Hey everybody, im asking for some advice from some people who have traveled to europe or live there for an upcoming trip im planning next summer with my grandparents. Im a 21 year old from america and have been wanting to go to europe for some time now. I lived in south korea for around a year when i was 20 but other then that i havent been to any other continent. I really love nature, food, entertainment, nightlife and new experiences. I was looking at flights to london the other day and realized they’re relatively cheap compared to what i thought they were and started brainstorming on how i could make it happen. Most of my friends dont have the money or arent reliable enough to plan a trip like this with yet and i dont have a gf so i asked my grandparents if they’d want to go thinking It would be a great bonding experience. Especially since they’re getting older and we’re very close they have been to Europe before and have been around Italy where my family is from in Sicily. They agreed that they would go with me next summer and thought it was a great idea originally I was looking at toy it would be a great bonding experience. Especially since they’re getting older and we’re very close they have been to Europe before and have been around Italy where my family is from in Sicily. They agreed that they would go with me next summer and thought it was a great idea originally I was looking at tours That went to like eight countries in 14 days and my grandpa said that that wouldn’t be any fun because every day would be packing up and on the road most of the time so we agreed that we would do two countries. My question for you guys is what would be the best places to visit with your grandparents that went to like 8 countries in 14 days and my grandpa said that that wouldn’t be any fun because every day would be packing up and on the road most of the time so we agreed that we would do two countries. My question for you guys Would be what would be the two best places to visit with my grandparents would enjoy their time equally as me one of the reasons I want to go to Sicily is because last time my grandpa visited there he wasn’t able to see our family that we’ve never met that still lives there because of his brother not wanting to go so I was thinking It would be great for him to do that as he gets older because he told me it’s something he regrets and I would love to see the family as well as far as Spain Barcelona goes I heard the nightlife is beautiful and amazing but if my cousin doesn’t come and it’s just me and my grandparents I don’t know if that will be fun I’m not a huge fan of museums so if I go to London I’m wondering what else is there to do that’s really fun And I heard Ireland’s naturally beautiful but boring I know this form thread is all over the place I apologize I’m just wondering what you guys think would be the best two countries to and I heard Ireland’s naturally beautiful but boring I know this form thread is all over the place I apologize I’m just wondering what you guys think would be the best two countries to help visit In a bout a two week span considering the information I told you if I can get any help. I’d appreciate it

14 days - I'd do London and Paris if I've never been to Europe and maybe some place else in either country or easy day trips from those bases. London/Ireland would work too but IMO Paris trumps Ireland for first-timers - and taking the Chunnel trains between each is a thrill in its own right - easy day trips from London include Oxford, Stonehenge & Salisbury, Bath, York and many other places - or go spend a few days in the nearby Cotswolds - Paris day trips to Normandy (D-Day beaches); Mont Saint-Michel; Reims & Champagne Cave/House tours; Versailles - well right in Paris practically; Loire Valley - could stay a few days in some of those places. Trains are great - for lots on trains and booking tickets early to nab discounted fares check www.eurostar.com (Channel trains) - www.seat61.com has sage advice booking your own cheap tickets; www.budgeteuropetravel,com and www.ricksteves.com - latter two good for where to go by trains.

Sicily is relatively hard to get around by public transit so rent a car if going there.

Which do your Grandparents want to do?

(using paragraphs makes long posts a lot easier for people to read)

Welcome to Fodor's!

Very hard to read your post (hint - do a double return to get paragraph breaks . . .

Like this)

So I haven't worked out all your questions - but skimming I see you apparently think London is only museums. London is the largest city in western Europe by a long ways and has more to see and do than some whole countries.

I think you would create the most enthusiasm for your grandparents by choosing London and Sicily. Your grandfather really wants to make the trip to Sicily and it is a marvelous place.

If you break your question down into shorter, more digestible bits, we can help even more.

I couldn't write a list of all the things I've done in London, although I do love museums. There is so much history, markets, amazing food, architecture, churches, Windsor, Hampton Court, the river... Fancy neighborhoods, hip neighborhoods, elegant, gritty, glass and steel.... endless variety of places to stay and visit.

I think London and Sicily would be knockout trip for you and your grandparents.

