Hi there everybody. For summer hols this July we (husband and wife) have decided to go on a European adventure! Fly into Lisbon, rent a car, and drive - we love to - all the way, practically hugging the coasts of Portugal, Spain, South of France all the way to Croatia and fly back to the US from either Croatia or Venice.

We would drive through Northern Italy. We have three weeks. We like to be on the go and would plan in including a night or two in major cities, especially Barcelona and I would love to try include the open air opera in Verona.

Now, total non-stop driving time is about 26 hours according to map quest. We would do about a 3 hour drive a day or every second day, onto the next destination.

Please help me with the little gems of towns, hotels, hill villages, all the little perfect dont miss places you have been along the way, and also what to avoid.

I have been to Spain, France and Italy before but not Portugal and Croatia.

I would like to stay a couple of nights in the Algarve starting out.

What we like is sleek mod hotels in cities (we won't spare the horses there) and in seaside towns or hilltop villages we would like to save with more rustic, charming accomodation.

We have spent many vacations just staying in the same place and absorbing the atmosphere but we want this trip to be exciting, exhausting and different! My dad said he is worn out just thinking about it.

So come on, give me all your secret special gorgeous places!

Perhaps you're not terribly money constrained, but do you realize that you will likely encounter a hefty drop charge to return a Portuguese car in Italy?

On plenty of occasions, I have been able to suggest ways to avoid drop charges by clever re-arrangememnt of an itinerary, swapping at or near a border, traveling longer segments by plane or train - - or some combination of "tricks". But, given your objectives, I think you're going to need simply to factor this added cost into your budget.

In pieces, I have actually done much of what you propose to do, but never in the same trip. I don't doubt that it will be interesting... and an adventure.

Places I have visited (and some I have not) that might fit your interests:

For starters - - and this one is actually considerably up and out of your way... Seu d'Urgell - - inland and upland of Barcelona; it is so very cool and fits best to go up and over through Andorra - - a spectacular drive (even if Andorra is a long way from a spectacular destination).

I think it does not make sense to go there if, alternatively, you want to go by way of Collioure, France - - a rave of almost everyone who has been there.

Sete (France) - an interesting one-nighter.

Antibes, France - - my pick of where you might enjoy stopping... between the Rhone delta and the Italian border.

San Remo, Italy - - in particular, i think that the view and the hotel's friendly staff would make the Nyala Suites Hotel a place where I would stay again. Not "seaside" - - but rather up on a big hill overlooking the Mediterranean... and spectacular, at twilight.

Verona is a good idea.

None of these is a "secret" place - - but at least a few sound ideas, for your consideration.

Best wishes,

Rex

Thanks Rex. You see that is brilliant, I had no idea about drop charges! Maybe I can figure it out better by, say - driving as far as Barcelona, dropping the car, staying two nights and maybe getting the train a bit and picking up a car again just over the Border or take the train all the way along the French coast. Would that work?

Well, as I said, I am usually pretty clever about ways to avoid such charges... but the problem is starting with a Portuguese car in the first place. You're likely to encounter the same drop charge just to drop it in Barcelona as you'll face, returning it in Venice.

I say, swallow the pill.. or plan a different adventure! The only drop-free approach that comes to mind would be to fly into Biarritz... and circumnavigate the entire Iberian peninsula, returning back into the south of France (shouldn't matter where).

But that will take three weeks just to do that. No time for Italy or Croatia.

Your trip sounds fantastic, we love to drive too, but there are so many beautiful and interesting places along the way that it would take us forever and a day to finish it. It will surely be "exciting, exhausting and different!" The word "exhausting" being the key word!

I suggest you take note of the kilometers involved in each leg of your journey and the type of roads you will be driving in. As I see it, you will be driving most of your trip. It will always take you more time than estimated to go from one place to the other, not counting the times you'll get lost. And, in my experience, you will get lost at some point.

As for the car, I would look into leasing one from Renault or Peugeot; it really is cost effective on a long trip. I know you can pick up the leased car in Lisbon. You would have to check if you can drop it off in Croatia or Venice.

Have a nice trip!

Before throwing any towels, do this:

Price a rental car on a major multi-national company with presence in Portugal and Italy. Be sure to look at drop fees and insurance costs (esp. if traveling into former east bloc countries incl. Slovenia and Croatia.) Be sitting down when you do this.

Next go to www.renaultusa.com and look at comparable vehicles, pickup in Lisbon (or Porto) - $275 fee, and drop in Italy ($200 fee), total $475 extra, but <i>all insurance included.</i>

Then compare to rental/drop/train etc.

You might be pleasantly surprised.

hmmm. All fantastic ideas and information. I get so much pleasure out of the planning part I have to admit, almost more!

Maybe it will be an idea to to combine fly/drive/train. To answer Rex's question, I am not terribly financially constrained about the charges, but still, I would like to make the best financial travel decisions and not silly ones.

I would prefer to spend the cash on a lovely meal rather than a car drop charge, or a better hotel in a city.

I have lots of work to do on this. It will be fun I think.

Keep those thoughts coming for me.

Please recognize that by following the coast you are going thru the most developed, least &quot;native&quot; parts of the area.

I know, I was just thinking its probably going to be a horror in July also. Im just starting to plan and looking for good ideas. I realise that even 10 miles inland along the coast could be a world of difference.

I mentioned &quot;hugging the coast&quot; as a starting point but am open and grateful for any suggestions.

I was thinking even jagging across country through Seville and inland through Provence, etc.

Please help with your expertise for a great trip. We are not beach people at all but enjoy seaside areas such as Cinque Terre etc.

Thanks