European Trip Help - Help Me Make My Husband Happy!

quoting:
I'm considering taking the train from France to Venice.

you do mean taking a plane to Venice,right? There are direct flights so that should be easy.

The good news is that Venice will
not be crowded in May & there are
ferries to Croatia, however, I believe they run later in the season.

It does seem a shame to miss out on
all the other places Italy has to offer though.
Other Fodorites should be able to help you.

I think it's a great idea to change your trip to something you will both more enjoy. Sorry can't help with Croatia. And you can take a train or fly either one to get to Venice.

I like the way your husband travels! May is a great time to visit Venice - and I'd suggest taking a flight into Venice. The view flying over and landing at the airport, then taking a motorboat to your hotel is part of the adventure.

I haven't been to the beaches in Croatia, so I can't address that part. But, I would also suggest that it you like driving around, good food, exploring, you can also rent a car in Venice (we rented over by the train station) and then set out to explore the Veneto and Italian lakes.

Good luck!

If you're comfortable driving in Italy, maybe he would enjoy a country villa and then forays to a vineyard, some small towns, etc.

So - a week in the Cote d'Azur area, then a week in the Tuscan countryside...

No, does not sound like cities are for him, so I think you are right in changing your plans. It still sounds like an awful lot of ground to cover in 13 days. Maybe you could fly to save time? If I were you I might do Nice, Venice, Dubrovnik and use an open jaw from there back to home.

Keep in mind also that the beautiful beaches in Croatia are rarely sandy beaches& it probably will not be swim weather there yet in May. We stayed right on a beautiful quiet beach in Dubrovnik and took a taxi or bus into town.

If you go when cruise ship tourists are not there, he would probably enjoy a little of Dubrovnik old town because it is a small area & very beautiful. Gotta walk that wall! You can take a boat tour to lots of islands from there for the day or longer and explore lots of beaches & tiny towns. You can rent a car and drive to bay of Kotor which is gorgeous and an easy drive. We stayed a month in Dubrovnik and loved it.

Also Venice area has wonderful beaches so you could stay right on the beach there like we did. Take the ferry over to visit the city for the day or late into the evening. Go early or stay late to avoid the most tourists.

We stayed in luxury campgrounds in both of these places ( where many Europeans holiday or visit Venice or Dubrovnik) but I am sure it is easy to find a villa there as well.

There are tons of rural area and beaches in both of these areas, so should help him enjoy himself.

If you do not want to go as far as Croatia, you can always rent a car and a villa in Tuscany or Umbria. Save Croatia for his next trip to Europe.

France to Venice by train is doable (my sister did it over night last year)

I like that idea of outlying towns and beaches near Venice. Split the trip 1/2 in France and 1/2 around Venice could be perfect imo.

"If you do not want to go as far as Croatia, you can always rent a car and a villa in Tuscany or Umbria. Save Croatia for his next trip to Europe."

agree,

Even 13 days in France OR Italy would be a nice trip - lovely countryside and seaside resorts in both.

For a very relaxing and serene type holiday, particularly at that time of year I would suggest the Italian lakes. I am not a big city person, however do love Paris!! I found Lake Como to be one of the most peaceful places I have been to. We stayed in Varenna and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Lake Garda has sailing if he likes those types of activities. Something else to think about anyway. Schnauzer

My husband's travel ideas sound similar to your husband's - I've been considering Athens for a day or two and two Greek Islands for the remainder.

Hi B,

I'd say that Rome is not going to be his cup of tea.

How about splitting the Italy time between Venice and Florence?

The historical part of F is only about 1 mi square.

You can easily visit Siean and Orvieto as daytrips by bus and train.

Overnight trains? Are we college students? Fly for anything over 3 hours train journey - anything else is a waste of time, which you don't have a lot of with 13 days.

And the latter part of May is not a time I would count on for beach weather anywhere in Europe. You may find some great days, but nothing I would plan a trip around. If you want to schedule a beach trip for May, do what Europeans do and fly from Europe to Egypt for a few days.

