My husband and I went to Italy a few years ago. We went to Florence, Rome and Venice. It was absolutely beautiful and extremely interesting. My husband also stayed at Lake Como which is in Northern Italy and he says our next trip to Europe will be to go back there and to Lake Como. I believe you can see the Swiss Alps from there or at least some very large mountains in Switzerland.

Harriett,
Try Italy---fly to Florence. spend 2-3 nights. pick up a car and head into Tuscany and Umbria--Siena, Chianti, San Gignminano (sp), Assisi--other wonderful little towns. From your description of yourselves, you will love Italy and this particular area.

PS My sister is the only other Harriett with "two Ts" that I know!!!!!!! (That's how she frequently describes herself)

I agree that Florence and the Tuscany area are great. Also if going to Italy think about Venice and Rome-both wonderful. We did a trip a few years ago flying into Milan(used ff points or would have flown into Florence or Rome)-train to Venice-two days there-four days in Tuscany with rental car-day trips to Florence and Sienna then train to Rome for 3 days. If I were doing it over again I would stay in Florence at least 2 days instead of driving in for the day. Anyway Italy is great-beautiful architecture, wonderful art, lovely countryside and delicious food.

Harriett,
Consider southwestern Bavaria an area known as Pfaffenwinkel. It's perfectly lovely with delightful farming villages, most with charming, reasonably priced gasthauses, alpine lakes, panoramic views, magnificent Baroque churches and alpine castles. All this within forty or so miles of Munich for a day trip or two.

Email me directly if you'd like some specific recommendations for dining and accommodations.

Switzerland! When the weather is nice and the flower are in bloom...

My pick would be Italy. My second choice the Bavarian region in Germany, my third the Highlands in Scotland. With 7-10 days, I would pick Rome, Venice and Florence in Italy; Munich and the Romantic Road (including Oberammergau) in Germany, and the Great Lakes area in Scotland (Loch Lommond; up to Loch Ness in Inverness). I would do it either on May or October.

Harriett,

Obviously a big majority in favor or Italy. Haven't been there yet so can't opin---although it's definately on my list. Just to add my small experience. Spent some time in the South of France a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it. The medeival villages were really quaint. Currently there is an article on Bonjour Paris about Eze (www.bparis.com). Also, this is very near the Italian border so you can get some of Italy in while you are there also.

Have fun!

Try Norway....absolutely fantastic. Bergen is one of the most beautiful cities you could ever hope to visit..and the fjords!!! they are something else.
My advice...Norway, Norway, Norway

Try Norway....absolutely fantastic. Bergen is one of the most beautiful cities you could ever hope to visit..and the fjords!!! they are something else.
My advice...Norway, Norway, Norway

Switzerland! Few places have so much outstanding beauty and diversity of landscape in such a relatively small area.

Thanks for all your great insights -- Anyone else have a suggestion?

Harriett

Italy would get my vote.ffThere is too much to see for a lifetime in Florence and Rome. I didn't enjoy Venice and wouldn't go back. London can be great but the weather leaves a lot to be desired. My husband and I like to fish and we recommend Cabo San Lucas-= we caught a 240 lb tuna last year and are going again this year Cozumel is also predictable during April and May. But its a little confining so if you're not into fishing and sunning you'd probably get bored. We're going to cancun for the first time in 20 some odd years _It's a seminar we have to attend or I don't think we would have picked it. If you chose Rome watch out for the pickpockets around the Coliseum.

Try this on for size. Magnificent, unspoiled scenery. Superb exchange rate against the dollar. The friendliest people imaginable. No crowds. Great hiking, fishing, cycling, and other outdoor activities. Immense meals at rock-bottom prices. Good public transportation. Hotels and B&Bs that are squeaky clean and appreciate your business. Everyone can understand what you say and will knock themselves out to see that you have a great time. Can you guess? New Zealand.

I spent a semester in Spain and adore the country. Friendly people, oh-so much history, art, and culture, good food...
I'm planning a three-month trip to the UK, France and Italy and sometimes consider just going back to Spain for that time!

I would go to Italy. In fact, next trip I probably will. But if you like adventure and nature and if it doesn't have to be Europe, then how about beautiful Costa Rica?

Pfaffenwinkel??? I MUST GO THERE, just 'cause I love saying the name. This forum is a wealth of unexpected information...
For slightly off-beat, try Malta. It's caught in the crossroads/fire of the Arab world and Europe. Very under-touristed (except for middle-class British families) and a paradise for the lovers of ancient history (Maltese is said to be spoken Phoenician; the oldest man-made structure is on the island.) Also, very inexpensive.
We're partial to Perigord for the same reason: prehistoric caves, walled villages, ruined fortresses...it's the southwestern part of France, very reasonably priced. Wherever you go, consider renting a house/cottage/apartment and then take day trips. It makes exploring easier, because you're not looking for a place to stay. It's also very entertaining to go into a local grocer/greengrocer/ bakery and try to figure out what to buy (and why *isn't* the milk in the cold section? Where IS it??)

