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Started By
Message
European destinations
Posted on 3/9/23 at 1:33 pm
Posted on 3/9/23 at 1:33 pm
My wife and I are considering a vacation in southern Europe this summer. We’re not looking for the big tourist attractions. We’d prefer countryside with beautiful scenery, small towns, authentic dining, and authentic hosts. For example, not looking to buy baguettes at the “French” bakeries owned by Mohammed. We’re not focused on any one country now.
This post was edited on 3/9/23 at 1:39 pm
11
Posted on 3/9/23 at 1:52 pm to Semper Gumby
Well most of them have beautiful countrysides so that doesn't narrow it down.
Even somewhere like say France, is a large country with lots to see and diverse landscape. Alsace is totally beautiful with good wine and a unique culture, with Colmar being a particularly beautiful town. or you have Burgundy, the Loire valley, etc
In Germany you have among the most castles in anywhere in Europe, with parts of Bavaria, the Black Forest, and the Mosel Valley having amazing towns and countryside.
Spain has cool towns in Andalucia and is pretty sparsely populated in places with a unique Spanish/Celtic culture in Galicia.
Italy, has wonderful countryside in Tuscany and Liguria and so on.
You've really got to narrow it down.
I honestly have not experienced much of this at all
Even somewhere like say France, is a large country with lots to see and diverse landscape. Alsace is totally beautiful with good wine and a unique culture, with Colmar being a particularly beautiful town. or you have Burgundy, the Loire valley, etc
In Germany you have among the most castles in anywhere in Europe, with parts of Bavaria, the Black Forest, and the Mosel Valley having amazing towns and countryside.
Spain has cool towns in Andalucia and is pretty sparsely populated in places with a unique Spanish/Celtic culture in Galicia.
Italy, has wonderful countryside in Tuscany and Liguria and so on.
You've really got to narrow it down.
quote:
For example, not looking to buy baguettes at the “French” bakeries owned by Mohammed
I honestly have not experienced much of this at all
Posted on 3/9/23 at 1:58 pm to Fun Bunch
quote:
I honestly have not experienced much of this at all
Exactly. Seems like a biased American traveler statement.
Posted on 3/9/23 at 2:36 pm to VABuckeye
Croatia for the win, small country, easy to get around and see multiple cities. Great food and wine and relatively inexpensive.
Posted on 3/9/23 at 3:21 pm to Semper Gumby
Tuscany
The Tuscan countryside and hill towns are the best recommendations I can give you based on your criteria.
The Tuscan countryside and hill towns are the best recommendations I can give you based on your criteria.
Posted on 3/9/23 at 3:46 pm to Semper Gumby
In France, I can recommend the area outside of Nice.
St. Paul de Vence is really, really great.
St. Paul de Vence is really, really great.
Posted on 3/9/23 at 5:00 pm to Big Scrub TX
quote:
In France, I can recommend the area outside of Nice.
Inside of Nice is also enjoyable
Posted on 3/9/23 at 5:01 pm to Semper Gumby
Most of southern Belgium is gorgeous
Posted on 3/9/23 at 6:46 pm to Big Scrub TX
With regard to the area outside of Nice, I would specifically point you to Eze. That is a wonderful little hill town.
This post was edited on 3/9/23 at 7:32 pm
Posted on 3/9/23 at 7:10 pm to Semper Gumby
You should consider the Azores.
- Very authentic dining. Even each island is different.
- Friendly people who speak English, as most of them have relatives in the US.
- Stunning countryside.
My photos:
Sete Cidades on Sao Miguel:
Botanical garden in the town of Furnas, on Sao Miguel:
Hot water spring, also in Furnas:
The Furnas valley as seen from above (also a golf course up here):
A bowl of alcatra, a delicious stew that you'll find on the island of Terceira:
The town of Horta, on the island of Faial:
There are hydrangeas growing wild everywhere on the islands, and if you go anytime from late June through August, you'll see stunning areas of them. These are on the central caldera of Faial:
Vineyards on the island of Pico:
- Very authentic dining. Even each island is different.
- Friendly people who speak English, as most of them have relatives in the US.
- Stunning countryside.
