1st time trip to Europe - Cruise or Land Vacation?

[cawhite]

Hi everyone,

 

Well, our family of 4 has been on 2 cruises... both to the Caribbean. My husband wants to go to Europe next summer for 3 weeks (the kids will be 15 and 11 at the time) . We are thinking of taking a cruise for part of the vacation. We're looking at the Carnival Liberty - 12 nights - starting and ending at the port closest to Rome. The price for this cruise seems to be the best bang for the buck and the kids liked a previous Carnival cruise we went on. We will probably spend the land portion of the trip in France, but that's not set in stone.

 

Since this will be our first vacation to Europe, will we miss a lot of culture, etc. by spending over 1/2 of our vacation time doing a cruise? Would it be better to to stay in hotels or villas for a 1st time visit, than to stay on a ship? Is there enough time in port to adequately see things?

 

Also, my DH doesn't like the "cattle car" feeling (everybody stands in a line to get on the ship, then everyone stands in another line to get on a boat to shore, or a big bus to be taken into town, etc.).

 

Any suggestions? The kids love cruising and I am thinking it would be fun for them... but I just don't want DH saying that this was our big trip to Europe, and we spent so much money, and we saw more ship than towns, or spent more time with cruise passengers than getting to know the locals, etc.

 

Should we save our next cruise vacation for a different destination... like another Caribbean cruise, or an Alaskan cruise?

 

I posted this on the Carnival board, but thought it might be good to post here on the Europe board as well.

 

Thanks for your help!!

 

Carole

[DonLou]

Carole,

 

My feeling is that at some point in time, you have to do both. My wife and I have done cruises and a Eurail Pass land tour of Europe. The plus of the cruise is that you pack only once and get spoiled with the service and food. We took an independent Eurail Pass land tour of Europe with no definite itinerary for 21 days. The big advantage was that we were not pressured and got to visit places at our own leisure. The downside was toting our luggage around and trying to find a place to sleep (not really that difficult).

 

If you want to enjoy Europe fully, taking a cruise one time and then taking a land tour the next is the best way. After all, it's ridiculous to ride for four to five hours on a bus in order to visit Paris for five hours, as with a cruise. And visiting the Black Forest, Switzerland or Austria is also a no go for cruisers. My advice is to use the cruise for the "outside" European sights and a non-cruise tour for the "interior" ones.

[Jane110]

Carole,

 

You've asked a very interesting question and it's good that you're giving it alot of thought. My guess is that since this is a cruise board, most people will lean towards the cruise, I don't.

 

If this were a perfect world, it would be great if you could spend about one week of your 3 weeks in Europe visiting ports via a small ship. But that's not likely in this situation.

 

On a ship, you'll definitely come home with a "if it's Tuesday, this must be Belgium" experience. You'll ask yourselves "which country did we see that........... (fill in the blank)". On a land vacation, you'll have time to saunter and savor the locale your visiting and not look at your watch to make sure you get back to the ship in time. And if your husband hates the cattle car feeling for rushing off the ship, he won't be happy.

 

I've made about 12 trips to Europe and two of them were by ship and yes there are some ports that are only "worth" a one day visit. But for most, unless it was a place I've been to before, I felt "cheated" that I had to leave and annoyed that we didn't have time for a local dinner. Also bear in mind that on many European cruises, the port town itself is of little interest and you'll have to spend a lot of time and extra money to get to someplace interesting. When I see a ship is spending one day at Le Havre (Paris), I think it's awful for first timers. They basically have 5 hours to experience Paris....what a tease!

 

And yes, your husband is right, you'll definitely get to know cruise passengers rather than locals and other travelers from all over the world.

 

My opinion is to go to Europe by land. See cities and towns on your own and then while there, hire local guides for some private tours or take a few group tours to places you might not want to drive to outside the cities. These are easy to arrange once you're there - no need to pre-arrange. You can cover some wonderful parts of Italy and France in 3 weeks and come home feeling that you've really gotten to see and experience something special.

