rbs1175

I realize I am posting this under Europe but was not sure where to post so I figured here would be fine.

We are planning our honeymoon for Oct. 2nd 2006, leaving from NYC/Philly area. We have between 12-14 days for our trip. A little about us, we both enjoying relaxing on the beach as well sitting at cafes and also enjoy sightseeing. We are TORN between Italy and Hawaii. We feel that weather in either place will be good. We have heard that during the days in Italy it could be warm and into the evening a bit chilly. In Hawaii I believe it will be warm during this time of year but there are areas that will get more rain. If someone feels otherwise please advise. We feel that Italy may be more romantic with options to relax or sightsee and less expensive while still allowing us to enjoy great food and wine. While Hawaii well is supposed to be paradise. Our concerns here are that it will take longer to get to and it will be much more expensive. Hawaii would also offer more relaxing time. As you can see we are torn because there are pro's and con's on both sides. I do realize there are worse things in the world to have to decided between and I do want to let everyone know that we are very aware that in the grand sceme of things we realize this really isn't the biggest problem in the world. If anyone has any advice to offer that would be great.

Thanks,
Robyn

mr_go

Have you ever been to Europe before? And how well do you speak the language?

I ask these questions because, in my view, the honeymoon experience is a unique travel situation. It should be romantic, yes, but it should also be as stress-free as possible.

As much as I love Italy (and boy, do I ever!), I would probably choose Hawaii for a honeymooner. Assuming those are my only two choices.

Of course, there is a great deal of difference between various regions of Italy (and Hawaii too, I guess). And the type of trip you pan can make all the difference (cities vs. villages, cars vs. trains, etc.). But yours is a very general question, so I feel an extremely general answer is appropriate.

Intrepid1

One thing is for certain: the weather WILL BE at least pleasant in Hawaii..guaranteed. depending on where you are, there may or may not be rain but you can count on the temperatures.

Hawaii may or may not be "more expensive" than italy depending on what level of service/luxury you are planning to use and factoring in the significant monetary exchange rate Dollar vs. Euro.

I lived in Hawaii so I know there are many facets as there are for Italy. Frankly, if I were on my honeymoon and I enjoyed more sightseeing than staring at the beaches and yet ANOTHER portrait of a dolphin...I'd go to Italy and save Hawaii for later.

rbs1175

Mr Go~

I have been to Italy but my fiance has not. Regarding the language, we do not speak Italian but the last time I was there it was not a real issue at all. I realize my original question was broad so this may help. For Italy we are thinking, Amalfi Coast, Rome, and Tuscany (day trip to Florence) and for Hawaii we are thinking 2 days Honolulu, then to Kauai and Maui. We have heard the food in HI is expensive but in Italy you can eat well and still not blow your budget. Any thoughts?

coopernicus

Having been to both Italy and Hawaii in the last 3 years, I'd vote Hawaii for honeymoon. I agree with mr_go, a honeymoon should not be stressful. Even if you do speak the language, Italy can still be stressful just because the environs are more foreign to you, but it is stress in an exciting kind of way.

On the other hand, Hawaii defies stress. There is almost a culture shock if you grew up on the East Coast. It really is paradise. Just get in your rental car and go.

For 12-14 days, Hawaii is not too far to fly. I would recommend Big Island and one other (Maui or Kauai). If you decide on Italy, I could recommend Florence and Venice with side trip to Tuscany, skip Rome for now.

My wife and I are more urban people, we enjoy museums and live entertainment (and she enjoys shopping) more than beaches. Even so, Hawaii has plenty to do besides beaching yourself, there is the Volcano, hiking, snorkeling, fishing, golfing, fine dining, and natural wonders abound.

Good luck!

rainbow007

A few thoughts:

- The earlier point about stress is something to consider. Weddings can be very stressful, and you may need time to relax more than time to explore and see sights.

- If beaches (and actually swimming in the water) is important, October is too late for reliable beach weather in Italy.

- Hawaii and Italy are so different, they're hard to compare. If you want to experience a different culture, wonderful food, and see a tremendous variety of historical sights, Italy wins over Hawaii. If you want lots of beaches, lots of hotels, some interesting and beautiful scenery with some fun activities, choose Hawaii.

Years ago (just a few), we spent a month in Europe on our honeymoon. It was a wonderful trip, though I felt like I needed a vacation when we got back.

If you do plan a trip to Europe, I would suggest staying in one place for a week, and then only one other for the remaining time. There are usually many day trips you can take if you want to explore.

