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Taking a Vacation!

kalebschumann
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kalebschumann Newbie

kalebschumann

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It's been getting a little too dark on GMG.com for me.

So I want to talk about something completely not UNT or sports related for a little bit. I'm wanting to take a 12-15 day trip to Europe. I was hoping for your guys input on certain aspects of my trip (like all of them).

There are a few places I want to hit for sure:

-Liverpool

-Somewhere in Spain

-Somewhere in Switzerland

-Possibly Vienna

What are your thoughts on:

-Finding airfare

-Where to fly into/out of

-Budgeting money for food/drinks (mostly drinks)

Hopefully this will give us a brief break from the doom and gloom that is currently this board.

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KRAM1 Newbie

KRAM1

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Try Seville in Sapin...loved the place.

Switzerland is VERY expensive...might try Austria...Salzburg is great and close enough to Munich to stop there as well and it has a GREAT beer garden...well more than one...you really shouldn't miss Munich in my opinion.

Sometimes you can get great airfares by flying AA to Frankfurt and making connections there...driving a rental is not all that hard in Europe...but the TRAINS are great! And don't get sucked in to the First Class train fares...you don't need them on most of the short 3-5 hour rides....clean and on time and fast enough. Used them many many times. Recommend them highly.

Believe it or not...the buses are good in England as well...so depending upon where you fly a bus can be great transportation...we took a bus to and from Heathrow to Cardiff, Wales this year...about 3 hours each way...on time, clean, etc. And, when you add in all the airport wait times and lines...well, it can make sense.

PM me if you want...have some other ideas for you, but takes too long here...

Vacations are very good things indeed!

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kalebschumann Newbie

kalebschumann

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Over the past year, I've become a huge fan of Premier League Football, by following Liverpool. Unofrutnately, my schedule doesn't fit into any domestic league matches. So I'll probably just have to settle for a tour of Anfield.

My thought was originally to make it just like a week in Spain, then some of my buds suggested making it a two week European adventure. So I'm fairly certain we're going to sneak in an Anfield tour in there.

KRAM- I think Salzburg/Munich is also being talked about- specifically for the beer enjoyment, so I like the way you think!

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KRAM1 Newbie

KRAM1

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So, since we are on vacations here...thought I'd ask about Coata Rica. Wife and I are heading to Coata Rica this next July...so far we will visit San Jose, the Arenal Conservation Area in the north, Monteverde Cloud Forrest, Monteverde area to zip line, coast area on the central pacific side... and a little white water rafting on the Saverge River.

So, what does anyone know about things to do and places to see/eat/drink etc. in San Jose, the Monteverde area, the pacific coast, etc?

We are Europe traveler folks and have never ventured to central America, so this should be both different and fun and educational, but would like some hints from anyone who has traveled to Costa Rica. Thanks....

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Censored by Laurie Veteran

Censored by Laurie

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Amsterdam is a fine city.

The Munich-Salzburg-Innsbruck triangle is a beautiful area with fun and relatively cheap cities.

Speaking of cheap, Prague. And Budapest.

Never been to Spain (but I kinda like the music?) but very high on my travel to-do list is actually the north of Spain...Basque Country...cities like Bilbao, San Sebastian and Getxo.

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RushnStudies Explorer

RushnStudies

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I've been all over North America but only to London and the surrounding area overseas. I love London. Yeah, it's an expensive city, but with some planning and knowledge, you can do London on a budget. Remember that most of the museums there are free and they have fantastic collections. There. Is so much to see in that city. It's easy to get around on the tube (we call that a subway) and the bus, and there's so much to see, particularly if you're a history buff. There are several walking tour companies- you pay a few pounds and get some really informative and fun sightseeing done. Our favorite company is London Walks, which is at www.walks.com. They do tons of tours all over the city including a Jack the Ripper tour, which is very cool. With a bit of preparation you can eat and sleep well for a reasonable price.

And if you venture outside the city, the English countryside is every bit as picturesque as it looks in the movies. We took a day trip to Cambridge and toured a few of the colleges at the university (for free or for a modest £2) and had a skiff (flat boat) tour on the River Cam with a company run by a bunch of the students.

We're actually going back to London over the school break and, while it will be bitterly cold, we're very excited. My husband's hoping to book us (the kids as well) on a trip to Paris next summer. That'll be interesting for me, as my French is extremely rusty, but my husband and older son have been taking it and are becoming fairly conversant in it. My own goals for international travel someday are Spain, Ireland, and Russia, perhaps St. Petersburg.

*And I will add... A friend has been to Prague and loved the city. Cheap to travel in and full of old beauty and friendly people, according to her.