I agree that May is not the ideal time for a beach vacation in most of Europe. You could end with nice weather, or not. And if your husband likes sandy Caribbean beaches, he may be very disappointed.

Many here said Florence: I don't think so. If he hates museums, walking and shopping, I just don't see him liking Florence. I love Florence myself, but it is all about art, architecture, shopping and walking.

So maybe let him know that the beaches in Europe are not at all the same as the Caribbean, and the weather won't be beach weather. Then see what he says.

There's nothing wrong with just not liking big cities, that's just as valid an opinion as liking them.

I think you first plan of taking the train to Venice made sense, because you wanted to spend some time in-between (maybe). But if you don't, it really is a long train trip -- 8 hours. However, I don't think there is any flight from Nice to Venice, so you'd have to go over to Marseille for a flight. That may or may not take more time than the train trip, depending where you are (as well as the hassles flying is nowadays).

Since you like the Caribbean you have many choices in the Mediterranean — Balearics, Corsica, Sicily, Sardinia, Malta, Rhodes, Cyprus, Crete, and an untold number of Greek islands. Your May trip is a good 6 weeks before the Europeans can bring their kids. You are pre-season so prices will be good and rooms plentiful. Wing it.

If you want to stay "on land" I recommend San Sebastian and/or Biarritz. They are beautiful laid-back cities. I was in Biarritz one May and virtually had the town and beach to myself. The weather was great and I was body surfing nekd. Lisbon and Barcelona would also suit the man. I love them. They are more cosmo than San Sebastian or Biarritz.

I'm with WTNow; I also think a week in the Tuscan countryside would be a good solution. It would get your husband out of the "comfort zone", but in a very gentle and beautiful environment. So Nice, Tuscany, ending in Venice would be a wonderful trip. From your description of your stays in the Caribbean, I'm sure that a rental in Tuscany would suit you well.

Regarding the lake region - while I do like that area a lot, I definitely preferred the Tuscan countryside

Are you set on going to Italy? You could also explore the French Riviera and Provence in 13 days easily.

You've got plenty of good advice here; I'm sure you'll come up with a good itinerary that both you and your husband will enjoy.
Paule

My husband and I do not like crowds so we keep our time in Venice or Florence to a minimum. Both have lots and lots of people.

If you want a beach town you really should consider a few of the towns on the French or Italian riviera. My favorite Italian are Camilla, Lerici or Portovenere. All beautiful, not crowded and very Italian. On the French side there is EZE or St Paul De Vince.

I agree on the Tuscany idea (our very favorite part of Italy) but you have to be willing to drive and explore. If so there are wonderful villages, great food and good wine. Just buy a good map and explore to your heart content AND rember that in Italy all roads on any map lead somewhere. We always stay at Le Selvole in Radda in Chianti. Good rates, a great little village and there are spectacular restaurants in the area. And if you want to see Florence it's easy to drive to Greve and take the bus in for a few hours.

travelgourmet~
there's nothing "college student" about taking an overnight train if you spring for a private 2-person cabin in a train with a dining car (or take your own decent food). in some situations it is much more relaxing than getting to and from 2 different airports & a flight.

Hey Becca - I think you and I are married to the same man!!!!

I'm sorry your husband didn't enjoy my hometown.(Manhattan) As a transplant I've always said... NYC is a great place to live but I wouldn't want to visit. -

It's easy to drive from the French riviera to Italy. You might want to loop thru the lakes and end in Venice.
Perhaps stopping in places like Verona ( oops.. maybe too much of a town) or Sirmione. It's easy to drop a car in Venice. As others have pointed out May will probably not be beach time. If you chose Venice I wouldn't recommend staying on the Lido. At nite, after all the day trippers leave you have Venice pretty much to yourself. If the weather is good, break the bank and have a drink in the Piazza San Marco late in the evening with all the orchestras playing. I doubt you'll forget it.

"there's nothing "college student" about taking an overnight train if you spring for a private 2-person cabin in a train with a dining car (or take your own decent food). in some situations it is much more relaxing than getting to and from 2 different airports & a flight."

