Oh my gosh, Lucerne was beautiful and so full of history. The bridge was absolutely incredible. While we were walking across, we were delayed because they were filming scenes for a movie -- if memory serves me right I was told that it was a Korean film and they were shooting a love scene.

Don't miss the lion.

You are going to have a great time. We lived in Germany for 4 yrs and got to travel. While in Rhineland make sure you try the Eiswein. That is of course, if you are a wine drinker. Happy traveling!

go and enjoy everything there is to see, eat and drink and just have fun. Even though we go a lot, we go different places and treat it as a "once in a lifetime" event. So much history to see.
I am excited for you. I just know you will have fun and if you come home exhausted, you KNOW you had fun. :D

Enjoy it to the max!:D

OMGOMGOMG -- SO happy for you :D! And envious (in a good way)!

Amsterdam is absolutely incredible. The Dutch are, by far, one of the loveliest people I have ever come across. SQUEE! I just adore Amsterdam...would so love to live there someday. It is the most charming city and has so much history...the architecture is stunning.

If you like art, don't miss the Van Gogh museum - as you'll get to see several Van Goghs in person - and it's really a treat.

Also, the hotels in Amsterdam are my favorite, by a long shot. You can stay at a very reasonable hotel - and it will usually be just beautiful.

Can't wait to hear of your trip when you return!

Is Amsterdam the city separated by a river? If so, that is the one place I want to see!:D

It's a city of canals - they're everywhere and they're so gorgeous! And the Amstel River runs through it. It's so charming (to me) to have such old history/charm, modern/friendly/gracious people, a cosmopolitan feel, and then water everywhere....love it.

It's just stunning, as are the people.

Amsterdam - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Yahoo! Image Search Results for amsterdam

We do visit the lion! How cool to see a movie being filmed! We also have an option to do a lake cruise & we will do that as well! That's what is drawing us the beauty & history!

I will make a note of that, we LOVE wine! Thanks!

I'm so glad to hear this! I haven't talked with anyone that has been there and it wasn't a big reason for the tour we picked. Have you been to Volendam?
There is an option to go there and have a dinner. We also get to do a canal cruise, which I am excited about.
I like art, I'm not sure if we will get to see the museum, but I will note it. Thanks!

I have not been to Volendam, but that sounds so fun! Is Volendum known for anything in particular? I bet they are if they have trips just to see it, specifically.

Also, there is the Red Light District in Amsterdam - which is (sadly) what most people know Amsterdam for...and it's really such a small part of Amsterdam's identity. Anyway, many tourists like to walk through that area to check it out - but it may not be your thing. Just so you know, it's really not a big deal at all (in my opinion) in terms of what you see there. It's a bigger deal in people's minds, more than anything else, it seems.

And btw, I always feel incredibly safe in Amsterdam (I've been there 3x) - whereas in other countries (like the US, lol, or other EU countries), I'm more aware.

:thumbup: I have to agree - I loved Sicily - I loved Palermo and the little town nearby called Cefalu where my relatives are from. Also agree on Naples, except trying to cross the street, they are crazy. Those are also my relatives. LOL. If you go to Pompeii, you have to go to Naples to see the artifacts.

I liked Florence and Rome but nothing was as intense as Sicily and the food was amazing.

I have been to London and parts of England many times and love it. London is so easy to get around on the Tube.

I'm a traveler, not a tourist, so I like to putter around places I visit as opposed to having an agenda on things to see. Things I love - watching the Tower bridge open and close and walking across it a few times each way taking in the views, The Rock and Sole Plaice in Covent Garden (for fish and chips!), the Picadilly Circus area, Tea everywhere, Cadbury flake chocolate in my pockets, the Tube and all the stations, and best of all we loved the scary and spooky Jack-the-ripper walking tour.

My least favorite thing about England: the coffee...I could not find a good cup anywhere - and believe me I tried! I was happy when we made a day trip to Lille France!

Have a great trip.

Voldendam is supposed to be this quaint, little fishing village and they go there for a traditional dinner night.
I'm sure my Mom and I won't visit the red light district. :D
We saw Samantha Brown go there on the travel channel!
I think you just have to be careful anywhere you go!

Normally we like to be travelers too, but we are going to be TOTAL tourists in Europe! I want to see all the sights I've always dreamed of!
My SIL said the coffee in England is HORRIBLE! They went to Starbucks every day!
I would love a Jack the ripper tour, how fun!

Oooooooooo, have FUN I'm getting excited for you just reading! I would love to go! Please post pictures and do tell all! I can't wait to get the scoop!

Thank You! Will do!

I have been to Volendam and it was nice. We went in the evening for dinner and did see a windmill. It is a small fishing village with much history. Remember now, you are below sea level when you are in Holland.

The canal cruise was nice and you must go to the ANNE FRANK HOUSE ... chilling, when you realize the real history that took place there.

Have a blast! Oh, and do not even think about taking pictures in the red light district. Your camera may get broken. :(

Take all the options if you want to really enjoy everything.

