1 week in London, then 1 week.... ?
 

Next September (2015) we will be visiting family in London for one week. We would like to take an extra week (or 9 days) to see more of Europe, as I have never been. It's not a long time, but I would like to see more places rather than just 1 or 2, if possible.

I am interested in beautiful scenery, beaches, warm weather, wandering around towns and exploring food and culture, but less interested in museums. I've never really been very interested in exploring Paris for some reason, so maybe a day or so there is all I really need (if that).

Any recommendations for an itinerary? My dream place in Europe would be to go to Greece, but I think maybe it's pushing it to train/ferry from London to Greece in a week, and leave little time to see anything. But maybe I'm wrong also? It's hard to judge having never been there.

Maybe a better idea would be to go to Barcelona/Madrid/Lisbon and fly home from there?

Honestly any suggestions would be appreciated. I have a year to plan but don't know where to start.

OK - I'm a bit confused, why are you talking a train from London to Greece? Fly from London to Athens, spend a couple of days there and then ferry to the island(s) that interest you.

If Paris doesn't interest you, there is nothing that says you 'must' go there.

You really don't want to squeeze in a lot of places into a week or so. Every time you move you lose 1/2 to 1 FULL day so you can end up spending more time in transit than seeing anything.

Spain or Italy would fit the brief for the second week very nicely.

I'd forget the idea of getting the train all the way to Greece from the UK if you only have a week though - it'll eat into your time too much. If you don't want to fly then northern Spain is now doable in less than 12 hours from London by train and Italy a little longer, but still less than 24hrs.

<<My dream place in Europe would be to go to Greece,>>

Well that's easy, you've decided where you want to go. Plenty of people fly from the UK to Greece for a weeks holiday so it's no problem at all.

Read up on Greece and decide where you want to go, mainland or the islands.

Use skyscanner.net or kayak.com to find cheap flights from London to Greece. Then look at a multi city flight from your home to London and then Athens back home.

Dead easy.

Concur that you should fly to Greece, spend a day in Athens, maybe a day trip to Delphi or Corinth, and spend most of the time taking a cruise of some of the islands.

From London you can fly to many directly to Greek islands and back from Athens. It is a 3,5 - 4 hours flight.

Thanks for all the Greece suggestions. They are great.

Does anyone have any other recommendations for different itineraries entirely? I am traveling with my husband, who is not as big on Greece as me. If anyone can recommend a good trip for 7-9 days (visiting 3 or so places preferably) we would love to hear it.

Barcelona, Valencia, and Andalucia (especially Malaga)would fit also. IMO, Italian beaches are not all that, nor are French Riviera. But it would be warm still.

I'd still recommend Greece, given your interests. I don't know if I've been anywhere more beautiful than the Aegean Sea and its islands, and there are lots of really neat small towns to explore.

<<Does anyone have any other recommendations for different itineraries entirely?>>

There are endless itineraries and any number of places, but you yourself said your dream place was Greece. Listen to your own wants, that's where you should go. You just need to work on your husband.

And after you've done Greece, then in the coming years do the other places, but for now go to Greece. You know it makes sense!

<<Barcelona, Valencia, and Andalucia>>

Shoot, she could do Andalucia in the 9 days - Seville, Cordoba, Malaga.