Dream vacation cancelled! Now what?
 

The military coup in Turkey was the last straw. After months of research and planning I have to cancel our trip as Delta is not flying to Istanbul. I have been told I can change my flight to anywhere in Europe but with only two weeks to plan I don't know where to go.

They say Italy and Greece are too hot. We have already been to Great Britain, Barcelona, Paris, Budapest, and Vienna. Thinking possibly Prague/Berlin/Krakow or Portugal? We love history and Architecture. Don't want to sit on a beach.

We have 10 days beginning in August. Any ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks...

You could fly Delta to a European hub and then a cheap flight on another airline to Istanbul. Looking at the Istanbul airport website it appears that it is only flights to/from the US that have been cancelled en masse.

"We love history and Architecture."

FRA International. Nearby:

Wuerzburg: http://www.romanticroad.com/wuerzburg/sights.htm

Trier: http://www.germany.travel/en/towns-c...any/trier.html

Middle Rhine Valley: medieval castles, old-world villages: http://www.welterbe-mittelrheintal.d...php?id=288&L=3

A little more information would help. What's your traveling style? Do you want to hang out in big cities, or would you be up for getting a car and driving around, maybe staying in smaller towns or villages?

Museums? Foodies? Two stars or five?

Top of the head ideas...

Amsterdam. Architecture, history, lots of fun, easy to get around, surprisingly quiet (bikes, not cars.)

Brittany. Great food, beautiful old towns, music, standing stones... Get a car and drive around. Great weather, lots of variety.

Denmark and Sweden. Wonderful Copenhagen, then train to Stockholm, get a car and spend some time in the (beautiful) Swedish countryside.

Cruise. I know, not everybody's cup of tea, but there are some good last-minute values. Unpack once, all inclusive, and if you stay away from overpriced shore excursions and the ship's casino, they can be very economical, especially given the quality of accommodations. Lots of route options - Mediterranean, Baltic Sea, Norwegian fjords...

Regarding the cities listed, all are great but they will be VERY crowded (and potentially quite hot too.) Portugal is apt to be very hot also.

But just guessing here. More info on your tastes and priorities would really help.

Thanks for the quick replies. We like to just go with the flow. Not looking for strict itineraries. Thinking of driving along the Rhine and photographing old castles.

Do we need to book hotels ahead of time or can we just find B&B's as needed.

Start of August is high season so you should at least get your first night and last nights fixed and book the weekend/s up. It does depend on how much you care where you stay. Booking.com can be excellent even on B&Bs

DH and I are taking 6 days next month to explore more of our favorite Austrian state, Tirol, and venturing a little more outside of Trentino and Innsbruck. Luxury accommodations for a couple of nights in Lienz, driving the Grossglockner highway, then on to more adventures. We're planning to book as we go after Lienz. Admittedly we have a personal vehicle and can change plans as weather and whim dictates, but we have generally found the Tirol to offer history, art, hiking/walking, scenery, food, and wine without fail and in great weather. You could easily add more days to suit your itinerary.

Prague, Berlin, and Krakow would also be a good combination. You may encounter high temperatures, but if you plan for that your holiday will be memorable.

I'd also suggest Germany and also urge some pre-booking at least. It is still a busy vacation time. MUCH to choose from there; I think Frankfurt is under-valued, Trier is my favorite city in Germany, and both the Rhine and the Rhone valleys are terrific for castles--expect traffic, though, but the views are worth it.

Mainz, Koln, and Worms are also wonderful. All full of great history and nice architecture.

Do not exclude Italy for heat reasons. Turkey in August is even hotter.

I was going to say....why would Greece and Italy be any hotter than Turkey?

I agree with the first response at top from thursdaysd. Go to Istanbul. An additional hop from a nearby country will be a small price to pay to enjoy the arrangements you've worked hard to plan and to which you've been looking forward. The country will likely be the safest it's been for years, with the added benefit of far fewer visitors as the faint of heart cancel.

I was in Morocco not long after 9-11 and practically had the country to myself. A few Germans wandering around and Moroccans approaching me on the street to thank me for being there. I urge you to stick with your original plan and feel strongly you won't be sorry.

Your right about Turkey being hotter. I was just on some forums where they kept telling everyone to stay away from Italy in August because of the heat.

I have decided to check out western Germany along the Rhine. Maybe drive over to Luxembourg City if it is worth it.

Thanks for the help!

MmePerdu,

I have already cancelled everything. My wife is not too excited about entering an unstable country at the moment. But we won't forget about Turkey. I will be there as soon as things calm down a bit. Hopefully next summer.

Italy

An Amsterdam/Prague trip would be very easy as Delta flies to both and there are quite a few non-stops on EasyJet, Smart Wings, KLM etc between the two cities and it's a 90 minute flight. Plenty to do in both places with multiple day trip opportunities. The Dutch/Czech beer tasting comparison could be fun.

I like tne Berlin, Krakow, Prague combo. Berlin was waem last August but we were cold in Krakow.

Click on my ID for a Berlin TR and also for an eastern Czech Republic TR. If you want safe (or the illusion of it), the latter is pretty sleepy. Don't let the weather be too much of a factor - it's not guaranteed anywhere.

I can recommend Hotel Buchholz in Cologne and Hotel Sir Lady Astor in Dusseldorf. No I don't think Luxembourg was worth the drive, take a shorter trip to Aachen, a great place to wander around...check out the Dom and the crypt.

Hope you still have the trip of a lifetime, good luck!

Germany along the Rhine is a great choice! With 2 weeks, you probably have time to add a couple of other nearby locations. Enjoy!

I heard that flights to Istanbul had been reinstated - but didn't list by airline.