If you could go anywhere in Europe for free...
Aug 26th, 2002, 05:25 AM
#1
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If you could go anywhere in Europe for free...
Please help! I just won an amazing prize in a contest at work - 2 business class tickets on Swiss Air, anywhere they fly in Europe. I have a year to use them.<BR><BR>My boyfriend and I (we're both 29) are so excited but overwhelmed because we have no idea where to go. I've been to London and Vienna, and he's been to England and Ireland, so all of those are out. What would you suggest? We'll probably take a 10-day trip, and would like to see a few different cities or countries if possible.
Aug 26th, 2002, 05:50 AM
#3
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I would agree with Italy and/or Switzerland. Depends what you're into (cities/culture/scenery etc). You can easily get it all in Italy. My personal favourite is Florence, with wonderful opportunities for touring around Tuscany - loads of culture and glorious scenery. Perhaps you could combine with Venice - very easy. I know Switzerland less well but many believe the mountain scenery is unrivalled, if you are into hiking etc. There are also many lovely old towns eg. Lucerne, Bern. Whilst I would not wish to imply Switzerland lacks history or culture, this is not on a par with Italy. If you like hassle-free travel, Switzerland is probably preferable as everything 'works'. Italy has more what you might euphemistically call 'personality'.
Aug 26th, 2002, 06:04 AM
#4
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How lucky you are. Don't know where SwissAir flies but if they fly to Istanbul, I'd do that. It's the kind of trip you might otherwise not take/schedule for yourself and might be a bit pricier than others--why not get the most for your money as long as it's free? Istanbul is exotic yet comfortable. Has areas of broad boulevards not unlike Paris and then ancient markets. It's pretty, it's fun. If Swiss Air doesn't go to Istanbul, I'd opt for Italy as others have also suggested. Fly into Venice and out of Milan. Go to the Italian Lakes--Como in particular--Italian Riviera--Camogli is my favorite and of course spend some time in Venice.
Aug 26th, 2002, 06:23 AM
#5
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Since these are FREE tickets, I'd use them to get to a country I'm interested in that would normally require an EXPENSIVE air ticket. For me, that would definitely be Greece. If you wanted to combine more than one country, then Greece and Turkey (although I think 10 days would not be enough time for a first trip to Greece alone). Or, I'd use it to get to a place that requires a domestic connecting flights after the transatlantic flight, since that would normally be expensive if I had to pay for it, e.g., Sicily, Sardinia, or Corsica. Mmm...Sicily plus Sardinia...I like that.
Aug 26th, 2002, 06:33 AM
#7
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Swissair has been reborn as simply SWISS. Much of the management comes from Crossair, which was a partner/subsidiary (not sure which term was most accurate) of Swissair - - but seemed not to have the same financial disasters on/in its books.<BR><BR>I'm thinking that this is what Melanie means.<BR><BR>While there is much logic in saying that Switzerland is the logical destination, Geneva is their second most important gateway airport -- and it is equally "in" France and in Switzerland.<BR><BR>and you can say just about the same thing about Lugano (almost equally "in" Italy and Switzerland).<BR>
Aug 26th, 2002, 06:57 AM
#11
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Thanks for all the advice! You are correct Rex, it is SWISS now, as Swiss Air went bankrupt. <BR><BR>Italy and Greece both sound very intriguing to me. I don't know much about Istanbul but I will look into it since it was suggested.<BR><BR>Any additional recommendations would be appreciated!!
Aug 26th, 2002, 07:02 AM
#12
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To answer Shiela's question, what do we like:<BR><BR>We'd like to immerse ourselves in the culture wherever we go. See the sights, explore the area, and also find "non-touristy" spots. We are active so we're up for anything. Since our airfare will be free, I'm sure we'll want to indulge in nice hotels, and eat at some great restaurants.
Aug 26th, 2002, 07:15 AM
#14
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I think then, the answer is either Italy or Greece. If you went, for example to Rome for a few days then Siena for a few days, you could spend the last few days in the hills above La Spezia, a lovely area and very undiscovered- it's also an easy day trip to the Cinque Terre.<BR><BR>As an alternative, go and spend a few days in Athens, then fly, or ferry to Crete, and once you've had enough ancients and Byzantium slope off down to the south coast to finish off your break.<BR><BR>I'd do either, if you want a friend for the trip
Aug 26th, 2002, 07:28 AM
#15
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Another vote for Turkey because it offers history, art, and culture. Turkey is also part of both Europe and Asia! Greece is another good choice and since you have 10 days you should include at least a couple of the Greek Islands. Italy = romance. <BR>
Aug 26th, 2002, 07:58 AM
#17
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Don't know the current flight destinations of Swiss, but if I could, I'd go to: <BR><BR>- Lisbon, Portugal: there you'll have lots of culture and culinary experiences; the wild Atlantic coast, and small fishing villages north and south;<BR><BR>- Oslo, Norway: rent a car and drive across to Bergen, then back. It's a stunning country. The Norwegians know how to live too...<BR><BR>Pick the right time. There are specific periods during the year when Norway is less likely to get rain. Also, for Portugal as with anywhere else in Europe, it's best to go just before high tourist seasons.<BR><BR>5 days each place should be just right.<BR><BR>Wow, what a life.
Aug 26th, 2002, 08:52 AM
#18
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Melanie...what fun! I leave in a little over 5 weeks for my free trip! Won the tickets in April. Having never been to Europe, I really didn't have much of a clue. I knew I had always wanted to see Austria (long story, but Sound of Music means a lot to my family). My dad has always wanted to hear the Vienna Boys Choir in Vienna, so that sealed it! I'm taking him, and we are going to Vienna and Salzburg. Then tried to convert the awards into actual tickets, and ran into a small snag... the tickets were on Delta (not its partners), and Delta doesn't fly into Vienna! With some wonderful help from a Delta agent, and flexibility on our part on dates, we managed to get flights into Paris, then use FF miles to get to Vienna. We're also squeezing in a quick trip to Venice because I fell in love with it while doing research. So....my advice....see where you can go on the tickets, and plan from there! If I knew now what I knew in April, I would have flown into Venice, and done Venice & Austria and skipped Paris (Dad has already been there), but "having" to spend time in Paris is not exactly a hardship
Aug 26th, 2002, 08:56 AM
#19
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Wow, what a fabulous prize! Like others have suggested, I would go somewhere the airfare would normally be very expensive. Plus you've got business class tickets - save the short haul flights for when you're paying for them yourself. Go as far as you can. I don't kow where you're starting from, butI'm thinking Turkey in this case. I've been to Greece twice - once 26 years ago and the second time in September 2000. We combined the second trip with a week in Turkey and absolutely loved it. It was amazing and we can't wait to go back to see more. I think 10 days isn't nearly long enough for both places, but if you did want to see some of Greece, maybe you could choose one of the islands close to Turkey, like Rhodes or Lesbos. (We went from Rhodes to Turkey.) I'm hoping to go back to Turkey next year and am already working out my itinerary. I can't imagine how I'd feel if I knew that the airfare was free - and business class at that!
