If you are planning a two-week vacation during the cooler months in the USA and want to head somewhere warm and interesting, there is no better family destination than Istanbul, Turkey.  Here is a sample itinerary you may like to consider.

Days 1, 2, 3- Arrive Istanbul, start your sightseeing

Upon arrival at the airport, you will be met and transferred to your hotel, where your Turkey family vacation begins. Get accustomed to the hotel, heat and food, and begin touring the city.

You will get a chance to breathe in some of the flavorful culture at the famous Spice Market, where you can buy countless kinds of spices, seasonings, teas and candy, including the succulent rose-flavored or lemon-flavored Turkish Delight.  Also included are tours to The Blue Mosque, the Spice Market, and Topkapi Palace.  You can visit the great domed mosque now, or later in your trip when you return to Istanbul.

Days 4 and 5- Cappadocia

Located in a region that was once volcanic, Cappadocia is known for its exceptional rock formations and valleys.  As unusually beautiful as these are above ground, the limestone rock formations are even more impressive below the surface, as you and the family will discover when you climb down four stories into one of the largest underground cities ever built, known as Kaymakli.

In addition, the following are also highly recommended:  Hike the Valley of the Spears, visit the Goreme Open-Air Museum, and see the Terracotta Pottery Workshop.

While in Salzberg, you can also make arrangements to visit the home of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and follow in his footsteps. He was born here on January 27, 1756. 

Today the rooms once occupied by the Mozart family have become a museum.  The most famous exhibits include Mozart’s childhood violin, his concert violin, his clavichord, the pianoforte, portraits and correspondence of the Mozart family.

There is also the training school for the incredible Royal Lippizaner stallions, beautiful horses trained in a method that stretches back hundreds of years.

Salzburg has fabulous food and lots of old world charm.  Just watch your waistline with the fabulous food and cakes (tortes). You will soon learn the phrase ‘mitt schlag’ because they put whipped cream on everything!

As you return home from this amazing vacation, your family is sure to be singing many of the songs from The Sound of Music, and humming Mozart as you eat the most amazing marzipan.

Salzburg is great any time of the year, but you can really enjoy a sound of music tour in the spring or fall, when there are fewer tourists.

What child, or adult for that matter, wouldn’t like to spend a week in Salzburg?  Well, if you are considering a family vacation this year that combines old world charm with lots to do, consider Salzberg, Austria.

A typical vacation package to Salzberg would include:

* Round-trip airfare from your home city. Taxes and baggage fees will be extra, so budget accordingly.

* Accommodation in Salzberg

* Daily continental breakfast

* Hotel taxes and service charges

There is a variety of accommodation to suit your wallet and number of people traveling with you.

The highlight of this trip, of course, would be the Sound of Music Tour.  Take a wonderful ride with breathtaking views of the landscape where the opening scenes were filmed.  Relax and listen to the original Sound of Music soundtrack. 

An English-speaking guide not only shows you the highlights of the film, but also the historical and architectural landmarks in the city, as well as part of the picturesque Lake District.

Most of the tours would include the following sites:

Mirabell Gardens

The Mirabell Gardens were laid out in the 18th century.  Maria and the children were seen dancing around the statue of Pegasus, the winged horse, and throughout the gardens singing ‘Do-Re-Mi’.

Leopoldskron Castle

The front side of the castle was used as the von Trapp family home, where the children were boating on the Leopoldskron Lake and fell into the water.  The Venetian room was copied from the castle and used as the ballroom.

Hellbrunn Castle

This hunting castle was built in the early 17th century by Prince-Archbishop Markus Sittikus.  In the gardens, the glass pavilion was reconstructed for the pleasure of those fans still returning after 40 years.

Nonnberg Abbey

Nonnberg Abbey is the oldest convent in the German-speaking part of Europe.  Maria was a novice there.  The baron and Maria were married there in 1927.  The scenes for the movie made here, include the opening scene wherein the nuns were going to Mass.  Remember Maria running to the Abbey after spending a morning singing on the hillside.

