So traveling next year to visit a friend in Lithuania, but my wife wants to stop in Paris first, but is unsure if there are other destinations we should take time for. I’m not much of a fan of tourist stuff, and would really appreciate some “locals” advice. Could any of you wonderful European based Nauts offer suggestions on places to see in and around central Europe/Eastern Europe? Is Paris a bad idea? We’re likely going next April with 12 year-old in tow. Thank you friends.
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I’d suggest you need to narrow down for us what you want to do a bit more. At this stage you’re looking at doing something un-touristy in one of 30+ countries 
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Yeah, how many days do you have to travel around? And do you prefer road/rail/plane? Do you prefer big cities, provincial towns or nature? Do you like museums, are you a foodie or do you want to be active with cycling or other outdoor sports? etc. Glad to help (I live in Amsterdam), but need a bit more input to give some proper advice.
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Yes of course, apologies. I was thinking from my American frame of mind in which I’ve told people which states/cities are good and which are over hyped, etc… I may have erroroniously assumed that traveling between countries in Europe was similar to driving between states in the US.
The plan at this stage is 10-14 days. Some in Vilnius area, and some in Paris area.
Current plan is to fly to Vilnius, spend a few days there, maybe drive around the region, then flying onto Paris for all that.
Flying seems to be more cost effective and quicker then the rail line, but if you think the rail line is a great mode of travel, with its multiple stop destinations, than I’m sure I could talk the wife into it.
Myself am a history need. I’m the type of guy to never tire of museums and fucking starring at stone walls. That said I’m pretty easy going and open to experiencing destinations that you would take your new best American friend to when they visited. Or places that you yourself really enjoyed going to.
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Europe is so culturally rich and diverse i recommend not trying to do lots but do a small amount really well…
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This is mostly true for the Schengen zone, but some countries will still require your passport to cross the border, especially in eastern Europe.
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Talking to a lot of US Americans, Europe can feel like one big walkthrough history exhibit.
If you’ve got a couple of weeks, and Vilnius + Paris are on the agenda, it might be nice to pick a couple of other places (Netherlands/Belgium/Germany?) more-or-less en route along the way, and make a rail trip of it. Super comfortable, and the main thing is you get a much greater feeling of where you are + the literal lay of the land than you can ever get in an airport
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10 days for Paris and Vilnius only is not bad. There’s so much to do in Paris you could easily spend a week there (mostly museums and churches, though).
If you want to go somewhere else, maybe consider Brussels. It’s a reasonably easy day trip by train from Paris. More museums and churches, of course, but also some really beautiful art nouveau houses complete with original interiors you can visit.
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Great info so far friends. Thank you.
Or a lifetime. I’ve been going off and on since I was a year old and never tire of Paris, old or new, though having family there for generations helps, of course.
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I have done my share of European travel (references on request), and my recommendation is to spend whatever time you can in Paris and the rest in Vilnius. Don’t do anything else if the total of what you have is 10-14 days. Paris (plus daytrips to the vicinity) can easily absorb that alone. It’s the first European destination I recommend to people who have not been before.
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Waw, as a french i’d never recommend Paris over other cities like Lisboa or Roma. To be honest, if i had to recommend any city i’d avoid capitals of biggest countries. Dirty, scams, expensive as f.
Different people, different tastes as always 
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I always enjoyed Rouen. All the cool medieval stuff, but with the more relaxed vibe of Normandy.
Paris, yeah not my cup of tea.
I would echo the advise above too, dont try and cram too many destinations.
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I’m with you both on that. Not too excited about capital cities as they tend to be scam central and lack a lot of that unique soulfulness of smaller, off the beaten path places.
Lisbon is a great shout, and I’m going to give Rouen a look as medieval stuff, and relaxed vibes are my thing.
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I personally like Vienna more than Paris. For museums, Paris is grandiose and Vienna is still pretty pleasant. The price/quality ratio for accommodation and food is dramatically better in Vienna. Note: in April, changing weather and Easter, with its holiday period, are usually on the menu in both cities.
Rome is a great destination in April, too, same as Barcelona and London. Given the huge size of those cities, you’d probably not be able to do them along Paris.
