We're looking for some ideas for a 10 day trip in either mid June or midAugust 2004. Have been to Munich, Frankfurt, Black Forest, Paris, Normandy and Rome. Ideally, I'd like to combine a few days of touring with a few days just relaxing on a beach but don't want to deal with the hordes of european holiay folks. We'll have two teenaged boys with us as well. Any good out of the way type suggestions? Many Thanks

Hi,

If you want to avoid the european holiday folks - Miami Beach will fit your criteria.

If you want to go to Europe, consider Denmark.

Spain, Portugal, Greece, southern Italy (either the Amalfi coast or Sicily). My first choice would be Spain for the great mix of history, culture and then beach. Great food as well.

Do NOT go anywhere in Europe in August if you want to avoid hordes of Europeans, esp Spain, Portugal and Italy. Northern parts of the UK and Ireland would be OK, as would Scandinavia, but these may not have the beach requirements you are looking for. Cannot emphasize this enough. . .

I was going to suggest Denmark also. What do I like about it?-the small cottages with flower filled gardens of Funen, a day trip to the island of Aero, Eskov castle,Copenhagen, Roskilde- viking ships and burial mounds, the island of Bornholm with lovely beaches , good roads for cycling, good food feeling of safety, lovely sunsets, super little villages, folk museums-loads more

Unfortunately, June-mid-August is the height of the tourist season in Europe, so it will be almost impossible to avoid the masses. Because of school schedules, we end up vacationing June-mid August, too. We just returned from a wonderful trip to the Amalfi Coast, Rome, and London. My kids are teens and they very much enjoyed it. If you're interested in the details, just post again.

Some out of the way places that may have fewer tourists (although British and German tourists have already discovered these) are Croatia, Slovakia, and Hungary. These countries are somewhat cheaper than others in Europe, and may offer what you're looking for.

Good luck, and please post what you decide to do!

Scotland, I would have you know, dear Cicerone, has some of the best beaches in the world, and one of the best times to visit them is June (August is a bit midge ridden, I fear).
We have lots of wide open spaces, and lots of outdoor activities.

You could do a lot worse than come here, believe me.

June is a MUCH better month than August, both weather-wise and in terms of overcrowding. School is still in session almost everywhere, and most European families don't get away until mid-July.

Lake Constance, a huge lake which borders on Germany, Switzerland, and Austria, is actually a lot like the seaside, just without the waves and the salt. There are several nice resort towns around the lake with beaches, bike rentals, ferry service, and interesting places to visit. We enjoyed a relaxing week near Radolfzell a few years ago and daytripped around the lake to Meersburg, Ueberlingen, Konstanz, and Lindau. It would make a good starting point for a tour of Austria or Switzerland, and since it's so near to France, you could also see Alsace, the French Alps, or???

Weadles--I would love to hear about your most recent trip--we are also planning a trip for June-July 2004 with two teens--Thanks

If you want to avoid crowds and do a beach I would suggest going in June and (like Weadles) consider Croatia - specifically Dubrovnik and then one of the central Dalmation islands.

Kimmi,

little traffic at 8 AM!

We stayed at the Hotel Tramontano in Sorrento for six days. The hotel is set in a tropical garden with swimming pool, and is only about a five-10 minute walk from the main drag in Sorrento, Piazza Tasso, less to the old town, and the all-important ( for kids anyway!) internet cafe and smoothie stand.

We had two medium sized rooms that were nothing special, but the terraces overlooking the Bay of Naples more than made up for it. Some nights we'd grab pizza in town, (Lanterna makes the most unbelievable pizza!) and head right back to the terrace where there was always just enough wind , and you could hear the live music being played down at the old port around the corner from Bellevue Syrenee.

We stayed six days in Sorrento, and took two daytrips-- one to Positano by ferry from the port in Sorrento, and one with Giovanni for the new guided night tour of Pompeii. My husband and I had visited Pompeii two years earlier, and thought that our tour, conducted during the day was much more thorough and interesting.

From Sorrento, we went to Capri by hydrofoil ( 20 minutes) for three days. We stayed at the Hotel Luna

For KIMMI,

Sorry for the beheaded post! Would it be possible to e-mail you? I have lots of details, but I've been posting it piece meal for awhile now, and I don't want to bore everybody else.
Thanks-

Weadles--Thanks- Please e-mail me @ [email protected]--Thanks Kimmi

Denmark is great!!! and defeintly Croatia, and Slovenia, history beaches, magic!!

How about Croatia. We will be going in late September, early October but know a couple who have been there in June.