European Honeymoon - Take 2

What is wrong with seeing France well. Spend sometime in the country side or swing up to Brugge, Delft in the Netherlands. Travel times would be short. The problem with Prague or Spain (and Spain is not a city but a big country) is that you would lose a couple days just to travel on a very limit time line -- 10 to 14 days.

I'd also suggest sticking to France for this trip. However, if your hearts are set on getting that far out and about, just make sure you thoroughly research your travel options before the time gets too near. If you were to relocate and center your honeymoon elsewhere, you might be able to travel from country-to-country more easily (Spain and Portugal, etc.)

Holly,

First of all, congratulations!

As this is your first trip to Europe, I'd highly recommend reading the Guidebook Europe Through The Back Door before you get too far in your planning. It will provide you with a LOT of helpful information!

As the others have mentioned, visiting Paris, Spain (where?) and Prague in such a short time frame is going to be challenging. While it would be possible using European budget airlines, that method presents some challenges also.

Especially with such a short trip, using open-jaw flights would be a really good idea! You won't be able to finalize the flights until you have at least a "rough" idea on which cities you'll be visiting. Keep in mind that you'll lose the first day in flight times and time zone changes (you'll probably arrive the day AFTER you departed) and the last day will mostly be spent travelling home.

Other than those that you've mentioned, are there any other parts of Europe that you're interested in seeing (perhaps somewhere in Italy)? I'd suggest looking at areas that are somewhat "geographically close". That will minimize your travel time between locations. Also, don't try to fit too many cities into such a short trip - about three would be the maximum, IMHO.

Good luck with your planning and Happy Travels!

Thanks Ken! Originally, we were looking at Barcelona. Not sure how feasible that would be now, though, after reading through the posts.

I definitely don't want to spend the bulk of the trip in a plane/train/car so we are rethinking our route. Since it's our first time, we would like to get into 3 cities at least...we'd like them to be culturally different so that we get to experience some of the variety that Europe has to offer. Any thoughts on options not originally listed?

I think your wish list is too spread out, especially for the period of time you have. I would suggest Paris, Bruges (Belgium) and London. They are all easy to get to from each other and it doesn't take too much travel time once you are there. It would be a shame to spend such a limited amount of time with all day travel days. You could fly into Brussels, then train to Bruges, train to Paris, Eurostar train to London, fly home from London, or reverse that route. You could fly into Paris, train to Bruges, then train to where you get the Eurostar to London. Or you could do the cities that way in reverse. If you have the time I would allot 5 days each in Paris & London, and 2 - 3 nights in Bruges. Remember that will lose two entire days traveling to and from North America. I don't know where Creve Coeur is. Whatever you decide, have a great honeymoon!

I agree with Frank. Why not spend some of your time in Paris and the rest exploring a region of France that appeals most to you (Provence, Dordogne, Burgundy/Champagne).

I think you might consider Paris - Burgundy - Provence, or, if you are really ambitious and can spend at least two weeks, Paris - Provence - Rome or Paris - Provence - Barcelona.

Why don't you think about splitting your time between London and Paris. You could take the Eurostar mid-trip. Both offer lots to do (day trips and things in the cities themselves) and are classic beginnings for Europe. London happens to be one of my favorite destinations (Paris is NOT but others strongly disagree).

Realize that you'll lose 2 days to travel, so if your trip is only 10 days total, you only get 8 days in Europe. If you do take the whole 14 days (so 12 in Europe) you COULD split the trip down the middle-half in Paris, half in Prague or Spain (Spain makes more sense). You could fly between destinations. I've done trips like that and it's kind of a hassle to deal with all that flying, but if you're dying to see, say, both Paris and Madrid then it will work.

But, if you're not sure, take a look at a France guidebook and read about other French destinations like Provence and Dordogne. There's TGV service between Paris and these areas (or close), there's tons to see, they're beautiful, they aren't expensive, and a lot of people like the mix of country/city that such a trip would provide...we did Paris and Provence for our honeymoon, and it was great to stay in the city for half the time then stay in romantic hilltop village inns during the other part.

