Hi Kate,
I don't know anything about renting or buying a van in London, but can give u some tips about travelling Europe.
Keep in mind if you buy or rent a van in England (or GB), that this is the only country in Europe where the cars drive on the left side of the road and so the steering wheel is on the right side. If you are coming from the US, this will be a little bit difficult to get use to and to travel the rest of Europe.
I give you a enumeration from the locations that are ‘for me’ the most worthiest to visit, but is a ‘short list’. If you want some more info about a specific country, just mail me, then I see if I can help you further.
Good site about Britain: http://www.visitbritain.com/VB3-en-gb/default.aspx
* Great-Britain - London
http://www.madame-tussauds.co.uk/ (wax statues)
London bridge, tower (crown jewellery), Westminster, British museum, ec
.
* Great-Britain - Sussex
- http://www.visitsussex.org/ (beautiful landscapes)
* Great-Britain - Scotland
Especially the Highlands are very beautiful, but only about 3 months of good weather and the food is not so good ;-)
Then you can take the boat in Denver to calles (France) or Ostend (Belgium)
* Belgium (My country ;-) ) www.visitghent.be (info about the major city’s)
City’s that you must seen:
- Bruges (my home town) www.bruges.be Also called Venice of the north. Very beautiful! If you visit Bruges, do not only visit the old core of the city, but also the surrounding streets. Do not eat a meal on the old market, they are expensive and not so good as in the surrounding streets. Very beautiful and romantic by night!
- Ostend www.toerisme-oostende.be this is a typical sea town in Belgium, with every day fresh fish on the fish market, directly from the boats.
- Ghent (here I’m born) What can I say, beautiful by night, bigger than Bruges good nightlife.
- Antwerp and Brussels are the two major big city’s of Belgium, where Brussels is the Capital. Both very beautiful, very cultural differences. The one thing the most know about Brussel is ‘Manneke Pis’ (euuuhh translated it would sound like ‘man who is pissing’) There are many beautiful buildings, but it’s very crowdie. www.brussels.be www.antwerp.be
While you are travelling across Belgium, take a moment to ride thru the Flemish Ardennes, very nice landscape! (where I live now) (follow the Flemish Ardennes route)
You can drive from Brussels to Luxemburg and so into Germany and drive thru our Ardennes, the most I like about Belgium ;-) if you two love hiking and MTB, this is the place to be! http://www.hiking.be/nl/hiking/belgium/walking/ (it’s easy if you have a garmin gps)
There are lots of places to visit in Belgium, to many to write down, like Diksmuide, Ieper (war museum about the 1ste world war), ec
We have a rich eating culture, so you will find very much restaurants and bars.
* Germany
Zwartzwald is very beautiful area in Germany for hiking or swimming in the lakes (http://www.blackforest-tourism.com/). Also the Alps (also in France, Swiss, Italy) are a must see with nice mountain villages. (Mont-Blanc, Mattenhorn, bodensee,ec
)
The food is Germany is ok, but a little bit heavy, if you understand me ;-)
* Netherlands
What can I say about them, very flat country, ideal for biking.Some nice city’s like Amsterdam, with you will heard of, but Friesland is the only thing I like about the Netherlands. Its beautiful, nice people en definitely visit Giethoorn.
Don’t expect the greatest kitchen, but is you look around you will find some nice restaurants and snack-bars.
* France
Beautiful country, especially Normandy, Bretagne, Bourgogne and the Pyrenees. Of course a lot of wine farmers, but not so cheap as you buy there wine in the store Also nice kitchen and very friendly. Try to stay in a chamber d’hotes, really nice!
Of course visit Paris, has a lot of fancy places, musea (louvere, centre pompidou,ec
), monuments like the Eiffel tower and crazy nightlive, altrough I’ve never been there (I’m ashamed; it’s only a 2u30 drive from where I live)
If you are interested in our history, then you can visit the Normandy American Cementry and Memorial nearby Omaha Beach. Impressive, all those man who died for our freedom
Try to pass Monaco, then you’ll se what decadency is ;-) very great contrast with the above.
* Swiss
A small sate that not belong to the European community, I’ve never been there, but keep in mind that you need a special vignette to drive on there roads.
* Spain / Portugal
The number one destination for Belgium people. Much sun, boost and food! Also nice city’s like Barcelona (very nice architecture, modern and ancient mixed together, for football lovers (me not included) biggest stadion form Europ I gues ‘real madrid’, the cathedral that’s in a everlasting building state from 1880 ‘sagrada familia’, las rambla, ec..)
Everywhere in Spain is something to see, Cordoba, Leon, ec
to much to tell about
http://www.zibkip.be/andalucia/homeandal_e.shtml
Never been to Portugal.
* Italie
Been there once on the lake of Lugano, if you found the Belgian traffic a nightmare, then this is hell. It’s to long a go. Rome is the top of the bill. Much art like the Trevi fountain http://www.scuolaleonardo.com/Italian-Language-Photo-gallery/Rome/The-Fountain-of-Trevi-in-Rome.html
That’s about it for country’s in Europe I know something about, if you need something specific, just ask me. Of course of Belgium I know the most ;-)
Hope this will help you, and have a nice trip!
Bye,
Tim.
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