Newly Retired & Need Destination Recommendations for a Month-Long Adventure

I would suggest the Netherlands and Belgium. April would be lovely because the bulbs are starting to bloom. The public transportation is great eliminating the need for a car rental. There is plenty to keep you busy in those areas.

Wow! Thank you, Mary! I will check on those places immediately!

We did 4 weeks in Australia (Sydney, Cairns for the GBR,) and New Zealand. Definitely a place you should visit.

Easy call...Spain.

Spain has many of the same things going for it that Italy does (Mediterranean vibe, warm climate, incredible food, architecture, culture, art, history...the list goes on) - just think of all the reasons why Italy is so easy to love, pretty much all of that applies to Spain, too. It's a surprisingly big and diverse country, with a month in the spring or fall, you could put a nice dent in it. Spain is also easy to combine with a visit to Portugal (which is also a wonderful destination in its own right, and different from Spain) or Morocco (if you do this, do NOT do it as a ferry/day trip - just fly to one of the magnificent old cities, Marrakech or Fes - it's easier and cheaper than you think).

There are no bad answers to your question...not a terrible conundrum to face.

UK-train travel is usually easy.

Greece, first take the Rick Steves tour then visit all the islands.

May I suggest flying up to Seattle and making your way to Edmonds, Washington for the 2019 Rick Steves' Travel Expo in mid-January, 2019. You will be surrounded by people who can fill your imagination with their vivid memories and recommendations.

I suppose cost is relative and what you want to see. But my wife and I are in a similar situation, ad having traveled multiple times to Europe, for an extended stay, we narrowed down to the following, just based on cost, food opportunities, and things to see:

• Italy: probably Rome, otherwise Sicily, most likely Palermo. Tuscany is a great dream, but cost may be an issue, though Bologna for a food culture would be a better alternative.
• Spain: Not sure where exactly, we like Madrid, Barcelona cost though has skyrocketed, but lots of small towns that may offer value.
• Portugal: Sort of the "it" spot for cheap stays with culture.
• Greece: I think there are still some bargains, though the difference between High season and very dead off-season is still stark, pick a lesser known island and it could be great.

I would suggest the old communist bloc countries. Right now a lot of the original cultural flavor is still very much evident, as the area becomes westernized a lot will fade away; so its a see it before it changes destination. Prices are still incredibly reasonable so you can see more and do more than in Western Europe. Crowds are not yet a problem in most locations. Discount airlines serve most of the area so you can cover a lot of cultures fairly inexpensively and fairly quickly.

WOW, jealous! If fall or winter or spring, too, Spain. Honestly, Barcelona would be pretty awesome, just about any time of year. Someone told me recently, Spain is the new Italy. I can kind of see it. We are going to Andalusia in November, I think the weather should be perfect that time of year. It is crazy, I've booked places from the Rick Steves book at about 60 Euro a night or less!

So many good suggestions at the ready. It's almost as if everyone already had their fantasy travel plans in place! I guess I'm not the only one who plans these trips out as I fall asleep.

My advice is to not so much one country over another, but rather to not just stick to the major tourist hubs and big cities. Don't feel as if you have to cover multiple countries, slow down, relax, just enjoy being there.

We travel a lot yet on my bucket list are one-month stays in London, Paris, and Venice. I could easily settle into any of those for 4 weeks, taking day trips but mostly just taking my time, enjoying the city and revisiting favorite sights while exploring new ones.

But if you want to see more places in your month, I recommend selecting a country (U.K., France, Italy, Spain come to mind) and spending one week in each of 4 bases to expand your explorations.

If you love ancient history go with Italy. Many other places are great as well.

Where's Germany on your list?? Prague? Austria? I know so many places...so little time...Just make your plans to return!

I'm with James E: The former east (actually Mitteleuropa) are the places to go before they get overrun. Hungary (fav of James E), Croatia (my fav), Slovenia, Serbia, Montenegro, Romania, Bulgaria. So many places, so much history. These places were the heart of the Roman Empire for 1400 years, and were Rome well after Rome fell to the "barbarian" hordes.

Actually not Mitteleuropa either geographically or conceptually.

