{"id":477,"date":"2008-02-05T16:26:14","date_gmt":"2008-02-05T22:26:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2008\/02\/europe-vacation-easy-travel-from-athens-to-london\/"},"modified":"2016-12-17T22:43:35","modified_gmt":"2016-12-18T04:43:35","slug":"europe-vacation-easy-travel-from-athens-to-london","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2008\/02\/europe-vacation-easy-travel-from-athens-to-london\/","title":{"rendered":"Europe vacation: Easy travel from Athens to London"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Cliff_2\"<\/a>
\nBy Andrew Day<\/em><\/p>\n

A few years back I had the opportunity to visit some friends in Europe,
\nand connecting the dots between Greece, France, Spain, and the UK made
\nfor a great Europe vacation<\/a><\/strong>. I liked the way I could mix up my days —
\nroad-tripping and pub-hopping with friends, and visiting former palaces
\nor world-renowned museums.<\/p>\n

\nI thought getting around was about as effortless as possible thanks to discount airlines<\/a><\/strong>
\nand efficient train systems. Some lines in the countryside were poky, but
\npassing those overnight in a sleeper car made the ride more comfortable.<\/p>\n

\nFor me, the history of Athens<\/a><\/strong> is
\nalmost unmatched. It’s remarkable to climb to the ancient Acropolis<\/strong> and wander around the
\nParthenon<\/strong> and other classical structures that are some 2,500 years old.
\nI met up with my friend and former Orbitz<\/a><\/strong> colleague Yanni, who showed
\nme some hip restaurants and bars, and an art space showing movies
\noutside.<\/p>\n

I met my friend Eric in Cambridge<\/strong> next. The colleges in
\nCambridge have an incredibly long and rich academic history, and the
\ncampuses and the town itself are charming and iconic. We spent a
\nweekend in London<\/a><\/strong>, an short trainride away, for a little more
\nexcitement and a few more pints.<\/p>\n

Two weeks in Spain came next, beginning with bustling Madrid<\/a><\/strong>. Its dense historical center, packed with landmarks and restaurants, is lively day or night. Toledo<\/strong>,
\nan ancient regional capital an hour away from Madrid, was my favorite
\nspot in central Spain. It’s a historical time capsule, with a giant
\ncathedral and high stone bridges. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Barcelona<\/a><\/strong> was my favorite city in Spain -\u2013 large but unintimidating, with a comfortable pace, great public transportation and excellent cuisine. I ate tapas, sometimes waytoo many, at small taverns and enjoyed music at night in the oldest quarter, the Barri Gotic<\/strong>. I wanted to see some of the architecture of Antonio Gaudi<\/strong>, including the Sagrada Familia basilica, Casa Mila and Parc G\u00fcell.\n<\/p>\n

Bordeaux was next, en route to Paris to visit my friend Nadine. She calls Bordeaux a "little Paris" \u2013- with its narrow streets, sidewalk cafes and classical French architecture. Bus excursions for tours of wineries in nearby Saint-Emilion<\/strong> are popular. I rented a bicycle to see more of the countryside.<\/p>\n

In Paris<\/a><\/strong>, we dined and hung out in fun, informal places around Montmartre, Pigalle and the Marais. I like staying in different areas each time I go back, and from my experience, Montmartre is
\ncharming but noisy, the Sorbonne is central but a little more mellow,
\nand the area around the Oberkampf metro is great for hip, non-touristy
\nplaces to eat, drink, and hear music. I think Paris has one of the best subway systems in the world, and the regional RER trains made getting to the airport very easy.<\/p>\n

Here are a few photos:<\/p>\n