 

If you decide to go this route, I'd suggest buying books on Europe by Rick Steves and Frommers to help you plan your trip. And of course, go onto a travel forum for some great firsthand information and lodging information.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Jane

[Breezey]

Ditto about going by land. We have been to Europe a few times, rented villas (cheaper than hotels) and wandered wonderful cities in Tuscany (one trip) and Provence (another time). With kids your age, renting a villa/apartment or whatever gives the added value of not rushing through a port city, perhaps also having a pool all to yourselves, a kitchen for some meals and being able to drive through small towns and enjoying the culture. We opted to rent a car which was great fun. Also if you find a spot you like, you can go back on the same trip. We loved going to local markets and those two trips were the best so far.

 

So why am I going on a Med cruise next week? I wanted to see lots of Greek ports and thought for us this was the best way of doing that. As far as research I think I am doing more research on each port for this cruise than I did on land. When you only have one day in a port, you seem to be looking for all the things you can possibly do in a day. I am sure I will have a terrific time but next time in Europe will definitely be by land again.

[Juliadlf]

Carole:

 

We have done many trips to Europe visiting different countries/cities throughout the years.(England, Ireland,Scotland,Wales,Germany, Italy,Spain,Portugal, France) We are now doing our first cruise to Europe experiencing a different type of travel and also visiting some cities we haven't been to before. We did choose the Liberty since it's port intensive and less sea days. The time of year you choose to go is also important. If you've read the reviews from those who traveled recently- summer months, you will see that Europe gets very hot/humid and large crowds and many folks are not prepared for the intensive heat,walking and overcrowded sites.

 

There are many cities we visited over the years that we definitely want to revisit, others were okay to see but not a must see next time and others we want to experience. Our expectations are that we will not see everything so we put together a "must" see versus "if we have time" list. This way we don't feel pressured to get it all in and feel overwhelmed with information overload.

 

To avoid the "cattle busing" whether on the ship or on your own, you would be doing mostly private tours or going on your own and your family needs to assess the comfort level with organizing these tours or self guided tours. It's not impossible to do, just takes time and planning and organization. There is a wealth of information on these boards even if you decide not to do a cruise and just do it by land. Public transportation in Europe is great but also can be "irregular" especially in Italy with the train strikes.

 

We are definitely looking forward to cruising and then deciding if this is for us when we revisit Europe.

 

Good luck with your plans. Europe is wonderful no matter how you get there.

[Cleopatra]

Ditto with Jane110. We lived in Europe for 3 years and traveled with our children by car. We have returned numerous times, again traveling by land. Our kids, now grown, have continued to travel abroad on their own. We've cruised in the Greek islands which we enjoyed, but visited Greece, Athens and the Peloponese area on land trips. I can't imagine visiting Europe and seeing only port cities for half day and feeling you'd experienced anything at all of the way of life of that people or country. It wouldn't even be skimming the surface.

 

Recently, my husband and I cruised the Mediterranean. The biggest pluses were not having to pack or unpack once aboard ship and not needing to find a parking space (no small points.) However, the whole trip was disorienting for us. We felt like we were floating in an American Hotel in the Mediterranean with occasional visits to Italy, Sicily, and France. Would I do it again? NO!

[Queenk2]

From my experience.. .I have cruised many times in Europe and done numerous land tours.With older children,I would feel that they would get the most out of a land tour. We have driven,and taken bus tours...which I hate... for the same reasons I would not recomend a cruise as a frist time experience.In order to experience the various cultures, you need to be surrounded by them. Being on a large ship such as the Liberty, you will part of horde of Americans.Your husbnad is right about being on a line more than actually sightseeing. The Liberty is one of the largest ships with probably the most homoginized view of Europe. You cannot see everything, even if you are in Europe for three weeks. Why not rent a car and drive through Italy or France. You can see more and meet local people and get a better feel for the country you are visiting!

