You have 4 extra days in Europe. Do you go to London, Amsterdamn or Both?

[HUBER]

So my wife and I are getting ready to spend a week in France on vacation but have 4 extra full days to spend in Europe while across the pond. Instead of extending our time in Paris, thinking about hitting up London for 4 days. Had some friends mention trying to push both Amsterdam and London, but not sure only spending a couple of days at both really will do either justice. Also planning a two week trip to Italy later in the year, so don't really want to go there this time.

The Paddock has always been pretty solid on traveling advice, so I thought I would put the question out there. What would you do? 4 Days in London, 4 days in Amsterdam, or 2 at both? Possible other location?

 

[BBdK]

London, easily -- I'll be there next week myself.

Our first Euro Trip was 4 nights London, 2 nights Amsterdam, 3 nights Paris -- and it was pretty perfect.

 

[DSmith21]

If you have never been to London, then that is the much better place to spend your extra time. The only downside to London is the weather and its very expensive.

 

[HUBER]

We will be in France for a week, a majority of time in Paris, so not really wanting to extend our time there anymore than we are planning on being there. It will be our first time in Paris. Ive visited Germany, Switzerland, Norway, FInland, Denmark, & Russia so far. This is the wife's first time visiting Europe.

 

[HUBER]

If you have never been to London, then that is the much better place to spend your extra time. The only downside to London is the weather and its very expensive.

I don't think anywhere in Europe will really be inexpensive. Also the time we are extending into will be a weekend and Ive read weekend hotel costs in Amsterdam can double because so many Europeans go there to party on weekends.

 

[BBdK]

Scandinavia is high on my lis of places I'd like to go soon, how did you like it up there?

 

[AlbanyWildCat]

Amsterdam. Fun town.

As stated, weather in London suxs.

 

[HUBER]

Scandinavia is high on my lis of places I'd like to go soon, how did you like it up there?

Loved it. Beautiful place and the people are some of the nicest i've ever encountered. Stockholm is one of the prettiest towns Ive been in as well with tons of culture and things to do. Very neat place worthy of a visit.

Wodie, Please reach out when you return from London. I want to hear all about where you think we should go and do. Where are you staying at? Currently looking at hotels between Big Ben and Buckingham Palace as I'm not sure where a tourist should really stay in such a big town. For all I know, that area could be the Dixie Highway of London.

 

[theoledog]

My vote London/just too much history there ... But never been to Amsterdam...

 

[rick64]

London, easy choice.

 

[ukalum01]

London, easily -- I'll be there next week myself.

Our first Euro Trip was 4 nights London, 2 nights Amsterdam, 3 nights Paris -- and it was pretty perfect.

Did you say earlier you were hitting Ireland as well? I’m going to spend a week+ in Ireland/N Ireland this summer for the Open/golf/driving around/etc... would like your rundown at some point.

 

[joeyrupption]

Hey, Matt. Maybe your TV was cheaper than the callers’ today because he paid for the luxury of not having it report back all of his viewing habits to the manufacturer so they could sell the information to marketers - like pretty much every new TV does.

Vizio’s CEO laid it out for everyone last week.

 

[DSmith21]

I don't think anywhere in Europe will really be inexpensive. Also the time we are extending into will be a weekend and Ive read weekend hotel costs in Amsterdam can double because so many Europeans go there to party on weekends.

Cities in Spain and Italy are quite a bit cheaper than Paris/London and just as much to see.

If you like military history, I would really recommend the Imperial War Museum in London (below). Great collections from WWI & WWII. The British Museum is another must see if you are into general history.

https://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-london

 

[mustangman456]

I agree about London. Great places to visit. Buckingham palace, Wax museum, New London bridge, Windsor castle and the Old churches with great stain glass. The weather is balmy most of the time, but you live there for a little while, you can't let the weather stop you from looking.

 

[wildcat1973_rivals160373]

British Museum is a must. Might be my first stop. Just amazing amounts of history there.

Tower of London and Tower Bridge and that general area. Must see.

Westminster Abbey

Big Ben/Parliament (preferably while riding around a rotary)

Harrod's - amazing food and shopping scene.

