3 Week European Tour
- MOST SMALL DUTCH HOTELS DEAL IN CASH ONLY! Tip-You can withdraw euros from bank machines just like at home.
- 2-3 days in Amsterdam. Visit every gallery possible along the canals. Skip museums for now! Except The Anne Frank House!
- Take the fast train to Paris. The food is amazing for train food! The trip cost more, but it´s worth it
- Take the metro to St. Paul station. You are 2 blocks from your hotel. Hôtel Sévigné.
- The smallest elevator I have ever seen... still, ask to be on the fifth floor. The views are better.
- Try to be in Paris for the weekend. The Marais, your neighborhood, comes alive on Sunday! This is a city that you splurge on one meal... you must!
- Les Bouquinistes is on the left bank... very expensive... everything is good! Dress well and you may be treated to a table with a view!
- Just as good a meal can be had at Trumilou on the right bank for far fewer euros. Have the Canard aux Pruneaux!
- 3-4 days in Paris. The city reeks of art and design. Walk to Notre Dame and take the red double decker tour bus. Edge your way to the front seats on the second level. Your ticket is good for the entire day and there is no better way to learn Paris!
- Leave Paris for Venice on the night train. Book a sleeper car well in advance... when you buy your Eurail pass would be best. Your train will leave from the Bercy Train Station reached via the metro Bercy station. Tip-For those holding overnight train accommodations there is a private lounge at the station on the second floor. Refreshments are served and you can relax in style!
- Make arrangements for your rooms well in advance for Venice. Only then will you enjoy the city. Everything can be expensive here if you do not plan well.
- Pensione Guerrato.is right off of the Rialto Bridge. Taking the right Vapretto, Venice´s water bus, from the main train station will mean that you do not have to drag your luggage over a single bridge. Having never been there... you have no idea how important this is. When you exit the station on arrival... I assure you it is like stepping back in time... you will now believe in love at first sight! If you like to cook and plan well in advance you might be lucky enough to book one of their apartments. There are several grocery stores in Venice and great open air markets. Tip-If you love coffee... you must ask for directions to Caffee del Doge. Never have I enjoyed a coffee more!
- Time to chase the cheese. Venice is a maze... around every corner another shop and work of art. You cannot take a bad picture here. Stop in every small church that is open to the public and enjoy some of the most beautiful art on the planet.
- Don't miss the Peggy Guggenheim Museum. The neighborhood is one of my favorites.
- Venice floods. There, we´ve said it. Now what to do about it. The locals will erect a pathway of raised platforms through the most traveled sections of Venice in an instant. You also need to be prepared. I bring 2 of the heaviest trash bags for each person in my party along with a handful of very heavy rubber bands for each leg. Instant waders! Looks silly, but not as silly as a soaking wet tourist!
Now your on your own for a few days. I recommend working your way back toward Amsterdam. Try 3 days in another city... Vienna is always nice, a bit on the dark side, but still beautiful. Munich is much more upbeat! Hamburg is lovely! Prague or Budapest a real adventure. If you ski Innsbruck is the place for you. Frommer´s is famous for their budget recommendations... it is the one travel book I carry with me to Europe!
- Back to Amsterdam! We´ll spend our final week in Europe there. I recommend an apartment. How else can you live like a local?
- Try the Triple Five Guesthouse or Stay Here!
- Cafe Luxembourg is a great place to warm up to a bowl of split pea soup and catch up on your english language newspapers.
- Time for the museums. Forget the Rijksmuseum. It is undergoing a massive renovation. There is not much to see.
- Take a day trip to Harlem. Enjoy the Amsterdam Symphony, shop till you drop... just walk every street in central Amsterdam! And walk along every canal! You will fall in love with this city... I guarantee it!
