I will be docking in Venice, with four days before having to be in London. Where shall I go? Cheap flights to Dublin, but getting from Dublin to London is messy. France? Cassis or Aix, but I am functionally illiterate in French. I'd like to just go someplace and stay put for those days, and I'd rather not go backwards (I.e. South). I will have been to Turkey, Greece, and Croatia. Genoa? I like food, quiet, cultural sites, music, walking...
Any thoughts would be so welcome!
I'm traveling solo, middle-aged American white woman, mid-June, on a bit of a budget.
Many thanks!!
Posted by
Lewiston, Idaho, USA
2091 posts
One thing to consider is how challenging it will be to get to where you decide to go (as you noted for the Dublin to London trek) and how challenging (and time consuming) it will be to get from there to London. Would you consider any of the cities that the EuroStar departs from to go to London? Also look at where nonstop flights depart from going to London.
Posted by
Fort Lauderdale, FL
1232 posts
Why not stay in Venice?
Posted by
OP
2 posts
I've been to Venice and love it! I will have been there for a couple of days and would like to see something different. A good point, though.
Posted by
Atlanta
4796 posts
Verona is close by, quite, cultural, you can walk anywhere and has great food.
Posted by
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, USA
13905 posts
I like Darcy's suggestion and would go further and suggest you take EasyJet from Venice to Paris then Eurostar to London. I am functionally illiterate in French (as well as Italian and any language but English) and actually do fine in Paris. With 2 travel days that is really only going to give you 2 full days in Paris.
Posted by
Toledo, Ohio, US
11613 posts
How about someplace on Lago di Garda? Or Bergamo, which has an airport nearby.
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
I wouldn't say getting from Dublin to London is "messy," since nonstop flights from Dublin go to all six of London's airports; as long as you don't mind flying, you'll be fine.
Similarly, I wouldn't worry about going south, as long as you can get a flight to London when you need it. When searching for flight options on Skyscanner http://www.skyscanner.com/, be sure to use LON to pull up "all London airports." However, do be aware that some are much farther away than others, and can take time and/or money to reach. For instance, it may be more expensive to fly into Heathrow or City Airports, but it will then be cheaper to get into central London from these.
In Italy near Venice, I really liked Padova and Ferrara, and also liked Milan, Verona, Cremona and Bergamo (didn't respond as much to Mantova, but it's close by). Verona, Bergamo, and Milan all have airports with flights to London (as of course does Venice, if that's more convenient).
Also consider Sicily for a few days. You could go to Palermo if you want a city (and don't believe the stories - I didn't find it any more "difficult" than Rome), or Taormina (direct bus from Catania Airport) if you want relaxation. Both Palermo and Catania will have good flight service to London.
I like the France idea too. While some knowledge of French is nice, it's not a necessity, particularly to spend a few days on the Riviera, Provence, or Paris. If you choose the Riviera, fly from Nice airport. If you choose Provence, you can fly from Marseille or train from Marseille, Avignon or Aix to London (see The Man In Seat 61 for details, including some trains which will not require changing stations in Paris: http://www.seat61.com/France.htm#London-to-Avignon-Marseille-by-train). And if you choose Paris, the Eurostar is a no-brainer.
Have you thought of Scotland? You could fly there, then train down to London.
So many possibilities...