Stuck on last-minute European Honeymoon - Help!

Lara44

Hey Everyone

My husband and I just got married on 6th August. We were hoping to go for 2 week holiday in Italy 21st September - 5th October. We wanted to do multi-centre, one week in Cinque Terre and one week in Florence. We had hoped to pay £1600 for 2 including flights and accommodation.

We now realise we were totally nuts - things are a *lot* more expensive than we thought. Very little accommodation is still available in Cinque Terre anyway. There are lovely large villas but you seem to need a car to go anywhere.

Help!

We don't like sitting by the pool, so traditional resort options aren't ideal. Hanging out in a nice seaside town for one week appeals. Then one week in a city with some art and culture would be ideal. We would love to have the best accommodation we can afford, as it is our honeymoon after all. I love staying in old / romantic / arty places.

It doesn't have to be Italy but could be anywhere in Europe. We can scrape together £2000 for lights and accommodation for 2. If anyone has any recommendation, I'd be really grateful

ETA: Our other thought was San Sebastian / Rioja region of Spain? Wine and tapas would be good!

richardw

In Cinque Terre are you searching for hotels by town name or 'Cinque Terre'?

Searching by town name, Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, or Riomaggiore may show up more availability.

A 12, 11 or 10 night honeymoon in Cinque Terre and Florence would still be great.

Where in the UK are you?

Lara44

Thanks Richard, we searched for some, Manarola for example but there are a few on your list we haven't tried. We're in London

ETA: We're looking for somewhere that doesn't require a car to get around.

hollydays

Research spending in italy too.Eating and drinking out in particular

richardw

Here's a link to train services http://www.cinqueterreonline.com/tips.htm#trains

There are trains from Pisa Airport to Cinque Terre and from CT to Florence via Pisa. You may have to change more than once though. The Leaning Tower of Pisa is only worth 2/3 hours.

Btw BA codeshare with Meridiana, so you could do LGW-PSA and FLR-LGW and book at https://www.BA.com. https://www.cityjet.com fly to Florence FLR from London City Airport.

loobs40

How about a cruise stopping at a new port nearly every day ? Cheapest all inclusive including flights for an inside cabin is £649 per person on the seven night cruise linked below. You could stay in the area after the cruise has finished, say visit Granada or stay in the area around Malaga

http://www.iglucruise.com/adventure-of-the-seas/22nd-september-2012_c55739-inside-cabin

Pee

It's perfectly possible to go from Pisa airport to Florence and to the cinque terre by train.

I think you would have a lovely time and agree cutting a few days off would be better than not going.

Your budget sounds perfectly doable.

If you really wanted to change location, I'd consider Venice, but be unsure about the time of year - lots of tourists, well, there always are, but even more than usual, maybe too hot and maybe too smelly - Paris or Rome, but if I was you I would really stick to the original plan.

worried_jim

Why not do Israel instead- a week in Tel Aviv and a week in Jerusalem. More to see and do then just about anywhere else on the planet.

iaps

This might be useful:

The whole network of public means in Tuscany (trains, buses, ferryboat) joined the great Google Transit project!!!Now it’s true!!! In one click, we can easily get all needed info to plan a journey wherever in Tuscany…. islands included!

http://touristmanagement.com/2011/03/google-transita-great-opportunity-to-use-public-means-in-tuscany/

ginvzt

Ok, I might be late for any suggestions, but have a look at B&Bs for accommodation in Italy. We went to Cinque Terre last year, and stayed inB&B (what they call 'Agriturismo'). True, lots of them won't have separate websites, so you may need to call them to confirm availability. The one we stayed at last year also provided dinner if wanted for 25 euros per person if wanted, which was the cheapest and best food we had in Cinque Terre - that is for 3 courses, all cooked by the owner, with some of their own produce, including wine, drinks, and even a bottle of Sciacchetra (special wine, made only in that region, very expensive) one evening!

sophistica

My ideas are as follows:
1. Marrakech. You can fly out cheaply with Ryanair, stay in a riad in the old town, visit the museums and palaces, go to cooking school then spend a weekend by the sea at Essaouria. Plan it yourself and it could be very cheap.
2. Sardinia. I have just come back from a fabulous week in the Emerald Coast I stayed at the Aldiola Country Hotel, ate in Agritourismo, went to the island of il Maddalena etc.
3. I am now thinking of a week in Perugia. There's a hotel by the airport called (i think Relais San Sebastien that has fab reviews and you can fly there with Ryanair.
4. Another thought is Sharm El Sheikh - hotels are fabulous and there are very interesting trips to Jordan/Petra etc.
5. Or look at Viva Voyage for a Cruise. They do some great deals.