LindaKeckler

hello all,

This is our first trip to Europe, to celebrate our 48th anniversary. Going Sep. 26 to Oct. 12.

Flying to Venice, booked and staying in Timeshare near Padova Italy at the Hotel Mioni Royal San in Montegrotto Terme, Italy, for 1 week Sep. 26 to Oct. 3. ( By the way, this RCI timeshare hotel has a mandatory half board of 50Euros a day per person, which includes only 2 meals and NO BEVERAGES at all, not even Water! Anyone know anything about this? We have to email them 2 weeks prior with exact number of days we are there, and they will only charge us for those days)

Then NCL Jade 7 day cruise to Greek Isles Oct. 3-10. Anyone know the weather and what to pack for cruise in Greek Isles Oct. 3?

When we return to port in Venice from the Cruise Oct. 10, need info on how to get to the train station in Venice, how buy tickets on train and cost of high speed train to Paris from Venice?

Also need info on best location to get hotel in Paris? Will be arriving on that train, and wanting to do a tour of main basic sights of Paris (hopefully on one of those hop on hop off tour buses?). Then need info on how to get back to CDG from our hotel Oct. 12.

And what to pack to wear, what is weather like in Paris Oct. 10?

Anybody know?
Thanks so much!

Linda and Dan Keckler

PalenQ

The only direct train Venice to Paris is the overnight Thello train (www.thello.com) - otherwise you take a train to Milan in the day and change to a Paris high-speed train there - takes several hours. Go to www.trenitalia.com for fares and prices - booking the Milan to Paris train well in advance can save tons of money over walk up fares - online discount fares however are limited in number so must be booked weeks early to guarantee and then are non-changeable non-refundable but walk-up fares can be very high - go to www.trenitalia.com and see.

For lots of great info on trains, fares and night trains check these IMO superb sites: www.seat61.com - great info on discounted fares; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

Weather in Oct in Paris can be nice and toasty or wet and damp - be prepared for anything - especially rain - but will never be really cold.

mamcalice

Don't wait until you get to Venice to buy your train tickets to Paris. As noted above, they will be much cheaper bought well in advance and you will be assured of a seat if you buy them as soon as you can. I would recommend the Milan conn4ection to Paris unless you are accustomed to sleeping on trains.

mjs

I find this to be a rather unusual first trip to Europe. Nothing wrong with it but you have around two weeks in Europe and you are spending a week of it in Montogrosso Terme and one day in Paris? In any case I would not waste time on a train from Venice to Paris. I would fly direct with Easyjet or some other low cost airline. If you book now you can fly to Orly for about $50 one way. Air France would probably be more like $200-$300 one way.

Jean

I'm sure the timeshare is lovely, but it will take you more than an hour each way to travel between that location and the tourist center of Venice. If you feel compelled to eat the half-board meals you're paying for, you won't have much time to see Venice. Personally, I would hate to feel "required" to dine at the same place/timeshare every night. Plus, you'd never experience Venice at the best time of day (evening).

I don't know what your idea of a "high speed train" is, but the journey from Venice to Paris is 11+ hours. You'd lose all of October 10th. Considering your extremely short stay in Paris (only one full day), I suggest you fly there from Venice.

sandralist

I've never been to Montegrotto Terme, but you might find this useful:

http://www.italyheaven.co.uk/veneto/...tto-terme.html

Despite its commuter train connections to some major art cities, I suggest renting a car for at least part of the time and visiting the nearby countryside.

As for your half-board arrangement, most of that area is a spa resort, and it is customary for people to stay at a hotel and get half-board, and very often beverages are charged separately, most especially anything alcoholic. Most people in Italy drink bottled water with meals, and at spa resorts they often drink the local specialty waters. But still I think it is a bit chintzy not to include water. Hope the food is good, but were it me, I would make my two meals breakfast and dinner, and go hunting for a great lunch.

I agree with the advice to fly.

sandralist

... meaning, fly to Paris from Venice rather than take the train.

flpab

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LindaKeckler

Thank you all for your prompt replies. Will consider it all. Still need info on where to stay in Paris which would be close to the train station, and the airport CDG?

Also, we already booked the timeshare, and cannot back out of it now, so have to pay the half board. Will probably take day trips to Florence, Venice, etc. from there during the week and visit surrounding nearby towns during that week. I realize we will have to forfeit a dinner here or there. They did promise they'd pack a lunch if needed.

As to the 2 week trip to Europe....one week is on a cruise to the Greek Isles. Just want to fly back home out of Paris, or anywhere else in Europe that is not a cruiseport city. See--- after you take a cruise and return to the port, there are thousands of passengers competing with you to get on the air flights out of that City--Venice in this case. We fly standby as I retired from the airlines, so won't even try to fly standby out of a port city. So we decided to take a train to another non-port city, sightsee a few days and then fly back to the US from that city.

Another question ---- should we try Amsterdam or another city instead of Paris?
Thanks

PalenQ

Another question ---- should we try Amsterdam or another city instead of Paris?>

why? Unless you know you have a better chance of flying SB out of one or the other.

If you've never been to Paris I'd go there above anyplace else within easy reach of Venice or maybe a few days in Switzerland and fly out of Zurich?

PalenQ

Munich and Vienna are reasonable train rides from Venice and it's a scenic route too - those are possibilities too - Munich especially would make a neat few day stay. Night trains run from Venice to both too if that is appealing to you.

Jean

By train, the day trip to Florence is 2+ hours each way, and the last "good" train connection back would probably leave at 8:30p. Bologna is closer and Ferrara closer still.

