I recommend a little burg in Austria, near the Italian border, called Klagenfurt, lots of great little pubs nestled in the Alps. There is a large Alpine lake there where you actually drink the water out of the lake! Vienna is great, too. Germany is also a must, I would recommend staying in Bavaria, beer drinking and production in the rest of Germany is limited to mediocre pilsner varietals. Although a great pilsner can be found all over Heidelberg, Germany. Good luck!

Flanders BE, Munich Germany, Dusseldorf Germany. In that order.

Too jealous... However, Germany and Prague are a great start, do brewery tours, I wish I had. Hit Belgium, obviously (and maybe stay there).

So, you are leaving next Wednesday. You have month, here are a few questions, then some suggestions: On the face of it, it looks like you are not Bucks down Brad doing his second round on the Continent. Can you speak any Deutsch? If not, at least learn to count correctly. As a matter of fact, try and learn how to count and make change in all places you go before hand. Big task,do as much as you can. Use "backpacking" hotels and hostels as much as possible, they are cheap, good ones are clean. Since you are landing in Paris, on the way out hit the catacombs and the boneyards, I am tiold they are very interesting. On you way to the first stop consider seeing Verdun France. This a shocker, you got to see this sad, and lovely place.You can't really understand Europa as it is now, unless you got a grip on the Great War. First stop hit Germany NOW!!!!!, as you will be here during Maibock. Check out this URL, it is a reliable guide to BAWU: http://www.beerguide.de/ If you do not hit Bayern and BAWU now, you will miss Maibock, as the releases are very limited. The brewery where I work, ran out in 6 days. I take issue with this quote from another Beer Pal: "beer drinking and production in the rest of Germany(other then Bayern) is limited to mediocre pilsner varietals"-this is absolute and utterly wrong, however there is a grain of truth in it. Summer is coming on and it is gonna be wheat bier, and helles in the South, and Pils time in the North (as always). Get here now, go to Bayern, drink up. In the South of Bayern, some of the more "common must stops" included: Kloster Andechs, but not on the weekends, as bock is served only on weekdays. On the S-bahn outta Munchen, the one that goes to Aying, there is a great stop at:Forschungs Brauerei, one of the absolute must stops. Try this guide if you already do not have it:http://www.beerdrinkersguide.com/ It is a great first time in the area guide you can rely one. Make sure you hit Schneider Weiss, and remember the ratings the guide gives it to the overall bierhall not the brew. Listen to the advise alreay given by another pal and hit the spot in Austria that is recommended.Get out of the Munchen area (most expensive in the country) and hit some of the smaller towns to the South and north. This is a highly recommended site:Pyraser Landbrauerei GmbH & Co.KG Pyras 26 91177 Thalmässing, going towards Franken (http://zwingel.web.surftown.de/start.asp?Site=pyraser_biere.htm).Forcheim is supposed to be keller bier Himmel, it is near Bamberg. Plan on three days in Bamberg, where there is much more then rauch bier (http://www.beerguide.de/bamberg/bamberg.htm). The town is just great, and very much a bargain after Munchen. Hit all ten breweries, but watch out for Kaiserdom, the well is in the graveyard... The area around Bamberg has some perfect biers as well, all for the discovering. Ah, try to hit Passau, while near Austria. The bier is very grand, and the city a knockout. Advise: GETRANKEN MARK-beverage store-hit these first and always. Some have GREAT collections of local brews. Nothing like hitting one around a biertown and seeing all the "exotics" at give away prices. Regensburg is a nice town as well to spend a day in. The small towns are the best. This site I give with a disclaimer. From what I have seen the fellow is a kassekopf and knows little about bier in Deutschland. He has drank around a bit,so here it is: http://www.xs4all.nl/~patto1ro/dusspubs.htm a guide to pubs in Dusseldorf. Did not work for me. The best time to hit my area is in the fall, so you will miss the peak of bier, but the Black Forest is damn sure a charmer, and some great Maibocks to be had, check the above guide using the best of the best as a start: http://www.beerguide.de/best.htm. You have made one error first timers always make (ask me how I know this) you have a rail pass. Rental cars are way