European Holiday - non "tourist" suggestions!

Hi All

First time I create a discussion in SCN and it's the Coffee Corner

My partner and I are finally taking a holiday to Europe. We're located in Australia so it takes about 24 hours of travel time to get there and therefore, unlikely we're making this trip regularly (if only I could convince him to relocate..). It was already hard to pick which countries to see 😔

Anyway, we're visiting England (family catch ups) in Cambridge, Oxfordshire/Winsdor and London and then off to Paris; Lucerne/Luzern; Rome; Venice; and Milan! This holiday if finally happening this December!!!!

We've located tourist groups and option but would love any local insight to places to visit, food and wine suggestions. Anything that's worth trying and not something we can find in a brochure. We want to make the best of these locations in case we never get to return.

We're in Rome for New Years and have no idea where to go to see 2014 in style. I've read up on Piazza del Popolo but I'm not a huge fan of crowds.

So locals or those who have been to these cities, please suggest away! Even tips of what not to do! If you want, even tell us all the places we should have gone to (suggest our next trip 😉 )!

Cheers

Colleen