Posters please help! Neither my fiance nor I have ever been to Europe. I had some frequent flyer miles and booked our honeymoon in August. I wanted to fly into Slovenia since Slovenian is my ethnic background, then travel into Italy for the majority of our trip. I gave a travel agent some top places we'd like to visit. I'd love some advice on whether or not we should kill one of these cities in order to not feel so rushed. We will be traveling by train. I'd love some suggestions on "must-sees" and hotels. We'd like to stay in nice places but we don't need to break the bank, either. What about things to do? What do you think? In working with a travel agent, she came up with this: Aug. 15-17 Lake Bled (arrive Ljubljana) Aug. 17-19 Venice Aug. 19-21 Lake Como
Aug. 21-23 Florence (depart AM of the 23rd)
Posted by
Atlanta
3254 posts
With 8 days, I'd personally try to find destinations that are close together. 1. My husband and I really liked Ljubljana so I'd recommend staying there (there is a great article about travel and food in Slovenia in the May, 2012 Bon Appetit magazine.) We rented a car and took a day trip to Lake Bled. 2. Venice for 2 or 3 nights for your honeymoon would be great. 3. Then, train to a city like Verona or Bologna and spend a couple of nights. 4. Spend your last 2 nights in Florence. Another option would be to delete Lake Como and spend more time in Ljubljana, Venice, and Florence. That would be a nice trip. Congratulations and Best Wishes!
Posted by
Portland, OR
282 posts
I agree with dropping Lake Como and adding one day each to Slovenia, Venice and Florence. This will give you an extra day at the beginning of your trip to get over the jetlag, extra time in Venice to get away from the crowds and an extra day in Florence to take a day trip.
Posted by
OP
Oshkosh, Wisconsin, USA
6 posts
To Atlanta:
Thank you so much for your input into the Ljubljana, Slovenia, to Italy honeymoon. Can I ask where you stayed in Ljubljana? Would you recommend staying in the city, rather than a night or two in Lake Bled? Sharon, from Wisconsin
Posted by
OP
Oshkosh, Wisconsin, USA
6 posts
Thank you, also, ekc... Favorite hotel suggestions would be great, if you have any.
Posted by
Atlanta
3254 posts
Hi Sharon, I'd stay in Ljubljana - we stayed there 4 nights and had a wonderful time. Our hotel was Hotel Park in Ljubljana - the location was good and it was fine for us but I wouldn't recommend it for a honeymoon. The Bon Appetit article recommends Lesar Hotel Angel and it gets good reviews on Trip Advisor but I haven't personally stayed there. I'd check other options on Trip Advisor too. Renting a car for a day trip to Lake Bled was easy - I'd consider doing that.
Posted by
OP
Oshkosh, Wisconsin, USA
6 posts
Thanks for the advice :)
Posted by
Portland, OR
282 posts
Sharon, we usually travel with my in-laws, so tend to stay in higher-end places which likely won't fit your budget (but let me know if it does and I can give you recs). A good place to start looking for hotels is www.venere.com, as you can sort by budget, location, etc.
Posted by
OP
Oshkosh, Wisconsin, USA
6 posts
Awesome... thanks for the tip!
Posted by
WPB, FL & Firenze
3112 posts
I agree with those who suggest you limit your trip to 3 places. The itinerary your travel agent suggested involves about a half day travel between places (4-6 hours). Since Lake Como is the most out of the way, I'd suggest dropping it and adding a day each to Venice and Florence. I like Ljubljana, but Lake Bled is beautiful and would be a relaxing place to start your trip. If small hotels are OK, Villa Preseren is nice and it's in a park right by the lake. Ask for one of their rooms overlooking the lake. For a splurge, stay at the hotel in Tito's old summer villa. It's away from the main part of town, but walkable.
Posted by
OP
Oshkosh, Wisconsin, USA
6 posts
Thanks, Frank. I'll check out the hotels you recommended. Love the suggestions!