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Old 10-28-2007, 10:05 AM   #1
pinknic38
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so for those who didn't read my stupid thread about my flight question (to lazy to go link it), I will summarize my craziness.

I saw that Celine Dion's word tour started in February and I knew for sure I was going to be on my post deployment block leave from June 5th to July 7th, so out of curiosity, I wanted to see where she was playing during my leave time... and it turns out she's in Germany mainly then. Awesome. So I checked seating in Frankfurt (I went to check it as soon as the fanclub presale opened... I am a tool, I know! ) and I got row 9 which was unacceptable to me. So I tried the only other place I'd never heard of thinking no one else would try this location, so I picked her show in Stuttgart, and voila! I got row 1, seat 18 (aka FRONT AND CENTER!). not expecting that, I nearly threw up from sheer excitement. I realized I had 2 minutes to decide if I wanted the seat before it gave it up for me, and I had an outer body experience after that, and whoever took over my body while i was away bought the ticket without knowing how much it cosrt (because the price was in Euros), and now I have a ticket that I cannot sell because it was a fanclub purchase, and I'm going to Germany!!

So now that you all understand I am a huge tool, I plan on staying, now that I've decided, around 3 weeks. I debated the time because I will have just been back from deployment (by 2 months anyway, and this is my first amont of big leave home, besides long weekends I'll have off every weekend to go home), but I am also moving home a month later and people can visit me then. :D So I have decided to make this a little European adventure.

This is my first multi-country trip, so I will need the assistance of you well-seasoned veterans.

Here's my list of places I want to go:
-Munich
-Stuttgart
-Brussels
-Prague
-Krakow
-Paris (I will be in the vicinity and only want to spend 2 days max there to see the Louvre and Monet's house & gardens)
-Amsterdam
-Vienna

Also considering a few other places in Germany... Cologne & Bonn... I don't know. This is a little much for only three weeks isn't it? I mean, honestly, I want to spend NO MORE than 2 days in Paris, and I want to see Krakow a day and see the Auschwitz-Birkenau site.

The only place I HAVE to be is June 18th, in Stuttgard for the concert. So I'm checking places to fly into for cheap airfare and I guess just going to build my trip around that. My dates are pretty flexible. If I had to eliminate a city or 2, I guess I could shit-can Vienna and maybe Brussels or Prague, but going to Krakow and A-dam is a MUST, and I honestly don't know if I will ever go to Paris again (just not all about Paris like some people are... but I do want to go because I will be in the vicinity).

So I assume I'm going to need a eurorail pass, yes?

Okay I'm leaving this long-winded post here. Let me know what you all think, etc.
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Last edited by pinknic38; 10-28-2007 at 10:08 AM.
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Old 10-28-2007, 10:35 AM   #2
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When I went to Europe Paris was my last stop, and with all the amazing stuff that I had seen in over 30 days I wondered if Paris would live up to my expectations and all the hype. And let me tell you, it just blew my mind!! I looooved it and would looove to live there someday.

That being said, there's so much going on in that city, two days is nothing really. If I were you, I'd see more oof Germany, like Berlin. Everyone says that that city is fantastic. My ex-b/f is living in Munich now and he absolutely loves sit there.

I would skip Paris for this trip (you have to travel waaaay west for that) and concentrate on stuff close to teh concert. If you make it to Munich you could check out Salzbourg whicjh is teribluy close (and you get to see two cities in Austria).

Alsdo close to Munich is the Neuschwanstein Castle which is supposed to be amazing!

Anyways, my two cents is concenrate on cities close together and not Paris which is totally spread out.
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Old 10-28-2007, 11:10 AM   #3
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you know my best friend (who studied for a whole summer in paris) said the same thing, that once I got there that there would be so much I wnated to do that I should save it. and I really do want to see more of germany.my great aunt is a bonn native and current resident and it would be nice if I went to visit her...
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Old 10-28-2007, 11:20 AM   #4
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You should just follow Celine on her tour, and attend every show. Channel your inner-Phish fan
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Old 10-28-2007, 11:23 AM   #5
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omg I could be a groupie!!

here are her tour dates for when I will be on leave...

July 5, 2008 Stade C. Erhmann Nikaia Nice, France
July 01, 2008 Stadthalle Wien Vienna, Austria
June 24, 2008 Hallenstadion Zurich, Switzerland
June 22, 2008 Olympiastadion Munich, Germany
June 18, 2008 Koelnarena Cologne, Germany
June 16, 2008 Schleyerhalle Stuttgart, Germany
June 14, 2008 Commerzbank Arena Frankfurt, Germany
June 12, 2008 Waldbuehne Berlin, Germany
June 10, 2008 Color-Line Arena Hamburg, Germany
June 07, 2008 AB Stockholm Globe Arena Stockholm, Sweden
June 05, 2008 Parken Copenhagen, Denmark
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Old 10-28-2007, 12:13 PM   #6
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I'm assuming the list was not in order right?

Let's say you take your leave starting June 5th + 21 days = June 28th...

June
5-7 - Amsterdam
7-11 - Berlin-> Prague
11-14 - Krakow (You may not want to be in Krakow long but it is really far East in Poland)
15-19 - Munich/Stuttgart (you may be able to go as a day trip from Munich depending on when the concert ends)
20-23 - Paris
23-28 - Brussels/Brugge (I'd stay in Brugge and make a daytrip to Brussels) and Amsterdam

In Munich, I wholeheartedly recommend "The Wombat" which is one of the best hostels I have ever stayed in. Marc had some good suggestions for hotels in A'dam and Brugge if you dig through the recommendations. Sir Toby's in Prague is usually highly rated. Krakow has tons of recommended cheap hostels.

And I would definitely get a rail pass for Benelux, France, Germany. I don't think you need it for getting to Krakow and Prague...

--Joey
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Old 10-28-2007, 12:46 PM   #7
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sweet I like that itenerary... and if I decide not to do Paris, I can keep the same timeline and switch out Bonn & Cologne for Paris.

I've scoured the boards for some good hostel reccs.... I haven't found any for Bonn-Cologne (maybe all ask expatben since he is lover of all things Germany ) and Brussels.

Also, for a 2.5-3 week trip is my 55L pack good enough (I also will have a messenger bag-type daypack), or should I go for something bigger?

thanks yall!
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Old 10-28-2007, 02:33 PM   #8
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checking airfare (I just spent an hour and a half on kayak, checking like 10 different destinations from c-bus, cincy, dayton, raleigh, and charlotte), and it looks like no matter where I fly out of, the three cheapest cities to fly into are #1 zurich (884 from c-bus), #2 frankfurt (885 from c-bus), and #3 amsterdam (1063 from c-bus)...
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Old 10-29-2007, 05:21 AM   #9
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If I were you I'd probably leave out either Paris or Krakow..they both seem a bit out of your way for a 3 week trip.

Most people i speak to dont really like brussels, and like someone already mentioned, brugge is apparently much nicer.

Stuttgart is really nice by the way, i good friend of mine lives there, i went to visit a few weeks ago.
As much as I love köln as a place to live, there isnt that much to see here as a tourist...the cathedral is incredible though, and along the river is really nice. Everyone here is really friendy, and the beer tastes great too!

Bonn is beautiful but quite small. It hardly got bombed during the war so lots of old buildings and nice squares. Bonn could easily be done on a day trip from Köln, its only 20/30 minutes away on the train, and its really quiet at night, i think everyone goes out in Köln in the evenings. If youve got family here im sure you'd find stuff to do.

As for hostels, I only know of one in Köln. a couple of friends stayed there a few weeks ago and said it was fine. I think its called "Station hostel" or something.
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