I guess, but Paris to Venice, for example is around 1,100 km. For comparison's sake, when was the last time someone suggested people should take the train from New York to Chicago? Marseilles to Venice is 800 km. That is a long distance to cover on a train, no matter how much food you take. And a private cabin will be more expensive than plane tickets and journey's to and from the airport.

There is a reason that Europe has seen an explosion of low-cost airlines - carriers that make even the worst US carrier look luxurious. It is because traveling long distances by train, even in Europe, is not all that we romanticize it to be.

Based on what was mentioned, it looks like your husband does not like NYC.

From this observation, one infers that he does not like U.S. major cities.

One needs to make another inference that because he does not like NYC, he would not like European major cities. It is possible that this inference is correct.

In my case, while I don't care for most major U.S. cities, I like European cities. Unlike U.S. cities where one business can take up a whole city block, in old European cities, such as the ones mentioned, I can visit many places without having to walk hardly at all.

Hi TG,

>when was the last time someone suggested people should take the train from New York to Chicago?<

We took the train from DC to Chicago. From there we took the Southern route via Denver to Seattle.

Our return was via the Northern route back to Chicago, and then the route via the New River Gorge back to DC.

Perhaps the best tour of the US that we have ever taken.

Caveat: This being Amtrak and not SNCF, BahnDe or Trenitalia, our train arrived in Seattle 13 hr late. We got back to DC only 11 hr late.

Ira,

I assume that the train journey was itself a large part of the vacation? Our OP has 13 days, and has not expressed an urge to travel on the train for the sake of traveling on the train, so I just fail to see how spending 12+ hours on a train from Nice to Venice is really a good choice, when they could fly (even with a connection) in less than half that time. If you are a train nut, then great, but our OP's husband hates crowds and was intimidated by the subway, so a train is all of a sudden a great idea?

Since train travel will take longer and possibly cost more money than flying, I just don't understand how anyone can recommend it as a reasonable option for getting between some pretty far-flung destinations. And this isn't a referendum on train travel, just an honest attempt to make the OP aware of the time, effort, and money that their plan will involve.

Now, if the OP had said that they wanted to go from Nice to Venice, hitting Milan along the way, then a train makes sense, but strictly as a means of transportation any efficiency gains from the train are, IMHO, lost for a trip of over 4 hours or so (or more than a single connection) and one should be realistic and just fly.

No you miss the point. On an aircraft you squat together and and best get to meet two other people. On a train you can meet as many as you want. Its like being on holiday and you are moving

From Venice you could take a ferry to Croatia. Another option, would be to take the ferry to Corfu, or possibly Paxos. Agni Taverna (north Corfu) has an excellent travel website which may be of interest to you. I think the train from Nice sounds good.
The open jaw ticket is a good idea.
Finally, if you choose Croatia, Dubrovnik is a lovely city for wandering round and for visiting beaches.

I would probably skip the Croatian beaches and take more time in Provence/Cote d'Azur before Venice or explore the more rural options in Italy suggested by others.

As for the train vs plane question, I would have opted for the train as a college student and I would personally still choose it. European trains from center city to center city are a lot more relaxing to me than dealing with multiple airports and airport to city transfers. I think you'd see some nice scenery on the way from Nice to Venice, too, although I have never taken that route.

I am sorry, but big cities are big cities....full of crowds, pollution, traffic & congestion. I do not see a big difference in NYC than Paris, Rome, London, Barcelona, Istanbul, Vienna, Madrid,Athens, Amsterdam, Berlin, Moscow etc....they all overwhelm. If you do not speak the language or know the metro/transportation system that adds to the challenge.

I can take them in small doses or even a few weeks if I stay in a rural feeling area nearby ( we travel with kids and this makes it much easier & more fun for her). Even if you stay right in the center of the city there is much more walking than most Americans are use to in order to see the key sites.

But if you do not like cities in the U.S.. you are probably not going to like them in Europe. There is a LOT more walking in Europe.

