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In a continuation from my previous post, we put serious consideration and thought into rounding out our two weeks in Europe. With so many destination possibilities that fit our desires (culture, art, architecture, and great food), it was tough narrowing the field down, but we finally had an itinerary in hand. Take a gander at the photo below and see if you can guess our first stop before clicking through!
Image via Norman Allen Group Travel
If you said Scotland because of my study abroad experience, you were very close.
Our first destination will be the Emerald Isle, where we’ll arrive in Dublin, Ireland and take a day to recuperate from the long flight and explore the city itself.
Image via Trek Earth / Photo by Todd Adams
However, we’re definitely scheduling some day trips to explore the haunting and enchanting coastline on the West of Ireland, and would like to visit the Wicklow region just south of Dublin that’s home to the monastic settlement of Glendalough.
Image of the Cliffs of Moher via Ten Foot Square
Our next stop is one I’ve dreamed about since I was a little girl: Paris! You can’t see me, but I’m doing a little chair dancing right now and wriggling around in joy. I’m beyond ready to discover the wonders the City of Lights has to offer. It’s going to be a jam-packed 5 days!
Image of the Louvre via earth in pictures
I believe I told Mr. Tartlet that I would refuse to come back without going to Versailles:
Image of the gardens of Versailles via Travel France
Image of the Palace of Versailles via Flickr / Photo by Wally Gobetz
I might have also informed him that I’m moving into one of the majestic Loire Valley Castles:
Image of Château de Chambord via famouswonders.com
And then there’s the street markets. Oh, Rue Cler—watch out, I’m coming for you.
Image via Smithsonian Magazine
A trip to Ladurée is in order so my stomach can pay homage to the beloved macaron.
Image via Flickr / Photo by Béatrice Peltre
We’ll spend a few days marveling at the historical essence of Prague (and perhaps make a day trip to Vienna), and then head off to Zurich, Switzerland for two days before flying back home.
Image of Zurich via Everything Beautiful
And here’s where you come in again, dear Hive, because it’s beyond fantastic getting advice from those who have traveled to a country. The last time I went to Europe was 2002, and a lot has changed since then. There were so many helpful suggestions and tips on my previous post (thank you!), and I’m hoping to continue the streak and find some folks who know of places worth seeing in these locations, both on and especially off the beaten path!
Oooooh, so jealous that you get to explore the Irish countryside! I’ve only been to Dublin 
There is some AWESOME live music in the pubs there.
Paris rocks, but you know that already. I’m bummed, though, because I’ve been 3 times, and still haven’t been to Versailles. Dang it.
Your honeymoon looks like it will be a blast!!
My husband and I went to Paris about a month ago and loved it. I really liked Sainte Chappelle (google for pictures) and Versailles. We ended up just buying our transportation tickets (worked on busses/metro/RER) each day b/c when we checked at the desk it was more expensive to buy a tourist pass for 3 days. We did, however, buy the 4 day museum pass and I thought that was well worth it. We got to cut in line at the sites with long lines (like the Orsay musum) and we stopped in places we probably wouldn’t have paid to stop at individually. I’m currently living in Europe (Netherlands), so feel free to PM me with any questions about Europe in general/travel.
I’ve been to Paris twice and if you and your husband get a little bit of a wild party streak, the best bar scene, IMO, is by Notre Dame - we had a BLAST bar hopping there one night!
Your trip sounds amazing!! You will have to give some good tips when you get back because Mr. E and I really want to go to Ireland in the near future!
YAY!
We flew into Dublin as well and it was fun to see but SUCH a big drinking town. We drove south to Wicklow as well. So cute! I def want to go back and see the west.
Paris was ooh lala! Crepes!!!! Stay at your own apt!
Check EuroCheapo and Budget Travel they have a article about the best days to see Versailles so that it’s not wall to wall people.
Love this itinerary! I really like that you are bouncing around the whole continent, which is a bold move. I tend to pick a section and go bananas in say, Western Europe for ten days.
I love, love, loved Prague when I went. May I recommend the CzechInn or its new sister hostel (not sure of the name, they opened it since I’ve been there)? The Inn is run by alumni from my university, and it is amazing. It is technically a hostel, but very upscale, beautifully designed, and eco-chic. PM me if you decide to go with it and I will give you some more info and a name to drop 
A side note… while in Prague you can eat amazing food for very little money if you find one of the “local spots” but you should at least TRY one of the disturbing-looking cheesy patty fried sandwich thingies that will be at every street corner vendor. They are insanely popular with the locals, and for good reason.
If you decide to go to Vienna, I highly recommend a stop at the Schlossburg Palace. Gorgeous grounds, and honestly a completely different experience from Versailles.
