where to start

[bonnielynn]

just decided what to do with the months of march and april. i want to see scotland, spain, and italy...maybe squeeze in greece. right now i'm flying solo but wouldn't mind joining forces. i could absolutely use some tips about how and where to go, especially if anyone has some inside info about great places for taking in the great outdoors (i'm an avid whitewater boater and hiker)

[pointofnoreturn]

I wouldn't visit Greece in the early spring. It's better seen from May to September.

[Eagle]

bonnielynn, Welcome!

In order to suggest places to visit in the countries you mentioned, it would really help to have some idea on which places you're most interested in. Also, are you interested in seeing history, art galleries, Museums, or partying and night life?

It would also help to know where you're flying from? I'd suggest open-jaw flights as the most efficient option.

With two months to travel, you should have time to add at least one additional country (depending on how much time you want to spend in the ones you listed).

Cheers!

[me]

Hi, Bonnielynn,

for a March/April trip, i'd suggest that you start South: Andalucía/Algarve or Sicily. go North from there, only going to Northern UK late in your trip, when it isn't so cold.

[one might think i'm just a wimp to the cold because i'm Texan, but cold temps require heavier clothes. Heavier clothes mean a heavy pack. so, it's a practicality thing]

cheap flights make travel between diverse areas relatively easy.

kayaking/canoeing aren't high on the list of what one goes to Europe to do, so i'd suggest looking more at hiking: i've read somewhere that it was once possible to hike from France through Switzerland or Italy, all the way to Austria, even beyond - just going from one mountain hiker's hut <a kind of hostel> to the next. this might still be possible, i don't know.

i've read there are lots of hiking options in the alps. but, don't know the details.

the Cinque Terre area in Italy has some nice, easy hikes. but, probably not what you're loking for.

- d

bonnielynn said:

just decided what to do with the months of march and april. i want to see scotland, spain, and italy...maybe squeeze in greece. right now i'm flying solo but wouldn't mind joining forces. i could absolutely use some tips about how and where to go, especially if anyone has some inside info about great places for taking in the great outdoors (i'm an avid whitewater boater and hiker)

[herrbert]

me said:

kayaking/canoeing aren't high on the list of what one goes to Europe to do, so i'd suggest looking more at hiking: i've read somewhere that it was once possible to hike from France through Switzerland or Italy, all the way to Austria, even beyond - just going from one mountain hiker's hut <a kind of hostel> to the next. this might still be possible, i don't know.

i've read there are lots of hiking options in the alps. but, don't know the details.

You need to find a good spot to go kayaking/canoeing in Europe. I spend a lot of time in the mountains of Austria, so my advice, will only be for this area. In most places the rivers and streams are too wild for this, But I think that in places like Imst or Kaprun, there are possibilities.

For hiking I can recommend the area of the Hohe Tauern in Austria. It is a big nature reserve, where you can find cabins (nowadays you can call them restaurants/hostels, as far as luxury is concerned). There are tours available to take trips that last for more days, but most cabins will not open before early May. Which makes it imposible for you trip, and I think this is the case for the entire Alps.

If you like to go hiking in March/April, you could take a look at the Sierra Nevada in Spain, From Granada you can get on a bus, that takes you to the mountains. There is a route that takes you to the top of these mountains. I don't know the conditions in these mountains in Spring. So it might be safer to look for hikes at lower areas.

Another possibility can be to do a little part of the Pilgrimroute to Santiago de Compostella.