CMurphy88

My husband and I are in our 30's and are looking to make another trip to Europe to celebrate 5 wonderful years together! I have had great feedback on this site and are hoping for LOTS of help in planning this trip. We recently went to Italy and visited Rome, Florence, Ravello, and Capri. We loved this vacation as it had plenty to see, but also allowed for down time in the sun. We are a couple that truly enjoys spending time together when we have the opportunity to. We have busy schedules so we do not get a lot of just "us" time. I guess you could say we are looking for sightseeing and romance along with some relaxation. We love food & wine, quaint cobblestone streets to stroll around, outside cafes to people watch, We both love history which is why we want to see as much of Europe as we can. We don't mind having some busy days just as long as a few days we can relax a bit. We both love art & gardens, however we would much rather walk outside than inside a museum. We will probably have anywhere between 8-10 days. (i know, not a lot) Schedules are busy! I wanted to give a list of cities we are interested in visiting at some point in different areas. I am hoping I can get some feedback on what would be a good trip for this time (8-10 days).

Prague
Munich
Salzburg
Lucerne

Northern Italy-Venice, the Lakes, Cinque Terre

Amsterdam
Brussels
Bruges
Ghent

Paris
Provence
Cote d' Azur


All these places are on our bucket list. What do you all think would be a great 8-10 day trip? Would love some advice, opinions, possible itineraries, etc.... Thanks so much!!!

janisj

What time of year? Can make a big difference.

annhig

thanks for giving us so much information about your likes and dislikes. but one thing you've omitted is the time of year that you're intending to travel.

that could make a difference to what people suggest - for example, the italian lakes are really summer only destinations as they shut down for the winter.

My first thoughts were indeed the lakes and Venice - Venice is like an open-air museum with plenty of opportunity for exploring, boating and strolling in the open air and the Lakes are very picturesque. you might add Verona to that list but probably Venice and a lake [Garda?] would probably be enough for 10 days.

nytraveler

If you are going in Sept I would do northern Italy - land in Venice and spend several days there then head for Lago Maggiore - very pretty, quaint hotels along the lake front, day trips to the various island in the lake and nearby gardens and villas - and then a quick hop to the Milan airport (1.5 hours or so) to head home.

However, if you mean Aug I would probably do Switz or Germ or Austria for better weather.

If another time of year - let us know.

CMurphy88

Thank you all sooo much for your input! I know we do not want to travel during the winter time so I would think either summer months or Sept would be ideal! A big part of me would love to visit a different area than Italy because we did visit parts of Italy already, however I have always wanted to visit Northern Italy especially after visiting the Southern portion. Switz, Germ, and Austria are top on my list as well! I have been dying to see them too. How do you decide?? haha!

annhig

yes in september, nyt's idea is perfect. into Venice out of Milan.

you can't go wrong with any of the lakes, but Maggiore has the isola bella and the isola superiore, both of which are lovely and make great excursions.

and not far away in the hills is the umbrella museum - who could miss that?

eccolo:

http://www.illagomaggiore.com/8012,Poi.html

bobthenavigator

People in their 30s do not have buckets lists.
Perhaps you mean wish list.

With only 10 days, I would do Prague, Salzburg, Munich.

greg

There was at least one 19 yr old with a bucket list: /www.amazon.com/No-Opportunity-Wasted-Creating-List/dp/1594860866/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-1&qid=1372985251

CMurphy88

I actually know a bunch of people in their 30's with so called "Bucket Lists" However I didnt post to talk about that.....

I appreciate everyone's advice who have helped give some input on trip possibilities. How many days would you recommend staying in each place?

If we had a 10 day trip?
If we only had an 8 day trip? Where should we go?

centraleurope

I would go for September and Paris...because, well,it's Paris!.... You could easily couple Paris and Bruges... But the south of France is perfect... And very much what you describe.

annhig

10 days - you'd just about get in Prague, Salzburg and Munich. [4,2,4]

8 days - Venice and Lake Maggiore or Paris & Nice [3/5 and 5/3]

6 days - Paris OR Nice.

BigAleinstein

You can also look at Sicily which will fulfill many of your requirements, especially history and food. But if you can wait until the end of September, it may a little cooler. And it is perfect for a 7 to 10 days becauase there much to see on both sides of the island.

CMurphy88

Wow everyone, thank you so much for all the suggestions. They all sound amazing! What are some of your most memorable trips to these places??

AisleSeat

Two options pop into my mind. I would either split the time between Munich/Salzburg and Venice taking the overnight train in between or munich/Salzburg and Paris. You will get all the food, wine, cobblestones, history and people watching either way. Once you narrow down the options come back and let us help you make your sightseeing plans in the cities you visit.