KamaDiva

Hello Community,

This is my first post, and I figured I'd see what advice came my way here.

I'm basically going to Brussels to meet a friend for the first time. We want to take a train somewhere and hang out for a week, perhaps 2 places for 3-4 days each.

So far everyone has advised big urban cities (Florence, Venice, Paris, Vienna, etc), but that's not really what we want for a first meeting. Ideally, I would like to find a nice, calm, rural area where we can enjoy a romantic and intimate time of getting to know one another. This trip is less about sight-seeing and more about a beautiful ambience. Perhaps Southern France, German countryside, a coastal village in Italy, etc.

Any input is appreciated

Ciao

KamaDiva

*Also, I am from the U.S., and she is from the Nederlands.

kfusto

What time of year is the trip?

I enjoy Rapallo and the Ligurian coast for natural beauty and overall ambiance. It is lovely in late September and not so crowded.

Siena might also be a nice choice for Italy.

Austria is gorgeous and I always find Salzburg to be delightful anytime of the year. The city itself is charming and access to the stunning countryside is excellent! From boat trips on the Koenigsee to the small villages of St. Gilgen and St. Wolfgang, this entire area is simply beautiful!

KamaDiva

My flight is in just over a week (May)

Really, the itinerary is secondary to spending quality intimate time with someone. This is less of a vacation and more of a rendezvous with a background. Personally I want to avoid the hassle of a crowded city tourist trap. I've heard very good things about Siena.

Stu has sent me his long itinerary for Southern France, which is very detailed and helpful. I'm also curious about maybe getting a house or apartment for 5-7 days (without much prior notice), but hotels are an obvious option first.

Thanks for the input, I know it's rushed, but I will look up those other places

joannyc

How about Brugge or Ghent?

hetismij

If you intend to go to Italy your precious time will be eaten into.
Why not either head for the Belgian coast and Brugge/Ghent, maybe even Antwerp - your Dutch friend can help out with the language then, or maybe the Ardennes?
Otherwise I would suggest the Mosel valley. Some delightful hotels, easy to access by train boat and bike, and not too far from Brussels.
Maybe she hasn't visited Brussels either - you could spend a the first couple of days there - enough to do to and see to help get over any initial shyness and you could then go on to one of the above.

KamaDiva

The local Belgian advice is appreciated and seems the most practical, given time and travel constraints (budgeting matters too). However, she has been to Brussels, and I think the Belgian coast would be much like the Nederlands (low), and I think we still want to risk some travel for more majestic or dramatic scenery -- Mosel valley being the closest example of that.

And yes, as we speak she is also researching, mostly German/French border, villages. Incidentally, the Alps looks gorgeous, and are close to Provence/Italy. I'm not sure how much travel would be cutting into our trip in those cases - 1/2 a day could put us near there on a fast train.

Thanks again, I'll continue to read and update, for those interested

RainyDay09

What about Brugge/Antwerp? Brugge can be very romantic and it will be easier on you given your jetlag.

lavandula

What about the Rhine or Mosel? I would even suggest Aachen but I don't think there's enough to keep one amused for 5 - 7 days there, unless you decided to make it your base and do day trips and explore the Eifel (the German part of the Ardennes), which is pretty. Your friend might know the Ardennes already as a lot of Dutch go on camping trips to the Ardennes for holidays. I do agree with Hetismij, though - stay close to Belgium because travelling into Brussels makes less sense if you are going to go to Italy.

Lavandula