My photos:
Sete Cidades on Sao Miguel:
Botanical garden in the town of Furnas, on Sao Miguel:
Hot water spring, also in Furnas:
The Furnas valley as seen from above (also a golf course up here):
A bowl of alcatra, a delicious stew that you'll find on the island of Terceira:
The town of Horta, on the island of Faial:
There are hydrangeas growing wild everywhere on the islands, and if you go anytime from late June through August, you'll see stunning areas of them. These are on the central caldera of Faial:
Vineyards on the island of Pico:
Posted on 3/10/23 at 2:59 pm to GOP_Tiger
France - Provence
England - The Cotswolds
Scotland - basically anywhere
England - The Cotswolds
Scotland - basically anywhere
Posted on 3/10/23 at 3:59 pm to Semper Gumby
Corsica. Look it up. Amazing island. It’s French but it’s basically half Italian. You can go to the beach in the morning and ski in the afternoon. Not many destinations can say that.
Posted on 3/10/23 at 4:04 pm to VABuckeye
That would be a funny conversation.
“What are you doing this weekend?”
“I’m going to Europe to go skiing and hit the beaches.”
“Oh, cool. How long you going?”
“I’ll be back on Monday”
“Ummm?”
“What are you doing this weekend?”
“I’m going to Europe to go skiing and hit the beaches.”
“Oh, cool. How long you going?”
“I’ll be back on Monday”
“Ummm?”
Posted on 3/10/23 at 4:54 pm to Semper Gumby
England- Cotswolds as previously mentioned
France-Normandy specifically Bayeaux
Switzerland-anywhere outside of Zurich and St. Moritz will fit your description
France-Normandy specifically Bayeaux
Switzerland-anywhere outside of Zurich and St. Moritz will fit your description
Posted on 3/11/23 at 7:31 am to Semper Gumby
Austrian Alps
Posted on 3/11/23 at 7:55 am to Semper Gumby
We are going on a Viking Cruise in 2 weeks. We get to visit 4 countries and see a lot of great sites on the river. Look at a river cruise
Posted on 3/11/23 at 12:59 pm to Gulf Coast Tiger
quote:
We are going on a Viking Cruise in 2 weeks. We get to visit 4 countries and see a lot of great sites on the river. Look at a river cruise
Which one? We're going to Portugal first week in April. This will be the 5th. Ever been before? We love them.
Posted on 3/11/23 at 3:54 pm to Semper Gumby
How many days?
I looked up VRBO/Air BNB in Croatia (not in big cities, but on the coast) last year, and found at least one property where you could see the Sea on three sides from the dining room. Israel and Turkey are options too. I mention them because tickets on Turkish, especially in business class, are usually 30% less than anything on UA/AA/Delta, and I have an obsession with the cuisine.
I don't know that you can go wrong in Spain or France in towns like Valencia, as opposed to Barcelona.
Also, if you're renting a place with a decent kitchen, you can have a chef come to you, which I've done before (albeit in Honduras.)
Unless you're willing to hop a flight in the middle of the trip (I'd rather just take a high speed train,) you kind of need to figure out which side of the Alps you want to stay in, the west or the east. Trains on the either side can be high speed trains, but there don't seem to be any options that cross the Alps that doesn't take way too long.
I looked up VRBO/Air BNB in Croatia (not in big cities, but on the coast) last year, and found at least one property where you could see the Sea on three sides from the dining room. Israel and Turkey are options too. I mention them because tickets on Turkish, especially in business class, are usually 30% less than anything on UA/AA/Delta, and I have an obsession with the cuisine.
I don't know that you can go wrong in Spain or France in towns like Valencia, as opposed to Barcelona.
Also, if you're renting a place with a decent kitchen, you can have a chef come to you, which I've done before (albeit in Honduras.)
Unless you're willing to hop a flight in the middle of the trip (I'd rather just take a high speed train,) you kind of need to figure out which side of the Alps you want to stay in, the west or the east. Trains on the either side can be high speed trains, but there don't seem to be any options that cross the Alps that doesn't take way too long.
This post was edited on 3/11/23 at 4:00 pm
Posted on 3/11/23 at 4:12 pm to Fun Bunch
quote:
Alsace
Can't recommend enough. Excellent Rieslings, probably the best in the world (at least if you prefer drier ones). Honestly Strasbourg, in many ways, is more German than any modern German city: a glimpse into what Germany looked like before 1944
This post was edited on 3/11/23 at 7:19 pm
Posted on 3/11/23 at 5:48 pm to Nole Man
quote:
Which one? We're going to Portugal first week in April. This will be the 5th. Ever been before? We love them.
Rhine Getaway
It is our first one.
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