How is this itinerary for first trip to Europe

[Mark Hewitt]

"Markku Grönroos" <kurkku@hassuserveri.fi> wrote in message
news:2T4th.9968$rs5.2220@reader1.news.saunalahti.f i...
>
> "Mark Hewitt" <nomail@here.com> kirjoitti
> viestissä:1169479642.932499@ucsnew2.ncl.ac.uk...
>>
>> You have the advantage of being used to driving on the wrong side of the
>> road already, so go for it!
> You are provocative in this. However, now that winter has arrived in
> Finland at last, many people seem to drive on the wrong side of the road
> which results some nasty collisions when the oncoming cars don't do the
> same.

In Britain we are always being told we are on the wrong side of the road, so
it's good to return the favour from time to time

Apparently the government did think of changing to driving on the right
before, they would get trucks to drive on the right first, then get cars to
do the same a year later.

[Bill Steltzer]

> My wife and I are planning a trip to Europe this Spring. I've never been
> to Europe before...we plan on about 2 weeks (~ 15 nights). Both of us are
> English-only speakers.
>
> Our current plan:
>
> Fly to London, 4 nights in London (maybe 1 in Bath?)
> Rail to Paris, 4 nights in Paris
> Rail to Koeln, _rent_ a car and spend 7 days/nights exploring Germany
> (Rhine River Valley, Romantic Road, Rothenburg, Munich, etc.)
> Fly out of Munich
>
> I'm a little skittish about renting a car in a foreign country. I know
> Europe's rail system is supposed to be fantastic, but we like exploring
> and enjoy checking out smaller towns and scenic countryside. Any thoughts on this?

For a first trip to Europe, your itinerary sounds ideal - the two major
cities of Paris and London and then the countryiside and smaller towns
of Germany. You'll find driving in Germany easy. Beautiful roads and
since you won't be leaving the touristic areas of Germany you'll won't
have much trouble finding people who can speak English.

[Dave Smith]

>
> My wife and I are planning a trip to Europe this Spring. I've never been
> to Europe before...we plan on about 2 weeks (~ 15 nights). Both of us are
> English-only speakers.
>
> Our current plan:
>
> Fly to London, 4 nights in London (maybe 1 in Bath?)
> Rail to Paris, 4 nights in Paris
> Rail to Koeln, _rent_ a car and spend 7 days/nights exploring Germany
> (Rhine River Valley, Romantic Road, Rothenburg, Munich, etc.)
> Fly out of Munich
>
> I'm a little skittish about renting a car in a foreign country. I know
> Europe's rail system is supposed to be fantastic, but we like exploring
> and enjoy checking out smaller towns and scenic countryside. Any thoughts on this?

It sounds quite feasible, though Koeln involves heading north while you
plan to end up way down in the south.
If you are renting a car anyway you might consider getting it for one day
extra and picking it up in Paris. The cost of rental and fuel is likely
less than two (or more) train fares. It is a 6-7 hour drive from Paris to
Koeln. I have driven much of that route from Paris to Belgium and it is
quite pleasant.

If you are flexible about Munich you might consider going down a little
further to Garmsich-Prtenkirchen. The drive down from Landsberg is one of
the most scenic I have ever been on. G-P is nestled in Bavarian Alps, very
pretty, and the people were great.

[dgs]

> My wife and I are planning a trip to Europe this Spring. I've never been
> to Europe before...we plan on about 2 weeks (~ 15 nights). Both of us are
> English-only speakers.
>
> Our current plan:
>
> Fly to London, 4 nights in London (maybe 1 in Bath?)
> Rail to Paris, 4 nights in Paris
> Rail to Koeln, _rent_ a car and spend 7 days/nights exploring Germany
> (Rhine River Valley, Romantic Road, Rothenburg, Munich, etc.)
> Fly out of Munich
>
> I'm a little skittish about renting a car in a foreign country. I know
> Europe's rail system is supposed to be fantastic, but we like exploring
> and enjoy checking out smaller towns and scenic countryside. Any thoughts on this?

Looks okay to me, and not terribly dissimilar to my first independent
trip to Europe, complete with car rental, 22 years ago (ah... memories).

You can go to Bath for a day trip if you want, or you could stay there
longer. Nice little historic city in a country with more than a few of
them.

