Places to Visit in Western Europe?

cytor

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I stayed in SE Ireland for a week. Very underrated. Nice villages and people. Glendalough, Wexford, Kilkenny, Inistioge.

Bucket list: West Coast, Barcelona, Florence, Brugges,
Barcelona is really cool. Been there 2x.
 

shadow

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Do a few days layover in Iceland.

What did you like most about Iceland? Did you take Iceland Air? A relative was telling me about how you can just stay there for a few days on a layover or something and I didn't quite follow what that meant. Could you just delay your connection?
 

shadow

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Depends what you're in to. But if you like a mixture of old town square and college town, I found Freiberg Germany to be a hidden gem in the Black Forest. 3 to 4 hour train ride from Paris. Also agree that Brussels is a great city.

Is there a main train line in Europe or does it depend by country? Seems like it might make sense to pick a few spots and take trains from one spot to the next.
 

shadow

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Why only Western Europe? The Adriatic is amazing. Slovenia to Croatia to North Macedonia to Albania to Greece is fire

Did you take trains from one country to the next? If so, which ones?
 

shadow

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I would strongly recommend to any American to visit France, specifically Caen (le Musée d'Embarquement), the museum made out of a German bunker in Boulogne-sur-Mer, Omaha Beach, and the American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer. It is only in these places can one come to a full realization of how the world teetered on the brink in the 30's and 40's and how many people were slaughtered in the process.

I'm not at all crazy about London, but Westminster Abbey and the Tower Bridge are okay. Go to the top of St Paul's to the whispering gallery in the dome. The rest, meh. (and the food, my god, the food, horrific). If you want to say you've been to England, go somewhere more interesting like Bath, Oxford, Salisbury (near Stonehenge), and/or Penzance.

A day trip to Paris would be worth it just to experience the Chunnel (never have). Once there, one of those bus tours that take you around the city would be your best bet, because seeing the monuments themselves is the thrill. Standing in line to tour them is less so. To be truthful, Paris does not feature any great food to speak of, so go to a French fast-food like Pomme de Pain (sort of like Subway, but with REALLY cold beer).

Brussels is an okay city, very livable, and definitely where to go if you want great food, anywhere you want. It doesn't have to be the high-end frou-frou joints. Order moules-frites (mussels and French fries). Anywhere. If you go to the Grand Place, go into the Roy d'Espagne for a beer and to pet the taxidermied horse.

As for Spain, I really hate Madrid (but you will probably have to change planes there if you decide to go a different Spanish city). You will also have to go through European customs if flying from London because of Brexit. (yeah, a real pain in the culo). Barcelona is a great city, but it deserves several days, as does Seville, my absolute favorite. I LOVED that city, and I've been to a ton of them around the world.

I do not recommend Amsterdam. It is the smelly, hairy armpit of Europe.

I guess if I were you, I would just try to enjoy Dublin and some day trips to other parts of Ireland (European trains are great) to explore the area, rather than try to cram in other countries in a short space of time.

Favorite train company?
 

jcisuclones

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Wife and I are headed to Norway in a couple months for our anniversary. Anyone been there?
Went to Oslo last spring solo. Really cool city, chain hotel was affordable, but everything else was ungodly expensive. $20 train ride from the airport, dinner with one beer cost me the equivalent of $50 each night for just me. If that doesn't bother you, I definitely recommend!
 
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jsb

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What did you like most about Iceland? Did you take Iceland Air? A relative was telling me about how you can just stay there for a few days on a layover or something and I didn't quite follow what that meant. Could you just delay your connection?

I liked all of it! My favorite part was probably the South Coast (Vik area), but we did the entire ring road over 2 weeks and I'd do it again. I also really liked the Lake Mytavan and Husavik areas. It's a short flight (5 hours from MSP). They drive on the same side of the road as we do. Everyone speaks English. It's expensive as hell, but well worth it.

We flew Delta---the trip was originally supposed to be in June of 2020 and in January of 2020 we found $400 direct tickets on Delta from MSP. We ended up paying more in 2023.

Iceland Air is the one that allows you to extend your layover for up to 5 days (I think). Basically if you want to got to Paris, book it on Iceland Air and you can stay over in Iceland for no extra flight cost.
 
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ISUCyclones2015

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Favorite train company?
IF you're gonna travel around a bunch by train I would just get the Eurail Pass - https://www.eurail.com/en/eurail-passes

It's a pass of like 12 of the huge train companies in 30ish countries. You can also get just a one country pass as well. You mark it in the app as a travel day and then you get unlimited rides essentially, there's more rules for high speed trains but that's the gist of it.

Switzerland has the best trains in my experience, but the country is crazy expensive.
 

NickTheGreat

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Barcelona is really cool. Been there 2x.

I went about 10 years ago, and it was awesome. Like a lot of cities, you have the touristy stuff, but you kinda have to do it too. All the Gaudi stuff, the Sagrada Familia, Olympic Village, etc.

We did a day trip to Montserrat and that was awesome too.
 
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Urbandale2013

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Isn't that the government building that blew up in a James Bond movie? Maybe an MI6 building?
That’s what I thought but it’s slightly different. That was from 1992 so maybe that is what it was and they just remodeled.

On the main topic my goal is to go to the Netherlands in the next few years. If anyone has any suggestions for there I’d take those.
 
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CyDude16

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Heads in the sky
What did you like most about Iceland? Did you take Iceland Air? A relative was telling me about how you can just stay there for a few days on a layover or something and I didn't quite follow what that meant. Could you just delay your connection?

You can take up to like 5-6 day layover if I recall correctly. The hiking, the scenery, and the people are all amazing.
 

pourcyne

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Favorite train company?

I learned train travel on the SNCF (French trains), so I will always love them. Took my first TGV (high-speed) ride in the late 80's. In 2005, while on an extended stay in Europe, I took the ICE (intercity express train) from Cologne to Liège (Deutschebahn). I felt as if I were in some kind of futuristic movie. There was no driver, and not even a controlleur (person who comes around to check your ticket). A computer announced every stop with a "Auf widersehen. Au revoir. Good-bye." (thought the "good-bye" sounded a little malicious, as if an automated foot would come out and kick my butt out the door if I didn't move along in a timely fashion).

I've taken trains in France, UK, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Belgium, Denmark, and Japan, as well as Canada (VIA Rail). All of them better than Amtrak for a zillion reasons, but the funny thing is, I like Amtrak, too. It's just not run as efficiently as the trains abroad.
 
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shadow

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FYI - looks like a visa "light" program (ETIAS) is coming to Europe in May 2025 (if it doesn't get delayed again) but not to Ireland according to this article.

 

cyclone13

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Went to Oslo last spring solo. Really cool city, chain hotel was affordable, but everything else was ungodly expensive. $20 train ride from the airport, dinner with one beer cost me the equivalent of $50 each night for just me. If that doesn't bother you, I definitely recommend!
Did you go to other places than Oslo? Heading there soon for a week. We’re going to Bergen and Lofoten Islands