In the spirit of all that is Care Bears and rainbows and unicorns ...

... I'm moving my Europe derailment to this dedicated thread.

Thanks for the thoughts so far. Part of the decision will turn on our departure airport (yes, I know you can get anywhere from most anywhere, but out of PDX or SEA there are easier and worse options than SFO or LAX).

The winos in us are thinking Champagne and/or Burgundy for a spell. I'd like to then train through Switzerland, popping out in Italy, where Terri will decide what's up.

I'm also intrigued by flying Icelandair and taking advantage of the stopover allowance in Reykjavik for a few days, then on to Amsterdam. Check out the fatherland, so to say, then Belgium and northern France.

But I also have a good bud in Prague ...

Keep it coming. Thanks.

 

Always wanted to do a Bordeaux/ southern France wine region trip. Also want to see more of Spain outside of the two major cities I have visited (Barcelona and Madrid)

 

Prague is great. Tons of history there and still cheap for the US dollar. You can hire private tour guides (ours was a history professor who moonlights as a tour guide) for almost nothing to guide you around the city and give local and historical knowledge of the area.

 

Beautiful area, I'm going again in a few months. You will love San Sebastian especially if you are into food and wine. Close to Rioja and only a few hours drive to Bordeaux. Biarritz is another beach town certainly worth a visit. Saint-Emilion will be a first for me so looking forward to that..

 

Ken seems like u have a solid plan. So many good options but a few major cities, Champagne/Bourgogne area, swiss alps and northern Italy seems about as good as it gets.

 

Rabbit and dumplings, wild boar tenderloin, venison goulash, seared cabbage and mushroom gravy all at U Sadlu in Prague. With a chill in the air, it's tough to beat Czech comfort food. Kozel lager still ranks in my top 3 beers worldwide. Big fan of Prague.

 

For what it's worth, my son just did about 10 days in Geneva with quick excursions to Munich and Lyon. They went to the Geneva Motor Show. He absolutely fell in love with Geneva. He and a friend found great airfares on Turkish Airlines from LAX, which meant roundabout routes and changing planes in Istanbul, but everything went off without a hitch.

 

Went to Prague a few years ago. It was great. Inexpensive and fun. The beer tour was a lot of fun. If I could make my American salary but live in Prague I'd be living the good life.

Craft beer scene is still really small in Czech Rep. but it's growing. The "Prague Beer Museum" has a selection of them. There was one called "Demon" that I really enjoyed.

 

Hey, gang, thanks for the thoughts!!

And now we're going to try to squeeze in a trip to Vancouver and Whistler before Europe.

Crazy.

 

Just take lots of photos so I can be jealous from afar.