Octavio

I've got only 21 days in Europe and a Eurail pass, where do you recommend I
go for my "Beaches of Europe" tour 2003. Please suggest some interesting
itineraries.

Thanks
Octavio

Douglas W. Hoyt

    > I've got only 21 days in Europe and a Eurail pass, where do you recommend
I
    > go for my "Beaches of Europe" tour 2003. Please suggest some interesting
    > itineraries.

Venice Lido to Ravenna to Rimini across to Viareggio then up to the rocks of
the Cinque Terre then Sta. Margherita Ligure then Camogli before jumping
over to Finale Ligure before hitting Menton, Villefrance sur Mer, Nice,
Cannes, St. Raphael and St. Tropez with a stop in Cassis before jumping over
to Ste. Marie de la Mere and on through Le Grau du Rois and Sete before the
nudist paradise of Cap d'Adge and the long strands by Perpignan with a
dalliance at Collioure before hitting the Costa Brava big time anywhere you
choose (Tossa de Mar is pretty) and the beaches of Barcelona just because
Barcelona is nice before down to immortal Sitges. Then things get scruffy
before they get high rise at Salou until they get sparse and scruffy till
you get to the Costa Blanca resorts including the more native Spanish
Gandia, the high rise mecca of Benidorm, and the pleasant resort of
Alicante. After that (and on toward mecca after mecca of Costa del Sol and
Algarve and up to the coastal resorts north of Lisbon, and finally after
much travailling to gorgeous San Sebastian and picture-perfect Biarritz) I
suppose the Eurail pass will be history.

John Bermont

Octavio wrote:
    >
    > I've got only 21 days in Europe and a Eurail pass, where do you recommend I
    > go for my "Beaches of Europe" tour 2003. Please suggest some interesting
    > itineraries.
    >
    > Thanks
    > Octavio

Octavio,

Since you are just starting to plan you may have a problem finding a
room in the southern beach resorts. Most of Europe will be driving south
to Italy, France, and Spain in mid July. IMO the Mediterranean is too
flat and dirty, and the beaches are not very appealing. The only thing
the Mediterranean has going for it is consistent hot sunny weather. Of
course, that comes with mosquitos and sand flies.

If you are traveling in August have a look at the North Sea and Atlantic
beaches. The beaches are clean and there are waves, something you will
not find in the Med. August is generally plenty warm in northern Europe
and the water is warm thanks to the Gulf Stream. Zandvoort, The
Netherlands, is "interesting" to say the least. You might want to burn
your EurailPass after you land there.

John Bermont
--
-------------------------------------------------------
* * * Mastering Independent Budget Travel * * *
http://www.enjoy-europe.com/
-------------------------------------------------------

Octavio

Thanks all for the replies, gives me some great ideas - I forgot to mention
that my dates are June 21st to mid July, not the best dates but the only I
could get - weather wise what should I be expecting and would any of your
recommendations changes for those dates,

Thanks
Octavio

"Octavio" wrote in message
news:eU8Fa.41861$j9%[email protected]...
    > I've got only 21 days in Europe and a Eurail pass, where do you recommend
I
    > go for my "Beaches of Europe" tour 2003. Please suggest some interesting
    > itineraries.
    > Thanks
    > Octavio

R J Carpenter

"John Bermont" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > If you are traveling in August have a look at the North Sea and Atlantic
    > beaches. The beaches are clean and there are waves, something you will
    > not find in the Med. August is generally plenty warm in northern Europe
    > and the water is warm thanks to the Gulf Stream.

Especially if you consider 17 or 18 C (which you will find in August in
Belgium and the Netherlands) to be warm.

June: St Malo 15 C Le Touquet 14 C
August: St Malo 18 C Le Touquet 17 C

Owain

"Octavio" wrote
    | I've got only 21 days in Europe and a Eurail pass, where do you recommend
I
    | go for my "Beaches of Europe" tour 2003. Please suggest some interesting
    | itineraries.