The exceptions ( and there is still a lot of walking) would be Dubrovnik, Seville,Brugge etc that have old towns and a more small town feel. Venice has more of a small town feel than Rome, but it is a cruise ship port so always some crowds & lots of walking. Most of the people who work in Venice do not live there, so it is an easy commute by boat kind of place with gorgeous sandy beaches with few people on them.

Here is a pic of the beach were we stayed near Venice which we found a very nice combo to combine with our time touring Venice ( to give you an idea of what it looks like & if it would appeal to him):

http://www.soultravelers3.com/blog/6487DC0A-9EC7-4095-878E-8EFD2FFFD0CF.html

When I was young I loved big cities and lived in them like NYC and SF etc., but as I get older, I really do not like them at all. Not in the U.S , not in Europe or anywhere. That said, sometimes they are important to see.


Also Becca, if his feet hurt from the walking in NYC, start a daily walking program BEFORE going to Europe and make sure you have good socks and comfortable, supportive shoes. It is hard to really see Europe with out lots of walking. If you have the stamina to walk far away from the crowds in Europe, you will enjoy Venice more and get a greater idea of the real Venice.

There actually IS beach weather in Europe in May in places like Marbella or Nerja in southern Spain. ( Heck I could sun today here...southern Spain... in a bathing suit). So if you are looking for beautiful beaches and lazing in the sun type travel....head to southern Spain or Portugal.

But it sounds like you want Venice & Nice are the most.


Trains in Europe can be great...but timing is everything and you do not have much of that. I would pick one or two places enjoy slow travel & get a GPS if you drive. Enjoy! Both your needs should be able to be met.

There is some attitude (and the OP has one herself) that this man is deficient in not liking big cities, must be basically stupid and childish, and this isn't a valid opinion, but a "preconceived notion". Which sounds like an opinion, to me. I like big cities myself and would have some conflicts if I were married to someone who did not want to travel there, but I don't think this is an unreasonable position. I do know people myself who don't like big cities very much.

It does not take 12+ hours to get by train from Nice to Venice, it takes about 8-9 hours. YOu can do it with one transfer in Milan. Flying is just not easy any more, and really never has been, with the time you must spend getting there in advance, when you arrive, perhaps getting to/from the airport, etc. In the US, I don't always fly when I have a day's car travel because you really don't save much or any time, there are possibly lots more problems, and it is not as relaxing as driving or taking the train. The train is really relaxing, you can view the countryside, it is much more comfortable than a flight, etc. And there are many fewer problems with luggage, delays, etc. I just drove 8 hours each way for Christmas vacation rather than flying because I hate flying so much and it is much less risky. One time I decided to fly instead, the flight was delayed several hours, and then they cancelled it and said the next one would be six hours later. I could have driven in shorter time.

I would not want to bet that taking a one-way flight from Nice to Venice (transferring would be required) would be cheaper than the train. The cheapest price I saw on www.opodo.fr was around 200 euro for a one-way ticket and took about 5-6 hours due to changes. I did see one budget airline from Marseille to Venice, but you'd have to get there. IF you buy a RT ticket, the cheapest fare I saw was around 225 euro (on Alitalia or AF through Rome) and took a bit over 3 hours for the flying time. By contrast, the advance purchase train fare from Nice to Venice is only around 50 euro on SNCF. Regular 2nd class fare is only 84 euro.

Thank you so much for all of your responses. In case anyone is wondering about my husband (as it sounds like some of you may be), he grew up on a farm in rural middle Tennessee. Don't let that fool you - he is one of the smartest people I know and is an attorney (I know - that's debatable on whether that's a good thing or not!). He just wasn't exposed to a lot of new experiences growing up. Other than a trip to Hawaii and a couple of trips out west, his family really did not travel.

When we met in our early 20s (we are now in our early 30s) and I would talk about how much I wanted to travel, he quickly informed me that "everything he ever wanted to see could be found in the United States." I, of course, was horrified at his limited views and eased him out of his comfort zone with a honeymoon to St. John - Caribbean yet still U.S.

