I have the opportunity to meet my husband anywhere in Europe for two weeks in September. We would like to have a relaxing and romantic trip overall, but we can't decide where to spend the time. The two places we keep coming back to are Germany and Ireland. Any thoughts? (We haven't see each other in 6 months!)
Posted by
southwest, Missouri, U.S.A.
1717 posts
Hello Keri. For a relaxing and romantic trip, I recommend : go to a place that does not have thousands of people. And do not do much hopping on and off of trains or busses. And do not be in any big city. My personal choice would be islands of Greece. Some of the good islands in the Cyclades islands group at the Aegean Sea are not crowded with people in September. Those islands are a good place for relaxing and not thinking about the rest of the world. Germany is a wonderful country for being a tourist in, but perhaps you and your husband could go to Germany in an other trip, later. If you want to know my suggestion of a Greek island and a good hotel there, send a Private Message to me.
Posted by
Frankfurt am Main, Germany
2779 posts
You can do the best of both countries. Ryanair.com fly from Frankfurt-Hahn (which is far from Frankfurt but very close to the romantic Mosel and Rhine river valleys to Dublin and to Kerry airport. Kerry is probably the most beautiful and interesting county in Ireland. Do a week in Germany and then a week in Ireland!
Posted by
Bloomington, IL, USA
9371 posts
I'd vote for Ireland. There is so much to see there. I particularly like the west coast from Connemara to Dingle. (Shannon Airport would be the closest airport.) And you'd be going at the perfect time to miss most of the tourists.
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19274 posts
This sounds like a military R&R thing. If so, there is a center, Edelweiss, in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. I think the center has organized bus trips to some of the surrounding sights, like the castles at Füssen, but, if not, there are convenient bus connections to Linderhof, Oberammergau, and Füssen, as well as rail connections to Innsbruck, Mittenwald, and Munich, also to Reutte in the Tirol. And, of course, right there in Garmisch is Germany highest mountain, the Zugspitze, of which you can go to the top with a cograil train and cablecar.
Posted by
Charlestown, PA, USA
193 posts
Any interest in Oktoberfest in Munich? It runs September 20-October 5.
Posted by
Atlanta
800 posts
Keri - I also posted on your question specifically about Ireland but wanted to post here too.
We have done 2 weeks in Ireland and 2 weeks in Germany/Austria. My opinion is that Ireland is much more outdoorsy, incredible scenery, lots of coziness (pubs, Guiness, rain). Romantic in that more wild sense of the world. I know Whidbey Island a bit and though I'm not saying that Ireland is like the Pacific NW there are some things about the general feeling there that reminds me of the NW.
Germany, on the other hand, is much more European with medieval towns, cobblestone roads, very "fairytale" like. We visited castles in both places but we saw more ruins in Ireland (which we like) and more completed, beautiful castles in Germany/Austria (i.e. Neuschwanstein)
Though you'll get great beer in both places there is also the chance of wine tours/tastings in Germany - so again, a very different feel.