Looking for a great city for my husband's birthday trip - please help
 

Hi everyone,

If you have read my previous post, I am looking for a great European city to spend 6 days in early October for my husband's birthday. We have been to Paris 3 times and we love that city!

I was asking about Barcelona but I am not 100% sold on going there. I know that major cities have a lot of pickpocketing but I have read that there is a ton there!

We love great food, architecture and going to a few museums. We would like to rent an apartment but would also stay at a hotel and will be flying from Boston.

I have been to Rome. Glad I went there once but will probably not go back again. Have been to London 2 times. I was thinking of Prague but the airfare from Boston is so expensive.

This will be a relatively short trip (6 days) so thinking that the countryside of a country will be out of the question.

Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions? Thanks so much!

I've heard of more pickpocketing in Paris than in Barcelona but don't really know the statistics. In any case, I wouldn't let that deter me if Barcelona appealed. However, if you're not 100% sold, it sounds like you're interested in another place.

Have you considered Florence or Venice? You could enjoy either of those cities for a few days and also take day trips.

Barcelona is lovely in Oct.
I, and many others, have visited many times without a problem.
The city has what you like : great food and. unique arch.

What about either Florence and Venice or Seville and Granada. You could do 2 cities in 6 days if you actually have 6 days on the ground (not including travel time to and from the US).

I would not hesitate to visit Barcelona. I suppose all large cities have pickpockets but we have never been bothered in Paris, London, Rome, Florence, Venice, Barcelona or Seville.

Look up the statistics on pickpocketing in Barcelona by comparison to other places - not good.

I would suggest Venice but for the food (which isn't bad, but not as interesting or good as in the rest of Italy).

How about Lyon? Second-largest city in France, fabulous food, great museums, good walking city (but it does have a métro), river culture, and easy access by train to other places should you want a taste of the countryside.

I lived in Paris for a couple of years and loved it, but my favourite city in the world is, hands down, Barcelona. (Note: (I've also lived in Toronto, New York and London.)

I do think the risk of pickpocketing is a bit higher in Barcelona than Paris (I'd estimate that Rome and Barcelona are about the same), but I wouldn't let that deter you from making the trip. The risk of violent crime is low, and if you take appropriate precautions, you can reduce the risk of pickpocketing futher.

When I've visited Barcelona (5 trips), I've stayed in the Eixample district, just north of Las Ramblas. You'll be close to a lot of the sights you want to see, but a bit removed from the tourist crowds (and associated pickpockets) that flock to the lower part of Las Ramblas. L'Eixample is an upscale, residential neighborhood with lots of shopping, restaurants and fascinating architecture. I've usually stayed in one of the Derby chain hotels, which I've found to be a good value.

I also think October would be a good time to visit. The temperatures will be pleasant.

Here are a few additional suggestions for a great city to celebrate your husband's birthday.

Istanbul - Turks are incredibly hospitable, the food is great, it's full of sights to see, has an amazing history, has great nightlife, good shopping, etc. Istanbul would be my second choice. Try to split your visit into two hotel stays, spending half your trip in an interesting hotel in a more modern part of the city (or on the Bosphorus) and half in a B&B-type hotel in the older part of the city. Istanbul is huge, and splitting your stay between two types of hotel and two locations will make it easier to see the sights.

Venice or Florence - If you enjoyed Rome, Venice or Florence would make a great second trip to Italy.

Berlin - very cool city. Interesting art, architecture and history. Try to stay in an "art hotel" if you can.

I would recommend Venice or Prague--two of our favorites. Could easily spend 6 days in either.

Vienna. Some world famous museums, great architecture, wonderful food, wine and beer. Could easily spend 6 days there or take the train to Salzburg for a couple of days. Weather should still be good in October.

I recommend Rome!! We toured Europe for our honeymoon, and loved our three days in Rome. Here's some videos on youtube from the trip. Please let me know if you have any questions!!

Rome Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSV0h5J_KiE
Rome Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpzuTX0MqeM

Best party cities I've been to: Barcelona and Prague. The weather would probably be better in Barcelona (we were in Prague this past October and it turned chilly and wet...but STILL had a blast).

Not to be snarky, but "fear of pickpocketing" is a silly reason to pick one destination over another. You are well-traveled enough to know what situations to avoid if you've been to Paris three times :-)

I think a few days on the Rhein/Mosel would be very romantic and also interesting. Berlin would also be fabulous for museums and is basically a fun city.

Or Munich/Salzburg.

Or Madrid/Sevilla/Córdoba. Better weather in Andalucía, that's for sure.

Are you fixated on Europe? What about Montreal and/or Quebec City?

Reykjavik, Iceland. A flat 5 hours direct from Boston, decent fare on Icelandic. For only 6 days you could drive around a bit as well. Fabulous scenery, good town, great food. A little out of the box, but I don't think pickpocketing is an issue.

Hi everyone,

Thank you so much for all of your suggestions. Oh, I did forget to mention that I have already been to Florence and Venice and I loved them both!

I am leaning towards Prague and Vienna and my husband is still interested in Barcelona. I will keep you posted.

I have to say that I just love everyone on Fodors -have a nice week!

If you love good food, beautiful Prague is not the place ..except for beer.
The most fantastic cakes anywhere are to be found in Vienna and, of course, some splendid art
Berlin is great for museum and history lovers.
I have been to Prague once, Vienna and Berlin three times - Like all of them.
It really depends on what kind of "vibe" you are looking for:
a city by the sea where you can sit outdoors in ox. , central European arch. and culture
or a very big city like Berlin with a special kind of " cool".

Agree with danon: Prague not good for food. As far as I'm concerned, Vienna isn't either.

Istanbul is foodie heaven and really, really interesting for something new and different. So is Marrakesh.

Barcelona is fantastic! I would highly recommend it for the architecture, food, scenery, art, museums, just fabulous. I can't wait to go back!

Hi everyone,

Well, we will be celebrating my husband's birthday so he picked Barcelona.

We will be staying in this apartment. Thanks so much everyone for your fabulous ideas. I will keep them in mind for future trips!

http://www.friendlyrentals.com/en/ap...ent-1908-1.htm

Why not Amsterdam? Day trips to other cities and towns in the Netherlands would be easy.

I think you will LOVE that location, and the apartment looks great. You can walk to many places from there, and you can travel by bus to the other locations. Visit the great little "grocer" in the basement of the El Corte Ingles for some basic supplies your first day or so, and you will likely feel more comfortable supplementing that with fruit and veggies from the markets after that.

Visit all the Gaudi sites -- you won't see anything like them anywhere else in the world. You've got lots of time to plan for how you'll spend your time. Search on Barcelona trip reports here and enjoy!