A friend of mine who has been working in Dresden for the past couple of years is coming back to America at the end of the summer; so, before he makes it back, I, and a couple of others, are planning on finally making it out there to visit in late June. I won’t have a whole lot of time (about 9 days or so), but I’ve been trying to decide on what to see while I’m there.
We’re flying in to Munich, and plan on spending some time in Prague and Dresden (of course). We’ve also talked about going to Venice for a bit, but are not sure about that yet. Some people have told me Venice is kind of nasty, and the canals are really not much more than sewers; any truth to this? Some alternatives to Venice I’ve considered are Vienna and Zurich.
Anybody have any suggestions/recommendations on any of these places (or any other alternatives I haven’t mentioned)? Would you recommend renting a car, or will it be fairly easy (and cheap) to get around by train?
Also, is Europe’s switchover to a single currency complete? I’m assuming I’ll be able to make withdrawals from my US bank account from ATM’s over there, is that correct?
Thanks for any information.
Venice is beautiful! The canals are much better than 10 years ago. One thing to think about, if you go by car is that you have to park in the newer, mainland parts of the city and take busses or cabs in to the islands and canals, so leave time.
I wanted to go to some harbor islands, but you have to be in the right place at the right time to catch the boat.
Gondolas are not expensive, especially away from the first landings. The canal “taxi” boats are fun, even if they seem touristy, because you can see a lot in a short time.
If you do have a car, I recommend Trieste nearby. A smallish place with a lot of history, jammed against steep cliffs.
Vienna and Zurich are sort of slow-paced compared to other famous cities. In Vienna, the amusement park is nice, with a huge ferris wheel (the cars are trolly cars) but you have to like rides and it takes a lot of time. I love the food there, especially breads and pastries like Dubush Torte.
If you speak German, the accent is easier on Americans than Berlin, which is too fast. Either place mostly shuts down on Sunday. The best thing in Vienna is the big Schönbrunn palace and gardens. The former summer residence of the Habsburgs. It’s as impressive and prettier than Versailles.
Been there done all that!
I must echo BarnStormer’s recommendation about the Schönbrunn palace. A magnificent place, and you’ll be going when the gardens are in full bloom. Also, two nice day trips from Vienna are the Mozart tour (you can’t get away from him there) and the “Sound of Music” tour. The tour companies will pick you up at your hotel and drop you off there in the evening. For the more adventuresome, complete the walk completely aroung the Ringstrasse, th major road which encircles the old city.
Trieste is a working town. Like Naples, but much cleaner. Lavazza flows a plenty. Venice is also awesome, but mae your trip during the week. Weekends are impossible, especialy at the train station (which you’ll be paring near)
and at Pizza de Marco Polo.
Ahem… Amsterdam 
If you’re travelling with more than one person, a small rental car will be cheaper and more convenient. However, Dresden - Venice might be a stretch.
No Euros yet… get used to Deutsche Marken and Italian Lire. I don’t know what bank you’re with, but if your debit card says “Cirrus” and/or “EC” on the back, you can probably get money from any ATM in Europe.
Thanks everybody!
I’d love to make it to Amsterdam, but won’t have time this trip. What I’m leaning toward now is going to Venice, and maybe make a quick stop at Innsbruck. Anybody know what’s to see there?