When you plan your travels, sometimes you want to go somewhere you’ve never been. And sometimes you want to make a return visit. We each have only one lifetime, and the world is crammed with places to experience. So how do you decide whether to include a return visit in your itinerary? I hope by sharing some thoughts on this that I can help inspire you when you’re planning your travels!
Whenever you choose to visit one place, you automatically choose not to visit others. This is something I wrestle with and put a lot of research into. I live in the U.S., so when I fly “across the pond” to Europe, distance comes into play, as well as modes of transportation. Last year I finally made it to Bastogne, Belgium and Flossenburg, Germany (where my Dad served in World War II). These are some of the most meaningful, moving places I’ve ever visited. But because they are both inaccessible by train, I’d put off visiting for years. I’m so glad we rented cars and finally got there. (Hello, German Autobahn and driving 180 kilometers an hour!). So lots of planning goes into all my trips. Decisions, decisions.
So how do you decide whether you want to return to somewhere you’ve already been? Here are a couple of the places I hope to return to, along with a couple that I’ve included in more than one trip, along with my reasons for this.
Budapest
The reason I would love to return here is that Budapest provides a visitor the perfect mix of the beautiful, the historic, the quirky, and the real-life neighborhoods. I felt more alive here than in some of the pristine, cleaned up cities I’ve been to. I loved the overgrown vines on the old apartment buildings. A literal “iron curtain” outside the Museum of Terror sits in the middle of the main boulevard.
Architecture of note includes Fisherman’s Bastion. Built by the Fisherman’s Guild to guard this section of the city, it can be explored today, with its hallways and arches and staircases. And from the top you can take in lovely views of the Danube.
And there is actually a Hospital in the Rock built into a cave underground. The tour in English takes you through the hospital wards used in World War II by the Red Cross. The last part of the tour focuses on the hospital as a bunker during the Cold War in case of nuclear attack. The tour becomes a lecture stopping just short of accusing the Allies of how evil it was to drop the bombs that ended the war. I found this all fascinating.
The Danube flowing through the city provides uncontested beauty, day or night. Yes, a return visit to Budapest is on my wish list.
Normandy and the D-Day Beaches
The history of World War II on these 5 beaches in France is one of my special interests. To stand in these places where great battles were fought is beyond description. By visiting, we can pay tribute to all those who lost their lives or were injured here. This year is the 75th anniversary of D-Day, and so I have scheduled a return visit this summer. While I’ve been to Omaha Beach and Utah Beach and plan to go back, I haven’t yet visited Sword, Juno, and Gold. My return trip will be a time of honoring those affected by the battles on these beaches that are now serene and peaceful.
This is a lovely Belgium town that I visited. The reason I would like to return is that during that visit, we ventured outside the town and saw barely any of it. We toured Flanders Fields and went to neighboring Ypres. We rode bikes along the canal outside the town and found windmills and farmland. We ran out of time to see Bruges, though. Oops! So we plan to return and spend time in Bruges itself. Good idea, right?! You can see we certainly found Belgium a beautiful place to explore, though.
We did manage to enjoy Belgium waffles — certainly worth a repeat visit!
You may have guessed this one! Paris is on my list for a return visit, even though I’ve been 5 times — more than any other European city for me. My reasons?
Architectural beauty. The stained glass of Sainte-Chapelle alone is worth going back to see again. And Paris has its very own Pantheon.
So much history. You can find layer on layer of history here. For example, I had been to Paris a few times before I discovered the Conciergerie. This is a historic palace as well as a prison where Marie Antoinette spent her last days. It’s open to tour.
Also, around the city you’ll find tributes to those who gave their lives fighting in the resistance in World War II. These are on individual doorways, and here is a long wall of them, where fighting took place in the center of Paris.
Original art on display. There’s the famous Louvre, of course. And there’s so much more. The Orangerie and the Musee D’Orsay in the elegant former train station feature impressionists — Monet in particular.
Green spaces for relaxation. There’s the Tuileries, Luxembourg Gardens, and the Place des Vosges, to name a few.
There’s the Eiffel Tower. Last but not least, you can see the Eiffel Tower and go up inside, too. I have a permanent love affair with this iconic symbol of Paris.
How about you? Have you been to a place you want to return to? What’s calling you back? Whether it’s the vibe of a city or the feeling that there’s so much more to explore, there can be many reasons to return to a place you’ve loved.
26 Comments
I am always in awe of your travels!
Thank you for sharing these world wonders with us!
Each are places I would love to see.
So many beautiful sights Sharon – I’d love to visit each.
Beautiful photos – I’d want to return again, also!
Thanks for sharing at https://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2019/04/in-memoriam.html
A Long time ago we abandoned the idea of public transportation on our travels for the reason that much doesn’t become accessible, and we want to make every hour of our vacation count! To be able to afford that extra $250- we eat like the locals instead of going to restaurants for every meal.
