Travel Thread

[Miller]

I wanted to add one more travel thing to my original post. BTW, thanks for all the responses. I literally have a notebook writing a lot of these places down to add to a list. It's awesome.

St Tropez : French Riviera. Last Summer we spent a lot of time in Southern France. After Chamonix we were in Provence and the French Riviera. There was so much information on where to stay on the Riviera with many people mentioning Nice as a base, etc. Places like Cannes and others would be written up. St. Tropez was always ignored saying it was too crowded or too popular with the jet set crowd etc but my BIL convinced us we had to go. So we used it as one of our bases and I could not have been happier. We again got a beautiful apartment through VRBO and were within walking distance to town. The beaches were easy driving distance and beautiful. The town itself has this large park where you can sip wine and watch old and new play bocce ball. Yes the area where the yachts were was luxurious but it was fun to see them. We found great restaurants too. It was my kids favorite place. BTW the beaches are topless but not something to get excited about...we saw Moms, a bachelorette party with plus sized women and women who were 75 and leathery. It was strange to get used to and my kids laughed but an experience. We also stayed in Villefranche further East and it was a great base too. Saw Monaco and little town of Eze..both worth it..from there. Nice, which we drove through twice, was horribly crowded and a mess. Antibes was a great town too.​

 

[Montanalo]

Sorry, just getting to this..a lot of great stuff to digest.

I find your favorites fascinating and the fact that you lived in so many areas and traveled from there just awesome. What was your favorite place to live?

So it sounds like Antartica and East Africa would be beautiful and challenging. How did you figure where to stay, etc?

Last weekend was my first trip to London. My MIL was with us. We tried to get in as much as possible in 3 days and managed Windsor, Tower of London and a Comedy Ghost Tour...but in general it was mostly walking. and exploring Covent Gardens, Trafalgar Square and Hamleys Toy Store..lol. I'd like to hear more on what you love there. I feel the same about regions of Italy..could talk all day. On a side note my MIL does a lot more adventurous things and on this trip she did talk about loving Egypt..in fact we were laughing at a video of her trying to ride a camel. They also did some of the Holy Land.

Scotland and Prague I need to get to.

Bolded is the way I feel also.

Thanks for the comments.

With regard to where to stay - the trip to Antarctica was a board a moderate-size cruise ship (about 190 guests) operated by Quarks Expedition. This is one trip we defaulted to the higher end tour operator.

For East Africa, there are a number of tour operators from 5 star to basic. We just did a lot of research on who best fit our needs and desires. We wanted a relatively small tour group (ended up with 6 in our group), the experience of staying in tents on the Serengeti (the term "tent" misrepresents the experience, as they are as large as any living room, typically included a queen or king size bed, sitting area and shower). You are not really roughing it.

I had previously traveled to Zimbabwe and Kenya prior to marrying my wife. Both offer a wonderful experience. However, we felt Tanzania offered something more to our liking.

Perth, Australia was my favorite place to live. Throughout my working career, I generally fell into the category of "live to work". Perth was the first place that I "worked to live"

 

[JoeyBoy718]

Did you enjoy Genoa? Our last Summer trip was mostly in southern France but as we looped back into Italy we almost stayed there. I think this next Summer we may go to Sicily. Also was your Alaskan trip a cruise or did you just stay and go.

We flew into Anchorage and rented a car and did a mini road trip around the area. Genoa is nice. My wife’s parents live there so we go there every year. It’s not the most touristy city in Italy but there’sa lot to do. Walk around the board walk, eat a foccacia and drink a spritz.

 

[Crazed Liotta Eyes]

Never been to the US Virgin Islands but want to badly. Heard St John’s great! The closest I’ve been that area is north at Turks and Caicos and the Bahamas(Atlantis)..where we just spent New Years. As I said in the original post I enjoy Turks a lot. Bahamas is great..especially the water park at Atlantis...but overall service is horrible. This was our fourth time and gets worse every time. But I just chalk it up to what it is and still enjoy

Do you remember the Maui hotel. Last time there we stayed at the Grand Wailea and it was excellent

We mainly stayed on St. Thomas but did go to St. John's and St. Croix as well. I wish I could remember the name of the beach we went to on St. John's because it was incredible. It was rated #2 in the world at the time by a popular magazine and I've never seen anything like it. There were hardly any people and the sand was pure white with the clearest water I've ever seen. @Tabascocat, I do want to go to the British VI as well sometime. Can you describe how it's different that the USVI?

