Where are you going/Where did you go on your honeymoon?

[Strawdermangrl]

FI is worried about flying overseas ( he can handle about 4 hours in a plane, I am working on this) We are going on a 7 day cruise to Belize, we are STOKEd. I wanted to do a cruise in the Greek Isles, maybe we could get this little kink out by our ann next year....

 

[Cath]

I think October is the best time to go to Italy -- white truffle season, yum! We were in Venice in mid October and it was not too crowded, though towards the end of our trip we had acqua alta which is when the canal rises and starts to flood the streets. They put platforms up so you aren''t walking in the water, but everything moves much slower because you''re usually in single file! It''s kind of fun though.

I think it really kicks in as you get to November, so if you want to minimize your chances of encountering it you might want to go to Venice earlier in your trip.

I''ll leave hotel recs for those who have more experience with Venice -- we stayed at a small b&b near Piazza San Marco -- nice hotel, great location but I don''t think it''s fancy enough for a honeymoon.

 

[selflove]

Lovey: October will be a GREAT time to be in Italy b/c there will not be a hoard of tourists, the weather will be mild, and you might be able to negotiate lower prices. You might feel like you have Venice and Florence to yourself. I am a true budget traveler and in Europe I usually stay in 2-star hotels. Even a 2-star in Venice and FLorence will run you 100 euros/night (equivalent of $130/night at current exchange). If you can handle a no-frills kind of place for the honeymoon, I can suggest some specific hotels that we stayed at in Florence and Venice. You won''t need a rental car for Venice but definitely you should get a car for Florence/Tuscany. Around Venice there ain''t much outside the city except Lido Island, which has a vaporetto stop (a vaporetto is like a boat version of a bus and it''s the cheapest and most efficient way to get around Venice). Around Florence there are a ton of little towns--don''t miss San Gimignano and Sienna. Rick Steeves is a great source for European vacations (videos and books). I also really like the travel book series called "Access" for finding great restaurants (I think I used that one for Florence and Venice restaurants) and off-the-beaten path places (like did you know that Venice has its own leaning tower and it''s in the most charming part of the city where all the locals live).

I''m so excited for you!!!!

PS. I''ve never been to Rome so I can''t say anythign about it. I know that everyone who visits La Cinquaterra on the Western/Northern coast says "you have to go there".

 

[NoonersMom]

All of you are going to spectacular areas for your HM. I''ve been to both Paris & Rome. Personally, I *loved* Rome. It''s such a magnificent city to get lost in. I bought a National Geographic map of Rome & simply pulled that out when I was ready to go back to the hotel. There is an incredible amount of history & architecture there. From walking the streets around the fountain to sitting in the piazza''s with Christmas lights strung up and listening to the click of your heels on the cobblestone. It just doesn''t get any better than that. Especially if you have someone special to share it with. I guess there is something just magical about discovering the city. You never know what you are going to find when you walk around a corner. Not to mention you can also purchase bottles & bottles of Italian vino!

For our honeymoon I would like to go to Seraya Shores in Bali. Our first ceremony will be in Malaysia so it seems perfect to take a short ride down there since we''re in the area. hehe. While the boutique hotel is not centrally located, something about this place speaks to me. It seems so relaxed & peaceful. I also like that it''s rustric & small. If that means a few day trips, that works. Here is the link....
http://www.serayashores.com/

Haven''t figured out what we are going to do for our second honeymoon. I''ve been itching to go to Alaska & learn how to dog mush. BF promised me we would do it at some point in our lives. I would prefer to do it before they start drilling & while we are young enough to enjoy the adventure. We''ll see.

 

[kanne]

Nooners..the photos on the Bali website look so lush, lovely and serene. What an amazing place to spend a relaxing honeymoon with your new husband!

 

[treysar]

Would any or all of you mind if I hid in your suitcases? Every place sounds wonderful!!!

I hope that I can go to all of them some day!

But my true goal is to one day see every state in this country - if I am fortunate enough to live to retirement and am able to afford it, I woukld LOVE to buy an Fleetwood RV and tour the country! And hit all of the State parks!!

 

[msb700]

We went to Orlando/FL (im a Disney world fanatic), then went on a 7 day western Caribbean cruise on Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, then flew to LA and Vegas and finally to New York to head back home!

I live in Bahrain and trust me, it took FOREVER to get to orlando (our first stop), but it was worth it..our one year anniversary was last month and we still remember every detail of the honeymoon and can''t wait to take our next adventurous trip together

 

[JessesGrl]

We were going to go to Italy, but decided on a more relaxing honeymoon so now it''s off to the riviera in Mexico or Aruba...those are our only options b/c wedding is in october ( 1st) and it''s hurricane season everywhere else...