Did you do a tour?
I'm hoping we can make a trip to see the Anne Frank house, I would really like to see that.
Voldendam, we are going to do for sure!

I just read the other day that the house where she took refuge had a huge tree that she loved very much. The tree just blew down in a storm.

I read that too, how sad! :(

Austria is one of my favourite countries. DH and I go there to ski every year. They've a very beautiful nature! I love Vienna! I've been there twice but I could never have enough. There are so many places to explore. You'll have lots of fun here in Europe.

We go to Innsbruck. My brother loved Austria too when he was mountain climbing.
I spent some time putting up weather widgets on all the cities we are going to so I can see how the temps, I'm so excited! 66 in Innsbruck right now! :p

I think I might be more excited about your dang trip than YOU :D! You are giving me the *worst* case of wanderlust right now!!! I can't wait to hear what you think of your travels, your fave places etcetera.

I'm always living through my brother because he goes everywhere! So it feels so great to finally realize this dream! I've had it for so long and my Mom has too. It's worth everything to us!
I will share, don't worry!!

I am loving this thread! My boyfriend and I are planning a trip next year around September. I've been saving up for a year already :) He has been there before - he worked in Ireland for 4 months and travelled around a few countries during that time. We're taking 3 weeks (I'm trying to push for 4!) and we'll just be backpacking and staying in hostels. Our basic plan is to fly into Spain and fly out of London to come home. We'll go wherever we feel like going! But I have a few places I'd like to see for sure... Paris, Venice, Vatican City, and I really want to go to Hungary (my grandma is from there).

I'll be following this thread for tips, and I hope you have a great trip!

Once again, I'm drooling :D! Push for the 4 weeks, if you can. The more time you can spend in your favorite places, the better - you get such a deeper understanding of the city's personality - and of the people.

In Spain, I've only been to Madrid - spent a week there. Madrid is incredible - very cosmopolitan, def a big city. The architecture is a real treat - old, gothic, rich, opulent - there is SO much to see, it's tough to even know what to say :p. Plaza de Mayor is a must see (plaza in middle of the city), there are lots of tours you could take, the Prado Museum is fantastic.

The shopping is a blast (and I generally *hate* shopping) - so many different little and big shops. Just walking around Madrid is sumptuous in itself - little winding streets, just what you would picture in an older EU city, super charming. "Old Town" is very cool to see, and very hip/fun.

You can get lost sooooooo easy in Madrid (and I did, several times) and it's often best to step into a hotel and ask for help, rather than ask strangers. Even tho it's a big city, I didn't find Madrid to be as fluent in English (by far) as most other EU cities - but most hotel desks are fluent and can help. I felt quite safe in Madrid, though not quite as safe/easy as I did in Amsterdam - it has a much different feel.

If you can get to the countryside or seaside...then you have all sorts of other things to see!

Thanks! That is awesome, I really don't know much about Spain so it's interesting to talk to someone else who has been there :) Scott has tons of friends in Europe who all worked together in Ireland. They still keep in touch so he'd like to visit with them when possible and have them tour us around... although I feel like it would be more fun to explore on our own! Maybe I'll be relieved for a tour guide when we're there though lol!

I definitely want to spend a few days in London. I know the castle tours and whatever have such huge lines, but come on, when will I get another chance? Scott and I are obsessed with the show The Tudors, and I've been huge on European history my whole life... the royalty, the violence... I would love to see where it all really happened! I had one history professor in college say "You have not lived until you have stood on the spot where Napoleon was born" and I decided that day, I wanted to do that too! Lol. I am all about learning the history of places on any vacation I take, where Scott is more about seeing sights, nature, doing fun things... I think we can find a nice balance in Europe!

Oh girl - I *LOVE* The Tudors so much! I'm a complete Anglophile, so I was just addicted to that series and so sad when it was coming to an end. I've got to buy the DVDs bc I could watch it 100 times. I adore English history and have all sorts of books about it - I love reading about "life" in the 1600-1800s.

Anyway, one of my dream-trips is to wander through England and tour some of the old estates (some of which are still in the family). Just in case :p, here are some that I have bookmarked...just in case you can go!

http://www.blenheimpalace.com/ (O.M.G. - just slays me!)
Castle Howard :: It?s a beautiful day :: Home (ring a bell? :D)
Burghley : The House (incredible; a mansion of Tudor times)
Chatsworth house official website (this is where Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire lived)
Powderham Castle | History | History of Castle (still in the family)

I would love to see Europe this way! Well not backpacking or staying in hostels ( a little too old now :D), but just on my own, but I think for the first time and with my Mom this way will be best!
We are hoping next year or the year after to do a trip with my brother who has been to quite a few places in Europe and we will see it that way then!
I would love to do 3-4 weeks, I'm sure you will have a blast!
My travel agent said Spain & Switzerland are her two favorite countries and she has been everywhere.
We fly into London and home from Paris!

There is still time to adopt me as your sister and take me along. :D I am so excited for you, and I look forward to seeing pictures and reading your travel log. Enjoy.