Tubingen, Germany

TRANSPORTATION: take a train here and you will land on the south side of the river. The majority of the time you can walk, but take a cab from the train station. Many of the streets are cobblestone which makes wheeling luggage painfully annoying. Once you hit your hotel, you should be able to walk, despite some good hills throughout town.

LODGING:

• Hotel Am Schloss - Burgesteig 18 - top of the hill near the castle - great little hotel, just beware as there is a bar right across the street. This can get noisy at night, but all in all was a nice hotel.
• Hotel Hospisz - quieter alternative at the Faules Eck (down the road from Hotel Am Schloss). Note: there is a good chance you will wake up to church bells on the weekend.
  

ACTIVITIES:

• Gondola ride - much cheaper then Venice and often with beverages, food or music. Rides run from April to October.
  
• Schlossgarten/Schloss Hohentingen - castle/museum at the top of the hill in town. Interesting artifacts inside. Views are worthwhile.
• University - one of Germany's largest, this town is swarmed by young people
  

FOOD:

• El Chico: texmex on the river - what else could you want? Grab a seat outside and enjoy the view
• La Cantinella: great Italian restaurant off the beaten path.
• Make sure to grab a hot "bretzel" here as well as Zwiebelkuchen (onion cake - basically a quiche with onion in it, just don't call it a quiche)
• Necharmuller: not sure about the food (typical German fare), but the biergarten along the river is a great view of town.
• Ranitzky Cafe: overlooks the Marketplatz - good spot for a drink
• Saints & Scholars: campus Irish pub
  

SHOPPING:

• AmAsia - unique crafts local to the area
• Inflagranti - Erich Baltzer Marketgasse 9 - classy jewelery
• Weinbergschnecken Gau Austern - local wine producer - Kuchenfertig
  

Stuttgart, Germany

ORIENTATION: the Bahnhof drops you off very close to the main train station. From there you have 2 options - walking (most hotels and sights are a short walk) or catch the U/S Bahn for your best connections. If you are spending a lot of time in Stuttgart look into a Stuttcard for cheaper transportation.

LODGING:

• Hotel am Schlossgarten - this is about a 3 minute walk from the train station and an ideal location. You'll find a tourist information shop on the same block. Good hotel with a helpful staff

ATTRACTIONS:

• Check out the old and new palace - Altes & Neues Schloss
• Konigstrasse - stroll down this for shopping and peoplewatching
  
• Karlsplatz - flea markets on Saturdays otherwise there are good sidewalk cafes
• Mercedes Benz Museum
• Porsche Museum
  

FOOD:

• Grand Cafe - Karlsplatz - serve a good breakfast overlooking the square and Rathaus
  

Brussels, Belgium

ORIENTATION:

• Not the easiest city to navigate. Taxis were seen driving on the tram tracks because traffic was so bad, on the last visit here. The Metro is the best way to go.

HOTELS: in general book early in this town. When EU business or conventions roll into town it can be very, very worrisome

• Hotel Albert - did not honor a reservation booked with them through the internet. If you book here, triple check (via phone) that your reservation is confirmed.
• Hotel Reyers - this place is cheap and you'll know it the moment you walk upstairs. The staff was very friendly, but this was a bad alternative that is not on the recommendation list.

ATTRACTIONS:

• Grand Palace
• Royal Palace
• Parc de Bruxelles

FOOD:

• Moules Frites - mussels and fries, best washed down by a local Belgian beer.

Kilkenny, Ireland

LODGING:

• Lacken House - Bed & Breakfast - located right on the main road so you'll likely here traffic at somepoint throughout your stay. This is about a 5 minute walk from downtown Kilkenny.
  

RESTAURANTS:

• Kyteler's Inn - also is a B&B upstairs. The inside is old caves for pints and grub (try the chili or soup). Make sure to get the story here of the place, rumor has it the Inn dates to the 14th century. On a warm day, head for the back courtyard where you can find live music and tvs with football.
  

ATTRACTIONS:

• Kilkenny Castle - rather unimpressive tour of the castle, but the grounds are worth walking around. This is a great way to learn about the Butlers, a key Kilkenny name.
  
• Cathedral of St. Canice - over 800 years old, and offers a bell tower for viewing.
• Smithwick's Brewery
• National Craft Gallery & Castle Yard
  

PUBS:

• Morrissey's Pub - you could get techno beats or locals watching some football, but what a great name!
  

