IATeachingMom Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 Hypothetically...if you could take about 10 days for an international trip to conclude the 1st year of history (Ancients), where would you go and why? Middle East, Asia....? No budget, no worries...but only 10 days...I guess maybe 14 days at the tops. What geographical areas would you highlight, what topics would you cover, food, people, government..... (this would be for younger kids...under 12). I know it's a long shot, but everyone likes to dream sometimes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionfamily1999 Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 I was going to have ds plan a trip to cover the Ancients, lol. If I can find this thread later (it'll be a few weeks, yet), I will post his vacation :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 (edited) I'd be sure to hit Rome for the ruins (don't do as hubby and I did - buy a guidebook to the Forum BEFORE you enter and walk around!) and get to Pompeii, too. Hubby, who spent a semester at UD's Rome campus with long weekend field trips all over Europe says to include Greece, too. Edited June 11, 2009 by JFSinIL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lux Et Veritas Academy Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 Go to my blog http://www.domesticlifestyle.com I have my ancient tour listed on there in archives. I did this with my kids last year. We did ancient med with Rome, Pompeii, Ephesus, Istanbul, Greece etc. I would love to talk more in detail with you- email me.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Friederike in Persia Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 You could also go to Egypt (valley of the kings,tombs, whatever,...), Syria (Palmyra, Damascus, Aleppo) and Jordan (Petra is the most stunning place I've ever been to and I've seen lots of places!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K&Rs Mom Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 Rome, Athens, Egypt & Constantinople (for some reason when we looked at online pics of the Hagia Sophia my dc fell in love and have been begging to go there, which will probably never happen). Food, people & gov't you find now won't resemble the ancients, but the landmarks are still there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda in VT Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 Although I think it's exciting to think about doing a grand Ancients vacation, with sites from lots of different countries, when it comes down to actually booking the trip I don't know that I would choose that. Next to money, time is the critical resource on a trip, and you spend a lot of it transferring from place to place. So if I were picking one country to visit to cap off a year of Ancients? Greece or Turkey, probably (in fact, we are contemplating a trip to Greece in 2010). Egypt would be intriguing, but I'd need to check out the current safety status. Italy might be higher on the list if we hadn't seen such great Roman ruins during our trip to the south of France. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PiCO Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 Hypothetically...if you could take about 10 days for an international trip to conclude the 1st year of history (Ancients), where would you go and why? Middle East, Asia....? No budget, no worries...but only 10 days...I guess maybe 14 days at the tops. What geographical areas would you highlight, what topics would you cover, food, people, government..... (this would be for younger kids...under 12). I know it's a long shot, but everyone likes to dream sometimes! I'm going to Italy and Greece next year, and planning to hit a lot of Ancients sites. I have Italy covered, but I would live to hear what people think I should see in Greece! (Thanks for this thread.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonshineLearner Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 Can you imagine that my daughter is actually going to Italy with my dad in August? I'm so excited for them! SO, I guess that it'll be sort of covering Ancients, there....because that's why he's going. I'm trying not to be jealous:-) I'll be watching this thread to see what others say about it.... Carrie:-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 Oh, timely! We are going to Europe next late spring/early summer to meet our oldest who will be studying abroad. We were planning on flying into the cheapest European city and he would take a train to meet us. That's my plan: to meet him in whatever country has the flight deal. I am assuming since the trip is a year away, it's too soon to check out flights. I'll be watching this thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirtroad Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 Egypt, Jerusalem/Israel, Rome, Greece... that would take more than 14 probably! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 I'm going to Italy and Greece next year, and planning to hit a lot of Ancients sites. I have Italy covered, but I would live to hear what people think I should see in Greece! (Thanks for this thread.) I am hoping there are flight deals to Italy. Florence, Rome, Venice are my top hopes. I've been to various places in Itlay and Greece, and my thoughts (and my dh's) are to skip Greece completely at this point (with a bunch of kids). Italy was a breeze to travel compared to Greece. I loved Greece, but I also hated it. ;) Everything in Athens, fi , seemed far more difficult to navigate than anything in Rome. Rome is a much nicer city. Athens was a tough nut for me. Even the islands were tricky. Beautiful, but stressful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sagira Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 Ah, I would love to take a trip like that. A month would suffice to cover Egypt, Greece, Italy, and Turkey. I can't imagine going to Israel with all the danger, wars, etc. This may be naive of me, but I really can't take that chance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 (edited) I just read a travel guide on the worst places to travel, and he put Egypt at the top. Let me go look for the title. It was a fun read, but also sad. Here it is: http://www.amazon.com/Dont-There-Detectives-Essential-Must-Miss/dp/1605299944/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1244650185&sr=1-4 It's called Don't Go There! Edited June 10, 2009 by LibraryLover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate in Arabia Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 Seems like for most of the places being mentioned here you could book a Mediterranean cruise and try and hit all the highlights. I don't know how long those sorts of things last.. I just read a travel guide on the worst places to travel, and he put Egypt at the top. I don't know if it would be at the top of my list, but it would be close. We were there this past January. The trip had a lot of sentimental value for us, but I feel like the Egyptian gov't is sucking out a lot of the tourist enjoyment. There were several things we just skipped doing to avoid a hassle, and even my generally adventurous and even-tempered dh was feeling frustrated nearly every day of our trip. And unfortunately the bigger the draw for a site, the worse it was. The kids loved seeing the pyramids, but this was nearly outweighed by the unpleasantness surrounding getting there and being around the site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 Seems like for most of the places being mentioned here you could book a Mediterranean cruise and try and hit all the highlights. I don't know how long those sorts of things last.. I don't know if it would be at the top of my list, but it would be close. We were there this past January. The trip had a lot of sentimental value for us, but I feel like the Egyptian gov't is sucking out a lot of the tourist enjoyment. There were several things we just skipped doing to avoid a hassle, and even my generally adventurous and even-tempered dh was feeling frustrated nearly every day of our trip. And unfortunately the bigger the draw for a site, the worse it was. The kids loved seeing the pyramids, but this was nearly outweighed by the unpleasantness surrounding getting there and being around the site. That's what he wrote. It's not that there are not fantastic sites to see, just that the gov was making it nearly impossible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IATeachingMom Posted June 10, 2009 Author Share Posted June 10, 2009 Anyone have any insight on Asia? Every been there? Know much about it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingM Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 I could talk about this endlessly, but I just wanted to put in a plug for an oft ignored country, Tunisia. I found it very easy to travel around in (much easier than Morocco, for example), and quite inexpensive, with great weather and a country small enough to see a good chunk of it in a short trip. There are the ruins of Carthage, the amphitheater at El Djem, and the Bardo Museum in Tunis, which has the greatest collection of Roman mosaics in the world. As an added bonus, you can see the fantastic and moving American Cemetery north of Tunisia, honoring the American soldier of the North African campaigns, fascinating Arab souks and medinas, and troglodyte dwellings along the Sahara. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingM Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 That's what he wrote. It's not that there are not fantastic sites to see, just that the gov was making it nearly impossible. Having struggled through the touts and other hassles of Morocco, I find myself avoiding Egypt for just these reasons. And it's a terrible shame, because the number and scope of the monuments are second to none. If it were easy and pleasant to travel, Egypt would rival Italy and France as an international destination. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amira Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 (edited) If I had less than two weeks, I'd spend all my time in the Middle East, probably starting in Egypt (yes, I love Egypt and have been there twice, although maybe things have changed there considerably since the mid-90s) and going up through Israel, Palestine, and Lebanon. That's the most I'd try to do in that amount of time. If I had more time, I'd add on Jordan, Syria, and Turkey. And if there were more time, I'd want to see Greece and Italy. I think the Asia trip would be an entirely different thing. I'd want to go to India (I've never been there), but I'd want to spend the entire two weeks there, since India is a huge and diverse country. China is the same. We spent a week in China and barely scratched the surface. My dream trip (or one of them) is here. But this trip isn't for everyone. Adding one more thing- my husband would agree that Tunisia is well worth a visit. Edited June 10, 2009 by Amira Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate in Arabia Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 If I had less than two weeks, I'd