Outdoor Adventures
A good European trip includes more than a series of castles and museums. Europeans are into outdoor adventure, and many American travelers are finding fun ways to get wet, windblown and out of breath too. Any tips on outdoor thrills for mild-mannered back door tourists not packing ice axes? Share your favorite outdoor activity.
- Please don't post questions here. Use our Travelers Helpline.
Biking under the Tuscan Sun
I first heard about www.tuscany-biketours.com on this web site. We took one of their tours October 3rd and it was great. We had Mary and Erin as our tour guides and there were about 10 of us. You meet in Florence and are driven out to a castle where you take a tour and do some wine tasting. Then they fit you for your bike and your are off! The price includes a fabulous lunch at a local restaurant and a free water bottle you can take with you. It was my dream to ride in the tuscany area and doing it with a group was a lot of fun. Spending the day with everyone and getting to know our guides made for a memorable experience. I would recommend it to anyone. I personally think that you see and experience so much more from a bicycle than you do a car. The scenery was fantastic. It took a whole day, but it was worth every minute. (We left Florence about 10:30 and returned about 5:00) Check out their web site and consider joining them for an experience you can't have just anywhere. I had to talk my husband into it (spending the money-he loves to bike) but he thought it was worth every penny.
Connie A <email>
Everett, WA USA 10/18/2008
Guides
I planned my European tour almost a year ago and contacted Aziz, Rick's recommendation for a tour guide in Tangier. He replied and said he would be our tour guide and told us he would meet us at our ship with a sign. Well, he didn't. He sent a substitute instead named Abdul. Luckily it worked out because he was very well informed and gave us a wonderful tour, but beware that you may not get Aziz, the guide that you book.
Marie Viti
Port Orangeq, Florid USA 09/13/2008
Hiking Mt. Rigi
I had a GREAT time hiking Rigi outside of Luzern this summer... It is VERY steep but the beautiful views more than make up for it! In the summer everyone wears shorts... Take lots of water!! Maps are available just about everywhere, and there are lots of different villages to hike from.
Amanda <email>
Corpus Christi, TX USA 08/27/2008
Gran Paradiso
The Parco Nazionale Gran Paradiso, north of Torino is beautiful! We rented a car to drive up there from Lucca (about 4.5 hours), and camped near the village of Ceresole Reale. There are hiking trails up mountains, wind-surfing on the lakes, beautiful views of the southern Alps, and no American tourists (but many German and French ones). It was a wonderful weekend, and we all would have liked to stay longer if we didn't have rehearsals on Monday. Just be aware that it gets cold. It may be 90 F in Tuscany, but the warmest it was during the day was 75 F, and was COLD at night. Be prepared with blankets and jackets.
Anna
Cincinnati, OH USA 07/18/2008
Hadrian's Wall Trail.
In late-May and early-June of this year I hiked the 84-mile Hadrian's Wall Trail. It was a great adventure and I have compiled my travel journal into a website.
http://www.hadrianswall2008.com/
DOUG.
Seattle, WA USA 07/18/2008
Night Sledding in the Alps
There are night sledding tours available in Interlaken which offer a fun filled night of sledding, fondue & hot drinks. Beware that if the weather is bad they may "call it" and not tell you. We were fortunate, they refunded our money. We found them at www.interlaken.ch. Happy sledding!
Lauren
Ft. Walton Beach, FL USA 07/11/2008
Sea Adventure in Cinque Terre
A group of 3 families with kids ranging from 15 to 23 were looking for something fun to do in Monterosso. We had a group of 14 that had a wonderful day on the Mediterranean along the coast of the villages of Cinque Terre. We were taken on a tour of the coastline by Angelo's Tours. Angelo and his wife Paula (who is from San Francisco) gave us an amazing day of sightseeing, history, snorkeling in a beautiful cove, exploring caves, and swimming followed by an incredible culinary masterpiece of a feast all prepared from scratch by Paula. There was a wide variety of Italian delicacies and courses including mussels, olives, marinated anchovies and other sea foods followed by a barbecue of perfectly prepared hamburgers and fresh fish caught by local fishermen. We had more than enough water and sodas to keep us hydrated and plenty of beer and proseco to toast the beautiful weather and the pristine water. The whole experience was definitely worth the money and every one of us had a terrific time. Paula also gave us recommendations for restaurants that all turned out to be perfect! I would highly recommend spending a day with Angelo and Paula!! You can find them next to the tourist information booth near the docks on the main town side of the tunnel. Ask anyone in town about them and they'll give you directions!!
