Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

What was the last European city you visited?

220 replies

AGHHHH · 09/12/2018 00:41

And what did you think of it?

Currently in Paris and due to the current unrest and terrible weather it's not been enjoyable and it does seem to be overrated from this experience, but I'll come back at a better time.

Where have you last been in Europe? I'm thinking about where I should next go. Berlin and Warsaw are on the cards. What do you think of those?

OP posts:
Therealjudgejudy · 10/12/2018 13:46

Dubrovnik. Loved it. Although I was in London a week ago but that's just flying home for me. It will always be my favourite city. I definitely rate Berlin though although it was very cold when I went.

Jasmin82 · 10/12/2018 14:27

La Rochelle in October. One of my favourite places. I also enjoy visiting Cologne, though I haven't been for a while now.

BogstandardBelle · 10/12/2018 15:41

Lyon - i live here and it’s a great city to visit!just the right size for walking, and a much better metro than Paris :-)

We went to Valencia last spring, I’d recommend it out of season. The science / aquarium et are brilliant, and the old city very well preserved and good for walking. Plus four meals a day - gotta be good in Spain ;-)

Tartyflette · 10/12/2018 16:18

We found Dubrovnik to be lovely but absolutely rammed when the huge cruise ships arrive every day. Thousands of passengers disembark from these 9-story behemoths and the city centre is small! Quite often two or three are in dock at the same time.
We found it was better to go into the centre in the late afternoon or early evenings when the cruise ships have departed and the city has a much more relaxed vibe.

LillianGish · 10/12/2018 16:23

I live in Paris and I love it. I think a mistake many tourists make is thinking you need to stand under the Eiffel Tower to admire it or right next to the Arc de Triomphe. The Champs Elysées has to be one of the most over-rated places anywhere unless you like car showrooms. Just got back from a stroll across the Seine from the Ile St Louis, up through the bas Marais, through the Hotel Sully and into the Places des Vosges with a visitor from Australia. She couldn't believe how quiet and how beautiful it was. The Eiffel Tower is wonderful glimpsed in the distance from almost anywhere or from the terrace of the café at the Museum of Modern Art - get any closer and you are in tourist hell. If you want to go up something, go up the Montparnasse Tower instead - no queue, lift to the top and view uninterrupted by the monstrosity you are standing on. Poor Paris has had such a terrible weekend, but was still astonishingly beautiful today - it brought a tear to my eye.

IfyouseeRitaMoreno · 10/12/2018 16:28

Last city was Lyon. Only spent a day there but it seemed a lovely lively city, with a Parisian vibe but friendly people and more manageable.

One of my favourite cities has to be Ljubliana in Slovenia. Beautiful architecture, food and people. Plus it has an interesting history. Would definitely go back.

goforkyourself · 10/12/2018 16:40

Vienna in September, absolutely magical. Krakow in November, loved it but not the best time of year to visit.

Going to Liverpool in February (my home town...can't wait!) and Budapest in March.

I live in a tiny European country where flights are notoriously expensive so it's only due to Ryanair that these trips are possible and affordable for me. I love Ryanair Grin

happyclutterchucker · 10/12/2018 16:43

Dc went to Copenhagen recently, apparently it is wonderful, and looking at all the photos I have to agree.

MilkTrayLimeBarrel · 10/12/2018 16:56

Vienna in March - loved it. Such an interesting place and so clean - the people and food are lovely. Want to go back to see the Christmas markets one day!

kateandme · 10/12/2018 16:59

Dordogne in france is lovely.so is the loire valley and the centre.
Switzerland.stay at the manor farm site and get yourself up in the mountains and surrounding area.
Austria
Norway is wonderful.

pumpastrotter · 10/12/2018 16:59

I liked Berlin but it did feel very similar to London. Budapest is unbelievably gorgeous and cheap, lots of history but the people aren't the friendliest. Prague/Bucharest are both cheap and cheerful, though i find Prague has been took over by groups of lads. Amsterdam is beautiful but not very cheap.

