Two First Class Tickets, Two weeks and $7000...where would you go?
 

Hi,

Time to cash in those miles , drop off those teenagers and fly away to Europe. We have about $7K to spend. Last summer we did Paris, Brugges,Cologne, the Rhine River, and Munich. We have already seen plenty of Lonodon and the UK.
Where would you go? What was your favorite trip? Suggestions please?
Thanks
Tina

Aaah< that was London.

Italy!

I would go to Paris and stay at the Crillon for 5 days, have dinner at Les Bouquinistes. That would certainly burn through 7K.

Thin

Have you been to Sicily before or the Aeolian Islands off Sicily? Pretty amazing locations and not too hard to get to from Naples. The trip there was half the adventure. Hydrofoils, Overnight ferries and a true italian experience. We stayed in Taormina in Sicily and in Salina at the Hotel Signum in the Aeolian Islands. Spectacular spa experience at the hotel. The have a website. Both were fabulous locations. You could start in the Lake region of Italy and move south through the Italian Riviera, Tuscany, Umbria, the Amalfi Coast and then Sicily.

On the other hand, we spent a week in Ireland before traveling to the continent. Our 5th trip to Ireland, we love the relaxed atmosphere and the ease of touring around the country, not as exotic, but very laid back.

GREECE! I loved the port city of Chania in Crete, and Old Town, Rhodes. Also had a great time on a day trip from Athens to Hydra, a gorgeous tiny island of stone mansions and no real beach that was once a summer home to the Canadian singer/songwriter Leonard Cohen. AHHHH...

And if that doesn't sound good, we had a fabulous time several years ago in the medieval walled city of Dubrovnik and the Croatian Coast. My ideal trip would to combine Croatia/Greece for a three-week vacation, but surprisingly there don't seem to be air connections between the two.

Next up on my vacation radar is southern Spain and Morocco, or Puglia on the Adriatic Coast of Italy, or the Danish Riveria, close to Copenhagen or.... Well, you get the idea!!

I'd head for Provence and the Riviera.

Italy!

Italy would be my vote too.

On the other hand - any reason to limit to Europe? Have you done Egypt (one of my favorites!)

Italy, but not in the summer.
If it must be summer - Stockholm, St. Petersburg, Berlin.

I know this is a Europe forum, but I'd go to S Africa/Botswana. But since you asked about Europe, I'd go to Scandinavia or Eastern Europe.

Stay in one of those beautiful expensive hotels in Venice then head out to a few of the Italian lakes. Maybe Bellagio for a few days

Italy, and my next choice would be France.

Provence for sure! Loved every minute. The food, the wine, the B&Bs, the lavender fields, the sea....did I mention, the food, the wine?

Where are you starting from?

Do the 2 Rivieras. Italy and France!

Thank you! I am clapping with glee like a preschooler at Disneyland. Yipee! Everyone's suggestions sound great.
I most like the ideas of:
Italy...perhaps start in Rome and end in Venice?
jhager: Where did you start and end? My husband is Sicilian, so this may be the ticket.
Weadles: Dubrovnick sounds enchanting, my husband adores walled cities.
TDudette:The Rivieras sound good too..maybe Cinque Terra along the way.
Thin: Perhaps when I have 14K to blow!!
Thanks for all of your suggestions.
Tina

Paris is our all time favorite and we've been 7 times, but

Speaking of Venice---I would sail on a fabulous cruise (on a ship with 400 or under passengers) from Venice , stopping in Dubrovnick, Capri, and Sicily) ending in Rome.

We love the Windsurf (Windstar cruises), but there are others that look interesting.

Another one of our favorite trips was Lake Como for 10 days. We travel to Europe every Sept. and this was one of our best.

Oooh!

Fly to Pisa, go to Cinque Terre. Take boat to Portafino (sp?). See Camogli (sp?) and the huge frying pan, old Genoa maybe? On to Nice (train? drive?) with sides to Monaco, Cannes, etc.

We did the Rome, Florence, Venice trilogy and loved it. You go from crazy and noisy Rome to less so Florence to mysterious Venice. Others like the opposite order.

Love TPAYT's cruise!

I'd go to Ireland, but that's just me.

I would go to northen Italy and southern Switzerland, but that is the area that I know best.
"my husband adores walled cities." Research Marostica in Northen Italy. I believe that there is at least one hotel inside thw city walls. Also, there is website that lists castle hotels but castle hotels are italy's strong point.
Are you planning on renting a car or thinking no rental car?

I'd go to Africa, but that's just me.

Does it have to be Europe? How about taking full advantage of those first class tickets and going to New Zealand or Australia? Or Japan or China?

Well, if it must be Europe, it does seem like Italy is a significant omission from your past trips. Fly into Venice and out of Rome. Spend romantic time in Venice, the Italian lakes and/or the Amalfi coast.

Italy... you could start in Rome.... get a car and drive to Lucca (walled city)... then head for Venice and try to incorporate Urbino (walled city) in the itinerary. It's been awhile since we were on the road in Italy so maybe someone else can fill in the missing parts.

