Travel back to same location?

I think especially in these wobbly times, there is absolutely good reason to return to a place you know and love. Also, within many countries (Italy especially), there is profound regional variation. I've been to "Italy" seven times, but it feels like I've been to several different countries because even though the language was the same (and there can even be variation there), nothing else felt the same!
Though I'd like to go everywhere, I only get a couple weeks to work with per year, and I haven't felt deprived by focusing on the Mediterranean because I love the culture and environment. It is a good idea to go to the Amalfi Coast now, when you can handle the hiking and steps.

Hi May,
Wow, what a broad question. I think I would give you a different answer next week or next month. My list of places I would love to visit shifts from day to day.
Just yesterday I realized I would love to spend a month in Florence, rent an apartment or something similar and soak up all the art and culture I can. Also, I would do day trips out of town on the train or bus.
I suggest you sit down with your wife and dream together over various destinations you each feel strongly about and try to cull your list to fit the number of days you have available for travel.
Rick also has a book “Europe Through the Back Door” that has concrete and practical ideas about trip planning.

I've been to a number of places more than once. One of the reasons for this is that on a return visit I've been able to see things and have experiences I missed the first time around. Plus it frees you to take time to slow down, savor the sights and people, and to get more immersed in the location.

Having said that, you may want to make a wish list of all the places you'd most like to visit and why, and include places you'd like to revisit along with reasons why and then see if you can combine some of them into a trip that make sense from a geographic sense (and avoids alot of long distance travel which will eat into your available time). And even when you have kids, it won't mean you can't travel, you'll just travel differently and see things through their eyes.

Enjoy the planning part!!

Well, we love revisiting the same places. Why not? So many will not blink at renting the exact same shore house year after year, so why not? We’ve stayed at the same place in Hall in Tirol, Austria and Ramsau bei Berchtesgaden on five separate trips. What we do do is add a new place or a couple new ones to visit while revisiting our favorite on each trip. For instance, we stayed our third time in Ramsau bei Berchtesgaden but added the Rhine and Mosel onto this trip. Same with Hall in Tirol. We stayed in the Italian Dolomites and the Zillertal as the new areas on that trip

Why not do both? Set up a 2 week tour to Northern Italy and other places. Spend 3-4 days in Italy, then go to Slovenia/Croatia, Austria, or France. All are short trips (depending on where you go).

I do both--new places and return to places I truly like.

We have returned to same destinations on multiple occasions and been rewarded each time. Using Barcelona as an example (5 visits over 20 years) we have always changed the location where we stay, ventured further using public transport, delved deeper into hobbies (my wife speaks the international language of "quilt"), spent more time exploring lessor known destinations, discovered more than I can explain about local culture and visited during different seasons. Think in terms of drinking a fine wine and allowing the flavors being fully explored by your senses. There is also the synergy of returning to a locale and being more comfortable with your explorations.

We do not feel guilt about deferring the new places we desire to explore while receiving so much satisfaction from returning to places we love. However, we do continue to expand our journeys with our planned next visit being Portugal (selected after a huge tussle of desiring to return to Croatia or England). Truly I do not believe you can be wrong with your choice of "new or old".

Great responses, appreciate all the insight.

I guess what makes this decision somewhat more difficult, is the time/work constraint. Realistically we have probably 2 weeks out of the year for a trip like this so that adds to the dilemma (still not a bad problem to have I would say).

As mentioned in some other posts, there is also some familiarity with Italy, so while we would be checking out some new towns and cities, going back to Rome would give us a totally different experience than our previous trip. I like the idea of not rushing from site to site but rather to live as a Roman for a couple of days, a slower and more relaxed visit this time around.

Nick,

We have looked into Southern Spain as well, would definitely love to do Seville, Granada and Valencia.

The other thing in consideration at this time is of course, where we are allowed to travel at this time. Trying to give it another month or so before we fully decide and book. If more of or all of EU is open, that makes the decision slightly more difficult lol

I lived in Southern Italy for four years and have been to Germany numerous times. But in 2014 I visited Paris for my first time and fell in love with the city. So I always try to find a way to spend time there after a visit to another location within Europe. I am hoping to visit again for the fourth time this coming December after visiting the Netherlands & Germany. After the 2024 Olympics in Paris I plan on a return to France to visit the small villages in the southern area, but of course spend a few days in Paris prior to heading back to the States.

