Where did you go in 2015?
 

I thought it would be fun to see & share the trips we all took in 2015 and the trips on the docket for 2016. Include world wide destinations even though this is the Europe board. I have to stick this post somewhere, might as well be Europe since that's where I hangout :)

So where did you go? Business or pleasure? First time or a return visit? Anything special to note? Where are you going or where do you hope to be going in 2016?

Trying to remember back to the beginning of 2015 now, we didn't go on any long/exotic trips last year, but we did have a week's trip to the area around Bordeaux which we enjoyed [apart from the awful stomach upset I got on the last night], a few days in Germany on the german leg of a legal exchange programme we belong to which was great, and somewhat unexpectedly, to Sofia in Bulgaria for a wedding which turned out to be lovely, both the wedding and Sofia.

on Monday we fly to Havana for 3 weeks in Cuba - a trip that has been 8 months+ in the planning and now it's almost happening I can't really believe it.

What about you, Limmy?

Hi Annhig you'll love Cuba.
People are real nice landscape is fantastic and the cities are great.

We moved quite a lot in 15.
Mexico - slovenia in family and few days in Nl (+france)

Job was quieter - I went to UK france Germany Romania Italy Spain China : nothing unusual.

2015 - In March I spent two weeks in Italy (Siena, Orvieto, Sorrento and Rome - all repeats - I wanted to see what they were like in off season as I usually travel in July).

In July, 4 weeks in Italy (mountains and lakes mostly) plus one in Malta.

2016 - In March I'm going to the US desert southwest (Grand Canyon, Death Valley, etc.) for 10 days.

In July I'm going to: Estonia/Latvia/Lithuania for ten days, followed by Italy for 10 days (Veneto and Lombard regions), followed by 10 days on Crete.


Annhig - are you going to Cuba independently or with a group?

2015 was a year of going back to favorite destinations. In February we spent a month in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico City & Oaxaca all places we have been several times.

April & May we spent 5 weeks in Naples, the Cilento Coast, Sicily & 8 days in Rome. Again all repeat visits.

August took us to Maine and the Hudson Valley for 3 weeks. These are places we go often in the summer.

We ended our travels in 2015 with 3 weeks in Paris shortly after the horrific attacks and into December. Have always wanted to see the holiday lights and they were fabulous! Many trips to Paris, my favorite city.

2016 is still being worked out, but we start with 7 weeks in Colombia and Ecuador in Jan & February. Over the summer we're doing a couple months cross country trip. We're hoping to see Cuba this yea probably in the fall.

Annhig - I am also interested in how you're going to Cuba. I've started looking at tours and they are pretty expensive or at leas the ones I've checked. I hope you'll do a TR.

And yes, limmy -- where have you been and where are you going? I love these threads as they always give me ideas for new places to visit.

2015 we did a few of trips within the Netherlands, and bouncing along the Belgian border, two trips to France, one to Alsace, Lorraine and the Vosges, returning via the Mosel and Eiffel in Germany, and a trip to the Camargue and Provence. We also visited northern Germany, going as far east as Penemünde.
A flying visit to near Burton on Trent for a wedding too.

There will be no more long haul trips sadly.

No idea where we will go this ear. To many uncertainties at this tome.

I am envious of you visiting Cuba Ann. It has long been on my wish list, but I could never convince DH to go, and now is the last chance really before it gets over run.

2015
Venice( day visit to Padua)..spring

ST. Petersburg and Moscow...summer

Madrid and Barcelona..fall


So far , booked a flight for 10 days in Spain at the end of April .

Very nice Annhig. You must be excited for your trip to Cuba. I know that feeling when a long time planned trip is finally upon you, something kind of surreal or a calm excitement about it.

We did a good amount of short hop arounds a inside the US this year. I went to the Florida Keys with my mother (we go every winter), and visited a friend in Indianapolis. We celebrated our anniversary in DC, which was piggybacked onto a work trip to North Carolina. A beautiful 5 days in Traverse City, MI over the summer with a girlfriend. It was supposed to be my husband's birthday trip but we unexpectedly brought home a new rescue puppy just before we were to go so he stayed home, poor guy! And a week split between Sonoma wine country and San Fransisco in September. We ended our 2015 travel with our big trip for the year which was two weeks in Warsaw, Kraków, Budapest & Amsterdam. We just loved Poland so much and I found Budapest so interesting & alluring. Definitely need to return there to dig a little deeper & see some of the countryside.

We are going to Mexico at the end of the month (first time for both of us) Italy, Croatia & Slovenia in September will be our big trip. We want to move in the spring (same area, just a better house) so we will just do a quick anniversary trip somewhere and a long weekend on Lake Michigan over the summer. I hope to spend next Christmas abroad too.

Wow Yestravel, you're making me drool! I have been imaging Christmas in San Miguel de Allende for us next year. Love Maine. The first trip my husband & I took together when dating was to Maine so it's special that way to us.

We went to France, spending 3 days in Iceland, in January. In April, we went through Iceland again for 3 days, then on to France for our permanent move here. We haven't done a whole lot of travel since we've been here, except to Paris, Périgueux, Bordeaux, and Sarlat, but in March we'll be making an 8-day trip to the Netherlands and Belgium. Once the house is finished, if it ever is, we'll travel all over, including Asia and Africa.

We spent three weeks on the South Island of NZ in February, three weeks in Germany in December and made several road trips within Western Australia and one in Colorado.

We also relocated from Australia to the US, the mother of all trips...does that count?

Yes!

We also began 2015 in Switzerland, how could I forget that?