On Maui, the hotel we stayed at was the Hyatt Regency I believe. Really cool open courtyard in the middle with wildlife and the rooms surrounding that. It had a spectacular pool as well. I did lol about the $48 breakfast buffet in the mornings. One cool thing I found about Hawaii is we had multiple servers as restaurants say that they came there on vacation and never left. It's an expensive place to live but they just loved it.

 

[Crazed Liotta Eyes]

Yes my wife and I did a trip there too and loved it. What we love about that region is there are a lot of great towns around Madrid! Segovia is our favorite. Beautiful town with an incredible Roman aquaduct in the middle of it. The cool part is the castle and the tours around it. Just a cool town in the country. Avila is another town with its fortress walls. El Escorial is where the royals are buried and another great historical place. We actually stayed in Segovia and took side trips and then spent two nights in Madrid

I really wish it was easier to post pics here or I would

Great stuff! We've never been to Europe but would be really into castles and my wife loves old churches. If we do go, we'd like to visit some other countries as well. My wife is half Italian and I'm a mix of English, Scottish and Irish so we're going to try and hit all those countries as well as France. We're probably looking at about 2 weeks so I just gotta figure out how to plan it all. Kind of overwhelming.

 

[Miller]

Great stuff! We've never been to Europe but would be really into castles and my wife loves old churches. If we do go, we'd like to visit some other countries as well. My wife is half Italian and I'm a mix of English, Scottish and Irish so we're going to try and hit all those countries as well as France. We're probably looking at about 2 weeks so I just gotta figure out how to plan it all. Kind of overwhelming.

If you have any questions about Italy planning let me know. Not that I know more than anyone else on here but the last two Summers we planned two 16 day trips... through Italy..Rome, Umbria, Tuscany, Cinque Terre and then back down through Tuscany and Umbria(Montepulciano and Orvieto) and flew back out of Rome. We did the same last Summer from Milan but went through southern France and back up to Lake Maggiore in Italy..flew back out of Milan. So 90% was in France. We basically sat down, made a path that made sense and then contacted VRBOs, hotels, etc and planned it all. Honestly it is probably one of my favorite things..the sitting down, reading and planning. So I'm always open if I know people are hitting a region

 

[Crazed Liotta Eyes]

If you have any questions about Italy planning let me know. Not that I know more than anyone else on here but the last two Summers we planned a 16 day trip through Italy..Rome, Umbria, Tuscany, Cinque Terre and then back down through Tuscany and Umbria(Montepulciano and Orvieto) and flew back out of Rome. We did the same last Summer from Milan but went through southern France and back up to Lake Maggiore in Italy..flew back out of Milan. So 90% was in France. We basically sat down, made a path that made sense and then contacted VRBOs, hotels, etc and planned it all. Honestly it is probably one of my favorite things..the sitting down, reading and planning. So I'm always open if I know people are hitting a region

Much appreciated man. We are talking about it right now and getting excited, so I think we're going to do it. We're most excited about Italy so I will hit you up. It may seem weird to some but I trust the opinions of fellow Cowboy fans over most people. I already know they have good taste.

 

[Miller]

Much appreciated man. We are talking about it right now and getting excited, so I think we're going to do it. We're most excited about Italy so I will hit you up. It may seem weird to some but I trust the opinions of fellow Cowboy fans over most people. I already know they have good taste.

Not weird at all. This is why I started this thread. Seriously, I'd love it. It's the country I've spent the most time traveling in. Honeymoon was 2 weeks there. The 16 day trip I discussed. Another with Rome only and another to Lake Como and Lake Maggiore only. We have two villa type places in Tuscany we swear by. You said you like castles, etc. As my OP said there is an area of Tuscany that is great. San Gimignano is literally called the Midieval Manhattan because of it's towers that rival families used to be in. Volterra is close to it and has this incredible ancient wall and is fun to explore. Known for the alabaster fields around it. I don't know your path but when you get an idea, hit me up. Montepulciano is known for its Vino Nobile wine and is literally a hilltop town. But I have enjoyed all regions....the coast is great and beautiful too.