more fun, and offer more mobility, consider this on your next trip. Ok, how bout Belgium, land of dog **** on the sidewalks? Broken Record Brad's Belgi tips: First off if you are a lambric sort guy (I ain't) hit that area hard as it is lovely this time of the year. The person I traveled with was very much into the style, and we had some grand times there. The locals hate the stuff and drink Pils, so you are doing the style a favor by keeping it alive. Brussels is big and dirty, for my city Antwerpen is tops. Westmalle is just a 30 minute bus ride away. You can't go to the monestery, and the cafe Jakson recomends is a bit of a joke...but worth the ride. The local brews in Antwerpen are very nice, and the selection and atmosphere are tops. As always, hit West Flanders, and stay in Poperinge at the Talbot house which is the coolest and cheapest place in the area: info@talbothouse.be book now, it fills up fast. Westvelteren is 15 minutes by car, go and grab a case or three of Sixtus, and be happy. A MUST place to drink in Pops (as Poperinge is known to the English) is the Palace Hotel. Guy, the fellow who owns it is a Belgian Bier Authoratah of the first order, he can answer all and any questions about the area, or all of Belgium for that matter. Make sure you got to Iper as well, see the museum, the old Western Front, and catch the Last Post. Just outside of POPS, near the old French frontier, there are two bier barns. Visit them both-UFR selection, and prices. Italy, can't help ya. If near Rome, rumor has it Pompei is THE stop. The cool deal would be to head East outta Germany and see Poland, Romania, the Baltic countries, and all points in between. I hear nothing but good about them, and are way up on my wish list to visit. The Oh My Head site can give you some way hot tips on what to drink there (http://ohhh.myhead.org/east99.html). Ok, what are you going to be carrying for luggage? A soft bag that can be made into a back pack (Eagle Creek amongst others makes some great ones)is perfect. Travel light, you will have sort time for some train connections, like minutes in Deutschland at times. Swiss Army knife, small flash light, skeeter repelent, are good to have. Make DAMN SURE you take any an all medications you require with you. Asprin are a must, BPN first aid ointment is a great idea, some toliet paper (just in case), and if you drink coffee, some decent instant and a "stinger" with a proper EU electric adapter can be a life saver at some point.Inexpensive travelers insurance for a month is not a bad idea. I never did it, but it could save you some serious bucks if you get drunk and break something. You are coming at a very wet time of the year, so the best rain coat or shell you can buy is a great call, along with a day pack. Comfortable water proof shoes, and a mid weight jacket should be way up on your list. By the way, Europa is not "little" by any means, and you will find that out in short order! You are going to take a bath on the Euro, use Banks to do your transactions, and stay away from the "money exchangers". Last, get a couple of good dictionaries, and a couple of travel guides like Roughs, or Lonely Planet, as they come in handy at times. Above all, keep an open mind, and listen to the locals advice about where to eat and drink, they know. In Deutschland, if you are standing around looking at a map, folks will come up and ask if they can be of a help, I am sure it happens all over Europa. Get ready to answer for all the sins of the US, folks here are very educated, and well read, and many will have frank it detail conversations with you about amazingly complex topics.Remember, you are from the US, have a dozen or more weapons, shoot em everyday, and we run over cats for good luck. Now go there and tell us your story! P.S. If you get to BAWU, around Freiburg, email me in advance. We have some damn nice parties at the university, and another Ami is always a welcomed guest in the Schnee Loch (snow hole, my flat). Second Brett on Augusteiner in Salzburg. I opens at three pm to the ringing of belss in a near by chapel. What an excellent setting, and very nice brew as well. There are food booths set up as you go into the bierhall, with a nice selection to choose from. The outside biergarten was closed as it was April, but it would be killer now! A bargain, take the train, do it. If you are in Antwerpen, just go to the old town centeral area around the near the Dom. You will find numerous cafes, with very nice selections. Expect to pay around two Euros for a bottle.

