Planning a November honeymoon in Europe...

3 or 4 countries? Or 3 or 4 cities?

10 days?

10 days is correct.

And ideally we would like to spend 2 or 3 days in 3 or 4 different countries.

You'd really be on the run all time time, flying into Roma and trying to see 3 or 4 countries in 10 days.

Which 3 or 4 did you have in mind?

Yeah...that's what I figured. What would you recommend? I think Rome is a must, but other than that we're fairly open.

In November in Italy, you really can't count on a scenic seaside vacation, and you're likely to find things along the coast shuttered up.

If your honeymoon is immediately following your wedding, you might actually like to relax with the Italians, in which I would recommend a lazy 3 or 4 days in Roma, and then head for Tuscany or Umbria, in time for the wine and olive harvests, and the beginning of the truffle season.

Umbria might actually be easier, with its easy to drive roads that take you to such gorgeous and stunning destinations as Assisi, Spello, Spoleto and Gubbio without much difficulty. But you would need to rent a car.

Because you've decided to go so far south, it becomes hard to get places by train that aren't other heavily touristed Italian cities.

You might re-think flying into Roma, and instead fly to Paris, and from there include Belgium (Antwerp, with day trips to Gent/Brussels, another to Brugge) and perhaps even Amsterdam - or London if you can afford it. Weather will be lousy but the food will be terrific (as it will be Roma and Umbria).

I think you might enjoy the relaxation and charm of Italy, but if you want the exciment of cities and have a big appetite for sightseeing, think about other European capitals, or dividing your time between Paris and Nice.

Thanks. You're probably right that it would make more sense to fly in to a more northern location and work our way down to Italy. We will be leaving the first week of November. Besides Belgium and France (which are both fine recommendations but places my fiancee has already visited), are there any other cities/countries you would recommend as we make our way down to Italy? What places would have enjoyable climate and scenery in early November?

Not many places in Europe are reliably going to have nice weather in Italy, and even Italy is a gamble, since November is officially its rainiest month.

I've never been over towards Croatia or those places. I don't know when their bad weather kicks in.

What you might consider is Roma, Sicily and Barcelona.

Other than nice weather and a more than one country, what interests you and your fiancee?

If Italy -- or Roma -- is a "must", why not just stay there? There's plenty of cultural variety in Italy. For most of its history, it's been several different countries.

Sorry -- I meant to type that "not many places are going to have nicer weather than Italy" --

although Spain would. But it's hard to combine the best parts of November Spain with Rome in a single 10-day trip because of logistics.

I'd advice you to spend 3-4 days in Fuerteventura (Spain). You'll have a splendid time there in November!

I second the thought that if this is straight after your wedding a few days relaxing to start would be good - we were exhausted after ours & basically just slept the first 3 days of our honeymoon ! If you have already booked flights to (and from ?) Rome I'd recommend flying on to Catania in Sicily and spending 3/4 nights in Taormina first - it's beautiful, relaxing and has the best chance of nice winter weather of anywhere in Italy. Then somewhere else for 3 nights (another city or countryside ?), finishing up with 3/4 nights in Rome (which is tiring).

It really depends on what sort of honeymoon you would like and where else you two have already travelled in Europe. If you want warm (won't be hot around November) weather near the beaches, I would suggest Morocco or Canary Islands.

Southern Europe like Italy and Greece can get a bit chilly for laying on a beach.

If you want scenic country side, prbably France, Italy. Switzerland is not the cheapest, too early for snow but good if you enjoy mountain views and walking.

If you're more into history, arts, culture, you can add other European cities--Paris,Amsterdam.

Venice can get foggy but i prefer relatively quiet Nov-Feb over spring/summer heat and crowd.

With 10 days (I presume you mean 10 days on the ground, NOT including arrival and departure days), I would NOT go for 4 countries. It would be an endurance race, not a relaxing, leisure travel.

We went to Rome one November to visit our study-abroad son and the weather was fantastic. One hour of sprinkles but the rest was lovely and no crowds! I say fly to Rome and really enjoy it then maybe drive to Montepulicano and stay at Locanda di San Francesco. You will love it!! Very romantic.

>>Switzerland is not the cheapest, too early for snow but good if you enjoy mountain views and walking.<<

I would be concerned about rain and fog obscuring the views.

