Honeymoon in Europe... or a different, safer continantal?

If you listened to all those stories you will never go anywhere. Sure europe is expensive and you have to be aware of pick pockets, but its freakin awesome and you will love it.

Europe's NOT that bad. We went a year ago. We went to Italy, Spain, and France.

Pick pockets are everywhere in tourist places including the US sites.

Stay in the tourist areas, and don't wonder around in other areas without a guide. It's like any other city in America. You have the good spots and the bad spots.

Italy is GORGEOUS. Look at Rome, Florence, Tuscany, etc. Greece would be lovely too, and you could catch a train to various Italian cities if you wanted.

Check out Rick Steve's guides. Lots of fantastic information.

If your FH gets sick on cruises, then all you need to do is get him some prescription motion sickness patches. They work like charms. I get severe motion sickness myself.

A cruise is the best way to see Europe, in my opinion. You can port in different cities everyday and then you don't have to move your luggage around constantly.

Exactly what Mrs.T and Rustic said. If you can find a spot without crime, let us know. If you are that worried about foreign languages, try somewhere where they mainly speak English like the UK or Ireland. I've heard Scotland is a fun honeymoon spot. English is pretty easy to find in any tourist location in the EU though.

We're going to the Czech Republic. It's relatively cheap and not as much of a huge vacation destination in my opinion. There's enough for us to do to keep the entire trip entertaining as well as relaxing.

FH and his best buds went to Europe in 2008. They were there for 3 weeks and took the train everywhere and stayed in hostel hotels. They backpacked as well (took everything they had with them). They went to England, Ireland, France, Italy, Belgium, Spain, and somewhere else (Luxembourg maybe). The only place they regretted going was Rome.

They stayed in Rome for two days and actually left a day early and went to Florence instead. They had a run-in with some male prostitutes at the train station as soon as they arrived. They also got lost at one point and ended up in an alley that was full of people shooting up drugs (middle of the day). One of the guys had a sweatshirt stolen from around his waist at a restaurant (it was all child thieves - one distracts while the other runs into you and steals something in the process). They also felt like they needed to have their bags duct taped to their bodies because of all the pickpockets. It was the only place they went on the whole trip where they felt unsafe. FH compared Rome to Detroit and Florence to a "nice place" like Montreal lol!

FH said the best part of his trip was when they were in Ireland - everyone was friendly and fun to be around. They were also in Nice, France and he said it was the most beautiful place he had ever seen.

I go to Europe at least once a year. Italy,

England, France, Portugal. It's safe - just don't act a tourist and be smart, and you'll be fine.

Use the same type of caution you would use in any big city and you'll be fine.

I've traveled all over Europe and have never had a problem.

We're planning Ireland for our HM. I was going to go there in 2008 but my travel agent actually advised against it due to the unrest in the North. Unless there's something active going on I think you're fine. I was in Istanbul 5 days after a bombing and there were no signs that there would be any trouble.

We are planning England, Scotland and Germany. I dont think you will have any problem. I would go now or you may not have the chance or many years if you are planning on having kids.

Go now, and just be smart about it!

We just got back from our pre wedding honeymoon. We did Paris, Barcelona and Italy. It was amazing. Everyone was so nice and a lot of people spoke enough English to get by. We were careful about keeping belongings safe but didn't have any issues. Just GO!!!

On a side note if you plan on flying around Europe (we did to save time) don't fly Vueling!!! They lost our luggage for days and when we told people about it they pretty much said it happens all the time. We got it back (along with the 30 other peoples they lost on our flight) but it was still a pain. Check out easyjet or another smaller airline first.

Oh and don't go in July or August unless you have too. We did since we threw it together so late and his schedule didn't allow for September. It's extremely busy, hot and humid...message me if you want tips on anything like making reservations for the major museums to skip lines or have access to thing like towers that have limited time slots!!!

Wow!!!! Thank you guys!! So many great tips!!! That made me feel so much better now about the planning!!

RusticBride- Thanks for the Rick Steve tip! Have you been to Greece or Santorini in particular? Are there a lot of places to walk around for dinning & small souvenir shopping?

