Hi All,
My husband and I would like to plan a trip to Europe in July or August and could use some help deciding where to go as we are very indecisive. We're both 28 and would like to go for about 14 days. Originally we were debating between Italy or Ireland but don't want to discount other potential destinations. My husband has never been to Europe and we would like this trip to be one last hoorah before we begin our future family planning so we would like it to be worthwhile and romantic :)
If it were me, i would do Venice, Florence, Rome (I did this trip for 14 days in 2018, and only went to the big three cities. Wish we would have done a small town to break up the large, major sites to relax) and sprinkle in one or two small towns between each to take a "break" from cities and relax.
Venice- 3 nights
Bologna or Cinque Terre- 2 Nights
Florence- 3 nights
Sienna, Assisi, Orvieto, etc (really any town between Florence and Rome)- 2 Nights
Rome- 4 Nights
Edit: Didn't even see you say July or August. We went in May, so it wasn't too hot yet. If those are the months you are set on, I would pick Ireland due to heat in Italy. Never been, so not much help on that :)
You could stick a pin in a map of Europe and not go wrong, so my attitude is, "Why not consider the weather?" Most of Italy (except up in the mountains) is likely to be very hot in July and August. While places farther north may have heat waves in the summer, they don't generally last 2 weeks, so your odds are better if you head north to somewhere like Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, Scandinavia, etc. I've used Normandy/Brittany in France and the stretch of northern Spain between Galicia and the Basque Country as places to get away from the heat in the middle of my summer trips. That generally worked well, though one of last summer's heat waves caught up with me for a couple of days in Brittany.
Folks will be able to make more useful suggestions if you tell us something about your interests. "Romantic" sounds to me as if you'd like some time in less-crowded places, but do you like outdoor activities, historical sites, museums (what kind?), wine, food, etc.?
Are you willing to drive for at least part of the trip if it makes sense, or do you want to stick to public transportation?
Have you looked at airfares to get an idea of what places are most affordable to fly into and out of (if budget is a consideration)?
Hi there, mak16 -
Where to go? Based on what little we know about you, throw a dart at the map! 🙂
Worthwhile? Only you will be able to answer that question.
Romance? Anywhere and everywhere; be creative. 😉
What are you interested in doing and seeing when you get there to Europe (and "everything" isn't answer)?
Understand that you won't see all ALL of a good-sized country in 14 days so it helps to choose the country and then locations within them based on the amount of things you like to do that they have to offer.
So what more can you tell us about yourselves that would help narrow the list?
All that aside, I'm a hopeless geek for Italy so no question what I'd choose!
If you go that route, I would recommend fitting Ravenna between Venice and Florence - the 5th and 6th century mosaics are just gorgeous and amazing.
Venice, Florence, Rome
Fly into Venice 3 nights
Florence 3 nights
Tuscany town of choice 4 nights
Rome 4 nights
Fly home from Rome
We're all Italophiles here so that's where the enthusiasm will lie, but I would definitely take into consideration that July and August are extremely crowded. So we really need to know a lot more about you--are you interested in doing the most famous things (and without grumpiness about the long lines and heat), or are you open to touring through small villages and mountains (what I would do in August in Italy).
Ireland is also gorgeous, and the friendliest place I have ever visited, but very different. I'd love to go in summer when maybe it would not rain every day! You can get some really awesome sale fares on aerlingus, if that is a consideration. You could actually maybe do both--score that deal to Dublin and then fly to Italy in the middle for a taste.
If you're dead set on Italy, then Christine's itinerary hits the top tourist sights. But be prepared for truly oppressive heat, massive crowds, endless queues at tourist sites, and higher prices because you're travelling in high season.
Personally, I'd opt for a place that at least takes the oppressive heat out of the equation. And possibly smaller crowds. Ireland would do that, as would some of the other more northerly countries mentioned.
Worthwhile and romantic? It's up to you to ensure that.
Thank you everyone for the input! As far as what we like, we would love to be immersed in more culture and we typically like less touristy type places. With that being said, we wouldn't want to avoid the major points of interest just because it is a tourist destination. If we go towards the end of August, will it still be scorching hot? I think we would be able to manage the heat (hopefully).
One thing I forgot to add which may make a difference is that I went to Italy a couple of years ago. It was with a small group and my husband didn't go so it was a totally different experience than what we would be having if we go again solo. The places I visited were Florence, Cinque Terre, San G., Pisa, and Venice. I loved Florence so we would definitely go back there. My husband wants to see Venice so we would do that as well, probably just one night as that is what I did last time and found it to be enough.
