Help Me Find my Vacation Spot!

[Abe Sargent]

Hello All! Me and a ladyfriend are looking to go away on a vacation, leaving June 3 and returning on the 11th. In order to help us decide on where we want to go, she is preparing a list of 10 destinations that she would like to go to, while I am doing the same for me. Then on Tuesday evening we will meet and make a decision.

The criteria: Using Travelocity, find a combined hotel/air package under $1750 per person. I need to create a list of 10 places. Flights depart from DTW airport code.

My own personal biases:

I like places that have history - monuments, museums, ruins, architecture, etc. That means most of my places are going to be old world (although they do not have to be).

We both speak French, although her more than me (She's been an interpreter) Preferences on places where I can communicate in English, and failing that, at least French.

I went with her to London 18 months ago and it was a blast (my first international journey). Now I want to go farther afield.

Here are my current top choices:

1. Odessa
2. Prague
3. Istanbul
4. Manila
5. Florence
6. Venice


So, here is what I need from you folks.

A). Any places in the old world that I might not think about that'd be a great place to visit? Under 1750 per person using travelocity for thos edates departing from DTW?

B). What about those three places? Is there enough English to get by? Or French if not English?

Help is appreciated!!!!!

[Abe Sargent]

I also want to encourage you if you know of a good spot outside Europe - Africa, Asia or Oceania that fits our prices for that times - that'd be great too.

[Tigercat]

Tokyo for under 1750 a person? Some nice looking hotels in travelocity for that price too. Its a long flight though, and Japanese cultural history isn't for everyone. You can get by with English pretty darn well there, though.

[Izulde]

I've heard tell that Prague is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, though I can't verify that for certain.

Which Odessa are we talking?

Istanbul I'd love to visit personally.

[Flasch186]

I hear Pakistan is nice


(Blast from the past there...sorry)

[Abe Sargent]

Originally Posted by Izulde

I've heard tell that Prague is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, though I can't verify that for certain.

Which Odessa are we talking?

Istanbul I'd love to visit personally.

Ukraine Odessa.

[Abe Sargent]

Originally Posted by Tigercat

Tokyo for under 1750 a person? Some nice looking hotels in travelocity for that price too. Its a long flight though, and Japanese cultural history isn't for everyone. You can get by with English pretty darn well there, though.

Tokyo ain't bad. Better than Bangkok or Seoul. She may veto a traditional Asian country because she's bound for China in August. That doesn;t stop it from being on my list.

Now I;ve always wanted to go to the Indies. FInd me a nice spot in Indonesia or Malaysia for 1750 or less and I'll love you forever. I couldn;t find any spots. (And some places, liek Kuala Lumpur are downright expensive, as opposed to Jakarta)

Know what? Let me go check the Phillipines right now.

[Abe Sargent]

Well, looks like there is at least one Manila package under 1750. Anyone know much about Manila?

[M GO BLUE!!!]

I usually vacation in Detroit at my mom's house.

I'm sure for $1750 she can arrange something.

[Drake]

Prague.

Though you can probably do Budapest more cheaply, and Budapest is an absolutely beautiful city as well.

[Abe Sargent]

Budapest, Vienna and Prague all had the same approximate cost. I checked

[Abe Sargent]

After doing some investigation, Manila has a volcano there that you can go look at. That's pretty cool. Then Intramuros looks prretty cool as well. Manila might have enough, although I;d still like to hear from someone who has been there.

[moriarty]

Prague is a beautiful city. The night life is pretty cool as well, and you can definitely get around speaking English with a little bit of effort.

You can also take a reasonably short train ride to Germany or Austria from there as well.

[Izulde]

Budapest is a cool city, but there's a ton of graffiti everywhere which diminishes the beauty considerably in my opinion.

Vienna I found extremely boring.

[Abe Sargent]

Okay, looks like Prague, Odessa and Istanbul are not moving from my list. Now I need ideas from those of you who have traipsed through Europe (or been to Manila). What other places should I be looking at? I want to avoid the obvious - Paris, Madrid, Rome, Amsterdam, Berlin for example.

[Abe Sargent]

Maybe this might help. I looked up all of the folloiwing palces and saw that they were under 1750 - - but not Helsinki, Moscow, or St. Petersburg, they were too expensive.

EDIT: I am placing the names of places below 1750 that I have researched, this list will grow. This is a good lis to give me commentary from:

Tokyo
Edinburgh
Dublin
Lisbon
Barcelona
Marseilles
Venice
Florence
Naples
Mykonos
Athens
Trieste
Vienna
Budapest
Copenhagen
Granada
Strasbourg
Zurich
Kiev
Zagreb
Rabat
Casablanca
Brussels
Antwerp
Stockholm


ADDED: Brussels, Antwerp and found a cheap package to Stockholm

Places I can't go - too expensive - Russia and Finland and Norway.

