European destinations - what is your favorite?

[klpca]

We are going to start to plan our next trip to Europe this afternoon since we have some free time. I get to pick the European destination this time. We have been to Italy, Switzerland/Austria/Germany, Ireland, France, and London only (never left the city). Where should we go next? We are hikers but love a good historic city. Any favorites? The only caveat is that travel with a lot of driving usually stresses us out. We can do it but I strongly prefer not to. If there is a timeshare that is a plus, but not necessary. This trip will probably happen in 2023, maybe 2022 but with the current situation, who knows. We will probably do 3+ weeks in early fall. We also prefer small B&B's over large hotels. I can't wait to hear your ideas!

 

[alexb]

Scotland lots of mountain walks have a look at Ballater and Braemar

 

[alexb]

Craigendarroch in Ballater is hgvc resort

 

[buzglyd]

Croatia is very popular now and you can do a Game of Thrones tour if you're a fan of the series.

 

[Jodyv]

Spain is nice. Lots of timeshare choices in Southern Spain. There is rail transportation to the major cities. Man, I love Barcelona. Great food, friendly people, lots of history. We drove to Andorra, beautiful mountain areas, plenty of choices to meet your hiking needs.

 

[buzglyd]

Spain is nice. Lots of timeshare choices in Southern Spain. There is rail transportation to the major cities. Man, I love Barcelona. Great food, friendly people, lots of history. We drove to Andorra, beautiful mountain areas, plenty of choices to meet your hiking needs.View attachment 31425

I've only been to San Sebastian in Spain and loved it. It's a total surf town as it's on the Atlantic and gets good waves. Perhaps a Spain and Portugal.

 

[sue1947]

Wales. I spent a week based in St David walking the Pembrokeshire Coast Path. It was wonderful. There's even a timeshare there. Some of our party stayed in the timeshare and 2 of us stayed at a nearby B&B. You can take a bus out to various starting points and hike one way along the trail then pick up another bus back to St Davids. Stop at a pub for lunch on the way or bring a sack lunch depending on how populated the area is. I misread the bus schedule at one point and discovered that the bus didn't run that day but the local pub had a phone number for a taxi. The taxi driver was a farmer from across the road who was also a member of one of the Welsh choirs so we had a concert on our ride back to St Davids; one of those mistakes that turned out to be a highlight of the trip. I loved walking along the cliff tops with waves crashing below/rock formations and long expanses of green grass. We were there in mid-late June and the flowers were blooming, but a local told us there were better in May. Plus St David has lots of history back to the Vikings. I had just read one of the Brother Cadfael series in which he travels to St David and it really brought the history to life.
From St David, we took the train (a pain in the neck; we should have rented a car) up north and spent the following week hiking around Snowdon and visiting the many castles.

I think the following year, we ended up in Norway which I also loved. However, there was more driving. You could focus on Bergen to Oslo and use the train between them. Both have really interesting historical sites/museums. Absolutely plan on a few days at Finse, at the top of the pass between the two towns. There's a train station there with a lovely Inn nearby. The rooms were basic but the food was superb and there was a sunroom and a reading room with windows looking out onto the ice field and lake. We were there in Sept and you would want as close to the first of Sept as you can do. Earlier and the snow won't have melted and the mosquitos are horrible. By late Sept, the snow was flying. The hiking in the area was spectacular. The combination of hiking in the mountains and ferry rides through the fjords plus the history at Bergen was a nice combination.

 

[Talent312]

I hear that the Lake District in England is great for views and hikes, but to me...
Heaven on Earth is Tuscany, Italy. It's where I want to go when I die.
.

 

[Passepartout]

We are partial to the Mediterranean coasts of Spain and Portugal. Agreeable weather (Spring and Fall) Great food. Good hikes. Ancient ruins. Even if you have to drive, it's not particularly difficult driving. We Love Barcelona as a city, but there are timeshares in interesting towns up and down the coast.

Yes, we have enjoyed Scotland too, but probably Portugal's Algarve is my personal favorite.

We've been daydreaming too, today about where we want to go first as soon as we can travel again. I think we've settled on Madrid, Bilbao and France's Bordeaux region for Fall 2021.....(sigh)

Next will be a cruise or two to spend the Future Cruise Credits we have with Celebrity. They have to be booked (but not used) before April '22(iirc)

Meanwhile the TS points continue to pile up. This whole, taking a year hiatus from travel, has some consequences. I hope we can enlist the kids to help out. Otherwise the points go to waste or they inherit them.

