KayDoll

Getting a little nervous but very excited for our 7 week trip to Europe! I have flights, all train tickets, accommodations, and daily itinerary loosely booked and planned for our adventure but I am seeking wise words and advice from all you seasoned trvalers out there. Interesting things to do, what to avoid, must do's, what to bring/not bring or just random travel tips. I've not packed our schedule too tight b/c worse comes to worse, we're still lucky enough to be in some amazing places! So! Whatever you've got! Also, a GTG would be very welcome if anyone is up for it.

Just a little recap: B/F is 27 and I am 22 but we are well rounded and enjoy pretty much anything.

our itinerary:

London- 7 nights
Paris- 9 nights
Toulouse- 3 nights (w/ daytrip to Albi. Best way to get there??)
Cinque Terre- 2 nights
Florence- 4 nights (daytrip to Bologna)
Rome- 7 nights
Venice- 3 nights
Seville- 5 nights. Feria de Abril !! (daytrip. not sure where yet)
Granada- 2 nights
Madrid- 4 nights (daytrip. still unsure)

Thank you so much for all of your help thus far!! We look forward to hearing from you!!

KayDoll

**I mean daily itinerary is loosely planned. Everything else is booked solid. sorry if it's confusing.

tobyo

okay, for the Spain portion of your trip....in Sevilla do not miss the alcazar. It was my favorite site on our trip last year. room after room after room of sheer beauty. truly, noone should miss this gem! The cathedral is massive and Christopher Columbus' tomb is in there, also not to be missed. and climb La Giralda, great views of Sevilla from there. You can take a day trip to Cordoba from Sevilla since you'll be there 5 nights. Take the AVE train to and fro.

In Granada, do not miss the Alhambra. In fact, make sure you get your tickets ahead of time as you shouldn't miss it. if you need a link for tickets, let me know. There is a site where you can purchase tickets online.

In Madrid, as long as you're an art lover (and some would argue these are musts even if you're not), do not miss the Prado and the Reina Sofia museums. The Thyssen is nice too but if I only had 4 nights in Madrid I could skip this one. It's a nice collection too so if you have time for all 3, all the better. and if you do all 3, there is a ticket you can purchase at any of the 3 museums that gets you into all 3 at a reduced rate. In the Reina Sofia you will find Picasso's famous Guernica and other works of his as well. We only did the first two floors and hoping to get to the other two floors when we're there soon.

how fun to spend 7 weeks travelling! enjoy!!

bobthenavigator

We did 8 weeks one time years ago, and it was fun.
I see one glaring feature of your trip that I would not have done. All but 2 nites are in big cities. I would have done 50% in small towns or rural locations.
How do you plan to get to the CT from Toulouse and to Seville from Venice--I assume you are flying?

KayDoll

tobyo: thanks so much for all of of your suggestions. we're definitely going to the Alcazar! just seeing the pictures alone makes me excited!

bob: I've read all of your TRs! very entertaining as well as insightful! this will be our first trip to Europe so we wanted to see the "usual" places. hopefully, we will have a chance to go back and travel as extensively as you have. (with your TRs in tow) and yes, we will be flying to toulouse-CT and Venice-Seville. found inexpensive flights through easyjet and ryanair and made sure there was ample time to connect each flight each trip.

CaliNurse

You are both young and you WILL be back, so i totally see why you have planned highlights---but long stays in the great cities! My first trip to Europe (age 19) was much like that and i never regretted it.
For possible gtgs, it might help if you narrowed down the dates. (I will be in some of same places starting late May--just as you leave)
Of course we all have different experiences...but i would take two days off Rome and spend two nights in a small town (in Tuscany perhaps).

CaliNurse

or take two day from Paris (leaving you 7 days there ) and two days from Rome (leaving you 5 days there) and chose an additional 4 days --in a smaller town area--either in Provence or Tuscany, maybe in a non-hotel type place?