[Jane110]

 

So why am I going on a Med cruise next week? I wanted to see lots of Greek ports and thought for us this was the best way of doing that. As far as research I think I am doing more research on each port for this cruise than I did on land. When you only have one day in a port, you seem to be looking for all the things you can possibly do in a day. I am sure I will have a terrific time but next time in Europe will definitely be by land again.

 

Breezy,

 

I agree. Taking a ship to the Greek Isles is definitely on our list. We're not sun/sand/beach people, so one day per island is enough for us. I would also want to do this on a small ship - like Oceania or Radisson.

 

Cawhite/Carole,

 

I wholeheartedly agree with the suggestion of getting a Eurailpass. Train travel in Europe is easy and pleasant. If you go to Tuscany, you'll want a car so that you can travel to all the little towns.

 

I'm going to disagree with Breezey on the idea of staying in apts. rather than hotels, though. In a hotel, you'll have the help of a concierge and/or front desk person who can give you suggestions and practical advice or call a taxi for you. It's also fun to spend a few moments at breakfast chatting with some other travelers who can give you some helpful tips ("we went to yadda yadda yesterday and you shouldn't go there today because........." or "the train station at.......is closed this week, you'll have to get off at........" "when you go to......make sure you see......."). I find these kinds of exchanges helpful and fun.

In an apt. you're isolated on on your own so unless you know a place pretty well, there's going to be a lot of unanswered questions.

 

Jane

[cawhite]

Wow... what a wealth of information! Thanks everyone!!

 

OK, so if we do a land vacation what is the best way to find the "key" places that will be good to visit with our kids (we're interested in Italy, France, and Spain). I think we'd like some of the smaller towns, not just the big cities.

 

I will focus on a couple of travel boards, and I have purchased "Rick Steves' Europe through the Back Door 2005" and a book called "Take Your Kids to Europe" Any other suggestions? Also, is there a good European Travel consolidator to use?

 

Thank you!!

[General Max]

We are doing both a cruise and land tour on our first trip to Italy in October.

 

Cheers

 

General Max

[Jane110]

Wow... what a wealth of information! Thanks everyone!!

 

OK, so if we do a land vacation what is the best way to find the "key" places that will be good to visit with our kids (we're interested in Italy, France, and Spain). I think we'd like some of the smaller towns, not just the big cities.

 

I will focus on a couple of travel boards, and I have purchased "Rick Steves' Europe through the Back Door 2005" and a book called "Take Your Kids to Europe" Any other suggestions? Also, is there a good European Travel consolidator to use?

 

Thank you!!

 

You need to take a good look at what travel style fits you best. Some people travel very light, stay in a place a couple of nights, pack up, and then take a train or drive to the next place. That doesn't work for us. We don't travel that light (though w/ a lot less than for a cruise) and we prefer to pick a place, stay there for a while and do day trips. I'm not one for serial packing/unpacking and hotel check-in/check-outs. But there's no right or wrong, it's simply how one is most comfortable.

 

If it were my trip, I'd probably do something like:

 

FRANCE - 8 days total - Paris - Spend about 5 days in Paris with 2 of those days being day trips to Versailles and Giverny by TGV train. Then go to another smaller town- like Provence, St Malo, Bordeaux/St. Emilion or Lyons - and drive around and explore the area's. Stay in a chateau for a couple of nights. Do some bicycling in the gorgeous countryside and visit some wineries.

 

ITALY - 8 days total - Rome - Florence - Siena. In Siena, rent a car and explore Tuscany. You can do some small towns for a day trip from Rome and Florence. Though I LOVE Venice, you may get there in the future on a pre/post cruise visit which is why I'm not suggesting it for right now.

 

SPAIN - 5 days total - Barcelona -and perhaps some places along the coast. Seville is great but is over 100 degree's in the summer. One reason, I'm suggesting less time in Spain is because in the future, you may take a nice cruise to the Med which will give you visits to Cadiz, Mallorca, Lisbon, etc.

 

This is just a rough suggestion to give you some food for thought. I hope you find it useful.

 

Jane

[Jane110]

oops,

small correction.