Yeah didn't not catch the Sicilian connection (yes use paragraphs) and yes that could be neat with your grandparents.

Sicily can be dreadfully hot in the summer -- check timeanddate.com for climate data and be sure you are all comfortable with the likely temperatures before including it. Ditto for much of Spain.

Too, seeing the highlights of Sicily easily takes 2.5 to 3 weeks. You can certainly see some of its highlights in a week, but you would need to be very selective and would probably be best to choose either the east or the west of the island, presumably based on your family connections.
'

With the family connections, I say Sicily!
However, Kja makes a very important point about the heat.
I do not know the age of your grandparents, but the older I get, the more heat (and cold) affects me and the harder it is to endure either. Sicily and Spain can be brutal in Summer, parts of Italy also. Is there any way you can do this trip in Spring or Fall?

Sicily is large with a lot to see! Consider spending the whole time there, especially if you can make contact with family to visit. Otherwise, perhaps 3 or 4 days in London, Barcelona or Paris and 10 days in Sicily. You will have many chances, I hope, to return to Europe, but not many likely with your Grandparents, so why not let your Grandmother choose a place she would really like to visit that she has not been?

Any places you choose, people here will know many things to suggest for you to enjoy and have fun.

By the way, you sound like a terrific person and an absolutely wonderful Grandchild! Your Grandparents are very lucky and blessed to have you. I hope this trip turns out to be incredible for you and your Grandparents!

I think a lot of this is you need to have honest conversations with your grandparents on their expectations. I couldn’t have taken my grandparents to a disco, but certainly they enjoyed beer gardens and bars. Actually, Gran was probably a lot more interested in hunting down the perfect drink than going to a museum.

are you okay with traveling at their speed, with their interests? I loved traveling with my grandparents but it’s definitely a different trip than going solo or with friends.

2 ideas to consider:
1) going backpacking solo. If you want more of a wild and fun drinking holiday, this might be a better option. You can go at whatever pace you want, you can make mistakes along the way, make friends ( or drinking buddies) at hostels.

2) look up rick Steves. There are tours just for Italy, or just for Spain. You and your grandparents could start your grand adventure with a tour in one of those places, and then strike out on your own somewhere else. If your grandparents are reasonably fit, a tour would probably be a great idea. I’d never take a 17 country tour, but my grandparents took a lot of Tauck tours when they retired, and enjoyed them.

Perhaps I misread, but I thought the OP indicated that his grandparents preferred to avoid a tour? I might not be parsing the original post correctly, though -- I think it could be parsed in several different ways because at least some punctuation seems to me to be missing.

Your post is very confusing to read and understand because some sentences are repeated twice. I assume this was accidental. You also need to use punctuation and to make paragraphs.

Sorry about that initial post being so confusing guys. All of your advice has been appreciated and came so quickly this is a nice site. My grandparents are definitely down to do a tour in fact that’s what they reccomended to me due to their previous times traveling in other countries. I have talked to them about what they want to do and my nana is down for anything me and my pop pop decide. He is cool with visiting any countries I’ve listed above as long as we limit it for two countries for the week and a half- two weeks were there because he doesent want to be packing his bags up every night or two to go to another country.

So basically my grandparents want to know what i want to do. If they didnt like what i decided they would let me know however and definitely not do it lol. What i want is to be able to emerge myself into the culture of wherever i go and catch a feel for the city life and all that goes on with that, but at the same time be immersed in nature. Countryside, ocean, etc. my grandpa is in his 70s but very physically active for his age playing tennis and golf weekly. So we can walk around and be in heat but excessiveness of that would be unwanted. I want to be able to go out with them and catch some entertainment, have a reason to get dressed up real nice. I also wouldnt mind going out on
a boat off of one of these countries for the day and just soak up the beauty of everything.

I’ve heard amazing things about scotland as well from frequent travelers I’ve come across. I just want to get the best mix of what i wamt and what they want my grandparents arent heavy drinkers i dont expect to really dive into the nightlife while im out there with them however i would like to cut loose and drink during the day relax and do things i like but also make sure they’re fulfilling they’re desires and figuring out what places to go to so i can get the best bang for my buck out of the situation

Cool, that helps.