Also, the Vienna State Opera House does “standing room only” tickets most nights for amazing ballet and opera. Depending on how popular the event is (I failed to get tickets to the opening night of Faust, but I mean… duh) you can just show up one hour before the show starts, pay 2,50 EU or 4 EU (premium “seating”) for a spot in the standing room area. 4 EU centers you right behind the orchestra seating. Then you tie your scarf around your “spot”, go have sacretorte at Cafe Demel, and skip on back to your “reserved scarf post”. I saw the most breathtaking performance of Onegin there, and honestly, for that admission I would have been happy just to see the inside of the building!
Everything in Paris is amazing. Goodness you are going to have an amazing time there. No you will not see it all– it was my first Euro city and I’ve been back often (used to live in london, and it’s a short jaunt on the star) and I still haven’t seen it all. My recommendation? Yes, the metro is a great way to get around, but you don’t see the city from underground! Plan your days laterally so you can walk all the way out from A to B to C to D…. and so on and then just metro back at the end of the day when your dogs are barkin’.
A small note about Versailles: it is amazing, and you will go more than once in your lifetime. However, do not be disappointed if the flowers aren’t at their peak while you are there. I went once after the gardens had been thrashed by terrible winter storms, and though it was spring, they had not recovered. I was so disappointed that I almost ruined my day there, until I finally snapped out of it and realized how amazing EVERYthing there really is, and started snapping pics of fountains instead of daffodils.
The next time I went, the flowers were showing off
Safe and happy travels! oh, and look into overnight trains! You save on lodging for the night, can get a private “room”, and wake up in your destination with no daylight lost traveling.
OMG Miss Tarlet, I shared my first kiss with my FI at the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, we travelled to Dublin for Easter vacation last year and we LIVE in Zürich where he’s from.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE your trip choices. LOL.
So many things to see! Guinness museum in Dublin was really well done and I don’t even like the beer. Versailles was where the FI and I spent our first day together as a couple all lovey dovey… and Zürich, man I have a lot of tips of things to go and do there. What time of year are you going??
I went to Ireland last year. Powerscourt Gardens just south of Dublin is a must see! Also Kilkenny was great (mostly because we stayed at the Butler house which was AMAZING) and Doolin on the West Cliffs is a small village right near the cliffs with breathtaking views! Have fun!
@Miss Candy Apple: I’m SO looking forward to kicking back with a pint and listening to some music one evening!
@discgirl: Oh. my. word. I did Google Sainte Chappelle and blurted out “oh sh*t” at my desk. It’s beyond gorgeous! Thanks for all the tips and for letting me PM you with questions (I’m sure I’m going to have quite a few).
@AnnieAAA: SWEET. Love knowing where the good nightlife is in a city!@Sara: What a fantastic idea! We both love to cook, so this is definitely going on the list!
Paris is beautiful! MUST try banana & nutella crepes, they will change your life! And, they are a cheap mid-day snack!
My husband and I bought a 5 day Museum pass (which gave access to many big name museums including the Louvre) because you simply cannot see all of the Louvre in one day! So, we went for maybe 2-3 hours per day throughout the trip.
We took a day trip out to Versailles. (You’ll want to reserve an entire day for this one!) I was a bit confused on the second photo of Paris you posted. This picture of is actually Versailles gardens in the Bahamas (I’ve been there too!), as you can tell by the tropical plants. Don’t worry though, the gardens in Versailles are just as beautiful! I just didn’t want you to feel jipped when you couldn’t find this particular scenery. It takes a good hour or two to walk the entire loop around, bring comfy shoes!
One other favorite excursion we did was a trip out to Montmarte, where the church called Sacre Coeur rests on top of. We went up to watch the sunrise (recommended, but you have to wake up ridiculously early). We were also DELIGHTED to be able to go to a mass there, where we listened to a beautiful choir of french nuns
Okay, one more thing! Go up on top of the Arc de Triomphe at sunset, and then stay to watch the Eiffel Tower light show! It’s the best view!
My grandma was born and raised in Belfast, Ireland. Its so beautiful, you are going to love it! BTW you are taking my dream trip!
@Gerbera: Awesome! I checked out those websites you suggested yesterday, too, and they are SO helpful. Thank you!!!
@dolphindoll: No apologies necessary. Thank *you* for taking the time to share your experiences and tips. I hadn’t thought about the overnight trains as a possibility!
@diamondscan: You LIVE in Zürich? That’s totally rad! We’re going to be there at the end of May!.
@Jesse1015: Doolin is the village we were thinking about visiting on the coast! I’m so glad you mentioned it! Thanks for the other suggestions, too!
