Beautiful/Romantic Places To Go

[Raiders]

I had to start this thread after I accidentally saw this picture. I love sunflowers!

I did a google about the place and came up with this short description.

From Wiki

The Romantic Road (German: Romantische Straße) is a "theme route" devised by promotion-minded travel agents in the 1950s. It describes the 350 kilometres (220 mi) of highway between Würzburg and Füssen in southern Germany, specifically in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, linking a number of picturesque towns and castles. In medieval times it was a trade route that connected the center of Germany with the south. Today this region is thought by many international travellers to possess "quintessentially German" scenery and culture, in towns and cities such as Nördlingen, Dinkelsbühl and Rothenburg ob der Tauber and in castles such as Burg Harburg and the famous Neuschwanstein. The Romantic Road is marked along the way with brown signs.

Road sign for the Romantic Road in German and Japanese

 

[Raiders]

Some beautiful pictures to share

 

[jw5]

Paris.....................

 

[neddy]

Hallstatt in Austria is beautiful.
There is a salt mine where you can play sliding.

There is a YHA youth hostel with private rooms for mature couples. You can hear sound of rushing water here.

 

[po2wq]

... There is a YHA youth hostel with private rooms for mature couples. You can hear sound of rushing water here ...

wat do dose mature couples do inside ze private rooms @ ze youth hostel dat gif sounds of rushing water? ...

 

[neddy]

wat do dose mature couples do inside ze private rooms @ ze youth hostel dat gif sounds of rushing water? ...

The younger ones can stay in cheaper unisex dormorities. The young-at-heart can stay in the more expensive private room.

I can't remember if the youth hostel is still operating.

But youth hostels in Germany, France & Switzerland can be quite open. Unisex shared bathroom, bedrooms etc

 

[Raiders]

My top 3 most romantic places/things to do would be Venice, Santorini at Aegean Sea, Seeing the Northern Lights in Norway.

Venice Grand Canal

Santorini

Northern Lights

 

[jw5]

Another place I like is Melbourne, especially during spring or autumn.
It has city life, enough greenery if you feel like it, there's usually a show in town, the occasional sporting event, there's a casino if you feel lucky, many comfortable hotels if you feel luckier, good shops for both buying stuff and window shopping, convenient transportation, streets aere quite pleasant to walk on. If you really run out of luck or things to do, can always pop over to see the penguins.

 

[Raiders]

Another place I like is Melbourne, especially during spring or autumn.
It has city life, enough greenery if you feel like it, there's usually a show in town, the occasional sporting event, there's a casino if you feel lucky, many comfortable hotels if you feel luckier, good shops for both buying stuff and window shopping, convenient transportation, streets aere quite pleasant to walk on. If you really run out of luck or things to do, can always pop over to see the penguins.

You're right. I prefer Melbourne over Sydney in terms of living. Sydney is nice only at Darling Harbour, Sydney Opera House area and northern Sydney. Melbourne gives me the feeling of being in northern Sydney.

 

[neddy]

My top 3 most romantic places/things to do would be Venice, Santorini at Aegean Sea, Seeing the Northern Lights in Norway.

Venice Grand Canal

If you visit Venice. you should not miss

Lido, Murano, Burano and Torcello.

Do not join those half day tour, better to go on your own with a day ticket vaporetto and you can spend as much time as you wish, esp if you are a photographer. Go there before the tour crowd comes in, or stay after the tour crowd left.

Eg in Burano. you can still photograph the fishermen, candid shots of locals with colourful houses in the background, the colourful houses, reflecting in the canal, in calm & peace under the morning light.

As for the Greek Islands, there are 3 islands just off the mainland not to be missed.

For Santorini and the other islands around eg Mykonos (windmills), Tinos, Syros, Paros and Naxos. It is worth taking your time here, rather than following the cruise.

I do not know how are the islands now, but in May when they just opened for the tourist season, it is quite good. Not too many night revellers and crazy people.

