If you had to choose one......

Old Jan 17th, 2017, 11:21 AM
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If you had to choose one......

So we are flying to Krakow in August and stay for 5 nights. We then fly to Stockholm and stay for 3/4 nights, we then go to _____________ and stay for 3/4/5 nights we then fly to Iceland and stay for 4 nights.

Trying to figure out the <blank>

Options in no particular order:

a. cruise to Talinn spend 1 night. Ferry to Helsinki for 2 nights add more nights to Iceland
b. Stockholm to Bergen, Norway for 3 nights (Norway in a Nutshell)
c. (I understand distance, etc.) Fly to Barcelona for 4 nights
d. go back to one of my favorite places on earth - Bernese Oberland for 4 nights
e. Edinburgh/Scotland 4 nights
f. Dublin Ireland 4 nights
g. Budapest for 4 nights
h. Thought of Croatia but too difficult to get to and travel around in 4 days

I ask my wife where she wants to go and she just says she will go anywhere I want!?

No help there, so I look to my Fodors Forum friends to "fill in the blank."

We basically love food, people watching, beautiful sights, tourist activities. Not museum folks.

Thanks for your help in advance!

Just hoping to receive that one bit of information that helps me make a good decision!
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Old Jan 17th, 2017, 11:49 AM
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Norway - stay in the nordic mood...
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Old Jan 17th, 2017, 11:56 AM
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If you ask me, I would not be flying around so much. I'd pick a smaller area and explore more things nearby on the ground, by bus or train.

What about seeing more of Poland? You can train north from Krakow to Warsaw and/or Wroclaw, then up to Gdansk (or just fly up from Krakow I guess). You could train from Krakow to Prague - there's supposed to be faster, more direct train service starting up this year.

Budapest is not an easy land connection from Krakow - I think there's a night train, but it's a long ride, and I don't think there's a good daytime option. Not sure if there's a direct flight or not.

I visited Tallinn and Helsinki last year. Helsinki was very pleasant but I didn't fall in love with it. Tallinn's old town is tiny but charming (and touristy). Tallinn was certainly more exciting to me than Helsinki. But we all have different interests...
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Old Jan 17th, 2017, 05:17 PM
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Thanks Michel and Andrew. Andrew, my original thought was to stay in the same area and visit Helsinki and Talinn. Then I started reading more and more about Helsinki being just OK. That's where my thoughts started wandering.

Barcelona is always someplace I wanted to go, but a few things concern me. Overly crowded in August, "too spread out" and stories of crime. (Even heard of suitcases being stolen while tourist checked into hotel.)

I'm not interested in seeing more of Poland.

Many thanks for your responses!
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Old Jan 17th, 2017, 05:23 PM
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Are you sure that 3 or 4 nights is sufficient for your interests in Stockholm? Its a city with a lot to offer! Although I haven’t yet been to Iceland, I’ve plotted out a trip that would suit my interests and found that it will take closer to a week. And I agree that is worth giving thought to a few days in Warsaw.

Of your options:
a. Nice!
b. Could work well!
c. Too little time for Barcelona.
d. Maybe, but it depends on when you are going….
e. I’d want more time for this option
f. I’d want time to include a bit of Ireland.
g. Could work…
h. You’re right – Croatia takes far too much time to reach and, IMO, deserves a minimum of 2 (if not 3) weeks.

Even if you are not museum folks, consider making time for the Lady with an Ermine while in Krakow -- she is very special.

Good luck with your planning!
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Old Jan 17th, 2017, 05:52 PM
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Too bad you aren't interested in seeing more of Poland! I really enjoyed not just Krakow (which is not overrated) but also the other cities I mentioned. I didn't think the Polish countryside was very pretty, but the cities (Krakow, Wroclaw, Torun, Gdansk) that I saw were terrific, vibrant places.

I'm reaching a point after numerous trips to Europe that I've mostly seen the "highlights" - at least, for me, the places I've always wanted to visit. If I keep going to new places, I have to visit places that weren't at the top of my list - and some of them in recent years, to be honest, have been just OK, not amazing. But I'm still glad I went. I'm learning to accept that not all of the new places I'll visit will be amazing from now on. I'm glad I visited Helsinki, even though I didn't fall in love with it.