@Molly: It sounds like a museum pass is definitely the way to go. And, I’m totally embarassed that the photo I posted is actually of the Bahamas, but really appreciate you pointing that out (I would have been SO confused when I got there)! I raise my eyebrow at the Travel France website, now. ~.^ Your trip to Montmarte sounds like a dream, and something I would really enjoy. Thank you, thank you!
Oh man, your itinerary sounds AM. AZ. ING!!! I don’t really have any suggestions bc I’ve actually never been to any of those places (except for Paris when I was 3 and a half) but I think you guys are gonna have an amazing time!!!
@Miss Tartlet: I second the Paris museum/public transport pass. I got one both times I’ve gone and went everywhere and saw whatever I wanted with them. SO useful!
Yess, I’m lucky enough to have met a nice Swiss boy in my study abroad in Zürich that lured me back here for good!
For Zürich I also recommend a ZürichCARD for either one or both days you are here: http://www.zvv.ch/en/tickets/tickets-and-prices/zuerich-card.html
It lets you into a load of museums and have additional discounts as well as acting as a public transport card to use all the trams, buses, trains, boats, watertaxis and what have you around the city. You could probably buy one for one day and then walk or buy a day ticket for Zürich the other day and do non-museum things one day.
Main things I always show family and friends when they visit are:
Grossmünster Church- Big Protestant church where FI first took me to climb the tower that overlooks the lake and the city. Worth the small admission fee to climb up for a good look.
Fraumünster and St. Peter’s Church- Across the river from Grossmünster, Fraumünster sports some stunning Chagall stained glass windows and St. Peters has the largest clock face in Europe.
Lindenhof: On the same side of the river as Fraumünster and St. Peters, this is an area that overlooks the Limmat river running through the town. It used to be used as a base by the Romans back in the day and now it’s a nice little stone park with giant chess boards for the public to use.
Bahnhofstrasse: One of the worlds most expensive and exclusive shopping streets… but it still has a Claires! (Cracks me up that Claires is in Zürich) Anyway, always pretty and worth a walk down to look in windows or stop at Cafe Sprüngli and try some birchermüesli and coffee.
Then walking around Niederdorf on the same side of the river as Grossmünster, you can go around all the cute little cobble stone streets in the old part of Zürich and make your way around to the Bellevue tram stop and then on to the lake front to enjoy dipping your toes in the lake and eating an ice cream or bratwurst.
Also, for an even better view, try to make your way up to Üetliberg for a climb up a tower and a GREAT view over the whole city: http://www.flickr.com/photos/atlaswoof/1485905993/in/set-72157603051740380
Hum… Swiss food worth trying: Fondue, raclette, birchermüesli, rösti, CHOCOLATE (but I didn’t have to tell you that??) and many assorted cheeses, breads and wines.
Eating out in the city is VERY expensive so I always recommend eating lunch out by the lakeside… just some bread and cheese or whatever from a grocery is so SO much cheaper, relaxing and then you can spare your monies to go to a nice restaurant in the evening. Zeughauskeller is very famous for good classic Swiss food, and they make a great potato salad.
@miss Tartlet: If you do make it to Doolin, Gus O’Connor’s Pub has live Traditional music most nights (these peeps play with spoons!) It’s so cool! And if you do stay in Dublin, I regret not staying in the Temple Bar District - that’s the young, hip, musical district of Dublin. And I am so jealous of your honeymoon! LOL. Can’t wait to see those recaps!
If you are on a budget (and it’s your honeymoon, so I don’t know if you are…) I’d recommend this hotel in Paris: http://www.lequartierhotelbs.com/. It’s in the Bercy area, which while not central is very nice with lots of pubs and restaurants. It’s also very well connected to the subway. We are going back to Paris for Easter and will pay 105 € per day with breakfast, which is a really good deal for Paris!
I also know a very good French restaurant there (not always easy to find, I had a couple of disappointing experiences), as soon as I find the name I’ll send it to you!
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Mrs. Tartlet, Rochester, MI Age and Occupation: Age & Occupation: 27, Post-Doctoral Research Fellow Fiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Medical Student Engagement Date: May 2, 2009 Wedding Date: May 2011 Venue: The Royal Park Hotel About Me: I'm an exuberant gal from the Midwest with a penchant for Neuroscience and anything sparkly. I'm not afraid to poke fun at myself, and I'm a believer that given the right pair of shoes, a girl can conquer the world. While an interest in the sciences threw Mr. Tartlet and me together (again, and again, until it finally stuck), we share a love for many things---food, video games, car dancing, food, bad puns, travel, did I mention food?---that ultimately led us to where we are now, less than five months from becoming Mr. and Mrs. We're planning a laid-back, romantic, garden-inspired affair with organic and quirky touches that reflect our love for the unexpected!
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