So, I’ve got a ticket to Reykjavik landing on June 5. I have a ticket returning from Paris on June 21.
My intent is to only stay in Reykjavik for 2 nights, since I’ve been there before. I’m then thinking I’ll do 2 or 3 days each in Copenhagen, Vilnius, and Riga. Each flight is relatively cheap, quick, and direct. Plus they’re all in the Schengen area, so no immigration lines to deal with. Each seems relatively small, hence the short time at each place.
After that, I’ll have another 5-8 days, depending on how long I’m at each place. I’m not really sure what I want to do. I’ve been to Paris before and I loved it, but I certainly don’t want to spend all of the remaining time there. So, the options are pretty wide open - I’ve considered Belgium or Bordeaux or southern France - but there are just so many options.
I’d really like to hear some thoughts on not-so-common stuff that folks have to suggest.
I’d also like to hear thoughts on the countries mentioned above - am I cutting them way too short? Is there some stuff that I really need to make sure that I do?
I’ll be travelling solo and I won’t be renting a car, so please keep that in mind. Driving is out of the question.
I tend to enjoy museums, hiking, photography, and food, but am typically up for whatever (except driving).
That’s prime wildflower time for alpine meadows if that’s your thing. So the Bernese Oberland region of Switzerland is nice that time of year, as is the Alpe di Siusi / Seiser Alm area of Northern Italy. Both are a goldmine for hiking and photography opportunities. Also, one of the most beautiful and relaxing places I’ve ever visited was Hallstatt, Austria. It’s certainly not a 5-8 day destination and it may be kind of out of the way, but it’s a great place to unwind. Also great for unwinding, hiking, and just enjoying life is the Cinque Terre on the Italian Riviera.
I’d thought about a trip to Cinque Terre a few years back, but Hallstatt looks really interesting. I was in Zurich back in November and loved it, but only made it out for a quick trip to Mt Titlis - obviously, no wildflowers in November
Since you’ve already indicated that you will spend time in the Baltic countries, I’d go for Tallinn, Estonia, over the other capitals you’ve mentioned.
I liked Talinn - probably would have liked it even more if I liked to party.
In Copenhagen get a bike. My daughter and son-in-law did, and rode all over. Danish bike riders are kind of scary - they move real fast - but it is efficient.
Are you staying in hostels? The one we stayed in in Berlin was great (next door to the North Korean embassy) and the one in Barcelona was okay. My daughter has stayed in them all over Europe with very good results. Best thing - they are very close to the action.
We got a place from AirBnB in Copenhagen, but there were four of us so that might not work for you. I don’t know the couch situation there.
Consider Southern France. Marseille is certainly worth a visit, and it’s a nice TGV ride from Paris. The Vieux Port area is nice, and close to a train station where you can catch a bus to Aix-en-Provence or Cassis for a day trip or a train to Nice if you wanted to stay a day or two there.
It would be a shame to spend all of your time up north and not get any Mediterranean time in.
I’ll third Tallinn. I think it probably has the most medieval feel of any European city you could visit due to its nearly intact city walls and architecture.
When I first arrived there, a medieval festival was in full swing with jugglers, fire-eaters, acrobats and food vendors thronging the streets all in medieval dress. It was quite discombobulating!
Can you provide any more specifics on this? I’ve flown from Iceland to France, Germany to Switzerland, and Holland to Italy without having to go through immigration on arrival (meaning I have no passport stamps for those counties, which is annoying but a small price to pay). Has something changed, or did they just forget to send us through immigration all of those times? Cites would be helpful, this makes a pretty big difference.
And could I throw out a vote for Helsinki? There’s a super hiking area (national park) right in the city, they have the excellent Suomenlinna island fortress museum by ferry, and the National Museum and Ateneum are both great museums. Plus the public transport is good (and that includes the ferry to the fortress)
If you are not a EU citizen and you are coming into the Schengen area for the first time, then indeed you will have to go through immigration.
HOWEVER – Once you are INSIDE Schengen, flying from one Schengen country to another involves no immigration procedures whatsoever at the airport. It is like taking internal flights within one country.
When I go to the US, I have to go through immigration at my airport of arrival (let’s say, Atlanta). However, later on, if I fly from Atlanta to San Francisco, I don’t have to go through immigration again.
Same thing with Schengen.
So, Darth Panda, you won’t have to worry about that.
Now – If you fly into countries that are in the EU but NOT in Schengen (I would say that, so far, those are only the UK and Ireland), then you will have to go through immigration both when you enter them and when you re-enter the Schengen area from those countries.
But that would be the only exception I can think of.
