italy? japan? germany? where is good trip?

[UncleAnt]

im turning 28 this year and havent been out of the us in probably 15yrs.Figure as a bday present to myself Id book myself a much needed vacation.Looking to keep it around 1 week plus or minus 1-2 days for travel time and im not terribly concerned with the money aspect.With that being said I dont want to spend 15k dollars on an African safari lol


Id like to have it be relatively safe
I enjoy good food and Id Like it to be relatively normal (not looking for my only choice to be raw squid or bugs)
I like going out and having a drink or two and would prefer to wake up with all my organs
Id like somewhere relatively easy to get around whether its by train or car or walking
Id like to see some cool sights or areas other than what id normally see in the us
I guess language barrier doesnt really matter much,I speak small amounts of spanish and italian.Likely not enough to really make a difference where I go.


Im pretty open to ideas honestly

ive been thinking about italy or tokyo so far


Any suggestions?

 

[Gary Macomber]

Spain good ham and wine galore and lots of nice things to see.

Germany good food all around and tons to see, hike, visit.

Amsterday food I don't remember but a fun place to go.

 

[MovingZen]

The Amalfi coast is pretty cool and it's not far from Pompeii..Several days in Amalfi, a day trip to Pompeii, and then a couple days in Rome before you fly back.

 

[CCS_56_EX]

Thailand - outrageous beaches, and CHEAP.

 

[Screw-Rice]

Thailand - outrageous beaches, and CHEAP.

This.

Philippines is up there on my list. Cheap to stay and do everything, plus tons of awesome beaches. If you're feeling adventurous, you can do a whale shark dive too.

Tokyo would be good too, just can get really pricey.

Panama is another to check out.

 

[Kevins89notch]

Italy!

Hit up Francesco @ http://www.motorstars.org/ and for 220 euros he picks you up in Bologna, and takes you to the factories of Pagani, Ferrari and Lamborghini. Of the 3, my biggest "want" was so see Pagani, and it did NOT disappoint. He use to work for all 3 companies, but Pagani being so small, when he shows up for a tour with 4-6 people, he just walks in like he owns the place. He waves and says hi to Horacio Pagani, and takes you onto the assembly line and you literally see cars being made that will be all over instagram and FB in 4 months.

2 hours later after finishing a walk through the Ferrari Museum, I walked 2 blocks over to the famous Ferrari factory entrance and this happened:

[video=youtube;LQIURjQceyc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQIURjQceyc[/video]

Ahhh, such an amazing day!

 

[derklug]

Northern Europe will be real similar to the US, Southern France, Italy, Spain will be different but not mind blowing. Asia(damn near anywhere) will be far outside of what you would get in Europe. Australia is a great party trip.

 

[CobraBob]

A friend of mine has been to Italy twice in the last few years. He and his wife love it. Another friend of ours went to Italy last year and raved about it. It definitely is on my list of foreign countries I'd love to visit. But my dream vacation is Fiji Islands, in a nice luxury hut over the water. Gorgeous beaches. Great dining. IMO it doesn't get any better than that.

 

[venom_inc]

If you can afford to go to Italy, there's no question that's the place I'd go. So many cool places to see. If you could swing Greece too that would be amazing.

 

[UncleAnt]

I appreciate the replies so far gentlemen.It appears that italy is still at the top of the list

Italy!

Hit up Francesco @ http://www.motorstars.org/ and for 220 euros he picks you up in Bologna, and takes you to the factories of Pagani, Ferrari and Lamborghini. Of the 3, my biggest "want" was so see Pagani, and it did NOT disappoint. He use to work for all 3 companies, but Pagani being so small, when he shows up for a tour with 4-6 people, he just walks in like he owns the place. He waves and says hi to Horacio Pagani, and takes you onto the assembly line and you literally see cars being made that will be all over instagram and FB in 4 months.

