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First International Trip Ideas
Posted on 7/27/22 at 8:22 am
Posted on 7/27/22 at 8:22 am
My wife turns 50 next year. Neither one of us have been out of the country before except for the occasional cruise. I'd like to take her somewhere overseas.
I was reading through jsquardjj's Greek island review. I'm a big history buff and the idea of being in some of the same places as Odysseus is appealing to me. However, he had one line in there that brought me to post this topic. Here's what he said:
So.... I was considering a week trip to Crete and a day or two at Santorini, but I'm wondering if we should do something a little safer first? England? Germany/Austria? Switzerland?
No hurry. I have a year to plan. TIA.
I was reading through jsquardjj's Greek island review. I'm a big history buff and the idea of being in some of the same places as Odysseus is appealing to me. However, he had one line in there that brought me to post this topic. Here's what he said:
quote:
These island are certainly a “vacation destination” and therefore, set up as so. Greece is a poorer country and It reminded me more of the Caribbean/Mexico than the rest of Europe, which can be seen as a good or bad thing depending on what you want out of a trip. I am not sure if would recommend Greece for a first time European traveler, but would HIGHLY recommend it for anyone else.
So.... I was considering a week trip to Crete and a day or two at Santorini, but I'm wondering if we should do something a little safer first? England? Germany/Austria? Switzerland?
No hurry. I have a year to plan. TIA.
22
Posted on 7/27/22 at 8:28 am to Aubie Spr96
First time or not, Greece is an awesome trip
Best way to see all the islands like Santorini and the others is through a cruise
Most people start in Athens to see all the sights
Best way to see all the islands like Santorini and the others is through a cruise
Most people start in Athens to see all the sights
Posted on 7/27/22 at 8:35 am to Aubie Spr96
Since you like history, you might consider doing Italy and then a few days on either Crete or Santorini. IIRC there are even some ferries from Italy to Santorini. I know there are a couple of flights.
There is nothing inherently wrong with a first time trip to Europe going to Greece, but I find Greece to be less traditionally European and more it’s own thing.
There is nothing inherently wrong with a first time trip to Europe going to Greece, but I find Greece to be less traditionally European and more it’s own thing.
Posted on 7/27/22 at 8:45 am to Aubie Spr96
Some things I would consider (not necessarily in this order):
1) Flight times. (I’m pretty used to 9 hour flights now, but 10+ hours is a long time for a first go out.)
2) Do you speak a foreign language or comfortable not speaking English? If not, I’d stick to bigger cities that are used to tourist like Paris or Rome or something.
3) What are your interest? Driving, hiking, museums, etc.?
At the end of the day, if you want to go to Greece, go to Greece! Just be prepared for there to possible be a little bit of a learning curve which is pretty true of any international vacation other than England or Canada.
1) Flight times. (I’m pretty used to 9 hour flights now, but 10+ hours is a long time for a first go out.)
2) Do you speak a foreign language or comfortable not speaking English? If not, I’d stick to bigger cities that are used to tourist like Paris or Rome or something.
3) What are your interest? Driving, hiking, museums, etc.?
At the end of the day, if you want to go to Greece, go to Greece! Just be prepared for there to possible be a little bit of a learning curve which is pretty true of any international vacation other than England or Canada.
Posted on 7/27/22 at 9:00 am to Suntiger
quote:
1) Flight times. (I’m pretty used to 9 hour flights now, but 10+ hours is a long time for a first go out.)
Not looking forward to this TBH. Maybe splurge for first class to get some leg room?
quote:
2) Do you speak a foreign language or comfortable not speaking English?
I can get by with Spanish as long as they aren't speaking too fast. Basic stuff. Italian, Greek, German, French are all out.
quote:
3) What are your interest?
History buff and outdoors guy. Wife is the same except she leans a little more towards cities than I do. Thinking about a genealogy tour of England as we both originated there.
Again, wife is turning 50. Kids are out of the house. Budget is pretty big for this one.
Posted on 7/27/22 at 9:02 am to Aubie Spr96
My recommendation for a first time trip to an inexperienced traveler is usually the same:
KEEP IT SIMPLE.
Pick a place you want to go to, like a major city such as Paris, and stick around there. Explore it, do some side trips. Maybe you could do Paris, get some WW2 history in, then spend a couple of days in Amsterdam and fly out of there.
