European Vacation Destinations

I am linking up with Kelly's Korner today and we are talking about vacation destinations!  This is a topic I L-OVE to talk about!

We have been so fortunate to take some really great vacations around Europe.  Most of these happened before the kids came along.



It's fun to see all our vacation spots laid out on a map!  Wow!

The first suggestion I have before visiting Europe is to pick up one of Rick Steves' book.  His books are filled with practical as well as the regular tourist information. They are the best books for travel I've ever seen!

Here are some bullet point suggestions on a few of the locations.

London
*We really enjoy visiting the Texas Embassy Cantina. Great food, fun atmosphere and fun souvenirs.
*The Highbury Centre is a neat place to stay.  It is run by Christians and they give discounts to missionaries and volunteers on mission trips.  It's still a good price at full price as a tourist.  It is basic, but has a neat atmosphere with souvenirs from missionaries all around the world and is easily accessible to downtown.  You can get rooms with or without a bathroom.
* Experience a British pub.  You can't visit without experiencing one.  Now, it might sound strange for a missionary to suggest a pub (ha!), but it's not about the drinks.  It's the atmosphere.  We ate at a Seafood pub for lunch (that was so long ago though that I don't remember the name).
*The Big Bus Tours is a great way to see the city.  You can hop on and hop off as you please within a 24 hour period.  It's a great way to see the city if you have a short amount of time.  So many of the tourist attractions can get SO expensive, this way you can at least see the outside.
*Portobello Market in Notting Hill.  An awesome outdoor market!  A must see!
*Harrods!  This place is amazing!  It's definitely a must see!  Especially the food section.  It is incredible and tucked away in the back is Krispy Kreme!!
*I could go on and on about London!  I LOVE it!

Tower of London

  
Ireland
*The west coast of Ireland is where the Cliffs of Moher are located (otherwise known as the Cliffs of Insanity in the movie, Princess Bride).  It is absolutely beautiful.  Not an easy area to get around by public transportation, but doable.  You can rent a car, but be prepared to drive on the other side.  Big "yikes!" for us!

Cliffs of Moher

France
*Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower are a must.
*If your interested in museums and want to see Mona Lisa, you must go to The Louvre
*Champs-Elysées and the Arc de Triomphe
*Château de Versailles has beautiful grounds.  We didn't go inside though.
*If we ever find ourselves in France again, I'd love to visit the house of Monet, in Giverny.

The back of Notre Dame (which I think is more beautiful than the front).

Arc de Triomphe

Italy

*Venice is such a sight!!  A gondola ride is a must, but be prepared to pay BIG money!  This was a dream of mine since I was a kid.  I was discouraged to find out how much these costs ride, although some bartering is accepted.  I almost walked away from a lifelong dream when my sweet hubby encouraged that we try.  We set a price in our minds and went for it.  The guy said no, but did suggest a ride for half as long for a certain price.  We took it and was so glad we did!
*Florence (Firenze)....I don't have much to say about it except that if you love museums this is the place for you.  I am not a big museum nut, so wasn't all that excited about it.  I went for my hubby.
*Pisa is very interesting.  Just know that the ONLY interesting thing to do there is see the leaning tower.
*Sorrento (south of Naples).....we LOVED this area and was by far a favorite!  Cliffs meet Mediterranean for spectacular views!  Gorgeous!
*Pompei, we only spent half a day there and it wasn't enough.  I'd love to go back!  Rick Steve's book gave us quite a tour with his book alone.  I was SO
*Rome, beautiful and full of history, but not a favorite for us.

Venice

We look like babies in the picture!  Circa 2000

Pisa

Sorrento

Pompei

Slovenia
It wasn't really for a vacation, but we enjoyed it just the same.  Bled, Slovenia is such a picturesque little town.  Castle on a cliff overlooking an age old church on an island in the middle of the lake.  All kinds of outdoor activities nearby.  A favorite place that we hope to explore again one day!

Gibraltar
Loved this place!  Nothing like monkeys on a mountain!  Ha!

Spain
The thing I love the most is the coast!  Be prepared to speak some Spanish!

Eat lots of Churros!

And don't forget the Paella!

I didn't mention Austria and Germany and they do have some lovely places!  Vienna and Salzburg sure have their charm in Austria while Germany has such diversity with their castles and the history of places like Berlin, which we love!!

If you have any more questions about places we've visited, feel free to ask in the comments or send me an email!  I love talking vacation spots!

Thanks for stopping by!