What's next after Italy?
My wife have been to Italy the last two years and have had life changing experiences. For our next trip we would like to see other parts of Europe. We're up for almost anything. We enjoy the major cities but want to see the "real" country as well by getting off the beaten path. We have seen a great deal of Italy and we're wondering what to see next. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Tod
Fishers, Indiana 11/9/09
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Last spring we spent several weeks in the Mediterranean without even seeing Italy or France.
We started in Dubrovnik, Croatis (lovely place), detoured into Bosnia and Mostar then drove up to Split, then Plitvice Park (too beautiful) over to the Istrian peninsula and a coliseum in Pula and then up into Slovenia for Ljubljana and Lake Bled.
Check out this great part of the Dalmation Coast in Rick's book.
Great suggestion! I have had a few friends go to Split and Dubrovnik and have loved it! I will definitely keep it in mind! Tod
Split and Dubrovnik are on my wish list too.
For places I've been, it's hard to beat the Burgundy area of France. We loved Montbard, Beaune, Cluny, and other towns in the area.
Rick Steves did another TV trip from there recently and part of it was on the canal boats. I'm dying to do that some day!
Next June we're headed to England to do the Cotswolds, then northern Wales and on over to southwest Ireland. I've been to southern England And SW Ireland before, but haven't seen the Cotswolds or Wales, so we're really looking forward to it.
If you want an Italy-like experience in a different place, the south of Spain is nice (though more dry, less green than Italy). Lots of good seafood along the coast, and as you get into the white hill towns (they live in little white boxes stacked on each other like children's blocks) they really get into pork to eat.
Face it. With a little planning, anywhere you go is going to be great!
Thanks for your input Patrick! I would love to explore Spain as well as Morocco sometime in the future. Once again, thanks for your ideas. I have been to SW Ireland and fell in love with Dingle. Tod
Turkey is fun and exotic--great food and wonderful, friendly people. It's also less expensive than other parts of Europe. Lots to see in Istanbul alone!
Istanbul is definitely on my list as well. Someday I would like to combine a trip to Greece and Turkey. Thanks again for the tip. Tod
If you'd consider a place other than Europe, I have two different groups of friends who have vacationed in Uruguay, one a couple of years ago, another a couple of weeks ago, and they all just loved it.
One benefit of going to South America is it's a north/south flight, meaning not much problem with jet lag.
I've been to the Galapagos Islands twice and can highly recommend that also. Of course Galapagos is about seeing wildlife, not laying on beaches, so don't let the fact that they're islands fool you!
My family and I really loved Krakow, Poland - we didn't se much of it and are looking forward to returning. The Tatra mountains are supposed to be beautiful as is Slovenia (I think that is on the other side of the mountains!). Loved the food and the people in Poland and Krakow is a magical city.
I have several suggesstions. First- the UK. I LOVE Scotland and England and Wales. Easy to get around on public transportation, no language problems, LOTS of history and beautiful countryside as well as vibrant cities. Second- Germany, Austria and, if you can, Norway. Again- history and beauty, good balance in cities/countryside. I'd add excellent food also. Finally, Austraila and China. We did an around the world trip a few years ago and only got a taste of this part of the world. I hope we can return soon for more in-depth travel!!!
Greece is the word.
Where to go next is somewhat dependent on what you liked about Italy.
If you like the pace of life, scenary, and people-watching, then perhaps somewhere like Croatia is a good choice.
If you experienced a lot of the Italiay art and architecture, then you may want to go to destinations that have a lot of museums, etc. If that's the case, then France or Spain would be good choices. And there are many places off the beaten path in those countries, too. In France, you could visit the Dordogne, which is definitely on the English tourist path, and not so much on the U.S. tourist route (though Rick Steves covers the area). Lots of old castles, prehistoric sites and excellent food. Combine that with Paris, and you have more art and architecture than you could see in months. The Languedoc area of France is a bit more off the beaten path, but is also gorgeous and has lots of castles.
Sometimes I think this is the best part of trip planning - where to go next!
I second Bronwen's suggestion of Poland. It is a very beautiful country. Cities like Krakow are stunning and the countryside is breathtaking as well. Poland was the trip that was life changing for both my husband and I.