St. Gilgen and Lake Wolfgang

The scenery shown at the beginning of the movie was filmed at Lake Fuschl on the way to St. Gilgen.  Like the Mozart family, visitors from all over the world appreciate the beautiful village in the Salzkammergut.

Wedding Church Mondsee

Visit the Mondsee Cathedral, where the film wedding between Julie Andrews as Maria and Christopher Plummer as the Baron, took place.

If you are planning a trip to Germany, Austria, or Switzerland and are a fan of Rick Steves, you will certainly want to purchase his DVD called ‘Rick Steves Best of Travels in Europe.’

This DVD encompasses such cities as: Munich and Bavaria; Salzburg, Austria; Austrian Lakes District; Swiss Alps; and Western Switzerland to name a few. It also has highlights of Munich’s Oktoberfest and Rick’s Back Door Travel Tips.

Rick Steves personal guide is a great way to see this area of Europe. He does a great job in telling the watcher not only about places to see, but how to travel when you’re a guest in a foreign country; how to change money; how to find the off-the-beaten path places away from the tourist crowd; and features nice family type restaurants. He provides a perfect balance unlike other videos in this genre.

His personal touch is engaging and this travelogue is narrated from his perspective. On one DVD, he sits down and explains how he packs and shows what he puts in his money belt that he wears.

He does a lot of walking/hiking during his trips and explains about packing lightly and being able to carry everything in a backpack of sorts. He takes the time to explain things, offers a bit of history, talks to the locals, and is just a normal kind of guy.

The DVD is well done and you will want to watch it again and again just for fun. A trip anywhere should be intellectually stimulating and interesting as well as filled with beautiful people and sights–Rick Steve’s makes sure it is.

Again, this is another sensational Rick Steves combo, putting episodes about all the German-speaking countries into one package.

Whether you are planning a Sound of Music tour in Salzberg or a trip to Munich for Oktoberfest, this is one DVD that you will utilize over and over again as you plan your vacations to Europe.

Some of the material is dated of course, since we use the Euro now, but the sights and sites he covers are timeless.

Rick Steves Best of Travels in Europe - Germany, Austria & Switzerland

Among the best guides for travel is the Eyewitness Travel Guides. Munich & The Bavarian Alps guide is no exception. If you are planning a trip to Munich for Oktoberfest, this is one guide you should own.

Available at Amazon.com, this guidebook sells for $16.50.

Those who have purchased this book have nothing but praise as evidenced by their ratings and reviews.

The layout of the book is clear and logical which makes choosing destinations and getting there easy.

The maps in the book are all in full color, as always in this series, showing roads as well as public transport routes.

Countless illustrations enrich the reading and each is carefully drawn so as to save more than a thousand words found in other guides.

The choice of restaurants and hotels are all great picks.

If you’re planning on spending your vacation in Munich during Oktoberfest, then this compact little guide will be indispensable in locating the famous beer halls and tourist sights.

The maps are more than adequate and the walking descriptions to each locale are precise and accurate.

There is also corresponding material on how to use the U-Bahn in the city, and which station to take for each particular site.

There is a separate chapter on the beer halls of the city with a brief ranking system for the nosiest places, the friendliest, and the cheapest beer.

Intended for the casual tourist to the Alps also, there is comprehensive information on sites such as Berchtesgaden and Garmisch, which are excellent.

So this is a thrifty guide you can stick in your pocket and consult when you need to find a restaurant, beer haunt or hotel.

In short, if you’re a first time traveler to Munich, enjoy the greatest city in Europe and be sure to tuck away this guide.

For a diverse, wonderfully cosmopolitan city, this guide provides a marvelous introduction, and does an admirable job of hitting all the highlights.

Needless to say, touring Munich during Oktoberfest requires a comprehensive guide and the Munich & The Bavarian Alps Eyewitness Travel Guides is one of the best.

Eyewitness Travel Guide: Munich & The Bavarian Alps

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The Ultimate Guide to Florence

This is an excellent in-depth guide to Florence, Italy.

This detailed E-Guide gives you essential info on sightseeing, where to stay, where and what to eat. As an added bonues, you will also get a colorful photo guide of Florence and Tuscany.
Travel Guide To Florence