Help: I want to travel to Tuscany and other European cities.
May 9th, 2015, 03:42 AM
#1
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Help: I want to travel to Tuscany and other European cities.
Hello,
I am planning a trip to Tuscan and other European cities. After spending two days reading everyone account of different cities, I am more confused, hahaha.
Here is my favourite cities - Tuscany, Rome, Milan, Florence, Venice and Paris.
I have 20 days to work and that excludes travel time from home ( South Africa - Joburg). I see that Milan is cheapest re plane tickets. So I will probably land there. After that not sure which one to tackle and how many days to spend. Paris will be a day trip. I went in Winter so I would like to see it in Spring and hopefully get to the Louvre Museum.
I don't want to be at a beach areas because we already have the beach at home so I'm cool with not seeing them. I would like to see the country side hence Tuscany. I also love museums but would prefer to see the major ones rather than wonder around from one to another. I am love old Churches, again major ones.
My calculation says - 3 days in each city excluding travel time, moving to one place to another. What I really need help with is where to go (exact area of my base), how much time to allocate to each city and what to see. Exclude Paris.
Thank you for your help
I am planning a trip to Tuscan and other European cities. After spending two days reading everyone account of different cities, I am more confused, hahaha.
Here is my favourite cities - Tuscany, Rome, Milan, Florence, Venice and Paris.
I have 20 days to work and that excludes travel time from home ( South Africa - Joburg). I see that Milan is cheapest re plane tickets. So I will probably land there. After that not sure which one to tackle and how many days to spend. Paris will be a day trip. I went in Winter so I would like to see it in Spring and hopefully get to the Louvre Museum.
I don't want to be at a beach areas because we already have the beach at home so I'm cool with not seeing them. I would like to see the country side hence Tuscany. I also love museums but would prefer to see the major ones rather than wonder around from one to another. I am love old Churches, again major ones.
My calculation says - 3 days in each city excluding travel time, moving to one place to another. What I really need help with is where to go (exact area of my base), how much time to allocate to each city and what to see. Exclude Paris.
Thank you for your help
May 9th, 2015, 03:51 AM
#2
Tuscany isn't a city and you can't take a day trip to Paris from Milan.
You should look at plane tickets into one city and home from another. If you don't have a list of things you want to see in Milan, then it's not a bargain to fly in/out of there. It wastes your vacation time. Fly into Rome or Paris and home from the other city. Fly a budget airline such as Easy Jet between France/Italy and take the train between Rome/Florence/Venice. You would need a car for a few days to visit Tuscany.
You should look at plane tickets into one city and home from another. If you don't have a list of things you want to see in Milan, then it's not a bargain to fly in/out of there. It wastes your vacation time. Fly into Rome or Paris and home from the other city. Fly a budget airline such as Easy Jet between France/Italy and take the train between Rome/Florence/Venice. You would need a car for a few days to visit Tuscany.
May 9th, 2015, 04:50 AM
#6
http://www.seat61.com/thello-train-f...s-to-italy.htm
And what Dukey said.
For train schedules use bahn.de, for planes use skyscanner.net and whichbudget.com.
And what Dukey said.
For train schedules use bahn.de, for planes use skyscanner.net and whichbudget.com.
May 9th, 2015, 05:22 AM
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You shouldn't make assumptions when you travel. You need to check all of the details to find the most convenient - and hopefully not budget buster - means of travel.
There is no direct night train from Paris to Rome. There is a night train Paris to Milan, but then you have to get off at 6 am and get another train to take you to Rome. I wold look at budget flights Pars to Rome instead.
And agree that you need to spend some time with a map to get a perspective on distances, a train schedule (bahn.de has all trains in europe except very limited local ones) and do a lot more reading.
As for Tuscany, you can stay in Florence and see some of the smaller towns by train or bus - but service may be very limited. We did it by car, which is easiest, but if you don;t want to rent a car you might consider day tours from Florence that often visit 2 towns per day.
And agree landing at a place you don;t want to see just to save a couple of hundred $ is really a waste of both time and money - with 20 days and a bunch of places to see your time is worth a LOT.
There is no direct night train from Paris to Rome. There is a night train Paris to Milan, but then you have to get off at 6 am and get another train to take you to Rome. I wold look at budget flights Pars to Rome instead.
