2nd leg of a European trip – which city to go to?

June 8, 2023 5:41 PM

We are able to extend a November European trip, adding on an additional city. Where should we go for a 4ish day trip?

Things we like: beer tours, food tours, walking around to try the ‘best’ ice cream, donut, burger etc., walking around quirky neighborhoods with good coffee in hand and window shopping, musical theatre, 80s music nights at bars (or other fun theme nights), ghost tours, burlesque, boat tours, LGBT safe environments.

Things we don’t really enjoy: museums, art, going to the tallest building in a city to see the skyline, walking tours entirely focused on architecture or history; trying to cram in all the must see historical buildings/statues/churches; clothes shopping.

Cities we have liked: Montreal, Paris, Chicago, Reykjavik, NYC. We speak English and a little French, and are 40ish. We are considering Dublin, Berlin, Barcelona, but very open to suggestions! Bonus question - in which neighborhood should we aim to stay?

posted by walkinginsunshine to Travel & Transportation (18 answers total)

What cities are already being visited on this trip? Is weather a concern for you in November?

My first instinct would be Munich for all of the beer.
posted by hydra77 at 5:54 PM on June 8, 2023

I vote strongly for Berlin. Cheap to get to and stay in.

Notoriously LGBTQ friendly. You are almost certainly not cool enough to get into Berghain, as are most of us, but there are many other good bars and clubs.

The boat tours are inexpensive, and vend beer and ice cream on board as you see all the museums and skyline that you don't have the energy to visit.

Without much effort, you can get some of the best Turkish food in the world. There's amazing gelato every few blocks, even in winter, and a roving sausage vendor in Alexanderplatz. Most butcher shops serve a cheap (meaty) plate for lunch every day.

Beer gardens are plentiful in many neighborhoods. My favorite is at Eschenbrau brewery, in Wedding, if you can find it.

I just went in May, I have many recommendations.
posted by ivan ivanych samovar at 5:58 PM on June 8, 2023 [7 favorites]

I also vote Berlin. An amazing city.
posted by samthemander at 7:10 PM on June 8, 2023 [3 favorites]

We really loved Ljubljana when we visited Europe earlier this year, but it's hard to say whether or not that's an option given where your (unknown, prior) final stop is.
posted by eschatfische at 7:56 PM on June 8, 2023 [1 favorite]

my vote would be Copenhagen
posted by alchemist at 9:33 PM on June 8, 2023 [1 favorite]

Beer: I would personally find all the Belgian beer bars in Amsterdam (In De Wildeman is a good place to start). While I haven't done a guided walking tour I'd bet you could find one because the centre and canals are eminently walkable; you can certainly get a canal boat tour. For quirky: Onze Heer in De Zolder (perhaps not that exciting, but certainly strange), going and watching the carillonneur play, looking at the architecture and spotting the houses that were clearly sinking while they were being built. And there's really no shortage of art museums.
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 1:08 AM on June 9, 2023

Berlin will tick many of your boxes, so will Copenhagen but Berlin will be cheaper.
posted by biffa at 1:33 AM on June 9, 2023 [1 favorite]

I went to Berlin in December, stayed with a cousin who lives in the Prenzlauer Berg neighborhood, and loved it. Very LGBT friendly (we're both visibly queer), excellent public transit, good food everywhere (including donuts), cheap, lots to do for any interests. I don't drink, but it's Germany, so plenty of beer abounds. Highly recommend Judy LaDivina's drag shows at Bar Zum schmutzigen Hobby -- not usually my thing, but my cousin begged me to go with him one night, and it was great fun.

Also previously visited and loved Dublin, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris, London, and Düsseldorf, among many other cities. Feel free to memail me for further suggestions, Berlin or otherwise.
posted by wicked_sassy at 3:38 AM on June 9, 2023

My vote goes for Berlin too.

