Where to go in early April?
 

I know this is a very vague question, but I would love some ideas. We can travel to Europe the first week of April. We are traveling from Detroit and airfare seems to be great everywhere. We can leave out of Canada too, and as long as we can get to a major hub, we can EasyJet into something smaller. It will be my husband and I, no kids.

We've been to these places and loved them all:

South of France
Spain, Andalucia
Germany, Rhein region
Portugal
Brussels
Paris
Sicily
Rome
Venice

We love to see historic structures and places, eat great food, and enjoy nice scenery. My favorite of all of those places was Sicily.

Early April can bring great weather to places too hot to see in the summer. I'm thinking Greece. My husband isn't sure.

We also love to live like kings, but not spend like kings. Hotels under $150 would be good. We like to rent a car and drive some, but no long distance vacations.

So what do you have???

You say "the first week" - is that your entire timeframe? Seven days including travel days? That would make it four full days on the ground.

If that's the case, I'd vote for Lisbon. No need for a car - four days would just allow you to cover the city and a couple of surroundings maybe.

If you have maybe ten days, I'd suggest flying into Palermo, after three full days on the ground take the airport bus out to the airport and pick up a car (easier to drive off from there, and you'll return it there anyway).

Drive to Segesta, Trapani (go up to Erice!), then past Marsala (stay the night and visit the Arazzi museum - see http://marsala.jimdo.com/museums/mus...zi-fiamminghi/), then to Agrigento, stay a few days (valley of temples etc.,) back to Palermo - a fine tour!

Forgot to mention that your husband will be happy in Sicily, since all those temples are Greek!
(Can't one get back into one's own previous post to make an addition or correction?)

What made you like Sicily best of these places? And where did you go when there?

We were in Paris the first week of April a few years ago and it was very cold. We came to Paris from London where we had snow flurries. Head south.

Corsica or Sardegna or Canary Islands.

Michel - yes, we have just one week. We can leave the Thursday before, so it is really more like ten days, so minus travel, a good solid week. We just did Portugal last spring and we were in Lisbon. Lovely place! And the spring before we did Sicily and did almost that itinerary! So great ideas, but we need to expand!

Kja - we flew into Palermo and out of Catania. We took a southern route between the two. Every time you would go around a curve, you were like, omg that is so beautiful! The Roman stuff was amazing. Food was spectacular. The ancient cities were fabulous. People were so friendly. It felt big enough, but not too big. And it was very inexpensive!

Stsirq, I will check those out. Thanks!

Happy, we began and ended our Portugal trip last spring in Paris and it was cold and rainy. But we are coming from Detroit, so are happy just to see some flowers!

If you had less than 2 weeks in Sicily, you might consider returning there, as there is easily more than enough to see on that wonderful island.

Otherwise, maybe Greece. I'd say Naples, but I'm not sure how well it matches your interests.

Once retirement hits, we will be spending several months in Sicily, so I will wait until then to return!

The only reason husband is hesitant on Greece is that we have friends that have family there and go every summer. So he's thinking it would be a great place to take the kids and hook up with the friends some summer.

Greece has so much to see that it is good for more than one trip.

In summer, Greece can be very hot, so you won't do too many exhausting visits of archeological sites or hikes up to mountain monasteries but rather lounge at the beach or on a boat.

April will be perfect for sightseeing in Greece.

You will find the most and the best attractions on the Peloponnese and the mainland. There are stunning archeological sites (Delphi, Messene, Epidauros, Olympia, Myceanae, Corinth...), Byzantine monasteries, medieval castles, dramatic scenery, picturesque fishing and mountain villages, great beaches, good food, relaxed people... and Greece is dirt cheap, still.

Both regions are easy to travel with a rental car.

Next comes Crete - a huge island with lots of sights, then Rhodos, an island with perfect climate, then hundreds of more islands.

To conclude, Greece offers enough for several trips.

I did not want to advertise for Greece, but since you have been to almost every other place in Europe and it is not wise to book Turkey now, Greece is the one that remains.

Or go to Morocco to get some flavour of traditional Arabian world mixed with European influences. Interested? Say yes and I can give you more advice.

There's a LOT of Spain you haven't seen

Thanks traveller1959! That is a good idea about summer being too hot and there being enough of Greece to go around for multiple trips. I'm thinking that is just the right thing for us now. Thanks for the ideas on where to go!

Duke, that is very true. I really did love Spain. I will check into that as well.

Thanks!