What to do in Europe!?

VioletblanketVioletblanket
in General

Hey! My first time posting a forum, I could use all of advice and tips on Europe. I’m going for my first time in June. Flying into London on a Friday morning.

What’s some fun places in London? Good restaurants? Is the cuddle scene big there? I’d absolutely love to get some cuddles in while I’m there 🤗

Should I take the train around to other countries? What should I keep an eye open for?

Is it worth going to Paris and how long?
Is it worth going to Amsterdam and how long?

I’m excited but I’m also nervous I’m not going to manage my time and money on what’s the best.

Thank you for any direction on this 🤍

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Comments

  • [Deleted User]WriterGF (deleted user)

    Paris, at least when I was there long ago, was wonderful. I'd like to go back. London is full of fascinating things, but I always found the city a little intimidating for some reason.

  • [Deleted User]CharlesGrove (deleted user)

    I would stay there as long as possible, and perhaps even ask for asylum.

  • TheFunCartelTheFunCartel

    @CharlesGrove 🤣🤣🤣. I laugh but it is a good idea.

  • disneysamuraidisneysamurai

    I’ve only been to Ireland but I thought it was amazing.

  • TxTomTxTom

    I've been to Europe several times. There's still much more that I want to see.

  • KatotaKatota
    edited April 2025

    Awesome! 😎
    Have a good trip, and IF (that's a big IF, I know 😉😏) you meet a Werewolf tell said wolf my name is KATOTA and I am SINGLE and I live in GAINESVILLE, GA. And that I will consider a long distance relationship until we finally meet in person so that I may prove myself as a worthy mate ,💪 and a valuable member of the pack.
    ❤️ 😁🐺

    Lol! It's also okay, if you forget all that too. 😜😁

    Still, have a great trip and be safe! 😊🫂

  • VioletblanketVioletblanket

    @TxTom I would love to hear what your favorite things to do when you go are 🙂

  • TxTomTxTom

    @Violetblanket
    It's hard to make a recommendation because it just depends on what interests you.

    Are you interested in history? Arts and culture? Scenic landscapes? Activities?

    Just read as much as you can before your trip. And know that you will want to go back.

  • IronicMaidenIronicMaiden

    If you're in Paris and you meet an American werewolf, ask why he's not with his buddies in London.

  • TheFunCartelTheFunCartel

    @Violetblanket As @TxTom said, it depends what you are looking for as to where the best places to go are. But if you can get your hands on a nice sports car rental the hills of Italy are picturesque and fun to drive. The scenery is spectacular.

  • VioletblanketVioletblanket

    @IronLemon @Katota What is the show I’m
    missing out on? That sounds like my real homework for this trip to werewolf hunt 😂

  • IronicMaidenIronicMaiden

    @Violetblanket There's a couple of movies, "An American Werewolf in London" and "An American Werewolf in Paris", and a song, "Werewolves of London".

    More than that I can't say.

  • jillyainjillyain

    @Violetblanket how long will you be there, are you accustomed to public transportation - do you have a home base?

    I have not been to London - or Great Britain

    But I just got back from Spain, I used google maps to tell me how to go from place to place using public transportation and I didn’t care if I got lost as long as I knew what bus to find to get back to my hotel,

    I googled things to do nearby,

    And I think because Google sees what we search it gave me great ideas too, even when I wasn’t asking for them,

    Suggestion: Make sure your phone is fully charged before you leave - or make sure you have a power bank on hand -
    I had to leave old town Mallorca and go back to my hotel for a re-charge on day 1 as my phone battery was low and at this point I did not know what bus i needed- so I needed the phone to direct me.

    Have fun!!!

  • cuddlyDavidcuddlyDavid
    edited April 2025

    Hey, I am a Londoner and there are so many things to do I couldn't list them. PM me with the things you are interested in and I will let you know the best places to go. England is a wonderful country so don't just go to London.

