Kid 1 is planning a six week European wander and the default itinerary is Berlin -> Munich -> Amsterdam -> Belgium -> Paris -> Chamonix -> Innsbruck -> Venice (via a trail in the Alps).
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Kid 1 is planning a six week European wander and the default itinerary is Berlin -> Munich -> Amsterdam -> Belgium -> Paris -> Chamonix -> Innsbruck -> Venice (via a trail in the Alps). If you were a young person traveling solo trying to live cheap and see cool things, what would you see along that general route? Start and end points/dates are fixed, but everything else is TBD.
@c_dan4th Annécy and its lake (possibly on the way to Chamonix) are really stunning. Para-gliding down to Chamonix from the balcony below Mont Blanc could be worth a splurge.
In Paris, see the catacombs
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Kid 1 is planning a six week European wander and the default itinerary is Berlin -> Munich -> Amsterdam -> Belgium -> Paris -> Chamonix -> Innsbruck -> Venice (via a trail in the Alps). If you were a young person traveling solo trying to live cheap and see cool things, what would you see along that general route? Start and end points/dates are fixed, but everything else is TBD.
@c_dan4th personally I’m a fan of Trieste and less so of Venice. Trieste does get tourists, but more regional than from far away. It’s a science hub, one major institution explicitly serves early career academics from developing countries. Residents are more accustomed to visitors from elsewhere.
There are no big attractions but lovely scenery and an awesome cafe scene. Coffee is central to the history of the city and Illy is located in a nearby town.
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Kid 1 is planning a six week European wander and the default itinerary is Berlin -> Munich -> Amsterdam -> Belgium -> Paris -> Chamonix -> Innsbruck -> Venice (via a trail in the Alps). If you were a young person traveling solo trying to live cheap and see cool things, what would you see along that general route? Start and end points/dates are fixed, but everything else is TBD.
@c_dan4th "Young person... trying to... see cool things" is pretty vague. When I was in the area between Chamonix and Innsbruck, I was a middle-aged person trying to see a very specific kind of cool thing (mountains). I have found it best to travel on a quest (not a wander) with my eyes open to serendipity.
That said, as an American, what blows me away about Europe is the continuous history. We live on a continent we basically depopulated within the last few hundred years. In Europe, there's a continuous culture going back millennia. The Romans, ancestors to today's Italians, were using the Grand Saint Bernard Pass 2000 years ago. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_St_Bernard_Pass#History
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@c_dan4th "Young person... trying to... see cool things" is pretty vague. When I was in the area between Chamonix and Innsbruck, I was a middle-aged person trying to see a very specific kind of cool thing (mountains). I have found it best to travel on a quest (not a wander) with my eyes open to serendipity.
That said, as an American, what blows me away about Europe is the continuous history. We live on a continent we basically depopulated within the last few hundred years. In Europe, there's a continuous culture going back millennia. The Romans, ancestors to today's Italians, were using the Grand Saint Bernard Pass 2000 years ago. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_St_Bernard_Pass#History
@drdirtbag I think his plan is pretty vague right now. He’s been to Europe a couple times, so he appreciates that they have History, especially compared to western USA. He’s definitely motivated by mountains, but he also wants to see cultural highlights. I think there are a couple concerts on his schedule as well.
His plan is to tour for four weeks, then hike the Alta Via 2 with a friend finishing in Venice before flying home.
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@c_dan4th personally I’m a fan of Trieste and less so of Venice. Trieste does get tourists, but more regional than from far away. It’s a science hub, one major institution explicitly serves early career academics from developing countries. Residents are more accustomed to visitors from elsewhere.
There are no big attractions but lovely scenery and an awesome cafe scene. Coffee is central to the history of the city and Illy is located in a nearby town.
@feorlen His flight home is from Venice, but Trieste isn’t too far out of the way. I’ll suggest it.
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@c_dan4th Annécy and its lake (possibly on the way to Chamonix) are really stunning. Para-gliding down to Chamonix from the balcony below Mont Blanc could be worth a splurge.
In Paris, see the catacombs
@sgillies Oh I KNOW the catacombs are on his list! Good suggestion for Annecy.
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@feorlen His flight home is from Venice, but Trieste isn’t too far out of the way. I’ll suggest it.
@feorlen I had a conference in Venice a while back and it took me about four days before I actually liked the city. It’s such a unique place, I’m glad to have experienced it. But yeah, I’m glad I wasn’t on my own dime there!
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Kid 1 is planning a six week European wander and the default itinerary is Berlin -> Munich -> Amsterdam -> Belgium -> Paris -> Chamonix -> Innsbruck -> Venice (via a trail in the Alps). If you were a young person traveling solo trying to live cheap and see cool things, what would you see along that general route? Start and end points/dates are fixed, but everything else is TBD.
@c_dan4th Staying in Haarlem might be cheaper than AMS, and then they can bike out to the North Sea via the dune park.
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@drdirtbag I think his plan is pretty vague right now. He’s been to Europe a couple times, so he appreciates that they have History, especially compared to western USA. He’s definitely motivated by mountains, but he also wants to see cultural highlights. I think there are a couple concerts on his schedule as well.
His plan is to tour for four weeks, then hike the Alta Via 2 with a friend finishing in Venice before flying home.