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oldguystudent Newbie

oldguystudent

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So, since we are on vacations here...thought I'd ask about Coata Rica. Wife and I are heading to Coata Rica this next July...so far we will visit San Jose, the Arenal Conservation Area in the north, Monteverde Cloud Forrest, Monteverde area to zip line, coast area on the central pacific side... and a little white water rafting on the Saverge River.

So, what does anyone know about things to do and places to see/eat/drink etc. in San Jose, the Monteverde area, the pacific coast, etc?

We are Europe traveler folks and have never ventured to central America, so this should be both different and fun and educational, but would like some hints from anyone who has traveled to Costa Rica. Thanks....

We went to Costa Rica five years ago. Even my ex-wife who was physically incapable of ever admitting I did anything even marginally correct, will admit it was the best vacation ever.

I sent my sister and her boyfriend there this past spring and my sister, she who thinks Louisiana is a scary foreign third world nation, also said it was the best vacation ever.

I know a couple really cool places in Arenal. Otherwise, we were at Flamingo Beach the whole time.

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Green Mean Contributor

Green Mean

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Kaleb, Europe is so great and so much to see that you will probably need to take multiple trips in your lifetime to truly see and experience everything. If you go to Spain then Madrid and Barcelona is great. I'd recommend trying to go to Al Hambra...one of the most amazing and coolest places I've ever been. Tho I say you can literally can take a 2 week trip just to see all of Spain and Portugal. Portugal is a great place to visit and lots of things to see and do as I travel there every couple of years. I believe they recently just completed a high speed train line from Lisbon to Madrid.

London - Epic and vibrant city. You'll never go wrong. Yes it can be a bit pricey but there's a lot of Mom and Pops food wise that aren't that expensive so it shouldn't be that drastic. I definitely think that should be high on your list.

Other great cities are Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris, Frankfurt and Venice. Been to all of them and all great to see. If you travel to London, I did take a train and went to Brussels and I don't remember the cost of fare but I remember it being pretty inexpensive.

Traveling wise you obviously have Euro rail and what not but you can also fly. Europe has a lot of low cost airlines which my dad usually uses and he'll fly from city to city and he pays like 40 or 50 bucks one way many times so that is a good option.

Kram, I personally have never been to Costa Rica but have had a few friends of mine who went there last year and they LOVED it. They said its reasonably priced and a different atmosphere compared to Mexico and very very chill. I read somewhere some time back that Costa Rica is one of the happiest countries in the world. My ex GF lived there for a summer (San Jose I think) and she couldn't say anything but amazing things about it.

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KRAM1 Newbie

KRAM1

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Alhambra is in Granada, Spain which is a fair distance from Madrid and Barcelona, but is well worth a vit. Did so two years ago....amazing place. Definite super example of Moorish culture in Spain. Well worth a visit in my opinion.

Thanks for the Costa Rica tips guys. Much appreciated.

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kalebschumann Newbie

kalebschumann

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Kaleb, Europe is so great and so much to see that you will probably need to take multiple trips in your lifetime to truly see and experience everything. If you go to Spain then Madrid and Barcelona is great. I'd recommend trying to go to Al Hambra...one of the most amazing and coolest places I've ever been. Tho I say you can literally can take a 2 week trip just to see all of Spain and Portugal. Portugal is a great place to visit and lots of things to see and do as I travel there every couple of years. I believe they recently just completed a high speed train line from Lisbon to Madrid.

London - Epic and vibrant city. You'll never go wrong. Yes it can be a bit pricey but there's a lot of Mom and Pops food wise that aren't that expensive so it shouldn't be that drastic. I definitely think that should be high on your list.

Other great cities are Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris, Frankfurt and Venice. Been to all of them and all great to see. If you travel to London, I did take a train and went to Brussels and I don't remember the cost of fare but I remember it being pretty inexpensive.

Traveling wise you obviously have Euro rail and what not but you can also fly. Europe has a lot of low cost airlines which my dad usually uses and he'll fly from city to city and he pays like 40 or 50 bucks one way many times so that is a good option.

Kram, I personally have never been to Costa Rica but have had a few friends of mine who went there last year and they LOVED it. They said its reasonably priced and a different atmosphere compared to Mexico and very very chill. I read somewhere some time back that Costa Rica is one of the happiest countries in the world. My ex GF lived there for a summer (San Jose I think) and she couldn't say anything but amazing things about it.

You've helped out, but only by givin me more options! So many decisions!

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untgirl04 Newbie

untgirl04

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I second Kram's suggestion of Munich and Saltzburg. Although my favorite German city is Berlin. Save money by staying on the east side, and take mass transit to get around. The city has some awesome history (although you'll find that throughout Europe) and really interesting atmosphere. But if you're going to Munich, go to Marienplatz around 7am one morning and listen to the bells and enjoy the square before it gets crowded.

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