Portugal or Italy?
Kevin and I are so sick of the ice, so we have decided to take a little weekend getaway in February. Our requirements are that the destination be warmer than Norway with NO ice, and close enough to easily fly there and back over a 3 day weekend. Portugal and Italy both meet these requirements...anyone have any opinions about where we should go? Or any other suggestions that we hadn't yet considered? Any input would be greatly appreciated!
posted by Emily @ 9:54 PM
9 Comments:
At Thu Jan 11, 11:56:00 PM,
Anonymous said…
I've never been to either in Europe. My European destinations thus far have consisted of the UK and Switzerland. However, of the two - Italy has rave reviews by a few people I know. I'm sure Kari will agree but my friends, Rick and Bev, also honeymooned there last year for a few weeks and really seemed to enjoy it. All I have to say is that you better put the pictures up :)
At Fri Jan 12, 06:46:00 AM,
Emily said…
Jen, I have heard such good things about both destinations, but Italy has always been on my top 5 dream vacations list. I don't know which city would be best, but Venice is very tempting. (Although so is Rome, and Capri would be very nice...ahh, decisions!) As for posting photos, hopefully I can. I plugged my camera charger into my adapter the other day and caused some crazy sparks/smoke to happen, and now my charger is fried. I ordered a new one, but the guy at "Elkjop" didn't seem too sure if he could order it or when it might be in. Hopefully soon! Emily
At Fri Jan 12, 08:33:00 AM,
Anonymous said…
We've been to Italy last summer and if you like some culture Florence is a great destination. I've never been to Portugal though but that must be nice too.
At Fri Jan 12, 12:16:00 PM,
Emily said…
Hi An, thanks for the suggestion--Florence hadn't occurred to me. Now I'm off to look up some information on it! Emily
At Fri Jan 12, 04:33:00 PM,
Astrid said…
Hi Emily!
I would warmly suggest Rome!! It's easy to get around either on foot or by public transport. You'll never be far away from seeing some historic monument walking in the centre of Rome. And the food is lovely!!!
Venice is beautiful but in february might still be quite cold (close to the mountains) AND it will already be full up with tourists for the carnival.
Capri - havne't been there but dream of going.
Portugal I don't know at all but Lorenzo has just been to Lisbon with work and said it was an amazing city. Hopefully he'll take me with him the next time he'll go but for now I'll just have to content myself with the nice bottle of Porto I bought in the Taxfree shop :)
Astrid
At Fri Jan 12, 05:47:00 PM,
Anonymous said…
Hi Emily,
living in Italy and being a great traveler myself I can suggest you to go to south Italy: Capri is a wonderful destination but Naples is not a safe city at all today, pay a lot of attention there!
Florence and venice might be still a little bit too cold, while Sicily is a very cheap travel with a lot to see and a nice weather in february:)
Rome has a better weather than florence and has a lot to offer, it can be a nice solution, but don't expect to have a spring weather in february, just a little bit warmer than in Norway;)
Portugal and Lisbon are also great destinations with a better weather than north and middle Italy (i love portugal actually... lisbon is incredible), but for a warmer weather you might take into consideration Canary Island in spain: a cheap and pretty warm destination in february.
Also Greece is a warm and nice destination in February, have you condiered it?
But of course if you are dreaming of Italy I suggest you rome or sicily:)
Or capri, but if you'll go there please, pay a lot of attention in Naples, there are tons of foreign turists snatched every day!
If you need a hand, let me know;)
Pat
At Fri Jan 12, 06:27:00 PM,
Emily said…
Astrid--I am so tempted by Rome, thanks for the good advice about Venice--I really don't want to deal with all the tourists! Pat--Canary Island is a great suggestion that I had not thought of yet. I will definitely look into it. We were discussing Greece, but were thinking the flight might be too long for just a 3 day vacation. Thanks for the advice about Naples--I had heard it was kind of a rough town (but with really great pizza) so was not planning to spend time there. Wow, too many decisions...oh well, I guess there are worse dilemmas to have, right? Emily
At Sun Jan 14, 02:04:00 AM,
Anonymous said…
Ok, here's my two cents...I would honestly vote for Rome. At this time of year, it's pretty moderate in temperature. It might rain off/on, but it is a great place; great eats; nice long walks and lots to see and do. You also have great shopping (Prada! Gucci! Fendi!) and other fun things. John loved all the old Catholic churches and architecture.
If you are getting a car, it's definitely worth it to drive the 2 1/2-3 hr north (near Florence) and go to the outlets (Gucci, Prada, etc.) The Prada outlet is hard to find -- ask the locals and they will get you on the right road. Plus, it's nice scenery and wine country.
The other caveat: If you are booking a hotel via the internet (travelocity.com, orbitz.com, etc) - beware of hidden "even if you are just making a booking inquiry, we will charge your credit card, even if you don't stay here, unless you cancel a week prior" policy.
It was cold and rainy when we went to Venice in mid-Feb, and it's a lovely city - but really meant to be enjoyed outside (cafes, long walks in the city, etc.)
As for Sicily - we didn't head there, but we did visit Pompeii and Postino (the Amalfi Coast); again, gorgeous areas - a bit cold in the winter (it actually snowed when we tried to cut over the mtn. between the Amalfi coast and central italy, and we were nearly stranded in a blizzard in our tiny "smart" car).
And, I did enjoy Pisa (but it also snowed there).
We went to Lake Como - again, very nice, relaxing -- but probably a bit too cold still (I hear in May it is gorgeous and booked full. We stayed at a luxury hotel/resort in Feb. and I swear, no one was in the hotel!)
Finally, as for Portugal - we haven't been there yet! That's one of our next vacation goals - to do Portugal and Spain. However, Justin has been there - and loved it. He claims the Majorica/Balearic Islands are exceptional. If you go, I'll be jealous - I've always wanted to see the Rock of Gibralter, oh wait, that might be in Spain. Anyway, happy trails!
Also, I assume you've looked at this already - but check out www.ryanair.com (cheap airline, equivalent to Southwest).
At Sun Jan 14, 12:08:00 PM,
Emily said…
Kari, thanks for all the advice on Italy! I am kind of leaning toward Rome now, but since both destinations sound so wonderful, maybe our decision will be made by airline ticket prices. I knew about Ryan Air, and Norwegian Air is another cheapie airline that we have been looking into. Maybe this summer, you and John can hop over the pond and join us in some European adventures! Emily
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