Once he realized how much he loved St. John, we ventured to Anguilla, Antigua, St. Barts, Jamaica, Aruba, Vieques, Culebra, Dominican Republic, Virgin Gorda, Jost Van Dyke, and on and on and on. He now talks about visiting places like the South Pacific and Costa Rica and South America. To say that he has grown as a traveler would be a gross understatement. Even though he doesn't care for big cities, I want to continue urging him on to get out of his comfort zone and find other areas of the world that he loves just as much as the U.S. and Caribbean.

Becca, I agree: rural Tuscany should be the place for you. And in May you will not find a lot of warm beaches in Italy. I would skip Rome, unfortunately, because it really is a big frantic city.

But Tuscany!! Ah!!

Oh, and Lucca is a nice, middlesized town enclosed in ancient walls that are very wide and have been converted into a circular park.

You can walk to get to stores and restaurants without being mowed down by traffic. If you had an apartment there, or near there, and a car, you could do some touring, not just to the tourist towns like Pisa, San Gimignano or Siena, but also up into the mountains above Lucca or along the coast to Carrara where you can see the marble quarries. Pick up your car at the Florence airport and you're very close to the autostrada (freeway) to Lucca.

You can go from Nice to Venice to Croatia. Pretty easily!

Take a night train from Nice to Venice (3 pax sleeping car is comfortable)

Stay in Venice and then take an afternoon bus to Pula in Istria.

Know that Istria has few sandy beaches--although the locals in Pula know about some (you'll need a car).

For travel arrangements in Croatia, I found this website--www.croatiatraveller.com--pretty helpful. It's written by the lady who writes the Lonely Planet guidebook.

Why on earth are you planning to go to Italy at all?

Your husband's "feet hurt from all the walking, he was intimidated by the crowds and the subway, he doesn't care for museums or shopping"

Apart from the subway, every syllable of that applies to Venice. And Florence. And Rome. But the crowds (especially in May, when practically all of Europe's got a holiday every week) are worse: at least in New York most of the crowd knows where it's going.

I'm no expert on beaches, but I'd doubt anywhere along the northern shores ofthe Med is going to give you a West Indian-style beach holiday in May.

In your shoes, I'd forget about Croatia and Italy altogether. Even second level cities in Italy, like Siena or Padua, are crowded and can take forever to drive into, find a parking space and drive out of. And when you're there, you'll be tempted to spend time in endless bleeding museums: I once stupidly took a god-daughter round the seventeen million identical Sienese Madonnas in the local pinacoteca and the poor girl's been off posh art ever since.

If what you both like is underplanned driving, just drive round secondary France for two weeks. Unlike Italy, most of its towns (outside the Riviera, which I'd avoid, but...) are half-empty. Meander into one, find parking near-instantly, potter about, have lunch, potter a bit more then off to the next gite or whatever. Maybe, if you're in the far south-east, drive over to Italy for a day to see. But avoid almost anywhere you've ever heard of. Your husband will probably LOATHE Avignon, for example

When it comes to city-phobia, size really doesn't matter, and a town can often look really small on a map, but when you turn up you find it's still full of crowds and the only thing to see is yet another poxy museum. In France, that's fine: you just turn round and drive on, because there's always somewhere cuddlier and emptier fifteen miles away. Get the Green Michelin to a couple of regions and just adlib.

The TV announced that few Americans have passports. I infer that those people are not interested enough in Europe or whereever to spend time and money visiting churches and museums. You note that your husband is an attorney. Why not work out visits to European law firms and courts...? Does his company have an EU branch? How about trying some law schools? Thousands of Americans are living and working in Europe. I doubt that any of them have been in a church or museum except when guests arrive. They all have found different ways to experience Europe. Sports? Try a weeklong golf school.