If you choose Hawaii, stay on one island for a week, then another for the remaining time. You can day trip to any other island if you get restless.

ira

Hi rbs,

>For Italy we are thinking, Amalfi Coast, Rome, and Tuscany ..<

You are leaving out Venice, the most romantic city in the world, on your honeymoon?

I would fly into Venice (3 nights), rent a car and stay in or around Siena (4 nights), drive to Salerno and drop the car, take the ferry to Amalfi or Positano* (4-5 nights), and fly home from Naples - a limo to the airport will be about 100E.

*We very much liked our stay in Praiano at the Hotel Le Sirene, but it might not have the ambience you want on a honeymoon. www.lesirene.com.

Enjoy your honeymoon.

Mimar

I have been to both Italy and Hawaii several times. We're going to Hawaii again in a couple weeks. (It's the perfect winter escape from the rainy Pacific Northwest.)

If you go to Hawaii, stay in a condominium instead of a hotel. That will be more private. The restaurants are expensive and often not very good. We seek out the farmers' markets, buy lots of fruit (pineapples, papayas, mangos, kiwi, tiny bananas, etc) and eats lots of fruit salads.

Sightseeing in Hawaii leans more to outdoor activities.

As has been said, Hawaii is VERY relaxing. Something about that soft warm air.... We used to love it for destressing breaks from work. Now that we are semi-retired, more active trips are more interesting.

But Italy is great too, especially if you want to do more sightseeing. Once again you could consider renting a villa or an apartment. Sometimes they come with cooks! Be careful there is a good beach where you stay. Lots of places have rocky beaches or none at all.

Weatherwise, I think Hawaii is a better bet, especially the Kona coast of the Big Island. Yes, just looked at www.weatherbase.com. There's considerably more rain in October in Florence than there is in Honolulu.

So good luck whatever you choose!

francophile03

They're two diverse places. I've visited both and would pick Italy anyday, anytime. There is alot more in my opinion to see and do in Italy.

anna_roz

Hi Robyn!

Congratulations on your marriage!

Both, Italy and Hawaii are amazing destinations and you will undoubtedly have a great time at whichever you chose. Here is something to consider, while Hawaii is largely a horizontal experience, Italy is all about vertical. Which one would you prefer for your honeymoon?

We have been traveling to Hawaii, mainly Kauai, almost every year for the last 20 years. We find Kauai to be the only place in the world where we can relax and decompress and energize for the year ahead. We went to Italy for the first time in 2004 and had an incredible time, full of action and discovery, but we could have used a Hawaiian vacation to rest up after returning from Italy. Do you see what I mean?

BTW, the weather should be lovely in Hawaii in early October. It should also be fairly nice in Italy, since we also visited in early October. As for Kauai, it gets somewhat more rain than, say, Maui, but as we say, no rain--no rainbows!

Anna Roz

rex

My wife and I fit Hawaii into our travel plans for the first time this month, after 30 years of marriage and two dozen trips to Europe (we're in our early 50's).

It truly is incredible. And I say this as someone who would be happier if I could figure out how to make Europe travel part of my life spring summer and fall... every year.

They are such different experiences that I find the question akin to where would you rather live? Hawaii? Miami? Napa Valley?

I would be very interested in hearing how your fiancé would phrase the question(s) and issue(s) in making the decision. I suspect that each of you wants the other to get their first choice. In the final analysis, which of you is more comfortable with the tiebreaker role? (because you're going to hear a thousand reasons why it should be Italy, and a thousand reasons why it should be Hawaii)

Neither is inherently more or less expensive than the other, particularly in early October. A budget of $xxx to $xxxx per day could be put together for either destination.

Whatever your decision, congratulations on your new life in marriage... and...

Best wishes,

Rex

rbs1175

Rex,

Thank you for your response....We are both torn but I think he's leaving it up to me to make the FINAL decision. In all honesty I do not get as excited about Hawaii as I do when researching Italy. I feel that we live so close to the Caribbean ( 4 hour flight) we can go every year and love it. Although people keep telling us Hawaii is paradise. It seems kind of far to lay on the beach. I think we are torn because we know our honeymoon is going to be our one trip in the near future that is ALL OUT...and both destinations fit that criteria. Perhaps if we take Rome out of the itinerary and focus more on Venice, Tuscany and the Amalfi Coast it may be more relaxing. Thanks, Robyn

rex

For what it's worth, we never did spend any time lying on the beach... but our trip was substantially subsidized by an employr, so we did a lot of splurge things that we might not have done if we were watching our budget more closely: snuba, snorkeling, scuba, helicopter trip, petroglyphs and luau... for example (two of these were inexpensive... snorkeling and petroglyphs). And so muh more we might have done in a second week: zipline, parasailing (wrong season, on Maui) the bike-down from Haleakala, stargazing on Mauna Loa, sea kayaking or outriggr canoeing.