Don't be too put off by the idea of renting a car in Germany, which is
to my mind one of the more user-friendly countries on the Continent.
German roads are generally well-marked, and your worst problems on the
Autobahns are more likely to be in the form of traffic jams. Just pay
attention to lane discipline there, staying on the right except to pass;
German driving rules are much more strict about this than lazy-***
typical American states' regulations, and on the Autobahn, you really
don't want those headlights flashing in your mirror (and how did that
car just suddenly appear in that mirror so quickly, anyway?).

Be careful driving in Munich. Best advice there is to find a hotel with
a parking garage and put the car in it, and leave it there, because you
won't need it, thanks to the city's extensive urban and regional transit
systems.

You've gotten plenty of other good advice here. Have a great trip.
--
dgs

[Mark Hewitt]

"David Horne, _the_ chancellor (*)" <d4g4hd**********.uk> wrote in message
news:1hscofd.1btr47pi6fvnvN%d4g4hd**********.uk...
>
> You can get to plenty non-city places by train- you bring up
> particularly inaccessible places, but there are others easier to get to,
> and lots of people _drive_ to them, despite them being accessible by
> train or other PT.

I would think in a foreign country where you don't speak the language then
driving to where you need to go (especially with sat nav) is going to be
much easier than trying to figure out the train system.

[Mark Hewitt]

> On Tue, 23 Jan 2007 13:27:35 +0100, Deeply Filled Mortician
> <deepfreudmoors@eITmISaACTUALLYiREAL!l.nu> wrote:
>
>>>I would think in a foreign country where you don't speak the language
>>>then
>>>driving to where you need to go (especially with sat nav) is going to be
>>>much easier than trying to figure out the train system.
>>
>>How hard is it to catch a train without knowing a word of the
>>language? I've done it numerous times.
>
> how hard is driving, I don't think its an issue for either.

Well I only know from my experience in France. In buying a ticket at the
station with a ticket machine that refused to cooperate and a long queue for
the ticket desk and an agent who didn't understand "Monaco!". But perhaps
it's just that Nice Ville was ****.

[Mark Hewitt]

> On Tue, 23 Jan 2007 09:01:15 -0000, "Mark Hewitt" <nomail@here.com>
> wrote:
>
>>Personally I go to Keswick and then enjoy driving up in the hills.
>
> you mean walking up in the hills? Keswick is the best big walking base

No, driving, as in, in a car. And not a 4x4 either, I mean, on the roads,
are we clear? )

I must be the only person in the world to have gone to the Lake District at
least once a year for my entire life and never gone on a 'walk'

[Mark Hewitt]

"David Horne, _the_ chancellor (*)" <d4g4hd**********.uk> wrote in message
news:1hse1mm.pwy3lg1qqdslcN%d4g4hd**********.uk...
> The train service is fine.

I would have to get the train to Carlisle first, then get another train to
Kendal, then get the train to Windermere, and the same in reverse. All in
all takes approx twice the time that driving would, and is much less fun.
Besides, I don't want to go to bloody Windermere! <g>

[Iceman]

> "David Horne, _the_ chancellor (*)" <d4g4hd**********.uk> wrote in message
> news:1hscofd.1btr47pi6fvnvN%d4g4hd**********.uk...
> >
> > You can get to plenty non-city places by train- you bring up
> > particularly inaccessible places, but there are others easier to get to,
> > and lots of people _drive_ to them, despite them being accessible by
> > train or other PT.
>
> I would think in a foreign country where you don't speak the language then
> driving to where you need to go (especially with sat nav) is going to be
> much easier than trying to figure out the train system.

It's completely the opposite. It's a lot easier to figure out how to
take the 9:23 train on platform 6 that says Venezia than to constantly
read road signs in another language while passing through places which
you have no idea about.

[barney2]

In article <599cr2drli72l3cn07fptjla9e8d13ggm0@********>,
dontuse@fellwalk.co.uk (The Reid) wrote:

> *From:* The Reid <dontuse@fellwalk.co.uk>
> *Date:* Tue, 23 Jan 2007 15:17:54 +0000
>
> On 23 Jan 2007 06:57:03 -0800, "Iceman" <oneofcold**********m> wrote:
>
> > It's a lot easier to figure out how to
> >take the 9:23 train on platform 6
>
> you have to buy the ticket, which involves conversation and often
> unexpected procedures, you have to listen to announcements.

Uusually, writing down what you want (destination, time, single/return,
class) and handing over some money works.