8 weeks in Europe during summer!
Jul 6th, 2019 | 09:29 PM
#1
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8 weeks in Europe during summer!
My husband and I (late 20s) are planning an 8 week trip to Europe next summer (far in advance I know but we want to book hotels sooner rather than later so they aren’t all booked out). We will be travelling 1 July - late August (we also can’t change the dates as this is when we have secured leave from work).
We are just looking for some advice on whether this trip is doable, or if we are missing anything close to where we are staying that you think we should see:
14 days in Greece: 3 in Athens, a 2 day tour to Delphi and Meteora, 3 Santorini, 3 Mykonos and 4 Paros.
10 nights Croatia: split between Dubrovnik, Hvar and Split. Any recommendations on the best way to split our time?
8 nights Italy: 2 nights in Florence and then 6 in the Tuscany region.
14 nights France: 4 in Paris, 5 in Dordogne region and 5 in Provence.
We do have 7 spare nights leftover after this plan. Other Places we would want to go would be Spain, Budapest or Russia. Help! Do we have time to do any of these options properly or should we add the time to the destinations we already have?
I should add that we have been to Europe twice before together, to Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, Scotland, Ireland and London.
Thank you!
We are just looking for some advice on whether this trip is doable, or if we are missing anything close to where we are staying that you think we should see:
14 days in Greece: 3 in Athens, a 2 day tour to Delphi and Meteora, 3 Santorini, 3 Mykonos and 4 Paros.
10 nights Croatia: split between Dubrovnik, Hvar and Split. Any recommendations on the best way to split our time?
8 nights Italy: 2 nights in Florence and then 6 in the Tuscany region.
14 nights France: 4 in Paris, 5 in Dordogne region and 5 in Provence.
We do have 7 spare nights leftover after this plan. Other Places we would want to go would be Spain, Budapest or Russia. Help! Do we have time to do any of these options properly or should we add the time to the destinations we already have?
I should add that we have been to Europe twice before together, to Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, Scotland, Ireland and London.
Thank you!
Last edited by loony123; Jul 6th, 2019 at 10:17 PM. Reason: Predictive text
Jul 7th, 2019 | 04:18 AM
#2
Joined: Feb 2003
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Be aware that in Greece now may be too early to book some hotels, as they haven’t started taking reservations for next summer yet. To add to the confusion, some websites may say “no availability”, leading travellers to assume the property is fully booked when it is not.
Putting Greece at the beginning of your itinerary (early July) will help with both hotel availability and lower prices. Santorini - Paros - Mykonos in that order or vice-versa would be the best ferry route. Try to take a Blue Star from Santorini to Paros for the views from the open deck.
Putting Greece at the beginning of your itinerary (early July) will help with both hotel availability and lower prices. Santorini - Paros - Mykonos in that order or vice-versa would be the best ferry route. Try to take a Blue Star from Santorini to Paros for the views from the open deck.
Jul 7th, 2019 | 04:58 AM
#3
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I would consider spending some time in Bosnia & Herzegovina. Mostar is a popular day trip from Dubrovnik but is much more enjoyable if you stay overnight. Sarajevo is also a fascinating city but would require more of a time commitment.
Jul 7th, 2019 | 07:25 PM
#4
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You don't mention any interests so other than guessing you want some beach time it's hard to say much about your plan.
BTW Florence is the capital of Tuscany . Whether it makes sense to do two nights than move will depend on what you want to do and where. Florence being the capital is the best connected within the region. You'll likely want to fly out of either Pisa or Rome but that's a different issue.
Jul 7th, 2019 | 08:15 PM
#5
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IMO, it really depends on your interests, about which you have said nothing. But some thoughts:
For Croatia: For most people, 1.5 days is sufficient for Dubrovnik. Add a day if you want to go to Kotor. Hvar Town is party hearty in the summer -- if that's what you want, plan accordingly. Split is my favorite city in Croatia, and it's a great base for many nearby locations (including the Plitvice Lakes), so it would probably make sense to plan on staying there for a substantial chunk of your time.
4 nights is very little -- VERY little -- for Paris.
Personally, I wouldn't add any other destinations to this trip and would, instead, add time to the locations you've listed or visit a bit more of the nearby areas. YMMV. But FWIW, Spain takes months. Budapest, maybe 4 or 5 nights. Saint Petersburg and Moscow each easily warrant about 6 days. And with a trip of 8 weeks (lucky you!), you'll probably want a week of down time sometime in the middle.
Enjoy your planning!
For Croatia: For most people, 1.5 days is sufficient for Dubrovnik. Add a day if you want to go to Kotor. Hvar Town is party hearty in the summer -- if that's what you want, plan accordingly. Split is my favorite city in Croatia, and it's a great base for many nearby locations (including the Plitvice Lakes), so it would probably make sense to plan on staying there for a substantial chunk of your time.
4 nights is very little -- VERY little -- for Paris.
Personally, I wouldn't add any other destinations to this trip and would, instead, add time to the locations you've listed or visit a bit more of the nearby areas. YMMV. But FWIW, Spain takes months. Budapest, maybe 4 or 5 nights. Saint Petersburg and Moscow each easily warrant about 6 days. And with a trip of 8 weeks (lucky you!), you'll probably want a week of down time sometime in the middle.
Enjoy your planning!
Last edited by kja; Jul 7th, 2019 at 08:17 PM.
Jul 8th, 2019 | 02:43 AM
#6
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Thanks for your responses. Yes I was aware that Florence was in Tuscany, I just wrote that down separately so you would know that we intended on spending the most of our time in Tuscany as a whole in the countryside.
for a little bit of background, we spent a week in Paris on our last trip and really just want to go back to redo the sights we loved and eat at our favourite restaurants, hence the 4 days
we love history, ancient sites, beautiful scenery, hiking and beach time. We like a mix of staying in the middle of things and then other times a bit out of the way.
for a little bit of background, we spent a week in Paris on our last trip and really just want to go back to redo the sights we loved and eat at our favourite restaurants, hence the 4 days
we love history, ancient sites, beautiful scenery, hiking and beach time. We like a mix of staying in the middle of things and then other times a bit out of the way.
Jul 8th, 2019 | 03:28 AM
#7
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Eight weeks is a total luxury. My advice for making the most of it would be to visit fewer regions and travel more slowly. You will really feel like you've been away from the everyday, relaxed, seen heaps and enjoyed your time if you take it a bit slower.
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Jul 8th, 2019 | 10:11 AM
#8
Joined: Jan 2003
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You don't necessarily have "7 spare days". As you've already decided on 14 places within 8 weeks, I would take your perceived "extra" time and just divide it among the places you are already committed to visiting to be the cushion of 1/2 days that you lose each time you are going from one city/country to a new one.
Jul 8th, 2019 | 01:47 PM
#9
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You have four countries in your itinerary but I suggest you cut one entirely, possibly France as it's further from the others. And some of your journeys will take most of the day so make sure to factor in travel time. Travel options between Greece and Croatia are somewhat limited especially outside of peak season. But with your chosen places and 8 weeks, you'll have a fabulous time.
