Evilgrin 72
Distributor of Pain
Taking the wife to Europe in September. I've talked about the possibility of this trip here in the past and got some good tips/advice, but since the search function bites, I can't even find that. Tentative plans :
Germany - taking one day at the top (Saturday) when the Fest is likely to be overcrowded and going away from the flow of traffic to Neuschwanstein castle and then up to Rothenburg ob der Tauber. Anyone done Neuschwanstein before? I'm reading more than one person saying the guided tour is a waste of time and that you're better off just parking, walking up to the bridge and taking pictures of the castle and then getting the F out of Dodge. We're going to do the Night Watchman tour in Rothenburg and likely retire early. Day 2, driving back to Munich and ditching the rental car, got a hotel right next to the Viktualienmarkt downtown, so should be walking distance to pretty much everything. I'm guessing the night of Day 2 and most/all of day 3 will be spent that the Theresienweise, so I doubt there's going to be a ton of time to sightsee in Munich. Probably just walk the Marienplatz, see the glockenspiel, maybe pop in at Hofbrauhaus for a mass just to say I've done it (and to see how close the Vegas location is to the original.) Plan to check out the Viktualienmarkt for lunch before flying to Paris on Day 4.
Paris - Rented an apartment on AirBNB in the 1er arrondisement just a few blocks from the Louvre and Notre Dame. First night we're there, I was thinking about booking a Seine river cruise to get oriented and see some of the landmarks from afar at night. We'll have two full days/nights there afterward which I know isn't nearly enough time to see Paris, but it is what it is. I was thinking of spending day 5 heading to the Arc du Triomphe and then winding back through the 8th/7th/6th to check out the Eiffel Tower, Hotel des Invalides, St. Germain, Luxembourg Gardens. Louvre is open until 9:30 that evening, so I was thinking about getting tickets and going in late afternoon when the crowds supposedly die way down. 3-4 hours isn't much time, but I'm not a huge art guy and I figure I can at least see the highlights and zip past some other stuff. Short walk back to the apartment from there. Day 6, I figured I'd go the other way and visit Pere Lachaise cemetary and then check out the 3e, 4e, and 5e - wander through Le Marais, Quartier Latin, Notre Dame, the Iles, etc.
Probably not going to be into the whole 4 star dining experience, planning to stick to the occasional bistro, croque madame, some baguettes and Bordier butter on a park bench, crepes, maybe a steak frites. Casual classics. With that in mind, any recos are welcome.
Amsterdam - rented an apartment just a block off the Rembrandtsplein, so we have a great location. I've been before, so I'm leaving most of the sightseeing/planning up to the wife. Rijksmuseum, Anne Frank House, Vondelpark are all possibilities, but I suspect much of our time will be spent in the coffeehouses. Plan to get a rijstaffel one night and I imagine Febo will creep into the picture, along with some vlaamse frites, but other than that, I don't think there's much of culinary note in Amsterdam, am I wrong? I've always had good meals there, just never really went after traditional Dutch cooking. Pannekoeken is a given, of course.
Also, as a side note, I have a 6 hour layover on the way home in Copenhagen so I was planning on jumping the local train down to Kongens Nytorv for a walk around and maybe a smorrebrod lunch or something. Anyone familiar with the city feel free to chime in.
Just looking for any tips/hints/recommendations for something that may be a must see or must have that I might not have read about. Thanks.
Germany - taking one day at the top (Saturday) when the Fest is likely to be overcrowded and going away from the flow of traffic to Neuschwanstein castle and then up to Rothenburg ob der Tauber. Anyone done Neuschwanstein before? I'm reading more than one person saying the guided tour is a waste of time and that you're better off just parking, walking up to the bridge and taking pictures of the castle and then getting the F out of Dodge. We're going to do the Night Watchman tour in Rothenburg and likely retire early. Day 2, driving back to Munich and ditching the rental car, got a hotel right next to the Viktualienmarkt downtown, so should be walking distance to pretty much everything. I'm guessing the night of Day 2 and most/all of day 3 will be spent that the Theresienweise, so I doubt there's going to be a ton of time to sightsee in Munich. Probably just walk the Marienplatz, see the glockenspiel, maybe pop in at Hofbrauhaus for a mass just to say I've done it (and to see how close the Vegas location is to the original.) Plan to check out the Viktualienmarkt for lunch before flying to Paris on Day 4.
Paris - Rented an apartment on AirBNB in the 1er arrondisement just a few blocks from the Louvre and Notre Dame. First night we're there, I was thinking about booking a Seine river cruise to get oriented and see some of the landmarks from afar at night. We'll have two full days/nights there afterward which I know isn't nearly enough time to see Paris, but it is what it is. I was thinking of spending day 5 heading to the Arc du Triomphe and then winding back through the 8th/7th/6th to check out the Eiffel Tower, Hotel des Invalides, St. Germain, Luxembourg Gardens. Louvre is open until 9:30 that evening, so I was thinking about getting tickets and going in late afternoon when the crowds supposedly die way down. 3-4 hours isn't much time, but I'm not a huge art guy and I figure I can at least see the highlights and zip past some other stuff. Short walk back to the apartment from there. Day 6, I figured I'd go the other way and visit Pere Lachaise cemetary and then check out the 3e, 4e, and 5e - wander through Le Marais, Quartier Latin, Notre Dame, the Iles, etc.
Probably not going to be into the whole 4 star dining experience, planning to stick to the occasional bistro, croque madame, some baguettes and Bordier butter on a park bench, crepes, maybe a steak frites. Casual classics. With that in mind, any recos are welcome.
Amsterdam - rented an apartment just a block off the Rembrandtsplein, so we have a great location. I've been before, so I'm leaving most of the sightseeing/planning up to the wife. Rijksmuseum, Anne Frank House, Vondelpark are all possibilities, but I suspect much of our time will be spent in the coffeehouses. Plan to get a rijstaffel one night and I imagine Febo will creep into the picture, along with some vlaamse frites, but other than that, I don't think there's much of culinary note in Amsterdam, am I wrong? I've always had good meals there, just never really went after traditional Dutch cooking. Pannekoeken is a given, of course.
Also, as a side note, I have a 6 hour layover on the way home in Copenhagen so I was planning on jumping the local train down to Kongens Nytorv for a walk around and maybe a smorrebrod lunch or something. Anyone familiar with the city feel free to chime in.
Just looking for any tips/hints/recommendations for something that may be a must see or must have that I might not have read about. Thanks.
for when I'm not at work... I have spent considerable time/lived in all of the cities on your itinerary...
And since they were warm and I had no fridge I had to sit them outside my window to chill. So good!
