2017 Travel

[artnbarb]

I just posted on FB about never really seeing poppies in bloom while we lived in Umbria - we were always back in the states so Art could work at Churchill Downs. And somehow we got on the subject of Italy in May, and we started looking at vairous options, and now we've put a deposit on a transatlantic cruise, Tampa to Barcelona, leaving the U.S. on April 29, 2017 and arriving in Barcelona on May 13, 2017. After arrival in Barcelona - with NO jetlag! - the choices are endless!

We can stay in Barcelona for a few days - we've only been here for the day on previous visits.

We could fly from Barcelona to Rome, or Florence - sadly, I don't think Perugia is an option.

We could drive from Barcelona into Italy, stopping along the way, but that would be much more expensive than going directly to Umbria - staying with friends and family lowers our costs considerably. And I really don't like long car trips. But we have friends in Switzerland now - wonder if we could stop there on the way? Or fly from Barcelona to Switzerland, then....fly to Italy?

I'm excited about the possibilities, but I'm not going to rush, or stress over this vacation, which will be a first for me!

 

[Jeff Green]

I hope you two have a GREAT time where ever you go, and i hope it would go as well if not better than you expected it to be.

 

[artnbarb]

Thanks! Much like my life, my vacations always surprise me, despite my planning and preparation, but I've always had a good time, sometimes in spite of myself!

 

[Pauline]

I am still planning for 2016, but need to start thinking about 2017.

 

[artnbarb]

Both our cruises this summer are taken care of - we booked private tours for all the cities on our Baltic cruise - Berlin, Tallin, St Petersburg - 2 full days PLUS a White Night evening - Helsinki and Stockholm in order to maximize our time. In Copenhage we'll have 2 1/2 days on our own to see the sights, but other than what's closed on Mondays, we're set.

For the Alaska cruise, same deal with the tous - we did what we coiuld afford and I'm hoping I don't weaken and over-spend on additional tours - Alaska is expensive!

All I really need to set for our Oct trip to Italy is which 3 nights we're staying with @Giulia da Urbino !The rest of the time we'll just hang with friends! This is such a relief! I don't have to do any serious vacation research until I start planning for Ireland! Although I love to plan, this years there's just too much so I'm letting other people plan for me!

 

[chiaro di Luna]

Both our cruises this summer are taken care of - we booked private tours for all the cities on our Baltic cruise - Berlin, Tallin, St Petersburg - 2 full days PLUS a White Night evening - Helsinki and Stockholm in order to maximize our time. In Copenhage we'll have 2 1/2 days on our own to see the sights, but other than what's closed on Mondays, we're set.

I took a Baltics cruise a few years ago on Princess cruise ship. Used Red October.ru site, (not USA site) for St. Petersburg 2 day excursion. It was excellent. I bid on Priceline for Marriott in Copenhagen $100 US /night. All the ports were expensive. This was one of my fav trips. Hope you enjoy it.

 

[artnbarb]

We used Hotwire for our hotel nights in Copenhagen - 2 nights before and one night after - and we joined a private tour organized by someone on the CruiseCritic's message board, and they're using a guide they've used before, so I think we're set! We leave in one week!

 

[Amy]

It looks like Larry and I will be once again accompanying MIL to Switzerland next June. (85 year old who enjoys the idea of travel much more than the reality. Comedy Gold. The stories I could tell. ) Now the task is to decide on where in northern Europe Larry and I will run away to once MIL duty is over.

I'm also thinking of a solo trip somewhere at some point, perhaps a city stay. Or perhaps I'll head over to Europe somewhere before Larry and MIL arrive, humn...

 

[Lisa in Ottawa]

My sister and I are going to Greece in October for 3 weeks. Travelling together will be first but I think it will be fun.
Heraklion (3 nights), Chania (1 week apt rental), Athens(4 nights), Hydra (3 nights). I've left time at the end free so if we want to extend our stay in Hydra or return to Athens or... we can.
One thing that surprised me was to find out(from other sites) the extent to which they still smoke in Greece. Even non smoking rooms are permeated with the smell.
So I booked the only( I think) non smoking hotel in Athens. It's fairly upscale, gets excellent reviews and best of all no smoking!

 

[Chris]

I'll be spending 3 weeks in a big house in Provence (Goult) with good friends. I sent my share of the house deposit today, so it's now official!

 

[chachalaca]

Chris, Let me know if you want to borrow my "Shouldit" for your trip!

We're planning for summer in France in 2017 - details TBD. Maybe a bottle of champagne and a couple of laptops on the deck tonight will result in a destination.

