I don't know about you but I rather study a language for some weeks to actually communicate with local people in areas where English isn't that usual language rather than run around trying to find an English-speaker or spend most of my time at the hotel or its immediate surroundings.

Perfectly simple for some, not that simple for others you know. Still I can't see how some can regard Russian language as "beatiful" or "awesome" but that's just my opinion. By the way, Be4viz didn't say that he don't like the Russian language: he said that he doesn't find its sound beatiful.

You forgot foreign investments on these countries due to cheaper labour & material costs.

Well that really depends what exactly you're looking for?

A. Cheap prices, warm climate, lot of parties and women? Bulgaria
B. Beatiful countryside, rich history, lot of beer and sausages? Germany
C. Easy to communicate with local people, pounds, tea & bobbies? England
D. Rich food & drink culture, old historial buldings & Colosseum? Italy
E. Beatiful & clean nature, people talking strange language while eating rye bread & salmiac, sauna & Santa Claus? Finland

Checking out the public transportation services, price levels, people's ability to speak English and determining the purpose of the trip (sun & parties, museums & historical sites or wandering around in a peaceful nature?) is a good idea, where ever you travel to.

P.S. If you like to hear more about Finland, I'm happy to tell more with a sense of factual objectivity in my mind.

Finland sounds nice :) Has anyone heard about what New Zealand is like?

I heard they gots lots-o-sheep.

I've heard it has 50 sheep for every Orc.

From what I've seen of it, it looks very nice, albeit perhaps a bit chilly this time of year, I'm trying to think of analogous locations elsewhere, and I'm coming up with Ireland, Scotland and inner parts of the Hawaiian Big Island...

English is european, and nobody speaks french outside France and the walloon part of belgium.
Some people do, some decently, most basically, speak french in the flemish part of Belgium.
Forget it for the rest of europe. ;)
English is the most practical.:p

I've been to inner parts of the Hawaiian Big Island. It's quite interesting really, although very remote and small-townly. The little towns are quite reminiscent of pictures from Columbia or something.

Personally I would say:

English > German > Russian > spanish > french

Though you probably would be better off with knowing:

English > Spanish > French > German >

Have you driven on the "Saddle Road?" It cuts right through a naval artillery range, if I recall correctly, and the swirling clouds made it look like a flat part of Mordor, or the location of a gateway to another world. I really regret not having my camera with me when we drove on it...

I keep hearing things about it. Sounds alright.
A few.
Should be about 10-20 degrees Celsius, winds light to variable, occasionally rain. Skiing's good this time of year.

Language wise, before I go wherever I go, I would like to have an intermediate to advanced knowledge of their language, just a thing of mine.

But to the Hawaii comment, I live in the USA and don't want to stay in the "USA" if you know what I mean lol


My girlfriend went to Scotland and she said it was nice, but I am not really sure I want to go there because it seems like everyone I know has been there. I want to go somewhere out of the ordinary