Another option could be Amsterdam, perhaps with a day trip to Delft. I don't feel the food scene is as interesting in the Netherlands as in Berlin or Copenhagen, but with a bit of research I'm sure there is enough good stuff for four days, and the atmosphere in Amsterdam is so nice.

Barcelona might have nicer weather in November, which a gloomy month up here in the North..

About neighborhoods, it's too long since I have stayed in the other places as a tourist, but my immediate neighborhood in Copenhagen has become a bit of a LGBT+ gathering place during the last decade, with multiple bars and cafés and visibly queer people on the streets. Memail me if you go for Copenhagen and want details.
posted by mumimor at 5:10 AM on June 9, 2023

Berlin is fabulous - queer friendly, good beer, cool places to walk - really ticks all of your needs. I've spent a lot of time there and it's one of my favorite cities. I like Barcelona a lot but it's extremely expensive and hits fewer of your desires.
posted by leslies at 5:49 AM on June 9, 2023

Madrid usually has great, sunny weather in the late autumn, and you won't have to fight the crowds. There is a huge craft beer scene. The food is world class and has everything from the most cutting-edge Michelin-starred molecular gastronomy to shops with humorously-shaped waffles. The neighborhood of Chueca is a LGBTQIA+ center that draws people from all over the world. Beyond the usual tapas tours and flamenco shows, there are ghost tours; crypts to visit; all sorts of musical theater, drag shows, burlesque et al.. And it's just a lovely place to wander around.

I would recommend staying in Las Letras or Malasaña if you want to be in the middle of quirky, interesting neighborhoods. Chamberí is more posh and quiet. Pacifico is less expensive and much quieter.
posted by Mournful Bagel Song at 5:54 AM on June 9, 2023 [3 favorites]

Where will you be coming from beforehand? I like Berlin (I live here), but it IS rather far East and if you’re going to be on the western side of things, Brussels is really nice and has great food.
posted by dame at 8:23 AM on June 9, 2023

Brussels (and the surrounding environs) are rightly known for their distinctive beer styles. The fact that Brussels is the host of the EU and NATO as well as the frosty relationship between the native Dutch & native French speakers means there is a lot of English spoken.
posted by mmascolino at 9:44 AM on June 9, 2023

I find Brussels a little soulless, honestly. If I were going somewhere in Belgium I'd pick Ghent, which is knockout beautiful and still has the great Belgian food.
posted by Pallas Athena at 11:57 AM on June 9, 2023 [1 favorite]

I've always found Brussels to be totally uninspiring as a city. We went there for a weekend ahead of a Monday business meeting. We arrived Saturday midday, by evening we were bored and so spent the Sunday in Bruges (which is lovely but maybe not 4 day lovely).

I just realised I am in Brussels on Monday/Tuesday this week and it had barely crossed my mind that was anything other than nondescript.

Copenhagen or Berlin! Both LGBT friendly, both with interesting neighbourhoods, good coffee, better sweetie snacks than donuts, sausages instead of burgers, Copenhagen edges Berlin on boat trips but both have boat trips. Copenhagen has great window shopping, lots of glorious design stuff you can dream of affording one day.
posted by biffa at 1:48 PM on June 9, 2023

I agree with the Berlin recommendation, but would add to it a suggestion of a trip to Hamburg, which is less than two hours away from Berlin on a fast train. Hamburg is great for musical theatre, has some quirky sights, is LGBT+ friendly and has some amazing food. It is also very different from Berlin.
posted by sueinnyc at 4:56 AM on June 10, 2023

When I got to the ghost tour part my mind went to Edinburgh. Nothing wrong with the other suggestions of course. I always found Berlin quite grim in winter, not that Scotland isn’t dark and wet in winter but it always struck me as more atmospheric than Berlin.
posted by koahiatamadl at 4:00 PM on June 10, 2023

If Berlin is too grim for you in November, why not a quick side trip to Tropical Island, only an hour away by train? Does Edinburgh have a tropical resort that close? I didn't think so.
posted by ivan ivanych samovar at 3:42 PM on June 14, 2023