The parentals made some noise at Xmas about taking the family to Europe sometime this year. That is the extent of the planning at this point. A time of year hasn’t even been set. My brother and I are supposed to be doing some research and deciding where we want to go and what we want to do. One suggestion was Ireland, which depending on where in Ireland I suppose might be fun but at the same time seems a bit bucolic for my tastes. I’m very preliminarily leaning toward Spain but have no strong preferences at the moment. So I throw open the floor: where should this family of four go on vacation? The entire trip will last 10-14 days and no suggestion is unwelcome.
Ireland: Fun. Avoid the tourist options. Dublim can be experienced in a day, as can many european cities. If you find yourself their, jump on a plane to Donegal (book before you leave but reasonable), and my relatives will take care of you 
.
Further afield, I can name cities more than anythingn else…worth visiting on their own merit are the obvious (Paris, Florence, Rome, Venice, etc)…but majot tourist attractions include Prague, Barcelona, Vienna, Cracow, etc.
Pick two cities, or AT MOST three, and use them as your bases. Check if you can get an “open’jaw” ticket, to let you arrive in one place and leave another.
I refuse. I make recommendations and then people go sit on the friggin’ beach on some godforsaken island in Greece.
Greece! Hadn’t even thought about Greece!
No, really Chefguy fire away.
September is a very good time. November is too late (except for Greece which is quite nice and deserted then).
Europe is expensive right now. When you see headlines like “Euro hits all-time high against dollar”, that’s a bad sign.
Italy is the best overall. England is the easiest. France is very large. Portugal is a hidden gem.
Barcelonaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
and Lisbon too.
Otto - you are going to have to give us something to go on. Recommendations are easy - they just reflect ones own likes and dislikes. If you can give us an idea of what you guys will we wanting to do that would help - where/what you have enjoyed in the past, if you are into culture or countryside, seeing the sights or relaxing on a beach, late night/all night people or dining at six folks, if food is important, how adventurous you all are, if you are looking for safety and comfort, if you are happy driving overseas, if you have language skills or happy to struggle along without them etc etc.
Try to give us the range rather than just your bias if you want it to go down well with all.
Finally timing is very important - bits of Europe get uncomfortably hot or expensive and/or are either uncomfortably busy or empty/closed at different times. So when you go would certainly change my recommendations.
Happy to help but want to get some focus first…
I’d go to Italy, predominantly Tuscany. Use Florence as a base. There will be plenty to do for everyone - culture, shopping, good weather.
Then you could catch a train or plane north to Prague (essential visit if in Europe only once) if you wish, then off again to Berlin then Paris. But for 14 days, it would be worth picking a specific region or country and really seeing it, rather than trying to fit too much in. If you do it can become a chore as you have to see this and that and you end up being too rushed, busy stressed and don’t enjoy it as much.
Greek island hoping is a good a holiday as any (for relaxing), but you’ll not see a whole lot of Europe that way. Might get a day-trip to Egypt though.
Southern Spain could certainly be a goer, but again you would be best to limit yourself to Madrid, Seville and Grenada to really absorb and enjoy the area, rather than rushing north to Barcelona or Bilbao. Maybe you could even include a day-trip to Morocco too, for a little change, if that takes your fancy.
Greece has quite a bit to offer in terms of antiquities, beauty, and friendly people. But this year it also has the Olympics.
I agree with Gorillaman that an open jaw ticket is the way to go, if the 'rents can swing it for four people.
For a first-timer, going to the UK where they speak English might be less intimidating. There is lots to do and see there in 10 to 14 days.
One year we did an Italy-Greece loop: Venice, ferry to Corfu, and some Cycladic Islands, then back to Rome. This was a two and a half week trip.
Paris might please everyone; it is a walking city with tons to do and see, but intimate, not overwhelming, and offers interesting day trips out of town.
Is school an issue? Somebody else suggested September, and I agree that this is a wonderful time to go, but it might interfere with classes. An alternative is mid-to-late May, which can still be shoulder (cheaper) season but, if you are a good student, workable with missing school.
Ah, a kindred spirit (except for Greek islands). I would include Vienna in the mix, and substitute Bavaria for Berlin. Tuscany and Florence are wonderful and Prague is not to be missed.
Madrid is fine, but very busy and noisy. I preferred Andalucia: Seville, Cordoba, Grenada, Malaga and all the beautiful little whitewashed towns perched on the mountainsides.
If you are going in the fall, try the Douro River valley in Portugal. The wine country during harvest is absolutely gorgeous. Visit Bucaco Forest in the north and the Algarve cliffs in the south, and the mountaintop town of Obidos.
Paris is fine, but the south of France is more fun. Try Marseilles and Bordeaux. A good trip is to start in Paris, drive east through Rheims to Strasbourg, then south to Geneva, over to Chamonix, then to Lyons and continue south to Marseilles, then west to Toulouse, angle north to Bordeaux, then return north to Paris. This trip gives you a taste of many of the regions, climates, foods and wines of France.
