Europe vacation ideas

What dO you want to do on vacation. With a kid who is getting too it for a stroller and not yet big enough for long homes through Berlin and Prague maybe either Portugal and / or Spain or maybe the Amalfi Coast. Somewhere you can homebase in a town and take some day trips. I have never been to Italy but found Portugal is lovely and the people are nice and Lisbon is a great city - I would go there.

That is not our worry. Last year, he travelled with us to Paris, Versailles, zurich, Bern, lucerne, Interlaken, and amsterdam on one trip and walked a lot in combination with a stroller in Venice and Rome. So Spain and portugal is easier to plan but we also want input on our other two alternate trip ideas. Thanks.

We loved Prague and from there we went to Krakow. Going to Salzburg in March.

what's your budget like? because an eastern-trip will be a lot cheaper. and since you're already experienced european travelers it shouldn't be too difficult for you. berlin, budapest, and croatia are all inexpensive places to travel. salzburg, well, it's austria so it's more expensive but not ridiculous. don't know anything about prauge. the first trip you describe is almost a straight shot north to south, except for salzburg. do you have a particular reason for picking it over vienna? a particular reason for croatia? because assuming you're training this trip, berlin to prague to vienna to budapest then a cheap flight back to berlin (if you're not doing "open jaw" flights) would be a pretty good itinerary for a 12-14 day trip. do more and you risk spending too much time in transit vs actual vacation time. the above trip would be good although wouldn't offer you a lot in terms of scenery. but you'd be in some of the cultural capitals of europe and there's so much on offer there. and great shopping, too. or you could do berlin, prague, munich, salzburg. munich and salzburg - and day trips around there - have a lot to offer for scenery. i've only been to barcelona but i really enjoyed it and the region is beautiful. i think spain has a lot to offer in terms of beauty particularly on the coast. i know next to nothing about italy. good luck in planning your trip!

I would start in Munich, train to Salzburg, Vienna, and then Prague. Fly into Munich and out of Prague. These cities are beautiful and a lot of fun. Different than the cities you've already been to.

Thanks for the input. In reply to your qestions about Vienna, we have already visited same during a 2 day stop over a couple of years ago. Budget is not a problem per se. We are only confused as to which trip would the most enjoyable out of three options- eastern europe, italy (except Venice and Rome which we do not want to repeat) or the combo of Spain and Portugal. I have also heard that Barcelona is only famous for night partying and not very attractive for families, is it true? Another questions pops up- If we can only do one, which is a better option- Munich or Berlin to combine with Prague, Budapest etc. Crotia we want to do for Dubrovnik, heard that it is beautiful. What say? In nutshell, what is the decision- eastern europe or spain and portugal is the question which still remains.

Dhiraj, To answer your last question, either choice would be great but I'd be "leaning" towards Spain and Portugal. The weather should be great. IMO, the transportation connections will be easier than eastern Europe, (Dubrovnik has limited flights and NO rail link). That should allow you to visit more locations (ie: Madrid, Barcelona, Sevilla, Granada, Arcos de la Frontera, Algarve, Lisbon, and perhaps even a day trip to Morocco - take your pick, subject to the time frame you're working with). Happy travels!

Munich for me was more enjoyable than Berlin. Bacelona is not just for partying. Barcelona has just as much to offer for chlildren as other EU cities. Short train from Barcelona with a great beach Stiges.

Thanks so much for your messages folks. After going through them, we are also leaning towards Spain and Portugal but will decide finally in the next couple of weeks since eastern Europe also beckons! On a sidenote, I really appreciate this forum where strangers try and help each other without knowing anything about the other person. I must admit that when I was signing up, I was a little apprehensive since I have read other travel blogs and people sometimes get abusive and personal. I did not want to get involved in any of that but I am glad that i eventually signed up for seeking advice. Thanks a lot and if anybody has anymore ideas, please do share. For another trip, does anyone has any advice on covering Italy, places like Milan, Capri, Amalfi, Puglia etc?

Dhiraj, You'll likely get LOTS of suggestions regarding Italy on the HelpLine. You might want to check your local bookstores or Library to see if you can find a copy of the Italy Guidebook. That will provide great information on many locations there. IMHO, you might want to skip Milan. Some of the more popular locations are Venice, Florence, Rome, Tuscany, Cinque Terre, Lago di Como, Orvieto and various points on the Amalfi Coast (Sorrento, Capri, Positano, Pompeii, etc.). You could also check your local PBS TV station for Rick's programs. If you're able to get WNED (Buffalo/Toronto), The Best of Sicily should be airing on Feb. 11 at 16:00. When you're ready to travel there, post another note.

I went to Barcelona and didn't do any partying (as I was there with my mother and grandmother who frown on such things). It's a beautiful city with a lot to offer in terms of food, scenery, culture, etc. It's absolutely one of my top cities in Europe and I really think anyone can enjoy it. the beach, the cable car ride up to montjuic, the tibidabo amusement park would all be great for kids.

Thanks a lot for the input specially about children's activities. That eases us a lot.