Honeymoon in 2 weeks! Any last bit of advice?
Sep 29th, 2013, 12:37 PM
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Honeymoon in 2 weeks! Any last bit of advice?
Hello all,
Over the past 3 months, the Fodors Community has helped me tremendously with planning my Honeymoon. I ask for your help one more time! I will give you our itinerary, and I was hoping for you all to give me pointers, pieces of advice, must see places, or anything else that will help make this a trip of a lifetime!
Day 1- Travel to London
Day 2-Land in London, check in at hotel, do the Hop on Hop off bus tour for the day. Possibly go see the World Cup qualifier.
Day 3- Tower of London, Churchill War Museum, and Borough Market
Day 4-Harry Potter tour, enjoy the rest of the day in London
Day 5- Eurostar to Paris, check in at hotel, explore the city, River Cruise in the evening
Day 6-Lourve and exploring
Day 7- Half day trip to Versaille, explore for the remaining of the day.
Day 8- Fly to Florence, check in at hotel, explore the city
Day 9- day trip to Cinque Terre
Day 10- Half day trip to Sienna and Pisa, see the Uffizi and Academia in the afternoon
Day 11- Half day trip to Tuscan Region for wine and cheese
Day 12- Train to Rome, check in at hotel, explore
Day 13- Explore Rome
Day 14- Fly home
I am trying not to get too detailed in my itinerary because for one I don't want to bore you with all the details (we are of course hitting all the main sites in every city), and two I don't want the entire trip to be in stone. We love spontaneity, so we want to be free to do what we want!
Again thank you all so much. Without you, this trip may have been a disaster!
Over the past 3 months, the Fodors Community has helped me tremendously with planning my Honeymoon. I ask for your help one more time! I will give you our itinerary, and I was hoping for you all to give me pointers, pieces of advice, must see places, or anything else that will help make this a trip of a lifetime!
Day 1- Travel to London
Day 2-Land in London, check in at hotel, do the Hop on Hop off bus tour for the day. Possibly go see the World Cup qualifier.
Day 3- Tower of London, Churchill War Museum, and Borough Market
Day 4-Harry Potter tour, enjoy the rest of the day in London
Day 5- Eurostar to Paris, check in at hotel, explore the city, River Cruise in the evening
Day 6-Lourve and exploring
Day 7- Half day trip to Versaille, explore for the remaining of the day.
Day 8- Fly to Florence, check in at hotel, explore the city
Day 9- day trip to Cinque Terre
Day 10- Half day trip to Sienna and Pisa, see the Uffizi and Academia in the afternoon
Day 11- Half day trip to Tuscan Region for wine and cheese
Day 12- Train to Rome, check in at hotel, explore
Day 13- Explore Rome
Day 14- Fly home
I am trying not to get too detailed in my itinerary because for one I don't want to bore you with all the details (we are of course hitting all the main sites in every city), and two I don't want the entire trip to be in stone. We love spontaneity, so we want to be free to do what we want!
Again thank you all so much. Without you, this trip may have been a disaster!
Sep 29th, 2013, 01:17 PM
#3
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I agree with the above. Give yourself the freedom to drop the day trips to just enjoy Florence, and perhaps squeeze in more time in Rome. You definitely will not have time for everything you've planned for day 10. It's good to have an overall plan, but then be prepared to modify during the trip depending on your mood, the weather, etc. Best wishes for a wonderful honeymoon!
Sep 29th, 2013, 01:18 PM
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Your trip is very rushed. It can be done but you are missing so much along the way. Day 10 is impossible. You can visit Siena in a day but that will be it. Skip Cinque Terre this time and use that day to visit the Uffizi and the Accademia. You will need reservations for both to avoid long lines. You don't have time for lines.
Try to squeeze in Westminster Abbey in London; Ste. Chapelle and Notre Dame in Paris.
Try to squeeze in Westminster Abbey in London; Ste. Chapelle and Notre Dame in Paris.
Sep 29th, 2013, 01:47 PM
#5
Possibly go see the World Cup qualifier.>>
are we talking football [soccer to you]? in which case you probably should already have bought your tickets. I hope it's not the highlight of your trip!
as for other comments, I agree with the above. Siena, AND Pisa aren't really possible in a whole day, let alone in 1/2 a day, and to maximise your time in Florence, do book to see the Uffizi and Accademia.
you've got very little time in Paris - maximise it by looking for example at the "Paris in a day" ideas in guide books like Michelin or Fodors - in 48 hours you can probably manage to accomplish quite a lot, but you will need to be organised, and make sure that you group the sights that you go to - for example, see Notre Dame, St Chappelle and the Isle de la Cite together, then the louvre, then perhaps get the batobus up the Siene to the Eiffel Tower ad visit that and Les Invalides and the Rodin museum.
the day you go to Versailles, on the way back get off at the Musee D'orsay stop on the RER C line and visit the museum, or the Eiffel Tower if you missed it on day 1.
