My favorite little European town is St. Cirque La Popie in France. It's on a bluff overlooking a river and surrounded by fields. The buildings are all stone with red tile roofs. You have to park just outside the town and walk in, but that's easy to do because it only comprises a few blocks.

1.Lanciano, Abruzze, Italy-the Adriatic in front, the mountains of the Abruzzo National Park behind <BR>2. Blue Hill, Maine- still quaint, in a genuine way, good bookstores, restuarants and ocean views <BR>3. Dunoon, Scotland (offseason only) -across from Glasgow on the ferry-if Brigadoon really existed it migh look something like this... all misty ocean views and real fish and chip shops and bakeries with all those brightly coloured, genuine Scottish baked goods from my childhood, try the Paul Jones Pub, too, for a real pint. <BR>

One of the highlights of my last trip to the UK was the little town of Rye - there are tourists, but we didn't meet any American tourists. A very quaint, interesting town.

Dear Jacks: There is a little seaside resort on the coast of Portugal called Nazare that I think is both out of the way and enchanting. Many Portugese come here on vacation, so it is not isolated. But when I was there I met not one American tourist. Cheers!

Fodors <BR> <BR>Readers of this forum tend to think of west Europe -- almost as if their travel agents have read no further since the Cold War ended. Central Europe lies a few hours by train from Berlin and Vienna, and has much to offer: detail is scattered around http://www.lonelyplanet.com, then Thorn Tree, then Eastern and Central Europe. <BR> <BR>So I congratulate people here who have listed good spots in central Europe, and agree with them. <BR>Poland Zakopane (but it's well known) and Kazimierz Dolny <BR>Czech Republic Cesky Krumlov, Kutna Hora, and Telc <BR>Hungary Koszeg <BR>Slovenia Pirano. <BR> <BR>I'll have a go myself. Each city is well known in its own country <BR>The medieval walled city, home of Copernicus, Torun, Poland <BR>Ceske Budejovice, both for itself and as base for a week's trips an hour away to medieval, baroque and ninettenth century cities (including Cesky Krumlov), towns, art galleries, hills, and a carp lake. <BR>Keszthely on Lake Balaton in Hungary: Baroque town with two good museums and street music at open air restaurant tables <BR>Levoca in Slovakia. Gothic church and baroque city centre in walled town <BR>Sibiu in Transylvania, Romania, a sleeping car night away from Vienna. Walled baroque city, fine buildings and art gallery, splendid hotel, the Roman Emperor. <BR> <BR>Please write if I can help further. <BR> <BR>Ben Haines, London

Lynn, I am with you regarding Rye. What a lovely place. I had the chance to discover it years ago, when I lived in London for a year. We stayed at a small B&B and the early morning tea was served to the room. I really enjoyed that. Does that still exist?

Hi Ursula, <BR> <BR>We stayed in a B&B in Dover and were served early morning tea in our room, too. What a lovely way to start the day, isn't it? We also have visited Rye (several times)...there is a little restaurant in the middle of the High Street that serves yummy donuts with caramel on top...mmmmmmmmm! And the antique stores.....I could spend hours in each one. Rye was also one of our favorite towns.

We stayed at Jeakes House Hotel - a lovely B&B right in the center of town. I highly recommend it!

Budapest is not out of the way, but it and Prague are my favorites. San Marino is a small country atop a hill in Tuscany. Worth the trip.

When we were in Europe last year we stayed six days in Couliere, France. Down on the southern Med. about 25 miles from Spanish border. Very laid back. Lovely little town

We also enjoyed Colliere France (Southeast coast of France about 1 hour from the Spanish border and Pyrennes). It has a charming setting on the water, beaches, and an interesting old walled town. Many of the early french impressionists came to paint in this idyll setting and it is also a home to alot of present day artists. <BR> <BR>Also liked Soglio in southern Switzerland, near the Italian border. Small narrow streets with wonderful mountains in the background. Ideal for hiking.

Barbara and Karen, not to be snotty or play "spelling police," but just in case someone wants to look it up, I think you mean Collioure.

Puigcerda, Ripoll, Seu d'Urgell, other villages in the Pyrenees in Catalonia (Spain).

a few beautiful places I've been to (without seeing any Americans) and are accessible include Cadiz Spain (great archeological museum), Costa Brava on the Mediterranean near Barcelona, Capadoccia Turkey, and Brugge Belguim.

I don't know how "out of the way" this is but I and my wife absolutely loved Bruges, Belgium. We have spent approx. 50 days travelling Europe and this has been the most charming city we have seen.

Found great old thread.

My vote would be for Vienna.

Briancon, France, located in the Hautes Alpes, close to the Italian border, about 75 mi. from Turin and ~80 mi. from Grenoble. Population of about 10,000 and has a fortified old town section that dates from medieval times. There are charming facades, churches, shops and restaurants. It is part of the Serre Chevalier ski domaine and is equally known for its summer sports. My family and I spent a week there in winter, 2000; it is one of the few traditional ski areas in France and has much to recommend it, a contrast to the concrete monolith purpose-built ski resorts elsewhere in the Fr.Alps. The hearty mountain food could not be more different from "nouvelle cuisine"! And to top it all, it boasts over 300 days of sunshine per year! A real gem in the Alps! (Olympics trivia: former skier, Luc Alphand, comes from a nearby village and now runs a microbrewery there with his family)

Comments on some of the above: We found Gaeta, Italy to be full of lots of high-rise hotels on the beach. Continue North, up the coast a few more miles to Sperlonga. Very low-key beach resort, too cold to swim last May (though there were some swimmers) but great sun and uncrowded. Also there's an Old Town up on the hill. <BR><BR>Taormina (2 yrs ago April) we also found crowded and our tiny car got stuck on a tiny street. Instead we high=tailed out to Mt Etna and stayed at a hotel/hostel at the volcano (which has since been lava'd over.) Busloads of tourists come during the day but at night it was quiet and beautiful. There is another hotel up there.

I visit a friend in northern Italy as often as I can. Not nearly as often as I would like. We visit with her friends and family who take great joy in showing us new places. We also visit some on our own. One favorite that for some reason does not seem to be on the tour bus route is the beautiful city of Mosaics, Ravenna. Mosaics from 4th and 5th centuries. It seems to have mostly European tourists. <BR><BR>Another gem is the city of Oderzo. It is northeast of Venice. Lots of frescoes on the outsides of buildings. Charming city for walking. At one time this was the crossroads of north-south and east-west trading routes.<BR>Two very special places for me and I hope for you.