Annhig - are you going to Cuba independently or with a group?>>

<<Annhig - are you going to Cuba independently or with a group?>>

Isabel/Yes travel - We are going wholly independently, which is raising my stress levels just a tad. We booked the flights about 8 months ago, and so far have 4 nights in a casa particular in Havana booked - that's it. We've looked at various tours, but they all travel rather more quickly than we would like, and DH isn't very fond of groups, so we are on our own.

The plan is to travel round using buses and taxis, and possibly [still to be decided though we don't have much time to decide unless we leave it till we get there] to get as far as Santiago and then fly back to Havana from there. this is rather more adventurous than we've ever been before but as someone said, I'll just have to put on my big girl knickers and get on with it! and thanks for the encouragement, Pariswat - I'm sure I'll be fine once we get there.

Hets - this trip was DH's idea; that's not to say that I'm against it, but I'm hoping that as a quid pro quo, I'll be able to convince him he wants to go to India next year. BTW, I got badly flamed on the Cuba board for uttering sentiments such as wanting to go there "before it's overrun" so even though that is definitely a reason for going now we won't be saying so!

limmy - you got around quite a lot but yes travel, I think that 7weeks in Colombia and Ecuador followed by 2 months in the summer is the most intrepid so far though you run them close Isabel.

annhig - I would love to do independent travel to Cuba, but being from the US, don't want to risk it. My daughter was in Cuba quite a few years back and got caught by a US agency (can't remember if it was Treasury) and got fined. While I know that is rare, given it happened to her and her friend traveling, I will play by the rules. I agree go now before its overun with cruise ships and fast food joints. Already looking at several tour operators they are all booked thru the Spring, early summer. I read the first cruise lines are docking this Spring I believe it was. Hope you have a wonderful trip and pls report back. I need to check out the Cuba board. Hope they are helpful.

Our goal in retirement was to travel and we are doing all we can to fulfill that goal!

Melnq8 - Wow, relocating from Australia to the US -- quite a trip, I'd say. Austrailia is on our horizon, maybe 2017.

The Carmague is one area of France we have yet to get to -- one of these days we will.

Happy travels!

jimmy - where in Mexico will you be? We used ot travel there quite a bit and have always had great trips & fabulous food.

A fun way to reminisce! We had a first time ( for Mitch) one week trip to Mexico (Riviera Maya) in March, followed by two weeks for a yoga retreat in Southern Spain, in May for myself and a friend . We had planned ( and booked ) three weeks in Thailand, but due to job loss , and subsequent gainful employment issues for vacation time for Mitch, we cancelled ( trip insurance is most often a good thing!) and planned a very last minute (prior to Mitch's new job start date) two week trip to Vienna and Prague.

Have Costa Rica booked for later in Jan 2016, something undefined for March, and if all goes according to my plan, will book three weeks in Thailand yet again! Although since ALL the planning was done and we had to cancel...I somehow feel we should start from scratch...Vietnam perhaps?

Since I have more vacation available to me, and Mitch currently does not, I have been tossing around a 10-ish day solo trip perhaps in Europe. We'll see if I take the solo plunge!

2015 was a great year for me for travel!

-10 days in Iceland (March, solo).

-A work trip to London and a long weekend in Amsterdam (April, business and solo)

-Long weekend in Key Biscayne, Florida (May, with family)

-8 days in Paris and the Loire Valley (September, with my fiancé who proposed the first night of the trip!)

- 2 nights Brugge, 1 night Brussels, and work trip to Frankfurt (October, solo, business)

-rounded out the year with 11 days in Argentina and Chile, mostly Patagonia and the Atacama (December, solo)

2016 I think my travel style and destinations will alter a bit, probably shorter and fewer trips and little if any solo travel. (My fiancé is very uncomfortable with me traveling by myself, so I'm trying to respect his feelings and assuage his fears)

-someplace warm in Feb or March: after Iceland last year, I've got to break up the winter with some sun and heat. Probably in Central America or Caribbean.

-hopefully an April work trip to London again, and a long weekend to add on before or after. Thinking either Cotswolds, or Madrid, Barcelona, or Vienna.

-wanted to go to Cambodia in June: probably too far for too short a time, looking to see if I can convince my fiancé to do an express Peru visit

-San Francisco for a friend's wedding in July, maybe adding on more of California to that trip

-Fall I'm not sure yet. May have work in Frankfurt again, add on Berlin or Munich. Eyeing Hawaii for Labor Day. And it's my 30th birthday and I'd love to do something adventurous and solo (NEW ZEALAND) but looking for another idea instead, maybe one I can get family or friends to join

-Rio for New Years Eve long weekend. Because I've always wanted to, and it's time

USA: Annapolis, Adirondacks, Vermont and Key West and Fernadina Beach
Europe: Northern Ireland, Germany, Dublin in May back in Sept for Oktoberfest in Germany. Paris for a week in October.

2016 plans are for Spain in late winter, early spring. Northern Ireland and Ireland for fall. Back to the Adirondacks in NY state.

Cuba is really on my radar. Can't wait for your trip report.

And Jenn_Mitch, I wholeheartedly recommend taking the solo plunge. It's easily my favorite way to travel, and I'm accepting but sad that my solo travel era (big adventure trips, can still do smaller shorter and closer trips) is coming to an end!

We spent some time in San Miguel de Allende in September. Our daughter is getting married there this spring so we get to go back. ��

Went with my girlfriends to Santa Cruz, Ca and spent time in San Diego too.

Trips for 2016- San Miguel de Allende for a week
Northern Italy and Switzerland in the fall
Somewhere that I have not been to in the U.S.