 

[Matata]

Date: 5/13/2005 2:22:16 PM
Author: icekid

Date: 5/13/2005 10:25:44 AM
Author: lovey
Anyone have any recommendations on where to stay in Tuscany/Florence/Venice?

not exactly, as i have not been there yet myself.. but have you heard of the travel guide writer rick steves? his website (and books) and fantastic...

http://ricksteves.com/

if you go to ''graffiti wall'' there are lots of reviews for different B&Bs by travelers... i think it''s a really nice resource

I''ll second the vote for Rick Steves. We''ve traveled to Italy (5 times), England, Amsterdam, and this coming October Spain using his guidebooks and they are the BEST resource we''ve found for where to stay and where to eat. Also, he gives detailed instructions for getting around cities and towns and includes recommendations on how to get tickets to museums and other tourist sites without standing in long lines.

 

[MINE!!]

We are going to London, Germany, Paris and Ireland.

 

[verticalhorizon]

We just got back from Italia!

We went to Roma, Siena, Firenze, and Chinque Terre!

I would have skipped Rome, had there not been so many things that you HAVE to see like Il Boca de Veritas (Mouth of Truth) and stuff like the Colluseum, etc.

We totally recommend Siena or the other smaller medival outerlying towns in Tuscany if you want an awesome Italian vacation. We ate dinner in the shadow of the Sienese Duomo, bought bread, cheese, and wine and snacked in the Campo. There''s even a football pitch, but no one was playing at the time.

If you want romance, go south to the Amalfi coast and you can also visit Sorrento, but I hear its touristy.

Good luck, but be warned... European travel is NOT relaxing... at least for us. I would recommend just visiting one country if you''re short on time.

Ciao!

 

[Logan Sapphire]

We went to Malta for 7 days and Rome for 3 in October. We''d both been to Rome before, which is why we went for less days. The weather there was great.

 

[curlygirl]

Lovey, Florence is AMAZING!!! I am lucky to have a girlfriend who lives there and have gone to visit many times. I can say some of the better hotels are the Savoy, Grand Hotel and Villa San Michele. Not cheap but definitely nice. There are tons of hotels to choose from, incredible restaurants and lots of cute bars. I recommend staying somewhere in the center so you can walk everywhere. Also, if you and FH are foodies, my friend gives food lovers tours! You get to go to some neat places that you probably wouldn''t go to as just a tourist and eat some really yummy things! You can PM me if you want to get in touch with her.

I also recommend Siena and Lucca as other nice Tuscan towns to visit. Lucca is a famous walled city. Very quaint and great for a day trip. And try to get to the outlets if you have time--although the dollar pretty much sucks in Europe now and you may not want to shop on your honeymoon! There are free standing buildings for Prada, Dolce & Gabanna and Fendi but there is also a mall with Gucci, Armani, Hogan, Tod''s, etc. I could go on and on!

Venice is also amazing but I really only spent a day there. Definitely try to take a vaporetto because it''s pretty cool and if you can see a glass blowing demonstration, you will be blown away (no pun intended)!

I love Italy! Don''t know where I''m going on my honeymoon yet but I think I may have just convinced myself to go back to Italy with my FH at some point!

Abradabra, where do you stay in Anguilla? I looked at a place called Cap Juluca and it''s simply fabulous but kind of pricey...

 

[pearcrazy]

8 days in Cancun, Mexico. Granted it was in 1991 but back then Cancun wasn''t so crowded. We had a great time.

We''re taking a second honeymoon to Kauai next month.

 

[kittykatmax]

My fiance and I are getting married in Las Vegas on August 20, and hope to fly to Hawaii for a week beginning August 21. We settled on Hawaii because we live in California and don''t want to be on a plane for a zillion hours when we only have a week. We''re having a tough time choosing which Hawaiian island, though. Maui is supposed to be romantic, but quiet. Perhaps too quiet. I burn very easily and get claustraphobic if I try to snorkel or scuba dive, so I find myself wondering what there is to do there. We''re also debating Oahu, but fear it will be too crowded.

 

[kanne]

kittymax..

hmm.. I would recommend Waterbabies Sunscreen. It is 45spf and does a great job of protecting your skin. I use it all the time in the ocean and it''s great. Sometimes people don''t like snorkeling because they feel like they are going to sink. It may be helpful for you to wear a small life preserver, you will feel more secure and can get your head out of the water more easily. Or a boogie board. Anything with floatation.

Maui is fabulous. Kauai too. Lots of stuff to do there. Tons of hiking trails, there is biking, hang gliding (lol), horseback riding, (sail)boat charters and tours, spas, helicoper tours, water skiing, SURFING (another favorite), windsurfing, kayaking, and bar hopping (there is plenty of nightlife) If you have never been to Hawaii, I''d recommend Maui. Spectacular.

 

[codex57]

I dunno, if you''ve never been to Hawaii before, maybe you should do some of the touristy stuff on Oahu. You can find privacy in your room. We got upgraded to an oceanview room when we went a couple years ago (I think they thought we were honeymooners). That was totally awesome and totally made the trip. We could lie on the balcony and sunbathe if we wanted, or if we wanted air con, we''d just leave the balcony door open and lie on the bed.

If you want a secluded beach, then I think Maui''s the best bet for being isolated enough, yet visited enough to have plenty to do (including night life).

One trick is to go to Norwegian Cruise Line''s website. Download their shore excursions for their Hawaii cruise. It gives you an idea of what there is to do on all the islands.