Honeymoon Travel Suggestions

For 10-14 days, I would stick to one country. You will be more relaxed, less exhausted, and able to see in more depth if you do, say, 5 days in Paris and then the other 7-9 days in regions around Paris. You won't be bored, but you might have more time to spend just hanging out in a cafe or having a picnic. I know this won't make you feel like you've "done Europe," but you don't really have to do Europe all in one visit. You're just starting your life together. You'll be back.
So use Paris as your base, then read a few France guidebooks and chose 2 other regions that appeal to you.

Hi Holly,

First off, congratulations!

I tend to agree with Ashley that you want to make sure your honeymoon isn't rushed. Your first trip to Europe can be stressful, so go easy on yourselves.

Ashley's suggestion of Paris and surrounding regions (the Loire comes to mind, or Burgundy -- both with chateaux, vineyards, etc.) is a good one. And thanks to the high-speed French trains, any area of France is very accessible to Paris. Provence and the French Riviera are 3.5 hours away. Or you could train to Chamonix at the base of the French Alps and get your quick-fix of the Alps that way.

That said, you know your own travel pace, and it's certainly possible to squeeze more countries/cities into a 14-day trip. (A little less humane, but possible!) We plan our trips by writing out a "dream itinerary": pretending that geography, cost and time aren't issues, we jot down where we would want to visit. Then we factor in the logistics and pare down to what we can manage. Remember to mix your big cities with relaxing time in the countryside (Tuscany?) or the coast (Cinque Terre?).

On flights: It will help if you can fly "open-jaw" into one city and out of another.

On rail travel: most folks on this message board agree rail passes are rarely, if ever, worth it.

Planning is half the fun! Enjoy!

Remember that if the 10-14 day trip includes your travel days, you really only have 8-12 days. Since you want to do Paris, another French city and the Alps, staying in France makes the most sense. Paris, a destination in Burgandy, the Loire or Alsace, and then Chamonix (in the Alps) makes a lot of sense. Get a guidebook and read about these other areas, and see what really appeals to you.

I totally agree with the others. In a honeymoon trip : stay at one place for a long time, to have time to relax and rest. I suggest stay in only one country. Perhaps you would like to go to a spa town in the Alps region in France ? To relax in warm water, and get a massage.

Italy! Or...perhaps Italy. Have you considered ITALY, Holly?

PS: Congratulations!

PS2: What time of year? Knowing that would be quite helpful. In general, though, with about 12-13 days, I'd include Rome, Florence, Cinque Terre, and Venice (if during spring and summer)--3 nights each, with trains for transit. Perhaps stopoffs/day trips to Siena and Milan would also be possible, given this itinerary. I'd fly to either Rome or Venice to start, and fly home from the other, your last stopoff. For more info, visit my Italian travel blog at http://moltogentileitalia.blogspot.com/2009/08/gios-top-ten-italian-travel-tips.html

Holly,

First of all, congratulations!

As this will be the first trip to Europe for both of you, I'd suggest reading Europe Through The Back Door before you get too far in your planning. That will provide you with a lot of information to make the trip go smoothly. Pay special attention to the "Rail Skills" chapter!

It would help to know what time of year you'll be travelling? The duration of your trip seems to be "variable" - I'd suggest trying for as long as possible (at least 14 days).

Using open jaw flights would be the best and most efficient method. I'm assuming you'd be flying out of St. Louis / STL? Don't worry about the flights until you work out which cities you'll be visiting.

My suggestions will be a bit different than the previous ones. With 14-days to work with, it should be possible to visit all the places you mentioned and still keep the trip somewhat "relaxing" (considering the occasion).

Would something like this work:

• Day 1: Depart STL

• Day 2: Arrive Paris / CDG

• Day 3-6: Tour Paris

• Day 7: Train to Interlaken (travel time 5H:33M)

• Day 8-9: Tour Lauterbrunnen Valley

• Day 10: Train to Venice (travel time would be a bit less than to Rome and many here feel Venice is perfect for a honeymoon!) - travel time 6H:39M)

• Day 11-13: Tour Venice

• Day 14: Fly home from Venice Marco Polo / VCE

Instead of Venice, you could substitute Lago di Como (Varenna, Bellagio - Clooney has a Villa there so it must be nice!), Cinque Terre, Florence or other location depending on your interests. If you choose another city, you'd likely fly home from Milano / MXP.

You might want to check your local Library or book store to see if they have a copy of the France or Italy Guidebooks (or you can order them off this website - the 2010 editions are now available for some countries). They will give you lots of ideas for Hotels, restaurants, etc.

Good luck and happy travels!

Hi guys,

First off, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR REPLIES! Secondly, we will be going on our honeymoon at the very end of May through the very beginning of June (roughly May 30-June 10). Does this change anything? Let me know!

Holly

Since you say honeymoon I assume you would like romantic places. So... after 5 days in Paris I suggest Provence and the French Riveria. If you have xtra travel funds and can fly Paris to Naples on a european budget airlines then take short ferry to Sorrento, stay at a hotel overlooking the Mediterranean and take day trips to Capri, Amalfi, Positano via bus or ferry from Sorrento. Venice is also terrific but prob more costly but def. romantic.

Holly,

Taking your trip in May & June is perfect. That's somewhat right in the middle of spring shoulder season.

Considering the distance you'll be travelling and of course the "special occasion", really try to get at least two weeks if possible.

IMO, since you're starting in Paris I'd limit the trip to Switzerland and northern Italy, in order to minimize travel times as much as possible.

Cheers!