Honeymoon France-Italy-Germany
Feb 3rd, 2012, 07:40 AM
#1
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Honeymoon France-Italy-Germany
My fiance are planning a 2 week European honeymoon in late May.
This is what we have so far:
Flight from US to Paris
Paris - 3 days
???? - 3 days
Italian Riviera (Cinque Terre, etc) - 3 days
Train from Milan to Munich and traveling the Romantic Road for the rest of the trip
(He's in charge of the Germany itinerary)
Flight from Frankfurt to US
We need advice on what to after Paris. We had originally planned on going directly to Nice and spending time exploring the French Riviera. But are we missing an opportunity to see another area of France? (i.e. Dijon or Avignon) And with the Italian Riviera following that will it be more of the same?
Burgundy has appeal because then we could possibly get a winery tour and see some chateaus. I also would like to get some beach time but maybe the Italian Riviera will supply enough of that.
Any suggestions would be much appreciated!
This is what we have so far:
Flight from US to Paris
Paris - 3 days
???? - 3 days
Italian Riviera (Cinque Terre, etc) - 3 days
Train from Milan to Munich and traveling the Romantic Road for the rest of the trip
(He's in charge of the Germany itinerary)
Flight from Frankfurt to US
We need advice on what to after Paris. We had originally planned on going directly to Nice and spending time exploring the French Riviera. But are we missing an opportunity to see another area of France? (i.e. Dijon or Avignon) And with the Italian Riviera following that will it be more of the same?
Burgundy has appeal because then we could possibly get a winery tour and see some chateaus. I also would like to get some beach time but maybe the Italian Riviera will supply enough of that.
Any suggestions would be much appreciated!
Feb 3rd, 2012, 07:47 AM
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I would spend the whole time in Paris (have you been before?)your first day if you are coming from N. America will likely be jetlagged. And dont forget every time you move you will lose about 1/2 in transit, getting to/from airport or train station, checking in and and out, waiting for trains/planes etc.
Or I would split the 3 days between Paris and the Cinque Terre. That will be a bit of a trek to get to.
PS - Cinque Terre doesnt really have nice beaches, most of them are pretty rocky and small. Monterosso is I think the only one with a reasonable 'beach'.
Or I would split the 3 days between Paris and the Cinque Terre. That will be a bit of a trek to get to.
PS - Cinque Terre doesnt really have nice beaches, most of them are pretty rocky and small. Monterosso is I think the only one with a reasonable 'beach'.
Feb 3rd, 2012, 07:50 AM
#3
Welcome to Fodors (great photo), late May is sometimes wet and cold or warmish (seldom hot). Not sure what you like to do for holiday but options that might interest are
1) Stay longer in Paris
2) Stay in Paris but do a day trip to Reims/Epernay (where the Champagne comes from) and do a fun tasting there
3) Go to Alsace (where the white wine comes from) and follow the wine route
4) Travel to Avignon/Arles/Nimes (chose one to stay in and travel to others) for a southern france art, roman buildings and wine visit
5) Bordeaux is a possible visit and you could even stay in St Emilion (world heritage town for wine) in the area rather than the larger Bordeaux
6) Burgundy, sure if so I'd try to stay in a samller place with a car such as Nuit-St-Georges or Chablis or Auxerre, each of these is very french and local wine tours are easy to arrange
Riviera in May is ok if you are a tax exile or a Russian Mobster, I see no reason to go there but,.. if you go tell us how it went.
1) Stay longer in Paris
2) Stay in Paris but do a day trip to Reims/Epernay (where the Champagne comes from) and do a fun tasting there
3) Go to Alsace (where the white wine comes from) and follow the wine route
4) Travel to Avignon/Arles/Nimes (chose one to stay in and travel to others) for a southern france art, roman buildings and wine visit
5) Bordeaux is a possible visit and you could even stay in St Emilion (world heritage town for wine) in the area rather than the larger Bordeaux
6) Burgundy, sure if so I'd try to stay in a samller place with a car such as Nuit-St-Georges or Chablis or Auxerre, each of these is very french and local wine tours are easy to arrange
Riviera in May is ok if you are a tax exile or a Russian Mobster, I see no reason to go there but,.. if you go tell us how it went.
Feb 3rd, 2012, 08:17 AM
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It is your honeymoon, but I would not mix 3 diverse regions in so short a time. Consider:
Paris--5
Nice/Cote d' Azur--3
Ligurian coast--3
Venice--3
Fly home
That makes more sense---Munich is too far.
Paris--5
Nice/Cote d' Azur--3
Ligurian coast--3
Venice--3
Fly home
That makes more sense---Munich is too far.
Feb 3rd, 2012, 02:09 PM
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Thanks so much for the responses!
The reason why our itinerary is so diverse has mostly to do with the fact that while I have traveled to Europe more than once, my fiance has never left the US. He sees this trip (understandably so) as his big chance to get in a European experience. Germany is his choice (he wants a chance to speak German and travel to a village that a relative was from) so I can't take that way from him.
I would rather go somewhere romantic (preferably with a coast or beach of some sort but it may not be realistic)
Our attempt was to visit areas that would be new to both of us.
I have been to Paris but I thought it would be a wonderful place to share with him.