Rick Kleine <email>
BERKELEY, CA USA 07/04/2008
Breaking away bike tours
Breaking Away bike tours
Although this is not a bus tour, I think this is the apropriate section. My husband and I just returned from three weeks in Italy. We were on our own until the last week of the trip, which we spent on a bicycle tour in Tuscany. This trip was incredible to say the least. There were 15 people plus the crew and it was the ideal size for this event. The routes were incredible and the accommodations were in great locations. This type of tour gave us a perspective of Tuscany that can only be experienced from a bike. Fresh smells of the countryside, riding over village cobblestone roads, interacting with local Italian cyclists. And at the end of a long, hard ride there is someone to take your bike for you so that all you have to do is eat. Then you can either ride more, or ride back to the hotel in vans. Every detail is considered here and the service was unmatched. If you are very active and enjoy cycling I highly recommend this tour. Be warned though, this is not the beginner's bike tour. It is intense and worth every penny. Check them out at http://www.breakingaway.com They also offer tours elsewhere in Italy, France and the US. We are considering the tour of Napa in April. :)
April
vancouver, wa USA 06/30/2008
Biking Tuscany
I Bike Tuscany (www.ibiketuscany.com) is a top notch, customized bike tour company operating out of Florence. The warm and witty (and English-proficient) Marco, an ex-pro cyclist, runs this highly personalized operation, providing a variety of single day and multi-day bicycle tours throughout Italy and Europe. My wife and daughter and I capped off our recent Italy trip with Marco's all-day Wine Tour of the Chianti region. Marco provided everything--bikes, helmets, water bottles (he even lent my daughter his sunglasses!) and most important, his amiable hosting abilities--as we explored an ancient hill town, then boarded bikes for a tour of three vineyards, up and down the breathtaking hills of the Chianti region of Tuscany. We ended with a quick look at the small town of Greve in Chiant. Marco followed in an SUV and never once did we feel our novice (compared to Marco!) biking skills were a shortcoming--and frankly, after the third vineyard, loaded with Chianti Classico, we were more than ready to hop in the van and enjoy the rest of the day motorized! A thoroughly enchanting day, capping a terrific week in Italia. I absolutely recommend Marco and I Bike Tuscany for single or multi-day bike tours in and around Florence.
John Thompson <email>
Potomac, MD USA 04/19/2008
Dordogne River Canoe Trip
My wife and I recently returned from a two week stay in France and the highlight of our many memorable experiences was our canoe trip in the Dogdogne Valley. We followed the Rick Steves guidebook recommendations and went with Copeyre Rentals.
We started our adventure at the Vitrac Port and ended at Beynac. It is important to know that you have to cross the bridge in Vitrac Port to find the canoe outfitters there. This wasn't obvious to us on our initial entry into the the small town of Vitrac.
The trip itself was incredible with picture postcard scenery all along the route. It's also not very strenuous as the river current pushes you along the majority of the distance without the requirement to paddle constantly.
We initially stopped in the beautiful little village of La Rogue-Gagnac and enjoyed a casual walk through the narrow winding streets there. Then, it was onward to Castlenand, where we stopped and enjoyed a picnic at a convenient little grassy area there. Our lunch provided the added enjoyment and rewarding cultural experience of dining with a group (approx 40) of Dutch who were also making the river trek. We shared many interesting stories with our newfound friends before departing onward.
Launching our canoe once more, we continued down the river to Beynac where sadly, our river excursion ended. The exit point in Beynac is well marked and easy to find.
All in all, we took us approximately 3 1/2 hours to complete the 15 km trip at a very leisurely pace. I would wholeheartedly recommend this trip to anyone comtemplating visiting France and especially if you're going to be in the Dogdogne Valley region.
Sam Arnsdorff <email>
San Diego, CA USA 09/23/2007
Samaria Gorge, Crete, Greece
Last year I hiked the Samaria Gorge, on the western side of Crete, Greece. A fabulous 15 km all day hike, all down hill which is about a 1000 m elevation drop. The further along the hike the walls of the gorge get closer and closer, until the end when the walls are only about 3 m apart.
