You will get more response if you include more detail such as what activities and sights you enjoy. I hope you have a wonderful vacation. You have earned it!

Thank you for your service.

Sounds like you want somewhere quiet. Can you fly into any destination you like?

Agree with eurotraveler. Do you like cities/countryside? History? Art? Nightlife? Food? etc.

In any case, given your circumstances I’d try to pick 1 or maybe 2 countries, and not attempt do see any more places…your goal is to relax and chill out, not do a whirlwind tour!

I think after being in the desert you need some peace and quiet. Austria is my favorite country. Good food, beautiful countyside, friendly people. Thank you for your service! You deserve a vacation!!!

So 15 days?

Are you flying into Ramstien? Or another base… or no base at all?Is it space A seats or commercial…also is your leave commfirmed? If you are going commercial I would suggest cancellation insurance because of the nature of your situation.

If you want to blow off steam and you haven’t been to europe before I would suggest maybe 2 or 3 major cities and two smaller quiet places. If you are all into partying , beaches and dubachaury go to Greece or Ibiza.

What do you want to see?

cgirl

How about Italy? Rome is a great introduction to Europe — tons of cool things to see, good food, nightlife if you need to let loose for a bit. Afterward, you could hit Florence and Venice and maybe some nice little towns in between. If you want the beach, you could hit the Amalfi coast or take the ferry to Croatia.

Ireland might be nice too. All the green would have to be a nice contrast from Iraq. The people are so friendly and you’ll find no shortage of peaceful places to rest, but if you want to party, that’s certainly there too.

Have fun!

There’s a site that might help you.. www.afvclub.com.. hope you have a nice vacation. We are also meeting in Germany a family member that is in Iraq and God willing will be able to take leave in August. We are looking forward to a nice family reunion.

He is likely seeking a bit of variety, after the stresses and heat of the Middle East… I would say that you should go to some of the best cities for culture & nightlife, and do so by train. By a Eurrail pass, and start in either Paris or Frankfurt(airport), etc. I would recommend the following cities; which do not lack culture (museum’s, architecture, parks) or nightlife… With a touch of beach and/or coastline scenery in Spain, etc.

Germany: Berlin, Munchen
Czech Rep: Prague, Cesky Krumlov
Italy: Florence, Rome, Cinqe Terre
Spain: Barcelona, Palma de Majorca
Portugal: Lisbon
France: Paris, Nice

I would suggest picking about 5 or 6 cities, allowing a half-day travel to reach each one, then stay 2 or 3 nights, depending on how well you like each place. Not going with a set itinerary, as far as I am concerned – is the best way to go. You can travel at night, paying for a "couchette" (sleeper car), and kill two birds with on3e stone… I.E. travel 6, 8, 10 hours by night, not having to pay for a hostel or hotel room.

When I was a 19 & 20 yr-old Army soldier, stationed in Southern Germany, some of the best experiences in my life – came when traveling to Austria, France,m Switzerland, Italy, & Spain…

If you want to see England – you could fly-in to Heathrow or Gatwick, and stay there a night or two – before heading to Paris, Munchen, or Berlin – for example. If you are like many of us Eurotrip regulars, and love the pub scene(and beer!!!) – I might also suggest a few days in Belgium. (Brugge & Brussels)
Ireland is gorgeous as well.

thank you all for your replies. i should have been more specific as to what i do, or would like to do, but quite honestly, by the time i get to wherever i go, i’d just like to relax, have some real food, see some beautiful women and party my as off. my flight lands where i choose (commercial), so my only problem is where do i start off. i especially appreciated the advice on keeping my cities/countries to a minimum. i’d like to see every european country, but i think narrowing it down to just a few countries/cities is sound advice. thank you everyone….

Do you think you’ll live to see your leave, it’s looking pretty scary for you guys at the moment. I think you probably need a party so go to Greece, there are loads of girls who are just gagging for it in Greece. Somewhere like Corfu, Eros or Santorini should do the trick.

That’s uncalled for.

This is a travel forum if you have something else to say take it to the pub.

cgirl

That’s particuarly tactful sunny.girl. I assume you were born in barn. A real nice way of saying the Greek Islands would be a great place to blow off some steam.

