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-   -   First time to Europe (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/first-time-to-europe-485242/)

Britters81 Nov 9th, 2004 01:44 PM

First time to Europe
 
Hello, Me and my boyfriend are planning on going to europe for our honeymoon in spring 2005 and I am having a very difficult time deciding where to visit and how to visit our chosen destinations. I think London, Paris, Venice, and Florence and possibly some areas in Greece. We will have 3 weeks. I have debated between a med cruise, a guided tour, doing it ourselves(but we do not know much about europe) and my boyfriend would like some relaxing to be slotted into the trip!!!! Sorry for the long post, but I know there are a lot of traveling experts on this site and I would greatly appreciate any feedback and suggestions, thank you.

sheila Nov 9th, 2004 01:53 PM

That's far too much. Two countries (maybe three). The third one shoudl be somewhere you can mix culture with teh beach- Spain, Italy, Greece for example.

suze Nov 9th, 2004 02:24 PM

I'd skip London and Greece for sure, and maybe skip Florence.

That said... Venice & Paris go great together and would make for a romantic trip. You can take an overnight train in a private sleeper cabin, between the two places for something fun and unusual. Maybe paired up with a week in the countryside along the way. Fly into Venice and out of Paris (or the other way around) to avoid backtracking.

I think a Mediterranean cruise would be another good option for a honeymoon because they'd be no planning involved on your part, and it would be an automatic combination of time to relax and time to do some siteseeing.

I would NOT do a guided tour for a honeymoon, because by the nature of a tour you're stuck with a bunch of strangers, on a strict schedule, getting up early, on to a bus, eating with the group, etc. Not much privacy or relaxing.

ilovetulips Nov 9th, 2004 02:46 PM

Figure out what kinds of things that you are both interested in and do some research. We are planning a trip next year to include Paris and Amsterdam. I know that I want to visit museums, gardens, cafes and bistros and we want to have some laid back time with some culture too which is why we picked these destinations. You mention Venice and Florence. Why not take your honeymoon to Italy and you can base yourself at these two places and check out Tuscany and Umbria too. You can also go to the coast of Italy if you want some time to chill out.

rex Nov 9th, 2004 04:36 PM

I totally disagree that this is too much. Five destinations in 21 days? Of course you can do that! That's the purpose of this forum, to help you make a plan.

I think you can do it yourselves. I would start with about four days in London, then head to Greece for four, then fly to Italy for seven, and end in Paris for the rest. Add two days to the place you think you might like the added "restful" time (most likely Greece or Italy?)

Whatever your decisions, congratulations on your new life in marriage...

Best wishes,

Rex Bickers
Floyds Knobs, Indiana
(proud new father-in-law, for about 48 hours now)

indytravel Nov 9th, 2004 05:23 PM

Congrats Rex!

Britters I really suggest you don't take a tour on your honeymoon. That wouldn't be romantic at all.

I know you'll be busy with wedding plans. Spend a bit of time here. Do it yourself and have a wonderful time.

rex Nov 9th, 2004 05:25 PM

Thanks, David!

travelbunny Nov 9th, 2004 06:07 PM

..If I had 3 weeks for a honeymonn (lucky you!), Id do a one week med cruise and split the other 2 weeks between 2 countries..Id choose the 2 based on my interest and perhaps by proximity to the departure or arrival ports..Have fun looking at brochures. the cruise would be that "beach break" and downtime from the wedding.

cigalechanta Nov 9th, 2004 06:14 PM

Congratulations, REX!!
Bitters, I agree with David, no tour!!!

Eloise Nov 9th, 2004 06:19 PM

Travelbunny's suggestion is brilliant. The cruise will not only give you the downtime you need after the wedding but also give you a first taste of Europe in a very easy and comfortable way.

Then you can go on your own to the two countries that appeal to you the most.

And I agree with all the others who have urged you not to take a tour.