Elvira -- we did rent an apartment for our most recent trip to Paris (with two teens) and found it a perfect arrangement. Would love to do so again on our next trip -- do you know if there's a comprehensive list of rental agencies (with pro /con recommendations?) floating around anywhere? (Not counting the recent discussion on Dr. What's-his-name in Rome!!!) I did tons of research before renting ours and was very happy with the result, but was more than a little apprehensive since it was a cash-up-front arrangement. I would appreciate knowing of any companies other Fodorites have used with good results -- I didn't have much luck with a search here.

And keep the ideas coming -- maybe I'm planning our next 10 trips!

Sounds like you're in the same age bracket and enjoy the same things as we do.
We're just back from 9 days in Italy - and I'm thinking it may have been our best trip yet! (Maybe I always think that!!)
And the most enjoyable parts of it were a few days southeast of Sienna (near Montepulciano) in an agriturismo, hosted by the lovely Ornelia, and 3 days in Santa Margherita Ligure, on the coast below Genoa. Oh - and Lucca was an unmissable gem too. We're already planning when to return and where we'll spend our time!
But the posts about Provence and the Dordogne ( Perigord) remind me of how we loved those areas too...I think any one of those 3 choices would be fabulous for you!

Hi -
You mentioned Holland and Iceland. We combined both at the beginning of May. Excellent vacation!
If you go next Spring, go in mid to late April when the tulips will be in bloom. Take a bicycle trip through the countryside to see enormous fields of flowers beign grown for the bulb market. The land is absolutely flat and there are bike paths everywhere. Amsterdam is a lovely and lively city, the people very friendly and "real" (not to mention that they all speak excellent English). Get a room in a hotel located on the canals and make it your base for day trips around the country. The rail system is excellent and you can rent bikes when you get where you're going. (Everyone rides bikes, young and old alike.)

Iceland - fascinating! It's like being the high country of our Rocky Mountains, even though you're only at a couple hundred feet elevation - meadows, rushing streams, snow-covered mountains, waterfalls. Great hiking. A number of horse trek operators. A great place to rent a car and explore. Good road system, well marked. Many unique things to see. April will be rather cool, however. It was around 50 degrees F when we were there in May.

- Bill

Harriet,
I will be going to Iceland later this year.
I have looked on web pages and written (emailed) for brochures from the Icelandic Embassy.
I have come to the conclusion that Iceland is one of the most scenic/interesting countries on earth. They have volcanoes and thermal baths (open year round). They have fishing and Keiko from "Free Willy".
The entire country (?) is heated by thermal springs so it is the cleanest nation the world.
They have pony trekking.
The weather is comparable to the eastern northern US.
I cannot wait to go there.
IcelandAir has fares to europe with an optional stopover in Reykjavik. If you get on their email list they offer great discount fares. You and also stopover in Iceland for 1-3 nights at no charge other than your hotel.
If you want more info please feel free to email me.
Kittie

Harriet,
I will be going to Iceland later this year.
I have looked on web pages and written (emailed) for brochures from the Icelandic Embassy.
I have come to the conclusion that Iceland is one of the most scenic/interesting countries on earth. They have volcanoes and thermal baths (open year round). They have fishing and Keiko from "Free Willy".
The entire country (?) is heated by thermal springs so it is the cleanest nation the world.
They have pony trekking.
The weather is comparable to the eastern northern US.
I cannot wait to go there.
IcelandAir has fares to europe with an optional stopover in Reykjavik. If you get on their email list they offer great discount fares. You can also stopover in Iceland for 1-3 nights at no charge other than your hotel.
If you want more info please feel free to email me.
Kittie

The only thing I can say about Italy is "I can't wait to go!!!" I will not be there until September. But, I do have a lot of wonderful experiences in Norway. My husband and I have been in many countries. Norway is still one of the best on our list--peaceful life, beautiful scenery, friendly people, coze log cabins, delicious open-face sandwich, ...

We went to Norway in early Septmber, when weather was warm and there was no crowd. We had a car, stayed in cabins along the roads between Oslo and Bergen, stayed in a Mayor's farmhouse in Aurland--where we took a ferry to the fjords, fished salmons...oh, just wonderful!!! Bergen is beatiful and getting there is half of the fun especially by car. Send me email if you want to know more about our trip to Norway.

Betty

Now that we're at the height of the summer travel season, wanted to bring this topic up again to see if there are any new ideas. Would love to hear from those of you who've just been someplace new . . . please share destinations, hotels, what you loved most or wish you hadn't done. Thanks for sharing!

Harriett

Thanks for pushing this to the top. I obviously missed it first time around.

I sing the praises of my native Scotland, but inMarch or April the weather is too iffy to make it reliable.

However if you wer planning May or early June you could do a lot worse. Edinburgh for history; Glasgow for Art; the Highlands for hospitality; the Outer Hebrides for wild flowers and birds and beaches and good malt whisky in front of peat fires.

I vote for Scotland. I went in March of this year and actually, the weather wasn't too bad (highs in the 50s, not too much rain) and there were no crowds at all. Edinburgh and the Highlands (especially the Isle of Skye) are wonderful.