 

You don't take the TGV trains to Versailles or Giverney. You use the RER trains. TGV is for further distances in France.

 

Jane

[cawhite]

Jane, very useful indeed!

 

We definitely want to stay out of the 100+ places! Thanks for that tidbit. Would love to see Mallorca... could we do a couple of days in Barcelona, and a couple of days in Mallorca (out of the 5 days)?

 

Hate to miss Venice.... will have to think about that one!

[Floflegs]

Maybe you would like to look at the British tour operators who do cruises. Many start in Mallorca and you can do cruise then stay. You can also do the same starting in Corfu.

[Bruin Steve]

A complex question...

 

We've done several "land vacations" to Europe and also several European cruises...

 

My feeling is that you really do get adequate "port time" on a cruise...

 

Any type of three-week vacation you take, there's only going to be limited time for sightseeing...

On a cruise, it's segmented into your port visits...On land, your time is limited by the amount of time you spend on logistics (traveling from place to place, checking in and out of hotels, etc.).

 

You get more "time" if you limit your land vacation to a particular region...like just visit Tuscany, using a hotel or Villa in Florence or vicinity as a "base"...But, for your first big trip to Europe, this is hard to do...You undoubtedly want to take in a lot...

 

So, let's say you want to visit as many places as you do on a cruise...maybe 8 or 10 "stops"...Well, you will spend a lot of your daylight hours either driving in a rental car...or, if you go by train, waiting around in train stations...It is clearly difficult to take in 10 stops in 14 days on a "land vacation"...

 

What you miss with a cruise is, typically, the nightlife...Your nightlife is that cruise ship activity you are used to...but with kids, this is not all bad...It may be hard to entertain the young ones at night in some typical European locations...(Are you going to drag them to bars?)...Some cruises do have some ports where they stay in port well into the evening hours (Celebrity itineraries are usually pretty good at this, I don't know about Carnival)...

 

But, it certainly is easier to unpack and pack just the once...

 

My best suggestion is to combine a little of both...With three weeks and a 12 day cruise that goes in and out of Rome, what I would do is to fly into somewhere like Frankfurt...Arrive 8 nights BEFORE the cruise...Get a Rental car and drive immediately down through the Romantischestrasse (Wurzburg maybe the first night...then Rothenburg-ob-dem-Tauber, Nordlingen, Dinkelsbuhl, then maybe stay a night or two in Munich, visit Fussen (the Neucshwanstein-the castle of Mad Ludwig of Bavaria), then down to Innsbruck, Austria...across the Brenner Pass and head to Florence for a night (save yopur Livorno Port Stop for other towns in Tuscany) and then into Rome a couple of days before the cruise...That way, you get BOTH you "Land Tour" AND the cruise, doing the exhausting land portion first...

 

It would be a vacation you'd long remember...

[Breezey]

Breezy,

 

I'm going to disagree with Breezey on the idea of staying in apts. rather than hotels, though. In a hotel, you'll have the help of a concierge and/or front desk person who can give you suggestions and practical advice or call a taxi for you. It's also fun to spend a few moments at breakfast chatting with some other travelers who can give you some helpful tips ("we went to yadda yadda yesterday and you shouldn't go there today because........." or "the train station at.......is closed this week, you'll have to get off at........" "when you go to......make sure you see......."). I find these kinds of exchanges helpful and fun.

In an apt. you're isolated on on your own so unless you know a place pretty well, there's going to be a lot of unanswered questions.

 

Jane

 

As you can see, to each his own. We loved staying in small towns to be part of the local culture and drove throughout Tuscany. The places we stayed had contacts who spoke excellent english that were able to help us get our bearings. Having the luxury of more than a hotel room also gives the kids and you more space. We loved it, others prefer hotels. Tough but great decisions you will need to make. We found the internet an excellent source of information. Trip Advisor has Europe forums which are also extremely helpful.

