NEED HELP! FIRST TRIP TO EUROPE IDEAS?
 

Hello, I am want to plan a trip to italy and spain. A total of 15days. Any ideas on the best places to visit? Looking for itinerary ideas. This will be my husband's and my first trip to Europe. He likes Soccer and I love architecture, art, and food. So any advice would be awesome.

Unless you've already subtracted your travel days, you will have around 13 full days. 13 days isn't a lot to see two countries- remember you will lose time every time you move from city to city or country to country, which will cut your time down even more.

I would pick either Italy or Spain, but not both. I am planning a trip to Italy in 2008 and will probably spend 2-3 wks just trying to see Venice, Florence and Rome. So much to see, so little time!

I would also get your husband to help with the decision and with the travel planning. After all, it's his vacation as well.

Lastly, once you decide on the country, research the cities and then the sights. Next, map out a basic itinerary and post it for advice. That'll be where you'll get the most help-

Good luck!

What type of travel do you find most enjoyable? Quick and on the move or more relaxed?

My daughter and I went to the Europe for the first time this summer. We spent 4 days in Budapest, 2 weeks in Novi Sad, Serbia (purpose of the trip was a ballet workshop) and then 3 days in London. Central/Eastern Europe is cheaper than Western Europe--we got a real eye-opener on that one. I am a history teacher and loved the architecture, museums, and soaking up as much culture as possible.

While we enjoyed every destination on our trip and we would definitely return to each of them if given the opportunity, I will have to say that I really enjoyed my two weeks in one place tremendously--with just a side trip or two during the time. There were lovely buildings and beaches in Novi Sad, but best of all was that I got to completely relax and decompress because I was stationary for 2 weeks. I didn't even realize how much I needed that! I have some sleep disorders and can't sleep at home without my Ambien and NEVER relax enough to nap at home. I slept easily the entire time there and even took a nap or two (still with Ambien at night, but the naps amazed me).

My daughters' ballet teacher hopes to get another group to go next summer--we are already saving up! There wasn't a tremendous amount to do there, but I had such a relaxing time that I can't wait to return! The people were lovely too and the food was terrific. The relationships I was able to build--even with a language barrier--wouldn't be possible with a whirlwind trip all over the place. That was a wonderful part of the experience that ought to be considered too.

Have you considered going to the library and taking out some guide books?

Hey thanks everybody for the replies...I think it will be best to pick just one country for our first time. I think it will be italy first. I will pick up a guide book at my nearest book store and start from there. All I know is that I want to be ride a train sometime during my trip.

If you want to see Italy and France, please.....see Italy and France. We spent time in both countries during the summer. Rome was great, Florence was great. Venice was OK, but it was in the wrong direction, and probably not worth the detour. We then drove into southern France, where we spent several days in the Avignon area. Driving in Italy is not easy, although it is do-able. Driving in France is much easier. It looks to me like you could fly into Rome, spend several days there, then take the train up to Florence. You don't really need a car for either city, unless you decide to drive out into Tuscany. A train trip up to Avignon would give you a nice long time in Southern France. I assume that it is possible to fly home from Marseille or Nice.