Budapest is a great choice! So beautiful! Love your hubby’s captures of you shows he how thick the walls are, and the trenches! Do you see that roof that look like stairs – on that you can see that in history Northern part of Belgium was a part of Holland.
Our son showed us a light display from the Eiffel tower during Christmas time – you might want to see that (first check if they still do it!) Many thanks Sharon bringing the photos to All Seasons I can’t because it was before I had a camera!.
Wow, great images! I am convinced that everywhere we visit, big or small, deserves at least one more trip!
Thanks for joining and making My Corner of the World a success!
I did the opposite to you in Bruges! I need to go back for Flanders and Ypres. I did manage to get some cycling along the canals in though. It’s beautiful out there!
Though I’ve fallen in love with almost everywhere I’ve been, there are actually only a few places that I have this strong urge to go back to. I think that’s because there are so many places I want to go and not enough time or money to go everywhere. But there are a few places that I absolutely plan to return to: Ireland because as soon as I first stepped foot there I felt I was home, Ecuador for sentimental reasons, and Germany because there are still so many things I want to see and do there. #wanderfulwednesday
Ill come along! I love to travel and love to revisit places.
I have too many places I want to see that I’ll never go back to the same place twice unless it’s a different area and I’m seeing all new things
We also struggle where to visit next – to go back somewhere we loved or try somewhere new. There are places that just captivate you though, I’m been to Budapest twice now and wouldn’t hesitate to go again because I think it’s wonderful!
Thank you for sharing your lovely photos and experiences 🙂
Couldn’t agree more that it’s quite beneficial to do a return visit. Perhaps the first visit wasn’t as expected, so the second you’ll know what to expect and can perhaps better enjoy it. #FarawayFiles
I could pretty much go back to everywhere – I always feel I haven’t seen everything or done it justice. But it all comes at the cost of somewhere else (in both time and money). Choices are getting harder for me. #Farawayfiles. (Budapest looks fabulous!)
Fun idea for a post! I’ve often struggled with the same thing when planning travel, as there are so many wonderful places, but so little time. I’ve repeatedly visited London, and in fact am going back this summer as well. Repeat visits allow us to dig deeper, which is something I think gets lost on the first visit. I discovered Sainte Chapelle on my third visit to Paris, and agree wholeheartedly that it’s worth visiting time and again. What a showstopper! #farawayfiles
Like you, I wrestle with the idea of too many places, too little time. We did return to Lapland this winter but that was because it was the perfect place to keep perfecting cross-country skiing. In terms of cities, we returned to Paris last year and initially I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first visit. I think that was down to choosing the wrong area to explore – we were hot and hungry! The second day was much better.
I haven’t been to Bruges or Budapest but they are definitely on my list.
I would love to return to Venice – we had such a wonderful time on our first visit. #farawayfiles
I agree, many of these I’ve visited and would love to return to – one trip only ever lets you scratch the surface of what a destination has to offer. You take some beautiful pics too! #FarawayFiles
Sometimes I do think whether I should return to a place when there is still so much more to discover in the world, but sometimes once is just not enough. I love Paris and I could definitely return time and again there is so much to see and do and I must admit I love their culture. #farawayfiles
Actually, there are many reasons behind the feel to return to the same destination. No doubt a second visit gives you the chance to explore the place more deeply. I don’t much return to the same place, but I truly enjoy recollecting each moment I had loved 🙂
There are so many places I haven´t seen yet – so most of the time I go fo smth new! Nevertheless, there are a few places that were so special to me that I definitely plan on visiting again – Greek Islands, Hawaii and Turkey! Plus each of these has many sites I haven´t visited yet! #FeetDoTravel
What a great post with some lovely reminders. I am considering Budapest in the summer. I now know where to come to get all the info I need! Brugges is gorgeous and well worth spending some time there. #feetdotravel
There are so many places I want to return. In most cases I end up choosing a totally new location, but I have returned in few places such as Paris and Hawaii. I have never been to Budapest or Belgium but I see why you would choose to return there. Hopefully I will get to experience that feeling when I go to these places.
So beautiful. Thanks for sharing this list, Sharon. I’d love to visit Brussels one day. I pinned this so I can refer to it in the future.
Sharon, what a great topic to discuss. I seem to fall in love with every place I visit. And those special places do get a return a visit … On my list are Lesvos Island, Greece, The UK, Scotland, Ireland, Australia, Cyprus… when I think about it, it’s all about the people I meet there. They are the connection that bring me back. Thank you for sharing your perspective.
Great topic, Sharon… I was impressed that you consider Budapest one of the cities you want to return to. I agree, although visiting new places is great, a return visit to places we enjoyed or didn’t have time to fully explore is always a good choice. #FeetDoTravel
So gorgeous!
What a great question. The things that make me return to a place is the depth I find in the culture. Whilst there is so much of the world to see, returning somewhere seems luxurious, I think some places touch your heart. And I too would add Budapest.