Punta Cana or Cancun

[methodology]

Agree on St Maarten but I did hear it’s a shell of itself right now after the hurricanes they were hammered with. In rebuilding mode but could be wrong.

100% right. I might have it mixed up the French side got support and has rebounded the Dutch side didn’t get any support from home and hasn’t completely recovered

 

[huskiesNhoos]

Rome is my favorite city I have been to out of dozens internationally. Funny how people get different impressions of places so easily

I'm not as internationally versed as you, but it just wasn't an appealing city to me (most aren't). Much preferred Tuscany region and the smaller towns.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I'm not as internationally versed as you, but it just wasn't an appealing city to me (most aren't). Much preferred Tuscany region and the smaller towns.

Benn to Italy a number of times. Florence is without question my favorite spot there but Rome has so much more to see. One (sad) truth is that I don't believe that there could ever be enough time to see everything there is to see in Italy.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

I’ve traveled all over Europe, and have to say the best food I have had was in Bavaria and Barcelona. The sights in Bavaria are awesome, driving south from Munich towards the Alps is a great trip to take yourselves, no expensive tour guide I mean. The trip is flat until you begin seeing what you think are clouds in the distance, then you realize they are not clouds.

As for a resort vacation, five years ago my wife and I spent two glorious weeks on the island of Moorea. Comparisons to the Caribbean and Mexico are not even close, in my opinion. Moorea and the other Society Islands are part of France. Only downside can be the weather as they do have a rainy season and the cost is higher but we’ll worth it if you can afford it. They also have cruises through those islands, Moorea, BoraBora, Tahiti, Huahine, the Marquess, the Tuamoto’s. IMO Moorea is the most affordable.

 

[Travelman6]

Tulum, imo, is better than cancun. Look into that if you've never been. Lots of history, nice beaches, cheaper and wonderful tours and daytrips that can be done and cenotes to see. Colombia and Honduras have incredible beaches. Small islands near San Andres are some of the best I've ever seen and Rotan or Utila Honduras have stunning beaches too. Off the beaten path Cuba is also phenomenal.

If Europe check some of the beaches off season in the Balkans. Budva Monterngro is super cute, Albania, especially in the south is a huge surprise too. Plus much cheaper than Croatia which at this point is really just over priced even in lesser known places like Rovinj. Bosnia only has 15 km of sea so mostly landlocked but something about that country I really liked. Off the beaten path Europe is awesome, Serbia has awesome roads, lots of highway and great nature, old ruins, some as old as 1st century and gorgeous monasteries.

 

[storrsroars]

Tulum, imo, is better than cancun. Look into that if you've never been. Lots of history, nice beaches, cheaper and wonderful tours and daytrips that can be done and cenotes to see. Colombia and Honduras have incredible beaches. Small islands near San Andres are some of the best I've ever seen and Rotan or Utila Honduras have stunning beaches too. Off the beaten path Cuba is also phenomenal.

If Europe check some of the beaches off season in the Balkans. Budva Monterngro is super cute, Albania, especially in the south is a huge surprise too. Plus much cheaper than Croatia which at this point is really just over priced even in lesser known places like Rovinj. Bosnia only has 15 km of sea so mostly landlocked but something about that country I really liked. Off the beaten path Europe is awesome, Serbia has awesome roads, lots of highway and great nature, old ruins, some as old as 1st century and gorgeous monasteries.

If there is reincarnation, I want to come back as you.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Debating the two, might just go to Europe, any preferences?

Go to Europe. If you are even thinking Cancun, go to Playa del Carmen instead. Safer. Nicer. But it's mostly stay in the resort, go to some ruins, and the eco water park places. It's fine as a break from winter, but there's no point at other times really.

European tourism is still below pre-pandemic levels, so it's a good time to go and see things with perhaps fewer crowds. I really enjoyed our last trip in France with a bit of Belgium. Scotland is good. Ireland is good.

Edit:
Now that I see relaxation is the goal, pretty sure you can do that just fine in Florida. Or Hilton Head. Another option, the cruise industry is dying to get people on boats. Prices are cheaper. Just pick a nice boat like Disney for a more relaxed pace.

 

[HuskyNan]

Tulum, imo, is better than cancun. Look into that if you've never been. Lots of history, nice beaches, cheaper and wonderful tours and daytrips that can be done and cenotes to see. Colombia and Honduras have incredible beaches. Small islands near San Andres are some of the best I've ever seen and Rotan or Utila Honduras have stunning beaches too. Off the beaten path Cuba is also phenomenal.

If Europe check some of the beaches off season in the Balkans. Budva Monterngro is super cute, Albania, especially in the south is a huge surprise too. Plus much cheaper than Croatia which at this point is really just over priced even in lesser known places like Rovinj. Bosnia only has 15 km of sea so mostly landlocked but something about that country I really liked. Off the beaten path Europe is awesome, Serbia has awesome roads, lots of highway and great nature, old ruins, some as old as 1st century and gorgeous monasteries.

