Vaca help from all ye world travelers

falsara

All of your options sound lovely!!! I agree with most of the PPs that doing England, and then Scotland/ Ireland/ Wales would be a good way to stay in his comfort zone. 

Also I'm really sorry he had such a hard time on your Asian Adventures.  I loved Japan when I was there, but I realize it's not for everyone. 

lacqueredlover

I HIGHLY recommend going to iceland by the way.  It's gorgeous, there is great food, if you can see the Northern Lights, it's a magical experience (I did it in Finland and it was awesome.)  The Blue Lagoon is great and everyone speaks english!

wandajune6

If he prefers something more familiar, I'd vote London. It's a wonderful city and he'll be more comfortable. If you can pull it off, I'd also go to Paris. They're among my favorite European cities. Flights between the cities shouldn't be that expensive and you might be able to try something fun like the chunnel.

How fun!

theartistformerlyknownas

thisismynickname said:

Other food for thought for other potential world travelers... the language barrier really isn't bad anywhere provided you can a) order food and b) navigate pretty well with a paper map. 

Fodor's and Frommer's books have very easy "common language" in the back of the books. Check the books out of the library, photocopy the language pages, and you're off and running.

All I've ever needed in a foreign-language country is "hello/goodbye/thank you" "I would like to order..." "check please!" and "toilet?"  Figuring out the train system in Paris was a wee bit challenging but once we got it, it was easy.  If you're concerned about restaurant food, familiarize yourself with the major food translations (chicken, beef, etc).  

Granted, I've never been to Asia and I think that's a whole other ball game, but a little effort with really basic language and manners goes a long way.  

I agree with both bolded... as long as it's a language where they use the same alphabet. At least then you can try to sound it out, or identify common root words, or recognize that you've seen that word printed on your raspberry container before, etc (working in a grocery store for years taught me the Spanish and French words for lots of foods because the boxes were all printed in multiple languages). Also, English will be a lot more common in more tourist-y areas than in smaller towns. We/I didn't have any trouble in Barcelona or Paris, but did in Avila and Angers.

jenna8984

@missax My absolute favorites in Tokyo were Meiji shrine, Sensoji shrine and Shibuya Crossing.

vikinganna87

I know you mentioned that we should stick to the cities you mention but honestly I think some of the best destinations are not cities.

If you're going to Rome anyway, I would highly recommend the Amalfi coast south of Naples, Positano specifically.  It's a breathtakingly beautiful town built into the side of the mountain.  It's very safe and people there are extremely friendly, especially if you go in the offseason.  I can't imagine a more romantic place:
http://www.casasusy.com/positano.htm
 Cinque Terra is also supposed to be amazing, but I haven't been there.

Seeing 2 countries in 10 days sound exciting, but keep in mind that you probably don't want a stressful honeymoon.  You may want to balance a few days exploring cities with a couple of days to unwind in the mountains or by the ocean.

Regardless of where you go, I highly recommend taking trains anytime you're traveling within Europe.  The fast trains (TGV, Thalys, ICE, X2000) are amazingly comfortable and take you straight into the city center.  You could go to London and Paris and take the Eurostar train between them, for example.

vikinganna87

PS :: If you want your money to go far, I would stay away from London and Switzerland.  Right now the dollar is pretty strong, but especially Switzerland is ridiculously expensive compared to Germany or Austria.  Of the places you mention I would guess that Prague is the place where you can do the most with your money.

climbingsingle

vikinganna87 said:

I know you mentioned that we should stick to the cities you mention but honestly I think some of the best destinations are not cities.

If you're going to Rome anyway, I would highly recommend the Amalfi coast south of Naples, Positano specifically.  It's a breathtakingly beautiful town built into the side of the mountain.  It's very safe and people there are extremely friendly, especially if you go in the offseason.  I can't imagine a more romantic place:
http://www.casasusy.com/positano.htm
 Cinque Terra is also supposed to be amazing, but I haven't been there.

Seeing 2 countries in 10 days sound exciting, but keep in mind that you probably don't want a stressful honeymoon.  You may want to balance a few days exploring cities with a couple of days to unwind in the mountains or by the ocean.

Regardless of where you go, I highly recommend taking trains anytime you're traveling within Europe.  The fast trains (TGV, Thalys, ICE, X2000) are amazingly comfortable and take you straight into the city center.  You could go to London and Paris and take the Eurostar train between them, for example.

 I can attest to this! Cinque Terre is amazing and beautiful! 

This was the view from our balcony. 

theartistformerlyknownas

vikinganna87 said:

I know you mentioned that we should stick to the cities you mention but honestly I think some of the best destinations are not cities.