----------------------------

I love Italy's Sorrento, Capri and the Amalfi Coast.

But cannot be too friendly to the elderly, they will ask you for money.

I missed the Grotta Azzurra (Blue) in Capri the last time because the sea was too choppy for me to transfer to the rowboat.

 

[Raiders]

If you visit Venice. you should not miss

Lido, Murano, Burano and Torcello.

As for the Greek Islands, there are 3 islands just off the mainland not to be missed.

For Santorini and the other islands around eg Mykonos (windmills), Tinos, Syros, Paros and Naxos. It is worth taking your time here, rather than following the cruise.

I missed the Grotta Azzurra (Blue) in Capri the last time because the sea was too choppy for me to transfer to the rowboat.

Thanks brother for sharing with me.

 

[eatshitndie]

for me, taormina in sicily. as a backdrop to the ancient city is majestic mount etna, still spewing fire and smoke while one dines away alfresco on the cobbled streets of taormina.

 

[eatshitndie]

check out hotel villa diodoro in taormina.

www.hotelvilladiodoro.com/it/gallery.html

 

[neddy]

CYCLADIC ADVENTURE

Our island hopping tour will take you to three of the most popular islands in Greece: Mykonos, Santorini and Ios. Also enjoy two nights in Athens prior to your island hopping experience! Our tour includes accommodation, breakfasts, hotel transfers and fast ferries – all you have to do is get on the plane and go!

Be quick and book before 28 February to receive a 10% discount.

Package Includes
11 nights accommodation
11 breakfasts (B)
Return airport/port transfers in Athens, Santorini, Ios and Mykonos
Fast ferry tickets: Athens – Santorini – Ios – Mykonos – Athens

Day 1 Athens
You will be met on arrival in Athens and transferred to your hotel. Spend the rest of the day discovering the Greek capital at your leisure.

Day 2 Athens – Santorini
Transfer to the port at Piraeus early this morning and board the ferry to Santorini. You will be met upon arrival and transferred to your hotel. Spend the afternoon exploring the island at your leisure. (B)

Day 3-4 Santorini
Spend two days at your leisure on this breathtaking island. Admire Fira’s narrow streets and whitewashed houses, relax at a cliff-top cafe and marvel at the dazzling sunsets Santorini is so famous for. (2B)

Day 5 Santorini – Ios
Transfer to the port for the short ferry ride to Ios. You will be met on arrival and taken to your hotel. (B)

Day 6-7 Ios
Spend two full days exploring Ios, an island renowned for its golden beaches and lively nightlife. (2B)

Day 8 Ios – Mykonos
Transfer to the port and take the ferry to Mykonos. You will be met on arrival and taken to your hotel before spending the rest of the day at your leisure. (B)

Day 9-10 Mykonos
Enjoy two full days at your leisure on Mykonos. You can relax on the sandy beaches, visit a few local villages or take advantage of the island’s renowned nightlife. (2B)

Day 11 Mykonos – Athens
Transfer to the port this morning for the fast ferry back to Piraeus. You will be met on arrival and transferred to your hotel in Athens. (B)

Day 12 Athens
The tour ends with a transfer to Athens airport for your departure flight. (B)

 

[Raiders]

That's a very nice picture brother. The cruise itself is not expensive. Royal Caribbean does a similar route. Very cheap. SGD 1200 for 10 nights. It is the air ticket to Venice (port of departure) that is expensive. Only Emirates flies to Venice.

 

[neddy]

Bro Raider,

It is a good cruise. But I am sick of Venice. And I have been to Split, Croatia.
My wife went shopping for handbags at Venice Airport because not much else to do.


The tour I put in is for those who want to stay overnight in the Greek Islands.

I prefer to separate the island hopping and Greek mainland tours.