 

[Crazed Liotta Eyes]

Not weird at all. This is why I started this thread. Seriously, I'd love it. It's the country I've spent the most time traveling in. Honeymoon was 2 weeks there. The 16 day trip I discussed. Another with Rome only and another to Lake Como and Lake Maggiore only. We have two villa type places in Tuscany we swear by. You said you like castles, etc. As my OP said there is an area of Tuscany that is great. San Gimignano is literally called the Midieval Manhattan because of it's towers that rival families used to be in. Volterra is close to it and has this incredible ancient wall and is fun to explore. Known for the alabaster fields around it. I don't know your path but when you get an idea, hit me up. Montepulciano is known for its Vino Nobile wine and is literally a hilltop town. But I have enjoyed all regions....the coast is great and beautiful too.

I love this stuff. I'm an American through and through but there is no denying how cool old Europe is. I did have the pleasure of having a drink in the oldest bar in New York but it's just not the same. This country is so new comparatively.

 

[Tabascocat]

We mainly stayed on St. Thomas but did go to St. John's and St. Croix as well. I wish I could remember the name of the beach we went to on St. John's because it was incredible. It was rated #2 in the world at the time by a popular magazine and I've never seen anything like it. There were hardly any people and the sand was pure white with the clearest water I've ever seen. @Tabascocat, I do want to go to the British VI as well sometime. Can you describe how it's different that the USVI?

On Maui, the hotel we stayed at was the Hyatt Regency I believe. Really cool open courtyard in the middle with wildlife and the rooms surrounding that. It had a spectacular pool as well. I did lol about the $48 breakfast buffet in the mornings. One cool thing I found about Hawaii is we had multiple servers as restaurants say that they came there on vacation and never left. It's an expensive place to live but they just loved it.

It is mostly a personal preference. The beaches and water is pretty much the same.....fine white sand and crystal clear water.

BVI is a different culture, not really industrialized with lots of mom n pops stores and restaurants. It is much less crowded but a bit more expensive. I like historical aspect more here and things to see within the islands themselves.

The USVI’s is basically home away from home....kind of like South Beach moved far out into the Caribbean. It is very crowded, especially during season.

Basically, BVI is for the pure beach goers who want to get away from civilization for awhile. You won’t get that kind of tranquility in the other Virgin Islands.

 

[Miller]

I love this stuff. I'm an American through and through but there is no denying how cool old Europe is. I did have the pleasure of having a drink in the oldest bar in New York but it's just not the same. This country is so new comparatively.

That's what I tell people. I'll get reactions like "I'm fine here in the ole US of A. Why would I go there?" First off, I find the people genuinely nice in Europe as long as you try. I learn basic vocabulary no matter where I go to say thanks, ask directions and ask for a check. Secondly, the history is incredible. The fact that things have been there so long and you are staring at them...the gates and wall of Volterra is from the 13th Century. The one gate had faces on it but they are worn off by time. In France we swam under the highest Roman aquaduct, the Pont du Gard..built in 1st Century AD. Then the food and wine is incredible. We stayed at the villa a husband and wife ran and they made their own wines. It was incredible stuff and only cost 7 Euros. I could go on...but they live good lives there. They know how to savor things more than here. Always good to come home but I can't wait to get back.. There is a bar in Venice called Harrys and it was supposed to be one of Hemingways favorite places to drink. We went there to enjoy a few.

 

[Crazed Liotta Eyes]

It is mostly a personal preference. The beaches and water is pretty much the same.....fine white sand and crystal clear water.

BVI is a different culture, not really industrialized with lots of mom n pops stores and restaurants. It is much less crowded but a bit more expensive. I like historical aspect more here and things to see within the islands themselves.

The USVI’s is basically home away from home....kind of like South Beach moved far out into the Caribbean. It is very crowded, especially during season.

Basically, BVI is for the pure beach goers who want to get away from civilization for awhile. You won’t get that kind of tranquility in the other Virgin Islands.

This is great information for anyone who has considered visiting. Thank you, brother.