Vancouver, B.C., Canada 09/10/2007
biking the canal
Carcassone has a great castle. But it also has the Canal du Midi. Take a day to rent a bike and ride the tow path (flat). There are places to eat along the way. Beautiful, interesting, and relaxing.
J. Sinclair
Vallejo, CA USA 07/12/2007
Quinta Panascal in Douro Valley, Portugal
A few weeks ago I was in the Douro Valley, driving from Porto, both on the autoestrada, and windy local roads. The Panascal Quinta, where they grow and bottle the Fonseca wine, has a good tour of its terraces. Granted the English audiotape sounds a bit like it was read aloud by Michael Lonsdale (from
"007:Moonraker" and "Ronin"), it was a bit educational and I could follow along easily enough. The walk from the wine tasting building to the terraces was reasonable, and despite the clouds it did not rain too badly. There were no grapes on the vines, but this was the planting season.
I tried a little bit of the tawny but just enough to have a taste. There was only another car that arrived just after myself, so there was not a great deal of activity that day which was good.
Going back to Porto, the road on the south bank of the Douro did have a few trucks up to Régua. Part of the fun of Panascal Quinta is the drive to and from Porto.
Josh Hanz <email>
Frisco, TX USA 03/10/2007
Biking in Tuscany
I was traveling alone on my first trip to Italy and towards the end of my trip I was getting lonely and a little burnt out on museums ( even though I'm an artist), I saw at my hotel in Florence a brochure for a bike tour though Tuscany. Scenic castle, wine tasting etc. It sounded like EXACTELY what I needed , a chance to get out of town and be with ( hopefully) friendly people. It was everything that I could ask for. I had an AWESOME time. The castle was great as was the beautiful Tuscan countryside. The guide Kevin was perfect. He was friendly, warm and funny. Just what I needed . If your a solo traveler in Florence ( or with a group of course) I would highly recommend Tuccany Bike Tours (www/tuscany-biketours.com
Andrew Bacha <email>
Hoboken, nj USA 02/12/2007
Tours
The Netherlands - outside Amsterdam. Wetlands Safari (www.wetlandssafari.nl)
was a unique and fabulous experience. Meet Majel outside the train stn, take a bus with her and others for 20 min, stop in a cafe and then get out the canoes. We paddled through the narrow channels, past houses and gardens, and then had her explain the reclaimed land, what grows there and the bird life that nests and lives there. She provided the best picnic lunch - all hand carried by her. This is an easy paddle and can be done by almost anyone. It was an unexpected and wonderful surprise to be so close to the city and yet be rural, and also have a lesson while paddling along. She is a gem.
Gail and Dean <email>
Ladner, BC Canada 11/29/2006
Gran Sasso
The Gran Sasso is one of Europe’s most extraordinary national parks, perfect for hiking, cross country and downhill skiing, riding, and mountain climbing. Just over an hour and a half from Rome by car in the province of Aquila is one of the park's most extraordinary settings that includes the the Apennines' highest peak(Corno Grande)next to a high plain (Campo Imperatore) replete with “semi-wild” horses and wild flowers in summer and deep snow in winter, and two of Italy’s loveliest virgin hill towns, Castel Del Monte and Santo Stefano di Sessanio, which were ruled by the Medici’s for nearly two centuries and now are listed among “I Borghi più belli d'Italia”.
Miles Gerety
Redding Ridge, CT USA 10/06/2006
White Water rafting in Hoftgarden Austria
One of my favortie parts of my month long trip to Europe was the white water rafting experience in Austria. I had such a great time. I had never been before, I thought it was a good time, and very adventurous. I happened to swallow 1/2 gallon of water, but it was worth it. I have more of my trip blogged at http://www.katlyn22@blogspot.com check it out for more exciting things to do in Europe.
Katlyn
Tampa, FL USA 10/02/2006
Cinque Terre trail closures
Be sure to watch for small white signs posted at the entrance of the trails. When we were there, the trail between town #2 and #3 was closed half way up the trail due to a land slide and we found out the hard way. When we returned back to the start of the trail, sure enough a small sign was posted in the bottom corner. It was hard to find and we missed it.