We loved Croatia when we were there in June last year. We took a 3 hour bus between Venice and Rovinj, which is lovely town. Pula would be easier for car rental though. We drove to Plitivice Lakes National Park, staying at the Knezevic Guest House for 35€ per night, per room + 5€ each for breakfast. The B&B's here are much better than the hotels. It's a remarkable park, 100's of waterfalls, connected by wooden walking platforms, which I think would be wonderful in the spring.

From here you can drive the fantastic new road to Split. There are no crowds. See Split for 2 hours, then get the ferry over to Hvar. You'll need to get the ferry schedule since they only make the trip a couple times of day.

Hvar is so peaceful and beautiful. For "beaches" take the small boats which connect Hvar to the small outlaying islands. They run back and forth several times a day. The beaches are huge slabs of rock, no sand, but the water is crystal clear and very casual atmosphere. You can also do some hiking through the pines.

Return to Split and take a public bus down to Dubrovnik. You can spend several days here, seeing Dubrovnik and taking a day trip to Montenegro.

You'll see very few crowds on this trip in May or early June, and have incredible beauty.

Becca,

Sounds like your husband likes beaches and water... Have you considered Greece? Perhaps the Amalfi coast of Italy with Capri thrown in? These might be nice intros to Europe that he can expand from. I agree Venice, Florence, and Rome and even Nice will probably not be his cup of tea...

g.

Listen to Flanner, Becca.

He's spot on, I think.

Becca - My husband sounds very similar to yours (search under my name and you'll see some similar posts from last year!).

My husband absolutely LOVED Provence - he found it relaxing and peaceful and yet there was still so much to do. This was after a week in Paris which he found utterly stressful and chaotic (while I, on the other hand, loved Paris and can't wait to go back!)

Email me if you want to chat more!
~Jennifer

Ah!! Becca!! I just read your second post and saw this:

"he grew up on a farm in rural middle Tennessee."

My husband grew up on a farm in rural eastern Tennessee!! Too funny!! But then he moved to the Chicago 'burbs and that's where we met....

With 13 days, do as flanner suggests (can't believe I'm agreeing, but there's a first time for everything.)

Fly into Nice or maybe Barcelona, rent a car, and hit the roads. You could also do an open jaw - into Nice and out of BCN, or v.v. - but spend your days exploring the absolutely wonderful countryside in the south of France and/or Catalonia; the Vermilion Coast, the Camargue... There are some okay beaches in various areas (pebbles, not sand) and we've been able to get into the water around Barcelona at that time of year, but no matter - there are so many hill towns, lavender fields, leafy inland villages, back roads, open markets in the squares of Bastides... the 13 days will fly by. Why not even think about renting a cottage somewhere and spend the 13 days going deep rather than wide?

He would probably enjoy the Cinque Terre region of Italy, along the Tuscan countryside just beyond the riviera. Then go down to Sorrento and enjoy the Amalfi coast area. Some of the most beautiful beaches in Italy, but still Italy, and close enough to do touristy things like a visit to Pompeii. From Sorrento, take a hydrofoil out to the island of Capri for a day.

We have four kids and traveled Europe this summer. Sadly, Italy was the most crime ridden and you do have to be careful. If you do consider the Amalfi coast, don't bother with Naples.

Save Croatia for another time. The coast of ITaly has a lot to offer.

Hi Becca, As a chap who has just come back from my first visit to NYC
and who also loves the Caribbean, I think I can see where he is comeing from.We also have holiday homes in Italy and Croatia and I must say both would be a great choice.However I must agree with the good advise offered but especially, in particular, Tuscany and its northern coast.
I am not sure if I can offer a web site here which would help http://www.underthetuscansun.co.uk
If not search Fontana Vecchia
Have a great time.