Barcelona has been on my list for a while, but I've heard mixed things about it in recent years, so it has fallen a bit from the top of my "list of places to see." Plus, as I travel more, I'm finding I like the big cities less and less and prefer smaller to medium sized towns. But I tend to take some of these stories about crime with a grain of salt. I had heard before I visited Naples years ago that it was a dirty, dumpy town with a lot of crime, but after visiting it for only a few hours as a day trip, I was sorry I hadn't spent a few nights there. Seemed like a city with a lot of character. But I couldn't have known how I would like it until I saw for myself. Sometimes others have different takes on travel than we have, and matching their views to ours is hard!
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Old Jan 17th, 2017, 06:02 PM
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Riga instead of/as well as Tallinn. Possibly as well as Vilnius, preferably before Stockholm rather than after.
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Old Jan 17th, 2017, 06:17 PM
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We must have been posting at the same time!

I’ve been puzzled by many of the comments about Helsinki I’ve read on this board. I thorougly enjoyed my few days there and would happily return. I thought it a beautiful city, with a stunning harbor and some striking architecture, including (but by no means limited to) the Rock Churck. A visit to the Suomenlinna fortress, on an island, offers a nice ferry ride plus nice stroll plus some historic interest. Seurasaari offers fascinating glimpses into the country's past, with its relocated traditional buildings and displays of cultural traditions and crafts. Etc.

If you take appropriate cautions, I don’t think you would need to rule Barcelona out because of “stories of crime” – but as noted, I don’t think the time you would have is sufficient for Barcelona.
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Old Jan 17th, 2017, 06:40 PM
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Thanks everybody!

Great feedback as usual!

Andrew...great comment "If I keep going to new places, I have to visit places that weren't at the top of my list - and some of them in recent years, to be honest, have been just OK, not amazing"

I think this is kind of what is going on in the back of my mind.

I want to see new places, but fear they will not be as good as a place I have been. This is why I threw Bernese Oberland in the mix. Even if Krakow, Stockholm and Iceland were not to my liking, at least I would have visited Switzerland again.

Kind of narrowing it down!

Thanks everybody!!!
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Old Jan 17th, 2017, 07:37 PM
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I've been exceedingly fortunate to have made 18 international trips to date, averaging 3 to 4 weeks each. I have had a few -- very, very few -- mild disappointments; meaning that I considered a place to be in the B range. There is only one place that I honestly did not like -- but it had never been a priority and I spent only a couple of hours there. Almost everything, and every trip, has been a solid A or A+ by my thinking. I have seen and experienced utterly amazing things on each and every trip. With "just" 3 or 4 weeks of travel per year, I don't anticipate making it through my personal A list for another 40 or 45 years. (And BTW, I know that isn't going to happen.) With that "travel horizon," I never assume that I will revisit anything -- no matter how much I enjoyed it.

It is certainly possible that my interests are unusually diverse or voracious. And it is certainly possible that I am particularly adept at choosing destinations to match my interests. I can assure you that I do extensive research before planning any trip -- and I recognize that doing so is a luxury that not everyone can afford. Too, doing so is my preference, and I understand that it isn't everyone's. I'm not judging -- just commenting.

I also think that visiting a new place can be a bit like meeting a new person: One can ask, how does this place/person fit in with my preferences? Or one can ask, what is there to like about this place/person? I try to approach destinations -- and people -- the latter way. Again, just my approach.

To each his/her own!
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Old Jan 17th, 2017, 07:52 PM
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kja....I feel the same way! I try not to visit the same place twice (except Paris). I have gone to a few places twice because I had visited them when I was single and wanted to share a new experience there with my wife.

All of my trips to Europe have been fantastic. My last one was good and ok. The good was Rome, Tuscany, Santorini and Brugge. The OK was driving through Belgium and through the Mosel Valley to Frankfurt. Nice, met some nice people but felt like vacation would have been better with a different decision.

I usually change my plans many times before arriving at a final decision. So far the only reservations made are flight to Krakow and hotel in Krakow.

All the best!
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Old Jan 18th, 2017, 05:53 AM
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How "off the beaten path" are you willing or interested to go?

You mentioned Edinburgh, which is a terrific idea, but if this is in August you'd be competing with a hundred thousand or so other visitors during the various festivals ("big" festival, Fringe, others) that fill the city (and the hotelkeepers' wallets and how) during that month. Other places in Scotland are not nearly as bad.

But... you can fly from Riga, Stockholm or Helsinki to Aberdeen in Scotland for around US$100 - $125, and fly round trip from Aberdeen to Kirkwall in the Orkney Islands for not very much round trip.