We would probably fly into Rome because that is the cheapest flight option. One question I have is: would we be missing out by not doing the amalfi coast? I know we have to pick and choose so I just want to be sure we get enough variety and the most out of our trip.
Definitely Italy. Compared to other places I've been, Ireland was only slightly above ok. Whereas I never pass up a chance to visit Italy-I've been 4 times.
You will have an entirely different experience in Venice if you give it 3 or more nights. An awful lot of people go to Venice for one night, or even just on a day-time visit from a cruise ship, spend the day surrounded by thousands of other visitors and think they never want to go back. You need to spend more time there so you can have time away from the Rialto Bridge and Piazza San Marco. Few places are as romantic as Venice.
The website timeanddate.com is an excellent resource for vetting likely weather conditions in places you hope to visit. It has at least ten years' worth of actual, day-by-day, historical weather statistics for most major destinations. I've linked to Florence's data for July of last year. During the last half of the month, the high was at least 90F every single day; six days hit at last 95 F. Only you can decide whether that sort of temperature will be acceptable for two weeks. Having spent June and part of July in Italy during 2015, I can tell you that I wouldn't do it again. The heat wears you down. Keep in mind that Europe isn't as effectively air conditioned as the US. Some museums aren't air conditioned. Small shops and cafes might not be air conditioned. Hint: If the door is propped open, the establishment probably doesn't have a/c. There's a very good reason why so many sights and commercial enterprises in Italy shut down for several hours every afternoon.
It will still be hot end of Aug and into Sept
Make sure your accommodations have AC
I can’t imagine doing only 1 night in Venice- that’s hardly time enough to see the major sights and no time at all to experience the real Venice-quiet back canals and campos, the islands, etc
It’s recommended to fly INTo Venice because it’s a great place to get over jet lag and a pain to depart from that airport, arrival much easier.
Look for multi city or open jaw flights flying into one city out if another so you don’t waste time and money backtracking
Amalfi will also be crowded and hot it is lovely but requires a bit more effort to get there and transit around. Needs a good 4-6 days if you want to see Pompeii, Capri, coastal towns.
Fly into Rome out of Naples if possible
CT will be extremely crowded
Another option would be Paris then south to Provence/Nice
Fly into Paris out of Nice
We’ve been to Ireland twice while we did enjoy didn’t find it near as interesting as other European destinations- and we are both Irish descent. As for romantic hard to say, although I did come home pregnant from Ireland 32 yrs ago lol (Guinness is good for you)
It will be very very hot in late August. But if you cannot do early July, then late August may be better.
If Rome, Venice, and Florence are on your wish list, then I urge you to pick somewhere low-key to balance it out. I would not go to the Amalfi coast in August, especially if you are expecting it to be a respite from the "big three" cities--that is likely to be a disappointment. I hear over and over that people who visit Venice for just a day do not like it because they are just surrounded by crowds the whole time and don't have enough time to wander the back streets and enjoy it--maybe that was not your experience but keep in mind this trip will be in high season.
Not to be a downer--some of us have to travel in summer and it is what it is, but I just want to encourage you to think outside the box. The middle class is growing in other parts of the world and low cost airfare has made travel easier for many--all the popular places are crowded. It is something to take into consideration when trying to plan a romantic trip. You are lucky to have two weeks at your disposal. I would get a big Italy book and pick somewhere that sounds nice to you that you have never heard of. There are thousands of places in Italy worth seeing, and it is very rewarding to seek them out. It is harder in August, but not impossible. My last tip for the cities (whichever one you stay the longest in) iis to book a place in a neighborhood setting so you get a break from tourist central.
Don't worry about muggings in Italy. Violent crime is very rare so while most of us recommend using any of various ways of securing valuables (cash, credit cards, etc) that's pretty much the only "safety" topic to do some reading up on.
You can do that right on this site; no need to look elsewhere! :O)
Add romance, beauty and cooler temperatures by making your small-town stops in the Italian Lakes. I've been to Lake Lugano, Lake Como and Lake Garda, and they all get A+ ratings from me. Nago di Torbole is a famous sailing and wind surfing spot, which I'll bet is cooler than most anywhere else in Italy in summer. Google it -- gorgeous!
Ditto about the heat in most of Italy in July/August. If you want romantic and more comfortable, do the far north of Italy, as suggested.
