where to go

Old Aug 11th, 2012, 03:12 PM
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where to go

We have friends who have not traveled outside the US ask us to go to Europe with them. They have basically left the itinerary up to us. With a 10-14 day time frame to work with. What would you, my fellow well traveled friends, suggest? I am thinking perhaps some sort of Spain, Portugal/Spain or Rome/ southern Italy. Thank you for your help fellow fodorites.
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Old Aug 11th, 2012, 03:48 PM
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What time of year?
Is driving an option for portions?
What turns you on?

We like May travel for longer days and spring flowers.
Rome and the Amalfi coast is a good combo for 10/12 days.
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Old Aug 11th, 2012, 04:10 PM
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Noway to give useful advice w/o more info.

As bob asks -- When? Can make a HUGE difference. For example, Spain/most parts of Italy wouldn't be very enjoyable in the heat of July/August.

Do they have any special connection w/ one country/region? Grandparents from Italy/France/UK/??

Ages? How 'active'?
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Old Aug 11th, 2012, 04:18 PM
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Ages?
Budget?
Time of year?
Ciies? Countryside? Mix?
Anyone speak a foreign language?
Have YOU been to Europe? Where and what did you like?
Where HAVE they been? What did they like?

We don't have crystal balls here. We need more input from you.
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Old Aug 11th, 2012, 04:22 PM
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We are in our 50's. We have been to all of these areas previously. Our friends however have not been to Europe. Looking at either a May or September trip. Can use multiple, ways to travel, plane, train & or/drive.
Looking for thoughts on taking novice travelers somewhere. Your favorite destinations you would share with some friends.
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Old Aug 11th, 2012, 04:42 PM
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I don't mean to rain on your parade, but IME taking first timers to a foreign country can be agonizing if they are expecting you to be their tour guide/mother. I urge you to get them actively involved in the detailed planning of the journey. If you are going to be the "Trip Nazi" each morning, whipping them on to the next series of sites of which they have no knowledge or interest, I predict the loss of friends.

What turns THEM on? What are THEIR interests? Only if they coincide with yours will you have a successful trip, IMO.
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Old Aug 11th, 2012, 04:43 PM
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Scotland, or London, or Paris, or Southern France, or Rome/Florence . . . in no particular order, those would be my choices for a two couple trip. (Slight preference for Scotland or the UK in general)
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Old Aug 11th, 2012, 05:03 PM
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Make sure you have clearly stated ground rules..Lots of trips are spoiled and time wasted by "Where do we go now"?, "What do you want to do?" and please set aside some time of your own. I always have had to be firm in my multi people travels to be able to say. "Away I go to check the shops/market/sit in the sun and/or watch the world go by." (even with my husband).We are not always in each others back pockets. A 6 week trip to the far east worked out just fine as the lines were drawn before the trip started. Mutual friends were placing bets as to how long the traveller friendships would last. We won, because we knew ahead of time what to expect from each other...They lost.HAHAHA!!!
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Old Aug 11th, 2012, 05:09 PM
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Take them on a 2 city trip like Paris and London. That way you won't have to babysit them if they turn out to be bad travelers.

Insist that they learn a little of the local langauge.

amer_can is right on about being very clear on the what and where. Budgets and expectations.
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Old Aug 11th, 2012, 05:14 PM
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With people who have never traveled before I thnk you need to force them to do some work and figure out some things they want to see do. I would also reco starting someplace they can spend some time by themselves - whether than means UK or Ireland - or someplace wher they can manage a little of the language.

I would do London and Paris with a day trip from each - to make life easier for you and them.

If you do Spain and Portugal they will be hanging on your neck every minute of every day -since they can;t cope with the language, the culture, the expectations - or know what they want to see or do. Everyone know Notre Dame, Eiffel Tower, Big Ben and Tower of London. An incredible number of people have never heard of anything in Spain or Portugal, know noting about the culture (will they like dining at 10 pm?) or have any appreciation of what they will be seeing.
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Old Aug 11th, 2012, 05:25 PM
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I agree. These types of trips are fraught with perils and the chance you'll never speak to each other again. Over the years I have learned never to take newbies on trips - too much responsibility, too much coddling, too much not being able to enjoy myself the way I like to, too much hassle.