JaKLyn- Czech Republic sounds like a great idea!! Love their architecture!! My FH is not a huge art history or architecture buff though.. Will there be some outdoor actives to do as well?

TheFutureMrsPatmore- Yes!!! Tips from you PLEASE!!! Paris+Barcelona+Italy sounds perfect!! How many days did you guys do?

I live in Spain and it's totally safe, like some others have said, as long as you have common sense, the same way you'd behave in the States. Definitely do your homework about cultural differences and customs before you come to Europe (can save you a lot of headaches), but don't be afraid to come at ALL.

I actually opened this message because the title shocked me. Europe unsafe??? Ignore all that garbage. Europe is completely safe! I was even in Athens back in 2011 when the riots were just starting and it was still safe! Italy and Spain will be completely fine. We are headed to France on Sunday for our honeymoon. So go to Europe and have a wonderful time!

I've never been to Greece, but it's on my list. I have seen pics and have friends that have been, and their pictures/stories are just awesome.

Most European countries have a lot of English speaking people there. Rome has English everywhere, Italy in general had English signs everywhere. Barcelona was about the only place we went where they didn't have English signs, but the people spoke English at least enough to get by. Some were even fluent.

Their education there is much different than here. They have to be able to speak multiple languages and English is usually their first second language.

I have to admit, I had to step away from the keyboard to avoid saying something snarky... Having the mentality that ____ is dangerous will get you stuck in a small corner of the world, missing out on some wonderful adventures. Does that mean go to North Korea with your life savings wrapped around your neck, no. (Sorry, had to have some snark) But if you don't do it, I guarantee you that you will regret missing the chance.

Go, step out of your comfort zone, BE SMART and relish this new adventure with your husband!!

GO TO EUROPE! GO GO GO! It is NOT - repeat NOT unsafe. You will love it, you will love traveling, and you will be SHOCKED how easy it is to travel there, how awesome the public transit system is, how much more advanced a lot of their cities are than ours, and how wonderful food is when it's free of chemicals (even Fruitloops and M&Ms .

Only 20% of Americans even have a passport - and statistically most who do use them only for the Carribean or other islands. If you talk to people who travel abroad - like the folks above and below, you will hear nothing but shock that anyone would think Europe is unsafe.

Use the same caution you would use in any US city: recognize that you will stand out as a tourist taking photos and being dressed as a traveler vs. a local, and take precautions. The same as if you were going to NYC, Miami, DC, whatever.

Buy a messenger-style day bag for you AND hubby (ebags.com has best prices and selection), and since you don't travel much I'd recommend purchasing an anti-theft bag for your peace of mind (they have straps that are slash-proof), though I have never carried one myself and the closest I've been to having something swiped was having a guy bump into me on a sidewalk, and I whipped around and stared him down, and he ran away, and the outer zipper was starting to be opened on the small backpack on my back.

Use common sense - do not put any cash or wallet in a back pocket, do not put a camera or cell phone in a slip pocket ... in the DC area, subway commuters have their phones stolen every day out of pockets and purses left open - they are professionals, not tourists, and it's because they're careless. The same holds true in any country. Buy a money belt that slips under your clothes, and keep your passport, 1 credit card, and some emergency cash in there at all times. (You want your passport with you if you buy something and want to get a VAT refund - up to 20% of the purchase price - when you leave the EU. You have to have your passport at the time of purchase, for the shop to process the paperwork.)

I just took FH on a trip to Amsterdam, Cologne Germany, and Nice, France. His favorite by far was Nice... it's stunningly beautiful, amazing food, and sunny and 75 every day! If it rains you can board a bus or taxi to Monaco and check out the shops and famous casinos. Keep in mind that May is a rainy rainy season in a lot of Europe, so you'll want to stick to southern Europe to the extent possible, closer to the Mediterranean.

As for the language, don't think about that - bring a pocket dictionary from Lonely Planet, or download Google Translate app onto your phone (so you don't need to use data, or find wifi)... we used it in Korea and Mongolia and it was perfect! In Europe a lot of people speak English, at least enough to do a transaction in a shop, and all hotel workers will too. But truly, you can get away with a few words and pointing at things and using fingers... it's really not hard at all.

