European Playground!!!!
 

YEAH!!!! our tickets are booked...i'm soooooo freaking excited!!!
got an awesome deal on continental...cheapest around.

so i have a few questions/ideas to kick around...

we leave nyc 7-18

amsterdam
7-19 to 7-24
(stop in brussels for the day on the way to paris--get to paris at night)
paris
7-24 to 7-30
barcelona
7-30 to 8-6
madrid
8-6 to 8-10

back to nyc on 8-11

a few things...
-should we do an overnight in brussels? i've heard its a beautiful city to see, since we have the time in the trip, is it worth a night there?

-europass...yes or no? my boyfriend and i traveling together...both over 26...not traveling overnight...can we do it? is it worth it?

-with each city we're going to do day trips...for barcelona especially, any suggestions? costa brava? beaches? i know there is an entire country to see but we dont want to jam pack every single day with stuff to do, that's why spain is pretty open with just two cities--and we're leaving out of madrid.
there is so much we want to see on this trip in terms of sights, but that is not our main focus. we're also looking to just chill out too...picnics in the park, sun at the beach, people watch, etc etc.

would love to hear any ideas, thoughts, suggestions, places to see, places to stay, places NOT to stay...anything!!!

anyone else going to be around those part too?!
:hi:

The day trip possibilities from Madrid are really fantastic Avila, Salamanca, Segovia, Toledo, Pamplona. From Barcelona you can do the whole Costa Brava bit, Valencia etc. At the risk of stating the obvious, with Paris, Versailles is a good day trip. There was a town I was looking at in the Netherlands that looked interesting but I can't find it now (I think it had water in the name).

--Joey

So I would say skip Brussels and jump a 40 minute train from Brussels as early in the day as possible to Brugge, spend the afternoon and night, have a chill morning and then onto Paris. I'm telling ya girl, Brugge blows Brussels OFF the map. Nothing like a 16th century medevil city that still looks and feels that way. Beautiful canals, etc..... Email me if you need or want more Brugge info.
Have I mentioned the Catacomb tour in Paris to you? Let me know on that one too!! The two of you would dig it
Do you know what part of Amsterdam you are staying in? I have great suggestions.
Ok, thats enough offers, hee hee:p

Damn, I keep agreeing with Marc :p

Brugge would be my choise but it takes you a little out of the way. If you are willing to spend the night, I would do so in Brugge.

Some photos and commentary (a lot of which doesn't make sense without having read other posts) on both Brussels and Brugge.

In a way I am surprised that Brugge is not more popular. It is featured on Hostelworld this month but most people have never heard of it (including me before I went there...great surprise!)

--Joey