Hello everyone! A little background — my fiancé and I are getting married next June and would like to honeymoon in Europe mid-June. I’ve only been to Europe once (he’s been multiple times) and have a massive desire to travel all around Europe. I’ve been cautioned by everyone not to turn my honeymoon into a packed European trip, but rather to pick fewer destinations and enjoy them. The only problem is I’m having a little trouble doing that!
I pretty much don’t think we should go to big cities (ie London and Paris) but rather take the chance to explore the more relaxing destinations Europe has to offer. I am the kind of person who can chill out at a resort for days and be perfectly content, but I need to balance that with my fiancé’s extremely active lifestyle and desire to explore and do activities. We’re hoping to go for ~2 weeks. We are very open but right now we’re thinking 2 out of 3 of the following:
French Riviera (is Cap Ferrat too secluded? Someone said St. Tropez is nice)
Lake Como
Amalfi Coast
What sort of things appeal to you about the preliminary destinations you’ve chosen? What are your and your fiancés interests? That will help posters guide you better. Also details about your ages, general activity level, whether you plan on having a car vs. traveling between destinations via train/plan, etc. are helpful to know.
Also, how long you have on the ground will be helpful for itinerary suggestions. I know you said approximately two weeks: keep in mind your arrival days and transit days into that plan. If you have 16 days, for instance, your flight from your home and your arrival days in Europe are a “wash” – you will do very little sightseeing on your arrival day. Ditto on your flight home day. That actually adds up to just 13.5 days for sightseeing. Also, anytime you travel between cities/countries – no matter how you plan to travel, also eat up a day. In general, it helps if you fly into one destination (say South France) and travel home from another (such as Italy).
1. I’ve honed into those locations for their beauty and the selection of amazing hotels! Neither me fiancé nor I have been to any of the top destinations I’ve listed so we’re a little unsure what to expect. We’re open to suggestions though.
2. As far as interests I enjoy spending time in nice scenery, restaurants, art, music, dressing up, swimming, relaxing at beautiful resorts. My fiancé likes being active (running, hiking, biking). We both enjoy history and sightseeing.
3. I’ll be 27 and he’ll be 32.
4. We need a good balance of relaxation and activity.
In the interest of domestic harmony, I’d let your new husband (congrats and best wishes, by the way) show you what he thinks are the best things to see. IMO,it’s hard to go wrong in European travel so anything he chooses will probably be fine.
That being said, my wife of almost 50 years and I would have goneto Venice had we been able to afford it.
You don’t want to be in crowded places but have chosen some major European resort areas. The Amalfi Coast is going to be crowded then and difficult to move around. You can find an area on Lake Como, one of the special resort hotels, that would work.
Cap Ferrat is very special too. It would be easy to see or visit more of the French Riviera from Cap Ferrat.
I love the Amalfi Coast, but mid-June is high tourist time everywhere and the AC is crowded. Smaller towns or cities with smaller city centers (like Venice or Florence or places on the AC) can not always absorb tourists the way cities can, so I would not discount a city like Paris or Rome for history and beauty.
I suggest each of you choose one place of your dreams and divide time between them, one country that offers two areas of great interest or two areas or places with easy transportation between. Perhaps two quite different places, one with more history, etc. and one with more scenery.