Beaches (in the UK)

For unpolluted bathing water, clean sand and good facilities visit the Blue
Flag website at www.blueflag.org. Also useful for selecting good resort and
rural beaches is the Seaside Award website at www.seasideawards.org.uk. For
specific information on water quality at a wide range of beaches, including
plenty of remote and unspoilt stretches look at the Marine Conservation
Society listings at www.goodbeachguide.co.uk.

(taken from Daily Telegraph Website[1])

Owain

[1]
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/ma...07/03/etsoph03
.xml#bea

John Bermont

Octavio,

Since you are going to end your vacation in mid July finding a room
around the Med will not be so difficult because this is about the time
that most Europeans start their vacations.

In Amsterdam average high/low temperatures are 65/55 with 12 days of
rain, for June. For July it is 70/60 with 15 days of rain. The Med will
be at least 10 degrees warmer with very little rain.

The "averages" are just averages. In some years the temperature in
Holland can be over 90 for a few weeks in August. See if you can
schedule your trip for August the next time.

For current weather in Holland try
http://www.wunderground.com/global/NL.html. Today at 2pm it is 72F/22C
in Amsterdam. Amsterdam is 15 miles inland and beach weather is usually
cooler. Conditions for IJmuiden, if shown, would indicate beach
conditions.

John Bermont

Octavio wrote:
    >
    > Thanks all for the replies, gives me some great ideas - I forgot to mention
    > that my dates are June 21st to mid July, not the best dates but the only I
    > could get - weather wise what should I be expecting and would any of your
    > recommendations changes for those dates,
    >
    > Thanks
    > Octavio
    >
    > "Octavio" wrote in message
    > news:eU8Fa.41861$j9%[email protected]...
    > > I've got only 21 days in Europe and a Eurail pass, where do you recommend
    > I
    > > go for my "Beaches of Europe" tour 2003. Please suggest some interesting
    > > itineraries.
    > >
    > > Thanks
    > > Octavio
    > >
    > >

--
-------------------------------------------------------
* * * Mastering Independent Budget Travel * * *
http://www.enjoy-europe.com/
-------------------------------------------------------
"HOW TO EUROPE: The Complete Travelers Handbook"
Edition 4 is just out, June 2, 2003.
See the web site for a description and ordering info.
-------------------------------------------------------

Douglas W. Hoyt

    > Thanks all for the replies, gives me some great ideas - I forgot to
mention
    > that my dates are June 21st to mid July, not the best dates but the only I
    > could get - weather wise what should I be expecting and would any of your
    > recommendations changes for those dates,

It will be a lot easier to find places to stay in Italy in June, though the
resorts will be quieter than they are in July/August. The French holidays
start around July 1st, so although the Cote d'Azur (Nice and surroundings)
will already be busy in June, other areas might be pretty sparse until into
July. It's always pretty easy to get hotel space in Nice, though. Most
EVERYWHERE on the Med, as well as northern Spain and the Algarve, will start
being very busy in July, though you might have an easier time finding
accomodation in Spain in July than in Italy in July if you are travelling on
the fly. It will be a good idea to have a good guidebook or two along, and
phone a day or two ahead at the least for accomodations.

Randee

For weather, check the historical records at www.wunderground.com, use
the nearest airport code for location.

Octavio wrote:
    >
    > Thanks all for the replies, gives me some great ideas - I forgot to mention
    > that my dates are June 21st to mid July, not the best dates but the only I
    > could get - weather wise what should I be expecting and would any of your
    > recommendations changes for those dates,
    >
    > Thanks
    > Octavio
    >
    > "Octavio" wrote in message
    > news:eU8Fa.41861$j9%[email protected]...
    > > I've got only 21 days in Europe and a Eurail pass, where do you recommend
    > I
    > > go for my "Beaches of Europe" tour 2003. Please suggest some interesting
    > > itineraries.
    > >
    > > Thanks
    > > Octavio
    > >
    > >

--
wf.
Wayne Flowers
Randee Greenwald
[email protected]