spend all my time in the Middle East, probably starting in Egypt (yes, I love Egypt and have been there twice, although maybe things have changed there considerably since the mid-90s) Dh and I lived there in the mid-90's; it wasn't nearly as bad as what we experienced in January. Some of that may be that time has smoothed over some things in my mind, but honestly some things have just gone beyond acceptable limits, imo. I remember some isolated incidents those many years ago, but in January it was near constant and to some disturbing levels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amira Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 Dh and I lived there in the mid-90's; it wasn't nearly as bad as what we experienced in January. Some of that may be that time has smoothed over some things in my mind, but honestly some things have just gone beyond acceptable limits, imo. I remember some isolated incidents those many years ago, but in January it was near constant and to some disturbing levels. That is really unfortunate. Egypt should be an amazing place to visit, not a hassle. Thanks for the comparison. I've heard people complaining about visiting Egypt, so it's good to know that it really has changed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathy in MD Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 My girlfriend loved Turkey. A decade or so ago, the historical sites weren't roped off or had limited access, so she could scramble and explore to her heart's content. Of course, I don't think there were a lot of interpretive signs, so it helped to have a good backgroud before visiting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 Athens was incredible, but 10 days would have been too long in the city. Maybe combined with trips to outlying areas like Mt Olympus, or islands (maybe Crete)? However, I think the islands are hard to get to in the off season. We also did 2 weeks in Italy. We started in Naples, where we visited Pompei, Herculaneum and the Naples Archeological Museum. Then we took the train to Rome and stayed a week there. We saw all kinds of great stuff in Rome plus took a day trip out to Ostia. The great thing about Rome is you can not only see ancients but also get a head start on middle ages by visiting the Vatican and a few other sites. Plus there is pizza by the kilo. Of course Athens had baklava the size of my fist that dripped honey as you ate it. Both of the older kids did little reports on a site in each city. They really had a great time and felt much more involved in the trip. And I have great memories of them singing the VP ancient history song on the Acropolis and in the Forum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 I am hoping there are flight deals to Italy. Florence, Rome, Venice are my top hopes. I've been to various places in Itlay and Greece, and my thoughts (and my dh's) are to skip Greece completely at this point (with a bunch of kids). Italy was a breeze to travel compared to Greece. I loved Greece, but I also hated it. ;) Everything in Athens, fi , seemed far more difficult to navigate than anything in Rome. Rome is a much nicer city. Athens was a tough nut for me. Even the islands were tricky. Beautiful, but stressful. We were in Athens about six months after the Olympics. I thought it was very easy. Far simpler than Paris for example. The trains were well marked and lots was in English. Also, children are just precious there. Our older kids were 1st grade and kindergarten. The youngest was in a stroller. Folks in restaurants and museums and on the street were very interested in the kids. (Which was refreshing after Germany, where kids aren't so welcome.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IATeachingMom Posted June 11, 2009 Author Share Posted June 11, 2009 Such great ideas....I love traveling and I love to dream about where I might go someday. Please continue to add on!:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 I would put Italy first on the list. It has much to offer, availability of cheaper flights and easier for less experienced and younger travelers. Highlights would include Rome, Naples and Ravenna for the ancients period. Secondly I would have Istanbul and Western Turkey. The Byzantines, Ephesus, the list goes on. Third, Greece, I haven't been but I think that I wouldn't have enough to do for 10 days without traveling further afield. I would have to put North Africa, Egypt and Asia lower on the list unless you are experienced travelers or not traveling with young kids. These locations can be more expensive, far more different as relates to food, accommodations etc. That can sometimes reduce an otherwise wonderful trip to just plain misery. Make sure you get a good guide book ahead of time with lots of maps and information on the sights not just on hotels and food. I recommend Blue Guides, Rick Steves and DK with Lonely Planet as not a bad option. Go to the library or book store and read a few before buying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgilli3 Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 (edited) We want to head off on a holiday within a fortnight, and one child is hoping we go to Jordan/Petra, DH wants to go to Egypt ( he has already toured Egypt before), another child wants to cruise the Greek Islands, the LO doesnt give a hoot, and I'm leaning towards a relaxing holiday in the Maldives...no history for me....:D Edited June 17, 2009 by sgilli3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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