Eastern Europe has some beautiful women and cheap beer. If you’re looking for a fun place with an interesting history, Prague or Budapest might be nice. Of course, you’re probably looking to narrow your options and we keep expanding them

Amsterdam, baby.

Thank you so much for your service.

I agree with MeredithBlueEyes. Prague is beautiful, and a great place to go out. Cheap beer. I haven’t heard anyone unhappy with it. Budapest has amazing baths, beautiful women. Krakow is an option instead of Budapest if you wanted to go to Prague. It has great architecture and is cheap.

Brugge Belgium is amazing is you end up in Amsterdam. If I were only going to visit a couple of European countries I personally wouldn’t choose Amsterdam but a lot of people love it so it really depends. I smoked, you can definitely get good weed. In the hostel though, it was all anyone did. I got a bit sick of being surrounded by lethergic people all night and day. I liked Amsterdam but there were definitely cities I preferred.

If there is anything you’d like reseached just mention it as I’m sure you probably don’t get much time online for the time being. I’d do it and I’m sure other people would be willing as well. Maybe you could post the cities you’re leaning towards and get more in depth information on them.

I am doubting that smoking pot with be on the vacation plan- if he is on leave he will still be subject to the rules and random drug tests when he gets back. Maybe my fiance and his buddies are just goodie two shoes but none of them get near the stuff as there are pretty serious concequenses…

That said …you are probably aching for a good beer or any other form of alcohol.

Go to a major city or two and hang out a party hostel- you will immediately be drinking and meeting lots of girls- and still get to see some of europe while doing it

Some hostels known for this type of atmosphere are:

http://www.famoushostels.com/

mix a few of those with a quiet day or two and hopefully you will have exactly what you are looking for.

cgirl

I’m going to agree with Mere as well in voting for eastern europe. With a limited amount of time, E. Europe is going to give you the greatest bang for your buck, and the women/beer are top notch. Also most americans are much more familiar with the west than the east, so if culture/architecture’s your thing you’ll be in for a pleasant surprise. However leaving late july will hit some heavy crowd’s especially Prague.

Another idea I would try would be to combine a little history and partying, where you could see a bit of Italy (Florence, Rome, Venice, or maybe Pompeii) then catch a ferry from Brindisi to Corfu, see Athens and greece then party on some greek islands. A great way to unwind/relax and still feel like you saw alot.

Why did you choose Europe? European flights are fairly cheap as a civilian, but not so much for flights to Australia, New Zealand, or Japan. Since you can take a flight to just about anywhere, I’d take leave to a place that’s usually expensive to get to as a civilian. DO Europe when your service is done and you need to buy your own way.

By the way, thank you for your service.

If you read his last post all he wants to do is unholster his pistol and go birding

http://www.eurotrip….

I don’t believe he really wants to see the sites, he just wants to see the inside of some poor girls thighs.

I don’t blame him. You have no clue how long he may or may not have been out of the desert. Being deployed to Iraq is not like simply working overseas- from what I have been told by people who have just come him there is no alcohol at all and clearly no women you can touch… I wouldn’t give a shit about the sights either. I would get drunk, have copius amount of sex before going back and risking my life( which you sunny girl so tactfully pointed out is what he IS doing).

I know my trips weren’t convent school tours of museums and historical sights 100% of the time either.

let him be and pick on someone else.

cgirl

quote: I don’t believe he really wants to see the sites, he just wants to see the inside of some poor girls thighs.

I think good sex rounds out a eurotrip quite nicely, thanks.

I met quite a few servicemen in South America and they were all quite nice guys.

I just happen to believe that what he is doing is wrong and I would feel no guilt whatsoever should he get killed before he gets to go on leave. What carrasquillo69 and all those other guys are doing is wrong and they deserve to get whatever happens to them.

BTW I hope he gets a great big dose of the clap from whoever he shags on leave.

Sunny girl not so sunny? I don’t think your comments are appropriate for this particular forum. That is not the purpose of this area

sunny girl = hard up girl

Don’t take it out on others if you can’t get laid!

