Sintrabodyboard – Most of us probably think we travel to a great destination with planned itineraries and great accommodation. And, yes, in theory that’s true, but every year I run into people who say travel plans are great, but the reality is they don’t research enough or follow through.
I’m one of those people who always plan and research and plan and research. In fact, if I need to bring five more people to a trip, I plan and research it months in advance. My husband and I have been on literally every trip that bridge, and as a result, we have collected so many maps and information, both guidebooks and through the internet, that we feel we are well prepared to conquer our destination.
And as the old saying goes: the rest of the stuff, you got on the bus.
So, with that in mind, I present to you our travel map of Europe, which we have used to travel to every place in that continent over the last few years. We have grouped the countries according to their coastline, or if you remove the Arctic, Africa and America from the North American continent, you get a more interesting geographic feel to the trip. And yes, we know there is a lot of sea in some of those countries, but most of that coast is landlocked, so you really can’t get too far from the coast.
- Norway
Norway is one of my favorite travel spots to visit in Europe. There are amazing beaches there that I have an addiction to, and the seafood is unbelievable. Depending on your budget, you can stay in first class accommodations and eat in Michelin-star restaurants.
- Finland
Finland is a fantastic country to see the Northern Lights, the Swedish Fjords and more. It’s very accessible from London and Copenhagen, which is a handy location for the many cruise boats that sail up and down the coast. The nightlife is plentiful and the people are really friendly.
- California
If you like warm weather, beaches and mountains, California is for you. Unfortunately, the 3rd largest state in the US can become costly and less accessible for travelers who are not careful with their budget. But, it’s definitely worth a visit if you can get some discount airfare. The scenery and US$ points are worth it.
- Savana, Zaire
The western provinces of Zambia tend to be more of arid landscapes, but if you perfer beaches, rain forests and do a lot of safari-style photography this can be your worst nightmare. But you can overcome this with proper planning and a local knowledge of the better areas of the wilderness. And don’t worry, in this day and age, tourism is big business, so the opportunities are not going to be scarce.
- Istanbul, Turkey
Istanbul is a great city to visit and I recommend it to travelers who are on a budget. Istanbul is also very accessible from the UK. If you’re on a budget, you can take a quick trip to the local area, which is very cheap, and then go on to really explore the city. The best way to do it is with an experienced local transport driver, who can recommend the best day trips.
- Madrid, Spain
The capital of Spain is a modern city that is very enjoyable to explore. There is a lot of great art and culture to see and a lot of spectacular sightseeing. If you do a little research before you travel and take the advice of a local, you can find out of the best things to see and do. Be sure to travel by public transport and avoid using taxi cab services, as your driver will make a round trip to all the major sightseeing, regardless of where you drop you off.
- L.A. (A California Dreaming)
We have left the indoors behind for a while. We had a chance to explore Los Angeles on a Hollywood tour. We saw a wonder then, how an entire theater district turned into a living theater. We have another potential chance to explore the city:)
- New York City
New York City is one of the funks over America. You can take the Broadway show – see a big-name musical. You can visit places like the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, Times Square, and the Empire Hotel.
- Orlando, Florida
Orlando is known as the city Beautiful. We’ve stayed in the area and enjoyed the hospitality. One of our favorite beaches is Hollywood Beach, we stayed at a special care facility pokerclub88 and we lounged out by the pool all day.