Best trips

[slow-poke]

I realize vacation travelling is not for everyone, but for those who do enjoy what are some of your favourites?

We plan to travel a bit more in the next few years and would like to here what people have enjoyed the most.

I would be hard pressed to name a favourite because each trip has something unique that I really enjoyed, but if I had to pick one I would say our first trip to Greece in 1998. Greece was not part of the EU yet and the history, variation, scenary, incredible food and relaxed lifestyle just made for a really spectacular trip.

 

[DavidR8]

I’ve had the very good fortune to visit France twice, Peru and Japan once.
Peru was a bucket list trip and I managed to see Cusco, Macchu Pichu and a raft of other simply incredible sites.
France is high up on my list of favourite destinations thus the two trips.
Japan was magical, had I not owned I home in Canada when I visited I might very well have stayed.

 

[Doggggboy]

New Zealand. Spent most of a month there. We'd go back in a heartbeat. We were there in 2013. Other than an accent there is no language barrier. If you are into outdoor stuff you could spend a lifetime there and not do it all. It's like Canada, only "fun sized" You can get up in the morning, hop in the car and drive away from the coast , through the mountains, across the prairies, into the forest and back country, stop and go kayaking and hiking, back in the car and end the day in a big city, all on a tank of gas. Here in Saskatchewan you have to drive 11 hours just to see a minor change in scenery.
Sicily. We were in Italy for a month and spent a week of that in Sicily. The people, food, history, architecture and culture were wonderful.
Australia is good but huge. Trying to "do Australia" in a week is like trying to "Do Canada" in a week. Pick an area and spend a month. Tasmania is worth the trip if you make it to Australia.

 

[BMW Rider]

So many possibilities depending on how you like to travel. We have done a broad mix of travelling in the past and have many more plans for the future. We do some motorcycle trips, car trips and air travel.

Ground travel means typically within Canada and US, we've been across this country once and would love to get back east into the Maritimes again to explore more as well as Newfoundland where we cut short our time due to the weather being inhospitable to motorcycling. South of the border, Utah has so much to see (and beer is easier to find there now), we are going down to Zion this spring.

Air travel opens up many more options. Of the places we've been thus far, one of our favourites was Barcelona. We spent a few days there prior to a cruise trip that ended in Venice. We stayed a few days there before going on to Paris on that trip. One key lesson we've learned is when you visit a city, find accommodations in the heart of the area you want to tour. It will almost always cost more, but the time and money you save travelling in and out is worth it. It also lets you take in more of the night time scene as you are staying right there.

Flying in and renting a car (or motorcycle) is a good way to go as well. We did a really fun road trip from Nashville to Memphis and on to New Orleans by car. Rather than paying parking fees, we returned the car in Memphis and picked up a new rental to continue on. I also just did an amazing motorcycle tour through Chile and Argentina to Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego. We travelled through much of Patagonia and I can't say enough about the amazing scenery there.

My wife is just a few months away from joining me in retirement and our plans are to travel even more for as long as we can. One of our thoughts is to be able to rent longer term accommodations (one or two months) in various places and really get a relaxed experience seeing those places.

 

[DavidR8]

So many possibilities depending on how you like to travel. We have done a broad mix of travelling in the past and have many more plans for the future. We do some motorcycle trips, car trips and air travel.

Flying in and renting a car (or motorcycle) is a good way to go as well. I also just did an amazing motorcycle tour through Chile and Argentina to Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego. We travelled through much of Patagonia and I can't say enough about the amazing scenery there.

We're planning four months in Europe by moto in 2028.

 

[slow-poke]

One of our thoughts is to be able to rent longer term accommodations (one or two months) in various places and really get a relaxed experience seeing those places.

This makes a lot if sense to me, we rented a flat in Paris and to some extent it made the trip. We really lucked out on an amazing flat in a great location.

 

[Susquatch]

My career has taken me to most (but not all) places in the world that are safe. We did have a list of places we did not go. And places you only went with armed guards. The two places that are near the top of my list are Austria and New Zealand.

But no matter where I went, I learned to really appreciate the one Country I liked most of all - Canada. A man could spend his whole life travelling in Canada and never see it all. Even when you think you saw it, you didn't - because you never saw the people around the next corner, over the next hill, across the lake, on the coast 2 miles up. It's a stunningly beautiful, friendly, safe, and truly incredible country with the most amazing people. The best in the world.

 

[JustaDB]

Almost anything on the back of the Hawg. Whether it's a day trip to the mountains & back, an overnite to a craft brewery stateside or a 2 week round trip, kilomile rally like Three Flags, I always come back w/ a sh!t-eating grin.

 

[LenVW]

Travel can be an education.
Scotland, Ireland, Costa Rica, Turks & Caico and Mexico have been great vacation experiences.
My wife had the opportunity to work in New Zealand for six weeks, I went down under and picked her up . . . this all came up a year after we were married in 1993.

We started in Auckland and drove thru the North Island, ferried to the South Island where we drove along the rugid West Coast to the Glaciers near Hokitika. From there we rode the Transalpine railroad to Christchurch and the Akoroa Pennisula.

We then flew to Sydney, Melbourne and up the Gold Coast of Australia.
I had just received my Private Pilot licence and we flew into Cairns, Australia.
I walked into the little airfield and came across a guy doing checklists for Cessnas.
I asked if I could go up with him, he said great, I could fly while he did checklists.
He did the take-off and got us out over the Ocean and then he let me fly over the Great Barrier Reef near Green Island and Kuranda for about an hour.

