32 and Never Been Abroad or done anything Interesting

ScumLord wrote: »

I would always at least check out the hostels. Some of them are fancy enough. The Bulldog in Amsterdam would be an example of an upmarket hostel. You can do the dorms, which were some of the nicest I'd ever seen. Private room, or a funky apartment. I wouldn't stay in a dorm anymore and sometimes the price of the single room is about the same as any other hotel, but the atmosphere is much better and they're much quirkier than hotels. People in hotels just want a place to sleep, in hostels they're out to meet people.

Yes, sounds alright. The availability of private rooms and apartments increases the probability of running into normal people, I should say. :pac:

jimgoose wrote: »

Yes, sounds alright. The availability of private rooms and apartments increases the probability of running into normal people, I should say. :pac:

Not so much normal people but interesting people. While the majority will be backpacking young ones, you get older people that have just been using hostels all their lives and tend to take longer tours that put hotels out of the equation because of price. You'll meet bands on tour, bikers doing tours, there are plenty of people in the same situation as the OP, they've been working their whole life and decided to pack it all in to spend some time traveling.

You'll have people that did a load of research so know some good places to go, others that have been there before and know where to go, so you end up seeing some of the cooler parts of the city that you wouldn't even know exist without going to a hostel. There are also all kinds of offers running for the hostels, so you'll get much more bang for your buck.

the_syco wrote: »

Goto Amsterdam. Don't drink. Get high. Or stay sober, visit all the museums, Anne Franks house, Auschwitz, etc.

And what about a visit to a you know what. I find a lot of these replies unbelievable. FFS, the guy is trying to vamp up his social life. Surely that means sex as well. Or am I doting?

Reactor wrote: »

What would you do/where would you go to start if you were in your thirties and had never been anywhere or done anything exciting? I dont like partying/nightclubs so that kind of holiday can be ruled out, I suppose nice views and interesting museums/walks would be the kind Im looking for, moneys not really an issue, any suggestions welcome...

Firstly OP you are a lucky bastard you'll get to see some great places for the first time.

I agree with others short breaks around Europe is the best place to start.

London is a great city with really good public transport in the form of the underground with loads to see. Plenty of world class museums, attractions, shopping and good restaurants. If you're into football catch a match.

Paris is another great city to visit. The locals are not the friendliest but the attractions more than make up for it. You could easily spend a whole day in Louvre.

Amsterdam is a really cool place that is easy to walk around. The red light zone aside there is loads of stuff to do and see here. Just watch out for the cyclists there are extremely militant

I'd add Prague, Krakow, Rome, Bordeaux & Barcelona to the cities in Europe and New York is a must visit.

Reactor wrote: »

Maybe a week in Rome might be nice, although Simon Reeves Greece documentary last night was the reason I made this thread.

Do you be bored on City Breaks? Like a city the size of London or Paris will be mostly just housing and offices wont it? It cant all be shops and museums, do you join tours or just make a shopping list before you go and tick the places off as you visit?

You will never get bored in Rome. There is so much to see and experience - the history/architecture/the people/the food - it's just great. And if you wish - if you get yourself a good base you can pretty much walk all over Rome if you wish.

Depends on what you want to do for your holiday - do you want to join up with a tour and group of people or experience it by yourself ? - the choices are endless. You'll never regret it