My husband and I are planning a week in Europe in late December and are looking for some inspiration.

We love food, history, charming neighborhoods and places where we can go for long walks and travel by public transit. Our favorite places have been to on the Mediterranean coast (Villefranche-sur-mer and Capri) or in slightly-off-the-beaten path neighborhoods (trestavere in Rome).

We want to return to Europe in late November (only time we're free) and are stumped on where to go. We'd like to go someplace that will be warmer than our home in Chicago, but we do know November will be chilly -- we were in Rome/Sorrento last December and found the weather to be just fine. (We loved Rome but found Sorrento to be less charming than we'd hoped.)

We've thought of Sicily, but are a little scared off by the litter and general poverty that we've read about. We spent a disapointing week in Portugal a few years ago and are afraid it could be a repeat.

Where else should we consider? Corsica? Sardinia? Croatia?

We'd love your ideas. Thank you!

We Europeans like the leave our continent during this time of year - because November is the least desirable month in Europe. We travel to Tunesia, Egypt or the Canaries in November. Have you ever been to Egypt? - It is one of those places you must have seen before you die.

IF it must be Europe, my recommendation would be either Andalucia or Sicily. Sicily is an attractive destination - with lots of ancient ruins, an amazing Normannic cathedral (near Palermo) and a giant volcano which will be snow-covered by late November.

But be aware that winter is the rainy season in the Mediterranean. If you want to go to Corsica or Sardinia (Sardinia is boring), stay on the eastern shore - it has less rain than the western shore.

Last November, for a variety of reasons, Vienna was perfect logistically. I was warned, but it turned out it was a wonderful city to visit then. There was some rain, and unusually even snow, but it was such a great city. If it's late November, you can see Christmas markets there and in other nearby cities. You could do Vienna and another smaller city in Austria or Bavaria, or some such combination.

I understand traveller1959's point, and why residents of central Europe like to escape, but I truly do not regret my visit at all.

I haven't been to Sicily but I'm researching a trip there. So far I have 45 pages of notes and haven't read anything about litter and general poverty. I rather imagine Palermo looking something like Trastevere (but I could be wrong since I haven't been to Palermo).

I understand your thoughts on Sorrento. I find that it's only charming when it's warm and sunny and there are people walking about.

How about Istanbul or Malta? On Malta you can base yourself in Valletta and take the buses everywhere on the island. You didn't mention food in your original post so I have to warn you that the food on Malta is not inspired.

Or Madrid and Barcelona.

>>>I rather imagine Palermo looking something like Trastevere <<<

Palermo looks like Rome, just smaller. Expect broad boulevards, stately mansions, parks, palm trees etc.

Sorrento will be ice-cold in November. Madrid will even be icier. Istanbul will be cold. Malta will be boring and rainy. Barcelona will be cold and rainy.

If you want to catch some mild weather, Andalucia and Sicily will be the only options. Or Brittany, which has pretty much the same temperature in winter and summer (like San Francisco).

How about a triple-V tour--Verona, Vicenza, Venice? Sure, the weather may be not perfect, but the tourist numbers would be down and it would be romantic.

IMO, late November is a wonderful time to visit Paris--always something new to explore there--and you have tons of day trip options.

However, although you say November in your title, your first sentence says late December...to be sure, which one do you mean?

traveller1959 - thanks for letting me know about Palermo; now I want to go there more than ever!

Why is the Malta temp so different from Sicily when they're very close to each other? Because it's so small and you can't get far inland?

I was in Malta from 11/19 to 11/29 last year. Almost every day was like a New England spring day. It rained the evening we arrived and we had one windy/drizzly day. The rest were all short sleeves, light jackets kind of weather. Very pleasant weather for walking around and taking their wonderful buses around the island. It was my second trip to Malta. The previous time was February 1997 and the weather then was warmer (still cool in the am and late day but tank tops mid-day). Malta is a very fun place to visit. Check this site for previous threads/trip reports.

You mention both late Nov and Dec so I'm unclear which you mean. But we spent 15 days in Greece late last Nov and loved it. [Thanksgiving day in Oia, Santorini will not be forgotten anytime soon] Great weather (usually in the 60sF during day); only 1.5 days of light rain. Otherwise beautiful, sunny weather and NO crowds - and got some great deal on hotels, etc.

Sorry for the typo -- we're going in late november (we had also considered early December).

Thank you so much for the ideas -- you've given us a lot to think about and digest. I'll probably be posting with more specifics when we narrow it down. Thanks again!

We love visiting Germany and Austria in late November and early December. It is the market season and this area is the most fabulous Christmas wonderland I have ever seen!

Alpine villages, lovely cities, and very good value for the dollar.

If you are open to countries other than Italy, I would highly suggest Germany and Austria. And I love Italy (18 trips so far) but these days find myself drawn more and more to Bavaria and Austria (5 so far) these days at that time of year. We are headed back on Thanksgiving for a 12 day trip.

Magical!

You mentioned Croatia -- not sure what the weather is like in Nov, but the walled city of Dubrovnik is beautiful. Was there for a week a few years ago and enjoyed it very much.

I also like the idea of Bavaria and Austria etc near xmas time. If you do that you could also check out Slovenia... very beautiful country. Don't miss Bled.

Our anniversary is in late November, so we often travel to Europe at that time of year. I find it to be a wonderful season for traveling without the masses of other tourists. The weather is great -- neither too hot or too cold and the prices are usually much better than high season.

My very favorite was Provence. The scenery is spectacular, the people are so warm and friendly, the food is divine and the wine is......French! We started in Marseille, rented a car from AutoEurope and drove for a week staying in B&Bs along the way as follows. This routing allowed us plenty of time to visit Orange, Aix, St. Remy, La Camargue, Senanque Abbey, Isle sur la Sorgue and many other charming places along the way.

Cassis: (Quaint and friendly B&B in the country. The small village of Cassis is charming like a movie set and the water is spectacular in this area.)
http://www.provenceline.com/gb/bon1.htm

Vaison la Romaine: (Amazing!!! - rooftop views are exceptional as are the breakfasts at Eveche. The village is both ancient and modern with vineyards all around. Home to famed cook Patricia Wells, this is a foodies paradise.)
http://eveche.free.fr/uk_index.htm

Gordes: (La Beaume is the most romantic B&B and the hill city of Gordes is not to be missed. Excellent restaurants nearby.)
http://www.labeaume.com/page1anglais.html

Avignon: (Superb! --- in the heart of everything. This private home with pool looks out over the rooftops and is unbelievable. We had it all to ourselves. The farmers market is nearby so that a poolside lunch of fresh fruits, cheese and bread with a bottle of wine became an everyday occurence.)
http://avignon-et-provence.com/bb/vi.../gb/index.html

Here is a very good source for finding charming places to stay.
http://www.avignon-et-provence.com/index-en.html