Orkney is a terrific area, with lots of prehistoric and Viking-era artifacts and sites and a fascinating local culture. It would "close the loop" on a rather "Nordic" focus between Scandinavia and Iceland. Icelandair flies nonstop (also affordably) from Aberdeen to KEF, so it wouldn't be terribly out of the way.

With four or five days, I'd probably fly to Aberdeen and on to Kirkwall (KOI) for maybe two days on the ground, then back to Aberdeen and spend two or three days in the northeast of Scotland - castles and mountains in "Deeside" - along the rivers that flow to the North Sea at Aberdeen - Balmoral, Craigievar Castle, etc., and maybe visit a distillery or two; they're plentiful in the region. Then return the car to ABZ and off you go to Iceland. Lots of fun and variety.
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Old Jan 18th, 2017, 06:31 AM
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Gordyloo.... Very far off the beaten path!!

I think you hit the nail on the head regarding "'Nordic' focus."

I will take a look at your recommendation.

Edinburgh and parts of Scotland were of interest to me, but large crowds fighting for hotel rooms in August made me think twice.

Great post! I like the way you think!!

All the best!
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Old Jan 18th, 2017, 06:52 AM
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I would do A or B. I have been to Helsinki and about 20 years ago and really like the city. I agree with KJA that there is much to see there.
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Old Jan 18th, 2017, 07:11 AM
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I would do Tallinn. Maybe add in Riga. I did Helsinki as a day trip from Tallinn (I was there for 4 days) and felt it was enough. Glad I saw it but just didn't have the same impact the other places in that region (all the places being mentioned) had. So you could do Tallinn with some combination of Riga and/or Helsinki.

The other option I'd choose would be Norway, especially Bergen and NIN.

I often combine very distinct and distant regions in one trip, the low cost air connections make it possible. But I wouldn't do it for four days so for your time frame I'd stick to the Nordic areas.

Here's my trip report from the Baltics (with link to photos) - http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...nd-vilnius.cfm

If you click my name I have trip reports to all the places. Just in the past few years I've been to Krakow, Bergen, and Tallinn, etc. All of those were on different trips.
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Old Jan 18th, 2017, 07:41 AM
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Thanks everybody!

My flavor of the day today is:

Krakow for 5 nights. Fly to Zurich and drive to St. Moritz. Spend time hiking around the Engadine Valley. Drive to Bergamo, Como and Milan. Total 7 nights. Fly from Milan to Stockholm (5 nights). Fly home from Stockholm leaving Iceland for another time.

I really love Switzerland and have been to Geneve, Lausanne, Montreux, Lucerne, Zermatt, Eiger. This will allow me to see Zurich (which I have never been) and Engadine Valley.

I've been to Lake Como, never Bergamo nor Milan.

I think the mountains are calling me! (At least this morning! )
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Old Jan 18th, 2017, 05:16 PM
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St. Moritz may be the least pleasant spot in the entire Engadine area. And trying to combine the Lower and Upper Engadine Valleys (which are distinctly different) with Bergamo and Como and Milan, not to mention Zurich, in just 7 nights would be, IMO, extraordinarily ambitious.

And if you do decide to the Engadine, why on earth would you drive? Public transportation in Switzerland is extraordinarily efficient, comfortable, and easy. In contrast, driving just means that the driver doesn't get to fully appreciate the scenery.
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Old Jan 18th, 2017, 07:24 PM
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Agree with whoever said only go to Ireland if you can visit more than Dublin.

Barcelona is not one of my favorite cities, but it has such wonderful architecture, music, etc. I would consider it for 3 or 4 days, especially if you want to see Gaudi's work. Walking in Barcelona is enjoyable and I liked it most in hot weather, so August would not deter me. However, no recent experience with pickpocketing,
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Old Jan 19th, 2017, 04:59 AM
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Surprised to read that St. Moritz is not the greatest. I like driving because I get to set my own schedule. Also, we get to stop when and where we want. Kind of scratched St. Moritz. Looking at flying into Venice and driving to Roninj or flying into Milan and hanging around Lake Como or Garda.
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Old Jan 19th, 2017, 06:14 AM
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If the mountains are calling you, maybe look at staying in southern Poland and spend a few days in the Tatras which straddle the Polish-Slovakian border. There are some spectacular mountain and lake views, Zakopane on the Polish side is a very well equipped visitor center, and my hunch is that the whole thing would be way cheaper and probably less crowded than the Zurich or Milan plans.

Google "Morskie Oko Lake" to see what I'm talking about. Poland or Canada?
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