If you're going to Rome anyway, I would highly recommend the Amalfi coast south of Naples, Positano specifically.  It's a breathtakingly beautiful town built into the side of the mountain.  It's very safe and people there are extremely friendly, especially if you go in the offseason.  I can't imagine a more romantic place:
http://www.casasusy.com/positano.htm
 Cinque Terra is also supposed to be amazing, but I haven't been there.

Seeing 2 countries in 10 days sound exciting, but keep in mind that you probably don't want a stressful honeymoon.  You may want to balance a few days exploring cities with a couple of days to unwind in the mountains or by the ocean.

Regardless of where you go, I highly recommend taking trains anytime you're traveling within Europe.  The fast trains (TGV, Thalys, ICE, X2000) are amazingly comfortable and take you straight into the city center.  You could go to London and Paris and take the Eurostar train between them, for example.

They already had their honeymoon - if this is next September, it's a first anniversary trip.

vikinganna87

oh yeah, oooops

WinstonsGirl

I ditto London, just for the language issue, but I'm really not a fan.  There is a ton of stuff to do around there though.  Stonehenge is pretty cool, and Edinburgh is one of my favourite cities.  I'd say Paris, cos I love it there, but again, the language could be an issue.  

I wasn't a fan of Rome.  If culture shock is a potential issue, I'd say no to Italy the further south you go.  Rome wasn't too bad, but definitely different from northern Italy and the rest of Western Europe.  

Even if you don't want to stop in Iceland, I also say look at their airfares.  Much cheaper than everyone else.  And yes, everyone and their dog speaks English there, so you could get a stopover in.  While there is some local food, most of it was pretty western.  We were there this past summer and used IcelandAir.  

JoanE2012

jenna8984 said:

@cafarrie I was kinda thinking the same thing...that Italy would be better to come back when we have the time to just stay there and hit up all the different Italian cities.

Doesn't Icelandic Air do like 2 day stopovers in Reykjavik on the way to London? Maybe that would be cool because the northern lights are in Sept.....hmmmm

Just don't plan a stopover to Iceland expecting to see the Northern Lights!  If you do, bonus.  We went a couple years ago and stood around outside for hours in the snow and cold and saw pretty much nothing.  It was a letdown, but obviously they're not guaranteed.  Highly recommend the Blue Lagoon if you go though!

Viczaesar

I've been to all five of those and loved them all for different reasons.  What are you hoping to do/see/experience on your trip?

CMGragain

London and Paris are an easy combination.  You can get one way tickets on the Eurostar Chunnel train, which takes you to Gard du Nord station in Paris.

loro929

JoanE2012 said:

jenna8984 said:

@cafarrie I was kinda thinking the same thing...that Italy would be better to come back when we have the time to just stay there and hit up all the different Italian cities.

Doesn't Icelandic Air do like 2 day stopovers in Reykjavik on the way to London? Maybe that would be cool because the northern lights are in Sept.....hmmmm

Just don't plan a stopover to Iceland expecting to see the Northern Lights!  If you do, bonus.  We went a couple years ago and stood around outside for hours in the snow and cold and saw pretty much nothing.  It was a letdown, but obviously they're not guaranteed.  Highly recommend the Blue Lagoon if you go though!

Yeah, I second (third?) all PPs that recommend the Blue Lagoon. From the airport, they even offer special packages with transportation / towels / spa services so you don't even have to worry about getting there... and there really isn't any language barrier in Reykjavik. Everyone speaks English and lots of the food (besides the typical regional dishes), was pub-type food (think sandwiches, burgers, etc.) Heck, my hotel was right next to a bar called "The Big Lebowski"

KytchynWitche

I really have no input on this because I have yet to leave my own country (even to go to Lesotho which is literally 2 hours away), BUT my mom, sister, brother, and best friends all LOVED England. There's plenty of tourist-y stuff to do all over the place, but also lots of not tourist-y stuff. If you're into history, it's there. If you're into art, or theater, or music, or stand-up comedy, it's there.

And can I just mention that you should add South Africa to your list of possible future destinations. This country has so much to offer, it's a cultural melting pot (so you can get standard English/American food right alongside all the "exotic" things), and there's virtually no language barrier issues - unless you decide to go to some serious super remote rural area. Almost everyone speaks English to a greater or lesser degree. I would just say, if you do ever come out this way, PLEASE try to see more than just Cape Town or Durban - there is so much more to SA than just our major coastal cities. Oh, and the exchange rate is seriously in your favour.

lurkergirl

Sounds like you have tons of good advice here already, but just want to chime in with a couple things.

1. Prague will probably be too much culture shock for your H.  I haven't been, but my BFF has spent many, many summers there (she's 1st gen American, her parents are political refugees, most of her family is still there), and even she feels uncomfortable at times.  And she is fluent in the language and "looks" traditionally Russian/eastern European.

