International Travel: Greece, Germany, Cost Rica, Iceland, ???

In My Humble Opinion
1

So Lady Chance hit me with a proposal last night that next summer we should spend 10-14 days overseas.

We sorta narrowed it down to:

Germany (for the Black Forest stuff and castles)
Italy (landscape, archaeology, and Rome)
Greece (archaelogy and the Aegean)
Costa Rica (wildlife and beaches)
Iceland (landscape and such)

Anyone got any experiences or recommendations? Booking with a travel agent and so forth?

Also, any other locations?

I’ve been to:

Mexico, Nicaragua, Canada, England, Wales, France, Italy, Switzerland, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Belgium, Netherlands.

Lady Chance has been to:

France, England, Ireland, Belgium, Netherlands.

Sooo…any ideas? Cost, hotels, etc. We’ll be traveling with two kids so be aware.

2

Lived in Germany, have visited Italy many, many times, went to Greece for a month ages ago and also went to Iceland for a long weekend.

All are great places to go - depends on what you want to do when you get there, how old are the kids, and what your plans are when you get to the destination; drive, take trains, stay in one spot?

Lake Como, near Milan, might be a good place for a family trip - lots to do and see (for relatively little money) by the lake, and a short train ride into Milan for more things to do, plus the food and wine and shopping…

Then again, Germany has some great small villages with nice little hotels and plenty of great sites/sights and good food and beer…

Of course Greece is full of things to see and do and you could take a side trip to an island for some swimming and boating and they have great food and wine and ouzo…

Then again, Iceland is a place like you have never seen before - my travel mate said it was like landing on the moon - but friendly people and interesting side trips and, if you like fish, plenty of interesting dishes to try.

So, good choices - but depends on your interests and method of enjoying time while you are there.

BTW, I would find flights on my own, and also use Google to get some (relatively) cheaper hotels in the area you decide to visit. Depending on the season, there are deals to be had with rooms that often include at least breakfast, if not lunch and dinner sometimes.

3

The kids are 8 and 12. They’ve both traveled internationally before (to Belgium and the Netherlands) but the younger want is a little hazy on remembering that trip.

This started because Lady Chance feels a need to go someplace and see some castles. She’s big on the archaeology of such things. I’m more into landscapes and wildlife. So there’s a dichotomy at work here.

4

Memory is a bit foggy, but I don’t recall seeing a single castle in Iceland.

You might want to consider killing two birds by starting off in a small village in Southern Germany, then taking a train ride through gorgeous Switzerland (stopping along the way if you wish) to the Northern Italy area of Como/Milan as I previously suggested. Not a huge distance to travel, but a world of difference in landscape, history, culture, food and experience. That would be my quick, easy choice.

5

That would be interesting, DMark, thanks. I’ve been to Italy but only in the alps crossing over from Switzerland for a day. If I’m going I’d like to really hit it. But I’d also be interested in the Black Forest in Germany.

So you’ve given me something to … ponder.