again if i may suggest amsterdam, but for more mature reasons:
- Schipol is a international hub and can be reached by the entire continent and beyond.
- it is more or less central to the major hubs of eu head-fiers and is either a short plane or moderate train ride away. from germany its 7h by train from amsterdam to berlin, from frankfurt and hamburg even shorter. from the the UK its 1 hour by plane from london and half a day from london by train.
- prices for food and hotel are comparable to mainland europe and cheaper then the uk.
- english is widely spoken and understood. english is not as widely used in germany.
- local transport is very efficient. london transport is terrible.
- schipol airport is a 15min train ride from the city centre. gatwick, heathrow and stanstead are at least an hour away from the centre, not to mention a 1 way trip to the city can cost up to 20 quid.
- amsterdam is a prototypical european city rich in cultural diversity, as much as london and more then berlin.
- it is very relaxed, much more relaxing then london.
this is all of course imho. wherever it is in europe i will be there. i tend to get around