Hrock34

I am working on planning my honeymoon in early May (wedding is 5/2), leaving from SFO. We met in Paris, so we plan on spending the last 4 days or so there. That leaves 5-6 days (or so) to go somewhere else. We are in our late 20s and generally take a prety low key approach to our travel - not alot of late night partying. We have been to most of France, Barcelona, Belgium, Amesterdam, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Tuscany, Venice and are looking for something new. We don't need beaches (neither of us are beach people), but we would like somewhere that the weather is decent (55+ F). It also would be nice if it is fairly close to Paris (we are probably going to fly through Paris to fly direct home) and somewhat easy to get to as well.

Ideally we would like to go to one place (max 2, if they are close by) where we can relax, but still have the option of things to do. We are thinking something in a small city / large town, where there are a fair number or restaurants / cafes. I think it would be nice to have some good day trips (easy hikes / walks, musuems, wineries, castles, etc) that we could do if we felt up to it. But I feel like we will spend a fair amount of time at / close to the hotel, especially the first few days. I'm willing to drive, but don't want to be driving the whole time from place to place.

Some places we have thought about so far:

Switzerland - near Lake Geneva (Vevey / Montreux). There seem to be some nice hotels near the lake, and there seem to be good day trips up towards the mountains. How large are those towns? Is there a bunch going on? It seems like the weather up in the mountains is pretty iffy that early. Are there any other areas of the country that we should look at?

Ireland - South-west part of the country. Are there good towns that are big enough to have plenty going on without being cities? I've seen lots of recs for small towns, but that might be too quiet.

Greek Islands - Probably the best weather of the places we have considered, but a bit of a hassle to get to. Any places that are really spectacular?

Italian Lakes Region - Just was suggested this by a travel agent - so any suggestions would be welcome!


Right now I think the leader is Switzerland (that is where I have done the most research), but we are fleshing out some different choices.

Any comments on those locations, suggestions for hotels, or other suggestions would be most welcome.

Thanks in advance!

H

bobthenavigator

I love the Alps and I love the lakes of Italy but both can be iffy that early. But, that is still you best option if Paris is a must.
Fly into Zurich and head for Luzern that day---only 1:20 from the Zurich airport. Stay 2 nites in Luzern. Train from there to Lugano and bus to the west shore of Lago Como for 3 nites. Stay in Menaggio at the Grand Hotel Menaggio--right at the ferry dock to Bellagio and Varenna. Then, either train to Paris via Lugano or fly from Milan.
Good luck ! We will be celebrating our 50th anniversary at Venice and Bellagio next summer.

suze

I adore the Lac Leman area you mentioned. I've been there five times, staying as long as three weeks (I have a friend who moved there permanently).

Vevey and Montreux are not up in the mountains, they are at lake-level (as far as weather).

I'm not sure the populations, I'd consider them either large towns or small cities.

There is enough going on and plenty to see & do. Or I could spend the entire 6 days simply strolling along the quai myself, and drinking wine in the Ma & Pa cafes in the old towns of both Vevey or Montreux. Lovely easy hikes thru the vineyards. Chateux de Chillon, the Rocher de Nayes tram, the town and castle at Gruyeres are all great daytime activities. Dinner a L'hermitage for something special. The street farmers markets are fabulous (Tues/Sat in Vevey, Friday in Montreux) and real local fun. The white wines are stellar.

Cicerone

I used to live in Switzerland and would agree that May is not a great month in the mountains, but think that your Lake Geneva suggestion is very good, as that area has a micro-climate and is warmer overall all year. There is a tulip festival generally in May in Vevey, check websites for this. While the vineyards will still be on the brown side, they are still quite scenic (and you can still drink the wine!) you will find ferries running, and temps will be quite pleasant, you may even get a hot day. It is lovely weather for exploring the charming villages along the lakes and the lower countryside, esp around Gruyere and the lower Jura region. These areas will be green. While hiking in high Alp areas would not be possible, you can certainly do walks and bike rides in the lower elevations, the vineyards and along the lake. The castle of Chillon is definitely worth a visit, and the better restaurants in Switzerland (a place were it is hard to get a bad meal) are all in this region, including several Michelin-starred places if you are so inclined.

If you want to and if you get a clear day, the Alps and snowfields of a place like Château d"Oex (a very charming village) are only about an hour by train from places like Vevey or Monteux and you can go get a closer Alp fix (although IMO the view of the Alps from Lake Geneva is absolutely breathtaking).

