michael_cain_77398

I have sixteen full days, not counting arrival and departure dates, and I'm tempted to break it up between Venice > Florence > Nice > Paris (or Marseille, but probably Paris).

This is a faster pace than I usually travel - I try to aim for five to seven days in a city - but I have no idea what to cut! The feedback I'm looking for is, for those who know the cities: can this be done without feeling rushed? Or do I need to make some hard choices?

I enjoy art, architecture, and just walking around and exploring. I can spend a couple days just doing this. I'll go to the theater if there is something playing.

I have been to Paris twice now, so I am fine with just a weekend there. I spent five days on an island off the coast of Venice in December when I was younger. I was poor and Venice was cold, empty, and lovely, and I told myself I would return soon. That was 25 years ago.

My current thoughts are:

- arrival Venice mid-afternoon
three days Venice
five days Florence
five days Nice
three days Paris (final weekend)

(I also speak French and some Italian, and I have enough miles to fly there first class. I'm hoping that mean I'll be refreshed and not haggard the first day!)

Jean

You don't have 16 full days.

You'll lose at least a half day in Florence, Nice and Paris just getting to each destination. If you're traveling exclusively by train, Florence-Nice and Nice-Paris will take more than half a day.

There's no way to know if the time in each place would be rushed for you because we don't know exactly what your plans are. For example, any day trips planned? Are you a museum junkie (like me) or just like to wander?

You also don't say what time of year you're traveling, so it's tough to know whether Nice makes sense.

MmePerdu

There's another current thread going in the other direction.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-of-france.cfm

michael_cain_77398

Sorry, I think I over-edited and cut off a lot of my post!

I am a total museum junkie, and also love architecture, random exploring, and theater. I like nightlife too, but I generally wear myself out so much museum hopping in Europe that I rarely head to any clubs. When travelling alone I usually eat at smaller, informal place. And I live in Honolulu, so I'd be traveling to Nice for the museums and old town, not the beach.


My general approach when I have closer to a week in a city is:

arrival day, stick to the neighborhood
1-2 days walking and exploring, maybe hitting some smaller sites
2 days for major sites.
1-2 day trips

I don't think I would need this much time for Venice.

The ticket I found would arrive in either Florence or Venice on Friday, April 18 (Good Friday).

michael_cain_77398

I just found another fare, to Lyon. Lyon > Nice > Florence (or vice versa) sounds like it's closer to my speed.

________________________________________

I realize that this change comes across as flighty! But it takes me 26 to 30 hours to get to Europe, and the last couple times I tried that in coach I arrived a wreck. So for my Europe trips are for when I can save the miles for 1st Class, and for when I can find the 'saver' awards. When I find one I need to jump on it.

Jean

So, for the museum junkie, here's a list of museums/sights in Florence.

http://www.museumsinflorence.com/

And here's the official website for many of them. Also check the link to "Exhibits."

http://www.polomuseale.firenze.it/en/

I totally understand economy v. 1st class. We're in L.A. and just can't tolerant economy anymore, and we don't even have that extra flight/connection that you do. Which FF program are you working on?

michael_cain_77398

Thanks for the link! It will keep me busy today!

I'm with United. It's not always my favorite airline, but I like their ff program - and they are the only ones that offer comp upgrades from Hawai`i, & that alone earns my loyalty.

I've been a bit thrown by all the posts here & elsewhere saying that "all you need is three days" in Florence. I spent a week in Rome last trip, and could have made it ten days. My list of must-sees in Naples will take at least seven days. Certainly Florence & environs is worth a solid week?!?

It's so tempting to believe them, and attempt to 'do' both Venice and Florence.

(I disappear and reappear on the forum ... I tried to link Facebook to Fodors, and instead it gave me this new account. Hopefully I can change back to my original account).

MmePerdu

Don't believe any but your own instincts when it comes to the amount of time you feel you'll enjoy in a particular place. The forums are rife with those who travel in a very superficial way and will advise everyone else to do the same with no regard for an individual's inclinations, simply do not get that there's more than 1 way to do it.

I prefer Venice to Florence but also acknowledge that if you love museums you'll love Florence. In this regard figure it out for yourself. You sound like you know what you want so take any advice you get here with an enormous grain of salt (can a grain be enormous, I wonder).

Jean

Michael, only you can decide how much time you need in Florence. That's why I gave the link to all of the museums, and the list doesn't mention all of the great day-trips from Florence that are possible using only public trans. We've been to Florence several times and still haven't seen everything.

FWIW, regarding the United FF program, we love the code-share Swiss Air/United flight from LAX to Zurich. Departs LAX at 7:30p, arrives 3:45p, with same-day connections possible to Milan, Florence, Venice, Rome.

Happy planning!

michael_cain_77398

I love the planning part of travelling!

I went with the Florence arrival, and I'll be sticking with (probably) three cities: Florence > Nice > Lyon.

Lyon was never on my radar until now, but the more I read the more I think: this is my kind of city! The next big challenge will be deciding how to break up my time in France ... but I have a lot of research to do. Nice is the big question mark: I'm confident that I'll like the other two places, but I can't quite get a sense of the Riviera.

I'll see you soon in a French forum!