Where to spend 2 weeks in Europe?

Two weeks is a long time to restrict yourself to not leaving one city. All of your choices are pretty small places and you'll soon run out of sights to see.

Once you've decompressed from your work travels and had a look around you'll soon get bored. Unless you're happy to just sit indoors watching television, but you could do that anywhere. Also the weather in October is pretty shit in all your choices.

[quote]on it's own

Oh, dear!

Couldn't disagree more with what r1 wrote. Spending two weeks in a city and actually getting a feel for it rather than dashing from one tourist trap to another with a to-do list in your hand is *the* ideal way to travel. Let yourself be remoulded by the vibe of the city, instead of just feeding endless curiosities to your mind and coming home exactly the same person you are now.

The obvious choice is Lisbon, not only for the city itself, but all the places in Portugal and Spain that are nearby. The average high temperature in October is 74 and in November 63. Immerse yourself in the culture.

R3 That sounds very lovely and romantic, but the reality is often very different. Two weeks is a long time on your own, in a country whose language you don't speak, in a city you've decided you can't leave. The novelty soon wears off. You can only people-watch and wander about for so long.

Scotland is absolutely gorgeous in October. But you need to get up into the Highlands and definitely not stay 2 full weeks in Edinburgh.

Nice / Monaco / Eze - stay in Nice, Uber up to Eze, bus down to Monaco & train back

As a side note, I do have to work during these 2 weeks so it's not like I will have endless amounts of free time which is why I'm choosing to stay in one place.

I would do Milan. But I am a big city person. There are plenty of things to keep you occupied during your free time. It's not as hectic or bustling as a Paris or London, but still has a big city feel to it. I'd go see the Last Supper which is almost a religious experience the way they have it set up. I'd go to the Museums, enjoy the food, shop. And most importantly people watch. The people watching is very fun in Milan - up there with Paris. I'd go to Navigli and gay bar hop. I'd go to the design district in Brera. There is plenty to fill yours days, OR just do absolutely nothing without getting bored doing it.

If you are not going to leave the city, then Prague or Budapest would be my pick. Beautiful architecture, plenty to do. Lisbon and Edinburgh are just too small. Alternatively, I would suggest Vienna or Madrid.

[quote]I would do Milan.

When I read OP's request I was ready to suggest Milan too.

If you can stay in the center, it's an amazing place. Stylish, luxurious, refined, with plenty to do there. And it doesn't have the masses of American tourists you'll find in other Euro cities. And the city still feels very Italian.

Vienna and Budapest

Italy is full of thieves on the street and on public transportation. It would be a nightmare.

I’ve been to Milan. It’s okay to quickly get in, see the major sights, then get out, but there are much better choices in Europe for spending two weeks.

Prague is nice but the old town and new town to an extent is overrun with tourists. It's also relatively expensive. Put Vienna on the list. It is called the most European of European cities. The trains and airports are good. It is a city dedicated to the idea of living well.

Nicolas Fairford lives in Edinburgh. I am sure he would love you to come for tea. Wear something tasteful.

Another vote for Vienna.

When dining, be sure to ask if the famous Viennetta ice cream cake is on the menu.

So DL...OP gives his four choices for where he is considering staying.

DLers come up with totally different options, many of them stupid.

[quote] It is called the most European of European cities.

No that is us.

[quote] Why would you spend TWO weeks in Milan?

Shopping, sweetie darling. Shopping.

Prague has so many tourists it’s claustrophobic.

OP actually hasn't supplied enough information.

1) Are you gay?

2) Are you single? Or, in an open relationship?

In othe words, will you be looking for companionship during this 2 week stay?

Also: are you old (over 50), young (under 30), in between (30 to 50)?

I voted for Lisbon solely because I think it would have the best food of the 4.

Scottish and Mittlel European food isn't great.

Edinburgh. Do excursions to York, St. Andrews, and the Highlands from there. Also check out the Borders and Hadrian's Wall and Rosyln Chapel. Maybe head out to Isle of Skye for a night or two as well.

I could easily spend two weeks in Edinburgh. Bookie - pub - chippie; bookie - pub - kebab. Repeat as needed.

Paris would be a better fit than OP's 4 or any other suggestion. Plenty to see. Even if you work half the time, you won't necessarily see everything you want.

Prague was magical 30 years ago.

I spent 4 days in Budapest a dozen years ago, and swore that I would never return. Though the city itself had some historic charm, it was actually still very authoritarian and corrupt. The police, in particular, were good at shaking tourists down. (At one point, one asked to see my passport and, after handing it over, would not return it to me until I gave her $35.) It's also become increasingly anti-LGBT over the past several years. I would avoid going there at all costs.

I have not been to Lisbon, but would choose Edinburgh over Prague (though I love both cities). R24 has the right idea. Even though you say you're going to stay in the city, there are a lot of quick & easy day trips you can make using Edinburgh as a base.

