I'm a high school student planning a trip to Italy and Germany for next spring after my high school graduation. I'm going on the trip with my mom and she's letting me make the itinerary decisions. The trip right now is roughly one month long, however I'm not sure whether we're spending long enough in some places or too long in others. Also, I'd like to shorten the trip by a couple days, but I'm not sure where to cut. I don't mind cutting entire cities if need be either. If you could help me out that'd be wonderful!!!
Here's my current itinerary:
May 23: leave the US
May 24: arrive in Rome
May 27: leave Rome, go to Cinque Terre
May 29: leave Cinque, go to Florence
June 1: leave Florence, go to Siena (take day trips to towns in the countryside)
June 4: leave Siena, go to Venice
June 7: leave Venice, go to Salzburg
June 10: leave Salzburg, go to Munich
June 13: leave Munich, go to Fussen
June 16: leave Fussen, drive romantic road to Rothenburg
June 18: train to munich airport and spend the night in the airport hotel
June 19: Leave for the US
Italy and Germany Itinerary!! Help!!
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>>>June 1: leave Florence, go to Siena (take day trips to towns in the countryside)<<<
Are you renting a car? I would visit Siena/countryside after Rome, then CT, Florence, Venice, etc. I wouldn't go to Munich twice. Backtracking wastes time.
Agree that you really need a car to see the smaller towns in Tuscany - public transit is possible but not frequent. Picking up the car on the way out of Rome and seeing the towns, then dropping the car at Florence airport makes sense. You can do trains after that if you want - if it were us we would keep the car until getting to Munich at the end of the trip.
I know a lot of people take trains around the countryside - but we find a car better - esp for the castle area south of Munich. There will be a significant charge for dropping the car in another country - but IMHO the convenience is worth it.
You haven't mentioned your budget - which will make a difference.
Things to note:
You mother must have an International Driving Permit to rent a car in Italy. I'm assuming you will not be able to drive - since it's very difficult for anyone under 21 - or even 25 to do so.
European rental cars are typically standard transmission. If you want an automatic transmission you need to organize it in advance and have the best chance of getting one by picking up at a large office (we usually pick up at the airport to be sure we get one).
We were planning on training from Rome to CT and from CT to Florence. After Florence we were going to rent a car in Siena to be able to travel around the countryside. However, after this we were going to train to Venice and use trains the rest of the trip until our travel up the romantic road. Does this seem OK? We agree that backtracking to Munich seems a little unnecessary. How would you recommend arranging that portion of the trip. Also which days would you cut from? Thanks!!!
You have very limited time everywhere except Fussen - which, frankly I don;t get. But then I'm not a fan of Neuschwanstein. You need to cut destinations - not days in any one place.
I would cut CT - but then I'm not interested in hiking - really the only reason to go there.
You'll be gone for more than 3 weeks, staying in 8 or 9 places and on the move every 2nd or 3rd day. When do you plan to do laundry?
Have you searched the train timetables to see how much time is required to travel between points?
yes we have checked the train schedules so we know roughly how long it should take to get from place to place. I would like to stay longer in some places with shorter stays between to break up the travel but not sure where to add and where to delete. We do love to hike and be outdoors so I'd have to say CT is one of my tops.
What a great trip! Congratulations on your graduation.
What you cut depends so much on what your interests are - for me, I'd much rather see more in Italy than go to Salzburg, but if you have specific reasons for including Salzburg that might not be the best choice for you. Regardless, I do think you have a couple too many destinations. My first priority would be more time in Rome - you only have two full days, and there is a lot to see there. Remember your first day or two will be jet lagged, and unless you've traveled to Europe before, you don't know how you'll react to that.
You only really have one day in Cinque Terre. Is it worth it to you to spend all the time in transit for a day?
I agree, you need to cut out some of your destinations, so you can have more time in the other places. What you cut depends on your interests. If you love to hike and be outdoors, then you don't necessarily need to visit all of the "big 3" of Rome, Venice and Florence. Just because some people love those places (including me), doesn't mean you have to go there on this trip.
If you keep the trip the way it is, keep the rental car and drive from Tuscany (Siena) to Venice, and drop the car there. And I agree if you want to hike and be outdoors, devote more time to the Cinque Terre.
Your time in Germany/Austria is a bit chopped up, though you may be doing that due to train schedules and routes. Can you put all of your time in Munich at the end of the trip, so you don't have that one night in Munich before your departure day?
Hi ell,
You have an interesting plan, but living out of a suitcase gets tiring very quickly.
Also, expect to lose at least 1/2 day each time you change venues.
The highlights of your itinerary are:
Rome, Florence, Venice - that's 13 (5/4/4) nights
add two nights for the CT - 15
(I suggest Siena as a daytrip from Florence and Orvieto as a daytrip from Rome)
Check the train schedules at www.bahn.de. I think that you will find it more convenient to take the train to Munich rather than Salzburg.
Also, since you will be driving ths part of the trip, it doesn't matter if you do Munich --> Salzburg --> Fuessen or Salzburg -- Munich --> Fuessen, the difference in travel time is only about 1:30 hr (See www.maps.google.com or www.viamichelin.com )
I would spend 4 nights in Munich and 3-4 nights in Salzburg.
You might find time for a visit to Hallstatt or other town in the Salzkammergut.
Consider if you have one night too many in Fuessen. The attractions are Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein (one day) and Linderhof (our favorite of Ludwig's castles).
I think you will find it easier to leave for home from Stuttgart or Frankfurt (both under 2 hr from RodT) rather than Munich.
You might find my trip report helpful.
Ira Visits Europe – May, 2007 (Salzburg, Fuessen, Bodensee, Burgundy, Alsace)
http://fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=2&tid=35014078
Enjoy your visit.