If you wanted to stay somewhere in Europe for 6 days, where would you stay?

[germanos]

You can easily hang out a few days in Berlin, you're a fool if you are only going to stay there just for a day at the match

Personally I don't understand people who want to see Europe in a week, so I'll limit you to a much smaller regional trip: stay within the German(ic) phere of influence.

Prague is not too far from Berlin and a very pretty and nice city. Spend a few days there as well.

That leaves a few days somewhere else.
Depending on your interests you might have a peek at (listed counter-clock wise from Berlin)
- Cologne (Köln). A very nice German city in the west. The closest you're going to get for a feel of Holland (save going to Holland itself)
- Bavaria (Munich). The south of Germany is very different then both Cologne or Berlin. Not my cup of tea, but a place to visit nevertheless.
- Vienna. Heart of the Austrian Empire. A bit too baroque for me.
- Budapest. Second heart of the Austrian Empire. Much better then Vienna.
- the Croatian coast. Beautifull, sea and sun. Perhaps a bit too far from Berlin. Drinks and party.
- A trip to the region of The Tatra mountains (Slovak-Czech-Polish border region). Beautifull nature in those places that have not been pillaged by communist exploits of coal-mining)
- Poland (Krakow comes to mind, Warsaw hasn't got the same appeal.) An unpleasent trip to Auswitz (nearby Krakow)) could bring you to terms with European heritage. Not much fun, but impressive nevertheless.
It might save you from cheering for the Germans winning the worldcup, so well worth the effort

Berlin-Prague-(Tatra-)Berlin

[Dis]

go to Rome. I loved it.

[DanS]

If you have time for one city, then do Prague. If you have time for two, then do Rome and Prague.

[Zkribbler]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
Italy.

Florence! All else is madness.

[Gangerolf]

Yeah, Rome is easily the awesomestest city I have been to in Europe. (Then again I enjoy looking at ruins and I love Italian food.)
But you'd need at least 3 days there. Especially at that time of year as it is going to be absolutely packed with tourists.

[johncmcleod]

We are leaving for Germany on June 10th, but July 2nd to July 8th is our free period.

We are already going to hike through the alps after the world cup.

We thought about Rome, but my friend, who has been there, doesn't think we should go there.

I forgot about the plane thing. That expands our sphere. He also suggested Istanbul. What would you think of that?

BTW, I have tickets to the three US group games and Brazil vs. Australia.

I have also heard bad things about Venice-that it is dirty, touristy, and expensive. I heard some similar things about Rome as well.

Spain would be cool because I could practice my Spanish.

What are Prague and Vienna like? Why would those two be better than Rome, Paris, Barcelona, or Istanbul? And tell me more about the Croatian coast. Are the beaches swimming-beaches or just pretty-viewing beaches?

To best get help in deciding where I should go, I should probably tell you guys what I want to do, but I can't really decide. THe rest of the time, we'll be traveling through Germany and Switzerland watching soccer or hiking through the Alps. Beaches are great, but I've already seen plenty (not sure if that matters) because I have been to Hawaii and Costa Rica, and I live right next to three lakes. So maybe I should go for the cultural thing and check out Istanbul, Paris, Vienna, or Prague, but then again, seeing the Mediterranean would be awesome. At least I think, maybe it is crowded and polluted, I've never been there before. If I were to go the the French or Italian Riviera, where would I go? I hear the Cinque Tierra in Italy is like the French Riviera but better and less touristy.

Wherever we go, the important thing is that we have access to the games (I think the quarters and I know the semis will be going on at this point) at a place where we can be loud and not worry about offending the locals.

[Wernazuma III]

Originally posted by johncmcleod
What are Prague and Vienna like? Why would those two be better than Rome, Paris, Barcelona, or Istanbul? And tell me more about the Croatian coast. Are the beaches swimming-beaches or just pretty-viewing beaches?

1. They're not better! I would prefer Rome and Barcelona over Vienna and Prague any time. However, they are still good destinations with plenty of sightseeing, and you can easily go from Vienna to Prague and from there to Berlin without losing to much time in transportation.