I realize that we should avoid getting dragged into a political discussion, which belongs in the pub and not in FP, but here’s my 2 cents:

The subject of the Iraq war/invasion is controversial. Many people support military action while many others oppose it.

But I can’t believe ANYONE would go so far as to actually blame the soldiers on the ground or, especially, wish anything negative upon them.

The overwhelming majority of them are just trying to serve their country and do their job with honour – all the decisions are made by a few people at the top.

Carrasquillo69 just wants travel advice – if you can’t help him in that department, keep your trap shut.

well said egon.

sunny.girl, what’s your problem? i mean, what a bitch! i usually don’t insult strangers but you’re obviously just a horrid human being.

I can be a bitch but at least I’m not a baby killer!

If enough soldiers did the right thing and refused to fight then they would all have to come home and this stupid war would be over.

At least Australia pilots had the guts and the good sense to refuse the orders of the American AWACS controllers if they believed the target to be civilian, it’s a pity American forces don’t have the guts to say no.

flamer.

Where I come from Flame is quite a nice larger.

You are a sick, wretched excuse for a human being, S-girl. The mere thought that a night of on-leave sex could bring someone like you onto the planet should be enough to scare Carasquillo’s dick back into his pants.

quote: Where I come from Flame is quite a nice larger.

Hey i’m cutting and pasting my tips from the thread "Where Did You Get Laid the Most" from the nightlife and eating and drinking forum. If I were you, I’d stick to warm beachy and cheap places with lots of backpackers…Greek Isles, Spain, Portuguese Algarve…

I’d say it’s easier to get laid in places that are warm, so here are my tips:

#1 Go in the summer. more bare skin = easier
#2 Go to bars that have set hostel or backpackers nights with cheap pitchers
#3 Beach cities are your friends
#4 Be very polite at first, don’t start really pimping until several drinks have been consumed
#5 Make friends with locals of the same sex, they’ll know some women/men they can introduce you to
#6 If you start out the night with the feeling that it will happen, it will.

Having said this, great places for getting laid and not spending too much money are:
-any backpacker town on the eastern aussie coast, don’t bother with the major cities, the reef towns are where it’s at
-Ios and Corfu, Greece
-Lagos, Portugal
-Alicante, Spain
-Barcelona, Spain
-beaches of Thailand
-Rio de Janeiro, Brasil (this is just word of mouth, haven’t seen it for myself)

Have fun!!!! It’ll be a blast and a vacation to savor that’s for sure.

This has got to be the most entertaining discussion thread bar none.
The characters involved are certainly a colourful bunch.

It is more humorous than Kimber’s post for attempting to visit 17 European countries in 8 weeks.

My advice to carrasquillo69 is to be "safe" in your travels and make
sure you saddle up before you go riding. Please do keep us informed as to the outcome of your journey.

Still chuckling …

Kat

If all the soldiers did the "right" thing there would be no sovereign nations.

Disagree, Protest but do not fool yourself into believing that the soldiers are the one who can change this, it’s just not the way it works. I am not for the war either but I know better than to think that the solution lies in blaming those serving their countries.

cgirl

Sgirl, your hatred is as ugly as your heart must be to post such negative wishes for a human being. The better educated and informed are more likely to see you for what you are; ignorant, uninformed and naive.

Don’t pay so much attention to Punny.Girl, that’s what she wants, attention, like Hope said, she probably hasn’t gotten any in a loooooooooooooooooonnnnnggggg time.

Carrasquillo want’s advice, and I have none for him, since I’ve never been to Europe, just wear a condom (or plenty if you get lucky), and have the time of your life. And if you happen to find a nice girl, stay with her, and if you happen to find a nice guy, send him over, I’ll make sure he get’s pleeeeeeeennnntttttyyyyy….

quote:I can be a bitch but at least I’m not a baby killer!

WTF?!? Did you just watch ‘Born On The Fourth Of July’ yesterday or something? Retard.

quote:sunny girl=hard up girl

Doubtful. I’m sure she keeps a pair of kneepads and a steady supply of bibs in her purse.

quote:BTW I hope he gets a great big dose of the clap from whoever he shags on leave.

