Travel plan idea blog

Rome, Istanbul, Canary Islands travel plan

Warmer European travel spots like Greece, Cyprus, Turkey and the Canary Islands are popular tourist destinations for good reason. This travel plan will try to incorporate some popular and warm European destinations for the next time you need to escape the cold. This is not really a summer travel plan - places like Rome and Istanbul are a little too hot and too crowded in the summer - it's better to visit them some other time.

Travel days are left empty - fill them up of you can depending on when flights leave and arrive. Personally I prefer to stay in one place a while longer so this vacation plan, while written by me, is not one that I'd actually try. There's just too large a percentage of time taken up traveling between destinations.

Day 1: Rome

We fly into Rome because it has the biggest airport of the countries we'll be dealing with. Tonight you'll want to visit some of the famous piazzas and fountains. Piazza di Spagna is where a lot of expats hang out at night, some with guitars. Fontana di Trevi is a must-see as is Piazza Navona.

Day 2: Rome

You have to see the Vatican although I somehow spent 4 weeks in Rome without visiting it. Clearly, I could never go into enough detail here, but you want to see Piazza San Pietro, Basilica di San Pietro, the Vatican Museum, and the Sistine Chapel.

Day 3: Rome / Istanbul

Day 4: Istanbul

Visit Topkapi Palace (museum and harem). Get there when the harem opens at 9:30 Am and go there first - tours begin every half hour. (in the summer this place is so full of tour groups that you may not get one of the tours). You'll probably spend the rest of your day (at least until 5:00 when the palace closes) exploring the rest of Topkapi.

However, you want to save some time for the Aya Sofya (Hagia Sophia, Sancta Sophia). The mosaic galleries close at 4:00 and the site itself closes at 4:30. It opens at 9:30 so you could always do this one first.

Day 5: Istanbul

Start with the Hippodrome and Blue Mosque since these are right next to each other. The Blue Mosque includes the Carpet Museum and Great Palace Mosaics Museum.

Then head to Kapali Carsi or the Grand Bazaar. Parts are quite touristy, but you can still find authentic shops that cater to Turkish people. Be wary of pick pockets and purse snatchers. The Bazaar closes at 6:30.

Day 6: Istanbul / Tenerife

Playa de las Americas, Los Christianos, Golf del Sur, Los Gigantes, Playa Paraiso, Las Caletillas, and quieter hotels in Puerto del la Cruz are popular spots for Tenerife holidays. Tourists mostly visit the south part of the island (this is the largest Canary island) while the north side allows you to see more local culture.

We'll go to the university town of La Laguna. Thanks to its historical city centre (with old churches and manor houses), it was named a World Heritage Site in 1999.

Day 7: Tenerife

Getting to Santa Cruz by bus or rental car is fairly easy. Enjoy the enormous futuristically Auditorio de Teneriffe on the ocean front which hosts regular concerts, operas, jazz shows and ballet performances.

Day 8: Tenerife / Lanzarote

Costa Teguise, Puerto del Carmen or Playa Blanca are popular spots for Lanzarote holidays.

We want to see Timanfaya National Park. Admission includes a narrated bus tour of this volcanic landscape.

Day 9: Lanzarote

Visit the black sand beaches in El Golfo on the west coast.

Day 10: Lanzarote / Rome

Get from Lanzarote to Rome and from Rome back to wherever home is.

Posted by James Trotta at April 24, 2007 1:38 PM | TrackBack