Search this site
To See‎ > ‎

Europe

Contents

  1. 1 Germany, Austria, and Switzerland
    1. 1.1 Germany
    2. 1.2 Austria
    3. 1.3 Switzerland
  2. 2 France
  3. 3 Spain and Portugal
    1. 3.1 Spain
    2. 3.2 Portugal
  4. 4 British Isles
    1. 4.1 England
    2. 4.2 Wales
    3. 4.3 Scotland
    4. 4.4 Ireland
  5. 5 The Netherlands and Belgium
    1. 5.1 The Netherlands
    2. 5.2 Belgium
  6. 6 Eastern Europe
    1. 6.1 Croatia
    2. 6.2 Slovenia
    3. 6.3 Czech Republic
    4. 6.4 Slovakia
    5. 6.5 Poland
    6. 6.6 Greece
    7. 6.7 Turkey
  7. 7 How to get there...
    1. 7.1 Discount Airlines
    2. 7.2 Space A

Germany, Austria, and Switzerland

Germany

One of the greatest economies in Europe with numerous castles, cities, and other sites to explore...

Austria

Remember the beautiful countryside in The Sound of Music?  That's Austria...
  • Vienna is a gorgeous city, rich with history.  Take the time to walk around, vice using the U as most things are within 10-15 minutes of each other (besides, might as well walk off all the delicious food).  Vienna International Airport is on the outskirts of the city, meaning either a bus, train, or cab ride (~35 euro) into the city center.  Definitely take the time to see Stephansdom (St. Stephen's Cathedral), Hofburg Palace (Treasury, Spanish Riding School, Sisi Museum, Imperial Apartments, Silver collection, among others), Schonbrunn Palace (the Summer Palace), and any one of a host of classical music concerts.  Vienna is a surprisingly expensive city, so try to keep that in mind when planning your time there.

Switzerland

Just north of Italy with cantons that speak French, Italian, and German...

France

An old British saying is "France: beautiful country.  A pity about the people."  Despite their reputation, if you approach them the right way, the French can be wonderful...and their country is indeed beautiful.  The food alone is worth the trip!
  • Paris is tied with Rome and London as one of Europe's most important and magical cities.  Have a picnic on the Pont des Arts or sit at a cafe and watch the world go by.  Gawk at the Notre Dame and the Saint Suplice (made famous by the Da Vinci Code).  Strain for a look at the Mona Lisa (and thousands of other treasures) at the Louvre, then head over for a much better museum experience at the Musée d'Orsée (a converted train station that houses Impressionist paintings).
  • The French Riviera (la Côte d'Azur) is very close to Italy, and has much in common (friendly people, seafood, warm Mediterreanean climate).  Indeed, most of it was once part of an Italian city-state (Italian hero Garibaldi was born in Nice).  However, it's with a French accent: you can still get amazing baguettes and croissants, and a wonderful array of French cheeses (the area is known for its goat cheese, or chevre).  Also check out the Monte Carlo casino and a bevy of luxury cars in the tiny cliffside nation of Monaco.  For information about the French Riviera in English, see www.rivierareporter.com, a newsletter designed for expats.

Spain and Portugal

Spain

Maxim Magazine once joked that "It's hard to believe that this nation of lisping pretty boys once ruled half our hemisphere," but it's a fun, vibrant place to visit, full of exciting adventures and fun-loving people.
  • Barcelona is accessible by low-cost airlines directly from Naples, and features an all-night party scene and some extraordinary architecture by Gaudi.
  • Pamplona is famous for its "Running of the Bulls," part of the festival of San Fermin, which is basically a huge, city-sized, increasingly international outdoor frat party.

Portugal

British Isles

England

Home of London, one of the greatest cities in the world...

Wales

Scotland

Ireland

The Netherlands and Belgium

The Netherlands

The Netherlands, sometimes called "Holland" after its principal provinces, is a beautiful country reclaimed from the sea.

  • Amsterdam is both a charming canal city and a free-wheeling den of legalized prostitution and marijuana.  Walk along the grachtengordel (the network of canals in the old city) and take a canal tour boat to get the best of the city.  The top museums are the Rijksmuseum (Dutch masters, including Rembrandt's The Night Watch), Van Gogh Museum, and the Anne Frank Huis.  The Heineken Experience is also a fun time.  Just outside the city, Zaanse Schans offers a touristy but fun look at rural Dutch life, including several windmills.  Food: get bitterballen (fried beef balls) at a pub.  Try Indonesian food.

Belgium

Belgium is an oft-overlooked destination, but offers some beautiful towns (such as Bruges), excellent food, and hundreds of varieties of beer.  It's said that Belgian food is "French quality with German portions," which is better than the other way around!  They invented "French" fries, and other specialties include chocolate, waffles, and mussels.

  • Brussels is a convenient train changeover spot, with some nice museums, a beautiful main square (la Grand Place), a curious city mascot (the Mannekin Pis), and lots of great restaurants.
  • Bruges (or Brugge), the "Venice of the North," is a beautifully preserved medieval town with hundreds of canals.

Eastern Europe

Croatia

If Russia and Italy had a love child, it would be Croatia:  it has a strong Slavic history, but its Catholic religion, food, and culture are highly influenced by nearby Italy, as Venice once ruled most of the Croatian Dalmitian Coast.
  • Zagreb is an underrated capital with cool history and fun nightlife.
  • Plitvice National Park features beautiful waterfalls cascading over limestone cliffs.
  • Dubrovnik is probably the best destination in Croatia, with a mix of fun in the sun and history, with great food and water sports.

Slovenia

Czech Republic

Slovakia

Poland

Although now part of the EU, Poland is still relatively cheap compared to the rest of Europe, even Eastern Europe.
  • Krakow is a beautiful medieval city, often called "the next Prague."  Its charming old town, churches, Jewish quarter, and Wawel castle will charm you...and its hopping night life will enthrall you.  A worthwhile day trip is to Auschwitz/Berkenau, where you can bear witness to some of the most horrible crimes of the Holocaust.  Another fun, albeit tacky, day trip is to the Salt Mines of Wieliczka, where you can see amazing caverns tunneled out of salt, including a huge chapel with elaborate carvings.  Good apartment rentals: www.crystalsuites.info

Greece

Turkey

How to get there...

There's always time to do a little traveling from Naples to the rest of Europe and a ton of ways to get there: car, train, ferry, or air.

Discount Airlines

To do a general search for low-cost fares (e.g. what are all the cheap flights leaving from Naples or Rome?) try out Skyscanner.  If you know your destination, Kayak is one of the best search pages (and it can act as a "meta-search" for other sites like Expedia).  For general information about discount airlines, see Wikitravel's page on discount airlines in Europe.

Departures from Naples:
Departures from Rome:

Space A

Information about space availability lodging and flights for major European bases is available at the Naples Tiger Shark Swim Team travel webpage.