Kotor Montenegro is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. We took a cruise that stopped there and went through a fjord to get to the city. Just awesome.

 

[ClifSpliffy]

Water temps.

San Diego is 63 degrees

Caribbean is around 78-82 degrees

the op sez triptime is
'late summer.'
uncle sam (noaa) tells us that water temps around San Diego then can be reasonably expected to be 'warm,' ie 70+.
ergo fail, in addition to selective nitpicking.
the other two at that time?
Puerto Rico -83.
Hawaii - 80.

of course, sum of us have already been in the water this year, in Maine.
katey used to hit the surf over in Saybrook starting in April. i guess that we have a different sense of what 'cold water' means.
CWTG - NCEI Coastal Water Temperature Guide - Pacific Coast: South table

and since it's also low to mid 70s water temp around here at that time, i would suggest to rent a home with white sand beach, and mebbe a pool, not too far from the casinos so you could have a quick trip to a fun place when the op needs to 'get out of the house' for a bit. here's how the logistics on that move could look:
walk out of house. turn key on the yugo. bust down the highway for a bit, park car in new drive. already in 'bathing suit,' exit car, walk down to surf, jump in.
no trains, planes, car service, papers, lugging, standing around, wondering if that airport terminal hotdog is really safe to eat, no cattle calls or seatback kickers, no need for pocket cash to tip people for whatever, no language issues, .... wait, whut? why can't that guy stop sneezing? none of it. i think they call it a 'vacation,' a term originating in America by the nyc doctor who first used it to describe the folks coming to his Adirondack health getaway from the city, as they 'vacated' it in pursuit of fresh air for the lung illness of that time.
bring sum cowboy ribeyes, leave the immodium and pepto at home.

 

[District-Husky]

Look at Belize.

 

[SubbaBub]

BVI is a bit more remote though. I did a BVI catamaran charter for a week so we sailed around and island hopped every day. Most of the islands only had 1 bar/restaurant. You could definitely spend a week on Virgin Gorda though and book some excursions through the Bitter End YC.

I think USVI is probably cheaper too. You could spend a week on St. Thomas or St. John and not get bored.

You can fly direct to STT. BVI stops require a stop at SJU. St. John is considered the compromise but that requires a ferry ride and a jeep rental. You can do Tortola with just a couple cab rides.

As I said, it depends what he's looking for.

If you want the most Mainland USA experience, that is Aruba, hands down. I call it a less trashy version of FLL.

 

[SubbaBub]

My wife and I just got back from vacation in Belize. It was amazing and the coolest thing is you can go from a tropical beach to the rainforest in about two hours. Everyone is super friendly it is safe and they speak English. They also just lifted some super strict Covid policies and everyone is in a celebratory mood.

Belize is very nice, English speaking, and quite reasonable. One does need to choose one of the two tourist areas and possibly deal with a ferry ride. Excellent diving/snorkeling plus the jungle.

 

[husky429]

Tulum, imo, is better than cancun. Look into that if you've never been. Lots of history, nice beaches, cheaper and wonderful tours and daytrips that can be done and cenotes to see. Colombia and Honduras have incredible beaches. Small islands near San Andres are some of the best I've ever seen and Rotan or Utila Honduras have stunning beaches too. Off the beaten path Cuba is also phenomenal.

If Europe check some of the beaches off season in the Balkans. Budva Monterngro is super cute, Albania, especially in the south is a huge surprise too. Plus much cheaper than Croatia which at this point is really just over priced even in lesser known places like Rovinj. Bosnia only has 15 km of sea so mostly landlocked but something about that country I really liked. Off the beaten path Europe is awesome, Serbia has awesome roads, lots of highway and great nature, old ruins, some as old as 1st century and gorgeous monasteries.

When did you go to Tulum? The place has been absolutely BOMBARDED by insta-traveler hipsters in the past maybe 7-8 years. The ruins and cenotes are still cool, but boy golly do I hate that kind of crowd when I want to go to the beach.

 

[upstater]

Greek ferries are notoriously awful--including the ones for people. We took high-speed passenger ferries on every trip--2 out of the 3 were awful.

Huh, never had a problem. I've probably spent the equivalent of 3 or 4 years there. Admittedly, I haven't traveled there since the pandemic started

 

[husky429]

Huh, never had a problem. I've probably spent the equivalent of 3 or 4 years there. Admittedly, I haven't traveled there since the pandemic started

They're known for being late, and the staff screaming a lot to make people move faster. That was definitely my experience, even on the newest flagships. Santorini to Naxos was one of the most horrendous travel experiences of my life lol

 

[boog204]

If you want the resort thing, I think Cancun does it better. Keep in mind that the beaches in Caribbean have seaweed issues that smell like legit dirty diapers and it renders some of the beaches unusable. They're supposedly coming up with some sort of system to help, but it was pretty brutal when I was in Mex three years ago.