Also amusing: people's reading comprehension. OP has stated he's going to be WORKING for those two weeks. He's not a tourist. He's looking for a good homebase for a two week period at the end of October. He gave us 4 options.

Go to Buda; avoid Pest.

[quote] Also: are you old (over 50), young (under 30), in between (30 to 50)?

Som now middle-age people are called 'in-betweens'? How gauche!

Maybe we don't like OP's choices R18.

Choose the place with the best weather and best/most reliable internet.

The sex clubs in Budapest are MAGIC. The guys there are still masculine, and as long as you are not flaunting your rainbow thong while smooching with your throuple, you’ll be fine. Plus the food is epic.

Edinburgh's not in Europe

R4 can’t read very well. At all.

R7 is nuts. Eze is worth 4 hours, if that. A bus? And Monaco gets about an hour more than Eze.

[quote] Edinburgh's not in Europe

R34 Excuse me!!! Yes, Edinburgh, Scotland, is located in Europe. Specifically, it is the capital city of Scotland, which is part of the United Kingdom and is situated in the continent of Europe.

Off.

[quote]Italy is full of thieves on the street and on public transportation. It would be a nightmare.

I have a feeling you've never been there or even own a passport.

I was in Budapest alone on a one day walking tour — I trained in from Vienna early morning, then trained back that same evening.

It’s an interesting city and an interesting counterpoint to Vienna. Both were imperial Hapsburg cities but after decades of Soviet style communism, Budapest in many places was grungy and even feeling a bit run down, in stark contrast to spotless, antiseptic, rather cold Vienna. I really enjoyed my walk (I think it was over 35000 steps, ha ha).

But I being all this up because something really ugly happened while I was walking. I was at one point strolling along a main avenue with benches along it, and a young man who was clearly out of his element and looked middle eastern was sitting on a bench. A pickup truck with what looked like construction workers pulled up and the guys hopped out of the back of the pickup and started harassing lost-looking young guy. I wondered what I was going to do about it, by myself and exhausted, in a foreign city for the day, when the louts from the pickup got back in. This was right when I passed through the scene. It didn’t pull away, it just idled there, but they seemed to have lost interest in the guy.

This is something I witnessed and I was there for ONE DAY. I liked the city but I’m not sure I’ll ever go back.

R22 yes, I'm gay and "in between" as you called it - I'm 40.

Interesting that your options were either single or in an open relationship. Guess I'm also "in between" and in a monogamous relationship. So no, I will not be looking for dick.

I have traveled extensively throughout Europe and been to most of the cities you all are offering up as alternatives (Milan, Paris, Vienna, etc) so I was trying to choose a city that I have not been to.

Istanbul, oh the baths

Istanbul is interesting and worth a visit, but the stores and cab drivers are often predatory if you are a tourist / not muslim. You'll also get harassed by men if you are alone, and not in a good way. They are charming but clearly up to no good. One potential incident involved three men who each came out of nowhere, all friends. It was afternoon right next to Hagia Sophia, so I wasn't too alarmed, but I didn't give a shit about courtesy, which they are counting on, and walked away before anything could happen. They were all in their late 30s, so not kids and most probably experienced criminals.

I went to Istanble and everyone told me to visit that, but I couldn’t find it.

I must have asked a hundred people where “that hag Sophia” is but no one knew! It was like they couldn’t speak English or something.

[quote] But I being all this up because something really ugly happened while I was walking. I was at one point strolling along a main avenue with benches along it, and a young man who was clearly out of his element and looked middle eastern was sitting on a bench. A pickup truck with what looked like construction workers pulled up and the guys hopped out of the back of the pickup and started harassing lost-looking young guy. I wondered what I was going to do about it, by myself and exhausted, in a foreign city for the day, when the louts from the pickup got back in. This was right when I passed through the scene. It didn’t pull away, it just idled there, but they seemed to have lost interest in the guy. This is something I witnessed and I was there for ONE DAY. I liked the city but I’m not sure I’ll ever go back.

I hope you aren't from the US, because that is nothing to the large-scale horrors committed by ICE every day.

After hearing OP’s full story, this is completely boring. Why not say, hey I’ve never been to these four cities, which one would be great to spend two weeks in? That would make more sense.

Because that’s not an ESTy-worthy scenario.

Lisbon or Edinburgh. Plenty of time for extended day trips.

Lisbon - weather much better in October, architecture and culture on your doorstep when you’re finished work. Cost of living cheap - eating out, transport etc.

Prague is beautiful, especially the Charles bridge. Budapest has great salt baths.

I had a week in Lisbon and loved it. There is plenty to see and do, with the odd day trip out to nearby sites. Most evenings we popped into the National Port Institute to try a different port - it helped it was 2 minutes walk from our hotel.

