BrainMonkey

Planning very first European vacation. I was looking at tours, but after a lot of reviews and reading, figured we would plan out my own trip so I can see exactly what I want to see and at my own pace. I might have some friends tag along but in the air. Total trip time is 14-21 days depending on if go to greece as well.

I plan on staying along the coast for the entire trip. If we do not go to Greece then figure instead of stopping in Rome would head to down Sicily.

Looking at Starting in Spain (start in Madrid then to Barcelona)> France ( cities undecided) > Italy ( Florence and Rome) > * (Maybe Greece) .

Question: Transportaion wise, we are deciding between train/public transportation or renting a car. We would drop off to original location so thats been figured into the trip as last day. Checking on any advice on renting the car. If rent a car, we are planning on driving to the cities we are staying in then keeping it at the hotel/garage until conintue on .

bilboburgler

If you drive you have to handle the fuel costs which are way above what you might expect in the USA. You have to drive through cities that were built before the car was invented and you have to compete with people who are used to fast cars, narrow roads and limited (or even no) parking as , for example many Italian towns have no-car policies.

So, unless you need to a car to balance out the costs the best solution is public transport (which includes planes and ferries).

It also depends on when you go, if you decided to do this trip in August and you were European I'd call the doctors as the route you describe will be wall to wall cars/coaches.

Finally, on a train you get to meet the locals, I'd pack a picnic hamper and share with the people around you, you'll be amazed how popular you will be and how many interesting chats you have.

BrainMonkey

I hadnt looked at Ferry route, only thing in France really wanted to see was rivera/monaco . Rest planned majority of the time in Italy and Spain. So we have been looking at using the train to get us around, and then flying from rome to athens. Once done in Greece, flying from athens to madrid and then back home.

bilboburgler

I'm a simple man, what on earth is there to see on the Riviera and in Monaco? You want to pass up Carcassone, Avignons and the Camargue?

Ferry from Barcelona to Rome I think.

Greece, are you thinking Athens or the Islands?

Rubicund

Are you familiar with the terms "open jaw" or "multi city"? This is where you fly into one place and out of another. So if you start in Madrid, you'd fly home from Athens. Obviously this saves money and time and it's often no more expensive than a normal return flight.

You then plan to visit Spain, France and Italy, with two city stops in each place--so that's 6 different hotels in 13/14 nights? It doesn't leave much time to see the place you're in and as is the mantra here, you need to account for the time it takes to transfer between places, from check out to check in. It's at least half a day out of your time on each occasion.

Trains are your best mode of transport, especially if you're thinking of hire a car in one country and returning it in the next. There's usually a hefty charge for the privilege.

BrainMonkey

Yeah, its a lot to cram into 14 days. Might have to limit to Spain/Italy Italy/Greece. Been looking at flights and we might get the ones with a 10 hour layover in paris to atleast see france to see a little bit of those also.

I'll look into a ferry from Barcelona to Rome / vs train ride and compare time and cost.

Cathinjoetown

Be sure you are being realistic about driving times. There are fast routes near/along the coasts but for the most part you will only see glimpses of the sea from time to time from the major highways.

True coast roads (not autoroutes or autostrada) are for the most part through built-up areas, very pretty in parts but slow-moving. Map distances can be very deceptive. I would add July to Bilbo's advice about avoiding August.

Cars are an absolute pain in Madrid, Barcelona, Florence, Rome--the cities you mention--and you will eat up precious time getting in and out of the city centers, finding parking, etc. Of these cities none are actually on the coast except Barcelona.

You can always do a mix of driving vs flying vs trains but if your trip is city-centric a car will be a liability
not an asset.

bvlenci

In most of Italy, taking the train is both cheaper and faster than driving, and avoids all the hassles mentioned above. However, if you go to Sicily, a car would be very useful there.

The overnight ferry from Barcelona to Genova or Civitavecchia is expensive and takes almost 20 hours. I'd look for a budget flight for that route.

There are overnight ferries from Naples to Palermo, which take about 10 hours. This would make more sense, if you decide to go to Sicily. You can get a direct train from Florence to Naples.

kybourbon

You shouldn't be returning to Spain to catch a flight. Book your flight into Spain and home from either Italy or Greece. Did you bother to calculate the driving time to backtrack with a car rental?

>>>Yeah, its a lot to cram into 14 days. Might have to limit to Spain/Italy Italy/Greece.<<<

With only 14 days, you need to limit it to one country. You don't have time for all that trekking around unless you only want to see the inside of trains or cars.

Robert2533

Three or maybe four countries in 14 days is a road trip, not a "Mediterranean Vacation". You need to rethink this whole adventure, especially since it will be your "very first European vacation".