First Trip to Europe with Husband

To have the best weather everywhere, start north and move south. A lot of this depends on where you want to go in Germany and Italy-do you want to go north in Ger. to Berlin, then west to Rhine area, then south to Munich and Garmisch area? Same with Italy-do you want to do the Big Three-Rome, Florence and Venice, or do you want to add the Tuscany hill towns, as well as smaller towns in Germany. Brugge is wonderful but you'll have to look at a map and figure out train times to decide if it's worth it. It would be great to see Madrid as you can stay with your friends I'm assuming and save on hotels. But even tho you want to stay a month, I'd narrow it down to2-3 countries, and maybe spend more time in each, then a whirlwind tour. You want to see a lot I'm sure, but you want to enjoy your honeymoon, and with a month of traveling you'll need a "down day" every once in awhile. Get some travel books and decide what you absolutely HAVE to see. Great drives-Rhine River area in Germany, I've heard the Amalfi cost in Italy is nice, tho a sometimes scary drive, I think driving from Garmisch, Germany through Austria and Switzerland into Italy is nice too.

A month is a good amount of time,. it will enable you to relax and enjoy your travel, instead of rushing from one sight to the next. other than the English countryside which i cant get enough of, some of my favorite drives would be: Along the Rhine and Moselle by boat and train. (see more than if you drive) Along the Medditerranean Coast near St Tropez- the contrast of the blue sea, reddish earth and green trees is fantastic Anywhere in the Alps- but my first (and best) sighting was Bernese Oberland from Schaffhausen approaching the Alp foothills from Munich on the way to Fussen , and from Garmisch to anywhere (Mittenwald, Austria etc) train ride up to Jungfraujoch And you must find some boat ride along any of the Swiss lakes And of course- Paris by night, walking along the Seine with Notre Dame, and the Islands

Tiffany, First of all, congratulations! A few comments.... I'd suggest using open-jaw flights for best efficiency, perhaps inbound Brussels and outbound Madrid. This will avoid the time and cost to return to your starting point. Especially in mid-October, it would be a really good idea to start in the north and finish in the south, due to the weather. A month is not a long time for travel in Europe, so you'll need to plan a very efficient Itinerary to see the locations you want, with NO wasted time. Minimize use of a car, as that's slower and less efficient. You could perhaps use a car to visit Kyllburg, although you could travel by train also. Although you've been to Europe before, you both may want to browse Europe Through The Back Door (especially "Rail Skills") to make sure you're up to speed on travel there. It would help if you could provide a short list of places in Germany, Italy & Spain that interest you the most. You might consider something like this: > Flight to Brussels, immediately to Bruges (4-days, including travel day) - relaxing place to get over jet lag. Extra time for day trip to Brussels. > Train to Paris (5-days) - day trip to Versailles or other location > Train to Kyllburg, ~ 4-hours from Paris (2-days) > Train to Munich, ~7H:30M with one change minimum (4-days) - extra time for day trips to Castles, Salzburg, etc. > Train to Venice / Florence - pick one (2-days) > Bus to Siena (2-days) > Train to Rome (4-5 days) - maybe one day trip to Orvieto > Flight to Barcelona (3 days) > Train (AVE) to Madrid (3-4 days) - visit with friends > Flight home from Madrid There are lots of possibilities, but this is one suggestion. Happy travels!

Thanks so much! I know that he really wants to go to a small town called Kyllburg. That is where his family is from. As far as Italy goes, anywhere that is beautiful I am up for. Also is mid October going to be a crazy time to go? I mean as far as weather wise? What do you think of a $8000 budget not including airfair for us? Too little? Thanks again...

Thanks so much for the helpful info! Especially the useful itinerary! I just emailed it to my fiance and super excited to embark on this journey! Whatever may come of our trip I am truly looking forward to it!

Make sure to leave enough time around Kyllburg. The Luxembourg area is gorgeous, and be sure to go into Trier. Being in the Mosel area is not a fate worse than death. I'm jealous. And Mazel tov!

My husband and I have been several times to europe. The first was for 7 weeks through a university study program. It's so easy to travel to many different countries in a short period of time but, more relaxing and romantic to emmerse yourselves in the culture by spending more time in a few places. Germany is beautiful...food, so,so. Ahckensee and Zell-am-Ziller were both gorgeous, friendly villages. Hike up the mountains with the locals to find small homes offering homemade refreshments! Spain was not as beautiful (we were there in December), the countryside was brown and dull. People in the larger cities could be downright rude at times so, don't be discouraged, just follow their lead...eat when they do, stroll when they do and try to speak at least some of the language. Avila was one of my all-time favorites. It was devoid of tourists and very romantic and relaxing. Stayed at the El Rastro Hotel, built into the castle wall. Huge stone fireplace welcomes you into this quaint, small place. Everyone friendly. Food was good in this small village. It does seem quite dreary at times, but with so much history. Portugal was, to me, lovelier than Spain. Food much better and people more inviting. It seemed "greener" and rich with culture, architecture, and great ambiance altogether.
Our next trip was to Italy. I can't say enough about the wonderful places we stayed and people we met. I would not go back without staying at Romantica Pucci and roaming around Civita Bagnoreggio. We also stayed at a farmhouse, well off the beaten path and not easy to find but, has been in the same family for 6-7 generations. They're homemade meats and cheess were well worth buying for picnics on the road to see other hilltop towns. The name is Belesedere which means "nice ass"...big joke everywhere we went to seek directions.

Just a thought... because you have been to Europe before and he has not you might want to consider someplace that you have not been. It can be a whole new experience for both of you to discover together. Sometimes when you travel to a location a second time you can spend time re-living your first trip there. So, since you probably do not want to be his tour guide try something new! (or maybe only one place you have been) Create new memories together.

TerryKathryn has the right idea- go to a place neither of you have been if at all possible or only one.
Also, a practical tip: take turns picking out the dinner restaurant or the activity for the day. Saves hard feelings if it isn't as much fun or is overpriced or unpleasant, and you can say to each other with a smile "We'll never have to do THAT again!".