Our 2017 European holiday is not far away, with a departure date of July 26.  Needless to say, we are very excited about the upcoming trip as it will include a blend of European urban and rural locales, of places that are both familiar and completely new to us. We therefore encourage all readers of Explorer Bear’s blog to stay tuned to this site as our summer holiday unfolds.

What follows is a day-to-day itinerary:

Days 1-3: Fly from Boston to Dublin, Ireland via Aer Lingus, followed by a flight to Newcastle, England.  Drive to Hexham where we will stay for three nights.

Days 4-6: Drive southeast to Whitby, Yorkshire.

Days 7-9: Train to London.

Days 10-13: Flight from London to Bordeaux, France.  Drive to Sarlat, located in the Dordogne River valley.

Days 14-16: Drive to Lyon, France.

Days 17-19: Flight to Milan, Italy, followed by a train ride to Bellagio on the shores of Lake Como.

Days 20-22: Train ride to Milan, where we will conclude our trip.