Especially the night life in Barcelona has to be exceptional (I have not experienced it though).
2. The Croatian coast has almost no sand beaches, it's all rock coast, with many places of very clear water, ideal for snorkeling! The coast is precious. And there are quite some beautiful cities. The problem is, a bit, the transportation since esp. the south (the most beautiful part) is badly connected to the center. Seeing Dubrovnik is certainly worth it but since you have limited time... - maybe with a flight.

To best get help in deciding where I should go, I should probably tell you guys what I want to do, but I can't really decide. THe rest of the time, we'll be traveling through Germany and Switzerland watching soccer or hiking through the Alps. Beaches are great, but I've already seen plenty (not sure if that matters) because I have been to Hawaii and Costa Rica, and I live right next to three lakes. So maybe I should go for the cultural thing and check out Istanbul, Paris, Vienna, or Prague, but then again, seeing the Mediterranean would be awesome. At least I think, maybe it is crowded and polluted, I've never been there before. If I were to go the the French or Italian Riviera, where would I go? I hear the Cinque Tierra in Italy is like the French Riviera but better and less touristy.

Don't go to the mass destinations at the beginning of July - it's madness. 5 terre is certainly better if you really opt for that.

Wherever we go, the important thing is that we have access to the games (I think the quarters and I know the semis will be going on at this point) at a place where we can be loud and not worry about offending the locals.

You can offend the locals everywhere if their own country is happening to play and you're cheering for the other team.

[Daz]

Ill let the others tell you about Croatia since Im biased on that.

Anyway, if you decide on taking the Croatian tour (and there are some nice places to visit) just send me a PM so I can help you with your choices...

PS. The Croatian coast is definately a swimmers coast. Lots of sand beaches too (wernazuma just didnt find them )...

PPS. Just check my avatar...

[Dinner]

Spain or maybe Portugal.

[Locutus]

I was going to suggest Istanbul but since you were wanted to stay close to Germany I decided not to. It's my #1 favourite city in Europe by a long stretch

It doesn't have that reputation as much as Rome or Athens, but if you're into history, Istanbul is the one city in the world you just *have* to visit: it was the centre of the world for almost 2 millenia, and it shows when you visit the place. It has everything: Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Genoese, Ottoman and modern, and most of it is in pretty good shape. IMO it's got more to offer than Rome or Athens in this department (the historic sites there are mostly either ruin or replica, in Instanbul it's all real and mostly in a good state).

It also has a lots of modern culture and is a great clash of cultures at that, it has minorities from all over Eurasia (from Polish and Greeks to Armenians and Arabs to Chinese and Indians) and who all add their own unique elements. Some parts of the city remind you of boulevards of Paris or Barcelona, others of the slums of Cairo or Mumbai. It has a good night life (not as great as Barcelona but still pretty good) and food so yummy you won't believe you're eating it. And I think Ted Striker would agree that the women are hot

And as a bonus it's not quite as big a tourist hotspot as Barcelona, Venice or Rome (although it's rapidly growing in popularity), so it'll be less crowded, expensive and touristy. Of course, it's still the Mediterranean so in the middle of July there's a good chance the weather will suck (it can be hot as hell -- if it is it's worse than Italy or Spain, but the chance of this happening is slimmer in Istanbul than in those places as it has a more diverse climate -- there's a good chance it will be cloudy and cool as well).

Barcelona is my favourite modern city, Istanbul my favourite historic one (although both of course have lots to offer in both categories).

[fed1943]

Barcelona is a great city. Istanbul is among the places with more history of the world.

I don't think they have time to enter Istanbul by boat. If they have, that seas (more at sunrise and sunset) are something to never forget in a lifetime.

Best regards,

[Spiffor]

Johnmcleod:

In any case, avoid Belgium at all costs. Their flag sucks

[Imran Siddiqui]

I've been to London, Brussels, & Paris. Any would be fun, IMO. Though if I was in your situtation, I think I'd go to Vienna and Munich. Though Paris would be just as good a destination.

[Ecthy]

Do it the relaxed way. 6 days is a good time to stay in Berlin. Forget the rest of Europe.

[Datajack Franit]

oh

Berlin