What Int'l City Should I visit next?

Rome or Barcelona

Istanbul.....

Florence

I think you would love Lisbon, Portugal. Safe,....friendly and smiling people...lots to do and see. Nice side trips, shopping, history, art,beautiful ocean AND hills. Red tiled roofs, good food. Nice weather.!

When are you going? If in midsummer you won't want to do too far south.

That would have a significant effect on my choice.

Istanbul...beautiful city, lots to see, great mixture of modern and old world, wonderful history and sights,
great food,
among the nicest people of all of my travels.

Another vote for Istanbul. It is a wonderfully historic place, easy to get around at a leisurely pace, and as noted the people are incredibly friendly.
Beijing - certainly worth a visit but not so easy to get around, you would probably do best with hiring a uide for at least a good part of your time there.
Florence - wonderful, but if forced to choose between it and Istanbul - see paragraph one.
Rome - not my favorite place but certainly worth visiting. Not as easy to get around, often crowded.
Athens - haven't been, can't say, but it is on my list.

Love, love love Istanbul.
Enjoyed Beijing, but I agree it is harder to get around.
Rome is nice, but I'm not sure I'd go back.

Is there anything in particular that you like? Architecture? Museums? Art? Nature?

You've received lots of good suggestions. But before we can really help -- What month and what sorts of things do you enjoy most?

For instance, Rome is wonderful in April/May - pretty dreadful in August.

Rome, especially if you can go in spring or fall. Florence would be a close second. In either city you will have amazing history, beautiful art and wonderful food.

All good ideas. (I would eliminate Athens, though) Istanbul, Rome, Florence, Barcelona--all great cities with plenty to do and easy to get around on your own..(, too, have visited these as a single female traveler)


But if you have the time, depending on the time of year, I will put in a vote for Beijing. I spent a week there and had a terrific time...it is VERY easy to get around on your own there..

Are you coming from the US? If so, I am not sure that I would take a one-week trip to Asia.

If you do decide to consider Asia, here is my report from last year which includes about 2 weeks in China on my own.

(Skip past the Seoul part of the report..)


http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=27&tid=34984181

How about Dubrovnik? It is gorgeous, small, easily navigable on food, and lots of daytrips possible from there.

Oops - I meant "on foot", of course!

A little more information about me and my trip. I could travel about anytime, but would choose April or May I think. Or September, October. I live in the U.S. For some reason, Istanbul sounds "dangerous". Why am I getting that feeling?

Vienna. All kinds of things to see and do and there is excellent public transportation.

Marianske Lazne

Munich.

I think everyone's suggestions are good and timing is indeed important. I think that if you have never been to Rome, then you must make it a priority. I am a woman who also travels alone and I like to see things at my own pace too. I loved Rome! The food is great, the history and art can't be beat and I felt very safe. Good luck and let us know what you decide.

Another vote for Rome. Spent a week there on my first visit. So much to see. If you enjoy art and architure and just wandering the streets it is the place to go. A very busy city,but then you can get off the beaten path. Have been to Florence which I liked,but not like I enjoyed Rome. Beijing and Athens I have not visited.

There are some who express concerns about safety in Istanbul but I (as American white guy as they come) felt safe and found the people to be incredibly friendly and helpful. My guess is that concern arises because though it is a secular society the majority of the population are Muslim and most US folks have little knowledge and experience with that faith.

You're not a great deal older than myself but maybe younger in heart!!

Greece I wouldn't do - Athens is poluted and a bit grubby and the Acropolis and Parthenon lovely to see but only worth a couple of days. Yhe greek islands wonderful and beautiful in the summer but do you want to sit on a beach - probably not.

Beijing a lovely 3 day trip for the Palace, the wall and Mao Tse Tungs resting place - provided you can see the sky for pollution.

Rome - wonderful - so many well known and familiar things to see - but so much walking!! The Trevi fountain does fill your heart though.

Florence I haven't been - but my son proposed to his wife there and plans a surprise visit back this month.

Four cities are my favourites fo different reasons. Barcelona (lovely lifestyle, different restaurants, sun, sea and the city) - Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast (doing nothing except looking at the Bay of Naples) - Israel (so much history)

But ..... the one I do love too much (and I live near London) is Bruges in Belgium.