Or do some major tourist routes like Rome/Florence/Venice or Barcelona/Seville/Madrid, etc
However, if you really want to do Greece...do Greece. Its not that complicated. Fly into Athens or get a direct flight to the islands.
Use Ferryscanner.com or Ferryhopper.com to go between islands. BOOK YOUR FERRIES FIRST BEFORE BOOKING HOTELS. Get Euros in advance.
Santorini and Mykonos are highly HIGHLY touristy so they will be packed in the high season and you won't have that many problems. Islands like Naxos or Paros are easy to get to, touristy but much quieter and MUCH cheaper.
Almost everyone speaks English on the Islands.
Do what you want. Plan it out. You'll be fine
KEEP IT SIMPLE.
Pick a place you want to go to, like a major city such as Paris, and stick around there. Explore it, do some side trips. Maybe you could do Paris, get some WW2 history in, then spend a couple of days in Amsterdam and fly out of there.
Or do some major tourist routes like Rome/Florence/Venice or Barcelona/Seville/Madrid, etc
However, if you really want to do Greece...do Greece. Its not that complicated. Fly into Athens or get a direct flight to the islands.
Use Ferryscanner.com or Ferryhopper.com to go between islands. BOOK YOUR FERRIES FIRST BEFORE BOOKING HOTELS. Get Euros in advance.
Santorini and Mykonos are highly HIGHLY touristy so they will be packed in the high season and you won't have that many problems. Islands like Naxos or Paros are easy to get to, touristy but much quieter and MUCH cheaper.
Almost everyone speaks English on the Islands.
Do what you want. Plan it out. You'll be fine
Posted on 7/27/22 at 9:07 am to Aubie Spr96
First off, in no way would I not recommend Greece, Paris, Germany, etc for a fist international trip but just as food for thought and comparison going in the other direction, Hawaii is a great intro to international travel without ALOT of the hassle.
Let me say, I am not advocating for Hawaii over Europe but it does offer a deep history and cultural relevance, WWII history, outdoor activities, unique food with global influence but you get alot of the conviences of being in the US and only 5 hours behind
Let me say, I am not advocating for Hawaii over Europe but it does offer a deep history and cultural relevance, WWII history, outdoor activities, unique food with global influence but you get alot of the conviences of being in the US and only 5 hours behind
Posted on 7/27/22 at 9:08 am to Aubie Spr96
quote:
Maybe splurge for first class to get some leg room?
All day long and twice on Sunday.
Since you have so long to plan, keep on eye on this board for deals/tips on booking a first/business fare. The folks here are great at that.
Posted on 7/27/22 at 9:12 am to Aubie Spr96
One way to easily get first class or business class...
Open up a miles credit card when they have introductory offers with large amounts of miles for opening the card, and buying miles from an airline when they put them "on sale". Just thoughts...
Open up a miles credit card when they have introductory offers with large amounts of miles for opening the card, and buying miles from an airline when they put them "on sale". Just thoughts...
Posted on 7/27/22 at 9:29 am to Fun Bunch
Just to piggyback, don’t forget both you and your wife can both get the card and the bonuses. Many cards can have 60k, 80k, even 100k mile bonuses for hitting say $5,000 spend in 90 days.
Flying international biz class will make all of this a lot easier. FYI, when went to Greece few years ago transferred Chase Ultimate Rewards to United, used United to book biz class on Austrian Air. Chicago to Vienna to Athens in biz class was about 70k miles per person and say $40 out of pocket.
London is also a great trip with a lower learning curve.
Flying international biz class will make all of this a lot easier. FYI, when went to Greece few years ago transferred Chase Ultimate Rewards to United, used United to book biz class on Austrian Air. Chicago to Vienna to Athens in biz class was about 70k miles per person and say $40 out of pocket.
London is also a great trip with a lower learning curve.
Posted on 7/27/22 at 9:30 am to Fun Bunch
quote:
Open up a miles credit card when they have introductory offers with large amounts of miles for opening the card, and buying miles from an airline when they put them "on sale". Just thoughts
Let's not make a guy who has never been overseas step on the gas of trying to figure out award redemptions. Sometimes we need to keep things simple.
