what to see and do?

[Damious]

hey everyone, in about mid july i plan to go to europe. My friend already lives in Europe and he will be backpacking with me.
the places i plan to go to are Italy, Greece, Spain, Netherlands (woo A'dam!), Prague, and maybe germany.

i was just wondering if there are any locations in each of these places u can think of going. Im a bit of a nut for ancient ruins. so in italy, the leaning tower, collusium are musts. as is the parthenon in greece. in spain my buddy already said were going to barcelona, and 1 other i cant remember. seeing as im sure to have some nice partying there. Prague will be nice, i dont think it will catch my interest for all that long though (although gothic themes are cool)

germany i would like to go but im not certain what to do. Im into electronic music, but wouldn't london also be good? im not exactly on an endless budget so that might be my last stop.

so if u guys have any suggestions on other places u can think of. TELL ME NOW OR DIE!!! sorry needed an excuse to use thats character, he's awesome.

i hear flights within europe are really cheap. but would they still be cheaper then trains? or does it depend?

[worldwidemike]

In Italy, for ruins, head south to the Naples area. You can see both Pompeii and Herculanaeum, then with a slight day trip, the Greek-style temples at Paestum (near Salerno). Combined with Rome, these are the Ancient ruins highlights I've seen in Italy. If you like late roman mosaics, you should check out Ravenna, also.

In Greece, make sure you stay in the "Plaka" district when you're in Athens. All the major sights will be within walking distance, and it has all the amenities -- restaurants, bars, shops, etc. -- that you'll need. If you like Medieval stuff, while in Greece, how about the medieval monasteries at Meteora? They are an amazing sight. Check the pic below...

Also (though I had to skip it on my trip), I hear the ruins at Delphi are amazing.

In Spain, you HAVE to hit the town of Segovia, if you're into ruins. There is a giant Roman aqueduct running through the town, castles, cathedrals, medieval towers -- you name it! Very atmospheric city (can be done on a day trip from Madrid, if you like).

As for inter-Europe flights, yes, there are lots of cheap deals. Plot out a rough itinerary (just a skeleton -- doesn't have to be detailed). For the longer transits, see if you can find cheap flights rather than trains, or whatever.

worldwidemike

[urOZm8]

I agree with WWM that the aqueduct at Segovia is a delight! My other favourite in Spain is the university city of Salamanca. In the Netherlands my pick is Utrecht and whilst I haven't done too much of Italy I recommend Venice and Trento (a cute town in the Dolomite Alps).

Berlin is one of the clubbing and techno capitals of Europe - you would definitely get exposure to electronic music there.

ev

[tumblezweedz]

In Germany you can check out Trier for Roman construction, too. It was basically the border of the Roman empire on the Rhine, built about 2000 years ago. And it's in the Moselle Valley, so there's rumoured to be good wine there...