kcnewby

Hello to all... I am trying to plan a trip of a lifetime for my husband, myself and two teenage kids (19 & 17 at time of travel). I have spent hours online researching and planning. Keep in mind this trip wont be until Aug 2012...
I am sad to say this is our first European trip (we are from Australia and the rest of the world isnt as close as we would like it to be!!) and we would like to plan as much as we can around Italy and the Mediterranean. We listed all the places we wanted to see and came up with the below itinery, this way it incorporates all the cities, places and sights we are interested in and from this trip we can target our next holiday to the places we loved the most. . Can you please guide me on the following itinery and let me know if this sounds too much? This will be a 5 week holiday
- London 3 nights
- Paris 3 nights
- Florence 5 nights - hire a car here and plan day trips Siena, Tuscany, Pisa...
train to Venice 3 nights
- From Venice, board Crown Princess (Princess Cruises) for a 12 night cruise of the Meditteranean incl.Croatia, Greece (Mykanos, Rhodes, Santorini), Turkey and ends in Rome
- Rome 3 nights
- Sorrento 2 nights
- Positano 3 nights
- Back to Rome and Home
We need to visit Ginostra (Stromboli) as my husband wants to see his mothers birthplace. Any thought on the best way to do this from any of the places I have mentioned?
I welcome any comments, help, criticism etc ... Thankyou so much

J62

To visit Ginostra (Stromboli) your best bet is probably to disembark from your cruise at Naples, then take a ferry to Stromboli (4hrs).

It may be a burden bringing all your cruise luggage all the way to the volcano, so perhaps you could store your large cases at a hotel in Naples for the side trip.

I think a hotel on the island should be able to give you good info on schedules, ferry lines, etc.

gh21

While staying in Florence it may be burdensome and expensive to park a car in the city. Not to mention that many streets in Florence do not allow car traffic. May be better to do your day trips by train or bus if Florence is your base (Siena is easiest reached by bus from Florence)

qwovadis

Go a bunch just got back

From Oz with a family check out

airasia.com flights will save you a bunch.

August crowded and blistering hot in the summer

bump to Sept/Oct for better experience prices

Fly the long legs skyscanner.net regional training

cheap for the short legs car expensive hassle to park

lots of tolls big speeding parking tickets avoid.

aferryto.com will have your island ferries out of Naples

Happy Planning!

qwovadis

Have actually also done a Princess cruise in the Med

it is a nice way to go with a family but costly

brief port visits too much time aboard the ship.

Might just skip it to save and see more since you

will be traveling overland/sea anyway.

Otel.com Boooking.com good deals on family rooms

laurie_ann

This would be my two suggestions with a family.

The time you planned to stay in Florence consider to stay instead in a smaller town nearby in an apartment or villa and plan your day trips with car from there.

The time you planned to stay in Positano/Sorrento stay instead in Sicily.

My reasons for the alternatives:

You are spending a lot of time in big cities or in more touristy destinations. Not that there is anything wrong with those but some of the best of Europe is outside those. Doing "Tuscany" rather than "Florence" will give you breadth of the Europe experience.

On your cruise you are already doing a lot of resort areas. And you will get a good but perhaps superficial overview of those cruise destinations. Doing "Sicily" rather than "Positano" will give you a better sense the depth of the European experience.

And of course August for when you have your trip planned is the height of Europe vacation season where things can be most crowded and most expensive. Breaking up your trip with more casual destinations can save you money and stress.

Finally, you are covering a lot of ground. Using Tuscany and Sicily as more casual time will help restore your energy between "bigger" destinations and enjoy it all a lot more.

NYCFoodSnob

Sounds like quite a trip. But it also sounds exhausting. There are very few places I enjoy during the month of August and none of my Italy favorites is on your list. People often have no choice. I hope all four of you are blessed with a strong sense of adventure (and enjoy heat). Five weeks, with so much activity in differing cultures, when many of the locals are gone and a lot of businesses are closed, is a lot to chew on. I don't think I could do it but I've been traveling a very long time.

I would never base myself in Florence for 5 nights in August. I would base myself in Castellina in Chianti, in a nice villa with a pool, and visit as many Tuscan towns as your heart desires by car (20 minutes to Florence and 20 minutes to Siena). There are plenty of parking garages on the outer edges of Florence, which make it easy (and safer) to drive in and get out when you wish. Once you compare the Chianti region with Florence's city center, I have a feeling your family won't want to leave the villa pool.

Good luck with your planning. It'll be a lot of work but it can be fun.

ira

Hi kc,

This will definitely be the trip of a lifetime. You will be so exhausted that you will never leave Oz again.

This is the usual newbie mistake - trying to jam a lifetime of travel into one visit.

May I suggest a week in London, a week in Paris and 3 weeks in Italy (Venice, Florence and the Cinque Terre or Venice, Rome and the Amalfi Coast)?

You will be much, much happier.

