Side Trips to Paris and Italy during WC

[BatigoL5]

P.S. Rail prices went up as of the first of January.


Good grief... how is one to save money then??

Hey, as long as the prices of the brothel aren't outrages, we're all good!!

[JoeSoccerFan]

Good grief... how is one to save money then??

Hey, as long as the prices of the brothel aren't outrages, we're all good!!

FKK Germany (google) for more information

[roadkit]

I second the recommendations for Brussels and Brugge (a one hour train ride from Brussels..like walking back in time 400 years). Brussels is a wonderful city to visit and the people there are both friendly and very helpful (and most speak English)

I second your second. ;)

I think with 5 1/2 months to go, I have enough time to work on my German and French. Hopefully by then I can learn enough to get around without too much trouble - while I agree that most folks in Europe are very friendly, it doesn't hurt to try and speak the local lingo.

[Rickster]

I'm thinking of heading down to the Dolomites by train for a few days before the USA-Ghana match.

[MikeLastort2]

I'm thinking of heading down to the Dolomites by train for a few days before the USA-Ghana match.

The Dolomites are beautiful. Make sure to stop by Bassano del Grappa (http://ezinearticles.com/?Guide-to-Bassano-del-Grappa,-Northern-Italy&id=34909). It's the town that grappa is named for, and you can go to the Jacopo Poli (http://www.poligrappa.com/) distillery for a tour (they give you free grappa afterwards). But the real highlight of the town is its own "Ponte Vecchio" (old bridge). This one is a wooden bridge designed by the master architect Palladio.

You should also check out Cortina d'Ampezzo (http://www.cortina.dolomiti.com/), which is a beautiful ski resort town. It's the town that featured the ski chase scene in For Your Eyes Only (http://home.earthlink.net/%7Eatomic_rom/007/14.htm).

My wife and I spent a couple of weeks in Venice back in 2001, and booked the Dolomites tour with Venice Day Tours (http://www.tours-italy.com/veneto/dolomites_day_tour.htm). If you book with them, tell Jonathan that Jan and I said hello. :)

[MikeLastort2]

I'm thinking of heading down to the Dolomites by train for a few days before the USA-Ghana match.

Oh yeah, make sure to see the "Tre Cime di Lavaredo" when you're there too. They are spectacular.

[bltleo]

recommended cities from me

with train from Cologne for example good trip to Brussel or Paris
from Berlin good trip to Prague
from Hamburg good trip to Copenhagen.
Copenhagen and Prague are very nice cities.
for those who stay near Trier (from Kaiserslautern not that so extra far away) - good trip to Luxembourg

many good side trips from Germany.

I myself often do trips to Paris or Brussel from Cologne with thalys trains.
http://www.thalys.com/

bltleo
GERMANY

[Palermo10]

Greetings from Abraxas coffee shop in Amsterdam

All my friensd are gettin high and I'm on BigSoccer to stay in touch with all you good people.

P.S. Everybody. And I mean EVERYBODY ni Amsterdam speaks English.

Off to Heidelberg tomorrow, take care.

[bltleo]

Greetings from Abraxas coffee shop in Amsterdam

All my friensd are gettin high and I'm on BigSoccer to stay in touch with all you good people.

P.S. Everybody. And I mean EVERYBODY ni Amsterdam speaks English.

Off to Heidelberg tomorrow, take care.

Amsterdam is another good tip. It is actually very good to reach with train from Cologne (direct train).

So many advantages to stay in Cologne - trips to Holland/Belgium/Luxembourg or Paris.

bltleo
GERMANY

[BatigoL5]

Alright, I need some more advice or suggestions on these side trips I plan to take.

The plan right now is to leave for Paris on early morning of June 22nd and return June 24th.
Is it possible to leave for Paris from Gelsenkirchen?
I'm still not sure between taking a train or flight.
If train, any suggestion as to what train I can take? I've read and reviewed at least three different rail sites now. I'd prefer to take train if it is 4-5 hrs as I would really want something scenic.