My suggestion is the areas of the old Communist Bloc (a la Cold War - "Eastern Europe"). Not because of the politics of that, but because the system slowed cultural change and those place, now independent, still have a lot of the character of their pre-communist selves.

Wikipedia:

The Mitteleuropa plan was to achieve an economic and cultural hegemony
over Central Europe by the German Empire[11][12] and subsequent
economic and financial exploitation[13][14] of this region combined
with direct annexations,[13] , making of puppet states, and the
creation of puppet states for a buffer between Germany and Russia. The
issue of Central Europe was taken by German thinker Friedrich Naumann
in 1915 in his work Mitteleuropa. According to his thought, this part
of Europe was to become a politically and economically integrated
block subjected to German rule.

Blue439's idea to go to the travel expo at Rick's place sound like a good first step. Or you could just watch past presentations and travel shows on line. The links are to the left. Something might grab your interest.
Like James E. We tend towards the Balkans, old Eastern block countries, etc. After over a dozen trips to Europe we still haven't made it to Paris. We figure Paris will always be Paris, but not the other countries. For Example, we went to Budapest in 2002 and did not run into another American, the city was pretty empty. We were literally the only people in one of the museums with the little old lady who followed us around. Fast forward to 2014 when we visited again and we hardly recognized the place. We spent 15 days in Poland this past July and enjoyed it, but in Warsaw there is so much construction going on it will rival Manhattan soon.
Pick a culture that interests you, watch some videos, talk to some fellow travelers, then plunge ahead.

Barbara, we both started out in Budapest about the same time. My goal has been to find more like 2002 Budapest before it's gone for ever. As we head further and further "east" it's like a giant McDonalds Clown shadow is following us.

As for Paris, go! It's amazing if you first see the top 10, then move to the back streets. A lot like Budapest.

Thank you so much, everyone, for your thoughtful replies! I do not see how to reply to each of you individually, but know I appreciate each and every response.

I had not even considered some of the places you suggest, but of course, I am now. I think your points about seeing places before they change drastically are very good.

Here are some things I learned through reading or talking to people outside this post. (I still need to research much of the suggestions listed in this post). These are points made by others and are NOT my own and I condensed the comments for brevity. Ideas on what makes a great travel destination are subjective, thus some of the information is conflicting.

Do you agree with the following points?

• Marrakesh, Morocco, was once a jewel, but relentless requests for money and extreme amounts of pick-pocketing, added to the throng of visitors have ruined it as a great destination. Also, how safe is it?
• Greece is beautiful but lacks the variety of other destinations. Many people rate it good, but not great. Beautiful, but not stirring.
• Spain is incredibly depressing and we should go to Greece instead.
• Ireland is beautiful, but mostly a pub crawl.

And for the record, for anyone new reading this discussion who has the same question here's my take: out of all the places I've visited (shown in my post), my favorite was Italy - Venice, Sorento, Rome, and Florence (in that order).

Yes, Italy is really nice in October (northern Italy) and November (Rome and south). I like Italy but it's far from the be-all-end-all of Europe for me.

Spain is depressing? I wrote a travel review here on my 30 day trip to Spain (all of April 2012). I personally prefer Spain to Italy. Why? The history runs the gamut from Phoenicians to Moors (and lots of Roman ruins). It's much cheaper to travel, bathrooms (rooms in general) are clean and the people in Spain both appreciate your visit and go out of their way to be helpful. You never see the shrugged shoulder response to your question or concern that is common in Italy.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/spain-clean-toilets-affordable-lodging

In April, Spain has both decent weather and many amazing festivals. Like Arizona, I wouldn't want to visit in summer.

The low countries will be quite rainy any time of year, a little less so in summer. Because of the proximity to the coast, however, they don't get as brutally cold in winter as inland can get. Spring would be nice for Blooms. Later in the Spring will have longer daylight hours.

I've spent about 2 1/2 months in France over the last two years. I decided there was too much to see to do it in one trip so I took four loops (NW, NE, SE, SW). I love France, the country is beautiful and there is a wide range of areas and sights.

