I am in the process of planning a trip for my husband and I this upcoming Christmas/New Year holiday. I am having trouble narrowing down our destination locations. Neither of us has been to Europe and we'd like to get the most out of our time there. We have approximately 12-14 days between Dec. 23rd and Jan. 9th.

We are very interested in Spain's Costa del Sol, France - Provence, Portugal, Switzerland... you name it, hence the need for help! We'd like to visit the Mediterranean Coast but also hidden villages and some of the more untouched areas.

We're open to traveling by train, bus, air and/or renting a car. What is the best (most cost effective) way to book either of those options?

Recommendations for accommodations are also welcome. We're open to hosteling it part of the time, home stays and budget-moderate hotels.

We are flying from Denver, CO and are hoping to book affordable open-jaw tickets to cut down on backtracking. I have found decent prices flying into Barcelona, out of Milan (if we were to travel N to Italy)... but that would cut Portugal completely out of our trip. The prices weren't low enough that we wouldn't consider another logical option.

We've heard fantastic things about both the Baleric Islands as well as Madiera. Are there affordable ways to get to them? We'd be interested in ferrying at some point if possible.

We are looking for fantastic food, beautiful scenery, a little adventure along with HISTORY!

Obviously our eyes are too big for our stomachs... we are aware we cannot hit all of these wonderful places in the amount of time we have. Any itinerary ideas, past experiences, method of travel recommendations, etc. would be helpful!!!

Thank you!
Gina

In the event this post is real (which I have serious doubts....)

Given the dates and duration you should plan for 2 max destinations. So, first things first: why do you want to see Europe? That would help you answer WHERE you MUST GO FIRST. Europe is not going anywhere; don't commit the common rookie mistake of trying to see a country/day.

Good luck with flight tickets this late....

If Med coast is your thing, head out to Paris and then take the train/fly to Nice with side trips to Monaco. There, you are done

I'm sure it's real, why not.

YOu have to narrow your choices down yourself, someone can't tell you that you must choose Spain vs. Switzerland. They are completely different.

YOu could fly into Barcelona and out of Marseille and see that part in-between, that is certainly doable in two weeks.

I think you don't understand that this will be winter and being very interested in PRovence is probably not due to what it is like in winter.

For that time of year, southern Spain and Portugal might be your best bet, although from what I understand, the interior of Portugal can have real winter weather. You might want to look at guidebooks such as Fodor's and the Michelin Green Guides.

I have no experience visiting anywhere in Europe during the Christmas and New Year holidays, but if it were my vacation I wouldn't be heading to places that are, generally speaking, summer destinations. Also, you may have 12-14 days, but at least two of those days will not be available for the usual tourist sightseeing activities.

I'd first get a handle on the time, effort and cost required to travel between some of the places you've mentioned. Here's a link to a helpful website for info on rail travel throughout Europe.

http://www.bahn.de/i/view/USA/en/index.shtml

You can also take low-cost flights between many cities. Airports and holidays don't mix well for me, but this is your trip. If you want to hit far-flung destinations, flying may be the only way to go in the time available.

I agree you have to narrow down your choices seriously. You've never been to Europe, so you should choose a couple of places, max, and just concentrate on those, with some day trips possibly.

It's winter--do you want a little warmth and sun, or do you want to be in wintery places?

The Mediterranean coast is a big place, and only parts are halfway warm in winter. The Costa del Sol will probably be mild, but is also full of tourists and not particularly the first place to go in Europe. Ditto the Algarve in Portugal.

I would choose two cities--Barcelona and Milan sound good, although Rome would be warmer. Concentrate on those two places, and hopefully find a cheap flight between. Lots to keep you interested for that length of time, and a real introduction to two different types of European culture.

and your first day will be a bit of a wash because of airport/check-in/jet lag, as well as the last day also.

You really need to define what is important to you, why you listed those locations. Prioritize the locations on a list, then decide how many days you would need at each of them (we can help), then add in time to get between locations....then add up the days from the top down, stop at 12-14.

Christina asked >>I'm sure it's real, why not.<< Only because it sounds like many similar posts in the past that ended up been NOT real. This type posts became so common in fact that years back the term Troll Post was coined.....

I would stay away from southern Europe in the winter; it'll more likely be wet and deserted. Although it's warmer then most of Europe Costa del Sol & Provence are not best visited in the winter.

If you are into city activities (culture, dining, shows, markets, etc) then bigger Western European cities are fun to visit around Christmas. Paris alone could easily take up 1 week. Switzerland is beautiful in any season but quite cold except Ticino (closer to Milan). Great destination for winter lover and ski enthusiast.

So I was you I would concentrate on visiting just a couple of places that mostly suit your interest.

My post is real and if the original is not so be it.

No one can really assist you at this point. Or rather, people can tell you what THEY might do, but then you'd get 100 different opinions, and that's no help. There's a wealth of information out there in libraries, bookstores, and on the net. YOU need to hunker down and so some serious research until you figure out what draws you to particular places. People here can provide a wealth of specific information once you've gotten a handle on the basics.

