Suzie

I can finally afford a trip to Europe. Don't think I can afford a multi-stop trip so I'm really stuck for which country to pick. I love the cultural side of things especially the historical sites, not bothered about shopping, would like some nice weather so I can spend several days lazing about on a beach, I don't really want a purely "tourist type place" but would like somewhere where there is enough things to do at night( restaurants etc- I'm past the frenetic nightlife stage!)I would really appreciate some help deciding- and isn't that the best part of the trip?

x

Go to Miami, FLORIDA, USA.

Rex

Your thoughts are entirely on target, Suzie.<BR><BR>Spain.<BR><BR>or Portugal.<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex<BR>

Suzie

<BR>Rex<BR>Never had Spain or Portugal as a possibility as I thought they were very touristy. Where would you recommend to stay and to see? I would value further advice from you!

Ray

Good God woman, have you heard of a travel book? Read the damned thing and decide for yourself. One person's decision won't be the one for everyone. do some research before you pester everyone for stupid questions.

Suzie

Ray<BR>If you REALLY are of that opinion then there is absolutely no point in you being on this forum! By the way I wasn't pestering them for "stupid questions", I have been asking for answers. Perhaps you need to read a grammar book!<BR>to everyone else<BR> Ray may not value your opinions but I am on this forum for exactly that. When I have narrowed down the options with your help I will certainly be doing my own research!

Hugh

Suzie<BR>brilliant reply to Ray! People like that should find another forum. Have you thought about Italy? A tour of Italy would certainly fill your "wants". Use the search function on this site for Italy and I'm sure I will have convinced you! sorry I can't give any personal experience of Italy as haven't been yet, but going this summer!

Gregory

Suzie,<BR><BR>Here are a few ideas;<BR><BR>Portugal: Lisbon for sightseeing ie Belem, St Georges Castle, Alfama districtand history with a train journey to Cascais/Estoril (30mins) for the beach<BR>Also you might consider Oporto with the old town and visits to the Port companies on the Douro.<BR>Spain: Barcelona with the Ramblas, Barri Gothic, the Sargada Famila ( unfinished church started by Gaudi), the Olympic Stadium with a train ride to Montserrat ( mountain monastary village) and a train ride to Sitges for the beaches.<BR>You may be able to get some chep flights between Portugal and Span or within Portugal depending on which airline you use.<BR><BR>Hope this helps

r

Suzie; Reading your concerns I immediately thought of Spain or Portugal, too. In fact, Barcelona sounds like your kind of place. Also, the towns with beaches north of Barcelona are lovely. (Sitges,Figuerara,Cadaques) There was a thread recently about them. Use the search engine on this forum and you will find a lot of opinions! You could also pop over to the Baleric Islands from Barcelona which would be very nice. <BR>Another place that might be right for you would be the Algarve in Portugal. You can do the beach thing and there are also some very interesting historical sites: such as Sagres,Silves,Estoi,etc.Roman ruins, Fortresses, Castles, beautiful churches and plenty of seafood and nice people--not very touristy. More off the beaten path for the average American tourist. (Not meant as a criticism.)

Leslie

I recall that some of the websites like Travelocity, Orbitz and Expedia allow you to input criteria regarding you preferences for vacation, and the database will then provide you with recommendations. The other site you might look at is go-today.com for packages.

Suzie

thanks to everyone for your replies. I really would never have considered Spain and Portugal before. I just knew that I would get good advice from this forum. I'm beginning to get quite excited about my holiday! as mentioned before, now I have the advice I will now go and do my own research, concentrating on your suggestions.<BR>Fodorites- you're great!!!

tom

what about the Greek mainland? Try basing yourself in Tolon.It has a great beach and there are so many trips to take from there. We have been twice and still have ot run out of places we'd like to see.

Susan

How about Turkey. Interesting, good beaches, not too many tourist these days.

hamish

I like the Italy (Rome & south ... some of the islands around Sicily are amazing) and Barcelona/Costa Maresme ideas ... Lisbon is nice, too, though I don't know the nearby beaches well. If the "big name" associated with a place isn't terribly important to you, and you're ready to consider anywhere in Europe, I think Croatia and the Montenegran coast of Yugoslavia also fit your criteria well (and may be a bit cheaper, too). The shoreline and islands of the whole sweep from Trieste (Italy) down through the Istrian peninsula (Slovenia) and Croatia and Montenegro (Yugoslavia) are absolutely gorgeous - the beaches are a dream, and for history/culture, don't miss Split & Dubrovnik.

Emma

Suzie, I highly recommend Spain. Excellent museums, cathedrals, architecture, parks, beaches, cuisine, flamenco shows, scenery, shopping, and friendly people. It's my favorite european country.

Maurice

To see several places - look into an open-jaw ticket. Take a trian. We flew into Rome and out of Milan last year. We went from place to place on a kilometric ticket. (Let's see how much was it? 1 person x 1500Km (1000mi) for about $150? I think?). In 1999 when NWA (as KLM partner) offered cheap fares to both Italy and France, we flew into Paris, and out of Venice. The ticket price was the average of the two ($485 ea. I believe). Train Paris to Venice was $175C, or about $115US. <BR>For history? Atmosphere? Can't beat Italy! Venice! Florence! Rome! Think of the icons and landmarks of history - Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, Tower of London, Notre Dame; now how many are Italy? Vatican, Collosseum, David in Florence, Venice the City, Rialto, St. Mark's Square, Leaning Tower, Capri, Roman Forum, Pompeii?<BR>History - no contest! The majority of historical buildings in Paris or England seem to be 1500's or later. St. Mark's in Venice was begun around 1050. Notre Dame in Paris, about 1200(I think).<BR>Beaches - Italy is famous for those too, but we just never got to them.