My then-63 year old mother, who never left the US, and only flew once on a plane, went to Germany and France together for 17 days. The last day of the trip, she sat in the car and cried. I asked her what was wrong... she said that her whole life, she wanted to travel, but did not because she convincedherself it was really hard to do, and the language issue, and the transportation and everything... and she realized very quickly when we got there that "it's just so easy" to get around. She felt like she wasted her entire opportunity to travel her whole life out of fear of something that wasn't true.

Package tours are certainly easier in a lot of ways, but you need to figure out if you actually want a package tour where you are with a group, or you just want to have your tickets and accommodations booked ahead of time for you.

If it's the latter, then I recommend looking at UnitedVacations, or any of the airline-affiliated vacation packages, which can deliver super-savings, and they are a full-service travel agent, but you can DIY. We got 7 nights at a 4-star ocean-front resort in Puerto Rico with round trip airfare from the East Coast and a breakfast credit for $1100 through UnitedVacations. Delta and others offer the same.

The advantage is that your schedule isn't set for you, so you can see how you feel each day and decide what to do, or do nothing. Use TripAdvisor.com to look at what are recommended things to do around the place you go - it's the most reliable traveler-to-traveler site I've found for the typical trip... harder to navigate, but also great, is Lonely Planet's Thorn Tree forums for travelers.

Aside from Nice-Provence area, Jerez in Southern Spain is beautiful, rugged, and a little wild, like the American southwest. It's the home of Sherry (which is a corruption of the name Jerez). And if you go to southern Spain, you can take a ferry 45 minutes across the Straights to Morocco, and spend a night or two in Tangiers and explore the ancient Souks (medieval markets), or head further inland to stay in Chefchouan, a UNESCO world heritage city - the famous "blue city", that is stunningly beautiful and untouched by time. There's an incredible hotel on the outskirts that's traditional but amazing service and very fair price - you can walk into town past women washing clothes in the river, go to a metalworker's shop to buy a handmade plate or coffee pot, go to a woodworker's shop to buy hand-made cooking spoons... there are artists,and cafes...I'm always up for a bonus country!

Whatever you do, please go, and do not be afraid... you will never regret it!

Speaking as an American who lives in Europe - everyone else is right, it is perfectly fine and safe, just treat it the way you would any city in the world and it is lots of fun (also read up about customs, if there is one thing people in Europe think about Americans it is that we are rude)

Britain is great - England and Scotland yes but Wales as well is beautiful and Northern Ireland has lovely bits and is interesting

Ireland is lovely

Paris I think is over rated but is worth a trip if you heading that way

Spain has lovely bits as does Portugal (fyi a fair few of the islands and certain parts of the coast is where Brits holiday in the sun)

Greece is nice and some of the Islands are lovely (again certain bits are holiday spots)

Croatia and Bulgaria have increased in popularity

Italy is lovely

Scandinavian countries are worth a trip as is Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

You can get cheap flights between all major cities but don't forget trains. They are used far more than they are back in the States and are just so much better (way fast) and us a great way to see a lot

Thank you Thank you Thank you so much guys!! That was super helpful!! So many wonderful advice!! Lots to think about!

We're going to Spain, Italy, France and England. We were going to do a whole tour of Western Europe but decided to just hit those popular countries and do the tour later. I wouldn't travel abroad alone, but being with my fh I wouldn't be too worried. Plus we'll be joined by two other couples after a week. One of the wives asked about hiring security but I don't think it's necessary.

Agree with everyone-go!! I've been to many places and the key is to not act like an idiot. Use basic common sense, do your research and for the love of all things holy learn a few key phrases in the language of where you're going, things like "where's the bathroom" or " do you speak any English?" Show you've made a bit of an effort. Will you regret not going? That should be your deciding factor. Also, check out Cosmos tours of if you're under 35, contiki. They're great bc all your travel & hotels are arranged & you show up. You can hang with the group as much or as little as your like. Their Italy tour was great & I actually loved Rome.

Good luck!