I agree with others who suggest you do some research and narrow down your questions to some places you are really interested in. Take into account the season and the weather, obviously. Since it is late to be getting airfare, maybe check those prices and let the best airfare deal determine your itinerary. Then post specific questions

You need to tell us what you really want. I wouldn;t go to any beach resorts (Costa del Sol or Balearic Islands) in the off season - some places are likely to be closed and there won;t be much to do. Going to europe in winter - when you have to assume rain, if not snow, is likely - as well as a lot of closures on the holidays (Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day) I would either focus on cities - with many sights indoors - or head for Switzerland for winter sports.

As for Provence - you can also expect bad weather - not as cold as CO - but definitely winter - not warm weather.

In the time you have you can do parts of 2 counties or quick trips to 3 cities - depending on if your days are actual time on the ground or include arrival and departure days.

For good food and history you are also best off in major cities at this time of year.

Traveling by train probably makes the most sense - unless you really want to tour small towns - for which you will need a car. But - in midwinter the days are short, the countryside not at it's best and the small towns likely not have much going on due to lack of tourists.

Thanks for the feedback. To be honest, this is what I was looking for... some opinions on what is fun to visit over the holidays and what we should steer away from. During the holidays is when our vacation falls, so we have no choice as to when to travel.

My feeling as of today is to concentrate on Spain and Portugal.

I've heard Ronda & Cordoba are beautiful and Los Pueblos Blancos are a must. I don't know much about Portugal (yet)... but that's the point right?

We're not looking for a "beach resort" kind of vacation. We'd like to experience a new part of the world and take in the European culture.

Flights into Barcelona and out of Lisbon are do-able.
Thanks again,
G

You might want to take a look at my trip report for Portugal. Just click on my name to find it.

"Flights into Barcelona and out of Lisbon are do-able"

with only 12-14 days flying into Barcelona and out of Lisbon, and visitng the Pueblos Blancos is WAY too much geography for a well paced trip.

As others have said, I'd focus on 2 regions at the most (whether it be 2 different countries or one country and 2 main areas).

What about Chile or Brazil? I know next to nothing about them, except they offer history, cities, beaches, environmental adventures, etc. And less expensive than Europe.

You are concentrating on Spain and Portugal. At this time of year, I would focus on the Southern coast, some 55-65 °F. Much colder inland in the mountains and further north.

Málaga on the Mediterranean coast in Southern Spain (on Costa del Sol) would be a perfect base for exploring important parts of fascinating Andalucía (Granada, Córdoba, Sevilla, the white villages etc). A fabulous city with a vibrant Andalusian atmosphere and a great intro to Spanish culture.

You'll never get tired of walking around in the narrow streets in the center of town. The area itself is a museum of Andalusian history; within 200 metres you'll find both a newly excavated Roman theater, the great Moslem Alcazaba (palace/fortress) and the marvellous 16th century Cathedral. In the same area, great tapas bars, shopping and good vibes. The malagueños are reputedly the most easy-going people in all of Andalucía.

You'll find excellent seashore seafood restaurants very popular with locals some 5-10 mins (taxi/bus) east of the city center, in Pedregalejo.

If you want a change of scenery, go inland to Antequera, the so called "heart of Andalucía", some 35 miles north of Málaga. http://www.andaluciacoastandcountry.com/antequera.html

A couple of sites on Málaga:
http://www.andalucia.com/cities/malaga/home.htm
http://www.andalucia.com/magazine/en...ed2/malaga.htm

Christmas in Andalucía: http://www.andalucia.com/accounts/ch...nandalucia.htm

Vueling flies from Barcelona to Málaga in 90 mins for some 30-50€. vueling.com

I had a friend who spent Christmas and New Years' in Madrid and really enjoyed it. She said the weather was not bad (MUCH better than Boston) and that they just really enjoyed getting to know the city.

Unlike some of the posters in this forum, I don't think it is overly ambitious/crazy to try and fit a few different places over a 12 day trip. Trains are really good in Europe and if you know what you are doing (i.e. book the Spanish trains in Spanish, look for deals on the French website and have the tickets mailed to a friend in Europe who can mail them to you), you can zigzag around without too much trouble. If you don't have a lot of baggage, you can take low-cost flights.

I would get some good guidebooks and figure out what is practical. Andalucia is wonderful (I have been to various parts of it four times), but might not be so fun if the weather is bad. For a winter trip, I might stick to the cities - maybe start in Madrid, spend four days there (one of them being a daytrip to Toledo, which I bet is magical during Xmastime based on how fun it was during Easter) then head to Barcelona, spend four days there, and then head to Paris or even Rome. Even if the weather is bad in these places (i.e. cold and rainy), you can still duck into museums, etc. You can also decide on the spur of the moment whether you want to do a short daytrip.

Anyway, have fun!!!!!

This site is great about next to magical Sevilla in Andalucía with marvellous sights, architecture, food, people ... could go on and on. Will normally be cooler than Málaga though, 2h 30mins away by bus or train:
http://www.exploreseville.com/

Christmas "preparations" in Sevilla:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ltDBAXXnqI

Experience true flamenco at intimate Casa de la Memória? Popular with tourists, but this is the real deal. Up and coming artists, and occasionally some of the very best in the world perform here. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractio...Andalusia.html

Dine or have some tapas at Enrique Becerra?
http://azahar-sevilla.com/sevilletap...rique-becerra/

Relax at the Arab bath-house, Aires de Sevilla?
http://www.airedesevilla.com/

Short video-presentation of Sevilla: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLAsoNknV0U