ideas for a short exciting vacation?

June 20, 2015 1:56 AM

I have a week of unspoken-for vacation coming up in October. I'm going to be somewhere in Europe at the start of this time. I'd like to do something memorable and exciting. I have bucket-list items like rafting the Futaleufu in Chile, trekking in Nepal, touring Mongolia, going to Antarctica, ..., but they all seem to require around 3 weeks. Any ideas for what I can do along these outdoorsy, thrillseek-y lines in one week? Willing to travel wherever in theory, but again, time is the main constraint.

(One thing I'm not considering this time around is scuba diving. I've done a fair bit of that and I love it but I'm looking for something different this time around.)

posted by eugenen to Travel & Transportation (9 answers total)

Why don't you go hiking in the alps and attend Oktoberfest?
posted by catspajammies at 2:59 AM on June 20, 2015

Svalbard. Memail me if you need suggestions on lodging and excursion companies.
posted by Emperor SnooKloze at 3:29 AM on June 20, 2015

Bulgaria. There are awesome licensed guides and you could see some of the most beautiful places in the world. Bonus: cheap, and the cultural experience in Bulgaria is not to be missed.

I'm here -- I'll feed you and put you up if you like. Memail.
posted by jpziller at 3:52 AM on June 20, 2015 [2 favorites]

Iceland has tons of adventures and thrill seeking opportunities. Snorkel in 33F degree water. Climb glaciers. Dog sled. And getting there from many cities in Europe is super cheap, though eating there is not.
posted by ImproviseOrDie at 4:11 AM on June 20, 2015

Just went to Greenland for about a week. It's not cheap (especially the food..) but it is beautiful (I especially enjoyed kayaking among icebergs near Ilulissat). It's also easier to get to from Europe (via Copenhagen) than from most anywhere else.

October may be a bit late in the year, however.
posted by nat at 5:05 AM on June 20, 2015

Georgia! Cheap, gorgeous, delicious, mountains everywhere, wine, and not that far away.
posted by mdonley at 5:32 AM on June 20, 2015

Corsica should still be good weather in October, and you can cross the entire island in 7 days. There is also sea kayaking.
www.corsica-hiking.com
kayaking Corsica description from Lonely Planet
This year we're hiking the Via Spluga (inn to inn) from Switzerland to Italy which takes five days. You could end your trip with rock-climbing at Lake Como. (We'll be ending our trip with laying around at Lake Como; my threshold for excitement is pretty low, lol.) Switzerland is supposed to be nice weather in October.
posted by hiker U. at 9:36 AM on June 20, 2015

October is a little late in the season, but a climb of the Matterhorn would be amazing.
posted by doctord at 12:34 PM on June 20, 2015

Iceland! There is a bunch of fun outdoorsy stuff within an hour of Reykjavik.
posted by TheCoug at 12:33 PM on June 21, 2015