Charles Nance <email>
Columbus, Ohio USA 09/22/2006
Kayaking near Beynac, Dordogne
My wife, sister in law, and I took a kayak trip down the Dordogne in July, with Copeyre Canoes. The plus side is that the scenery was beautiful; the down side is that it may be more of a work out than you realize, so be prepared and plan ahead. We took the longer three hour route from Carnak down to Beynac; problem was, we asked for a three person canoe but ended up with a three person kayak; kayaks are great for one or two persons, but go really slow with three! Besure it is clear that you are getting a canoe, or go with three solo kayaks. Also, a three hour trip may end up being five hours, when you include the bus ride from Beynac to Carnak, then to the river again - and if you are three persons stuck in one kayak, even with good paddling techniques it can be tiring. Our stated 3 hour float became a 4 1/2 hour work out. Better to ge with a shorter journey nearest to Beynac, where the sights are better anyway.
Andy Andeck
Oceanside, CA USA 09/01/2006
Fly Fishing
Hello:
I'm wondering if any one has done any fly-fishing in Italy? My husband and I are avid fly-fishers and love Italy. It would be wonderful to combine these two things.
Thank you
Pam
Pam <email>
Nevada City, CA USA 08/28/2006
Pulpit rock/Kjerag in Norway
Hi
If you happen to stop by Stavanger on the south west coast of Norway there are two places you can go to to get a great view of the Lyse fjord. The most popular place is Preikestolen (Pulpit rock). It will take you a bit of time to walk to this place and it might be crowded...but the view from the 600 meter edge is amazing on clear summer days. I have posted some pictures on this page http://gardkarlsen.com/preikestolen.htm
If you have access to a car you can drive to a place called Kjerag. the drive is about 2 hours out of Stavanger but it is a scenic route. The walk to this place is a bit longer than Preikestolen but at the top you are close to 1000 meter above the Lyse fjord and the view is again amazing. This is also a popular place for BASE jumping so you might see some jump of the edge. I have posted some pictures here http://gardkarlsen.com/kjerag.htm
Regards
Gard
Gard Karlsen <email>
Stavanger, Norway 08/02/2006
Outdoor Adventures
Cinque Terre Was definitely one of my favorite spots in Europe, especially if you are into enjoying the outdoor scenery. The five town hike was amazing, especially the stops for pizza and jelato for breaks. The water was a bit cold in May, but we still managed to jump in for a dip in the Mediterranean. But if you really crave the outdoor experience in Europe, try Switzerland. We went to Interlaken, and there is soo much to do there. There is also year round skiing in Zermatt.
George C <email>
Toronto, Ontari Canada 07/30/2006
Cinque Terre Water Temp ?
How about getting in the water at the
Cinque Terre at the end of MAY ?
I expect to sleep in Monterosso,
But how about snorkeling or scuba
or just swimming. How COLD is the water expected to be on May 27th ?
Thanks...
Robert Nesiba
Brigham City, UT USA 04/21/2006
Skydiving in Czech Republic
Anyone tried skydiving/parachuting in the Czech Republic? What about other "outdoor adventures" in the CR?
Lois <email>
Vancouver, WA USA 04/09/2006
(Near London) Walking Club
This weekend I had a fantastic time joining the informal "Walker's Club" on a long walk outside of London. English people love to walk the countryside, but if you don't live there, where do you go? There are two books published that give routes in astonishing detail; all you need to do is get one of the books, check the club web site to find out which train to catch, and meet up with whoever else might be interested. We (2 Americans, living in London short term) met 3 others (2 Brits, one Russian living in London) for a chilly but beautiful March day out in Constable country (Book 1, walk 39). I really felt like I was seeing England the way it should be seen. I am stiff today but much happier than I have been visiting London's museums and parks. The club's web site is http://www.walkingclub.org.uk/
Sue
London for now, usually Evanston, IL USA 03/20/2006
Gent, Belgium
On March 11, 2006 my husband and I discovered a really cool castle right in the center of town in Gent Belgium which is located approx. 35 minutes from Brussels Central train station. It only cost 6 euros and well worth it!! If you like to explore castles we highly recommend this one. Another side tip when traveling by train in Belgium, train tickets are half the price on weekends only.
shelly
troy, oh USA 03/17/2006
Renting Scooters or motorcycles
Has anyone ever rented a scooter or motorcycles in France, Germany, or Switzerland, it seems like it would make for some great day trips I just don't know if it's possible to do, or if anyone does it.