Good luck in everything working out for you.

If your heart is saying return to Italy, then do it! And exploring a new area, combined with a stay in a previous favorite is a great way to do it. We've done similar with all our European trips.

Next year your heart (or your spouse's) may lead you in a completely new direction. Or not. Do what makes you happy.

Ah MayNY it's the same question I ask myself. I agree with the thoughts that second, third, fourth visits allow you to slow down and really visit the location. We have even returned to the same restaurants and wine bars. To our delight one wine bar in Bellagio we fell in love with on our first visit …. on our second visit the current server went and found the server we met on our first visit and brought him to see us (he was working a restaurant down the street). We have stayed int he same hotels in Paris and Bellagio. It is nice to comfortable and familiar. We also try to add new places each time as well.

We were supposed to revisit Provence and the Cote d Azur last May but I must admit I'm leaning toward something completely different for May 2022. Maybe only sneak in a couple days in Antibes again IF I can book the same hotel again that is :)

Each trip we try to do both—return and add in something new. We, like you, have done this within a single country (in our case France, your case Italy). This year we add in Austria with returns to Switzerland and Slovenia. With only two weeks and pre-kids think your Italy plan is a good one. As Rick always says “assume you will return”

I always have the same dilemma. So many places I love and want to return to or see more of. So many new places I want to see. There is no right or wrong. It it your valuable and limited vacation time. If you want to go back to Italy - do it.

what dust? Never noticed it...

My last trip to Germany, I revisited two towns ( 5th time for one, 4th for the other ) and also visited 2 new ones. This next trip will be revisiting the 2 familiar ones again, another repeat ( 3 rd time ), then 1 new one, and then 6 new ones on a cruise.

My sister once asked me why I kept visiting Germany. I pointed out to her that she had vacationed at the same beach every year since 1961 !

Usually when I want to return to a place I love, I combine it with somewhere new. You could easily combine Italy with somewhere nearby (Switzerland? South of France? Or Rome has flights connecting all of Europe- so you easily just buy an open jaw ticket and add in one of the top destinations like Paris or London).

I took a trip to Lithuania for a class and got college credit for it, but I saw few sites, museums, or monuments. Sometimes i think about going back but i haven't yet. I took a solo trip to Quebec, Canada, and 4 solo trips to Europe- to London, England; Central-west Italy; Greece, the Netherlands-Belgium. It is so easy for me take note of all the towns, monumens, sights, and so on, that I could see that I am skipping, when I travel. According to gut reaction, I feel like I want or need to see a different country each time I take one of these major trips. I only get 10 working days of paid vacation per year.

Your plan to combine a city in Italy where you already been (Rome) and some other places in Italy that are new to you sounds just about perfect to me! But, I tend to be a “slow traveler” preferring to spend more time somewhere rather than moving around every 2-3 days, which tends to be more the “Rick Steves” style!

We will be doing the same thing. Went to Italy in 2015. Taking my adult kids this time in 2022 back to Italy, we could all go anywhere. We will retrace things we did for them, but are going to Florence this time and doing some different tours in the places we have been before.

After that, I will go to new countries. My long term goal is to go to Italy for an extended stay when DH is semi retired.

I rarely repeat locations. I've been travelling for 40 odd years - up to 6 months at a time - and there is so much I haven't seen yet. Obviously there are some "gateways" where we've been multiple times - but that's usually just logistics or meeting friends/family.

We are returning to Italy on a cruise next year. We've both been before (last century and separately) - and Rome was my least favourite location on a 2 month Eurail trip. I'm seriously considering skipping Rome and staying Citivecchia or going to a different small town.

There are exceptions though - I've been to Pompeii and loved it- my partner hasn't and I know he'll love it - so we will go there on the Napoli day.