Two of my favorite beer experiences on the continent have been: (1) Drinking litres of maerzen at Augustiner Bräu in Salzburg http://www.beerpal.com/vault/beerinfo.asp?ID=10508 The monastary is located at Augustinerstrasse 4; the telephone number is 0662 43 12 46. In addition to the indoor beer hall, there's a 1,600-seat beer garden, open much of the year. From the train station, the monastery about a 20-minute walk; you also can get there by city bus. If you're staying in Munich, consider a day trip to Salzburg. It's a two-hour journey by train, and German railpasses are honored both ways. (2) Bar Hopping in the Leuven, BE, old market square. http://www.leuven.be/showpage.asp?iPageID=1721 You'd think it would be easy to find great beer bars in Belgium, but that is not always the case. If you are going to this wonderful country, do MUCH research to find the good beer bars. It is almost as hard to find a good beer bar in BE as it is in the USA. Most served Stella and some other macros and perhaps a good local or two. Doing the bar hop in Leuven will give you access to many different beers, though. If you decide to go to England, pick up CAMRA's Good Beer Guide, or beermail me and I'll mail you mine - it has decent notes in the margins. I entered some of those pubs in the beer compass. Have fun.

I don't have any useful advice but have FUN!!!

Well good show old Man, England is not Europa, another trip...and a great one! My Father's family was from England,it is a damn nice placeto visit. If you have things to send back, the post over here is private, and expensive. Find yourself a 'wheelie" semi hard case luggage to take home and rigg it anyway you can to bring SOME brews back. What you really bring back are memories. If you get in striking distance of the Forest, contact me. IF not, right oh, I will give you my home phone if you are too: much in love, stoned, drunk, or better! Go as far as you can with out dying, and get back again. Gentlemen asleep in their beds will hold their drinking cheap, when you tell them stories on Alt Europa! PSSSSSSSSSST hey you can get stoned here too...Amsterdamn..go for it. If u want "ah...company, Brussels got it beat. Pot? California. More, Cheaper, Better... shop around, most folks heir smoke with "cut"-tabak. I smoke it pure and folks think I am some kinda weirdo junkie-which of course I am...LOL Please, oh, please, tell me bout your trip. Wik has told you gospel truths,see as much of that area as you can. the folks in Bayern tell me the bier there is great, folks friendly (if they are friendly to the Deutsch, they are friendly LOL)and a bargain.

Not as a beer drinker but as a traveller, I can say from experience that you're missing some great stuff by not going to England, and not spending a little more time in Paris - but there's always another trip. That having been said, you're journey sounds like a blast, have loads of fun. bon voyage!

Oh yeah, and I am semi-fluent in Spanish and know some Italian. Other than that I will definitely learn to count in the other languages. Oh, and I will be going to Amsterdam for a couple days near the end of the month (so I don't fry myself out before the trip is over). Off to buy myself a digital camera...

quote: Originally posted by KrazyKarl Ok so next wednesday my best friend and I will be en route to that fine little continent called Europe. My plan of action for the MONTH that I am there is completely open. I fly into Paris cause it was the cheapest, but am quickly taking a train to Rome. I am going to Rome because I have a free place to stay there for a few days. After that I have 4 weeks to do whatever I want and go where ever I want. I have a EuroRail(sp?) pass as well as a ticket to Prague (they are still not on the Euro so I plan to spend a little bit of time there). After, I am hoping to jet around Germany and the Benelux region. Basically, from all of you well-traveled beer gurus, is there anywhere I MUST go. I have no idea what I will be doing there or where to go, so some tips on a couple of good places could be nice. P.S. I know you're all jealous [:D]

Yeah I strongly recommend Prague. The most beautiful town I've ever seen. Also Budapest. But if you have an opportunity visit Karlovy Vary (in CZ) so do that. Amazing town with amazing brewing traditions. Of course, all these Europe grand cities :Brussels, Amsterdam, Paris, Rome... you know that for yourself. And taht is really worth visiting in Vlaanders (Belgium) is Brugge. Really superb. Very beautiful. And loooooooooooooooots of Belgian beer. One more thing - in Prague everything is much more cheaper than in WE. And outside Prague this proportionality is even bigger. Have a nice trip!