RD: Where should I go next in Europe (April trip)

Of course you could easily find 3 weeks of wonderful things to do in Ireland, both of them, the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. But it should also be said that 3 weeks in Ireland alone would be more time than about 95% of the people reporting in here, with limited time and money, would give it. With 3 weeks, many would split the 3 weeks among what I will call England, the Republic of Ireland, and Northern Ireland. Or, alternatively, you could split 3 weeks among England, Wales, and Scotland; and save the two Irelands for a separate 2-week trip.Or as I said in the first sentence, do the whole 3 weeks in Ireland (both of them). (I just said this to keep Nancy happy, see 3rd post).

You can easily spend 2-3 weeks in the UK (Scotland, England, Wales). I have been twice (longest 22 days) and want to return. Next year I'm spending about 17 days in Ireland. If you have 4-6 weeks, you might consider the entire British Isles.You could take the ferry from Wales to Dublin.

I have heard Venice is only cool b/c of the canals and then the normal city museum stuff. If your toes will touch Italian soil, and you've not been there before, I think that easily justifies it's own 2-3 weeks. Personally, I'm hoping for an early fall trip to Italy next year, the water will still be warm and the summer swarms will have departed.

How much time you need to spend somewhere is determined by what you really want to see and experience and the time those things require. Make a list.

I'm going to have to disagree with Kent here. I would LOVE to have three weeks for Ireland, even though I have been there several times already. I've hit many of the high points but have many yet to see, and there is so much more. And April is a great time to go -- no crowds, nice weather, lambs everywhere. I'd vote for Ireland! (Sorry, Kent!)

You could easily spend three weeks (three glorious weeks!) in the British Isles. You said you biked in Florence/Lucca, so you might enjoy a biking tour of Britain and Ireland. Check out www.backroads.com; they offer biking, hiking and other active tours. You certainly don't have to sign up for a tour if you'd rather be independent, but you can check out their itineraries and use that info to plan one that would suit you.

We took a 3&1/2 week trip last Spring to London and southern England, trained up to Scotland, drove all around for a week, flew over to Ireland, drove all around both Irelands for a week, flew back to London and on home. It was a wonderful sampler of the "British Isles" and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Scotland is quite small so we stayed two nights in one place three times, ditto for Ireland. Made for very pleasant driving sightseeing days.

Juliette has the best advice:

"How much time you need to spend somewhere is determined by what you really want to see and experience and the time those things require. Make a list."

She summed up my advice to travelers on this page countless times. It's all in a nutshell. Start with a list.

You can do that by a google search for "city name + sights" (or "attractions".

The best plan would be to see Scotland, England and Wales in one trip.

Next time see both Irelands in one trip. Germany and Spain each deserve a separate trip.

Carl's right about planning, making lists, doing Internet and guidebook research to determine the destination that suits you best at the time. I like the idea of focusing on one or two countries for each trip. Germany (esp. Berlin) and either Austria or Switzerland would be fun--especially as you like outdoor activities. That would be a very different from France and Italy. I don't disagree with Ireland including Northern Ireland--it's beautiful and a great place to visit (I'll be there in 2 weeks!)

Our first trip to the British Isles I had a month. I thought I would do it all- Ireland, Wales,England & Scotland. Once I sat down and started listing what I wanted to see, I realized a month was not enough. I eventually settled on 17 nights in Ireland, and 12 nights in Wales/ England. We only made it to Northern Wales, The Cotswolds, Bath and London- obviously did not see all of England and Wales. I did make it all the way around the outer part of Ireland-including Northern Ireland, I could have easily spent the whole time there. As to Germany- I have been there several time-mostly in Bavaria and on the Rhine. If you do that trip and go to Venice, I recommend allowing some time in the Dolomites-particularly if you enjoy hiking at all. (maybe did it on the last trip, but if not...)

As you can see, there are as many ideas as there are posters- actually more since some of us can concieve of multiple ways to spend 3 glorious weeks in Europe. Personlaly, I'd focus on London and environs for a week, then Inverness and area for 1 week then 1 week in Wales- Cardiff and the Snowdonia area. Trains will get you just about anywhere in the UK. PM me for more detailed suggesstions.

I am not wild about Ireland as to me it pales in comparison to the rest of British Isles. My vote spend your time in England and Scotland, 2 of my all time favorites. Hopefully you also have a nice big budget otherwise Germany and Spain can be a much better value.

I just got back from Spain and Portugal. I love Spain, but after this trip I love Portugal even more. Check out details and pictures at my personal blog http://gadtravel.blogspot.com/