3 weeks in Europe
 

We just got a great deal on r/t airfare NYC/Brussels. We've been to Brussels twice in the last several years (love the food and the shopping), were in Rome/Venice/Siena last January and in Paris winter of '98. This time we have three weeks to go nuts. Here are the question(s) -- where can we go that we a) won't totally freeze our butts off, b) will be lively and fun over the holidays (both Xmas and New Year's) and c) affordable. We are considering Brussels for a few days at the beginning and end; we've also talked about Lyon, Paris, Annecy, Aix-en-Provence, Turin, the Alps in general, southern Italy, Copenhagen...help! Also, has anyone leased a car from Renault or one of their agents?

How about Spain/Portugal/south of France or Spain/Corsica/Majorca or southern Italy/Sicily or Sardinia/Sicily? What a great time of year to take three weeks and explore! <BR> <BR>I have been to northern Europe in the winter, and I'm not tough enough to do outdoor sightseeing - I head for museums and other indoor sites. If I had three weeks, I'd want to include scenery, so I'd head south.

I'd hop a train and head to Spain and Portugal. You could even dip into Morocco if you wanted. The weather will be better (I'd guess in the 60s). You'll love Spain and the prices in Portugal off-season are very good.

We were in the Provence area, Coluire (sp?) and Carcassonne last December the week before Christmas. We had come from Germany and Switzerland and were going to be in Scotland for Christmas and New Years. <BR> <BR>I will qualify my tolerance to cold and tell you I am from Wisconsin - thus am used to bitter cold. The south of France was the absolute coldest I was on the entire trip. I think we may have gotten caught in the Mistral and the wind was bitterly cold. <BR> <BR>Germany and Switzerland were comfortable winter temperatures - in the 40s in the lower elevations, got colder in the higher elevations. <BR> <BR>The best weather we had was in Scotland. Very moderate for winter. Temperatures dropped to freezing at night and into the 40s and into the 50s during the day in Edinburgh. A bit cooler in the Highlands but not nearly as cold as Southern France.

won't totally freeze your butts off : portugal and southern Spain, to a lesser extent italy and greece. Lively : What about Barcelona? affordable : portugal, greece... <BR> <BR>I would choose spain...Possibly with Morocco, but in this case make sure to plan enough time to really be able to taste it (at least one week). It's another world, and this country deserves much more than a short two day trip to Tangiers or something like that.

Hm. If I were in Europe in the winter, as I was once for a very cold winter, I would have to decide what I wanted. <BR>Being a classical music fan, I would be hard pressed to choose from a list that includes Vienna, London and Paris! So I think a lot of it depends on what you want to do. What interests you?