Leicester Square to Picadilly to Trafalgar - just walk around these areas. Lots to see and do.

Wimbledon tour

Chelsea Market

 

[RoyKent]

Paris is by far the worst of those three cities. Not that it is bad but London is by far better and I like Amsterdam better as well.

If you have 11 days I would break it down as follows:

Paris - 4 days
London - 4 days
Amsterdam - 3 days

No reason to spend a week in Paris.

 

[dgtatu01]

Amsterdam is like the place I wanted to go because they had legal weed. London is like a place I want to go in general because of the rich history, culture, and many sights. Also large cities are just really cool and fun and getting into their vibe for a few days is exciting. Legal weed is not a novelty anymore and London wins on every other count. Go there.

 

[straykat]

I would recommend Barcelona or San Sebastian

 

[NKYWildcat]

I would actually vote for Barcelona, too.....its not that much further out than London or Amsterdam, and there are plenty of flights from Paris to Barcelona. Weather is better..and plenty of culture and vibe there for everyone.

But, of your two choices....I would go to London. Although four days is a stretch, that would be worth a week trip.

 

[JonathanW_rivals]

Italy (all of it except for Milan) and Zurich have been my favorite places in Europe. London was good for a couple of days, but I would do the other 2 days in the countryside of GB (or even Scotland). Not been to Amsterdam, so can't comment.

 

[vhcat70]

Well, I'd spend the entire 11 days in France vs. spending most of a day traveling. There's so much more to France than Paris - which is great BTW.

That said, I wouldn't split my time between two more cities, so I'd pick one. Don't know Amsterdam, but London is great. Really only behind Paris & Rome to me. After Switzerland, England & London in particular are the most expensive places in Europe.

In London, a 30-45 minutes train ride out to Windsor Castle is excellent. Great place to spend 4-6 hours. Can't miss Christopher Wren's St.Paul's Cathedral. Wonderful. Covent Garden is full on neat little booths selling everything. Tate Museum of modern art is great. See a play in the West End. The Churchill Underground Museum showing his WWII HQ is cool.

 

[bcw1029]

I don't think anywhere in Europe will really be inexpensive. Also the time we are extending into will be a weekend and Ive read weekend hotel costs in Amsterdam can double because so many Europeans go there to party on weekends.

Budapest, FTW. Very cheap, you'd be surprised. Not many Americans know about Eastern Europe as it hasn't really be "discovered" yet. There are direct flights to/from Paris to Budapest. That city is a hidden gem.

Not surprised most Americans only mention Italy, Paris, London, and other commonly traveled destinations. [eyeroll]

 

[RoyKent]

Budapest, FTW. Very cheap, you'd be surprised. Not many Americans know about Eastern Europe as it hasn't really be "discovered" yet. There are direct flights to/from Paris to Budapest. That city is a hidden gem.

Not surprised most Americans only mention Italy, Paris, London, and other commonly traveled destinations. [eyeroll]

I spent time in Budapest and Prague in a trip with my wife. Budapest was fantastic, one of my favorite places I have ever been. Food and beer is great, prices are cheap, people are nice, a ton to do.

I would probably recommend Budapest over any other place except London in Europe.

 

[kyleb740]

In truth I feel like Paris will have a tourist backlash soon. Just isn’t all that fun. Great history but the populace is actively hoping you go home.

Go to Lyon best place in France.

As far as your original question London and London and London. Has whatever you like as long as you aren’t too touristy.

 

[Crums Bald Spot]

Thought London sucked. It was a dump and though there is history it was very average.

Scotland was much better as the vibe and weather was better. Kind of Seattle like but in a cool way.

Go to Amsterdam.

 

[WayneDougan_rivals170043]

I can't believe what I'm hearing. London sucks? What? You people are crazy!

In the past year I have gone to Amsterdam five times and London twice - all for work. I did get some free time, however, and I had a full weekend in Amsterdam and a full day for London - both in the middle of summer, and both had perfect weather. That said, I've also been to both of those cities in winter where it is a little different.

If you just want to crank it out, I'd recommend going to both places, but schedule a little more time in London than Amsterdam (i.e., consider your travel over the four days to maximize London and minimize Amsterdam).

