Help Needed 2026 fall suggestions needed!

[amymac]

That sounds like an incredible plan, John — slow traveling through Europe is such a wonderful way to experience local life!

Your choices — Ghent, Lyon, and Bratislava — make a really nice mix. Ghent is charming and full of history, with canals, cozy cafés, and easy rail access to other Belgian cities. Lyon is ideal for food lovers and culture seekers, especially in the fall when the markets and festivals bring the city to life. Bratislava offers a slower pace and great train links to Vienna and Budapest, perfect for short day trips.

Your plan balances charm, culture, and variety beautifully — a great way to start your long European journey!

 

[TomandKathy]

Why are you not including Greece in the plans? Or is this just the first trip? We have been going to Europe once or twice a year for 15 years (except for Covid time) and Turkey, France and Greece are our goto places. Greece has sooo much to offer in the shoulder and low seasons, both on the islands and the mainland. One month on the Peloponnese, one month in the north (Thessaloniki and surroundings and a visit to Meteora (!) on the way back to Athens, and one month on an island. What bliss!
You could combine it with Croatia but we never have because we keep finding more to do in Greece!

 

[NoSpin]

If you do decide to spend time in Italy, I would second Tina's and Pauline's suggestion of Lucca. Or if you wanted to be closer to Rome and some very interesting small towns, I'd suggest Orvieto.

And here's another suggestion since you have a limited budget. Convince your wife to work one more year while you go ahead and scout things out for her. When you suggest that be sure to wear a helmet and heavy padding!