I would like to return to Venice though and actually have the money to spend to stay there and take a gondola ride. Not sure we have the time though on the next trip

I love Paris and make every effort to include it in our itinerary. I’ve been there 10 times and planning to visit again next year before our RS tour begins in the south of France. I have favorite things to do and see but always add something new.

Out third trip was mostly revisiting places we had been. The familiarity made it easier and we stayed longer in each place. Well worth it. From Rome, Orvieto is a great one night stop on the way to Florence. You'll have to fly to most other destinations and I'd recommend Paris or Amsterdam. We always start in Amsterdam, it's really easy to and from the airport and you can get a flight to anywhere in Italy cheap.

I have lived 9 years overseas as well as traveling to a total of 78 foreign countries.
Yes, I have gone back to places like London, Rome, Paris, Venice, Florence, etc., but generally try to keep on exploring places that I have not visited.
We do some cruises and rarely take the same cruise over again.

I suggestion is that until you have widely traveled, keep going for new places.

Lots of great responses, it has definitely made me want to take a step back and really think about the next destination.

I'd love the idea of starting in 1 country or city and flying over to another. However, being that we would only really have 2 weeks including travel days, I feel as if being in 1 country and hitting a couple of different locations or countries accessible by train, would probably make the best use of that time.

We do both as well. New places and ones we've visited and loved, especially if we didn't spend enough time there the first time. Sometimes a day trip leaves us wanting more, so a return visit is a must.

My husband and I have made 19 trips to Europe. Of those, 13 have included Italy for at least part of the time. 'Nuff said.

I'd love the idea of starting in 1 country or city and flying over to
another. However, being that we would only really have 2 weeks
including travel days, I feel as if being in 1 country and hitting a
couple of different locations or countries accessible by train, would
probably make the best use of that time.

To me, that's a different issue entirely. I hate the mere thought of getting on a plane (or even taking a long train ride really) in the middle of a vacation. I like to stick in one area, regardless of whether it's new to me or not, versus spending time in transit. Unless you are straddling a border region (Venice pairs nicely with Istria in Croatia for example; or the Basque region encompassing both Spain and France), amount of time available would strongly dictate whether to include one or more countries. Too much to see, too little time...but that had led to me seeing some marvelous tiny places.

Until Europe normalizes, it makes travel simpler to stay in one country. A Spain trip can easily be done on public transportation. Sevilla, Córdoba and Granada are full of places to visit and food. The fast train north connects you to Madrid. We always enjoy a few days in Segovia. It is a fast train ride north of Madrid. The other alternative is a few nights in Toledo. Your choice. This trip is very doable in your time frame.

In Italy, we really enjoyed Sicily, but outside of Palermo and Syracuse areas, a car is much easier to get around. You could fly to Sicily one way and take the train one way with a stop in Naples or Sorrento. Another alternative in your time frame is to rent a car and tour Tuscany and Umbria. A few days in Rome can be included.

Like most on this site, I am looking at a near future European adventure.

My husband and I are of differing opinions on this, and we’ve discussed it often. My mind says, “There are too many amazing places in the world. Why keep going back to the same place?” His perspective is: We loved it so much, why NOT go back?

So what have we done? We’ve gone back to some of our favorites, bringing our family with us to share these special places with them. We’ve been to Paris and Venice 3 times over 21 years. Our last trip to Venice I said “No more!” (although it’s one of my top 3 places).

So now I’m planning a trip with my sister and her husband, ending in the Dolomites. It will be their first trip to Europe. It hit me that it it’s almost criminal NOT to take them to Venice since we’ll be so close. They’re getting ready to retire and wouldn’t go on their own. So, we’re going to Venice for the 4th time and I’m sure it will be just as magical as the first.

That said, if it’s just the two of you, I say go to new places. There’s a lot to love about Italy, and each region is a little different. Maybe focus on northern Italy (the lakes, the Dolomites). Or if you return to Spain, go to Seville and Granada (also one of my top 3 destinations).

I love Italy, was there two times and planning to go there one more time. After that, I would go to some new countries. But as for me, if you like country or city, feel good there, and want to return, then do that.