European honeymoon!

Now this thread has me wanting to do Portugal, Spain and France. Road trip around the western Mediterranean! I think we'd take 3 weeks - I want to save Italy for it's own trip. I just want to visit as many beach towns as possible! Thanks for the tips on "leasing" a car! I've got some website book marked for further investigation.

That said, I think Lake Como would probably be my #1 stop in Italy. Nex would be Parma - GIVE ME ALL THE PARM AND PROSCIUTTO!

We are doing 5 weeks as well! I can certinaly let you know how our experience goes!

We are thinking Paris for a few days, a week or 10 days in Italy, we would also love to spend some time in Portugal, Croatia and Greece - or two of those three! (Without totally breaking the bank!). Food - lol where do I start?! I can't wait for Pizza in Naples, wine in Tuscany, pasta everywhere, and who is going to turn down seafood in all these areas next to the water?! Tom and I also enjoy the bar scene, so any suggestions are welcome!

Hey Sarah! I'm so happy to see that you got so much feedback! You can also contact the vendors in our directory for Honeymoon to see if they could make arrangements for you: Honeymoon Mississauga What countries are you going to visit? Any food you'd like to try?

That is so exciting! We are are also going to Europe for our honeymoon! We are thinking for about 5 weeks (thats all I can get off work) in the fall of 2018. We haven't decided where we are going yet though.

These tips from everyone are great to know!

That is an incredible tid bit! Thank you! I'll be looking into car leases

Congrats! That sounds amazing!!! When I traveled Europe several years ago, we leased a car. It was brand new and far cheaper than renting for a month +!!! Apparently, in order to sell a car made in Europe in North America it has to be 'used'. So, they lease them out and then ship them over for sale in North America. It was nice because they picked us up at the airport. No fuss! And driving was a little intense, but you get the swing of it after awhile! That's where I learned how to drive stick! LOL! It also allowed us to get off the train routes and away from the tourist traps. We went to lots of smaller places and found the people to be really receptive to tourists. A few even made us home cooked meals! You also can go at your own pace. If you like a spot, stay for a week! If not push on. We hit 6 different countries in 2 months. Amazing trip. Wish I was doing it again!!! If you are starting in France try and hit Mont Saint-Michel before going South. It's incredible! Just watch where you park. We saw one rental car float away at high tide!

Awesome, thank you! Nice would be a great stop to consider adding on - I will look into it!

Fair enough! Better to have it and not use it than want it and not have it.

Oh and Pompeii was a cool day trip! Not like a MUST!!!!! But if you're in the area it was VERY interesting

I've heard that about Portugal as well, it's nice to have it confirmed by someone else! Thank you

Great suggestion, thank you!

lol I can certainly understand that based on the pictures of the bending roads! We are getting our International Driver's Permits regardless, as a just-in-case. They are only $25 so why not?! Capri and Florence sound great! Thank you for the suggestions

Another option is to fly. There are so many low cost airlines in Europe that hopping from on place to another is super easy, fast, and cheap.
Piece of advice for minimizing costs if taking the train, take an over and train. You have one less hotel night to pay and more time in each city since you're traveling while your sleeping.

OMG YES, I forgot about Cinque Terre but it was INCREDIBLE!!!

I second Valerie take the train... The person driving would NOT be having a good time... Public transportation is very effective reliable and cheap... For further off the beaten track destinations you could go with a tour group... I've only heard good things about Croatia and my mother recommends Portugal over Spain... She said Portugal was what she imagined Spain would be.

1. Train for sure! Gives you guys some time together and as Valerie said you don't need to worry about driving in a foreign country. It also gives you time to rest or plan things for your next step of the adventure. It is also generally pretty cheap.

2. Stop in Rome and Florence for sure! San Gimignano is a beautiful medieval pedestrian town, Venice is gorgeous but expensive so be careful. Padua is also fun as it is the home of Romeo and Juliet so visit there for some added romance I have also heard that Cinque Terre is beautiful and a must see. If you have the chance to stop in Southern France before heading to Italy, stop in Nice. It is a gorgeous seaside town with some very beautiful historic buildings, good food and lots to see.

3. Spain has a lot to offer and depending where you go in Spain, you may be able to take a trip to Portugal at the same time. I've only been to Barcelona and Costa Dorada in Spain. Both were nice! Barcelona has tons going on and has lots of interesting architecture because of Gaudi. Also if you are a foodie of any description I would say Spain is the place to go.

*Just a tip about Italy, drink your espresso at the bar instead of sitting at a table, they will charge you less.

*Try to find restaurants outside of tourist centres in Europe as you will find more authentic meals on the menu.

*Most European cities have public transit passes that are valid for multiple days and on several modes of transportation. This is probably your best best for getting around. You can most likely buy these passes at the airport or train station.

1. I would be SCARED SHITLESS to drive in Europe to be perfectly honest. It's literally the number one thought I had every time I was on a bus there!! So I would personally want to take the train

2. Southern Italy... Isle of Capri (and be prepared for some hikes, they were the best views! But holy shit the climb almost killed me), Florence (my favourite city in Italy for sure)!!! If you do Pisa, just make it a day trip... there's not much going on. Milan was over-rated unless you're into shopping, but there wasn't much else going on in the city. And Rome of course.

3. I haven't been to Spain, Portugal, Greece or Croatia. But I heard Greece was best in a cruise so you can see multiple islands, and Croatia is just breath-taking!