I hadn't considered the Loire Valley only because I gave preference to areas that I had never visited (a previous trip included Loire) and that were along the way to the Riviera.
Perhaps I should either...cut out southern France/Italy and do Paris and Germany or cut out Paris and do Southern France/Italy and Germany...
The reason why our itinerary is so diverse has mostly to do with the fact that while I have traveled to Europe more than once, my fiance has never left the US. He sees this trip (understandably so) as his big chance to get in a European experience. Germany is his choice (he wants a chance to speak German and travel to a village that a relative was from) so I can't take that way from him.
I would rather go somewhere romantic (preferably with a coast or beach of some sort but it may not be realistic)
Our attempt was to visit areas that would be new to both of us.
I have been to Paris but I thought it would be a wonderful place to share with him.
I hadn't considered the Loire Valley only because I gave preference to areas that I had never visited (a previous trip included Loire) and that were along the way to the Riviera.
Perhaps I should either...cut out southern France/Italy and do Paris and Germany or cut out Paris and do Southern France/Italy and Germany...
Feb 3rd, 2012, 03:58 PM
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Since you are flying out of Frankfurt I would check out this for two nights, it is about two hours from Frankfurt.
http://www.rothenburg.de/index.php?get=121 It is touristy during the day but the city is yours at night and it is so much fun. Great food and wine. We stayed at an Inn within the city walls. You can rent a car in Germany, easy to get around and would just find a place to stay close to the airport your last night there after turning the car back in.
I love Germany and Munich is great. You could take the evening train from Paris to Munich and save a day of travel. They have some great accommodations on the trains. I would do more Paris and skip Italy this trip. Rent an apartment in Paris and live like a Parisian for a few days taking some day trips if you'd like.
http://www.rothenburg.de/index.php?get=121 It is touristy during the day but the city is yours at night and it is so much fun. Great food and wine. We stayed at an Inn within the city walls. You can rent a car in Germany, easy to get around and would just find a place to stay close to the airport your last night there after turning the car back in.
I love Germany and Munich is great. You could take the evening train from Paris to Munich and save a day of travel. They have some great accommodations on the trains. I would do more Paris and skip Italy this trip. Rent an apartment in Paris and live like a Parisian for a few days taking some day trips if you'd like.
Feb 4th, 2012, 04:28 AM
#10
If you are going to Loire you might do searching on fodors for chateau to stay in, there are lots of opinoins. My preference is Fontevraud. where you stay in the monestry, can visit the abbey (full of English royalty) and eat at the Unicorn.
http://www.abbayedefontevraud.com/v3/
http://www.abbayedefontevraud.com/v3/
http://www.abbayedefontevraud.com/v3/
http://www.abbayedefontevraud.com/v3/
Feb 4th, 2012, 05:44 AM
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"Perhaps I should either...cut out southern France/Italy and do Paris and Germany or cut out Paris and do Southern France/Italy and Germany..."
You should cut something. You're covering too much ground for 2 weeks.
It sounds to me like you want to be in Paris most and must visit Germany; I'd go with the first cut option. But you can see lots between Paris and Munich. My suggestions:
Days 1-5: Spend an extra night or two in Paris and do the daytrip to Reims/Epernay.
Days 6-8: Once you leave Paris, it's only about 3 hours by train to Trier (Roman ruins, historical sights) in Germany's Moselle Valley (slightly longer to smaller towns) - a scenic region with lots of wineries, castles, half-timbered villages; Cochem is an ideal stop:
Bernkastel: http://webhome.idirect.com/~brown/mosel3.html
Eltz Castle: www.burg-eltz.de
Cochem: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ama_Cochem.jpg
The Moselle ends at Koblenz on the Rhine River, the area's train hub. Do a honeymoon splurge south of there for one night at this castle?
http://hotel-schoenburg.com/
Days 9-11: Train to Munich (about 5 hours, direct from Koblenz at 8:48, follows the Rhine River/castle route.)
Days 12-14: Romantic Road towns. Bamberg, northeast of Würzburg but not on the RR, is an exceptional place you should look into as well.
You should cut something. You're covering too much ground for 2 weeks.
It sounds to me like you want to be in Paris most and must visit Germany; I'd go with the first cut option. But you can see lots between Paris and Munich. My suggestions:
Days 1-5: Spend an extra night or two in Paris and do the daytrip to Reims/Epernay.
Days 6-8: Once you leave Paris, it's only about 3 hours by train to Trier (Roman ruins, historical sights) in Germany's Moselle Valley (slightly longer to smaller towns) - a scenic region with lots of wineries, castles, half-timbered villages; Cochem is an ideal stop:
Bernkastel: http://webhome.idirect.com/~brown/mosel3.html
Eltz Castle: www.burg-eltz.de
Cochem: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ama_Cochem.jpg
The Moselle ends at Koblenz on the Rhine River, the area's train hub. Do a honeymoon splurge south of there for one night at this castle?
http://hotel-schoenburg.com/
Days 9-11: Train to Munich (about 5 hours, direct from Koblenz at 8:48, follows the Rhine River/castle route.)
Days 12-14: Romantic Road towns. Bamberg, northeast of Würzburg but not on the RR, is an exceptional place you should look into as well.