@c_dan4th The mountaineers' cemeteries of Chamonix and Zermatt are worth a visit, as are their mountaineering museums. The Messner Mountain Museum in Sulden/Solda has some fascinating gear from bold first ascents. The via ferrata around the Marmolada, built for soldiers in the White War, are also thought-provoking.
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Kid 1 is planning a six week European wander and the default itinerary is Berlin -> Munich -> Amsterdam -> Belgium -> Paris -> Chamonix -> Innsbruck -> Venice (via a trail in the Alps). If you were a young person traveling solo trying to live cheap and see cool things, what would you see along that general route? Start and end points/dates are fixed, but everything else is TBD.
@c_dan4th If your kid likes old architecture Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Strasbourg/Colmar, and Luxembourg were all great to see (I visited them in my mid-20s). You can just wander around looking at all the unique buildings for free. Also public transit is free in Luxembourg which is a plus for saving money.
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Kid 1 is planning a six week European wander and the default itinerary is Berlin -> Munich -> Amsterdam -> Belgium -> Paris -> Chamonix -> Innsbruck -> Venice (via a trail in the Alps). If you were a young person traveling solo trying to live cheap and see cool things, what would you see along that general route? Start and end points/dates are fixed, but everything else is TBD.
@c_dan4th Take overnight sleeper train to get around. Also, skip Munich on the first leg and add it just before Insbruck.
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Kid 1 is planning a six week European wander and the default itinerary is Berlin -> Munich -> Amsterdam -> Belgium -> Paris -> Chamonix -> Innsbruck -> Venice (via a trail in the Alps). If you were a young person traveling solo trying to live cheap and see cool things, what would you see along that general route? Start and end points/dates are fixed, but everything else is TBD.
@c_dan4th In the Netherlands: seconding Haarlem as a lovely city and cheaper than AMS. Utrecht is beautiful and completely overlooked. Den Haag has the MC Escher museum. All NL has excellent rail services.
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Kid 1 is planning a six week European wander and the default itinerary is Berlin -> Munich -> Amsterdam -> Belgium -> Paris -> Chamonix -> Innsbruck -> Venice (via a trail in the Alps). If you were a young person traveling solo trying to live cheap and see cool things, what would you see along that general route? Start and end points/dates are fixed, but everything else is TBD.
@c_dan4th @SRLevine I was an exchange student in southern Germany 20 years ago and went back a few years later for a summer working in a lab and traveling cheaply on the weekends. Off the top of my head: Bamberg, Augsburg (the Fuggerei is interesting), Schwetzingen Palace Gardens, Basel, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Aachen, there's a musical instrument museum in Brussels; I also like Lübeck, but that's probably too far out of the way
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@c_dan4th @SRLevine I was an exchange student in southern Germany 20 years ago and went back a few years later for a summer working in a lab and traveling cheaply on the weekends. Off the top of my head: Bamberg, Augsburg (the Fuggerei is interesting), Schwetzingen Palace Gardens, Basel, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Aachen, there's a musical instrument museum in Brussels; I also like Lübeck, but that's probably too far out of the way
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@c_dan4th @SRLevine I was an exchange student in southern Germany 20 years ago and went back a few years later for a summer working in a lab and traveling cheaply on the weekends. Off the top of my head: Bamberg, Augsburg (the Fuggerei is interesting), Schwetzingen Palace Gardens, Basel, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Aachen, there's a musical instrument museum in Brussels; I also like Lübeck, but that's probably too far out of the way
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Kid 1 is planning a six week European wander and the default itinerary is Berlin -> Munich -> Amsterdam -> Belgium -> Paris -> Chamonix -> Innsbruck -> Venice (via a trail in the Alps). If you were a young person traveling solo trying to live cheap and see cool things, what would you see along that general route? Start and end points/dates are fixed, but everything else is TBD.
@c_dan4th
He is doing the right thing to go cheap: avoid Switzerland!
(Of course there are cheaper ways here too, and, it's beautiful!)
Generally:
Stay in hostels and cook (some) of your own meals.
Maybe a train pass from eurail.
Take regional trains rather than high speed trains if the latter have mandatory reservations (TER, not TGV in France).
Check out mid-sized towns along the way rather than the big cities.
Avoid bars&clubs. Buy booze at the supermarket and go drink it outside. Have fun! -
@c_dan4th
He is doing the right thing to go cheap: avoid Switzerland!
(Of course there are cheaper ways here too, and, it's beautiful!)
Generally:
Stay in hostels and cook (some) of your own meals.
Maybe a train pass from eurail.
Take regional trains rather than high speed trains if the latter have mandatory reservations (TER, not TGV in France).
Check out mid-sized towns along the way rather than the big cities.
Avoid bars&clubs. Buy booze at the supermarket and go drink it outside. Have fun!@serac Solid advice; I’ll let him know.
He’s getting a rail pass of some sort which gives him either 7 or 10 days of unlimited travel. He already has my love and fascination with foreign grocery stores, so I imagine he’ll cook a bit. -
Kid 1 is planning a six week European wander and the default itinerary is Berlin -> Munich -> Amsterdam -> Belgium -> Paris -> Chamonix -> Innsbruck -> Venice (via a trail in the Alps). If you were a young person traveling solo trying to live cheap and see cool things, what would you see along that general route? Start and end points/dates are fixed, but everything else is TBD.
@c_dan4th what an itinerary! My advice would be to stop off at small towns between the major hubs. They are always so charming and interesting. They'll also give cheaper accommodation
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