European Honeymoon

If you want to do this on your own, consider the UK. Then you are not dealing with language problems. For your budget, I think you will be ok almost anywhere in Europe. Might not be able fly first class and stay in 5* hotels and eat at 3*Micheln restruants for 2 meals a day, but you should be able to plan something nice.

What are your interests? History? Art? Nature? Big cities, country or a mix? All of that impacts a trip. Start doing some research and narrow things down a bit. You still have to plan.

Honeymoon? May? Paris!! How much more romantic can you get? With 8-12 days, you could add Normandy, the Loire, or Burgundy.

Toni is right that London would be easy for first-timers, especially as I see you live (like me) near DC, so you are already familiar with big city life. But I have to say, I can't argue with Dale that Paris, May, and honeymoon...well, they just go together. I think for your budget you could easily do a 10 day trip split between London and Paris, or Paris and the Loire, or Paris and the Riviera (too cold in May for swimming, but lovely for strolling). Whichever way you go, I would fly "open jaw"...into one city such as London and home out of another such as Paris. Since you may well be flying out of Dulles, let me also suggest the flight United makes to London which leaves about 9:30 am and arrives in London about 10 pm. My wife and I have done this and experienced no jet lag whatsoever; every other flight to Europe we always spend the first couple of days in a fog. You have to be prepared to check into your hotel in London about midnight and go to sleep right away, but you wake up completely reset to European time.
Anyway, you'll have a great time! Congratulations!

I would recommend Greece. You could fly into Athens and then directly to Santorini, spend 4 or 5 days there, then make your way back to Athens via ferry, stopping at another island on your way (maybe Naxos or Paros), and then end your trip with a couple of days in Athens. You could get plenty of help on this board regarding recommended hotels and activities (do a posting under "To the east"). Ferries are simple to do on your own. But if you'd like help, there are travel agents you could work with. It would be a lovely trip.

Bill,

With only 8-12 days, a France and Italy combination would be a good choice. This will give you some exposure to two different languages and cultures. Starting in France will be less of a "culture shock". Due to the short time frame, I'd drop Greece for this trip.

In that time frame, you could (for example) consider Paris, Nice, Florence (or Venice) and Rome. You'll need to allow adequate travel time between locations. Given the occasion (and the need for "free time"), I wouldn't try to fit too many stops into such a short time. Visiting four cities (with perhaps a day trip or two) would be perfect! Keep in mind you'll lose a day at the beginning and end, so you'll only have 10-days for actual touring.

A budget of $8000 should be quite adequate for 12-days. As a previous reply suggested, using open-jaw flights would be a really good idea so that you don't have to expend the time or money to return to your starting point.

As you're not "experienced travellers", I would highly recommend pre-reading the Guidebook "Europe Through The Back Door", as that will provide you with a lot of the skills for travelling on your own in Europe.

The "problem" with cruises and tours is that you'll be following someone else's schedule, and may not be able to have as much free time as you want. I'd suggest structuring your own trip, and that way you have total control over your Itinerary (it's not actually that difficult). I'm sure the group here can help you put together a very memorable trip!

You might also read some of the country-specific Guidebooks for travel tips, hotel & restaurant suggestions in each city, sightseeing info, etc. You may also get some ideas by having a look at "Travels in Europe" on PBS.

Congratulations!

Honeymoon: a combination of Paris with a few days wandering around the "romantic" Loire Valley chateaus. Then when you have been married a few years go back to London and England.

I vote with Brian, for a honeymoon, first trip, in May, France is an excellent choice. Paris for five or six nights with one side trip out to the Loire. There are many good guides but the RS guide will provide a great place to start.

Your budget is fine for a selecttion of moderately priced lodging and places to eat. Find a non-stop flight to Paris if you can - less stress. Book early (perhaps January/February) for the best fare.

We are heavily considering a trip that begins in Paris and ends in Rome. Thank you very much for the help so far. I will be picking up some of Rick's books and doing additional research. I'm sure I will be back with more questions.

Here is one for now (forgive me if it is covered in one of the books): When traveling to a new city is it best to arrive in the afternoon/evening so you can check directly into the hotel? What times do hotels generally start checking in?

Thanks!

Just like the US, most hotels allow check in around noon. We have not had a problem with any hotels. It is worth a day trip from Paris by train to Versailles. I think with earlier post that your budget sounds very reasonable. We used hotels in Paris that had continental breakfast, just enough to get us started for the day. We always checked to see if it was included in the price because if not, they were very expensive for what you got. We also shopped and got bread/cheese, etc and had picnic lunches, not only was it not expensive but it gave us a little down time in the middle of the day to relax and enjoy people watching. Enjoy.

Even if you arrive early, most hotels will store your luggage if your room is not yet ready. Then you can get a meal, or do a bit of light sightseeing.

I think picnic lunches in Paris are a great idea. So many parks and green areas (maybe even a bench along the Seine). The charcuterie, bread and cheese you can buy are a treat. Leave the restaurants for dinner. You can probably also find places that do take away sandwiches (gotta try "croque monseur" just to say you have done it)