Hello everyone,

Our family just returned from our three weeks in Calabria and Sicily and all I can say is wow. I am putting together a brief trip report and should have it posted soon.

My husband and I are planning to go away for 7 or 8 nights sometime in the first two weeks of September for our 25th anniversary and we want to return to Europe for a romantic getaway. We are looking for a warm destination so we can relax by the pool and/or beach for a few hours during the day but also have interesting and cultural things to do and see (we are basing our choices on being able to book a direct flight, not having to travel too much while there and being in a very romantic setting).

We are considering the following destinations but would welcome other choices as well:

- Lisbon/Sintra or Porto/Douro region in Portugal
- Bordeaux or Marseille in France
- Seville or northern Spain
- Venice and Istria (this choice would mean us driving a few hours from Venice)

Thank you very much.

I don't know what your idea of a "very romantic setting" is, or what that means for a city, but I sure know I would never think of either Bordeaux or Marseille as being in that category. I also don't get the idea of Bordeaux as a pool/beach vacation. Marseille does have some nearby beaches.

so maybe drop those two if those things are important. Not sure why you are putting Bordeaux into the "warm" category of Europe. Of course September is a moderate month in most places, but temps will likely be 70-80 during daytime and down to upper 40s or 50s at night (F).

We are not looking for a pool/beach vacation, but would like to have it available as part of our trip so we can relax for part of the day but have cultural and interesting things to do and see. Of course, romantic means different things to different people, but to us, it is about a medieval type old town, narrow alleyways, beautiful surrounding countryside, cozy restaurants and boutique type hotels.

As well, as long as it is warm and sunny during the daytime (around 75 (24 C) or higher) that would be fine.

Bordeaux has "nearby" beaches at the Bassin d'Arcachon, but it's not close enough to contemplate spending "part of a day" there. It also has a huge lake where you can, among other things, swim. And of course the Dordogne with its beautiful villages and two grand rivers is not far away. But Bordeaux does not have an old Medieval center with narrow alleyways and such. Nor is the surrounding countryside particularly picturesque. It does of course have innumerable restaurants, many of them cosy I suppose, and plenty of hotels of all types.

It's a fabulous city, but I don't think it's what you're looking for.

I love Marseille as well, but given what you've written I don't think it will suit you, either.

In any case, no matter where you go, you won't be able to predict the weather or temperatures with any degree of accuracy.

If I remove those choices from the list, we are left with these:

- Lisbon/Sintra or Porto/Douro region in Portugal
- Seville or northern Spain
- Venice and Istria (this choice would mean us driving a few hours from Venice)

Any thoughts/

The single most romantic hotel we stayed at in Europe was in the Alentejo region of Portugal, near the drop-dead gorgeous village of Monsaraz. Here's the website for Horta da Maura - HORTA DA MOURA - HOTEL, ALENTEJO, ALQUEVA - which ought to have sunny and warm weather then.


Monsaraz -



Map from Lisbon airport - https://goo.gl/maps/5MWn1AXWAkhn4RPq8

Suthern Spain might be a tad hot in early September--sweating through my clothes is not romantic to me, lol. Adore Basque country so all in favor of that.

Venice of course, and though I have not been to Istria, Croatia is one of the most romantic places to me, the scenery, the sea. Could you depart upon arrival, explore Istria, then return the car before a few days in Venice. That seems to maximize time--if you have to break it up into two Venice segments, that is less appealing.

That is what we are planning to do if we choose the Venice/Istria trip, to fly into Venice, drive immediately to Istria, then return the car a few days before we leave so we can have two nights in Venice.

The hotel in Portugal looks so nice, as is the nearby town, but we would like to be closer to larger city so we have the option to take in some cultural events while away.

We are now considering either Malta or Majorca/Menorca as it would lessen the amount of time we have to travel around to visit interesting places, the weather and sea temperatures will still be nice and they seem to both have medeival old towns and history.

Which would you choose?

Thanks

Hi,
What about Croatia? I find Durbrovnik so romantic. I thought I just throw into in the options.
And of course CONGRATULATIONS!

Thanks for your advice and your well wishes

Is Malta not a great destination? It seems to have so much to offer.

We were leaning towards Venice and Istria but the thought of renting a car in Venice and driving to Istria upon landing and driving back to Venice for the flight home just seems like alot of travelling around for 7=8 days.

You can check if you find an open jaw flight connection:
To Pula / Back from Venice. Take boat/ferry from Pula to Venice.
Otherwise you may want to keep an eye on rental car contract fineprint.. if you may take the car abroad, and if so, if there will be a fee or more fees connected with that.

This is why planning a European trip can be so frustrating. So many beautiful places to visit.

JessicaBr, you are right. Dubrovnik looks marvellous and there are many great day trips one can take from there. We could spend a few days in Dubrovnik and even a few days on a nearby island.

So, Malta or Dubrovnik and its surroundings?

Thanks again.

Another place you might consider that immediately came to mind given your desired mix of pool/relaxation but also cultural/city things would be Sicily. We actually spent our 25th anniversary there. Because my job was based in Europe at the time I had lots of vacation-so we were able to take 2 weeks-we spent 1 week with a car on our own traveling and visiting the many beautiful places Sicily has to offer and then another week at Club Med recuperating and relaxing-it was a nice mix for us. I think you could also do that same kind of visit in a week's time frame there.

Hi jpie,

We just got back from a three-week trip in Calabria/Sicily and loved it, driving from Naples to Tropea, down into Sicily, and drove from the south east to the north west, including Favignana, then back to Palermo.

It was spectacular.

Thanks, everyone, and especially JessicaBr.

We just reserved our flights to Dubrovnik for eight nights

Now all I need is some advice on how to split (no pun intended) our time while there....

Great-I am sure you will have a wonderful trip. My only trip to Dubrovnik was back in 1974 when it was still part of Yugoslavia-but it was spectacular and it's on our list for the future. So glad you just went to Sicily and loved it-we did too!

You won't regret it!! I feel so honored to have been part of the decision to go to Croatia! And have fun!