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I agree. If you have limited time, Paris is a great hub because with the excellent high speed rail service, you only need a couple of hours to get to the south (Lyon) or the north (Lille, maybe Brussels or even Rotterdam/Amsterdam).
Personally I like Berlin better than Paris, but it is also a city that is much harder to navigate and find the real gems. I always recommend Prenzlauer Berg to non-European foreigners because it is gentrified like crazy, so not as rough around the edges (although even in the rougher spots I find Berlin to be a safe and relaxed city). The city centre (Mitte) is not a great spot to stay, very touristy and colourless, with big hotel chains and not the best bars/restaurants. Do not avoid it as there are lots of interesting things to visit, just don’t stay there. A lot of German Nauts here on the forum, that are way better equipped to give you more detailed tips.
I am also a big Finland fan. You could hire a car, tour the baltic states and take a ferry from Tallinn to Helsinki, one of my favourite cities in Europe. Relatively small, but everything of high quality: restaurants, surrounding nature for hikes and great museums.
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First of all you never wrote how much time you have allocated to this trip. So it will be difficult for you to get appropriate recommendations.
Anyway Europe is an entire continent, so there is basically an infinite number of places you could shove to visit and enjoy.
Paris is fine. Lots to do and see for any 12 year old if raised to have an interest in culture and people and food - not just generic stuff. Paris not a cheap city though - it’s a major global city and most things cost a lot amount of money - just like New York or London or whatever - it goes with the territory. And you wont do Paris all in one day or even one week.
if you have a child generally a good way to travel is to find a hotel or apartment in a residential neighbourhood, try to experience the way people live normally, add in a small few tourist things, and generally take it slow. Just pick some some stuff based on your interests and take it flexibly with whatever time you have. That goes for any city or town or whatever.
Prague, Munich and Barcelona to me would be more fun and interesting!
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Banish the plane, you’ve done enough for your life with the round trip Us-Eu.
The train is great, convenient but (very) expensive, the bus is almost free and almost as convenient but will try to put your spine through your mouth. Train and Bus have the advantage of offering trips between city centers. Renting a car/RV can be okay if you’re willing to drive here and park on the outskirts of towns. The bike seems presumptuous to me in several places if you are not used to the mixture of Gallo-Roman city/modern automobile, especially with a kid/teenager.
I’d say I’ll avoid Paris and most capitals like the plague unless I have friends there, a lot of money, love oppressive crowds, or have something in particular that interests me.
There are many medium/small towns that are much more interesting and above all livable. If you like old stones and history, Europe is very crowded and the choice is endless. Old towns filled with museums is a standard with us.
For France, Lyon, Dijon, Nancy is a rather interesting axis even if many others are possible Bordeaux, Toulouse, Carcassonne for example, Germany, Czechia, Northern Spain, Portugal, Italy are also very interesting even if Italy can be (very) painful because of massive tourism. Amsterdam (very touristy but quite crazy), Maastricht (sublime), Ghent/Antwerp/Brussels/Lille.
I love Switzerland, I will try to die in Lausanne if possible.
I know less about the northern countries but it is an objective for me, heard a lot of good things and saw a lot of people come back delighted.
In any case, take your time, taste almost everything and have fun, it will probably be a pretty crazy trip.
If you like cheese, base your circuit on it and your life will be a delight!
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Very surprised about this narrative of avoiding big cities like Paris. If you’ve never been then it’s a must see, beautiful city. With a bit of planning you’ll have a great time. Same is true for London, Milan, Berlin… or any other big european city.
If you’re looking for a more “quaint” experience then places like Lisbon, Porto, Florence, Venice, Barcelona, Bordeaux, Brussels, Amsterdam etc… might be more to your liking. Your budget is of course a major consideration.
Depending on where you visit France, Italy and UK can get expensive quick. Avoiding scams is down to some common sense and again, some forward planning.
As far as safety you’ll find most places in europe are very safe, your major consideration as a tourist will be to not have your backpack stolen, so always remember to only carry essentials on you when you’re wondering around, keep an eye on your bags and don’t leave your phone on the table.
The best advice for me would be don’t try and cram too much in, pick a couple of “must” see places and take your time. Hope you have a wonderful trip.
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