Legend Of The Seas
Starting from * 952 AUD
10 Night Greek Isles Cruise

Day Port *** Arrive Depart
Day 1 Venice, Italy 17:00
Day 2 Split, Croatia 07:30 16:00
Day 3 Corfu, Greece 10:00 18:00
Day 4 Cruising
Day 5 Chania (Souda), Crete, Greece 07:00 18:00
Day 6 Santorini, Greece 07:00 18:00
Day 7 Mykonos, Greece 07:00 18:00
Day 8 Piraeus (Athens), Greece 06:00 18:00
Day 9 Katakolon, Greece 09:00 17:00
Day 10 Cruising
Day 11 Venice, Italy 06:45

 

[Raiders]

Bro Raider,

It is a good cruise. But I am sick of Venice. And I have been to Split, Croatia.
My wife went shopping for handbags at Venice Airport because not much else to do.


The tour I put in is for those who want to stay overnight in the Greek Islands.

I prefer to separate the island hopping and Greek mainland tours.


Legend Of The Seas
Starting from * 952 AUD
10 Night Greek Isles Cruise

For the price, I can say that this package is very worthwhile. Day time just get off the cruise to look see. Night time go back to cruise and sleep. Below picture is from my friend who went the above route. He spent some time in Italy also.

 

[neddy]

For the price, I can say that this package is very worthwhile. Day time just get off the cruise to look see. Night time go back to cruise and sleep. Below picture is from my friend who went the above route. He spent some time in Italy also.

Can you check with your friend whether he/she used any of the shore excursion package offered by the cruise company?

I find some of the shore excursions very expensive. I can't find the shore price in SGP, but it costs 334.65 AUD for a 6 hours Santorini shore excursion.

http://www.royalcaribbean.com.au/sh...horexByPort&ProductCode=SO04&DestinationCode=


Also, I know that the cruise ship cannot dock at Santorini and some small ports, they use tender boats to transfer passengers to the shore. How often is this transfer?

Royal Caribbean use big cruise ships and passengers are known to queue more than 1 hour to get back to the ship.
Some Russians and less cultured passengers take your tables at breakfasts, rush and jump queues, grab handful of tender tickets to get to shore.


I think if the cost of shore excursions are too expensive, the price may not be as attractive.

 

[neddy]

Splendour of the Seas Review

http://www.cruisecritic.com/reviews...SEM&content=&gclid=CK-z4tWBl7YCFSVNpgodLkwA7w



Dare to take a cruise in a 4,000 passenger ship?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/cruises/typesofcruises/2041703/Cruising-can-be-tender-misery.html

For now, though, tenders are here to stay, and annoying as they are, there are ways to numb the pain:

• Before booking a cruise, check itineraries to make sure that there aren’t too many tender ports. These are usually denoted by an anchor.
• Have a leisurely breakfast and wait for the rush to subside. The queues on Freedom of the Seas were bad, but we avoided standing in line just by being a bit patient.
• Alternatively, be outside the room where they are handing out tender tickets early so that you are on the first boat across.
• Aim for the last tender back to the ship – most people will want to be back well before that, so later queues will be minimal.
• Accept the tender as part of the cruise experience and relax. You’ll get there in the end.

 

[yinyang]

sick of Venice.

Venice, Santorini at Aegean Sea, Seeing the Northern Lights in Norway.

Venice is touristy, with everybody at St Marks' Square and gondolas not exactly like brochures. Longkang smells

Norway's great for Land of Midnight Sun (24hrs sunlight). 3 months summer, they see the sun and go bananas. Blondes out in garden topless, and only time they speak to neighbours. Playing tennis at 9pm downtown in Oslo. Kids are terrors, don't wanna sleep. Blinds at 0300 can't keep out the light. Ski and snow board in mountains, kids born with snowboard :p

Also, go visit the fjords (and maybe meet russkie sub). Norway's tourist industry not exactly developed (they have the oil!). Sweden's cheaper

http://www.visitnorway.com/midnight-sun

http://www.visitnorway.com/en/?media=image