Thanks to all who have responded thus far..you've all been very helpful.

We haven't booked anything yet, so the whole honeymoon is still open to suggestions. The length is also undetermined, but will probably be about 10-12 days, including arrival and departure days.

I've personally never been to Europe, so I was hoping to experience a few different cultures (food, music, nightlife, etc.) My fiancee has traveled in Belgium, Netherlands, France (briefly), Spain and Ireland.

We'll do some research on some of the suggestions offered thus far, and feel free to add to the discussion.

Thanks!

Any other suggestions?

Sicily and Croatia come to mind. They are both spectacular!

Honeymoon in Paris. I think it is the most romantic city in the world. Think of the photos you'll have!

If you want to experience more than one culture, and are willing to risk some bad weather, I'd either focus on Venezia, moving into Croatia, etc. or focus on the other side of the Italy and the Med, looking at Genova and its surroundings, Nice or Marseilles and Barcelona.

In November, you can sometimes get lovely weather on the Riviera -- but you might not. These are seaside places, best enjoyed when its warm, but there is still plenty to do in see, either for hikes and pretty views (around Genova if the weather is good) or museums (Nice) and architecture (Barcelona.) Food is good everywhere.

You might fly into Nice, train to Genova, explore a bit south of Genova (if the weather is good) and take the overnight ferry from Genova to Barcelona and fly home. Or vice versa.

PS: Nightlife is good in Genova, Nice/Marseilles and Barcelona, even "off-season" but the trade off is that these are not always the scenic spots, and not what most people would pick for a November honeymoon. Good hotel rates though!

In making your plans, you need to focus more on the amount of time you have available. With 10-12 days, to visit 3-4 countries - or cultures - would mean that (assuming you had 10 full days) you have 2-3 days per country. That's not so much. A very good rule of thumb to use is that you lose 1/2 day each time you change locations, between checking in, checking out, travel to/from (whether by car, or travelling to the train station/airport, checking in there, the actual travel, etc.). Take a calendar and plot out an imaginery trip, including travel time, and you'll quickly see how much time will be eaten up by just getting from here to there. Consider restricting your trip to two, or possibly three, destinations.

That being said, I can understand your interest in experiencing different cultures. Within one country, however, you can also experience different cultures. Think how different, assuming you're from the U.S., Florida, NYC, San Francisco and Iowa are.

You haven't said much about smaller towns or the countryside, so I'm guessing you're more interested in bigger cities. If so, then consider Rome and Barcelona, or add Venice to the mix as well (though Venice is not known much for music or nightlife).

If you'd like to see some of the countryside, then another suggestion, probably very good for your time of year, is the Piedmont area of Italy (from Rome, fly/train to Milan, then rent a car from there). Absolutely gorgeous, amazing food, and a relaxing destination. Tuscany and Umbria, as already pointed out, are also good places to experience the more rural side of Italy.

You're giving very good advice, but I think Piemonte is a difficult choice for November -- unless you get real lucky. Otherwise lots of fog. And it really lacks the stunning beauty and memorable art treasures of much of Italy. If you are taking those kinds of chances with weather, and renting a car, I'd go for more bang for the buck -- although once you get out of the Italian cities, nightlife is non-existent in November.

I agree that one can experience quite different cultures within the same country -- but you've still got to switch hotels and travel to get to them. The odd thing is that it is really easy to get from central Genova to the Genova airport and on a flight to Madrid (or an overnight boat to Barcelona), and then from those airports to the center of town, and really not so easy to get from Rome to Torino, or especially the countryside Piemonte. That'll eat up a lot of time, too.

Thank you for all the advice. We'll take a look tonight and see what makes the most sense.

How are Prague, Munich, and Berlin in early November?

Also, what cities in Switzerland would be most enjoyable in November?

At most I would go to 2 countries in that time, and stick to cities for example Paris/Rome or London/Dublin. Or one country with a mix between a city and a country side. November weather can be quite iffy in Europe and even if whether isn't cold and wet the days are short. I'm not saying you can't enjoy Europe in the off season but think of places that you would enjoy being indoors if necessary for example with roaring fires and cozy bedding. Museums and concerts.

