European Vacation

[lilliand]

I am looking to retire maybe within the next year. We have never traveled to Europe and would like to take maybe a 3 week trip there once we are not working full time. We own points at Welk that would exchange for maybe 4 weeks in studios. We are members of both II and RCI and also use lots of getaways (mostly II since we are new to RCI). We also are travel hacking so we have Chase Ultimate Reward Points and points with American, Hyatt, Marriott, IHG and plan to work on Avios points. We would probably fly into one city and then travel by rail to other European cities and then fly back from wherever we end up at. I don't think we would rent a vehicle. Maybe staying a week in each place and using hotel points in between if check in / check out dates don't coincide. When is the best time to travel there and what exchanges or getaways are best there? What cities / countries / resorts would you recommend? How far in advance does this need to be planned? Would be interested if anyone has done something like this and what the itinerary was?

 

[VacationForever]

Europe is a large continent with 50 countries. You have to figure out where you are most interested in visiting first. Most of the timeshare in Europe are in remote places. Europe is best served by staying in hotels. Another option is doing a cruise in Europe but you sort of scratch the surface of each area. Land tours are much more in depth.

 

[isisdave]

And don't go in summer, as most of the world will be there too. Maybe mid-April and start in the south, or early October and start in the north.

 

[Passepartout]

As mentioned, Europe is large, diverse, densely populated, and not easily seen effectively using timeshares. So. Make a list of Your priorities. What do you want to see/do. Maybe assign each place 1-5 stars to help you focus. For instance, London, Buckingham palace, Tower, Thames, a West End show **** Then Paris, Louvre, Eiffel, *** Then Berlin or Amsterdam or St Petersburg, and value each of these like maybe one '*' could represent a day. You'll soon see that this is going to take several trips. We have been going to Europe about twice a year for decades and still get surprised almost daily.

My suggestion for a way to start would be to sign up for a group your at least for your first trip. It will show you some high points, free you from the logistics of transportation, lodging, many meals, and there will always be a guide who speaks English to answer questions, and point out important nuances that will make you more confident to go back to other places on your own.

Go in late April for 2 weeks, or go in Sept for 2 weeks. Much more than that stresses laundry, and stamina, as you'll be moving every couple of days. Summers can be warm, humid, crowded, and that's also when Europeans go on vacations- and they typically get 4-6 weeks off.

You might try getting an exchange somewhere to relax, refresh, and regroup, but know that European timeshares (mostly) are in rural areas. Europeans LIVE in the cities, so that's the last place they want to vacation.

Congrats on your retirement. Look into Rick Steve's tours, or Gate1 Travel, or check the various cruising agencies, both ocean (think Mediterranean or Baltic) or river cruises. I'm writing this from a AMAWaterways ship in wine country of central Germany.

Enjoy the planning! It's the BEST part!

Jim

 

[WinniWoman]

If it were me, who has also never been to Europe outside of Scotland, I would do a tour for a 3 week trip like you are describing.

If not- pick 3 countries and spend a week in each with the timeshares. Just know you will probably be in the countryside and have to rent a car most likely.

We rented a timeshare in Scotland from another owner. Stayed in a cottage at the resort with a rental car on the Isle of Fife. One day we did arrange through the resort to have a driver take us into Edinburgh because we did not want to drive there with all the traffic ourselves. Other than that we were able to drive to many sites and had a really nice experience overall. It was nice to hunker in for the week and get to know an area rather than zipping through tourist attractions with crowds of people on a tour schedule.

Did we see all of Scotland? Of course not. But I wanted it this way because I did not want a marathon vacation for the one week we had.

This all said- if you want to see a lot countries and the big sites in one trip, being a newbie, a tour would be the way to go I would think so you don't have to deal with all the multitude of logistics involved. Also- cruising is another option with less stress.

The only thing I am leery of with tours is that you have to keep up. Let's say one day you don't feel like stopping in 3 cities or walking 3 miles with the group. You are forced to pretty much in most cases.

When you are on your own and staying in one place, if one day you are a little tired you can chill out and pace yourself.

I at one point always wanted to go on a walking tour excursion of Italy. Then I thought- although I do exercise at least 5 days per week now- including walking- what if one or two days I don't feel like it? Maybe my leg or my foot hurts. Maybe I feel a little winded or tired. Now I have to try to keep up with everyone else.

Needless to say, I crossed that mode of travel off my list