[Izulde]

I've always loved Venice and it's my favorite European city, so I'll put in a vote for there. Not sure if it meets your price requirements, though.

[Abe Sargent]

Originally Posted by Izulde

I've always loved Venice and it's my favorite European city, so I'll put in a vote for there. Not sure if it meets your price requirements, though.

$1638

[Eaglesfan27]

I think Venice and Vienna would be my top two choices for a romantic city. I enjoyed them both many years ago.

[Izulde]

Originally Posted by Anxiety

Maybe this might help. I looked up all of the folloiwing palces and saw that they were under 1750 - Edinburgh, Dublin, Lisbon, Barcelona, Marseilles, Venice, Florence, Naples, Mykonos, Athens, Trieste, Vienna, Budapest, Copenhagen, Granada, Strasbourg, Zurich, Kiev, Zagreb - but not Helsinki, Moscow, or St. Petersburg, they were too expensive.

Dublin:
Really fun city. Spending an evening at one of the two greyhound tracks is a blast. If you go here, eat at Beschoff's on O'Connell Street. Best fish n chips ever. My second fave city in Europe next to Venice (that I've visited).

Venice:
I already mentioned this one, but I'm determined to go back there.

Florence:
Haven't been there, but plan on visiting it when I get a chance. You can't get much more historical than the birthplace of the Italian Rennaisance.

Budapest:
Really cool place. I love how the city's divided into Buda and Pest and there's some terrific scenery afforded by the river. It's just too bad they haven't cleaned up the graffiti.

Vienna:
A total bore to me, as I've said. Then again, I'm not fond of the Germany-Austria region at all.

Copenhagen:
Tivoli Gardens rocks, but the Little Mermaid statue is ridiculously tiny. Don't have a real strong memory of the city outside of those two things. It's okay, I guess.

Granada:
I haven't been there, but I profess a bias since I'll be there this fall if everything goes right. See Icy's commentary for stuff on here.

Zurich:
Switzerland to me is very sterile, very clean, and very bland. I forget whether I was in Geneva or Zurich, but I was not impressed in the least.

[st.cronin]

Florence is absolutely fantastic.

[path12]

Originally Posted by Drake

Prague.

Though you can probably do Budapest more cheaply, and Budapest is an absolutely beautiful city as well.

Budapest was the first city that came to my mind also.

[Abe Sargent]

Very helpful folks! Keep it coming! What about other places I may have missed?

[rkmsuf]

There's a great parody thread title waiting to happen with this one.

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by rkmsuf

There's a great parody thread title waiting to happen with this one.

Yes, there is.

Since you've got nuthin', don't ruin it for someone who might put in a bit of effort.

[moriarty]

Dublin is a great town, plus you can pretty much drive anywhere in Ireland fairly easily. Good choice.

Edinborough (sp?) is cool, but it's probably a 2-3 day city at most.

Venice is worth seeing once, but I honestly wouldn't spend much time there (mabye I'm in the minority). It's rather dirty and while the canals and stuff are pretty neat I don't think I'd want to make a week out of it.

Amsterdam is an 'alternative' experience, and you can make the short trip to Brugge in Belgium.

[Abe Sargent]

I read about Brugge and it interested me.

[Abe Sargent]

Im here now with my lf. I think that Venice and Florence are beign offically added to my list. KJeep the comments coming!


-Abe

[Abe Sargent]

Bump for hte veneing folks who might, just ,might be European

[Izulde]

Looking over your earlier list:

Casablanca:
Haven't been there, but from all accounts Morrocco is a really cool and fun country to visit. (It's also on my list for when I study in Granada).

Stockholm:
None of the Scandinavian cities left much of an impression on me, either good or bad to be honest.

[johnnyshaka]

Loved Barcelona and Rome when I was there a couple of years ago and would definitely recommend either of them.

On my personal list of must sees...Austria. My cousin just came back from touring across the world and her pictures from Austria (she visited several areas throughout the country) were absolutely amazing.

[st.cronin]

I lost my cherry in Florence, if that helps.

[Abe Sargent]

That's.....interesting st c....

[Bee]

Venice would be my top pick of your current choices, but I've never been to Odessa or Istanbul. Is there a reason Paris isn't listed?

[Klinglerware]

I've been to Prague, Istanbul, and Manila, and will be in Venice this year.

I personally didn't care for Prague (though I am obviously in the minority), I felt that it was obnoxiously touristy, and that was in 1996. But, again, I'm in the minority here so don't let my opinion stop you from going. I've gone to Istanbul a couple of times, and I enjoyed it very much--it is a very unique city, definitely with a sense of history and an interesting melding of cultures. If you've never gone, strongly consider going.