 

Good luck

[Jane110]

As you can see, to each his own. We loved staying in small towns to be part of the local culture and drove throughout Tuscany. The places we stayed had contacts who spoke excellent english that were able to help us get our bearings. Having the luxury of more than a hotel room also gives the kids and you more space. We loved it, others prefer hotels.

 

Good luck

 

 

I agree with that and don't see any difference in our POV on this one.

 

In Tuscany, our hotel - a converted 12th century monastery - had only 17 rooms total. Our room, a suite w/ separate living room/bedroom/kitchenette also had french doors that opened out to our own private walled in garden.

The hotel also had a living room for guests w/ a fireplace, lots of couches, lounge chairs and gaming tables so people could relax and play cards, backgammon, chess. The hotel was situated on acres and acres of land where they had a swimming pool & a tennis court. They grew their own berries for the house jam and their own grapes for their house wine. Breakfast was served in a charming 12th century kichen that was no longer functional as a kitchen and they had a restaurant that was open to the public in another beautiful room decorated with Tuscan tiles and pottery.

 

So, it was not just "a hotel room", but had all the advantages of hotel services with the charm and comfort some space. I think there are quite a few places like that in Italy and France.

 

Jane

[Cruise Junky]

My take on the Land vs. Cruise debate...I'd probably opt for the cruise first. It's like going to the caribbean for the first time...how do you know which Island you're going to really love and which one you just can't wait to leave. On our upcoming cruise, we'll be seeing 10 cities or Islands that neither one of us have experienced before, yes, it's only for a day in 8 of the cases, but it'll give us an idea of where we want to go back to and focus our time on a land vacation.

 

And Jane, can I get the name of that hotel?

[Bruin Steve]

A point that maybe I should have added:

 

Visiting small towns and doing intense stays in a particular region is certainly an enjoyable way to visit Europe...

 

BUT, for a FIRST-TIME visit...and one where you're taking the kids--and need to keep the kids entertained, a cruise is an ideal way to do it...You'll get a variety of ports, a sample of a lot of different places and a whole lot of places (for example, on our Millie cruise, we got to bigger cities--Rome, Barcelona, Venice, Naples, etc., smaller ports and small islands--Corfu, Dubrovnik, Santorini...We got ancient culture--Athens, Rome, Santorini, Pompei and more recent civilization--Barcelona, Monte Carlo...We got a little of Spain...France...Italy...Croatia...and Greece)...It's a great way to get a "sampler" of Europe...

 

When you go back for a SECOND trip, you might try concentrating on a specific region and taking a more in-depth visit...Say, if you really enjoyed the Livorno stop, spending a couple of weeks in Tuscany...or if Barcelona really intrigued you, do a localized tour in Spain and visit Madrid, Seville, Granada, Toledo et al...Or, maybe if you loved Nice/Monte Carlo, go back again and rent a villa on the French Riviera...

 

But for a "first trip" to Europe, a cruise gets you to more places with more variety...

 

For the record, my first trip to Europe was as a 21 year-old college student...and I spent an entire summer with a rail pass, moving town to town with no set itinerary, staying in hostels and cheap pensiones and camping out on the beach or taking overnight trains to save on hotels...And that's a wonderful way to do it, too...provided you're under 25 and have an entire summer to kill...But, limited time means limiting yourself in some ways...

 

My second trip was six years later, for my honeymoon...We flew into Tel Aviv, spent a week floating around Israel, hopped a plane to Athens, went to Corfu and then a boat across to Bari, rented a car and drove to Rome, Florence, Venice, Innsbruck, Lucerne and up the Romantischestrasse before leaving out of Frankfurt...of course, we had a little over three weeks...we saw a lot, but it was exhausting...

 

Twelve years ago, we did, basically, a "Tour de France"...Starting in Paris, then heading South through the Loire Valley and Central Massif to the Mediterranean, concentrating mostly on France (except a two-night foray intyo Barcelona and a night in Milan before our flight home out of Milan)...Again, fairly exhausting with a lot of time concerned with logistics...