Do you mean you don't want to try to fly out of Venice at all??? If you want a direct flight back to the U.S., I think you'd be limited to training to Milan, Pisa or Rome. Venice to Amsterdam by train takes 20+ hours. To Zurich or Munich, it's about 7 hours.

If you still want to go to Paris and if you got off the ship in time, you could train to Verona and catch a late morning flight to Paris, arriving by mid-afternoon. Going via Bologna would probably work too, and there are more flight options Bologna-Paris.

welltraveledbrit

Linda,
Congratulations on your 48th wedding anniversary, I'm about to celebrate 15!

Your choice isn't the average itinerary here but I'm sure you'll have a great time. It looks like your timeshare hotel gets pretty good reviews over on Tripadvisor and it looks more than acceptable. Perhaps you've already looked at the reviews there but there are quite a lots of tips, particularly about a weekly regional train pass which you could use to get into venice or to go elsewhere. The hotel is right next to the train station so it looks quite doable. I understand the advice to rental a car and that's what I would do in the Veneto but it you're more comfortable with the train it looks like a reasonable option. Vicenza and Padua also look like options for day trips.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserR...ECK_RATES_CONT

I agree with all the other advice here take a flight from Marco Polo (Venice) to Paris. The flight is also probably the cheaper option. It's hard to give you a hotel near a train in Paris because there are several different train stations and many places to stay. If you give people a budget per night they may be able to help.
Fyi CDG is outside Paris and the train stations are in the center of Paris, you won't find a hotel near all of these, your best bet is a train station near the station you arrive in to or near the train/bus to CDG.

If you are determined to go by train I think the advice to go somewhere closer (Switzerland) is reasonable. Otherwise add a night or two in Paris. It's hard to know what is feasible without knowing how open the standby availability.

Hope this helps.

PalenQ

Trains from Venice come into Gare de Lyon where there are several hotels opposite it on the northside. IBIS is just one reasonably-priced modern hotel there.

BeniciaChris

Dont miss Paris for a specila anniversary. We went for my 60th 3 days at beginning & 2 days at end in different areas
If you can book a table at The Jules Verne Restaurant in the Eifel Tower=go for lunch its less expensive. You get admission to Tower
I also have RCI Go to the site & read other peoples reviews.
Congradulations

elizzie4000

<<Still need info on where to stay in Paris which would be close to the train station, and the airport CDG?
Still need info on where >>

In Paris you can't stay close to both CDG and the train stations (more than one) in Paris. They are about 1 hr apart.

Wherever you stay, whether it be Paris or another city and you need advice on hotel, please give your budget for the hotel in Euros so people can make suggestions.

manouche

Agree that you should fly EasyJet from Venice to Paris - it's a 90 min trip, very inexpensive (usually less than 50 EU). Frankly, that night train is literally "hell on wheels" and is a terrible experience.

Packing advice - try to bring only one suitcase apiece. There's not much room on those water taxis in Venice, and you'll have to haul your stuff about a mile on foot to Marco Polo airport.
EasyJet and the other discount airlines are very strict about luggage, especially carry-ons like computer bags and purses.

First-time visitors usually expect the atmosphere and ease of the Latin Quarter, which is very "user-friendly", especially for English speakers. Here's some ideas for hotels, look for Postal Codes 75006 and 75005:
Relais Christine, Les Marronniers, Hotel Aubusson, Relais d'Odeon, Hotel Saint Jacques, Luxembourg Parc Hotel, Les Jardins du Luxembourg,Hotel Residence Henri IV

bilboburgler

I've been past the time share a couple of times, it is on a commuter line so locally you have some quiet roads/canal to walk along. The Euganian hills (if you know your Roman history maybe of interest) to the West (fun to walk up and they have their own AC for wine, plus the Howitzer was invented near here, and there is an amazing couple's mausoleum just down the road just down the road) so not a bad place to stop.

Surprised that no local wine is included in Italy for 50E a day per person, sounds a bit mean, are you sure? I might just drop them a note, local wine is pretty good and would be costing them E4/litre for the good stuff, though international brands will be far more.

Padua, Moselice, Rovigo, Legnago (walled city), Ferrara (walled city) all easy to get to. Palladian mansions still abound. Lots to do, either by bike, train of car (as Sandra suggests) you just need to dig out trenitalia (get the station names exactly right) and you'll find most are local stopping trains. If this is no use to you then hire a car via Auto_Europe.

Water out the tap in Italy is excellent. I've not drunk bottled water in Italy for years now, just order a jug. More to the point this is a Therme so the stuff comes free out of the ground

PalenQ

Tap water in Italy is perfectly OK to drink anywhere - this is not the Third World and the water may actually be better than from Stateside taps due to the ozonixation process used there but rarely but increasily so here. If I drink bottled water it is for one with a taste - not just plain water.

LindaKeckler

Thank you all for your comments! I really appreciate it.
Flying, from Venice to Paris CDG, even on EasyJet is expensive. And it is nearly impossible to fly standby out of a large airport in a cruiseport city. So we figured a train to Paris might help us in the standby situation.

Still agonizing over the train ticketing situation.
1) Marco Polo Airport in Venice to timeshare week in Montegrotto Terme----
Will need to board the train to Montegrotto Terme when we arrive at Marco Polo Airport in Venice. Can I buy tickets for that ahead of time online or just at the airport? Is that a Regional train? Can I make a reservation?If so, what is the website?

2) Don't want the night train to Paris, so am wondering how I reserve seats on the day train through Milan? What website do I go to? Went to Eurail.com and found the Eurailpass to be about $240 per person.

Thanks again,..... am at a loss here trying to plan the trains.
Linda