In Amsterdam, you can tour the canals, see the Anne Frank house, go to the Red Light District, go to the coffee shops, and tour some museums all in a day. You can spread it over two days if you want to spend more time, but I never felt like I was missing anything big over there that I didn't list above.

I hit up a ton in London in twelve hours. I rented a bicycle and road it over Tower Bridge, I swung by (but just looked at the outside of) Buckingham Palace, Parliament, and Big Ben (which is getting renovated). I went into the Churchill museum for an hour (awesome), went out to Abby Road (kind of neat, but it is just a road), hit up the famous Ritz hotel for a cocktail, strolled through a bunch of the famous parks, bought some stuff at Harrod's, and went to a nice dinner at popular restaurant in the Piccadilly area. Had a freaking blast. The U is really easy to get around. That said, other than the Churchill Museum, I didn't get any depth, and therefore I'd recommend taking more time there.

Hope this helps. I'll be over in Amsterdam again in a month or so.

 

[WayneDougan_rivals170043]

For travelers willing to do what Parisians do, tromp around for several kilometers a day, there is no place better.

Word. Over two weeks in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Paris, I was in a car exactly twice. Once because my wife was running late for our dinner reservation in Paris, and the other because we took a cab to the Paris airport. In Paris, I think we walked on average about 12 miles per day.

 

[catlanta33]

I'd go to Italy. Rome is 3 days with Vatican City one day, city tour the next and another day just popping around checking things out.

You could take a day and go to Como and Lugano. Not many places on Earth more beautiful than either of those cities.

 

[WayneDougan_rivals170043]

I didn’t find a single rude person in Paris except, you could argue, for two waiters who yelled at my hilljack wife for putting her tired feet up on the chair next to her when she was at lunch in an outside cafe. But I was kind of on their side on those two occasions. :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

 

[BlueVelvetFog]

Any Ohio destination recs for the poors?

 

[rudd1]

-havent read it all...but: take eurostar through the chunnel. Leaves gare du nord and arrives at piccadilly or kings cross. Train is awesome.

 

[JDHoss]

Any Ohio destination recs for the poors?

Montage Cafe in Greenville for lunch. Great sammidges, soups and salads.

https://montagecafe.com

 

[vhcat70]

Reason Europeans are so fit.

Their zoning laws don't allow you to build just anywhere you have property. Net, they crowd people into cities - which requires a lot of walking. Don't see many 400#ers. even 300, walking around NYC either.

 

[BBdK]

Loved it. Beautiful place and the people are some of the nicest i've ever encountered. Stockholm is one of the prettiest towns Ive been in as well with tons of culture and things to do. Very neat place worthy of a visit.

Wodie, Please reach out when you return from London. I want to hear all about where you think we should go and do. Where are you staying at? Currently looking at hotels between Big Ben and Buckingham Palace as I'm not sure where a tourist should really stay in such a big town. For all I know, that area could be the Dixie Highway of London.

-We stayed in Mayfair last time, and this year we're at the Rosewood near Covent Garden. While pricey, you'll want to stay in the 'West End' (which is basically anywhere between those two listed above) as a first timer.

Everyone has their own favorites within Europe, but If you think London "sucks" then your opinion on travel is essentially worthless.


-We are hitting Ireland for 3 days first, yes. Short stay, won't be getting the full Ireland experience on this trip, but wanted to hit somewhere new on the way back to London. We're staying in Dublin, but plan to get out of town for a day or two for sure.

 

[vhcat70]

Lyon is a tremendously beautiful city. Best kept secret in Western Europe. Cuisine capital of France, pretty much makes it the cuisine capital of Europe, the globe perhaps. Gorgeous old parts. Deep, spiraling parking garage I remember the first time there blew my mind. Long tunnel beneath the Rhone. Beautiful park on the north of the city behind the Interpol world headquarters (Hilton complex adjacent). Excellent train and trolley services. Roman ruins. Glorious old cathedrals and mideval architecture. Largest open plaza in Europe with huge statue of Louis XIV. (Also site where a couple thousand or more were shot or guillotined during the Jacobin period. Astonishing place to visit and think about what happened on the very red dirt that remains at this plaza this day. Truly. A couple of days in this city is so worth it. Reward yourself with expensive meals here. There is no place better for that sort of thing. Visit the old church of the St. Nazzairre (may have spelled that wrong). Day trips out of the city to the Alps and back, Geneva, Grenoble, or better yet to beautiful Avignon (high speed rail). Scratching the surface.

