10 Reasons to Visit Europe

10 Reasons to Vacation in Europe
By Don Miller

Four years ago, Europe held minimal appeal to our family as a tourist destination. Our youngest daughter, Sharon the intrepid traveler and editor of this newsletter had obtained employment in London. She begged, pleaded, cajoled, encouraged and somehow talked us into visiting her in England. Initially, we planned a quick four day holiday that somehow evolved into a seventeen day adventure. Leaving Houston as reluctant skeptics, we returned with a passionate appreciation of European travel.

As we enthusiastically share our experiences, the questions in many people's minds are "What is so great about Europe? What do they offer that we do not? Why go to all the hassle and expense? They speak funny!!! Who wants to see all that old stuff?” Giving these valid questions a great deal of thought, the following list contains ten compelling reasons to "cross the pond" and visit Europe.

1. The LONG PLANE RIDE can be an ordeal or an opportunity to truly relax. Work, the telephone, your yard and all our normal mundane activities that clutter our lives and create stress disappear as you begin to cross the Atlantic. You cannot even begin the hectic pace of vacationing while on the plane. So sit back and enjoy yourself. Most flights provide two meals as well as individual television screens for each seat with a choice of three or four fairly current movies. Read a book, have a glass of wine, watch a movie, move around the plane occasionally to stretch those limbs and sleep a few hours. You are required to do nothing so enjoy it.

2. TRANSPORTATION is totally different than the United States. Eurorail trains provide a convenient means of travel to almost everywhere in Western Europe. Organized chaos describes the train stations. Trains arrive and depart every few minutes from all over the continent. It is exciting. Purchase some wine, cheese and maybe a sandwich and travel in a sleeper car for an unforgettable adventure. Take a cog railway car up the steep slopes of the Swiss Alps and above all utilize the subway systems (in London the “Tube”) in all the major European cities that zip you conveniently to the major sites.

Ocean going ferries run to every island imaginable. These resemble in no way the tiny Galveston Island ferries. These are huge ocean going ships. Many offer restaurants, bars, overnight sleeping berths and even movies.

3. How so much diversity and NATURAL BEAUTY became concentrated in a relatively small continent is amazing. Get up early and watch the sun rise over the Matterhorn. Sip a glass of wine in the pastel colored hillside villages of Cinque Terre in Italy and watch the sun set. Enjoy the beautiful rolling hills of Tuscany, the deep blue of the Aegean Sea as seen from the cliffs of Santorini or the foggy moors of Northern England. Hike and bike through the meadows and forests of Belgium and The Netherlands. Almost any trail in the Alpine countries leads to waterfalls and eventually a beautiful panorama of the surrounding countryside. Although compact, Europe is surprisingly rural and it is not difficult to escape to appreciate its natural wonders.

4. The GREAT CITIES OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION await your arrival. London, Paris, Rome, Athens, Barcelona, Amsterdam and many others conjure up childhood memories of history and geography lessons. Visit the Eiffel Tower, the Tower of London, the Acropolis and the Colosseum. Pause and reflect upon the people, events and history that occurred in these historic places. You could literally overdose on the great architecture, cathedrals, museums, palaces and works of art. Do not try to see it all. It would take several lifetimes. Pick and choose according to your personal interests, length of trip and balance the culture with other aspects of your trip.

5. FOOD and DRINK provide reason enough to tour Europe. Enjoy paella (rice based dish) in Spain, pasta in Italy, fondue in Switzerland and unbelievably wonderful hearty cuisine in Northern England (Yorkshire pudding, fish and chips, steak pie). Every country seems to be a giant vineyard. Sample small amounts of a large and diverse variety of wines to broaden your experience and titillate your palate. Beer is plentiful. Tiny Belgium has over 400 varieties (try peach beer for something different). Finish your day walking the streets with a gelato (like a creamy ice cream).

6. Participate in OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES. In stark contrast to the United States, much of Europe has hiking and biking trails paralleling many of the roads or an incredible network of separate pathways going almost anywhere. White water rafting is available in many countries. Frighten yet test yourself canyoning which involves jumping, climbing, rappelling, sliding and walking down melting mountain streams. Paraglide off a mountain top, hot air balloon, hike on a glacier or swim in the North Sea or Mediterranean Sea. Combining physically demanding (at your own level of expertise) adventure activities provides a good balance to the urban, cultural aspect of your vacation.

7. Experience different types of LODGING on your trip. Youth hostels are plentiful and fun as well as economical. England has a plethora of excellent bed and breakfasts. Most countries have small family run hotels each unique to the locale. Spain has paradores and Portugal has pousadas which are government run hotels. Frequently they are located in castles, monasteries, a variety of historically important buildings or a particularly scenic location. In short, stay away from the large international hotels similar to what we have in the United States.

8. Relish the SLOWER PACE of LIFE. Europeans (especially the Italians) tend to linger endlessly over dinner (meaning for hours) which drives us crazy. Almost everywhere people walk the streets, sip a little wine at a sidewalk cafe and do not seem to be living at such a frantic pace. There seems to be a greater emphasis on quality of life.

9. From the earliest planning stages to admiring your pictures post-holiday, a European trip is a PAINLESS EDUCATION. Live Life Travel highly encourages you to plan your own trip and travel independently. For example, what countries will you visit? Where are they in relationship to each other? What cities will you visit and how will you get there? What will you do once you arrive? You will absorb information about countries, cities, modes of travel, food, money, language, dress, history, culture, terrain, sights, sounds and smells.

10. Travel has the potential to be the ULTIMATE FAMILY BONDING EXPERIENCE. Does anyone really remember all the fun you had mowing the lawn together? You will remember seeing the Eiffel Tower or hiking in the Swiss Alps, riding the boats through the canals of Amsterdam, eating mussels in Brussels or touring the Vatican. Trips require a lot of planning, some money and a great deal of discussion and compromise. This is the opportunity for your family to take an experience of a week or two and convert it into a lifetime memory.