Our 2014 Travel Plans
Lots of big things are happening for Team Coté in 2014. LOTS. Most notably our inevitable move back to the good ol' US of A this coming summer. The moving wheels are in motion and we're gearing up for a super busy and change-filled year. Honestly, all I want to do is go hide in a hole somewhere, but that's a blog post for another day. Knowing that our expat expiration clock is ticking down faster and faster these days makes D and I very panicky. We need to see this...we want to visit there...we must try that. NO TIME...THERE'S NEVER ANY TIME! My usual weekly brain meltdown a la Jesse Spano. :) With only 6 months left to easily explore all the wonderful countries Europe has to offer, we made it a point to plan out and book our last trips abroad much earlier than normal. Our list of 'must-see' places has dwindled quite a bit thanks to the fabulous year of travel 2013 gave us...but there are still more than a handful of cities we've been dying to see. While we aren't going to able to cross them all off our bucket list in these last 6 months, we are making quite a dent! Below is our travel itinerary for trips we've officially booked and are absolutely happening in 2014! Well, happening as long as the universe doesn't throw us any curve balls between now and July. Are you listening, Universe? I'm watching you. This list is just the big trips we're taking...ones that are overnighters, require more than 4 hours of driving, or a part of a cruise. I'm sure we'll shuffle in a few Germany day trips in between these larger trips, but I rarely plan those. We like our day trips to be spontaneous!
So, what trips on our list are we most excited about? Ireland...definitely. We've been trying to get there for 2.5 years now and it always kept being pushed back by one vacation or another. No more! We're booked for 4 days in Dublin with day trips to the Dingle Peninsula and the Cliffs of Moher! D's been dying to try a pint of Guinness straight from an Irish tap. Should be a fantastic trip in March! We're also pretty pumped about the trip we've booked as our last European hurrah...a 14-day cruise around the Adriatic Sea with Celebrity Cruises! On this cruise alone, we'll check off 4 new countries and hit a few cities we missed in countries we've already visited. Since we're sailing with our favorite cruise line again, I'm positive we're in for a treat! Go big or go home, right? Shooot...I'm not going home until they drag me outta here! We're both just thankful to have things to look forward to among all the not fun stuff we'll have to endure this year. Stay tuned for lots of fun adventures, y'all! It ain't over till the Air Force mails us home!
Tell me, what exciting travel plans have you made for 2014?
I wish I could say I have exciting travel plans like those! For now it will be living vicariously through other people while I accrue vacation days : )
ReplyDeleteJealous! You're going to have a BLAST!
ReplyDeleteOne word....Jealous. Actually two words....EXTREMELY Jealous. These places are amazing and breathtaking.
ReplyDeleteI'll be in Dublin in march, too! Well, hopefully, haven't booked anything yet... I'm ashamed to say, you guys have seen more of Europe in your short time here than I have my entire life....
ReplyDeleteOh fun! I hope you do! It's funny (and true), we've seen more of Europe than we have of the USA! Here's hoping we continue to keep traveling an active part of our lives after we move back home. Bank accounts willing. :)
DeleteWow you will be busy! I have three trips planned and feel overbooked!
ReplyDeleteLooks like a great way to end out your European adventure! And you'll love Ireland!!! If you need any recs, let me know :)
ReplyDeleteThat is one amazing list!! So many are on my bucket list. I wil visit some of those countries as I'm walking around the World Showcase in Epcot in April. Same thing right?
ReplyDeleteWe are planning on a trip to Playa del Carmen in October. Honeymoon! Next year we are hoping to hit Europe! I am leaning towards Prague/Budapest!
ReplyDeleteThat sounds awesome!!! And warm! Prague is lovely...definitely do it! :)
DeleteAre you moving back to NC when you come back home? If so, a blate is in order!!
ReplyDeleteThose are some fabulous places you're going to in the next six months! Oh, enjoy it. I'm sitting here in Georgia wishing I was back in Italy. Give that country a hug for me (and I hope it treats you well this time(!
ReplyDeleteThose photos are beautiful! The Black Forest looks especially pretty! Sounds like a fun year! I wish David and I had more time to travel this year, but with him graduating in May, and then having to get a new job right away I doubt it'll be possible to travel much. This post makes me want to go to Europe so bad!
ReplyDeleteThere will always be time to travel when he's good to go with school...no worries girl! Europe will always be there!
DeleteWe are planning on Dublin in March too! It looks amazing...can't wait! Others on the list include the Alps and Poland so far. Here's to 2014!