 

[Crazed Liotta Eyes]

That's what I tell people. I'll get reactions like "I'm fine here in the ole US of A. Why would I go there?" First off, I find the people genuinely nice in Europe as long as you try. I learn basic vocabulary no matter where I go to say thanks, ask directions and ask for a check. Secondly, the history is incredible. The fact that things have been there so long and you are staring at them...the gates and wall of Volterra is from the 13th Century. The one gate had faces on it but they are worn off by time. In France we swam under the highest Roman aquaduct, the Pont du Gard..built in 1st Century AD. Then the food and wine is incredible. We stayed at the villa a husband and wife ran and they made their own wines. It was incredible stuff and only cost 7 Euros. I could go on...but they live good lives there. They know how to savor things more than here. Always good to come home but I can't wait to get back.. There is a bar in Venice called Harrys and it was supposed to be one of Hemingways favorite places to drink. We went there to enjoy a few.

I don't think that could really be said better so I'm just going to bow my friend. You already we're but just solidified as one of my favorite posters.

 

[Miller]

I don't think that could really be said better so I'm just going to bow my friend. You already we're but just solidified as one of my favorite posters.

Thank you! Kind words! Appreciate it. Let me know when y'all get some idea of where you are going. PM if you want.

 

[Crazed Liotta Eyes]

Thank you! Kind words! Appreciate it. Let me know when y'all get some idea of where you are going. PM if you want.

Will do my friend. Have a good rest of your Sunday!

 

[daschoo]

Great stuff! We've never been to Europe but would be really into castles and my wife loves old churches. If we do go, we'd like to visit some other countries as well. My wife is half Italian and I'm a mix of English, Scottish and Irish so we're going to try and hit all those countries as well as France. We're probably looking at about 2 weeks so I just gotta figure out how to plan it all. Kind of overwhelming.

Let me know if you need any advice planning the Scottish portion

 

[shabazz]

Looking to go to Japan after their Summer Olympics is over and see the Land of the Rising Sun by Train. Anybody have any thoughts or ideas on some "Must See" areas or sites?

We Plan on going for 3 weeks so it can include Rail and or flying within the country

 

[Plankton]

My wife is someone who can't travel enough. Me, I like traveling, but there are times where taking time to just chill at home isn't the worst thing in the world.

We typically go to the Caribbean, but have also gone to Maui, London, Barcelona, the south of France, Belgium, Italy, and stayed for a week in Mallorca (loved it).

In the Caribbean, we have been to a good amount of islands - we loved Turks and Caicos, Roatan, Anguilla, the BVI (we have gone to Virgin Gorda, Peter Island and we did Anegada last year). Many of the islands are still in bad shape post Hurricane Maria - the USVI is in bad shape, which is a real shame, because St. John was one of my favorite places on the planet. Tranquil, outstanding snorkeling, fantastic beaches, and, when there aren't cruise ships in the area, not a huge amount of people. We also loved Barbuda, but the island was basically wiped off the map by the hurricane. That place was like dropping off the grid completely - absolutely fantastic, and you will get the freshest lobster anywhere there.

Last year, we celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary, and we went to the Maldives for two weeks. Three words to describe it - heaven on earth. Expensive as hell, long travel, but well worth it. The seafood was awesome, the people were very nice and the snorkeling was outstanding.

This year, we are going to Bequia in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and taking a summer trip to Ireland. Looking forward to both.

 

[DFWJC]

That Tuscany trip, staying in a Chalet, sounds real nice.
Haven't done that yet and I think the family would enjoy it.

I've been to so many places it'd be easier to say a few places that I haven't been but would like to go.
Various areas of China, Philippines, maybe somewhere along the Black Sea, maybe Chile?

 

[Miller]

That Tuscany trip, staying in a Chalet, sounds real nice.
Haven't done that yet and I think the family would enjoy it.

I've been to so many places it'd be easier to say a few places that I haven't been but would like to go.
Various areas of China, Philippines, maybe somewhere along the Black Sea, maybe Chile?

Tuscany villas...This is the place we stayed at last time we went in 2018..with kids,..We had the two bedroom place with the umbrella table on the patio...Granio was the building. VRBO link has better pictures of just the grounds...they also have excellent red and white wines the grow for cheap.

https://www.vrbo.com/83171ha?noDates=true

https://www.villore.com/

This is the place we stayed on our honeymoon. Elena is awesome. She basically took an old abandoned place and created this. She does cooking classes and has maps to everything. We are still friends with her and talk often.

https://www.borgoargenina.it/