Accountant222 · 10/12/2018 17:21

Palma, Majorca, wonderful place

LadyinLavende · 10/12/2018 17:25

Munich for the Christmas markets.
Before that in no particular order but loved for different reasons: Budapest, Vienna, Barcelona, Bratislava
Berlin was amazing
Lisbon was amazing
Salamanca was fabulous
and Heidelberg where (and who cares if it's a cliché) I did indeed leave my heart

DogInATent · 10/12/2018 17:45

Berlin - brilliant, easy to have a great time for moderate cost. Enough to see to make several trips. It has something to offer everyone, with some of the best bits well off the tourist trail.

Paris - fantastic, but expensive and your money gets you less (smaller hotel rooms). Good for autumn/spring trips.

Ljubljana - great for a short break, under-appreciated and largely unknown in the UK. Prices are good, food is excellent. Season is short though, things wind down quickly in the Autumn. Stunning scenery within an hour of the centre (you could drive across the whole country in about 3 hrs).

I8toys · 10/12/2018 17:46

Have done rome, Copenhagen, paris and Strasbourg this year. Absolutely loved Copenhagen. Off to Athens on boxing day.

Booked for next year - Prague, Berlin and Vienna for Easter, Oslo early summer and Budapest late summer.

Raglansleeve · 10/12/2018 17:51

Just back from Vienna - beautiful and in full Christmas mode. The Hofburg is stunning, and Herrengasse with its hidden courtyards, baroque churches, Schonbrunn, and the central cemetery Grin which is incredible. It's compact, transport is cheap and efficient. The only thing we were disappointed in was the coffee - didn't have a decent cup all week, although the cakes and bakeries made up for the disappointing coffee!

Favourite city - probably Amsterdam, so atmospheric. Usually spend our days just wandering along the canals.

Enjoyed Lisbon, love Copenhagen - I don't like shopping, but did enjoy mooching around Copenhagen's shops, and the cafes and restaurants are superb - we actually didn't find it that expensive, unlike Stockholm and Bergen.

grumiosmum · 10/12/2018 18:34

Another one who loved Dubrovnik - it's crowded but stunning.

Springmachine · 10/12/2018 18:40

@DogInATent
Please tell me more about Ljubljana

It's been my top place to visit for the last 18 months but haven't been able to go.
We just decided to book this week and found that it's really hard to get flights there and back.

Any tips?

I really want to see lake bled!

Julianaa · 10/12/2018 18:47

knittedjest

Please tell me about St. Petersburg! I want to visit in the spring. Is it safe to visit alone? Do I need a visa? Do you have any tips? I speak absolutely the most basic basic Russian, but am trying to learn more.

expatmigrant · 10/12/2018 18:48

Luxembourg city, Berlin and Lisbon. Very different and loved all three.
I have to say, have lived and visited many cities around the world and have always found Paris overrated.

wentmadinthecountry · 10/12/2018 19:03

Came back from Stockholm yesterday - been loads and love it. Have also been to Berlin, Budapest - free due to Ryanair being rubbish messing up our flight, Barcelona, Nice (family related) and Majorca this year. First time in Berlin and loved it, and I'm going to Budapest for longer next time. But thanks for the freebie even if it wasn't planned, Ryanair!
Porto is high on my list, and maybe Edinburgh. Travelled loads when older 3 were young due to dh's job. Catching up now with dd3 (nearly 15). Lastminute have come up with some fab deals.

wentmadinthecountry · 10/12/2018 19:04

Expat, agree about Paris. never enjoyed it as much as I think I should.

EdisonLightBulb · 10/12/2018 19:07

Venice.

IMO, unless it isn't a city that seems to shine in cold weather like Prague, I prefer to visit European cities from spring to autumn. Everywhere looks like home when the weather is cold and grey.

Daisymay2 · 10/12/2018 19:10

Dublin. DC was doing a sabatical there and visited twice . Expensive but lovely, great site seeing with easy walking.

DogInATent · 10/12/2018 19:10

@Springmachine - We flew with Easyjet, and for convenience took a package with flight, hotel and transfer. Flights did tend to book up and prices rise as we watched the website. City Hotel was very good, felt a good bit better than it's 3-star rating suggested.

Bled is easy to get to by bus, the bus station is outside the train station so easy to find. Just be careful of the timetable as this is now out-of season so the tourist routes may not be as frequent, the local service takes a little longer. Double-check all timetables and opening times, as most guide books will give the tourist season hours.

You must have a meal at TaBar, brilliant food (Slovenian tapas) and wine list - the house wines are all good.