Bryce <email>
Portland, OR USA 03/10/2006
Grossglockner
On a recent trip to Austria last October, our family experienced a wonderful day trip along the Grossglockner mountain roadway and its surrounding national park. There were ample opportunites for us as a family to hike above treeline and enjoy the children's park/play area, viewing tower, glaciers and wildlife in an amazing alpine environment!! The road is well maintained with plenty of places to eat along the way. It closes during the winter, but is well worth the wait.
Andrea Conde
Copperas Cove, TX USA 02/27/2006
Cinque Terra
Cinque Terra was, by far, my favorite place in Italy. And I can assure you that anyone else who has visited these 5 fishing villages will tell you the same. Hiking paths along the Italian Riveria lead you from one town to the next. Views are breath taking, places to stay are reasonably ,and the people are incredibly friendly. Although there is not much of a night life, the views and adventures of the day will satisfy any traveler!
LeeAnn <email>
Shelton, CT USA 01/24/2006
Sorrento and The Amalfi Coast
My husband and I had one of our most memorable and wonderful days in Sorrento, Italy and the Amalfi Coast.
We hired a personal driver, who took us to places we would never have found or could not have accessed on a bus.
The cost ($150.00 Euros) for 7 hours was so worth the money. I recommend you splurge here and be frugal elsewhere..it's well worth every penny. MARIANO DE MARTINO is a perfect gentleman, speaks excellent English and is a fabulous person to share a day with. His email is: pleasureonwheels@tiscali.it
You will love your day.
Laurie Evans, Eugene, Oregon
Laurie Evans <email>
Eugene, Oregon USA 01/06/2006
Have you walked Santiago de Compostela?
I am planning a trip to walk Santiago de Compostela in Sept 2006. I am looking for a tour from Leon to SdC. Anybody have suggestions, experiences with good travel companies? I would like to find a company that handles the hotel and food so I can concentrate on the pilgrammage. Thanks in advance for any help and commments.
There will be 2 of us together, we are seniors but young at heart! ;o)
Looking forward to hearing about other's pilgrammage or travels
John <email>
Chicago, IL USA 12/27/2005
Ostia Antica
We took a day trip from Rome in March to visit this great sight. We were surprised at just how huge it is. Defenitely a place to bring a picnic lunch. The ruins are amazing. You can wander for hours through 2,000 year old shops, baths, homes; every aspect of a Roman town of 100,000 inhabitants. It is easy to get to and not crowded at all.
Angie
Everett, Washington USA 10/07/2005
Rafting in Scotland
Just got back from a driving trip through England and Scotland. We spent one afternoon white water rafting the River Tummel near Dunkeld, Scotland. This was one of the highlights of our trip and I highly recommend it. We booked through this website: www.naelimits.com
Janell <email>
Portland, OR USA 09/30/2005
Howth Dublin
I stayed in the Ballsridge section of Dublin so it was a toss-up between Bray to the South and Howth to the North for an afternoon trip via the Dart. My waiter said Howth was by far the nicer. Well the Dart was down in the south direction anyway due to renovatons Sept. 2005. So we went to Howth. I can't see what the attraction is unless you have never seen water before. I didn't find it picturesque at all. The fishing "village" is an industrail dock with fish boats. Nothing to brag about in the way of shops or eateries. If you're looking for a Martha's vineyard atmosphere, you will be disappointed.
Marie
Verona, NJ USA 09/28/2005
Southern Germany
I haven’t read the whole Graffiti wall, but haven’t yet seen a mention of the Freilichtmuseum (open-air museum) Neuhausen. It consists of forty or so 100 to 300 year old buildings arranged in several “village” of “farmstead” groupings. The museum is just outside of the Baden-Wurttemberg town of Neuhausen ob Eck which is just east of Tuttlingen and about 30km northwest of the northwest arm of Bodensee (Lake Constance.) We found it practically deserted in October. There were some old-timed crops growing around the area, a saw mill and several residential or working areas. It was very authentic and enlightening. Due to the season we missed all of the many craft or “industrial” demonstrations except a potter and a wheel wright. The other demonstrators & the restaurant were only in operation on weekends. Entrance cost €4.50 each and €1.00 for a map.