So much to see as well - The Madonna with Child by Michelangelo in the Church of our Lady, The Chapel of the Holy Blood with its' relgious relic, called the Venice of the North with good reason for its' canals surrounded by ancient city walls and towers and the a setting and scenary that is out of the movies.

Most important though - is that you may walk all around it so very easily and still be only 15 minutes walk from your hotel.

Streets are safe and in December a great Christmas market.

Want the beach and sea - 20 minutes away by car - miles of sand. Want more history and beauty? - Ghent is also wonderful and not far away.

Have a look further on this links page to get a glimpse of it all.
http://www.oldchocolatehouse.com/Links.html

My dream destinations - I want to scuba dive the drop off at Bora Bora in the Tahitian Islands and I want to visit Angkhor Wat.

Oops - I forgot two more favourite places - St Petersburg (don't go int the winter - but it has the worlds greatest museum at the Hermitage and there is the palace with the amber room - known as the Paris of the North for its palaces, river and bridges - my eldest daughter loves it here) and Cairo (bit of sun, loads of history - the museum the pyramids - and something very different to what you've seen before - my wife thinks it is great)

By the way - Istanbul - wonderful view over the Bosphorous - but toooo much traffic and really only the Grand Mosque and Old Bazaar to see. Both fabulous - but not a week. However, if you are into nightclubing and dining on great fish then it is very very good!

Final analysis - Rome or Bruges!!!

passportplus,

WHY do you think Istanbul sounds "dangerous"? I can assure you it isn't. I've visited three times and wandered around quite happily.

Wonderful city - so much to see. re Rome or Florence - been to both, but if you want to spend a week, go to Venice,.

I would go with Florence. It is a beautiful city and so easy to get around in.

why not take a different approach and head south to Buenos Aires. They are basicaly on the same time zone as the east coast and so a trip down there and back doesnt cause jet lag like when you go east or west. Buenos Aires is considered the Paris of South America.

When we traveled to South Africa two years ago, we chose to go thru there and had a 12 hour layover which was perfect because we could go into the city, do a little shopping which is always great, and have lunch at our favorite restaurant, La Caballeriza - we prefer the one at Puerto Madero. Have been there three times since 2003 and would go again in a heartbeat.

Not Athens--dirty, crowded and not enough to do for a week..
Florence would be my top choice of your list. It was so heavenly I wished I could rent a flat and stay for a month.

Vienna is fabulous and very safe-feeling and walkable. Plenty to do and you can take an easy daytrip by train to Salzburg.

Hello passportplus,

How lovely that you have the option of all these great places, but first cover the basics. Along with London, and Paris, there is Rome. I've lived 28 years in Rome and still haven't seen it all, and my breath still gets carried away at seeing one of the piazzas in bright light or the artwork, or the buildings. Getting around Rome is not a problem since it is quite compact, just make sure that you stay near the Piazza Navona/Pantheon area and you'll be in the heart of it. Take a look at Notes in the archive of italiannotebook.com to get a feel of what is waiting for you here. You won't be disappointed. Enjoy.

Florence is very special in the early fall: an artist friend of mine once claimed that the quality of light is unique in all the world.

If you are at all a reader, the number of books ranging from mystery novels (Magdalen Nabb's) to fine literature (E.M. Forester's Room with a View)set in Florence testify to its compelling charm). You can read them before you go to whet your appetite.

From a practical point of oview, it is compact and (for Italy!) flat.

My Mum and I visited when she was 83 and she managed fine-our 3 days was too short and I have gone back many times since.

Just returned from Debrovnik and Split, Croatia and both were absolutely wonderful! They are not on the Euro, and extremely safe! We've done all your mentioned cities, and GCT's River cruise from Budapest to Prague... and still would suggest Croatia's above mentioned cities!

So glad you loved Croatia! We love it so much we are buying a house there as we speak.

Are you going to write a trip report for us??

Sorry to hijack the thread...

Athens. The Acropolis is where it all started. The city is very European. The food was great. Shopping was fun. Get out to a close island - we went to Aegina for a day, very easily accessible by ferry.