Posted on 7/27/22 at 9:32 am to Aubie Spr96
The first country I went to was Greece. The second was India. You'll be fine
Posted on 7/27/22 at 9:40 am to Aubie Spr96
If you’re hesitant about overseas travel, start with England/Ireland/Scotland.
Posted on 7/27/22 at 10:08 am to Aubie Spr96
There is no place in Europe that I felt unsafe as a whole. Do they have some sketchy areas yes but I've been to New Orleans so I feel ok.
Common sense does go a long way, staying out late, flashing money, wearing expensive jewelry, etc is a no go wherever you are
Common sense does go a long way, staying out late, flashing money, wearing expensive jewelry, etc is a no go wherever you are
Posted on 7/27/22 at 10:28 am to Teddy Ruxpin
quote:
The first country I went to was Greece. The second was India. You'll be fine
I thought as much, but reading that line made me question.
Posted on 7/27/22 at 10:35 am to Aubie Spr96
Depending on what you are looking for and how long you are wanting to stay, I would consider doing one of these for a dip into international travel.
London
France/Belgium/Amsterdam
Italy(Venice, Florence, Rome)
All of those are easily accessible connections by train, larger cities so you would be able to find someone that speaks English, have a ton to do.
London
France/Belgium/Amsterdam
Italy(Venice, Florence, Rome)
All of those are easily accessible connections by train, larger cities so you would be able to find someone that speaks English, have a ton to do.
Posted on 7/27/22 at 11:38 am to Aubie Spr96
France would be nice. You can visit WWI and WWII battlefields to scratch that history itch. Plus, Paris isn’t a bad place for the wife to spend her 50th bday and also comes with a bunch of history.
Side trip to Nice and surrounding areas is always a great time.
Side trip to Nice and surrounding areas is always a great time.
Posted on 7/27/22 at 11:40 am to Aubie Spr96
Hi Aubie,
Let me clarify my comment. I did not mean that Greece wasn’t wonderful or safe, just that it is not quite as “European” as other countries.
On the islands, it seemed like the whole economy catered to the summer travel industry, so it was a little bit harder to get a feel for how the locals lived day to day. In contrast, a city like Florence still has droves of tourists, but it is also a bustling city with many different facets, museums, nature, history, etc. They also have great train systems that are really impressive compared to anything in the U.S., transportation wise.
In Greece, you will most likely rent a car and spend a lot of time on the water. If a beach trip is what you are looking for, Greece will still be an incredible trip.
I would highly recommend combining two countries if you have enough time. You could do Rome or Florence, and then fly directly to Crete or Santorini for your second half. The history in Italy is much more preserved and impressive than in Greece, IMO.
Either way, you will have a great time in Europe and will probably start planning your next trip as soon as you get home!
Let me clarify my comment. I did not mean that Greece wasn’t wonderful or safe, just that it is not quite as “European” as other countries.
On the islands, it seemed like the whole economy catered to the summer travel industry, so it was a little bit harder to get a feel for how the locals lived day to day. In contrast, a city like Florence still has droves of tourists, but it is also a bustling city with many different facets, museums, nature, history, etc. They also have great train systems that are really impressive compared to anything in the U.S., transportation wise.
In Greece, you will most likely rent a car and spend a lot of time on the water. If a beach trip is what you are looking for, Greece will still be an incredible trip.
I would highly recommend combining two countries if you have enough time. You could do Rome or Florence, and then fly directly to Crete or Santorini for your second half. The history in Italy is much more preserved and impressive than in Greece, IMO.
Either way, you will have a great time in Europe and will probably start planning your next trip as soon as you get home!
Posted on 7/27/22 at 11:42 am to kciDAtaE
Agree with keep it simple.
England because there is no language barrier.
Spain because you know the language. (Although you’d be able to figure Italian out. They’re very similar.)
Both are short(er) flights and have a lot to offer.
England because there is no language barrier.
Spain because you know the language. (Although you’d be able to figure Italian out. They’re very similar.)
Both are short(er) flights and have a lot to offer.
This post was edited on 7/27/22 at 11:43 am
Posted on 7/27/22 at 11:46 am to jsquardjj
quote:
I would highly recommend combining two countries if you have enough time. You could do Rome or Florence, and then fly directly to Crete or Santorini for your second half. The history in Italy is much more preserved and impressive than in Greece, IMO.
I could not disagree with this more
Italy and Greece are 100% separate trips
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