Am I remembering correctly that you want to drive rather than take a train? The train is often cheaper and more convenient in Europe, and especially so if you are a solo traveler.
Some ideas:
Bavaria. Fly to Munich, and enjoy the architecture and art there. Drive/train to Fussen, and take in the fairytale castle of Neuschwanstein. Train/Drive to Garmisch Partenkirken and enjoy hiking and mountain views. Got time/desire to add more? You could drive into Northern Italy from there to enjoy the Brenta Dolomites and depart from Venice or Milan.
Switzerland. Get your art/architecture fix in Zurich, then enjoy some of the alpine scenery. The Berner Oberland is spectacular. There is great hiking everywhere. I think Grindelwald is one of the more scenic places to stay, but there are lots of charming mountain towns in the area. You can train everywhere, including to the top of the world: Jungfraujoch
Or if youâd prefer, go to Zermatt after Zurich. The train ride from Zurich to Zermatt is amazing, a true wonder as it winds itâs way through the alps. Zermatt also has great hiking with views everywhere. Perhaps the best 2 day hike in the alps for scenery starts or ends there. Take the bus from Zermatt to Grachen and make the 2 day hike back staying overnight at the Europahutte. The hut has meals, showers, and beds so you can travel lightly. A small pack is all you need for the 2 day hike. Note the trail has some exposed sections so you might not do this if you have a fear of heights.
I have lots more ideas if you want to direct more of what you like/dislike about these.
If you want more art and less outdoor stuff, if you havenât been to Madrid it is a great city for art.
Southern France (Toulouse, Carcasonne, Marseille) plus a few days driving the Pyrenees, flying out of Barcelona (return to Gaudi Park)
Florence/Milan/Zurich/Munich/Salzburg/Frankfurt. Iâve been to Neuschwanstein (as a teen) and donât mind taking a train from point A to B, but if I can take a car through the mountains thatâs even better. I once got a great deal and drove from Nice to Geneva which was amazing, but usually you pay a fortune to leave a car at point B so that isnât likely to happen unless Iâm willing to return to point A ( Otherwise I looove Europe trains, so much better than nasty Amtrak.
Edinburgh / Glasgow / ferry to Belfast and drive around Northern Ireland / Dublin but I hadnât yet found the mind blowing destinations in Ireland it just looked like more of Scotland which is nice but nothing new. I donât think it will be as âbeautifulâ as the other two but still I wouldnât be disappointed. Analysis Paralysis.
3-day car rental:
$680 to go from Zurich to Munich
$1,200 to go from Milan to Munich
Only $310 to go from Nice to Geneva (Route des Grandes Alpes which I already did)
probably taking the train
Someone told me I should visit Bilbao, and renting a car from there to Barcelona is reasonable ($220 for 3 days although Iâll probably take another day at least starting from there)
Madrid was one of my least favorite cities, it was OK, but everything about it (palaces, gardens, âŠ) seemed better elsewhere. I specifically like impressionism art (which Paris excels at), I donât spent hours in museums, usually one hour.
We are staying in Miraflores and there are quite a few options.
Main constraint is that they have to be able to cater to families with young children. This makes doing fine dining somewhat difficult, but some of them allow during the lunch turn (this seems to be a very Peruvian thing).
Yo, Paulie!! This Mad Dough joint doesnât even got a menu on its website: WTF is an âexperienceâ??? Thereâs prolly a good ceviche and cerveza joint within a stoneâs throw!!!
Have always wanted to spend time in the Yucatan peninsula so managed to convince my wife to go there in mid-January. Will fly in and out of Tulum but we are not beach people. We will spend much of our time visiting cities and archaeological sites.
I had expected we would have to bus between cities but there is a brand new train service (link below) linking all the main cities in the Yucatan. Looking forward to travelling in comfort.
The cenotes look like fun. I am not a strong swimmer so will probably pick a sedate one. On the other hand, my wife was on the university swim team so is very comfortable in the water and more adventurous.
Starting to look into travel plans for next year. Thinking maybe Italy in the summer, and an Alaskan cruise in 2027. We are going to speak to a travel agent soon to price it out. This upcoming bonus is looking to be VERY solid and next summer will be my 40th birthday, and Rome is one of my favorite places and it would be great to go back with the whole family.
We would love to go back to Italy (we spent a week near Florence earlier this year). Not so sure I could visit Rome in summer, as I remember it being hot and humid when I was there in May some years back. Other parts of Italy may be delightful then though.