First time traveling in Europe, Where should I go?

Hi all,

I am looking to travel in Europe next summer with a group tour. It will be my first time ever going to Europe and I don't know where to start! I've always wanted to see Prague, but Italy and France seem so nice too. I can't decide to stick to West Europe or East Europe and all the tours that see both places are over my budget.

Does any one have any suggestions of where I should go being a first time traveler? Also, I'm 23 and will be traveling in group tour with people around my age. However, I'm more about the "experience" and less about the nightlife as some people my age would be.

Thanks!

There is a lot to see in Europe and one country will probably take up all your time. You could easily spend months looking around the UK. There are lots of cheap flights available so you could spend a few days in Prague or many other destinations as side trips if you want to.

Italy has a lot to see and much of it can be seen in a few weeks. In France, the sights are quite spread out, so lots of travelling, as with Spain.

If you are all about the experience, consider going not with a tour, but on your own. Here at TP the big majority of the regulars are firm believers in the do-it-yourself when it comes to tours. Europe is very easy to travel to, why spent money on a tour when you can do it cheaper on your own?

I suggest you go to your local library and pick up some decent travel guides. Let's Go, Rough Guide, Lonely Planet, Rick Steves are all good, try to find editions that are not older than 2 years.

Once you got these travel guides snuggle up with them at home, read them cover to cover and take notes on what interests you. This will help you tremendously to narrow down what you really want to see and do and whether you have the time and the money to do it. (Just look up current prices online before you do the money math.) All of these travel guides assume that you are on your own, so you get a pretty good feeling of what it takes to go without a tour.

hi

Have you considered traveling through Europe by train? Western Europe has better trains than the eastern Europe and the Balcans though, if comfort matters to you.

http://www.eurail.com/ might give you some ideas.

hth

Esther

If you are going to Europe, you must visit Spain! it is a beautiful country, very sunny and very interesting.
I think that the best cities to visit in Spain are Madrid, Barcelona and Zaragoza.

I was totally blown away by Italy. I went on the Rick Steves, 17 day Best of Italy - or something like that and I loved ALL of it! We started in northern Italy, at the Dolomites - which I really didn't want to see, but ended up loving. Then we zigzagged across Italy to Rome - 15 days later and spent two nights there.
Now, I want to go back to see the Amalfi Coast, Sorrento, Positino, Isle of Capri - all of that area. Anyone want to join me?

If you have the opportunity to come to Spain don't pass it up! Spain isn't just beaches and paella. There's plenty more to Spain than that!

I've visited most of Europe's countries and the ones that i can suggest are:

Turkey
Macedonia
Croatia
Romania
Italy
Greece
and Czech Republic

others... don't "stun" you as these do, since most of the other stuff you've seen on tv and is not that interesting and adventurous

Hi Everyone,

First of, there´s a list of great feedback present here. Figuring which country and what to see in Europe is definitely a challenge.

Before I delve into some of the possibilities, I think it is very important for you to take some time and really figure out where your interests lie. What do you like the most? What do you enjoy doing? Once you have figured out the answers to these questions, then you would be a leg up in deciding where you want to go.

However, completing this task isn´t a magic formula. You´re still going to feel the need and want to visit other countries you might not have chosen, it´s definitely a compromise but ultimately one that you can live with

Please let all of us know of your narrowed selection so that we can offer you advice on which sights and attractions to visit. As well as visiting magnificent sights that are off the beaten path.

Hope in hearing from you all.

Carlos

[ Edit: Sorry, no promos please. ]

If you want go to Europe in summer better go to south, cause if it will be too hot you can at least spent some time swiming, cause it can be real hell roaming around and watching historical places with tourist group and dreaming about swiming pool.
In summer will be nice at Italy, Spain, France (you can move by train to Paris for few days and later on take a trip to see a castles and move to seaside) or Spain (but i'm not a big fun of Spain)
Very nice in summer in Switzerland or Austria
Czech very good in autumn. Adorable actually, not good, but in summer..... not recommended
But why you wanna travel with group? just rent a car and you will really much more enjoy