Europe, here we come!!!!

Dave and I just booked a 23 day trip to Europe this summer! We are so excited we can barely sleep (literally, the night we bought the plane ticket I was awake for a large portion of the night just out of sheer excitement). Our flight is as follows:

Monday, June 27, 2011
United Airlines # 8516 Operated by: AIR CANADA -- AC 756 - Please check in with the operating carrier

San Francisco International (SFO) to Toronto Pearson International (YYZ)
Departure (SFO): June 27, 12:30 PM PDT (afternoon)
Arrival (YYZ): June 27, 8:21 PM EDT (evening)

Monday, June 27, 2011
Air Canada # 836

Toronto Pearson International (YYZ) to Madrid Barajas (MAD)
Departure (YYZ): June 27, 9:45 PM EDT (evening)
Arrival (MAD): June 28, 11:10 AM CEST (morning

Wednesday, July 20, 2011 Swiss # 8 Zurich (ZRH) to Chicago O'Hare International (ORD) Departure (ZRH): July 20, 12:55 PM CEST (afternoon) Arrival (ORD): July 20, 3:35 PM CDT (afternoon) Class: Economy ORD Wednesday, July 20, 2011 United Airlines # 153 Chicago O'Hare International (ORD) to San Francisco International (SFO) Departure (ORD): July 20, 6:30 PM CDT (evening) Arrival (SFO): July 20, 9:01 PM PDT (evening) We are still mapping out our destinations, but here's what we have so far.  We start in Madrid, Spain and end in Zurich, Switzerland. Our trip begins in Madrid and Toledo (they are right next to each other).  There are some great sites to see in Madrid and Toledo is the ancient capital of the country, so we'll spend a few days there. Then, we'll take a flight (flying is now cheaper and quicker in Europe.  Dave and I can fly between cities and countries for less than $60 a couple!) to Seville. Seville is famous for the Flamenco dancing.  We'll spend a few days there and hope to catch a Flamenco show. We'll head just 30 mins south to Jerez de la Frontera where Sherry (the wine) originated. They have unique wineries there that will be fun to tour. We'll take a bus to Lagos which is on the coast in southern Portugal.  Lagos is a resort town where the national surfing championships are held. The beaches are supposed to be spectacular.  We will then head North to Lisbon, Portugal's capital for the history and culture of the country.  finally, a flight to Barcelona will land us back in Spain.  A few days in Barcelona will conclude our western Europe stay.  Next we fly to Venice, Italy. We will land in Venice, Italy and spend a few days exploring this amazing city. From Venice, we'll take a train to Milan, and spend a day there before heading to Torino.  In Torino, we'll visit with Dave's Italian family that he lived with while living there 12 years ago! It will be great to catch up (for Dave) and for me to meet them,  From Torino we'll head north through Swizerland.  Some of our major stops in Switzerland will be the quaint town of Inerlaken at the base of the Alps. In Interlaken, we will be going canyoning. Click here http://www.outdoor-interlaken.ch/en/tour/49/canyoning-interlaken to find out more about canyoning. Driving north towards Zurich, we'll also stop in Lucerne - another quaint town with lots of history. Zurich will be our final destination before we head home.

Since flights are so cheap and countries are so close, we may throw in a few more destination (Morocco, Austria, or Germany).  Once we narrow down our itinerary, we'll know better.  We also want to keep it somewhat open to allow for adventure. This will be a challenge since we will be staying with people who will be expecting us at certain times, and flying in between countries which require advance booking.  We'll keep you updated!

Bon Voyage!!