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I second Portugal, especially since it's part of your history.
Buy or get from library several travel books on Portugal and study up, use internet too....tours are rigid and are limiting with no free time...I'd rather go on my own and do activities as I find them. Biking would be great there.
When I went to the Algarve, the beach where we were was rocky...there might be plenty of sandy ones there, not sure.
Loved Lisbon.
There was recently a thread on someone getting back from a Portugal vacation..."Just got back from Portugal"
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Riley09swb
My BIL and his wife go to Hawaii a couple of times a year. They always stay a week and a half and usually have a holiday in there as well. They go in January and late August. They are supposed to go in the next few days.
There would be a ton of things to do if you went between islands.
I vote something more unique for a USA graduation adventure / memory.
Chances are very good if you are USA based, you will get to HI. (many times). I greatly dislike it, so I sent my spouse and kids on their own several times. They had a great time, (mainly they played), but our fond family memories were from a very different type of venue.
He is open to anything. I believe I said that. He is of no help whatsoever as has no favorites or preferences. I also said I would like it to be a surprise.
Every teen has SOME interests. Is he more outdoorsy? More into the beach/water? More into food? A person can be open, but have some things they generally like to do that would help us guide you to a general destination.
My son has just started high school, but my plan is for an Alaskan cruise for his graduation in 4 years. It's something we've both talked about doing, and I think is special enough to be a great way to mark this milestone.
How about a Mediterranean cruise? Or you could plan your own adventure to hit most of the types of locations you are interested in. Once you are in Europe it is easy and inexpensive to travel from one country to another, some can be done by train, and others by quick and cheap flights. I would recommend combining some well known destinations like Rome and Florence with some lesser known locations like Prague or Croatia.
We like to bike, but not hike. Love being on the water.
My grandmother was born in Portugual so that would be something to look into, specifically where she was born.
I'm just concerned about how to book the "correct" trips.
Quote:
Originally Posted by tamitrail
I am looking for ideas for a graduation gift trip (June 2019) and how to go about making the most of it.
Family of 4, two teens. We have been to different places at different times (so it will be hard to hit the mark for all of us). Allocating two weeks, give or take for travel time.
"My" ideal vacation (I think) would be Italy...having said that, although I want to see "some" of the points of interest, I don't want a vacation full of tours and schedules. I would want to be by the water someplace and be able to explore small towns, culture and food. The gift recipient is open to anything so I would like it to be a surprise (obviously I wouldn't pick a place he has already been to).
USA road trip. This sounds like fun, but a major pain and kind of rigid. There are many things we would like to see in the US, that we haven't been able to see thus far. But traveling in a car, SUV, camper, and stopping at dive motels doesn't sound like fun. We are not campers. I have planned a few road trips on line to see what it would look like, but it doesn't look relaxing to me.
Do not want to go to Asia...prefer Europe (Spain? Italy?). I don't think we want to go to London, Paris or France.
Would love to go to Australia, but I think the travel time would take up too much of the two weeks.
Also wondering if Alaska or Hawaii could be an option, but obviously travel time is a concern as well.
So, looking for suggestions, but also how to make the most of it? How to make sure we don't miss what WE like to do.
Do people just research and book, work with a travel agent, tour company?
Hmmmm: Bike & water, 2 weeks, small towns, not a bunch of tours/too scheduled, looking for culture & food.
June is peak travel season in Europe. Italy's big 3 (Rome, Florence, Venice) plus the Amalfi Coast and Cinque Terre will be very busy.
France's Cote d'Azur starts to get crowded with the film festival in May. Early June still isn't bad, but late June will be really busy.
Barcelona & Valencia sound bigger than you are looking for.
I think I would suggest Cadiz & Andalucia (or maybe Cadiz, Sevilla, and Faro, Portugal).
I would definitely book myself. For the two options I suggested, I would probably try to fly into and out of Seville. You could also fly into Madrid and take the 2.5 hour high-speed train to Seville. In the region of Seville & Cadiz, you might visit or stay in one of the "White Villages," the historic, once-strategic hill towns of the Reconquista.
I usually browse hotel options on tripadvisor & airbnb--I usually find that airbnb works out better for a group of 4, but your mileage may vary. Tripadvisor & Google will get you plenty of information about any destinations you choose, and it is definitely not necessary to book tours in European towns or cities.
You may need to look up some train or bus timetables. They will be readily accessible online. You could also drive yourself.
May I suggest if you want Italy see the Amalfi coast . Beauty beyond compare . I saw it once and I will never forget it . I think im going to avoid traveling for the next few years as I have had several bad travels lately . I m going to save up some money and go again in a few years maybe 2 maybe 5 years before I travel again . But definitely get to the Amalfi coast you will not be disappointed . safe travels wherever you decide to go .
Our son just went on a graduation trip, but he went with his 7 best friends. They went to "the gorge" in West Virginia. They went white water rafting, spelunking, hiking, zip lining, cliff jumping, and a little bit of mountain climbing of sorts. Plus they did a lot of the normal swimming, camping, hanging out in the woods and bonding. All of them had the best time of their lives all in 4 days at a cost of $400 each.
Doing something exicitnig, challenging, risky and totally new will win every time.
I am looking for ideas for a graduation gift trip (June 2019) and how to go about making the most of it.
Family of 4, two teens. We have been to different places at different times (so it will be hard to hit the mark for all of us). Allocating two weeks, give or take for travel time.
"My" ideal vacation (I think) would be Italy...having said that, although I want to see "some" of the points of interest, I don't want a vacation full of tours and schedules. I would want to be by the water someplace and be able to explore small towns, culture and food. The gift recipient is open to anything so I would like it to be a surprise (obviously I wouldn't pick a place he has already been to).
USA road trip. This sounds like fun, but a major pain and kind of rigid. There are many things we would like to see in the US, that we haven't been able to see thus far. But traveling in a car, SUV, camper, and stopping at dive motels doesn't sound like fun. We are not campers. I have planned a few road trips on line to see what it would look like, but it doesn't look relaxing to me.
Do not want to go to Asia...prefer Europe (Spain? Italy?). I don't think we want to go to London, Paris or France.
Would love to go to Australia, but I think the travel time would take up too much of the two weeks.
Also wondering if Alaska or Hawaii could be an option, but obviously travel time is a concern as well.
So, looking for suggestions, but also how to make the most of it? How to make sure we don't miss what WE like to do.
Do people just research and book, work with a travel agent, tour company?
If you want to travel to another country, then I think that's what you should do. A flight to Australia wouldn't take up all that much of your travel time - a day on each end at most. But whatever.
You mentioned wanting to see more of the USA, but not wanting to drive. Not sure why you would consider trips abroad and then say that you don't want to stay at dive motels in the states. Why would you have to stop at dive motels?
Anyway, my suggestion for travel here in the states is to consider a train trip. There are so many options and the train is both relaxing and FUN!
Europe in June will get crowded in famous areas, trick is to find somewhat less famous spots that are still terrific: Abruzzo, Bologna, Istria, Sicily, Croatian coast, perhaps Slovenia or the Czech Republic.
Portugal is my new favorite spot & it has a lot of what you are looking for: dramatic coasts, wine regions, interesting cities & it's relatively easy on the wallet. Lisbon & the Silver Coast up to Porto could easily be 9-10 days & then down to the beaches of the Algarve.
This is a great list, and I'll add to it: Consider some of the less-tourist-ed Greek Islands. Stay away from the ones that can accommodate big cruise ships (since they'll be overrun with visitors at that time of year), and stick with the ones that can only be reached via the ferry system, and you'll find the relaxed vibe you're looking for (along with plenty of history).
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