I posted this in the general tips forum but someone recommended I re-post here, Africa and Europe.

My fiance are trying to plan our honeymoon for July 2012. We need help! We can go for 3-4 weeks. Ideas we have had so far are Australia and New Zealand, Greece, Africa (he is more into that one than I am), Ireland and Great Britain. We haven't been able to settle on anything and need advice from experienced travelers.

In terms of Australia and New Zealand, we understand July will be winter and in some spots it can be quite cold.

In terms of things we like to do, we are very into wine and if we go to a country that produces wine, we want to include winery tours. We also like spas and cities (we live in Manhattan and are city people). We aren't particularly into beaches although we would consider including 1-2 beach days wherever we go. However, we certainly would not want to pick a spot that is all about beaches. We would probably be considered foodies -- when we travel, we like to enjoy some fantastic dinners on some nights while on other nights we go to local markets and grab a nice bottle of wine to enjoy at the hotel.

We have both been to China. While there is more to see we want to go somewhere new.

We went to France this past summer for 2 weeks. We love France but we know we will be back to explore on other shorter trips so we don't think we want to do France again so soon. I have been to Tuscany. We would prefer a trip that is new to both of us.

We want to put together a truly special trip, knowing that it will be a long time before we can go away for this long again. We do not have a budget for the trip. While sky is not the limit, we think that wherever we choose to do, we will be able to fit it into the budget we decide to spend.

Any ideas are welcome!

Well for some of your choices 3 to 4 weeks would be kind of a lot of time. You can certainly spend a lengthy trip anywhere - but I would think a month in Denmark or Ireland or Croatia would be too long. I would think Greece would be difficult unless you do a lot of beaches/islands.

I might do a month in Central Europe - some good wines and some great beer - lots of great cities and towns a bunch of good - and somewhat different - food - and very interesting.

You could easily spend a month in the UK and Ireland in terms of cities, history, culture and interest. You can find excellent food if you look - if you don;t look it can be awful at times (sorry this is still true).

Can't comment on Africa - since I have been only to Egypt. If you head to South Africa you will find cities and wine as well as incredible outdoors - but again it would be winter.

The Swiss Alps, Piemonte,the Dolomites and Venice.
Perfect that time of year.

" I would think Greece would be difficult unless you do a lot of beaches/islands"

Why you think that Greece would be difficult?

Have you been anywhere else in Europe? We just spent 1 month in Greece in July. As we have to travel from Aus , we have always spent 4 weeks in each large country. 4 weeks in Croatia was not enough ,easy to fill 4 weeks in France and Italy. Do you want to move around/ hire a car/ trains ? Do you wish a cottage as a base/ hotels/ B&B,s? The UK is a fav for us. You could combine a couple of areas? A bit more info of your ideas?

Unless you don't like warm weather, I think Greece would be fantastic. We have spent a month there and could have stayed longer. You will find excellent reasonably priced food, good wines, and wonderful people who will make you feel like they've known you for years.

Check out Rhodes, Crete, and Santorini. You will find amazing historical sites/ruins to explore, wineries, great food, good beaches for a day or two, and natural wonders ( The Gorge in Crete, the caldera in Santorini).

Since it's your honeymoon, try to stay at least three or four days in each place so that you can savor the destinations and minimize the hassle of traveling. If you are really going in July, you will need to firm up your plans soon since that is one of the busiest times of the year in Greece.

I agree that Greece can be fantastic for you honeymoon especially in July. You can spend 3-4
days in Santorini. It is the place to be for honeymooners. The scenery is idyllic and you will
love the sunset time. Santorini is famous for its wine production and you will have the
chance to do wine tasting and try several kinds of wines that are produced locally. The
reason for its unique wine production is the fact that Santorini is a volcanic island and it
earth is ideal for cultivating grapes. Moreover, you can enjoy dinner at the restaurants

located at the caldera. This will be really romantic!!! You can also spend 2-3 days in Mykonos
where you can enjoy sandy beaches, amazing sea water, excellent restaurants and nightlife
in the most cosmopolitan greek island. Mykonos is very picturesque and you can stroll in its
narrow lanes where you can see small boutiques, cosy bars and cafes. You will also see the
traditional cycladic architecture consisting of small white houses with blue windows. Then,
you can spend one week in Crete where you can visit Knossos, go hiking to Samaria Gorge
and explore Chania or Rethymno towns. They are picturesque and Cretan cuisine is
undoubtedly mouthwatering!!! You can take a tour in the mainland in order to visit the
archaeological places (Delphi, Olympia, Meteora). I would spend 2-3 days in Volos and
without any hesitation I would go also for a couple of days to Platamonas. It is a very
beautiful coastal place. Of course Thessaloniki is a must see. You will taste the best food
ever. Then, you can stay 5-7 days in Chalkidiki (near Thessaloniki) as well. You can combine
this tour with a visit to Istanbul or the Turkish coast. How about on having a look at holidays
packages to get some ideas? Check a list here http://www.travel-guide-greece.com/travel-
packages/greece-vacations-packages.asp and keep in mind that if you contact a local agency
they might create a customized package for you. We had combined Olympic Flame with the
Romantic Sunset for our honeymoon and we enjoyed it very much. We live in Croatia and
we go to Greece more than twice per year because my husband’s family lives there. Turkey
is our next destination. I have read a lot about Istanbul and I can’t wait!!!

Barcelona! Wine, beach, museaums, art and jazz.

Look: you have 4 weeks and that means you have the time to go to and explore Australia. Anyplace in Europe west of Russia is accessible for a 7-10 day trip with relative ease, but Australia is a day flight there and a day flight back so prioritize a place where you need a lot of time.

The notion that spots in Australia can be "quite cold" is a stretch - that's far more true for New Zealand, which is much farther south. You're from NYC, you won't experience that level of cold in Oz. Other than Hobart, the most southern major city in Australia is Melbourne. Melbourne is much CLOSER to the equator than NYC. Aussie winters are generally like NY autumns and July and August would be a great time to visit the Red Center of Australia because you won't have to worry about a blazing hot day. And if you stay in or go to Queensland, the Northern Territory or the northern areas of Western Australia, the days will be like April to June in NY.

There are lots of great places to visit in Europe. But this is an opportunity to explore a great deal of a country that is not convenient to reach and your one time to really spend a good deal of time there. Rethink your plan - avoid the summer tourist crush in Europe and go to Oz.