Hello!
My 30th birthday is next year in July and it has always been my dream to go somewhere in Europe and all stay in a villa of some sort.
I am trying to find the best city that we should go to for about a week and where we are close enough to things to do and great day trips to different place.
I was thinking maybe somewhere near Tuscany, South of France, the lakes of North Italy, or Croatia.
We will have about 12 people. I need just have some ideas about where would be the best home base!
Morgan Elizabeth Anders,
Last year we rented a house in the Dordogne region of France for 10 days for seven of us family members. It had four bedrooms and three baths, a swimming pool, large grounds, modern kitchen, laundry room and all the amenities you could ask for. It was wonderful! There is a lot to do there... castles, prehistoric caves, kayaking on the river, country markets, evening markets in towns that are like big neighborhood street parties with music and dancing.....tons of stuff to interest people! I rented a house through gites-de-france.com. It is a long-time, reliable company that has been around longer than AirBandB. They do have offerings throughout France, but alas, in France only. If you choose anywhere in France, check them out. Anywhere in Provence or the Luberon is good for a stay as well. (Really, just about anywhere in France.)
If you choose another country, I don't know enough to recommend a site for lodging.
Congratulations on the birthday. I hope your dream comes true!
Hi Morgan and welcome to the forum! :O)
Firstly, have you felt out the willingness of the other 11 people to spend what it will cost to go to Europe for your birthday? It will involve a considerable amount, and possibly some complex arrangements for family with pets, very young children, or elderly members with mobility challenges. if applicable. It's just not clear if your family has shown interest to this idea before launching into recommendations? You are wanting to travel during what's high season in most of Europe, virtually all the places you list will be very busy, and accommodation prices will be at peak so you need to take that into consideration. You also need to take into consideration that your choice of location may not be of interest to them.
LOL, we've been faced with invites to any number of destination weddings we've declined due to the cost and footwork of going to locations we've little interest in. Family and friends have done the same.
Additional consideration; rural Tuscan villas, for instance, are not great locations for a group needing to get around by public transit to those "things to do". For people to be able to come and go independently - I wouldn't plan on everyone doing everything together- you're going to want to be walking distance from public transit or in an urban area where most sightseeing is reachable on foot. Driving in Europe isn't everyone's cuppa tea, isn't recommended for every location, and involves some homework you'd be expecting your family members to do.
And just one more consideration: Is your family expecting you to make ALL the sightseeing arrangements and play tour guide/social director every day of this trip? How well traveled are they, and are they willing to do a fair amount of research and bookings themselves? How 'on call' might you need to be every day?
I do NOT wish to throw cold water on your dream!!1 It's just that there's' more involved than location. There is also no 'best' unless you've had the conversation with your family about what they're willing and able to do. You might want to have the Plan B of planning a wonderful European adventure on your own or with a much smaller group if it all becomes too much to make happen?
miuccia, I’m exploring similar vacation ideas and your Scotland suggestions sound lovely! Where specifically would you recommend looking?
We haven't heard anything from the OP. morganelizabethanders, have you made any decisions about your trip next year?