ReplyDeleteSmall world! Maybe we will run into ya there! :)
DeleteThat is a great list. I am sure you will enjoy all of them, especially the first one as it is my hometown ;-)
ReplyDeleteOh good to know!! Dresden wasn't on our travel radar until recently, so I'm excited to give it a go! :)
DeleteIf you need any advice, let me know. Maybe we meet on the street by chance ;-)
DeleteWow, you've got great plans! My husband and I are dying to travel to Greece this summer. We've both wanted to go for a long time. You will LOVE Ireland (duh!). The Cliffs of Moher are magical. Can't wait to see your photos!
ReplyDeleteCheers for an amazing year!
I can't wait to see Slovenia and Montenegro, two places I haven't gone to yet. What an exciting year! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteThanks, girl! I'm super stoked about Montenegro. I've been lusting over photos from there on Pinterest! Looks GORGEOUS!
DeleteMontenegro? Dingle Peninsula? There's a really inappropriate joke hiding in there somewhere.
ReplyDeleteThose all sound like very amazing places to visit. Any chance there will be a Sound of Music tour in Austria? That is one thing my mom and I both have on our bucket list!
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited that you're getting to Dublin! If you want any bar/ restaurant recommendations or anything, please give me a shout :)
ReplyDeleteAs for me, my 2014 travel plans include a couple of days in Paris before the big move back to the States!
Yay sounds like a great year! We are coming to Europe for 10 days and going to Switzerland and Germany. Our base in Germany is Munich- any recommendations!? I wish we could see WAY more, but my husband has limited vacation time.
ReplyDeleteOh, I have lots!! Shoot me an email and we can chat about it! You're going to love that area of Germany! :)
Deleteoh, im only just a tiny bit jealous.
ReplyDeleteWhat a line-up! You are such a planner, super impressed.
ReplyDeletelooks incredible!! seems crazy that you can get to all those places in six months!! cant wait to live vicariously through you! :)
ReplyDeleteSo jealous! Lake Bled and Ireland are on the top of my travel list! Also, do you know when you'll get your next location in the states?
ReplyDeleteYes, yes, yes! Dresden was my favorite German city when studying abroad. Salzburg will always be near and dear to my heart, because that is were I studied abroad. My favorite cafe is kitty-corner to the children science museum. Jeez, I could give you a LIST of places for their. Slovenia is beautiful, and I wish I could've spent more time their. DUBROVNIK is amazing, and I am so happy that you plan to visit. Beautiful city and make sure you walk the city walls.
ReplyDeleteOooo I might just have to pick your brain for Salzburg info! Send me all you've got!!
DeleteWow, looks like an amazing year of travelling!
ReplyDeleteLooks like a great one! We planned out our year last night, and then realized we still have eight 3-day weekends unaccounted for!!! Although we should save those for potential visitors, we really want to be greedy - muuahahaha!! It's amazing how much there is in Europe once the ball gets rolling, but I don't have to tell you that :) Enjoy Dublin... I still haven't recovered from my one night of Guinness. Bring medication! :)
ReplyDeleteSo jealous! That looks like a dream!
ReplyDeleteWow, looks like you have an amazing year ahead! I am dying to go to Slovenia and Croatia, I've heard nothing but great things! I have a trip to NYC planned for next month, but I'm eager to get some more travel on the agenda ASAP! xoxo
ReplyDeleteI want to go to all these places! Me=jealous! I went to Salzburg last May. It's a gorgeous little city nestled in the mountains. The Black Forest looks really pretty!
ReplyDelete~Ashley @ A Cute Angle
http://acutelifestyle.blogspot.com
Can I come?! Haha! :)
ReplyDeleteWhen you announced on Twitter yesterday about your Adriatic Sea cruise, I Googled to see where you would be going! Looks like you have some great adventures planned!
ReplyDeleteWhen (if) will you be announcing where you are moving to in the States? I am curious to find out!
You guys are seriously professional cruisers! I know you guys will make the most of your time before you head back to the states :) The fiance and I are planning a trip to Paris and Iceland (possibly Barcelona) this summer and I'm super excited because we've never ever been to Europe before!
ReplyDeleteI would love to have such exciting plans as you have my only planned holiday is the trip to Hawaii in September but you are so lucky to get to see so many wonderful places
ReplyDeleteUmmm Hawaii sounds AMAZING!! We've never been...so color me jealous!
DeleteHoly Heck, these are awesome travel plans! Pretty much every destination is one of my dream destinations as well! :) I hope - nope, know - that you will have an amazing time during your last months in Europe! And you're definitely making the most of it! :)
ReplyDeleteokay seriously, can I trade places with you even just once? for, like, a teeny tiny weekend trip or something? Alabama has some kinda interesting things you could do instead...maybe...if you're really open-minded...
