planning it's surprisingly affordable. Of course, there's also the Venice that is an expensive tourist hell. You will definitely want to have a game plan. From your list, you'll have awesome food, good wine, ok beer, tons of art, and will do major amounts of walking. There's no real hiking opportunities that I know of.
Krakow and Vienna are both on my wish list. Vienna for the beauty, museums, and music; Krakow as it seems to be on the cusp of being the next hip spot.
You could combine any of these three with Munich & Prague for an easy itinerary by train.
posted by kanewai at 12:44 PM on October 20, 2015 [1 favorite]
Venice is 6 1/2 hours by train from Munich. And Venice is absolutely stunning; give it some serious thought. With a bit of planning it's surprisingly affordable. Of course, there's also the Venice that is an expensive tourist hell. You will definitely want to have a game plan. From your list, you'll have awesome food, good wine, ok beer, tons of art, and will do major amounts of walking. There's no real hiking opportunities that I know of.
Krakow and Vienna are both on my wish list. Vienna for the beauty, museums, and music; Krakow as it seems to be on the cusp of being the next hip spot.
You could combine any of these three with Munich & Prague for an easy itinerary by train.
posted by kanewai at 12:44 PM on October 20, 2015 [1 favorite]
Vienna has the Gustaf Klimpts, and always music. If you could see Valery Gurdieff direct a symphony it would be worth the effort. Not sure if he still directs out of there.
posted by Oyéah at 1:14 PM on October 20, 2015
posted by Oyéah at 1:14 PM on October 20, 2015
If you do Vienna, don't fly or take a train. Instead go from Munich to Passau in the train. Passau is tiny but beautiful in it's own right, so spend a day there, and them take the ferry along the river to Vienna. It takes most of a day but is very relaxing and scenic.
posted by lollusc at 2:58 PM on October 20, 2015
posted by lollusc at 2:58 PM on October 20, 2015
+1 Salzburg
+1 Riga! Both lovely and surprisingly awesome.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 3:37 PM on October 20, 2015
+1 Riga! Both lovely and surprisingly awesome.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 3:37 PM on October 20, 2015
Best answer: Seat 61 is excellent for finding train and ferry routes across Europe. Amsterdam has great museums, it is pleasant to walk and cycle around, there is an OK zoo, and you can get to other cities in the Netherlands by train for day trips. My other suggestion would be Tallinn and Helsinki - I had a short holiday in Helsinki and the day trip to Tallinn (it's a 90-150 minute ferry ride away) was one of the highlights, with a lovely old town to wander through, nice food and a quirky museum. Both cities felt pretty compact and safe to wander around.
posted by penguinliz at 4:09 PM on October 20, 2015
posted by penguinliz at 4:09 PM on October 20, 2015
Portugal! I went to Lisbon and Porto four years ago for a week and fell in love. Agree with Everydayville above -- could be a lovely last stop.
And, funnily enough, this post on MessyNessyChic just popped up in my FB feed: 24 Hours in Porto, the Ghost Town Coming Back to Life. (Obviously you can do more than 24 hours -- I was there for three days and it was not enough.)
posted by hapax_legomenon at 6:16 PM on October 20, 2015
And, funnily enough, this post on MessyNessyChic just popped up in my FB feed: 24 Hours in Porto, the Ghost Town Coming Back to Life. (Obviously you can do more than 24 hours -- I was there for three days and it was not enough.)
posted by hapax_legomenon at 6:16 PM on October 20, 2015
we both like eating
- Vienna and Budapest are both on our list of considerations, but seem like they may be too similar to where we are already going. How valid is this assumption?
Budapest!!! The food there is very different from Germany/Czechy, I'd go back to Budapest just for the food, but as mentioned above, it's also gorgeous, laid back and cheap.
posted by HiroProtagonist at 9:39 PM on October 20, 2015
- Vienna and Budapest are both on our list of considerations, but seem like they may be too similar to where we are already going. How valid is this assumption?
Budapest!!! The food there is very different from Germany/Czechy, I'd go back to Budapest just for the food, but as mentioned above, it's also gorgeous, laid back and cheap.
posted by HiroProtagonist at 9:39 PM on October 20, 2015
I did Berlin to Prague to Munich (with daytrips to Salzburg and ludwig's castles) and it was so wonderful
posted by raw sugar at 12:31 AM on October 21, 2015
posted by raw sugar at 12:31 AM on October 21, 2015
If you want wonderful Alpine scenery without Swiss prices, do check out Slovenia, especially the Lake Bohinj, Lake Bled, Kranjska Gora areas. It was so beautiful.
My visit!
posted by mkuhnell at 7:24 AM on October 21, 2015 [1 favorite]
My visit!
posted by mkuhnell at 7:24 AM on October 21, 2015 [1 favorite]
Or Trento, Italy, a small town I loved near some beautiful mountains.
If you don't like big cities (and you are already going to two on this trip!), I would definitely pick somewhere smaller. So NOT Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Vienna, Budapest, Brussels, Berlin!!!
Other great places that come to mind: Ghent or Bruges, Belgium; Innsbruck or Zell am See, Austria; Český Krumlov, Czech Rep.
Feel free to message me with questions as you plan. I've traveled very extensively in Western Europe, though I've only touched on Central Europe.
posted by mkuhnell at 7:43 AM on October 21, 2015 [1 favorite]
If you don't like big cities (and you are already going to two on this trip!), I would definitely pick somewhere smaller. So NOT Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Vienna, Budapest, Brussels, Berlin!!!
Other great places that come to mind: Ghent or Bruges, Belgium; Innsbruck or Zell am See, Austria; Český Krumlov, Czech Rep.
Feel free to message me with questions as you plan. I've traveled very extensively in Western Europe, though I've only touched on Central Europe.
posted by mkuhnell at 7:43 AM on October 21, 2015 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by kanewai at 10:14 AM on October 20, 2015 [1 favorite]