Destinations in Europe

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Ambleside

Ambleside was a pleasant introduction four night introduction to the Lake District, with good bus connections and walks available without taking a bus.

Amboise

Amboise was a comfortable base for exploring the chateaus in the Loire Valley. We spent 5 nights here and could easily have filled another day or two. (But we still felt like we saw enough.)

Amorgos is quiet enough to be relaxing yet has enough to see and do for a few days. We enjoyed our four nights there and could have spent a couple more hiking and spending time at the beach. Just driving the island is scenic. Watch out for goats!

Arles

We spent 5 nights in Arles. It was a good base for exploring Provence and there was plenty to see in Arles itself.

Athens

We focused our day-and-a-half in Athens on the Acropolis and nearby historical sights. We could easily have spent longer.

Athens

We only had an afternoon here both arriving and leaving Greece. We'd been to Athens before and didn't feel like sightseeing so we just hung out at the port.

Barcelona

It is worth coming to Barcelona for the Sagrada Familia alone. Don’t miss it! And there’s a whole lot more to see here, so we spent five nights. We can see why it’s over-touristed. So glad we came, and at a time of year when it seemed not so crowded.

Bath

To me Bath is about two things: the roman baths, and Jane Austen. Check. We also made a side trip to Glastonbury. We spent two nights here. Three would feel less rushed for what we did.

Bayeux

Bayeux is a nice walkable town with a cathedral and proximity to D-Day sites. It would have made a nice first stop in France had we not gone to Honfleur. We spent 3 nights there.

Bergen

We didn't have enough time to see much of Bergen, since we only spent the night here before and after our cruise. It looked like a nice place to spend a day or two, especially if the weather was decent. (Bergen is the rainiest city in Europe so be prepared.)

Caernarfon

We spent three nights in Caernarfon for the castle and easier access to Snowdon. The town itself is pleasant and right on the water.

Carcassonne

Stopping off at Carcassonne for the night was pretty easy, since it's on a main line.

Carlisle

We stayed in Carlisle just to catch the Settle-Carlisle train but we enjoyed the castle and cathedral while we were there. A rail strike added an unplanned day here but also meant we didn't have to go out in the rain.

Cheltenham

We spent five nights in Cheltenham so we could see the town itself and make day trips around the Cotswolds. Cheltenham is more of a Regency spa town.

Chipping Campden

We picked this Cotswold village for the thatched roof cottages and were not disappointed. Wonderful thatching and gardens. We spent two nights so we could visit Hidcote Gardens.

Cinque Terre

I chose Monterosso for our 4 night stay because it had better train connections, the best beaches, and it was more flat, which I thought we would appreciate. (We did.)

Cirencester

We spent four nights in Cirencester, a good small town base for exploring the Cotswolds, with attractions of its own.

Conwy

Conwy is a compact little town with a castle looming over it, a good selection of restaurants, and pretty scenery around. It was a relaxing and interesting three nights to start to our trip.

Copenhagen

I enjoyed Copenhagen the first time I visited in 1983 and I liked it even more the 2 nights we spent this time around. It looks like a great place to live. Our visit was cut short by a day since there was no night train to Stockholm. I would have liked that extra day here.

Córdoba

The Mezquita is breathtaking and that alone is worth a trip to Córdoba. Now that we’ve spent three nights there I would suggest doing Córdoba as a day trip from Seville. The Mezquita, the alcázar, and the Roman bridge are all near each other and it’s only 45 minutes by train.

Crete

There's so much of Crete to take in. We spent three nights in Chania and one in Heraklion when we got off the ferry, to visit Knossos. Chania is a beautiful city with an underrated beach, and I would love to come back. (And we are!)

Edinburgh

Edinburgh is big, beautiful city. We were barely able to scratch the surface in the two days we had there.

Exeter

We spent four nights in Exeter, which made a good first stop on our trip. There was enough to do to be interesting, yet we didn't feel the need to rush around with jet lag. We could easily have filled another couple of days in the area.

Falmouth

We spent four nights in Falmouth, a nice base for exploring the area. We didn't get out of town and still enjoyed our stay.

Florence

I loved Florence the first time I was here in 1983 and enjoyed it this second time too. So much art. So many people! 5 nights gave us enough time for the highlights without feeling rushed.

Folegandros

The Chora of Folegandros is charming and leafy, in contrast to the ruggedness of the island. The walking trails were better sign-posted than we expected. We didn't get to experience the beaches since it was cooler (low 70s) and very windy but we enjoyed our four nights there anyway. It was quiet and serene.

Fort William

Fort William was an excellent base for us for exploring the surrounding area. It's not charming in itself but has all the essentials. We spent three nights here.

Granada

The Alhambra is stunning and we enjoyed our five nights in Granada. It felt more approachable. I don’t know if that’s because it’s a little smaller city or because we’d been here for a while and feel more comfortable.

Helsinki

I lived in Helsinki in 1989-1991 and this was the first time I've been back. I still really like the city and it was fun to be a tourist for 3 days this time. But if you need to cut a Nordic capital from your itinerary, this is probably the one most people would cut.

Honfleur

I chose Honfleur for our first stop because I knew we would we tired and jetlagged and Honfleur was described as a town great for wandering, without a lot of must-see sights. That sounded perfect for our first 4 nights.