Travelling to Europe / Africa in 2018

BucketsJackson on 03/08/2017 - 12:20

Hi all,

My wife and I (31 & 28) are looking at heading to Europe/Africa next year for 5-6 weeks. We are pretty seasoned travellers having been to all throughout USA, Central America, South America and parts of Asia over the past 4 years.

We have never been particularly interested in Europe, but just lately we are both having the itch and are looking at going. Really keen to hear from OzBargainers around ideas, I know Europe is such a large place, but areas that we seem to be particularly interested in are Croatia, Greece, Switzerland, Scotland and Spain. In Africa we basically want to maybe to go to Morocco, Egypt and on a 5-7 day safari type activity - but really keen to hear other peoples experiences as previous info from OzBargain has proved really useful, particularly when we travelled Central America :)

Our style of travel is generally pretty mixed, enjoy doing a physical challenge every trip (usually a trek) but also really enjoy eating out and trying local foods, cheesy and off the beaten track sightseeing, theme parks and everything in between. We have previously travelled on our own and in tour groups (G Adventures, Intrepid, TopDeck) and enjoy mixing that up, good way to meet new people and so on. Budget isn't super important within reason, we aren't the type to stay in the Hyatt in every city though as we don't spend that much time in hotel rooms, like to do airbnb and budget hotels in decent spots.

Any info people have about the best places to fly into, airline experiences, experiences with tour groups, fees entering and exiting countries and so on is greatly appreciated. (I know about Citibank / 28 Degrees)

Cheers all!

Travel

Comments

  • Skramit on 03/08/2017 - 14:08
    +1

    In terms of cheap air fares, have a look at this list. https://www.businessinsider.com.au/cheapest-european-airport…

    Its a couple years old now but won't have changed too much. I'm sure you can find a more recent list.

    It shows which airports are best to land in Europe because airport taxes vary from city to city. it's no surprise London Heathrow is the most expensive. So consider flying in to Paris or Rome for example. Depends where you want to start/end your holiday though of course. Personally I would put itinerary ahead of saving $100 on a landing fee.

    • BucketsJackson on 03/08/2017 - 17:21

      Chers for this. I'm with you, itinerary is definitely more important than $100 savings, but always good to know because if there is multiple points where I can save $100 per person a couple of times, definitely does add up.

  • fantombloo on 03/08/2017 - 14:16
    +1

    Depending on what type of holiday you want maybe consider hiring a yacht for Croatia or Greece.

    • BucketsJackson on 03/08/2017 - 17:21

      Definitely considering the whole Croatia sailing thing. Have you done it?

      • fantombloo on 03/08/2017 - 18:44

        No. But I've been to Croatia a few times and can see how it would work well. One day hopefully…

  • BuyoTheCat on 03/08/2017 - 15:19
    +1

    This is my next europe holiday…if I do take one. It will be mainly in spain

    San Sebastian -> Barcelona -> Valencia -> Granada -> Malaga -> Sevilla -> Cadiz

    Then down to Morroco -> Tunisa

  • jchowx on 07/08/2017 - 16:40
    +1

    I'm on a similar mindset to do a trip like this with my partner next year. I'm hoping to do Europe / Morocco / Egypt.

    I would recommend for you to do Spain as it is a popular route before Morocco.

    Would also recommend a desert camping tour complete with camel riding through the Sahara desert in Morocco.

    As for Croatia - I have done the sailing trip. I organised a yacht for 12 friends and we sailed around Croatia through Sail Croatia. I went 2 years ago when I was 24 and still felt older than the rest of the people there(people on our boat were from ages of 24 - 30+), but as we had our own boat we could choose what to do and where to go. Sailing through Croatia is the absolutely ultimate way to see the country. My favourite parts of the country were all the islands. They have so much character and beauty and you get to see a lot and not feel rushed when you're sailing - as it's so relaxing! If you can do it, you should 100% go for it.

    When looking up sailing yacht companies don't be afraid to join a group - there are companies and tours that market to different groups, e.g. party goers, yoga retreaters, relaxation tours, etc.

    I've also done Greece. Once again a great place to see sailing, but more manageable if you don't to go to all the islands as there are plenty of ferries and express fast ferries that go from port to port at a minimal cost.

    Hope that gives you a bit of help.

    • BucketsJackson on 08/08/2017 - 17:59

      Desert camping sounds cool! We are interested in Spain to, I'm just weary of going to all the usual tourist haunts and doing nothing but beaches full of UK people, I have been told Spain to UK people is a bit like Bali is to Australia, so I would definitely like some more off the beaten track ideas..

      Appreciate the info on the sailing. I'm definitely convinced on it, how long did you spend doing that?

      • jchowx on 09/08/2017 - 09:40

        Spent one week from Split and back to Split at the end. My one regret is that I didn't have time to go to the national park there in Split which is meant to be beautiful. Try make time for that if you can!

        Another tip - My friend has done the desert camping in Morocco and has warned me not to go with companies that appear too cheap / too good to be true. As she did with her partner and there were some small comforts that tour operators skimped on. E.g. thin blankets, no heat in the middle of the night making it freezing.

  • strawberrybug on 07/08/2017 - 20:32
    +1

    Would recommend Spain and it's an easy way to get down to Morocco from there too. I spent a few days in Marrakech and would love to go back one day to explore more.
    Switzerland I found a bit boring but very picturesque.
    Have a think about which islands (if any) you want to visit in Greece and then research the ferry connections, usually cheaper & easier than flying.

    • BucketsJackson on 08/08/2017 - 17:59

      I'm still tossing up on Greece. I may be island hopped out by the time I'm done in Croatia. How long did you spend in Switzerland?

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