Road and Boat Trips

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The west coast is one of the best road trip to discover. Departure from San Francisco which is a wonderful city to visit with its Victorian architecture, parks, museum, bridge... You can get a typical mustang convertible rental car for a good price. The bay, right south San Francisco, has a lot to offer, don’t miss a stop to the charming Camel with its great beach. By following the highway 1 you will get through the spectacular Big Sur Coast where you can stop for either hiking or sleep in a Cabin. The road will keep going with its various landscape such as fresh green mountain, rocks, later flat view of the ocean with some seals observation. Do not miss the exotic Solvang (a Denmark village) on the road and before getting to the Vineyards in Santa Barbara, the famous Hearst Castle museum is a must. Expect lots of traffic and manmade road passed Santa Barbara to Los Angeles where the houses of famous artists are standing in the area of Santa Monica.

Phoenix-Sedona-Flagstaff

Grand Canyon

The road trip from Phoenix is one spiritual road. Starting from Phoenix drive north until the outstanding view of Sedona with its reddish eroded rocks. There are many ways to enjoy Sedona: by jeep, helicopter, motorcycle, air ballon, hiking.... The helicopter will surprise you in the way it will lift you up in front of the rocks to discover the luxurious Sharon Stone spiritual big house. In Oak creek park you have the possibility to slide in natural rocks for 1 km.

After Sedona, get in Altitude for some fresh air to Flagstaff where you can easily find a cabin for overnight and continue your trip to the incredible Grand Canyon which can be enjoyed by observatory, helicopter or by swimming/sliding in a blue water creek.

Jasper-Banff- Montana-Yellowstone National Parks

This is a special road trip through lakes (lake Louise), rivers and Canadian rockies and the American mountains. The road is covered by stunning surprising landscape and remind us the bigger then ourselves.

Driving through this itinerary, the end of the exploration will leaves you with spectacular yellow stones and the northern lights, the aurora borealis.

I suggest a truck rental to get in the area atmosphere starting from Edmonton.

Zurich-Genova

Switzerland is a small country you can road trip in only few hours. The country, the culture and architecture has the influence of the adjacent countries: Germany, Austria, France and Italy. At the center of the country you will get to Bern where the languages and cultures are mixed with an austere but exotic gray-green architecture crossed by the old style European tramways.

Starting from Zurich, go south-west to Bern and than in the Romandy part of the country to Lausanne where you will get an outstanding view of the Alps suddenly appearing in front of the Lake Léman and the city of Evian. From there don’t miss the Switzerland sulphurous water spa at Yverdon-les-Bains and also the Castle of Chillon in Montreux.

You Can either keep going south-west to Geneva, the french part of the country, or east in Ticino which is the italian part where the road or houses are boarded with flowers.

Paris-Barcelona-Sitges

From Paris drive south but get ready to pay for any highway you will use as they are private and under control even for foods or animals. The road can be interesting until Toulouse, the pink city if you wanna visit some historical sites. You will experiment mostly the road past Toulouse with at first the sun flowers landscape and the orange farms. Don’t rush your trip as there are many places you can stop in the outstanding Pyrennee Mountains, I suggest to make a turn to Andorre, the tax free state and then you will get through green mountains with lambs. As you keep going the landscape turns dry with the Spanish Villa style until Barcelona.

From Barcelona you are 20 minutes from Sitges, a balneary station with history and great restaurants, way best than barcelona to get to warmer and nicer beach in the Mediterranean sea. There are many appartements to rent at a very affordable cost.

As you drive back to Paris you might want to go through Le Massif to experiment the spectacular and sensational Millau Viaduc as it gets over clouds by using the highway A75. A warming though, the landscape is going through plains even in the altitude and this is not as exciting as the other option. The bridge was actually built over a village to avoid car traffic.

Amalphi Coast Italy

The Amalphi Coast is located behind Napoli. The road trip is interesting either on Capri Island for its panoramic drive up in altitude on tiny roads boarding the Tyrrhenian sea or on the Coast where you can go from the victims of the fiery temper of Mount Vesuvius, the cities of Herculaneum which was a sea side resort and Pompeii, a commercial city. The road keep going with the most spectacular sceneries with the colourful towns of Sorrento, Positano, Amalphi and Ravello. There are many historical monuments from centuries to discover.

