Taking a short Vacation...Need Help deciding Where???

[Giulianna23]

I am taking a week in March to go visit my family in Panama I ussually go for a whole month but I have been using my PTO for other important matters taht needed to be done. So Right now I just have roughly a week of vacation availabe and I am going in March to Panama for 7 days.

Now in June ..I will be sending my kids with the family in Panama for the whole Summer vacation and they will be back a few days before School starts.

Like I mentioned before I ussualy take a whole month but unfortunately I can't this time and I really need to get away somewhere else. So while my kids are in Panama for the Summer I am thinking on taking another week in late July or first week of August which by then I will have another week accumulated at work. My dilema is that I have 3 options and just can't decide where to go.
These are the options in no prticular order.. at each place I would only have to worry about my flight ticket, and spending money. I have room and board resolved.

1 - Valencia, SPAIN - Always wanted to go , had several opportunities in the past but chosen to go somewhere else. Here the ticket is the more expensive one it will be about $1,200 round trip jut for the ticket and just for a week?...and at least another $1000. for spending....even though I have a place to stay and food covered I dont know If I should do it . But to be honest...I really want to go and I don't know if I will ever have the opportunity again.
Lots of History , beaches, Museums, Nightlife etc etc

2 - Medellin or Cartagena Colombia - Never had the real opportunity to visit this country even though its the neighbor of my Hometown Country Panama. I have tons of friends from Colombia and In the past 2 years they have been seriously inviting me to their country and I am thinking about it. I know its beautiful full of hisoty as well. Cartagena is on the coast with beautiful beaches but Medellin has no beaches but it is a cosmopolitan city..with lots of things to do. I know at any of these 2 cities I would have a blast.PLus I have a very very important person I would love to see again after 7 years. The ticket for here it will be about $ 650 + about at least $700. for spending.

3 - Puerto Rico - The people here are exactly like the people from Panama going here with no doubt I will feel at home. Beautiful beaches lots of ocean activities. good music , food, dance clubs . I have family members here that stayed waiting for me last year and I couldn't go. My uncle loves scuba diving and fishing. He really wants me to go and ask me all the time if I am going to visit that they are waiting for me. Here definetaly I wont need nothing but my airplain ticket which is about $450 round trip..and maybe.... maybe a $400 for spending.

So which one would you chose? Help me out ladies

[indysteel]

I don't know what the travel time is to Colombia or Puerto Rico (although I imagine at least the latter is less), but the cost per day and travel time of going to Spain for just a week would take it off of the list if it were me. I think you should hold off on that trip until you have more time. That said, I'd love to go to Valencia.

I've never been to South or Central America so I can't speak to those places. Seeing an old friend sounds really appealing though, so maybe Colombia?

[Pax]

Spain would be my choice, but with only a week I'd wait and go later. Instead I'd go to Puerto Rico, amazing beaches, food, some great culture!! And it's close and cheap (relatively).

[Giulianna23]

I don't know what the travel time is to Colombia or Puerto Rico (although I imagine at least the latter is less), but the cost per day and travel time of going to Spain for just a week would take it off of the list if it were me. I think you should hold off on that trip until you have more time. That said, I'd love to go to Valencia.

I've never been to South or Central America so I can't speak to those places. Seeing an old friend sounds really appealing though, so maybe Colombia?

To Spain I might be able to work it out @ work and get a few more days off...maybe 3 more days . I don't ..... know there is something strong pulling me that way.

Thanks for ur opinion. And yeah....If I could see that person it will worth the whole trip.

[indysteel]

To Spain I might be able to work it out @ work and get a few more days off...maybe 3 more days . I don't ..... know there is something strong pulling me that way.

Thanks for ur opinion.

If you could swing it, that would be cool. My trips to Europe have been in the range of 10-11 days. While I'd like to stay longer, I think that length of vacation allows sufficient bang for your buck in terms of the price of the flight and headache of international travel. With less than that, you'll just feel rushed.

Just be forewarned if you end up going to Spain in August: Half of the rest of Europe might end up being there, too. As you probably already know, August is the month that parts of Europe take off and Spain is a big destination for northern Europeans.

Bon voyage. All three of your trips are enviable!

[Giulianna23]

Spain would be my choice, but with only a week I'd wait and go later. Instead I'd go to Puerto Rico, amazing beaches, food, some great culture!! And it's close and cheap (relatively).

Yeah...Thats what I thought but...I have the feeling that If I don't go now...who knows when?. I have put it up several times in the past and the last time was about 6 years ago and went to London instead several times chosen London over Spain because it was my heart thinking and not my head. lol...The last 4 vacations I have spend it back home.
Yeah...Puerto Rico be wayyyyy cheaper... but on the other hand it will be like going back home...same scenario. Beautiful yeah amazingly beautiful beaches no doubt ...but I feel the need of knowing other places..
I dunno I have a blast everytime I go back home though..and I know it will be the same in Puerto Rico.

[OakLeaf]

I spent three weeks in Valencia a few years ago and had a WONDERFUL time. We're not much on nightlife (though I know it's famous for that), but it's a beautiful and very walkable city with ample public transit and a fascinating mixture of ultra-modern, Moorish, pre-Columbian and Renaissance architecture. Castle Xátiva, a short bus (train? I don't remember) ride away, has been in continuous use from Roman times until today and has sections and additions from six or eight different periods.

Can't speak to either of the other destinations.

Just be forewarned if you end up going to Spain in August: Half of the rest of Europe might end up being there, too. As you probably already know, August is the month that parts of Europe take off and Spain is a big destination for northern Europeans.

Very true. We were there in October and November, the tail end of the season, starting to get a little cool for the beach, so most everything was still open but not at all crowded. I can see it being a zoo at the peak of the season.

[Pax]

Yeah...Thats what I thought but...I have the feeling that If I don't go now...who knows when?. I have put it up several times in the past and the last time was about 6 years ago and went to London instead several times chosen London over Spain because it was my heart thinking and not my head. lol...The last 4 vacations I have spend it back home.
Yeah...Puerto Rico be wayyyyy cheaper... but on the other hand it will be like going back home...same scenario. Beautiful yeah amazingly beautiful beaches no doubt ...but I feel the need of knowing other places..
I dunno I have a blast everytime I go back home though..and I know it will be the same in Puerto Rico.

I can't imagine going from that... to Indiana!!!

[indysteel]

I can't imagine going from that... to Indiana!!!

As a fellow Hoosier, I agree. I'm not much of a beach person myself, but coming back to Indiana from Paris (my personal "happy place") is awful.

[Giulianna23]

I also have the option of skipping March and saving that week for later then by july I will have about 14 -15 days and then go to Spain?..but then My family be sad because I didn't go visit and then I wont be able to go until 2013. ..should I?..I couldn't go last year nowhere.