Ideas - non-beachy honeymoons?

glam70s · October 2009

We are having an impossible time narrowing down our honeymoon options. All we know is that we are not poolside lounging type people, and anyway we've already done the Carribean to death on family vacations.We're thinking maybe Europe, but where? Probably in the 2 week timeframe, maybe a bit longer. We're going in February (2011), but we're Canadian. Cold doesn't bother us much, but busy tourist crowded streets do.

We're considering France or Italy (or maybe a week in each) because it seems so romantic. I would LOVE Scotland (I'm a full-blooded Scot, never been there), but I'm thinking that would be best saved for a warmer time of year. We'll be there just as Venice is ramping up for Carnivale, has anyone ever been there for that? I know it would be busy, but may be worth checking out if we could even find a hotel room for a night or two.Ideas? I'm open to just about anything. I'm not an experienced traveller though, so anything too difficult to coordinate is probably not best..

LaFemmeRousse · October 2009

Hi! We're looking for something not totally beachy too

Europe would be great! I agree that Scotland will probably be a bit too cold at that time of year. Southern France will probably still be a bit chilly (although beautiful!), while Portugal and Italy will likely be warmer. Have you considered Turkey? It's one of my favorite places with a lot to do and see, and the coast will still be warmish. Another great option for you might be a week in Spain or Italy combined with a week in Morocco- not beachy but still warm and cultural and fun.

mindiosu · October 2009

Check out Cinque Terre, Italy and Prague. Both are incredibly beautiful, romantic and no lack of things to do. And, of course, Paris is a great starting point for travel anywhere. If you want more details from me, I'd be happy to give them. At this point it seems you are just narrowing down places so I'll save my time

Reynoldsmom312 · October 2009

While I agree it may be a little chilly in Scotland, my FI and I have decided to do the British Isles as they are called on tourism sites: Scotland, England, and Ireland. We are getting married in July so weather won't be a factor. Basically we're going to each area for 4-6 days. We plan on using public transportation to get around and staying in small inns/B&Bs. My FI and I are not beach people so Europe was a great alternative for us and neither of us have ever been. I'm finding Rick Steves to be a great resource for information on European travel. Good luck!

glam70s · October 2009

Great ideas! I can see that posting this question is actually likely to make the pool of possibilities bigger, not smaller.

I love the idea of an Alaskan cruise. I've never travelled anywhere NOT on a cruise. FI's first cruise was an Alaska one, but I've never been. Unfortunately though, I don't think that's feasible in February (it gets to -25*F here at that time of year, and we're considerably further south than Alaska). In the back of my mind, I feel like places that sound more familiar are likely to be more interesting, which of course is ridiculous and irrational

I think that's why we haven't seriously considered Turkey or Prague; I don't know anything about them. I'll look into it more.FI likes the cities because there's more to do, but I'm more likely to be relaxed in the countryside. So a city location where countryside day trips are easily accessible would be great. Maybe I should work in reverse and start by eliminating options. Is there anywhere language is more likely than average to be a problem? I'm a bit of a nervous traveller, which is why cruises normally suit me. You've always got a familiar, English-speaking home base. I am trying to expand my horizons, but I'm still worried about an impenetrable language barrier.

chipperberg · October 2009

I spent a week in Ireland in February 2 weeks ago and it was fabulous. I am from upstate NY, so I can tell you that the weather in Ireland was MUCH more mild than in NY. It was certainly not warm, but with a warm coat and gloves and a scarf, it was very comfortable. The best thing about Ireland in February. NO CROWDS!!! It was great. It was SO not prime season. We had the Blarney Castle almost to ourselves, as well as Guiness factory and Jameson, etc. It really was a wonderful trip. Another great point: NO RAIN. I am sure it rains in February, but it did not rain AT ALL the whole time we were there except LATE at night, so we were able to tour all over in the SUN (still cold, yes, but the sun was a welcome sight). So, not sure if you considered Ireland, but it is beautiful and could be quite romatic with all of the bed and breakfasts and I do think it would be a wonderful trip if you had an interest. OH, and the flights and rental cars, etc are MUCH less expensive because of the time of year. Best wishes and good luck...