I suggest to visit the Villa Cimbrone for its gardens and ethereal place to eat in its luxury decorated restaurant with an impeccable view on the sea. It is located with villa Rufolo built in 1280 on the top of Ravello where you can enjoy a beautiful concert in season.

Spring is the best season to fully enjoy this charming and elegant trip with its floriculture.

Expect very narrow road and some part with just one way to go by alternating.

Take a look at the section boat trip as it’s another way to enjoy the coast with some other activities on the go.

Miami-the keys-Key west

Looking for a boost of seretonin and a cool vacation? Take a look at the map on my Pinterest board and figure out how long you will drive through the ocean on bridges in the Florida keys, a coral cay archipelado. It’s all about water; being on it, in it or under it. This road trip brings you for miles (Km) from Miami and its exotic art deco area to a Key West beach resort.

A convertible car is suggested. Many water sports are on the way. Enjoy the road trip, load your music and don’t forget sunscreen.

Lech-Vienna

You can land in Zurich, Switzerland and drive for about 1.5 hours or shorter by Munich, Germany to get to Lech in the Alps, the westernmost part of Austria. The spectacular Neuschwanstein castle in Germany is on the road. Lech is typically a luxurious ski resort but it offers many activities to do in summer time like hiking, biking up the mountains with an electric bicycle where you can make some stop for pool swimming in front of snow mountains or eat the local food made by residents on the way. The area is covered by stunning ethereal roads view to explore. You just get, nothing less than, into the country of Heidi or of The sound of music movie.

Driving East to Vienna, there is Salzburg historical city with its castle and exotic old downtown to stop by. Just after I suggest to get to SeeCafe in Mondsee for some great reputated Austria pastries and coffee in front of Mondsee lake.

The road change for plains as you get closer to impeccable Vienna and it’s rich architecture style to visit and spend a few days. Motel one is new and a very affordable hotel located at the Opera center. If you like Opera, reserve way in advance.

The Star Clippers and Star Flyers

Those tall sail ships based in Monaco are running cruises through Europe and central or south America on winter time. That is a luxury and special vacation. Expect many activities included like water skiing, kayaking , raising the tall sails in group, lying down on the net over ocean in front of the boat or sitting down on the bow with your favorite music looking at dolphins both side of the ship. The boats serve a 7 covers dinner you can enjoy mixing yourself with each other company. This is a small and very international friendly group of passenger and staff. Like any cruise you get a special entertaining on the boat every night.

Please yourself, there is no way you can find life difficult once you get on board or in your sailing luxurious cabin. It’s truly magic.

Amalphi Coast

Please visit the road trip for details about that trip. I’m adding here and on the Pinterest link some boat possibilities to travel either with a private boat location or a ferry to go from Napoli to Capri Island or Sorrento and the other beautiful city on the coast.

Capri Island offers a very unique boat trip as you navigate through surrounding rocks or to the blue, green or white grottos.

Whatever you decide to go by boat or road, there is possibilities to mix your transportation according on the activity.

The boat tour is a must.

Greek Islands

Starting from the big city of Athen, do not miss the area of the old history of Acropolis and its new museum with the floor in glasses, the view of the ruins underground and the new restaurant terrace with the Acropolis view.

To get a ferry to the islands, it’s better to go directly to the port at one of the different tickets seller store and understand how it works and where you are gonna get through. You can choose to go for a day trip by choosing the Saronic Island with the typical greek village and nice beaches or, for a longer trip, to the cyclades with the popular and wonderful Mykonos or Santorini islands. See the map on my Pinterest board. Once you get in those islands there are many terminal buses to bring you over beaches. If you are in Mokonos and like a jet set beach you can choose Paradise beach and for a nice quiet time on a sandy beach and stunning view, Elia beach.

Santorini is more, I would say, a fancy and romantic island to visit.

Just the boat ferry trip is a must, don’t miss it.