USA 09/27/2005
Cotswolds hiking
We recently spent some time in Britain and discovered an aspect of the Cotswolds not touched on in Rick's books: walking. With its prestigious Ramblers' Association, the Cotswolds are something like the center of walking in England. There are countless public footpaths, and local law proclaims that they are all open to the public, despite farmers doing everything legal they can to drive tourists off (foreboding fences and signs warning of raging bulls are common!) Nonetheless if you are a hiker you cannot pass this up. The villages are so numerous that you can walk between many in one day. There is good signposting too. All you need is a detailed local map. It's a perfect way to discover new villages and get close to the sheep, cows, flowers, farmsteads, rabbits, kissing gates and the atmosphere of the Cotswolds - a magical ambience unattainable by car. But look out - by the end of a few walks you'll know why all the locals are wearing green galoshes!
Ben
Bay area, CA USA 09/02/2005
RE: Paragliding
Just came back from a worldwind of a trip in Europe.. but we did stop in Interlaken, Switzerland and went paragliding, along with canyoning (scary but fun) and water rafting. Paragliding was amazing.. we were sort of disappointed that it wasn't a clear day that morning but it was actually pretty cool to sail through the clouds. All you have to do is jog off a hill and then you are sailing in the air... it really was amazing. But if you want a little adventure then you should try canyoning!! Have fun!
Sue
Ocean City, NJ USA 08/24/2005
Orvieto, Italy bike rental
Rented a bike in Orvieto for 5 euro a day. Was a great investment allowing me to bike to Lake Bolsano through the vineyard villas and olive orchards before my family was even awake. We also biked the connecting path to the isolate town of Civita. Was definitely a highlight of our trip, and very do-able. Rental store was in Orvieto-scala on main street.
george Valentine
San Diego, ca USA 08/22/2005
Travel Bikes
This Spring, I bought a bicycle (Ritchey Break Away) which packs in a suitcase. What an outstanding thing to have during travel. Of course in Europe where most airlines have a 20 kilo weight restriction, it means that I have to cut back on my other packing to accomodate my bike (packed in its suitcase, it comes in at about 11 kilos).
I picked it up when I was back in the US - since then, it's been around Greece, to Switzerland and France (for a few days at the Tour), and in a few weeks to Bulgaria.
Pat
Larissa, Thessaly Greece 08/02/2005
Walking in Bruges
Ideas for walking in the Bruges area.( not the city centre, please.
Thanking you in anticipation for your help
Ronald John Saunders
Ronald John Saunders <email>
Llanelli, U.K. 07/15/2005
Walking in Andalucia
I posted rather vaguely a while back about a little-known valley perfect for hiking or biking that I discovered in Andalucia. I received several requests for more information so am reposting. The area is called the Alto Genal valley and it's really close to Ronda which is kind of touristy these days. The valley has 7 small villages each about 1 hour walk from each other. It's surrounded by sweet chestnut trees and some craggy mountains. Magnificent countryside and no tourists in sight. I stayed at a couple of places, a rural hotel in Juzcar one of the villages and a luxury inn in Cartajima, another of the villages. I have found a website that has all the info on the valley which hopefully will answer any questions but if you need anything else, do email me.
www.altogenal.com is the site for the valley
Jane Beckingham <email>
Arlington, VA USA 07/10/2005
Glen Affric, Scotland
Glen Affric wilderness area near Inverness, Scotland is one of the most beautiful wilderness places I have seen in the world--the guide said that it is the only remaining virgin Caldonian forest. I recommend the "Discover Loch Ness" bus tour with the guide Tony (www.discoverlochness.com). The tour goes to loch ness in the morning and you get a boat tour to see the Urqhart castle, and in the afternoon they take you to Glen Affric (on certain days). The loch ness tour was great, but the Glen Affric part of the tour was amazing. It was the highlight of my trip to the UK.
Jonathan <email>
Ames, IA USA 07/09/2005
Gimmelwald
My wife and I spent a considerable amount of time in Berner Oberland thanks to Rick's great recommendations. Our home base was Bonigen, which has much more of a local flavor then its neighbor Interlaken. We highly recommend taking a half day excursion to the small village of Gimmmelwald. In Gimmmelwald you will experience the Swiss Alps you often see in old pictures. Amazing scenery as well.
