Looking for inspiration - 10 days in September

[ReviewingTheSituation]

Hoping someone can provide the inspiration I need for a trip for me and DH (early 50s) in early Sept...

Our plan was to do a trip with Inntravel to Slovenia (4 centre trip - Lakes, Ljubliana, Alps and Piran) - they sort all the travel for you (mainly train, but one private transfer) so it's super-easy. We've travelled with them before, and wanted a nice easy option again. Except they don't have availability for the dates we want.

I could try and replicate the itinerary - find some hotels/AirBnBs and sort the travel, but I was looking for an easy option and I know I'll disappear into an online rabbit hole if I start doing this, as it's not a country I know anything about (hence opting for someone else doing the leg work).

So now I'm wondering about doing something completely different... but what?

We like:
Moving around - we'd usually stay in about 3 (or 4) places in a 10 day trip
Mix of city and small town/countryside/coast
Small hotels or nice SC places (not big hotels/resorts)

Recent trips we enjoyed are:
Tuscany, Porto/Douro valley, Norway (Cities and fjords), Atlantic coast of France/Bordeaux/Dordogne

I'm hoping the power of MN can give me some ideas (Europe only - not long haul). Keeping my fingers crossed...

Greek Islands? You could combine with Athens if you wanted to include a city.

Italy - lots of scope to visit a few different cities or areas in 10 days.

South of France - you could stay in Nice & do day trips along the coast/inland

I second Italy. We're looking at Malta as there seems plenty to do there. One of plans next year is visit some castles in Germany and then see where else we can get to from there

I was going to suggest Slovenia! We're DIYing it there this year. It's a really easy country to get around. We've been before though. Let me know if it still takes your fancy and I can recommend some hotels.

Actually ignore me, I've only stayed in larger hotels. But I'd still recommend the country for self- travel.

I see you have already been to all the places I was about to suggest, having done them myself in the past apart from Norway. Good taste there!

I don't know if this would interest you or not, but would you consider flying into Malaga, a fab city in its own right, then moving on to Granada, Cordoba, and then down to Seville and Cadiz. I did it recently over 9 days and it was fantastic. Hectic though and was knackered on the way back. You could skip Cadiz to maximise time elsewhere. It was a lovely spot but not vital. Cordoba was my favourite place, Seville neck and neck but I had been there twice before, Granada had to be seen for the Alhambra but was heaving in March during school terms too. Malaga city as always is delightful.

Flew into Malaga and out of Seville. Just a suggestion.

I'd agree with previous posters and suggest Greek island hopping (very easy, you don't need to book ferries in advance and when we went the hotel owners were picking up/dropping off at the ferry port. You can fly into one island, hop across several then fly home from the final one.

Italy is also great, fly into one city and fly home from another. Trains very efficient and cheaper than here!

If you enjoy walking, the Cinque Terre is fabulous.

Iceland / Switzerland

You're clearly all on my wavelength as the suggestions here are all very much on my list (or have done before).

We LOVE Italy - have been there more than anywhere else. It's tempting to go back again, but I feel we should go somewhere new. And we're just back from France, so will wait a while before going there again (much as we loved it).

We've done Malaga/Granada (and surrounds), but Cadiz/Seville are very much on my list - any suggestions for more rural locations to off-set the city elements?

We haven't done the Greek Islands for a few years, and did enjoy them last time we went- we did Paros/Santorini/Mykonos last time. Not very familiar with the different island groups, so would need to research that a bit.

@CharlotteStreetW1 - I'd be very interested in any thoughts on easy Slovenian itineraries. Maybe I shouldn't close the door on that option just yet.

Croatia and day trip in to Slovenia as well!

Rhodes? It’s a big enough island you could spend the whole 10 days there. A few nights in Rhodes old town & then a few in Lindos. Could even get the ferry over to Turkey for the day or longer. Symi is a Greek Island close by you could get the ferry to as well if you wanted to visit more than one island.

Crete. You wouldn't need to island hop as there is so much to do there.

Good suggestion.

Symi is beautiful and just an hour by the regular ferries.

I was going to suggest Porto and Azores but already done Porto, could do with Lisbon. Azores has lots of hot springs, botanical gardens whole island is like one, can also island hop. Think its still whale and dolphin watching season though check.

Italy Amalfi Coast is good. Pretty much everywhere is good in Italy. In Sicily we stayed in lovely small hotel in Taormina, its lovely there in September. And Villa Edera on Venice Lido was nice small hotel.

Thanks for all the suggestions - have banked a couple for the future (and quite a few are places we have been before and enjoyed).

I have booked Slovenia after all - Bohinj, Bled, Ljubliana and Piran. Just need to sort transport between them (a mix of taxi/bus/train), but hotels and flights all sorted. I was strict with myself - not letting myself fall into an internet-search rabbit hole when looking for accommodation, and setting myself a hard deadline of sorting it all out before lunch! I normally dither for ages, so I feel very pleased with myself, and very happy with all the places I've booked.

Well done! You'll have a great time 😊