And agree that you need to spend some time with a map to get a perspective on distances, a train schedule (bahn.de has all trains in europe except very limited local ones) and do a lot more reading.
As for Tuscany, you can stay in Florence and see some of the smaller towns by train or bus - but service may be very limited. We did it by car, which is easiest, but if you don;t want to rent a car you might consider day tours from Florence that often visit 2 towns per day.
And agree landing at a place you don;t want to see just to save a couple of hundred $ is really a waste of both time and money - with 20 days and a bunch of places to see your time is worth a LOT.
May 9th, 2015, 05:45 AM
#9
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Tuscany, Rome, Milan, Florence, Venice and Paris.>
Assume you are going by train - Land in Milan
Head to Florence - 4 days - do possibly a day trip to an iconic Tuscan hill town - Siena by bus - easy
Train to Rome - 4 days
Train to Venice - 3 days
Overnight train direct to Paris
Well you have a lot of days left over - Switzerland could be a neat stop between Venice and Paris - head to the Jungfrau Region around Interlaken - spend 3-4 days there in what to many is the absolute highlight of Switzerland - glacier-girdled peaks rising thousands of feet above lush meadowns - walk to glaciers, etc.
You say exclude Paris but you cannot do a day trip to Paris from any place on your itinerary - why not Paris for a few days then take the Eurostar train via the Channel Rail Tunnel to London and the U.K. - fly home from there.
For lots of great info on European trains check these informative sites: www.seat61.com; www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com - download the latter's free online European Planning & Rail Guide for lots of suggested rail itineraries to plan a rail trip.
Assume you are going by train - Land in Milan
Head to Florence - 4 days - do possibly a day trip to an iconic Tuscan hill town - Siena by bus - easy
Train to Rome - 4 days
Train to Venice - 3 days
Overnight train direct to Paris
Well you have a lot of days left over - Switzerland could be a neat stop between Venice and Paris - head to the Jungfrau Region around Interlaken - spend 3-4 days there in what to many is the absolute highlight of Switzerland - glacier-girdled peaks rising thousands of feet above lush meadowns - walk to glaciers, etc.
You say exclude Paris but you cannot do a day trip to Paris from any place on your itinerary - why not Paris for a few days then take the Eurostar train via the Channel Rail Tunnel to London and the U.K. - fly home from there.
For lots of great info on European trains check these informative sites: www.seat61.com; www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com - download the latter's free online European Planning & Rail Guide for lots of suggested rail itineraries to plan a rail trip.
May 9th, 2015, 07:59 AM
#10
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Land in Venice, if at all possible
Venice 3 nights (2 days)
Train to Florence 1/2 day
Florence & Tuscan countryside 5 nights (4&1/2 days)
Train to Rome
Rome 5 nights (4&1/2 days)
Fly to Paris 3 nights (2 &1/2 days)
Take aways days from any place you want less time, or
Add all days to places above , or
Choose one more, easy to get to place.
Ideas:
1. Add another place in Italy - Naples and the Amalfi Coast. Fly to Paris from Naples. If you can't get a good flight from Naples to Paris, go directly to the Amalfi Coast from Florence and back to Rome for the time in Rome, then fly to Paris from Rome.
2. Train from Paris to London for 4 days, Home from London.
3. Train from Paris to Amsterdam, home from Amsterdam.
4. Train from Paris Avignon, tour of bit of Provence, train to Paris, home from Paris
5. Fly from Paris to Barcelona, home from Barcelona.
Venice 3 nights (2 days)
Train to Florence 1/2 day
Florence & Tuscan countryside 5 nights (4&1/2 days)
Train to Rome
Rome 5 nights (4&1/2 days)
Fly to Paris 3 nights (2 &1/2 days)
Take aways days from any place you want less time, or
Add all days to places above , or
Choose one more, easy to get to place.
Ideas:
1. Add another place in Italy - Naples and the Amalfi Coast. Fly to Paris from Naples. If you can't get a good flight from Naples to Paris, go directly to the Amalfi Coast from Florence and back to Rome for the time in Rome, then fly to Paris from Rome.
2. Train from Paris to London for 4 days, Home from London.
3. Train from Paris to Amsterdam, home from Amsterdam.
4. Train from Paris Avignon, tour of bit of Provence, train to Paris, home from Paris
5. Fly from Paris to Barcelona, home from Barcelona.