If you want to go somewhere without renting a car, nowhere is better than Germany. Public transportation around Germany is about as easy and efficient as you will find anywhere in the world. September is the month for Germany. The weather is great. It's harvest season and there are lots of wine and beer festivals. It gets (really) cold sometime in October and stays cold until late Spring.

Yes, Ireland is a pub crawl but not for drinking. The best thing about Ireland is the people and you meet them at the local pub in small towns. I didn't like Dublin very much, cities are cities no matter where you go. In small towns, however, it's impossible not to meet locals and you won't meet nicer people anywhere. It reminds me of going to a family reunion (with relatives you like). I also like the local traditional music sessions better than professional Irish entertainers. I'm always surprised how talented the local plumber, carpenter and roofer are musically.

SprySparrow, how lucky for you both to be retired and healthy at such a young age! If it were me, I would start out in Italy since you love it so much. I would spend a few days in Venice and then using Venezia Ferry company, I would take the ferry over to Croatia. I've done this and it is lovely. We took the ferry to Porec which is a picturesque little town with Roman ruins and is very easy to get around in by foot. There are wonderful places to stay and the restaurants are very good. When you are done there, I would rent a car and travel through Croatia, Slovenia. Those countries are so beautiful, the countryside is charming and the people friendly and kind. Have a wonderful trip wherever it is you end up.

Are you anywhere near (within 100 miles) one of the monthly travel group meetings ? Since it seems you will be taking multiple post-retirement trips, you might want to have a support group of people who understand the urge to travel.

After several trips to Italy, I went to Spain in 2013, mainly because the Alhambra had been on my must-see list for over 20 years. I decided to spend 3 full weeks in Andalucia to be able to see it in depth and at a reasonable pace, tacked on a couple of days in Madrid because it's my gateway city. After a week in Andalucia, I knew I'd be back and in fact within 3 years had returned twice, both times adding Barcelona and both times for 3-plus weeks. I've been back to Italy a couple of times as well. Honestly, I don't know which country I like better. I think both are treasure houses of culture, history, museums, food and drink, and charming towns and villages.

Most of my trips to both countries have been in February, and once in March in Spain. Andalucia, BTW, is the warmest, driest part of Europe. The weather was always mild, sometimes cloudy and rainy, but mostly sunny. I'd say daytime temps were mostly in the 60s, and definitely comfortable to sit in outdoor cafes. Festivals begin in Spain in March, though you could start in Venice with Carnevale (Feb 16-Mar5). Semana Santa (Holy Week) starts on April 14, Palm Sunday, it is the biggest festival in Andalucia and a wonderful experience. Valencia has an unusual festival, Las Fallas, every year March 15-19.

Congrats on an early retirement, first off. Now to your ?
As a life long traveler to Europe may I suggest France. To include Normandy, Loire Valley, Provence, Dordogne, the corniche villages areas overlooking Fr Rivera , Chamonix to bordering N. italy by gondola and Colmar area. If you still have time you are close to neighboring Germany or Switzerland.
Have a wonderful time planning. While I never had a whole month for a trip , I freq planned 3 wk itins , so much fun.

We spent a month in New Zealand when I first retired. If you are active and like the outdoors you would love NZ. We went in Feb. when school there was back in session. We walked the Routeburn track, and the Tongariro hike, biked a day in Otago, and ended with a glorious week in the Bay of Islands. The food and wine are great as well.

Fly into Prague--Travel/Jet lag recovery (2 days), Prague (4 days), Krakow (4 days) (include Auschwitz), Budapest (4 days) and Zagreb (3 days)---Rent a car in Zagreb and drive to Plitvice Lakes Park (2 days)--tour the Croatian Adriatic Coast. Drop your car in Dubrovnik. That should easily fill up a month.

A very good case can be made for seeing some of the former Soviet bloc countries before they change forever, especially in Hungary and Poland...well worth spending a month in both countries, dividing up the time.

If not there, then I would suggest spending the month in Germany, focusing on eastern and North Germany, which are totally off the international and American tourist radar, depending on which cities and towns.

Ireland is beautiful, green, and friendly -- I wouln't characterize it as a pub crawl. Though the local pubs in each town were wonderful and friendly gathering places. Dublin may slightly more pub oriented --- but there are also fantastic sights to see there. The west coast -- Dingle Peninsula / Ring of Kerry highly recommended.