I still have a dozen relatives who are living in NZ and Australia.
We would like to go to NZ again in year or two.

 

[thestelster]

I've done a number of trips:
Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, Egypt, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, France, England. All those was one 6 month backpacking adventure when I was 24.

Skiing in Austria. Scuba diving in Cuba. Soaking up the sun in Mexico, Jamaica, and Belize. Been through parts of Canada and the US as well.

Each one of those places is unique and exciting. But my favourite is Cyprus. Of course I'm a little biased,since I was born there. But it's the 3rd largest island in the Mediterranean. 240km long tip to tip. Mountainous in the center, and the whole perimeter of the island are beaches.

We have a small house which my great-grandfather built up in the mountains. We stay there as our base camp and do day trips. We start off fairly early go to one of the many UNESCO heritage sights, and from there go to the beach. A different beach every day. The roads from the mountain down to the sea are winding and exciting! The temps in the summer can reach 40°C, but no humidity. Get to the beach, it's hot and humid, but the gentle breeze cools you off. Culturally diverse, (the island is divided. Greek Cypriots in the south. Turkish Cypriots in the north.)
Tons of beach sports, hiking, caves, night life, etc.

 

[CWelkie]

If the number of visits is an indication ... Cook Islands, New Zealand and Italy. All multiple times and would go back again in a heart beat. Each is special in their own way. All of our travels have been wonderful experiences (not to say without challenges though). I wouldn't change any of it even if the destinations didn't "make the list".

In the end, I don't think it matters where you go. Start early, go frequently and be respectful to everyone. Don't wait until you are "wishing you had". Also, don't forget to take "the kids" if applicable and possible at least once. An education isn't complete without an out-of-country experience (and that doesn't mean an all-inclusive resort).

Finally, it's fun to be a tourist at home too.

 

[Doggggboy]

In the end, I don't think it matters where you go. Start early, go frequently and be respectful to everyone. Don't wait until you are "wishing you had".

This, a thousand times this.
Some of the most understanding, tolerant and compassionate people we have ever met are the ones who have travelled and seen where and how other people live. Try to learn the language, at least Hello and Thank you. Nobody will care if you pronounce it wrong but will appreciate the effort it takes to try. We had customers who were a young couple going to Paris for week. I asked him how his French was. His reply was "No English, no tip" When they got back I asked how the trip was. " Terrible. The French are very rude" Duh. If nothing else travelling will reveal just how much more linguistically gymnastic the rest of the world is compared to North Americans. Next time your call center operator answers with a thick accent, keep in mind that English is almost certainly their third or fourth language.
Also, if you are going to do a group tour, try to join an international group as opposed to a bunch of people from your hometown going to Portugal for the first time. Both will probably be fun, but you will learn a lot more if you're travelling with Swedes, Germans, South Africans and Nigerians.

 

[phaxtris]

The wife and I are both big fans of Hawaii, we have both been several times, together as well as separate (the big island and oahu). Oahu is a great little island, rent a house and a car outside of Honolulu and it makes for a fun week, beaches, jungles, water falls. And it can be done on a reasonable budget, belive it or not

The best part for my wife (and when we have gone together), its super accessible for people with disability's , given that it's 'murica, accessibility is legislated in by the ADL (american disabilitys act), Its actually far more accessible there than any place in Canada we have been

Mexico is a good second, off the beaten path Mexico that is, its really hard to beat street taco's for every meal of the day, or any street food.....I really do love the food in Mexico.....if for nothing else, i go there for the food

 

[Tecnico]

Lots of good suggestions. One thing, go long enough and get off the tourist trail enough to soak in a bit of how the locals live.

New Zealand is high on the list of nice, scenic, laid back places. I particularly enjoyed the many narrow two lane roads with greenery surrounding you. Two lane roads as in if you go off the pavement you’re in the ditch, no shoulder. Nice, welcoming people too. I got to visit a couple of shops known around the world for restoring WWII aircraft. They let me poke around the shops and admire the work and engaged me in conversation like I was one of the neighbours just dropping in. Very laid back.

I’ll agree with the suggestion to get off the beaten track and enjoy the local food, those are two musts for me. The local food and customs are a lot of the character of a place for me.

I lived in Italy so I got to experience the local colour, nothing like getting off the main routes and into a little mom & pop trattoria in a small town that serves the local crowd. Even better when you speak the language or at least make the attempt.

We found the Italians even more friendly & welcoming once you got off the tourist trail.

The Czech Republic was another highlight, that was not long after the wall fell. The people were friendly, and we got along on using Italian which surprised us.

When the Dutch found out we were Canadians the welcome got even better, they as a nation still remember the part Canada played in their liberation. More than we do.

As was mentioned already, try and speak a bit of the local language. In Europe language isn’t so much of a big deal and people often speak several different languages in varying degrees and aren’t hung up on how well you speak it as long as you can communicate even if the language isn’t the mother tongue of any of the parties. I recall a conversation in the office between one of my colleagues and a gent in Germany that was done in rudimentary English but it worked for both, no big deal.

We only ran out of languages once, in a small town in Switzerland where we came with English, French & Italian and the gent at the hotel desk only had German but with a bit of “sign language” we wound up with a zimmer for the night just fine.

Anyhow, go, enjoy the local colour and adapt where you need to!

Oh, Canada too, so much I haven’t seen. When we completely retire one of the first things we are going to do is drive across the country to see more of the in betweens. Maybe we can string together a CHMW connect the dots tour! OK, just kidding on that part, that probably wouldn’t end well for me……

D