Spain is amazing! Personally, I think it's a must see. There are so many beautiful cities and so much to do!

And in case you're hopelessly lost in Paris and homesick for a little slice of America the only street French you should know is how to pronounce the following phrase:

"sank roo doe noo'

That's #5 (cinq) rue Daunon, the address for Harry's Bar! :D

Harry’s Bar 5 rue Daunon, 2e, M° Opéra, tel: 01 42 61 71 14, 11am to 4am, closed Sun. With its time-polished wood, American College sporting pennants and clubby feel, it’s difficult not to fall in love with this intimate little bar as soon as you enter the saloon-like doors. Opened in 1911, Harry’s is the oldest American-style bar in the city and, thanks to its famous advertising slogan — “sank roo doe noo” — created for servicemen during the First World War, boasts one of the best-known addresses in the capital. Its presidential straw poll is world-famous and surprisingly accurate, having been wrong only once: predicting George Bush’s re-election in 1992. Not only is it the original “Harry’s Bar,” pre-dating by decades other pretenders such as the one in Venice, but it also claims to be the birthplace of the Bloody Mary (9.60E). Its superb team of bartenders also whips up a damn fine vodka martini (10.10E).

I lived in France for a while too and loved it!

My recommendations:
France (especially southern France, Paris, and any of the wine regions)
Spain (cheap!) - Barcelona has a beautiful beach
Italy - Go to Florence if you're into art
Those are my recommendations based on places I've been to.

I found the French to be polite if you were polite to them. I saw so many "ugly tourists" (of many nationalities - not just American) yelling at French waitresses/hostesses/other service workers in English that I couldn't blame them for being rude back.

Be sure to combine "fun" with "educational". I visited all the monuments and museums wherever I went and while it was very interesting, it got to a point after a few months where I couldn't tell one ancient monument or cathedral from another. At that point I went to Cannes for a few days during the film festival in May for some mindless celebrity watching.

Change your money to the Euro at a reputable bank in America or Europe, the touristy change booths will give you a bad rate or charge a large fee. Travellers checks are a safe bet but be sure to have some back up currency because not every place will accept the checks.

Lets Go is a good series to find cheap lodging but it has a tendancy to exclude certain restaurants and attractions that you may find interesting because they are a little expensive.

Have fun!

I've been going to England for most of my life (grandparents live there) an I highly recomend checking out some of the sights. If you can get up to Scotland and the Lakes district as well, it is just beautiful. When I was in high school, I went on a European tour, and from that I also recomend Monaco. It is the cleanest, most beautiful place I have ever been to. Also, the Vatican and most of Rome were just spectacular, and something to remember!

Thanks
 

I was wondering about the guide books, so the consesus is do not get Lonely Planet... but Rick Steves and Lets Go are the best! Thannks for your help! What are the best months to travel? I am available next summer from May 15-Aug 30th. Cool!
Nat

When I went to school in London the Let's Go Europe book was what we used/read most. We always had at least two copies with us everywhere we went. We found a lot of the hotels and hostels that we stayed at in those as well as restuarants, bars, museums that we went to. I would definitely suggest getting it before you go. I got mine a few weeks before and went through it to start to get an idea of where I wanted to go and what I wanted to do.

I would definitely suggest spending time in London. It's an amazing city with tons of stuff to do.

Barcelona was great. We spent a few days there and had so much fun, plus it is relatively inexpensive.

I agree with AlphaSig's recommendation of Luxembourg. My school has a campus there, which my sister and tons of friends spent time at. When I went to visit people there, I just fell in love with the country. Everyone is very friendly there as well.

In regards of when to go...I'm assuming this is for next year May 15-Aug 30th... I don't know about the rest of the places, but it's awesome to visit Normandy on D-Day (June 4th, I believe). They have all kinds of cool ceremonies.

Just be aware that alot of places may be closed for at least part of August. That is traditionally a time when a lot of Europeans close down business and go on vacation.

I've been to Russia, England, France, Spain, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic, Belgium, and Uzbekistan. I'm hopefully going to Italy in the Spring for study abroad. If you go to any of those countries I can give you reccommendations. Pm me if you want for ideas.

My by-far favorite place to visit is Vienna. I spent a week there and could have been there for much longer. It's an absolutely amazing city -- beautiful, great museums, palaces, architecture, history...loved it!!! If you go there, definitely use the Rick Steves guide to Austria b/c it was extremely helpful.
As for other travel guides, I like Eyewitness guides, but they can be a bit pricey.
Something else to think about is packing for the weather -- it usually doesn't get that hot in the summer in countries like Germany, France, England, etc -- you will want to wear pants and definitely bring a light jacket. I lived in Germany for 4 years and it got hot enough to wear shorts maybe 5 times.
Feel free to PM me with any specific questions -- I love traveling and I did a LOT in my four years in Germany!