James, we are in total agreement on the Eastern Block countries. As soon as we retire in January 2020 we plan on going to Bulgaria, Romania, and Serbia for a month. Just hope we won't be too late. We have our apartment and car waiting for us in Croatia and will go in the Spring.
SprySparrow, yes, there are too many choices and we are just a European forum, which is why you should pick a culture you are interested in and go from there. We lean toward the Balkan culture. We traveled to Scandinavian but it isn't our favorite so we probably won't be going there any time soon again. My husband wants to include South America in future plans so we will start researching that area of the world soon. A friend just came back from Peru and it looks amazing. Half the fun for us is planning and researching, maybe it could be for you too.

Barbara, I wandered in by accident 15 years ago and fell in love. Get a little off the tourist routes and it's even better ... but dont miss the tourist stuff eirher.

"Get a little off the tourist routes and it's even better." Ain't that the truth! How many times have I done exactly that in Germany, France and Poland to be met with surprisingly pleasant results

Wow. Thank you Everyone! This is such great information! I really appreciate everyone's thoughtful reply and the details you provided are priceless.
David - Thanks for the great tip about Morocco.
Paul - Sicily, Palermo, Tuscany and Bologna sound like the perfect vacation! and Portugal is high on my list. Thanks for the details - so helpful!
James - Great advice. Thank you!
Jules M - Spain is high on my list as well. I use the Rick Steve's books for all my travels and they are very helpful, in fact, crucial for me. My formula for using his recommendations and then choosing which one based on TripAdvisor's recommendations has proven excellent. Rick's choices in the not-so-touristy areas are well thought out and our experiences are better for it!
Paul - I would never have thought of Croatia, but so many people speak very highly of visiting. Thank you!
Barbara - I LOVED Paris! I don't even know what inspired me to go there, but I definitely want to return!
Brad - Thanks for the great travel itinerary! I appreciate your thoughtful details. Sooooo helpful!
Lisa - Thanks for the tip about traveling to Croatia via the ferry!
Laura B - I didn't know travel meetings existed! I'm definitely interested. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area so I'm sure there's a gathering near.
Chani - thanks for your thoughtful and in-depth information. Extremely helpful!
Threadwear - Wow! Excellent trip planning.
Again - thanks to everyone. Your information is very helpful and enlightening!
Deborah - aka Spry Sparrow

OK, SprySparrow.....you must let us know what you decide!!!

Lots of great suggestions. I'll just add that you should be careful of others' impressions, like "Ireland is just about drinking" or "Spain is depressing." I haven't been to Ireland, but I've started researching and found lots to interest me as a non-drinker. And while I have issues with Spanish food (several trips there have left me unconverted to its high reputation), I did not find it in any way depressing (not sure where that idea comes from).

I agree with the post above about places resonating, or not, with you. A coworker took a Baltic cruise and found that the places there, some of which she did enjoy, simply did not resonate with her, whereas she finds that Italy really does. While I've enjoyed some places in Spain, it doesn't resonate with me the way it does, for instance, with Chani. Etc, etc. Unfortunately, you won't know how you feel about a place until you go there.

A great tip is that while high summer is a bad time to go to much of Europe due to the crowds and heat, it's a great time to go to Scandinavia. Not only does it not get so crowded, but the weather is at its best and the mood is very festive. Furthermore, that's when the hotels actually have discounts, since most travel there is business travel and so the rates are higher fall through spring than in summer (a great tip of Rick's).

Do investigate Sicily - I had a great shorter trip there, and it's the perfect "extension" for someone who loves mainland Italy. If you want a long read, here's my trip report: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/sicily-palermo-caltanisetta-siracusa-taormina

If you're looking for a city, you can't beat Berlin. Do check weather for your potential travel dates, as it gets extremes, but there are always more indoor things to do.

SprySparrow for your Bay Area Meeting you can find this under Tips & Trip Reports: Travel Group Meetings. The scroll down and you will see on titled San Francisco Bay Area Travel Group:https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/travel-meetings/san-francisco-bay-area-travel-group-9-8

From here you can Add a Reply and get answers for the next meeting.