viaggaremama

We would love help from all those experienced travelers. We have traveled but tend to get too ambitious in our planning. Can you reel us in? We are flying into Barcelona and need to pick up our daughter in San Sebastian. Our trip includes getting to Turin to see friends. We have 2 and 1/2 weeks and traveling with our teenagers. Here is the time line in May

Barcelona 2 nights taking train or fly to San Sebastián

San Sebastián 3 nights, day trip Bilboa

Travel over to France Bapyonne? and rent car

Drive to town near Pau for 1 night

Carcassonne 1 night

Aix en Provence 3 nights (day trips)

Drop car train to Turin 3 nights (day trips)

Train to Rome 3 nights and then fly out.

Can this work? We have used Rio2Rome for driving times but unsure.

Thank you for your time and help

kja

So only one day in Barcelona and only 2 days in Rome? That would be WAY too rushed to me! You might want to get some good guidebooks (or spend some time with a few in your local library), identify the things you most want to see in each location, note their opening/closing times, and mark them on a calendar. Then pencil in your transportation, add some time on either side (for checking in/out, packing/unpacking, getting oriented, etc.). Then see how things fit together.

I've found viamichelin and mappy. very helpful for driving times. And BTW, you might want to consider using trains instead.

Hope that helps!

adrienne

This itinerary would be way too much running around for me. You only have 1 day for Barcelona; 3 to 4 days would be the minimum. You're also not giving enough time to Rome.

Consider visiting Spain and France and leave Rome for another trip.

Have you priced the rental car and the drop off fee for renting in France and dropping in Italy? The surcharge could be substantial.

I use viamichelin for driving times and add 25% to their suggestion plus time to stop for gas and health breaks.

Robert2533

If you indeed want to spend time in Italy, and actually enjoy your time, then have your daughter meet you in Barcelona and go from there. It would be much better then giving the Basque Country (País Vasco and Pays Basque) such a short shift.

Bilboa is actually called Bilbao.

RonZ

This is way to much transportation. I can tell you from experience that Bilbao to Provence is a fairly punishing drive. And Aix to Torino figure 8 hours with 3 changes of trains.

Why not fly your daughter to Barcelona, meet her at the airport. Vueling or Iberia have inexpensive flights from San Sebastian taking about an hour. From Barcelona you have numerous options as to where to go next.

Look up trains here, flights on skyscanner, driving on via micchelin:

http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en?

djkbooks

Agree with the others...too much distance, too many major destinations, too little time. Packing up, checking in, perusing your surrounding, grabbing meals in between, packing up, getting yourselves, and all you're dragging, to the next airport, station, car rental return/pickup, and all that riding, will consume a LOT of time you could be seeing and doing, or even just relaxing and enjoying your surroundings.

Personally, I would omit any places not absolutely essential this trip and redistribute the rest of the destinations, so as to spend at least two or three nights in each place. Moving around from one place to the next day after day can greatly diminish your energy and enthusiasm quickly, and all those places will begin to blend so as you can't really remember one from another. Even if you take tons of photos, you'll see what you saw though your camera display everywhere, but not the wild yonder outside the frame.

Eight desintations over 2-1/2 weeks with two teens would definitely be quite ambitious.

Also, if a budget is involved and you do not have bottomless pockets, you would want to cost all that out (and know when to be booking those tickets for the lowest fare) so as to able to economize as much as possible. Same goes for accommodations. Some places have generally much lower rates than some other places.

nytraveler

Can only agree with the others that you are trying to put 25 pounds of stuff in a 10 pound bag. Esp with teens - who may want some physical activities (hiking, biking, beaches and othr outdoor activities - you have given yourself a rip with a huge amount of travel time an not much to actually see/do anything.

I would cut back to 4 or 5 destinations with this group and timeline.

viaggaremama

Thank you everyone. Appreciate hearing what I really did know but was in denial. Happy Travels

michele_d

< Appreciate hearing what I really did know but was in denial.>

That's what Fodorites are best at: snapping you back to reality.

Robert2533

Have a nice time in Italy!

kawh

michelle_d... did you say snapping you back, or slapping you back? i've experienced both over the years. (but, sadly, needed both...)

michele_d

kawh...no slapping necessary yet...maybe later if suggestions are not heeded.