5 week European honeymoon

[justginger]

Hello all,

Just wanting to put my hand up for some suggestions on a 5 week European honeymoon. I have traveled through much of western Europe via a long Contiki trip, but my partner hasn't set foot on the continent. The only part of the trip that I definitely have set in stone is 5-7 days in Paris - I speak functional French, love the food, and ADORE the city. My partner has not a single request for the trip, which only makes planning harder.

I don't have a "starting point" yet - my RTW ticket will allow me to stop in any number of major European cities, so suggestions as to a good beginning would be much appreciated.

If you had 4 weeks to travel around Europe, where would you go? I enjoy great landscapes (photography), historical sites, and good food. We don't intend to hit the pubs every night, but will happily participate from time to time. Money is a consideration (since we're actually paying for two weddings on two different continents, immediately prior to this honeymoon!), so I'm considering eastern Europe? It's difficult though, because I feel compelled to show my partner all of the great stuff I've experienced (especially in places like Rome, Venice, etc). It would be nice to go somewhere new myself though (have been on the loop: London-Paris/Nice-Barcelona-Monte Carlo-Florence/Rome/Venice-Lucern/Innsbruck-Vienna/Tyrol-Munich/Rhine Valley-Amsterdam-London). Croatia? Czech Repub?

I intend to travel by train. I don't enjoy flying that much and will already be on an around the world ticket just to get to Europe in the first place. I like the idea of seeing scenery as you travel as well. I understand this will cause longer travel times, but it's a must. Overnight trips are fine, as I suppose they save me the cost of a hotel room for the night as well.

I'd love any and all suggestions, as I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed!

[WillTravel]

Justginger, it sounds like you have a very nice stretch of time for this trip.

You know your spouse-to-be best. Does your partner like cities or countryside better? Is your partner the type who likes relaxation at a beach or hiking in a nature-type area, or someone who would prefer to be in museums and at historical sites?

I get that you will have a lot of wedding expenses. What sort of budget are you considering per day? Is it all important to you to have nice honeymoon-style hotels? If nice hotels are important, I would suggest different locations than if you are quite happy to stay in hostel dorms, because nice hotels are much cheaper in some areas than others.

[justginger]

Our only requirements as far as accommodation goes - we have to have our own room, our own bathroom, it needs to be safe/clean, and I'd like a fairly central location. We're not looking for luxury - quirky, intimate, interesting places are best. Even homestays would be ok. I don't mind hostels, but will be wanting to have a private room. You've got to draw some sort of line when it comes to honeymoon business!

My partner is very easy to please - he's not a traveller, and will be happy to do whatever interests me. He does like nature, he'll be looking for a relaxing spot to sit and read, and I think historical places will impress him. His biggest concern is food - ample amounts and good quality. He may be at the end of his tether with museums by the time we're finished with the Louvre.

Our budget will be a bit flexible, but I'm wanting to keep it between $200-250 AUD/day for the two of us. With the current exchange rate, that's about 120-160 euro, or $175-220 USD. I'm a saver by nature, so simply want to find the cheapest, while still acceptable, areas to stay. This would be easiest achieved in Eastern Europe, yes? I know Paris will be a killer to the budget. If it simply can't be done in private rooms, and actually being able to afford admission to museums/decent food/etc, I'd rather cut the trip back to 4 weeks, see less, but enjoy more.

TIA for any suggestions.

[WillTravel]

JustGinger, your requirements seem pretty reasonable to me for a honeymoon .

For Paris (or actually anywhere), see if you can find a deal here:
www.accorhotels.com
www.hotelscombined.com

For example, if you do not require being in the absolute center of Paris, it can be quite possible to get good-quality lodging for 50-75 Euros per night.

For Italy, convents can be a cheap choice.

[madamtrashheap]

JustGinger, to add to WT's great suggestions, here are some ideas for places, to visit on your honeymoon. Some will cross-over on your previous trip, and others will be new for both of you:

Paris - as you've already noted, you adore the city so should definitely include it again this time around. IMO you can never go to Paris too many times! You could even do a day trip to Giverny (Monet's garden) or even take the TGV (fast train) to Lyon for a fantastic lunch (or dinner) in some amazing restaurants (budget and expensive).
Champagne - if you'd like to stay in the middle of vineyards, then where better than in the Champagne region. Scenery, trails for hiking and biking and some rather delicious food and drink to be found and the two main towns of Epernay and Reims are also small yet interesting places. You could stay somewhere in the Loire Valley or even get very rural in the Dordogne, but Champagne isn't far from Paris and on the way to Switzerland so might fit nicely into an itinerary.
Cinque Terre - stay in Manarola or Vernazza if you can I(book well ahead) as it's a stunning part of the world and those two villages are good introductions to the area.
Lake Como - a simply stunning part of Italy, super romantic if you want it to be, but also just mind-blowingly breathtaking for scenery. Bellagio is the best-known place on the lake, but can get a little expensive. Try towns like Tremezzo or Menaggio instead.
Rome - if your partner likes history, then 4 days in Rome would be great for your both.
Venice - if you feel like being romantic, then you can overdose here, plus it's one of those places you should go back to as you'll get to know it better if you can stay on the island overnight and have the city virtually to yourself (once those pesky day tourists have left )
Gimmelwald - just up the valley from Lauterbrunnen, which is about 1h45 from Luzern, this is a stunning place to spend time and both you and your partner will be able to stare at the scenery, relax or hike if you feel energetic. If you can't make it to Gimmelwald, then perhaps you can see if your budget will stretch to a night or two in Hotel des Balances in Luzern. It's right opposite the Chapel Bridge and a great honeymoon hotel, but check their website for prices before you set your heart on it.
Prague - a stunning and historical city, worth 3 days by itself.
Croatia - depending on your final itinerary, perhaps pick one or two places in Croatia and fly in/out to assist with saving time. Dubrovnik is popular, or you could even go to one of the islands (eg Hvar) if you think that would suit you.
Santorini - as you didn't get to Greece on your tour, this will not only be something new for your both, but a stunning place to spend time. Stay in Oia rather than down at the port.

Some of the above will depend on what time of year you're travelling, especially CT, Santorini, Venice (can be crowded in the height of the Summer season), but they will give you something to consider for places to include in your visit, along with any others of your tour that you'd like to revisit.