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Help with itinerary suggestions -- cancelling Italy

Posted by (Vancouver, BC) on

We had 3 weeks in Europe planned from the middle of May to June 6. At this point we have a flight into Ljubljana (via Frankfurt) and out of Zurich back to Vancouver, so those are our beginning and end points. Originally I had planned 5 days in Slovenia, then swooping through Italy (visiting relatives in Tuscany and a friend in Aosta) and then finishing with 6 days in Switzerland. We've done Italy many times, and Switzerland twice, but Slovenia is new to us. Now with COVID-19 it looks like Italy will likely not be a good idea.

I had thought to split the time between Slovenia and Switzerland, with a few days in Austria. Then my husband suggested we go somewhere we haven't been yet. I suggested Vienna, and but he seems to want to go further . . . Croatia? Albania? Hungary? Czech Republic? Elsewhere? None of these have really been on my radar, so this is all brand new to me.

We like some outdoors, some history, good local food & wine, and just hanging out. Nice accommodation with views is a plus.

This is all contingent of course on COVID-19 developments.

Posted by
3280 posts

How about Lake Bled, Slovenia; Plitvice Lakes National Park and Dubrovnik, Croatia; Mostar, Bosnia and Sarajevo, Herzegovina?

Posted by
225 posts

MaryPat's suggestions are wonderful. We have done exactly that trip.

Posted by
8339 posts

At this time, there is no definitive answer to your question. Germany right now seems to have the least health problems.
Have you been to Portugal and Spain? Or, Scandinavia?
I think I'd be going as far away from Italy as I could be in Europe.
We're heading for Berlin, Dresden and Budapest end of next week.

Posted by
759 posts

Napa Valley California, wonderful inns, places to eat and wines to taste.
Venture south along the coast and enjoy an afternoon in old ruins and interior treasures a Hearst Castle. Taste treats await a little bit south in Solvang. Finally all the European art and gardens you could want at The Huntington Art Gardens and Library, and the Getty Villa will take you to the world of Ancient Rome and Greece. Need European painters and wild French furniture then the main Getty Museum will do quite nicely., along with the Norton Simeon nearby.

Posted by
613 posts

The Roman Empire lasted 1,000 years. British Empire 200 years, Austrian Empire 800 years. Per capita GDP in Italy in year AD 1 was $1,500, Austria in 1700: $2,500. The sp lenders of Ancient Rome can't touch Vienna, and its not in ruins. Rome's great display of wealth was building with marble. Vienna has a lot of marble, but they upped the ante with even more costly fake marble created by artists whose painted wood so that it looked like marble. This is very costly.

Prince Nicholas "The Magnificent" Esterhazy, an Austrian farmer, was the richest man in the world. He hired Haydn to provide his musical entertainment and paid Haydn so well that Haydn is the wealthiest musician in history (collectively, the 4 Beetles made more money, but not indisputably).

Crossing Austria from Vienna to Zurich is a wonderland of scenery and great architecture. The best Swiss Chalets are in
Austria's western Tirol.

Posted by
868 posts

At this time, there is no definitive answer to your question. Germany
right now seems to have the least health problems.

Germany is approx. 9 day behind Italy. Here are the numbers:

Number of cases Italy vs Germany

Germany reports 1.629 cases right now (March 11), and the day isn't over yet.

Posted by
28249 posts

At 5:59 PM EDT (so very late in Germany) the case number stands at 1908.

Weirdly, France has disappeared from the list of countries on the Johns Hopkins coronavirus dashboard.

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