Barcelona could work really well. For a third destination, you could TGV from Paris to someplace in Provence-Aix en Provence or Nimes or Avignon, then onto Barcelona by train. Or, you could keep it to Paris and Barcelona, which means you'd have enough time to do day trips from each city (thus seeing something different).

I would suggest Paris-Bruges-Amsterdam, if you don't want to do Paris-Bruges-London. Though most people here prefer Bruges to Brussels, you could also see Brussels instead.

Or throw-in in Delft on the way to Amsterdam. It is really a neat, quiet, old village.

Holly you need to change you think a little. Europe is really not a single place that you go and sample. For some people who have not traveled to Europe they think of going to Europe in the same manner as might go to CA or Florida. We have spent over 300+ days over the past 17 years and still haven't sampled everything. BUT our preference is to see and experience one area very well rather to just drive by and say I been there. The is a vast difference between the south of Spain, which really isn't European at all, and France or Germany. The Netherlands, Belgium are vastly difference from Switzerland or Norway. And then Rome is totally unique in its age and history. Of course, there is Greece and Turkey. I could go on but I hope you get the idea that, in my opinion, your best travel experience comes from slowly sampling a region very carefully.

Holly,

Given the criteria you mentioned, the time frame and the circumstances, you might consider something along these lines....

Day 1: Flight to Paris

Day 2: Arrive Paris / CDG

Day 3-6: Tour Paris (plan touring carefully - a Paris Museum Pass would be a good idea - use the Paris Guidebook to plan which sights to see).

Day 7: Train to Milan and Lago di Como / Varenna (eg: train departing Paris Est at 07:42, arriving Milano Centrale at 14:55 - time 7H:13M, reservations compulsory, no changes - from Milano to Varenna is one hour)

Day 8-9: Relax in Varenna (a location that's described as perfect for Luna di Miele - perhaps a day trip to Bellagio or other points on the lake - it's a beautiful spot and not surprising that Clooney owns a Villa on the lake).

NOTE: You could substitute Stresa for Varenna, as it's also a beautiful spot on a lake and about the same distance from Milan as Varenna. This would allow a day trip to Locarno, Switzerland via the beautiful Cento Valli Railway, returning by Ferry. You could also tour the Borromeo Islands or just relax.

Day 10: Train to Rome (eg: train departing Varenna at 08:37, arriving Roma Termini at 14:29 - time 5H:52M, reservations compulsory, one change in Milan).

Day 10-13: Tour Rome (again, plan touring carefully - the Italy Guidebook would be a good resource to plan touring).

Day 14: Take Leonardo Express to airport / FCO for flight home.

This plan would provide you with city experiences and touring in two somewhat different countries and one "quieter" location (which you might need after touring Paris). This is just a "rough idea" on how the trip could be structured, but would still need some "fine tuning".

Good luck with your planning!

Wow, I want Ken to plan my honeymoon, if I ever had another one! His suggestion is a great example of what I think you will most enjoy--a generous sampling of two of Europe's most wonderful cities, and a taste of one of its most charming and relaxing respites from urban life.

I think that's also the theory behind having Bruges as one of the three stops you make, though honestly, the Italian lake district is heart-stoppingly romantic.

Enjoy the planning--anticipation can be as good as the experience itself!

I have to offer this "itenerary" as an alternative to Ken because I LOVE London and the UK... (LOL he is among the best here and elsewhere)...
Fly into London- 6 days with day trips by train to any of the following : Windsor (1/2 day or whole), Canturbury/Dover, York, Bath, Stratford-upon-Avon, Cardiff Wales, Oxford, Cambridge, Winchester, Bristol. Do the theatre one or two nights. See any of these that interest: Tower of London, Changing of Guard (London or Windsor), British Muesum, National Portrait Gallery, Kew Gardens, Camden Market, Covent Garden Market, Portobello Market, Other markets, Madame Tussauds, etc. Use Hop on/off Bus first day to orinent.

Eurostar to Paris- 3 days tourning as per Ken
Eurostar to Brussels or Burge- 2 or 3 days
Fly home from there or Paris(which ever works)
Could adjust # of days based on preferences.

As much as I LOVE London, I would follow Ken's suggestions....Paris and Rome are magnificently romantic. Congratulations and happy honeymoon planning!