Having flashbacks of the night you got all loopy on two Shirley Temples and gangbanged a whole platoon, are you?

Carrasquillo69, I’m sure you don’t have to be told to ignore that idiot. Have a great time wherever it is that you decide to go. You deserve it. Thanks for your service.

Sunny-girl is a dimwit and does not represent the views of all Aussies.

Carrasquillo69, Yo Dude. Gotta ask…How adept are you with the opposite sex? Are you good looking and have a good rap or no? 2 weeks ain’t that long so if you want to get down to BIZNIS you might want to skip the extraneous bullshit and hit the brothels, or possibly even set yourself up a quality sex-junket. Or at least hedge your bets by going someplace with great nightlife but if you strikeout you can hit the whorehouse’s on the flipside. Hope your duty doesn’t suck too bad and Yo’s all around to the fellas…I’ve seen my share of deployments and know whats up. Keep the faith….

No not all only about 60% of us who do not want Australian troops in the gulf. Bob is gone.

There is a difference between people that do not support the war, and the people who spew the garbage you have to make an ass of yourself.

Back on subject – my guess is that carrasquillo69’s 15-day leave has been postponed. Bush wants troops where they are a while.

What, more broken promises??

yeah, surprise, surprise… but the ‘insurgents’ are surging pretty lethally nowadays. Gotta admit it’s a hard thing to predict when and how many troops one would need to get the job done. I just hope it’s a possible task.

Bah – this is becoming waaaay off topic.

it’s been awhile, i would like to thank all you for taking the time to reply, and most importantly, thank’s to all the individuals who have wished me, and the rest of us good luck. that means more to me than anything else at this point. i hear bush is implementing a stop movement for some of the units here, but it will have no bearing on me taking leave. i has taken awhile, but i have read everyone of your replies (yes, even you sunny girl), and i don’t know if it’s possible, but i’m thinking about starting in germany (berlin), spain (barcelona, ibiza), italy (florence) and hopefully ending in greece (athens). there has been alot of advice on some cities to visit in some of the countries i mentioned, but honestly, i’ve never heard of them. i would like to see eastern europe, but i don’t think 15 days will suffice. pardon me for being ignorant, but what exactly is a hostel? will someone please fill me in? i don’t sight seeing will be high on my list of priorities on this trip. just drinking and women’s companionship. again, thank you all

Come on people…lay off Sunny.girl. Just because they’re soldiers, it doesn’t mean that they’re saints…they just do what they’re told to do. Not to mention that most of them will f*ck any hole around, regardless of who is waiting for them at home. How noble is that?

Carrasquillo, a hostel is a place with cheap, usually dormitory-style lodging and generally catering to young people. Some places have sex-segregated rooms while others are co-ed…in Europe, most would probably cost between $15-20/night USD unless you go to a big city. At a hostel, it’s not uncommon to find travel companions or—at the very least—drinking buddies.

Also, if you make it to Athens, try to hit one of the party islands, such as Mykonos. Be safe, have fun, and thanks.

I sympathise. I’m older. I was in Vietnam 34-35 years ago. Our R&R spots were pretty grungy, filled up with other jarheads and grunts, drinking and f****ing oursleves into oblivion. I think your interest in Europe is really nice to see, as i went there one time and my buddies thought i was crazy. I ended up in an anti-US country, Denmark, and had the time of my life. Maybe that’s why I moved there years later. I think your ideas are fine, except I’m not too keen on Berlin, but I only know the Cold War city.

I’m also not really happy about the US’s foreign policy, but hey I’ve been there before. I know how it feels to never know when your number might be up. Have fun. Good luck on vacation.

Hi Carrasquillo69…I think if you are looking for a party and to unwind a little with a woman then Ibiza or Majorca would be the place for you…lots of young people. You deserve it..thank you for serving our country..I have a couple friends over there and think that you guys definately deserve a nice vacation

Oh and by the way Sunny Girl…that was the most horrible thing I think anyone has said about someone who is just doing their job..how ugly are you to have no sympahty is someone dies or not….would like to see you over there….then what??