Oh yeah, forgot to mention timing. Spring is okay, summer is excruciating, August in Europe is hopeless (many places of interest are closed), fall is the best (IMO).
Nothing to add, but this is all good to know, as I’m hoping to take the missus on a Euro-venture within the next year.
By then, I’ll be coming to get more info here, too.
Madrid has ** the Prado**. 'Nuff said.
I agree that fall is a wonderful time to go to Europe, but then, May/June can be a fabulous time to see gardens.
If you must go in high summer and don’t want to be uncomfortably hot, Scotland is one of the friendliest and most beautiful countries I’ve ever visited, very romantic in its way, delicious salmon, too. Ireland was wonderful, too, but Scotland felt a bit more undiscovered.
Regardless,we have been all over Italy in May,June and early July and did not melt.
If anyone out there is researching a trip, they might like to check out our little message board. It’s called Backpackers, but we have all sorts of travelers, all sorts of ages/backgrounds.
Backpackers
Spain, or a combo or Portugal and Spain.
We spent a few days in Lisbon, took the train to Madrid, went to all the museums and spent time on the Gran Via (should I mention the bullfight? maybe not). Picked up the car in Madrid, drove south through Toledo (don’t miss the Cathedral), ended up at the Mediterranean Sea. I highly recommend Cadiz, Tarifa and the white hill villages. Went to Morocco for a day or two. Visited Gibraltar. The town of Nerja, known as “the balcony of Europe” is very nice (reminded me of Santa Barbara), and the nearby caves are awesome. Went up to Granada to see the mighty Alhambra.
You could end your trip there, or go on to Barcelona. I loved that city, but some people hate the hassles of getting around. Don’t try to drive in cities, just park in a secure place and use public transport.
Next choice would be Amsterdam/Brussels/Brugge.
France is nice, but I think they hate us there. And if you go to Switzerland, be sure to drive the Furka Pass - it’s a real fun trip.
(not for the faint of heart or those likely to get car sick)
Go wherever the hell you want. Just stay there for a while and you’ll appreciate the people as well as the relics.
- PW
Amsterdam is cool as fuck. I second the Amsterdam/Brussels/Brugge combo. Maastricht is pretty neat too.
What do you want?
Scenery? History? Art and Culture? Pubs and Clubs? Restaurants?
Walking and Hiking? Boating and Fishing?
Italy is always fab, and warm. My favourite cities are Venice, Florence and Bologna, personally I’m not too keen on Rome. You can tell it’s been a big city for over 2000 years, and after a couple of days you feel like getting into the countryside to breathe again.
Spain is great, I liked Seville especially, because of the atmosphere around the cathedral, but drinking beer at midnight in the Placa Real in Barcelona, after wandering down the Ramblas is special too. Los Retiros in Madrid is a beautiful park in the city, with lakes and gorgeous gardens, and there are stunning art galleries.
Paris has culture in abundance…you could spend a lifetime in the Louvre and never get bored. Avignon, Bayeaux and Bayonne let you see how different the regions are.
Austria is very Sound of Music, and good if you like walking in forests and up mountains.
Greece is hot, sticky, smoggy and friendly. Stay on the quieter islands and avoid the cities in the summer, Athens is so polluted it gets hard to breathe.
Scotland, Ireland and England have lots of everything. The cities have wonderful theatre and art, night life and history, and the countryside is gorgeous… especially the west of Ireland. If you’ve never tried Guinness outside of Ireland, you have to have some in Dublin, you’ll find it’s very different. London is a bit like New York, busy, multicultural, very chic and totally self absorbed.
Amsterdam is so laid back and friendly, it’s the perfect size to walk around, and there is so much to see and do you can’t get bored…and if you do, you can expand your mind a little and spend the rest of the day laughing at the wallpaper!
For 10-14 days I think it would be a shame to stay in one country, you could easily do Dublin-London-Paris-Amsterdam.
If you used easyjet, ryanair or one of the other budget airlines it wouldn’t be that expensive. If you want to hire a car, then you could use the ferries and channel tunnel, you could also get the eurostar directly from London to Paris.
If that didn’t appeal what about Seville-Madrid-Barcelona-Avignon-Paris, or Milan-Geneva-Paris-Amsterdam.
The distances are much shorter than the US, and you’ll find that 100 miles can make a big difference.
OK, a little more information, the trip could not start any earlier that mid-June because of my brother’s work schedule. Do y’all think this would be too late in the year for places like Spain?
I spent a summer in Spain and was fine, but then I am from Colorado, land of the hot, dry summers. If I were you I’d either go for the Spain-Portugal combo, or do Irishgirl’s Seville-Madrid-Barcelona-Avignon-Paris loop, obviously using open-jaw plane tickets.
Guess that’s not a loop, but you know what I mean.
If this is for this year, airfares for summer are rising fast, but you might find something good with a consolidator.