 

[Pauline]

My sister and I are going to Greece in October for 3 weeks. Travelling together will be first but I think it will be fun.
Heraklion (3 nights), Chania (1 week apt rental), Athens(4 nights), Hydra (3 nights). ...

I've been thinking about Greece for the end of October. It seems like the season ends at the end of October. I was looking in the Chania area. Can you post the link to the apartment you found? I found a place outside in a village - http://www.cretecottages.com/

We have not been to Greece before, and this trip is for Steve's birthday, and he isn't sure what he wants to do. If we don't go in October, we will probably go next spring. I have a book about hiking on western Crete and one concern with going in October is that hunting season starts then. Same for France and Italy. I don't like going hiking when there are hunters in the countryside, but maybe I worry for no reason.

We are going to Switzerland (2 weeks in Lenk) and northern Italy (5 nights in the mountains near Aosta) at the end of August and into September.

 

[Marcia]

We are going to Portugal at the end of May. First in the north with a GrapeHops tour, and then a week, I think, in Lisbon. New country for us, and it's exciting. I need to research apartments in Lisbon.

 

[jonathan]

Ah - I was passing on some Lisbon tips to Judy and Bill only a couple of weeks ago I think they've already booked the airbnb apartment in Bairro Alto that Philippa and I stayed in! You've possibly seen this thread already: my post #5 contains some links & tios that might come in useful. Above all, don't miss Landeau Chocolate. I see from that article that she's opened a new shop, in the same street as our favourite Lisbon restaurant (Taberna Rua das Flores).

 

[Marcia]

Thanks, that is truly helpful information. We are traveling with a friend on this trip, so will be looking for a 2 bedroom apartment in Lisbon.

 

[Cameron]

I'm watching this thread for ideas!

I've made it to Paris twice since Richard died and I'm returning in September/October 2016, including a fabulous week planned with Americana and Americano in Basque Country.

I've been following the travels of STers on Facebook and am inspired to look into either walking in the UK, a GrapeHops Tour, or Kathy's tours. I've not been on a tour since college days to Russia, having been an independent traveler all these years. I'm a bit shy about joining groups outside of those I've "met" though ST or SE. I need to make plans and book something!

I miss visiting Italy as Richard and I went at least six times during our years together. France has been preferred because I can get by with the language, but I want to see other places. I WILL go somewhere in Europe in 2017.

 

[Pauline]

... I've been following the travels of STers on Facebook and am inspired to look into either walking in the UK, a GrapeHops Tour, or Kathy's tours. I've not been on a tour since college days to Russia, having been an independent traveler all these years. ...

It must be hard to adjust to traveling on your own after years traveling with your husband. I have two other female friends in the same situation. One solution is to do trips where part of the trip you are on your own, and part of the time you are with a friend or a group. GrapeHops and European Experiences both come highly recommended by people who have done the tours.

For walking tours, it would be good to be with a group. Cotswold Walks offers group walks (I know Andrew who runs this company and used to work for him). And I love reading the descriptions of the walking vacations with Inn Travel (Jonathan has used them).

Meanwhile your 2016 trip sounds great!

 

[Pauline]

We leave for Switzerland in a week! Two weeks in Switzerland, staying in Lenk (near Gstaad) where we have been the last two summers. And then 5 nights in northern Italy near Aosta. We have planned easy walks (2 - 3 hours), some drives and one difficult walk in the Italian Alps to find Ibex who are at higher levels.

And thanks to help from several people on these forums, we are spending 10 nights in Antibes, France (Cote d'Azur) at the end of October!

Now my mind can turn to spring 2017 planning!

 

[SusanSeattle]

Cameron, I have been on several of Kathy's tours & love them. I started going on them (in general I don't do tours) as a way to help plan trips I do with my mom. Last spring we went on their Dordogn tour & there were 2 single women on the trip. We'll have just done a 'Return to the Luberon' tour before our week in Paris so we will have fresh insights to share with you when we meet for a drink. I've also done the Cotswold way & am hoping to do more long distance UK walks in the future.

I just bought tickets to Italy for March 2017, using an $800 dollar voucher I got from Delta for taking a later flight before Christmas last year. My friend Chandria, and I are going to spend 6 days in Rome, 3 in Bologna, 2 in Turin, and 1 in Milan. She flies home then & I fly on to London for 3 nights. Neither of our husbands are that excited about going back to Italy, so they are staying home to take care of the kids.

 

[Cameron]

Susan - Looking forward to meeting in person and hearing about the tours.