Travel Plans!

We are super excited about our upcoming road trip through western Europe. Here's where we're headed (in chronological order):

image via

This is our 'stopover' city - we're only going to Pisa because the price and schedule of Ryanair flights was right. We'll be renting a car and starting our journey from here. And what's a trip through Europe without that infamous photo of you pinching/pushing/kicking/holding up the leaning tower? (See a hilarious slideshow of them here)

image via

I've been to Florence once, on a trip to Europe with my mum in 2007, and it rained the whole time. Standing in line for the Uffizi for three hours in a downpour? Not fun. We're hoping for drier weather this time around. This is one of the few places I've been to that Mike hasn't, so I'm hoping to show him a thing or two. And find that little shop that had that amazing blackberry gelato...

image via

When I conjure up an image of Nice in my head all I can think of is white linen pants. And Mike has those in spades, so I think we'll fit right in here.

In my wildest travel fantasies we would spend the night in Monaco instead of Nice, and I would get glammed up in a silky dress and go to the casino with James Bond and titter appreciatively at all of his clever comments and drink cocktails garnished with gold leaf. But my pocketbook said 'maybe next time...' (or maybe never)

image via

Avignon is Mike's pick for the trip. He's got a thing for castles, and the Palais des Papes is not like to disappoint (unlike my Monaco reality check).

image via

If we were going to be in the south of France, so close to Spain, I couldn't resist nipping down and stuffing myself silly with Spanish food. I'm also really interested in the city's eclectic architecture: Moorish castles, La Seo Cathedral - a great example of Mudejar work - and Roman theatres and monuments. But let's be honest, it's really all about the food. I am to paella and sangria as Homer Simpson is to donuts.

image via

I've wanted to go to Bilbao since reading Christine's glowing recommendation and beautiful photos here. Pinxtos and txakoli? Count me in. Every time Mike and I visit a Spanish city we find ourselves sitting at a cafe saying 'we could live here'. Christine thinks the same about Bilbao, so I'm intrigued. 

image via

On our way from Bilbao to Chambord we're going to stop in San Sebastian, Spain, for breakfast. Isn't it gorgeous?

And on Christine's recommendation we'll also be checking out lovely Lekeitio. We'll be there for their (infamous?) Day of the Geese, which both appalls and intrigues me (see why here).

image via

In our original itinerary we had to make a stop in France somewhere between Bilbao and London. We were going to stay in a cheap little roadside hotel near Poitiers (and the Futuroscope - a 4D & 5D cinema themepark!) but, frankly, I wasn't that excited about it. Poitiers Shmotiers.

Then we found Chambord, the Loire Valley's biggest castle. And our mid-France stop just got a whole lot more interesting. It's like a Disney castle, but for real.

image via

Last spring, amid the craziness of the Royal Wedding and our over-travelled fatigue (yes, it exists!) London stole my heart. We're thrilled to be returning to London where we're attending a friend-of-the-family's wedding. Unfortunately we couldn't scoop up any Paralympics tickets (we're keeping an eye on Rio...) but we'll be there to catch the end of some of the Cultural Olympiad events (Damien Hirst at the Tate Modern! huzzah!) We'll also be seeing a theatrical performance, but we can't decide between Shakespeare's Timon of Athens and The Phantom of the Opera. What would you pick?

image via

I'm so excited about seeing Bruges after reading Liz's post about it. "A more fairy-tale like version of Amsterdam"? Sold!

image via

Remember last Spring when we were runners-up in Go with Oh's travel blogger contest? We'll be using our three free nights in this incredible artist's studio in the 11th arrondisement. In my wildest I-live-in-Paris-and-have-incredible-metabolism-and-eat-French-bread-every-single-day dreams we live in this flat. 

see more here

image via 

Mike's dad recommended we stop over in Annecy on our way from Paris to Italy. I really know nothing about it, except that it looks like a fabulously gorgeous French version of Venice. Once I Google-Imaged it (new verb I just made up) I decided Annecy is the town for me.

Google Image is a completely legitimate way to decide if you want to travel somewhere, right? Plenty of time to stock up on historical trivia later.

image via

Sirmione! I was so pleased when I found out about this little peninsular town on Italy's Lake Garda. Home to Scaliger Castle and the Grotto of Cattulus - one of the best preserved Roman villas in northern Italy - I'm itching to spend a day here swimming in its thermal pools and the lake, and exploring ancient ruins.

image via

We'll be ending our trip in Bologna, where we'll return our rental car and catch another Ryanair flight back to Malta. If I know nothing about Annecy, I know even less about Bologna (home of Bolognese sauce?) Have you been?

We've been getting lots of great travel tips and recommendations for the places we'll be visiting this September from blog readers, Twitter followers, and Facebook fans. Thanks guys! Keep them coming.

Also, we don't usually divulge our travel expenses on the blog. But would you find our travel costs breakdown interesting or useful? I know people often wonder how much these things cost, and it might help you plan your own European adventure. Let me know!

- Jess 

p.s. I'm pinning our road trip plans, including recommendations we receive from readers, here.
p.p.s tomorrow - the travel destinations that didn't make the cut (this time!)