Or, if you wanted to think broader consider Brazil or Argentina. Lots of great attractions such as museums and cafe life like Europe, weather is the opposite of ours so November is spring/early summer, so beaches or mountains would be more enjoyable.

Hmmm...so is the general consensus that Europe in November isn't such a good idea? We're not the "lay out all day at the beach" type, and we're both from the midwest, so temps in the 60's are fine with us. That's what I was expecting based on the weather stats I've found thus far.

I think Europe in November is fine, and so do most people who have responded. (Rates are lower, there are less tourists, and the food is the same.) They're just telling you what kind of weather to expect. Some posters seem to think that Italy is in the tropics--warm all the time--which is not so.

What most who responded ARE trying to tell you is that in 10-12 days 3 or 4 countries will not give you much experience of any of the different cultures aside from their airports, train terminals and hotel front desks. One poster wrote that every time you change locations it eats up half a day with checking out, waiting for transport, traveling, checking in, and such. I think when you are changing countries it can take even longer, in fact, most of the day.

I'm assuming from your posts that you are from North America. If so for a 12-day trip:
Day 1: overnight flight
Day 2: arrive Rome; possibly jet-lagged day
Day 3-10 vacation (8 whole days)
Day 11: use part of day to get to departure city if needed
Day 12: fly home

If you change from one country to another 3 times (to visit 4 countries), you will lose almost 3 more days of vacation time. All of a sudden, your 12-day honeymoon becomes more like 6-7 days of vacation and 5-6 days of transit.

Most recommendations have been to choose cities in one country or cities in more than one country that are easily accessible to one another. Then a change of location would take up only half a day. And most would suggest for 10-12 days, choose 3 locations rather than 4.

Switzerland in November can be gray and cool.

I would stick with Italy for a honeymoon that time of year.

I quadruple the idea of not moving about so much.

We were pretty tired the first few days of our honeymoon.

Plus, it is nice to schedule in some non-city time to just relax and do what honeymooners really like to do.

gruezi

to finish that thought...

It's silly to pay Rome hotel prices if you are going to spend a lot of time in your room...

g.

I don't think November in Europe is that bad - so much nicer than where I live!

As I mentioned above Sicily is great that time of the year. There is so much ancient history - unbelievable. The scenery is striking and the sea is lovely. The people are friendly (and more down to earth in my opinion) than other parts of Italy. The food is wonderful.

You can easily spend 10 days on Sicily alone. I highly, highly recommend it.

Another question....since we'll be traveling when the U.S. elects a new president should we expect celebrations? Just kidding...sort of.

Anyway, to follow up on the last two posters, yes we will be traveling from the states, so a day to recover from jet lag will probably be needed, and we're in agreement that 4 countries would be too much and a logistical nightmare.

It sounds like Italy it is, and I'm sure I'll be back with more specific questions some time soon.

Thanks again for everyones help!

Another question....since we'll be traveling when the U.S. elects a new president should we expect celebrations? Just kidding...sort of.

Well, that depends on who gets elected!

gruezi

How about part of the time in Rome and part of the time in Paris? Paris is nice in November. Maybe a bit rainy off and on, but not too cool. It is also very romantic, as I am sure you know. I would travel to Paris ANY time of the year, no matter what! Best wishes wherever you choose to go!

Well, that depends on who gets elected!

gruezi
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I don't like either candidate, but I can understand why the international community would favor Obama. Far less beligerent foreign policy. I'll be voting for a third party and hoping my future children are presented with more options/schools of thought. Enough about that though...

I think the Rome and Paris idea is pretty good. Would it be feasible to visit parts of Greece, Italy, and France over three days or am I getting ahead of myself again?

Rome and Paris are quite enough for 10 days IMO. But bear in mind what I said before about being tired after your wedding - personally I'd rather stay somewhere relaxing for a few days to start, rather than a big, tiring city. So I'd suggest somewhere quieter for 3 days then 4 days each in Rome & Paris.

Re weather - you may be lucky, but the likelihood is that it won't be that nice in Rome or Paris (especially Paris) in November. If sun is important to you, your best chance in Europe at that time of year is southern Italy (which is why I suggested Sicily before) or southern Spain. Or probably Greece - but I don't know Greece very well so can't say for sure. Have a look at www.weatherbase.com.