Robert2533 Nov 9th, 2004 06:31 PM

Seeing the Disney ad at the top of this page got me thinking. Why is it some Americans think that going to Europe and visiting four distinct regions in 21 days is like going to Disneyland for the afternoon? The distances are enormous and regardless of what some people on this forum suggest, you will spend the better part of your 21 day honeymoon in a taxi, a shuttle, or on an airplane traveling between these points. The only memories you'll end up with are a few decent nights in a nice hotel and a backache from being on the road for so long. London to Greece is a very long way. Even London to Florence is quite a distance because you'll easily spend two days traveling alone on this leg of your route.

My advice, pick a spot and enjoy your honeymoon. Any of the four countries you've mentioned would be memorial, but don't try to combine a whirlwind trip around the world with something as important as a honeymoon.

indytravel Nov 9th, 2004 06:48 PM

Robert you have to be kidding. Two days from London to Florence?

Check out www.whichbudget.com. Direct flights from London Gatwich to Florence on Meridiana. Even with travel time to and from airports you can easily and cheaply fly between the two in a half day.

Britters81 Nov 9th, 2004 06:53 PM

Thank you for all the advice, you have confirmed my doubts about the tour. The TA I saw discouraged us from doing a med cruise due to our 'younger' ages and the 'restrictions' and encouraged us to take a tour like contiki. But I think spending a 'couple' days in London and a couple Paris then finishing our trip with a relaxing yet 'port intensive' cruise sounds like a nice honeymoon. And I will definitely be researching further on this site for advice on excursions on the various ports, once again thanx for the advice and pls keep it coming!!!

Britters81 Nov 9th, 2004 06:57 PM

Oh and the cruise that we were thinking of was the 12 night classical med with Celebrity cruises, has anyone ever done this cruise, any tips or suggestions.

Robert2533 Nov 9th, 2004 10:58 PM

You should remember, it's a round trip, not one way. You have to go and you have to return, unless there is something I'm missing. You end up wasting too much time traveling and not enough time enjoying your destination.

jlm_mi Nov 10th, 2004 04:02 AM

Robert - You're missing the concept of an open jaw ticket. They can fly into one city (London, as suggested by Rex) travel around to their various destinations, and fly home from their last city. They certainly don't have to fly back to the starting point each time!

caroline_edinburgh Nov 10th, 2004 04:09 AM

What about including the Orient Express - that would be very romantic. You could incorporate that in a holiday with stays in London, Paris & Venice, spending some of the time at the Venice Lido for the beach. Or just Paris & Venice.

mamc Nov 10th, 2004 04:29 AM

Since you have 3 weeks, I think you can do more than some are suggesting without being on the road constantly. What about 5 days in Paris, 5 in Venice and 10 days on Sicily or Sardinia where you can combine sightseeing with the beach.

Tallulah Nov 10th, 2004 04:32 AM

Caroline: Great minds! I was just thinking exactly the same thing as I was scrolling down the replies!

Britters: This would be an idea way to travel between two of your possible destinations (though pricey!) and it's the ultimate honeymoon event. Just imagine the spring scenery as you pass over the Alps! Here's the link to the website:

http://www.orient-express.com/web/vs...a1a_splash.jsp

I used to work for a PR company where the Orient-Express was a major client and I've always wanted to do this trip - alas I was too junior at the time to get any freebies!

And if you wanted to take in another country (I see no reason why you should limit yourself to only 1 or 2 unless you want to spend your entire honeymoon is museums or the like...) because you can easily fly from Venice to somewhere else...

ira Nov 10th, 2004 04:49 AM

Hi britters,

> think spending a 'couple' days in London and a couple Paris ..<

That would be a shame.

>my boyfriend would like some relaxing to be slotted into the trip<

That's easy to do if you reduce the number of places that you visit.

I suggest a week or so in Paris, a week or so in Venice and a week or so on the Amalfi Coast or Sicly or Sardinia, as mamc suggested.

Fly into Paris, fly www.volareweb.com to Venice, fly Volare to Naples, flyhome from there.


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