Tom
Nashville, USA 07/08/2005
Paragliding in Switzerland
I'm heading out to the Berner Oberland area and am looking into paragliding. Just curious if anyone has done this...your experience...recommendations....etc? Thanks!
Courtney <email>
Chicago, IL USA 07/01/2005
Scenery in Innsbruck, Austria
I went to Austria and Germany last year for my first trip to Europe. A goal/dream that was finally achieved. And now, i am planning a trip back to Europe. Anyways, i just had to recommend backpacking and hiking through Innsbruck, Austria. It is absolutely amazing scenery, beautiful mountains hovering over the town, green hills everywhere, and culture scene on the decoration of the houses. It is just amazing scenery there. The first words out of my mouth when seeing the mountains hovering was "Wow!" Just beautiful. We backpacked, hiked, and took trams around Innsbruck to neighboring small towns of Igle and Kreit. Just endless..beautiful scenery. Truly an experience to remember.
Stephanie <email>
Fresno, CA USA 06/29/2005
Biking on cobblestones in Bolzano
Our best deal in Italy -- and believe me, we were looking with the exchange rate the way it is -- turned out to be a six-hour bike rental in Bolzano for only 1 Euro per bike. We took the bikes up Fiume Talvera to the Castle Roncolo, and wrapped up the journey with a thrilling sprint down the old streets by the duomo and into Walther Platz. The bike rental is located just off Walther Platz on the way to the train station. Red bikes line the sidewalk...you can't miss it.
Kevin Day <email>
Denver, CO USA 05/26/2005
bike riding in paris
We rented bikes in Paris and had a ball. You can see everything by riding a bike. We even when on the trains and took side trips with them. The French people loved the fact that we Americans were riding bikes in Paris. They are very bike friendly. Most streets have bike lanes and you can also ride on the sidewalks almost anywhere. It really saved our legs and our feet.
becky <email>
memphis, tn USA 05/05/2005
Dutch Open Air Museum
The Dutch Open Air Museum in Arnhem is well worth a visit! It has many windmills, and typical tradtional Dutch homes throughout history. Also, the interactive movie, shown in the visitor center, on Dutch history is fascinating and very entertaining. The room actually moves and transports the viewer into diffent Dutch scenes- wonderful!!!
Julie <email>
Ellicott City, MD USA 05/04/2005
work holidays
I want to recommend work holidays with the National Trust in the UK. Just got back from a week long holiday living and working on a massive garden estate in Somerset and I had the most amazing time and met 12 really excellent people. It was hard outdoor work, but very rewarding to see the positive effect we were having on the garden. I have been doing quite a bit of traveling this past year and this was the best trip so far. Very near the perfect holiday.
GLasgow, Scotland 04/17/2005
Near Venice: natural pyramids
In the rural areas near Venice there are "natural pyramids." I saw these many years ago and found them quite fascinating. You can hike through many trails in the forest to see these pyramids. They are formed by erosion: a large rock has stopped the erosion below it so a tall spire of land remains. They were nothing that I could ever see here at home!
CB
Vancouver, BC Canada 04/14/2005
Hadrian's Wall Walk
Walked Hadrian's Wall trail with my wife, in September, 04 and loved it! Celebrated my 60th birthday doing something other than blowing out candles and cannot recommend the 84 mile hike enough! Will gladly shared our experiences if you are interested!
John Scheleur <email>
Arnold, Md USA 04/03/2005
Nature in Norway
A good way to experience nature in Norway is on a Den Norske Tursetforening (Norwegian touring association) tour. The DNT tours are reasonably priced and a number of tours have English speaking guide.
We experienced a ski tour in the Jotunheimen area on a DNT tour. Not only did we enjoy the spectacular scenery, but enjoyed it in the company of Norwegian, Dutch, Danish, English, and Canadian skiers. The DNT huts (lodges) and private mountain lodges had hot showers and good Norwegian food (salmon, moose, and other Norwegian items).
DNT web site: http://www.turistforeningen.no/index.php?fo_id=782
Edgar <email>
Medford, OR USA 03/29/2005