flowr646

i would love to plan an amazing honeymoon in Europe. Preferably a few days on a beach or island and a few days in a quaint town. i've been to the amalfi coast, so i'd prefer not to do it again, but i'm not against doing it again either, since last time i went with friends. Can anyone recommend some fantastic resorts they have been to which would be amazing for a honeymoon? i'm thinking spain, france or italy, but i am open. we want to go to a place where there are fun things to do and with great atmosphere. price is not a concern.
thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Londonres

You could try Sardinia or Corsica.
Plenty of options on these islands.

travelhorizons

An absolutely gorgeous property is Reid's Palace on Madeira, a place I plan to go to someday. Discounted rates are offered through Virtuoso, which also provides free amenities (upgrade at booking, daily buffet breakfast, and more). You'd get there from Lisbon, Portugal ... which is also a very interesting city.

What time of year are you looking at for your European honeymoon?

ekscrunchy

What time of year?

Would you consider Taormina? Would Ravello be an option--Hotel Caruso or Villa Cimbrone would certainly be romantic!

Do you want definitely to be on the sea?

Weadles

Santorini and Crete should be on your short list.

In Santorini, we stayed in Oia, overlooking the Caldera, which was one of the most beautiful places I've ever visited, including my usual favorite, the Amalfi Coast!

We stayed at Perivolas in a one-bedroom suite, but there are better places to stay, I think, like KATIKIES, or ASPAKI SUITES. Check previous posts by the incredibly helpful Brotherleelove2004, who is one of the Greek experts (esp for Santorini!) on this board.

In Crete, we visited Chania, a gorgeous city on an old harbor that dates back to Venetian times. The city is a blend of Venetian, Turkish, and Greek cultures, and offers much to see and do in a very beautiful place. There are some excellent beaches within a two hour drive, as well as hikes, biking, and ruins to explore. AHHHH...

autier17

We went to the Cote d'Azur for our honeymoon last year. We loved it.

flowr646

those ideas look great. a couple comments...

i looked into Reid's and it looks great, but i got mixed reviews on-line. did you hear it was great?

i've never heard of anyone going to Sardinia or Corsica. any great resorts there?

santorini/mykanos is an option.. i'm worried there wont be enough to do and it might not be as exciting as italy, spain, or france.. i've been to corfu and liked it though.

any places on cote d'azur? ive been to nice, which was nice. not as spectacular as positano i thought.

we are looking to go in October.

andrew8

Here are my top picks in the Cote D'Azur:
Hotel La Reserve de Beaulieu in Beaulieu sur
http://www.reservebeaulieu.com/

Hotel De Cap Eden Roc in Cap d'Antibes)
http://www.edenroc-hotel.fr/

La Colombe d'Or in Saint Paul de Vence

http://www.la-colombe-dor.com/

Chateau de la Chevre D'OR in Eze
http://www.chevredor.com

I am not sure if all of these hotels are open during the whole month of October.

Weadles

I think we need more info about you before we can really make on target recommendations. Some resorts are quite posh and yes, snobby. We've had this happen a few times over the years, most notably in Beaulieu ( Le METROPOLE) and Mykonos ( GRECHOTEL BLU). Much depends on your personal style, but we prefer casual places, where it's an option not to suit up at night, and we can easily walk into town for dinner/shopping. What about you?

frogoutofwater

You might investigate Spain's "paradores", which are very special, one-of-a-kind hotels in interesting locations.

For something a little more exotic, you might consider a holiday in Turkey (and it might be less expensive than an EU country). A day or two in Istanbul (either at a high-end property like the Four Seasons or an exotic B&B), a few days in a high-end resort (some are too touristy but there are some very nice areas) and then a couple of nights in Cappadocia. (For an appropriate honeymoon theme, you could stay in a "hotel" that's built into one of the "fairy chimneys" - some people say that these bizarre land formations are rather suggestive in shape ...

Kate

Given that you're going in October and want some beach time, you need to head south, as far south as you can, so Santorini is a great choice (and spectacular location).

andrew8

Flowr asked for places in the Cote D'Azur and also mentioned that price wasn't an option.
I agree that Santorini would be a better option in October. The Katikies would be my choice.
http://www.katikies.com/

Underhill

Try this resort; it's in the hills above Cannes: http://www.fourseasons.com/provence/attractions.html

Another fine hotel/resort is the Hotel du Cap Eden Roc (which takes only cash!):

http://www.edenroc-hotel.fr/

flowr646

wow.. i really like the Kakities in Santorini.. looks really beautiful.

i did see Chateau de la Chevre D'OR on-line and thought it looked fantastic.

andrew8- i will definitely look into the ones you sent. they look GREAT!

The four seasons near cannes looks great as well!

i guess this is how i'm feeling... my fiancee has never been to most places in Europe, so i am thinking of doing one of the following...
1)take him to Positano (i've been already) and maybe another spot in italy like Lake Como (which i haven't been)
2) go to sevilla and an island in Spain, like canary or tenerife (i had a friend who recently got back from spain and said it wasn't great... !!?)
3) go to marseilles and maybe eze village or cote d'azure
4) greek islands

we want to pick 2 places and have a little bit of culture, are romantic, and not just beach, which is what i'm worried about w greek islands. any thoughts??

flowr646

also... we may go in September instead of October

andrew8

If you decide to go to Positano you must stay at Le Sirenuse.
Another place you should stay when your on the coast is the Palazzo Sasso in near by Ravello.
Both of these places are the best in the area if not in all of Italy. You will have great weather and warm enough ocean temps in September.
If want a to stay in Rome before or after you visit the Amalfi Coast, I suggest the Hotel Hassler where we also had a great stay.

http://www.hotelhasslerroma.com/

http://www.sirenuse.it/

http://www.palazzosasso.com/

flowr646

wow... those places look amazing! i really love them! do you think we should do that option? i went to positano a few years ago with friends, but did not stay anywhere nice. i really, really loved it, but was hoping to go somewhere new.. maybe we can do positano/ravello and then lake como since i havn't been there yet. i'm sure i will get a different experience being in a nicer hotel, like the ones you suggested.. will def keep them in mind! thanks for the great suggestions!

andrew8

I would do that option Flowr. I would start in Positano/Ravello, then use Rome(Hassler Hotel) as a mid point before going on to Lake Como.
Your going to have such a great time if you do this trip. I am really happy for you both.

chm

Hi, Congratulations! On Lake Como, we really enjoyed Villa D'Este, www.villadeste.it It is beautiful with lovely restaurants. Good Luck!

flowr646

i saw the villa d'este and it looked fantastic!

thanks so much for all your help!!! i am really excited now!!!

do you think all these places are driving distance if we get a car??