Jim

 

[klpca]

So many good suggestions! We are going through the Rick Steve's shows and just finished the Switzerland episode (as much as I hate to redo a trip, I really, really want to go back). Now we are watching the episodes on Scotland. Next up will be the episodes on Spain (top of my husband's list)...I'm going to look into every place mentioned in this thread. They are all on the to-do list. So many places, so little time!

 

[silentg]

We are planning a Rhine River Cruise in November 2022. We also want to go to Spain at some point.
Staying in USA this year. Mostly close to home. Except Arizona in April ( fingers crossed)

 

[Jodyv]

Rick Steves does a zoom meeting on Monday nights. You have to sign up on his website, or watch the episodes on his facebook page, but they have been fun and informative.

 

[heathpack]

I was going to mention Scotland as well. We rented a Edinburgh Residence week from @DeniseM and then did a private TUG trade for HGVC Craigandorrach. We also used some hotel points. It was a great trip.

My favorite quote from husband: “Scotland is the least pain in the ass country we’ve ever been to.”

 

[DeniseM]

Sadly, my ownership in Scotland ends this year. I deposited it with II, but not sure if it's still available.

 

[heathpack]

me riding in the Enchanted Forest near Ballater

Random pristine sheep we came upon in the Scottish Highlands

Guy and his JRT in a Scottish cemetery

This is Edinburgh Residence exterior

Edinburgh in the rain

More Edinburgh in the rain

Edinburgh windowbox. Yes it’s a handsome city

Went for a walk from Edinburgh Residence right into a dreamy painting

 

[heathpack]

Sadly, my ownership in Scotland ends this year. I deposited it with II, but not sure if it's still available.

I am heartbroken! Is the timeshare itself ending? Or just your ownership?

 

[DeniseM]

Just my ownership. It's one of those deeds that has an end date.

 

[PcflEZFlng]

As I've mentioned elsewhere, two of my next destinations are Andalucia & Algarve (thank you, Rick Steves!) and the Balkan peninsula (I've been to Dubrovnik, now I want to see more of the region). Early fall weather should be great - warm and sunny but not too hot.

Barcelona is a great walking city! DW and I were there for 2 days and 3 nights in 2014, and walked all over the place, just touring on our own and stopping wherever we felt like.

 

[DannyTS]

We loved Hilton Borgo ale Vigne in Tuscany. I wish we had stayed two weeks.

 

[PcflEZFlng]

We loved Hilton Borgo ale Vigne in Tuscany. I wish we had stayed two weeks.

I so want to go there.

 

[DannyTS]

I so want to go there.

I would go back to Italy for the gelatto alone

 

[PcflEZFlng]

I would go back to Italy for the gelatto alone

I know, seriously. We had some incredible gelato in Lucca.

 

[Passepartout]

I have been looking for pictures (evidence), as DW and I were married in Scotland, at a castle, with a Piper, by the laws of Scotland. Long story short, we both had ancestors who emigrated to the U.S. in the 19th Century from Perthshire, so when we decided to tie the knot, it seemed the thing to do with DW's grown sons and her dad for witnesses.

 

[klpca]

I would go back to Italy for the gelatto alone

For me it was the pizza. After the first three days, I just gave up and ordered pizza everywhere. Everywhere. I ate pizza for two straight weeks. Of course I tried other things - the stuffed squash blossoms were amazing - but I just could not get over how delicious the pizza was! At home I may have pizza twice a month. My husband couldn't believe it, but it is one of my favorite memories. That and the meal that we were served at a pub in Manarola that sadly didn't serve pizza. We asked the waitress what her favorite dish was and we were so excited to see what would show up on our plate - and it looked like a hot dog sliced in half lengthwise with some pickles served on bread. We still laugh about it.

 

[DannyTS]

For me it was the pizza. After the first three days, I just gave up and ordered pizza everywhere. Everywhere. I ate pizza for two straight weeks. Of course I tried other things - the stuffed squash blossoms were amazing - but I just could not get over how delicious the pizza was! At home I may have pizza twice a month. My husband couldn't believe it, but it is one of my favorite memories. That and the meal that we were served at a pub in Manarola that sadly didn't serve pizza. We asked the waitress what her favorite dish was and we were so excited to see what would show up on our plate - and it looked like a hot dog sliced in half lengthwise with some pickles served on bread. We still laugh about it.

You are right about that, pizza and the pasta are art in Italy. I had been to Italy years ago but I did not remember such sophistication that we experienced this time. Every pasta is different, every pizza so special. And cheap too, usually it was around 8-10 Euros (tax and tip included) .