Trip to Europe... suggestions

[vstevens]

As a college graduation present, I'm taking my daughter to Europe.  My budget is about 6k.  We'll be there about 10 days or so.  Neither of us want to feel hurried along in tour groups but rather take our time in one region or another.  The two regions she prefers are scandanavia or Italy ... likely only time for one.  Me... I'd love to see lake Como and Mandello Del Lario and the Italian alps.  But it's her choice.  Time frame is late March early April. 

Suggestions?

[old head]

The wife and I went about 10 years ago to Rome, Florence, Tivia, and Sienna.  We spent 10 days and had great time.  Florence was the best city for us.
 
Rome is huge and has all the issues that come with it,  Crowded pubic transit, horrendous traffic, and pollution.  Glad we saw it but, no desire to go back to Rome.

If you go to the Vatican, I would have liked to have gone for 2 days, its huge, lots to see.  Get your tickets ahead of time, long lines to get in.  ST. Peters is awesome, pictures don't do it justice. 

We went with my Architecture History professor, about 15 of us.  He was our guide and set everything up ahead of time, hotels, buses, train tickets, meals, and even guides for each city that gave us a tour and history.

Lots of history in Italy, just spectacular seeing all the architecture and culture that Italy has to offer.

Other than one drunk guy outside of one museum, we had no issues.  People were friendly, most of the places spoke some English.

Old Head

[Daniel Kalal]

A region perhaps not considered: Sardinia.  It's Italian, without much of the congestion of the famous mainland places.  It has an enormous amount of history--it seems everybody has passed through it through the ages and left their mark.  You'll be able to drive everywhere without too much worry of general Italian craziness on the roads.  And, it's an easy ferry-hop to Corsica (you're in France) and back.  Plenty of good places to stay.

[LowRyter]

I just did a 21 Day tour of Europe with Rick Steves.   You might look them up. 

Our tour guide, Jesse, is doing a 10 day trip of Italy right now that would fit your budget.  Highly recommended.  Italy was great but I have to say Paris was the best of the trip.

[Toecutter]

Italy. Spend some time in Cinque Terre. It's beautiful, and if you hike... it's incomparable. My wife and I backpacked through Italy for our honeymoon... no plan beyond "land in Rome on this day, leave from Rome on that day"... everything in between, we just "winged it".

Florence was wonderful, but I'd only go in the "off season", it's a busy place with a lot of tourists. IF you do go to Florence, save some cash and visit "La Cucina del Garga" while there. My entire life has been in food & beverage, from lowly fry cook to Exec Chef and beyond... and Garga was one of the top 5 greatest meals/ experiences I have ever had in my life. In fact, it's a massive factor in my wish to visit Italy again as soon as possible. Don't eat in any of the tourist trap joints in the city squares... they're garbage. Do your research. We found so many fantastic little restaurants with amazing food in every city we passed through, the only meal we had that truly sucked was... an easily accessible, side-of-the-square feedtrough in Florence. Italy is a culinary adventure, life-changing, really.




And don't underestimate how much you can do in Europe... the train system makes travel so incredibly easy.

[PJPR01]

Scandinavia in March/April - could still be quite chilly...depending on the type of activities you are looking to do...so if weather factors in to the equation.

Italy is a smorgasbord of delights, you could easily spend 10 days in Alto Adige (Bolzano), Como area, Trieste w/o even venturing any father south than Venice...so many areas to explore.

Both will be great fun...just depends on what type of activities you guys have in mind and whether you want to be chomping around in ski gear or lighter gear.

Sounds like a wonderful trip and a great present for her!

[Gustavo]

There are great places to visit in both, but considering that you guys live in SD, I think March and early April is way too early to visit Scandinavia.  I've been to Helsinki in March.  It was barely above freezing.   

So, I'd say Italy.  Now, I see above a suggestion for a guided tour.  That can be great, it depends on what kind of travel you like to do.  Personally, I don't like guided tours.  For me travel is about learning and exploration (maybe one of the reasons I ride motorcycles...   ).  Half the fun is doing the research in advance of the trip to narrow down what you want to visit and see while you are there.  When I started traveling on my own, you had to go to the library and read whatever books you could find, look at paper maps, decide which ones to buy so you could take them with you, etc. etc.  Today, you just plop in front of the computer and enter destinations into your favorite search engine, then transfer the stuff you want to your map on your smart phone and you can navigate to any location without thinking about it too much.  It's almost like cheating...   

Public transportation is very good and gets you almost anywhere, but, on short trips, sometimes having a car is an advantage.  Depending on how far and wide you want to go in those 10 days.  Having a car in the big cities is a hassle (and can be expensive if your hotel doesn't offer free parking).  One option would be to do Rome area first, then rent a car and travel north.

Gustavo

[ejs]

To cold in Scandinavia in mars/april. Go to Italy. Nice country. 😎

[Furbo]

That's a nice time to visit Italy as long as you're not in Rome over Easter (21 Apr)!! You're right at the end of the ski season for the Dolomites.

