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Do you prefer Italy, Spain, or Greece in December?

Do you prefer Italy, Spain, or Greece in December?

Old Aug 22nd, 2006, 10:35 PM
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Do you prefer Italy, Spain, or Greece in December?

Hello,
I will be traveling to one of these three countries in December. I will be traveling with a senior who's mobility is challenged so much of the trip will be in a car sightseeing. So with this in mind- which of the above listed countries promises the most spectacular scenery, easily accessible sights, etc., etc. Thank you for your input. Tim
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Old Aug 22nd, 2006, 11:08 PM
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I havent been to Spain or Germany, but I will be going to Italy for the fourth time next month.

It has it all.
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Old Aug 22nd, 2006, 11:09 PM
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IMO Greece is best seen by boat, so I would take that out, as a senior with mobility issues probably does not want to deal with gangplanks, stairs on ships, etc; plus I believe ferry schedules in the Greek islands are much more limited than in the warmer months.

Of the other two, both offer beautiful countryside for driving. The Tuscany and Umbria areas of Italy would be very pretty, albeit a bit brown. The Amalfi coast is very beautiful as well. I think that the "white villages" area of southern Spain in Andalucia would be very lovely and you could appreciate a lot ofit from a car as there are gorges and the high mountain ranges in addition to the lovely little villages and hilltop castles. When when you get to towns themselves, getting around on foot could be an issue. This would be the same with small towns in Italy.

However, I would not say either offers a lot of "accessible" sites within the larger cities. As you have been to Rome, you know that its old town centre does not allow cars in many areas, and in others it just would be impossible to drive a car into narrow alleys. Spanish cities like Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, etc are much the same, so there will be a good bit of walking, much of it on cobblestones. Elevators or ramps are very rare to find. My other concern with December is that winter in Europe, while mild in temperature, can be rainy, so if you get wet streets and a person who is not sure on their feet, that could be an issue. Also if there is a cold snap you could have ice on streets. Take a look at weatherbase.com for historical temperature ranges.

There is a website called Access-able, which gives information and links for handicapped travellers. This might be helpful to you in planning and give more info on accessibility to sites as honestly I have not looked at most tourist sites in Europe from that point of view, but having lived there and toured there a lot, my recollection and impression is as per the above. Website it http://www.access-able.com. Also take a look at http://www.geocities.com/Paris/1502/...dresources.htm which is a site for disabled travellers as well, with many links and useful information.


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Old Aug 23rd, 2006, 02:05 AM
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Well I really wouldn't start from here.

Practically no major site in Greece, apart from the spectacular new museums in Thessalonica, is access-friendly. There are a few bits of Greece that look terrific from a car (like Meteora and bits of the area around Mount Olympus) - but surprisingly few.

I was in Tuscany last December. The countryside was dull before the blizzards. It looked wonderful after the snow had settled - but most roads were impassable, and the surfaces of the towns were lethal even for the nimble. Poggibonsi A+E was queuing out the door with fracture cases: a quarter of our walking party broke bones.

Mrs F once spent a winter in Sicily. The climate was very mild, and a lot of the key sites like Piazza Armerina were great when deserted - but again, hardly access-friendly, and there's really not that much to see from a car or bus.

Andalucia's white villages are pretty pretty. But they're really places to meander around, rather than look at from a car - and again, surfaces are lethal after even a few drops of rain. It took me half an hour to work my way down 300 yards of street after a shower - and we got freezing hail even as late as May last year.

If you're based in the GMT/CET time zone, the handiest place for a visually beautiful sedentary tour in midwinter is South Africa, or maybe a boat down the Nile. If it has to be Europe, you'll find mild weather, but limited visual excitement, in some southern seaside resorts.

But it's hard to think of any driving tours through reliably attractive countryside anywhere in southern Europe at that time of he year.
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Old Aug 23rd, 2006, 01:44 PM
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I'd recommend consideration of Puerto Rico.

Best wishes,

Rex
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