Well, take a look at the various tour companies, and see what appeals, and what dates work. Rick Steve’s is more independent, physical—probably tends to be a more young people. Tauck is more high end, nicer hotels and food. Those are just the two I’m familiar with—there are tons of others.

I think you should go to your local travel agent, and see what pamphlets they’ve got, narrow it down to the countries that speak to you the most, and then go buy a few guidebooks.

i don’t think there’s a “bad” pick. I went to Italy 2 years ago and UK last year. I only saw Edinburgh in Scotland, and I would love to see more there. It’d be a good time to be in the Uk, Nordic countries, or Germany. (If this is summer we’re talking about.) But Italy would be doable too. Some people like the heat, and if your grandpa golfs, there’s a very good chance he’s already heat tolerant.


If you like quirkier stuff, look at the website atlas obscura, and you might find something you absolutely want to see—caves, or cemeteries, or street art—and that might help you pick out a country. (It’s also a book, you might find it at your local library.) that’s how I picked out some of the weirder historic sites. Anything you can imagine—from chandeliers made up of human skeletons to old war bunkers and prisons to king’s treasures—it probably exists in Europe somewhere.

research food, summer activities like sailing or kayaking, if that appeals.

Thanks for clarifying!

Your range of options is nearly limitless. Since you want to go with a tour, my suggestion would be to explore some of the tour group options mentioned above, take climate into consideration (hot is one thing, broiling is another), and narrow it down to just a few choices that you can research more thoroughly. Then you and your grandparents can come up with a list of questions that will help you choose. In all probability, you'll be able to find answers to some of those questions on your own, but you can always come back to Fodor's with more specific and better articulated questions.

I'm sure you'll have a wonderful experience no matter what you choose, and kudos for taking this opportunity to share some quality time with your grandparents!

If you are all leaning towards a tour -- you likely won't find any that combine say Sicily and London or Sicily an Scotland or other disjointed combos. Plus you have the problem that a tour almost by definition has you packing EVERY night or two to move to the next stop. So your grandparents may want a tour, but your Grandpa may be unhappy with all the moving around.

What you could think about is something like a several day local tour on Sicily - then fly or London or Edinburgh or Paris or ?? and take a local tour there. (or do it in the reverse order). Just as an example in Scotland, this company does REALLY good small group tours https://www.rabbies.com/en/scotland-...from-edinburgh

to be able to emerge myself into the culture of wherever i go and catch a feel for the city life and all that goes on with that, but at the same time be immersed in nature.

What about just going to Sicily? Taking the entire two weeks there and choosing mix of a couple cities then some time in the countryside.

Save London, Paris, Scotland, Barcelona, etc. etc. for future trips of your own. Yes they are all amazing places but you can't go everywhere in 14 days.

Make this one a family trip to the destination that most interests your Grandparents. And do Sicily right

A tour makes total sense if that's want you want and really never having gone before and grandparents in tow and they having gone on a tour I'd yes look for tours that go at a slower pace than most. But, if Sicily seems a must tours would be hard to get to your ancestral town perhaps so I think suze has it right - spend some time there on your own and then fly to some other place like Spain or London, etc.

Sicily has everything you want, from interesting culture to beautiful nature to unique archeological sites to very unusual burial places. I agree totally with Suze. If you choose Sicily, then do it right! You could easily spend a week on each side of the island. Many things, like Agrigento, will take most of a day to see. You will need a day or more in cities. You can stay more time in one place or city and do some day trips. Believe me, you would not be sorry to really see Sicily, rather than cut it short and miss things. I did that, spent a week, felt we saw very little and was not happy about it, so we are going back for at least 10 days. You might want a day or two of beach time also.

Thank you Sassafrass. I have never been (but I am Italian -haha).
That's just jumping out at me for these three people. mickeyv will have (hopefully) many more trips in the future to see other parts of Europe. Make this one a special trip for the family and really dig in to Sicily. It does seem to have exactly what they are looking for in the mix of city, country, beach, culture, along with the family history tie in.
I don't see any sense in running around on a formal tour seeing a bunch of cities... just because.

suze - you took what I said wrong or maybe I said it wrong - meant nothing personal. Deleted it. Sorry.