2 hours later after finishing a walk through the Ferrari Museum, I walked 2 blocks over to the famous Ferrari factory entrance and this happened:

[video=youtube;LQIURjQceyc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQIURjQceyc[/video]

Ahhh, such an amazing day!

this really trips my triggers.I worked in an exotic shop for a few years and it would be really cool to go and see the Ferrari factory first hand.Id really like to see what kind of wood glue they use to keep those cars together LOL.For what amounts to 250$ that seems like a really good time for a car guy

 

[ViciousJay]

Go to the greek Islands, also if I can make a two other recommendation look at Antigua and St Lucia. You won't be sorry, and if you choose to go do all inclusive and boat tours around the island.

 

[truefiveo]

Thailand has best bang for the buck.
After going there it makes everywhere else seem a little dry and stiff

 

[RedRocketMike]

If you have Netflix check out Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown Season 2 Tokyo, probably would provide major culture shock which can be fun and memorable. Italy is probably the best choice though.

Thailand has best bang for the buck.

No pun intended I'm sure.

 

[Troponin]

I have a friend that lived in Japan for a few years and was over there several times over the years additionally. There are some touristy things and places, but be warned; they are pretty racist. If you walk in to a business and they cross their arms like an X at you, that means they are telling you they don't serve Americans/non-Japanese. He said some days he could be attempting to get lunch or dinner out and end up not eating that day because he couldn't find a place that would serve him.

I was pretty disappointed to hear that. I had always admired the Japanese for their work ethic and their generally conservative way of life .

 

[Katy TX5.0]

Italy.

You haven't lived if you haven't visited. I go at least once a year to refresh myself. I'm not even going to start making suggestions because there's too many good choices and some of the places I go require fluency in italian.

 

[Kevins89notch]

I appreciate the replies so far gentlemen.It appears that italy is still at the top of the list

this really trips my triggers.I worked in an exotic shop for a few years and it would be really cool to go and see the Ferrari factory first hand.Id really like to see what kind of wood glue they use to keep those cars together LOL.For what amounts to 250$ that seems like a really good time for a car guy

I only really got to see Pagani's assembly line. For Ferrari it was just their official museum. Same for Lamborghini, although I guess my tour normally does an assembly line tour of Lamborghini too, but that had just ended for like 2 months. I can only assume that's because the Huracán was new, so maybe they were hiding some trade secrets. However with Ferrari, we got on these tour buses and went into the factory grounds, and even made a lap of their test track. They say only potential buyers get to take that bus ride, but our tour company has connections.

 

[Kevins89notch]

Italy.

You haven't lived if you haven't visited. I go at least once a year to refresh myself. I'm not even going to start making suggestions because there's too many good choices and some of the places I go require fluency in italian.

I'll assume you've been to the Cinque Terre region before? A night in Manarola is amazing.

Yes I had to take the standard night time shot like everyone else does....

 

[UncleAnt]

pretty set on italy at this point.Its actually the last place I visited out of country but I was way too young to really care about anything but getting back home to the video games.I just need to decide on where I want to visit and come up with somewhat of a time line so I can plan for a single hotel or multiple hotels throughout the trip.

 

[Raven519]

I'm doing Germany, Austria and Italy this summer, I've been to Germany/Austria before and can't wait to go back, such beautiful countries, so much to see.

 

[04SloSnake]

Thailand has best bang for the buck.
After going there it makes everywhere else seem a little dry and stiff

From a lot of people I have talked to, I would choose Cambodia every day. Friends that have gone to Thailand enjoy it, but there is too much shady stuff going on for the most part. All the things that make Thailand fun are also available in Cambodia for just as cheap and with the ability to stay out of the "shady" stuff. Don't get me wrong, its there if you choose, but you can have a legitimately good vacation there and see some pretty cool stuff. I did Phnom Penh and Siem Reap and had a blast in both places while eating great food, great bars, and seeing Angkor Wat temples. I highly recommend to anyone to visit Cambodia.

I did Germany, Austria, and Switzerland about 10 years ago and it truly is amazing. Good food and people and the scenery is incredible. It's like visiting somewhere new without really getting outside of your comfort zone.

Living in Japan, it would be the last place I would ever want to vacation. People are rude, food is terrible, and the scenery isn't anything out of the ordinary to me. I haven't visited Tokyo yet but have heard a lot of mixed reviews. If you are looking east Asia, I highly recommend Seoul. I loved just about everything I saw in Korea and there is a lot to see, especially the DMZ.