My wife and I are planning on taking a 10 day trip the middle of October to either France or Italy for our 20th wedding anniversary. We can't decide on which country or if we should do both. We leaning towards the Amalfi Coast or Provence. We're looking for local visual beauty in our surroundings, no major cities, but a wonderful sensory experience of relaxation, beautiful surroundings and memorable food and wine.

For October, I personally would choose Italy as the weather may be somewhat warmer. I was in France October 1997 and there were many cold and rainy days. The Amalfi coast is beautiful! There are lovely towns along the coast and you have the islands of Capri and Ischia to visit and enjoy! Let us know what you decide. Ciao!

Why not do both? Fly into Nice and explore the Cote d'Azure and Provence and then drive into Italy and perhaps explore the Italian Riviera. <BR> <BR>It is much cheaper to rent a car in France than Italy, as in Italy you HAVE to take the Rental Car Collision and Damage Insurance, whereas in France, your credit card should pay for it. <BR> <BR>Hope this helps.

I agree with Mary, you might be able to combine France and Italy. You might start your trip in the south of France and focus on the Roman ruins that can be found there. I'm sorry I went a long time ago to the south of France and don't remember the exact towns where the ruins were located, but I saw the Pont du Gard (sp?), a colisseum (possibly in Nimes), and then there is Avignon that has a lot of Roman architecture. From there head to Italy. Have a great time. <BR>

If you want to see beautiful mountains and like hiking I suggest Chamonix in the French Alps. It is a very wonderful setting for a few days relaxation. It is situated on the border of Italy and France with the Swiss Alps in the background. It was the highlight of my France trip over the Cote d'Azur. Provence was nice. Stop by Aix-en-Provence, Arles, Nimes and make a quick trip to Carcassone(a city within a medieval fortress). <BR> <BR>Have fun, <BR>Kim

Dear Monica, Mary, Vanessa and Kim: <BR>Thanks for the insights on Italy and France. Liked the rental car tip, weather advice and the entusiam that we should visit both. I personally wanted to do Italy for the last several years for the tomates and basil thing, but as of late, France is doing more for me than just Italy alone. We will hopefully make our decision soon and post the results.