Can you go in Sept instead of August? It will be cooler and the crowds will be smaller.

mamcalice

I agree with Ira. Far too much for the time you have available. We've been to all of the places you intend to visit and all are worthwhile. But to think you will spend 3 days in London, 3 in Paris and 3 in Positano virtually blows the mind. Positano is worth perhaps a half day, London and Paris a week each!. Because you will be on a cruise and will see many seaside locations, I would skip Sorrento and Positano and spread the days to London, Paris and Rome. Less moving around and more time in the truly great cities of Europe.

You can make this the trip of a lifetime if you give yourselves a little time to enjoy each stop and don't move around quite so much.

charnees

Sorrento and Positano are so close to each other that I don't see the point in staying in both of them. And five days total is too much, I agree.

Siena and Pisa are in Tuscany. Siena will be very hot and crowded in August.

Florence is like an oven in August, and so full of tourists you can hardly move. Staying out of town in a villa with a pool is good advice. Try going to Florence by train or bus, as early in the morning as you can manage. Or go late in the afternoon when the cruise mobs have left and stay for dinner and an after-dinner stroll before going back to your villa.

Do try to postpone this trip until September.

janisj

As much as it pains me to say this -- w/ only 3 days -- I'd skip London entirely and add that time to Paris. 3 days isn't long enough for either city, but especially not London after a 20+ hour flight. You will be zombies for at least the first day. So just Start in Paris. OR even better IMO--add days to BOTH London and Paris.

I agree w/ the others-- 5 weeks sounds like a lifetime. But w/ that 12 day cruise, you are trying to cover London, Paris and most of Italy in about 3.5 weeks. And I'd also stay outside of Florence - especially if you want to hire a car.

I'd probably simplify -- drop the cruise - OR - drop London/Paris. And is there ANY way you could travel in Sept instead of August??

J62

I looked up the itinerary on princess.com. The ship arrives 4am at the port of Rome, which is about an hour outside of the city.

To me it definitely makes sense to skip the last night on the cruise from Naples to Rome

Day 1 disembark Naples, head straight to Sorrento from the ship.
Day 2-4 stay in Sorrento, (or however many days - nothing wrong with a whole week in one location)
Day 5, hotel in Naples
Day 6, ferry to Stromboli (leave excess luggage Naples hotel)
Day 8 or 9, return to Naples, pick up luggage, head to Rome (90min train)
Visit Rome, then fly home.

kcnewby

Oh wow! I went to bed and look what happens, so many ideas!! Thankyou!
Ok, yes its too much I am starting to see logic
The first thing we will do is change to September..

qwovadis - my husband was never sold on the cruise thing so your thoughts made his mind up.. I thought the Greek Islands would be nice but that sounds like another trip, another time...

laurie_ann - thanks, I will def look at outside big city destinations

NYCFoodSnob - can you tell me some your favourite places in Italy?

ira - 'May I suggest a week in London, a week in Paris and 3 weeks in Italy (Venice, Florence and the Cinque Terre or Venice, Rome and the Amalfi Coast)?'.... this sounds much more relaxing. I have to get over the 'fear' of missing something

mamcalice - 'But to think you will spend 3 days in London, 3 in Paris and 3 in Positano virtually blows the mind. Positano is worth perhaps a half day, London and Paris a week each!. Because you will be on a cruise and will see many seaside locations, I would skip Sorrento and Positano and spread the days to London, Paris and Rome.' You make a very good point I always had the dream of sitting on a balcony overlooking the Amalfi cost and relaxing. Doesnt sound like Positano is that place...

Looks like I might replan and drop the cruise. Change to September, stay longer in Paris and London, and posibly go to Sicily... that one I will have to research as I dont have much information on that area.

Thanks to all who responded, if there is anything else I should know or you want to add, please do...

janisj

You are a QUICK learner !!

kcnewby

Yes, I learnt very young to listen to those around you who are more expeienced!!

michele_d

Consider apts for your longer stays over three days. It really is very nice to have a place of your own to return to after a day of sightseeing and not just a bed.

nytraveler

Can only agree with what others have said _

august is the worst time to go - hellishly hot and humid as well as wall to wall (literally) tourists

A cruise is the worst way t see anything - since you spend a lot of time on a boat and trekking back and forth to distant cities versus seeing actual sights

You have left yoursefl too few days in major cities )London, Paris, Rome) to really get a feel for the cities and the culture. You also have more days than you need for a quick look at the Amalfi coast (unless you want to focus on sporty things while staying at a resort)

If you're dropping the cruise I would add at lest 2 days each to London,, Paris and Rome.

Don;t know if you have sorted any hotels yet - but we found traveling with my teen/tween step daughters that there is much less friction if you have separate rooms and plan to do separate things some days - as well as allow them to go out to clubs at night without waking you when they get in.

Obviously they should be heavily involved in the planning - and I would encourage them to brush up on whatever languages they are studying - ours loved the fact that they could be completely independent in paris - and able to practice their French

sap

I would also totally drop that cruise and put the time into London & Paris. I hope you haven't booked it yet.

janisj

nytraveler and sap: You are now singing to the choir -- see kcnewby's most recent post. She's been convinced . . . .

sap

Oops, Janis. I did miss something! I had read the thread; came back later to respond; and somehow missed kcnewby's responsive change of heart. Good news & the new plan sounds reasonable. I definitely like Ira's itinerary best.