Best thing about Lyon (essentially tied with Marseille as France's 2nd biggest city), is that it's people will teach you it is only the Parisians who have managed to give the French their irritable reputation. Kudos to Kyleb's mention.

Thanks. Have been over most of France - Paris, Nice, Monaco, Provence, Loire Valley, Cote de Or, Lascaux Cave & other caves with paintings, Mont St. Michel, Normandy, Caen, Bayeux (Tapestry), Honfleur, Reims, Chartres, Giverny, Versailles & more, but not Lyon - or Bordeaux.

 

[Ribsandwhitebread]

So my wife and I are getting ready to spend a week in France on vacation but have 4 extra full days to spend in Europe while across the pond. Instead of extending our time in Paris, thinking about hitting up London for 4 days. Had some friends mention trying to push both Amsterdam and London, but not sure only spending a couple of days at both really will do either justice. Also planning a two week trip to Italy later in the year, so don't really want to go there this time.

The Paddock has always been pretty solid on traveling advice, so I thought I would put the question out there. What would you do? 4 Days in London, 4 days in Amsterdam, or 2 at both? Possible other location?

I'll disagree with Wayne and say whichever place you go- i'd just stick to one or the other, rather than trying to do two places in 4 days. By the time you add in travel, 4 days goes by really fast. I haven't been to Amsterdam- thats still high on my list. It would be hard not to enjoy London. More than enough to see and do, obviously. I would also be weary of anyone saying the weather in Scotland is better...

As its been said, especially for the first time being in the city- the west end is a nicer, and easier place to stay. There are other areas as far east as shoreditch that you may get a better rate on and are probably going to be just fine too. We've stayed in Mayfair/Marleybone, and are staying in Kensington in a few weeks. I stayed a good amount of one summer in an apt by Portman Square (Marble Arch) that was a cool area if you want a place a bit more residential.

As corny as they are- those open air bus tours you can hop on and hop off arent a bad way to get your bearings. You can also use it as public transportation since cabs are expensive AF.

 

[BBdK]

^ Yep. I normally scoff at those, but the Hop On bus for London is indeed a great way to see the city in one fell swoop w/ some history & narration, and then decide where you'd like to go back and spend some more time. We used it as our cab a few times as well as you mentioned, since we'd already paid for it - think that was your recommendation back then, actually.

Don't skip Hyde Park. Place is incredible...we were lucky enough to be there on a weekend when it was Warm and Sunny, like not a cloud in the sky for an entire weekend. You'd think it was the first time those people had ever seen such a thing, the city was going bonkers over it. We used those CITI Bikes to get around over there.

Europe rules. :flushed:

 

[rudd1]

-nothing wrong with a city tour. Take a few hours and do it first day...may give you ideas on what else to do. You are a tourist, embrace it.

-go to cordings in piccadilly and pick
this up for me. Shipping to us costs as much as the tie. TIA.

 

[rudd1]

-tate modern is really cool if youre into art. Ride in the eye...views are cool. St Pauls cathedral is a must for me. Eat at the Ivy if you can. Kew gardens...my buddys parents took us there, very nice they were pretty proud. Weather may not be right for that.

-not kidding about the tie.

 

[WayneDougan_rivals170043]

For the folks who disagree with me, I respectfully ask this:

For many, a trip to Europe is a once in a lifetime thing. Assuming you may never go back, would you still go to just one or would you want to see both?

I would argue if you assume you will never go back and you are only picking one, London is the way to go. But if you have a short attention span like I do and travel smartly, you may want to hit both.

I'd do a day in Amsterdam, spend the night, and get an early flight to London for the next day. Then you'd get 2.5 days in London.

I once took the train from London to Amsterdam. It was fun to say I went through the Chunnel, but it was a waste of four hours.