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International Travel Destinations

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    razorachillesrazorachilles Posts: 1,273 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    What time of year?

    If you’re looking at a week, Australia and Thailand are too far for that short a turnaround (24 hours-plus each way); but if you can stretch to a few weeks, those are two of my favorite spots on the planet.

    if it’s a week in the Summer, TAP has decent flights to Europe (including parts of Portugal) and allow a stop for up to 3 days in Lisbon which is a really great city. Nearby Sintra (UNESCO site) is awesome and on a clear day you can see to the Spanish border eastward and out to the horizon over the Atlantic westward - great strategic vantage point back in the day), as are Estoril (good casino if interested) and Cascais are cool seaside towns to the North of Lisbon.

    Then head to Algarve (south coast)...spectacular cliffs/beaches and bars open all night in the Summer. Some good golf there, too. Depending where you stay in Algarve, you can take a 2-3 hour drive to Seville which is really beautiful (actually proposed to my wife there).

    A Spain trip is also a great take as notes here, as well. Toledo (dormer capital of Spain just south of Madrid), Granada (stay in the Alhambra Palace) and Barcelona are all great options on a Spain itinerary. Costa del Sol is Spain’s version of Portugal’s Algarve but more expensive (a Portugal is among the most affordable EU countries).

    Good luck with your decision!

    PS - found this clip that shows some of the Algarve beaches. Beaches in the first half are more eastward in the Spain side; beaches and caves in 2nd half are westward towards the southwestern most tip of the continent


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    razorachillesrazorachilles Posts: 1,273 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate
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    tfk_fanboytfk_fanboy Posts: 2,821 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    @razorachilles thanks so much!

    The wife and I will have six days in Paris

    we plan to visit a couple of Michelin starred places but otherwise eating local spots is the goal

    Montparnasse tower and Musée d'Orsay are on the list!

    We have tickets to an opera at Palais Garnier

    I will check out the Hemingway bar you mentioned, I am huge Hemingway fan

    We have a list of places we are interested and plan to spend each day in an area exploring

    We are excited and looking forward to it. Will have plenty of room in the luggage to bring some wine and champagne too!

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    razorachillesrazorachilles Posts: 1,273 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate
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    AnotherDawgAnotherDawg Posts: 6,761 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    I second all of @razorachilles' comments. Here are a few additional thoughts:

    1. Dinner cruise on the Seine (sounds touristy but is pretty incredible and definitely something the wife might find romantic). Arguably one of the 10 most memorable things I've done in my life.
    2. Versaille (day), Notre Dame (visit), and Eiffel Tower (climb) are kinda must-do.
    3. Louvre vs d'Orsay is a matter of personal preference (and time allotment). If you prefer modern art (which includes the impressionists), then d'Orsay is the better choice. But if you're looking for a broader, more historical, collection of art, and you have a full day to spend, then the Louvre is pretty extraordinary. See both if you can.
    4. If you get tired of fancy dinners and sightseeing, consider going to a movie. Paris is the cinema capital of the world and there are lots of great options. To this day, I still remember seeing a very young Daniel Day-Lewis, along with his incredible female co-stars, Juliette Binoche and Lena Olin, in "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" at Le Brady in 1988.
    5. There are several great Algerian restaurants in Paris if you want something a little different. Algeria was a French colony for a long time and the two cultures are intertwined, including their wines. (French vines were transplanted to North Africa over the course of a century- roughly 1850 to 1950.) If you don't mind taking your shoes off, sitting on the floor, and eating with your hands, this can be a memorable experience. (I'm sure there are some Algerian restaurants that are white cloth table tops with chairs, but I'd avoid those. 😀)

    Have a great time big guy.

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    razorachillesrazorachilles Posts: 1,273 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    All great suggestions @AnotherDawg - forgot the boat ride as you suggested which is definitely a must. The boats run during the day too but dusk/night is definitely the best time as the lights on the buildings and monuments are really spectacular. You also get a closeup at the smaller scaled down model of the Statue of Liberty which sit on a mini island in the Seine.

    i know saying “skipping the Louvre” sounds crazy but was suggesting that if they only had one or two days. If they have a week I would definitely consider it a must-do. Imagine the look on the faces of family and friends when they return and they ask “you were in Paris for 7 days and didn’t go to the Louvre? What did you do exactly?”

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    southafricandawgsouthafricandawg Posts: 113 ✭✭✭ Junior

    Im Biased but Cape Town South Africa is my favorite place in the world. Google it and it will blow your mind.


    Plus the Dollar to Rand (South African currency) is great for you right now

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    oddsbodkinoddsbodkin Posts: 176 ✭✭✭ Junior

    Everyone should go to Rome and explore the sites of that city. Incredible.

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    SquillDawgSquillDawg Posts: 1,438 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    I feel like an old person saying this, but don't sleep in the shows. They're incredible. KA at MGM is the best show I've ever seen. O at Bellagio is great too. Hopefully though, even the "lesser" shows are great.

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    SquillDawgSquillDawg Posts: 1,438 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate
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    SquillDawgSquillDawg Posts: 1,438 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    The location I'll add is Iceland. We went last year and it was amazing. Just straight up beautiful.

    There are two downsides. It's expensive, like the third most expensive place in the world to visit. And two, if you want to see the northern lights, you need to go in the winter. We had the proper gear and were perfectly comfortable and my wife hates the cold.

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    TurkDawgTurkDawg Posts: 1,602 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    Cape Town was my favorite city in the world until I lived in Istanbul two years. Both are surrounded with beautiful water views!

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    Casanova_FlatulenceCasanova_Flatulence Posts: 3,126 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    Take a Seine river cruise. Nice way to see the city. Over by Notre Dame there is a place called Le Cave. Go after 11pm and head to the basement. You see French culture through music. A lot of fun. There's a cafe within a short walking distance that stays open very late. After Le Cave you can go get a bite to eat. Incredible experience. 110 Les Tallivant serves the finest Risotto I've ever had. If you're going to see a museum and there are many worth seeing, I recommend the Louvre. Seeing the Mona Lisa in person is worth the price of admission. Make sure to walk the Champs Elysee.

    Walk, walk, walk and explore.

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    Casanova_FlatulenceCasanova_Flatulence Posts: 3,126 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    I'm going to RSA to see a Lions match the next time they go on tour.

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    AnotherDawgAnotherDawg Posts: 6,761 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    @tfk_fanboy - Did you take your Paris trip? Would love to hear your report. Hope it was a good one.

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    tfk_fanboytfk_fanboy Posts: 2,821 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    I am in the lounge in Miami, waiting for my flight back home. Spent the last week in Paris. Was a great time, especially since it wasn't a place I had a desire to visit. Will type more once at home and unpacked and on a laptop. But it was a great trip and now I need to plan another place to visit!

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    Steve_ZissouSteve_Zissou Posts: 307 ✭✭✭ Junior
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    Denmen185Denmen185 Posts: 7,407 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    Don't forget Sacre Coeur. Watching the pavement artists is one of my favorite things to do.

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