Happy Honeymoon planning Holly and of course, congratulations!

There are many fabulous and great suggestions on this thread. Paris has so many layers, offering so much to see and experience. Also, as formerly mentioned, from there you can easily go north to Brugge (one of my favorite places with so much beauty). Certainly, you can also opt to see sensational southern France.

The suggestion to get a copy of Europe Through the Backdoor is great too. It is a fountain of information.

Have fun with all the planning.

my advice to you: forget spain. it's just italy w/o any trees.

do paris, bruges, colmar & strasbourg, florence, venice, hallstatt, then end in prague (might need to fly). look up the city of Split in Slovenia...if you have time, you guys would love it.

13-14 days is plenty of time.

Matt, do you mean Split in Croatia or perhaps Lake Bled in Slovenia? And I shared Jo's reaction to your analysis of Spain. ;)

Holly: definitely consider spending your whole time touring France. My (now) husband and I spent two weeks in France in 2004 and it was great. We flew into Nice and spent two nights there, followed by a night in Lyon on our way to two nights in Chamonix. We then spent two nights in Beaune, three nights in Paris, and then two nights in Amboise. There is a whole list of places we still want to visit in France and, of course, several we want to revisit. We also spent a third week in Bruges, Brussels, and London on that trip.

We went to the Czech Republic (plus Austria, Slovenia, and Poland) about a year ago on our honeymoon. You could look into a Prague-Cesky Krumlov-Salzburg or Vienna trip as well, but that axes France. We biked from Salzburg to Prague, and that was fantastic.

I almost spit my coffee on my keyboard when I read that Spain was just like Italy but without the trees.

Way too ambitious and hetic for a first trip. Go to London open jaw, spend four or five days. Then get to Paris and rent a car for a few days touring the towns and villages or Normandy and Brittany (skip the war stuff unless you're interested). Then go back to Paris and dump the car and have the finale of a life time in the best city on the face of the earth.

Definitely fly into one city (Paris) and leave from another (Prague or Rome).

As everyone has mentioned, read RS guide.

Then plan on another honeymoon every other year and your marriage will thank you!

Oh, and by the way, skip Spain...it's just like Texas without all us red-necks!

My husband and I took a 3 week European honeymoon last May. We traveled through France, Switzerland, and Italy. Although we always enjoy Paris, I would definitely recommend leaving the city and seeing more of France.

In France we really enjoyed renting a car and driving through Normandy. The D-Day sites were amazing. We also spent a night on Mont St. Michel, which is romantic and peaceful when the crowds leave in the evening. We stayed in a chateau in the Loire Valley and spent a couple of days exploring the area, which was beautiful.

If you have any interest at all in visiting Italy, we loved Rome, Venice, and the Amalfi Coast. We stayed in Sorrento and can't wait to return. Italy is by far our favorite country in Europe. It's also very romantic for a honeymoon!

With 10-14 days I would recommend trying to stay in one geographic region unless you don't mind flying in between countries. Since you really want to see Paris you could rent a car and explore other regions of France as well....

Hi Holly,

Congratulations on your engagement and upcoming honeymoon! I'm also beginning to plan a European honeymoon at the moment, and it will be my fiance and I's second trip to Europe. We had a similar budget and time frame as you, and we ended up coming up with an itinerary that worked pretty well for us! It was the trip of our life. We spent 5 days in London, 5 days in Paris, 2 days in Nice/Monaco and 3 days in Barcelona.

We decided that we wanted to spend the bulk of our trip exploring London and Paris, and I'm glad we did. It also made it less hectic since we were switching cities quite a bit. If I did it again, I'd maybe cut down days on London and use them in Paris or elsewhere.

As far as getting around, we took the chunnel from London to Paris and then from Paris to Nice we took an overnight train. We also took a train from Nice to Barcelona and it was an absolutely beautiful ride hugging the French Riviera! Then we flew out of Barcelona.

I'd be happy to share more advice with you, or you could also check out my blog at www.shans-shananigans.blogspot.com. Scroll down the page and click "Around the World" on the left panel to see all of my travel posts.

Best of luck!

Shannon