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Old 11-14-2016, 02:22 PM
 
Location: Silver Spring, MD
2,051 posts, read 1,744,039 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by StPaulGal View Post
Thanks for all the input! It's very interesting to see what places you all are drawn to!

To answer some of the questions:
-Yes, our return flight is from Milan as well.
-Dates for this second portion will most likely be January 2-7. NYE will be spent with our friend. Probably too late to hit Christmas markets.
-He is involved in the planning, but since I have traveled a lot more and also worked in the travel industry I am going to be the one making the arrangements.

One more thing: This will be our first time in Europe together, but it won't be our last. We don't have to worry about permanently missing out on whatever we don't get a chance to experience this time around.
Another option would be to use Skyscanner or google flights trip to anywhere feature. You may surprised what your options are and you could let price help guide where your go.
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Old 11-14-2016, 02:59 PM
 
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So you have to go back to Milan to go back home? I'd pick Paris then...5 days is more than enough time to see and do most of the stuff there, and I just checked fares, it's about $215 round trip with a free checked bag w/Alitalia which is a pretty solid airline.
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Old 11-14-2016, 05:11 PM
 
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FYI London is freezing ATM, howeever city is amazing as usual feel free to search best deals on [url]http://search.xmas16[/url]
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Old 11-15-2016, 07:47 PM
 
Location: State of Denial
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Normally, I'd say go to Istanbul as that's my favorite place on earth, but......


Now, I would go to Lisbon, as that's my favorite "European" city.
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Old 11-16-2016, 12:25 PM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by StPaulGal View Post
Oh, and for the record, I am well aware that December/January are the dead of winter and it will be cold. This is when we could get time off of work. Plus we are coming from Minnesota, so it will still almost certainly be warmer in our destination?

It won't be cold at all by Minnesota standards. Think of March or April in Minneapolis. Chilly maybe, especially at night, but not cold by any means. If you want truly cold weather in Europe, you'd have to head east of Ukraine or north of Stockholm. I never vacation in Europe outside the winter, because to me as a Canadian, European winters are like spring. European summers are intolerable because of the way buildings are constructed there. Even in the dead of winter, it is not unusual to have days in the 70s and/or nights in the 50s in northern Italy, and try to seek out a hotel where you can open the windows at night. Trust me on this one. I have memories of spending many stuffy winter nights in hotel rooms in Germany with the windows fully open and the heating turned off. Italy of course will be worse, and A/C units are not functional during winter. European winters are not what they used to be! Their climates are approaching Southern California standards - where there really isn't a true winter season anymore, just a cool-ish season and a warm season.

Parisian hotels are also very warm and stuffy, and the city of Paris is pretty mild in winter. Please resist the temptation of overpacking warm clothing. You won't need it, I promise. A sweater, a jacket, a good pair of shoes resistant to rain and puddles. That's it.

Last edited by arctic_gardener; 11-16-2016 at 12:35 PM..
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Old 11-16-2016, 03:40 PM
 
Location: Saint Paul, MN
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For anyone who is curious, we made our decision--we will be visiting Barcelona! Paris was a close second, but I've been there before and we decided to do something that was new to both of us. (I have also been to Milan previously.) Flights to Portugal were more than what I paid for MSP to Milan or else that would have been a strong contender as well.
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Old 11-26-2016, 06:44 PM
 
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I just got back from Italy.

I was going to suggest Crete, Barcelona, or Marrekesh/Tangiers, for warm weather.

Train to Zurich or Munich for cold weather.

If it was up to me I would go to southern Italy. Its so much different than whats up North it might as well be another country.
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Old 11-26-2016, 08:12 PM
 
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I would thoroughly check out Italy unless you already spent enough time there yourself.

I've only been to Great Britain myself but was big confidence builder. Friend won the trip our last year in college, since we were both at 'workers' type of college it was our only trip in college. I would do Italy myself if I had opportunity now. But, after financial problems for too long now any international travel is pipe dream.
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Old 11-27-2016, 03:52 AM
 
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Originally Posted by Liberty2011 View Post
I'm terribly biased because I love Italy. Just returned from there last week, and would want to encourage your friend to go to Venice, Florence, Rome, Pompeii, over a different country just for the sake of saying you went to more than one.
Italy is far more than Rome-Florence-Venice. Unfortunately most tourists only see these three.

The real Italy starts from Rome and southward.
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Old 11-27-2016, 03:56 AM
 
10,839 posts, read 14,677,694 times
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Originally Posted by cattalk1 View Post
I would thoroughly check out Italy unless you already spent enough time there yourself.

I've only been to Great Britain myself but was big confidence builder. Friend won the trip our last year in college, since we were both at 'workers' type of college it was our only trip in college. I would do Italy myself if I had opportunity now. But, after financial problems for too long now any international travel is pipe dream.
exactly, there is so much to see within Italy, and there is no point doing Paris or London -save it for another trip. You have only 5 days. Even with 15 days you only get to have a glimpse of Italy.

My suggestion is NEVER put London/Paris with another foreign country in one trip. It just makes absolutely no sense. The London+Paris trip is the worst of the worst.
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