My mom just gave me the go ahead to plan our next European vacation for this summer!!! Last summer we spent 15 days in Amsterdam, Germany, and Salzburg; we loved everything about the trip! We’ve also been to England, Paris (not all of France), Switzerland, Belgium, Italy, and Ireland. We’re looking for
*a safe country to visit
*3-star hotels for about $100/night
*not huge into museums, we like historical sites and activities
*great towns for strolling
*great food (we love wine!)
*we don’t mind renting a car
*shopping is never a bad thing....

I would love to go to Prague, but my parents are going to do that trip together next fall. We’ve thought about Eastern Europe (Slovenia, Croatia, Hungry….), Greece, or possibly Spain. We’d like to be gone for 12-14 days and we’ll be traveling in June.
Thanks for any and all suggestions!!! We're also not limited to Europe... but that would be another post!!
~Cheers!

I have two suggestions. One would be the island of Crete; a country in itself. I'd split the trip into two halves and spend one half in west in or near Chania or Paleochora- depends how far off the beaten track you want to be- and the second in the far east- Palekastro or Makriyialos.

Or you could go to the South West of France- very untouristy, lots of lovely gascon towns and markets and places to just be.

Either trip would be better with a hire car. In Crete I'd probably take two flats rather than hotels. In France you should Chambres d'hotes round the place.

Take a look at the south of France -- Dordogne, Provence, Languedoc, etc. We spent 14 days there this past June. Full of interesting historical (and prehistorical) sites, markets, and great food and wine.

Trip report if you're interested:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34823680

Three regions come to mind; South of France (a rental with access to the Riviera and Provence), Northern Spain (Picos de Europa and towards the coast), Western Portugal (Oporto, Viana do Castelo region). All these regions have endless possibilities for all budgets.

Thanks for the suggestions! It now looks like my aunt is going to tag along with us... She's done France several times. What are your thoughts on Croatia and Slovenia?
TIA!

Anyone else? In addition to Croatia, we might consider Egypt or Japan.

We've been to the same European countries as you and our next trip is to Barcelona and the Andalucia area of Spain. Like you, we had a hard time deciding where to go but eventually we decided on Spain for the history, food, culture and beaches. Next we'll go to Southern France, Southern Italy, Greece, Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, Kenya or Buenos Aires but not necessarily in that order!

No offense, but I often hear people say that they have "done" Germany or Switzerland, etc. Does this mean that you have made ONE trip to Germany or Switzerland so now you are looking for something new and different?

We have been to Germany 4 times in the last few years along with visiting parts of Switzerland and Austria. I have yet to get tired of any of these countries and plan a return trip to Austria next year. Each country has a variety of landscapes. I find that most tourists tend to visit the larger cities and think they have "seen" the country. Try staying in the smaller towns and villages where there are few tourists and you will get to really know a country.

My suggestion for your next trip would be England and Scotland. Each is unique and different from Ireland, which you have "done". While it might be a little more difficult to find 3* hotels in your price range, you can find lovely B&B's and guesthouses for around that price.

I would suggest one of the following:

1) Hungary. Incredible country. Incredible food. Incredible people If you click on my name you'll see a trip report from last March. If you like wine, this is a great country for you. Budapest is also a good walking city.

2) Ireland. Wow. Unbelievable beauty. Again, good people and food. Unfortunately no trip report for this, but when I think of places to return to in Europe, Ireland is at the top. More driving than walking...and I'm not sure about wine.

3) Croatia. The only country to surpass Ireland in beauty. It looks *better* than the travel brochures. Again, clicking on my name will give you a trip report from March '05. Lots of good walking cities.

4) Last but not least, southern Spain (Andalusa) coupled with Portugal. If you are adventurous, a quick ferry trip to Morocco. If not adventurous, a trip to Gibralter and see monkeys running around

Kevin

I've seen many countries in the world & just returned from Slovenia & Croatia.Slovenia is a jewel of a country, a hidden secret with a melange of the Alps, gorgeous Lake Bled & Bohinj,UNESCO Heritage Skocjan Caves,charming Ljubljana,beautiful, quaint coastal Piran, superb cuisine (Austrian & Italian influence) etc.Croatia's amazingly beautiful Plitvice Lakes,Istria, the islands of Hvar, Brac, Vis, etc.the Peljesac Peninsula &, of course, the magnificent Dubrovnik. Need I say more?

Portugal fits exactly in what you are looking for!

A great trip, that hits all of your requirements, is overland from Vilnius, Lithuania thru Riga, Latvia to Tallin, Estonia (from Tallin, you can also take ferry to Helsinki, Finland).

The old towns in Vilnius, Riga and Tallin are among all UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

St Petersbourg and Moscow for the white nights.

Thanks again for all the wonderful suggestions! I would love to visit Spain, but I'm concerned about the temperature. Greece is a STRONG contender right now. Ahhh- so many places in the world! Why is it so hard to choose?

....and what makes you think Greece is cooler than Spain in the summer? Both have scorching summer weather with regions that offer lower temps.

That said, I grew up in a tropical island and you could not pay me enough to spend any time during July-August in Southern Spain. Northern Spain?... now that's s different story!

IF you want to be cool, why not think of Scotland or Norway?

I've been to Scotland, and it is beautiful, filled with lots of historic sites, walks, and breathtaking scenery, friendly people, delicious seafood