    Cities in other countries you shouldn't miss

    Berlin - Germany
    Barcelona - Spain
    Budapest - Hungary
    Gdnask - Poland
    Rome - Italy

    Amsterdam and Paris are okay but overated in my opinion

    Trains and subways in all countries are easy to navigate but can be expensive in some countries

    A heads up: If you are going to other countries it is considered good manners to learn the basics of that language, Hello, thank you, goodbye etc. Most European countries have a lot of English speakers but don't take it for granted.

    Also be aware of the differences in American English/British English

    I would also be happy to show you around London if you wanted to meet up. I Live in a suburb called Edgware which is NW London

  • waynewvwaynewv

    I flew over back in the 80’s and took my Honda Goldwing and had a great time. I didn’t take any trains but was told it’s the best way to travel and see the country. I landed in London then a ferry over to Europe and seen 4 different countries. A great trip. They say the riverboat cruises are really nice also. I hope you have a great time there.

  • [Deleted User]SonoraSam (deleted user)

    How long is your trip going to be? Lots of other beautiful places around England and the rest of Great Britain, but you can spend a lot of time in London without running out of things to do.

    If you do want to travel between countries, Paris is probably the most convenient international tourist destination from London. Belgium is nearby too. Bruges, in Belgium, is on my short list of places to visit. It’s a fairytale town.

    My personal London “don’t miss”es:
    Tower of London
    British Museum
    British Library
    Tate British Gallery

    Other places:
    Westminster (Big Ben, Parliament, London Eye, Trafalgar Square, National Gallery)
    Historic Pubs on Fleet Street, esp. Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese
    Piccadilly Circus: Maybe catch a show there.
    Changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace
    Westminster Abbey (lots of historic figures buried there)
    St, Paul’s Cathedral
    Various walking tours. The Jack the Ripper tour is fascinating, but grisly. There are plenty of other tours to choose from if you’re squeamish, though.

  • KatotaKatota

    There's a couple of movies, "An American Werewolf in London" and "An American Werewolf in Paris", and a song, "Werewolves of London".

    🐺🐺🐺🐺


    @IronLemon 😁👍

  • TeddyBear4u2024TeddyBear4u2024
    edited April 2025

    The bottom line is there are fabulous things to see in most places. Went to Dublin, then Netherlands and Belgium.

    Ireland would have been tougher using public transit, was worth renting a car and was glad I had someone with me to spot for me.

    While taking a train maybe a bucket list item, it seems more practical/cheaper to catch a flight between countries.

    Using trains and public transit was pretty easy there are apps beside Google apps that can help with planning and at least for Netherlands and Belgium train tickets could be purchased via mobile. But still worth planning, I traveled back from Belgium to Netherlands and I had to catch a private Eurostar train that was $90. Not end of the world, most of the national trains were much cheaper and typical didn't pay over $50 euro for most flights before junk fees.

    If your phone supports esim getting an esim for the countries you will be in can help keep you in cheap data which you will likely want for Google maps and navigating, checking schedules, etc.

    There are plenty of good YouTube content on packing and considerations for keeping luggage light as possible, etc.

    I also used chatgpt to build a basic intenerary for my trip. I then went down YouTube rabbit holes and found the generated intenerary held up pretty well to the curated lists.

    I'm sure someone intimately familiar with an area might be able to provide some gems, but the generated list ended up being a solid basis for my trip.

  • Midnight01Midnight01

    Western Europe is a joke… mass unfettered immigration is out of control, and it’s super expensive and some areas are just unsafe. Check out Central and Eastern Europe, friendly and way cheaper.

  • cuddlyDavidcuddlyDavid

    @midnight01, I am sure the forum doesn't want to hear your racist ramblings.

  • TheFunCartelTheFunCartel
    edited April 2025

    Lots of other beautiful places around England and the rest of Great Britain

    The Lake District is gorgeous.

    Norway is really cool if you take some cruises around the fjords. There is also a monument there where Idris Elba was consecrated as a Norse God to the chagrin of some.

    Thank you to @cuddlyDavid for the Lake District correction.

  • cuddlyDavidcuddlyDavid
    edited April 2025

    @TheFunCartel I don't mean to pedantic but it's referred to as the lake district. And yes it's beautiful if it's not raining :)

  • CuddleDuncanCuddleDuncan Mod

    @Violetblanket congratulations! How exciting, well done!