You could perhaps do Paris, Salzburg or Vienna, then Rome (or the reverse), if you wanted to visit 3 countries.

If you wanted to stay only in Italy, I think it would be relaxing and very romantic to stay a couple of days at Villa d'Este (or another luxury villa hotel) on Lake Como. You could fly into Milan and get to Villa d'Este in an hour via car service/limo. You could continue on from Milan to Venice or Florence, then to Rome.

ITALY. ROME IS WONDERFUL. CAN WALK AROUND MOST OF IT. VATICAN. SISTINE CHAPEL. COLOSEUM. TREVI FOUNTAIN. SPANISH STEPS. FORUM. JUST WANDER AROUND. SPEND 4 DAYS.
VENICE. WONDERFUL TO WANDER AROUND. 2-3 DAYS. NAPLES-POMPEI-AMALFI. 3-4 DAYS.TAKE TRAINS OR FLY.
FROM ITALY, CAN EASILY GO WEST TO FRANCE-PARIS IS A MUST. OR MONACO FOR A FEW DAYS OR NORTH TO SWITZERLAND. SO MUCH TO SEE AND DO.

If you're starting in Rome, then head north (via rental car or train) to Lugano, Switzerland (on the Italian border). Then on to Zermatt and the Matterhorn, with your final days in Paris. What could be more perfect!

How about Lisbon instead? A fascinating place. The weather should be nice, cool but still sunny.

November sounds like a nice honeymoon time to me. I would do Rome and Paris (good in any weather!) or Rome and Venice. Venice could be foggy and chilly, but I think that adds to the atmosphere.

Might be nice to try Marakesh that time of year in boutique hotel in the old city

There are several small airlines which, if you fly into London, can get you inexpensively to the other parts of Europe (wherever it is you decide to alight eventually). That's what I would do, scheduling at least a day to sample the delights of that beautiful city - it's easy to get into central locations from Heathrow - there's a train to and from. You will be tired and it's nice not to have to adjust immediately to a completely foreign language-although it may well seem like one for a bit. (You would like to see the Changing of the Guard, I'm sure, if only to say you did and take pictures)!

I traveled to the Amalfi Coast, Rome, and Naples in December; it was beautiful then, too, but not nearly so crowded - and, yes, there are some places open to stay AND to dine on the Coast then, but it is much grayer and the water isn't as beautiful. (The fireworks on New Year's Eve were spectacular)!! It wasn't that cold, either, and did not rain.

My son and his wife spent part of their fairly short (both were working) honeymoon at my villa in Italy. I was in the US for the wedding and visited friends afterward. (They were married in Florida in April, however). The best places they visited, they reported, were Florence and Rome, both definitely walking cities, and they did that easily by traveling on the fast Italian trains, not driving. (Driving in Italy, particularly in the South, can really be problematic)! Have you considered just going to Santorini and staying there for a week, chilling out, maybe renting scooters to get around? Greek food is great, as it is in Italy. Accomodation will be less expensive out of season and some of them are gorgeous!

A caution about saying November in Europe isn't a good idea - Europe isn't one country or geographic region. The weather is much different in Hamburg and Sicily, for example, or Warsaw and Madrid.

I would go to Lake Como in Northern Italy, then to Hallstatt, Austria, the most beautiful place on earth. I would stay at Helga Lenz Zimmer in Hallstatt, request the 3rd floor suite, stay 2 days, 3 nights, it is a very scenic and romantic town. I just came from there where we met a honeymoon couple staying at Lenz Zimmer with us. I went there on my honeymoon 33 years ago.
kriscat56@hotmail.com

Bring plenty of cash you're going to need it if you come to Europe. Lisbon is a lovely city but can be quite cold and wet in November.I go there 3 or 4 times a year. Fuel in Europe is a horrendous price but in the main public transport is good and cheap.The farther south you go the warmer it will be but lots of holiday "resorts" close for the winter

Italy than fly to Istanbul

November is good in Turkey and even Cappadocia.
Whatever the choice is congratulations and happy honeymooning....
Murat

I'd spend the entire time in Italy. Fly into Rome, spend several days there and head south .... Sicily? Or the Amalfi Coast & Capri are good choices for honeymooners .... caveat, the weather may be rainy in November, however there will be far fewer tourists.