Not long ago, I scrolled down the homepage of this website priceoftravel.com and noticed that almost

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Not long ago, I scrolled down the homepage of this website priceoftravel.com and noticed that almost every article had the word cheapest in the title. This is what happens when you run a site dedicated to researching and reporting travel prices, and certainly there is a demand for these lists and prices.
Also recently, a friend of mine who s never visited Europe asked me which cities I recommend for a first trip. Only then did it occur to me that I actually think it s important to start with the truly great cities first, even though they tend to be among the most expensive. In other words, articles like the cheapest cities in Europe might encourage people to go to some places for what could be the wrong reasons. Start with Europe s greatest cities, and work out a budget from there
For those of us who are traveling constantly it s easy to forget that most people are lucky to visit Europe (assuming you live elsewhere) even once in their lives. Sure, many people are inspired by a first trip and will continue to gp back and explore, but others don t have the time or the means, and their first trip might be their only trip.
For that reason, and also to help the chances for that inspiration leading to later trips, I recommend first-time visitors begin in the most famous cities, in spite of high costs and crowds. Europe s 5 Great Cities for visitors 1 London
The only town that can compete with New York City for the title of Capital of the World, London is where everything comes together. And obviously as an English-speaking city (mostly), it s among the easiest to begin adapting to the culture and style of Europe.
The main downside to London is that, until you know where things are, it feels like the most expensive place on earth. There are ways to keep London cheap if you really have to, but at first it s probably not a bad idea to splurge and just go with the flow. Fortunately, all of the famous museums mahwah new jersey hotels are free to enter, and there are several new free walking tours to choose from, so it s getting a bit easier to keep expenses reasonable. Backpacker Index: US$69.35 per day 2 Paris
Definitely more intimidating than London, and also far more beautiful, Paris is a city that so many people gush over that you might assume there s no way it could live up to the praise. Then you go to Paris for yourself and you start gushing yourself. Walk for thirty minutes from anywhere near the city center and you ll keep seeing buildings and bridges and public art that will make you want to start checking apartment prices.
Every city has problems, even Paris, but it s hard to imagine anyone being sorry they visited. While Paris is an expensive city, it s actually a bit easier to keep costs down, mainly because mahwah new jersey hotels the extensive Metro system mahwah new jersey hotels means that you can still have a great and convenient time if you stay in a cheaper hotel outside of the main tourist center. Backpacker Index: US$79.04 per day 3 Rome
Unlike London and Paris, the city of Rome does actually seem to have a group who ll tell you to avoid it. Rome is frustrating in many ways, with crazy traffic mahwah new jersey hotels and a sense of disorganization that is hard to adapt to, but there s also no denying that it s one of the world s greatest and most important cities.
It s easy to tell people to avoid a city once you ve been there yourself, but no one gives points to those who would brag about never visiting a city because they heard it was too crazy. With Ancient Rome, the Coliseum, and the Vatican just for starters, Italy s capital is worth the hassle to see it at least once, and many people love it so much that they keep returning. Hotels in Rome are weirdly expensive, but other costs are reasonable, and it s totally worth it at least once in your life. Backpacker Index: mahwah new jersey hotels US$80.38 per day 4 Venice
Some cities are really beautiful from certain vantage points or certain angles, but Venice is beautiful from all of them . As a touristy city for several hundred years now, the biggest problem with Venice is the crowds it attracts. Even in winter, the main pedestrian routes can be so packed that it frustrates mahwah new jersey hotels nearly everyone. And in summer, they are worse, of course.
Even though hotels in Venice tend to be quite expensive, the best way to visit is to spend at least one or two nights on the main island. You ll find that early mornings and evenings are far less crowded, as most groups head to the mainland mahwah new jersey hotels to sleep. Venice is also small enough that 36 hours is plenty of time to see the best bits, so it s worth a one-night mahwah new jersey hotels splurge for a good location. Backpacker Index: mahwah new jersey hotels US$90.26 per day 5 Amsterdam
Some people might not put Amsterdam on this short list of great European cities, but plenty of people agree with me that it s another of the world s most beautiful and interesting places. Most of the city center is perfectly preserved from its beginnings in the 17th Century, and it s been quite wealthy ever since.
Many cities around the world boast that they have more canals than Amsterdam , but except for Venice, mahwah new jersey hotels none are nearly as stunning. Add in the way bicycles dominate the landscape, the weirdness of the Red Light District, and its pleasant overall nature, and Amsterdam is worth a visit in spite of its relative high prices for most things. Backpacker mahwah new jersey hotels Index: mahwah new jersey hotels US$86.67 mahwah new jersey hotels per day Include the above cities as part of bigger trips
The 5 cities mentioned above are the ones that I think are the best and most dramatic introduction mahwah new jersey hotels to Europe, and the most likely to inspire more trips, but I wouldn t recommend mahwah new jersey hotels just trying to see these 5 and then heading home. Depending on budget, mahwah new jersey hotels season, and trip duration, you could add or subtract many other worthwhile cities to make the perfect itinerary.
If you ve traveled mahwah new jersey hotels all over Europe yourself, do you agree or disagree with the cities selected above? mahwah new jersey hotels I can t think of another mahwah new jersey hotels that deserves to be in this top tier, but I d imagine that other people might have other ideas. Related posts: Europe vs. Asia: Popular itineraries compared by price The 11 best-value cities in Europe for budget travelers Europe 3-Star Traveler Index for 2013: 47 cities by price Europe 3-star Traveler Index for 2011: Compare 40 cities by price Seven new (mostly very cheap) cities added to the European Backpacker Index 6 Responses to First trip to Europe? Focus on these 5 great cities rather than cheap ones Astoria mahwah new jersey hotels Greek says: October 4, 2012 at 9:15 pm
Very interesting question, and I would personally rank Athens #6 in this group. Historically it couldn t be more important and its center has become very tourist-friendly as well. I put it above Madrid or Berlin or Prague as an essential European city, but I cut this list off at 5. Thank you. -Roger Reply George says: October 22, 2012 at 12:06 am
George, that s interesting about Venice for you, and I agree that its weakness is that it s too crowded all year. I think people who stay overnight on the main island can get a wonderful experience if they try. As for Barcelona and Istanbul, they d certainly both be in my next five, but for me they don t compare with the others for impact on a first-time mahwah new jersey hotels visitor. It s all opinion though, and thank you for yours. -Roger Reply Julia says: February 6, 2013 at 11:06 am
Having traveled mahwah new jersey hotels extensively around Europe (and living in Vienna), I would de