2. I think someone else has already said this, but Germany is surprisingly awesome.  I did a huge tour all over Europe, and Germany was one of my favorite places.  Most people speak English, lots of signs are in English, and it's super clean.  I had plenty of good food there too.  Not necessarily traditional (lots of pizza and pasta haha), but good!

jenna8984

Thanks so much for all the awesome help everyone! It sounds like Rome might be best when I can have time to explore other parts of Italy, and it sounds like Prague might be a little too difficult for hubby (although it would probably be a breeze compared to China). No one seems to really have been to Switzerland much and I know it's one of the most expensive countries in the world, I've read that a hamburger is like $45.

So sounds like I will do some more research on combination of London with either Iceland, Ireland, or Germany!

@kytchynwitche I have been to Morocco many years ago and it was awesome. Obviously that's not near SA but it was still awesome. I've always heard Cape Town is dangerous, maybe that's just media blowing things out of proportion. Ever since the movie Madagascar I have wanted to go to Madagascar hahah.

KytchynWitche

jenna8984 said:

Thanks so much for all the awesome help everyone! It sounds like Rome might be best when I can have time to explore other parts of Italy, and it sounds like Prague might be a little too difficult for hubby (although it would probably be a breeze compared to China). No one seems to really have been to Switzerland much and I know it's one of the most expensive countries in the world, I've read that a hamburger is like $45.

So sounds like I will do some more research on combination of London with either Iceland, Ireland, or Germany!

@kytchynwitche I have been to Morocco many years ago and it was awesome. Obviously that's not near SA but it was still awesome. I've always heard Cape Town is dangerous, maybe that's just media blowing things out of proportion. Ever since the movie Madagascar I have wanted to go to Madagascar hahah.

Cape Town is only dangerous if you ACT like a tourist. The vast majority of travelers have no issues visiting in SA. I do think Cape Town itself is overrated though. Far better is the west coast if you're into the seafood beach holiday fishing village thing. Or the Garden Route if you want the forest mountain thing - also good hiking/camping, bungee jumping etc. If you ever decide to visit SA I would be happy to advise you!

Peaseblossom55

I've been to Paris 3 times I love it there!!!

lacqueredlover

I've been to Switzerland and while the cities are beautiful (seriously Geneva is gorgeous and Lucerne is lovely) there isn't as much to "do" unless you're a skier and there in the winter.  And yes, insanely expensive.

I personally am not a fan of Paris.  Been there 4 times and while it's beautiful, I would be happy to never go back.

I would definitely look into London and a stopover in Iceland.  But yes,  you have to be prepared to NOT see the Northern Lights if you go (and September might be a bit early in the season next year to see them, they are on a 13 year cycle for optimal viewing and 2 years ago was the peak.)  The thing with going to see the Northern Lights is you must be prepared to not see them and therefore have enough other things planned.  I was lucky that my last night in the arctic we saw them but it literally snowed the 2 days before and we could have very well not seen them.  In Iceland though, you have the Blue Lagoon, puffin island, the circle of fire, gullfoss, lots of other things to go see and do!

WinstonsGirl

I've been to Switzerland, and I loved it.  It is crazy expensive though, and much colder than surrounding countries due to altitude.  I've been to Lucerne and Bern only though.  Language confused me.  I found little English, and while I had passable French, once I got to the German side of Switzerland, I didn't know what to speak if someone didn't speak English.  Chocolate rocked there though.  

Viczaesar

jenna8984 said:

Thanks so much for all the awesome help everyone! It sounds like Rome might be best when I can have time to explore other parts of Italy, and it sounds like Prague might be a little too difficult for hubby (although it would probably be a breeze compared to China). No one seems to really have been to Switzerland much and I know it's one of the most expensive countries in the world, I've read that a hamburger is like $45.

So sounds like I will do some more research on combination of London with either Iceland, Ireland, or Germany!

@kytchynwitche I have been to Morocco many years ago and it was awesome. Obviously that's not near SA but it was still awesome. I've always heard Cape Town is dangerous, maybe that's just media blowing things out of proportion. Ever since the movie Madagascar I have wanted to go to Madagascar hahah.

I loved Switzerland and Austria both.  Lucerne is particularly nice.  It really isn't all that expensive.  I'd love to go back to Vienna and spend more time there.

LondonLisa

London and Paris would be really easy to do with the Eurostar (which is awesome). 

You can bring a bottle of champagne and have a picnic on the train, and you are in Paris in 2.5 hours. Central London to Central Paris, pretty amazing!

These 2 cities are the easiest to travel between on your list (meaning you don't lose a day travelling) and you can avoid airports (which are usually on the outskirts of the city)

If language barrier is a challenge, I would definitely say London should be one of your stops (although I'm biased, it is where I am from!)