Topic: Heading to Europe next year

[Dylan780]

A buddy and I are going to Europe next year and I am starting to plan the trip out for us. We have the countries/cities picked out that we are going to so now I want to do some research on where to stay in each city.

I literally know nothing about where anything is in any of these cities so I am looking for some help with picking out an area to look for a hotel in. We are both 25 years old and like to go out drinking, go shopping, eat good food and meet some pretty European women   The last thing I want to do is book a hotel and it end up being in a quiet neighborhood full of older people and their families. We would like to stay in a younger more upbeat area of town close to the pubs/clubs and shopping.

Hostels preferred but only ones that have private rooms as I am not huge on sleeping in a common area. Basically just looking for the area that we should stay in and I can look for the hotel/hostel in or near that area.

The places we are going are London, Amsterdam, Berlin, Munich, Barcelona and Paris. So if anyone can help me out with some information/tips on what I mentioned above that would be much appreciated! If you have a favorite bar or club you went to while you were down there let me know!

[Asstuna]

Amsterdam, stay near the train station. It's busy and full of opportunists/pick pockets/etc but also right in the thick of things. You can walk most places of interest poor easily find transit.

[RedndWhite]

We found, over the course of going to many different hotels across Germany, Holiday Inn is cheap and the quality is good across the board. But the best places to stay were just outside of the city in the small towns. And it's not like here where a small town of 1000 people is an hour away from the next town, it's like 5 minutes outside the main part of the city (yes, it's an older people area, but if you need a break, it's one of the better options). The bed and breakfasts there much nicer places to stay, for about the same price. Breakfast is 10x better too.

The part that astounded me about Germany was the amount of beer gardens all over the place, and the best places are all around the LRT/subway. Seriously, just get off on a stop, walk around for 3 minutes, find a bunch of picnic tables, grab some brews, and you're set.

If it's in the time frame and budget, check out Nurburg (about a 6 hour drive from Berlin, near Belgium, and on the way to Paris). It's the hamlet that is surrounded by, you guessed it, the Nurburgring. There's this castle on top of the hill, which you can climb to the top of, and if you're there on a weekend, there is likely a track day. And you can hear *everything* on top of the castle. Tire screaches, crashes, the engine noises . And there's this restaurant near the castle -- for the life of me I can't remember the name, but google exists -- Restaurant zur Nürburg and it had some of the best food I had on the trip.

[oilersman7]

I've lived in Paris on and off for a couple years and it's amazing place to visit, but don't spend too long there. If you're into middle eastern food there's a restaurant in the Jewish district called "L'as Du Falafel" which sells doner like sandwiches that are to die for. I am currently in Europe in the south of France, and I just came back from a trip to Barcelona and I can't recommend it enough! The women are for the most part very attractive, the food the city, whats not to love! A restaurant I highly recommend in Barcelona is "El Senorio Peru". Cheap amazing food that's very high quality. If you arrive between 1-5pm for 10 euro you can get an appetizer (get the ceviche), an entree, a dessert, and a drink (get the clara which is beer mixed with fanta). Being latin american I can vouch that this restaurant is the real deal! Hope this helped man, Europe is gorgeous and such a great experience. Cheers! 

[RockThePylon]

In London, I got a 7-day Oyster Card. Allowed unlimited travel within' Zone 1/2, which is all I needed. It was around 30GBP, and the tube is glorious. Getting around was pretty painless.

Also, get the CityMapper app on your phone. It's awesome for helping you navigate public transit.

AirBnB is also a good option for finding a legit place, often for the price of a hotel room.

[Mitnek]

A great list, but skip Munich and you're golden.

Why not Rome?