I’ll always be an advocate for the Scottish Highlands. Can go at whatever pace you desire and the landscapes are unbelievable. You can visit a bunch of castles and the pubs every night are a ton of fun.
took my parents (age 65) to Carmel Valley Ranch earlier this year which was sweet, with some Big Sur Pebble etc sprinkled in. suggestions will vary on time of the year tbh, but suppose you will want to do something to contrast what your brother picked.
Where are you/they based? Can give some more options based on that... Costa Rica has a ton to offer, good for all ages, and not hard to get around. Could fit in 2-3 different places in a week depending on how much you want to move around. River cruises in Europe seem lame but boats are super nice, not crowded, and let you see a ton of places in one week. My folks did Amsterdam to Zurich a couple years ago (58/59 y/o) and I was actually a bit envious of what they got to do. Couple it with a couple days in the start & end cities to see more. Barcelona + Mallorca offers good mix of city/culture/activity that is good for everyone. Awesome food, wine, beaches, hiking (if you want), etc.
Watch out for Euro river cruises as their drought is hammering their rivers https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/europe-drought-river-cruising/index.html Too bad, because it looks really cool. We've done day cruises on the Danube and it was a lot of fun
Based in Michigan. We did Alaska as a family like 15 years ago and Ireland around then as well. I know they've done one of the Viking River Cruises in Europe as well. Definitely thinking maybe some European culture tour as a possible destination. I'll have some serious research as well. Was thinking the European capitals like Oranjello mentioned. Was also thinking something like Iceland, Lake Como, Greece, etc. This definitely interests me as well, but will need to do some research. Might not be relaxing enough for the folks.
Antarctica is more like a 10 day trip but it’s definitely not strenuous. You’d have 2-3 outings a day, a couple hours each, and half of those would probably just be cruising around on a zodiac; there would be hiking but the main clientele for these sorts of trips is reasonably active retirees; they’re not building them around assuming everyone is in peak condition. Even since I went (right before Covid) the 2-3 main companies have upgraded their boats; it’s definitely not a big fancy cruise ship, but it’s still pretty cushy. The trip itself was amazing and I can’t recommend it highly enough to anyone who doesn’t have to pay for it.
Have you looked at the Cinque Terre on the western coast of Italy? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinque_Terre You can fly into Pisa, then take the train for 1.5 hours there, with a switch in La Spezia, but everyone in La Spezia is going to the Cinque Terre.
I’ll 2nd the Mallorca suggesting. 4-5 days on the island is great and a day or 2 to hit the highlights in Barcelona. Mallorca is easy to drive around and has some stunning landscapes with plenty of modern amenities thanks to the Brit and German vacationers.
Glad you didn’t have any issues. I think I would’ve missed my flight if I didn’t have Precheck. Whew. Yeah. You gotta jump in a taxi as soon as you cross the border.
Zurich has great direct flight coverage from USA - so Switzerland gets my vote for places not yet mentioned RalfBully
I would say an Alaskan cruise? Never done one or researched it, but seems cool enough. Takes the task of planning out of your hands. I’m the biggest anti-cruise guy there is, but it does seem to have many beneficial aspects for older clientele and for seeing Alaska.
Iceland is an incredible place to visit but if you want "relaxing" I don't recommend going in winter. You're at the mercy of the weather and it can ruin your fun real quick. I've gone in August/September as well and it's awesome. Can't go wrong with Greece / Croatia island hopping. If you go Greece, check out some of the lesser known (to Americans) islands like Paros, Sifnos, Milos. For example, Milos has very similar views of the caldera as Santorini but a fraction of the price. Santo is awesome but you're paying a premium, dealing with cruise ship tourists, and there are so many steps
I went to Iceland last November. I had an amazing time but unless you're going to be touring around with different places to stay every night it's tough to get to the northern or eastern side of the island for site seeing. Just not enough daylight and the weather changes dramatically minute to minute. We had bright sunshine, cloudy, raining, sleet and snow all within like an hour.