By all means go on an evening cruise on the Seine but don't eat on it - have dinner on dry land!
are we talking football [soccer to you]? in which case you probably should already have bought your tickets. I hope it's not the highlight of your trip!
as for other comments, I agree with the above. Siena, AND Pisa aren't really possible in a whole day, let alone in 1/2 a day, and to maximise your time in Florence, do book to see the Uffizi and Accademia.
you've got very little time in Paris - maximise it by looking for example at the "Paris in a day" ideas in guide books like Michelin or Fodors - in 48 hours you can probably manage to accomplish quite a lot, but you will need to be organised, and make sure that you group the sights that you go to - for example, see Notre Dame, St Chappelle and the Isle de la Cite together, then the louvre, then perhaps get the batobus up the Siene to the Eiffel Tower ad visit that and Les Invalides and the Rodin museum.
the day you go to Versailles, on the way back get off at the Musee D'orsay stop on the RER C line and visit the museum, or the Eiffel Tower if you missed it on day 1.
By all means go on an evening cruise on the Seine but don't eat on it - have dinner on dry land!
Sep 29th, 2013, 01:49 PM
#6
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Well, to make this a trip of a lifetime....I think you've got WAY too much packed in here. Would you be willing to edit out some places, and limit your two weeks to two or three cities? Each of the large cities has a multitude of sights to keep you busy for days on end, with numerous day trips in the surrounding areas. You can always return to Europe for an anniversary trip!
Sep 29th, 2013, 01:55 PM
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Way too crazy busy. Especially for a honeymoon. Where is the lounging in bed late one morning with your love? Sitting at a cafe and enjoying an espresso? Time to relax and enjoy eachother's company? You are going to spend the majority of your trip traveling from spot to spot, checking in, checking out, packing and unpacking. You are leaving very little room to "be spontaneous", since you are essentially booked solid.
If it was my trip I would spend a week in each destination (ie, one week in London and a week in Paris... or a week in Paris and week in Rome). That would allow enough time to really know each city, explore beyond just the hot tourist spots, have plenty of time for daytrips and MOST importantly just being with each other and enjoying your first trip as husband and wife without the constant rush rush rush, and.
If it was my trip I would spend a week in each destination (ie, one week in London and a week in Paris... or a week in Paris and week in Rome). That would allow enough time to really know each city, explore beyond just the hot tourist spots, have plenty of time for daytrips and MOST importantly just being with each other and enjoying your first trip as husband and wife without the constant rush rush rush, and.
Sep 29th, 2013, 02:51 PM
#8
My guess is since your honeymoon is in two weeks -- all the transport and hotels have been locked in - right? If so recommending a week in each city probably isn't helpful.
But how to fix things. Forget most if not ALL of you 'day trips'. You have little enough time in each city to even get acclimated, not enough time to rush off to all these half day trips (which are mostly full day's worth)
In London - I'd forget about the H-o-H-o bus (and you likely won't get into the WC Qualifier) and spend that day walking in the parks and/or taking a boat ride . . . (Though NOT the Duck since one caught fire today and everyone had to jump overboard) . . . or walk along the South bank or, or explore Covent Garden - things like that.
Have you booked Harry Potter? If so you are sort of set there --
Day three is tough. By the time you get out of the Tower it will be at least 1:30 and walking over to Borough Market and exploring will eat up another couple of hours. You'll get to the Cabinet War rooms in late afternoon and it takes about 2 hours to see.
Versailles is wonderful - really terrific. BUT I'd skip it and spend that time IN Paris.
Your whole Florence plan needs re-thinking. Too much - too far.
But how to fix things. Forget most if not ALL of you 'day trips'. You have little enough time in each city to even get acclimated, not enough time to rush off to all these half day trips (which are mostly full day's worth)
In London - I'd forget about the H-o-H-o bus (and you likely won't get into the WC Qualifier) and spend that day walking in the parks and/or taking a boat ride . . . (Though NOT the Duck since one caught fire today and everyone had to jump overboard) . . . or walk along the South bank or, or explore Covent Garden - things like that.
Have you booked Harry Potter? If so you are sort of set there --
Day three is tough. By the time you get out of the Tower it will be at least 1:30 and walking over to Borough Market and exploring will eat up another couple of hours. You'll get to the Cabinet War rooms in late afternoon and it takes about 2 hours to see.
Versailles is wonderful - really terrific. BUT I'd skip it and spend that time IN Paris.