Now for my trip to Rome, I'm guessing for that, it has to be flight as it is further then Paris, right?

Thanks again to everyone for helping out.

[abw]

Now for my trip to Rome, I'm guessing for that, it has to be flight as it is further then Paris, right?

Unless you take sleeper car on a train, saving hotel costs and daylight time in transit.

[The Magpie]

Depending on schedules, some of the group I'm travelling with might make a side-trip to Salzburg.

[BatigoL5]

recommended cities from me

with train from Cologne for example good trip to Brussel or Paris


bltleo
GERMANY

I know a couple of people here in this thread have suggested Brussel's as well.
I've read and heard good things on Brussels.

To some one who has never been to Europe like myself, which one do you who have been to both suggest?

Thanks

[SammySounder]

My side trip of choice this year will be Budapest. I mean after all, how many chances do you find yourself being able to go to Hungary? Supposed to be a beautiful city, relatively cheap and you can get an overnighter from Munich. I'll probably head to somewhere in Northern Italy too, but haven't decide where. Florence perhaps, maybe Milan.

[bltleo]

I know a couple of people here in this thread have suggested Brussel's as well.
I've read and heard good things on Brussels.

To some one who has never been to Europe like myself, which one do you who have been to both suggest?

Thanks

if you never been to Europe and you would like to do trip around Europe, you have few choises... it depends where you will stay during the World Cup
if you are near Cologne then I would recommend you PARIS....I like Paris better than Brussel.....definitely..

if you stay in Berlin or Nürnberg for example: the next european city I would recommend you is PRAGUE, historic and nice city - one of the most beautiful cities in Europe for me....but with the plane (low cost airlines) you can visit any european city from Germany very easy..

so my recommendation:
Paris, Prague and Vienna

[BatigoL5]

if you never been to Europe and you would like to do trip around Europe, you have few choises... it depends where you will stay during the World Cup
if you are near Cologne then I would recommend you PARIS....I like Paris better than Brussel.....definitely..

if you stay in Berlin or Nürnberg for example: the next european city I would recommend you is PRAGUE, historic and nice city - one of the most beautiful cities in Europe for me....but with the plane (low cost airlines) you can visit any european city from Germany very easy..

so my recommendation:
Paris, Prague and Vienna

Well right now I'm staying in Frankfurt.
But my plan was to visit Paris from Gelsenkirchen.
I'll be in Gelsenkirchen for a game.
Could I take a train to Paris from Gelsenkirchen?

Also Blteo, you suggested Thalys as train for Paris.
Is that one of the better ones around you suggest?
I know there are a few different ones out there with your expierence, would you suggest Thalys over the others?

Thanks so much for your help!!

[abw]

Also Blteo, you suggested Thalys as train for Paris.


Thalys is just the high-speed way to get to Paris (the bullet train). But it only travels certain routes because of the need for rails that can support it (IIRC). ICE trains aren't as fast, but are still plenty fast.

[bltleo]

Well right now I'm staying in Frankfurt.
But my plan was to visit Paris from Gelsenkirchen.
I'll be in Gelsenkirchen for a game.
Could I take a train to Paris from Gelsenkirchen?

Also Blteo, you suggested Thalys as train for Paris.
Is that one of the better ones around you suggest?
I know there are a few different ones out there with your expierence, would you suggest Thalys over the others?

Thanks so much for your help!!


yes you can take ICE from Frankfurt to Cologne (extra speed - 1 hour) and from Cologne THALYS to Paris. The ICE from Frankfurt to Cologne is extra speed (very good one). If you need detailed plan, I will send you it out.

Or directly train from Frankfurt to Paris (let me a moment I find it out if there is direct train from Frankfurt - but I´m sure there is one).

[BatigoL5]

Bltleo I know this has been said before but I feel it must be said again...

Thank you for all the help you are providing to this board.
I can't even begin to tell you how many different sites I've been to trying to get this trip together.
And as helpful as those sites are, nothing can beat personal expierence!

I have sent you a PM.

[Palermo10]

I was in Frankfurt yesterday. You might as well be in Chicago :)