I'd imagine Europe would be better, unless you just want to lie around and be a gluttonous drunk (not that there's anything wrong with that.)

 

[upstater]

They're known for being late, and the staff screaming a lot to make people move faster. That was definitely my experience, even on the newest flagships. Santorini to Naxos was one of the most horrendous travel experiences of my life lol

Oh, I understand the screaming. Did you not hear the same kind of yelling all over Greece? They might be saying, "Hello my friend, let me comp you a free drink" but it comes out sounding like, "You dirty lowdown son-of-a-gun, they should whip your hide!!"

Funniest thing I saw there 2 years ago was a Brit walking through town a tank top on, no shorts, no underwear, and a proprietor of a hop come out and start whipping him with what looked like a riding crop.

 

[huskiemaniac]

Debating the two, might just go to Europe, any preferences?

35 friends just went to punta Cana and 22 were very sick. Spent days in their rooms with gastro issues.

 

[HooperScooper]

If you want the resort thing, I think Cancun does it better. Keep in mind that the beaches in Caribbean have seaweed issues that smell like legit dirty diapers and it renders some of the beaches unusable. They're supposedly coming up with some sort of system to help, but it was pretty brutal when I was in Mex three years ago.

All of the Caribbean or just the Mexican beaches on the Caribbean? Because I've never experienced that on any of the Caribbean islands.

 

[husky429]

Oh, I understand the screaming. Did you not hear the same kind of yelling all over Greece? They might be saying, "Hello my friend, let me comp you a free drink" but it comes out sounding like, "You dirty lowdown son-of-a-gun, they should whip your hide!!"

Funniest thing I saw there 2 years ago was a Brit walking through town a tank top on, no shorts, no underwear, and a proprietor of a hop come out and start whipping him with what looked like a riding crop.

Fair enough, lol. Make it was just the sheer amount of yelling, versus a singular hair old Greek man screaming at me like normal!

 

[August_West]

This thread is classic BY.

oh lets see......................... cancun where you can go all in on the best of everything for about 1/10th the cost of going all in on Italy, Greek islands, or wherever on the Mediterranean your heart takes you. Id rather be in Italy too, or Europe. But this is an extreme apples to oranges comparison wallet wise. Not to mention what your families desire for a vacation is.

 

[methodology]

If you want the resort thing, I think Cancun does it better. Keep in mind that the beaches in Caribbean have seaweed issues that smell like legit dirty diapers and it renders some of the beaches unusable. They're supposedly coming up with some sort of system to help, but it was pretty brutal when I was in Mex three years ago.

I'd imagine Europe would be better, unless you just want to lie around and be a gluttonous drunk (not that there's anything wrong with that.)

All of the Caribbean or just the Mexican beaches on the Caribbean? Because I've never experienced that on any of the Caribbean islands.

Just returned from St Thomas this past Friday and spent a day in St. John going to maho beach and trunk bay. No seaweed issues at all that boog described at either of those islands. Same with Anguilla when I was there in October

Have never had any seaweed issues at any of the islands I’ve been

 

[superjohn]

This thread is classic BY.

oh lets see......................... cancun where you can go all in on the best of everything for about 1/10th the cost of going all in on Italy, Greek islands, or wherever on the Mediterranean your heart takes you. Id rather be in Italy too, or Europe. But this is an extreme apples to oranges comparison wallet wise. Not to mention what your families desire for a vacation is.

OP said he was debating between Cancun and Punta Cana or he might go to Europe.

 

[August_West]

OP said he was debating between Cancun and Punta Cana or he might go to Europe.

classic chin

 

[ColchVEGAS]

This thread is classic BY.

oh lets see......................... cancun where you can go all in on the best of everything for about 1/10th the cost of going all in on Italy, Greek islands, or wherever on the Mediterranean your heart takes you. Id rather be in Italy too, or Europe. But this is an extreme apples to oranges comparison wallet wise. Not to mention what your families desire for a vacation is.

Not necessarily true. I cannot speak to Italy, Greece, or many other European destinations but I can when it comes to Portugal as I travel there often.

I did an all inclusive trip to Punta Cana last summer with the family and with airfare it was just under $6k for the four of us for 5 days. I am leaving for Portugal in a couple weeks and the airfare for the four of us was $1200. I have a home in Portugal so lodging costs nothing, but we usually bring about 1500 euros for the 14 days we stay there and are able to eat out 2 times a day and go shopping as well as get an Airbnb if we want to stay at the beach. We usually come home with some extra euros in hand.

So half the price of our trip to Punta Cana and more than twice as long of a vacation. With that said I would for sure go back to Punta Cana, just not during hurricane season.