ReplyDeletehave you been to Salzburg before? I really enjoyed getting to visit, even if it was only for a couple of day trips. I feel like you would probably really enjoy the Sound of Music tours?
Girrrrrrl, I love your Jesse spano reference! You are packed to the brim with some amazing trips. Looking forward to reading about them!
ReplyDeleteThe Ring of Kerry! Good choice. I have many fond memories of that trip.
ReplyDeleteI love, love, love the Cliffs of Moher! And maybe, just maybe, one of the barkeeps will let you pour your own Guinness and teach you how to make a shamrock on top (like ours did)!
ReplyDeleteYour itinerary for the year looks amazing! Super jealous that you're making it over to Ireland. I can't wait to hear all about it!
ReplyDeleteWhat an exciting list! I think I don't even have half of those on my list. London will be where I will be living, so whilst I am exploring it, it won't count as travel. We said Russia, Greece, Portugal and Turkey were on our list for 2014 though, so would like to see how much of that we get in. :)
ReplyDeleteLondon will be a great home base for you to really see lots of Europe! Your travel list sounds great, too! You'll love all of those countries. If you need recs, let me know! :)
DeleteThat is so exciting! I do have a question, how do you plan the trips? We live in France and we are just now thinking of where we want to go in a few months. I have one other trip (London) that I want to do in the summer, but we want to take advantage of being here, plus the kids time out of school. Do you just pick a city and do a bunch of internet research? I am overwhelmed at the idea! I think once I do it once, I will have a system, but I haven't done it once yet. LOL
ReplyDeleteHow exciting!!! :) We're dreaming of Austria and Italy, and also the Black forest, so I can't wait to hear all about them!
ReplyDeleteWhat. This is ridiculous. I'm severely jealous of you dear!
ReplyDeleteToo funny! My husband and I are headed to Bologna next weekend for the 4 day! :)
ReplyDeleteAwesome!! You'll have to let me know how you like it! We flew into Bologna for our week long Tuscany vacation with my family two springs ago, but never got to tour the city. I'm looking forward to it! :)
DeleteThese sound like amazing plans! I can't wait to read about your travels. Lately I've been thinking about the trips I want to take later in the year, but there are so many options. It's hard narrowing them down!
ReplyDeleteI am currently planning a week long trip to Ireland for late March/early April. I actually searched your blog for info about Ireland and saw you hadn't been, so I am happy to see it's in the works :)
ReplyDeleteso much to do, so little time!
I am excited to see where you go this year, and where you get orders to. We hope to hear in March or April and move in the Summer.
So exciting! We are actually moving back to the states this summer too and I feel your panic of wanting to fit everything in before we go! Let me know the dates of your Dublin trip in March. It would be great to grab an expat drink together :) Oh... and we just booked a Celebrity cruise too! Ours is in July and we are headed to Venice, Croatia, Greece and Turkey!
ReplyDeleteThe Dingle peninsula is incredibly beautiful. Enjoy it! And be sure to have some Murphy's ice cream...delish!
ReplyDeleteMake sure you visit the Guinness factory when in Dublin. You can pour your own beer there - and it has a great pub on the top floor with a 360 degree view of Dublin. Happy 2014 travels!
ReplyDeleteClaire xx
somewhere... beyond the sea
We are germans so we always travel a lot in Europe. This year we want to go to London for the third time, travel to Sylt with our camper and to Dubai for christmas or new year's eve.
ReplyDeleteNothing as exciting as you Casey, but we will be travelling to the Gold Coast, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Hervey Bay (all in Australia) this year.....your's looks way more exciting though!
ReplyDeleteI don't know...Australia sounds AMAZING to me!!! It's always been a place we've been itching to visit. Ahhh someday! :)
DeleteSo excited to see Salzburg on this list! It's absolutely beautiful. Try to get to Eagle's Nest while you're there - Hitler's summer getaway. It's about an hour's bus ride away. We also took a cable car to the top of the Alps, too. But we went in the morning when the clouds were still low so no views for us. Oh, I'm so excited for you! Salzburg is the most beautiful place I've ever been. I'm so envious of your list, and it's killing me!
ReplyDeleteJessie
www.ssjess.com
The Eagle's Nest is closed during winter...but it's funny...knowing that it's just a restaurant now kind of deters me from wanting to go. But you're so right...the Alpine views are to die for! We're hoping to see the salt mines as well! :)
DeleteYour blog might as well be my "I want to go to there" pinterest board.
ReplyDeleteI have been to Salzburg, and it is absolutely beautiful.
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ReplyDeletehenry thomas