My hubby and I are planning a 7-10 day Euro trip in May and are having trouble selecting a destination(s), so we are seeking any suggestions from this helpful group. We're very fortunate to have hit most of the Euro hot spots over the past 15 years (with Rick Steve's books, of course!) and now want a bit more than the typical tourist trip. Specifically, we'd like to plan a trip around an unforgettable, stimulating experience such as a class (wine, cooking, art, architecture, language) day trip, tour, activity (hike, winemaking, exercise, etc.) or general cultural experience allowing us to connect to a place and people beyond a typical tourist experience. Kind of like a condensed version of our old college study abroad programs. Historically we gravitate to quaint, charming villages that are friendly and accommodating but not overrun with tourists. However, we also love the energy of big romantic cities like Rome, Paris, and Amsterdam. Thanks in advance!
Posted by
Atlanta
2499 posts
Are you thinking of a tour or an independent trip? If a tour, you could consider the 7 Days in Rome or 7 Days in Paris with Rick Steves' tour company. I've been on 4 tours and they're wonderfully well organized and offer a variety of activities. Your tour mates, in my experience, will be friendly and interesting companions if this is what you are looking to do.
I'm going to Paris and Amsterdam in April 2018 and will be there for 10 days. I think it will be fun to plan our activities, book hotels, etc. Delta had a sale just this week to Europe and we snagged Atlanta to Paris and Amsterdam back home - $537 round trip!!
Let the airfares point you to the destination you want to see, especially the deal we got!
Enjoy the planning!
Posted by
OP
20 posts
Thanks for your reply, Judy. We would prefer a 1-2 day tour experience at most rather than a tour that is our entire vacation. Wow - what great airline fares!
Posted by
Florida, USA
12172 posts
One of my greatest experiences was the April Fair in Seville, Spain. It's a very untouristy, cultural experience. Everyone is wearing polka dot flamenco dresses - and will dance the Sevillana whenever the music starts up. The men wear either suits or dressy caballero outfits, many are either on horseback or driving families around in carriages. Next year it goes from the end of April through May 5th. You could rent an apartment in Seville for the whole time, spend half your time in Seville and take some day trips to Cordoba, Arcos and Jerez (and maybe a little further).
Posted by
Stuttgart, Germany
3049 posts
You can find those sorts of experiences virtually everywhere in Europe once you zoom in so I'd start by picking based on the weather. Early May can still be fairly chilly in Northern Europe, but is a great time to visit the south before it gets too hot, so I'd consider Italy, Greece, Spain, South of France.
If you're adventurous and active, doing a self-driven canal trip is absolutely unforgettable. I did the Canal du Midi a few years ago and it was probably the coolest thing I've done in Europe. You can rent canal boats in many parts of France and a few other countries but Midi is considered the "classic". May is the beginning of the season so the boats will be in good shape. I say "active" because with only two people on board, you will both be working a lot, whoever isn't driving will need to hop off at locks to tie the boat up, use the poles to avoid hitting the sides of narrow bridges, etc. But we saw lots of couples on small boats on our trip so obviously people do this all the time!
You could start in a big city near the starting point of whatever cruise you choose, stay for a day or two, then do a 7 day cruise. You travel a really slow pace and can stop off at every interesting-looking village. It definitely gave us a more immersive, locals-type experience than any other form of travel in Europe has.