I was in Manila last year, it's a fun city where your dollar will go far (the expensive part is getting there). I would say that if you are going for deep history, options in Manila will probably be limited to Intramuros, as the city suffered extensive damage in WWII. So you are definitely going to see a bit of modern sprawl. Definitely consider venturing out of the city as there will be much more fascinating stuff out there (Spanish Colonial period, WWII, etc.). If you are interested in experiencing a very different culture (while still getting to use English), I'd still consider Manila anyway.

The issue with Manila is that June is the transition into rainy season. Rainy season begins in earnest in late June early July, so you will probably be okay. My fiancee and I went last June, and we didn't have any problems--but it is something to keep in mind.

[johnnyshaka]

Originally Posted by Bee

Is there a reason Paris isn't listed?

My guess would be price.

[Bee]

I'd also recommend you consider a 7 or 8 night Alaskan cruise if you've never done it. If you get a cheaper cabin, it's probably in your price range.

[Abe Sargent]

Originally Posted by Bee

Venice would be my top pick of your current choices, but I've never been to Odessa or Istanbul. Is there a reason Paris isn't listed?

I want to avoid the major cities - Rome, Paris, Berlin, London, Madrid. In addition, she has been to Paris and I have no desire to go there. I'm not going to veto France - Strasbourg and Marseille are in teh running, I;'m jus tnot feeling Paris.

[Abe Sargent]

Originally Posted by Klinglerware

I've been to Prague, Istanbul, and Manila, and will be in Venice this year.

I personally didn't care for Prague (though I am obviously in the minority), I felt that it was obnoxiously touristy, and that was in 1996. But, again, I'm in the minority here so don't let my opinion stop you from going. I've gone to Istanbul a couple of times, and I enjoyed it very much--it is a very unique city, definitely with a sense of history and an interesting melding of cultures. If you've never gone, strongly consider going.

I was in Manila last year, it's a fun city where your dollar will go far (the expensive part is getting there). I would say that if you are going for deep history, options in Manila will probably be limited to Intramuros, as the city suffered extensive damage in WWII. So you are definitely going to see a bit of modern sprawl. Definitely consider venturing out of the city as there will be much more fascinating stuff out there (Spanish Colonial period, WWII, etc.). If you are interested in experiencing a very different culture (while still getting to use English), I'd still consider Manila anyway.

The issue with Manila is that June is the transition into rainy season. Rainy season begins in earnest in late June early July, so you will probably be okay. My fiancee and I went last June, and we didn't have any problems--but it is something to keep in mind.

Good stuff there, thanks!

[Abe Sargent]

We talked some last night, and she mentioned that she is going to be puttign Belize on her list. Any thoughts from peops who have been there? Specifically, what are the Mayan Ruins like?

[rkmsuf]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

Yes, there is.

Since you've got nuthin', don't ruin it for someone who might put in a bit of effort.

sigh. everyone got nuthin.

[Bee]

Originally Posted by Anxiety

We talked some last night, and she mentioned that she is going to be puttign Belize on her list. Any thoughts from peops who have been there? Specifically, what are the Mayan Ruins like?

Belize is great if you dive. My wife is certified and had a blast there. I don't like diving, so I didn't enjoy it nearly as much. The ruins were great though and the hotel bar was nice as well.

[Abe Sargent]

Looks like we are looking at Venice after comparing notes. Thoughts?

[Crapshoot]

Originally Posted by Anxiety

Well, looks like there is at least one Manila package under 1750. Anyone know much about Manila?

Lived there - loved it, but not what you're looking for, IMO.

[Crapshoot]

Dola, more specifically - Manila always is trying its hardest to be an American city. That was great for me, because I came from Addis Ababa, but its not a place I would go to "get away" or "see the old world." I'd recommend India, but at this point, its too warm, and likely too expensive (unless you're very comfortable with extreme heat). In Africa, Ethiopia and Tanzania are both worth visiting, but I think Eastern Europe appears to be your best bet.

[Izulde]

Originally Posted by Anxiety

Looks like we are looking at Venice after comparing notes. Thoughts?

Excellent decision. A Venetian sunset is one of the most beautiful and romantic sights you will ever see.

[moriarty]

Originally Posted by Anxiety

Looks like we are looking at Venice after comparing notes. Thoughts?

7 days in Venice is a lot, it's not a real big city. My only advice is to plan an excursion or two. You can chill on the Meditteranean somewhere, take a trip to the mountains (I think the Dolamites are close) and there's some other islands nearby.

I don't recall which cities are within day trip distance. Milan might be a bit far.

[Klinglerware]

Originally Posted by Anxiety

Looks like we are looking at Venice after comparing notes. Thoughts?

If you can do it for under $1750, more power to you guys. We are going to Slovenia for our honeymoon around the same time and to get there from the US, we are flying in to Venice. We've decided to stay a couple of nights in Venice on the tail end and it is going to easily be the most expensive part of the trip bang for the buck-wise.

But it sounds like you've got consensus--so if you can find an appropriately-priced package, go for it!