But if you must, I agree, get THEM to do the planning and the research so they know what to expect. And make sure you allow for time on your own, and let them go off on their own. Everyone needs to to learn how to travel in Europe.
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Old Aug 11th, 2012, 08:56 PM
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Paris.

I've done Europe with novices and oblivious people. If you can take charge, then do so.

If not, nytraveler says it all.
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Old Aug 12th, 2012, 12:13 AM
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I was part of a group of 11 who went to London some years ago. One of the men and I were nominated to organise things which we were happy to do. We sent numerous emails to the others asking for their input about what they would like to see. Nobody replied so went ahead and organized a rough itinerary for each day.

Everyone was fine with our suggestions except one chap who grumbled EVERY day! For some reason he thought we would all get up at about 8am, spend several hours over a lazy breakfast and then head out. There was no chance of that happening, there was too much to see and do in a limited amount of time. Later on that trip we did that while staying in a villa in Tuscany. But I will never travel with him again.
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Old Aug 12th, 2012, 12:56 AM
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Just to chip in here. I have also holidayed with friends and has disastrous holidays from my point of view. My simple rule now is to state and restate one clear sentence. If I want to do something and you don't then tell me what you want to do, I'll put you on the right road with all the information you need for your trip, I'll even go to the departure point with you, then do my own thing and we meet up at the end of day and compare days. On my last trip with friends I could even go shopping for souvenirs without company. It was sooo frustrating.
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Old Aug 12th, 2012, 03:28 AM
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I suggest you need some joint actions and some times when you can break apart. Hence you could do

a) a canal trip
b) a bicycling trip
c) a cooking trip
d) an art trip
e) donkey herding

for say 5 or 6 days and then the rest of the trip in say Paris, London, Rome etc

We have done trips with friends and find that big team focus helps to give a different structure to the rest of the trip and since the holiday has two styles about it it feels like two holidays.

That does not need more planning but it does need more prepo time as the two couples need to think what they might like to do together.
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Old Aug 12th, 2012, 04:28 AM
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Agree with all of the above. Thought if I could provide the basic itinerary, then involve them in the planning of the sites to visit and activities . Jointly and invidually. We have like interests & different interests. Just wondering where your favorite spots to share are?
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Old Aug 12th, 2012, 04:54 AM
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Your friends want to go to Europe. What do they think of when they think of a trip to Europe? Get their input. In the same situation, I would follow nytravelers advice to visit London and Paris with a day trip from each. But if your friends are dreaming of Tuscany or the Alps, London and Paris won't satisfy them.

Get ideas from them on the basic itinerary - don't let them talk you into choosing. Then come back with questions. We can provide lots of input on our favorite areas of Europe but we can't choose for your friends.
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Old Aug 12th, 2012, 05:06 AM
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a) a canal trip, Burgundy, Midi
b) a bicycling trip, Mosel, Alsace
c) a cooking trip, Bologna
d) an art trip, all over, Cahors was interesting
e) donkey herding, Provence
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Old Aug 12th, 2012, 09:19 AM
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It doesn't really matter what our favorite spots are. Mine's the Dordogne, but so what? THEY need to get out maps, guidebooks galore, videos, and everything else they can get their hands on and figure out what appeals to them. Perhaps they want to do a tour of the casinos of northern Belgium. Maybe they're World War I buffs. Could be they have a nautical bent and want to charter a yacht off the coast of Italy. Who knows? Let THEM start to own the trip. What we think is utterly irrelevant.
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Old Aug 12th, 2012, 09:28 AM
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I am thinking perhaps some sort of Spain, Portugal/Spain or Rome/ southern Italy

Spain-Portugal

1- fly into Barcelona
2- Barcelona
3- Barcelona
4- Train to Madrid
Madrid
5- day trip to Toledo
6- AVE train to Seville
7- Seville
8- day trip to Granada
9- bus to Algarve, Portugal
10- Algarve
11- Lisbon
12- Lisbon
13 - Day trip to Sintra
14 - Fly home

Rome/Italy

1- Fly into Venice
2- Venice
3- Venice
4- Train to Florence
5- Florence
6- Florence (possible day trip by bus to Tuscan hill town or Pisa
7- Train to Naples and onto Sorrento
8- Amalfi Coast (bus)
9- Capril (boat)
10 - Rome
11- Rome
12- Rome
13- Rome (day trip to Hadrian's Villa and Tivoli)
14 - Fly home
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