European Tour?

[MandyMaloo]

Hello Ladies!

I was hoping somone might be able to point me in the right direction. FH and I will be unable to go on a honeymoon right after our wedding as his job is demanding and he will have to go right back. We're trying to think of something amazing for our 1 yr. anniversarry to use as our "honeymoon".

I've never been out of the country before, but FH had the oppurtunity to tour Europe in High School. I would LOVE to go there- and we're looking for a "tour-like" travel deal for Europe. I'm not too jazzed about doing the whole "group tour" thing since it's our honeymoon, but don't know if there are any other options.

I know we want to go to London for sure, FH wants to go back to France, and I would LOVE to go to Italy, but we're pretty open. Any ideas? Does such a "tour" even exist? How much does something like that cost?

Thank you in advance for any help or advice anyone can give me! I love CC so much!!! :D

[Rosebud]

Don't do a tour!! Really, this is not the best way to see Europe, nor will it be romantic. It is so easy to do Europe on your own-- you don't need to be stuck shuffling on and off a bus with a bunch of other tourists.

I just honeymooned in France, Belgium and The Netherlands. My detailed trip review with photos is HERE (http://www.constantchatter.com/showthread.php?t=10130&highlight=honeymoon)... just for some info on how easy it can be to get around Europe.

Considering the number of places you want to see, you're going to need about 2-3 weeks. It depends on how many places you want to see in each country. Here's what I'd recommend:

- Fly into London. Then take the Chunnel to Paris. Then fly from Paris to Italy. Fly back to the USA from Rome.

You can price flights on Expedia.com just to give you an idea of what the airfare will cost. They have an option called "multiple destinations" which will let you search for a flight into one city and out of another. It's called an "open jaw" flight.

The first thing you should do is read travel websites and make some decisions about where you really want to go. Frommers.com and Fodors.com are my favorites. Be sure to check out the Fodors.com message boards as well-- they're great. Once you know which cities you want to see, you'll be able to figure out how long of a trip you're looking at.

This might seem a little overwhelming if it's your first time going to Europe, but it's simpler than you think. Once you get over there it's so easy to get around and see things on your own. You definitely don't need a guide. If you really want to talk to a vacation planner, I'd recommend Moonrings.com. They'll arrange an itinerary (for a fee) that keeps you tour bus free-- and they know Europe well so they won't stick you in a big, impersonal hotel.

Good luck! You're going to have a great time. :D

[Vishenka69]

- Fly into London. Then take the Chunnel to Paris. Then fly from Paris to Italy. Fly back to the USA from Rome.

Totally agree with this, but if you have an extra day or two, taking the train from Paris to Northern Italy would be an added adventure. The cost would ultimately depend on the length of the trip and the level of accomodations you'd prefer. I would also not do too many destinations all at once, as by the end it'll be one big blur.

[fifibee]

I agree with Rosebud03 and Vishenka69 on how Europe being quite tourist friendly. If you want full control of your itinerary and cost, that's the way to go. However, if you don't have the time to plan everything and want to go the tour way, I would highly recommend Rick Steve (http://www.ricksteves.com)tours. I have traveled through Europe both through tours and self-guided, and I've found his guidebooks and tours provide a great "overview" for first-time visitors. My DH and I just went to their Week in Paris tour last year and absolutely loved it! There was a good balance of group activity and free time for individual exploration. We felt that we got a good dose of the must-sees (with great local guides), but we were able to do some exploring of the city ourselves (which was the "romantic" part). :) Do check out the Graffiti Wall (http://www.ricksteves.com/graffiti/graffiti_menu.htm) on his site for great amount of information as well.

I'd imagine that since you will be on your honeymoon, you would not want to go too aggressively on your itinerary. Depending on how much time and money you are willing to spend, try not squeeze in too many countries in one trip. As Vishenka69 says, everything will become a blur after a while.

Hope that helped!