KayDoll

Cali: we'll be there march 24- may 11. unfortunately, all of our accommodations have been booked and train tickets have been bought in advance. we talked about what we wanted to do and what we were able to give up and put on a waiting list. we want to be there during Easter and there were so many things that we wanted to do in Rome that taking a couple of days away weren't an option.


P.S. i completely forgot about the 2 nights in Siena after Florence. with a daytrip to Volterre. maybe that should help even out some of the big cities

lowcountrycarol

Be sure to read in advance the luggage limitations for the airlines you will fly once in europe so you have no surprises.

denisea

KayDoll...sounds amazing and at 45 I have never spent more than 11-12 days at Europe! I am soooo jealous, but sincerely wish you the best trip ever.

I am sure this forum has you loaded with great sites to see and places to eat...so have a the time of your life. Be aware of your surroundings and be smart.

If you are American, the state department has a website and you can register yourself and your itinerary on the site. It's just good to know that they will know that you are there and where you are, if any trouble brews (which is doubtful) during your trip. I also recommend leaving color copies of your passport with a friend/relative at home and taking a color copy with you, that you will keep separate from your passport, in case it gets lost.

I always have a cashmere wrap for the plane and in case a restaurant is chilly. Take a smaller purse, and not a designer one. On the subway or other crowded tourist sites, I like to wear my coat or jacket over my purse (smaller size makes that possible).

Don't be afraid to be "rude" when being hassled or approached at a site...lotsa scams out there..say no like you mean it, walk away and don't feel bad about it. Don't get your wallet out at the busy sites, even to give a beggar money! Don't ever take a taxi ride from someone inside the terminal or not at an official taxi stop.

It's unlikely that even thing bad would happen but taking a few precautions to avoid scams and pickpockets will ensure that no one ruins your fantastic trip.

Enjoy and we all look forward to seeing your T/R when you return.

KTtravel

I like your itinerary -- you will have a wonderful time. I do like to travel with a money belt. I still have a purse where I keep a small amount of money (and my guidebook, and an umbrella, and...) but I won't be in an absolute panic if it is taken.

I think it is also good to try and keep an open mind (which it sounds like you have) about what you actually will accomplish each day. I usually have a few "must do" spots but have learned to be flexible in case of unexpected strikes or closings or if one of us is feeling unwell, etc. If such things happen I just tell myself I'll have to return! Sometimes the unexpected detours along the way end up being blessings in disguise as they are all part of the grand experience.

Have a great trip. I look forward to reading all about it!

KayDoll

denisea: thank you for the tips! i'm will be registering my itinerary and am thinking about informing the embassies as well. what do you think?? unnecessary?

kt:the purse idea is great! i have a cross body bag but was actually thinking it might be too big. i'm making the b/f carry a little messenger bag as well as i don't want to be the pack mule for the entire trip. i also turned his money belt into a money bag. he didn't like wearing it around his waist so i put a loop on it so he can wear it through his belt and inside his pants. looking forward to a strike free trip and will surely write about it upon my return. i received so many great tips from everyone so it will be my duty to do the same.

denisea

if there is a way to inform embassies, fine, but if you register with the state department, you should be good...again, you probably won't have any reason to have done this but just in case...it's a good idea.

taconictraveler

All I can say is that you two are "lucky ducks!" And I wish you a perfectly marvelous adventure-filled, relatively hassle-free trip! (sometimes a little hassle can be fun,) I certainly wouldn't wish you any mishaps, but the few times we've gotten slightly lost, or things didn't go too well, they ended up being enjoyable.
Take notes and tell us all about it!

KayDoll

thank you for all of the good advice and well wishes. i'm not opposed to a little hassle but hopefully nothing catastrophic will happen. only 2 weeks left to go now!

Bellarosa

I hope you have a great time. I'm jealous! We have not started the countdown for our trip yet (we leave for Rome on May 18), but have all the apartments booked, along with the rental car. We're staying soley in Italy this trip, after having done some of the "rushed" trips to big cities in the past. Enjoy!