Really depends on what y'all want to see: there's ancient Italy, Renaissance Italy, Art Italy, food Italy, etc.  In 10 days....

Cinque Terre is nice, but you're at least a month too early. That's their 'land slide' season!

Weather should be moderate Rome & Florence, chilly up North.

Start in Rome (allow 3 days). Pass thru Sienna on the way to Florence (Firenze). Take a couple days in Florence (get tickets to attractions online prior : Uffizi, Galleria, etc) Florence is very 'artsy' heavy, but it also has amazing history. Research a bit about Dante, Machiavelli, and the Medici family. If you can get tickets, hit the Ducati factory in Bologna, then to Venice (Venezia) I'd say about 2 days, fortunately its off season!  From Venice head to Milan (Milano). Hop off the train in Verona for a few hours. In Milan see the Duomo, and try to get tickets to view Da'Vinci's Last Supper. If everything is going well, you can take a short train ride to Mandello and the Guzzi factory is just down from the station. Many small hotels if you want to spend time or take a boat ride on the lake.   You can depart from Milano or train back to Rome. From Bologna you can do that same loop backwards if you wish, buona fortuna!

[Huzo]

I sometimes muse at the statement "stuck in traffic"..
You ARE the traffic.
Same with " Crawling with tourists"
PS.
Venice smells like a toilet.. 

[LowRyter]

Italy. Spend some time in Cinque Terre. It's beautiful, and if you hike... it's incomparable. My wife and I backpacked through Italy for our honeymoon... no plan beyond "land in Rome on this day, leave from Rome on that day"... everything in between, we just "winged it".

Florence was wonderful, but I'd only go in the "off season", it's a busy place with a lot of tourists. IF you do go to Florence, save some cash and visit "La Cucina del Garga" while there. My entire life has been in food & beverage, from lowly fry cook to Exec Chef and beyond... and Garga was one of the top 5 greatest meals/ experiences I have ever had in my life. In fact, it's a massive factor in my wish to visit Italy again as soon as possible. Don't eat in any of the tourist trap joints in the city squares... they're garbage. Do your research. We found so many fantastic little restaurants with amazing food in every city we passed through, the only meal we had that truly sucked was... an easily accessible, side-of-the-square feedtrough in Florence. Italy is a culinary adventure, life-changing, really.




And don't underestimate how much you can do in Europe... the train system makes travel so incredibly easy.

     Cinque Terre

Italian Riviera

[Mr Pootle]

A region perhaps not considered: Sardinia.  It's Italian, without much of the congestion of the famous mainland places.  It has an enormous amount of history--it seems everybody has passed through it through the ages and left their mark.  You'll be able to drive everywhere without too much worry of general Italian craziness on the roads.  And, it's an easy ferry-hop to Corsica (you're in France) and back.  Plenty of good places to stay.

I've just booked to go to Sardinia next spring. But my recommendation is Sicily. An island with an amazing history. Phoenician traders settled there. Then came the Greeks, whose temples are still to be seen, one incorporated into a Christian church in Syracuse. The Carthaginians were there before the Romans. Then came the Arabs. The Normans followed them. While William the Conqueror was becoming the last successful invader of Great Britain, his cousin was setting up a dynasty in Sicily. The Spanish took it for several centuries. It then became part of the Kingdom of Naples, later called the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies until Garibaldi took it into the unified Kingdom of Italy in 1861. And with all these influences, the food is better than anywhere else in Italy (which means better than anywhere else in the world). The wine is among the best too.










Scandinavia is pleasant, but a bit colourless. Okay if that's your family history. But Italy, and Sicily in particular, is my recommendation.

[Swedemoto]

My daughter did a semester in Florence and we met her before her return. Did a couple day trips to Venice, Sienna and Cinque Terre before driving (Alfa 166) to Pompei and through the Amalfi coast.  The Amalfi is beautiful. On to Naples (not impressed) then a couple days on Capri. Probably the highlight. Then a couple days in Rome. Plenty to see all around, just start planning.

[wrbix]

March/April - high Alpine passes likely still closed

[vstevens]

Thanks everyone, love your input!  Sounds like Italy might be the place to be in early Spring

[oilhed]

As a college graduation present, I'm taking my daughter to Europe.  My budget is about 6k.  We'll be there about 10 days or so. 

The two regions she prefers are scandanavia or Italy ... likely only time for one.  Me... I'd love to see lake Como and Mandello Del Lario and the Italian alps. 

That is my dream trip!  But I went to Ireland last year and wife went to Scotland/England this year.  First trip I'd do either of those or Wales.

[Mr Pootle]

That is my dream trip!  But I went to Ireland last year and wife went to Scotland/England this year.  First trip I'd do either of those or Wales.

The language problem is a bit more subtle.