I'm def not a cruise guy either but I assume your parents are old and most ppl I know that have been on one did enjoy it
I wouldn’t do a cruise unless the boat is going some place I couldn’t go to see something awesome. So Antarctica was basically it for me, although a bunch of the group I went with did Svalbard earlier this year and enjoyed it, too. I could see a good case for Alaska, too, especially for older folks. ETA: although two of them got Covid onboard and were basically spying for polar bears from their room for 2/3 of the trip, so also keep that in mind
I'm trying to do Norway next June, mainly Lofoten with a side trip to Svalbard. More polar bears than humans on the island. Looks incredible. Reading a book called "The Tiger" right now about murderous Siberian ("Amur") tigers and has me wanting to take the trans-siberian railway thru Eastern Russia. I'm fascinated by really remote, off-the-grid places.
Did an Alaskan cruise and it was great especially as a family trip with some folks with mobility restrictions probably going to do an Iceland one in the next year or two for similar reasons, so the people who can't really leave the ship easily still can go on vacation with everyone. Already been to Iceland once but you gotta be REALLY committed to drive to the north side of the island, not sure in normal circumstances I'd want two weeks just circumventing the island. In a similar vein anyone done a Virgin Voyages cruise yet? Same mobility restriction family members so cruises tend to be easiest for them.
Opinions needed. Lease is up in December and I work remote. What countries would you recommend for a 1-2 month stay?
Mexico and Brazil are my two favorites, assuming you need to stay in a relatively similar timezone. Costa Rica would be fine, but pretty expensive by LatAm standards. Def southern hemisphere, that'll be their summer. Maybe BsAs/Argentina, but their economy is soooo fucked.
I'm looking at going to a futbol match at Estadio Azteca next month. For those that have been to Mexico City, did you go to a match?
Yeah been several times, pretty easy to get tickets and not expensive so go ahead and splurge on good seats
Only been on one cruise but I enjoyed it. More time in a location is always better, but if you're trying to see a larger region (like the Mediterranean or the Caribbean) it's a good way to break it up and see a variety of places. Wear yourself out sightseeing, then relax for a few days, without the hassle of having to go through an airport. Good way to combine a relaxing vacation with a sightseeing type vacation, though I have heard the quality of a cruise varies widely between brands.
For those that have been to Mexico City- what range did you pay for your flight? Kayak is bugging the shit out of me insisting that I buy a ticket for the "good price" of $550... that seems pretty steep and I feel I should be able to find something more in the $350 range or less. Am I way off on that expectation? Trying to go next February so I have plenty of time.
high 4s to mid 5s is usually what I get out of ATL. You maybe should expect lower out of SFO but not too familiar.
speaking of mexico city i'm getting in range of my trip so can make lots of reservations probably going to have more tasting menu/fine dining on this trip than any other city i've visited. Maximo, Quintonil, Pujol, and Contramar all seem obviously worth.
The match is Club America vs Guadalajara, which seems to be a popular ticket because it’s a rivalry? I know next to nothing about soccer. Been to one match (Barcelona v Juventus) and saw exactly zero goals. $175 Spoiler Direct from Tijuana
Yeah, it’s the biggest rivalry in Mexican soccer. Be sure to wear a red and white striped shirt so they know you’re neutral.
I'll try to see if I can find it, but a chef I like on tiktok reviewed MX recently and I think he said Pujol wasn't that great (might be mixed up with another one, but think it was Pujol). Also harps on lots or "rankings" being PR driven only vs really good. Listed other michelin stars he liked, plus some local street taco places. IDK if you care and still want to go to "The Top Restaurant in CDMX by WSJ" and see for yourself, I probably still would. But I'll try to find his stories.
Yeah I saw that guy's stories as well I don't really get twisted about the pr game fine dining spots have to play
Idk his name. He's not famous, but claims working/interning at a lot of mich staf places around the world. Smaller tiktok following. Not huge or anything. I'm bad about following ppl and just scroll my fyp