I was going to suggest Cinque Terre as well. I think it is similar to the Carribean in that they are small towns on the water with spectacular views everywhere. If you aren't familiar with Cinque Terre, it is a path on the side of the mountains, along the water, of five little towns that people often hike (but you can do it other ways as well) and then stay in the towns. Everyone I know that has been to Cinque Terre says that it is their favorite part of Italy. (I even have friends that have lived there that say that)
As far as Croatia, I agree that I would skip it and concentrate on the countryside in Italy and France. I was in Dubrovnik in October and while it is an adorable town, the beaches did not come close to Carribean beaches and I'm afraid you and your husband would be disappointed. I have heard that there are much better beaches in other parts of Croatia and Turkey, but I think it will still be a little cold for the beach.
I also was in the Greek Islands in October and absolutely loved those. The views were unparalleled and they were very quiet once you got away from the tourist spots. It would be very easy to plan a totally quiet, solitary vacation with beautiful views, beaches, and hiking. I received great advice from others on here on places they go to again and again on the Greek islands.
Hope this helps!

This will really sound like college days, but renting a "mobylette" (sp?) and wandering around the hills in Provence is great. You'll talk to farmers and other real folks on the road, see beautiful agricultural areas and relax in a setting and style that is completely unlike what you've done before. Great way to spend a pleasant afternoon.

I agree with Eze and St. Paul de Vence from another post. And although it is the ultimate commercial stop, Monte Carlo is different, a beautiful setting, and has Cousteau's original Oceanographic Museum. A few hours only . . .

Haven't seen a city in Italy that isn't museums, crowds and walking, even though I love them. Go to Tuscany and stay in a private residence. Drink wine, ride a horse, meet people. . .

When you do go to museums, concentrate on France. One can only see so many gilt Madonna and Childs. (Whoa, I'm going to get lots of posts responding to that one!)

Bravo to your husband and his interest in new adventures. We all have our preferences.

Venice to Croatia is an easy trip--you can even go by bus. We traveled to Croatia last year and thoroughly enjoyed the cities along the Adriatic. The Adriatic side of Croatia is nicer water than in Italy-although Italy is by far my most favorte place to travel. We will be going there for two months this year. The Italian Riviera along the Cinque Terre and the shores of Tuscany are also wonderful and have lovely beaches and wonderful small inland small picturesque towns to visit. Try VRBO for accommodations--I find them dependable and descriptive. If interested I may be able to recommend an apartment in Venice--although they usually rent by the week. The Dorsoduo area is a great location to visit all parts of Venice.

barb74

Well, if the Big Apple was too much for him, then I think he should be able to handle the south of France and other points. Perhaps spend a few days in Nice or Menton (outide of Nice/next to the Itaian border). From there you are only three/four hours to Venice; six/seven to Rome (that's if you want to rent a car). Train travel is fun; I like having a car (which is cheaper in France than Italy).

I've been so many times and I think you can have fun. This particular part of Europe is so incredible diverse and doable.

Hope this helps.

Hello,
My girlfriend and I visited Venice for a couple of days and then took a train to Zagreb, Croatia and rented a car. We spent the night in Zagreb, picked up the car and drove to Plitivice National Park. It was beautiful. We drove to Split the same day. That was a lot for 1 day, but the hotels in Plitivice looked pretty simple. We worked our way down the coast. Mali Ston is a must visit and stay for 1 night. Dubrovnik was beautiful. We took a tour of Montenegro from Dubrovnik 1 day on a bus. We don't like tours, but it was really nice. We saw more than we would have by ourselves. I highly recommend that.
If we do it again we will rent a car in Venice and drive to Croatia. It would be faster and it looked pretty scenic from the train.

