Hi all,

Looking at a 2 week holiday in the middle of December (probably 10-24 Dec) to Europe. Based on the holidays we've enjoyed the most, we want to do a leisurely driving trip.

Any suggestions?

Hi Kram - Which country/countries?

What are you looking for? Scenery? Culture? Cities? Christmas markets? What are your interests? How do you want to spend your time?

You need to give us a bit more input before we can help ...

Steve

Mainly scenery. Of course, Europe is a place where the destination is going to mean many days of reading about the local culture And Mrs definitely would be pleased with possibility of some shopping and x'mas markets.

We are in our early 30s and the last 2 trips we loved were driving trips in Rocky Mountains and New Zealand.

I love my photography and scenic places are a natural attraction....

Kram - I often spend 1-2 weeks before Xmas in the Italian Dolomites in Val Gardena.

I don't ski, but I love taking cable cars up to spectacular views for lunch and a mulled wine.

There are a number of Christmas markets in the Italian South Tyrol. Or places like Innsbruck and Munich are within driving distance. Munich's market is one of the biggest.

Roads and passes through the Dolomites have been open in the run-up to Christmas the last of couple of years. You can do some wonderful scenic drives through the mountains, weather permitting ...

www.valgardena.it

Hope this helps ...

Steve

Italy was at the top of the list of countries. What about southern France and Spain?

Many moons ago I toured around southern France at that time of year, staying in Aigues Mortes in the Camargue over the holiday. The weather wasn't great, but the touring was superb - a glimpse into "real life" in this lovely area. Provence and the Cote d'Azur are also great around then - remember having ice cream on the quay in St. Tropez on Christmas Eve. Can't think of a better time to head down there.

Hi,
This is just to add to Steve James' post. We love the Dolomites for the spectacular scenery. As far as "I love my photography and scenic places are a natural attraction...." Val Gardena would be an excellent place to base in. As for "Mrs definitely would be pleased with possibility of some shopping and x'mas markets"...you could visit nearby towns of Brixen/Bressanone (wonderful town!), Bozen/Bolzano, Bruneck/Brunico and Sterzing/Vipitino, all relatively close by.

www.brixen.org

www.bruneck.com

www.bolzano-bozen.it

www.val-gardena.com

We have some photos of last Oct. trip to the Dolomites at...

www.worldisround.com/home/pja1/index.html

Hope this helps.

Paul

Dolomites area looks lovely. Would flying into Rome and renting a car from there be a good idea? 2-3 days in Rome and then drive to the Dolomites? How long is the drive - esp given I may have to return back to Rome....

Hi,
Actually, flying into Munich, Germany (instead of Rome) and returning there is about half the driving time (3+ hrs. vs. 6+ hrs. each way). This website is very good to get directions and travel times...

www.viamichelin.com

Paul

Where are you flying from, Kram?

Besides Munich, other options would be Venice, Innsbruck, Verona, Brescia, Bolzano ...

Steve

We will flying in from Dubai. We did Venice (alongwith a lot of Switzerland and Paris last August).

How bad are the daylight hours? My friends warn me that I face darkness at 3:30-4:00 pm??

"How bad are the daylight hours? "

In Europe, depends on where you are. Much of Europe north of the Arctic Circle, for example (and don't mock: by area covered, Sweden's Arctic city of Kiruna claims to be Europe's largest city) gets no daylight at all.

In Palermo or Granada, you'll get about 10 hours of daylight. Check any sunrise/set website

Where I stay in the Dolomites (- Ortisei/ Val Gardena) - averages approx. 9 hrs daylight in Decemember.

Steve

I recommend driving the Roamntic Highway through Germany and visiting Neuschwanstein Castle. There are other castles in this area of Bavaria.

http://www.planetware.com/germany/ro...g-d-ba-rom.htm

You can also then visit the Christmas markets like Baden-Baden Christkindelsmarkt.

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