Your whole Florence plan needs re-thinking. Too much - too far.
Sep 29th, 2013, 03:34 PM
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I got dizzy reading your plan. I hope you will not come home exhausted and frustrated from all the racing around you have planned not to mention the travel times to get to each place. Good luck, hope it is fun for you both.
Sep 29th, 2013, 05:01 PM
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Ive just mentioned this in another thread but again ill recommend this little walking tours book i picked up :
National Geographic 'Walking London -the Best of the City'
it is small but big enough to see the maps clearly and it outlines lots of walking itineraries based on their proximity to each other...very handy to have even if youre doing the HOHO bus (which i found fabulous - do try to get on one with a live guide and im gathering you already know that that there are 3 routes -just look at the coloured triangle on the front of the bus..will tell you what route it is taking...also included a cruise of the thames)
have a wonderful honeymoon...and more importantly the happiest of lives together!
National Geographic 'Walking London -the Best of the City'
it is small but big enough to see the maps clearly and it outlines lots of walking itineraries based on their proximity to each other...very handy to have even if youre doing the HOHO bus (which i found fabulous - do try to get on one with a live guide and im gathering you already know that that there are 3 routes -just look at the coloured triangle on the front of the bus..will tell you what route it is taking...also included a cruise of the thames)
have a wonderful honeymoon...and more importantly the happiest of lives together!
Sep 29th, 2013, 05:47 PM
#11
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Advice? Yes. Slow down. I'd be calling a lawyer before this trip was even halfway through. Just calm down and stop thinking you have to see everything in Europe. Really, where is the romance? The last thing I wanted to do on my honeymoon was trek through train stations and airports. Most folks are exhausted by the time the honeymoon rolls around, and this trip isn't even a sensible one for folks not on a honeymoon.
On your next honeymoon, I would suggest you rent a lovely place in the countryside of France or Italy, settle in, and just relax.
I don't know how to fix it for you at this point, though. I suspect, in your zeal, you have already booked all this stuff. Best of luck.
On your next honeymoon, I would suggest you rent a lovely place in the countryside of France or Italy, settle in, and just relax.
I don't know how to fix it for you at this point, though. I suspect, in your zeal, you have already booked all this stuff. Best of luck.
Sep 29th, 2013, 06:10 PM
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Agree you are not giving yourself enough time anywhere and are underestimating the time it takes to get places and to see things.
You really mush simplify this or you will spend half your time just in transit.
You really mush simplify this or you will spend half your time just in transit.
Oct 2nd, 2013, 01:25 PM
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Hello!
I guess all of your replies was not exactly what I was looking for. I guess I should have precursed that even though this is our Honeymoon, we want this to be a trip of a lifetime. We are both very young (23,22)and have been together for 6 years already. We are not as interested in the relaxation aspect of the trip as were getting the most out of the trip. We both love to be on the go and are looking forward to a fast paced trip.
We have currently ommited the World Cup game and the half day trip in Florence is just going to be to Pisa, not Sienna as well. I'm sure we wont be able to do everything we planned,as I am sure during the last part of the trip we will be exhausted.
But again, thank you all for your help!
I guess all of your replies was not exactly what I was looking for. I guess I should have precursed that even though this is our Honeymoon, we want this to be a trip of a lifetime. We are both very young (23,22)and have been together for 6 years already. We are not as interested in the relaxation aspect of the trip as were getting the most out of the trip. We both love to be on the go and are looking forward to a fast paced trip.
We have currently ommited the World Cup game and the half day trip in Florence is just going to be to Pisa, not Sienna as well. I'm sure we wont be able to do everything we planned,as I am sure during the last part of the trip we will be exhausted.
But again, thank you all for your help!
Oct 2nd, 2013, 01:32 PM
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As much as I love Cinque Terre check the weather before you go. It could be very foggy there in two weeks. Skip Pisa, Lucca instead if you really want to leave Florence. I loved Cinque Terre hiking. Have fun.
Oct 2nd, 2013, 04:21 PM
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Well, you can certainly try to accomplish all you have planned but I think you will likely run out of steam after a while. The trip of a lifetime should also be enjoyable. I would hope you plan to be flexible enough to change your ideas if fatigue or the desire to explore an area further occurs. Have you also checked to make sure the places you hope to visit are not closed the days you have allotted for them? Museums and sites are often closed one day a week.
Oct 2nd, 2013, 04:27 PM
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I don't get this trip of a lifetime business. You have 50 more years at least to do a lot of other trips.
What you have here won't even give you a taste of any of the places. I beg you to lay this out day by day - including actual travel time - from one hotel to the next.
What you have here won't even give you a taste of any of the places. I beg you to lay this out day by day - including actual travel time - from one hotel to the next.