I don't know anywhere in Europe you can do many of these things (yes, you scuba in the Mediterranean, though I don't think the water is ever as warm).

They are simply different experiences. Neither superior to the other.

But your already-taken-to-the-Caribbean outlook may tip the scale to la bella patria.

It's a win-win of a decision.

rainbow007

Hi Robyn,

I second Rex when he says neither is better than the other - very different experiences. I smiled when I read your comment "Although people keep telling us Hawaii is paradise. It seems kind of far to lay on the beach." We have been to Hawaii three times and enjoyed them all, and maybe we'll go again some time - though it's not on my list of places to return to right now. As you say, from the east coast it is a long trip, and we have found plenty of other interesting places to visit like Grenada (before the major hurricane) when we primarily want a beach vacation. As Rex said, though, there is more to Hawaii than just the beaches - the activities are wonderful. We enjoyed fantastic snorkeling, and a helicopter tour in Kaui after a rainfall - ribbons of water flowing and beautiful little waterfalls.

It sounds like your heart is pulling you toward Italy. You have plenty of time to do more research, so maybe you should continue reading and come up with a couple of alternative itineraries. Again, I would suggest staying put for a week when you first arrive, or at least for 5 days. Give yourselves time to unwind and relax and celebrate. Particularly if you choose to visit a city like Rome first, there will be plenty to keep you busy if you're in the mood to explore.

As I mentioned before, we went to Italy (actually fit in part of Switzerland and also the French riviera) on our 4-week honeymoon, and it was amazing, though maybe a little too much. That was my second trip to Italy, too, and I fell in love with it. We have gone back about a dozen times since then. We both love the beaches, so often fit in the Amalfi coast or Sicily into our trips. Last May, we went to Sardinia for the first time, and thoroughly enjoyed it. I took good notes, but have not posted a trip report - I promise I will (no excuses, just fear and laziness). As I mentioned before, the weather in October may be fine for walking on the beaches, but may be too cool for soaking up the sun and swimming.

Whatever you choose, congratulations, and good luck with your plans!

Rainbow

rbs1175

Rainbow,

Thank you so much for your advice and suggestions..I do know that either way we are going to have a great time. I think you are right, I am leaning towards Italy...My fiance has never had GELATO! I mean can you imagine. LOL I am going discuss with him later all that there is too do in Hawaii as well because that may be just as "busy" as Italy.

I look forward to reading your trip report.
Robyn

rbs1175

We have not made any decisions but I think what is bothering me is I want to avoid Rome, although I know my fiance is not going to go for that. For those that have been to Italy does something like this work.
Amalfi Coast
Tuscany with day trip to Florence and Cinque Terra
Ending in Venice

dutyfree

The wonderful thing about Italy is that every city is so different and has its own magic. I would grab a travel book and look at some of the various regions to see what you and your future intended can agree on.Maybe I am confused but Florence AND Cinque Terre cannot be done in one daytrip together.Whatever you pick will work out-remember you are together!However,I personally think that Rome is very romantic!

rbs1175

I know that florece and cinque terra can not be done during the same day trip, just meant that we would be based in Tuscany and do side trips from there. Thank you for your advice we are still going back and forth!

rainbow007

Hello again Robyn,

You certainly shouldn't go to Rome if don't want to, although you may need to fly into or through the airport. We always drive in Italy, so that gives us a little more flexibility, but many people do well with trains or buses. Would you drive or opt for trains/buses?You may want to think about what you're comfortable with, because that may influence your itinerary.

It would be a pretty busy to fit in the Amalfi coast, Florence, the Cinque Terre and Venice in a 12 - 14 day trip. (Anything's possible, it just might not make a good trip.) If you were driving, you could: stay in a town on the Amalfi coast for 4 nights, Florence or Siena for 3 nights (can day trip to one from the other), Vernazza (or other Cinque Terra town) 2 nights, Venice 3 nights. Doable, but busy, when you account for the travel time between each. Keep in mind, for example, that it takes 1 1/2 hours to drive around the Amalfi coast (one-way), and I believe the only town to that's easy to get to by train is Sorrento.

rbs1175

Rainbow,

Thank you for all your input. I agree that would be too much in that time frame, just trying to get ideas. I have been to Cinque Terra and loved it but can save that for another time. We are still going back and forth and am going to have my fiance read this tonight to get his input. I think originally we thought we do a combination of trains and car, definately renting one for Tuscany. Any more advice I welcome.