Dear Becca,
My young girlfriend loves snowy and cold Europe, while doesn't seem to feel attracted by US and dislikes extremely hot places, but she loves to travel a lot...!
The Caribbean Sea was discovered by an italian from Genova, Christopher Columbus, and conquered by lawyer/soldier Cortez (Napoli was part of the Spanish kingdom, that's why the Caribbean and the Mediterranean definitely have much more in common than Croatia's people mood and culture.
We felt also that Varadero Beach in Cuba (our favourite pkace in the Caribbean with Playa del Carmen, near Cancún, México) has almost the same atmosphere as Siracusa in Sicily, but look: the French Rivera (we went to Niza, Cannes ans Montecarlo)is a fantastic choice for both of you!
My girlfriend and me are from México City and have been twice to Europe (autumn and winter time!), but as we were travelling back I've convinced her each time to visit USA, once to Chicago and then, NYC and of course, she was very glad to admire the fantastic museums they got there, to me it would have been a deep shame to got the unique chance to make so long trip there and not to see the MET and MOMA, as well as to enjoy the Sea Museum and the Chicago Art Institute, I mean, besides the jazz, teather, food, architecture and promenades or do the shopping in that big urban centres, walking Central Park or The famous Mile towards monuments and houses of ancient tradition.
Your plan to this trip in May with him sounds good to me, no matter if he gets angry now and then because that's also normal with us in trips, we discuss (he'll find all Europe very crowded and specially Venice) but the new adventures and mistery to come next in Croatia's beaches will make him behave better, you'll see.
Keep in mind the time of the year you're doing this travel and make reservations in advance, you can take a couchette by train and sleep from France to Venice (or Rome, then go up to Croatia which doesn't seem very far. If I could afford to rent a car I'd drive down to Croatia, why not? Peobably the cost of living there is not as high as in Italy, you know.
USA in 20 days? I'd start in NYC again, then Boston or Washington, after come back to NY to enjoy a coupleof days in nice Woodstock, then Niagara Falls and later also, Chicago. Because Canada would be a great tempation with these four cities "at hand": Ottawa, Quebec, Ontario, Montreal... Oh, a pity I could not go down to the Mississippi River and Louisiana, I love music. Have a nice trip! From México, goodluck:
Seevir

Have you considered the Cinque Terre, the 5 little towns overlooking the Ligurian Sea? This is part of the Italian Riviera and could be reached by train from France, en route to Venice. They are definitely the OPPOSITE of big cities. Gorgeous scenery, beautiful private beaches, great food,quaint little villages to explore on foot.
You didn't mention if you enjoy hiking, but if you do, this would be a special bonus. The area is famous for hiking trails that connect the 5 little towns. Along the hikes, you look up to see steep hills covered with vineyards & olive trees, & you look down from the cliffs to see the beautiful sea!
I also would add to the previous votes for Tuscany.
Tog

I would also put in a nod toward Tuscany and Umbria. My husband and I stayed at Villa Vinnamaggio (spelling?) just outside of Greve in Chianti and it was fabulous. Greve is a wonderful little town and we also explored many of the nearby villages. We recently visited Orvieto in Umbria. It was a great hillside town-lovely winding streets, great views, delicious food. I think both Florence and Rome would not be your husband's speed as they are both very crowded.

Having traveled extensively to the Caribbean and European beaches, (the Riviera, Greek Islands, Malta, Spain and Portugal), you won't find the beaches similar to the Caribbean. I would suggest you invest in good walking shoes for hubby and do see at least one great city, like Rome, then concentrate on the small towns and villages which make Europe so appealing. If he is at all interested in history, he should be blown away.

Becca,

Do you have thoughts about all of the posts?

Jeannie

He might not like Venice after the first day, but will love Croatia - Dubrovnik. Explore the outskirts possibly for more adventure. We went on a Mediterranean cruise with 12 ports and as lovely as they all were - breathtaking actually - Dubrovnik stole our hearts. Very peaceful and a spot we would love to stay to explore and relax. Eze is beautiful as was Cannes - the beaches were beautiful there. However, I did not really see other beach spots that I would like to visit - as others have said, the weather will be too cool. The countryside is always lovely to visit. Costa Rica is a spot you and your husband will love. Beautiful beaches all to yourself. We loved it!

If he likes the Caribbean, he will love Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast. Also take the ferry over to Capri. You'll be near Pompeii, which you want to do early in the morning with a private guide before the crowds hit.

Thanks again for all of your suggestions. It is obvious I have a lot of research to do on all of these wonderful places you have mentioned. I think introducing my husband to Europe along its coast line and beaches - where he obviously feels most comfortable in our other travels - is probably the way to go. Thanks!