Switzerland.

Now that’s boredom: Geneva. You’ll never want to leave the office.

Purely based on weather, Lisbon. Winter comes early in central Europe, and it will likely already be chilly, grey and gloomy. Haven't been to Edinburgh, but I imagine it might be even worse.

I spent October in Scotland in 2023 and it was absolutely glorious. Some of the most beautiful foliage I have ever seen. I went to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, and Oban on the west coast. The weather was great...you can be unlucky with a bad storm, mornings were slightly chilly, but mostly it was blue skies and very pleasant.

I've been multiple times to Lisbon, Prague and Budapest. Never been to Edinburgh, but wouldn't mind seeing it one day. My first choice on that list is Budapest. I know, Orbán..., but that's like saying I won't go to San Francisco or New York because of Trump. Budapest didn't vote in Orbán. It's an amazing city.

London, OP.

What kind of business necessitates someone staying overseas for two weeks but allows them to choose where?

You can spend much more than 2 weeks in any of these places and never get bored. Using their local public transportation in Lisbon, for instance, you can check out beaches and historic towns outside of the city center. You can spend an afternoon in a specific neighborhood, lunch, shopping, sight seeing, cafe sitting and strolling. Travel is never boring with the right mindset.

The reading level on this thread is about 3rd grade, and declining.

OP’s wording is poor.

Chechnya

Please.

Just don't.

I've been to all four, and I don't think I'd choose any of them for two weeks, working or not. Lisbon has good food, you can eat relatively cheaply, several days of tourist things will do most of the City. Be sure to go to the Gulbenkian (sp?) museum. And you could do day trips to Sintra and Porto, too. Lots of rent boys in LIsbon, who overwhelm the gay bar scene. Prague is great for a few days--castle, Jewish quarter, decent restaurants, but not sure what you'd do for two weeks. Edinburgh is small and offers some culture, but not sure what you'd do for two weeks. Budapest the language would be a problem and while the city is liberal, the country is oppressive.

For that amount of time, I'd do Rome (perhaps stay in Trastevere), London, or Paris. Perhaps Barcelona, which has a lot to offer, though increasingly expensive and the locals resent the effect tourism is having. My own pick would be London, as the theatre will be hopping, relatively affordable, and of course the language makes it easy. Food ranges from traditional British (Wilton's) to modern (Spring). Always something to do in London.

I love how people continually post the day trips OP can take when he has explicitly said he’s not going to be taking any day trips in the two weeks he’s working.

I took OP's statement that he did not plan on traveling in/out of the city he chose to mean that he wouldn't be going away for a night or more, then returning. A day trip is really not much different than just spending a day exploring the Edinburgh or Prague Castles, for example. Perhaps OP could clarify?

Far more annoying in this thread are the people continually suggesting different cities. OP has made it clear that he is deciding between these 4 because they were places he hadn't been before.

I still say Paris. I like teh idea of Rome, too. If you're working, then you want easy sites to reach an do and good food.

Thank you all for your suggestion, insight, advice and insults! I have decided on Edinburgh. Lisbon was a close second but I live in California and don't really get fall weather (if anything its hotter in October then in the summer months) so I'm looking to experiencing that in Edinburgh.

I shall ring Lady Fairford while I'm there and invite myself over for tea!

[quote] I love how people continually post the day trips OP can take when he has explicitly said he’s not going to be taking any day trips in the two weeks he’s working.

It’s acceptable that people believe OP is likely to change his mind and so take that into account.

Berlin.

Edinburgh is wonderful, OP/R68. I was there just last month and enjoyed it immensely - I hope you will too.

I like how someone thinks that London is Relatively Affordable.

Wonderful, OP. Have a great trip

The weather's probably in your favor with any choice, but Lisbon is probably great in October. Still in the 70s. Great day trips like Sintra, Cascais or Setúbal.

Reading comprehension.

R68

I have a beautiful recommendation for a flat that’s connected to Holyrood, if you’re interested. I stayed there two years ago and would stay again in a heartbeat. It’s owned by the Royal Family and Charles designed the pollinator garden, which was really serene and inspiring.

R72. My phrasing on relatively affordable in London was awkward. I meant theatre is relatively affordable, which it is compared to NYC. But you can eat a wide range of food at US urban rates, and get cheaper Thai food that is not bad for considerably less, even in Picadilly.

Madrid is really where you want to find yourself.

This is like reading a thread on Next Door.

I spent a week in Edinburgh, and could have spent more. Rabbies is a company based in Edinburgh that does great day-trips in a 12-person bus (leave at 9a back at 5p). We did one of Hadrians Wall and the border areas, and another of the lower Highlands. I could easily have done their trips to St Andrews, Fife or Glasgow too.

I know that you will be based in one city for work, but do you need to follow US working hours, or can you take a day off here and there to explore the region?