My second choice would be Rome. While we pretty much hated the city itself - confusing to get around, the metro stops at 10 p.m. and only has two routes, signage sucks, it's noisy and dirty (and we are born and bred New Yorkers!!) and you KNOW more people speak English than let on they do - the sights and sites are wonderful. The Roman Forum alone is worth the trip, as is the Vatican and of course the colosseum.

By the way, if you are open to other suggestions, go to Austria. You can stay in one hotel (say in Salzburg) and see Innsbruck (which we LOVED) and Vienna (so like Paris) via train or tour. The natural beauty of the Alps and lake district coupled with the art, food and people was the topper to our three weeks in Europe.

I would also suggest Munich.

I LOVE Rome! I could spend an entire week there. I went to Pompeii as a day trip from Rome, and also - Ostia Antica. Florence is only a 1.5 hr. train trip from Rome and I could spend a week there easily also. Pisa is very close to Florence. I loved it all!

If you want to stay with Europe, then Bruges is ideal for reasons already given.

But what about Canada? Vancouver is fantastic, you can have mountains with snow on top at the same time as beautiful sunny harbours, sand, a great park, excellent shopping, a really good market and all easily accessible on foot or public transport. I think it feels safe (except possibly for some of Gastown) and was happy for my 14 yr old daughter to wander off back to our hotel on her own in the evening. Otherwise Victoria on Vancouver Island is great, good on foot but also small boats across the inner and oute harbours or horse drawn carriages when you don't want to walk any more. These are my very favourite cities and I'd move there tomorrow if I were 20 years younger (I'm 62).
Canadians are very friendly and helpful, the food is excellent and there's a really interesting mix of cultures.

On your list, I love Rome (history at every corner and very walkable) and Florence (again, history, art, and walkable). I would also suggest Madrid, Granada, and Seville - all gorgeous places full of history, art, wonderful food, and delightful people. All would be perfect for a visit such as you describe.

Rome and Venice!

Rome, Venice, Vienna, Lisbon, Portugal, are all great places to stay in one place and take day trips. Each city has its own tempo and flavor from busy Rome to laid back Lisbon. All are delightful with much to see and do. I did not care for Madrid. Vancouver, Canada is a delightful city too. Good luck and have fun.

Definitely Lisbon! Is the best. Cool, lots of historical sites to visit, perfect weather and amazing good food in every corner.It's safe and people are friendly. If you like hotels with personality and charm and have some budget, try the York House. For a more contemporany experience in a old style building: Bairro Alto Hotel.

Hello, It all depends on if you like walking, at any pace.
You say you have done Paris, but this is impossible.
I visit Paris twice per year and try to stay in a different arrondisement.
Now I am coming 68 I cannot walk as much as years ago, so I pace myself in the greatest walking city in the world.
Try living in the 5th or 6th arrondisement and you can't go wrong. Have you ever rented an apartment there - I did and found it gave me the freedom a hotel does not offer.

Depending on the time of year I would recommend Helsinki. It is a great city for walking to see everything. Wonderful shopping or just looking. Lovely cafes. You have the harbor and the market at the harbor.

We took the Silja Ferry overnight to Stockholm Sweden. They have a great buffet dinner and there is entertainment and think there may be a casino on board. There are several stores for shopping or looking on the ferry, restaurants, bars etc.

Language is not a problem as most people speak Swedish, Finnish and English.

Forgot to mention that a popular day trip is the ferry to Tallin Estonia from Helsinki.

Venice, Rome, Lisbon, Stockholm. Loved Istanbul, too... but I was with my husband... as in the previous mentioned cities... but I can imagine myself alone in them.

Florence, Florence, Florence, then Anywhere in Austria, one of the friendliest and most beautiful countries in the world.

You mentioned having been to Paris, but not for how long. If only one week, then you have not even begun to see Paris!

I go twice a year, now staying one month stays. I was ther mid Sept-mid Oct and taking a quick trip leaving Dec. 3 and will return Dec. 15th. Also will be there mid April-mid May and the month of Nov. in 2009. I stay in an apartment. For me, I like the www.parisperfect.com apartments. Most are in the 7th arrondissement where there are more great restaurants than you could ever finish! Wonderful bus/metro connections and many of the sights are within walking distance.

I travel alone and have great times.

Enjoy your planning....

a bientot...

Joan