LaFemmeRousse · October 2009

Most places mentioned will give you the option to do easy day-trips to the countryside

Your two original options, Italy and France, would be particularly great here, and you could easily rent a car and do some countryside driving on your own.As far as non-English challenges go, of all the countries I've been to in the world across five continents, Greece was by the far most challenging as a non-native speaker. Really! You would be fine in France or Italy, definitely, although in most countries the locals truly appreciate it when you learn even a few words or phrases in the native language. This goes double for France

SarahBerah · October 2009

I got back from backpacking in Ireland this summer and I would say GO! It is beautiful and they are some of the most friendly people ever. The little B&B's are so quaint! And despite what people say, go to nothern Ireland. Avoid Belfast as it is just a big nasty city but the country-side there is amazing. The north coast, The Giants Causeway area, is some of the most fantastic scenery anywhere. It is by far the most spactacular (sp?) part of Ireland. Or if you are into a little more rual stuff, Kilarney National Park or the Wicklow Mountians are beautiful!! Again, some of the friendiest people anywhere.

ExpatPumpkin · October 2009

Go anywhere in Europe in February. It's the low season, and you won't find crowds of tourists - except in Venice for Carnivale, of course

Good thing you don't mind the cold, because even Southern Europe will be quite chilly. You'd have a great time. You could do Madrid, Paris, London, and Rome in two weeks

Or even just two or three of them if you really want to take it slow. Can't go wrong with those cities... We got married in February of this year and also aren't lounge-around-on-the-beach types, so we skied for a few days and then took an Asian cruise. We stayed a few days before/after in Beijing and Hong Kong as well.

ExpatPumpkin · October 2009

And don't worry about the language barriers. It's really not as big a deal as people make it out to be. If my husband and I could explore rural villages in China and buy train tickets where the info was in Chinese characters only - and where LITERALLY NO ONE SPEAKS ENGLISH - with only a guidebook in hand, you can do Europe with your eyes closed. Seriously, you'll be fine

glam70s · October 2009

Thanks for all the advice everyone! I'm one of those people who researches everything to death, so this is great :)I love the idea of doing London, Paris, and Rome. I think we'll have to seriously consider that! FI's parents are from England and he's never been there before, so I know it's high on his list of priorities as well..I'll come back soon for recommendations on places to stay.. But for now, if there are any other ideas or tips anyone wants to throw out there, I'd love to hear them!BTW Expat, LOVE your wedding

There's just something so magical about winter... And thanks for the advice on language, that makes me feel a lot better!

carolyn321 · October 2009

I've visited Paris in December and Rome in November, and both were great trips...definitely not as many tourists as you see during the Summer months. Both Paris and London would have a ton of options for day trips to get you out of the city. Some places that I enjoyed visting are: Hampton Court Palace and Windsor (both about an hour by train from London) and Versailles and Chartres in France. Also, using the Eurostar train is very convenient (going under the Eng. Channel was really cool) and not that expensive if you book the tickets in advance via the web. Also, I wouldn't worry too much about the language barrier in France, if you at least make a small attempt to start with a French phrase, it is much appreciated. I've always found that I ask something in somewhat coheherent French and get a response back in English

ExpatPumpkin · October 2009

Thanks, Glam. Good luck with your decision. We mulled over it for months, so I understand

[Deleted User] · October 2009

I live in London and I agree it's not very cold here and I'm from PA, much warmer then Canada. If you go to France I highly recommend St. Malo. [url]http://www.ville-saint-malo.fr/decouvrir/en/index.html[/url]

LarissaAnn · October 2009

We did Ireland (blog in Married Bio), and LOVED it, but I hear wonderful things about Scotland and intend to go there too. The UK (except maybe the very northern end of Scotland) is an island, so it's pretty temperate. It's not going to be freezing, maybe 40s or 50s fahrenheit.

MrsCanes511 · October 2009

If you like touring and history and whatnot, Spain is great! Also, Ive been to France, that would be great too.

caitm730 · November 2009

Oh yeah, Alaska in February is probably not the best idea!I think that Italy would be great in February. It was very hot when we were there in July, so I can imagine that it would be very nice in the winter months. It would also be less crowded.Just my opinion, I would recommend Rome over Paris. They are both wonderful, but Rome is the most amazing place I have ever been. It is soooooo beautiful at night!

Ideas - non-beachy honeymoons?

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