Have you said what time of year this is? Italy (where I live) can be unpleasantly hot in summer if you want to be a tourist out sightseeing. That's especially true of Sicily, but also true of Rome, and places like Lucca and Venice can be stinking humid. Le Cinque Terre to hot to hike except in the morning. Between November and February, chill rains put a real damper on enjoying what's to enjoy most in Italy (al fresco dining, etc.)

If your husband likes walled cities, Siena and Lucca should be on your itinerary, as well as Sarzana if you go to le Cinque Terre.

However, this does sound like a summer trip. I suggest someplace cooler if you are energetic people who want to go-go-go all the time, and it sounds like that's how you approach travel.

Consider San Sebastian and the Basque coast of Spain, with forays in to the Pyrenees.

Nice, Barcelona, Dublin and maybe Florence if you have time. Or, pick 3 of the 4.

If your husband likes walled cities, Dubrovnik is heaven on earth. Combine that with Italy or Greece. It will be hot, though, so the mountains might be a better choice...it's a nice "problem" to have!:)

We were in Egypt during christmas time. Our trip was arranged by Ahmed hamed Yousif and it was fantastic and worry free! One of these days I will post a trip report. Italy was a lot of fun, visiting Rome and booking a tour to Sorrento (Pompeii & Capri) with Vastour then returning to Rome. From there we hired Lucas Garrapa from Hills and Roads to visit the Tuscany region all the way to Venice. This summer we have first class tickets and returning to France! Have a great time deciding tinabina!

Italy in a nanosecond!

tinabina----where are you? We're all waiting to hear what you have chosen. We wish we were in your shoes!

Hi, thanks everyone. Although I love the idea of Egypt and Africa, I think we will stick with a European destination. Right now Italy is in the lead! With a few, such as Greece and Croatia right behind. I am worried the summer weather may be too intense in Greece. We don't mind hot...we are from Southern California, so we can deal with heat. I am strongly leaning toward Rome to Venice, perhaps with a coastal side trip.
Anymore walled city suggestions from Rome to Venice? My sister mentioned Periggia(sp) well-known for chocolate.

Honestly, If I was going alone..I'd head straight to Paris, but DH, wants a new adventure.

Has anyone stayed in notable spots between Rome and Venice? Any must check out locations!?

Thank you for your valuable input.
Tina

You have two first class tickets to ANYwhere? How? I see more and more use of "tiers" for FF mile award travel to Europe. Limited destinations only in WESTERN Europe for the lowest award levels, then different award levels (and availability) for central Europe or southern Europe or Scandinavia, and much different for Russia or points east of Poland.

What is it that you actually have? Unless you are talking about burning through a LOT of miles, I am curious where you think you can get and at what "price" (in miles).

Best wishes.

Rex

@ Weedles -- Leonard Cohen still owns the place on Hydra. It's periodicaly inhabited by an ex spouse and one of his children.

Another vote for Italy. If you haven't seen them, Venice and Florence are a must. Our last trip to Italy - three weeks - started on Lake Como. We then drove to Lago Maggiore for a week in a wonderful place overlooking the lake. We drove to Milan and took the train to Cinque Terre for a few days. From there we trained on to Naples and a few nights in Sorrento, from where we could take a bus tour of the Amalfi coast (You couldn't pay me to make that drive.) After that we had a few more days in Rome.It was a truly spectacular trip. If you want to rent a place as a base for a week I recommend Parker Villas. Their places run the gamut in price. We have used them several times and have always been very pleased.
I might add that I have always been a francophile and only went to Italy because of the encouragement of friends. It is now my favorite country in Europe.

And, oh, yes. while on your way to Venice and/or Perugia you might "throw in" Assissi.

Consider flying into Venice and out of Rome instead of vice versa. Connecting flights leave Venice very early. leaving you with less time on the ground. And arriving in Venice allows you to get over jet lag in a place with no cars, a place where walking around in a daze getting lost is the best sight-seeing. (You can't really get lost; Venice isn't that big.)

To my mind the most notable stop between Venice and Rome is Tuscany, specifically southern Tuscany. I love the look of the countryside there--it's what you see in all the travel ads and calendars. Renting a car for a few days, basing in Pienza or San Quirico d'Orcia, driving around to hill towns would be a great break from cities.

Perugia does indeed have the best chocolate in Italy to my tastebuds (dark), and the region of Umbria would make a great in-between for a trip that includes Rome and Venice. It is much less touristed than neighboring Tuscany, and the cuisine in general is much better and the wines unadulterated and some of the finest reds (Sagrantino) and whites (Orvieto) in Italy. So it's delicious treat to be in Umbria. I would look for an agriturismo with a pool and a restaurant in the vicinity of Assisi, Montefalco, Spoleto, Bevagna or Spello.

Have a great trip!

Capri

The 7K and is our budget for a Sept trip to Budapest, Vienna, Prague, Dresden and Berlin. All great cities with 3 nights in each.

Wow! You guys sure know your stuff. We are narrowing it down to very early July and definately Italy. Ready for a break from everyday life.
Rex: We have LOTS of miles and can pretty much pick any destination....we run our whole business through our Visa.
Tina