Dublin, Ireland

ORIENTATION: Downtown Dublin is only about 20 minutes from the airport (located NW of the city). Unless you've been to Ireland (specifically Dublin), don't bother driving in Dublin. Take a taxi to get to the city and then get by via foot after that. It is a pretty manageable city.

HOTEL:

• Four Seasons Hotel - located in the Ballsbridge area, near the US Embassy.
  

RESTAURANTS:

• Roly's Bistro - located in the Ballsbridge area, this is a great little restaurant. Make sure to order something with potatoes on the side, they do them especially well here.
• Salamanca - located close to Grafton St. and Temple Bar. This is a great tapas bar in the heart of Dublin.
  

PUBS:

• Temple Bar - very famous, but you'll pay a premium here

ATTRACTIONS:

• Trinity College and Books of Kells - you can't miss this. Students give a great tour here and the grounds are beautiful. The tour should end in the library.
  
• Grafton Street Area - walk around the shops or grab a pint!
  

GOLF:

• Portmarnock Golf Club - 27 holes, allegedly some of the best in Ireland. Recent host of a Walker Cup.
  
• Portmarnock Hotel & Golf Links - set on the old Jameson estate, not quite the same of Portmarnock Golf Club
  
• European Club - about an hour drive south of Dublin, but worth the trip! This is right on the coast and gives excellent links golf.
  

Interlaken, Switzerland

GETTING THERE: Your best bet on traveling to Interlaken will be by train. Whether you are coming from another country or within Switzerland there are two stops that drop you off on either side of Interlaken. Interlaken West will drop you off in the heart of the city, giving you access to town and many of the hotel options. Interlaken Ost will be your station to continue up the mountain via train. The town is very walkable. Hiking paths or the regional train can take you to other villages up the mountain.

LODGING:

• Balmer's Hostel - if you are traveling cheaply this is the spot to stay. Come summertime this place is swarmed with traveling students/backpackers, making for a huge international scene at nighttime. Balmer's is a good base for any outdoor activities as they can book your reservations or point you out to nearby locations with various services.
• Hotel Goldey - almost directly between the Ost and West train stations. This is a quiet hotel right off the river. Ask for a mountain view for beautiful views of the Jungfrau.
  

ACTIVITIES: if you enjoy the outdoors this is your spot. At any point of they year you can find anything possible to do.

• Hiking - stop by the tourist information offices near either train station. You should be able to get a hiking trail map in English. You'll follow the yellow signs on your "wanderwag" which are all written in German. For a couple rewarding day hikes start in Interlaken and head to Grindewald or Wengen. If you are tired from walking up the mountains, the Jungfrau Regional trains can get you back to Interlaken.
  
• Skiing - Wengen and Grindewald are two ski areas. Wengen has beautiful views of the Jungfrau and Eiger. For a link to snow conditions check out RideGuide.
  
• Canyoning - a mix of hiking, repelling, swimming in the heart of the alps.
  
• Paragliding - ride tandem with one of several outfits in Interlaken. You'll start up one of the mountains and and in the center of town. You'll have the option to document this through your guides camera. The pictures of interlaken below are gorgeous.
  
• Bungy Jumping - several different providers here. In the past they've had moonlight jumps.
  
• Rafting - said to be one of the better spots in Switzerland.
  
• Jungfraujoch - Top of Europe - 3,454m (11,333 ft) - view of Alps (at the Sphinx) and restaurant available near top of the Jungfrau. This is a UNESCO World Heritage location with the trainstation built into the mountain.
  

FOOD:

• Budget - look for a Coop or Migros grocery store in town. Note: they will close on Sunday (all day) and early on Saturdays.
  

Highlands, North Carolina

HOTEL:

• Inn at Half Mile Farm - this place is a treat and frankly worth the spend. If you have a large group this would be an excellent spot to base your vacation. We attended a wedding here in Fall which was beutiful!

GOLF:

• Highlands Cove GC - great mountain golf and scenerary here. You'll want to stick with the cart here, especially on the front 9!

SHOPPING:

• Bryant Art Glass Studio - great antiques and gifts. 216 S. 4th St. (828) 526-4095