My mother-in-law is turning 75 next summer. She has never been to Europe and we would like to take her for a birthday surprise. She says her ancestors are from England, Scotland and Ireland and if she could go anywhere in Europe, that's where she would want to go. Unfortunately, that's as specific as she got. So...please help! If you had to pick one of those 3 places for a 7-10 day trip, which would it be? We will have 8 travelers. Besides my MIL, it will be 4 adults in their 40's, 2 teenage girls, and an 8-year-old boy. I will post this question in the England and Ireland forum as well.
Posted by
Indianapolis, IN, USA
154 posts
For me the answer is easy-it would be Ireland. There are activities for every age group and the people are welcoming. The same is true in Scotland and England as in Ireland depending on where you go and the sites you tour there can be quite a of bit of walking, climbing, and steps often without rails but you can plan that out.
One suggestion would be if she hasn't already done this is to take the Ancestry DNA test. That should tell her what country her ancestors are more specifically and predominately from and you could go to that country. Sometimes, Great Britian, Scotland, and Ireland are grouped together on the test results but on mine there was a strong Irish DNA connection while on my daughter's a strong Great Britain connection!
Good luck with your planning. What a lovely birthday present that you all can share together as a wonderful family experience.
Posted by
3123 posts
As others have suggested on the England forum, it would be wise to have your MIL in on the planning rather than making the trip a surprise. You could surprise her with a "coupon" for the trip, but I would really encourage you to get her input so that your choice of which country and the itinerary therein will make her happy.
You are very wise to narrow it down to one country since you only have 7-10 days, especially given the size of your group and the age ranges.
Posted by
1941 posts
I have been to Scotland and London. So, that's the limit of my advice. If your family are "city" folks - you can spend most of your time just in London. Then, take a 1-2 night excursion to Bath or another place.
Scotland is good for "outdoor" folks who like to be out walking. There are many castles and lovely rolling hills (small "mountains"). For Scotland - you could start in Edinburgh, then take a Rabbie's trip up to the Isle of Skye area or day trips out to other areas.
I recommend anchoring in one country for the amount of time you have. You could do Two cities in two different countries if they are fairly close to each other. For the size and ages in your group - simpler is better.
Posted by
Colorado Mountains, USA
7937 posts
Even "outdoor" sights in Ireland, Scotland, and England can be accessible without lots of hiking and climbing, especially if you book with a tour company. Depending on where you go (all 3 countries would be worthwhile) and what you see, a local guide with a van to transport the family for the day might be worth investigating. Rick Steves' books offer lots of local guide companies and guides for a variety of locations and sights.