 

Then, we started throwing cruises into the mix...and, though we always try to add a nice "land" pre- or post- cruise, we've decided cruises are the way to go...

 

But, as I said below, the "best" way to do it, in my book, is to build around the cruise, adding some "land time" for a little variation...

 

If you have three weeks to use, this model works perfectly...

[Jane110]

 

And Jane, can I get the name of that hotel?

 

Cruise Junky,

 

Sure, it's called Certosa di Maggiano. It's right outside the walls of Siena. We stayed there for 8 nights and everyday did a daytrip to a different Tuscan town. At night, we'd come back "home" relax and then go have dinner in Siena.

 

Website is http://www.certosadimaggiano.com

 

It's part of Relais et Chateau and you can access it through their website as well. http://www.relaischateaux.com

 

Jane

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I have to agree with someone above that depth rather than breadth is good when travelling in Europe with kids. Their memorable experiences won't be how many museums, castles and famous sites they have seen. So I would recommend taking it slow, exploring a couple of areas, and allowing the kids time to do things they like, incorporate hiking or biking maybe.

 

That being said, the combination of some cruise-time and travel time appeals. I'm not a Carnival person, I don't like the mega-ships, but I am guessing they do appeal to kids. When in port, you could try soaking up local colour instead of going on just pre-arranged tours.

 

Just my two cents. I have never cruised with kids, but I have travelled with them. My son's memories of London, Scotland, the Lake District and Amsterdam are precious.

[Jane110]

I have to agree with someone above that depth rather than breadth is good when travelling in Europe with kids. Their memorable experiences won't be how many museums, castles and famous sites they have seen. So I would recommend taking it slow, exploring a couple of areas, and allowing the kids time to do things they like, incorporate hiking or biking maybe.

 

 

Wendy,

 

Thanks for saying what I was trying to convey in my post about going to Europe the first time, especially with kids.

 

When you spend a few days in a place, the kids (& the adults) will remember how different things are. Experiences like buying a baguette from a bakery in France or simply learning the difference in how to order a soda in Italy will give them scope. We've spent so many wonderful moments serendipidously meeting locals and chatting with their "broken english". Ships tours, or even private tours will take you to the museums and monuments for a quick run-through so that they can be checked off the "must see" list.

 

On my first trip to Paris, with my DH, I never got the Louvre (though I did get to other museums). Some people though I was crazy - but, I live in NYC where I have the Met. - and I knew I'd be back to Paris (I've since been there over a dozen times and now go twice a year). But on my first visit, I was so enamored & overwhelmed with the beauty of the streets and the charm & friendliness of the Parisians, I didn't want to herd into the Louvre with the tourists. (Of course, I've now been to the Louvre about 4 times).

I love renting a bicycle in a city/town I'm travelling in, it's such a wonderful way to see and experience a place.

 

Of course, there's no right or wrong choice for the OP and their kids and I'm not trying to persuede them to do it "my" way. I think it's great that so many of us have come on and given our opinions of land vs cruise, so that they can make the choice that suits them best.

 

I do strongly suggest though, that if they opt for a cruise, they should try to find one for about 10-12 days that starts and ends in two different cities so that they can spend some wonderful pre/post days in Europe to give them a taste of both experiences.

 

Jane

[SleevesEnd]

BUT, for a FIRST-TIME visit...and one where you're taking the kids--and need to keep the kids entertained, a cruise is an ideal way to do it...You'll get a variety of ports, a sample of a lot of different places and a whole lot of places (for example, on our Millie cruise, we got to bigger cities--Rome, Barcelona, Venice, Naples, etc., smaller ports and small islands--Corfu, Dubrovnik, Santorini...We got ancient culture--Athens, Rome, Santorini, Pompei and more recent civilization--Barcelona, Monte Carlo...We got a little of Spain...France...Italy...Croatia...and Greece)...It's a great way to get a "sampler" of Europe..

