Lay My Hat

so...we just returned from a WONDERFUL three weeks abroad...but are now fairly broke for the rest of the year (ha! unless I book up solid! *fingers crossed*) We are only able to get over to Italy for so long before we are forced back to reality.

The dollar is totally KILLING us in Europe...so...I'm trying to find somewhere to escape to a bit closer to home...just haven't FOUND the right spot yet!

We are in the NY area...so something not TOO far (max maybe 3 hour plane flight...and affordable airfare!)...any ideas? Somewhere South maybe to escape the NY winter? maybe the Carribbean?

Been anywhere sunny, warm and charming??

Thanks for any ideas/leads!! (yes - I do know it is sad I am back not even a week and already looking to the next break away!)

What about Costa Rica, we are thinking of having a week there the next time we are in Florida as the flight is obviously much shorter than from the UK, property seems cheap.... Mind you we are not complaining about the £/$ exchange rate makes us feel well off when we visit the USA

anywhere sunny, warm and charming

Haiti's interesting - genuine French influence if you're yearning for Europe. Maybe read Greene's The Comedians first? And skip the voodoo - mostly tourist tat. Baby Doc's a neighbour, and said I would put in a word - helps his pension.

MG

Have you thought about Napa, CA? Friends of mine say that it's like being in Italy. My husband and I are heading there in April and we got a great deal on a condo.

Here are some links that we used to find our condo. We can't wait!

http://www.tripadvisor.com/VacationRent ... ntals.html

http://www.homeaway.com/search/keywords:napa

-Abigail

hmmm...wow. old thread.

I lived in California for many years actually and have family there still - wouldn't say it reminds me of Italy at all...maybe the actual countryside in parts, but that's where the comparisons end I think. Certainly not a short trip from NYC - almost the same amount of travel time as to Europe and sometimes the same price as well!!

p.s. have been to the Caribbean since I wrote that - was wonderful and sunny and warm and we are thinking of returning sometimes in the dead of winter to a resort maybe for some beach time!

We go to Sanibel during the winter months. Great shelling on the beaches, very low key and calm. There are lots of hotels and condos on the island - not high end mostly 3 star but not run down or anything like that even though a lot of the buildings date from the 60's and 70's, I would say.
We have stayed at the Casa Ybel which was nice as the pool was heated so we swam even on cooler days.
Its a very short drive from Fort Meyers airport or a 2h drive from Tampa so there are quite a few options airline wise.
I know you wrote this post quite a while ago but I thought you might be looking for ideas for this winter as the "killer euro" as you call it is still a current issue!

When do you plan to go? I really like Destin, Florida if you are planning to go anytime around summer.

There are actually lots of definite advantages to booking a vacation in Tamarindo.Planning a vacation to Costa Rica and not sure if you want to stay at a hotel or a vacation rental? Hotels are usually the logical choice and are easy to find online. Vacation rentals in the past have been more “risky” because you were never quite sure what you were going to get. Thankfully with travel websites like Trip Advisor, Flip Key, VRBO, and Homeway there is now plenty of information available about the vacation rentals and previous guest experiences. Additionally, when comparing the costs associated with a hotel vs a vacation rental, a vacation rental can turn out to be a great cost saving option.
With amenities like full kitchens, laundry, multiple rooms, DVD’s, movies, etc. the benefits of a vacation rental start to add up.

Gosh, raising a thread from 2008, last commented on in 2010, some 5 years ago, that's a real spam effort.

The effort deserves this accolade:

Oh my god Marks, looking at all those hitherto unknown Spam flavours has made me bilious! Spam with cheese (Special Flavor!)? Are these particular varieties of Costa Rican Spam not sold elsewhere? I may need to lie down in a vacation rental in Tamarindo to recover

I'm tempted by a bit of hot & spicy

I'm always tempted by a bit of hot & spicy but sadly there's not been any on offer for quite some time!