    I normally read up on the plane about the place I'm going, to see what catches my eye, and then spend my first day just walking around the most interesting parts. After that I have a good idea of what I want to see or do.

    London was founded by the Romans 2,000 years ago, was the centre of the greatest empire the world has ever seen, and is one of the two or three great cities that lead the world to this day. You'll find something that grabs you. On your first day here find Waterloo Bridge, take your guidebook, and spend half an hour on the middle of it just looking around. Best view in London. If you like that, take a boat down to Greenwich and back. Do not go on any day trip that takes 2+ hours to get there unless you are fanatical: there is something else closer that is just as good.

    London is awash with good restaurants. I've lived here for for 30 years and I use Harden's Guide and Square Meal. Avoid anywhere that has more than two tourists in it: when it comes to food anywhere in Europe, follow the locals.

    Yes, there is an active cuddle scene here, yes there is a trickle of cuddle visitors from the US and yes you can book sessions while you are here. It's all much the same as the US and there are plenty of experienced professionals who will be happy to offer you a few tips.

    It's your first time in Europe so it doesn't matter where you go, just go wherever takes your fancy. If you are going to Paris then train is better than flying in every possible way. In fact any journey less than about four hours you're probably better on the train. For Amsterdam I would suggest train-ferry-train, much more interesting than a short flight. Amsterdam is much smaller and a couple of days will be enough.

    I concur with @cuddleDavid's point that in any country, even two words in the language are appreciated. Especially France. But you won't have any trouble with language anywhere.

    Three big tips for travelling in general. Firstly, always remember to look up. Secondly, keep tight control of your belongings: you're moving around a lot and it's very easy for something to go astray. Thirdly, always visit a place as if you know you are going to come back: relish the things you see and do, don't try and do them all.

    For a nine day trip I would suggest two or three cities, otherwise you end up travelling the whole time. London and Paris are expensive: very broadly speaking the further south and east you go the cheaper it gets.

    But the truth is my real advice is get a connecting flight to Edinburgh and spend the whole time in Scotland.

  • TeddyBear4u2024TeddyBear4u2024

    You will probably walk a lot, if you can I would walk now to not only build up endurance if needed, but to ensure shoes are broken in.

    Athletic tape saved my feet from friction blisters and as a result saved my experience on the trip.

  • CuddleDuncanCuddleDuncan Mod

    Ah yes, fourth big tip. Good shoes!

  • zaleazalea
    edited April 2025

    Amsterdam is really fun, and has amazing food! Den Haag (the Hague) is also really close by and is super fun, too.

    Antwerp in Belgium is also not too far from the Netherlands and it's really beautiful there.

    Stockholm has great shopping (lots of places are tax free if you do a little bit of paperwork) and the portion sizes are huge! I called it the Texas of Europe lol

    Berlin may be my fave though, it's punk, got lovely museums, and has an amazing tram/train system that makes it feel like you can teleport around the city.

    as for the cuddle scene, I really only had time to try to cuddle in Stockholm when I visited, but it doesn't seem as commonly used in Europe. London could be different, though, and I have a Dutch friend who was able to cuddle with another enthusiast in Amsterdam, so it's not impossible!

  • tallteddytallteddy

    Say hi to Peter Pan for me! He usually hangs around in Kensington Gardens.

    I live in the Netherlands. Not a big fan of Amsterdam, but I can see why the tourists like it. Try Haarlem, Leiden or Delft if you want to see a Dutch city, but want to be away from all the tourists.

    Honestly, why not see a bit more of England? There's things to see outside of London too! There's... Uhm... Those big rocks, Stone Henge! Enjoy the countryside. Or maybe a seaside town.

  • VioletblanketVioletblanket

    Thank you everyone! So much good information in here!!!

  • TeddyBear4u2024TeddyBear4u2024

    Theft prevention idea. Lol.

  • KatotaKatota

    @TeddyBear4u2024 HA! Those are cute actually! 😄👍

    And they're not fanny packs but tummy packs. I love it! 💖😄

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