Lausanne is the largest city in that area (pop 100,000 or so) with Monteux next, (pop 25,000 or so). Vevey is smaller (pop 15,000) and IMO more charming; however in reality compared to a place like Paris (population 9 million), none of these are big “cities” and all have nice old town areas which are compact and easy to see. Lausanne has a very nice cathedral and good shopping in their old town up on the hill. Vevey has a wonderful farmers market twice a week, which runs in a smaller version in May (summer is the big season). There are good museums and also concerts going on (esp Lausanne). The larger hotels have spas. If you want a smaller-feeling village, consider a place like Morges, Cully or Nyon. Or stay up on the hill above Vevey (someplace like the Kempinksi with that stunning view, even from their gym!) and avoid the towns altogether, just going down when you want to.

It’s a lovely and easy fast train ride from Lake Geneva to Paris on the TGV, about 4-5 hours depending on where you start from in the Lake Geneva region see rail.ch for schedules.

Lake Como is probably a good choice for May, you might want to confirm whether the gardens would be in bloom at that time, which to me is really one of the glories of that region. Early May just may be a tad too early.

I think Greece is really too cool in early May for what you need to do in Greece, which is go out on boats and see beaches and islands. Check weather websites.

Actually, of the ones on your list, Ireland may be the warmest and may offer the best weather, as they get the Jet Stream warmth. Lovely spring flowers will be out. It may be worth considering.

I also think that Spain or Portugal are quite lovely in May. I am a big fan of Lisbon and that area, although you may get some rain (but that is Europe in May IMO….).

suze

You likely have this already? but
www.montreux.ch has some great photos of the area, along with information.

DAX

If you want to stay close to Paris and you’re leaning toward Lac Leman/Geneva area, you should consider the Burgundy wine region as the second area instead of the Italian lakes which are very far from Paris. Beaune & neighboring Dijon fit into your large town category or you can choose Lyon if you need a bigger city with good restaurants. I would suggest staying in a small castle hotel near Beaune/Dijon. If you do decide on this area, you’ll get plenty of info on this board and I can also give you suggest some specific accomodations. There is a beautiful town, Annecy, where you can make a stop between Geneva & Lyon/Burgundy.

Another suggestion is heading south to the sunnier Haute Provence area, like the Luberon area which is dotted with small picturesque hilltowns like Gordes, Bonnieux, Rousillon, Menerbes, etc. Nearby is the large town/small city of Avignon with its sprawling Antipope palace and ancient city wall. You can hop on the TGV into downtown Paris in just TWO hours and 40 minutes. There are so many castles to choose from, some are expensive/exclusive, while others offer good value. You can also stay north of the Luberon toward the Rhone wine country area where the chateaus are a bit cheaper if you need to stay within a budget. There are several famous wine towns to visit like Chateauneuf du Pape, Gigondas, Sablet, Vaison La Romaine. Just google all these towns and those in the Luberon, so you can get a better appreciation. Closer to Avignon in the south you have Uzes, Les Baux, St Remy, Salon de Provence, Arles. Once you choose this area, you’ll find plenty of resource on this board. In my opinion, you can't go wrong with any area in Southern France for honeymoon.

trotsky

I'm not sure about connections from Paris, but have you considered Sicily? Easy to tour with a car- if staying in one place, then Taormina is magnificent. If your interests are ruins, then almost every civilisation has been in Sicily at some time. Wonderful mosaics & churches. The Aeolian islands. And the food....heaven Weather in May would also be reliable. Whatever, best wishes for your life together Trotsky

beaupeep

I live in Lausanne and vote for Lake Geneva! If you are sporty, you can rent bikes and ride through a nature reserve in Villeneuve along the Rhone River to Martigny in Valais. Then you could take the cog train up to Chamonix and spend a night before biking back to Montreux.

suze

Also yes there are some lovely hotels in the area (Vevey/Montreux) both running along the quai at lake-lvel, but also up in the hills/mountains overlooking the towns, lake, Alps in the background. Stunning scenery.

Hrock34

Thanks a lot for all of the insight! It is great to hear opinions of peopel who have been to those places.

The detail about Vevey & Montreux were particularly helpul - that sounds right about the size of place that we are looking to stay in. This area seems to do a good job of fitting what we are looking for across many dimensions. Any recs for hotels - since it is our honeymoon something pretty luxurious would be best! On second thought, I'll start another thread on hotels to keep things simpler!

Thanks for the other suggestions as well - we visited most of France while we lived there (there was a great winery in Tavel (near Avignon)we went to - I'll have to look up the name at home). Sicily might be interesting - I'll take a look!

Thanks for the help!

H