We asked ourselves the very same question as cawhite and I totally agree with Bruin Steve for travelling with our 11 year old. When we cruised through Alaska this past summer we discovered places we HAVE to go back to and others where once is enough. We plan to do another Alaskian Cruise in 2007 revisiting our favorites and spending some time in the interior and THEN I feel we'll be ready for a land trip there.

 

We're doing Carnival's Liberty in 2006 because of it's wonderful itinerary. I know I will be much less stressed with our floating "home base" which will greatly affect my daughters experience. Even in this relatively small slice of Europe everything is so different and far apart that this "sampling" sounds perfect. I would normally prefer a smaller ship because my husband especially doesn't like the "cattle call" feeling, but in looking at the beautiful new ship, perfect itinerary and after reading the reviews I think we made the best choice for us. I know we will come home with places we will plan to spend more time in and we'll use the cruise to get some ideas and check out the specifics while having a great time onboard. The overnight in Venice was the clincher for us.

[cawhite]

Thanks everyone... we're still deciding!! We're leaning toward a land vacation, but haven't ruled out a combo cruise / land vacation with a shorter (maybe 7 day) cruise.

 

A travel agent we've used in the past suggested this land itinerary, although it looks a little ambitious: Madrid, Barcelona, Cannes/Nice, Loire Valley, Paris, Zurich, Venice, Florence, Rome. I'd love to find lodging for 4 like Jane describes above! With a combo land / cruise vacation, we'd do a similar itinerary, with the Italy portion being a cruise.

 

But now my daughter has thrown a wrench into the planning by asking if we can go to Wales to see a friend she met on our cruise last month! Now I'm starting to research a 2nd, slightly more Northern itinerary as an alternative!! The nanny we used for several years lives in England... so we could visit her too, if we do this scenario. But what 3 or so countries would you recommend if we select this alternative? Any suggestions?

 

Thanks a million!!

[Jane110]

 

A travel agent we've used in the past suggested this land itinerary, although it looks a little ambitious: Madrid, Barcelona, Cannes/Nice, Loire Valley, Paris, Zurich, Venice, Florence, Rome. I'd love to find lodging for 4 like Jane describes above!

 

Personally, I think this sounds like too many places. You've got 9 places to visit in 21 days, which gives you only about 2 days in each place and alot of traveling. I'd cull it down to no more than 6 places and look at a map to see which ones to eliminate to keep traveling times easy. Also bear in mind that in the Loire Valley and probably Nice, you'll want to rent a car, which adds to your costs. However, if you'd like the experience of staying at a chateau or a Gites in France or a villa in Tuscany or outside Florence, you will definitely need a car. The one I stayed in is pricey, there are many that are a lot less.

 

 

But now my daughter has thrown a wrench into the planning by asking if we can go to Wales to see a friend she met on our cruise last month! Now I'm starting to research a 2nd, slightly more Northern itinerary as an alternative!! The nanny we used for several years lives in England... so we could visit her too, if we do this scenario. But what 3 or so countries would you recommend if we select this alternative? Any suggestions?

 

Well that's real wrench all right! Of course, there's no right or wrong, just what appeals to you. You could do an itinerary for Wales and England - but be aware that England is frightfully expensive. When you look at prices there, realize that the pound is $2.00. My husband was working in England about 6 months ago and his Starbucks was $8.00 per cup! We were there in Nov. and 2 tuna sandwiches and 2 cups of coffee in a very "non fancy" cafe was $36.00.

However, if you do create an itinerary like that, you could also add Iceland which is just fabulous for about 3-4 days. Depending on where you're flying from, you can fly Iceland Air, stop in Rejkavik for a few days and then continue onto the UK. In Iceland, you can walk on glaciers, visit caves, go horsebackriding on their famous Icelandic pony's, see lots of geisers, swim in the naturally heated pools, soak in the world famous Blue Lagoon and hear some of the best rock music in the world. I love Iceland and highly recommend a visit. Everyone speaks english too.

If time allows, from London, you can take the Eurostar chunnel train to Paris for a few days.

 

How's that for some more idea's? :)

 

Jane